Handgun recommendations

The real answer is the gun that fits your hand and can be quickly and accurately shot. There are lots of folks in this thread sharing what they like and recommendations for beginners- which is good. Ignore anyone who tells you that you must buy "Brand X, Model Y", just because they like it. I can't tell you how many times the following scenario plays out at our shop every week...
"I want to buy a Glock"
"OK, any particular model you're looking for?"
"A Glock"
"Home defense, target shooting, concealed carry, etc?"
"A Glock"
"Any particular caliber?"
"A Glock"
Clearly, someone got into their head that Glock was the end all, be all pistol. Yes, Glocks are very good pistols, but many customers find other makes and models meld with their hands better than Glocks.

Stop by Masada Tactical LLC and fondle a bunch of our toys. I'm sure you'll find something your hands agree with.

I'm not sure where you live but if you're anywhere near Heritage in Frederick, you can rent just about every gun that's been mentioned and see how you like shooting it...before committing to buying it.

My first firearm was a Beretta 92FS in 9mm. It's very well made and couldn't be any easier to disassemble, clean, and reassemble.

I also reluctantly bought a G17 Glock. It's hideous but it has no other faults. Shoots EVERY DAMN TIME, it's accurate, and will be here long after I'm gone. I put fiber optic sights on it and an aftermarket trigger but it didn't need either to be a good home defense gun. Glocks just freakin work.

I own a couple of Ruger revolvers and have been very impressed with the build quality. I enjoy shooting revolvers more than semi's but it's personal preference.

If you have the money and are planning on buying multiple handguns, I'd recommend you start with a G17 or G19 and then explore everything else as time allows. If you're "one and done", go try some out to see what really works for you.

Home defense and first gun? Pickup a Glock 17 or m&p9. Get something full-size. They'll be easier to shoot, have more capacity, and higher velocity than the compacts and subcompacts. The reason for a glock or m&p instead of something else is that they have a lot of aftermarket support. Any light, holster, sights...etc will be made for a glock 17. If you get some other random-assed gun, you may be limited in options for those things(coming from a p99as owner).

Once you have the glock, a weapon light, and maybe a holster/belt too, then dump money in to training. Through training you'll learn what you like and don't like in guns/equipment and will pick up stuff that works for you. You can always trade-in the glock later for money towards a gun you like better later, if you want to.

For ammo, get 147 gr HSTs, Gold dots, ranger t, or some DPX. They'll all be pretty great. 147 gr and 124 +p are the go-to loads for 9mm defense. Get 9mm because it'll be easier to shoot and have greater capacity than anything bigger without real world "stopping power" trade-offs.

Get what fits your hand and you can shoot adequately well ....... As long as it doesn't inherently suck for the intended purpose . ( Without that disclaimer , the clueless and smart alecs will jump in about how a Ruger Mk IV .22lr fits their hand and shoots accurately .)

Going generic ;

Default recommendations for first/ potentially only centerfire handgun , all around useful , and reasonably adaquate for inherent purposes , absent an informed desire for something else on purpose :

Semiauto with +/- 4 inch bbl , ;grip long enough for All of YOUR fingers . Don't obsess over marginal differences in magizine capacity ( ie 13 vs 15 vs 17 ). With polymer or alloy frame .

OR

Medium frame ( 6 shot) DA Revolver with +/- 4 inch bbl .'

Both 9mm std and .38 +P are in the sweet spot of reasonably adequate ( your preferred term for felon dissuasion with alacrity ) with reasonably manageable recoil .

* In normal times * ammunition is readily available at decent prices . In times of shortage , the most popular calibers very quickly become very scarce and very expensive .

Masada Tactical said:

The real answer is the gun that fits your hand and can be quickly and accurately shot. There are lots of folks in this thread sharing what they like and recommendations for beginners- which is good. Ignore anyone who tells you that you must buy "Brand X, Model Y", just because they like it. I can't tell you how many times the following scenario plays out at our shop every week...
"I want to buy a Glock"
"OK, any particular model you're looking for?"
"A Glock"
"Home defense, target shooting, concealed carry, etc?"
"A Glock"
"Any particular caliber?"
"A Glock"
Clearly, someone got into their head that Glock was the end all, be all pistol. Yes, Glocks are very good pistols, but many customers find other makes and models meld with their hands better than Glocks.

Stop by Masada Tactical LLC and fondle a bunch of our toys. I'm sure you'll find something your hands agree with.

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Agreed. That is exactly what I did. Wanted to buy the Glock 19, but ended up with the Sig P320 because it just fit my hand better.

calicojack said:

I have noticed that the magnum rimfires are prone to hang fire or misfire. Even worse is a semi-auto rimfire. If it doesn't go bang you have to cycle the slide. At least with a revolver you can just keep on pulling the trigger.

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Main issue is the case has to be thick enough to handle the pressure without being too thick to reliably ignite the primer. Especially in handguns some thicker cased 22mag won't light reliably, where thinner cased ammo has extraction issues. You also have a good chance of defects where the priming compound is uneven around the rim, or poor stacking in semi-auto mags. There are a lot of reasons big bore rimfire went away over 100 years ago.

calicojack said:

If one has the resources to buy a braced 5.56 pistol with a suppressor, that would really be hard to beat. Not too loud. Low flash. Handy enough for indoors. And I think 5.56 might actually be less likely to over penetrate than (say) 9mm.

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Of course, although even unsuppressed 300BO or 9mm braced pistols aren't all that bad at the shooter's ear compared to a handgun. Often times people ask me for advice on a first defensive firearm, leaning towards a revolver as many people suggest them. I'll take them to the range, set a steel silhouette 25' out, place a s&w snubby, full size revolver, G19, and a 9mm PCC on the bench, count how many rounds they can hit with in 10 seconds. Usually get 1 or 2 from the revolvers, maybe 5 from the G19 and at least 10, maybe 20 or more from the PCC. It's not even remotely close, and for those with trouble cycling slides that big raptor handle on my ARs is easy.

My first 1911 was a Walther Arms Colt Government Tribute. Very reliable, but of course it's a .22 LR. Was a great gun to teach plinking to my 11-year old granddaughter - she much prefers it over my H&K VP9, heh...

One of these days I hope to have enough money to buy a Kimber, maybe the Desert Warrior

Biggfoot44 said:

Get what fits your hand and you can shoot adequately well ....... As long as it doesn't inherently suck for the intended purpose . ( Without that disclaimer , the clueless and smart alecs will jump in about how a Ruger Mk IV .22lr fits their hand and shoots accurately .)

Going generic ;

Default recommendations for first/ potentially only centerfire handgun , all around useful , and reasonably adaquate for inherent purposes , absent an informed desire for something else on purpose :

Semiauto with +/- 4 inch bbl , ;grip long enough for All of YOUR fingers . Don't obsess over marginal differences in magizine capacity ( ie 13 vs 15 vs 17 ). With polymer or alloy frame .

OR

Medium frame ( 6 shot) DA Revolver with +/- 4 inch bbl .'

Both 9mm std and .38 +P are in the sweet spot of reasonably adequate ( your preferred term for felon dissuasion with alacrity ) with reasonably manageable recoil .

* In normal times * ammunition is readily available at decent prices . In times of shortage , the most popular calibers very quickly become very scarce and very expensive .

Click to expand...

I like your thinking. After the OP got what he needs, he can buy cheap guns for fun: Taurus, Charter Arms, and so on.

Masada Tactical said:

The real answer is the gun that fits your hand and can be quickly and accurately shot.

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I took this advice and ended up with a HK VP9, Glock 17, Glock 19, Sig p320 all within short order.

That's the problem. You put a gun in my hand, it fits.

Cobol2Java said:

My first 1911 was a Walther Arms Colt Government Tribute. Very reliable, but of course it's a .22 LR. Was a great gun to teach plinking to my 11-year old granddaughter - she much prefers it over my H&K VP9, heh...

One of these days I hope to have enough money to buy a Kimber, maybe the Desert Warrior

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That's a gorgeous 1911.

SkiPatrolDude said:

I took this advice and ended up with a HK VP9, Glock 17, Glock 19, Sig p320 all within short order.

That's the problem. You put a gun in my hand, it fits.

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I am seeing that you are missing Taurus 856, Taurus 605, Ruger LCR, and Ruger LCRx.

This is an interesting thread, but then, these kinds of threads typically go this way.

OP: I'm looking for a 1911
Everyone Else: Get a GLOCK!

And then the arguments and discussion gets rolling about how 1911s can be finicky, find the gun that fits your hand, somewhere along the way caliber gets thrown in, then comes the discussion about recoil, and there are going to be a small handful of revolver advocates when it comes to home defense.

I've had a few things on the dresser for my gun for when something goes bump in the night - I've had semi-autos, and revolvers, 9mm, 45, and 44 Mag. Currently it's a 1911 in 45 ACP.

Do I trust that 1911 not to misfire? Yep. In my experiences with it at the range, it has literally eaten any and all ammo I've tried with it, to include 200 gr lead semi-wadcutter reloads, which can be finicky in some guns.

I think a 1911 can be a fine HD pistol. If I were looking to cut costs, I wouldn't go with the cheapest 1911 I could find - I'd probably get something from Springfield - they seem to do 1911s really well.

Given that the OP has not returned to the thread to give us any additional feedback I can only guess that the reason they wanted a 1911 is because it's a gun they like - it has nice aesthetics, and they tend to feel pretty good in the hand. I like the heck out of mine anyway.

On a side note, if I really wanted a 1911 with a rail, the Kimber Desert Warrior is nice, but I'd probably budget a couple hundred more and go for the Dan Wesson Specialist in Duty Coat (black) finish, although the stainless looks fantastic.

Here's the DW Specialist. Below is my Dan Wesson Valor after I swapped grips to the VZ Operator II in Hyena Brown, the same grips that come stock on the DW Specialist. They look a lot darker on mine, but I think that's just a lighting thing - they look VERY light on the pic of the Specialist.

Michigander08 said:

I am seeing that you are missing Taurus 856, Taurus 605, Ruger LCR, and Ruger LCRx.

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Taurus makes perfectly reliable firearms, especially the newer ones, but none of them particularly appeal to me.

That said my first handguns were actually a Taurus 627 followed by a Taurus 92FS. I ultimately sold both.

"I was looking at possibly getting an inexpensive model 1911, something in the $500 range"


I think we aren't listening to what the OP is saying. Pretty much he would be left with Philippines or Turkey imports.

https://www.budsgunshop.com/product_info.php/products_id/120708/sds+1911+carry+b45+45+acp


https://www.budsgunshop.com/product...ds+1911db45r+duty+45+45+acp+5in+cerakote+rail


https://www.wesellgunsforless.com/cproduct/653/rock-island-gi-standard-fs-45-acp-5

With FFL fee, that would push it over 500 bucks. He may as well just listen to Joe Biden and get a shotgun.

Michigander08 said:

"I was looking at possibly getting an inexpensive model 1911, something in the $500 range"


I think we aren't listening to what the OP is saying. Pretty much he would be left with Philippines or Turkey imports.

https://www.budsgunshop.com/product_info.php/products_id/120708/sds+1911+carry+b45+45+acp


https://www.budsgunshop.com/product...ds+1911db45r+duty+45+45+acp+5in+cerakote+rail


https://www.wesellgunsforless.com/cproduct/653/rock-island-gi-standard-fs-45-acp-5

With FFL fee, that would push it over 500 bucks. He may as well just listen to Joe Biden and get a shotgun.

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I think that this is one of these cases where the OP doesn't know what they don't know, and one of those things is that when it comes to 1911s, there's a price floor you don't really want to go below, and unfortunately prices have gone up. As Bryan Mills would say, "our costs go up, your costs go up - it's only logical."

Of course finding a new 1911 in stock with the features and the price point the OP wants is going to be the real challenge.

Right now there's a beautiful CZ 75B in matte stainless in our classifieds that I think would be a great gun for the OP - a bit more $$$ than $500, and no, it's not a 1911, but I still think it would be a sweet pistol. If I had the cash, I'd snag it myself.

trickg said:

Given that the OP has not returned to the thread to give us any additional feedback I can only guess that the reason they wanted a 1911 is because it's a gun they like - it has nice aesthetics, and they tend to feel pretty good in the hand. I like the heck out of mine anyway.

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Yup. I went down that road a while back. 1911's are just good looking guns and have a great history. I figure'd I'd add a .45 to the collection and went poking around. I ended up with my s&w m&p45. I couldn't rationalize why a 1911 would be better than it for the cost in really any way. The m&p45 is now my bedside gun, as I shoot it better than any of my other guns except maybe my p99as. I had an idea of what I thought I wanted, but then after factoring in reliability, ergonomics, capacity...etc, the m&p45 just ended up being the right gun for me.

m.ammer69 said:

Hey guys so just started the process of getting my HQL, very confident I'll be approved for it, happy to be able to purchase a handgun again. I've been looking at some pistols and have narrowed it down to a few but I was curious if you guys had some suggestions. I'm looking for something for home defense, doesn't have massive recoil, ammo is inexpensive and easy to get. I was looking at possibly getting an inexpensive model 1911, something in the $500 range, and was curious if anyone had any recommendations for brands that make a good model 1911. I was also consider getting a 22mag, but I'm not sure how well that would go for home defense. I love historical firearms and stuff you don't see very often.

Summary
1.suggestions on inexpensive model 1911's
2. Suggestions on good home defense rounds/pistols
3. Would a 22mag be good for home defense?

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1. None.
2. Glock 17. 124 or 147gr Speer Gold Dot or Winchester Ranger.
3. No.

trickg said:

This is an interesting thread, but then, these kinds of threads typically go this way.

OP: I'm looking for a 1911
Everyone Else: Get a GLOCK!

...

Click to expand...

trickg said:

I think that this is one of these cases where the OP doesn't know what they don't know...

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Which is why we say "Glock"

Michigander08 said:

"I was looking at possibly getting an inexpensive model 1911, something in the $500 range"


I think we aren't listening to what the OP is saying. Pretty much he would be left with Philippines or Turkey imports.

https://www.budsgunshop.com/product_info.php/products_id/120708/sds+1911+carry+b45+45+acp


https://www.budsgunshop.com/product...ds+1911db45r+duty+45+45+acp+5in+cerakote+rail


https://www.wesellgunsforless.com/cproduct/653/rock-island-gi-standard-fs-45-acp-5

With FFL fee, that would push it over 500 bucks. He may as well just listen to Joe Biden and get a shotgun.

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He wanted a good, cheap 1911 in an inexpensive light recoiling caliber, presumably for a first pistol to use at the range and home defense.

Basically "I love 70's muscle cars, what is the best one for very little money to use for a daily commuter with good gas mileage". The answer is Asian compact car.

A 9mm poly framed duty pistol would meet all criteria, except for not being a 1911. A single stack 1911 in 45ACP doesn't really meet any of the other criteria other than being a 1911.

I do own 1911s and like them, but they are limited compared to modern designs, more complex to run, less capacity, more weight etc.. I have a RIA in 38super/9mm, it was inexpensive and can have light recoil in an affordable caliber, but it took work to run well, same with a few others I have helped friends get running. No way would I trust it for defense, especially with modern HP ammo. IMO a 1911 is a great 2nd or 3rd pistol, but not a great first one. Generally a 9mm service model for your first do-all, then a 22 for fun and practice, then something cool to play with at the range.

smokey0118 said:

Yup. I went down that road a while back. 1911's are just good looking guns and have a great history. I figure'd I'd add a .45 to the collection and went poking around. I ended up with my s&w m&p45. I couldn't rationalize why a 1911 would be better than it for the cost in really any way. The m&p45 is now my bedside gun, as I shoot it better than any of my other guns except maybe my p99as. I had an idea of what I thought I wanted, but then after factoring in reliability, ergonomics, capacity...etc, the m&p45 just ended up being the right gun for me.

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All of that makes perfect sense. 1911s can be really really nice - I have 3 of them, and all of them are decently reliable, but when looking at guns from a pure functional vs price perspective, they just can't keep up with more modern designs, double stacked mags, and that kind of thing. They tend to be more expensive, and the more you expect to get out of a 1911, the more expensive it gets.

Currently there are just 2 reasons I have one of my Dan Wesson 1911s on the bedside:

1.) Tritium night sights
2.) I have legit HD ammo for it - I have HPs for the 9mm, but not true HD bullets with that design in mind.

As for shooting, I shoot revolvers better than any of my semi-auto pistols, but I'm not "bad" with any of my handguns. I have been known to shoot raggedy 1-hole groups at 10 yards with all of them.

jaredm1 said:

1. None.
2. Glock 17. 124 or 147gr Speer Gold Dot or Winchester Ranger.
3. No.

Which is why we say "Glock"

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No disagreements - whenever someone I know approaches me asking for advice about a gun to get, I invariably always say "Glock" right out the gate. I personally don't own one, but there are a bunch of good reasons why: (in no particular order)

1.) Availability - it's probably the most popular pistol in existence currently, so they tend to be pretty easy to get on both the new and used market, or at least they were prior to Covid.

2.) Price - always reasonably priced at or near $500, and less if you are Mil/LEO/First Responder.

3.) Accessories - probably more accessories and aftermarket parts available for Glock than all others combined, which means that there are plenty of choices for things like magazines, holsters, aftermarket barrels, guide rods, triggers, etc, and the prices will be lower than for other pistols.

4.) dead simple to operate and maintain

5.) Reliable - the reliability of the Glock is legendary, and I remember reading about them in gun magazines as a kid in the early 1980s when they first came out. They did extensive torture testing - water, sand, mud, no cleaning, etc - no matter what they threw at it, it just kept working.

6.) Lots and lots of options - everything from full sized, to extended length, compact, sub-compact, calibers, colors - there is a Glock out there for everyone, whether they know it or not.

It would be a good first pistol for just about anyone.

Hey guys so first may I say thank you to everyone who offered their advice and especially to those that really took the time to put in some really in-depth replies. I saw a few people noted I hadn't commented on the post. I saw the first 2 pages of comments and started doing some research and forgot about the post.

To start, I do already own a revolver, 1976/78 RG 22lr peacemaker, that I bought before the law changed, for many obvious reasons the peacemaker, it's just not a good choice for home defense. Because of living situation, I left home defense to my two shotguns. Now my living situation has changed, I need a handgun for defense. Also because of living situation, it's not really the safest to have a loaded revolver laying around, and with a pistol would at least be quick and easy to load without a speed loader.

I have a small collection, I tend to like older firearms or older models, I have a 120yr old target master, 90-100yr old Spanish Mauser, 70yr old Browning A5, and Rossi lever action, plus outside of historical firearms,I don't know too much, so the 1911 was the first to come to mind. I know it to be fairly reliable, durable and great in close quarters, and it would fit in with the rest of my collection. But outside of historical weapons I really don't know to much, thus why I made the post, in hopes to get some insight on some specific questions from other gun owners. I do plan to purchase other firearms in the future, and considering all the suggestions,I doubt it'll be my last handgun,let alone pistol.

Because I don't actually have my HQL yet (waiting to be approved) the shops around here won't allow anyone to even handle a pistol without it, but once it arrives I plan to take your advice and find something that fits my hand.I have handled a Beretta model 92&84 and found that it's actually difficult for me to reach the slide release. So that maybe an issue when it comes to getting a Glock, I know the Beretta and Glock use the wider staggered clips, which usually means a bigger grip. I have a lot of research and thinking to do, to really get a good idea of what I want.

I have been looking more into the 1911's and think I've really narrowed it down to what I would want. Stainless or blued steel, long beaver tail, skeleton trigger, 45acp/9mm and 5in barrel, I never realized how customization can be done to them. I've been looking at some of the cheaper brand names (Ruger, Taurus, Remington) as well as some of the off brands (rock island,irves Johnson, Springfield armory) and I think if I can't get a good used 1911, those might be decent alternatives. I would love to get your opinions on Citadel, SDS, Kimber, and Essex arm's.

Though I'm still leaning towards the 1911 for the most part I do now have some others in consideration like Glock and CZ.