Suggestions for first time buyer

[Wildscar]

Since I have never bought a gun thought normal means. I was wondering if you guys and gals had any advice to lend. I know Marshall offered to take me shooting to get me hooked on a XD but I have always liked the look of the Beretta 92's. Its what I use to have before Garland PD decided it was time to give it up.(Nothing against them. They where just doing their job.) Its what I comfortable with. I am of the opinion that comfort should take precedence over the newest and greatest features. I don't have blinders on for a Beretta. I have looked at other such as the S&W Sigma's, Taurus 92's, and some of the SigArms firearms. Price is petty much a factor also. I dont have a lot but I dont want something cheap either. Something in the range of $400ish. Any feedback will be a +.

[Jeremae]

pester everone you know who owns any kind of handgun to "try it out" (you do know TXInvestigator don't you ) until you find one you like then find the cheapest one with no visiable damage. take it to gunsmith or a knowledgable friend (like TXInvestigator ) after you buy it.

Remember if a deal seems to good to be true it almost always is. So if you find an example of the gun you like for less than1/4th the price others are asking for it most likely it is hot or mangled in some way.

As to guns to look at.... I shoot a Firestorm 45 Government ($300 1911 clone, parts manufactured in spain, assembled in NJ by the Bersa people) and love it except for the sights. My son loves his CZ75b 9mm. My two younger sons want S&W M&Ps which I must admit are nice guns and my wife sticks to a Browning Hi-Power. All but the Browning are in your general price range (and if you get an FN or Charles Daley you can get a Hi Power for about that as well).

[casselthief]

I think the Smith Sigma's are fine if you like glocks. plastic bottom, steel top, gun's usually top heavy to me. personally, I don't like the trigger pull, but it's small, and I like that. and, you can't find a tactical flashlight to fit that rassin' frassin' thing, neither!!! or laser....
ah, well. I like it pretty well, my self, but I agree with you, I personally think the B92 is just simply great, but a little pricey if yer lookin' for under 4bills.
I don't know anything about the Taurus stuff, other than the 2" Tit-frame .357 I have. me likey. they're cheaper, but seem to be pretty decent.
those are the three handguns I own (S&W Sigma, Beretta 92, Taurus .357), and therefore I feel I can tell ya what I think of them.
I have fired a few magazines of Springfield XD in .40, I it was supafly cool, too. but just like a Glock, to me.

hope that helps.

[Liberty]

Since I have never bought a gun thought normal means. I was wondering if you guys and gals had any advice to lend. I know Marshall offered to take me shooting to get me hooked on a XD but I have always liked the look of the Beretta 92's. Its what I use to have before Garland PD decided it was time to give it up.(Nothing against them. They where just doing their job.) Its what I comfortable with. I am of the opinion that comfort should take precedence over the newest and greatest features. I don't have blinders on for a Beretta. I have looked at other such as the S&W Sigma's, Taurus 92's, and some of the SigArms firearms. Price is petty much a factor also. I dont have a lot but I dont want something cheap either. Something in the range of $400ish. Any feedback will be a +.

I have had the hots for the Beretta P92, it being the gun carried into combat by our soldiers gives it a certain attraction. I think its big for concealed carry though. The Taurus looks pretty tempting, but I do wonder if it will really hold up as well as the Berretta

[Stupid]

1. I often suggest that if you cannot spare a few hundred $ on firearm, you may want to take care your financial safety first.

2. Guns are tools. You need to know what you are going to do with them. Are you planning to carry it or is it a strict range gun/home defense?

3. I would suggest AGAINST all 1911 style guns. They are quite unreliable - others will yell at me about this (*laugh). If price is a problem, get a Glock 19. G19 is a well rounded gun in almost every aspect. The only complaint i have about G19 is it does not have any external safety. I suggest a Glock is because Glocks require very little maintenance while a steel 92FS does require a bit more care.

4. New owners usually complain about grip size. I hate G19's grip, but not fond of any other grips except 1911 style. Just take a few minutes to get used to.

5. I do like 92FS. I have one myself and I shoot that gun more accurately. Very reliable.

6. 92F will run about $475 in Houston area while a Glock is at $450. XD9 is about $430.

[txinvestigator]

1. I often suggest that if you cannot spare a few hundred $ on firearm, you may want to take care your financial safety first.

2. Guns are tools. You need to know what you are going to do with them. Are you planning to carry it or is it a strict range gun/home defense?

3. I would suggest AGAINST all 1911 style guns. They are quite unreliable - others will yell at me about this (*laugh). If price is a problem, get a Glock 19. G19 is a well rounded gun in almost every aspect. The only complaint i have about G19 is it does not have any external safety. I suggest a Glock is because Glocks require very little maintenance while a steel 92FS does require a bit more care.

not yelling at you, but you are apparently uneducated about this. I have seen many guns thru many schools including 1911s, and the ONLY gun I have ever seen go down was a Glock.

That said, a $400 dollar 1911 I would avoid.

[Crossfire]

I have seen many guns thru many schools including 1911s, and the ONLY gun I have ever seen go down was a Glock.

Last CHL class, I had a guy with a brand new hot rod Kimber. Boy, was he proud! But he couldn't make that gun go bang twice in a row to save his soul!

I let him borrow my lowly G19 to qualify with on his second try.

[jbirds1210]

I have so far only seen a Para 1911 style that absolutely would not feed ammo.

There is no perfect gun......try all you can. That said, I prefer anything that can be proven for at least 5-600 rounds.

[MTICop]

I have an XD 40 and love it. I am looking for a Kimber right now and have also been looking at Colt. I am a big 1911 fan, just don't have one yet. Anyway, I have also shot/carried the Berreta 92 as a duty pistol. I personally don't like it only because my hands don't fit comfortably around it. I always felt like I was having to "reach" for the trigger. The XD fits me like a glove. I had an H&K prior to the XD that I liked but the feel was much better with the XD.

I suggest you take as many people up on anything they have to "try out" any time you can. This will allow you to see and become familiar with a variety so you can decide what it is you want. Case-in-point, I fired a Sig and liked everything about it except the fact that the take-down lever was on the left side. I am left handed so this posed a problem. Therefore, I don't own one.

Just my two cents. Hope it helps.

[Stupid]

I am actually a die hard 1911 fan. I used to consider only 1911 should be called "gun". My acquisition of a Beretta 92FS opened my mind how a gun should work - flawless right out of the box. It's not the style. It's more about manufacturers who don't know how to produce it right.

I still own 2 1911 types. Anyone wants to buy my 1991A1 Colt Commander Stainless?

not yelling at you, but you are apparently uneducated about this. I have seen many guns thru many schools including 1911s, and the ONLY gun I have ever seen go down was a Glock.

That said, a $400 dollar 1911 I would avoid.

[Stupid]

Besides the purpose of buying a gun, the next thing you should look for is whether or not it is reliable. A gun that is not reliable right out of box is by no means a gun.

From my own experience, Beretta 92FS, Glock, Sig and HK are all in this category. I don't own any HK . XD is another good candidate. I would not recommend any 1911 style because I haven't found one that is out right reliable.

[txinvestigator]

I have seen many guns thru many schools including 1911s, and the ONLY gun I have ever seen go down was a Glock.

Last CHL class, I had a guy with a brand new hot rod Kimber. Boy, was he proud! But he couldn't make that gun go bang twice in a row to save his soul!

I let him borrow my lowly G19 to qualify with on his second try.

Thats nice Linda, any idea why? I've seen Glocks go bang......and fail to feed, fail to eject. I've seen Sigs fail to eject, fail to lock open on empty mag.........

Its about care and proper use.

[KRM45]

I still own 2 1911 types. Anyone wants to buy my 1991A1 Colt Commander Stainless?

I'll take that off your hands. Let's see, a piece of junk Colt... Let's say $50 cash.

[packina45]

Last M1911 I owned was a Colt Gold Cup National Match. From new in the box to time to replace the worn-out barrel after several years of IPSC shooting, never a single malfunction, ever, shooting a variety of ammo from PMC hardball through homemade handloads with home-cast bullets made from discarded wheel weights.

These days, I carry Tupperware...a S&W Sigma SW40VE.

Go with a quality product from a known company that fits your hand well, take proper care of it and keep it clean, and learn to shoot consistently with it.

The best pistol for concealed carry? It's the one you can carry comfortably and can put rounds into center-of-mass with. All other arguments are secondary.

[packina45]

I still own 2 1911 types. Anyone wants to buy my 1991A1 Colt Commander Stainless?

I'll take that off your hands. Let's see, a piece of junk Colt... Let's say $50 cash.

I'd have to go at least $62.17