First time handgun advice...to a friend

[Beendare]

Just an observation. Newbies to firearms just don't get Glocks, do they?

Lately I've been asked by a few friends on the purchase of their first pistol for home defense/plinking.
[here in Ca]


So I'm at the range yesterday with my 2 college age kids and my buddy with his 2 college age boys shooting a variety of my pistols.... .[Shooting is the wrong term- I was loading mags non stop- grin] We shot my old Sig, an M&P pro, the Shield and my Kimber compact .45. I didn't bring my 40 cal Glock 23 [as I haven't received my conversion barrel and mags] as I don't think the 23 is a good weapon for first timers...or kids...and it turns them off of Glocks.

As we are leaving I get the same question, "What pistol should I buy?"

I started thinking, this really is a no brainer.
He needs something with;
1) 100% function of course
2) it has to be simple
3) easy to strip and clean.
4) 9mm is cheap and easy to shoot

"Full size Glock 17" I told him,"next would be the compact G19"

He gave me the same look many newbies have. New folks never seem impressed with Glocks. Of course they haven't see the mass of information on reliability and performance, youtube torture tests and have not come to appreciate the simple reliable function of Glocks that someone who has been around firearms for years.........they see a plain plastic gun! I get the feeling they think I will be recommending a Desert Eagle!

Once I showed my buddy the simple operation of my G23, explained the durability/reliability.......and then how easy it is to strip/ clean.....I'm sure a G17 is in his future. It really is his best choice for a first handgun.....with only a .22 revolver maybe being a better alternative.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

I have a lot of friends that are the same way. Hey it is plain and plastic and boring....but it does what it is supposed to every single time. Go figure.

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[5MilesBack]

IMO my G20 is the easiest, best shooting handgun I've shot. I like it better than the Browning 1911. Next would be my Beretta M9 (92F). The Beretta I can take apart and put back together again in about 20 seconds even in the dark. It's also very accurate and balances well. I actually think the Beretta has more felt recoil than my G20 though.......maybe my spring needs replacing. But you're right......I let my sister shoot them both, and she did NOT like the Glock. I was amazed at how accurate my wife was with my Ruger LCP .380.

 

[camping1601]

Glock ruled king around here for the longest time, but it seems in recent years not so much. I think there's so many choices out there now that people want to be a little different.

And then there's all the marketing by some companies.

 

[boom]

as a present for a first timer, i bought my BIL a Browning Buckmark .22. he absolutely sucks with any of my glocks, sigs, etc. he really sucks..like i think he is the worst shot i have ever encountered in my adult life. he anticipates the recoil and pushes forward. 100% of his shots go low. way low. i got the .22 for him to boost his confidence, and it is cheap to shoot. what a great gun!! i cant wait for him to pick it up. and it opened the door for me to get a ruger MarkIV, since my wife thinks he needs a shooting buddy. win win win!!

IMHO, a newb wont even know what he likes yet..besides what he sees on TV, and that is the wrong way to start an opinion on handguns.

 

[Desk Jockey]

For a plinker I say smith 617. 10-shot. Heirloom quality 22 revolver.

For a first timer for plinking and hd then a 686 with 38s to start. 3 inch barrel make sure it sorta concealable.

If it must be semi auto go g19. 40 is a bit snappy in a light frame.

If I only had one handgun it would be a g19.

 

[captchet]

As a NRA pistol instructor I have respectfully disagree with some of the above advice for first time handgun advice. While all the above handguns are great, reliable firearms, IMO a revolver is hands down the best "first gun". The main reasons are there are no mag disconnects, stove pipes, FTF's, slide releases, etc to deal with. A revolver, barring an ammo malfunction, goes bang everytime you pull the trigger. The learning curve is short and they can be both defense and fun plinker pieces. A quality manufacturer in 357 mag is a good choice. It offers the ability to shoot the venerable 357mag for defense and .38 for plinking. .38 is cheap to shoot and always available. A 4" barrel equipped with night sights is a great piece. The ability to shoot in single action makes for a great plinker. In any case, a new gun owner should take a NRA Basic Pistol or similar course, then go out and try as many type and models they can so they can make an educated decision rather than someone else's personal preference (including mine). I have seen 100's of people bring pistols to class who have made ill informed purchases and end up regretting it. A revolver allows the new user to become a safe and confident gun owner without the distractions of the moving parts, buttons, and levers on a semi.

Good luck

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[husky390]

I agree with you on the G23 and do not recommend.40S&W to any first time shooters or gun owners. I can appreciate their standpoint on Glocks though. They're ugly, uninspiring, and boring. It is a gun I love to hate but it is a gun that flat out works and I own several.

When people ask me what gun they should get, I recommend they go rent and shoot as many pistols and revolvers they can and choose the one that is the most comfortable in the hand, points naturally, can be shot accurately, and serves the purpose they want it for.

Just like bows, we all have our favorites, and just like bows, handguns feel and shoot differently for everybody. Case in point, my XD45 fits my hand like a glove. My brothers G21 feels like a 2"x4" in my hand and he hates my XD45. Hope this helps.


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[Ross]

Tough to beat a glock I do nothingggggg to it and when I do take it out the holster and dirt and pine needles out of the holster and it has been soaked more times than I recall it always fires and is oh solo easy to take care of. For me it is simply a tool like my tikka and they always work never fail and take a beating very nicely

 

[Backpack Hunter]

I hear the semi vs revolver argument all the time. Quite frankly I don't see the real world difference.
Magazine release vs. Cylinder release is a wash. Failure to fire can happen on either and is typically ammo related as is stove piping on a semi. Moral is to use good ammo. I can't tell you the last time I used a slide stop.
Quite frankly I can't remember the last time I had any kind of malfunction with a semi. To fix most anything tap the mag, rack the slide, pull the trigger right?
To each their own I guess.

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[Trial153]

Hard to get more idiot proof then a Glock.....while I might have a gun or two I like better for whatever reason there isn't one I trust more. They just function as intended over and over ...

 

[HOT ROD]

I have two Glocks. Model 22 40 cal and a 43 9mm. The 43 is my edc seven days a week. The 22 is a night stand hiking and truck gun. I reload for both. They both function with the lightest loads to the heaviest charges. My wife bought a Smith & Wesson air weight 38. She didn't shot it very well. With sum practice she would have got in better. I picked up a Smith & Wesson Shield. She shot it way better than the revolver. Right from the get go. So I know longer own the Shield....

 

[backcountry_hunter]

Revolvers have their place and are great for first time gun owners as well as seasoned vets. Wheel guns are definitely a lot of fun. When my wife went to get her CCW I had her shoot my glocks and other semi's but ended up buying her a ruger sp101 .357 and shoot 38's out of it 95% of the time. A couple years ago she decided she was comfortable enough jumping up to a semi so when the new G42's out I snagged the first one I saw.

I love glocks for what they are. Nothing special but they go boom every time you pull the trigger. A glock is a glock is a glock. I've personally gone back and forth on one of the new performance center S&W shields for a CCW weapon but have a tough time parting/retiring my G19.

 

[MTHunter20]

I like revolvers as much as the next guy, but for home defense, I don't think they make much sense. A Glock or similar manual of arms is as simple to operate as a revolver but has two or three times the capacity and usually lower recoil. Hard to argue with a a Glock 17 for a plinker and home defense pistol too. I have one that sits on my night stand every night. A 22 revolver would be nice, but if I can only have one gun, let me have the Glock.

On a side note, I always find it funny how new shooters think a smaller pistol will be easier to shoot when it's nearly always the opposite.

 

[backcountry_hunter]

I like revolvers as much as the next guy, but for home defense, I don't think they make much sense. A Glock or similar manual of arms is as simple to operate as a revolver but has two or three times the capacity and usually lower recoil. Hard to argue with a a Glock 17 for a plinker and home defense pistol too. I have one that sits on my night stand every night. A 22 revolver would be nice, but if I can only have one gun, let me have the Glock.

Speaking strictly from a home/house defense standpoint a pistol is going to be about the worst of your 3 options to have (between shotgun, rifle or pistol) to defend a tight quarter structure. Short range scatter gun with short barrel loaded down with personal defense loads is your best friend when you're between walls.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

^^^Now we are getting into territory that almost everyone can disagree on.

Esse quam videri

 

[fngTony]

I might be the only hand gun newbie that wasn't plagued by fancy looks. I looked for everything mentioned but bought a walther 9mm because it fit everything and was 40% off otherwise would have got the single stack 9 glock

Prior to buying it I had shot revolvers and semi auto of different calibers. Really only went with semiauto as my preference. Having learned with revolver first I can't say learning semiauto first has any negatives but plan to teach my kids revolver first.

 

[theleo91386]

I'm not a newbie and still don't like Glocks. For a first timers, revolvers have less to learn and are a great way to build confidence. Once a shooter has some confidence on how to handle a pistol, then autos belong in the mix.

 

[backcountry_hunter]

^^^Now we are getting into territory that almost everyone can disagree on.

Esse quam videri

hahahahahahaha

 

[JWP58]

Glocks are fine. I carry a 35 40hrs a week and a 23 concealed in my free time. They work, however if you don't get a blue label the sights are junk, and the factory trigger shoe sucks.

Swap in some decent night sights and an apex or glocktrigger and you're in business.