Looking to buy my first handgun!

[RxBandit 0]

New guy here,

 

So I'm looking to buy my first handgun. One thing I've decided on is that it will shoot rimfire ammo in .22LR caliber because of the price of the ammo is low and I intend to shoot quite a bit with it and I don't plan on buying another handgun for a while (no guarantees on that!). Also I really like the Ruger SR22, if anyone has an opinion on that particular gun let me know please. The SR22 seems to be decently priced, high quality (Ruger!) and it shoots my preferred ammo.

My questions for you guys are these:

- Will it be hard to find?

- Is shopping around worth it or it will be roughly the same price everywhere I look?

- Should I consider buying it on the internet (GunBroker etc)?

- And if I decide on purchasing on the internet, will there be more hoops to jump through then at a local shop?

 

That's it for now, thanks in advance...

 

RxB

[checko 180]

I read a review once that it had a TERRIBLE double action trigger. I do not know if that is an isolated case or not, as I've never tried one.

 

You should definitely use the price quote feature here on the forum if you dont have a preferred shop. Different places do have different prices. As for the internet, the price will look good at first but once you add the transfer fee and shipping it will most likely even out. Doesn't hurt to look though.

 

Good luck and let us know how it is!

[Cam'mown 0]

Agreed... Do a price quote here first. Also call a few shops in the area.

 

There are plenty of opinions and plenty of guns that fit your criteria. As far as the SR22 is concerned... It is a very small .22

If you want to hold one and can't find one at a local place, I suggest handling a Walther P22. Pretty much the same size and gun. That will give you an idea of what I mean. I was also interested in the same, until I held a P22, and subsequently an SR22. I found it tiny in my hands and toyish.

 

I eventually wound up purchasing a Smith and Wesson M&P22. It's a full size .22. The same size as the M&P 9. Plus it has 12 rounds magazines, adjustable rear sights, and reversible mag lease which suits a lefty like myself.

 

You'll hear a lot of "you should shoot a few to see what you like best" on here.. And it's true.. Only you know how it feels to you. Every gun feels different, from grip size to weight.

 

Good luck!

[Underdog 1,593]

For me, the SR22's trigger is not the best, and I don't like the direction of the safety. It works opposite to 1911s and other thumb safeties that are typical. If Ruger had done it right, the safety and the trigger would have been designed with a little more pizazz. Personally, I would look at a Ruger Mark III or 22/45, or if you can find one in awesome shape, select a Ruger Mark II, but that would be a more of a target and range gun than what you may want, and they aren't that much fun to clean, but not too bad once you learn the tricks.

 

As suggested, the S&W M&P 22 might be a nice and viable option or a GSG 1911-22. I would like to have one of the M&P 22s, but I prefer the steel Rugers over the pot metal M&P or GSG/SIG 1911-22, which I do have an enjoy a lot. Another option would be a Bersa Thunder in .22LR. I like it better than the Ruger SR-22, and they are dependable but require beefier .22s (and not always bulk pack stuff) to work the slide. They are hard to find and parts, etc. would be very hard to find, and magazines are expensive. And, yet, another option might be a Ruger LCR in .22LR. The trigger is heavy DA, but smooth, and I like it. The grip is made to be removable and interchangeable, however, I don't think Ruger and the aftermarket have capitalized on this, yet, except w/ laser grips, and a larger more comfortable and full-size one has not been released for this to my knowledge. Lastly, a larger revolver might be a nice option. I would look at a S&W 317, 617, Ruger SP101, or a Taurus 992 combo (.22LR, .22WMR). There are pluses and minuses to revolvers, but they typically have heavy triggers and teh hammer is heavy to pull back and shoot in single action. I believe a Ruger SP101 was for sale in the market section.

 

Depending on your budget, you might want to get a Glock and a conversion barrel, or perhaps a SIG or CZ with a conversion barrel. Then you would have the flexibility of two guns. As a side note, you could get a Glock 23 and a 9mm conversion barrel for about $100 more and an Advantage Arms conversion kit and some magazines and have the ability to shoot .22LR, 9mm, and .40S&W. You would have to pickup some G19 magazines, though, and you could also get a .357 SIG barrel for that gun as well, which would make it quite versatile, and afterall, it is a Glock. One other note, though, the .22 conversion kit makes a very light, almost toy-like gun at the range and would have limited help in allowing you to practice to handle the larger calibers.

[RxBandit 0]

Very good stuff so far, thanks guys....the reason why I was looking at the SR22 was also price, my budget is a bit limited now since I also want to buy a small safe to keep it in at home and all the stuff I'm gonna need for the range (ears and eyes). I'm trying to keep everything under $600, hopefully i'll be able to do that.

I'm also going to need some sort of lockable box to transport it since I drive a pickup truck, does anyone have that problem? I spoke with a police officer from my town and he said as long as the gun is locked and the ammo is separately locked in the vehicle I should be ok. From what I read on the state police website, they only mention to lock the gun in the trunk and ammo separately from it.

[savageshooter 10]

You should be able to find a Ruger 22/45 for a tad under $300. These are the guns that are built to take a ton of abuse and ones that you can pass onto your grandchildren. Same said for the Browning Buckmark. If it's quality you're looking for, look no further. There's a reason they've been around for so many years and still make them.

[TheWombat 67]

Go to a couple of ranges and try a few. Finding the right firearm is very much a personal thing. The two I would consider (if I was buying a .22) would be: GSG .22 1911, M&P .22. I took a different route though and considered the Sig 9mm/.22 conversion, CZ75 9mm/.22 conversion and the Glock 9mm/.22 conversion.

 

This may not work for your budget, however if you can afford it then having the conversion kit can make things a little more enjoyable when you want to take a break from .22 for a few rounds.

 

I have the .22 conversion kit for my Sig P226 and it works well.

 

TheWombat

[jgofnj 5]

The Buckmark camper is an excellent .22LR but it is a target gun, not sure if that's what you are looking for, You can get one for about $300 - $350

[RxBandit 0]

I just checked out the RTSP website and the place looks really nice, the only shop I've ever been in is the bullet hole back when you couldn't get your fishing license online, so for comparative purposes, RTSP is fantastic! The fact that they rent guys is nice, I like the idea of going out and shooting a few different guns and checking out how I like them.

Another gun I had seen and liked was the Chiappa 1911-22, but apparently, and correct me if I'm wrong, it's not a very reliable brand. I read a lot of stories about FTE/FTF very frequently so I don't think Chiappa is the way to go here, but if I'm wrong correct me please.

As far as the type of gun I'm looking for, I basically just want to go to the range and throw some bullets down range and hit those nice NJGF targets you guys have! I might have to blow them up onto bigger paper though!

But again, thanks for all the help!

RxB

[RxBandit 0]

Another thing I forgot to ask, is it common practice for shops to order guns for customers? Or is it basically what we have in stock is what you can buy? The reason why I ask is because if a shop doesn't have what I want but they can price it and order it, it's worth the wait.

[Steve_G 51]

No personal expeience with the Chiappa but, have not heard too many good things about them. I have the M&P 22 and it has been great. It's a full size gun, unlike the SR22. I have also shot the GSG 1911-22 and they are great as well. I'll be picking one of those up with my next round of permits. I believe East Brunswick Sportsman has an M&P 22 in stock if you wanted to handle one to see how it feels.

[diamondd817 828]

IMO, I would go with a 9mm pistol as my first. 22lr are nice, there fun, there cheap to shoot, but they get boring real fast. I have an SR22, a S&W 63, and a AA conversion kit for my Gen4 Glock 19. I can never just go to the range and shoot 22lr, I bring them to kill time between shooting the bigger calibers. Again, this is just my opinion, and you might just want to shoot 22 and nothing else, but I think you will get bored before your next P2P is useable. Like others have mentioned, get a service caliber pistol, and a 22lr conversion kit. I know the budget is tight, so maybe a 9mm now and in 2 months or so a conversion kit.

 

 

BTW, RTSP has an SR22 in their rental department that you can go and try out.

[diamondd817 828]

New guy here,

 

 

- Will it be hard to find?

- Is shopping around worth it or it will be roughly the same price everywhere I look?

- Should I consider buying it on the internet (GunBroker etc)?

- And if I decide on purchasing on the internet, will there be more hoops to jump through then at a local shop?

 

RxB

 

Should be easy to find.

 

It will be roughly the same price, although there are some places that are way overpiced. $325-$350.

 

You can buy on the interent, it is just as easy as buying from a local store. Gunbroker or Budsgunshop.com. I like to buy local when available. It usually works out about the same $$.

[diamondd817 828]

Another thing I forgot to ask, is it common practice for shops to order guns for customers? Or is it basically what we have in stock is what you can buy? The reason why I ask is because if a shop doesn't have what I want but they can price it and order it, it's worth the wait.

 

It is common, and they will order the gun you want if it's available. Usually does not take long to get, a couple days is the norm, unless its some special gun or is in high demand. It took me 7 months to get a DPMS LR-308, but that was 2yrs ago, and they were way backordered. In contrast, it only took 3 days for my Glock 26 gen4 to show up.

[Underdog 1,593]

You can also find the gun you want, too, and have it shipped to a local dealer. You would have to pay a transfer fee and a background check fee and the tax on the two of them, and of course the shipping and handling fee for the item to be sent to them. That could easily be $53.50 (or more, Nicks and transfer) + $30.00 (shipping to the vendor, FFL who shipped it to you), or about $85.00 tacked on to your purchase price. If you find it priced competitively on line, then even with all of those fees you might break out even or perhaps a little bit better on the item than if you bought it through the dealer, personally. Some local dealers will tack on an additional amount if you are ordering a new gun or if it is something that they can order directly for you, but usually not if it is used. And, each local dealer seems to have a different transfer and NICS fee, so call around locally. Usually, if my dealer is reliable (will have it when he tells me he will), and he can get it, I would be willing to pay the extra few bucks (up to $25-30) to get it through him (as long as I don't feel he is price-gouging me). Either way, you won't get to really preview it before purchasing it, so you really need to know what you want (unless you order it through your local vendor and he allows you to back out and puts it in his store inventory). I have had dealers tell me they would order it, etc. and that it is available, only to find out when you expect it in, etc. that it wasn't available. I have had dealers that took a deposit on an in-stock item for me to hold it until permits ready (with OGAM) and then it was sold out from under me and no longer in stock when I came to pick it up at the arranged day and time. I have also had dealers give me the price on something they had in stock and then add a shipping and handling fee onto that price when writing up the gun, to which I then declined. That should have been added in the price in the beginning. And, a range/shop might let you try a gun before buying it and deduct the range fee off of your purchase price if you get one that they have in stock.

[Sixtytwo327 14]

So I'm looking to buy my first handgun.

Congratulations.

 

One thing I've decided on is that it will shoot rimfire ammo in .22LR caliber because of the price of the ammo is low and I intend to shoot quite a bit with it and I don't plan on buying another handgun for a while (no guarantees on that!).

.22 is a great first choice. Cheap ammo. Easy learning curve. Once you decide what you want to do - recreation, competition, cowboy action, etc. - you will move up to a larger caliber (and believe me, you will).

 

Also I really like the Ruger SR22, if anyone has an opinion on that particular gun let me know please. The SR22 seems to be decently priced, high quality (Ruger!) and it shoots my preferred ammo.

Ruger is a great brand. The SR22 is an excellent gun, and much better than the one you have now. Other reputable brands are S&W, Colt, and Browning (Buckmark).

 

- Will it be hard to find?

No.

 

- Is shopping around worth it or it will be roughly the same price everywhere I look?

As others have said, do a NJGF price quote. If you find a shop or dealer who is friendly and convenient, don't fret over a $20 or so.

 

- Should I consider buying it on the internet (GunBroker etc)?

For the first time, I would not. You might save a few bucks, but since you're new to the shooting scene, getting to know a shop will give you invaluable information on local facilities, events, and the shooting sports community. Plus if something goes wrong, you have a person to contact, not an e-mail address. Last time I was in a shop, a new shooter was buying his first gun and the salesman offered to meet the customer at the range that night and teach him all about the gun. You can buy online, but you shoot locally.

 

After you have some experience, buying online is an absolutely viable option if you want a specific model or used bargain.

 

Check out Caso's Gun-O-Rama in Jersey City. Prices are fair. They have a lot of the type of 22 you seem to be looking for, and they are some of the nicest people I've purchased from. I've also had good luck with several forum vendors here.

 

Good luck.

[RxBandit 0]

I really am thankful for all the information you guys are providing. All my question are being answered and I'm getting mroe information than I even knew to ask, it truly is helpful. I did the Firearms Price Request and so far one shop ahs gotten back to me on the SR22, hopefully within the next week I'll get a few more answers.

Again thank you everyone for your help.

RxB

[BlueLineFish 615]

I second Caso's. Tons of 22's. I saw the sr22 in there today. Lots too look at and very helpful. I am close by and would be willing to meet you there and help you out

[RxBandit 0]

Thanks for the offer, if I decide to go over there I'll try and let you know.

[destro23 0]

If you get a .22... make sure you file for TWO handgun purchase permits... cuz in 90 days... your gonna want something bigger. It's worth the $2.00 for the "insurance"

 

i just got my first handgun.. glock 19 Gen4 9mm... and earlier this year was the first time i ever held or shot a firearm. And the first thing i ever shot was a .45 cal glock. The instructor told me afterwords that anything i shoot now should be easier!! lol he was right.

 

like people above said.... def go out and rent a few guns!! it's well worth it!

[woodentoe 14]

Bought my first in February. .22lr Ruger mark iii. Got my second in may. Ruger p95 9mm. Got my third in June. 1978 Ruger Security Six .357. Noticing a trend? Lol.

 

Fun hobby. Hardest part is keeping myself awash in ammo.

[BlueLineFish 615]

Thanks for the offer, if I decide to go over there I'll try and let you know.

 

Not sure where you are located but if you buy ammo and range time i can get bring a bunch of guns to the bayonne range dor you too try. I have all different kinds

[RxBandit 0]

If you get a .22... make sure you file for TWO handgun purchase permits...

I actually have all the paperwork taken care of already, everything is sitting here waiting for me to go to the store!

[RxBandit 0]

So went to Meltzer's today (my 'review' is the Shop section), handled a few pistols, including the SR22 which I've been talking about on here and the new contender to be my first gun, the M&P22. I felt the SR22 was a bit small, although I've read that if you change the grip (it comes with a second beefier grip) it feels a lot better. I didn't want to ask the guy to change the grip just for me but I might have to do that. The M&P22 was really nice and it's a full size handgun. After re-reading all of your posts and suggestion, I guess I have a lot of thinking and research ahead of me. The size of the SR22 just might be its downfall for me, although it felt mroe 'solid', not sure if that makes sense.

But that's it for now!

Thanks again for all of your input!

[BlueLineFish 615]

I still vote colt .22 1911

[RxBandit 0]

So as I do more research into all of this, I decided to look into recalls and failures of the two (SR22 and M&P22) I'm looking into and here are the results:

M&P22 only likes the better ammo and really likes CCI Mini-Mags....it also has a problem which makes the slide stick ...

SR22 has a fairly serious problem with the take down slide on the earlier produced guns, after a couple thousand rounds, the take down slide would simply fail during normal operation and gun would basically fall apart during a shot! Now that's some scary stuff.

But yeah so that's where I'm at right now

I still vote colt .22 1911

As far as the Colt, I held one today at Meltzer's and it didn't feel as comfortable as the M&P22 did, I guess the straight design of the "handle" (not sure if that's the right name for it) isn't as comfortable as the M&P22.

My search keeps on...

[Bully 749]

Not sure where in Bergen Cty you are but don't forget to check out Ramsey Outdoor up in Ramsey. Ask to speak with Ron.

 

I have found their prices to be a touch better than Meltzer's. YMMV.

 

If you would like to try out some different stuff, I live in Paramus and will happily meet you at BH when I get back from vacation.

 

C

[Steve_G 51]

So as I do more research into all of this, I decided to look into recalls and failures of the two (SR22 and M&P22) I'm looking into and here are the results:

M&P22 only likes the better ammo and really likes CCI Mini-Mags....it also has a problem which makes the slide stick ...

SR22 has a fairly serious problem with the take down slide on the earlier produced guns, after a couple thousand rounds, the take down slide would simply fail during normal operation and gun would basically fall apart during a shot! Now that's some scary stuff.

But yeah so that's where I'm at right now

 

As far as the Colt, I held one today at Meltzer's and it didn't feel as comfortable as the M&P22 did, I guess the straight design of the "handle" (not sure if that's the right name for it) isn't as comfortable as the M&P22.

My search keeps on...

 

I broke in my M&P 22 with 200 rounds of CCI MiniMags then switched to Federal bulk. It runs pretty damn good with the Federal and even with Wolf match target which is a very slow round compared to the Federal. It does have the occaisional faiure to feed but, that is pretty much true of any 22 semi auto. I have never had a problem with the slide sticking nor have I heard of anyone else having that problem.

 

The grip angle on the Colt as well as the GSG and Sig is the standard 1911 grip angle. Many, including myself find that to be the best and most natural grip for shooting not just handling in the store. That is why I always suggest shooting before you buy.

[RxBandit 0]

Again thank you everyone for your advice, after some more research I'm still stuck between the M&P22 and Ruger SR22, leaning towards the Ruger...

[brocglock23 4]

I bought the Ruger SR22 back in March and I love it. It's cheap to shoot, has interchangeable grips and magazine plates. The only thing with the pistol is it doesn't like anything really below 36 grain. Which shouldn't be a problem finding. Federal, American Eagle and I'm sure others make 500+ bulks cheap. If I remember correctly I walked out the door with mine for 400.