First Handgun

[karder]

There are a lot of great choices and many of them have already been mentioned by the other posters. In the price range you mentioned, I agree that Glock is a nice option. They are good guns at a good price and you can't go wrong if you choose that path. Picking a handgun is a very personal thing and you have to find what works for you. If you are willing to spend just a little bit more, the Walther PPQ looks really sweet. I like Walther a lot and have had great experience with the brand. Also, the Browning Hi Power is a nifty gun if you don't mind blowing your budget and spending a couple hundred more. Good luck in your search.

[aaangel]

Forgot to mention that I am left handed but right eye dominant if that matters in picking

i'm glad i'm not the only one. have you tried shooting with your right hand? the reason i'm asking is, you might be ambidextrous when it comes to shooting! i was putting too much strain on my neck shooting lefty and looking w/ my right eye. Rene, my chl instructor suggested i should try shooting with my right since i'm right eye dominant. try it. you might be amaze of the outcome.

my first handgun was a glock 19. easy to operate, maintain and just a well balanced gun. ok ok i'm biased. sig p250, px4 storm, xdm, m&p are all lefty friendly . good luck and i know you'll have fun!!!

[steveincowtown]

I just sent an email to you with some P229 pics.

[CombatWombat]

Hey zero and pbwalker,

I think you should practice and master a manual safety when you first begin your defensive shooting tactics because that fraction of a second it takes to flip the safety off is the last time you get to think shoot or don't shoot. It can be the difference in putting two in the chest of a guy with an ak or a broom, just something I picked up from the countless hours clearing rooms and shoot don't shoot scenarios. I really consider "safe action" pistols to be a little more than a beginners firearm. It's kinda like buying your kid a vette for his first car when he's not even comfortable with the basic controls of a regular car. As for the 9mm, it's a tried and true round, its pretty cheap to shoot so the cost of ammo shouldn't deter you from a regularly scheduled practice session. The focus of a soon to be pistol packin law abiding good citizen should be the fundamentals and it's better to grasp the concept completely on a more manageable caliber that still makes sense defensively than to just get by on a larger caliber because someone told you it was better.

[zero4o3]

Hey zero and pbwalker,

I think you should practice and master a manual safety when you first begin your defensive shooting tactics because that fraction of a second it takes to flip the safety off is the last time you get to think shoot or don't shoot. It can be the difference in putting two in the chest of a guy with an ak or a broom, just something I picked up from the countless hours clearing rooms and shoot don't shoot scenarios. I really consider "safe action" pistols to be a little more than a beginners firearm. It's kinda like buying your kid a vette for his first car when he's not even comfortable with the basic controls of a regular car. As for the 9mm, it's a tried and true round, its pretty cheap to shoot so the cost of ammo shouldn't deter you from a regularly scheduled practice session. The focus of a soon to be pistol packin law abiding good citizen should be the fundamentals and it's better to grasp the concept completely on a more manageable caliber that still makes sense defensively than to just get by on a larger caliber because someone told you it was better.

dont get me wrong, I wasnt by any means saything there was anything wrong with 9mm, I love my p226 in 9mm was just trying to say that I dont think think any one caliber is "easier" to shoot then the others, a lot of it has to do with the weapon your shooting.

but yes if the difference in ammo price from 9mm to .40 is going to stop you from spending the much needed time developing good shooting habbits, dont go that route

although I was courious about your reasoning for a saftey, while I dont agree with it as a requirement for a first gun, its all about carring what your comfortable with and I would never discourge some one from carrying a gun with a saftey as their first weapon.

[bnc]

FNs have fully ambidextrous controls on top of everything else that makes them nice. CZs are also pretty popular for those with big hands and they have several ambi models.

[CC Italian]

So you've got some big old bear mitts. To bad you don't want a .45 or 10mm! My buddy has a Glock 21 (45acp) and he LOVES his Glock 21 non SF model. To give you an idea of how big his hands are he can completing enclose his hand around mine. Also, my father once met George Foreman and shook his hand. He said his hands were huge! My father said my friends hands are even bigger then Foremen's. He is 6 foot 10 inches and about 280pounds. It fits his hand perfectly. So if you have a really big hand try out the Glock 20 or 21. You can always get a conversion barrel.

[DFWTT]

FNs have fully ambidextrous controls on top of everything else that makes them nice.

Highly recommend this in the FNP45 model with ambi controls and interchangeable backstraps also is safetied for those that don't feel comfortable not having one.

[Katygunnut]

Another vote for the Glock 19. Perfect size for a first gun that you can carry and also use as a home defense gun if needed. I'm a bit biased here since this was my first gun. The Glock 19 would be my hands down first choice if I could only have one gun.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

OP, et al:

Regarding the "manual safety" or not discussion, when I initially started
carrying I definitely wanted a manual safety on mine. As a nervous new guntoter,
I figured I could use all the help I could get not to have an ND.

Well, after some years of carrying and getting used to the armed lifestyle, I have
relaxed my opinion of manual safeties. My gun has never pulled its own trigger, I
have proper holsters that cover the trigger, and I would now feel pefectly OK from a
personal standpoint to consider a "point and shoot" gun (one without a manual safety).

As long as you obey the "4 Rules", then it doesn't matter whether your gun has a manual
safety or not.

Having no manual safety means you can fire your weapon a split second sooner,
BUT if a BG were to grab your weapon, he would be able to fire it fast too.
A manual safety would slow down a gungrabber and give you a chance to regain control of
your piece. Punch him in the ear to screw up his sense of balance. That should ring his bell. :-)

SIA

[The Annoyed Man]

*edit* Forgot to mention that I am left handed but right eye dominant if that matters in picking.

OK, you should take a long hard look at the M&P pistols. I have a full sized M&P 45, and I am left handed. The gun can be made 99.9% left handed by reversing the magazine eject button. The only remaining control then that is "right handed" is the take-down lever, but that is really a non-issue.

M&P pistols have interchangeable backstraps. I have large palms, but not overly long fingers. For me, the smallest backstrap works best. But you may need the medium or large one. Also, in .45 ACP, the M&P is very soft shooting. It ought to be a breeze with 9mm.

Although I am a 1911 guy at heart, I really like this pistol. If I were to buy another polymer framed double stack pistol in whatever caliber, I would definitely buy another M&P. The only thing I would do differently the next time is to get a compact model, without the thumb safety found on my full-sized gun.

As far as being right-eye dominant, it won't matter what pistol you buy, you're going to face the same issue with any of them, so I wouldn't let that be a factor too much in your choice.

[rdcrags]

Don't take any one person's advice

, except mine. Just kidding. I don't have the experience most of these guys have. In fact, when purchasing my first handgun, I told the salesman " I have fired rifles and shotguns, but never have had a handgun in my hand. What handgun do I want to severely discourage a BG at the other end of my 20 yard long hallway?" He said, "No contest, a full size, all metal, 357 magnum, and I have just what you need." So, that was my first handgun, and it is still the smoothest one to fire that I have.

[Gindack]

Thanks for all of the info, gonna try and get into some stores sometime soon and look around.

[CombatWombat]

Here's the honest to goodness best advice, when you pick up a potential first handgun , hold it in your hand, it just feels "right" and you really don't want to put it down, well... There it is, your new best friend and first of probally many little "investments"

Good luck to you sir

[jmra]

Thanks for all of the info, gonna try and get into some stores sometime soon and look around.

Dallas Market Hall Gun Show this weekend. You will never find a "store" with this many guns you can put your hands on.