What should my first firearm be?

[JRRIII]

If you want a handgun I say, Glock 19 (9mm)

 

[luckysaturn13]

First you need to decide.. are you wanting to get a pistol... personal/home defense or target shooting. Or Rifle Hunting/ end of world prepping or defense/ or target shooting. or possibly a shotgun again hunting/defense or target shooting. Some can be used as a multi role type. If you want to go pistol for target shooting you might look at a .22 ammo and 9 mil is lower cost than say a 40 or 45. You might look at a larger size pistol for ease of accuracy say a 1911 style over a compact. I don't believe the hype that 9 mil is more accurate than 45s. And if its a self defense situation your most likely going to be within 6-10 ft of the threat anyways. I have shot 1911s chambered in 45 that are more accurate than most 9 mils but If you want to conceal and carry you will want a smaller pistol that's easier to hide. Smaller pistols still come in many different chamber sizes. you don't have to have a big round to take someone down. there's a lot of hype about this but 2 shots from a 9 mil in the chest will hurt just as bad as anything else. Its mostly preference but if your going to do a lot of target shooting as well as carry the 9 mil might be easier on the wallet. If you want to go rifle you can get an ar then for a few hundred more you can get a mag and bolt that will allow you to target practice with .22 so save on the wallet. Ars are great for light hunting but if want to chase larger game such as elk and stuff you will want to look at a traditional style hunting rifle most likely with a very nice scope. keep in mind hunting calibers can get very expensive to shoot. a box of target ammo for the ar is about $6 a box of 20 for 7 mil deer rifle is about $38 a box of 20. If you go shot gun for home defense you will want to look at a shorter length one so you can move around the house easier and probably a pump. Probably a mossy 500. you can get some cool stuff for them but if you want to do meat shoots or duck hunting you will want one with a longer barrel. I highly recommend that you find a range that allows pistol rentals and try 4-7 different ones out. Most ranges charge 10-20 for the pistol rental and you have to buy there ammo. Id try out a full size first and get the hang of it then a semi compact then a compact. Also check out a revolver. There nice for self defence because if a round missfires you just repull the trigger. Id recommend trying a few different brands out such as sig saur, glock, s&w, Taurus. I personally perfer sig and taurus. I like the actions on them but everyone is different. You will find that some will fit and be comfortable for you where you will hate others. The great thing about fire arms if you don't get your head ripped off when buying them you can normally recoup your money out of them. Fair warning they are like cigars you will have 4 or 5 before you know it. Hope this helps some. Happy shooting!

 

[K Williams]

Mine will be a Glock 21...as soon as I get around to starting the application process.

 

[ChuckMejia]

Springfield XDM

 

[javelin377]

Glock

 

[johnnyflake]

Start with something like this:

30mm Chain Gun

 

[BrewinHooligan]

Firearms and especially handguns are very dependent on their operators. What works for me may not work for you, the suggestions of trying a bunch of different models and calibers are the best suggestions in this thread IMO. I have shot everything that has been suggested in this thread with the exception of the M&P. I have owned Glocks, S&W revolvers (really regret trading away my 686 .357mag), and several other semi-auto pistols. I understand the love Glock owners have for their pistols, they are accurate and durable and relatively inexpensive. For me, they are clunky and I don't like how it fits in my hand and have yet to find a striker fired pistol with a trigger that feels really good to me, but the XD is very nice. I recently replaced my home defense pistol because I also wanted something that could easily be concealed, I wanted a hammer fired pistol, and I wanted it to have a manual safety as I have children in my home. I did hours and hours of research and the EAA Witness (CZ clone) kept popping up in reviews based on my criteria. I picked up the full sized version in .40S&W with a 4.5" barrel and despite it's size it is pretty slim and conceals very well with shirts that are just a little baggy. I have only had it out to the range once and put a few hundred various types of rounds through it and am extremely please with it, especially for a brand new pistol that was only $400 out the door. The trigger is very smooth and doesn't have a mile of travel when cocked and has a crisp reset.

Just try a lot of different models that have the features that are important to you before you buy so you aren't trying to sell or trade for something different if you aren't a fan of what you originally purchase.