not a lot of $$$ kinda leans to revolver as he will not have monet to spen on ammo to run the gun & verify it is trustworthy.
a revolver and a box and your done.

used 3" model 60.
go with him and kick the tires so you know he gets one that is not messed up.
than a box of std ammo, and LSWC's and +P's and 357 if.....if, he is good with the +p's.

----> as an aside my Shield is now over 600 rounds. i felt i could trust it after the 3rd magazine.
they are that good; and $400 out the door. YMMV

 

I told him I can get him into a new 642 for 399. He said that's a bit much, and wants a 9 as ammo is cheaper.

 

$280 dollars worth of marbles and a $20 wrist rocket.

 

I hear you.

 

I owned a PF-9 and sold it. Now I have an LC9 and like it much better. The trigger is not good. It's a very long pull. But there is a trigger available for an upgrade which cuts down the distance by half. Still, a very good gun for the money. I carry it regularly and trust my life on it working when needed.

 

If he's got a goodly number of other guns, he can certainly consider selling one or two, to open up the field a bit. With more cash, he'll be able to consider a far greater number of options than simply sub-$300 ones.

Ditto on the used revolver option. Good option for someone "not into" firearms.

A Glock is worth considering. So is CZ, new or used (CZ 75, P01, P07). With a bit of cash from selling one or two of the other ones he has, he might well consider something like a H&K P2000 or USP.

 

Ruger P89, 85, 95 are all excellent guns for the money. Glock reliable and even uglier.

Or you could go with a Bersa.... again with steadfast reliability and not quite as ugly.

 

I second the ruger p95. Probably IMO the best gun on the market for the money when it comes to a HD gun, carry not so much

 

What about a used 6906 or 5906 Smith&Wesson. I own one of each and although a old gun they are accurate and very reliable shooters. Both can be had in that price range and being issued duty weapons for many LEO are generally very well kept and were not shot as much as a gun owned by a hobbyist.

^^^^^^^^^^I am in this camp^^^^^^^^^^

on this one.

OR the revolver idea.

My son bought my brothers (tank) P85 and its a runner.
I have a Sigma which I paid $180 for form a guy at work. Shoots fine.

I have a 6906 & a 6904 both hold 12 rnds. 9mm and shoot great.
5906 was even cheaper.


6906 $339... S&W 6906 Stainless 9mm Compact : Semi Auto Pistols at GunBroker.com

FEG (High Power clone) $238 FEG 9mm High Power Pistol : Semi Auto Pistols at GunBroker.com

5926 $350...... S&W 5926 Stainless 9mm Pistol. : Semi Auto Pistols at GunBroker.com

 

I have to stand by what I've said many times in many threads, an EAA Windicator is a great way to go. 'You' can get it in .38spl, but for the same money, you can get it in .357 with a 2", 4", or 6" barrel. Reloading is easy enough with HKS 10A 'speed loaders' or 'speed strips'.

$300+/- plus a $20 box of ammo will get you set. Factory reloaded ammo is cheap. Pick up a bag of 50 semi-wadcutter +Ps for less than $12. Not expensive ammo.

I only say it so much, because I've had it prove itself with over 1000 rounds with no problems.

 

I'll throw the S&W Sigma out there. Can be had new for a tad over $300, or used for well under $300. Sure it has a stiff trigger, but that's a good thing in a SD gun. Especially if he's a newbie to handguns. Learn to control that trigger and you can shoot darn near anything. On top of all that, it's glock-like in terms of reliability. I've got well over 1000 rounds through mine and it hasn't had a single hiccup.

 

I have a couple of PF-9's, and I have no issues with mine....but if its his only handgun, he will not likely care for it. Not a lot of fun to shoot. I would steer him towards the Keltec P11, which is a double stack 9mm that has been around since 1995. The finish is a bit rough, but they work and the prices are around $250 to $275. Also, I spoke with my gun store owner tonight, and Smith & Wesson is discontinuing the Sigma and merging it with the Smith & Wesson Self Defense pistol lineup. I see the new Self Defense model on Davidson's for around $320 and $349 on Buds. The new models have stainless slides and are minus the Trijicon front night sight.

S&W SD9VE 9mm Black/SS 16R $349.00 SHIPS FREE


Keltec P11

 

Maybe a CZ 82. 9x18 doesn't cost too much more than 9x19. Of course the best thing would be to come up with another $100. You can get a lot more pistol for $400 than $300.

 

If he's talking HD, I think a P95 is a great suggestion.

But for $300, I'd try harder to convince him to find a used 870 and some boxes of 00 Buck.

 

What about a used 6906 or 5906 Smith&Wesson. I own one of each and although a old gun they are accurate and very reliable shooters. Both can be had in that price range and being issued duty weapons for many LEO are generally very well kept and were not shot as much as a gun owned by a hobbyist.

 

I am selling my 469 that's in 90% shape for $300 tomorrow. My friend just got a 6906 for $300 from the same guy i bought mine from. They are great guns and super accurate. Mine found very little use due to the fact that polymers have taken over in my house and i found a sweet deal on a glock.

Sent from my DROID RAZR

 

I agree with the revolver suggestion. I've shot the PF-9 and it's not alot of fun IMHO. I wouldn't be opposed to carrying it tho and have friends who do. You might check at your LGS as Kahr has some CW9 Blems in the $350 range. I've seen a few come through my buddies shop and cant tell where the blem is.

 

My older brother is interested in a RugerLCP so we are going to take a day and go up to the city. Take him to the local range and let him try it and a couple of others. Hubby and I both have the LCP. Excellent pocket gun for me. Hubby just got a Shield. I am really looking forward to trying it. It may be my Christmas present (one, not his) if I like it.
Take him to a local gun shop with a range if there is one close and let him try them out. After shooting a few different guns he may up his maximum price.

 

Not carefully shopping for used firearms causes one to miss out on super serviceable bargains. I'd be hunting for a quality used revolver and I'm not buying the notion that .38 Special is significantly cost prohibitive against the price of cheap 9mm.

This Smith & Wesson Model 10 is scarcely worth a second glance with its shabby external appearance. Carried a lot in a right-handed holster, its side plate suffered from exposure as exhibited by the browned surface appearance The photo was taken more for record keeping purposes rather than to be featured on firearms forums. The external appearance concealed the fact that it is tight, smooth, and has a perfect bore. In fact it shows signs of scarcely having been fired at all. It's laser accurate too as is typical of K-Frame .38 Specials and will handle any +P or +P+ ammunition thrown at it. A pawn shop allowed it to come home with me for $150, $30 less than the price on the tag. That was only a few years back and a revolver in such a condition is scarcely worth any more now on the current market. I keep lots of Model 10s on hand, just 'cause they might come in handy.

Here's the other side which gives a bit better appearance.

Another one, similar to the above, this one was made in the mid-1950s a few years before the revolver acquired its Model 10 moniker. This one popped up on GunBroker about the same time as the one above came from the pawn shop. The victim of an unfortunately worded auction description, I was the sole bidder. It came home to papa for $120 plus reasonable shipping.

How about a 2-inch. This Military & Police K-Frame .38 snub was the product of a strange trade so a true cost can't be established but my brother-in-law picked up a similar, if slightly shabbier, appearing 1960 Model 10 marked 2-inch for $225 recently. If basically sound there's just nothing to go wrong with any of these. This one is occasionally carried about town and sees some duty resting in a coat pocket as a back-up to a holstered handgun when hunting, fishing, or hiking in wintertime.

How about a Colt Official Police, long time competitor with the Smith & Wesson Model 10 for the .38 Special service revolver market. This one will still reliably shoot any .38 Special ammunition out there, just as hosts of similar Colt revolvers have for a big hunk of the 20th century. This one was picked up for $185 through a forum ad some years back but its similarly worn siblings are out there now for $250-$275 in shops and especially at motivated gun show exhibitor's tables.

These aren't in style in this day and age but I'm not either. They are heavier than the svelte automatics churned out these days but then I'm heavier too these days. They are very accurate and actually are repeating handguns, just not holding as many shots as is deemed necessary by so many. With their rugged all-steel construction they even now are still more durable and dependable than inexpensive, stunted, aluminum alloy and plastic pistols that are popular. They are also more gratifying to shoot at the range.

 

Yep, I vote for a used .38 or .357 revolver in good shape. Can't go wrong with either one.

 

I don't know why the compact (sub-compact?) guns first mentioned are even a consideration. As a new to handguns kinda guy, he should pick and use
something that is going to be easier to shoot accurately. A 4"-6" revolver fits the bill in that area as well as versatility. They would make a better home defense gun due to the ease of shooting and not being unpleasant to shoot like a small, light for caliber, semi-auto which doesn't offer much more in terms of capacity.
If he starts out with the likes of a PF9 (don't get me wrong, I love those guns for what they are) he may not feel like "practicing" as much as he should. Get him a gun that is easy to shoot well and he will be more likely to practice with it.
I even like the Sigma idea, I have one with over 2200 rounds and not one single failure of any kind. But, the long, tough pull may turn him off like a 12oz gun
w/+P ammo would.
That Sigma trigger needs to be mastered, once done, he would be a better shot with most any gun at that point.
I say stay away from compact, concealed carry, sized guns and go with a little more "meat". After all, it is going to be a "house" gun.
If handguns grow on him, then he can move in the compact direction later on.

 

What about a Bersa?

 

I know people like to recommend revolvers based on simplicity, but I just can't do that. I've only fired a few revolvers, but I've ran the triggers on quite a few. With the exception of two OLD, OLD S&W revolvers, I hated every one of them. A lot of people complain about the Sigma's trigger, but will jump right to a revolver! Much worse, IMO. You can smooth out the Sigma's trigger with a little "fluff and buff," but even as a stock trigger it is a heck of a lot shorter and smoother than a revolver. As it's been pointed out, master the Sigma and you'll be a better shot with ANY gun.

As far as simplicity, how much simpler can you get than the Sigma? Point and click, really. It was my first handgun over a .22, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to ANYONE looking for a simple, reliable, affordable handgun for concealed carry.

I can't speak for the new SD line, but it's definitely worth looking into. It looks like they just put the Sigma trigger in the SD. Should be decent either way, but I'd try it out first. Or find a good used Sigma. :wink:

 

"...two OLD, OLD S&W revolvers..."

Not to dispute you post but how old were those two Smith & Wesson revolvers? I'm just curious.

 

Ruger P95 or P89 would be a great choice for him.

 

He and his family will be less likely to get into trouble operating a revolver. I have a PF 9 and it is excellent for what it does and it does not have all of the California crap on it. But for a newbie, unless he is really serious about learning and practicing, the revolver is the simplest solution. Otherwise the best self defense for the home really would be the shot gun with a shorter barrel and if he has a shot gun he can purchase the shorter barrel for much less than the cost of another gun.

 

Bersa Thunder 9uc. Great gun, and inexpensive. Got one on my side right now. Roger P95 used is a great gun usually under 300.

 

A friend that I work with came to me for advice today. He wants a gun...
According to him, times are changing. I agreed. He wants something in the house. I suggested that his 870 is most likely the most potent iron that he can legally own, and even offered him some 0000 buck...

If he wants an HD gun, and already has an 870, all he needs to do is lose the 0000 Buck and get some #4 Buck, and he'll be all set. :yup:

Regards,
Jim