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I am going to buy my first and only handgun in July or August. I think I have made my decision, but I was wondering what everyone else thought.

Here is what I am leaning towards:

The .357 Smith and Wesson 686 SSR. It has the accuracy and the power. It can shoot the .38 special for home defense (I live in the city.) It can be concealed, not easily though. The downside is the 6 round capacity, and recoil when shooting the .357. Smith and Wesson has known high quality weapons, and the SSR model has nothing but good reviews.

Once I decidide the .357 was the way to go I was first leaning towards the Taurus Tracker, until I read about the multiple quality complaints.

At first I was looking into the 38 super models, but the price got me, both from the ammo and the guns. Plus the 38 super does not shine unless you load your own ammo from what I have heard.

I consider 10 mm Auto weapons, but the price of ammo and the ammo avalibility seemed limited.

Then the .41 Magnum were on my list as well.Too much recoil, and again, not nearly as common as the .38 or .357.

So if you could only have one hand gun, what would it be?

I use a Smith and Wesson Model 19-5, which is also a .357 that can shoot .38 rounds, and I love it. Smith and Wesson is a legendary brand, especially for revolvers, and I love my Model 19-5 to death. Shooting it in double action is awesome. I don't know much about Taurus, isn't it on a lower tier compared to S&W?

CZ 52

I have a congenital defect that prevents me from firing high caliber pistols safely or accurately, and despite the supposedly unconventional grip design the cz52 works nicely in my hand. Besides the higher velocity on the 7.62*25 makes up for my inability to shoot larger calibers. (And the high velocity makes the gun shoot really flat and accurately at what I would shoot with a 22rifle range.)

But I don't really have a need for a hand gun.

Tough question, because for different things, you want different firearms.

For hard-core combat (military service, law enforcement, PMC, high-security) a handgun is needed. For that, a Stery M (9mm because I find the argument best pistol cartridge load seems to be marking minute difference to me, plus 9mm is more widely found) would do fine. Of course, there are stuff like the Spinx weapons which are the "best that money can buy".

However, if I would need to chose a handgun for life, I would go for one of DAO S&W pocket revolvers such as this (preferably with a sight that can work at night or even a laser pointer built-in the grip). Revolvers are easier to maintain and use, plus can accept a much larger variety of ammunition than a pistol (including less-lethal rounds or rat-shot if walking in snake country).
I figured that 5 rounds should be enough for most self-defence situations (including walking in bear country).

Anything that would require more than either a .38+ or .357 won't care much about the minute difference between those and say .44 magnum. If you need something stronger than that, getting a rifle/shotgun seems an obvious solution to me.

I used to own a S&W 686 Plus (the 7 shot version) with 4" barrel. Great gun. Action like butter and a real tack driver. Only sold it because I was broke and needed some cash. I'd get another one in a heartbeat, though, if I ever want another revolver. I also used to own a SIG P220, and damn was it a fine weapon as well. Also sold it. If you're wanting a wheelgun, you can't go wrong with the Smith. Lately, I've been Jonesing for a SIG P226 or 229, as 9mm ammo is cheaper than 45ACP.

If I could only own one handgun, either of these that I do own:


Blued one is a .22lr K-frame from 1965, it's excellent, I like to shoot biathlon targets at 50 yards with it (5" plates essentially). I love shooting it. I also really like the big one, a 629 Classic with aftermarket sights, it's a .44mag. Which one I would choose, depends on what I'd use it for.

Anyway I'd say there is never a reason to buy a Taurus if you A) you live in a country where permits are a fucking bitch to get or B) Even if you live in the US, the used S&W market there pretty much means there's no point in buying taurus. If you want a gun for life, Taurus is right off the list.

BTW some things to consider, there are 7 shot versions of the 686, and the model 625 might be of interest to you, if you like 45ACP. There is also an 8 shot .357 S&W, though I forget it's designation.

So, you wanna buy your first pistol.

Are you completely sold on a revolver? Or would you consider any of the semi-autos?

Now, a revolver, you're pretty much guaranteed to never jam. Ammo is easily affordable, and they're great weapons. My first class on combat handgunnery was done with revolvers. A great tool.

However, I love semi-autos. Now, if you're looking for low price, Glock in 9mm. As much as I think other weapons are better and though I bitch about them, Glocks are some of the fine handguns. Easily to clean, easy to use. And 9mm is cheap, and with the right load, you can have some great knock down power and not have to worry too terribly much about over penetration.

Personally, I have a .40 caliber Sig 229. I have it for armed security work, and for home defense.

Overall though, the thing I have to stress most is find a gun that fits your hand, that you can control recoil on, and get those shots in the x-ring as fast as you can. Practice! You can have the most expensive, awesome gun in the world, but if you don't practice putting those rounds on target, it's gonna be nothing better than a paperweight and a noisemaker.

I would suggest a semi-auto in 9mm or .45ACP, with a conversion kit to .22LR. The .22LR conversion allows cheap practice, lets you get used to firing the gun with low recoil. Some pistols would even let you convert from 9mm to .45ACP. Most important, I think, is to get one that fits your hand well. If you can't shoot it well, the most accurate, most powerful gun in the world, will do nothing for you.

Pure sex.

(Or a GLOCK of some sort. 9mm is more practical, but the 10mm AUTO GLOCK 20's are pretty badass).

H&K USP 45. Full size or compact.

Glock safeties are bad. If you want a semi-auto, go with a Sig P226.

I considered the glock, it is high up there on my list. I have not heard anything very negative about them, and they are often recommended.

The thing that I liked about the revolver was that I do go camping every now and then, and the wide range of loads that can be used. But I am not dead set on one.

I plan on shooting it about once a month. I do not plan on buying another hand gun, simply because one good one is enough for me. (Outside of a major malfunction.) Plus I rather learn how to use one gun very well.

if I could only own one gun....if I didn't choose to stick with my Glock 17, then I would get a nice 1911 of some sort.

noisy cricket

call me an anachronism, I'll talke a .44 Single Action Revolver.

Sam Or I wrote:I considered the glock, it is high up there on my list. I have not heard anything very negative about them, and they are often recommended.

The thing that I liked about the revolver was that I do go camping every now and then, and the wide range of loads that can be used. But I am not dead set on one.

I plan on shooting it about once a month. I do not plan on buying another hand gun, simply because one good one is enough for me. (Outside of a major malfunction.) Plus I rather learn how to use one gun very well.

If you haven't heard anything negative about Glocks, you haven't heard enough. I strongly dislike two major mechanical choices: the lack of any safety at all (no, that little trigger bar thing is not a safety), and the fact that you have to pull the trigger to field strip it. The first can result in negligent discharges when holstered (if the holster fails to sufficently block access to the trigger), and the second can contribute to negligent discharges when cleaning. You'll probably change your mind on the last point after a while, but getting one good one to start with is an excellent idea.

Just go with a 1911 and call it a day. Preferably one made by either Kimber or Springfield. Don't do anything goofy to it, try to keep it in as close to the Holy Design Specs as laid down by God HimselfJohn Browning. They're reliable, accurate, and they work well for concealed carry use.

Beowulf wrote:

Sam Or I wrote:I considered the glock, it is high up there on my list. I have not heard anything very negative about them, and they are often recommended.

The thing that I liked about the revolver was that I do go camping every now and then, and the wide range of loads that can be used. But I am not dead set on one.

I plan on shooting it about once a month. I do not plan on buying another hand gun, simply because one good one is enough for me. (Outside of a major malfunction.) Plus I rather learn how to use one gun very well.

If you haven't heard anything negative about Glocks, you haven't heard enough. I strongly dislike two major mechanical choices: the lack of any safety at all (no, that little trigger bar thing is not a safety), and the fact that you have to pull the trigger to field strip it. The first can result in negligent discharges when holstered (if the holster fails to sufficently block access to the trigger), and the second can contribute to negligent discharges when cleaning. You'll probably change your mind on the last point after a while, but getting one good one to start with is an excellent idea.

Amen to this.

When you cock the Glock (haha) and activate the safety, does the trigger move forward? Or is it in the retracted "ready to fire" position?

If I could only have one pistol I am a little torn. The 9mm is a nice general purpose round. Not too big, not too small, decent recoil in most pistols. Fairly cheap ammo. Enough penetration to use even against a bear (just shoot it a lot) and there are a fair number of pistols available. I rather love the Springfield Armory XD 9. 16 round capacity, nice grips and easy to hold and shoot.

But if I was limited to just a single hand gun, I might also have a little fun. I desperately love the M1911 style. Its fun to shoot and hold. But the .45 isn't that great a round. Sure its a man killer, but I am more concerned about something to use against hostile wildlife while I hike in the wilderness. I'd probably get a M1911 chambered in the 10mm Auto. Significant firepower on a nice frame. 8 rounds of near magnum firepower and in a semi-auto making reloading very easy.

Beowulf wrote:If you haven't heard anything negative about Glocks, you haven't heard enough. I strongly dislike two major mechanical choices: the lack of any safety at all (no, that little trigger bar thing is not a safety), and the fact that you have to pull the trigger to field strip it. The first can result in negligent discharges when holstered (if the holster fails to sufficently block access to the trigger), and the second can contribute to negligent discharges when cleaning. You'll probably change your mind on the last point after a while, but getting one good one to start with is an excellent idea.

When field stripping any weapon you always check to see if the weapon is armed. A ton of semi-autos require that you depress the trigger to strip them. The Springfield Armory XD, the Walther P99. Check to make sure your weapon is not loaded before breaking it down. Problem solved.

BTW, have you ever shot a Springfield Armory XD? It has a trigger safety, grip safety, and drop safety. But all are passive, no safety lever (except in select models for government use).

Beowulf beat me to it. I'm surprised there isn't a web site called "IHateGlocks.com"

And dude, it's not Dungeons and Dragons. You can be proficient in a revolver and an automatic all at the same time. You don't have to specialize.

Havok wrote:H&K USP 45. Full size or compact.

While I own and adore this gun for the pure awesome it's not really a beginners pistol. It's rather large, very top heavy (funny for someone to get used to) though easy to conceal with the right holster.

If you're going the auto route honestly nothing comes to mind better than a 1911 clone. It's slim, the low mag cap leaves you not having to worry about state laws and an all steel frame is ridiculously balanced. Get it in 22lr and you can shoot all day, 9mm for PDW and cheap. .45ACP is about $.40 a round right now at cheap sources unless you're going to find a relatively inexpensive sources like gun shows or buying in bulk.

Alyeska wrote:I'd probably get a M1911 chambered in the 10mm Auto. Significant firepower on a nice frame. 8 rounds of near magnum firepower and in a semi-auto making reloading very easy.

[gunporn]
Or one with a double stack magazine, match, trigger and adjustable rear sights...[/gunporn]

If per your budget you could only have one handgun, my advice is this:

BUY TWO CHEAPER HANDGUNS!

First off, as advised, buy a gun that fits your hand. That means that, when you're shopping, look at something then point your finger at it. Then try different guns until you find one that points exactly where your finger points without it in your hand. You've now found your ideal grip angle. For me, a 1911-ish angle works best. My first pistol was a 1918 DWM Luger 9mm(sexy, sexy, pant pant!) but I shot better with my later pistols. The grip angle BTW is one of the reasons I don't own a Glock.

Why two handguns? Well, that's simple. If you only have one, and something on it breaks, you now have NO handguns! Bad bad bad.

On to the caliber...why .357 mag? That limits you to revolvers (except for the rare Coonan auto or Desert Eagle), and you've already said you want it for home defense and the .357 has a kick. The .38/.357 is nice, for practice at the range, but if you want to use a Mag for home defense you better have put some rounds through it so your reflexes under stress aren't calibrated to a .38. Semis are quite reliable. If you are looking at a revolver for esthetics, OK fine, but a semi will work just as well, more reliably, and is faster to reload if you ever need it. Magazines are also easier to conceal than revolver speedloaders, and single stack autos are thinner too.

A nice beginner gun, stay with me, would be a 9mm Kurz Makarov. It's small but not too small, single or double action, the US import models have adjustable sights, it has a nice heft for a compact pistol, it's dead reliable, and the ammo is cheap. It's also very easy to strip and clean. You could buy two Makarovs and one (maybe two) cases of 9mm short ammo, 1000 rounds, or one Mak and 2000 rounds of ammo for the price of the Smith revolver.

As for your "one and only handgun" purchase intention? I encourage you to think very carefully, maybe moreso than you have already, about why you are buying a handgun. Frankly, it sounds like you're buying a pistol just to say you have one, which tells me at first blush you're not too serious about the whys and hows of owning one. At the stage you seem to be, just getting into the hobby/sport, the exact pistol you pick is a lot less important than gaining the skill and confidence to use one properly. Feel free to correct me if my assumptions are off base. And if you haven't gone to the local range to rent and try out different pistols, get your ass over there before you make any decisions.

I agree with Agent Sorchus' comments about the CZ52; I own two of them, and they're fun fun fun. But they're only fun guns, because I'm a lefty, the safety lever sucks even for right-handed use, and the sights are Paleolithic. The AMT Automag III in .30 Carbine I scored some years ago (stainless, longslide, proper sights, 1911-style but with frame mounted safety) is my out-hikin-shoot-feral-pigs gun.

About the whole having to pull trigger to take down, personally it's a non-issue, you check the chamber and dryfire the gun anyway before starting to handle it, even if the gun doesn't require it. If you don't do this.... well goddamn, man.

The only way to buy cheap guns IMO is to buy used quality guns. You can only use one gun at a time anyway and you buy spare parts if things break, not second guns.

Now if we're moving away from what gun would you personally have into whats a good beginners gun, then my answer has to change. Well, that .22lr revolver is a perfect beginners gun. .22lr is a good caliber to own for training, plinking, competition and hunting. It'll help you shoot without becoming scared of the noise and recoil and in turn develop a flinch that'll take a vey long time to un-train.

But sure beginners can start on a centre-fire too, in which case there are a few good choices out there, such as the CZ-75 models, P226'es and ofcourse the 1911s (don't buy kimbers, springfield is better & cheaper nowadaya, kimber's just coasting of an old rep they no longer deserve). I am quite partial to the 1911 frame despite its ammo capacity is low, it won't matter for plinking or most self defence situations though.

For the first time shopper, 9mm is the perfect allround centerfire caliber, stick to it and buy in bulk, like 1000 rounds, see if there are group buys you can get in on for cheapest possible ammo because you will want ammo, you will want to put ateast 1000 rounds throug your gun before you can call yourself proficient with it. 45ACP is a good runner up, it has more recoil but it's a soft recoil rather than a snappy one so it evens out, it's more expensive though.

Still, if you don't need centerfire, consider .22lr guns, if you are like me you'll find you keep returning to them, they are so cheap and fun to shoot. I have a .22lr version of every gun I own, except the shotgun.