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For the 9mm I'll take a look at the PPQ. But I was considering a Beretta 92FS.
I can vouch for the Beretta. It's about as user-friendly a gun for a new shooter as you're going to find. The U.S. military has been using it for about 30 years now, a ringing endorsement IMHO. Keep in mind, the military takes a lot of guys who have never even handled a pistol and turns them into competent shooters in volume on an annual basis. To be able to do that, you need a durable and reliable platform (military weapons take some abuse but tend to be well maintained throughout their life cycle) and functionally user-friendly. The Beretta is by no means a "must have" for any collector, but if you're just starting out you can't go wrong with the 92FS. It's an affordable gun, solid quality, and you'll never have trouble finding parts/accessories for it.
But then I realized it wasn't.
My first gun was a bb gun.
I'm not entirely serious, but give it some thought.
I vaguely remember reading about the army in the late 60's using bb guns to teach quick, reflexive shooting.
I haven't heard much about it since, so I'm guessing it wasn't a big success.
Remember that sometimes, if you're really feeling conflicted about a couple of choices, it just means that either choice is acceptable.
I can vouch for the Beretta. It's about as user-friendly a gun for a new shooter as you're going to find. The U.S. military has been using it for about 30 years now, a ringing endorsement IMHO. Keep in mind, the military takes a lot of guys who have never even handled a pistol and turns them into competent shooters in volume on an annual basis. To be able to do that, you need a durable and reliable platform (military weapons take some abuse but tend to be well maintained throughout their life cycle) and functionally user-friendly. The Beretta is by no means a "must have" for any collector, but if you're just starting out you can't go wrong with the 92FS. It's an affordable gun, solid quality, and you'll never have trouble finding parts/accessories for it.
5" barrel and 124 grain FMJ go together like buffalo wings and cold beer. Anyone even remotely competent can't hardly miss with one.
But then I realized it wasn't.
My first gun was a bb gun.
I'm not entirely serious, but give it some thought. I vaguely remember reading about the army in the late 60's using bb guns to teach quick, reflexive shooting.
I haven't heard much about it since, so I'm guessing it wasn't a big success.
Remember that sometimes, if you're really feeling conflicted about a couple of choices, it just means that either choice is acceptable.
So, make a choice.
Have some fun.
Not at Fort Leonard Wood in 1960. It was a M1 Garand 30.06 M2 ball.
I suggest a used Ruger 10-22 semiautomatic rifle and a Ruger #1 (?) semiautomatic pistol in .22LR. The guns are relatively inexpensive and accurate enough to encourage learning. I suggest hiring an instructor for the basics.
FWIW - New Hampshire loves to sell firearms and most anything else to residents of Mass.
I suggest a used Ruger 10-22 semiautomatic rifle and a Ruger #1 (?) semiautomatic pistol in .22LR. The guns are relatively inexpensive and accurate enough to encourage learning. I suggest hiring an instructor for the basics.
FWIW - New Hampshire loves to sell firearms and most anything else to residents of Mass.
How does an out of state purchase for an MA resident work? Wouldn't the NH store have to transfer the gun to a FFL in MA?
How does an out of state purchase for an MA resident work? Wouldn't the NH store have to transfer the gun to a FFL in MA?
For firearm purchases across state lines:
Long gun: You must purchase through an FFL, but it doesn't matter which state. You may drive to the other state, purchase from an FFL in that state, then drive home with the gun. However, if you have it shipped, it must be shipped to an FFL if crossing state lines.
Handgun: You must purchase through an FFL in your state. This means you have to get an FFL out of state to transfer (ship) the handgun to an FFL in-state who transfers it to you. Many stores near state lines have reciprocal arrangements with an FFL across the line so the fee isn't that huge.
whichever you decision is, some .22lr guns are modeled after their 9mm counterparts. so you may want to look into that if you want to get used to the size/training/field stripping.
you could always buy both if you come across some good deals (and you dont mind color).
i picked up an SR-22 from gander for $199. its purple. "its my wifes gun"
oh and ruger had a special that they sent you 2 extra mags and a 222 (or something like that) box of ammo.
Point away!! The last time I was at a local gun show, 1000 rounds of reloaded 9mm ran me $189! And that was up from the $160 I had paid just the month before!!
That's a good price! At my range, on Black Friday, they were selling 500-count buckets of 9mm reloads for just under a hundred bucks, (plus local sales tax). Picked up enough to last me until next Black Friday.
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My original vote was going to be .22
The last time I was at a local gun show, 1000 rounds of reloaded 9mm ran me $189! And that was up from the $160 I had paid just the month before!!
