[doindumbsht]

I am not new to shooting handguns, however, I have come to the good ol ripe age of 21 and am of legal age to purchase now.. I have my gun choices narrowed down to three but I am very indecicive. I plan on using as an all purpose weapon. Carrying OCASSIONALLY, primarilly when i go into philly or ruff parts of town, but other than that it will stay in the house. Im interested in the
Glock 30 due to its small size and reputation.
Ruger P 90 based on my owning a ruger rifle and finding them a solid company.
Smith and Wesson Sigma .40 due to the sale they have at Cabelas where I can get one for just over 300 out the door.

I dont have a fixed price range, however Id ideally like to keep it under 600...due to me being in college and all.

Feel free to throw in your 2 cents, just tell me why u feel such a way.

Thanks and safe shooting

 

[Gil Martin]

Welcome to the Forum

It depends what you prefer, can handle well and afford. I would check the used gun counter to see what is available. Hope this helps. All the best...
Gil

 

[duane]

pick something with cheap ammo so that you can shoot it more and not just look at it. too many times i have seen 21 year olds buy a 44 mag only to trade it in after about 6 months for about half the money to buy a 22

 

[au2183]

I agree with duane...everyone's first gun, handgun or rifle, should be a 22. It's cheap and easy to shoot, with no recoil. It will help you develop the basic gun handling skills that you will apply to every other gun you buy thereafter. Ammo is cheap, and you will shoot it a lot as a result, which is as it should be. Don't be afraid to spend the money to buy a good one either. It should be a gun you will enjoy, that fits your hand like a glove, and that you will be proud to hand down to your kids or grandkids. A good 22 will get shot more than all the other guns you will ever buy combined, and that should weigh heavily on your decision about what to buy.
Good luck, and don't forget to come back and post a picture of your new gun!

 

[Combat Diver]

Between two .45 and one .40. Two striker fired and one DA/SA. Which feels best in your hands? (some say the Glock feels like a 2x4 and other rave about the Sigma), so see how they feel. Which type of action are you familiar with?

Glock 30-
Pros- very realibile, good after market accessories and good selection of holsters, can take larger G21 mags for increased round capacity. Compact frame
Cons-Not good for inside waistband carry without a holster (you need to cover the trigger guard)
Ruger P90-
Pros-realiable single stack
Cons-Bulky, large frame and heavy, not many after market parts
Sigma .40
Pros- realible guns, large mag capacity, rebate going on right now for $50 back or two free mags
Cons-Some do not like the heavy DA revovler type trigger, non standard rail

CD

 

[MikeG]

The Ruger is a great gun, but too heavy and bulky to carry much.

Start with a .22 .... good luck to you.

 

[Rangeguy]

Buying a gun is not like proposing marriage to your girlfriend....!!!it is not a committment you may have to honor for the rest of for life......Look, just buy the gun you sense you will enjoy shooting for whatever purpose you intend for it's use. It really doesn't matter what you buy now, because, if you enjoy shooting you, in all likelihood, will probably buy another make, model or style of gun in the future.

 

[starnesbk]

I am not new to shooting handguns, however, I have come to the good ol ripe age of 21 and am of legal age to purchase now.. I have my gun choices narrowed down to three but I aer very indecicive. I plan on using as an all purpose weapon. Carrying OCASSIONALLY, primarilly when i go into philly or ruff parts of town, but other than that it will stay in the house. Im interested in the
Glock 30 due to its small size and reputation.
Ruger P 90 based on my owning a ruger rifle and finding them a solid company.
Smith and Wesson Sigma .40 due to the sale they have at Cabelas where I can get one for just over 300 out the door.

I dont have a fixed price range, however Id ideally like to keep it under 600...due to me being in college and all.

Feel free to throw in your 2 cents, just tell me why u feel such a way.

Thanks and safe shooting

your leaning tourge auto i can tell so my opinion ruger p89 9mm never jammmed or missfired for me or if u want p90 45 ca either u cant go wrong my opinion rugers as good as any glock,sig,smith who ever but 200 cheaper

 

[mattsbox99]

I don't own a Glock or Ruger centerfire auto, but I do have a Sigma. Its a good gun, but I just got a M&P .40 that I like a lot. Its very accurate and has a great trigger. My sigma 9mm has never jammed or had any problems whatsoever. My M&P has had some light strikes with my handloads, but I think that is a problem I can easily fix.

 

[45_70Sharps]

If you don't shoot a lot, keep a wheel gun in mind.
With any semi auto you should shoot enough to be able to clear jams, work safety and so on without thinking about it.
A wheel gun is a simple matter of aim and shoot. If for some reason it doesn't go off, you simply shoot again. Not near the number of procedures to master to assure that you will not have a problem under stress.
Before anyone says it I'm not against 1911's and the like, but if a gun is going to be used to defend your life you need to be able to do any function of it without having to think about it. If you don't shoot a lot a wheel gun is simple and can be mastered much faster.

 

[fcfirearms]

none of these

I am not new to shooting handguns, however, I have come to the good ol ripe age of 21 and am of legal age to purchase now.. I have my gun choices narrowed down to three but I am very indecicive. I plan on using as an all purpose weapon. Carrying OCASSIONALLY, primarilly when i go into philly or ruff parts of town, but other than that it will stay in the house. Im interested in the
Glock 30 due to its small size and reputation.
Ruger P 90 based on my owning a ruger rifle and finding them a solid company.
Smith and Wesson Sigma .40 due to the sale they have at Cabelas where I can get one for just over 300 out the door.

I dont have a fixed price range, however Id ideally like to keep it under 600...due to me being in college and all.

Feel free to throw in your 2 cents, just tell me why u feel such a way.

Thanks and safe shooting

The first inclination of a first handgun buyer is to buy an auo-stuffer. Sooner or later ALL semi-autos will jam for any number of reasons, even a $1200 Kimber. Just ask me. For carry your best bet for ultimate reliabilily, power, and cost of practice is a compact snubbie revolver in .357magnum. They are as accurate or better than your chosen autos and I've never seen one jam. A clean used one and some new are well within your budget. You can practice with inexpensive 38 special remanufactred ammo. S&W and Taurus make nice pieces but the Ruger SP101 is built like a tank. I carry a Smith with full power 158gr hollowpoints for defense but practice with low powered remanufactured 38spl wadcutters.

 

[Marshal Kane]

Agree with all the suggestions for a wheel gun as a first handgun. Would not recommend a "snubbie" as it has a short sight radius and more felt recoil than a larger frame revolver. My first handgun choice would be something like a S&W K frame with a 4" barrel. Enough sight radius for accurate shooting and compact enough for concealed carry. The .357 magnum chambering is a good choice as it will also chamber the milder .38 S&W Special cartridges especially wadcutters. Need to keep the chambers clean to avoid a lead buildup from firing Specials. Also, for new shooters, don't forget adjustable sights. Fixed sights and "Kentucky windage" are better for experienced shooters. Just my dos centavos, YMMV.

 

[T-Bone]

I gotta jump in the bandwagon. A Ruger SP-101 in .357 is an excellent choice. If you get the snubbie, just count on shooting .38 specials since you won't get much power advantage from .357 in so short a barrel.

The Ruger is very strong, well made, very reliable. I just did the Wolf spring replacement and it shoots like a dream now. (super easy mod too)