[drumbum957]

Hey everybody, I'm new and need some advice (yeah yeah...).

I've had the itch to get into the pistol world forever and have decided it's about time to jump in. I'm looking for something fun AND something that can be used for personal defense all in one, which I've heard is pretty tough (again, I'm new).

At first I thought I'd buy a precision pistol for fun on target shooting and keep it by my bed or something in case someone broke in, but I was told that that particular idea was lunacy. So I'm pretty much at square one.

I'm seriously thinking about getting a Sig, they just look so great to me. But I'm curious as to which one, so far I'm partial to the P226 Blackwater. It's 9mm which I've heard is ineffective for ccw and that I should go for 45 or 40 s&w... Which ammo is cheaper ( I'm NOT making the decision based on price, but hey I'm a college student) and/or better?

Also out of curiosity, what type of ammo is cheap enough to keep practice to a regular once or twice (or three or four or five) times a week? Sorry about the noob-ish questions, but people are constantly brushing me off and I'm getting desperate.

 

[Alert]

if you want a 9mm get a 9mm..I did

 

[Chaco1]

Get what you want. I have a 380 for a ccw which is better than my .45 that sits in the gun safe.

Not sure what you mean by a "precision" pistol and how having it at bedside is "lunacy".

A wheel gun is a simpler gun for protection just point and pull the trigger.

My advice would be try and shoot as many pistols as you can and decide on which fits best and is most comfortable.

 

[drumbum957]

Precision in that it's a competition pistol built for accuracy, and I was told that a gun built for accuracy can't be expected to work especially well for ccw. Blah.

Not quite sure what to think about it all, but your advice sounds most wise. I appreciate it.

 

[baseballguy2001]

I am new also, and I followed similar advice. I bought a .38 special by Charter Arms, and a .40 cal by S&W. First, the .38 is CHEEP. I recommend a wheel gun as a first one. It patiently will sit in the night stand drawer for how ever long one wants it too. (I take mine to the range a bunch) The .40 cal was an impulse buy, but I'm very glad I have it. Some say it's ok for a CCW, but for me, I think the frame might be a big big. The trigger pull is a bit tough, but I'm learning to get used to it. The point of this is a previous poster is quite correct. Shoot as many as you can, THEN decide. Now, I'm looking at a smaller frame gun to carry. Probably a .380, but I may just wind up carrying the Charter.

 

[Guest]

I am in the throes of your same decision, but have a couple of added insights.
I went out several weeks ago and shot everything I could find to borrow off anyone that would let me. .22, .357mag, .40, .44, .44mag, 9mm, and several 45s.

Here's my two cents, and what I decided in the end.
The 22s are fun for my wife and kids to plink with but probably won't stop critters (including two-legged ones) bent on hurting me. The snubbies specifically for CCW are ill-balanced, and while easy to carry, and not fun to shoot. The semi's like the 9mm (I tried a taurus and a military Beretta) and a 1911-style 45 are smooth and go where you point, but have a tendency to jam on home loads (I like reloading) and foul if you don't keep them scrupulously clean. (My brother constantly complained about his military 9mm jamming while he was in Iraq.)
While longer-barrelled weapons tend to shoot straighter, it's a balance with what you're willing to carry, especially if you want to try and conceal it.
I decided that the Ruger 45 New Model Blackhawk was my favorite (Really nice balance and Ruger reputation), but also liked the new Taurus 410/45LC Tracker, both with the ~3-4" barrel. In the end, advice from a CCW instructor friend advised against a single-action for personal protection, so I got the Taurus. I'm working up a load for the 45LCs still, since the factory loads aren't very consistent accuracy-wise (any advice on this front would be most welcome). But I'm looking forward to carrying it on the archery hunt and backpacking in the Tetons this fall. The shotshell in the pistol makes short work of rattlers, and shows about a 8" pattern at 10 yds.

You can get cheap 9mm ( less than $10/box of 20), but .40s and .45s are not as cheap, quickly jumping to ~$15 to $25/box depending on the type of round. Reload your own and they're about $.75 each after the press, tumbler, dies and scale, remembering reloads work best in revolvers and have a harder time in magazine-fed weapons unless you're really careful.