So I am going to a gun shop/range on Tuesday. I am going to buy my first gun, yay! (handgun to be specific)

The shop rents guns for $6 and lanes for $14/hour and 1 free hour of lane after a purchase or sell. I will try out several types of guns first hand and make a choice after that. I want to hear what brands you guys enjoy and why. Who is most reliable, who is least expensive and who is the happy medium of both cost efficiency and reliability. I am not looking for specific models or calibers as I will have time to shoot many different types. I will post pictures of what I get and targets when I am done.

here is a list of their rentals
http://www.targetworld.net/therange.htm

I understand that they are one of the overall least preferred shops in the city, but they are one of the few who have both a shop AND range. They are however the only range that limits rifle caliber to .22 as far as i know.

The Glock 17 or 19 will be your best bet, I think. They're good guns, there are tons of aftermarket parts available for them, and they're cheap.

Word. I will be shooting that 1911 while I'm there too.

I like guns.


Post a photograph of your new heater after purchase.

My brother has a Springfield XDM 3.8 SC in 9mm and it's pretty kick ass -- http://macarmsllc.com/images/saxdm3.8bi40.JPG

I love my berretta px4 storm 9mm

Just left shot g17 didn't buy. Going back on Saturday cause beretta will be there. I'll try a few others then.

Everyone always told me "buy a Beretta buy a Beretta,best out of the box gun made" got a 92fs and hated it. Jammed every time on hollow points. My dad has a cheetah and cougar and i hate those too. You may like the design but i just don't. Cougar aint that bad,i just already have a bad opinion on Beretta i guess.

Well it is pretty obvious that I'm a complete n00b at this. None of my gun enthusiast friends could make it, so i went on my own. It's been 5 years since I shot, but I don't think I did too terrible. I definitely put the hurt on the paper. Again, this was with the glock 17. Saturday I'll add more.

you must have gotten hold of shit ammo or a lemon these are very reliable ive ran tons of shit ammo through my px4 including test rounds that wouldnt cycle in 3 other guns except the px4 as for the 92 they are time tested in the military.92s are good weapons maybe not the best but overall well built.

I also have a Beretta 92FS and it's never jammed once.

Even at close range that actually isn't that bad especially if you don't shoot on a normal basis. Practice and those groups will shrink.

Keep us updated!

I still haven't fired that SR1911 Gman bought me.

Hopefully this weekend.

Took my 92fs to two gunsmiths,both said the port needed filing.I figured 800+ for the gun,why i do i need to get it worked on due to poor workmanship.The ammo was Black talons,which were later banned but readily available then (about 18 years ago) and hydra shocks.Jammed every round.Maybe i should have had the work done,still i hated the bulky design. Traded a F*CKING 50 cal desert eagle that i never got to fire for it because i couldn't get ammo.So i was was kinda,sore when that i traded a monster for a gun i felt like was engineered poorly.Maybe i got the "one" shitty gun they made,but it was new so quality control dropped the ball and they lost a customer. Im sure any of you would have felt the same way.Oh yeah if anyone is wondering why i was shooting so many black talons,being they were expensive is that our small town police station burned and i had access to thousands of rounds of 9mm black talons that they let us have.

So because of my need for a lower price point I think I've decided on the Smith & Wesson Sigma SW9VE. I really enjoyed the glock but if I can save money for a lock box and ammo I'm going to go this route.

DO NOT BUY A F*CKING SIGMA. Those things are COMPLETE garbage and anyone who knows anything about guns will tell you that. Seriously. Don't buy a Sigma. You'll regret it and you won't be able to sell it for much once you decide that it sucks, because everybody knows they suck.

I'm down to go shooting :D

Ive heard the sigmas are a very close replica of the glock and I've seen more positive reviews than negative. The lower price point is attractive and the only downside I've seen is that it's mounting system is proprietary. I've seen that its really easy to field strip, very quick process. So if you insist that I don't buy it please provide hard evidence, not just an opinion. I'll keep doing research and if I find a legitimate reason to not buy it I'll post it here.

Dude, don't buy that garbage. Seriously.

If you can't afford to buy a real firearm. Then save up until you can. You'll kick yourself when you figure out you wasted your money on crap.

Is it new? If so, the numbers speak for themselves. S&W discontinued that pistol in 2010. It costs $300. It's been sitting on the shelf for 3 years and nobody has bought it.

Don't buy it.