by BrianB » Sat Nov 13, 2010 7:52 am
Welcome to the site Stealthgrl. What gun is right for you is a hard thing for someone to answer really. For the most part it is finding what gun fits you best depending upon many factors. How the gun feels in your hand is important as well as what you will be using it for.
If its just for target practice then a 22 may suffice. If its for self defense then you would likely want a larger caliber, 9mm, .38, .40 and several others could fit. For concealability, a smaller handgun would likely be required. The amount of factors could go on and on.
For the most part, many people would suggest a revolver, likely in .38, as a persons first gun as well as a basic self defense gun. Revolvers are easy to deal with and their lack of moving parts makes them very dependable. The drawback with a revolver though is the lack of rounds that can be loaded in it at one time and the time it takes to reload.
A semi-auto pistol has a lot of benefits to it such as reloading speed and a higher load amount, depending upon the gun. Semi-autos have come a long way though and it can be very easy to find a dependable gun in that category as long as you buy for quality which could mean paying a higher price.
If you plan on carrying it then there are a lot of very small guns out there for the purpose. Of course the smaller the gun, likely also is the smaller the load amount. A small revolver will still be in the 5 to 6 round capacity but a small semi-auto will likely drop from the 15 or 17 rounds you may find in a full sized hand gun to anything between 6 to 12 shots.
The price of ammo can also be an important factor. Being new to guns, plenty of practice is important to become proficient with a gun which means plenty of rounds being shot. .22 ammo is pretty darned cheap, but again, not very suitable for self defense. 9mm is the cheapest when it comes to ammo suitable for defending yourself. .38 would be pretty close and .40 is not too far behind those two.
There is nothing wrong with the guns you mentioned and which would be best for you, again, depends upon you. Personally, I feel Springfield is the best of the group, but that's just me.
Before heading out to the range with your first gun though, I strongly suggest you find a qualified hand gun instructor to receive some training from. This is something I suggest to everyone who is new to guns, its even something experienced people should do once in a while just to refresh themselves. The reason for this is I, and many others here, have had way too many bad experiences with ignorant people at gun ranges.
Another thing, many gun ranges rent handguns so it is possible that you can try out many different guns to see how you like each one and then buy one of that same make and model. You can go to a store that sells guns and try out the feel of some guns in your hand before going to a range, then ask for any specifically that you liked the feel of at the range.
Another thing that can help is reading through different threads here as well as anywhere else on the net to get information on the types of guns you are interested in.
Hope that helped.