This is my first post, so please forgive me if started this thread in the wrong place.
I’m trying to buy my first gun and it’s really hard to make a decision.
The gun will be used for home defense and practice (mostly in indoor range).
I’ve been practicing for a couple of years, but have no proper training.
I guess it sort of is an eternal question of which gun is better, and it’s probably been asked millions of times, but it’s really hard for a newbie to make an educated guess
My current choices are: Glock 17 or 19, S&W M&P 9 compact or full, CZ 75, SIG P226.
What do you think are the advantages of full vs. compact? glock vs. S&W vs. SZ vs. Sig?
Unless you are going to carry concealed, I see no reason for a compact gun. The one exception is that some brands, such as Glock, actually have slightly different grip designs/shapes between the full and compact sizes … thus you would primarily focus on getting one that fit your hand the best.
Of the brands you mentioned, I’m most partial to S&W. The M&P has a wider range of ergonomic options right out of the box (three gripstrap sizes, two mag catch locations, ambi slide release). It’s easy to shoot and doesn’t require you to press the trigger during the disassembly process.
Thank you very much for your responses…I’ll go to the store tomorrow and see which one feels the best. Seems like a lot of stores are out of stock, but hopefully, I’ll be able to find them somewhere
Nahhh - it’s great to have new folks think highly enough of us that they come here for advice when starting out. This site is EXTREMELY fortunate to have created an environment in which very experienced and knowledgeable shooters congregate. It’s a great place for a new shooter to come and get good advice. The key for new shooters here is to read a lot, learn a lot, hopefully train a lot, and ask lots of questions. Don’t get in a big hurry to start offering advice to other shooters - it takes time and effort to reach a level of experience at which that is appropriate.
Sounds like your off to a great start! Loitering at my gun shop I see alot of people who come in purchasing their first firearm. It really boils down to what feels comfortable in your hands, in a caliber that they can manage. I can almost guarantee that this will not be your last pistol you purchase. The pistols you have listed are great firearms. I’m more biased to glocks since its a great firearm. Not to say the other ones aren’t but I like them very much. Does the local range offer rental firearms? See if you can get some hands on experience with your top picks and go from there. Best of luck to you and welcome to the forums!
I will 2nd thopkins point by cautioning you NOT to go with how it “feels” in a gun store.
IMO this is one of the great myths that is seldom challenged (tip 'o the hat to Matt E who has on another high volume board).
All of the major long proven brands “feel” good enough to be shot very well with a lot of practice. If you prioritize feel too much you might pick out any number of pistols without the track record of M&Ps or Glock 9’s. And life will be a lot simpler for a fellow just starting out if they stick to one of the long track record proven in hard use designs.
I’ve put a lot of time into Glock 9’s and they point and feel and shoot (at speed) for me, superior to my old favorite 1911s. That is not how they started when I first picked one up.
I know very little about the S&W M&P’s. Having said that, I’d go with a Glock 17. The only drawback in my opinion is that it cannot be (safely) tucked in your waistband if you want to carry Mexican style.
Sig P226’s are great guns but, there have been quality issues with Sig over the last year or two. Personally, I wouldn’t buy a new one. [No flames, this is just my personal opinion]
CZ75’s are decent guns, but not on the same level as Glocks and Sigs (the old Sigs).
By far the most important thing is shooting your gun to make sure it is reliable (with the mags and ammo of your choice). The next most important thing is shooting it to make sure you can hit what you want when you want.
Thanks again for the warm welcome and your suggestions! It’s really nice for a newbie to have an opportunity to come to a place with so much knowledge!
Having read through your responses, i narrowed my choices down to glock and s&w.
Will go to a shooting range to see what feels/shoots the best for me.
If I could ask a couple of other questions…
What do you guys think about safety on a gun? Is it a necessity?
If I was going to buy any of the brands in your opening post, it’d be the CZ, but only their 75B SA Single Action Only Version, because in my view, DAO’s, DA/SA’s, Ect., Ect. are nothing more than “cures in search of problems”.
I honestly have to say that I think the Hi Power, 1911, and CZ are poor choices for a beginning handgun shooter. While I think they are good designs, they’re high maintenance and take a dedicated shooter or “enthusiast” with good knowledge to keep running. The Hi Power and 1911 are also very expensive to start with. Especially if you are looking to have a “top end” gun. Throw in the fact that the Hi Power has questionable longevity issues and it’s clearly a platform for the “enthusiast”. I’d stick to commonly used service pistols for a first gun.
Personally, I don’t think it’s necessary and I don’t use the safety on any handgun (or shotgun), except when required by rules in competitions. In real life, when I pull the trigger, I want it to go bang 100% of the time without having to do anything else besides pulling the trigger. How and when to use a safety is a personal decision. I wouldn’t let it affect your buying decision, but once you get the gun, you should figure out what your standard procedure is (if a round is kept in the chamber, when the safety is on/off or ignored, etc.).
Safeties on rifles and carbines are a different story for me. I use them all the time.
My G19 does not have an external safety. My new M&P 9mm has a thumb safety which I prefer being used to shooting my 1911. These are personal preferences that will be found out the longer you shoot. Training is the key to utilizing both types of weapons effectively and I prefer the additional safety.
I recommend using the location feature so people will know what area you’re in and they might be willing to help in person if you’re close by. For example: If you were in the Vegas region I’d let you shoot my G19 or M&P 9mm as much as you’d like to determine which one you feel fits your needs best, provided you bring your own ammo
You’ll hear a few different answers and it depends on the weapon i.e. pistol, rifle, etc. Are we talking in your house or carrying it on your person? Long term storage or immediate accessibility in your home? If it’s being transported? Where you live and the laws in your area determine alot of these answers to your question.
Without wanting to influence your decision with my own personal beliefs I would say start by taking some basic gun safety courses and progressing from there. Internet forums are a great way to learn alot of things and the best way typically is to start by reading lots and lots of info that is already posted there. If you can’t find the answer to your question by using the search feature try using Google and it’ll often times bring you back to m4carbine with the answer you’re looking for. Education is not free, be willing to do a little work for it and you’ll go a long way.
