First pistol need some thoughts

So right now, I am torn between what I believe are two solid, budget options for a first pistol. I already know whatever I buy, eventually, I am going to want something else, or through this purchase, I am going to end up figuring out what I do/don't like. So I am not thinking long term on this - but more using it as a learning experience to figure out more.

I have shot 2 pistols guns prior, an unknown 9mm which.... might have been a 5906, I remember most of the controls reminded me of Beretta and it was at S&W's gun range. The other being a subcompact glock in .45 that I absolutely hated as I could only get 1.5 fingers on the grip.

Torn between a Stoeger STR-9F and a Canik TP9SF Elite. Both are the size I want and in 9mm. I leaning slightly more towards the Stoeger as I understand it, it's essentially a Glock, and therefore the sky is the limit if I want to start changing things. Canik has a decent aftermarket, but nothing like what is available for glocks in terms of triggers, grips, barrels, slides, pretty much everything but the lower.


and for the "just buy both" people, happily accepting late Christmas presents/early birthday presents. This gun is essentially going to be my 35th birthday present to myself.
I say this in almost every 'buying first gun' thread. It's important:

Find a gun that points naturally. Any decent gun will function, your natural biomechanics are more important to shooting the pistol well. The grip angle makes a difference, along with the size of the grip. You can learn to shoot anything well, but why?
 
Another vote here for Canik ..

I've got a first gen TP9SA .. the damned thing is a fork ... pick it up and it works. It runs dry, it runs wet. It runs clean, it runs dirty. It fires any & every ammo I've ever put in the pipe. I've only had one (1) malfunction, and that was due to an aluminum case sticking in the chamber - so ammo was the issue, not the gun. With this kind of reliability, I've delegated the tp9 as my bedside gun. Come to think of it, I need to get the Canik to the range .. put it through its paces .. has been a while.

People I know also thought I was nuts because I stocked up on 18-round mags. I managed to buy about a dozen of 'em before IL enacted their Orwellian-named Protect IL Communities Act - aka the IL version of a tyrannical AWB. Poxy f***ers.
 
I would suggest you don’t get either of the 2 you are considering. Instead, get yourself a full size .22 like the Taurus TX22 or the Sig P322. Both can be had for $400 or less, brand new. Then you can learn to shoot inexpensively with rimfire ammo. You can focus on sight picture, trigger control, etc. and nail down the basics of becoming a better shooter without battling recoil or flinching.

Think of it this way, for every 100 rounds you practice with the.22 you are saving about $20 in ammo costs that you can save towards your next gun. By the time you go through just one case of 5000 rounds practicing, having a LOT of fun, and learning how to become a good shot, while working on gun handling skills that will easily translate to a decent 9mm pistol, you will have $1,000 saved in ammo costs that you can use to buy your next gun. By that time, you will have a very good idea about what you want and will make a more informed decision.

For the record, I’d recommend the Sig P322, but you can’t go wrong with either one.

Good luck.
 
The M1911 won two world wars, so get that.

I'm assuming you've held and dry-fired both. If they both feel fine in the hand, go Canik. If one feels better, buy that one. This ain't rocket science.
 
I live in MA. I am not an LEO, so I cannot get a new glock. Which is why glock prices in MA are so silly.

edit: apparently this is not the case, just the deal with the fudd shop I went to.
The hardest thing to find in MA is a solid understanding of our laws and how to navigate them.

You can buy any handgun you want in MA so long as it complies with AWB and mag limits. Finding it may take some legwork on your end, although you have the search function here on NES so not really.

The canik's look like a really good deal, I've seen some SF elites for an absolute steal, and can't say the same for glocks in MA. \^.^/
 
I bought a Canik years ago (TP9SF) , very affordable, very reliable , great trigger for a striker fired pistol. I have grown to dislike striker fired pistols , but I do still own this one.
 
So right now, I am torn between what I believe are two solid, budget options for a first pistol. I already know whatever I buy, eventually, I am going to want something else, or through this purchase, I am going to end up figuring out what I do/don't like. So I am not thinking long term on this - but more using it as a learning experience to figure out more.

I have shot 2 pistols guns prior, an unknown 9mm which.... might have been a 5906, I remember most of the controls reminded me of Beretta and it was at S&W's gun range. The other being a subcompact glock in .45 that I absolutely hated as I could only get 1.5 fingers on the grip.

Torn between a Stoeger STR-9F and a Canik TP9SF Elite. Both are the size I want and in 9mm. I leaning slightly more towards the Stoeger as I understand it, it's essentially a Glock, and therefore the sky is the limit if I want to start changing things. Canik has a decent aftermarket, but nothing like what is available for glocks in terms of triggers, grips, barrels, slides, pretty much everything but the lower.


and for the "just buy both" people, happily accepting late Christmas presents/early birthday presents. This gun is essentially going to be my 35th birthday present to myself.
like all others say - canik is a good gun. that particular model, a 15rd medium size - you do realize that in MA you will be limited to a 10rd mags model only.
still, for a first gun it is just fine.
i grew to dislike that size, as it is still too large for appendix carry for me, it`s in-between full size 17/20rd mag guns and 10rd compacts like p365 - or in canik world - tp9 elite sc.

i would say a full size gun like tp9 sfx with a 5.2" barrel and ability to mount a red dot would probably be better for a first pistol you will take to the range al the time to practice your skills, but, it is up to you.
 
IMHO the Canik has a much better trigger than the Glock right out of the box and is less money too. Brand-new Caniks are on the "roster" and are much more readily available at local gun shops than Glocks. The Canik is more or less a Glock "clone"; uses the same take-down scheme for cleaning as the Glock but the little takedown tabs are larger and easier to manipulate than the Glock. The TP9SF is a great pistol to start with. Too large for concealed carry so if you are looking for something smaller that you could carry I would suggest looking at an Sig Sauer P365XL, also very easy to obtain. I have put thousands of rounds through both guns with no problems.

Best of both worlds (target and carry) for me is a CZ 75 Compact or a CZ P01with the decocker. All steel, double action / single action, incredibly reliable with a great trigger. But CZs can be difficult to find and are considerably more expensive.
 
So right now, I am torn between what I believe are two solid, budget options for a first pistol. I already know whatever I buy, eventually, I am going to want something else, or through this purchase, I am going to end up figuring out what I do/don't like. So I am not thinking long term on this - but more using it as a learning experience to figure out more.

I have shot 2 pistols guns prior, an unknown 9mm which.... might have been a 5906, I remember most of the controls reminded me of Beretta and it was at S&W's gun range. The other being a subcompact glock in .45 that I absolutely hated as I could only get 1.5 fingers on the grip.

Torn between a Stoeger STR-9F and a Canik TP9SF Elite. Both are the size I want and in 9mm. I leaning slightly more towards the Stoeger as I understand it, it's essentially a Glock, and therefore the sky is the limit if I want to start changing things. Canik has a decent aftermarket, but nothing like what is available for glocks in terms of triggers, grips, barrels, slides, pretty much everything but the lower.


and for the "just buy both" people, happily accepting late Christmas presents/early birthday presents. This gun is essentially going to be my 35th birthday present to myself.
Get the Stoeger since you’re already leaning towards it. Plus side is it accepts preban glock mags if you decide to shell out the money for it later on.

Oh wait… it doesn’t take glock mags it seems. That is a serious downside. Get the Canik then.
 
I've 2 Caniks they fit my hand better than a Glock very good sights and trigger. As far as mag capacity you can use 92fs mags with a minor alteration.
 
So right now, I am torn between what I believe are two solid, budget options for a first pistol. I already know whatever I buy, eventually, I am going to want something else, or through this purchase, I am going to end up figuring out what I do/don't like. So I am not thinking long term on this - but more using it as a learning experience to figure out more.

I have shot 2 pistols guns prior, an unknown 9mm which.... might have been a 5906, I remember most of the controls reminded me of Beretta and it was at S&W's gun range. The other being a subcompact glock in .45 that I absolutely hated as I could only get 1.5 fingers on the grip.

Torn between a Stoeger STR-9F and a Canik TP9SF Elite. Both are the size I want and in 9mm. I leaning slightly more towards the Stoeger as I understand it, it's essentially a Glock, and therefore the sky is the limit if I want to start changing things. Canik has a decent aftermarket, but nothing like what is available for glocks in terms of triggers, grips, barrels, slides, pretty much everything but the lower.


and for the "just buy both" people, happily accepting late Christmas presents/early birthday presents. This gun is essentially going to be my 35th birthday present to myself.
I think you need to explore more options. There are plenty of really nice used guns out there.
Get to know more people who will let you try stuff.
Thinking back I think I would have bought a nice 22lr target pistol and work on my skills.

I like full size pistols, fat grips even though I have small hands.

In the end buy something you like, try to go with something that holds it value.

Its your 35th Birthday buy something you really like.

I would say a big NO to stoeger ,

Canik ? Dont know anything anout them.

I like the older SW pistols.
 
I have a Canik TP9sf that I used in IDPA and USPSA.
My wife, who also shoots, tried the trigger, loved it and then got an Elite subcompact.
I figured "why not", so I got an Elite compact.
We now have 3, the triggers are great, accurate, no malfunctions, and easy to handle.
Side note: we also have 5 Glocks.
Go Canik.
 
Has anyone ever modified a beretta preban magazine to fit a Canik? If it can be done, I’d get one. Not sure if there is a difference between pre and post ban mags.
 
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I say this in almost every 'buying first gun' thread. It's important:

Find a gun that points naturally. Any decent gun will function, your natural biomechanics are more important to shooting the pistol well. The grip angle makes a difference, along with the size of the grip. You can learn to shoot anything well, but why?
Exactly : the reason I like my 4013 double stack it just points well. From holster to on target it just points.
1911s tend to “point” off line on a “quick” grip and draw. The grip just follows that hollow your fist creates.

The MkIII with the fatter target grips are better.

Then the SW 41 just fits great.

So many choices

When I was looking for a pistol in the early 90s there where not to many options

Revolver ot semi auto then it was
Price point
Then it was easy
Semi auto
Colt 1911
Gen 1 SW

Revolver
Colt
SW
One of the many used “bicycle” guns
 
Get the Stoeger since you’re already leaning towards it. Plus side is it accepts preban glock mags if you decide to shell out the money for it later on.

Oh wait… it doesn’t take glock mags it seems. That is a serious downside. Get the Canik then.

It is my understanding that glock mags can be made to work, but Canik mags are a 1-1 fit for the STR-9 series, and you can then extrapolate that since Beretta 92F/M9 mags will work in the Canik with a notch cut for the differing magazine catch location, they can work in the Stoeger with modifications.
 
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Has anyone ever modified a beretta preban magazine to fit a Canik? If it can be done, I’d get one.















It's just a matter of cutting a notch above the factory notch 226 mags will work also by enlarging the mag notch slightly. You Tube has videos o n how to make the mods and the mags will still work in their respective pistols.
 
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Of the two I'd also go with the Canik. You really should shoot both or at least get them in your hand before buying though to see how they feel.
 
So right now, I am torn between what I believe are two solid, budget options for a first pistol. I already know whatever I buy, eventually, I am going to want something else, or through this purchase, I am going to end up figuring out what I do/don't like. So I am not thinking long term on this - but more using it as a learning experience to figure out more.

I have shot 2 pistols guns prior, an unknown 9mm which.... might have been a 5906, I remember most of the controls reminded me of Beretta and it was at S&W's gun range. The other being a subcompact glock in .45 that I absolutely hated as I could only get 1.5 fingers on the grip.

Torn between a Stoeger STR-9F and a Canik TP9SF Elite. Both are the size I want and in 9mm. I leaning slightly more towards the Stoeger as I understand it, it's essentially a Glock, and therefore the sky is the limit if I want to start changing things. Canik has a decent aftermarket, but nothing like what is available for glocks in terms of triggers, grips, barrels, slides, pretty much everything but the lower.


and for the "just buy both" people, happily accepting late Christmas presents/early birthday presents. This gun is essentially going to be my 35th birthday present to myself.

Go to granite stet range in Hudson NH and rent guns. You pay by the caliber so you can try a dozen or more 9mm and see what you like. It’s a cheap way of trying a lot and will giving you personal experience rather than someone else’s views.

 
If this is your first handgun, I wouldn't buy either. Get a good quality .22 and learn how to shoot. Then when you find the right gun, you might be good enough to know it.
 
I’m biased since I’ve been carrying an SF Elite for years, but I’ll just say this.

It doesn’t matter what anybody here says. Whichever gun you want, just go buy it. Both guns you’ve mentioned seem to be solid. I know for a fact the Canik is. I have no experience with the Stoeger but from what I’ve read, it’s fine.

You’ll never know what’s best for you until you start shooting. And there’s no time like the present. Go out there, buy one, and start the process! And Happy Birthday.
 
I’m biased since I’ve been carrying an SF Elite for years, but I’ll just say this.

It doesn’t matter what anybody here says. Whichever gun you want, just go buy it. Both guns you’ve mentioned seem to be solid. I know for a fact the Canik is. I have no experience with the Stoeger but from what I’ve read, it’s fine.

You’ll never know what’s best for you until you start shooting. And there’s no time like the present. Go out there, buy one, and start the process! And Happy Birthday.
Thanks for the birthday wishes. I've already accepted that whatever I get I am going to find things about it I dislike that will only become apparent after owning and carrying it. Fact of life. This is why I am not trying to to spend a bunch of money testing this and that and falling in love with something out of my price range. Stoeger and Canik both have good reputations not only for the quality at the price point but with their customer service after the sale. I probably will eventually also pick up the stoeger, but for the first buy I don't think I can do better than Canik for $350.
 
for the first buy I don't think I can do better than Canik for $350.
price wise - probably not... quality wise - questionable.
canik is still a good buy, it is not a garbage item, but, well... can you do better? definitely - yes, you can. :)

caniks are not easy to resell, it is the only issue, if you will not like it - it will not be easy to just swap it for anything else, like with a beretta or glock or whatever else that is 'popular'.
but most likely you will like it just fine, as it is, really, just a gun that works. nothing brilliant about it, but, it works.

think of it all in the investment way of mind - you will now need to get a dozen or so magazines for it, may be some pre-bans. think what else those mags will work with, etc.
 
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