Yesterday was a wonderful day, despite the rain and what seemed like gale force winds here in south central Mn. I woke up early and felt like a kid on Christmas morning, it was finally the 10th day of me waiting for my PTP. I went down to the station and lo and behold, there was that wonderful little piece of paper with my name on it! I was then off to my home town dealer (
http://www.ahlmans.com/) to make my first ever handgun purchase. I had been looking at various models from various companies but had kept an open mind as to which I would buy. I was looking in the $400-$500 pre tax range, which kept my options some what limited but thats life. Once at the store I began looking over their selection of both new and used, keeping in mind my preset spending limit. I had been in a few weeks prior and handled the likes of the XD-M 9, the HK USP .40, S&W MP .40 and of those the S&W felt the best in hand. This trip I also was introduced to the SR9, and I must say I liked it almost immediately! Not speaking on specs, but it felt much lighter in hand than all of the aforementioned models. The reversible 'backstrap' was a nice addition that gave it a nice fit in my hand. Trigger pull felt good to me, and I also liked the added thumb safety. My choice had been made.
I produced my PTP, filled out the necessary papers and eagerly awaited the NICS phone call..... At this point I was not worried at all, but a little hesitant in my excitement, as I have heard stories of NICS wanting to further check on the purchaser. After a few tense minutes I was given the all clear and I was happily on my way! Had it not been for the rain and wind I would have hit the range at that very moment, but I was not in the mood to get sopping wet. After a long night of fully reading the user manual and throughly handling my new handgun, I'm ready to hit the range!
As for my experience at Ahlman's; they are my first choice when looking to buy. They are polite, kind, knowledgeable, and always helpful. No matter who helps a customer out, this is the kind of service you will undoubtedly receive. If you are ever in the area and looking to buy, a trip to their shop is well worth it.
. Second issue was a FTE, which I believe was directly related to the first.