Graywilde
## Mod ##
09/07/10(Fri)22:08
No. 3001
Hello /w/. This guide is intended to point you in the direction of buying your first handgun. After reading this you should have a good idea of what form factor to look for when you start shopping. I encourage everyone to do their own research. I won't tell you what brand or model to buy or what you should have your handgun chambered in and I'd really rather no one else did either.
First of all, If you have never held a handgun or any firearm in your life do not buy anything until you have been taught properly. Gun ranges usually offer basic safety courses but if you know someone who owns a firearm or two and has some experience, ask them to teach you. These are the most important things you will learn: You do not ever point a firearm even if it's unloaded at someone or something unless you intend to kill or destroy. You do not put your finger on the trigger until you are ready to fire at your target and know what lies beyond it. Trigger discipline is the most important part of handling a firearm. The ultimate safety is your trigger finger. Modern firearms do not go off by themselves. External Safeties exist to protect you from fucking up and causing a negligent discharge, nothing else.
Once you are confident in your ability to properly and safely use a handgun and are ready to buy one, you should decide what it will be used for. Different handguns fit different roles. For strictly home defense, I think most people agree that a 12 gauge shotgun with low recoil 00 buckshot is ideal. They are much cheaper than handguns and are much more effective. It is very easy to miss with a handgun in a tense situation. With a shotgun it is much more difficult to miss your target at typical indoor distances. For concealed carry, an automatic handgun that does not have a manual safety is ideal. You shouldn't have to worry about switching off a safety when your life is in danger. You might consider a revolver for their reliability. It's entirely up to you and what you are comfortable with. If you want a handgun strictly for plinking, buy something in .22 Long rifle. The least expensive .22LR ammunition is on average around 0.035 cents a round. If you want something a little more flexible, buy an automatic handgun that gives you the option to convert to .22LR with a slide kit.
Once you have an idea of what you want, you should decide on the brand, size, and caliber.
Everyone has their own opinion on brands of handguns. Some people will praise one brand and scorn another even though they have no personal experience with either one. It's best that you do your own research and rent multiple handguns in multiple calibers to decide for yourself. Springfield Armory, Heckler & Koch, Glock, Sig Arms, Walther, CZ, Colt, Kimber, Smith & Wesson, Beretta, Browning, Ruger, Taurus, and FN are all popular firearm brands. There are many more but those brands are known for their quality and reliability. How it feels in your hand is more important than looks. If it looks cool though, that's always a plus. :P
With Handguns, the form factor matters. For open carry full framed handguns are ideal. you get better control and accuracy as well as greater magazine capacity over compact models. For concealed carry, a smaller, more compact handgun is ideal. With compact handgun models you sacrifice magazine capacity and accuracy for better concealment. Some large framed people can carry full sized handguns concealed but If you are a smaller framed person they can be much harder to hide under clothing.
The popular automatic handgun rounds are .45ACP, .357 Sig, .40S&W, 9mm Luger 9x18 Makarov, .380ACP, .32ACP and .22LR. For revolvers, .357 magnum, .44 magnum, and .22LR are the most common. A useful thing to know about .357 magnum revolvers is that you can use .38 Special in them for target practice. .38 special is much less expensive than .357 magnum. Don't get .357 magnum mixed up with .357 Sig.
The importance of stopping power has and always will be debated. Read about it and decide for yourself. One thing for sure is that a hollow point or a hydrashock bullet inflicts far more damage internally than a full metal jacket bullet. Use HS and HP bullets in your handgun for living things and use FMJ for target practice.
TLDR: Learn the basics, Do your own research, Rent what you are interested in, Buy what you love. After you have made your purchase come back and show us what you chose.
I tried to make this as unbiased as possible. If there is something you disagree with, feel free to add a comment but keep it civil and on topic. Happy shooting /w/.