[newbie]

Hello All,

I am thinking about purchasing a hand gun, but I can't decide which one to buy. Most of you here are probaby a Glock bias, so asking you this will not help much..hehehe
This will be my first hand gun, I have been hunting small games for the past 5years, but never thought of getting a hand gun up until now. Here is what I have been looking at: The Glock 9mm- I am a little worried about the safety issues on this gun, this is part of my concern even though I heard a great deal about this gun and how great it is. The next one would be a Ruger P89 9mm, the guy at the store convince that I should get this Ruger, just because it has better safety feature then a Glock, especially for a first time owner.

appreciate any input..

thanks

 

[Spackler4013]

I'd buy a used Smith & Wesson revolver. Model 65 or 66. A nice first handgun.

 

[Shane1911]

Hi Newbie,

Welcome. Most of us here are actually 1911 fans, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend one for a first time owner.

A Glock 17 or 19 is not a bad first choice.

You keep mentioning safety issues - what issues do you refer to? All safety related issues are usually between the shooters' ears, not on the gun. Do you have firearms experience? Do you know about the rules of safe gun handling? I would suggest that you check your local range and see what they have to offer with regard to "newbie" courses, if you have little experience. You'll find out that no gun is any more safe or unsafe than any other, once you have the handling skills mastered.

 

[Duke]

Hi. Newbie

A Glock 17 or 19 is a good choice. All the Glock safeties are internal and controlled by the trigger. To make a Glock safe take you finger off the trigger. The Glock also sits lower in the hand and helps with perceived recoil and muzzle flip. The Glocks are also easier to learn to shoot well.

The Ruger is also a good gun, however, as the barrel is higher above your hand you get more muzzle flip. Also you have to learn two trigger pulls, long double action first shot and then a short single action second shot.

My advice is to seek out a range that rents pistols or friends that have the Glock and Ruger. That way you can shoot both and see which one you like.

Hope this helps.
Duke

 

[Pistolero]

Glock 17. Nothing against the Ruger or any DA/SA pistol &/or a manual safety but you will probably end up with a Glock sooner or later. Will probably be easier to learn Glocks "manual of arms" as your 1st pistol rather than swithching to one after having use of a manual safety ingrained into your psyche?

 

[Rob Longenecker]

"Dang Glocks are unsafe! If you pull the trigger, they go off!"

Keep your finger out of the trigger guard until you are ready to shoot.

When I bought my first Glock I was a little concerned that it didn't have some external lever to flip on and off. Then I realized this is not like a cocked pistol that you're carrying around. It doesn't fire until you deliberately pull the trigger. A good gun.

 

[shootingbuff]

Glocks are fine firearms.

I would suggest the 17 for a first. If you may later down the road decide to get your CCW then the 19 is a little more CCW friendly.

As has already been stated most incidents where a firearm goes bang is because a person hand to pull the trigger. Keep your finger out of the trigger guard and off the trigger until you are sure you want to shoot whatever it is you want to put a hole in. Period!

The only thing I can see the Ruger doing better than a Glock is a better hammer. All that wt an all....

Either pistol will give you good service. If possible take the advice of shooting both.

sb

 

[Mayonaise]

My first "real" hand gun was a G17. I have no regrets and still shoot it as my primary IDPA gun. The G19 is the best trade off as a dual purpose Glock in 9mm. Smaller than the G17 for easier concealment without losing too much barrell length. My primary carry gun is my G26.

You really should go to a range and shoot a variety of handguns. Find what works best for you and your needs. And I agree with an earlier post. A S&W revolver is an excellent choice for a first handgun.

 

[In2Deep]

Aloha Newbie,

Well, you got some good advice up there. The Glock is a fine first gun, and a fine combat weapon to boot. You can probably grow into this one. I dont have much time on a Ruger to give a intelligent response. Gun handling is paramount. A gun with a ton of mechanical safeties is still a unsafe gun in the hands of a moron. Train, train, train. Good luck.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: In2Deep on 2001-10-11 12:52 ]</font>

 

[GlockAdvocate]

Glock is a no brainer choice. You really can't go wrong with it. I own four of these as well as a great Colt series 80 1911 and a flawless browning HP. Out of the box you cannot beat a Glock. I've had to get my 1911 and my Hi-Power tuned to get the performance I get out of my Glocks. That's why I have four Glocks and only one each of the 1911 and Hi-Power. I won't even bother with Rugers except if you're buying a semi-auto .22 rifle (10/22). I just love Browning's design. Nothing beats the feel or performance of a good 1911 or a Hi-Power, but if you're looking for something easy to use, reliable, utilitarian, accurate, and tough out of the box; get a GLOCK!

 

[Sean Smith]

I'd also consider a CZ-75B. EXTREMELY good handguns and reasonably priced.

 

[SouthGun]

The thing I like about a Glock is its simplicity of operation. In an emergency, you don't have to worry if it is in double or single action mode nor if the safeties are on or off.

An ultra safe carry mode is to pull the trigger through ( unloaded ) and then to install the magazine. The trigger is 'dead', and there is nothing chambered. A pull and release on the slide and it is armed and ready, but still requires the light 5.5 lb and 1/2 inch trigger stroke for operation.



Regards

 

[MaximusGlockus]

A Glock 23 was my first handgun purchase and now I am hooked- I was taught that if you don't intend on shooting any gun keep your finger away from the trigger and that's the same way I treat my Glock. Glock's are great to learn to shoot on and I taught my wife to shoot with one using the same principle I was taught. There are a lot of great comments above... I hope you consider them and aren't discouraged from the Glock due to lack of a "manual" safety.

 

[Pennywhistle]

My recommendations would be either Glock 23 or S&W 66. The Glock 23 is my carry gun (lightweight but potent), Glock 22 is my car gun and Springfield TRP is my house gun. You won't go wrong with any of these. As far as safety is concerned, take Shane's advice. He hit the nail on the head.

 

[EddieGunnZ]

Hello ever body I'm new here but I would like to say that I have a Ruger P89 and GLOCKs 22 and 23. The Ruger was my first handgun bought way back when -- and I still love it today -- So I'll just say this, my Ruger does everything GOOD -- My GLOCKs do everything GREAT!

 

[EddieGunnZ]

On 2001-12-07 00:43, EddieGunnZ wrote:
Hello ever body I'm new here but I would like to say that I have a Ruger P89 and GLOCKs 22 and 23. The Ruger was my first handgun bought way back when -- and I still love it today -- So I'll just say this, my Ruger does everything GOOD -- My GLOCKs do everything GREAT!

 

[Chris Oslin]

Newbie:

First, as has been said before, most of us are fans of the 1911, but many find it to be a bit more complex a manual of arms. The truth is that very few 1911's perform right out of the box as reliably as any Glock will. There are more firms making 1911's now, that I have seen, that are breaking this trend.

The wheelguns recommended are fine, and they have their own attributes for and against. The Ruger pistols, however, as has been said earlier, sits higher in the hand than the Glock, therefore making it a little tougher to shoot well.

Also, the bottom of the trigger guard on a Ruger doesn't give a recess for the middle finger of the shooting hand like the Glock does; whereas it slopes from the frontstrap more. This hump under the trigger guard of a Ruger always makes them want to point higher for me. Just a thought to share.

Of all the guns I have ever had, I still trust my original Glock 17 the most. Old, beat up, ugly, and absolutely reliable. There is no Glock that I have that I don't trust, so find what fits your hand best and go with that.

Let us know what you do.

_________________
Chris/Oz - IDPA# AO9766 "Hell, when I was a kid I never knew he was famous, he was just my Dad!" - Bart Skelton

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Chris Oslin on 2001-12-08 01:36 ]</font>

 

[K.C.S.]

FWIW
My wife and son have enjoyed hunting with me for years (or so they tell me), but didn't care to shoot handguns. All that changed a couple of months ago when I bought a Glock 19.
Now I have to beg them to let me shoot it. My wife even entered her first IDPA match with it. A NIGHT SHOOT for crying out loud!
All the way home she chattered how fun it was even though it was TUFF!
Just my 2 cents.
See ya
K.C.