First Pistol

[noname2020x]

I'm looking to buy a pistol, and I cannot decide what to get. I have quite a tight budget of $400. I have a good amount of rifle experience and some pistol experience, so the main reason I want to buy this guy is to practice. That said, I don't want some tiny .22. I want to feel the gun firing and learn to control it. In addition, house protection wouldn't hurt.

Summary:

Budget: $400

Concerns: Accuracy, Reliability, Good starter pistol.

Guns I'm considering: M9, Glock 17, 1911

(I'm going to be burning rounds, so I am not too interested in higher caliber bullets as they cost a lot.)

[jetfire]

Either the Beretta or the Glock 17 would do just fine. Stay away from 1911s in 9mm, or 1911s that cost $400.

[noname2020x]

Thoughts on this:

http://www.gunsamerica.com/951284434/Guns/Pistols/Glock-Pistols/17/Glock_9mm_model_17_VG_18_Shot_1_Magazine_Tampa_PD_ 1996_with_Factory_Night_Sight.htm

[jetfire]

Looks like a Gen 2 Glock 17 that's a PD trade-in? Without being able to actually see it, it's probably fine. But my advice is worth exactly what you're paying for it.

[F-Trooper05]

Thoughts on this:

http://www.gunsamerica.com/951284434/Guns/Pistols/Glock-Pistols/17/Glock_9mm_model_17_VG_18_Shot_1_Magazine_Tampa_PD_ 1996_with_Factory_Night_Sight.htm

I would buy that in a heart beat.

[Johnkard]

Glock 17.

Sig Pro 2022 (an extremely good weapon for the money by all accounts)

cz75 BD


DO NOT BUY A 1911 FOR UNDER 400$!

[WDW]

Go to a local gun store and pick up a used Beretta 92 or Glock 17/19. I know you are new to this, & you will be greatly tempted to go out & buy one of the myriad of$400 1911's, but for goodness sake do not!!!!!! Those cheap ass piece of shit guns are made in Turkey & the Phillipines out of old bumpers and broken lamps and absolutely will fail on you sooner than later. Do not buy a Sigma, Hi-Point, Bersa, Charter Arms, Taurus, Llama, Armscor, Metro Arms, Umarex, Springfield XD, or Ruger.

[jmjames]

I bought a $400 used 1911. My idea was to buy it cheap, then toss in all of the upscale aftermarket goodies... "get a $2,000 1911 for $800 total!" was my thinking. WRONG. As my momma taught me, "you can't polish a turd". $400 worth of parts and $200 worth of ammo troubleshooting it, I realized that I could have just had any number of good non-1911 .45's on the market, or been quite a ways to saving for a top notch 1911...

J.Ja

[SGT_Calle]

CZ75 variant, used?
Supposed to be great. I don't have one.... yet.

[jmjames]

CZ75 variant, used?
Supposed to be great. I don't have one.... yet.

I wouldn't use a CZ75 or variant as a carry or home defense gun (many question the reliability, and the personal protection ergonomics, namely the safety/decocker location and slide height making the slide tough to manipulate), though they make excellent range guns IMHO.

J.Ja

[SGT_Calle]

I wouldn't use a CZ75 or variant as a carry or home defense gun (many question the reliability, and the personal protection ergonomics, namely the safety/decocker location and slide height making the slide tough to manipulate), though they make excellent range guns IMHO.

J.Ja

Thanks for he info, I hadn't heard that.
I've looked at getting on solely as a range gun and possibly competition, since I'm a fairly new shooter without a 9mm.

[jmjames]

Thanks for he info, I hadn't heard that.
I've looked at getting on solely as a range gun and possibly competition, since I'm a fairly new shooter without a 9mm.

If you are really in love with the full metal frame (and I admit there's a lot to like about it for a range gun), the Beretta's may be a better choice for you. I know you're saying that you don't want anything more than a range gun now, but it's funny how needs change once you've bought it. :D My first pistol was "just a range gun" then I realized I wanted to carry too and it just wasn't a good choice for that.

J.Ja

[cmoore]

As my momma taught me, "you can't polish a turd".

Nothing will make a man so willing to polish a turd as buying one.

[Failure2Stop]

Nothing will make a man so willing to polish a turd as buying one.Sig line right there.

[LittleLebowski]

Nothing will make a man so willing to polish a turd as buying one.

Beautiful and painfully true.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[Tamara]

Stay away from 1911s in 9mm, or 1911s that cost $400.

This.

Just find an ugly old 9mm G17 police trade-in and be done with it.

[jmjames]

Nothing will make a man so willing to polish a turd as buying one.

I should have learned my lesson when I bought that '81 Monte Carlo... or the '87 Monte Carlo SS where no one knew if it was 178k miles or 278k miles... I must admit, I am a real sucker for a "project" and a cheap 1911 played right into that, much to my wallet's chagrin. That 1911 is currently sitting on a consignment shelf with a tag saying "$578", which is a heck of a beating to be taking on it all said and done...

J.Ja

[Mike R]

Thoughts on this:

http://www.gunsamerica.com/951284434/Guns/Pistols/Glock-Pistols/17/Glock_9mm_model_17_VG_18_Shot_1_Magazine_Tampa_PD_ 1996_with_Factory_Night_Sight.htm

Not trying to thread jack but I purchased one of those Tampa PD trade ins from that vendor- I will let you know how it looks in person when I get it in. Replacing parts if it needs some work is stupid simple on the Glocks. While it is not my first pistol it will be the first polymer pistol I own, and my first 9mm.

Also +1 on choosing something that can serve double duty- my first pistol was a Kimber Custom 2 in 45 ACP. Fun gun but I wouldn't trust it for carry, and thats after trying to work out all of the bugs and thousands of rounds. I have since relegated it to game gun duty. The G17 will make a great range gun, but will be good for high round count classes too and light enough for carry. At least thats my way of looking at it.