So I just got back from Las Vegas today and while I was there I went to a gun range and shot a couple of guns. I shot an M4 carbine, .308 bolt action rifle, ak47, mp5, a 12 gauge lever action, FN Five-seveN, and a desert eagle.

I know, all of these are pretty exotic for first time owner. I just want some advice/ general heading for a handgun or shotgun that's good for a beginner to shoot at a range and pretty cheap.

P.S. Las Vegas is a freaking lifted truck heaven! I saw at least 7 everyday and I come from a city where I've seen 4 or 5 lifted trucks other than mine.

 

as far as a cheap reliable shotgun goes, a remington 870 is a pretty good place to start imo. for handguns I prefer some of the larger calibers myself, but there are lots of very knowledgeable guys here that im sure will chime in. good luck with your new hobby! p.s. im on my phone now but I will have to look later. there is one of those motovational posters that says .44 magnum - settling that whole 9mm- .45 acp debate for 35 years

 

1911A1, pure and simple.

 

Springfield XD or Glock.

Remington 870 or Mossberg 500.

 

Take a look at the Sig P220 series.

I have one in 45, and a .38 Super w/ the European mag release.

Nice frame size, and accurate out of the box with factory iron sights.

You can look at the other frame sizes, I also have a P229 in .40 SW / .357 Sig, but the grip shape just never felt quite right to me.
It is wider, but not huge. Almost like a stubby version of the Desert Eagle, which I think is a great pistol in .50 AE. Hard to explain the grip shape, it is something you would have to try.
Nice to swap out of the barrel and clip, and shoot a different caliber, but I would put that down the list of things for a 1st pistol.

 

Remington 870

 

That was actually going to be my suggestion, too. I have a P220 Combat in .45ACP. It's a great gun, and like SSCULLY said, it's accurate out of the box. Any 1911 is good, too. The advantage to those, is the large number of interchangeable parts. Just about any 1911 part from any 1911 gun will fit on another 1911, with a few exceptions.

Best bet is to get out there and just hold/shoot them. For example, some people swear by Glock and, while they're a good gun, I just don't find them as comfortable or as natural to shoot as I do my P220.

 

go to a pawn shop and buy a cheap .22 and have fun

 

.22 handgun to start off,cheap to shoot.

 

My suggestion would be either a .22LR handgun or a .357 revolver because with the .357 you can shoot either .38 or .357 rounds out of it depending what you want to do and they are pretty inexpensive to buy. I have a Glock 30 and a 1911 clone and I love them both the Glock is my carry gun and the 1911 is my nightstand gun.

 

For a pistol, the 22 will be by far the cheapest to shoot and is a great place to start. But if you are looking for more gun, look at the 9mm. Ammo is reasonable and there are tons of it around the world being used. There probably will never be an ammo shortage of 9mm like there is for some of the more exotic cartridges like the 357 Sig. Recoil is light which is important for a beginning shooter. As far as which pistol to buy, that's a personal thang. It's like me telling you which girl to marry. Look for what is attractive to you with features you find desirable. There are endless features from single action automatics, double action autos, single shot, and revolvers. I personally would suggest starting with a 357 revolver for the above stated reasons- you can shoot cheaper 38's in it but still have the capability of more power if need be. Research the weapons that you think you might like and go to a range and rent it. You may find that after you have shot it that it doesn't fit your hand or doesn't feel right. But know before you put the money down. That will make the experience far more pleasurable.

Shotguns can be a mixed bag. Depending on just how interested in the sport you are determines what you should be looking at. If hunting, the Remington 870 is pretty much the standard by which the other pump shotguns are judged. They are a reliable platform but there are better and more expensive out there. You may want to look at an over and under if you think shooting clays will be the primary useage. Then you have to make the decision on what gauge to buy. I shoot them all and enjoy the 20 and 28 ga more than a 12 or 10 gauge. Unless there is some sort multiple shots required in a competition shoot, I'll most likely show up with a single shot gun. They are a lot more fun and they'll make you get on target instead of filling the air with lead. A single shot is also cheap, cheap to buy. I favor the old beat up guns because you can buy them for under $50.00, clean 'em up and have a far better shooting gun than the newer crap. But it's up to you as to what you want. If you want an auto, look to Benelli- they're are by far the best.

 

Thanks for all the help guys. My dream gun is a 1911 but all the ones I have seen have cost around $1000 and that's way outta my price range. Right now I'm leaning towards a Remington 870 because I am only 19 and legally can't buy a handgun yet. The price on the 870 is also right where I want to spend for now so its looking like that might end up being my first gun.

 

I'm a mossberg 500 fan but the remington 870 is a good choice, there is also a .22 rifle, you can find 'em cheap all over the place and they are fun and affordable to shoot

 

Smith and Wesson 500, non compensated. If you can shoot it, one-handed, you can shoot anything.

 

Hahahaha! I shot 5 rounds out of one of those. One was strong arm and the rest with two hands. I swear I had a bruise in the palm of my hand and I was standing 3 feet further back when I was done. Everybody else in the range was staring at me, since most of their ammo was jumping around their counters.

Moral of the story: A S&W 500 in an indoor range is a lot of fun for the person shooting it, not so much fun for everyone else.

It was expensive too. The range was charging $8CAD per shot. It's the only range here that has one, though.