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Help my choose a gun.

retzlaff

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Hi, im 19 and im looking to buy my first handgun.Im pretty small, 5ft6 and135lb, looking for somthing to fit my size good.I have been looking at S&W 9mm sigma because i like the looks of the gunand they are very affordablebut havent had the chance to shoot one yet. Im not completly set on the S&W since i havent had the chance to shoot one yet. Does anyone know any places around central/eastern wisconsin you can rent guns and shoot and id like to hear what you all think, like, and dislike, about varioushandguns you have shot, thanks. Kevin
 

Tiny85

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Personally I like Taurus for a good reliable gun that doesn't break the bank. They are known for a solid no frills SD gun.


247-9SSP-10.jpg


Model: 24/7-9SSP-17
Caliber: 9 mm
Capacity: 17+1
Barrel Length: 4"
Action: SA/DA
Finish: Stainless Steel
Grips: Ribber Grip
Overlay Weight: 29.1 oz
Construction: Polymer/Steel
Frame: Large
Front Sight: Heinie
Rear Sight: Straight-8
Trigger Type: Smooth
Length: 7-1/8"
Width: 1-1/4"
Height: 5-1/2"
Rate of Twist: 1:16"
Grooves: 6
Safety: Firing Pin Block,Manual Safety,Manual Safety,Trigger Block

IMO a nice option but really comes down to how it feels in your hands. If its not the right fit it doesn't matter how nice or adaquite it is, its not the right gun till it feels good in your hands.

Good Luck with the search and welcome
 

SouthernBoy

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You might also want to consider one of the XD-9 compacts or perhaps a Glock 19. These are in the approximate same price range and are quality pieces. Lots to chose from out there, it's good that you're doing your homework before you buy.
 

KansasMustang

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Personally for an SD pistol I wouldn't own anything in a caliber that starts with less than a 4,,, .40 cal or .45. My lil CC is a Taurus .40 cal. PT140. 10 rounds in the mag one in the tube, small gun. Very little recoil. Just me sayin it
 

SteveInAshand

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Go to a good indoor gun range and rent / try out the SD, the Taurus, the Ruger SR9 and a Glock. or rent a 357 revolver they are the easiest to shoot right away with 38 special ammo.

I also recommend, a 40 or .45 over a 9.

I started out with 6 shot revolvers and never had a hi cap, so I started out shooting slower and never just burned up ammo and eventually became what I call a "steady shot" with a 45acp.

I like the idea of being well trained steady and able to punch a BG with 2 or 3 , 185 to 230 grain heavy hitter sized bullets in .45, as the vast majority of gun fights at at arms length and it is imperative that you bag a creep real fast cause they may be on you so fast you don't barley have time to even draw let alone have any time to shoot out a hi cap mag.

The other side says, 12, 15, 18 or 20 or so lil 9's ain't such a bad deal what with today's ultra high quality self defense ammo.

Think about it, super low recoil in a 9, small hand fit and Hi Cap 9's kinda remind me of kicking a ground dwelling bee's nest while picking kindling wood from a pile no matter what I did I was getting zapped ,zapped and zapped , and one day if you need to start zapping some interloper from YOUR nest and your overloaded with adrenaline and stark fear one or two or 10 of those 9mm stingers is gonna get through to the dope who decided to pick on your wood pile.

Go rent a few guns, one of the high quality time tested ones will just "feel right", close your eyes ( mike sure its empty and pointed in a safe direction) and just "feel" it don't look at it, let your hands will tell you which belongs in them it will be like true love "natural"

I think an ancient Samurai said " I made no choice, my sword chose me"
 

carhark

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I'm 20 years old and have a similar build to yours (5'8" and 130 lbs), and I went with the H&K USP Compact. It's small enough to conceal fairly easily, and is very reliable. The downside is H&Ks tend to be expensive.
 

Bravo_Sierra

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Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
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retzlaff wrote:
Hi, im 19 and im looking to buy my first handgun.Im pretty small, 5ft6 and135lb, looking for somthing to fit my size good.I have been looking at S&W 9mm sigma because i like the looks of the gunand they are very affordablebut havent had the chance to shoot one yet. Im not completly set on the S&W since i havent had the chance to shoot one yet. Does anyone know any places around central/eastern wisconsin you can rent guns and shoot and id like to hear what you all think, like, and dislike, about varioushandguns you have shot, thanks. Kevin

Glock 19

If an 11 year old girl can shoot one, so can you.
 

Dahwg

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Feb 22, 2008
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Tucson, Arizona, USA
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How about a CZ P-01 or PCR.. they're fine guns for a very reasonable price. Did I mention they were the only NATO approved handgun that is available to the general public? I'd choose 9 or .45 over 40 but if you must go .40 the P-06 is the same gun in .40 S&W.

2496754160_4da9189f60.jpg
 

acrimsontide

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retzlaff wrote:
Hi, im 19 and im looking to buy my first handgun.Im pretty small, 5ft6 and135lb, looking for somthing to fit my size good.I have been looking at S&W 9mm sigma because i like the looks of the gunand they are very affordablebut havent had the chance to shoot one yet. Im not completly set on the S&W since i havent had the chance to shoot one yet. Does anyone know any places around central/eastern wisconsin you can rent guns and shoot and id like to hear what you all think, like, and dislike, about varioushandguns you have shot, thanks. Kevin
In my opinion, Smith & Wesson makes great REVOLVERS. I would look at the other guns suggested by other posters instead of the Sigma
 

retzlaff

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Thanks everyone, i went to the gun store and just asked to hold each of the guns and the Glock 19 really fit good, Havent shot it yet but it felt the most comfortable so imgoing to go withthe glock, just gotta savesome cash. Justwanted to thank everyone for the help.

Kevin
 

Don Barnett

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If your criteria is not limited to semi's, consider a .357 Magnum revolver. You can practice with .38 Specials if you want low recoil (not much more than a .22). There are many good ones on the market.

My first handgun, I purchased when I was 19, was a Smith and Wesson model 19. I own several .357 Magnum revolvers now, including a Ruger GP 100 with a 6" barrel. I carry a S&W 686(7 shot) and my wife carries a Taurus .357 Magnum hammerless model.

S&W makesexcellent revolvers, but they are expensive and the many different models they offer is mind boggling and defies common sense. Ruger makes very strong revolvers (I have many, from .22's to .45 Colt), and they have a good selection of models at fairly reasonable prices.

The reason I like revolvers is that I reload...and so, when I go to the range, I don't have to "grovel" all over the floor picking up my shell cases.
 

gamestalker

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I'm 5' 5" and know what you are talking about. I bought a Taurus PT 140Pro Millennium and just love it. I have shot everything through it and now reload for it and have never once had it jam or give me a problem. It's accurate as can be and small enough to forget about. The larger frame one is nice too, but the sub-compact is awesome is every aspect.

gamestalker
 

gamestalker

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One more point about the sub-compact, it will accept the larger capacity clips made for the 24/7, 15 round, 17 round, 20 round, and even a 30 round clip. I've shot mine with all of these as one of my Son's has the 24/7 and though he can't use my 10 round for his 24/7,I can use his high capacity clips. A nice feature I think.

gamestalker
 

gamestalker

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Hey there KansasMustang, I'm with you on that. I have one and love it. AsI was saying in another post is I like the option of being able to use the higher capacity clips made for the 24/7 too. Did you know that you can do that? I've used all of the higher capacity clips, 15 rd., 17 rd., 20 rd., and even the 30 rd. clips without any problem. What i do is carry with the 10 rd. and then in my mag holster I carry the larger capacity clips if needed for SD.

Gamestalker
 

gamestalker

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Hey dahwg, I live in Tucson too and also shoot the .40. The rounds you have displayed on your post look like the Hornady XTP? I reload for the .40 ( 8.1 grains of Longshot)) and use the XTP 165 grain HP and getting 1250 fps through the chrony. I also like the Gold Dot. The reloads I shoot in my .357s (23 grains of H110) is giving me almost 2000 fps using the XTP 125 grain HP without any issues. I as well use the Gold Dot for the .357 but only in my short barrel S&W 66-5 because they will deform through a longer barrel. I'm able to get just over 1500 fps (18.5 grains H110)with the GDand superior accuracy. I just love what Speer has done to offer such a fine SD bullet for all calibers. Your not really supposed to load them for higher velocity as I'm doing (1500 fps) as they say bullet deformation becomes a problem. But my own R&D has put me at that 1500 fps mark without a problem. When I shoot them through my 6 inch barrel I get little frag holes on the paper. Let me know if your interested in trying some of these loads. Your more than welcome to join my Son and I with the chrony so you can see what your actually shooting in terms of fps.. I'm not your average personal defense minded individual as I like to shoot the high velocity stuff that will make sure the bad guy doesn't have a chance! Though recoil is a problem for most people it just makes me more comfortable to know my bullet is going to do the job with the first round impact. I like to test my stuff on jack rabbits, that is a good way to see what the results are on actual flesh and it help to develop ones skill level. A running rabbit is not an easy target with a handgun.

Gamestalker
 

Don Barnett

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I saw your post at my Mom's house and tried to respond, but her computer is old (Windows ME) and is on a phone modem and it would not allow me to send it.

But...23 grains of H110 in a .357 Magnum??!! My God...that must be HOT! That is the same number of grains that I put into .44 Mags (240 Grain Hornady Hollowpoint) and 45 Colts (250 Grain Hornady Hollowpoint) for hunting, and it fills the case. Do you have toseat your bullets with a sledgehammer? And, how many barrels have you gone through? Just beingsarcasctic, but I guess you knowwhat works.

I need to get back into reloading...but I like H110 over 2400 for my .44 Magnum loads. With the 2400, the pressure made the cases hard to extract, but when I switched to H110, I got better accuracy with less pressure; the cases extracted easily.

I have a different philosophy about reloading...I like to make the rounds lighter for practise and I save the store bought rounds for carry. With the .357, I put 6.0 grains of Unique behind a 158 grain semi-wadcutter.

I haven't done too much shooting since Shooters Paradise burned down. Does anyone know when it is going to open?
 
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