Hello to NJGF members, admins, and lurkers.

[unclenunzie 3]

I just joined today. I've been reading this forum and others for a while, to learn what can be learned by reading and watching. My brother in law comes from upstate NY, a real country boy, and has been shooting and hunting since he was a kid, following in his family's traditions. It was on his father's property that I got a little rifle experience, but by no means do I have experience. Never touched a handgun, but I am willing to learn. :twisted:

 

As a northern NJ resident since the early 1980's, I did more than once consider getting an FPID, but only recently did I actually apply at my town's PD. My hope is it will be issued along with some PTPs before the end of summer.

 

I'm strongly considering a quality 9MM autoloader for my first handgun. From what I have read, it should be perfectly acceptable for home defense and all around use (with appropriately chosen rounds). I may also consider adding some other popular calibers, such as .40 SW and maybe even the old standby .45 ACP. But I feel going with a 9MM to gain range shooting experience, especially for control, recoil, and muzzle flip, will give me a sense of how far to go up the caliber and power scale. My brother in law says I should have no problems handling the more powerful ones, and at 5'11 and 200+ I believe him. But only direct experience will show.

 

Naturally, safety and safe handling always come first, and I will follow the time-tested widely published rules in that regard.

 

Being left handed limits my options somewhat where my personal comfort in operating a pistol is concerned. I am considering a number of possibilities:

 

CZ 75/85 variants

FN FNP-9

Glock 19

XD varieties

SIG varieties - these are very attactive but expensive

 

Am fully aware of the 15-round capacity limit in NJ. It's a pain, but I expect local dealers will be helpful in addressing it.

 

I am somewhat torn between the all-steel/alloy and polymer frame pistols. I will have to feel them in a gunshop/range when I get my FPID before I make a commitment. Shooting before purchase makes perfect sense to me, so I hope these models, and others I have not considered, will be available for range renting.

 

I am also leaning more towards hammer-driven DA/SA action varieties, as opposed to the striker fired types. This is simply a personal preference, as I think it would be enjoyable to target shoot with SA at some point. However I may come to prefer the striker type with their DAO once I have actually handled and fired them.

 

Well, that's about it for now.

 

Regards,

 

UN

[kenw 293]

Welcome from Sussex County.

[Malsua 1,422]

Hi, welcome.

 

I'm a lefty but I shoot with both. For this reason, I fell in love with the HK P30. It has ambidextrous slide release, mag release and decocker. It also FEELS amazing to hold plus you can change the side panels and backstrap to fit your hand. It's very reliable and has an accessory rail in front of the trigger guard. You can see some pictures of mine here(the HK pics): http://thewellrats.com/malbor2/guns/

 

There's a few reasons I don't like Glocks, one being the fact that there is no hammer to cock. The only way to cock a glock is to rack the slide. The only way to uncock it is to pull the trigger. There's a reason there are so many negligent discharges with Glocks. It's a combat pistol and is not forgiving. To disassemble, you have to uncock it...pull trigger. I'm not saying they aren't fine weapons, they are. I'm saying it's not a beginner firearm.

 

The CZs are inexpensive and reliable, but I've heard they have a brittle firing pin that can break if dry fired too much.

 

I went to the gun store to buy a Sig p226 and bought the HK P30. The Sigs are great guns too and probably have the best weight because they aren't composite. If I didn't have my HK, I'd have the Sig.

 

I'll also say, you're first hand gun is like your first girl. You want a quickie in the back seat of a 72 Pinto next to the Parsippany dump with the pimply faced homly broad from down the street or would you rather class it up a bit and make it worth while? I don't know about you but I'd rather take the pain and spend a few hundred bucks more out of the gate.

 

Well take care of handguns really don't lose much of their value so you'll be able to turn around a nice weapon if it ever came to it.

 

good luck with whatever you buy. Be sure to post pictures.

[kenw 293]

You want a quickie in the back seat of a 72 Pinto next to the Parsippany dump with the pimply faced homly broad from down the street

Way to much detail.

[NJ-Tom 4]

Hello and Welcome !

[Chad 3]

Welcome to NJGF....jump right in! 8-)

 

PS...where in up-state NY?

 

You want a quickie in the back seat of a 72 Pinto next to the Parsippany dump with the pimply faced homly broad from down the street

 

My wife mentioned something about losing her innocence to some gun guy in vernon... :shock: :shock: :shock:

[NJChiroDoc 0]

welcome

[DirtyDigz 1,812]

Welcome Uncle.

 

I'm a relative newbie too. My first and only pistol so far is a Glock 26.

 

Anyone who is going to inspect, service or disassemble any gun should be following the protocol for making sure it is unloaded before starting, including removing the magazine, racking the slide multiple times and checking both by feel and sight that the chamber is empty. Newer glocks, such as mine, have an additional safety feature of the ejector protruding out away from the slide when a round is chambered.

 

If you're doing what you *SHOULD* be doing before servicing any gun then the fact that you have to dry fire a glock to field strip it should not make it any more dangerous than field stripping any other gun.

[unclenunzie 3]

Thank you all for your warm welcome. I'll definitely look into the HK line, and I appreciate the pics in a Lefty's grip. Right off the bat I like it's 15 round mag legal for NJ, and the ambi controls.

 

'Upstate NY' is near Newcomb in the Adirondacks. Haven't been up there in a long while, expect to do most of my shooting at Bullet Hole. It has a good reputation from what I read and it's close to home. I called them with an FPID question last week, and they were very helpful. Kinda cool hearing the shots pop off in the background, but those staff must be going deaf

 

Glock and SIG were where I started my pistol research, then I broadened out to other lines. I'm just gonna have to calmly try them all. :mrgreen:

 

UN

[Maksim 1,504]

Welcome to the forum.

 

I would post in the handgun forums or the buying first handgun for more info.

 

For ambidextrous stuff, Walthers are nice as the mag release on both sides. otherwise, the CZ 85 is great, ambi slide and mag release.

 

I prefer an all steel pistol to a polymer as less recoil. Less recoil to learn on is great. once comfy, jazz it up.

 

first handguns I learned on were Browning Buckmark 22, and then a Beretta 92fs.

 

Polymers are nice, but not my preferred.

[tbtrout 141]

Welcome. A 9mm will do just fine for you. You can never go wrong with a CZ.

[67gtonut 847]

Welcome to the forum!!

 

I am also new around here.

 

You can also look at the S&W M&P series. I know the mag release can be switched to the other side....

 

I also have a Beretta 92FS For Sale, and if you are near Morris County, You are more then welcome to try it.

 

In fact, if you are local to me, and want to try my MP9, let me know.....

 

Troy

[Maksim 1,504]

I would quickly jump on that Beretta. It really is a great firearm, and correct me if I am wrong.. is ambi friendly out of the box?

[Chad 3]

'Upstate NY' is near Newcomb in the Adirondacks.

 

 

Cool...I have a house in Tannersville (greene county) I haven't been up there in a while either. :x

 

And that beretta is a GREAT gun, I have one in stainless, and the safety is ambi out of the box...I'm lefty also.

[hotshot 4]

hello and welcome

[njpilot 671]

Welcome to the forum.

[Mauser88 0]

Welcome from Down the shore!!

[bbk 188]

Welcome! My first pistol was the M9/Beretta 92F. Not my favorite, personally, but solid all-around.

[Marc 0]

Welcome.

[hotshot 4]

hello and welcome from south jersey