Hey guys, I'm thinking of getting a gun. I couldn't

Glocks are like the honda civic of guns but imo they're overpriced bullshit. There are tons of cheaper guns you can get that will do the same thing or similar. Check out Canik TP9s, EAA Witnesses, there are a ton of surplus police berettas on the market right now but they're not the best for a first timer. My first centerfire handgun was an old Smith and Wesson 915 and the 3rd gen S&W autos will go a long way. Similar are Sig handguns which are more expensive but the older German ones are really good. Cz is a really popular brand too. Walther's PPQ is supposed to have one of the best out-of-the-box triggers on the market.

Check places like Summit gunbroker, J&G Sales, iAmmo and Centerfire Systems for stuff you can get your hands on for cheap. More expensive isn't necessarily better. And a pretty important part of picking a gun for you is going to a range that does rentals and trying out what you like.

>>34349668
Any S&W Revolver
a Glock
a Ruger LCP II or LC9
a CZ 75

File: cz-usa-cz-75-d-pcr-compact.png (303KB, 724x482px) Image search: [Google]

303KB, 724x482px

>>34349668
>I'm a software engineer living in Seattle, money isn't really an issue.

Get an HK, honestly. You can't go wrong with a USP. I haven't even shot one. But it my budget were considerably higher I'd own one, no doubt.

Sig P22x series are good as are metal-frame Beretta and CZ (I'm a fan of CZ myself).Best bang for your buck is honestly a CZ 75 D Compact / CZ 75 P-01 / CZ 75 D PČR (pic related)

>>34349710
>More expensive isn't necessarily better.

Words of wisdom here. The sweet spot for pistols are those that retail $650-950 or a little less for "plastic" guns, a lot less in some cases

>>34349710
>>34349724
>>34349738
>>34349745

OP here, so there are plenty of places around Seattle where I can rent and try shooting some of these, thanks for the suggestions. Just so I don't get fleeced- what's a reasonable price for a starter pistol? >>34349745 mentioned $650-950, I was under the (poorly informed) impression that I could get something for around ~$300. Would that just be shit?

>>34349759

I'm that guy and you can totally get a really good pistol around here for about $400-600 new pretty much every manufacturer makes polymer frame guns in that price range. $300 is a little low for a new in box pistol

>>34349759
Glocks can be pricey, as another anon mentioned
I bought my S&W model 638 for like $400
a Ruger LCP II is pretty good and under $300, LC9 is a little more but you get to have 9mm instead of .380 which is a good thing (.380 isn't bad though)

CZ makes good stuff, but you can find a lot of cheaper "clones" that are just as good. Canik has already been namedropped but I'd look into them as well.

>>34349768
>(.380 isn't bad though)

It's great for small CCW guns. I don't know that OP is looking to carry (concealed)

OP keep in mind that the criteria for a good CCW is different than any other application. I love small handguns myself, just sayin'

First off OP, here is the wiki

http://amagicalplace.wikia.com/wiki/Sticky

Make sure to read up on your local gun laws, and make sure you get a safe to keep whatever gun you buy in. Ideally one you can bolt to your home, but if bolting it to things in the apartment would ruin your deposit then ideally that you can attach to something fairly immovable like your bed frame or chained to plumbing somewhere.

The weapon need not stay in the safe when you are home, but the safe is there to make sure it isn't stolen in the event someone robs you - because they're going to rob you when you aren't home.

>>34349764 Has it about right in terms of price - $400 is about the lowest you want to go on a pistol, if you go lower than that then you're either buying used (with the chance that the gun then has a problem) or need to do your homework and decide whether or not you're okay with the tradeoffs that the cheaper gun is going to be making in order to be cheap.

For example, you can get a Serbian made Tokarev in 9mm for around $250 - but it hurts for magazine capacity compared to more modern offerings because it's single stack, and the build quality (and thus how finnicky/likely to malfunction the platform is) is hit or miss.

Any money past 900-1000, in contrast, runs into the barrier of diminishing returns if you aren't paying for a brand in the first place - and will probably be overkill because you've said you want something that's simple and goes bang, rather than a flashy status symbol to show off at the range.

And finally, as the first response said, the best thing you can do is go to the range and rent as wide a variety in guns as you can to try out shooting. You want a gun that feels comfortable in your hand, because the other part of buying a new gun is putting a couple hundred rounds through it at the range to both break it in and to become familiar with its operation so you're practiced in the event you actually have to use it in anger.

Since you're first starting out, I'd recommend checking out various brands and seeing what you like.

Most pistols made by Glock, H&K, FN, Ruger, Sig, and Beretta are good places to start out.

*Glocks are classics (A Glock 17 was my first pistol), but other manufacturers are putting out their own Glock clones now. If there are parts of Glocks you dislike and/or think the price is a wee bit too high, you can browse other manufacturer's Glock clones and see if they do things better.

*H&K pistols tend to be a bit more expensive, but it's worth it if you really feel you want to put down that extra $100 to $200 for a little extra quality.

*FN pistols are underrated. While they don't have the presence of other manufacturers, they're solid pistols.

*Ruger has a very diverse catalog of pistols and revolvers, from nice pocket pistols to awesome revolvers. They're like the college information pamphlet of guns; you'll see .22 pistols and large caliber mangums happily co-existing with each other with a tiny 9mm pocket pistol and full-length .357 Magnum revolver smiling in the background. If there's a niche you need, they probably have it filled.

*Sig's guns are mechanically sound and technically high-quality, but cost more than the competition (except for H&K) and tend to have QC problems at times. If you get one that works right, they rule, but if you get a stinker, you'll have problems.

*Beretta rocks the classic pistol design world with the Beretta 92 series and PX4. They lack a bit in compact, concealable pistols department, but their full-sized 92 and PX4 pistols are top notch.

I've heard that CZ pistols are also a worth a look, but I have no experience nor knowledge of them. One of our CZfags can happily tell you about it, tho.

For prices, $450 to $800 is the spot you'll be looking for. Go lower and you'll run the risk of getting lemons like Hi-Point, and higher is the land of custom M1911s and match pistols, which wouldn't be very useful for a starter like you.

>>34349807

Oh, and your prices can go lower if you're going for small pistols. Smaller ones tend to cost $300 to $400 and you can get some good stuff, like Ruger's small pistols, in that price range.

>>34349797
That's true. It probably is better to stick with 9mm and above.

I've always been a revolver fan for home defense personally, my semi auto recs aside

>>34349818
and part of this OP is because you can get a .357 and have plenty of power but always load it with .38 if you're more comfortable. Revolvers are pretty easy to maintain and not fuck up

Just don't be the person who never shoots it and swears it will always shoot.

>>34349668
Get yourself a handgun. As previous responses have said, somewhere between $400-1000, due to tradeoffs and problems on the low end and diminishing returns on the high. What KIND of handgun? Whatever is legal in your state, fires reliably and can consistently strike the same target in the same spot over and over, fits and feels nice in your hand, has recoil you can control, has ammo you can easily keep stocked, and has controls (slide, safety, magazine release, etc) which you can comfortably reach and operate. As others have said, rent and try out lots of different ones. Ideally, you would constantly disassemble, clean, check and reassemble this weapon and practice its operation until both of these things become rote, actions you are able to perform without thinking about it should the need arise. Ideally, you will be able to comfortably, legally carry this weapon concealed on a daily basis. Legally is important here. You do not want to be caught fucking about with a gun where you aren't supposed to have one. The law WILL fuck you. Cops in some states or even just particular cities take a great joy in harassing gun owners and users and making their lives as difficult as humanly possible. Take it from a Canuckistani- some police forces are just de-fucking-lighted to fuck with you for exercising a basic human fucking right. Additionally, be prepared to deal with fallout if your family are gun-hating idiots. Given that you live in a big city there is a strong chance of this. Do not give up your rights for them. Do not provoke discussion, and avoid it if they do. If any of them seem more open, however, take them to the range and familiarize them. This will aid in demystifying weapons and making them less frightening, like a form of exposure therapy for people with phobias, and indeed may lead them to decide they actually LIKE guns. I knew since I was very young that I liked guns, but not everyone has that privilege.

>>34349759
I'm gonna be that guy and say you should get a Hipoint C9. The gun's an ugly fucking polymer brick, but it's $150 and really reliable.

Spend the rest of your budget on a shit ton of ammo.