Some beginner questions

[medsteele]

First off, I've been reading the site for months and months. It is an excellent source of information and most posters are quite knowledgeable. I have learned a lot just by reading.

I'm looking to get better with pistols. I already have a .22 and .270 rifle that I'm proficient with, and am looking to improve my handgun skills. I am definitely a novice, and do not overestimate my ability whatsoever.

I already own a Gen 4 G17, a purchase made after much deliberation and research (a lot of it being here). I have a few hundred rounds through it already. At the moment, I have about a case of 9mm. I'm starting to wish I had bought more sooner, because locally all I can find is PPU 115g and that runs $15.44/50 after tax.

I plan to start shooting more seriously starting this weekend, and hope to make it a weekly endeavor. My question is this: I have about $600 extra at the moment to spend on this hobby. Should I buy another G17 or use that money for ammo? I know many here keep two of the same gun, in case one fails catastrophically and needs repair, but is that something I should concern myself with? If not, should I just get two more cases of ammo and capitalize on bulk pricing online?

My birthday is in March, so if I wait until then, another pistol purchase would pass by the wife fairly easy.

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.

[Up1911Fan]

In order I would say Training, more ammo, a spare G17, more training and more ammo.

[JAD]

Training. You have some great resources in PA. six bills ought to cover a weekend.

[S Jenks]

I'd personally wait on the second pistol for now. My list of priorities:

1) If you don't already have one, get a quality OWB strong-side holster. You can can also get a rigid IWB, such as a Comp-Tac CTAC. It depends on if you want to carry in this manner. Just know that holsters are largely a personal preference so what works for some might not work for others. I would avoid AIWB until you had gain a bit of experience.

Purchase a few extra mags and a pair of single mag pouches.

2) Training! Find an appropriately geared course in your area. I am lucky that I live within an hour of the Sig Academy and frequent the matches and courses offered there. Search the internets for entry-level courses in your area. Don't make the mistake a friend of mine did and go straight into a night-fire training class, it was a bit too much for his experience level. Crawl, walk, run.

3) While you're waiting for your class, take your pistol to the range and get to know it. Put a number of rounds through it and see that it's reliable. Buy some quality hollow points and run those through the gun. Don't worry about finding the perfect carry round, shot placement means so much more than minute differences in expansion.

4) After you undergo professional training, continue to practice the techniques that you learned, both on the range and at home with dry fire. Remember, expert shooting is only the perfection of the fundamentals.

5) As you gain experience, look into a set of good sights. Only after your shooting skills progress should you worry about lasers, trigger springs, additional holsters, etc. Keep it basic for now so you can make informed decisions based on your wants/needs, not what you read in a gun rag.

Remember the cardinal rules of firearms safety and have fun!

[F-Trooper05]

Don't forget a quality shot timer. If you don't own one, your training sessions can't be too "serious" IMO.

[jon volk]

Agreed. A shot timer gives you hard numbers to track improvements.

[JonInWA]

S Jenks covered the waterfront nicely. Glocks are tough and durable-spend the money on achieving proficiency with it; at this point, you'll get a far better return on investment on monies spent on developing proficiency/ "software" skills as opposed to getting redundant "hardware" (i.e., a second G17).

Best, Jon