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Any suggestions for handguns? I'm currently in canada so I cant have em here, but I'm moving to Montana next month and cannot wait to hit the range!
I'm not an expert and don't really know much, Deputy Wendell seems to be the one with the most knowledge, but I appreciate the shit out of my Glock 19. It shoots any ammo I feed it, it's fairly accurate, easy to maintain, and is that goldilocks size that can be concealed without being tiny. It's 9mm double stack, so the recoil isn't heavy or snappy, whereas other 9mm I've shot, specifically the smith & Wesson MP shield and Springfield XD, were too snappy and didn't feel as sturdy. They left my hands feeling sore, whereas the Glock 19 is something I can shoot a few hundred rounds through without feeling too tired. I don't know what 9mm ammo costs right now, but it's gone up and up as the pandemic has continued. Between May-August I was able to get it from 13cents per round up to 25cents per round. Since then it seems to all be 30-50cents per round. Really though, I think availability depends on where you live.
Can't go wrong with the Bersa firestorm/thunder 380acp. It's a cheap (sub$300) gun with an alloy frame and steel slide. It's snappy because it's tiny, but it's inexpensive and incredibly accurate. .380 ammo seems to be around .50cents per round, before and during pandemic. It's a bit harder to find
Also got a few Walther P22. they're kinda chintzy things but fun and cheap to shoot although .22 ammo prices seem to be rising as well. They're pretty reliable and accurate once you file sand/polish the feed ramp.
Thanks for offering up some solid advice! I'm looking at some other models too like the Taurus g3, rugar 57 and a few others.
I obviously wont be choosing any until I'm there and can hold them, see what feels right and see the round selections. Super hyped to do it though!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvB3solmhqtgDeLpD-yTtfg
this dude usually has some legit review/informative videos on different guns and generally presents as apolitical
Betaphenylethylalamine, this is some solid advice from IusedToSkateMore as far as gun reviews--at least one of the reasons that Hickok45 (and his son) has nearly 6 million subscribers, is because it really is just about the guns and he does leave the politics out of it for the most part...shit, it really is like having someone's old amiable grandfather talking to you about guns. it could be that he's a retired English teacher....i know in the earlier videos he still briefly plugs the NRA, but he did part with them a bit ago, which makes him that much more credible.
also, the reason i will often go to his channel first when i'm thinking of buying something is because he almost always shoots and reviews guns that are
all stock, so no upgrades or enhancements, so you really do get a good idea of what you're thinking of buying. he also usually field strips weapons and takes a look at the components that make them go "pew pew," which i've found to be helpful in the past.
my experience and knowledge with guns is growing, but actually pretty limited in some ways--for instance, i know nothing about the AR platform, in fact, i've never shot an AR if you can believe it...i have only AKs and AK variants all based on the AK platform in my safe--the Galil i mention above being a case in point, since it is based directly on the AK platform. in this regard, as far as handguns go--especially if it's going to be your first and/or only one--i would buy a Glock. honestly, as far as reliability, durability, ergonomics, etc. i honestly have never found a reason to buy handguns other than Glocks...there's a reason they are so widely used by various agencies around the world, they truly are the best handguns.
the big question, is caliber, and in this regard i think Usedto's suggestion of the Glock 19 in 9mm is spot on--and it's a compact, so pretty ideal if you should ever decide to concealed carry. i also have a Glock 17, so a full size Glock (also in 9mm) which i think is the best size for the range, but might be big to concealed carry if you should ever decide to. since we're talking about the old-timer, here's a couple of his videos on the 19:
and since we're talking about the Glock 19, which is a compact, the Glock 23 is also the same size, but .40 caliber instead of 9mm, so has a bit more power. some people actually say for that size gun, .40 cal is hard on the hands, and it may be a bit true if you're trying to go through 500 rounds every time you go to the range (kind of tough with the ammo shortage these days of course), but i honestly love my Glock 23 and .40 caliber as a round of ammo. here's Hickok's review of the new gen 5 Glcok 23:
one last thing about the Glock 23, with the ammo shortage the way it is, 9mm truly is the most widely used round--for good reasons of course--so .40 cal seems to be a bit easier to come by...but shit, by the time you move here hopefully the ammo supply will be back to normal...
edit: i meant to say, i think in our conversation about having some acres to live and breathe on, we can all agree that Hickok45 has one of the sweetest home shooting ranges ever--or as he often likes to say, a "target-rich environment." all of that steel to "plink" on looks like an absolute blast...and that's only one of the ranges on his land...some day, i swear, some day...