reppinthe509

any suggestions? at first i was thinking the ruger LCP but also want something that i can shoot for fun as well. i think i decided against the LCP at am going to get either a 9mm or .40. i was at sportsmans warehouse a while ago and a guy asked for some 45.acp and they said they didnt have it. the other day i looked at their shelves and they were pretty much empty. im not 21 untill january so i have some time before i buy.

GregM

First you have to find a store that actually has hand guns on the shelves. It seems to be a daunting task. The Sportsman's Warehouse in Silverdale (now called something else) has about 6-8 pistols, very little ammo and no reloading dies etc. It's almost as though they are going out of business. Big 5 has zero hand guns. You'd think they'd restock.
It's like one of those movies where the guy wakes up and no one remembers something except him. In this case hand guns.

It must be a conspiracy

redmist

Hi, yes its true that ammo has recently become hard to get. Just keep looking and asking, try to make friends with the guy at walmart. LOL. I have people say that they prefer 9mm and .45 because they are more readily available so that equals more suplus (yeah right) really what it means is that there is more people with those caliber firearms, so less ammo to go around. I prefer 9mm, I look at my ability to be accurate with a round and its ability to subdue an assailant. With the right 9mm round I feel I am much more lethal than a .45 (depending on placement, If you need to stop somone instantly you need to shoot them in the head or with a shotgun). .45 is great and I love it, but being a pilot and always looking at kenetic energy and its absorbtion I find 9mm to be more deadly if not a bigger hole. If you can penetrate to organs and destroy that tissue it will slow a person faster than muscle damage. I feel 9mm is superior in this respect, but only with the right hollow point round. Otherwise the bullet goes through and very little energy is pushed into the body. The .45 is much heavier (good) but has a large surface area and moves slow, (bad, poor penetration) the average .45 round only penetrates 2-3in. of muscle. A 9mm will penetrate up to 6 with the right defense load. This means to me I am affecting critical organs not just the muscle. This is My opinion. Im sure all the .45 guys are holding there ribs with laughter....who cares? Its all about what YOU can do the with gun and ammo. Not what they can do sitting in a drawer. All ammo for defense purposes should at least be a hollow point. An assailant is most likely to blead to death if he/she dies at all from a gun shot wound to the abdomin. You are unlikely to score a head shot in a real situation. All these things being said im getting to this point. A bullet will not stop a man right away, It takes time for that round to take affect. Firearms and there training should always be a supplement to physical defense training. I cannot emphasize this enough, your weapon is thiers if you cant keep it. As for a pistol. I dont think you can go wrong with, hk, sig, walther, colt ,springfield, cz or any reputable manufacturer. Just make sure YOU like it. Dont buy it because the sales man likes it (usually more$$$) and a 1,000$ pistol will work just as reliably as a 500.00 pistol if cared for properly. wow that was a long first post. lol. I like my firearms. good luck

redmist

Hi, yes its true that ammo has recently become hard to get. Just keep looking and asking, try to make friends with the guy at walmart. LOL. I have people say that they prefer 9mm and .45 because they are more readily available so that equals more suplus (yeah right) really what it means is that there is more people with those caliber firearms, so less ammo to go around. I prefer 9mm, I look at my ability to be accurate with a round and its ability to subdue an assailant. With the right 9mm round I feel I am much more lethal than a .45 (depending on placement, If you need to stop somone instantly you need to shoot them in the head or with a shotgun). .45 is great and I love it, but being a pilot and always looking at kenetic energy and its absorbtion I find 9mm to be more deadly if not a bigger hole. If you can penetrate to organs and destroy that tissue it will slow a person faster than muscle damage. I feel 9mm is superior in this respect, but only with the right hollow point round. Otherwise the bullet goes through and very little energy is pushed into the body. The .45 is much heavier (good) but has a large surface area and moves slow, (bad, poor penetration) the average .45 round only penetrates 2-3in. of muscle. A 9mm will penetrate up to 6 with the right defense load. This means to me I am affecting critical organs not just the muscle. This is My opinion. Im sure all the .45 guys are holding there ribs with laughter....who cares? Its all about what YOU can do the with gun and ammo. Not what they can do sitting in a drawer. All ammo for defense purposes should at least be a hollow point. An assailant is most likely to blead to death if he/she dies at all from a gun shot wound to the abdomin. You are unlikely to score a head shot in a real situation. All these things being said im getting to this point. A bullet will not stop a man right away, It takes time for that round to take affect. Firearms and there training should always be a supplement to physical defense training. I cannot emphasize this enough, your weapon is thiers if you cant keep it. As for a pistol. I dont think you can go wrong with, hk, sig, walther, colt ,springfield, cz or any reputable manufacturer. Just make sure YOU like it. Dont buy it because the sales man likes it (usually more$$$) and a 1,000$ pistol will work just as reliably as a 500.00 pistol if cared for properly. wow that was a long first post. lol. I like my firearms. good luck

reppinthe509

thanks for that info

Kolat

Go glock or go home

Lefdrgn

Something to consider, forget caliber. Couple questions to ask your self before purchasing a firearm, (pistol or rifle)
-What is the intended use; concealed carry, self defence, home defence, range gun, competition shooting... etc etc
-are you prepared to become intimetly familiar with the firearm, use and function
-what is your price range, can you afford the time, use, and maintenece costs

Any caliber can be deadly, even the meager .22LR, it all comes to shot placement.

On the points above, if the intended use is a carry role you need to find something to fit your style of clothing and body shape but also small, light and comfortable enough to carry everyday. The gun is worthless if it is sitting at your house and you are out because it is uncomfortable to carry all day everyday. If it is strictly home defence then make it as big as you can reliably be consistenly accurate with. Plinking/range gun lower caliber =less cost, (.22lr a lot cheaper although not as fun as .45 acp)
To buy use and own a gun makes it part of you, you need to know everything about it to utilize it to its potential. How to strip, clean, reassemble, shoot, and store it all goes to how the gun performs. 95% of inaccurate shooting is the shooter (my guestimated stat but one I am comfortable stating)
Now price, the initial purchase is the biggest part to overcome, a lot of people say you get what you pay for, but I dissagree. My taurus 85 shoots just as good for a 200$ gun as a more expensive colt. A kel tec pf9 can be just as accurate and reliable as a kahr pm9, it all comes down to the person behind the gun. If you want a specific gun because it is just cool, that's ok. Think about the firearms POU (philociphy of use, Nutnfancy's term youtube check him out) what do you intend the gun to do. Just my 2 cents good luck

GregM

What he said
Good advice

ChixNBoozeNGunsNFireYEAH

fuck yeah, and 10mm on top of that!

GixxerPete

Fanbois.

reppinthe509

i've been thinking about adding a revolver to the list. im looking at the taurus model 65 .357 mag..anyone have one of these? and also. if i were to go into a gun shop, would they let me handle handguns or would i have to be 21 to do so?

GregM

It's too bad you are not around Seattle/Tacoma.
Bullseye has an indoor shooting range and a whole slug of guns you can rent and try.
It's how I fell for the CZ 75 B 40sw that I have.
Maybe there's one like it in your area, or you could make a trip over here.
Pretty sure you have to be 21 or have someone with you that is

reppinthe509

what about aluminum vs polymer? does that just mean the grip is alum or poly? it cant be the whole gun. oh and im also looking at the ruger SR9 too.

GregM

If I could have found one I would have bought the stainless version of this when I bought my S&W 360
The Bulldog from Charter Arms

reppinthe509

so ive heard some people dont like taurus. i know they have a lifetime warranty on their guns. im looking at a taurus model 66 or a ruger gp100. advice?

Booga

The following is not legal advice: To own a handgun before you're 21, you must leave it in custody of your parents/guardian unless you're being supervised in the act of sporting activities or target practice.

That being said, January isn't all that far off and getting advice beforehand is useful.

Regarding Taurus being disfavored, it appears to be like the difference between Ford and Kia. Sure, they can both break down, but one is more reliable than the other. There are a lot of happy Taurus owners out there and they're much quieter than unhappy owners. As they say: You makes your choices and you takes your chances.

reppinthe509

im thinking ruger gp100 as well. i just dont know anymore.

cavtroop

Do yourself a big favor. Take your CHL class before you buy. Lots of times, other students and instructors will have guns you can fondle. Then decide while one you like.

Armand

best way I found to decide on what you want is to try different ones out. most indoor ranges have different guns you can try out and see if you like them or not.

I tried about 20 different ones and out of all of those I ended up liking only 3 lol

Dodgeramstein

check out Sams gun range on Airport road, off 128th st in Everett. Good selection

Lammo

I personally started out with a .22 and have gone up from there to a .45 which goes with me everywhere. I am partial to Glocks but everyone is different and you need to find out what works for you and your own individual needs. IMHO, .22s are the place to start to learn the basics of gun safety and the how of shooting. You can buy a good .22 and a whole pile of ammo for the same cost as buying just the gun in 9mm, .40 or .45. Unless you know of a good supply for ammo at this time I would stay away from .380s. There's nothing wrong the caliber or the guns that shoot it; it's just nearly impossible to find ammo right now.

I see you are in Spokane (me too). Go to Sharp Shooting Indoor Range at the crossroads of Trent and Freya (you have to approach from the north on Freya or from Trent - - the Freya bridge to the south is under reconstruction). They have a wide variety of guns there that you can rent and try out. They can tell you for sure at the range but I'm pretty sure you cannot purchase a handgun from a licensed dealer under Federal law (18 USC 922(B)(1), although under state law (RCW 9.41) you would be able to possess a handgun under certain restrictions (RCW 9.41.240). You would not be able to apply for a Washington CPL until you turn 21 (RCW 9.41.070). They can tell you for sure at the range (sadly, the dealer rules may prevent you from trying their guns out until you turn 21). Also, Sharp Shooting offers several safety classes at various times throughout the year.

PS - - The owner of Sharp Shooting is a friend and I have another friend who works there. I have no ownership interest in the range and my recommendation is based purely on my own experience with the business there (how's that for a lawyer's disclaimer?).

PPS - - The Washington laws cited above can be found at:
Chapter 9.41 RCW: Firearms and dangerous weapons
The US Code section cited above can be found at:
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/usc.cgi?ACTION=RETRIEVE&FILE=$$xa$$busc18.wais&sta rt=1449952&SIZE=48951&TYPE=TEXT

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reppinthe509

i know that i cannot purchase a handgun, and i know that at sharp shooting i can go try them out. maybe ill do that tomorrow. ive shot a few there before but it does get expensive renting and buying ammo..but ill go try a few out. my main concern is that i would want to go to the gun shop and look at the guns and all that. i dont know if they'd let me check them out.

reppinthe509

i went to sharp shooting today and shot the ruger gp100 4 inch barrel, loved it. alos shot the S&W .357 dont know the model but my friend had it. sure as hell spent some money though, didnt realize that .357 was $22 a box. was glad to find out that 38 special works too. i was going to try some other guns out but after spending 70 bucks to shoot 2 boxes of ammo i didnt want to spend more.

Booga

Heh, the .44 I buy is $33 a box, so I feel your pain. Planning on reloading at some point.

Anyway, what did you think of the difference between the two?

reppinthe509

well i really liked the ruger, i only shot 6 rounds through the S&W at like 50 -75 yards and shot better with the ruger. my friend was going to get the .44 until he learned the ammo was 30 bucks. i've been looking at some reloading although the initial purchase is a lot, i feel its worth it.

Kolat

Got a source for that tidbit of information? I've always read and been told that a firearm can't be purchased thru an FFL by someone under 21 and no cpl if your under 21 but since the changes to RCW 9.41.080 which previously gave an age for which pistols could be possessed but now references 9.41.040 which gives a required age of 18 to purchase/reciever a firearm.

T

Guff

The first gun I purchased was a Ruger Single Six (.22 cal). I got it so my girlfriend and I could have a cheap gun to practice with at the range and wouldn't be prone to failure (no slide to cycle). She has since fallen in love with a glock but I still enjoy the Ruger.

As mentioned above, it depends what you plan on doing with the handgun. If it's just to target shoot or mainly for that, get something that you can get a lot of ammo for without destroying your wallet.

oremike

a .22 kills paper and pop cans just as dead as a bigger calibre and costs a whole lot less.

Lammo

I think Washington's law is a little murky on this issue (and Federal law isn't much clearer - - darn lawyers). I believe the only way a person under 21 can legally acquire a handgun under RCW 9.41 would be as a gift or from a private party. I cannot determine whether Federal law precludes possession of a handgun by someone under 21. It clearly precludes sale by a licensed dealer of "other than a shotgun or rifle" (translation: a handgun) to someone under 21.

I guess I should include a disclaimer: The above should not be construed as legal advice or viewed as establishing an attorney/client relationship and should not be relied upon as a legal defense to any civil or criminal action.

reppinthe509

1. i'm not looking into getting a handgun before january 7th 2010.
2. i was just wondering whether or not a store would let me check out the gun before i was 21. i know when i bought my shotgun they asked how old i was before they gave it to me.
3. i know that .22 can shoot paper and cans just as well but thats not why im getting a gun.
4. thanks for all the much appreciated help

GregM

Just to protect yourself you might consider taking a class or private instruction on what and what is not legal to do with a gun. You got to "know when to hold'em and know when to fold'em", so to speak. You can get in an insane amount of trouble doing what you think should be ok (at the time) as well as backing yourself into a corner.
It's a right but also a very large responsibility to carry one.

oremike

Ok, let me rephrase my .22 comment. For a first hand gun I recommend a.22, full stop. You'll want to practice loading and unloading, target acquisition, safe weapons handling. Then target practice, strong hand, weak hand, double tap, close range, long range...ect. Lots and lots of practice. The reduced recoil of the .22 makes the shooting exorcises easier to do. The cost of the .22 makes the easier to do more often(remember the cost at the range for ammo?) I've been dinking around with this gun thing for over 30 years. The one gun that goes with me camping, or out to the woods or range is my .22 pistol. I might go to the range to sight in a new rifle/scope/handload or what ever but the .22 gets a few rounds thru it while I'm waiting for the barrel to cool or just because. Same thing when I go camping, I carry my XD for personal defense, and honestly I hope to never have to use it in that role, but the .22 gets shot at pop cans or other safe targets of opportunity. Because I shoot the .22 so much I've worked on my grip, stance and sight picture so when I shoot the big bores I shoot them much better, all ready knowing how to grip, stand,and look.

byron

go for a glock model 22in the 40 cal fun to shoot plus for 125.more you can buy a 357 sig barrel and have 2 guns.