Interested in picking up my first firearm

[grumpybear]

A Glock is a perfect first gun. Affordable, uber reliable and easy to maintain, will shoot under practically all conditions, parts/mags are available everywhere, and under stressful situations and beginning shooters I think the capacity advantage over a revolver is a huge plus in a real self defense situation.

They aren't pretty, 1911's are, but are also finicky unless properly maintained (regularly). A 1911 is also a smoother shooting gun.

First of all a glock is an accident waiting to happen, any gun without a double action trigger pull or a manual safety is an accident waiting to happen. Add to that many people modify their glocks to have lighter trigger pulls, glocks are dangerous not only to the shooter but also to everyone around them.

1911's are not finicky they are stone cold reliable, but you have to do your part, just as with any gun, clean it every once in a while keep it lubricated and don't try to work on it unless you know what you are doing. I have seen people seriously mess up a 1911 because they tried to polish the feedramp and did it wrong turning it into a jammomatic. When they are told that they turned their $1000 pistol into a paperweight they get pretty upset, and even more upset when they find out the only reliable way to fix it will cost almost as much as a new pistol.

 

[auk1124]

auk, how is cleaning a glock easier than a revolver? I feel like I'm forgetting something?

I've never had a Sig, don't know how they break down, but the Glock slide and barrel strip off in a snap, for easy cleaning of the barrel from the chamber side. With revolvers you are cleaning the barrel from the business end (not a big deal necessarily but I always feel I get barrels cleaner by cleaning from the chamber forward). And with revolvers you have all those chambers to work on, plus the front face of the chambers.

With a Glock it is a matter of a quick field strip, scrub the barrel clean, wipe the slide and exterior of the barrel with a rag and a drop of Rem Oil, put a drop of oil on the metal slide contacts on the frame, and finger wipe any powder off the internals in the frame. Easy as pie. Revolvers seem to be dirtier and have more parts that need cleaning.

 

[auk1124]

First of all a glock is an accident waiting to happen, any gun without a double action trigger pull or a manual safety is an accident waiting to happen. Add to that many people modify their glocks to have lighter trigger pulls, glocks are dangerous not only to the shooter but also to everyone around them.

 

[MatteBlack]

It's fine to dislike Glocks but that was just silly. I have a Colt Government model and a Glock and I feel much safer with a loaded Glock than I do a cocked-and-locked .45. It's simply a personal choice; there is no right and wrong here.

 

[rithunder916]

I think glocks are over rated. There are a lot of guns better designed and just as good quality for the same money. Best bang for your buck lately has been Taurus. I owned a glock for a year and sold it, it wasn't comfortable to hold, fired just as good as my Taurus 24/7 and cost twice as much. In the end I wound up selling half my collection to buy my house. The glock was one of them.

 

[MatteBlack]

Anything is overrated if you don't personally like it.

 

[luvmysuper]

Take a deep breath fellas.
Step back and ask yourself "Am I writing this post to answer the OP's question, or am I answering or rebutting someone else's post in this thread?"
If it's the latter, and you've already posted, perhaps it's time to move on to another thread.

Hint hint

 

[rearviewmirror]

Yea let's not get all wound up. Especially since you are all wrong and he should get a Sig Sauer P226.

 

[cb91710]

Taurus Judge - best home defense hand gun I can think of! It will shoot 410 shotgun shells or 45 colt.

Illegal in California unless imported with a VFG as an AOW on an NFA trust (I know a shop that can do it).
California considers it to be an SBS.
The Circuit Judge is legal.

 

[Kentos]

I like the simplicity of Glocks myself. As long as you don't pull the trigger it won't fire a round, just like every other gun. Do some research to see what platform you would feel comfortable with and learn to use it.

Now ask what would be a good SECOND gun

 

[rithunder916]

I personally have loved my sig p250 dao in 9mm

 

[dducker3]

First of all a glock is an accident waiting to happen, any gun without a double action trigger pull or a manual safety is an accident waiting to happen. Add to that many people modify their glocks to have lighter trigger pulls, glocks are dangerous not only to the shooter but also to everyone around them.

1911's are not finicky they are stone cold reliable, but you have to do your part, just as with any gun, clean it every once in a while keep it lubricated and don't try to work on it unless you know what you are doing. I have seen people seriously mess up a 1911 because they tried to polish the feedramp and did it wrong turning it into a jammomatic. When they are told that they turned their $1000 pistol into a paperweight they get pretty upset, and even more upset when they find out the only reliable way to fix it will cost almost as much as a new pistol.

These Glock comments.....lol!

 

[luvmysuper]

Strike 1

 

[Acmemfg]

Surely opinions will vary. One thing for certain...the best gun you can own is the one you prefer over all the others.

 

[PugslyCat]

A couple of random thoughts to throw out:

• Revolvers don't have failure to feed or failure to eject problems very often.
• When they do, it's probably because the gun is just plain broken.
• When revolvers break, they break hard. It's probably not going to be a quick dissasembly and reassembly job, but some serious gunsmithing.
• A modern semi-automatic pistol will actually have fewer parts to fail than will a revolver.
• Double action revolvers are easy to operate. Just point and pull the trigger.
• Double action revolvers tend to not have a safety, so that could be a problem.
• Some semi-automatic pistols have multiple safeties, which could confound a user who isn't well versed in the gun.
• The 9mm is basically the .22LR of the centerfire cartridge world. In normal times it's one of the least expensive pistol rounds and most places that sell ammunition try to stock it.
• Also like the .22LR, pretty much everybody with guns has a 9mm. Consequently when there is a run on ammunition it's one of the first to sell out and the last to come back in any quantity.
• Glocks have a reputation for feeding ammunition very reliably.
• To achieve that reliability some Glocks have a partially unsupported chamber. This can cause a bulge in the base of the spent cases. Such "Glocked up" ammunition may need some extra attention if your are planning on reloading the spent brass, but it's not difficult. My understanding is that this is more prevalant in .40 S&W than other calibers.
• It's nice to have a light mounted on your home defense pistol. Some pistols have accessory rails.
• 1911's are cool. That was the sum total of my reasoning when I bought my first pistol.
• 1911's can be found in several calibers other than .45 ACP, but why?
• 1911's are going to have a 7 or 8 round magazine. That's a lot less than a lot of other semi-automatic pistols on the market today.
• Most defensive shootings are going to be resolved in 3 or 4 shots.
• Many people find a rifle or shotgun to be much easier to use effectively than a pistol.

 

[cb91710]

+1 on most everything Pugsly commented on except for a couple of minor points:
1 - The lack of a safety on a revolver isn't that big of a deal, so long as you don't carry cocked. The long, heavy, DA pull is more than enough safety, just as the trigger safety on the Glock is sufficient. You MUST pull the trigger to discharge them. Both designs pass the strict California drop tests without a problem. A Glock or revolver is possibly "less unsafe" (using California DOJ's words) than a traditional semi-auto with the safety off.
2 - While the 7/8rd capacity of the 1911 is a limitation, Kodiak is in California, so even with a Glock 19, he would be limited to no more than 10 rounds. 10 is twice the load of a J-frame, but only 20% more than a 1911.

Yes, there have been some cases of AD/ND with Glocks. The most recent posted was where an inexpensive "slide" style holster was used, and as it aged, the leather sagged and got into the trigger guard.
The same would have happened with a revolver, or any other striker-fired semi-auto lacking a grip safety.

 

[PugslyCat]

Rick is quite correct that neither of those points is likely to be a show stopper. Mine was kind of a stream of consciousness post and they made the list just because somebody else would raise them if I didn't.

As a child I once found and played with my uncle's .357 magnum. The long, heavy, DA pull was more than sufficient to stop me from doing any harm.

As far as handgun magazine capacity, my stance has always been that if eight rounds of .45 ACP from my 1911 won't stop a threat I'll have extra time to run while somebody else finishes sending more of their smaller bullets at the problem.

 

[luvmysuper]

if eight rounds of .45 ACP from my 1911 won't stop a threat I'll have extra time to run while somebody else finishes sending more of their smaller bullets at the problem.

That's classic and needs to be framed and hung somewhere.

 

[cb91710]

As far as handgun magazine capacity, my stance has always been that if eight rounds of .45 ACP from my 1911 won't stop a threat I'll have extra time to run while somebody else finishes sending more of their smaller bullets at the problem.

Now now... your handgun is for fighting your way to your rifle.


The Claymores I set up in the hallway are just insurance

That's classic and needs to be framed and hung somewhere.

LOL! True true. Not a fan of capacity limits, but I'm not going to break the law out of an irrational fear that a pair of 8-10rd mags isn't going to be enough.

 

[towmas13]

There has been a lot of good input on this thread. As an avid gun owner and one time newby I say that this will be one of the most rewarding decisions of your life. Taking the defense of yourself and your loved ones into your own hands is a big responsibility, but if you don't do it, nobody else will. Remember this, when seconds count, the police are only minutes away.

As far as your pending purchase is concerned, I would agree with what many of the other members have said. There is no one gun that is perfect for everybody. Find some people who will let you shoot their guns, or a place that rents them and shoot as many as you can. Just holding it isn't enough. You won't get a feel for how the gun recoils unless you actually pull the trigger with a round in the chamber. My first pistol purchase was a Springfield 1911 GI that I picked up for $500. It's a pretty gun but it is not reliable at all. I'm sure if I took it apart and did some polishing and fitting it would be great, but I haven't had the time to do that. I also own two Glocks, both in .45, and they have been 100% reliable since day one. I have never owned a wheel gun, so I can't comment on them. I will say that I would like to get a Colt Python one day and I have no problem with using a revolver. I just prefer autos.