Your first time...

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S&W Model 19 with a 3" barrel. Home defense. I kept my match-grade rifle and pistols (M1 Garand, Custom .45 ACP and .22 cal S&W Mod 41) for HD as well. I didn't start carrying regularly until after I retired in 2005.

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well the first hand gun i bought was a ruger p89 in 9mm but that was with money i got when my grandma died, i have just inharited my dads colt lawman mkIII in .357, but again i didnt buy it with earned money, but now i got a glock 21 in .45, which i fully earned.

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First one I bought was a Sig P229 .40, I loved that gun, then some heartless waste of humanity broke into my place and stole it. Now I carry a Walther PPS .40 and someday I will replace that Sig.

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Putting .40S&W and 10mm on the same choice is like putting .22 and .223 on the same choice. Sure they have the same diameter, but they are COMPLETELY different animals...

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First purchase (and current EDC) was a Springfield XD40 Service in black. It's also my only handgun as of this post.

I looked at 9mm, .40, and 45ACP. Settled on .40 as a good balance, plus I am planning on adding a .40 to 9mm EFK Firedragon conversion barrel for versatility as well as lowered ammo costs for practice.

I evaluated Glock, M&P, SA XD & XDm, and H&K P2000 & P2000sk.

My XD40 won on feel, function, reputation, & price... in that order.


Knock Down Power?
I was more concerned with controllability, but also wanted sufficient stopping power.

Revolver or Semi-Auto?
Wanted higher capacity & simpler reloading of a semi-auto. Also, I haven't found a revolver with a LH cylinder release yet, and I just can't seem to find a reliable and quick way to reload due to that fact.

Concealability?
The 4" XD Service should be pretty good. I'm not a small man and I can hide it fairly well with a big t-shirt or light vest when carried in my OWB Serpa CQC. Once I get my CHL and my CB ST gets here things should be even easier. That said, I am already shopping for a good deal on a SA XD40sc for warmer weather.

Capacity?
Covered above

Cost factors?
Moderate cost was acceptable. It was more important to get a proven & reliable weapon and I am willing to fork over a little more for one that fits the bill.

Ergonomics?
I'm a LH shooter so ambi mag release was a minimum requirement. I also prefer the 1911 style grip angle to the Glock's angle. But, I can shoot the G17/19 rather well and may add one or two .40 Glocks one day if the price is right.

How it looked in that Sonny Crockett shoulder rig you also bought that day?
Ummm.... nope. Not a factor. For me it's function over style in a SD gun every time.

How it would look if you painted it Pink?
ewwww! :shock:

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Corst01 wrote.

Revolver or Semi-Auto?
Wanted higher capacity & simpler reloading of a semi-auto. Also, I haven't found a revolver with a LH cylinder release yet, and I just can't seem to find a reliable and quick way to reload due to that fact.

You apparently did not check out Charter Arms. They have a 2 inch snubby chambered in 38 special.

I had one and got rid of it because It would not accept a speed loader and all the edges were too sharp. I did shoot fine however.

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jeeper1 wrote:

Corst01 wrote.

Revolver or Semi-Auto?
Wanted higher capacity & simpler reloading of a semi-auto. Also, I haven't found a revolver with a LH cylinder release yet, and I just can't seem to find a reliable and quick way to reload due to that fact.

You apparently did not check out Charter Arms. They have a 2 inch snubby chambered in 38 special.

I had one and got rid of it because It would not accept a speed loader and all the edges were too sharp. I did shoot fine however.

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Well, that's true. I didn't check out Charter Arms. But, I did say this:

"Cost factors?
Moderate cost was acceptable. It was more important to get a proven & reliable weapon and I am willing to fork over a little more for one that fits the bill."

At the risk of offending someone who holds CA close to their hearts, I never got a good vibe from any review I read. When I handled a CA revolver at a local shop, words like "quality", "reliability", and "confidence inspiring" did not exactly come to mind.

While I did have a budget, thankfully it was large enough that I did not need to consider a CA revolver. I also think I'd like longer than a 2" barrel.

Though I have actually been toying with the idea of an SP101 down the road somewhere just because I like it, it would fit my budget, and more guns is funner!

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My first handgun was a Ruger Security-Six .357 mag. with 4 in. bbl. I bought this revolver because it was a good price ( $110.00 - $120.00 new ) and I could shoot .38 special for practice on the cheap .

Yes it was a few years ago and I wish I still had it.

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my first gun was a p220 american .45acp that i bought in '97. still have it and love it. great gun. the only thing i added was trijicon night sights.

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ecocks wrote:

Surely no one will ever forget that very first time?

So, when you finally bought your FIRST SD handgun with your own money (not gifts or inherited) what factors were you thinking about?

Knock Down Power?

Revolver or Semi-Auto?

Concealability?

Capacity?

Cost factors?

Ergonomics?

How it looked in that Sonny Crockett shoulder rig you also bought that day?

How it would look if you painted it Pink?

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You never forget your first love, car, motorcycle or first gun. Mine was a Beretta 92FS (pre-ban) that I bought new from Don's Guns in San Antonio, TX just before the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban went in to effect. It came with two 15 round magazines. I still own it today and I will never sell it. I plan to will it to my son when I die.

My main considerations were:

Proven realiability

Decocker for safety

Ease of field stripping/fewest number of parts

Quality manufacturer

15+ round magazine capacity

I looked at everything, but in the end it really came down to two guns, the Beretta 92FS and the Sig Sauer P226. Having been produced for the military and in use for over 20 years and the fact that my Dad was a Beretta man himself was enough to convince me the Beretta was the way to go. In the 16 years I've owned that gun, it has not jammed, stovepiped, misfed or misfired....not even once! Since that time, I've made a few improvements, titanium recoil rod and spring, polished the ramp and feed port, skeletonized hammer, crowned barrel, oversized/stippled magazine release and Hogue grips. I also purchased from Beretta the .22LR conversion kit for practice.

I have several handguns, none of which am I particularly attached to, but this Beretta is a keeper. Definitely one of my prized possesions.

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Honestly, the first thought in my mind was 'Grampa Bub only trusted a .45..." and that pretty much decided me. But hey, I'd just turned 21 and didn't know as much about firearms as I wanted to. My thought process was 1. What do I want?
A Custom 1911
2. What can I afford right now?
$400-500
3. What can I afford in the next couple months?
$700-800
4. When do I need it by?
90 days

I ended up getting a High Standard-branded 1911 by Armscor for about $500 and about $200 worth of ammo to practice with.

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My first purchase was a Colt Government Model, 45 acp for $237.

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tnhawk wrote:

My first purchase was a Colt Government Model, 45 acp for $237.

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good god when did you buy it

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My first handgun purchase was an S&W Model 19 .357 Combat magnum. To the best of my memory, it was purchased sometime between 1965 and 1970. There weren't a lot of semi autos around then, Colt still made a lot of revolver models and most if not all LEOs still carried revolvers. It was stolen along with a Ruger mini 14 during a burglary of my home in the 1980s. I still miss that pistol.

My first handgun is my S&W M&P 9mm compact.

Man I love it.

My First Handgun Consideration (s) in 1967 Remain Valid Today

.357 Magnum Revolver. I own several.

Versitile, moderate size, hard-hitting, reliable, moderate cost.

The best one, in my opinion, is the Ruger GP100.

My first handgun was a Makarov 9X18 for $150. It was such a pleaser that I now own three of them. One of them will be my son's first handgun.

First bought hand gun

FN-P9 bought it used at Bills gun shop spring shooters show $300 3mags,blade tech holster dbl mag pouch and a rubber hand grip cover(can't recall the name) very minimal wear when I got it, its got at least 500rounds thru it now no miss feeds miss fires or other problems. To me an excelent weapon,as accurate as i can get it to be.

My 1st

Was a 38spl Colt Agent, 6 shot, with hammer shroud. Second was the Colt Trooper .357 combat sights and one heck of a balance beautiful firearm!

oldkim said:

The original P-230 was a knock off of the Walther PPK series (James Bond gun). Both have a tendency to "bite" or "slide bite" the holder.

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Merriam-Webster Online
Main Entry: knock·off
Pronunciation: \ˈnäk-ˌȯf\
Function: noun
Date: 1966
a copy that sells for less than the original; broadly : a copy or imitation of someone or something popular

Um, I respectfully disagree. Saying the P-230 is a knock off of the Walther PPK is like saying Springfield XD's (or any polymer handgun other than the Smith & Wesson Sigma which was a knock off of Glock and they were sued over it) are knock offs of Glocks.

Completely different take down process and way different safety system. If I recall they were also more expensive than Walthers. Hardly a knock off. They have a similar profile, kinda, and are both blowbacks, but that is where the similarity ends.