I need a good first pistol, any advice?

[gingerbredman00]

Me and my wife will be picking out our first pistols with income tax.
I don't like 9mm, I'v shot one and it jammed every third or fourth shot.
that gun and the horror storys i'v heard, I will not get one.
I have heard good things about a .40, I'm just not sure if it would be a little " too much gun" for me.
here is the one I have in mind
http://www.academy.com/index.php?pa...enterfire&start=8&selectedSKU=0357-03513-0440

my wife is.. well, a lady that don't want a big or akward gun.
so we where thinking of this one for her
http://www.academy.com/index.php?pa...s/landing&start=0&selectedSKU=0357-03387-7018

I heard ruger guns are great, and taurus has a lifetime warranty.

 

[BIG_MIKE2005]

The gun being a 9mm has nothing to do with what you experienced, sounds to me like you got ahold of a dirty gun, bad ammo or a crap gun. There is nothing wrong with a 9mm pistol.

I'd say look into a Springfield XD or Glock for a affordable & reliable polymer pistol in whatever caliber you decide on.

 

[gingerbredman00]

The gun being a 9mm has nothing to do with what you experienced, sounds to me like you got ahold of a dirty gun, bad ammo or a crap gun. There is nothing wrong with a 9mm pistol.

I'd say look into a Springfield XD or Glock for a affordable & reliable polymer pistol in whatever caliber you decide on.

it was a taurus of some kind, it was acting like I had remington ammo in a semi-auto .22.
It was supposed to be fun, but it was a big letdown.
by the way, I need a sig like yours.

 

[inactive]

Me and my wife will be picking out our first pistols with income tax.
I don't like 9mm, I'v shot one and it jammed every third or fourth shot.
that gun and the horror storys i'v heard, I will not get one.
I have heard good things about a .40, I'm just not sure if it would be a little " too much gun" for me.
here is the one I have in mind
http://www.academy.com/index.php?pa...enterfire&start=8&selectedSKU=0357-03513-0440

my wife is.. well, a lady that don't want a big or akward gun.
so we where thinking of this one for her
http://www.academy.com/index.php?pa...s/landing&start=0&selectedSKU=0357-03387-7018

I heard ruger guns are great, and taurus has a lifetime warranty.

That Ruger will "feel" bigger and more awkward when shot than that Taurus. The smaller guns have less mass to absorb the recoil, and they look cute but can be quite unpleasant to shoot. It also only allows two fingers on the grip rather than three. I fear your wife will be very displeased with an LCP if she didn't know what she was getting into.

I think you need to go rent and shoot some guns before you purchase. Try Medlock's in Collinsville; they have a range and rent a large variety of guns.

As mentioned before, nothing wrong with a 9mm. Any rimless semi-auto handgun ammunition (basically anything but .32 ACP) as reliable as the other, with a given bullet type.

That Taurus would be fine, but don't give too much credit to the lifetime warranty. You still have to ship the gun off, and the turn-around times are rather long. But in general they are serviceable weapons.

I think a good, medium-sized handgun would be good for both of you to buy and try, together. A Glock 19 (9mm) or 23 (.40), Springfield XD, Smith and Wesson M&P (or Sigma even). A Sig P226, or 229, or 239... or a Beretta 92 (9mm) or 96 (.40) or PX4, CZ-75. Browning Hi Power (an Argentine or Israeli-licensed production is fine), Ruger P-Series. I think these are all fairly good pistols that serve not only the beginner, but also are well worthy for the most experienced shooters.

The Glock and XD and M&P would be the easiest to field strip and clean of the lot. They take all of 5 seconds to disassemble for cleaning.


For the record, I own an XD and an LCP. My father owns a Taurus Millennium. I have also owned a Glock. All shoot just fine for me.

 

[BIG_MIKE2005]

Yea, if you havent shot any recent firearms I'd suggest goin out to a place like MEdlocks & renting a couple. You & your wife both go out & hold several different styles & calibers, then make a educated decision. Thats about where I'm at in looking around. I have gone to a few places & am getting ready to take my wife to let her see what she likes best.

Personally I love the Springfield XD's. I have held several different ones but I keep falling back to a XD. I was looking at the .40 after shooting my wifes cousins gun but now I'm leaning toward the 9mm. Its got great capacity & cheaper on ammo when shooting alot. Along with being just as reliable as its larger caliber options.

 

[MISph1t]

I have the Taurus 24/7 in 9mm. It's kind of a bigger version of the one you are looking at and I have had zero problems with it. I'm pushing about 1600 rounds now and it has never failed to go bang when I pulled the trigger.

That being said, most people on here will tell you to get anything but a Taurus.

If you want info on the Taurus a good place to start is: Taurus Armed

 

[gingerbredman00]

it was her uncle's taurus,and just like two weeks ago that this happened.
but she just reminded me that that's the same gun he had before, and it fired with no issues.
maybe it was bad ammo or dirty.. I have no clue.
She really wants a gun just like his, we might both get the taurus posted above.
it's nice to hold, and easy to shoot.

 

[inactive]

it was her uncle's taurus,and just like two weeks ago that this happened.
but she just reminded me that that's the same gun he had before, and it fired with no issues.
maybe it was bad ammo or dirty.. I have no clue.
She really wants a gun just like his, we might both get the taurus posted above.
it's nice to hold, and easy to shoot.

Your jams may be caused by "limp wristing" especially if it had no problems when used by a more seasoned shooter.

Basically, it means you are not holding the gun firmly enough, and when fired the slide is not cycling properly, causing a jam. Some guns are more prone to it than others, but it is operator error rather than an issue with the pistol.

 

[gingerbredman00]

Your jams may be caused by "limp wristing" especially if it had no problems when used by a more seasoned shooter.

Basically, it means you are not holding the gun firmly enough, and when fired the slide is not cycling properly, causing a jam. Some guns are more prone to it than others, but it is operator error rather than an issue with the pistol.

It happened to both of us last time we shot it.
but the first time we shot it we both went through two clips.
one slow, and one "gangster style" fast, with no issues.
we are looking to stay under 400 per person, that way I can still get my other toy. and the few car parts I want.

 

[inactive]

we are looking to stay under 400 per person, that way I can still get my other toy. and the few car parts I want.

I am not sure if you get into the "Black Friday" deals, but Academy will have a nice looking Taurus 9mm for $289

http://www.academy.com/index.php?page=catalog&target=weeklyad&pgNum=13