advice on my first pistol

[yournewmom]

howdy all,

first things first. i am completely ignorant on the topic of handguns.

regardless, i'm getting ready to purchase my first semi-automatic pistol and am very much in need of advice. i have spent a lot of time and money at ranges and have (slightly) narrowed things down to a few contenders. i would greatly appreciate any words of wisdom or of caution before i make my first purchase. after some thought i have decide my first pistol should be a 9mm. expense-wise and therefore practice-wise this makes sense. i would rather be accurate and controlled (in a tight situation) than be not so much, with a larger caliber round. the most fun i have had shooting is with a ruger gp100 but for my first owner, i want a semi-automatic pistol. the gun models (in all calibers) i have shot at various local and (out of state) ranges include ruger, glock (.9mm and .45), springfield (1911 and XD), cz, sig-sauer (.9mm and 40), s&w, hk, beretta and browning. i have enjoyed them all but have narrowed things down for the following reasons. i like the heavier, more solid, steel or stainless steel feel and heft to the polymer or composite. aesthetically i prefer guns that look 'old'. this may not seem important, but to me it is. i have to like the way something looks. therefore glocks and ruger's and MP's and the XD's and the like (as great as they are) are out.

my finalists, (and their +'s and -'s, in my admittedly ignorant view), are as follows- in a vague order. i felt like i was fairly accurate with all of them..

sig 226 .9mm (or an older 220 .9mm)
felt good in my hand. overall design looks nice. solid but light. sa/da tricker feel good. slide release and de-cocker are ergonomically right. the 9mm i rented at a range jammed consistently (both times). every other shot...
but the 40 i used at a different range was fine so i'm gonna guess the .9mm needs to be 'refurbished'. everything i have read about this gun seems positive. though it is a little pricey. but it is german so i accept it.

beretta 92FS .9mm
it felt really solid my hand. besides the the cz sp01 it was my favorite heft-wise. trigger was very light and easy. don't like the safety/decocker on the slide but otherwise i really liked this gun. i like the fact that the open slide design allows me to load a cartridge if i were to lose or break the magazine (in a tight spot).. did not expect to like this gun as much as i did. i wish the barrel was shorter. very fun to shoot.

browning hp mark lll .9mm
absolutely beautiful. solid as well. slender. i do want this gun. but... it fit my hand well, but the grip seems small? not sure how to explain (i have normal-sized hands) but my trigger finger got very tired and a little sore- it seems like i was pulling the trigger from around a corner. like i was pulling at an angle instead of squeezing. perhaps wider after market grips would remedy this? don't know but it made me sad because i wanted "us" to work out. i suspect i will own one at some point. anyone tried the fn herstal version?

cz-75b and SP-01 .9mm
both shot and felt great. very solid. crisp 'short' trigger with little recoil.
the SP-01 was gigantic and very solid/heavy. it felt great. though i couldn't reach the end of the trigger guard. is it based on a 1911? great gun but perhaps too big.
a long (too long) reach to the slide release.
however.. aesthetically, i don't like the slide in the frame look.. too bad because they are on the cheaper side and very fun.

the runner up..

hk usp .9mm
i wanted to like this gun. i shot it in the .9mm and .40s&w varieties. but i never dreamed about it after i left the range like the others.
the trigger action was very nice.
a big, weird reach for the slide release. otherwise the gun was very light and easy to operate. a little more kick but no big biggie..
may hold out for the p30 as a choice, down the way...


any thoughts/improvements on my vaguely formed opinions would be much appreciated.
i am sure i will end up owning a variety of guns. there are just too many calibers and models to choose from and i think i would go slightly crazy if i could only pick one.
but 'pretending' that my first (.9mm) would be my one and only, what to you think? which is the most reliable? accurate? which is the easiest to field strip?
which could i swim across a river with, and get into working order quickest? which could i hammer a nail with if i lost my hammer?
what do you think about purchasing a pistol (new/used) at a gun show? there is one in SF this weekend and i really want to "pull the trigger".

thanks so much,

doug

[RT13]

is the most reliable? SIG/HK
accurate? SIG/HK
which is the easiest to field strip? SIG
swim across a river with, and get into working order quickest? HK/SIG
which could i hammer a nail with if i lost my hammer? BROWNING
purchasing a pistol (new/used) at a gun show? NEW

Of your choices, the Sig P226 in 9mm would be the absolute choice for most and atleast for me. It's probably the best 9mm ever made. It's designed like the Browning HP but better. The Hk USP 9mm is also a great gun. I highly recommend you try out an M&P9. I think you will like it alot. I own Sigs, HK's, Glocks, etc, etc and I always seem to recommend the M&P to new shooters for many reasons.

[MikeinnLA]

the most fun i have had shooting is with a ruger gp100

I'm going to completely ignore your wishes and suggest that your first pistol be the GP 100. As your first and only, it will be your "glass breaking in the middle of the night" gun and there's just nothing as simple and reliable as a revolver. Goes bang every time. You had the most fun with it, so you will practice a lot. Although I prefer the S & W 686 for the way it fits my hand, I think either would be a great first pistol for you.

Mike

[626Tony]

I agree with RT13 I recommend the M&P in a 9 mm for your 1st or a glock 19 why go expensive on your 1st

[Joe]

I agree with RT13 I recommend the M&P in a 9 mm for your 1st or a glock 19 why go expensive on your 1st

+1 on this recommendation.

Check out the m&p9 and the glock 19

[Canucky]

I agree with Mike. i started a long response to question but it would take to long. You have too many variables. DA, SA/DA. I presume this will be fun/range/home defence? If you are heart felt on a semi go with the CZ varient. It is the least expensive comes in all flavours.

[Dr Rockso]

Of those you've narrowed it down to I'd go with a CZ-75. I also have a P226 and, while I like it, it's just unnecessarily large for a 9mm (ditto for the 92FS). Also I prefer the location of the controls on the CZ-75. I'm a fan of Hogue grips, and the CZ-75 ones fit my hands well and look great.

That said, if you weren't ruling out polymer framed handguns I'd tell you that my current favorite handgun is the M&P9. And I don't expect that to change anytime soon.

[Canucky]

Mom and you really should look into a 22 pistol. Trust me you will thank me later. Great to learn fundamentals on, and cheap to shoot all day long.

[tonelar]

Sig P226 or Cz75b

the two tops in your list

[mikaarce]

Mom and you really should look into a 22 pistol. Trust me you will thank me later. Great to learn fundamentals on, and cheap to shoot all day long.

+1 on this

[yournewmom]

I'm going to completely ignore your wishes and suggest that your first pistol be the GP 100. As your first and only, it will be your "glass breaking in the middle of the night" gun and there's just nothing as simple and reliable as a revolver. Goes bang every time. You had the most fun with it, so you will practice a lot. Although I prefer the S & W 686 for the way it fits my hand, I think either would be a great first pistol for you.

Mike

i totally agree. and it will probably be my 2nd purchase..
that or the s&w 636 which also sounds great... but for my first gun i want to be able to have multiple (loaded) magazines for a worst case scenario...

doug

[pingpong]

Sorry to hear the Sig you rented had so many jams. I'd attribute that to a lack of proper maintenance on the part of the range rather than something inherently wrong with the gun itself.

Of the ones on the list I'd probably pick the 226. I'm not a fan of the tiny slide on the CZ75, but other than that it's a great gun. The guns on the list are all great, and I'd hope to eventually own all of them, so for a first one I'd probably pick whichever one I can get the best deal on .

[yournewmom]

I agree with Mike. i started a long response to question but it would take to long. You have too many variables. DA, SA/DA. I presume this will be fun/range/home defence? If you are heart felt on a semi go with the CZ varient. It is the least expensive comes in all flavours.

i have way too many variables. agreed.
it would be mainly for range fun, with the (however far out) possibility of home defense/apocalyptic/earthquake-people-go-insane scenario. and for that purpose i want magazines. i am fine with a DA/SA gun. i don't want something strictly DA though. as a friend pointed out.. "the first shot may the only, and therefore most important you ever get off. why would you want a DA pistol/revolver..?" that resonates with me having been in some ****ty (mugged and stabbed) situations. but i like options/safety as well. money isn't so much an issue when i pretend it may be the only gun i ever own. which is how i'm treating my first purchase.. thank you, and the previous responders for your comments.
d

[yournewmom]

Mom and you really should look into a 22 pistol. Trust me you will thank me later. Great to learn fundamentals on, and cheap to shoot all day long.

i know with all my heart you are correct. i shot a ruger target master .22 at a range to get started and it was informative. and i felt comfortable. i feel slightly less comfortable with the higher calibers..

but as i stated, if i could only own one gun... i'd like it to have a little more punch than than that. and i feel a .9mm is a good intermediate caliber. i can't tell you how many people told me to just get a .45.. and i understood their argument as i do yours. but i an taking the middle road. similiar to a newbie buying their first bike i went for the 600/650 as opposed to the liter bike. challenging, but not too much, and i won't get bored after a month. but seriously, thank you.
d

[jeffrice6]

P226...... 92fs