Looking for my first handgun

Yea, I just need to find a range I guess. Don't they typically have guns at a range for you to test/shoot?

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Yea, I just need to find a range I guess. Don't they typically have guns at a range for you to test/shoot?

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This. I probably spent $200 at a local range figuring out what I liked to shoot that was small enough I could carry it. Wound up going with the G27.

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Yea, I just need to find a range I guess. Don't they typically have guns at a range for you to test/shoot?

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Yes, but I would call to be sure. And there will, typically, be a rental fee for the gun.

There are myriad of choices, but it comes down to:

polymer versus metal frame and

striker fired versus SA/DA

- most defensive pistols today are striker fired (Glock or M&P) or SA/DA (Sig Classic, Beretta, Walther, Ruger) - DAO has fallen out of favor to striker (but you might see some), and SA is old school M1911-derived designs (which are great, but if you're not already a shooter, it is more of a fun gun - folks carry them for defense, but it takes many more repetitions on the manual of arms, IMHO, than Glock/M&P or Sigs require for life or death proficiency).

After that, you're settling on a particular brand and model because you shoot it well, it fits your hand right, fits your budget, etc.

Buy a Colt

Also shopping for my first. Considering either the Ruger SR1911, SR9, or the CZ 75 SP-01 Tactical that was recommended by a friend. Anybody familiar with these?

I'll quote one of my stickied threads about firearm sizes to understand exactly what it is that you're looking for. I would think you would be leaning towards a full sized one for home defense:

So with handguns (in this case 9mm) I see about 5 different sizes. I'll list them in descending order:

1. Extended slide/competition length (barrel over 4.5"; full sized frame)
2. Full sized (barrel 4.25"-4.5"; full sized frame)
3. Mid sized (Barrel 4"; full sized frame)
4. Compact (Barrel 3.5"; shortened grip)
5. Subcompact single stack (Barrel 3"-3.5"; shortened grip; single stack magazine)

Where this differs slightly is with 1911s. You have:

1. Government (5" barrel; full sized frame)
2. Commander (4.25" barrel; full sized frame)
3. Hybrid (4.25" barrel; shortened frame)
4. Officer (3.5" barrel; shortened frame)

There will obviously be some variation in your polymer pistol sizes, but for the most part I would say those 5 categories are the main ones. Some companies will blur the lines of sizes (like the Beretta PX4 "compact" and the Springfield XD "subcompact") that will generally fit in a different category. The PX4 compact is more of a midsized than a compact and the Springfield XD subcompact is really more of a compact. You have to look at the specs or hold them to notice this so it's good to feel the guns before purchasing.

Now if you think you MAY carry the gun that would mean you should stick with something mid sized or smaller. Remember, if you don't plan on carrying the gun, it's always smarter to get a full sized because of its numerous advantages over a compact or subcompact gun:

1. Longer grip (which also gives...)
2. Higher magazine capacity
3. Longer sight radius
4. Less felt recoil (because of the weight)
5. Higher muzzle velocity (from the longer barrel)
6. Full length rail (covers a wider range of accessories)

The only place that a full sized gun loses out on in terms of carry is weight and size. That's pretty much it. A full sized gun will almost always be more shootable than its compact counterpart.

Full sized guns can be concealed and there are some people that do it with relative ease. But generally, a full sized gun will start to be left at home. While it gives you the highest capacity and the highest potential to put accurate shots on target, it isn't as easy to tote around as a compact. Some popular full sized polymer striker-fired guns are:

S&W M&P
Springfield XD
Glock 17
Ruger SR9
FN FNS9

The very popular Glock 19 fits in the mid sized category. It has a slightly shortened frame compared to a full sized but still is long enough to get all your fingers on the grip. Some other mid sized guns are:

Walther PPQ
HK VP9

Compact pistols have a shortened grip for your ring and middle finger with the pinky finger dangling because it is less likely to print when carried concealed. But with the shortened frame comes less control-ability. There is always a tradeoff. Most full sized guns have a compact counterpart so I won't list any here.

The upside of compact pistols are that they can accept a full sized magazine of their full sized counterparts. So if you think you might carry the gun but it may spend most of the time stored away, I usually suggest this size as a compromise since you can load the full sized mag or the shortened mag. Some guns like the Ruger SR9c come with both a full sized magazine and a shortened magazine. It is great for this role.

Subcompact single stack guns I usually only suggest if you are guaranteed to carry it. They have a very thin profile but a lower magazine capacity since the magazine is thinner. The upside of these guns is that they virtually disappear when carried and carry very comfortably.

So to sum up, if you don't plan on carrying it, I would suggest a full sized gun regardless if it's for your house or your car. If you think you may carry it sometimes or already have a dedicated single stack carry gun, I'd suggest the compact. You can always have more than one gun in a carry rotation. And finally if you know you'll carry it, I would get a single stack subcompact.

I guess my next question is.. Should I have two guns? One for my car and one for my house. Also, I am not sure about the carrying laws in Missouri and I honestly don't think I will need to carry but it is always a nice option.

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Should I have two guns?

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To the average person it seems easier to stick with one gun that does everything. But it's much more practical to get multiple guns for different needs so it's good that you're open to it.

Now, for a home defense gun and a car gun, the role of the gun will be generally the same since a full sized gun will fit both roles.

But if you're like me and like to have a mobile gun in the car that can be carried at times, I think it's good to go with a compact or a subcompact in this case. I like going with the subcompact in this case because I have a single-clip holster that is very easy to take on and off. A double stack handgun is carried more comfortably in a leather holster with a dual-clip design. I'll show you each.

Single-clip holster with a Glock 43 (size category - single stack subcompact)



Dual-clip holster with an XDm compact (size category - double stack compact)



If you don't know what I mean about "single stack" and "double stack" I'm referring to the width of the magazine. If a gun uses single stack magazines it has a much thinner profile. Here's what I mean:

On the left is the M&P Shield (single stack) and the right is an M&P9 compact (double stack)



As you can see one has a much thicker profile. The single stack gun will be more comfortable to carry but will minimize you on rounds. So it's really a question of how much comfort you're willing to sacrifice for number of rounds. For what it's worth, I have both a double stack compact (M&P9c) and a single stack subcompact (Kahr CM9) in my carry rotation. This is where buying multiple guns makes it easier to carry with different types of clothing.

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I honestly don't think I will need to carry but it is always a nice option.

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Missouri has pretty good gun laws and the permitting setup is very similar to ours if I remember correctly. You shouldn't have a problem getting a permit or anything if you plan to carry down the road.

I also cannot stress the importance of this enough:

Take a true defensive handgun course if you start carrying.

A defensive handgun course is not the initial CC handgun course. That is mostly a course on self defense law and use of force. A true defensive handgun course consists of different drills and different shooting positions. It also incorporates shooting on the move which is something no stationary shooting range can allow you to do. The most important thing is that you shoot multiple hundreds of rounds to build muscle memory and proficiency. Repetition is the only way for a skill to become instinctual.

Hopefully this was helpful.

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I'll quote one of my stickied threads about firearm sizes to understand exactly what it is that you're looking for. I would think you would be leaning towards a full sized one for home defense:

So with handguns (in this case 9mm) I see about 5 different sizes. I'll list them in descending order:

1. Extended slide/competition length (barrel over 4.5"; full sized frame)
2. Full sized (barrel 4.25"-4.5"; full sized frame)
3. Mid sized (Barrel 4"; full sized frame)
4. Compact (Barrel 3.5"; shortened grip)
5. Subcompact single stack (Barrel 3"-3.5"; shortened grip; single stack magazine)

Where this differs slightly is with 1911s. You have:

1. Government (5" barrel; full sized frame)
2. Commander (4.25" barrel; full sized frame)
3. Hybrid (4.25" barrel; shortened frame)
4. Officer (3.5" barrel; shortened frame)

There will obviously be some variation in your polymer pistol sizes, but for the most part I would say those 5 categories are the main ones. Some companies will blur the lines of sizes (like the Beretta PX4 "compact" and the Springfield XD "subcompact") that will generally fit in a different category. The PX4 compact is more of a midsized than a compact and the Springfield XD subcompact is really more of a compact. You have to look at the specs or hold them to notice this so it's good to feel the guns before purchasing.

Now if you think you MAY carry the gun that would mean you should stick with something mid sized or smaller. Remember, if you don't plan on carrying the gun, it's always smarter to get a full sized because of its numerous advantages over a compact or subcompact gun:

1. Longer grip (which also gives...)
2. Higher magazine capacity
3. Longer sight radius
4. Less felt recoil (because of the weight)
5. Higher muzzle velocity (from the longer barrel)
6. Full length rail (covers a wider range of accessories)

The only place that a full sized gun loses out on in terms of carry is weight and size. That's pretty much it. A full sized gun will almost always be more shootable than its compact counterpart.

Full sized guns can be concealed and there are some people that do it with relative ease. But generally, a full sized gun will start to be left at home. While it gives you the highest capacity and the highest potential to put accurate shots on target, it isn't as easy to tote around as a compact. Some popular full sized polymer striker-fired guns are:

S&W M&P
Springfield XD
Glock 17
Ruger SR9
FN FNS9

The very popular Glock 19 fits in the mid sized category. It has a slightly shortened frame compared to a full sized but still is long enough to get all your fingers on the grip. Some other mid sized guns are:

Walther PPQ
HK VP9

Compact pistols have a shortened grip for your ring and middle finger with the pinky finger dangling because it is less likely to print when carried concealed. But with the shortened frame comes less control-ability. There is always a tradeoff. Most full sized guns have a compact counterpart so I won't list any here.

The upside of compact pistols are that they can accept a full sized magazine of their full sized counterparts. So if you think you might carry the gun but it may spend most of the time stored away, I usually suggest this size as a compromise since you can load the full sized mag or the shortened mag. Some guns like the Ruger SR9c come with both a full sized magazine and a shortened magazine. It is great for this role.

Subcompact single stack guns I usually only suggest if you are guaranteed to carry it. They have a very thin profile but a lower magazine capacity since the magazine is thinner. The upside of these guns is that they virtually disappear when carried and carry very comfortably.

So to sum up, if you don't plan on carrying it, I would suggest a full sized gun regardless if it's for your house or your car. If you think you may carry it sometimes or already have a dedicated single stack carry gun, I'd suggest the compact. You can always have more than one gun in a carry rotation. And finally if you know you'll carry it, I would get a single stack subcompact.

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That's like asking for it