Best Starter Pistol ??

Starter Pistol is the thing at the track meet they fire off to start the runners.



Entry handgun -- My nephew is doing this right now at 35 yrs old.



First you need to realize that a long-gun, rifle / shotgun is pretty unrestricted in terms of possession, transport, etc.



When you get into a handgun all the rules / laws change. You need to get up to speed on the handgun laws. Its really easy to think youre legal and find yourself being arrested for some firearm infraction.



Carry in a motor vehicle is one ball of wax.



Carry on your person is another.



If youre being confronted and have a long-gun in your hand, youre pretty much legal so long as youre not waving and pointing.



Handgun in hand in the same situation is brandishing or menacing. Thats the law.



That said, Im a huge fan of used Smith & Wesson, Taurus revolvers . . . 38 Spl / .357 magnum. 38 ammo is fairly cheap, easy to reload. 357 magnum is hot stuff.



No conversion on the gun for the ammo if its chambered for 357 magnum.



Double action revolver is simple to use, reasonably safe. Theres no tricky ammo in the chamber issues. No safeties, no slide releases, or magazines.



Used Smith or Taurus in top shape . . . Hmmmmmm. I think about $250 - $300 these days.

 

You sound like a well adjusted mature young guy. If we get all the guys like you in the fold, the less we all have to worry about the other guys.

There are lots of good sources for info out there, and the more I learn the more I find out that theres more to learn so keep your ears and eyes open.

As I understand it PA also has some gun legislation issues. Once you are a gun owner you should make yourself aware of your local political situation. Know where your representatives stand on 2nd amendment issues before you vote. You should also consider joining the NRA but many people have varrying opinions on them also so feel free research that as well.

 

best starter pistol would be a revolver of some sort

 

What's up everyone? I've been reading the reviews on this website for a few weeks now and found it to be extremely helpful. I'm currently in the process of getting my target and hunting license so i'm looking for a peice. Here in NY, you have to show proof that you are in imminent danger before they will issue a ccl, so the target & hunting permit will have to do. With that being said, i'm looking for something that doesn't have to be limited in size for concealment purposes, just overall fun to shoot. Right now it's a crapshoot between a semi-auto and a revolver.....any suggestions

 

a glock 23 .40cal would be a good carry pistol..That or a small 357.Ny has some strict gun laws I heard

 

wek, what's your budget and your experience level?

 

For a first time gun owner i would recommend a revolver simply because they are so much easier to load, unload, clean, etc. if you find that you really do enjoy shooting and get "hooked" like the rest of us, then you can (and probably will) buy more guns later!!

 

around $600....i was lookin at the xd40, thats one bad ass gun.

 

weekendfun...i hear what you're saying, i will take that into consideration

 

don't be usrprised when one gun turns into a collection. you'd be amazed how addictive it can get.



XD40 is a great gun. But the Smith and Wesson M&P 40 is an even better gun, for less money. $600 would buy you the gun, a trigger job, a holster, and a bunch of ammo to get you started. you may want to give it a look!!

 

thats funny you should say that because i already had my eye on the m&p .40. Is the msrp on this site correct? $700 for that gun?



Oh I feel the addiction coming on already by just looking at all these guns... Good thing I aint married yet huh?

 

I echo weekend, a revolver is the best way to learn. If you are dead set on semi-auto and conceal carry isn't a concern I might also suggest a 1911 style pistol in .45acp. Tried and true, most versions are pretty accurate, parts are common, very durable, arguably the best all around defense caliber for pistol. I myself will be picking up a Taurus pt1911 in a week or so. The full size barrel (5in.) and weight also make the recoil very manageable for a cartridge of this size. I haven't fired a 1911 yet that didn't shoot easier than my 3.5in. 9mm.

 

yea i really like the champion...a bit pricey though. How do you like the XD ag?

 

eh, don't be mislead by MSRP on a gun. I bought my M&P brand new in box for $460. Now, I probably looked around for quite awhile to find a deal that good, but it's not unrealistic to expect to purchase onfor around $500+/-.



And yes, 1911's are nice guns, but they require a little bit more from the shooter than a simple MP, XD, or Glock. The 1911's have exposed hammers, double action/single action (or single only), external safety, de-cocking levers, etc. whereas the other three have no safety to fiddle with (simply gripping the gun and pulling the trigger is enough to make any of them go off), they have no exposed hammer to fiddle with, they are all Double Action Only which means that each time you pull the trigger you will experience the exact same thing, and they have no levers on the side/slide to mess with.



I really enjoy shooting 1911's, but I wouldn't recommend them to a beginning shooter, at least not without some instruction from a pro to go along with it.

 

I respectfully disasgree weekend. I think the manual controls are good for the inexperienced shooter to get them more familiar with the actual operation of the gun. Kinda like I think its a bad idea for someone with no riding experience to go buy an automatic ATV. They should learn to ride on a manualtrans first. Take it slow. Same principal with learning to shoot with a revolver first.IMHO

 

Hey isn't that backwards agonist? Did you mean to say start with an automatic? Anyway I miss my atv..Raptor 660, loved it, sold it, but it has nothing to do with this so I'll end it. But that all depends on the person, using your comparison, the mustang I used to have I drove off the lot, first time in a manual trans, caught on as quick as it was. The Glock was my first gun too, it really depends on him.

 

im just gonna get the .44 magnum desert eagle....thanks guys!

 

that will certainly knock any target or animal down lol...