I am thinking of picking up my first handgun. I just got my HSC, and wanted your recommendation on a good first handgun. Any input would be helpful. It will be used as a self defense item in my house and that is all.

 

Glock 19. Cheap to shoot (compared to a .45), fool proof design and nice defensive rounds available.

Although, some would argue the king of home defense is a 12 gauge with low recoil rounds. I have a pistol grip Mossberg that I'd pull out over any of the .45s if someone unexpected paid a visit.

 

For a first time hand gun owner you are looking for saftey and ease of operation, you stated one of your primary uses is home defense. Heres my opinion and you are going to get alot of different ones. This particular one comes from someone who teaches a combat pistol course for the department of defense and trains SWAT medics for a living so dont count it as gospel but i wouldnt steer you wrong. large caliber like 45. you can get rounds that wont over penetrate I.E. shoot through too many walls and injure the wrong people. I personally like the H&K 45 USP in full frame. Its a little pricey but way worth it. On a budget I like the Springfield XD.

 

gota agreee with spoolin. if your primary concern is home security, nothing is more efective and practical than a 12ga

 

i agree with all of them, it comes down to personal preference.

if i had to pick a Pistol for home, it would b e a Springfield XD .357

if i had to pick a shotgun, it would be a Remington 870 (simply because its so cheap and effective)

if you are want a NICE Pistol, i would recommend a Springfield Operater, or a Kimber 1911.

It really depends what you want. Dont go cheap.

 

^^^Both posts make some great points. A 12 gauge will stop anyone/anything(just about) and scare the shiznit out of most when you ****(my apologies if I used the wrong version of the word) the SOB. A .45,.40,.357 have the big power but the ammo prices are more expensive than 9mm ammo. A .45 is really really accurate especially when you get ahold of nice one. I would suggest finding something that fits comfortably in your hand, and going to the range to get used to the gun and get practice time in. I love the feel of my S&W .357 Magnum, but it hurts my gf's hands when she shoots it because she has smaller hands(and she's a girl lol). If you have the time, check out Target Masters in Milpitas. They have a full range of pistols, rifles and shotguns for sale, an indoor range and they even have a ton of rentals that are reasonable priced. Glocks are really popular and arent a bad choice at all. If you did go with one, have a gunsmith mod the barrel because myself and friends have experienced that they tend to be a lil off in accuracy(rounds seem to drop a lil low to the right) but my dad told me a good gunsmith can fix that for very cheap. H&K has some really nice guns, never had the chance to shoot one, and can be pricey. Sig has some really nice pistols aswell and they shoot unbelievably well. A .45 Sig would be great to have. Smith & Wesson are more known for the revolvers Ive been told. I have both revolver and semi-auto by them, and havent had any issues with either. I think hitting up Target Masters and renting a few there would be your best bet so you get the hands on experience and can get a feel for the pistols. Just dont get a .22 LOL Might take a full clip and then some to stop some intruders

 

Dont mean to hijack this thread, but i too plan on purchasing my first hand gun. I plan on taking a handgun safety course but i have friends tell me that its not worth the money(150bucks) and to use that money towards buying the gun. Im leaning heavily towards a S&W 686. Thanks!

 

.22 is actually a real killer on the street, the bullet will bounce off organs, follow arteries and really tear some stuff up.

crazy i know, but it will do some damage.

 

a drug crazed dude wont feel a 22 though...

glocks are the easiest guns to maintain. they are very basic to break down and clean...

brother just got this a glock 27 40 cal...perfect size for keeping it in the house for safety...

 

+100000000 for how easy it is to break down and clean a Glock. I was simply amazed especially after breaking down a Colt Commander .45.

 

Damn! Did not know that. Ive got a Mountain Eagle .22LR with a scope that would be some real fun with the rodents out back Now I understand the concept of hollow-point .22LRs

 

ive got three guns right now.

Kimber 1911 .45

Glock 22 .40

Glock 27 .40

The 22,27 are my on-duty weapons

My kimber is my off duty weapon =)

 

SO JEALOUS!!! Bet that Kimber is amazing

 

its a blast to shoot,

for home defense, i would get a shotgun or a .357 s&w revolver.

 

Heres one thing not a lot of people consider when buying a firearm for home defense: the situation it will be used in.

Someone kicks your door in at 3am, you're not going to be 100% awake/alert, you're going to have a ton of adrenaline running through you and it will probably be dimly lit further disorientating you. These are hard conditions to get good shot off in.

Enter the advantage of a shotgun, your aim doesn't have to be as precise as it would have to be with a sidearm and not many people are going to keep advancing after being hit with even a poorly placed 12 gauge round, especially after they hear you rack the slide for round 2.