Best Handgun for Beginners
If one size fits all we wouldn’t have so many options when it comes to picking a firearm. Everyone has slightly different preferences and activities that they are using their firearm for. If you are new to handguns and you are looking for your first firearm, why are you looking to purchase a firearm? Do you want to go out plinking with your friends and family members? Do you want to potentially use that firearm for concealed carry? How you plan to use your handgun can change what handguns you start with.
The following steps will help guide you to the right handgun for you.
Step One- Budget
The first thing that you will want to do is set up an ideal budget for yourself. How much would you like to spend on the firearm? How much would you like to spend on ammo for training and going to the range? Lastly, how much would you like to spend on follow up accessories? Keep in mind that the ammo is a recurring cost, and so is training.
After you complete this step, you should know how much you would like to spend on a firearm, how much you would like to spend on ammo, how much you intend to spend on training, and how much you plan to spend on accessories. When you walk into a gun store with this information, it will help you eliminate some of the firearms and calibers that are outside of your budget.
Example Budget:
Handgun $550
Ammo Per Month $50
Training every 6 months $150
Accessories $150
Total Month One $900
You can use the image below to help map out your budget.
Step Two- Handgun Use
Why are you looking for a handgun? If you are using it as a range gun or a plinking gun, then you aren’t necessarily limited by size and may be interested in a full size handgun. If you were planning on using it as a concealed carry firearm, then you want something that you feel comfortable shooting, but you can also conceal it on your body somewhere. Common handgun sizes for concealed carry include micro, subcompact, and compact handguns. If you are just using it for home defense, you might not be limited by size, because you are most likely storing it off your body in your home. So you can try out all the firearm sizes and choose the firearm that fits you best.
Common Handgun Uses:
Recreational
Concealed Carry/ Self Defense
Survivalist
Competition
Hunting
Duty/ Tactical
After this step, you should know what you intend to use your firearm for. This will help you determine what handgun may be appropriate for you based on where it is being stored and what you’re planning on using it for.
Step Three- Handgun Size
Now that you know what direction you would like to go with your first firearm, it’s time to figure out what handgun fits you the best. Some key things to look for or how well you can manipulate the firearm. Can you reach the magazine release with your thumb? Can you reach the trigger without rotating your hand away from the backstrap on the firearm and have it centered on the first pad of your trigger finger? Are you able to rack the slide? Can you use the slide lock to lock the slide back and keep the chamber open? Some of these can be made easier with time and practice. But some of these cannot be adjusted to fit you.
Sizes of Firearms: Based on Barrel size.
Micro- Less than 3 inches
Examples: Ruger LCP II, Sig Sauer P938 Legion, Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 2.0
Subcompact- Between 3-3.5 inches
Examples: Canik METE MC9, Glock 43X, Glock 42
Compact- Between 3.5-4 inches
Examples: Sig Sauer P356-XMacro, Walther PDP F-Series, CZ P10 S, Glock 19
Full Size- More than 4 inches
Examples: HK VP9, Sig Sauer P320, Glock 17
Being able to hit the magazine release with your thumb is very important because you don’t want to have to adjust your grip while shooting. It wastes time and precious seconds that may be important to you. On the other hand if the firearm is too small, it may be a little snappy and harder to shoot. You may think you want a compact, when in reality you can manipulate the subcompact pistols with more reliability.
Some handguns that females seem to gravitate to are the Rose Line by Sig Sauer and the Walther PDP F-Series.
After this step you should know what size of firearm will fit your needs so that you can narrow down the firearms for the next step.
Step Four- Research Brands
Knowing that a brand stands behind their products is important. If you value a good warranty make sure to check out their policies before you make the purchase. Some brands even offer a use of force warranty so if the police take it, they will replace it for free. It also might be beneficial to call their customer support line and see how long it takes to reach a person who can help you directly with any issues you may have with the firearm.
Some brands are more common than others so finding replacement parts can be easier. And some brands even have other companies making upgraded parts for the gun. So the availability of the brand can help determine how many options you have for accessories later on.
After this step you should be able to list off the reasons why you have selected the brand of firearm based on warranty, customer support, and availability.
Step Five- Shoot the Handguns
This step will most likely be done at a gun store or an indoor range facility. Try to find a gun store that has a lot of variety in the handguns that they carry so that you get your hands on as many different types of firearms as possible. And if your range has a rental gun program, try shooting the firearms that match what fits your hand the best. Take notes so that you can keep track of the pros and cons to each firearm you shoot! Remember, if you don’t like it after you rent it, you can take it back to swap it out. It is more cost effective to rent a firearm and find out you don’t like it, than it is to buy it and not like it!
This step is also where you look at your sight preference. Using iron night sights is one of the easiest and one of the most reliable options. It can take years for night sights to lose their glow. On the other hand, if you choose to get an optic, you need to be vigilant and change out the batteries about every six months to be safe. You do not want to have a dead optic on your gun. If you are not ready for an optic but want the option later, look for a gun that has a “slide cut” for an optic.
After this step, you should have narrowed it down to at least 1 to 3 different options for your handgun.
Step Six- Choose Accessories
Now it’s time to pick the accessories you want to use with your handgun. Depending on what you use your handgun for, determine what accessories you should put priority on finding first.
Common Accessories:
Lockboxes/ Safes
Holsters/ Mag Pouches
Flashlights
Optics
Range Bag/ Pistol Case
It is your responsibility to keep your handgun away from unauthorized users. So if you do not have a lockbox or safe, consider picking one up for your handgun when it is not in use.
If you want to conceal carry your firearm then you should focus on finding the best way for you to carry the handgun. There are a ton of options for holsters so try to find the most comfortable and accessible. Keep in mind that you want a holster that covers the trigger guard with a hard material. Anything with give can create unnecessary safety risks. You can look at off-body options like FlexCCarry.
Flashlights can be mounted on the accessory rails of some handguns. If you travel at night or plan to use your gun for home defense, you may want to consider adding a light.
Don’t be surprised if this step never ends. New tools and accessories are always being invented so you may find something that works at first, but later find something even better.
Step Seven- Take a Basic Handgun Class
If you still have questions at this point, take a handgun class. The instructor can walk you through the basics and help you understand the process to shoot a gun. This can give you hands-on experience with supervised help, so you can ask questions as they come up and get clarification in the moment.
Best Practices
Once you have your firearm, it is your responsibility to know how to operate it safely. This includes understanding how to hit what you are aiming at consistently. There are several tools you can use to aid you in your training. The Mantis X10 is by far one of the best training aids you can use because you can use it during dry fire and live fire training. It tracks all of your training sessions in the history tab so you can analyze what you need to work on during your training sessions.
Training Tools
Rebby Donnelly
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