I have never owned a pistol, always a rifle guy, but would like recommendations on a pistol. Mainly interested in self-defense, something to carry while deer hunting as a sidearm, if desired. I'm interested in a 1911 frame. Caliber suggestions?

1911 = .45ACP.

Might I suggest a 4" K-frame S&W in .357 Magnum, though? 586 or 686, 19 or 66; any of those four will do you well for YEARS to come, are easy to come by, cheap to feed, easy to learn and to shoot, and do anything you'll have that needs doing.

Any recommendations on Browning Hi Power pistols?

Yep, the 1911s a great choice, and you can't do better than .45 ACP in it. If reliability is your top priority, stick with all steel and full size, just like Mr. Browning designed it. Springfield Armory is a good choice. Look at their Mil Spec or Loaded models.

A Browning Hi Power standard in .40 S&W would be the way to go for your use if you went Browning.

Excellent weapons, especially the one's they're making now which are made with stronger steel and can hold up to +p 9mm. They're also available in .40 S&W. You have very good taste in auto pistols. Those are my two favorite designs.

Thanks for your input and recommendations

Superlative. I dote heavily on the design.

The 1911 is a great weapon but is something which requires more training to master than a lot of other guns. 45 ACP is the way to go if it is your choice. Lots of great brands out there and I'd keep it simple if that was the way I went.

Lots of people like the Browning High Power, but its never tripped my trigger. If I was set on an auto, I would possibly get a newer design. Something like a Glock 17 or a Smith and Wesson M&P in either 9 or 40. The 40 has the best stopping power and the 9 has a bit less recoil. Truth-be-told, there is little difference between these two or even the 45.

VA's recommendation of a wheelgun is a good one. Much more sensible to start out on IMO. You can't beat a good Smith. The L frames (581, 681, 586, 686) are some of the best .357's ever made. Stay away from the N's if you want something remotely concealable. The K frames (13,65, 19, 66) in the same caliber are great too, but recoil a little more and are not as robust even though they conceal somewhat better. Colt Pythons are nearly as good as are Troopers or Ruger GP-100's or Security Sixes. I've never owned one, but Taurus supposedly has made some very good .357 revolvers through the years.

If cost is a consideration and you don't have kids about and won't carry concealed, the single action is a great trail gun and has also spent much time beside my bed. Calibers like 45 Colt, 44-40 and 38-40 are not to be sneezed at. Uberti makes some great guns which can occasionally be found on the cheap and Ruger has its Blackhawk. You could probably get a used Blackhawk in .357 Mag. for around $200. You might even find one of the convertibles with a 9mm cylinder for that price.

A S&W, Colt, or Ruger double action revolver would be an excellent choice for your needs. The double action revolver is simple, safe, and reliable. The .357 is a cartridge that can cover many needs, especially for a new shooter. You can work up in the power level through the .38's and mid-power .357 loads all the way to full house magnum loads to find a comfort and power level you like and are comfortable with.

I would say a semi auto in 10mm or .357 Sig, Sig, Glock,HK or SA.

For a first handgun, in addition to what he wants it for?

I dote heavily on my G20, and have shot other 10s a good bit. Helluva handgun, but not one to learn on. At least, IMHO..... ymmv............

I agree, but he said he wanted pistol recommendation. Revolvers aren't pistols.

whatever you choose, get a similar .22. lets you practice w/o recoil and cost. 22s will be available again sometime.
if you get a 45, a conversion kit will let you use the same frame.

I'm a big fan of the 1911. But it's not for those new to pistol shooting as a rule.
If you are really intersted in one, go to your local range and try one out. Get some instruction on proper grip, etc. Try both the cheaper ones and the more expensive ones. Then decide.
Alot more new people can shoot a 9mm, and the Browning HP is one of my favorites, than a 1911 .45.
There are dozens of quality 9mm's on the market. Find one that feels right for you and try it out.
The .40 S&W is basically a .45 in a smaller package. Not on my list of rds. that I like.
In a revolver, a .357 is a great choice. Again, find one that feels right and try shooting it first. Start out with the common .38 Special ammo and then try the .357 Magnum stuff. E

I think either.....the Browning HP or a .357 Mag K frame is good....I have both and use them often.

Revolver, one w/o a lock.

I have a Browning Hi-Power chambered in .40 S&W. It is great to look at ... and greater to shoot.

My first 1911 Pistol, is a Springfield 1911 A1 GI, .45 ACP.
Low priced, quality built ... and I like it so much I don't want any other one. 'Cept maybe a Dan Wesson or a Fusion.

The High Power .40 is an excellent choice.

mdj..,

In my view, there's a big difference between a self defense pistol and a sportsman's pistol. A 1911 is great for self defense but not versatile enough for a sportsman's pistol.

A revolver with shot shells is what I'd carry if hunting 'bama due to the warm weather and FRIGGIN SNAKES. Plus a wadcutter or two for humane finishing shots and it works for self defense if needed.

For sure the last thing I'd hand a novice handgunner is a 1911.If a 1911 it must be, then get a simular .22 auto to practice with first.

O

I have many pistols, but if I had only one to choose to cover almost anything that a pistol should cover it would be my S&W 4" model 66 in 357 mag. Cheap and comfortable to shoot with 38s. A good self defense and an OK hunting round with 357s, and easy to shoot snake shot loads through for late summer scouting trips and fishing trips.

a 4 inch S&W 686 in 357,learn to shoot with a revolver first.

just my .02

Easy - Kimber, take your pick on model (I really like my Eclipse Pro II), make it a .45 ACP and never look back. I've had several Kimbers, now own two (one's a 10mm).

That's the way I did it. I "cut my teeth" on a Smith & Wesson Model 67 Stainless Combat Masterpiece. Many tens of thousands or rounds on that with a mix of target wad-cutters and full power loads (and dry firing) perfecting my double action shooting before I picked up an automatic.

It's funny but the best gun for me to shoot has always been the 1911.

I cut my teeth on a Dan Wesson .357, one of the originals. It worked okay but I never really like it, sold it. My second gun , was a Ruger .22lr with a 5" bull barrel. I shot it a lot, liked it some but sold it. I would have preferred a S & W Model 41 but could never afford one. My third gun was a S & W model 19 in .357 shot it some what, like it some but sold it. My fourth gun was a Ruger single action Super Black hawk in.44 mag. with a 5 1/2 " barrel, still have it, shoot it rarely as I no longer hunt. My fifth gun is my 1911, still have it and shoot it the most of all when I can.

The 1911 is an easy pistol to learn to shot as a first one especially with some one to teach you. My wife can pick up my 1911 and keep all her first mag shots in center mass at 25 yards and this with out much practice.

This is a FYI.

kim..,

We are in agreement. May go to gun was always a 4" Mod.19. For all the reasons you describe. But the poster was thinking 1911. A fine firearm, I have two, but not the answer for everything.

O

My first handgun was a Ruger Single Six quickly followed by a S&W Model 27. No reason a 1911 can't be your first. I'd recommend a Kimber or a Springfield, though there are many good ones out there (Taurus, Smith and Wesson, Para Ordanance) without breaking the bank. Shooting a 1911 can be pricey but Ciener makes a nice .22 slide and mag kit that allows you to shoot .22's out of your 1911.

I will have to agree with MO-GC on the .357 revolver that can let a person learn using .38spl light loads. It is extremely depandable and will get the job done in spades.

A person who is starting out with NO pistol experience does NOT want to start with a semi-auto. There are several things one needs to know how to do first and the revolver eliminates most problems that can accure simply put.

The guy wants a Browning Hi-Power. So get a Browning Hi-Power and be veryyyyyyyyyyy happy. You can't go wrong with that one. Load ol' John with 13 9mm hollow points and as I said; be veryyyyyyy happy.

Happy hunting and enjoy that Hi-Power
..

I'd suggest a revolver in .357mag or .44mag. You can shoot lighter loads, i.e, .38 or .44special for lighter recoil or practice.

Sounds like you want a semi though. My first gun, first I owned was a semi-auto 9mm and I now carry either a 1911 (.45) or a Ruger Blackhawk (.44) and I really like them both. For a "woods" gun though I prefer the Blackhawk.

Glock 20

That's simply not true.

In modern nomenclature, both pistols and revolvers are handguns. Pistols include single shot handguns, multi-barreled handguns, revolving pistols, and semi-auto handguns. Revolvers, in modern usage, are handguns with multiple chambers bored into a revolving cylinder which each in turn, by some mechanical action, line up with a single and separate barrel before firing.

Early on, revolvers were sometimes lumped in with "revolving pistols," but that's an archaic ambiguity stemming from their mechanical similarity to revolving pistols, which had multiple revolving barrels rather than a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers which each in turn line up with a single and separate barrel. Revolvers have been categorized as distinct from pistols (including revolving pistols) for well over a century now. Revolving pistols fall into the subcategory of pistol, not revolver, because they are merely complex multi-barrel forms of pistols, falling with revolvers into the larger category of handguns.

A good operational definition for a "pistol" is any handgun wherein the loaded chamber is a single unit with the barrel through which the bullet will be propelled. A "revolver," on the other hand, has chambers which are distinct from the barrel through which bullets are propelled, and is defined in more detail above.

This is a revolving pistol:

I have carried a Kimber pro comp for 15yrs, it has never failed me. 13+1 in 45 ACP. I rotate mags every 2 weeks for reliability. The 230 gn +P FMJ will punch a long deep wound channel in bears, hogs, or mountain kitties. I have only shot a pig that got to close while bow hunting deer. Huntin buddies have hit the bears and cats, the 45 always works. Good Luck on Your selection...Gunner500

Glock 20

Sig 229



You've already received good advice on the 1911. If you're willing to spend the time to get familiar, pick one up and burn powder. I picked up a scandium S&W and it has become my "go-to" when off duty.

George

I would get a 41mag or 44mag revolver. You can use it to take just about any big game your likely to encounter. Like supose you set your rifle down and up pops a bear at 50 feet away. Your pistol will be ready and there.

I guess this is the part where we agree to disagree.

"Samuel Colt designed the Colt Revolving Belt Pistol of Naval Caliber (i.e., .36 cal) between 1847 and 1850 - the actual year of introduction. It remained in production until 1873, when revolvers using fixed cartridges came into widespread use..."

But revolvers aren't pistols. Samuel Colt must've been wrong...

He wasn't wrong in the sense that the nomenclature at the time permitted that usage (revolvers were very new then, as he had just invented them). The nomenclature, however, changed shortly thereafter to make distinctions between revolvers and pistols. The key distinction is that pistols have chambers which are a single unit with the barrel and revolvers not only do not have this, but also have revolving cylinders.

PS I bet that the first watches were referred to as pocket clocks too. Today we distinguish between watches and clocks. They are both time pieces, but a watch isn't a clock and visa versa. Nomenclature tends to evolve over time.

FWIW... if you're not interested in a .45 acp 1911, i have in my possession a colt combat commander in 4.25" bbl chambered in 9mm. cool grips, and i have the originals. slick shooter, and if you got the juice, you can get .38 super mags and barrel for it up front. .38 spc to .357 mag right away...

just offerin'.

-tom

As a sidearm to go along with a rifle, it has been my experience that a 1911 is larger size than I like to carry as extra with a rifle, as is a Glock 19 fully loaded. I would suggest a mid frame 38 or 357 in the Ruger speed-six 2-3/4" length, or a Ruger Sp101 2-1/2".
Or... maybe any of the 4" or shorter k frame Smith & Wessons. I like the M-67 idea above as it has a slim bbl and is lite. If you are hunting or hiking, yet not carrying a long rifle, then situation changes as you don't have rifle ammo weight and stock beating against your handgun while slung during walking-so it is more comfortable to carry a 1911 or bigger, but then you may want to opt for a more powerful handgun and can choose from all the magnums or whatever. All of them mentioned will work as a good defense pistol. The Glock is probably the easiest/safest auto to learn in terms of manual of arms. I have some autos and revolvers from big down to 5 shot Ruger SP101, and I find that the 2-3/4" Speed-Six Ruger 357 with it's stock round butt grips (to keep it small) is my favorite carry gun in a Galco leather slide that fits nice on my belt in the front right of my hip. It is short enough to not bother me when I bend down, and it stays out of the way of my rifle when carrying at sling. The larger handguns are too big to be on my belt and stay out of rifle's way.
Good luck choosing!

Go to your local pistol range and see if they rent guns. Mine does and you can try out several, see which you like and perhaps even buy it right there. I like to buy used handguns if the condition and price is right.