Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Common Interests buying my first handgun...suggestions?

First off, I'd recommend that your employer put up security cameras and an alarm system, or revise the coverage that the existing one already has. Hell, even "fake" security cams will probably scare the curs off...

Past that, how big are your hands? Does recoil bother you much? Are you going to mainly be stationary or do you wander?

Scatttergun is going to be tops, but if you are insistent on a sidearm, then Sig it is (IMHO). If you have smaller hands, then a p232 will probably fit like a glove; you may not like the fact that it's a .380, though. In my mind, that's what hydra-shoks are for...

p226 and p239 (if you're into a smaller, large-caliber gun) are all rock-solid firearms.

You may be hard-pressed to find any of these new under $500, though. If you can spare another $100, then you should be in the $$$ range.

No matter what you decide to choose, GET TO A RANGE and shoot a few calibers and a few different types of pistols before you purchase. I can ooze praise for Sig and a few other firearms and calibers for hours on end, but you are the one that has to be comfortable with what you are carrying.

Study up on the laws & regulations in your state, county, municipality. In Florida (Palm Beach county specifically) it used to be you would go to jail if you shoot a criminal unless you were in iminent danger & have witnesses testify to that effect - even if the perp was IN YOUR HOUSE! Thank God that has changed! Imagine. Somebody breaks into your house, starts hunting through, destroying, stealing, all your stuff, drinkin' your beers, eating your food, beating and/or killing your pets, and if he's not directly threatening you, there's nothing you can do but wait for the cops. I called it the 'Dead men tell no tales' law.

Now as for guns, don't cheap out. Smith & Wesson, Glock come to mind right away. Generally in your price range & good names/reliability. I still have a S&W Model 469 9mm that has over 5000 rounds through it, and it has never jammed - Not once with any brand of ammo I've ever tried. You will be betting your life on the weapon, so be sure it is totally reliable, and keep it maintained. Mine gets cleaned, oiled, & polished regularly whether it's been used or not.

Find a gun from a reliable maker that fits your hand well, that you're comfortable with, even if it is a smaller caliber like a 380 auto - which is only slightly smaller than the 9mm. Some folks love those big bore 40 S&Ws or 45ACPs, but if you're afraid to fire the thing or can't control it, it's nearly useless. Bad guys typically run like rabbits when they hear the crack of gunfire - no matter what caliber ('cept maybe a 22 ).

#1 rule, if you have a weapon handy, be prepared to use it or have it used on you. Once it is accessable, it is all or nothing to the guy on the other side of the barrel, so if you're not ready to use it, consider yourself dead.

#1 rule, NEVER point the gun at anything you don't intend to destroy/kill.

Both #1 rules for a reason.

I have a Ruger 357 Mag revolver and even if I were to miss (I can put 6 bullets into a 2" group at 25yds - so I doubt that) the noise of the Magnum round will have an intruder sh!##ing his/her pants.

Loudest handgun I have heard is a 44 Magnum. From 5 benches away, with my hearing protection in, at an outside range - the noise actually HURT my ears. Mind you, when I talked to the guy shooting it, he said he couldn't hit squat at 25yds. Kinda poointless, but boy was that a scary handgun.

Get anything .45 acp. Since they usually single stack the rounds in the magazine, even those with short fingers can grasp it without difficulty. Usually 8 rounds in the magazine and one in the hole gives you 8 times to miss and one to hit. I don't care if you graze someone with the .45, they will not get back up before you reload.