Any suggestions for an expierienced shooter looking to buy his first pistol? 9mm autoloader is prefference. Self defence. And i dont wanna spend a fortune. thanks in advance.

I am an NRA Instructor and would suggest you go take the NRA Basic Pistol Course. If the course is run well the instructors will usually have a selection of centerfire handguns for you to try to better make up your mind. Then take the Persoanl Protection in the Home Course and then by the time you have done those two the new Personal Protection Outside the Home Course should be up and running. There is a lot more to selfdefense than just carrying a gun...make a mistake and you can a) be killed b) end up in a major civil lawsuit c) end up in prison. This is just like driving a car..would you give someone the keys to your car who had never driven, didn't know the rules of the road and didn't know the laws involving driving? People who think that carrying a gun for self-defense is just about choosing the right gun are just as dangerous as that driver who has never had any lessons...

Also if you can find a local range that has rentals it will save you money in the long run by eliminating a lot of candidates.

But if you are new to handguns..go get a .22 first. It will give you a much better foundation than starting out with a centerfire.

As to "not spending a fortune"...you didn't name a price limit, but..what is your life worth...

Bob

A really good SD course is worth every penny ,your life may depend on it !!SD is a VERY serious affair !You can get a good used pistol especially one from SIG who refurbishes them and has a warrantee.There are three costs - gun, ammo, traing.

Great advice from RJM and mete.

While I much prefer a 1911 type 45 ACP...

As to 9mm pistols take a look at the Glock, or the Browning High Power. Nothing wrong with a SIG or a Berreta, I just prefer the first two.

I also liked the H&K P7 single stack.
I have a Colt 1911 in 9mm customized, and shot a friends Kimber commander size 9mm, and it was nice too. Most people do not think of a 1911 when 9mm comes up...

But again I would much rather have a 1911 45 ACP.

I think RJM has some advice that needs to be considered a lot more. I would guess your odds of having a major lawsuit or being tossed in jail greatly outweigh the odds of being killed because a subpar SD weapon fails.

Self defense is important, but come on guys - the average pistol shooter I see is more likely to die from a heart attack.

I would say if you are truly concerned about a long life, spend your time and money on being in good shape. Or go take a defensive driving course - you are far more likely to use that than you are to use a weapon in SD.

Insisting one needs an SD gun to live is like saying one hunts for food. It may be true that hunting supplies food, but we aren't going to starve if we don't shoot anything.

If you want to get a pistol for SD, great, but let's keep things in perspective.

You should actively seek to not ever use an SD weapon. Just ask the jerkwad in AZ who shot some guy a few years ago because he felt threatened by some guy and his dogs. He was found guilty of murder (I guess the bullets entering the antagonist's back didn't help the defense much).

My biggest nightmare about using force is being wrong. A felony conviction means loss of guns forever (or even a simpler assault charge can do the same thing). I may as well be dead.

Having shot pistols in college NC2A, I would wholeheartedly agree a .22 is the place to start. And good training is great too. But don't count on ever using it; you might be disappointed. Prepared, yes.

quote:

by AnotherAZWriter
Self defense is important, but come on guys - the average pistol shooter I see is more likely to die from a heart attack.

Does this mean if you are better than average or below average, then you will not die of a heart attack??

After you get really good with the .22, and this will take awhile, get a CZ 75 in 9MM. It will not be as accurate as the .22, but nearly so. If you need it for defense and do not have a heart attack in the process, you will find that it does very nicely.

well, im gonna call it my self defence pistol. That give me an excuse to have it in my bedside table. But more or less its so i could shoot with my bro-inlaw (he just got a new glock) on the weekends. I should have mentioned plinking. And as far as pistol expirience. I have plenty, I just thought u guys/gals, might have thought of somthing in havent. Thats why i asked here yall are always full of good ideas.

Hi K-C, Have you looked at the EAA Witness pistols? I have one for the wife and it shoots great, feels good in the hand and isn't terribly expensive.
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=53608885
Here's one on Gunbroker for $380 and comes with 4 mags.

I hadn't heard about getting used refurbished pistols from Sig, but that would be an excellent idea.

If your looking for an inexpensive plinker that can double as a SD pistol, you might look at some of the Star pistols.
I have a Star Super in 9mm Largo(they come in 9mm luger also)This is a well built surplus gun that goes for less than $200
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=53558886
Here's one going for $121 currently.


and another.