The 9mm is just a very shooter friendly cartridge. Low recoil and good inherent accuracy are two advantages. Its a very popular round and ammo can be found anywhere. Like you said ammo is cheaper than most others except possibly the .22 long rifle. That is a very important consideration if you are going to shoot much. The 9mm isn't that week, lots of people carry them for self defense. They consider the low recoil and controllability to be more important than more power. You could always buy a .357 Magnum revolver and shoot .38 Special out of it when you want less recoil and cheaper ammo.
Question on newbie starting out and calibers....
Ok i have shot a .22 pistol quite a few times before. Never owned one just shot friends. I've had my mind set to get a .45 ACP XD for over a year now. But i was reading on here where people is suggesting starting out with 9mm first. Why is this? Is there really a need to start there? I know the ammo is cheaper i've just been set on a .45. I have shot tons of shotguns and rifles before w.o starting with the littlest gauge. So really what is the main reason why so many suggest starting out little first?
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What I would sugest is to either borrow a 45 or try to rent one like you want. Shoot a box of ammo through it and see for your self. JMO
Well, you can never have to many. I would suggest one of each, in every caliber and then go from there. :lol: But if you only have one handgun, you want it to be one that you can shoot a lot for fun and use for defense if need be. The 9mm fills that bill nicely. I also think every one should have a good .22 long rifle handgun like a Ruger Mark II/III, Browning Buck Mark, or S&W 22A. Revolvers are nice too, but the good quality ones like my S&W 617 cost a great deal more than the semiautos.
Be forewarned. Once you buy one, you will buy another, and then another, and so on. . .
Be forewarned. Once you buy one, you will buy another, and then another, and so on. . .
Lol i know what you mean about buying another and another.....i found that out about shotguns and now after 13 lol i think its time for a pistol or three :lol:
There's no end of advice about this topic. Most of it is reasonable, too. My own experience was to go from a .22 first gun to a .45 as a second gun. The big reason for that progression was that I had started Bullseye competition and the basic guns needed were those two. Nines had not yet entered the picture (and still are only minor players, except in Leg matches).
The reasons for a 9mm are compelling - the ammo is readily available and relatively inexpensive. Also, the 9mm Luger cartridge is an easy cartridge to load for and there is a good selection of bullets and data.
The reasons going with a .45 are also good. Ditto the facts that I just mentioned about the 9mm. There are even more bullets and more data available for reloading the .45.
I have been told by folks that I respect that the .45 is an inherently more accurate cartridge. My experience has borne that out BUT I wonder if it is not a function of the fact that I have shot the .45 more often and own more sophisticated pistols for that cartridge. There is, however, no denying the fact that if you go to a Bullseye match and walk down the line looking at who's shooting what, you'll have a hard time finding a 9mm.
What are your intentions for using the gun? Do you intend to reload? Do you want to carry (9's, size being equal, tend to have greater magazine capacity)? How demanding are you about accuracy? (and at what distances?)
One of the things that I like most about most about shooting a .45 is the gun. I use 1911s. There are literally thousands of parts and aids available to the shooter for that gun. Want to shoot a lighter load - something that won't cycle a "regular" gun? Change the recoil spring (30 secs.).
That being said, your choice, perhaps, of the new XD simplifies your use. You may never have any desire to do anything to it other than shoot it. A buddy of mine just bought one and is very happy with it.
About recoil - you get used to recoil. If, however, you are going to shoot a lot of factory ball ammo, you may find, as was mentioned, that the 9mm is kinder to your joints.
We have a shooter at our range who is just beginning to participate in match shooting. He owns one .45 - a HK tactical pistol. The gun beats him up when he has to shoot offhand. I can see it happen as the match goes on. The gun as it is won't function with target loads and lighter springs and such are hard to find. Would he be better off with a nine? Maybe it would'nt hurt so much (remember, shooting with one hand is harder on the joints.).
What's he going to do? Buy a 1911.
You'll have fun no matter what.
Pete
The reasons for a 9mm are compelling - the ammo is readily available and relatively inexpensive. Also, the 9mm Luger cartridge is an easy cartridge to load for and there is a good selection of bullets and data.
The reasons going with a .45 are also good. Ditto the facts that I just mentioned about the 9mm. There are even more bullets and more data available for reloading the .45.
I have been told by folks that I respect that the .45 is an inherently more accurate cartridge. My experience has borne that out BUT I wonder if it is not a function of the fact that I have shot the .45 more often and own more sophisticated pistols for that cartridge. There is, however, no denying the fact that if you go to a Bullseye match and walk down the line looking at who's shooting what, you'll have a hard time finding a 9mm.
What are your intentions for using the gun? Do you intend to reload? Do you want to carry (9's, size being equal, tend to have greater magazine capacity)? How demanding are you about accuracy? (and at what distances?)
One of the things that I like most about most about shooting a .45 is the gun. I use 1911s. There are literally thousands of parts and aids available to the shooter for that gun. Want to shoot a lighter load - something that won't cycle a "regular" gun? Change the recoil spring (30 secs.).
That being said, your choice, perhaps, of the new XD simplifies your use. You may never have any desire to do anything to it other than shoot it. A buddy of mine just bought one and is very happy with it.
About recoil - you get used to recoil. If, however, you are going to shoot a lot of factory ball ammo, you may find, as was mentioned, that the 9mm is kinder to your joints.
We have a shooter at our range who is just beginning to participate in match shooting. He owns one .45 - a HK tactical pistol. The gun beats him up when he has to shoot offhand. I can see it happen as the match goes on. The gun as it is won't function with target loads and lighter springs and such are hard to find. Would he be better off with a nine? Maybe it would'nt hurt so much (remember, shooting with one hand is harder on the joints.).
What's he going to do? Buy a 1911.
You'll have fun no matter what.
Pete
Re: re: Question on newbie starting out and calibers....
Oh, by the way, another advantage to a 9mm is that you can get many more rounds into a high capacity magazine.
Tell me about it. When I had the "shotgun fever", I wasn't even interested in any other kind of firearm, and especially not semi-auto pistols. I bought 8 shotguns, and now I have bought 6 semi-auto pistols. I haven't even had a chance to get to know each one personally. :lol: Now I have trouble keeping them cleaned. I did give a lot of thought into "which and what kind of", before I bought, and I wouldn't sell or trade one for anything. I just need more chances to be able to shoot. I hope I live a while so I can have the chance. :shock: I know that this addiction disease makes it appear like I am immature, but surely that can't be possible, can it? :?lilfeucht23 said:Lol i know what you mean about buying another and another.....i found that out about shotguns and now after 13 lol i think its time for a pistol or three :lol:
Oh, by the way, another advantage to a 9mm is that you can get many more rounds into a high capacity magazine.
"another advantage to a 9mm is that you can get many more rounds into a high capacity magazine."
True. But, IMHO, only if you are in a gunfight.
Pete
True. But, IMHO, only if you are in a gunfight.
Pete
Wheel guns are easier to shoot and if you get a .357 you can practice with the .38. I hate to shoot .357 out of my gun it hurts but the .38 is easy.
For a semi auto I like the 1911 style guns but they are pretty bulky if it will be a concealed carry gun. An XD with all those shells in it is going to be heavy. The Glock , well I don't like Glocks, can't hit the broad side of a barn with them.
I would go with a .40 over a 9mm it is the best of both worlds comperable energy to a .45 and high capacity in most guns.
For a strictly concealed carry gun I sure am happy with my Kel-Tec p-3at in .380. I ahve not had it long but am happy with the way it shoots and it is pretty accurate for such a small dao gun.
For a semi auto I like the 1911 style guns but they are pretty bulky if it will be a concealed carry gun. An XD with all those shells in it is going to be heavy. The Glock , well I don't like Glocks, can't hit the broad side of a barn with them.
I would go with a .40 over a 9mm it is the best of both worlds comperable energy to a .45 and high capacity in most guns.
For a strictly concealed carry gun I sure am happy with my Kel-Tec p-3at in .380. I ahve not had it long but am happy with the way it shoots and it is pretty accurate for such a small dao gun.
Re: re: Question on newbie starting out and calibers....
Amen to everything killerb said. It is good to have a .45, but a .22 and a 9mm are necessities in my opinion, and the 9mm is a good all around gun.killerb said:Well, you can never have to many. I would suggest one of each, in every caliber and then go from there. :lol: But if you only have one handgun, you want it to be one that you can shoot a lot for fun and use for defense if need be. The 9mm fills that bill nicely. I also think every one should have a good .22 long rifle handgun like a Ruger Mark II/III, Browning Buck Mark, or S&W 22A. Revolvers are nice too, but the good quality ones like my S&W 617 cost a great deal more than the semiautos.
Be forewarned. Once you buy one, you will buy another, and then another, and so on. . .
Re: re: Question on newbie starting out and calibers....
:? Sorry, but I didn't get it.darkgael said:"another advantage to a 9mm is that you can get many more rounds into a high capacity magazine."
True. But, IMHO, only if you are in a gunfight.
Pete
Akr: Sorry....I was unclear. I should have written that the extra magazine capacity of most 9s is important only in a gun fight.
But that's just my .02.
I have number of .45s. It's been years since I loaded more than five rounds at a time into the Colts. The gun that I carry when I need to is a Glock 36 with its six round mag.
Even my highest capacity gun - an FN 5-7 with twenty round mags - only gets loaded five at a time at the range. It's a full sized service pistol and too big to carry when the other choice is the Glock.
Pete
But that's just my .02.
I have number of .45s. It's been years since I loaded more than five rounds at a time into the Colts. The gun that I carry when I need to is a Glock 36 with its six round mag.
Even my highest capacity gun - an FN 5-7 with twenty round mags - only gets loaded five at a time at the range. It's a full sized service pistol and too big to carry when the other choice is the Glock.
Pete
1 - 12 of 12 Posts
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