First time handgun purchase, advice?

[NewEnglandConservatarian]

I'm interested in buying a (legal of course) handgun, mainly as a contingency plan for any BS civil war adjacent activity that could arise between election day and inauguration day lol. Stipulations:

-Basic, easy to operate
-Capacity of 10 or less (state gun control laws)
-Affordable/easy to find
-Affordable/easy to find ammo
-Not girly lol

I'm not looking to break the bank here or basically almost ever use it other than practice and worst case societal collapse scenarios. Any advice or where to get affordable and maybe even gently used handguns that fit the above parameters? Under like 150 bucks or so would be great. Any good websites or online stores for this?

[Wingnut]

Will your liberal G/F approve of you buying a gun?

[Lando Lincoln]

I don't think your $150 threshold is realistic. 

[Elderberry]

For good used handguns, LEO Trade-ins is a good way to go. I have purchased several this way.

Aim Surplus is one outfit I have purchased from. : https://aimsurplus.com/firearm/handgun/

[NewEnglandConservatarian]

Lol haven't brought it up. We don't live together though

Will your liberal G/F approve of you buying a gun?

[NewEnglandConservatarian]

Yeah I could go higher if need be, I'm just stingy

I don't think your $150 threshold is realistic.

[NewEnglandConservatarian]

Any suggestions anyone on plentiful and affordable ammo?

[Elderberry]

You'll need to double that $150.  Go to some gun shows and hit the pawn shops. You first need to educate yourself by shopping around to get a feel for prices. The last 2 surplus pistols I bought at gun shows for $90 ea are now going for $400 and more. Once you have a feel for the going rates, then you will be ready to make your purchase.

[Elderberry]

Any suggestions anyone on plentiful and affordable ammo?

It currently doesn't exist. Go to http://www.gunbot.net/ and go to many of the linked ammo suppliers to see prices and availability.

[roamer_1]

Expect 300-500 would be a more reasonable number.

If you are inexperienced, might I suggest a revolver, somewhere in the .38 to .357 range? A .38 is nice to learn on... no kick to speak of. Nice for learning the fundamentals. Now, that would be a pop-gun up in here. But you start where you start. I began, like most folks, on a .22 rifle, a long time ago.

And practice. Find someone who knows to teach you (hunters, cops are good for this), join a range, and run a butt-ton of lead out its nose. You've got a lot of catching up to do.

Where you want to be, IMHO, eventually, is a .40-.45 semi-auto, though a 357 magnum is no slouch. Under-sung these days, but that's a ferocious little rig... And it will shoot .38 special ammo, so a great starter. Stay in the .38 until you have habituated control, and your next step up is the same gun shooting .357 mag ammo. See where you want to go from there.

[truth_seeker]

When my wife was robbed the 2nd time, she took pro training, which helped fulfill the process for a license.

The instructors 'advice was to select the forearm you like the best.

My wife liked a 357 revolver. She was a good shot.

If you have a local range, ask them for guidance.



 

[mountaineer]

The Taurus G2C is a decent 9mm, and is available for less than $225. The magazine does hold more than 10 rounds, however.

A .38 revolver also is a good first gun. My sister has a S&W, while my husband carries a Taurus.

[roamer_1]

My wife liked a 357 revolver. She was a good shot.

I do too... The one weird gun (out of sequence, unreplicated) I keep around is my old S&W .357 mag, which lives in my truck... It's a good spare to have around, and I keep a couple boxes of ammo with it.

I can't seem to let it go. All it ever does these days is wait around for a car-struck deer to put out of its misery, or the very off chance that I don't have my go-bag and need to walk off into the woods for some reason (a rare to nonexistent occasion)... Or if I am jumpy in town for some reason, it's a surety stuffed behind my belt.

Well I DO got those matched nickel 9's too... in shoulder holsters. Won them in a game, and they are just too pretty to get rid of. Kinda silly really.

[mountaineer]

If you have a local range, ask them for guidance.

Very good advice.

[skeeter]

I do too... The one weird gun (out of sequence, unreplicated) I keep around is my old S&W .357 mag, which lives in my truck... It's a good spare to have around, and I keep a couple boxes of ammo with it.

I can't seem to let it go. All it ever does these days is wait around for a car-struck deer to put out of its misery, or the very off chance that I don't have my go-bag and need to walk off into the woods for some reason (a rare to nonexistent occasion)... Or if I am jumpy in town for some reason, it's a surety stuffed behind my belt.

Well I DO got those matched nickel 9's too... in shoulder holsters. Won them in a game, and they are just too pretty to get rid of. Kinda silly really.

I used to own a nickel 686 with a five inch barrel. Really fun to shoot and accurate as can be. Being able to use cheaper ammo for practice was a nice bonus.

[roamer_1]

Any suggestions anyone on plentiful and affordable ammo?

That I think, depends on region. Around here, .45 ACP and .45 Colt are king, So they are easy to find, used (well, not USED exactly... out of private stock, or reloads) if nothing else...

If you want range time for plinking, go .22LR in a pistol and a rifle. Definitely the very cheapest thing to learn on, and ammo is usually plentiful and cheap. Not the best home defense weapon I suppose, but great to have around just for field time. I literally cannot even begin to fathom how many gophers and feral cats I have taken down in my life with that ol .22 (that's 'range time' around here).

[roamer_1]

I used to own a nickel 686 with a five inch barrel. Really fun to shoot and accurate as can be. Being able to use cheaper ammo for practice was a nice bonus.

YEP. It's nice like that. And .357 mag is enough for taking out a hoomin. Heck, a .38 will make em want to go home... But then, griz. Ol Warden Louie Kiss had a bear turn on him when he was letting it out (relocation bear), and that bear took all 6 at extremely close range and still messed him up bad.

That was when I decided to upgrade to .45 Colt, and stayed there most my life.

[Bigun]

@NewEnglandConservatarian anybody here can tell you what they like and are comfortable with but none of them can tell you what YOU will like and be comfortable with.

Don't know about where you are but around here there are several ranges that will let you try out any weapon in their inventory for a nominal fee.  THAT is what I would suggest you consider doing.

And BTW:  I'll bet you $150 that you think your life is worth many times that much.

Don't cut corners on things your life may depend on.

Welcome to TBR.

[roamer_1]

Don't know about where you are but around here there are several ranges that will let you try out ant weapon in their inventory for a nominal fee.  THAT is what I would suggest you consider doing.

 

That's a great point. And sets him up automagically with folks to teach him. 

[Elderberry]

I'm interested in buying a (legal of course) handgun, mainly as a contingency plan for any BS civil war adjacent activity that could arise between election day and inauguration day lol. Stipulations:

-Basic, easy to operate
-Capacity of 10 or less (state gun control laws)
-Affordable/easy to find
-Affordable/easy to find ammo
-Not girly lol

I'm not looking to break the bank here or basically almost ever use it other than practice and worst case societal collapse scenarios. Any advice or where to get affordable and maybe even gently used handguns that fit the above parameters? Under like 150 bucks or so would be great. Any good websites or online stores for this?

If this is really your reason for purchasing a handgun, I have to ask; Why a Handgun? You have to realize that getting proficient with a handgun requires quite a bit of range time. And I'm not talking about a couple of boxes of ammo. The ammo expense to become really proficient will cost more than the price of the handgun.  You do know what they say a handgun is good for, don't you? A handgun is good to get you to your rifle. Have you considered a shotgun? Or how about one of the new shorty non-shotgun shotguns like the Mossberg Shockwave?

[Sighlass]

The Taurus G2C is a decent 9mm, and is available for less than $225. The magazine does hold more than 10 rounds, however.

A .38 revolver also is a good first gun. My sister has a S&W, while my husband carries a Taurus.

Lots of good advice in this thread, from trying out a few guns (gun ranges) to this gun (son's first gun was a G2C)... but the gun that you like is the one to go with, that means what you feel comfortable shooting. I now carry a much smaller gun than I used to due to being more comfortable conceal carrying. But I know I am not in it for a gun fight, I am shooting and running back for my rifle if at all possible. I bleed like a stuck hog now days with my blood thinner. But I carry because I can no longer fight like I could in my youth and people will kill you for little to no reason now days.

My EDC (everyday carry) is a little Ruger .380... I like the newer generation ones because they have a little more hand grip with the mag.

What is the right gun, like others said, the one you can operate and feel comfortable with. Try a few out.

[massadvj]

I bought my first and only handgun 14 years ago.  At the time I decided I wanted a shotgun as well, so I bought one of those at the same time.  Now, 14 years later, I have never (thankfully) had to use either weapon for self-defense, but I have spent many pleasant hours at the shooting range learning the intricacies of both weapons.

My shotgun is a Mossburg that has several barrels and butts.  it can be anything from a sawed off defender like the one pictured earlier to a hunting rifle with scope, to a bird or skeet shooter.  It cost less than $500 and has given me a lot of pleasure at the range. 

If I had it to do over again I would buy a reliable 9mm revolver instead of a semi-automatic. As fun as it is to shoot the semi, there is a lot to be said for having a simple weapon that you can simply pick up and shoot, with zero possibility of jamming, and leaves no cartridge behind.

[roamer_1]

Nothing says 'I ain't playin' like that ominous cha-chink! Most folks lose their mud and go no further.
me being one of them. DO NOT want to tangle with a sawed-off in close quarters.

Got my peepers peeled for one of them mossbergs to come down the river myself. A thing of beauty.

[GtHawk]

First of all what is your intended use, home defense or concealed carry? If it's home defense you should take into account where you live apartment or suburban home vs. rural, you don't want your rounds going through your target or walls into a neighbors home causing collateral damage. I would suggest you go to a gun range that rents guns and try different handguns to see which is most comfortable to shoot in the caliber that meets your needs. Too much gun for you to comfortably handle will hinder your defense and also keep you from practicing enough to become and stay proficient.

My two cents.

[Wingnut]

Lol haven't brought it up. We don't live together though

Well if you ever do.  Keep the gun close and sleep with one eye open