newbie here could use some advice

[grousemaster]

Look at the technical aspects of the gun, and if it hits all of your markers, great, but trust your feeling the first time you hold it. If it doesn't feel right, don't get it. The first impression is the one to trust. I held a few XDm .45ACPs before I found the one I went with. That has never failed me, trusting my instincts.

Are you saying the QC is so bad that there's a noticeable difference in the dimensions of a production polymer pistol?

[grousemaster]

oreover, try several potential options and find out what you like and dislike. It'd be a bummer to buy something only to find out you dislike it.

THIS!! ^5

Once you bought it, it's yours. Make certain (as much as you can) that you like it enough to keep it before you buy it.

Or sell the one's you don't like, as a means of "long term rental". It's too hard to get a feel for a gun in one session, some pistols take acclimating to. I've owned so many damn pistols I am familiar with basically every platform. Wouldn't have it any other way.

[Erud]

oreover, try several potential options and find out what you like and dislike. It'd be a bummer to buy something only to find out you dislike it.

THIS!! ^5

Once you bought it, it's yours. Make certain (as much as you can) that you like it enough to keep it before you buy it.

Or sell the one's you don't like, as a means of "long term rental". It's too hard to get a feel for a gun in one session, some pistols take acclimating to. I've owned so many damn pistols I am familiar with basically every platform. Wouldn't have it any other way.

Don't bother trying that logic with him, he's proven many times that he can't grasp it. He is convinced that the first 2 pistols he bought are the living end of all possible firearms. For most people, it takes a lot of serious shooting before you really understand what works and doesn't in a platform, and develop your personal preferences.

Not him.

[yuppiejr]

If I had a time machine... I'd do it differently from the start.

I'd find a qualified instructor, first... with a few .22 LR pistols I could try... and I'd let them work with me to set up good fundamentals and identify the pistol that fits me right to practice with longer term. I would then purchase my own version of said pistol and lots of .22 LR and work on fundamentals with some additional instructor time to stay on track while developing that muscle memory and basic techniques. After I'd put a few thousand rounds downrange with great fundamentals/safety and muscle memory sorted out I'd go back to said instructor and talk about making the jump into something centerfire, rinse-repeat.

Probably sounds putzy but the amount of money I've spent buying/swapping/selling guns to get the ones that work well for me as well as practice time and resources spent on practicing poor techniques makes me shake my head... I've been shooting for over 15 years and am embarrassed by how long it took to finally get into some classes and realize how much ammo and time I've wasted doing it wrong. Of course I'm older, slightly wiser and less prone to assuming I know everything about guns just because I was born with my baby making parts on the outside..

Most shooters (including myself here) do not have good fundamental techniques, a lot of us learned from other shooters (without formal training) or just "figuring it out" - to some extent you can get by and some people with natural talent will turn out to be pretty good shots as a result. Invest in good training from a qualified instructor up front and you will be a BETTER, safer and more competent shooter with the knowledge to identify and work with equipment that is right for you long term. I guarantee you will spend less buying and selling the wrong equipment and will get better bang for your buck in ammo and time spent practicing with every shot you fire for the rest of your life.

[DanMN]

Buying and selling or trading handguns is a great way to check out multiple platforms. This is absolutely correct. Done it many times. I haven't tried that with a Kahr or Taurus though. Only with mid to high priced handguns. They hold their value better. I am assuming you might take a hit on a like new Taurus. Not so much on a sig, SW,springer, colt, beretta, etc. I may be wrong on this since I haven't owned either brand. Just my theory.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[PRS]

Get yourself a glock and end this....

[mulske]

Actually went to bills..shoot Like 5 and liked the ruger lc9, and walther p22 if anyone has either for sage pm me, have permit to purchase abs cash

[Mn01r6]

Get yourself a glock and end this....

QFT

[rugershooter6823]

Actually went to bills..shoot Like 5 and liked the ruger lc9, and walther p22 if anyone has either for sage pm me, have permit to purchase abs cash

I am a big fan of rugers. I have never had a problem with any of them. I have the sr40. Dad has the sr9c, sr1911 and p95.


Sent from my iphone5 using Tapatalk

[XDM45]

Don't bother trying that logic with him, he's proven many times that he can't grasp it. He is convinced that the first 2 pistols he bought are the living end of all possible firearms. For most people, it takes a lot of serious shooting before you really understand what works and doesn't in a platform, and develop your personal preferences.

Not him.

I'm sure your post is intended to be snarky, but I'll let that slide and provide a real answer even though that's not what you're looking for.

My ruger .22LR is a decent gun, not my first choice, but it's a .22LR I can live with. I bought it for the 45 style grip and the cheap shooting at the range. There may be better .22LRs out there, but it's a practice / plinker, not a critical gun. It tends to jam up with double feeds (both before and after the magazine removal modification), but at least now the magazine seats better than it di when the magazine disconnect was in it. It's certainly not the be-all-end-al of guns. Honestly, I didn't put a ton of thought into a .22LR because it's not a critical gun. If I were to use a .22KR for a SHTF situation, it'd be a 10/22, which is next on my list. I bought the XDm and Riger .22LR Mark III 2245 at the same place, on the same day.

Now as for the XDm, MUCH more effort, time, energy, research went into finding that gun, and it's the perfect one for me. It is the primary gun for SD, carry, SHTF as far as a pistol goes, and is it the be-all-end-all gun? For a semi-automatic, for ME, it is. Notice, I said "For ME" before you get all excited. You and others will vary on what's right for YOU, which is fine by ME. Obviously a semi-automatic isn't as reliable as a revolver, so a .357 is in my future, but as far as a semi goes, I'm good. I chose well. I', happy with it. My research paid off.

As for my XDs, it's the best choice (again, FOR ME), over the M&P Shield, XDm Compact, LCP or a few others. Size, .45ACP, 7+1, takedown, and other things, are all factors in my choice.

If people approve, cool. If not, cool too. I'm good either way.

[XDM45]

oreover, try several potential options and find out what you like and dislike. It'd be a bummer to buy something only to find out you dislike it.

THIS!! ^5

Once you bought it, it's yours. Make certain (as much as you can) that you like it enough to keep it before you buy it.

Or sell the one's you don't like, as a means of "long term rental". It's too hard to get a feel for a gun in one session, some pistols take acclimating to. I've owned so many damn pistols I am familiar with basically every platform. Wouldn't have it any other way.

That's a rather expensive way to do it, in my opinion, and one that can be avoided if you do your research ahead of time. Now I'm glad that way works for you, but I'm not in the game of buying and selling guns. If I buy it, I own it until I die, so I better choose well. I also don't collect, I buy for a very specific purpose, just like any other specialized tool.

[XDM45]

Look at the technical aspects of the gun, and if it hits all of your markers, great, but trust your feeling the first time you hold it. If it doesn't feel right, don't get it. The first impression is the one to trust. I held a few XDm .45ACPs before I found the one I went with. That has never failed me, trusting my instincts.

Are you saying the QC is so bad that there's a noticeable difference in the dimensions of a production polymer pistol?

Take 3 stock models of a gun you own... lay them on a table and while blindfolded, pick up each one. Are you saying that you couldn't tell the difference between your gun and the other models of the same gun? Corny as it may sound, as someone on here wrote, you don;t choose the gun, it chooses you. It has less to do with QC and more with vibe. I trust my first impressions when I first hold a gun. If it doesn't feel right, I don't buy it. I look at it from two points of view, the technical/quality/features one, and my gut instinct of how it feels, if it's a good fit for me and I for it. the second holds more importance to me than the first does.

Take Glocks, great guns from the technical/quality/features viewpoint, I don't disagree, but from the second point of view, how it feels to me, my gut, I'm not a good fit for Glocks, nor they for me. IF I found one (or rather if it found me), and it felt right, I'd buy it.

[Mn01r6]

Seriously? Necroposting and making 3 consecutive posts because you need to get the last word in?

I think when you take a mandatory break you are supposed to learn something from it.

[XDM45]

Seriously? Necroposting and making 3 consecutive posts because you need to get the last word in?

I think when you take a mandatory break you are supposed to learn something from it.

I'm not going to argue, and feel free to get inthe last word if it makes you happy. I would have posted earlier, but ya know

The last post before my 3 was made Wed Mar 27, 2013 4:57 pm, which is 4 days ago, that's not a neco-post. After 30 days, maybe. I guess I could have made them all in one, but that may have been confusing. Ah well, can't please everyone. Have a great evening.

[mulske]

Ok made my first and second handgun purchase,a ruger lca9 NRA special edition...and a walther p22