What is a good hand gun?

Eamon

Eamon

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Eamon
I am sure a bunch of Y'all can answer these question.

I am thinking of taking up target shooting. There is a range by the airport that I can stop at on the way home from work a few times a week.

What is a good gun for a beginner for sport target? I will never carry it, it is almost impossible to get a carry permit where I live so it will be only for target at a range.

I have shot a bunch of rifles before. As far hand guns.. I went to a range in PA once & shot a range of guns from 22 to 44 mag but it was a while ago.

Do you start with a 22 & move up or do you buy something like a glock 35 competition

Is it better to start with a revolver & then move up to an semi auto. Is it best to start with a revolver?

do all guns shoot the same way (Just by pulling the trigger) or is there different type of action.
 
Wow, what a question. So many answers and all correct. The answer, of course, is it depends.

How much do you want to spend on both the purchase and shooting. I am assuming you don't want to reload to reduce costs, so to make things reasonable, consider a 9mm. Ruger, Glock, Springfield HD all are good, reliable semi auto's.
If you want a revolver, Smith and Wesson, Ruger, Taurus are good. There are others of course, but those are pretty basic. 38 specials offer good bang for the buck (pardon the pun), or a 357 magnum can also shoot the 38 specials, plus you can also move up in power if you want more fun.

You may want to go to the range and see if they have handguns for rent. Try a few and see which you prefer.

There is no need to start with a 22 unless you just want one. They are fun plinkers tho...

good luck
 
Eamon; google competition handgun shooting and the first few links will give you some good info
If you start here http://www.nrahq.org/compete/ you can drill down into the different kinds of handgun competitions. Don't let the competitive portion turn you off - it's a great way to get a lot of very knowledgeable help and have fun at the same time.

Here's a link for some equipment explanation http://www.auspistol.com.au/coaching/equip.htm

I shot Conventional Competition in the Navy using a 3 gun aggregate scoring system. It's a "3 gun aggregate" course of fire, .22 rimfire, any center fire (a lot of guys shot .38 revolver for this section) and .45 caliber pistols. I shot my .45 for both the center file and .45 sections.

I (well, the Navy armory had - I used) a Smith and Wesson Model 41 .22 and a M1911 .45 auto that the armorers had worked over to where it was better, in my opinion, than a Colt Gold Cup pistol.

My shooting partner has since gotten into Cowboy Action Shooting after we got out of the Navy, and has gone whole hog into that. (again google will show good links). Looks to me like that would be a whole lot of fun.

re: different types of handguns, besides caliber choices, and conventional modern vs black powder guns, there are semi-automatic pistols, revolvers and single shot handguns; throw in single action autos, double action autos for good measure.
 
If you would like a reliable, accurate, light recoiling out of the box pistol, Try out a S&W 625-2. Its a large revolver that shoots .45acp (using moon clips). Its not as fast as an Auto loader but I use it for Bulleye compitition and kept up with the autoloaders. Reloading is fast (if you have rounds already in the clips) and you dont loose the cases (they stay in the clips) if you decide to reload.
Many people who have shot my pistols (.22's, .380's, .357, and an assortment of .45) like this pistol the best. It fits med-large hands very well (small hands not so well)
 
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Eamon said:
<snip>

do all guns shoot the same way (Just by pulling the trigger) or is there different type of action.
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Yes, there are two types of action, single action and double action.

On a single action pistol, the hammer is cocked manually prior to pulling the trigger.

A double action will cock and drop the hammer (hence the term double action) with a pull of the trigger. You can also manually cock the trigger and shoot it like you would a single action (most but not all).

There are so many great pistols available I would recommend going to the range and shooting everything they have available to see what you're comfortable with.

Choosing a pistol is like choosing a wife. What I find comfortable and fun to be with, you may find to be an absolute b*tch to be around :)

Good luck with your search.
 
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Start with a .22 to develop good sighting and trigger technique. When you have that down and are getting most of your shots in groups, then you will know enough to decide what to move up to. Don't be in a hurry because if you can't hit your target, then no gun will do you any good.
 
Slight thread-jack, but does anyone know of an airport in the southeast that has a public gun range nearby? I think it would really be fun to have a "Fly 'n' Shoot" flyin sometime this spring/summer.

That would be a blast...:rofl:
 
Bill Jennings said:
Slight thread-jack, but does anyone know of an airport in the southeast that has a public gun range nearby? I think it would really be fun to have a "Fly 'n' Shoot" flyin sometime this spring/summer.

That would be a blast...:rofl:
Click to expand...
The Dayton, Ohio airport has a trap range next to the airport. Interesting leaving the airport and hearing gun fire.

Not exactly Southeast, but you can also roll into the Wright Patterson AFB Museum.
 
SkySpy said:
Start with a .22 to develop good sighting and trigger technique. When you have that down and are getting most of your shots in groups, then you will know enough to decide what to move up to. Don't be in a hurry because if you can't hit your target, then no gun will do you any good.
Click to expand...

Good advice. I like the Ruger line of .22 pistols. Get one with adjustable sights and a bull barrel and you can use it as a plinker and more serious target gun. They are very accurate if you do your part. The other advantage is .22 ammunition is CHEAP. You can shoot a lot for very little money.
 
NC Pilot said:
The Dayton, Ohio airport has a trap range next to the airport. Interesting leaving the airport and hearing gun fire.

Not exactly Southeast, but you can also roll into the Wright Patterson AFB Museum.
Click to expand...

Thanks, let me chew on that, and do some additional research. I really like the idea of a Fly 'n' Shoot.
 
Anthony said:
Good advice. I like the Ruger line of .22 pistols. Get one with adjustable sights and a bull barrel and you can use it as a plinker and more serious target gun. They are very accurate if you do your part. The other advantage is .22 ammunition is CHEAP. You can shoot a lot for very little money.
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I concur with that advice. You can't go wrong with a .22 if it's your first handgun. The very minimal recoil and relatively low noise will allow you to concentrate on sight picture and control. Once you become more comfortable handling the .22 it is easier and more natural moving up to larger calibers.
 
Bill Jennings said:
Slight thread-jack, but does anyone know of an airport in the southeast that has a public gun range nearby? I think it would really be fun to have a "Fly 'n' Shoot" flyin sometime this spring/summer.

That would be a blast...:rofl:
Click to expand...

Bill, there is trap/skeet range just the other side of the river from JWN.
 
Anthony said:
Good advice. I like the Ruger line of .22 pistols. Get one with adjustable sights and a bull barrel and you can use it as a plinker and more serious target gun. They are very accurate if you do your part. The other advantage is .22 ammunition is CHEAP. You can shoot a lot for very little money.
Click to expand...

Anthony beat me with this suggestion. I own an old Ruger Mark I target pistol with the bull barrel (guess I'm dating myself now, what are they up to, the Mark III?). It is a simple to operate semi auto .22, 10 shot magazine and quite accurate. It's how I keep my shooting eye current, as I don't have nearly enough time to shoot as much as I'd like.

Everything Anthony said about the advantages of starting with a .22 are spot on.

Jim G
 
Thanks all for the advise.

It is going to be a while before I can do anything.

Here in NY where you would think you might really need a gun....

It takes 6-8 months to get even a target permit.

A carry permit is impossible to get unless you can show $100,000 in bank deposits a week or some other "real" need to carry.

You Cannot TOUCH a hand gun at the range untill you have a permit.

You cannot even pick up an unloaded gun out of the case at a shop to see how it feels.

But the warm and fuzzy part of NY is that if I want to off someone, I can go to the corner with $200 and get a gun anytime night or day.

Dam Dems :) :) :)
 
Eamon said:
Thanks all for the advise.

It is going to be a while before I can do anything.

Here in NY where you would think you might really need a gun....

It takes 6-8 months to get even a target permit.

A carry permit is impossible to get unless you can show $100,000 in bank deposits a week or some other "real" need to carry.

You Cannot TOUCH a hand gun at the range untill you have a permit.

You cannot even pick up an unloaded gun out of the case at a shop to see how it feels.

But the warm and fuzzy part of NY is that if I want to off someone, I can go to the corner with $200 and get a gun anytime night or day.

Dam Dems :) :) :)
Click to expand...
If this goes more political, the thread will have to be moved.

You have been warned. ;)
 
Eamon said:
Thanks all for the advise.

It is going to be a while before I can do anything.

Here in NY where you would think you might really need a gun....

It takes 6-8 months to get even a target permit.

A carry permit is impossible to get unless you can show $100,000 in bank deposits a week or some other "real" need to carry.

You Cannot TOUCH a hand gun at the range untill you have a permit.

You cannot even pick up an unloaded gun out of the case at a shop to see how it feels.

But the warm and fuzzy part of NY is that if I want to off someone, I can go to the corner with $200 and get a gun anytime night or day.

Dam Dems :) :) :)
Click to expand...

my Spin Zone response to this is posted in a new thread here:
http://www.pilotsofamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?p=144429

This way this thread can stay open and we can move to the political side of this discussion.
 
If you have NEVER fired a handgun before in your life, here is what I'd recommend. For the record, it is pretty much how I did things during my tenure as a federal firearms instructor for the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Brunswick, GA.

Start off--as in rent--with a four-inch Smith & Wesson K-frame revolver, Model 19 or 66 ("6" as a prefix number with S&W denotes "stainless"). They are .357 Magnum in calibre, but will fire .38 specials.

At the range, ask the guy/girl at the ammo counter for a box of .38 Special Wadcutters. It's a 148-grain, low-load round that is exceedingly accurate for sport/target shooting AND it is very mild to shoot. Virtually zero recoil/kickback and it doesn't belch fire and smoke and make a deafening bang. (You'll be wearing safety glasses and earmuffs anyhow)

Then, just like flying, get a qualified instructor. Knowing how to shoot is one thing. Knowing how to TEACH someone to shoot properly and safely is another.

I fully agree with the comments on .22LR pistols being easy and fun to shoot, but not all ranges have .22LR revolvers to rent. Damned near any range you go to will have S&W K-frame revolvers for rent along with boxes of .38 Special 148-grain wadcutters.

For what it's worth, during my 20 years as a mlitary commando and equal-plus number of years as a U.S. Marshal who chased federal fugitives for a living, a Smith & Wesson Model 19 with 125-grain Federal JHP .357 Magnum rounds was always my backup gun--and in almost every undercover operation, it was my primary gun. It saved my life on more than one occasion. A finer, more reliable gun you'll not find. It has equals, but no peer.

Here is the Model 19 I carried--and carry to this day. Note, however, it is a 2 1/2" barrel--you'll want to learn and train on a four-inch barrel. Better balance, accuracy and less recoil when you move away from the wadcutter rounds.

2cnjwaa.jpg


And here is a shot (no pun intended) of typical .38 Spcl 148-grain Lead Wadcutters (LWC). I reload my own ammo, but these are typical. You'll also want to ask the folks at the ammo counter for RELOADS--much, much cheaper than factory ammo.

436etr7.jpg


Anything else or any other questions, please feel free to ask or you can PM me here.

Regards.

-JD
 
CowboyPilot said:
Anything else or any other questions, please feel free to ask or you can PM me here.

Regards.

-JD
Click to expand...

Hey JD, when were you instructing at FLETC? I went through FLETC in the late 80's as part of USCG training to be an Investigator/Special Agent, and I distinctly remember using a revolver as you described in the initial phase of firearms training, then moving back to the issue M9 later in th course.

When I moved to the DEA later in life I had a big head start on my fellow newbies, thanks to the FLETC training.
 
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