See that's the thing, I don't know much about handguns other than 9mm, .40, .45 and even those I know very little about.
Do not concern yourself with the calibers. they are all very close in terminal ballistics between those three. .380 begins a significant dropoff. 9mm is cheaper, gives you more options and holds more rounds.
i think caliber discussion will go on forever, really depends on how comfortable the shooter is with the gun. tactics is much more important.
Well, me and my cousin are going to practice out at the range this weekend because part of the course next weekend is a 10 round shooting session. He has a .40 so we'll see how that feels.
It seems that the cheapest guns are the ones with a mix of plastic and metal parts. Reliability seems to be independent of materials of construction. There are finicky plastic guns, but Glocks are some of the most reliable guns that you'll find. There are reliable and finicky steel guns. Cheaper guns tend to be less reliable generally. Taurus, Smith & Wesson autos, etc., seem to have trouble reliably feeding. I don't think they are unsafe, but they're just not made as well. They run in the $300-350 range. If you go that cheap, get a revolver.
If you are new to shooting, going with the 9mm is recommended... If you something around $500 - $700 go with Glock. If you want a lever safety, go with Beretta. Choose 124 grain ammo fmj for practice and 124 grain hollopoints for defense purposes. Stick with a common brand ammo: Winchester, Federal, or Remington...Federal is best. If you really want something good $1000+, go with the Sig p226 blackwater tactical...very nice! Practice a lot...Practice safety as #1....
These are the best for self defense ammo: Winchester Partition Gold 124gr JHP (RA91P) Winchester Ranger-T 124 gr +P JHP (RA9124TP) Winchester Ranger-T 127gr JHP +P+ (RA9TA) Winchester Ranger-T 147gr JHP (RA9T) Winchester Bonded 147gr JHP (RA9B/Q4364) Speer Gold Dot 124gr JHP +P (53617) Speer Gold Dot 147gr JHP (53619) Remington Golden Saber 147gr JHP (GS9MMC) Federal Tactical 124gr JHP (LE9T1) Federal Tactical 135gr JHP +P (LE9T5) Federal HST 147gr JHP (P9HST2) I use the Win. Ranger T +P+ Use the cheapest you can find for practice.
Not right now with the Obama factor. I would find a gun show as the first option. Talk to Ottoman to get an idea on prices. Since he is out of your market he will probably tell you what to spend.
Tomball Pawn and Jewelry (if you live on the North side of town) is a great place to purchase guns. I know its a "pawn" shop, but they are mainly a new gun dealer. They have lower prices than many of the bigger name gun stores in Houston. Your biggest problem is going to be finding range ammunition right now. Does anybody like the SA XDs? They seemed to be a good price/quality ratio.
Smith & Wesson overall makes very reliable pistols. The line that gets the bad rap is the Sigma series and it is deserved. The rest of the S&W line is very good, especially their revolvers. The S&W M&P is also a great pistol. Just wanted to point that out before people go into a gun shop suggesting that S&W is crap. A couple of other things: Tomball Pawn is the best place in Houston to buy a new pistol. They have great service and their prices are the lowest in town. Like said before if you want to spend $500-$700 get a Glock. They are the best pistols out there in that range, assuming they fit you right. Some people don't like the steep grip angle. Ammo can be found around town, it just requires a lot of leg work to get in on the deals. Wal-Mart generally has the best prices, but they are usually out of stock on just about everything. Strike up a conversation with someone in sporting goods and find out when they put their new shipments out and go buy at those times or just check in daily. Practice often, be safe, and prepare yourself mentally each day that you are prepared to use deadly force if you have to. If you do come into a situation where you have to use your weapon, shoot to kill!
