first pistol buy

[Bradley]

I'm looking into buying my first pistol, but I'm having a very hard time deciding what I want. I've shot several Glocks and love the way they feel. I've also handled several 1911's and love the way the shoot too. I also can't decide whether I want the S&W M&P .40 to match my AR. This pistol will mainly be used for range fun and a sidearm while I hunt. The three calibers I'm looking at are .9, .40, or .45. What pistol do you guys like the best and feel shoots the best? I guess I'm mainly just wanting to know what pistol you guys like best. All opinions are greatly appreciated and y'all might decide my first pistol buy.

[TxMedic]

I'm a huge fan of 1911's...easy to maintain, perform flawlessly, fun to shoot! I like .45, always have.

[dc1211]

Just bought my 1st pistol a month ago, did a lot of research and talked to different people and ended up going with the fnx 45.

I am very happy

[imsowright]

Well, I love my Glock 23 .40 cal. It's been great. My wife has a .40 cal Barretta PX4. She loves it too. I like the .40 cal. In my opinion it is the perfect cal for stopping power and distance. Just my opinion.

[Seacoal]

A 1911 is always a good choice IMO, and depending on who's you buy, they are cheaper off the shelf than glocks. But that being said, it depends on what you feel you shoot the best.

You can't go wrong with a .45. And it's hard to go wrong with the others

[Mike D]

If you like Glocks, start out with a Glock 17.

The M&P 9 is a nice choice too.

Of course then there's the 1911. But I always recommend new gun owners shy away from 1911s for their first pistol as they require more finesse and maintenance. Plus it's easy to buy one and spend a lot of money on it and find out that its not so great.

[Bradley]

Well, I love my Glock 23 .40 cal. It's been great. My wife has a .40 cal Barretta PX4. She loves it too. I like the .40 cal. In my opinion it is the perfect cal for stopping power and distance. Just my opinion.

My mom has that same pistol and she loves it. I also forgot to add that I am looking for something full size.

[whysixb]

My first was a Glock 23. I've never had a problem with it. .40 cal rounds are a little easier for me to find too. 9mm seems to sell out pretty quick, same with .45.

[Texashunt9]

IMO go with the Glock 19 for a starter. Great shooter, won't fail, and easy to maintain. 9mm isn't to bad on the wallet either.

The 1911 is a really fun gun to shoot though! Goodluck on your choice!

[Bradley]

Narrowed it down a little to .40 and .45. keep em coming guys.

[tvc184]

If you like the way a Glock feels already, go with it. You might get a strong argument from M&P owners (like me) but the Glock is probably the best out of the box combat pistol made today.

No it doesn't have the crisp trigger break of a tuned 1911 but you can probably shoot it for a couple of years without cleaning it and it will go bang. No need to get muscle memory of the manual safety, it has a much higher capacity, eats practically anything, etc.

[dexterkro63]

i have the Glock 17 9mm. I love it. is smooth and very accurate. I also have the Glock 27 40 cal. I mostly carry for my concealed. That is a good gun but the rounds are a little hot for that small of a gun.

[Texashunt9]

Well in that case.. Go with any 1911, a Glock 21, Springfield XDM fullsize 45, S&W full size M&P 45, or and FNX 45 tactical. And did I mention a 1911

[BigTex.308]

If you like Glocks, start out with a Glock 17.

The M&P 9 is a nice choice too.

Of course then there's the 1911. But I always recommend new gun owners shy away from 1911s for their first pistol as they require more finesse and maintenance. Plus it's easy to buy one and spend a lot of money on it and find out that its not so great.

Sound advice right there.


It's easy to overspend on a crappy 1911.

For your first I'd go with a Glock 17 or 19 or an M&P 9.


stick with the 9mm for your first one. Ammo is cheap and plentiful.


When you move on to a 1911, that's when you get the. 45.


I'd recommend staying away from a .40. That round is pretty useless in my opinion. There's lots of folks that love it but I'm not sure why. I guess if you like paying more for ammo, more recoil, a gun that's hatder to shoot, less magazine capacity, and all for nearly identical ballistic performance, then I guess it makes sense.


For me I'll stick with my 9mm and laugh at the guys with the 40s




Ike

[Bradley]

The Glock I shot was my uncles Glock 17. He had done some trigger work on it and I really liked it.. With all the Glock comments that might be what I get. From what you guys have said I'm going to rule out the 1911 for a while, but I will get one once I become more pistol "savvy." Still unsure between the Glock and M&P. Haven't heard much about the M&P, so I'm definitely leaning toward a Glock 17 right now.