[quote]pushharder wrote:
I’m biased towards the .45’s, mainly because I own and shoot a Colt Commander. John Browning was The Man.
situation.[/quote]
Brings back memories. I used to also own and shoot a Colt Commander before the gun laws here in the UK got stupid.
I really like 45’s
Having said that, my favorite weapon of all time has to be the H&K MP5A2 but that’s another story and definitely not in handgun territory!
[quote]tom63 wrote:
Unless you’re an experienced shooter, buy a Browning or Ruger 22 semiauto. you need a lot of range practice, 22s are cheap to shoot and you need a lot of practice.
I’ve never seen someone shoot a pistol well without help and practice. It’s a huge mistake to get a 45, 40 9mm, or 357 right away.
I’ve seen a lot of people shoot, and few do it well unless someone has taught them.
[/quote]
I agree with this advice.
My advice, for someone learning to shoot, is to get a revolver. Is you are using it at the range and for home defense get a S&W in .357cal. You can shoot .38 wadcutters in it to practice and get the basics down. You can load it with .357 or .38cal+P rounds to defend your home. You can get a used one for $300 or less. Used revolvers are usually a bargain. Just make sure it isn’t rusty and the action is smooth.
I carried a SW 5906 for many years. I switched to a Glock 19. Absolutely love it. Glocks are reliable, easy to clean and easy to work on if you like to do so. All pistol rounds are low powered. A .45 offers a slight advantage over the 9mm but not much. Shot placement and bullet selection are much more important with a pistol. If you are limited to only hardball then the .45 would be better but if you are shooting Cor-Bon DPX or something similar the difference is minimal.
Don’t buy an autoloader until you have some skills and are comfortable shooting then take a class and learn how to use it.
Old gunfighter saying. If you know you are going to get into a gunfight…bring a rifle.
[quote]Loose Tool wrote:
Spend some time reading other sites that specialize in shooting sports. Like here, I suggest you read more than you post.
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Well, understandably my question was both open ended, lacked information about my shooting experience, and should have been worded in a more direct and specific fashion.
Honestly, though, I have experience with long guns (though have only shot a few handguns in my life). I live in an area where fellow gun enthusiasts live long and far between, and so have been posting on different forums (though with more specificity) asking advice about 9mm in particular.
I have done research, both on hundreds of gun’s technical specs, as well as some peoples reviews of them, so this is not my real concern with the post.
The idea had been to see what all of you own/carry/suggest in terms of handguns. I have found (with suggestions for off topic questions) in the past, T-Nation readers tended to be more helpful and expressive than some other forumites.
I respect T-Nation, being one of my favorite sights, and have found that all of your comments and suggestions have helped me greatly in the quest for handgun ownership.
For instance, one post had me go back and take a closer look at the Ruger p95, which I had kind of skipped over, looking towards handguns I though I could afford and that I was more familiar with. Looking at prices for USED p95s, as well as looking more closely at the reviews and specs, I have now already contacted a local dealer, and am thinking about the purchase of the very gun I had given barely a second thought to.
This, it seems, is the power of diversity in searching. While many of the guys on the gun forum suggested the standard Glock 17 (which is, in my opinion, a fun, reliable gun), as well as a myriad of S&W and Beretta’s that were far out of my price range, the people here on t-magnum suggested a range of weapons, and seemed less opinionated than any gun forum I have visited.
So, thank you all for your help, and sorry if my question felt too open-ended or vague.
Given that you want to use the gun primarily for range shooting and you have little cash or experience, I would urge you find a reputable gun shop/range that sells used guns and buy a nice quality used 9mm. They tend to be reliable and you can buy the ammo in bulk for a decent price.
My buddy has a Glock and it has served him well. I like my .40, but the ammo is a bit steep compared to the 9mm. While a .45 or a Super .38 are fun to shoot, a lot of competitive shooters have RSD issues due to the recoil. Big guns have a lot more knockdown power, but they also have significantly more recoil, which presents flinching and accuracy issues. Poor accuracy negates any knockdown power that your gun may have. Start small and work your way up.
With regards to practice and learning to shoot, find an IPSC group in your area. Show up with an open mind and a willingness to learn and you will become a proficient shooter a lot quicker than you would shooting at silohuettes hanging from a clip at 25 yards. It is a lot of fun too. There are probably going to be nominal membership fees and you will have to get some extra clips and a holster, but then again, good instruction will expedite your learning, so it will be money well spent. I note that IPSC requires a minimum caliber of 9 mm. www.ipsc.org
As others have mentioned, if you want a firearm for home defense, take a long hard look at the Mossberg Defender (?) 12 gauge. A shotgun with 00 buck in an enclosed area is almost an unfair fight. But then again, I would want it that way. 
To follow up on what Vanderlaan wrote:
Shooting IPSC or IDPA matches are a lot of fun and great training to hone your skills. Most of the guys I shoot with are more then willing to help a new shooter get started and you figure out what your weaknesses are fairly quickly.
I found my Kahr K9 to be more controllable and easier to carry than a 1911. The K9 handles Cor Bon +p hollow points with no problem. If you were legally limited to using ball ammo I would probably go with the .45 though.
9mm is a good round, the Germans killed a lot of allied soldiers with it in ww2. They weren’t using modern +p hollow point ammo either.
In a home defense situation 9mm won’t over penetrate like some of the magnum rounds. Over penetration is something to consider if you have family or neighbors.
any Glock, I wasn’t a glock fan for along time but have been convinced. they take a beating, and are reasonably priced.
If you had more money I would say go with a SIG, but they are double (at least) what you’ll pay for a glock.
Ok, so as someone said above, pistols are extremely personal. I’m extremely partial to the 1911. I just love it. Tried and true, and it feels really good to me.
My personal recommendation is that you get a new Taurus 1911. I just ran into one of these about a day ago (I haven’t kept up on the firearms for quite a while now). SEXY. Feels great to my hand, has a lot of the gunsmithing that you’ll end up paying extra for already done from the factory, for next to nothing. Trigger pull feels nice and smooth.
custom features: ambidextrous safety, skeletonized trigger, target hammer, serrated slide, checkered trigger guard, mainspring housing and front strap, genuine Heinie ‘Straight Eight’ 2-dot sights, a polished feed ramp, *lowered and flared ejection port, custom internal extractor.
The one I saw was new for 595.00. It’s a lot more than you wanted to spend, but you’d never get all the accessory work done + a stock 1911 for that total. It’d be hundreds of dollars more.
Bottom line for me is to get something you like and are comfortable with. If you can’t find anything like that in your price range, either spend what you need to or wait until you have the money.
Nice reveiw Aragorn. I’ll pass the Tuarus suggestion along to my brother if he starts looking for another 1911.
I’m partial to Colts myself. I have two MK IV’s, a M1991A1 and a Defender 90 serve as my carry pieces. Just bought a custom Kimber 1911 which is smooth as silk, but it cost me a fair bit.
FYI: Talk to some fairly new model Taurus owners before you buy. Taurus had some serious reliability issues in the past, but they may have resolved them over the past 4 years or so.
As for the OP, I have no real advice to contribute. I just really wanted to post that I am, like several other T-Men, biased towards .45ACP. Also, my Springfield XD .45ACP is reliable, has a high capacity, handles well, and has the ability to purify the earth of evil with it’s 230 grain gold saber dealers of justice. Did I mention that it also cures cancer?
[quote]pushharder wrote:
taylorsj wrote:
…230 grain gold saber dealers of justice…
What I load up my Commander with.
On another note, getting ready to have a custom built Para Ordnance built. I have the pre-ban double stack mag frame and three mags to go with it. Bought it many years ago right before Slick Willie and Co. banned 'em. This is going to be fun.
Wanna help me design her?
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Sounds like a new thread just waiting to happen.
[quote]Bujo wrote:
…custom Kimber 1911 which is smooth as silk, but it cost me a fair bit.
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That gun gets me halfway :P. Seriously though, I got to check that gun out at the same time I saw the Taurus for the first time–everything and then some is my conclusion. But that pricetag…gold and everything.
[quote]Mister T. wrote:
If it’s a home defense weapon, don’t get a handgun at all. Get a shotgun.[/quote]
Why do you recommend a shotgun? Intimidation or lack of aiming ability in a adrenaline-filled situation? What about reloading when you’ve got the shakes? Seems like an automatic shotgun would be spendy.
/Ex-Infantry, but never felt the need to carry up here.
I would suggest saving more money and getting a high quality .45
I recently bought my first gun it was a Taurus .357 magnum revolver. It was cheap and I thought that it would be a good choice for my first gun, as I wanted it for home defense. It is very simple to handle a revolver as it is loaded or not. That is why I bought a revolver first. It will also fire .38 specials so it has a pretty reasonable cost to fire at the range. That being said, the .357 is an awesome round, but IMOP since I also wanted this weapon for home defense, I think that I made a mistake. First off the rounds are very loud. The indoor ranges will not allow .357 magnums to be fired because it will often shatter the lights.
So, I was thinking about how I would be using this in my house in a self-defense scenario and decided it was probable a bad choice for the safety of my own hearing as I will very likely not be wearing ear protection in such a scenario. So, I went and got a bersa .380-thunder CC. I have only had the chance to put a couple hundred rounds through it, but so far I am very happy with it. I had it recommended by several people and after reading the reviews on it, it almost seems like a no-brain-er. You can get a regular .380 thunder for about $270.00.
I have been trying to find the 9mm version but no one in the area can keep it in stock. As far as price and quality go I think that most people would agree or find that Bersa is really hard to beat. If anyone has a different view on their weapons I would be interested to hear it.