9mm or .22?

[nate9122]

Want to buy my first handgun and start practicing shooting. I have been looking a lot at the Taurus PT92 and the CZ 75B, but I have been told i should look into starting with a .22 because of the cheaper ammunition. I don't know a whole lot about guns, and i figure you guys do. So any advice is appreciated!

 

[jd4320t]

Do you only plan to shoot for fun or do you want a defensive handgun also? If you have the money to buy and shoot 9mm then go with it.

 

[nate9122]

Do you only plan to shoot for fun or do you want a defensive handgun also? If you have the money to buy and shoot 9mm then go with it.

I don't need a defensive handgun. I plan to go into some type of career in law enforcement. hopefully something like the FBI or a similar agency. I'm in college so I'm not rolling in the cash, but I'm not really hurting for it either. I just want to learn how to shoot and start practicing some.

 

[DaveL]

If you shoot 800 rounds per month for the next year, that is almost 10,000 rounds. 9mm will cost approximately $2,000. .22LR will cost approximately $400. Alternatively, you can shoot 25,000 rounds of .22LR for under $1,000.

 

[mbills2223]

A .22 is nice if you just want to go out and target shoot, but if it's part of your prep for a career in law enforcement I'd save up for a 9mm. It's going to be closer to a handgun you would use as an LEO, and the ammo isn't terribly expensive. Just my

 

[nate9122]

I have the money to spend on the gun itself right now. I am not sure that i will have a vast amount of time to spend on shooting. School keeps me pretty busy and i play football as well, so during the semesters i don't have a lot of time. is 800 rounds a month considered a lot? i just don't see myself shooting that much.

 

[jd4320t]

A .22 is nice if you just want to go out and target shoot, but if it's part of your prep for a career in law enforcement I'd save up for a 9mm. It's going to be closer to a handgun you would use as an LEO, and the ammo isn't terribly expensive. Just my

I second this

I have the money to spend on the gun itself right now. I am not sure that i will have a vast amount of time to spend on shooting. School keeps me pretty busy and i play football as well, so during the semesters i don't have a lot of time. is 800 rounds a month considered a lot? i just don't see myself shooting that much.

I say go for the 9mm then. You won't shoot that much unless you really get into it.

You can get 100rds of 9mm for $20+tax at WalMart

 

[DaveL]

How many rounds you shoot is totally up to you. What it takes to get and stay "good" differs for everyone. It will depend on how quickly you can get as good as you want/need to be and how many rounds/month it takes you to stay that good. If you go to a range three times per month and shoot 250 rounds each trip, you get to 750/month.

 

[barrelmaker_2002]

Your question presents an interesting dilemma. As a coach, I like to start new shooters with a .22 and usually a rifle for that matter. The reason is that most new shooters are far more likely to have poor muzzle discipline with pistol than a rifle.

Anyway, if you do not have access to a .22 rifle, then a basic .22 pistol usually works. There are several excellent choices for reasonable money. But for the love of all that is good and holy, please pass on the Walther P22. Cheap materials, crappy trigger and not very accurate.

But what to do if you have a limited budget? You may only have funds for one pistol and that may be an issue especially if you want to get your LTCH and/or use your pistol for self defense.

One scenario would be to find a place that rents firearms. Take a friend who shoots, rent a .22, get a brick of bulk pack and spend about two hours just shooting. You are not trying to qualify for the olympics here...just trying to get used to manipulating the gun and getting used to the noise and recoil and such. Do that a couple/few times and you are out about 100-150 bucks.

Even better would be a friend with a .22 and a farm - or at least easy access to a range (like at a state game preserve, which are free). Then you are out less than $75.

The worst case would be you have no access to rental guns and no friend with a .22 and a farm. This is not that bad frankly....your ammo cost will be higher and it may take a you a bit longer to get comfortable shooting. But it is doable.

So if you have funds for one gun and you want something for self defense, then buying a 9MM is the best choice in the long run. I would generally recommend a mid or full(ish) sized pistol with a grip long enough to get all of your fingers on it and a barrel of at least 4 inches. And preferably one that is not so light that it is hard to control.

Both of the guns you mention fit my criteria...and my choice of the two would be the CZ.

Anyway, good luck!!

 

[nate9122]

Thanks for the input guys. Also, any opinions for what i should look for in a .22 if i decide to go that route? and are there any suggestions that might be better than the two 9mm i listed?

 

[ryang]

personally from what you have said you want to get out of it. I would get a .22 for now. possibly getting a 9mm once you know more about shooting to get closer to your future carry gun

 

[singlesix]

If you are looking to get into the FBI or similar agency than I don't see how learning to shoot a pistol is going to give you a leg up? This is like saying I want to learn to shoot, so I can get into West Point or get a ROTC Scholarship.

You want to learn to shoot a pistol on the cheap than get a good .22 pistol.

 

[mbills2223]

Thanks for the input guys. Also, any opinions for what i should look for in a .22 if i decide to go that route? and are there any suggestions that might be better than the two 9mm i listed?

I just got a Ruger LC9 for Christmas and absolutely love it. It's on the small side though. Look into the P95. I've shot one a few times and loved it.

 

[nate9122]

Your question presents an interesting dilemma. As a coach, I like to start new shooters with a .22 and usually a rifle for that matter. The reason is that most new shooters are far more likely to have poor muzzle discipline with pistol than a rifle.

Anyway, if you do not have access to a .22 rifle, then a basic .22 pistol usually works. There are several excellent choices for reasonable money. But for the love of all that is good and holy, please pass on the Walther P22. Cheap materials, crappy trigger and not very accurate.

But what to do if you have a limited budget? You may only have funds for one pistol and that may be an issue especially if you want to get your LTCH and/or use your pistol for self defense.

One scenario would be to find a place that rents firearms. Take a friend who shoots, rent a .22, get a brick of bulk pack and spend about two hours just shooting. You are not trying to qualify for the olympics here...just trying to get used to manipulating the gun and getting used to the noise and recoil and such. Do that a couple/few times and you are out about 100-150 bucks.

Even better would be a friend with a .22 and a farm - or at least easy access to a range (like at a state game preserve, which are free). Then you are out less than $75.

The worst case would be you have no access to rental guns and no friend with a .22 and a farm. This is not that bad frankly....your ammo cost will be higher and it may take a you a bit longer to get comfortable shooting. But it is doable.

So if you have funds for one gun and you want something for self defense, then buying a 9MM is the best choice in the long run. I would generally recommend a mid or full(ish) sized pistol with a grip long enough to get all of your fingers on it and a barrel of at least 4 inches. And preferably one that is not so light that it is hard to control.

Both of the guns you mention fit my criteria...and my choice of the two would be the CZ.

Anyway, good luck!!

i do have a friend that owns some guns, though i am not sure what they are. I guess i could probably see if he would let me shoot them. he has been giving me some advice on what to look for, so i will have to ask him if we can shoot. thanks for the advice!

 

[DaveL]

I've been wrestling with this same question ... and I am buying a Ruger 22/45. I find the ergonomics of the 22/45 fit my hand better than the straight Ruger MkIII. There have been several .22LR threads in the past week or so ... scroll through the handgun area and you'll find a lot of comments on this same question.

 

[nate9122]

If you are looking to get into the FBI or similar agency than I don't see how learning to shoot a pistol is going to give you a leg up? This is like saying I want to learn to shoot, so I can get into West Point or get a ROTC Scholarship.

You want to learn to shoot a pistol on the cheap than get a good .22 pistol.

I am not using it as a means to get a leg up. I just figure that if i do indeed get into that career path, i will have to learn eventually. so why not now? plus i have heard it is a lot of fun.

 

[mwg]

if you buy a glock 9mm , you can get a 22 conversion for it and have both.

 

[nate9122]

if you buy a glock 9mm , you can get a 22 conversion for it and have both.

isn't the conversion pretty expensive?

 

[jd4320t]

isn't the conversion pretty expensive?

Yes. You can pretty much buy another 22 pistol for the price of the conversion kits.

 

[nate9122]

I've been looking more at some of the Ruger .22s. wish i had enough money to get 2 guns. lol cuz i really like the CZ 9mm, but the .22 is definitely much more economically appealing.