How do you choose the best handgun for beginners? Find out as you read on below!
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Handgun for Beginners | Choosing What's Best for You
How to Pick the Handgun for Beginners Like You
In reality, there is no shortcut to finding the right firearm for you, especially if you are new to the world of gun ownership. While there are so many firearms you can choose from, choosing the perfect handgun all depends on a number of factors.
Now, if you are ready to bear all the responsibilities of being a gun owner, let’s get started with finding the best handgun for you by considering these factors!
Your Experience with Guns
All of us have our own individual experiences with handling a gun, and the type of weapon you will buy is largely dependent on your specialty. If you are new to the biz and you want to explore firearms, don’t be afraid to pick a nice and comfy .22 caliber.
Although this may not be the top pick of experts in the field, it is actually a recommended buy for those wanting to get the feel of handling a firearm. Aside from being inexpensive, it is fun and easy to use, making it a great handgun for beginners.
Likewise, it is best for new gun owners to begin with smaller calibers before moving on to larger ones. If you have used a .22 caliber before and you think you have already gained enough experience from it, you might want to look into the best 9mm handguns for beginners.
This caliber is most popular amongst concealed carry permit holders. There are so many options to choose from, like the Glock 19 handgun, Smith & Wesson M&Pc, Springfield XD Sub-Compact 9mm, and Taurus PT111G.
If these names don’t ring a bell, it is best that you review their individual features first because they all boast differences.
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What Is the Handgun For?
Without neglecting the first pointer, you need to ask yourself why you are buying a handgun in the first place. If you need a range gun, then go on and buy whatever suits you the most.
Nonetheless, if you are looking for concealed carry, you also need to take the overall appearance into account. Can it easily be hidden under your clothes? Does the handgun fall under the top concealed carry buys?
What is the feedback from other gun owners? Reflect on all of these pointers and you will be well on your way to finding that perfect gun. Think about all of these factors when trying to find the best handgun for beginners like yourself.
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The Budget
Your budget plays an important role in identifying the most suitable handgun for you. In case you are not aware, maintaining a gun can be very expensive.
The ammunition and the cleaning supplies can definitely burn a hole in your pocket, especially if you always practice—and yes, you should never ditch practicing because not having the skills to pull that trigger defeats the purpose of you even owning a gun.
While it is important for you to buy the handgun that best fits your budget, please do not neglect the importance of buying a quality gun. Otherwise, you might only be placing yourself in grave danger.
Final Point
Before buying a gun, always inspect its overall condition and the way it feels in your hands. Even if it is affordable and looks good on paper if it doesn’t feel right for you, walk away because there are so many guns out there that you can choose from.
All in all, the handgun you’d buy would depend on you and the other factors that affect gun ownership. Never rely on other people’s experiences because, at the end of the day, it is you who is going to pull that trigger, not me… not them… not anybody else!
Watch this video by NSSF about the basic of handgun shooting and handling:
You should take into consideration to first own a gun you can practice with. A .22 caliber handgun is a great way to start as you practice and familiarize yourself with the handgun basics.
Certain things like gun recoil and the difficulties of big caliber guns might surprise you while still in your learning phase.
So, start with a low-caliber handgun and master the basics of shooting and safety, first. After which, you can decide which powerful handgun is best for you.
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on April 18, 2019, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.
My view… if you are a true beginner, the first firearm you purchase will likely not be your last. So, don’t ‘over invest’ on your first purchase as you will probably decide to trade it as you gain shooting experience. To a fresh shooter, “quality” is something yet to be learned and will differ with every shooter.
With shooting experience you will learn to appreciate the crisp break of a fine trigger, the smoothness of a well milled and fitted slide and even a magazine slipping gracefully into the well like a fine piece of jewelry. These are things you will learn to “feel”.
On the other hand, the first firearm you purchase (usually on the word of another) may be the one you keep and may even become your favorite… it could happen. I’m simply saying that from where I sit and based on my years of shooting, I have never seen it happen.
Take a handgun class that includes firing at least 20 or 30 rounds with a couple of different guns BEFORE you buy anything. I was a gun novice when I starting thinking about concealed carry and I did just that. Tried a .22, a full-sized 9 and a compact 9 and found I was comfortable and not a bad shot with all three. Budget and concealed carry being major points for me, and assuming this would be my ONLY gun for some time to come, I ended up with a subcompact – the SCCY CPX-2 9mm. A bit snappy because of the size, but accurate, comfortable and with 10+1 capacity. I’ve since added an S&W 9 SDVE as my nightstand gun and will add others as the budget allows, because I’ve gotten hooked on the sport element of shooting. The history buff in my NEEDS a 1911 in 45 ACP, I’d like to learn skeet shooting, so that means a shotgun, and I’d like to learn how to shoot a rifle again, so that will probably mean an AR at some point. (Last rifle I fired was a .22 with the high school shooting club. Yes, we still had those, even in NY, back in the 70s.)
sometimes a beginner with a pistol is not a beginner with guns… and the pistol is purpose driven…. I hated to shoot an animal that was down with a big gun when all you were doing was finishing a hunt,,, I have had a few pistols now and the best was a ruger mark III 22 with a 5 3/4 bull barrel… very effective at close range very accurate nice trigger (adjustable) and did not jump when you shoot so it was still on target after the first shot….
Thinking of geting a hi point 40 cal for my first gun that’s all I can afford really