WOW !

Thanks to everyone so far who has responded.

I have a lot of researching to continue doing.

All your comments are appreciated!!!!

 

Unless I missed it, you still haven't really answered why? Why do you want a 9mm - what are you going to do with it, all that jazz. Are the ballistics what have sold you on it? Relatively cheap ammo? Readily available accessories? Small frame for concealed carry? What?

My best friend has an original Beretta 92F, and it shoots like a dream (of course - AFTER a trigger job). However, it isn't all that comfortable in my hand, so I personally wouldn't own one. I am far more comfortable with my Colt Govt models (in .45ACP and .380ACP).

Best advice you can get - hold any gun you are considering in your hand before you plop down the cash, and if at all possible, shoot it. It doesn't do any good to buy it if you aren't comfortable with it.

 

I've used Taurus, Beretta, Ruger and S&W. I didn't like the Taurus and Beretta I had a hard time hitting anything with them. Both were 9mm. The Beretta was a military issued weapon the Taurus was a friends. I own a Ruger P89 I've made 45-50 yds shots with it all day long with out any problems. The S&W I use is the same as the Walther P99. My concealed holster is actually for the Walther. The Smith is a department issued weapon and is .40. It has had a lot of rounds put through it and only jams when using cheap ammo. If I use the hollow points I have for on duty it has no problems otherwise it can be a bit picky. The Smith is my favorite I have used so far. It has a little more kick than the 9's but also a lot more stopping power.

 

kobiashi, are you set on a 9mm. I had a 9mm before and found it kind of anemic. I now have 2 .40 (unfortunately I haven't fired either yet) and a .45. The .40s are a Beretta and a Sig. The Sig has a conversion barrel for .357 Sig cartridge (.40 case, .357 bullet). As for the .45, it is a Kimber and an excellent handgun. I would not hesitate to buy another. And fun to shoot.
The 9mm I had was a Ruger. No problem with the gun, just didn't like the cartridge.

 

kobiashi - what are you looking to use the gun for? Just range target practice, home protection, CC?

I have been researching 9mm also and I'm down to the Glock 19, a SIG, or the P99. The deciding factor for me will be finding a gun store around that will let me rent/try before I buy. So whichever feels best is going to be my choice.

The reason I'm looking at 9mm is that they are cheaper to shoot. Since NJ does not give CC licenses, I have much better home protection means; cheap, fun and reliable on my requirements.

If you are going to be using for other then just target shooting purposes, you may really want to look into a larger caliper.

Also check out:
http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/index.php

Those forums have alot of info.

 

The reason(s) are for range target practice, and to learn about guns, how to use them, how to care for them, what it's all about, etc. It's certainly not for CC (not in this state . . . where it has almost become illegal for police to carry guns . . . and is about to become illegal for them to carry flashlights). Politicians can't even get CC here in Lost Angeles . . . only the gang members (of which there are many) carry guns here.

Choose 9MM as it seems to be the most common gun I see / hear about, so I assumed it's the easiest to get, get parts for, learn to use, care for, etc. etc. etc. (although I may be way wrong about that and that's what I'm trying to learn.)

Like any tool, I know that I will have to try various models/types to see what I feel most comfortable. However, at the moment, I am still in the read and laern stage. The Glock 19 seems to be the more popular on the forums I have viewed. All Mfgs. have their supproters (like Ford has it's fans here). I had read about the guns I mentioned at the beginning, but had only come across one person who mentioned the Walther P99 (and they had the .40 version). No one responded to his mention of it, so I'd thought I'd ask about it here since I know a lot of folks here are experts with firearms.

So for now, research, then learn to use and target practice. I feel that at least having a basic working knowledge of guns would be a good thing to know.
(This from a long time democrat who always favoured gun control . . . now about to change party affiliation and who becomes more conservative the older he gets).

 

9mm is a great choice for what you want. The ammo is cheap, and the firearm is powerful enough for home defense.

Glocks are very popular, which was helped out by Tommy Lee Jones' endorsement of them in U.S. Marshalls - similarly in the 80s, Berreta was popular because of Mel Gibson using one in the Lethal Weapon movies.

Some people don't like Glocks because of the storied kabooms, which typically result from using ball lead and not cleaning them - and some people don't like Berreta because they saw the asian guy in Lethal Weapon 4 take apart Mel Gibson's Berreta (solution - pull the trigger quicker).

Again, I highly recommend you check www.thehighroad.org I learned a lot there, and I considered myself fairly knowledgeable when I first started browsing the site. There are many people there that can help you learn the things you mentioned, and a lot more.

 

One thing I will say for whatever you choose. Please take a safety course. When I started shooting in the sixties, before they would let you on the range at the junior rifle club, you had to take a safety course. This was much more than what most states require to purchase handguns. This included everything from how to adjust the sights, to using a gun safely while hunting. I am very anti-gun control, but this is one I personally feel should be a requirement. I would also have others living in your home take the course.
As for choosing a 9mm, this is a nice first handgun. Personally, after 40 years of shooting and myexperiences, I wish I would have bought a model 1911 .45 as the first. It fits better in my hand as there is not a staggered stack magazine. It just feels comfortable for me. It also makes a good target shooter and home defense gum. Just my personal preference.

 

kingfish51 -

Absolutely.

Like I said, I know nothing about guns so I wouldn't even consider buying without first having had classes (which is also how I'll get to try different models)

There is a gun shop that was highly reccommended, I stopped in to look just this morning. Spoke to the owners, and they stressed taking classes before they would even sell me something.

That said, I'm still at the reading and learning all I can in the virtual sense before I take that step.

K

 

Actually They better have said you had to have the course. It is required in California.

Here's a sight that has a quick overview of the laws by state.

http://www.nraila.org/media/misc/compendium.htm

And I am very glad you had already thought of that.

Here is a sight that lists at least some of the places that give safety courses. I am not sure how comprehensive the courses are, but you can contact them for info.

http://www.nrahq.org/education/train...State=CA&Type=

No, I am not trying to push the NRA, even though I am a life member. But they are a good place for info.

 

Just a personal preference I like 'em to have some kind of external safety. A lever like the Beretta's is good but I like the the palm safety's more.

 

Kobiashi

I have to agree with Kingfish, the Kimber is a nice weapon.
I have owned a few from glocks 9mm to S&W 40.
Last year I bought my Kimber Custom Target 45 ACP and love the gun. It has a very good grip, adjustable trigger, breaks down nicely for cleaning and is very acurate. I shoot a couple times a year at matches were you go thru obsticle coarses shooting. I have doubled my score since getting this gun.
I have blown better than 1500 rounds thru it, just 200 last sat, and have never had a jam or miss fire.

9mms are good starters but once you get comfortable shooting you will want to move up in cal.
40 cal. is great but found 45 ACP tends to be more acurate with not much more recoil.


Sled...

 

If you are just beginning, and you really want to learn the basics.
Buy yourself a 22 caliber pistol and several thousand rounds of ammo. (500 rounds for $10) Then practice at an NRA range with an instructor until you become comfortable with your skills.

When you learn the basics of marksmanship and safe firearms handling then you should try various models of 9 mm's .40 cal's & .45 cal and find out what fits you and what you can shoot the best.
A firearm that fits one person may not fit you very well.
So try before you buy.

I hope this helps

 

9mm Taurus pistol is what you need for now. I shoot a .40 cal Glock. Good gun but expensive to shoot. I also got a 357 Colt King Cobra. Good pistol and cheap to shoot. Best thing about it is when you run out of ammo you can use it as a pair of brass knuckles. Darn thing is heavy.

 

Full Auto makes a good point. You can't beat a .22 pistol for fun, cheap plinking day in and day out. An excellent choice for a .22 semi-auto would be a Browning Buckmark. Or, if you really want to start out with a larger frame auto, you could always go with a Colt Govt model and get the .22LR conversion kit they have for it. Regardless, it sounds like you are headed down the right path, with gathering information, getting some training, and making an informed decision.

Definitely let us know what you end up with.