I want to buy my first handgun - What should I get?
With recent events worldwide, many people feel that owning a firearm would be a good choice.
There are many options on the market, so I’ll try to make an order for the first-time gun owner.
The first thing you need to ask yourself is: What is the goal of the firearm?
Am I looking for a nightstand gun? Am I looking for a gun I can carry comfortably all day long? Am I looking for a truck gun?
The next thing you want to consider is my physical attributes. Do you have big hands or small hands? Are you a large-bodied, 6-foot-tall dude or a 4’3” petite woman?
Lastly, you need to figure out your budget. Make sure to leave some money for a good holster, ammunition, and range entrance fee so you can actually practice shooting the gun you’re buying.
A quick word about brands: there are many, many brands out there. In this article, we’ll mention the more common ones on the market. We will disregard the outliers (as magnificent as they may be) because we assume a first-time gun buyer is not looking to spend $4K on a handgun. If you do have such a great budget, give us a call; we’ll be happy to help you 😉
With all that in mind, let’s get into it. I’m going to go from small to large.
Ultra Sub Compact Category
These are tiny, almost toy looking, pistols that fits entirely in in the palm of your hand. The capacity will be 1-2 rounds normally and the caliber is usually small.
These are NOT recommended for the first time gun buyer. They are more of a novelty and always very unfriendly to the new shooter.
Our recommendation: Don’t.
BOND ARMS STINGER ROUGH STAINLESS 22 LR
MSRP: $269.00
TRAILBLAZER FIREARMS LIFECARD 22 LR
MSRP: $309.00
BOND ARMS GIRL MINI 357 MAGNUM | 38 SPECIAL
MSRP: $534.00
BOND ARMS GRIZZLY 410 BORE | 45 COLT
MSRP: $377.00
SubCompact Category
The subcompact category is split into two main groups: revolvers and semiautomatic pistols. We’ll get to the differences between the groups in a minute.
Both groups offer easy concealability. You can carry it in a holster in your front pocket, an ankle holster, or in a small handbag. For the ladies, there are special holsters that attach to your bra and can conceal a subcompact.
The downside of a subcompact is that being so small means people with large hands will struggle with getting a firm grip, and the short barrel makes the gun a bit snappy when shooting, which could deter a new shooter from practicing often with the gun.
Calibers: the sub compact category usually shoots calibers such as 380acp, 38spl, 32acp, and 22 lr.
Revolver or Semiautomatic?
Revolvers are great for reliability because of the simple design. You pull the trigger and it goes boom. Every time, 5-6 times. they’re weakness is two fold: in this size, the recoil is extra snappy and small frame shooters will not enjoy shooting them too much, and (in every size revolver) reloading is sssssllllloooooowwwww…
Are there solutions for quick reloads? Sure. Will a first time gun buyer take the time to master those? Probably not. So essentially you have those 5-6 rounds to defend yourself and that’s it.
Semiautomatic handguns on the other hand, have magazines so you can carry one in the gun and 1-2 more on you easily. They also allow you to “top” one more round than the magazine capacity by having one round in the chamber. Practicing changing a magazine is a lot(!) easier and every gun owner can pick that up in their first trip to the range.
Capacity
Revolves: 5-6 rounds total
Semiautomatic: 6-7 (+1 in the chamber)
Brands
Great: S&W, Glock, Berretta, Springfield Armory, Walther Arms
Good: Ruger, Kahr,
Decent: Taurus, RIA
Budget:
$200-$500
Our recommendation:
* Glock 42
* Ruger LCP380
* S&W 38sp
* Walther CCP 380
[Side Note: Beyond this point, we won’t mention revolvers. While many people swear by them, we feel a semiautomatic has a huge advantage in self-defense scenarios because, beyond the sub-compact concealability, there’s no other advantage to revolvers, only detractors. Please don’t send us hate mail…]
GLOCK G42 380 ACP
MSRP: $479.00
RUGER LCP 380 ACP
MSRP: $259.00
SMITH AND WESSON M&P BODYGUARD 38 38 SPECIAL
MSRP: $449.00
WALTHER ARMS CCP M2 380 ACP
MSRP: $499.00
Compact / Slim Category
This is one of the main two categories a first-time gun buyer will end up buying from. This category represents guns that are slightly larger than the subcompact yet are small enough to carry with you all day comfortably. They have manageable recoil, good stopping power caliber (most commonly 9mm), and many great options in an affordable price point.
At these sizes, we start seeing guns with optics capabilities, meaning you can add a red dot optic to the handgun for greater accuracy and speed of target acquisition. Huge benefit for first-time shooters and experienced shooters alike!
Capacity
9-13 rounds (+1 in the chamber)
Brands
Great: Glock, Springfield Armory, IWI, Sig Sauer
Good: Shadow Systems, S&W, Walther Arms,
Decent: Do you really want to put your life on a “Decent” gun?
Budget:
$400-$600 (no optics)
Optics: additional ($120-$300)
Our recommendation:
* Glock 43x
* IWI Masada Slim
* Springfield Armory XD-S MOD2
* Sig P365
* Shadow Systems CR920
GLOCK G43X 9MM
MSRP: $538.00
IWI MASADA SLIM 9MM
MSRP: $450.00
SPRINGFIELD ARMORY XD-S MOD.2 OSP 9MM
MSRP: $440.00
SIG SAUER P365 9MM
MSRP: $599.99
SHADOW SYSTEMS CR920 COMBAT 9MM
MSRP: $799.00
Mid-Size Category
In this category, we find the handguns that the more experienced shooters end up choosing to carry every day. These guns offer a higher capacity of rounds, longer barrels (better accuracy), the opportunity to mount other accessories such as flashlights, and more. Most law enforcement personnel carry these while off-duty and carry full-size guns while on-duty.
These also make great nightstand and “leave in the car” guns!
Common Calibers: 9mm, 40S&W, 45ACP
Capacity
13-17 rounds (+1 in the chamber)
Brands
Great: Glock, HK, Springfield Armory, IWI, Sig Sauer
Good: S&W, Walther Arms, FN, CZ
Decent: Do you really want to put your life on a “Decent” gun?
Budget:
$400-$600 (no optics)
Optics: additional ($120-$300)
Our recommendation:
* Glock 19/23
* IWI Masada Full Size
* HK VP9
* Springfield Armory XDM
* Sig P365 XL
* Beretta APX A1
GLOCK G19 G5 9MM
MSRP: $647.00
IWI MASADA 9MM
MSRP: $480.00
SPRINGFIELD ARMORY XD(M) ELITE 9MM
MSRP: $609.00
SIG SAUER P365 XL 9MM
MSRP: $679.99
BERETTA APX A1 9MM
MSRP: $499.00
Full-Size Category
In this category, we find the handguns that law enforcement puts their lives on the line with. We talk high-capacity magazines, optional optics, flashlights, and more. These guns will have longer barrels (4.5” and up) and a larger mass, so less recoil felt.
If you’re small-handed, these might be a bit too much, but check out the different brands; some might fit better than others.
Can you conceal carry a full-size gun?
Yes, but! It might not be comfortable for a long period of time (heavy or bulky), and a small-framed person might need extra loose clothes, a strong belt, or a decent-sized handbag.
These also make great nightstand and “leave in the car” guns, and if you don’t mind buying a used gun, there are many police trade-in guns that sell for a significant discount.
Common Calibers: 9mm, 40S&W, 45ACP
Capacity
13 or more rounds (+1 in the chamber)
Brands
Great: Colt, Glock, HK, Springfield Armory, IWI, Sig Sauer, Berretta
Good: S&W, FN
Decent: Do you really want to put your life on a “Decent” gun?
Budget:
$600+ (no optics)
Optics: additional ($120-$300)
Our recommendation:
Glock 17/45/47/22/21
HK VP9/VP40/45
Springfield Armory XDM (caliber variations)
Beretta 92 (caliber variations)
Colt 1911
GLOCK G17 G5 9MM
MSRP: $647.00
HECKLER AND KOCH (HK USA) VP9 9MM
MSRP: $979.00
SPRINGFIELD ARMORY XD TACTICAL ESSENTIALS PACK 45 ACP
MSRP: $623.00
BERETTA 92FS BRIGADIER 9MM
MSRP: $859.00
COLT 1991 GOVERNMENT 45 ACP
MSRP: $999.00
The Canon Category
Feeling like Dirty Harry or John Wick? This category is reserved for those weird big guns that require two hands from a 250-pound dude to control the recoil. Great to impress the guys on the range and to send that “I am compensating for something” message 😮
Seriously, these are not recommended for first-time shooters, both control-wise and budget-wise.
Common Calibers: 50AE, 500S&W, 44Magnum
Capacity
5-7 (+1 in the chamber)
Brands
Very few manufacturers venture into this category: Colt, S&W, Magnum Research, Taurus
Budget:
$800+ (no optics)
Optics: additional ($120-$300)
Our recommendation (If you absolutely insist):
Revolver: S&W500
Semiautomatic: Magnum Research Desert Eagle
SMITH AND WESSON 500 500 S&W MAGNUM
MSRP: $1,499.00
MAGNUM RESEARCH DESERT EAGLE 50 AE
MSRP: $3,207.00
A few important notes:
As mentioned, there are many other brands out there; some are better than others. We tried to keep this article simple and easy to understand, so we limited our selection to brands that have the best reputation in the market reliably.
- Guns, like cars, have an MSRP, but they usually sell for a lower price (request a quote today). The budget numbers we used are for the gun only. Please make sure to leave money aside for a good holster ($25-$150) and Ammo!
- Buy a safe! If you have kids or teens around, please, please, please buy a safe and keep the gun away from untrained hands!
- Practice, practice, practice! In real emergency situations, our body goes into fight or flight mode. You NEED to develop muscle memory with your gun so when you really need it, operating it would be second nature
- Safety or no safety: many of the modern guns do not have a safety. The debate over whether it’s good or bad is too long to be a side note here. Google it!
- Ammo: You should buy two kinds of ammo. Carry ammo (a.k.a. self-defense ammo), usually hollow point ammunition, AND cheap ammo (FMJ) for target shooting. Take your new gun to the range, use the cheap Ammo to zero the sights, get used to the recoil, practice reloading, etc. When you feel comfortable, shoot at least 2-3 magazines of the same defense ammo you will be carrying. Different Ammo behaves and feels different. You don’t want to be surprised when your life is on the line.
- Learn your state laws! Some states have rules about magazine capacity and who, how, and when can carry a gun in public, so before you order and before you leave the house with your new gun, make sure you know the law!
We hope this was helpful in making sense of all the options available to you as a first-time gun buyer.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us!