Good handguns
 

im looking to buy a handgun to keep around the house and to carry later? price range around 500? any ideas?

If you've only got 500 to work with and plan on using it as your primary weapon I would go with a Taurus .357. For the price it will always go bang no questions asked. Or if your willing to put out a lil more I would go with a Sig P220. OR pick up a Glock, also reliable Im just not very partial to them. IMO stick with bigger rounds unless its a secondary weapon.:tiphat:

~Psycho

There are a lot of options out there.

Are you looking for a revolver or a semi auto?
Is this your first pistol?

If this is your first pistol try to find a range with a good selection of rentals and try out a few.
It will help you narrow down what you might like to get.
I had a friend who was dead set on getting a Glock and I convinced him to try one out before buying one.
In the end he didn't like the feel of Glocks and went with a SIG and avoided a costly mistake.

Once you get one, practice practice practice!!!!
No matter what you get if you can't hit anything with it then what is the point.

I agree with what Psychosomatic said.
I have a Taurus 608 which is a 8 shot .357 mag and it is a great revolver.
When it come to revolvers you usually can't go wrong with a Taurus, Ruger and Smith & Wesson.
Semi autos brands I would go with are H&K, SIG, Glock, Kimber, and on the cheaper side Berretta and Taurus.
There are so many good guns out there it is hard to list them all.
It usually comes down to what you like and can shoot well.

Personally I'm a big 45ACP guy and I use H&K's and Kimbers as my primary side arms.:cool:

best place to research: Maryland Shooters

yes this would be my first gun iv shot a glock before but it was a long time ago it would have to be a gun tat i can just store... and maybe carry later on

I like my Springfield XDm 9mm, but it's the only gun I've owned. You can get a XD 9mm or 45 for under $500. I think the XDm's are closer to $600 now.

I have a HKS USP .45 and couldn't be happier. It's a little more money but a great gun. if you want to stay in the $500 range, go with the Springfield xD, those are really nice too.

:tiphat:

Ruger P90 or Ruger P95

Great guns. I'd be careful getting a 45 if you live an area where the houses are close together. The last thing you want is a round going through a wall and into your neighbors house. Depends on the round of course. Make sure you get proper training first.

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:W..._p90_1.jpg&t=1 :eek:

Ruger P90 Centerfire Pistol

http://www.kitsune.addr.com/Firearms.../Ruger_P90.jpg
http://www.lipseys.com/eImages/kp95dpr.jpg

Meh, I'll take the other P90. :tup:

haha Don't forget the shoulder strap so you can tuck it into your suit jacket. :)

its a lil outta my price range...

Don't worry, I know a guy...

:excited::icon08:

Springfield XD-9 would be my recommendation for a first gun around the home, or for carry. 9 mil ammo isn't as cheap as it used to be, but it still supports the requisite time at the range better than any other option (22 cal aside).

gonna have to try that one

I found this pretty interesting when I was shopping for a gun...
SPRINGFIELD ARMORY
In short, they did a crazy torture test on the XD that included freezing the gun, covering it in dirt, mud, and degreasing it, and firing off rounds in between all of that. After they did that, they fired off another 1,700 rounds. 20,000 rounds in total, and not a single malfunction. I thought that was pretty damn impressive.

Oh I see how it is, when I recommend it you ignore me, but Red__Zed does and now you'll try it. :mad:

One cool thing about going to the range with the XDm 9mm is that the stock magazines hold 19 rounds (+1 in the chamber). It doesn't really matter for home defense, as you probably won't need that many rounds unless you can't aim for ****, or are defending against an army, but when going to the range it makes it nice, as you won't have to buy as many clips or reload your clips as often.

I'm not sure how comparable it is to other guns, but the XDm is really easy to disassemble and clean.

2 recomendations are better then 1 that all im saying lol

A simple shotgun works well for home defense. The minute an intruder hears the racking of a round they'll crap their pants and run. It's not something you can carry around with you but its a cheap alternative to a handgun when it comes to the home.

Uh huh, sure...

All this gun talk is making me want to hit up the range. It's been a long time (way too long unfortunately). Nice thing is there is a good indoor range about 15 minutes away from my office, so I can go during a lunch break.

The M is nice as well. I like the fact that it can be disassembled without pulling the trigger, if only for peace of mind. I think the grip is a little less comfortable, and it may be hard to justify to extra cost for a first gun, but it is nevertheless worth trying out.

I like to think I seem trustworthy:happydance:

yw
:bowrofl:

Yeah, I forgot how I justified buying the XDm over the XD in the first place. I've heard the grip comfort is hit or miss on the XDm. Luckily it is a good fit for my hand.

I think one of the differences between the XD and XDm was the stock clip size, maybe it was 14 vs 19? Not a big deal, but it was something. I think the trigger was supposed to be better as well.

16+1 vs 19+1 for capacity. The barrel is the main benefit of the XDm in my mind, but it's not such a huge difference.

HK:tup: i carry a 4o cal. love it!!!!!!!

The entire Springfield XD and XDM series are great guns for the money, no matter what size you choose.

Yeah, in all honesty a shotgun is the best weapon for home defense. Although screw racking the gun, I'd always have one chambered, I'm not in it to simply "scare" someone that is breaking into my house. I might pick one up, but I wouldn't want to keep it out unless I'm home (same as with my pistol).

I have one spot where I keep my pistol locked down/hidden when I'm not home, and then at night before I go to sleep (or if I'm home for a long period of time), I'll move it over to a spot that's closer to me. I don't have any kids to worry about getting their hands on, and I don't like the idea of being too far removed from access to a weapon if it is needed while I'm asleep.

I guess what most people do is they keep their pistol near by, and lock up/hide their shotgun, and then use the pistol to get to their shotgun. Or rather, that is the plan if **** goes down. One concern I have is keeping the gun secured and/or hidden well if someone was to break in while I wasn't home. I've read quite a few horror stories where someone comes home, only to have their own weapon used on them because they didn't keep it secured.

Also for a first gun and one you plan on taking to the range, 9mm is a good choice I think. Not too much kick, and the ammo is cheaper. 45 would be a better choice just for shear stopping power though.

Whats the going rate for 9mm ammo at Walmart now? Last I checked they were always the cheapest, I think it was $15 for 100 rounds a year ago? Of course it was something like $8 for 100 rounds only about 5 years ago. :rolleyes:

i think its near 30 now

No way?! I hope that isn't true, that would be completely insane.

Actually, I think they were 50 round boxes for $15, so if it is 100 rounds for $30 that's okay.

o

Found a post on another forum that someone bought a 250ct box of Remington 9mm ammo from Walmart for $52 + tax, not bad at all.

Stay away from the 9mm, it doesn't seem to phase some one who is intoxicated or high on hard drugs! A .45 acp, is an excellent choice for self defense. Ruger, Sig Arms, Kimber, Spring Field XD are all excellent hand guns!

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A friend was going to sell me his Sig P226. ~500 bucks. Bad idea? Should I look into the XD or something?

I'm debating 9mm or 45 ACP...same as project tho, first gun, haven't really fired many. I guess I need to hit the practice range first...