Which Gun?

[sfcfp37]

I have yet to make my first purcahse, but I should be doing so within the next few weeks.

I have been contimplating wether to start with a .22 or 9mm. I am on a tight budget and I think I will be able to get more range time in with a 22 being that the ammo is alot cheaper, however I still feel as if I may get bored with it. I have fired a 9mm an really enjoyed it. I have not had the oportunity to fire a 22 yet, I am afraid it may not feel like much more than a bb gun. Which ever I buy now, wether it be a 22 or 9mm I will probably get the other next year.

I have narrowed my search down to these guns:
9mm choices: either a Ruger p95 or S&W Sigma 9ve

.22 choices: S&W 22a, Walther p22 or Sig Mosquito.

I like the Sig Mosquito the best, however most of the reviews that I found say that it is picky on ammo and really only like the CCI Mini Mags. I am having a hard time finding these instock online. My local Walmart was also out and unsure when they would be getting anymore. Why are these hard to find and does anyone know where I can find them? I don't want to purchase a gun and than not be able to get ammo for it.

I live in Cecil Co. and would like to know if anyone can suggest a good gun dealer in the area, I am still not sure if I want to purchase new or used.

If anyone has any experience with any of the guns I have mentioned please give your input.

 

[MauiWowie]

Personally I'd get a 9mm first!
This is coming from a guy who's first gun was the Sig Mosquito.
Don't get me wrong I love that little bugger and one day when I get a "real" suppressor for it. The one in the picture is fake. Maybe I'll love it even more!

After about a month of shooting the 22LR I craved Recoil! and went out and bought a P226 9mm at Gun Connection.

The Mosquito is picky with ammo but mine will eat Federal Lightning which is dirt cheap!

Get the 9mm it will serve as a good range gun and a good home defense gun then if you have extra money down the road get the 22LR. 9mm and 22LR are getting much easier to find now and you should be able to buy bulk online or catch the occasional Wally World shipment. I don't know anything about the 9mm guns you're looking at so I can't comment on them. I will say you can't go wrong with a SIG! but I'm biased....

Sorry I love posting pictures I think they speak louder than words!

 

[a81lp]

+1 on 9mm

 

[Markp]

+1 on the 9mm

 

[august1410]

My first and only handgun to date is a 9mm.

 

[Wraith]

9mm, First and only gun so far for me, and no regrets!

 

[Splitter]

I have a Mosquito. It WAS picky about ammo, but after a few thousand rounds of CCI MiniMags and Federal Auto Match (easier to find at times and shot reliably) it now eats bulk Federal 550 reliably. Now I am finally shooting at $.03 per round .

You might have to play with the Skeeter a bit to get it to work properly. I love my Skeeter, but while the trigger on SA is fine, the DA trigger is TERRIBLE. Heavy and gritty. Many people do a trigger job on the Skeeter and claim it lightens the trigger considerably.

The Skeeter comes with two springs: one light (white) and one heavy (darker). You have to install each with different ammo to see which configuration feeds and ejects reliably. Also, you have to make sure that the narrow end of the spring goes onto the guide rod first....in other words the narrow end should be closer to the hammer when installed. I only use the light spring on mine.

There is a screw right above the trigger guard on the frame. This screw has to be tight, but not overly tight. If this screw is loose, the gun may not feed correctly.

I have to run my Skeeter wet (lubed well). I use gun grease on the rail tabs on the frame and grease in the grooves of the frame. Spraying some lube into the inner workings of the gun cleared up some of my issues. After somewhere around 3.5K rounds, the inner workings still look almost new.

I LOVE my Skeeter, it is the gun that goes to the range every time, but you might have to put some time into it. Check www.sigforum.com for a very lengthy Mosquito thread (like over 100 pages). GREAT info there.

As for a 9mm, since you are looking at S&W, check out the S&W 5906 or 6906. All stainless steel and you should be able to find one priced around $350 used. Police trade-ins tend to be good deals as they are carried a lot but shot a little. These guns are built like tanks, accurate, and very reliable. BTW, someone has a 5906 in the classifieds at $400 which is a very good deal because it comes with 5 mags, but I think he is in western MD. If I had not just bought a 5906, I would buy the one advertised here because of the mags.

The 5906 is a traditional double action (TDA) meaning that the first trigger pull is double action (long and heavier for safety purposes) and subsequent pulls are single action (short and light).

The trigger on the Sigma 9VE is notoriously heavy and gritty. It weighs less than the 5906, but the 5906 is more solid. Chances are that if you buy a 5906, you will not be disappointed.

There are pistols you can buy that have conversions where you can buy a 9mm, change out the slide and barrel, and turn it into a .22. Or vice versa. Other know much more about these than I.

As to which caliber to buy....that depends on your priorities. For home defense, you really need a 9mm minimum (ammo is $10-$13 per box at Wallyworld). If you are just looking for a range toy and trainer, a Skeeter is a great choice (if it works).

Personally, I wanted a home defense weapon most of all so I went with a larger caliber. I went back and got the .22 when budget allowed and it has more than paid for itself in ammo savings.

Just my humble opinions,
Splitter

 

[atom33]

My P22 isn't picky, I've run thousands of rounds of whatever's available through it, from cheapo bulk to mini-mag. It's fun to shoot too, especially since the .22 ammo is pretty inexpensive and easily available. Love my xd9 too though... Maybe go to a range and try some rental pistols?

 

[snavematt]

guess Im a little different, I love my Walther P22, eats any ammo, but I prefer my 40s over my 9mms

 

[Calengor]

I know Sig makes conversion kits for .22 for some of their pistols. So you could conceivably get a 9mm now and a conversion kit down the road, or a 9mm now and an identical pistol in .22 later on.

On the same note, look at the CZ75 and the CZ75Kadet (the kadet also comes in kit form so you can convert a regular CZ75 to .22lr)

I have a CZ75 Kadet which I love, it feels, weighs, and looks like a real pistol, but you get the cheap practice of .22lr

 

[Backoff007]

I have yet to make my first purcahse, but I should be doing so within the next few weeks.

I have been contimplating wether to start with a .22 or 9mm. I am on a tight budget and I think I will be able to get more range time in with a 22 being that the ammo is alot cheaper, however I still feel as if I may get bored with it. I have fired a 9mm an really enjoyed it. I have not had the oportunity to fire a 22 yet, I am afraid it may not feel like much more than a bb gun. Which ever I buy now, wether it be a 22 or 9mm I will probably get the other next year.

I have narrowed my search down to these guns:
9mm choices: either a Ruger p95 or S&W Sigma 9ve

.22 choices: S&W 22a, Walther p22 or Sig Mosquito.

I like the Sig Mosquito the best, however most of the reviews that I found say that it is picky on ammo and really only like the CCI Mini Mags. I am having a hard time finding these instock online. My local Walmart was also out and unsure when they would be getting anymore. Why are these hard to find and does anyone know where I can find them? I don't want to purchase a gun and than not be able to get ammo for it.

I live in Cecil Co. and would like to know if anyone can suggest a good gun dealer in the area, I am still not sure if I want to purchase new or used.

If anyone has any experience with any of the guns I have mentioned please give your input.

I don't have any of those hand guns, however, I do have several others (2) 45s, (2) 357s, and (2) 9mms. I shoot often enough, but it is mostly the 9mm flavor lately. If I had something in 22lr, I would probably shoot a lot more. It's only money, but it takes a lot more than it used to.
Regards, Backoff

 

[onatsky]

I would recommend a 9mm, a Glock 19 0r 17, or any other brand that you think you would feel comfortable shooting.

 

[jmiller320]

If you want to just get something to shoot get a .22. Buy a brick and shoot till your fingers hurt from reloading. My first hand gun was a Smith & Wesson Model 59. 15 rounds of 9mm down range without reloading didn't make the box of 50 last long. My next purchase was a Ruger Mark II with a 5 1/4 bull barrel. I then purchased a Smith & Wesson K22. All in all I have 9 - .22s from different manufactures, a .357 and a .45.

 

[rob-cubed]

If you want to get better faster, go for the .22 which will allow for a LOT more range time. I don't really enjoy shooting .22, but it is a good way to learn new skills which you can apply to handguns of any caliber.

My first was a 9mm since I wanted it to do double-duty for HD. However, by the time I was proficient with it I could've easily bought another gun with what I could have saved on ammo. If money is an issue, go with the .22.

 

[bryanjusmc]

+1 for the 9mm

 

[walt]

my first was a ruger 9mm. i loved it! i sold it to help fund my mil-surp obsession. i now have a glock 40 s&w. nice pistol. im a rifle guy but the 9 mm would be my choice. good luck. walt.

 

[Jimbob2.0]

I feel so redundant at this point and for full disclosure I havent snatched mine up yet (but have plenty of other alternatives) but the Sig 226/229 2 step is the best deal in town right now.

What you get for under $520 you get a Sig 226/229 with a .22 slide for training, for an additional $350 you can get your choice of 9mm, .40 S&W or .357 sig. So for around $870 you get an effective combination. Plus sigs are very quick to switch slides on.

While I am a fan of sigs I have been very critical on price, but with this combo they are a great deal and a good choice.

Need to go buy one and start some paperwork!

 

[Russ D]

Used Glock 17.

 

[buzzzyy]

shotgun!

 

[Minuteman]

Buy the Sig 9mm, then buy the .22 upper for it. You get 2 guns, great price.

Another option is to buy a used 9mm or cheap (like the KelTec PF9), and a good .22