Need some Advice

[RuggedRadios]

Based on these parameters, I'd (again, my personal opinion) go with either a 40 or 45 cal. I would NOT go with a 9 mm. There is plenty of debate re 9 mm concerning if it effective or not as a manstopper. Anything is better than nothing but a 9 mm wouldn't be my first choice. There is a trend in law enforcement moving away from 9 mm and to 40's. There is a reason for this.

For $600, you should be able to find a Glock or Springfield XD. Getting a gently used one can also save you some money. Both are fine guns. Try it and see what you like. Since we are not talking about CCW's here, I'd go with a larger size one as they will have just a little less recoil and will likely be just a little more accurate.

You first gun is a fun moment. Enjoy it.

Thanks! I'm going to my local Range Master tomorrow to try out some of your suggestions.

Now my friend was telling me i should get a Glock 26 and that is a 9mm and someone else told me to try a Glock 27 which is a .40 so what is the huge difference other than bullet shape?

[THT]

Thanks! I'm going to my local Range Master tomorrow to try out some of your suggestions.

Now my friend was telling me i should get a Glock 26 and that is a 9mm and someone else told me to try a Glock 27 which is a .40 so what is the huge difference other than bullet shape?

Size of the bullet, bullet speed, and energy dumped into the target. 9mm moves faster but .40 is slightly larger and has more energy. The trade-off is, .40cal has a snappier recoil and in my experience, takes longer to get the follow-up shot off accurately. And in a sub-compact package, that's going to be even more pronounced. I prefer either a 9mm or .45ACP but that's me.

[RuggedRadios]

Size of the bullet, bullet speed, and energy dumped into the target. 9mm moves faster but .40 is slightly larger and has more energy. The trade-off is, .40cal has a snappier recoil and in my experience, takes longer to get the follow-up shot off accurately. And in a sub-compact package, that's going to be even more pronounced. I prefer either a 9mm or .45ACP but that's me.

Thanks... I'm goin to try out all the different calibers I can tomorrow so i can get a true understanding

[IGOTDIRT4U]

A semi auto (i was looking at glocks but only cause the name popped in my head) I am 6'3" 160 and i plan to use it mainly for the range but of course i would like to have something good for self defense just in case. Id say i don't wanna pay more than about $600 for the gun and im not sure about an ammo budget.

Thanks all for your input ... ill let you know how its going!

Well, then , it sounds like you a fairly good framed guy, so too big of a gun might not be an issue for you.

Semi autos in your price range, seems like you are headed for a Glock. Soooo, I would head to a local range a rent a variety of Glocks in various frame sizes and calibers. Also in your price range would be the Beretta 92/96 (9mm and .40), plus a few Springfield Xd models. (there are others, but I can't think of them at the top of my head right now) Try renting a few of the latter so you can compare the feel of a Glock versus competitors in that price range.

Since you are intending to use it for target practice and self defense at home, 9mm is the absolute smallest I would go. The recommendations for a .22 cal handgun for practice are great suggestions as it is easier to shoot, teaches you trigger control and saves money on ammo, but it cannot be a serious self defense hand gun. Something to consider.

[IGOTDIRT4U]

Size of the bullet, bullet speed, and energy dumped into the target. 9mm moves faster but .40 is slightly larger and has more energy. The trade-off is, .40cal has a snappier recoil and in my experience, takes longer to get the follow-up shot off accurately. And in a sub-compact package, that's going to be even more pronounced. I prefer either a 9mm or .45ACP but that's me.

Roger that. I sold my Beretta 96 as I simply could not stand dealing with the recoil issues of the .40 round. I am almost exclusively a .45 ACP person now for my semi autos.

[aplinker]

Your 1st paragraph is ludicrous. There is no effective difference in "man stopping" between 9mm and 40cal. Modern defensive ammunition is good in all 3, and none of them are so much better that it makes one clearly the right choice; which is to say they all basically suck. Anything else is just silly debate and splitting hairs. Training trumps all.

From that perspective, if you can train 1.5-3X as much with your 9mm, because the ammo is that much less expensive, then by far that is the way to go.

The rest you say is good advice, though "gently" used is not really necessary for good makes. Range rental Glocks run for years, and still keep ticking, with little maintenance. These are guns shot for hundreds, if not thousands, of rounds daily. I'd have no qualms about a 10k round Glock.

Based on these parameters, I'd (again, my personal opinion) go with either a 40 or 45 cal. I would NOT go with a 9 mm. There is plenty of debate re 9 mm concerning if it effective or not as a manstopper. Anything is better than nothing but a 9 mm wouldn't be my first choice. There is a trend in law enforcement moving away from 9 mm and to 40's. There is a reason for this.

For $600, you should be able to find a Glock or Springfield XD. Getting a gently used one can also save you some money. Both are fine guns. Try it and see what you like. Since we are not talking about CCW's here, I'd go with a larger size one as they will have just a little less recoil and will likely be just a little more accurate.

You first gun is a fun moment. Enjoy it.

[RuggedRadios]

Self defense wise it shouldn't matter what size I have if I have good aim correct? Is there any ammo out there that just won't stop someone?

[LesGrossman41510]

A semi auto (i was looking at glocks but only cause the name popped in my head) I am 6'3" 160 and i plan to use it mainly for the range but of course i would like to have something good for self defense just in case. Id say i don't wanna pay more than about $600 for the gun and im not sure about an ammo budget.

Thanks all for your input ... ill let you know how its going!

If you want a combination of range and HD, go with a 9mm or .40 caliber.

Glock is probably your best bet for under 600. you can find a nice G17, G19, G23 for under 600 easily.

If you want something alot cheaper but still fun to shoot, go with a Ruger P89 or p95, you can find those for around 300-400 bucks used.

.22s are fun to shoot at the range and cheap on ammo, but definately not as good for home defense. you need at least a 9mm to put down an intruder.

[LesGrossman41510]

Now my friend was telling me i should get a Glock 26 and that is a 9mm and someone else told me to try a Glock 27 which is a .40 so what is the huge difference other than bullet shape?

I have a G27, they are good for home defense but for range plinking not the best IMO. The g26 and g27 are for concealed carry and close range, they are smaller than regular glocks so they pack way more kickback when you shoot.

If i could go back in time, i would get a bigger more stable glock. Sometimes the kick on my little G27 really works havoc on my shot groupings. When i shot a 9mm G17 i had much tighter groupings than with my G27 at 10-15 yards.

I would get a g23 in .40 caliber, very solid first time pistol and can be had for around 550 bucks plus DROS so right in the 600 dollar range.

[IGOTDIRT4U]

Looks like you are getting a lot of recommendations for a 9mm or .40, plus Glock pricewise (still consider the XD). This gives you a good start at the range tomorrow. Try various Glcoks, and then try a few other semi auto makes in 9 and 40.

As this is your first gun ( you know you'll be back buying more ) consider a full size frame. Much easier to practice with and for home defense, ideal. Compacts are great for the CDI factor and for CCWing, but those are things you can address in future purchases.

You asked about what rounds won't stop a person. No one can answer that. A 380, properly placed on a bad guy with the right bullet, can be devastating. So can a .22, if shot hits right and does the damage it needs to do properly. But in a high stress situation and other factors that limit stopping power (i.e., bad guy wearing a heavy sweatshirt, good luck getting any realistic chance of a 380 or 22 to stop/kill him) a larger caliber makes a bigger, deeper wound channel. The idea is not to hit the bad guy perfectly in one spot, but to make any hit in the vital area of the chest a permanent solution.

[sd1023x]

[QUOTE=uclaplinker;2818774]Your 1st paragraph is ludicrous. There is no effective difference in "man stopping" between 9mm and 40cal. Modern defensive ammunition is good in all 3, and none of them are so much better that it makes one clearly the right choice; which is to say they all basically suck. Anything else is just silly debate and splitting hairs. Training trumps all.

From that perspective, if you can train 1.5-3X as much with your 9mm, because the ammo is that much less expensive, then by far that is the way to go......QUOTE]

Agreed! With modern hollowpoints that is caliber debate is moot point.

Training training training. If you fundamentals are good, any rifle or handgun you will be able to shoot decently. Course there are going to be those special rifle/pistols that will jive with you on higher level, but only experience can show you which those will be.

Can't go wrong with a glock, but DEFINITELY G26 is too small for you, its more of a BUG or for concealed carry. I gonna go out there and say G34! Your a big guy!
But I will tell you, try a plastic framed pistol like glock/glockalike and an all metal framed gun. Noobs (ie chicks i'd like to *ang) I take to the range, one of the most common comments made is that there was a clear difference in the shooting feel between my plastic framed pistols, metal framed pistols and revolvers.

[sd1023x]

Would it be inappropriate for sd1023x to say, the chicks preferred the metal framed pistols cuz it felt stiffer in their hands?

[RuggedRadios]

Great, thanks for all your input. I went to the range this weekend but am posting pics and info in a new thread