First Handgun

Blogger Anika! of Annika's Journals has found the Holy Homeland of Happy Hoplophiles and is seriously considering residiency. Although physically residing in the DPRKalifornia, she'll join a population of law-abiding citizens who realize that whatever weal or woe that is derived from a handgun comes from the hand that wields it.

Weal...that means prosperity or happiness. Yes, guns can be fun and I know lots of folks who can make a living competing with them. I wonder if it feels like work to them?

It seems Annika! wondered if the SIG-Sauer P226 would be a good first gun for her. Well, judging from her first target at the above link, I would think so! If she can afford a Sig. She said she already knows 9-mm would be a lot less expensive to practice with. Merely liking it and shooting well with it ought to be enough. Here's my response:

Thanks for the Email, Annika!

Congrats on joining the ranks of Happy Hoplophiles! As far as selecting your
first gun, if you like the P226 (and can afford it), how can you go wrong?
As in my example, even a great gun can't be everything to you.  My Sig is a
great target shooter and very reliable carry piece but I can't shoot it for
long durations; my Glock is a match champ, but I didn't want to pack it home
after a long match without cleaning it (it's a liability thing).  

Yes, 9-mm is waaaay cheaper to practice with and there are many good brands
of premium defensive ammo made for it. Make sure to practice with the defensive
stuff too, to ensure your gun feeds it reliably.

Between my two favorite brands, the Sig is better for a beginner only because
the long, stiff trigger pull makes it less likely for this no-manual-safety-
equipped firearm to hurt you accidently.  I personally think these guns are
better for the beginner if they pound it into their skulls first:
"Absolutely nothing inside the trigger guard until I'm ready to shoot!" 
"The gun gets my undivided attention while holstering."
 If you think this is bad, think about guns with manual safeties.  The *bad*
thing is that you have to train yourself to use the safety.  If I had a nickel
for every 10th of a second I'd lost squeezing a immovable trigger, I might be 
able to buy a card for my funeral if it had been a real situation and not a
match.  Safeties also let the shooter relax just a bit...do you want to relax
with a loaded firearm in your hand?  I'd rather put it in a holster.

The Europeans aren't the only ones who make quality firearms and don't restrict
yourself to auto-loaders, unless you really want to.  My first handgun was a Dan
Wesson revolver.  I could shoot inexpensive .38 Special ammo to practice and
also load .357 Magnum jacketed hollow-points for self-defense.  I rarely
shoot it any more.
Your first self-selected handgun is an important choice only if it stands to become
your last gun. 

If you're counting on it defending your life and it fails you in some way, you will
buy no more, because you're dead.

If you buy it to have fun at the range and it's an inaccurate jam-o-matic that turns
you off to the sport, you will buy no more.

Choose wisely and don't be afraid to try other things.