First pistol and hello, new to the forum.

Hello and welcome.
Now listen up
Save yourself a lot of bad mistakes and wasted time.
Max out the credit card on the following.
Just go buy the 1911 now and then get yourself a 4 inch 686, then while you are at it pick up a Glock 26 for the small carry gun.
Oh and get a safe nice and big now cause you are going to need it believe me, hell believe all of us here.
All kidding aside now really Welcome to the NES family
 
My wife and daughter both love the 22. I've got the Ruger 10/22 TD. The 9mm is too harsh on my wife wrists (had surgery due to carp tunnel on both wrists). My daughter likes the 9mm but is more comfortable with the 22. Just waiting for my son's time to free up so that I can take him shooting now.

I'm certain your wife will get hooked as well.
 
BigMike said:
The SR22 seems to be a pretty good little pistol. Gun Tests liked the Walther P22 better if I'm not mistaken, as the SR22 is a copy of the Walther.

I carry a j-frame .38 out of convenience most of the time, but when I can I carry a Glock 27. Aside from that, carry the biggest gun you can.
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BigMike said:
Recon has the right idea. 9mm is a great place to start for a carry piece. You want something that is fun to shoot too, so I wouldn't get a .40 right off the bat.
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First off welcome to the forum! I have to disagree with carry the biggest gun you can. Carry the gun you can be the most accurate with is always what I go with. Aim small, Miss small.... I do agree with 9mm being the best CCW. There is great defensive ammo (hornady critical defense/duty) out there in this caliber now that can come close to the bigger calibers ballistics and not be uncontrollable for new shooters. 9mm gives you lower cost ammo to practice with also. I personally would never go up to a .40 because I hate them [smile] I feel the small advantage of ballistics over 9mm is not worth the "snap" of it as far as carry guns go that is. I carried a 442 for a little while but sold that because I didn't feel I was accurate enough with it. I said "I" because I don't want to start a fight on j frames and how accurate they are. That being said I carry a Kahr PM9 (non MA version) it is the most accurate for me [rolleyes] CCW gun I have ever shot. Good Luck with your Quest...
 
Sterg said:
Just looked at the ma. compliant page. Looks like Taurus isn't legal or approveed here?
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And now the fun begins... There's much better written threads on here with a lot of detail about the MA laws and regulations on what a dealer can sell you. Here's a quick summary before someone jumps on screaming that "they're not illegal": (and, IANAL)

The list you refer to contains guns that have passed a set of tests purported to relate to quality and safety. That list combines with an additional set of constraints imposed by the state Attorney General's office (the results of which are not published anywhere) to limit which guns a dealer can transfer to you without risking serious penalties. Effectively, the two sets of rules combined limit the range of guns you may find new in stores.

Private sales of guns are not covered under those rules, so you can legally obtain a much wider range of models than the "list" indicates, including ones seen in store display cases as "consignment" pieces and ones obtained through face to face transfers found through the ads on this forum (for example).

There's plenty of other limitations floating around in this state, especially if you want a "high-capacity feeding device" or anything else covered under the state version of the Assault Weapons Ban. Do your homework if you go there.
 
jasceni said:
Welcome to NES, go green and im sure some of us won't mind letting you shoot some of are stuff.
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I will be joining soon. Saving for a pistol right now so I have to wait a bit. Some people I talk to say to support GOAL instead of the NRA because they are local and help local laws. I'll be supporting them also.
 
Ducttape4all said:
First off welcome to the forum! I have to disagree with carry the biggest gun you can. Carry the gun you can be the most accurate with is always what I go with. Aim small, Miss small.... I do agree with 9mm being the best CCW. There is great defensive ammo (hornady critical defense/duty) out there in this caliber now that can come close to the bigger calibers ballistics and not be uncontrollable for new shooters. 9mm gives you lower cost ammo to practice with also. I personally would never go up to a .40 because I hate them [smile] I feel the small advantage of ballistics over 9mm is not worth the "snap" of it as far as carry guns go that is. I carried a 442 for a little while but sold that because I didn't feel I was accurate enough with it. I said "I" because I don't want to start a fight on j frames and how accurate they are. That being said I carry a Kahr PM9 (non MA version) it is the most accurate for me [rolleyes] CCW gun I have ever shot. Good Luck with your Quest...
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I should have been a little more prolific. To me, "carry the biggest gun you can" isn't a reference solely based on caliber, but instead means to carry the biggest gun that you can shoot accurately. For me, that would be a 1911, Glock 21SF, or CZ Custom Shop. However, since I can't conceal these easily, I instead carry smaller guns loaded with stuff that I can still hit a target with.
 
Welcome to the Forum!!! As others have suggested, if you are willing to do a little homework and be patient, maybe pay a bit of a premium, you can get just about anything you want in Mass. That having been said, the Taurus brand has a reputation for poor quality.

If you really like a 357 revolver, I might suggest the Smith and Wesson 686. DA/SA so you don't have to cock the hammer. I have one and love it. I shoot a lot of 38 special through it but it is nice to know that on the night stand with 357 magnum it will get the job done. It is however, kind of heavy for carry.
http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/...57769_757767_757751_ProductDisplayErrorView_Y.

I agree with others that the larger the caliber you can shoot well for concealed carry, the better. I regularly carry a 1911 in 45ACP, a Sig Sauer 229 in .40 and in real hot weather or when it has to be very concealed, a Kahr PM9 9mm. You will have to figure out what works best for you. Invest in a good holster and a good gun belt.

There are probably some good gun shops in you area, but a great resource is Four Seasons Firearms website. http://www.fsguns.com/. Even if you don't shop there, the website is helpful. You might also want to browse through the Classified here on NES.

For concealed carry you can't go wrong with a Glock 19. Great all around pistol that will go bang every time you pull the trigger. There are lots of good choices for carry guns, even in Mass.
 
Fencer, thanks for the tip on the Taurus being lower quality. I kind of thought that might be the case because of the cheaper price. I've been all over Four Seasons site. I will probably use them at some point. I really like the Sigs. For now my first choice is still the SR22 and the SR9. I may be flipping a coin on which one to get first.
This is a great forum. Thanks for all the great opinions fellas. I can talk about guns all day.
 
Lots of members here own and are very happy with their Rugers. Which ever way you decide to go, best of luck with your purchase and Welcome to NES
 
George D said:
Anyone that CCW's a single action revolver is either totally insane, totally badass, or both.
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Haha very true. I know I would never CCW a SA revolver and for a beginner's first pistol, I'd probably say go for a .22, maybe a Ruger MKIII or the SR22. The MKIII would be the target gun option and the SR22 being the gun that would train you more (it being similiar in size to a lot of CCW guns.) Welcome to the forum.
 
Jeff Cooper said a .22 to the tear duct stops more decisively than a 9 to the wish bone.
How well do you shoot that .22?
If I'm shitting twinkies because someone's trying to kill me, I want the biggest gun I can shoot well as hostest products are leaving like rats from a sinking ship.
 
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CRSIII said:
Jeff Cooper said a .22 to the tear duct stops more decisively than a 9 to the wish bone.
How well do you shoot that .22?
If I'm shitting twinkies because someone's trying to kill me, I want the biggest gun I can shoot well as hostest products are leaving like rats from a sinking ship.
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Very true very true very true. I'm also still deciding as to what my first purchase is gonna be for CCW. Leaning towards a compact 9mm.
 
Sterg said:
I haven't purchased a pistol yet. Still saving a few bucks. Soon. Very soon.
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Visit a range that rents firearms, preferably one that will let you pay a single fee and try lots of different handguns. I know Manchester Firing Line used to do that, not sure if their rental policy changed.

Try out different handguns in different calibers, see what feels good and comfortable. What you'll enjoy shooting and carrying. Try out a .380 Auto, .38 special, .357 Magnum, 9mm, .40 S&W, .45 ACP. Get a for what you like and don't like. How much recoil you can control.

Yes, you'll spend some cash on range time, ammo and rental, but you'll be much better prepared to make your purchase and confident that you've picked out the right handgun for you.
 
Congrats and welcome to the forum. I think a .22 pistol is GREAT for practicing at the range, and is a lot of fun to shoot. You can get .22 ammo cheap and do a lot of shooting that way. It's better than nothing for personal protection, but it's definitely not the best.

For a carry gun / personal protection gun that is effective and still easy to shoot, I would recommend checking out a Walther PPS in 9mm. I know you mentioned the Ruger SR9 which also seems to be a great choice. I will say that my Walther PPS is one of the easiest guns to conceal because it's so thin, but unlike J-frame revolvers or some other sub-compact 9mm's, it's very comfortable to shoot. It's worth checking out.

Once again, welcome!

p.s. Those Ruger Vaquero's are gorgeous and look like a lot of fun. I would personally recommend starting with the SR22, THEN the 9mm carry gun (PPS, SR9, maybe a M&P9C, etc) and THEN get a Ruger Vaquero. Welcome to the hobby of shooting... you'll probably be spending a lot of money! It's addictive.
 
22 is fun and cheap to shoot and good gun for the beginner.

Sr9c would be my choice as a beginner carry gun. Its overloaded with safety features yet reliAble and glock like on the inside. Relatively cheap to shoot and easy to handle

Once you get experienced a 642 is a great summer pocket gun or backup

Move up to larger calibers as you get experienced and start reloading etc. I like to have a full size glock or xdm or large revolver handy for open carry while hunting or woods walking as well
 
Before i got my LTC I spent many weekends and too much $$ at Bob's in Salisbury renting different guns. Between Bob's and friends that let me try their guns I shot almost 40 different firearms before I ever bought one. When I got my LTC I knew exactly what I wanted. Within a few weeks there were half a dozen items in the safe. :)

Point is - try everything you can!


Sent from my handheld electronic thingamabob.
 
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BigMike said:
I should have been a little more prolific. To me, "carry the biggest gun you can" isn't a reference solely based on caliber, but instead means to carry the biggest gun that you can shoot accurately. For me, that would be a 1911, Glock 21SF, or CZ Custom Shop. However, since I can't conceal these easily, I instead carry smaller guns loaded with stuff that I can still hit a target with.
Click to expand...

I agree! I know a lot of people that buy a .45 because of "stopping power" but can't hit crap with it or leave it home because it is to hard to conceal. By all means if anyone can carry a 1911 all day do so but it's too uncomfortable for me. It does also apply to the small guns too like bigmike said find something you can hit the target with. I sold my Ruger LCP for that reason the sights were almost non-existent and I could not shoot it as fast and accurate as I wanted too.
 
Welcome to NES!! You are getting a lot of good input on your thread, so I'll just say. Try before you buy! You can't go wrong spending $10 or $20 to rent a gun to try it and to possibly to save you big bucks if you buy the wrong gun. Hits are more important than misses, so carry what you feel fits you best and/or can afford to shoot often, that being the cost of the gun and ammo.

In any case hope you enjoy your new addiction!! One leads to many!! :)
 
Definately getting good input. I am going shooting with my brother and nephew soon. My Nephew has a S&W .380, Walther p22 and a .38 special. My brother has a Ruger 1911 .45 and an SR22. Can't wait.
 
Welcome to the forum.

a .22 is an unacceptable round as an SD round. Period.

But it certainly beats nothing.

As a first gun, it's a great gun. You'll have a lot of fun shooting it and it's cheap to shot the shit out of.

As a a a cheap, excellent and very easy to conceal gun, I will recommend a model 36 S&W, a Taurus TCP or the Ruger LC9. I don't include the Ruger TCP as it's a crappy trigger and a crappy sight. (The LC9 in Mass is bad enough, get a trigger job).

From there it's just bigger an better.

DO NOT use a .22 as a defensive caliber. it WILL NOT stop a significant number of attackers with two rounds to the thoracic cavity, which is what I use to judge a defensive round.

ANY gun is better than no gun. YES, a .22 will deter some attackers. You are carrying a gun NOT for the guys who will run at the first sight of ANY gun. You are carrying a gun to stop a threat that will NOT stop merely at the sight of ANY gun.

Carry a gun with the capacity to stop a dedicated attacker with two solid hits to the thoracic, with an additional three if you can't take a head shot and the circumstances demand.

anything less puts you at grave risk, and more importantly puts you at the risk of wrestling your gun away from a physically superior attacker who may only laugh at your two rounds of .22. They WON'T likely be doing that with even .380. (Nothing is sure, but this is as best advice as I can give).
 
Sterg said:
So a .380 has adequate stopping power?
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This is a topic of on going debate. Obviously, shot placement is critical but many feel that the 380 lacks the power to be a serious defensive round. I have also heard stories of 380 failing to penetrate heavy clothing such as a heavy denim or Carhart type jacket. If you decide to carry a 380, I'd recommend you choose you carry ammo carefully. There are reports of some hollow point ammo becoming clogged up by heavy fabric and failing to expand as desired.

Personally, I never carry anything smaller than 9mm and then I carry 9mm +P, but everyone has their own opinion. Whenever possible I carry .45 or .40. There is an old saying that defensive ammo should start with 4 with the exception being 357 magnum, however, there are tests that would suggest that there is very little difference between 9mm and 40.

Only you can decide what is right for you, and there really is no right or wrong answer. In general, most people would say that 9mm is very controllable with less felt recoil, and the ammo is affordable. Many feel that .40 is harder to shoot with more perceived recoil and barrel flip. I have heard that 45 recoil is more like a "push" and less "flip", but I really don't notice the difference between 40 and 45.

Whatever caliber you choose, you have to practice. If you ever have to use you carry gun, and you heart is pounding and adrenaline pumping, a larger caliber won't do you any good if you can't hit the target. 9mm is a lot cheaper than 45 so if your ammo budget is a factor you should also take it into consideration.
 
Sterg said:
So a .380 has adequate stopping power?
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[horse]

I would never rely on any .380 round for self defense. I remember drgrant saying something before about the .380's minimal expansion even with JHP's. IMHO, this is one of the most valuable pieces of info on NES:
drgrant said:
.380 is just a universally abhorrent cartridge, because the ammo is expensive, it's underpowered (Launching a (typically) 90 grain bullet at under 1000 FPS = beyond gay) and JHPs rarely function (expand) because of this limitation. It'll still stop bad guys if you do your part but 9mm is a far better option if the size isn't a 110% absolute hard requirement.
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The fact that the bullet is only 90 grains and has a muzzle velocity under 1000 feet per second only holds true to the weakness of the .380. Here's another good example. A 90 grain bullet has roughly 190 ft lbs of kinetic energy. A 115 grain 9mm bullet has roughly 383 ft lbs and you can get it up to 440 ft lbs by using a +p bullet (if your gun can withstand that pressure.) If that doesn't sell you on 9mm or above I don't know what will. I mean the 9mm has more energy at 150 yards than the .380 does at the muzzle.

I had a .380 and sold it because I could never find ammo for it and when I did, it was around 17$ on the low end. Sure you can find some 13$ boxes sometimes but it would be steel cased and I would never put those in my gun.

Long rant end. [wink]
 
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Thanks again everyone. I just picked up an SR22. I have made a consious desision not to conceal carry for now, except going to a range possibly. I saw a used 9mm beretta that was stunning. My next gun will be a 9mm. Right now I need to get some shooting in and I like the quality and safety featurs of the Ruger. That Beretta was a nice quality pistol.
 

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