opinion on first handgun purchase

[mavrick16o 6]

i am looking for a gun that would be good for three gun comp. that said, i have small hands (hard to hold on to big handle hand guns), so revolvers are fine but semi auto gives me some trouble (dont want revolver) i was thinking about the fn 5&7 but dont know much about the ammo other than its also used in the p90. (is the 5.7x28 round any good) i would like to keep recoil moderate, but still have good take down power. also like it to have the built in picatiny rail under the barrel.

[Bvamp 604]

pick up a CZ-75B and see how that fits in your hand.

[acercanto 6]

I'll second the CZ (haven't owned one, but seriously considered getting one as my first HG) and throw the Beretta 92 or 96 out there (I ended up getting the 96, it just fit my hand right).

 

Hope that helps,

Acer

[mavrick16o 6]

thanks ill check these out

[jrance@iacwds.com 716]

Buy the Mil-Tech for $550 in the For Sale section and send it to Mag-na-port and have them do their $130 Autoport job on it. You will smile and never look back.

1911

 

(what did you expect? ) )

[Twinsen 86]

The Beretta doesn't have small grips, and the 5-7 is a double stack of a gigantic pistol round.

[Racer 27 37]

Check out a Springfield XD 9 got mine for $300. Pretty good feeling. Try a Sig 226.

[SuAside 2]

i am looking for a gun that would be good for three gun comp. that said, i have small hands (hard to hold on to big handle hand guns), so revolvers are fine but semi auto gives me some trouble (dont want revolver) i was thinking about the fn 5&7 but dont know much about the ammo other than its also used in the p90. (is the 5.7x28 round any good) i would like to keep recoil moderate, but still have good take down power. also like it to have the built in picatiny rail under the barrel.

well, depends on what you mean with good. one of the 5.7x28 civi round can penetrate level II and pass through 1800 pages of phonebook. so penetration isn't a problem. stopping power and wound canal might be, i cannot say. this type of gun is also more about shotplacement anyway.

 

i'm not convinced that it's a good three gun comp gun. never heard of anyone using it anyway. ammo cost probably has something to do with it, because the gun itself is very fucking accurate.

The Beretta doesn't have small grips, and the 5-7 is a double stack of a gigantic pistol round.

for comps?

CZ75 SP01, Sig 226 mentioned above are good guns, yeah.

 

if you're on a budget (which i suppose you're not because you're quoting the FiveseveN) you might also want to check the FNP-9, it's very cheap & surprisingly accurate (for me at least). not to mention the gun in the USA comes with 3 mags and if you send in a coupon, you get 2 additional mags and a free bladetech holster. pretty cheap way to get you started gearwise.

[DaGroaner 2]

Get a Glock and be happy for the rest of your life.

[mavrick16o 6]

well the two guns that i liked the way they fit my hand were the fn-9 and a Springfield, of which model slips my mind. i got the fn 9 and i like it a lot so far, about 150 rds through after i got home. seems to hit high if the dots are lined up evenly though? the fn is very smooth and has little kick if any, (i did like the walther p22 it fit great and i loved the look but .22 cal. is way too weak, do they make it in a larger cal?).

 

the comic relief of the day was; my cousins dad sent him with me to try and trade a pistol that he didnt like, well it is a Jennings's 9mm and not a single vendor would even look at it, as soon as they heard the name. one even told him that pawn shops wont even buy them, it was soo funny that all of them pretty much said you own the biggest POS ever!!!!

 

and a quick question, i saw a lot a the last show and this one, what the f is a tarus hand gun? never even heard of these; but there were at least a thousand of them at the show??

[SuAside 2]

well the two guns that i liked the way they fit my hand were the fn-9 and a Springfield, of which model slips my mind. i got the fn 9 and i like it a lot so far, about 150 rds through after i got home. seems to hit high if the dots are lined up evenly though? the fn is very smooth and has little kick if any,

well, might depend on your aim. are you aiming six o' clock low, or six o' clock high? (or even spot on for that matter?)

 

anyway, if you're sure it aint shooter error, go ahead & adjust the sights?

 

(i did like the walther p22 it fit great and i loved the look but .22 cal. is way too weak, do they make it in a larger cal?).

the P22 is the cheap outsourced little brother of the P99, which is a 9mm.

the P22 isn't even produced by Walther itself and the difference in quality is heaven & earth. (but i still hate both )

 

and a quick question, i saw a lot a the last show and this one, what the f is a tarus hand gun? never even heard of these; but there were at least a thousand of them at the show??

Tarus? you mean Taurus? they're brazilian and mostly produce revolvers (pretty good) and clones of semi-autos (like the 92F, they're ok, but not special in any way).

[Twinsen 86]

Try a Browning HighPower. I tried one of them out, and although it didn't look like it would, it fit my hand perfectly. It was just so comfortable, it was like a 1911.

Edited February 11, 2008 by Twinsen

[tatactical 0]

I would say goto to a gun range that rents handguns and try out some different handguns and see what fits you the best. It seem when it comes to handguns everyone seems to have different tastes of what feels right. As for the 5.7 pistol, ammo is $20-$25 a box which is going to get pricey when shooting 3 gun, although the recoil is like a 22mag. And I would cautious with a high velocity round like the 5.7 shooting at reactive steel targets, as sometime they like to bounds back.

[killasoundz 0]

I too have small hand and tried out several handguns before I purchased my first.

 

 

I really love the Berreta 92 compact (single stack 9mm) It fits perfect but impossible to find.

 

 

I liked the new S&W M&P 9compact. Fit my hand pretty good and can reach most of the controls one handed with my short thumbs.

 

The Sig P239 felt good but a little stretch to operate the decocker.

 

The best fit was the Ruger SR9. I hesitated to buy it because I had not heard about it and didnt have a chance to shoot. After reading several reviews it is supposed to be a great gun.

 

I ended up buying an Armalite AR-24k. Its Based on the CZ75. Has a great feel and I can reach the controls one handed. It has hardly any recoil and is super accurate, and easy to maintain.

 

I see you are in VA so if you ever come by the hampton roads area feel free to pm me and try it out.

 

Definitely shoot everything you can before you buy.

Edited February 17, 2008 by killasoundz

[MaineMarshal 0]

Tarus? you mean Taurus? they're brazilian and mostly produce revolvers (pretty good) and clones of semi-autos (like the 92F, they're ok, but not special in any way).

 

I have to respectfully disagree on Taurus being nothing special. I picked up a Taurus 24/7 Pro in 45 ACP and absolutely love it. Many law enforcement officers across the country are carrying these on the job. They have gotten a lot of great press and reviews. Check out these video clips from the Taurus web site:

 

http://www.taurususa.com/video/taurus-247tv.cfm

 

http://www.taurususa.com/video/taurus-corporate-video.cfm

 

I love that Survival Tool clip!

 

As a matter of fact when the Army was looking to replace/update their standard issue sidearm Taurus developed a great version called the 24/7 OSS that incorporated features important to military use. I understand it was being seriously considered and received excellent reviews. The American Rifleman did a feature article on it's development with a great cover shot. If you are interested in it here's the info page at taurususa.com :

 

http://www.taurustactical.com/dsp_247oss.cfm

 

As far as this topic goes the 24/7 Pro has a very comfortable grip and has fit smaller hands of co-workers and friends very well. It comes in the standard 9MM, .40 and .45 ACP. I believe that second clip also shows their use in competition where they set new speed records with it.

 

Of course opinions on handguns are incredibly varied.

 

Good luck to you regardless of what you choose.

 

Maine Marshal

[Vultite 57]

I agree with Twinsin, i have a browning hi power, with custom parts...its on its way to the chrome shop to finishing...here's a pic with new parts just fitted on *by hand* *sweat*

 

 

combat trigger, new hammer rod,hammer,sear,spring group, ext slide release, ext. safety, hogue grips, NM barrel, i can hit a 4x4 steel plate at 100 yards with plain sights and whitebox POS ammo.....its a great gun if your willing to invest, otherwise get a real race gun built from the ground up, look at STI, many pro's use their frames as a base......hi powers are collector guns, and fun shooters

Edited February 26, 2008 by Vultite

[Saigaczech 9]

Buy a basic CZ-75 B. One of the best gun buys out there, rugged, reliable, accurate. There is a reason why this is the second most copied gun in the world (ok, I admit it, the 1911 is the most copied) and in service with more agencies/services/militaries world wide than any other gun. The trigger is a bit rough out of the box but it wears in nicely as you use it. Most people think mY CZs had trigger jobs, I keep telling them they are stock.

[genevail 0]

i am looking for a gun that would be good for three gun comp. that said, i have small hands (hard to hold on to big handle hand guns), so revolvers are fine but semi auto gives me some trouble (dont want revolver) i was thinking about the fn 5&7 but dont know much about the ammo other than its also used in the p90. (is the 5.7x28 round any good) i would like to keep recoil moderate, but still have good take down power. also like it to have the built in picatiny rail under the barrel.

 

 

The Beretta PX4 is nice. It gives you the choice of 3 grip sizes

[moxie1c 3]

I love my Smith and Wesson M&P 40. I carry it daily for work and I compete in steel plate shoots with it on weekends. The interchangable grips are great for small and large hands alike.

 

Buy American.

Buy Smith.

[getitat 609]

Buy the Mil-Tech for $550 in the For Sale section and send it to Mag-na-port and have them do their $130 Autoport job on it. You will smile and never look back.

1911

 

(what did you expect? ) )

 

Hello

If 1911 recommends a handgun to you, JUMP ON IT!!!

-Trust me on that one.......

 

guido2 in Houston

[ravenwolf 0]

Check out the Walther P99. I'm 5'6" and also have small hands, but with the P99 it comes with interchangable back straps for the hand grip & mag. releases on both sides which makes it a very comfortable gun to shoot lefty or righty. It's also a very simple accurate gun. It breaks down very easily into 4 parts and comes in a few different trigger styles. For compitition you would probally be interested in the "QA", quick action trigger.The only drawback it has is no external safety, but you won't be dissapointed. I've put about 2000 40cal rds through it with absolutely no problems.