I am looking to buy my first handgun. I have very little experience with guns, though I did shoot rifles when I was a kid.

Can you give me some advice on buying one or point me to some good resources?

  • stink@lemmygrad.ml
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    1 month ago

    You like it? I tried out the Shadow Systems Glock 17 clone at a range a while back, think it was the DR920. The thing kept jamming 2-3 times every magazine.

    Ended up buying a 17, but it feels a bit chunky, was thinking about getting either a 19 or a 48, haven’t decided yet, would probably be concealing later on.

    Which would you prefer?

    • Wakmrow [he/him]@hexbear.net
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      1 month ago

      I’ve put thousands of rounds through my daggers and they never jam. I don’t clean them hardly ever. And I stress them with moon dust.

      I prefer the full size because I am larger than most and they fit my hand better.

      Liking them isn’t super relevant IMO. I like my Beretta hammer fired, it’s butter and it looks sick. But I think guns are practical tools more than anything else.

      Whatever works for you is good. I’ll still stand by my arguments of utility for a Glock, though. The chief advantages of a handgun are that they are concealable and portable. You are not going to be accurate beyond ten yards at best (assuming a real world use case) so springing for a gucci handgun is folly imo. Even if it feels clunky, they all kind of suck to shoot anyway.

      • no_pretext [any]@hexbear.net
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        1 month ago

        Liking them isn’t super relevant

        Very important thing that consumerist capitalist gun culture fails to promote, it seems most online discussion is around guns as sports equipment or range toys as opposed to practical tools and this creates confusion about what’s important when one has no practical experience.

        A debate I have been having is: Is it better for a new shooter to purchase a gun that makes them want to shoot it and train, even if it’s less practical than the good ole Glock? I feel like it’s case by case…

        • Wakmrow [he/him]@hexbear.net
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          1 month ago

          It does depend on the use case and I do agree comfort and aesthetics are important. My use case is preparing for whatever comes next in US society as the contradictions sharpen. So, for me and people I work with, we all want to be able to share with each other in a crisis. That dictates you train with the tool for the job and that means practice with glocks even if you don’t like them.

          There’s a fair amount of people that want their ccw to train with and carry. Obviously we’ll still train and build community if they’re on the left. But any rational person on the left is not trying to be rugged individual Rambo, they understand community is more important and that they’re not going to be John wick with a pistol.

          That being said any rifle in the hands of a socialist is a socialist rifle. I don’t care if it’s a galil. We don’t have time for that kind of bickering.

    • no_pretext [any]@hexbear.net
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      1 month ago

      Have shot all, would conceal the 43x MOS all day. The optics-ready S&W Shield Plus for extra large hands and the P365 for very small hands. I personally don’t “feel” guns as I’m shooting them, I look for adequate space for my support hand and proper trigger reach, the rest doesn’t matter as far as fit goes.