Picking out my first gun..

[HondaPowered]

My first gun which I bought a couple weeks ago is a Gen 4 Glock 21. It is .45 ACP and it feels and shoots so good. I am 21, and just graduated college, going into law enforcement, most of the law enforcement around here in TN use the .40 s&w models of glock whether it be the glock23 or the glock 22.

My .45 is for home protection and I'm almost afraid my fiance will steal it from me, the second time she shot it, she fell in love.

I recommend finding a range that does a rental program. And use 5-10 bullets per gun, and try it out. You will get a general feeling of whether you like it or not with those 5-10. Then narrow it down.

[VR Code R6P]

Not knowing which you are interested in, a long gun or a handgun, I would suggest a .22 cal for you to get a feel for how to hold, sight, learn a good trigger squeeze, and of course, safely use the weapon. It will have much less recoil so that you can develop the neccessary skills to become a competent shot, without being intimidated by it. The idea being is to hit the target, than scare it with big noise.

I try to start all my friends and family on a .22 cal that have never fired a gun before.

You could also start with some courses at a Gun Shop with a range, and rent the gun to start with, until you decide what your likes and dislikes are before buying any gun. Some guns you will not like, just like you might not like some cars, or whether or not it has an automatic or manual transmission.

Don't buy a "cheap" gun, it will frustrate you, and not let you enjoy it.

Just my 2 cents.

[AZCamaroFan]

considering your signature pic, i suggest a Walther

[nyrfan]

1st let me say guns are an addicting hobby! Purchased my 1st gun in 2004, a SA XD40, today my wife and I have a total of 16 guns. My most recent purchase was a Kimber Ultra Carry, love it but my favorite gun is my FN Five-seveN.

As many have said you really need to go and not only feel, but practice shoot many guns this way you have an idea of what you like. What you like, the next person may not so it's really hard for someone to tell you what to buy.

Good luck with your 1st purchase!

[txgoose]

I suggest that you buy your second gun first. Get something you can acquaint yourself with easily. Safety and accuracy would be the first things on the agenda. Once you've got that stuff down, you'll know what you want and what you want it for, plus it gives you something for your 22nd birthday.

[AGENT-006]

GREAT POSTS! THANKS to everyone for the great replies. I will be going to a local shop and getting a feel for the guns, and looking into some classes to learn the proper handling of the gun. Others have told me also that a .22 is great to start wit (cost wise and to learn to shoot with.)

[austinjames]

[HondaPowered]

A .22 is not necessary unless you are a 90 lb girl. The lowest caliber I would say to purchase would be a 9mm or .40.

A .22 is fun to just go and plink, but if you actually want to learn how to shoot, you must learn how to shoot properly. If you go and shoot just a .22 then pick up a .40 you will not be adjusted to the recoil. Practice with what you are wanting to shoot.

Another suggestion for you, is to talk with the law enforcement officers that you would like to be part of, and just ask them which guns they use on duty.

I know the two places that I have applied to, and I know which guns they use. University of TN police use the glock23, which is a compact .40. Metro nashville uses the glock 22, which is a full size .40.

If you still want a .22 then go for it, but as I said, practice with what you plan on using.

[nyrfan]

Originally Posted by AGENT-006

GREAT POSTS! THANKS to everyone for the great replies. I will be going to a local shop and getting a feel for the guns, and looking into some classes to learn the proper handling of the gun. Others have told me also that a .22 is great to start wit (cost wise and to learn to shoot with.)

I would not waste my time with a .22.

[SirMike]

Originally Posted by AZCamaroFan

considering your signature pic, i suggest a Walther

Ha Ha, I also love 007 and it was part of the reason I did get a Walther P99 a while back. However to be honest, I shoot better with a 911 any day of the week. I also love my xd, but as others have said try before you buy.

CALGUNS is GREAT!!! BTW, they just had the annual "hands on" shooting fair at Raahauge's June 1 weekend. They let you shoot all types of handguns and rifles (for a fee).

Good luck, shoot straight and BE SAFE!

[AdamZ]

If you are looking into LE look at a Glock 23 (.40cal) (what I use) FN Five Seven (5.7mm) (coolest gun I have ever seen. I am trying to get the dept. to switch to these), or a sig p226 9mm (probably the nicest gun out there).

[PalmerGA]

Originally Posted by AdamZ

If you are looking into LE look at a Glock 23 (.40cal) (what I use) FN Five Seven (5.7mm) (coolest gun I have ever seen. I am trying to get the dept. to switch to these), or a sig p226 9mm (probably the nicest gun out there).

The FN 5.7 may be cool looking, but I don't think it's right for someone's first experience with a gun (especially a handgun). First, it feels too much like a toy (although it is certainly not). Second, it would be very expensive to fire being an odd caliber. Lastly, it isn't like "other handguns" which I think a first gun should be - for instance, the safety is up on the side of the gun.

Don't get me wrong... it's a nice gun and all, but consider we are trying to help someone who has never owned (or probably even held) a firearm. Let's get him started and he can go exotic on his own later on, once he knows what he's doing.

[Milk 1027]

I may be the crazy one here. But my suggestion is the complete opposite of anyone's here.

If you are serious about law enforcement, don't buy a gun. Actually don't even shoot. Trust me, you will be much better off learning from scratch from the one on one instruction you get when you go through an academy. You will learn everything you need to learn about shooting and safety. At the end you will be able to shoot better than most people here and best thing is, at the end you get a free gun. How cool is that! It will also give you a good feeling for what kind of gun you like and whether you can handle a bigger round or would like to go smaller and pretty much anything else that comes with the decision of buying a weapon.

I know, I know. People may not like my idea but it's a serious suggestion and one that I think you should take seriously. Best of all, you won't have to worry about CCW permits or any of that once you are in law enforcement.

So my suggestion is, if you are truly serious. Don't buy your first weapon. Instead buy your second one

[Mr_Draco]

Originally Posted by Milk 1027

I may be the crazy one here. But my suggestion is the complete opposite of anyone's here.

If you are serious about law enforcement, don't buy a gun. Actually don't even shoot. Trust me, you will be much better off learning from scratch from the one on one instruction you get when you go through an academy. You will learn everything you need to learn about shooting and safety. At the end you will be able to shoot better than most people here and best thing is, at the end you get a free gun. How cool is that! It will also give you a good feeling for what kind of gun you like and whether you can handle a bigger round or would like to go smaller and pretty much anything else that comes with the decision of buying a weapon.

If you've never shot and intended on being a LE do exactly this. LE has access to some of the best trainers and teachers and will teach you how to shoot and handle a gun correctly. If you just go out and try to teach yourself how to shoot you will start doing bad habits that will be very hard to break and will be dangerous to yourself and others around you and may jeopardize your chance of ever becoming a LE. You're much better of letting a professional train you then try to learn yourself.

Best of all, you won't have to worry about CCW permits or any of that once you are in law enforcement.

This depends on the state. In NC, being a officer does NOT give you the same rights and privileges as a CC does.