9 mm gun, what to get?

Happpy Birthday Muad’Dib15! Great advice on this thread but here are my 2 cents for another perspective. I think 9mm is a great choice for a first time handgun owner. It is a good compromise between shootability, affordability, size, capacity, and stopping power. Some other things to consider in purchasing a handgun.

Shot placement is the most important consideration on any gun/caliber combination. Accurate shot placement center mass will mitigate many of the potential weaknesses of any caliber. 1 round in the right place is better than 10 “magic caliber” bullets in the wrong place or off target. Proper shot placement eliminates over penetration concerns by slowing down the velocity through the thick portions of the target.

Comfort and natural point of aim characteristics are a key component in accuracy and shot placement. Each hand and pistol combination is different. Try a bunch of different makes and models and find what is comfortable. Place the web of your thumb and trigger finger snugly in the beavertail crotch. Grip it firmly like you would a baseball bat or sword. Look down the sights. It should feel good. Now, close your eyes, break your grip, re-grip the pistol, aim at an imaginary target with your eyes closed, and then open your eyes and see if your sights are still in alignment. Some guns will just naturally line up, and will keep your shots consistent round after round. If it doesn’t line up, you can modify your grip but it should still be comfortable and natural. Then you just have to train your body and muscles to the new grip. This process will be easier if you find a gun that is comfortable and natural from the get-go. I’ve shot thousands of rounds through a Berretta M9, but it still doesn’t feel nearly as comfortable and natural as a SigP226 I’ve shot much less.

Reliability is a component of shot placement. Your gun must fire to put rounds on target. A revolver is arguably the most reliable. Put bullets in it, let it sit for years, and it will still fire. Reliability on autoloaders is based on maintenance, magazines, and ammo. Factory mags tend to work best. I think guns with single stack mags are much more reliable than double stack. You still need to periodically unload and rotate mags. Some ammo will function better than others. If you go with an autoloader you need to practice failure drills since it’s not a question of if, it is a question of when you will have a malfunction.

Factory equipped safety is another consideration. Your trigger finger is single most important safety on any weapon. So, I prefer no safety on handguns (such as a Sig, Glock, Kahr, revolver, etc.). Most honest shooters will admit trying to shoot a gun with the safety on. Hard to hit center mass if your gun won’t shoot, even if you know how to quickly take the safety off. Just remember to never put your finger on the trigger until your sights are on target and you are ready to destroy it.

Trigger pull will affect accuracy. I personally don’t like a double action first round followed by a single action remainder, which is what that 92FS will have. It is the same on my SigP226. However, with training it is not really an issue (this applies to the safety as well). However, if I had to choose only one pistol I would strongly consider a consistent trigger pull such as a revolver, Glock, Kahr, 1911 style, etc.

Recoil and muzzle blast will affect bullet placement. My wife and kids can accurately shoot my 9mm Sig P226 all day long. However, shooting my Kahr CW9 is a different story and not nearly as enjoyable for them. Their confidence and accuracy suffer greatly with the smaller pistol. It can be overcome with training, but they don’t want to invest the time in it (and I’m not sure I want to buy the ammo!). I can’t even imagine them trying to shoot a subcompact in .40 or .45 cal. So, you should consider this if you are thinking of getting a wife someday. I also think you will feel better and more confident as a first time handgun shooter with a more manageable round. One of the reasons the Army went to the 9mm is that it took a lot less training to attain proficiency with new shooters and females than with the .45 cal.

I have a couple of .45 cal 1911s, and I know I can shoot the 9mm twice as much for the same price. I agree with the advice to get a .22 cal also, because you will get a lot more trigger time with the plinker. Only you and your wallet can make that decision.

If you are only buying one gun, consider getting one acceptable for concealed carry. I think the Kahr CW9 is about the right compromise between concealability and shootability for me. It fills my hand but I feel pretty good taking it anywhere. Remember, you can better defend yourself with a gun you actually carry and can shoot well versus a bear killer in the gun safe. Hope that helps. Good luck on your purchase. New guns are always exciting!