A great suggestion from Enzo_T, I’ve been doing that for a while. May I add one precaution: dry fire may also reinforce bad habits. The cure is to work with a certified instructor on a regular basis.
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My opinion is somewhat subjective since I’m am instructor but I wholeheartedly agree. I spend a lot more time undoing damage from bad habits than establishing correct fundamentals on a clean slate. The later is MUCH easier on the instructor and the student and quite a bit more cost effective.
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Thank you Kevin! It surely would be nice to handle a variety and see what feels right for me. Great tip, Thanks!
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Thanks, Stephen131! Now, to find one… lol
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Heather - another resource is your local chapter of A Girl and A Gun Women’s Shooting League. My Fiancee is the Facilitator for the Las Vegas chapter. The members of your local group will be happy to help . https://www.agirlandagun.org
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Thats great VegasTrenton! Thank you so much for the lead and support!
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Excellent! That is good to hear! Thank you Johnnyq60!
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Have you settled on a caliber choice, yet? I hope you’ve shot at least a .380, .38 Special, and a .40 S & W, to get the “feel” of them, and I hope they were quality handguns in the mix. I’m no expert, but I urge you to look at at least one ammo test online - “Lucky Gunner” - to compare calibers, bullet designs, penetration and expansion - we’re stuck with whatever test guns were used.
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Hi Kurt,
Thank you for asking! To answer your question, I have not shot any of those guns. I am a novice when it comes to firearms. I want to know how to avoid using a gun (except for the sport) but to be prepared to save lives or my own if need be.
I am a constant seeker of knowledge is this is my new interest. I am actively seeking mentors in my area.
Thus far, I am honing in on a 9 mm Pistol. Do they make them in this modern age that are triggered by a flint spark? And if so, would gun the supplies need be more available and less expensive than ammunition?
I am meeting with two a few firearms teachers but would like the right one with a schedule close to mine for practice. I have applied for my CCW. I would like a lot of experience shooting and trying on different holsters and gun to see what the right one is for me.
If you know of anyone in the central to Northern part of Arizona please let me know, I would love to meet and and gain further knowledge.
Thank you for your inquiry!
Heather
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I’m writing to you from Akron, OH - I almost moved to AZ in 1985, but hesitated when I read about the fresh water problems they were having then - and spent 16 years in SC until 2004. If a 9mm is your choice, go online and look at offerings from Sig Sauer, Walther, H & K (Heckler & Koch), Kahr Arms, Beretta, S & W, CZ, & Springfield Armory, for a start - for ammo, shop Winchester, Federal, CCI, and Hornady. The .380 was developed from the 9mm by John Moses Browning in 1908 , to fire the lighter 9mm bullets in a shorter case - one of its nicknames is “the baby nine”. All of these brands represent high quality and consistency, and you can go a little nutsy at all the choices you have - your final choices will depend on visiting as many shops as you can, to look at and handle as many pistols as you can- contact me again before you actually shop.
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Kurt,
I have struggled with the lack of water yet, back again!
I wish I could see your collection! I went to the range today and shot a semi automatic pistol at 7yard range and hit at least half in the 10 zone, 9’s on the others. Wonderful few hours with a local Range officer. Great sport. It clears your mind.
Thank you for all the tips on the gun selection, brands and manufacturers. I will refer to it down the road.
What would you suggest for a first firearm? I appreciate it.
Heather
Thank you for your time and education Kurt
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I had what I call a “using” collection at one time, but had to sell/trade them off when I went broke and homeless in SC. I forgot to mention that Sig Sauer is making ammo, now - their “V-Crown” hollowpoint is their entry into the self-defense market. Also add Ruger and Magnum Research. to your gun list. I can’t advise you on a first handgun, but as a 1st-timer, I’d suggest that you look for a DA/SA (double-action/single-action) model - hammer-fired with a definite hammer for SA cocking, and a slide-mounted thumb-safety. One pistol - the Magnum Research Baby Desert Eagle III - is one to really look at as a first choice. This is their 3rd- generation version, and is now made by the BUL Armory in Israel, with better fit and finish than the Gen II. Here, you have a choice of all-steel (38 oz.) or steel-polymer (28 oz.), with re-designed grips, and a CZ-styled slide-to-frame fit, full-size or semi-compact models, and all the features I just mentioned. Match barrels and good 3-dot sights, too, plus no-tools takedown. If you haven’t seen one, this is the reason you should go to shops to look at and handle as many pistols as you can. Wish I could go, too.
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When you go shopping, make a list of the makes and models you want to see, and call the shops to find what’s in stock. Most revolvers now come with good grips, What I consider most important in choosing a pistol is “grip-fit”. If I can hold a pistol so that I can cover the nail on my middle finger with my thumb, while my pinky is supported and I can still reach the trigger and controls, that pistol has a good grip-fit for me. Several - even Glock - makers now have models that offer you interchangeable grip panels and backstraps so that you can customize your grip. A first-class shop will take the time to fit you, just like you’re buying shoes.
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Wow thanks for all the great information Kurt!
I’m sorry to hear of your struggles. This seems to be a good network to feel a part of something.
Why can’t you go?
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Definitely with you on the homework part. Finding the right is light find a class shoe. I will know when I have found the one! It’s actually quite exciting! lol Thank you Kurt!
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I meant that I can’t go shopping with you for your 1st pistol. When you check prices, remember that what you’ll see are MSRPs - German-made guns are high because of our rate-of-exchange with them - many of these companies here act as distributors, not manufacturers. You should also look at accessories - the best snap-caps are A-Zooms, and the best mag loader I’ve found is the Maglula - it definitely saves your thumbs during a long shooting session. I never buy used guns, or a shop’s display model - I want only out-of-the-box new, with a full factory warranty - you don’t know what’s been put through them, or how many people have handled them.
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P.S, - I did a little more research, and now I can recommend the Baby Eagle III as a first-choice gun. Go to the Magnum Research site and look at the photos, and read the specs on the 4 models they offer - put these at the top of your shopping list. The numbers - such as barrel lengths - are odd, but they’ve been converted from metric to standard measurements. The frames have been slimmed down from the Gen II to save more weight, and offer a flatter profile. H & K has a new model, also, Look at the new Steyr pistols, too - they’ve retained their trapazoidal sights, which give you a unique sight-picture. Keep on keepin’ on.
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P.P.S. - In your searching, I’ve forgotten to mention online reviews. Many of these will have videos where guns are tested, and shot at steel targets - you can’t see the hits, but you’ll hear them - dink, dink, dink - usually with one brand of ammo. Others will show new models from this year’s SHOT (Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade) show, an annual event held in Las Vegas.
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Wonderful Kurt, thank you! What is the cheapest ammunition for a beginner gun? Is the ammo on the guns above expensive?
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