# Need Purchasing Advise



## curty (Sep 18, 2003)

Hey Guys, I was wondering if you could give me some advise.....Im looking to buy two handguns (Semi auto's). I want a .22 for affordable plinking. And a center fire for protection,I would like a centerfire that is somewhat affordable to go out and shoot, good protection,and that can be used by me or my wife....she is very petite with small hands.
Not looking to spend $600 a gun but not a cheapy $100 gun either....fussy ain't I?? thanks fella's

Ruger ,Beretta,Sig, Springfield,?????any opinions??


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## agrotom (Sep 14, 2004)

I like the Springfield XD series in .40 S&W. Very easy to control very accurate and not to pricey. My favorite .22 is the S&W auto very affordable and fun to shoot. :sniper:


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## go4thegusto (Sep 29, 2004)

One thing to think about is if you are going to shoot gophers or shoot inside you may not want the auto throwing empties all over. I shoot in my basement and gophers out the car window (horrors!) and traded my auto for a Smith 10 shot stainless revolver....tack driver.


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## Whelen35 (Mar 9, 2004)

I would go for a Ruger mkII for the 22. For the centerfire, I would go for a S&W 19. You can shoot 38spl in it for plinking and practice and the wife should have no problems with recoil or with grip frame size. Also, you don't have to worry about clip springs going south on you when things go bump in the night. Load it up with 125gr 357 mags for home use, and you have a great stopper, and you will not feel the differance in recoil in a home defence situation. A revolver is still the best choice for people who may not have or take the time to make operation of a semi-auto a automatic response.


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## Burly1 (Sep 20, 2003)

I strongly second Whelen35's suggestion on the Ruger MKll, in any of it's many models. A great little plinker, and once you find the right type of ammo, most are very accurate. As for a centerfire handgun, impose on your friends and try shooting whatever they have, shoot as many different types of handguns as you can before making an informed decision on a purchase. Having said that, I also believe that a revolver is the way to go, particularly for someone who will have the gun ready for home defense at all times. Revolvers are reliable to a fault and the ease of operation makes them a natural for the occasional shooter. You'll never go wrong with a Smith or a Ruger and the handguns Taurus has been putting out the last couple years are hard to beat for the price. The .38 spl and the 9mm are both economical to shoot in practice and can be had in very credible defense loads. Welcome to the handgunning fraternity! Shoot safely, take a firearms handling course if available and have fun. Burl


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## curty (Sep 18, 2003)

thanks for the info guys..that helps!!!


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## northerndave (Dec 6, 2004)

Wow, a couple of guys here beat me to the advise that came to mind. The MK II in .22 is real hard to beat, I'm about to buy my 3rd one, each time I upgrade slightly. First had a used MK I standard shorty blued with tapered barrel fixed sights. Sold it & bought another standard this time in MK II & in the 50th anniversary model. Well, sold that one to slap some cash down on a gun that I couldn't let slip away & now I'm going to replace it with a stainless MK II 5 1/2" bull barrel with adjustable sights. The Little rugers are about as good as cash, they don't loose value, you can always find one in a hurry & sell one real fast, (not that I like selling guns but it's the most easily replaced gun I can think of) They are so handy for plinking. I usually always have one in my truck, when I don't have one of those I have a nine shot revolver, revolver is slow to load when you spot a skunk or gopher, grouse or what ever that you have to shoot in a hurry. Yeah, the MK II is heard to beat for plinking. I've got a friend who shoots a lot, him & his wife both. He bought 2 new browning buckmarks & wore them out in 1 year. He shot em out! (shoots a lot!) he just plain wore them out. He replaced them with ruger target MK II's & never looked back, in his opinion you just can't wear out the little ruger.

For the centerfire qustion, also easy, you mentioned wife? The one dude said .357 revolver, ditto. Absolutely perfect. Plink with 38 special, recoil is forgiving, ammo cheap. I went through the same thing when I was around 22-23 years old living with my wife in a nasty town while I was still in the service. I found a .357 mag double action revolver Dan Wesson on sale at a store on base. it was a 4.5 or 5" barrel I think, nice little gun, heavy frame soaked up a lot of the recoil energy, came with houge (sp?) rubber grips from the factory. I tought her how to shoot it & handle it safely. She learned on .38's & did well with it. Some years later after leaving the service & moving back to small townville minnesota to settle into the family scene I sold the D Wesson to help pay for an elk trip. I don't have a big wheel gun anymore, kind of miss it but really don't need it either. 
Look for a deal, the Ruger GP 100 looks like a good value if you are thinking new. Smiths & rugers, can't go wrong with that. (don't turn down a smoking hot deal on a colt though, drooooool).


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

I guess I am nearly along the same thought lines as everyone else. I like the Ruger 22/45 because the controls match my Kimber 1911 45 auto. I also like the grip profile on the 22/45. I think they are a Mark III series. I don't know what barrel lengths they come in this year, but mine is 5 1/2 inches.

I would go with a Smith model 66 for a centerfire. This is the same as the 19, just stainless. If you must have a inexpensive, but reliable semi auto the Smith and Wesson Sigma in 40 SM would be good. I have shot a few and they are very nice for the price. The controls will be the same as the 22/45 so if you learn to shoot one you will not be lost when you grab the other in the dark.


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## Longshot (Feb 9, 2004)

I would also go with the Ruger 22/45. For the price it's hard to beat. The first handgun I bought my wife was a Walther PPK .380. She shot it fairly well but at times had a hard time pulling the slide back. I later bought a Taurus 5 shot 357 revolver Model M605. The first time I took her to the range I was surprised how much better she could shoot it. She still doesn't care for the 357 mag loads, but has no problem with the 38 spl ammo. This gun is a little on the light side so it doesn't absorb much recoil.


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## Shooter (Sep 21, 2004)

I bought a Browning Buckmark .22 last spring. Its a nice gun and i got a good deal on it. I've put somewhere around 1500 rounds through it. It's a good little gun for "plinking." The .22 is nice to have for practicing with a pistol cus its cheap to shoot. Another reason i bought it is to get used to handling a pistol. When i get enough $$ and more time to use it, i'm going to get something like a .357. I've seen some nice ones in cabelas and have been tempted but i'm a poor college student so i won't be buying one for a while.


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## Uncle Fudd (Mar 8, 2005)

For what it's worth.
I own an indoor shooting range and have provided rentals for people for the last 18 years.
I have to agree with nearly all the posts but would give you some more input from someone who watches what people shoot and makes suggestions, repairs and provides training every day.
This does not make me a guru, just a very current, informed practioner, instructor.
I agree wholeheartedly with the ruger 22s in either the MK11 or the 22/45 for a plinker. I have both (several of each) for my customers to rent and they all have hundreds of thousands of rounds through them. We hardly ever have to repair them and if so it is to replace a spring or magazine. The barrels are original, hardly ever cleaned and used many times every day without a hiccup.
As for the choice of a centerfire, again I agree with the revolvers for all the reasons given above.
But a caution on choice. If you are going to choose a S&W get one of the older 19s or 66s. The newer 3rd generation of S&W are NOOOOOO good. Period.
I have tried them (all models) of revolvers and autos and they will not last more than a week to three months and then they are on their way back to S&W for major repairs or rework, and this is without exception. I have finally dropped them from the range rental program because I can't keep them in house.
As for the Sigma, the law enforcement agencies who have been forced to issue them, they cannot get rid of them fast enough. They were not a quality firearm from the beginning.
If you are to choose, try to find a range that has a rental program and try a bunch along with your wife before you buy. 
Another choice of revolver that you cannot wear out or damage is either the Ruger GP100 or the SP101, 6 or 5 shot. They are the best buy in revolvers on the market today and will not fail.
The Tarus as mentioned is actually IMO better than the S&W 3rd generation revolvers.
I hope this gives addional insight for your consideration.
Be safe and enjoy.
Uncle Fudd


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## back2hunt (Jan 21, 2005)

I have a Browning BuckMark .22 and love it. Super accurate and fun to shoot. Can't go wrong with the S&W .22 lr revolver either.

For something with a little more giddy-up, a S&W, Ruger or Taurus in .357 mag and a 6 in barrel is a good choice. I have a local gun shop here that will rent handguns for use on their range. That way I can check out different models before laying out the cash.


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## crittergetter (Apr 27, 2005)

a browning or a ruger .22 lr semiauto no doubt,

for protection, well i own a .44 special revolver that i shoot silver tipped hollow
points and have tried them on bowling pins, boy do those pins fly, and my wife
can handle it pretty well, she likes to shoot it just as much as i do, i might
have to get her her own,

beretta makes a pretty good .40 cal. semiauto, polymer stock for 
around 450.00, i can't remember the model but it's a fairly new gun
and a .40 cal. has been proven time and again for protection.


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