Reasonable priced Handgun and ammo for beginner

[DW357]

I would have love to get one but was told it's Illegal in the state of MA

Which shop told you that? Lol

 

[Rabi]

Oh boy. Not true.

Wow!!!

 

[Rabi]

Which shop told you that? Lol

Wasn't a shop lol, just a friend who's been shooting and knows more about guns. I'll look into glocks too. Unbelievable lol.

 

[greencobra]

My 4013 has been hands down (other than 40cal) my best "do all" pistol.

yeah, a super reliable pistol. I still have the one I bought ~'92. I don't make excuses cause it's a fortay, it tosses a 185 gr bullet out that short barrel with a little punch. I can't get this gun to fail, unbelievable really. I even used it when I shot ipsc and they had side matches for carry guns. the 4013 is retired to house duty now, usually within arms reach when i'm watching tv.

 

[slap shot]

It’s all about budget and use. Shield 9 is very popular and for good reason. I love mine but you need to fix the trigger.

Out of the box the Ruger SR9C is a great choice. Very very nice trigger. Concealable but not micro sized. Can pickup cheap as well.

Leave the glock until you learn the ropes of how to buy off list in MA.

 

[Jttgspring]

Wasn't a shop lol, just a friend who's been shooting and knows more about guns. I'll look into glocks too. Unbelievable lol.

I’m not a Glock guy. The deal with Glocks in MA is a dealers will not transfer or sell a complete Glock in the state of MA. The Glocks for the most part are on the roster, but the AG has filed suit and forced a few dealers in the state out if business over glock sales. The AG says glocks do not meet her standard, and are unsafe, though they are on the approved roster. Truth is dealers are not able, or interested in, fighting legally with the state of MA. So basically no dealer will sell or transfer one to a non LEO out of fear (based on experience). The approved firearms roster is not applicable to non dealers, in other words you can own anything you can get your greasy little fingers on, your just going to need to do a private transfer (and be sure it only has 10 round mags, someone else can dip into pre ban capacity perhaps, or there are threads on that subject). So in closing, Glocks are not illegal, at all, but harder to get your hands on here in MA. You’ll basically find lots of folks selling 20-25 year old gen2 for like $600 because that’s what the market bears here I MA (all Glocks sold privately in MA Cary on average 100+ premium for something used). Also the s&w m&p series is nice, shoots well, and reasonably priced in all its variations. If your near central MA send me a pm you can try mine this weekend!

 

[headednorth]

Sig Academy in Epping has some good courses and you can use their pistols for the class.

 

[LuvDog]

Glocks are not illegal in MA.

Prices can be higher because of the mis-information and the AGs mission against dealers who sell them. I suggested it because the g19 is a good combo gun and the mags, holsters and accessories are plentiful and cheap.

A great option for out of the box and readily available is the Canik TP9SF. Great trigger out of the box and cheap brand new from a dealer. accessories aren’t as common though

 

[Tim_McD]

1) Go out and buy a case of 9mm (115g FMJ or TMJ, bass cased), around $0.18/rd or less
2) Go to a local range that rents firearms and try out a couple - some great suggestions above
3) Come home with your notes, buy another case of 9mm (i.e., repeat step 1)
4) Go through your notes, narrow the pistols you liked to 2 - go back to range and rent just those two again
5) Come home and buy a case of 9mm, using your final range notes - decide on your firearm based on how you liked it and budget
6) Shop around for your new pistol while buying a case of 9mm, make your informed pistol purchase along with cleaning kit, targets, holster, case/sock....
7) Go to the range with your new pistol, practice, practice, practice
8) Look around for a local gun club where you can take your new pistol to shoot, order a case of 9mm while you weigh options
9) Join local club, buy a case of 9mm to celebrate, meet folks with common interests and have fun
10) Start thinking that one pistol is like having an only child; buy case of 9mm, 22LR and 45 as you start casually watching Hickok45 videos......

 

[bottle-cap]

Another recommendation for the 9mm Shield. Lots of positive attributes.
Also own the Canik TP9sf. Another fun one to shoot. Bigger than Shield, but nice trigger and 10 round mags (compared to 7 &8 with Shield).

Get Both! And like others have said, case quantities of 9mm ammo! You will need it!

I buy from Shooting Supply in Westport. They are having s S&W promo today with some cool prizes. May even win yourself a Shield!!

 

[Mountain]

I would have love to get one but was told it's Illegal in the state of MA

You are not missing out on anything if you don't buy a Glock. Absolutely no need to pay the OMG it's a GLOCK! premium in Massachusetts. Finding a G19 here will set you back 2X to 3X what you can pay for a M&P. I have a few Glocks- they are solid utilitarian pistols and are easy to upgrade if you wish. Glock triggers are so-so in stock condition, and still not great when modified- which I don't recommend for carry.

No need to overthink this. You will be equally well served by a 9mm M&P. Buy one and shoot the heck out of it. There are probably plenty of shops that will install an Apex trigger if you want one later, but I would just buy one and shoot as-is for a while. Buy the 9mm M&P, ammo, and go shooting. It's that simple.

 

[Ryan Casey]

The biggest mistake is going to be buying something you've never held, let alone fired for your EDC. I had to shoot a handful of guns to find what I wanted and what felt right. I hate Glocks and found the M&P to be ok, but love my 229. while it's not a 'traditional' carry, I conceal it fine and I'm comfortable with it.

Go to the range and try some out. Happy to meet you at MFS in Holliston MA so you can take some of their rental wall and see what you like.

 

[enbloc]

I just got my LTC-A license and ready for purchase my first handgun.

Welcome to NES and to shooting Rabi.
Here is your first "Like"...
~Matt

 

[headednorth]

You are not missing out on anything if you don't buy a Glock. Absolutely no need to pay the OMG it's a GLOCK! premium in Massachusetts. Finding a G19 here will set you back 2X to 3X what you can pay for a M&P. I have a few Glocks- they are solid utilitarian pistols and are easy to upgrade if you wish. Glock triggers are so-so in stock condition, and still not great when modified- which I don't recommend for carry.

No need to overthink this. You will be equally well served by a 9mm M&P. Buy one and shoot the heck out of it. There are probably plenty of shops that will install an Apex trigger if you want one later, but I would just buy one and shoot as-is for a while. Buy the 9mm M&P, ammo, and go shooting. It's that simple.

Whats the cost of an M&P with work needing to be done to it vs a Glock with the MA premium? Not trying to play gotcha, just curious.

 

[Whiskeywon]

Though Glock's are excellent pistols here in Massachusetts new Glock's are hard to come by and the prices are outrageously high. The same is true with used Glock's, $500 + bucks for a 25 year old pistol, no thank you ! There are far too many reasonably priced new pistols out there to pay that kind of cash. Hey ! If you have the extra cash then buy a new quality pistol, like an H&K or Sig.

Seriously, why pay 500$ for a nearing antique Glock when you can buy a VP9 (seen barely used ones for 400-450$ on armslist) or P320. That 500$ really also depends on the model. Heaven forbid you want something like a 29. Even beat to hell I see people asking $600-800 and are out of their right mind. Then again I'm also not really up for somebody's sold 14 time Glock that has had more dicks on it than can be counted and has been poorly taken care of as well. Better off doing a P80 than going that route IMO (depends on your interests there).
Depending on location you could rent a couple at Mass Firearms Shop or if you have a friend that could show you some. Edit: Or if you are Western Mass, can always meet up with me at Springfield Sportsman or Northampton Revolver. Should try to not go in blind, but if you must I'd say M&P9, Shield, P320, VP9 are never bad ways to go. I also like the 938 like @PaulR said, but seems like the prices of those are going up a lot too for new. Used can be had for 500-550ish pretty frequently.

Whats the cost of an M&P with work needing to be done to it vs a Glock with the MA premium? Not trying to play gotcha, just curious.

The new M&P 2.0 don't require trigger work at all like their predecessors and are roughly $400 for the M&P9 and $350 for the shield. For the older generation depends on if new or used. you can have a used one dirt cheap. New like $300, but they have rebates and sales all the time. Then the 100$ for APEX trigger. Beat ass Glock prices addressed above, and new is like $600-800 depending on what model you want.

 

[mjbff]

Smith nd Wesson m&p 9 compact or a Glock 19 buy used save a few bucks

 

[Narrowback]

Congrats on your new LTC. You have received some great advice about hardware and caliber choices in the posts above. My advice would be to use some of your budget on a gun club membership that has 24 hour access. With the rest of your budget go and buy a quality 22 pistol and a few bricks of ammo. Go to your new club often and make friends with people on the line. Experienced shooters love to share their hardware with newbies. If you are somewhat personal and a safe shooter you will handle and get to shoot a wide variety of firearms in a short period of time. Just remember to return the favor when you buy that fancy Les Baer 1911.

 

[oppressed]

I would buy a Glock for the loaded chamber indicator alone. It is extremely effective and plainly visible. It is even tactile if you happen to be blind.

A Glock is the best gun a Massachusetts resident could possibly own.

 

[RG Sports]

You can buy new FNS and FNX for under $400

 

[ReluctantDecoy]

Shield 9MM gets my vote as well. I got a second hand one for $250. for my first pistol. Mags can be found as low as $20/per. 9mm round is a cheap, viable HD round. I find the Shield is one of the easier shooting 9mm for a rookie when compared to similar sized guns I purchased after the Shield. I know a lot of people will disagree with this part, but I got one with a thumb safety. Made me feel more confident in operation and carrying back when I was really new to firearms and was still training in safe handling/finger discipline.

 

[wjsmall97]

Sig Academy in Epping has some good courses and you can use their pistols for the class.

So that you are not damaging your own mags when doing quick mag reloads and dropping yours on the cement floor

 

[headednorth]

So that you are not damaging your own mags when doing quick mag reloads and dropping yours on the cement floor

Yeah that too

 

[Al-Jim19]

My first pistol was a shield. It works but I would have been better served getting something with some different features.

A good medium sized pistol will check all the boxes you need, striker fire since it will be easier to learn. Any of the major brands work pretty well so make sure you fondle them all.

That said I would recommend a Glock 19. I don’t know what qualifies as reasonably priced to you, but you can get a new Gen 4 from a MA shop that knows the law for like 550 out the door. Consider too that after 3-6 range trips you’ll probably have spent $200-400 on ammo. Over a longer period of time the cost of ammo will dwarf the size of the gun. Anyway, cost of ownership of the Glock is low and everyone makes accessories for it.

If you can’t get ahold of the Glock I would probably choose the Sig P320 9mm. It’s readily available and it’s modular design allows you to switch grips and slides to configure it for carry or HD. Used ones are cheap and plentiful, new ones are cheapish and plentiful.

I would just caution you to avoid pistols from slightly off brands that might not have a lot of aftermarket support. Rugers are good guns that work, but one of the reasons I sold mine was because there were few night sights, and almost no holsters.

In sum: Glock 19/P320, or Maybe an MnP
A case of 9mm, which is cheap and effective
A good belt and kydex holster
A couple boxes of hollow points
Fast action bedside safe

That’s your starter pack. I just want to emphasise that it’s not just the price of the gun you’re getting into.

 

[DW357]

So that you are not damaging your own mags when doing quick mag reloads and dropping yours on the cement floor

Meh. I dump mags on concrete, dirt etc all the time for IDPA and USPSA shooting. Just part of the sport. Mags handle quite a bit of abuse before you need to replace them.

 

[JZ1018]

Ruger SR9c. Easy to carry and you don't have to modify the trigger. It shoots real well out of the box. I have never had a problem with mine and Ruger customer service is tops (not that I've had to experience it). I don't know why overlooks Ruger. They have some great guns for great prices.

 

[Coyote33]

Pullman Arms had a .22 revolver for sale. I think it was $250. It might have been an H&R Breaktop. Fun and simple and cheap.

Glocks are not illegal in MA.
...
A great option for out of the box and readily available is the Canik TP9SF. Great trigger out of the box and cheap brand new from a dealer. accessories aren’t as common though

Getting a Glock is too convoluted for a newbie.

I asked before, has the price on Caniks gone up since the trade tariff went into effect?

 

[jkelly1229]

Canik makes a fantastic budget gun. In all flavors too conceal carry competition and full size. I own four and love them. I have and have had many more expensive options and these guns are awesome

 

[LuvDog]

I’m not sure if the trade tariffs have been the reason, but the prices have gone up on them over the past year.

 

[greencobra]

Canik makes a fantastic budget gun.

i'd agree, i don't think they can be beat for the price point.

I’m not sure if the trade tariffs have been the reason, but the prices have gone up on them over the past year.

caniks? probably a marketing scheme. they had a lot of competition so what better way to get a lot of newly introduced product into the hands of shooters in the states...lower prices. now they have a footprint and decent reputation so up creep the prices.

 

[jkelly1229]

i'd agree, i don't think they can be beat for the price point.


caniks? probably a marketing scheme. they had a lot of competition so what better way to get a lot of newly introduced product into the hands of shooters in the states...lower prices. now they have a footprint and decent reputation so up creep the prices.

I wish I liked steel frame czs better because the TriStar looks top notch