Revolver vs. Semi Auto

[qliveur]

I'd look for an old Ruger Service Six or GP100. Will be cheaper and can eat full power .357 Mag forever.
The Smiths and Colts can shoot them, but it's not recommended to be it's only load.

Another vote for the GP100. :thumbsup:

 

[GoodRevrnd]

For one/first gun, go 9mm so you can afford to shoot it. That matters more than anything else. Also, go test drive lots of different 9's.

 

[olds]

I don't care fo DAO.

 

[qliveur]

Neither do I.

It's worthless.

 

[KentState]

I have the M&P .40 and Glock 19. I much prefer the Glock as it feels better in my hand, easy to shoot and is much easier to field strip. However, for home defense, I have a Mossberg 500 12g. If I'm out camping in bear country, I have a Desert Eagle .50 cal.

On the other hand, my fiance likes to carry a .38 special and she feels very comfortable shooting it.

 

[Fern]

I strongly prefer the .357.

I have two, but they're Colts.

Fern

 

[schneiderguy]

Neither do I.

It's worthless.

What is wrong with it? :hmm:

 

[Pia]

For one/first gun, go 9mm so you can afford to shoot it. That matters more than anything else. Also, go test drive lots of different 9's.

This.
In comparison to the shooter's ability to make an accurate and fast first hit, issues like terminal ballistics of different calibers are totally insignificant. That ability is 90% practice, which in turn is dependent on being willing to pay for the ammo.
One gun I would suggest is the CZ 75 (several models available; the basic 75b is pretty cheap). Enough weight to be stable, can be cheaply tuned by a gunsmith to have a nice and smooth trigger. There is also a very high quality, official .22 conversion available from the manufacturer which will pay for itself quickly if you practice enough.

 

[69Mach1]

I'll add another vote to the "go to the range, try before you buy" group. I personally just shoot much better with revolvers, and if I had known that I might have saved myself a bit of money.

 

[AbAbber2k]

Harder to shoot yourself in the foot with a revolver. Though I've seen plenty of semi-autos that you have to really pull on.

 

[corwin]

I don't care fo DAO.

Longer harder trigger pull is a bitch, hard to get away from in a striker fired gun, which is one reason I like my Taurus 24/7, SA/DA and even has a decocker...hate on Taurus all you want but the only time it's ever had a hiccup was trying some cheap russian ammo...so take that suggestion as well, but as has been said it has to be something that feels comfortable in your hand, for me a Glock feeels like a hunk of wood and I've never liked them, everyone's hands are different

 

[brad310]

backup home defense and range toy? i would say re-evaluate what you're about to spend over 500 dollars on.

Do you have a CCW? What is your HD?

 

[alpineranger]

backup home defense and range toy? i would say re-evaluate what you're about to spend over 500 dollars on.

Do you have a CCW? What is your HD?

CCW? Just like the guys suggesting all manner of 1911s, these are either impossible to find in San Jose, and/or really expensive.

see: http://certguns.doj.ca.gov/

 

[OverVolt]

What are the advantages to the XD over the M&P or Glock?

I'd prefer made in USA all other things being equal.

The XD is a great gun IMO I've been trying to get a friend to buy one so I can shoot it :0)

In terms of actual "features" the XD's main gig is safety. Otherwise it just depends on what feels best for you.

 

[Merad]

I'd vote "get 9mm so you can afford to shoot it (more)". But I am slightly biased since I bought this a couple days ago-

 

[IGemini]

^^The P226 has been my favorite that I've had trigger time with, so far. Only weapon I was getting silver dollar groups at 15ft just picking it up in the .40SW flavor. They're expensive though, in this case I'd suggest looking at the SIG Pro for the budget range in this thread.

 

[Specop 007]

^^The P226 has been my favorite that I've had trigger time with, so far. Only weapon I was getting silver dollar groups at 15ft just picking it up in the .40SW flavor. They're expensive though, in this case I'd suggest looking at the SIG Pro for the budget range in this thread.

Try the used route. I paid under 400 for mine with no real problems with the finish. Look for police trade ins, they have some holster wear but otherwise are fine.

 

[boomhower]

Try the used route. I paid under 400 for mine with no real problems with the finish. Look for police trade ins, they have some holster wear but otherwise are fine.

http://www.summitgunbroker.com/Sig_2340.html

 

[Kelvrick]

If you get a da/sa gun, practice in da. Don't be one of those people who just go to the range, inserts a magazine, racks slide and spends the whole time in sa. Then if you ever need to use it in da, you start shooting the ground.

May kahr and m&p are dao and they sure as hell are easier to pull then my sig with a da. I like how every pull is the same and those pulls are what I train with.

 

[schneiderguy]

backup home defense and range toy? i would say re-evaluate what you're about to spend over 500 dollars on.

Do you have a CCW? What is your HD?

HD is an AR-15 and it's impossible to get a CCW here :\

 

[olds]

If you get a da/sa gun, practice in da. Don't be one of those people who just go to the range, inserts a magazine, racks slide and spends the whole time in sa. Then if you ever need to use it in da, you start shooting the ground.

May kahr and m&p are dao and they sure as hell are easier to pull then my sig with a da. I like how every pull is the same and those pulls are what I train with.

My aversion to DAO is that it only functions in a single mode, double action.
There may be a circumstance in self defense where a SA would be better suited. With DA/SA you have an option.

But whatever a person gets: train, train and then train some more.

One of my favorites is to stand about 10' from a target. Have a friend shout out a shape and color then you put 3 rounds in that shape/color as fast as you can with accuracy.

I built some target stands out out of 1.5" PVC and furring strips.

Paint, ftw...

 

[iGas]

Best tool for the paranoid.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

http://www.summitgunbroker.com/Sig_2340.html

I own a Sig Pro 2340. BTW, this gun came in two caliburs: .40 and .357 (SIG). I own the .357 version of the 2340 as I wanted to compare it to the Rugar GP100 (6" SS HS) revolver.

While both were good guns, I would not buy the 2340 in .357 (if it is still available) as ammo is expensive compared to other ammo.

 

[Pia]

If you get a da/sa gun, practice in da. Don't be one of those people who just go to the range, inserts a magazine, racks slide and spends the whole time in sa. Then if you ever need to use it in da, you start shooting the ground.

IMO, if the DA/SA gun has an external safety, then by all means, act as if it is single action, and shoot it in single action 100% of the time. Not only will you make better shots, but your skill will improve faster with the nice and constant trigger pull.

If there is no external safety, take Kelvrick's advice and shoot the gun starting from DA *at least* when you are not shooting groups.

I do shoot my DA/SA gun starting from double action (maybe half of the time), but the only reason I do that is I have to start IPSC competition stages in DA.

 

[qliveur]

What is wrong with it? :hmm:

I prefer SA trigger pull, and I'd have no use for an autoloader that doesn't provide it.