I can’t tell you guys how many people have asked me in the last 2 months about firearms, particularly: “If I am buying my first handgun, and can only buy one, which one would you recommend and why?”
While there is a lot of controversy on this subject, most well versed gun experts will at least have my choice in their top 4-5.
If you are a first time gun buyer and are looking for your first handgun, in my opinion, that handgun should be the Glock 19. This is what it looks like:Some of you will be wondering why and these are my thoughts:
1. Extremely reliable. Rarely jams if ever. When I took my firearms training classes in Tennessee, everyone in the course started with many different handguns. All kinds. By the end of the class 2 days later, everyone was shooting either a Glock 19 or a Glock 17. The reason? We were throwing (literally) our pistols into the dirt and everything except the Glocks were jamming. (Although I will say, no one was shooting a revolver).
2. The standard Glock 19 magazine holds 15 rounds. While some may contest that this is extreme, I would say you want as many as possible without needing to reload. If you have the unfortunate experience of needing to use a handgun in self defense, Adrenaline, chaos, fog of war, etc means it is going to be much harder to reload, let alone actually hit your target without consistent training. 6 or 7 rounds might be enough to stop 1 attacker. There was a story in the news a few months ago about a woman who emptied her 6 round revolver at an attacker, 5 of which hit him, and the guy lived. Think about what happens when 2, 3, or 5 people are attacking you.
3. They are very accurate out of the box. Of all the handguns I have ever fired, it was the easiest to get on target. It also has a trigger reset feature so you only have to release the trigger maybe 1/4 of a pull before re-firing.
4. 9mm is a very common, inexpensive round, usually easy to find. (Not so much now due to ammo hoarding). This means it will be cheaper to train with it.
5. 9mm is not as powerful as a .45 or .40 cal, and therefore will be easier to re-sight your target. There are some gun experts who suggest a .22 cal may even be better simply because there is no recoil at all, but I believe a larger caliber is needed to defend yourself.
6. A Glock 19 can be purchased for about $500-$600 depending on where you get it. Bang for the buck, that is very difficult to beat.
7. Glocks are extremely easy to break down and clean.
8. Glocks have their safety built into the trigger. It wont fire unless the trigger is pulled, this includes dropping a loaded Glock.
9. I think the Glock 17 is also a very good choice, but it is full size and a little longer, not as easy to conceal carry.
10. If you live in a state that has a ban on hi cap magazines, a good argument can be made for the Glock 26 (the sub-compact version of the Glock 19). Its very small and as accurate in the first 25-30 feet.
This is what a Glock 26 looks like (obviously not to scale, but notice the barrel and grip are proportionally shorter). In any event, I hope this helps those of you out there who are considering exercising your 2nd Amendment Rights for the first time. Get a Glock 19 and you wont regret it.
Agree
yeah we better prepare for civil war in america, hmmm, chaos theory rules
@Thomas- If someone does not wish to exercise their 2nd Amendment rights, I respect that. Doesn’t mean I would try to force them to think as I do. The Right to bear arms is constitutional. If you do not wish to exercise that right, it is your choice.
have you lost your mind Michael ??? There are consequences to the use of deadly force, most, you are clueless to.
@Thomas-I doubt any rational thinking person would read my post, your comments, and then come to that conclusion.
And for the record, I think using a firearm in the defense of one’s life is just about the most terrible choice a person could possibly be faced with. That said, I would rather have that choice to defend myself & family than to put faith in the perpetrator who would force me to make that decision in the first place. I have taken many, many firearms classes and am aware of the consequences.
The right to bear arms is constitutional, & thats a pretty hard argument to beat.
Not a bad choice and #1 for many if not most, but I think my all-around favorite is a Ruger SP101 .357 Magnum with 2 1/4" barrel and I shoot .38 Specials out of it. In the name of full disclosure I have a Gen 4 Glock 23 as well.
On a related note, I’m getting really good results with my T1i. Still tossing around replacing it with a 6D. I do it all, but most of my prized pics are of indoor volleyball, outdoor flowers and landscapes. Stick with what I have or 6D? I’d have to get a "normal" lens so maybe one of the 35mm primes? I have 3 of your DVD’s by the way.
@Cory- Ill say this, if it had to be a revolver, a .357 would be my choice for the reasons you mention.
I think you would appreciate the upgrade on the 6D. The ISO on it right now is pretty amazing, it would be great for indoor sports when you need to bump it up, the full frame will be better for landscapes. Do you have a 24-70?
Thanks Michael:
My normal lens is a Sigma 17-50 which really is great. There’s many FF choices, of course, with the 24-70 2.8 II likely being the best. I wonder if the new 4.0 version might be a good choice or even just a small prime like maybe even one of the new Canons with IS.
I can turn absolutely any discussion into one of firearms and can take any firearm discussion and turn it into whether or not I should upgrade my body. There’s rumblings about a 6D/24-70 4.0 IS kit so I might hold off for that. Then, swap my 100 2.0 and 200 2.8 for an indoor sports workhorse of the 135 2.0 and a 100-400 for all things outdoors. To top it all off – a Canon 50 1.4. Does that make extreme sense?
I recently got certified as a NRA basic pistol instructor and am now teaching CHL (CCW) classes. I love the Glock 19 it is the perfect carry. Easily concealable, reliable, and easy to disassemble and clean. I am helping as many people as I can get their CHL license. When I talk to the police they tell the truth you can call 911 and wait to be brutally attacked and the police will be there 5-8 minutes later or you can protect yourself and your family now yourself.
Nick
Michael you are right on about the Glock being a good reliable semi-auto. It is my personal opinion that if you are a first time pistol owner a revolver is a better choice for the following reasons. No safety to contend with, no jams, little maintenance needed,, reasonable cost. ]Nothing wrong with autos but they do require more training.
Will not trade my Glock23gen 4 takes everything i put into it,and is right on at any distance. The baby brother Glock 42 is now my everyday carry a very wise investment. Whatever you choose, don’t let it collect dust. Practice and be safe.