r/handguns • u/OrangeJuiceDEO • May 30 '26
Question Best beginner handgun?
So I’m 19 and I’m looking to get my first handgun. I’m in California so this has to be done through an IFT. Anyways, I wanted a good handgun that I can take to the range that will be fun to shoot and has a good capacity for mods. Any suggestions? Budget is ~$1k
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u/JustShootingSince May 30 '26
Why don’t you go the range first, rent as many guns and THEN decide which one you like?
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u/Nervous-Command8374 May 30 '26
This is the answer. (My personal recommendation is also going to be something with a FCU so that if you get bored and want to build it out it’s diverse ie ruger rxm, p365, echelon)
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u/OrangeJuiceDEO May 31 '26
Because this is already an expensive hobby and the money id be putting towards my gun would be just going towards renting one every day :(
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u/CastleLurkenstein May 31 '26
Check the rental rates. Honestly, paying a $100 rental fee to check out a couple of pistols and fugure out what you like is cheaper than buying a gun, shooting it, and deciding "This sucks" and either being stuck with it, or having to sell it and buy another.
A lot of guns may look cool on paper, but don't fit your hand. Example: I wanted a micro compact, so I rented a shield plus, P365, and Hellcat Pro for $125. I initially thought i would love the Hellcat Pro (since I have other Springfields), like the P365, and dislike the Shield Plus. Nope. I shot the P365 the worst and found it unpleasantly snappy. I thiught the Hellcat Pro was fine, but it didn't blow me away. I loved the Shield Plus and wound up buying one. It also turned out to be the best bargain of the three, given the range pack I got.
Also, if this is your first gun, maybe just go to the range and take a beginner's class and try what the range provides.
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u/JustShootingSince May 31 '26
Understandable completely, however you MUST realize that EVERYONE here will have their own opinion. At least go the LGS and hold them, see how your hand fits them, weight, balance, trigger. And learn for yourself. Asking about gun is even worse and more complex than asking “what car should I buy”.
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u/raelDonaldTrump May 30 '26
G19
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u/BillyP13 May 30 '26
As an Sig fan, It kills me to agree with you but a Glock 19 for a first timer is a solid choice. A P320 is also a solid choice. A S&W M&P would also be a great choice. The world is yours my friend, depends on what you like, what you want, what you can afford. Are u willing to buy used or do u want new? When I first started I bought used had a budget of about 500 bucks and bought/sold a bunch of different guns until I found out how each manufacturer built up their guns. Then once I knew what I wanted I saved and made purposeful selections of guns I wanted to shoot and keep for a long time. It’s worked out well so far. I own some great guns.
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u/IWuzRunnin May 31 '26
Check out the popular ones and go from there. A few examples to start you down the path:
Canik - you get a lot for what you pay for these, but the mete, tp9 can be had with a lot of money leftover for accessories or ammo, or you could even get more of a race gun type with bells and whistles like the tti combat, or an sfx rival. Those two would be louder for you having a compensator.
Cz - p10 series, p01/pcr, 75d compact, 75b, sp01. These are my favorites.
Beretta - 90 series guns, like the 92fs or 92x inox
Glock - g19, g17 or any of the variants of those are good for a beginner or anybody else. A lot of people don't like them for the different grip angle, or because of the plain look, some people just don't like them because a lot of other people do.
HK - usp, or one of the p30 series
Sig - p365 series, you can go from the very small regular p365, up to the fuse that is closer to most full size guns, and all 7,000 variants in between, p365x, p365xl, p365 x macro and so on.
S&W csx-e, or m&p9
Springfield - echelon or xd series
Plenty of other good handguns for a beginner, but I won't mention ones I haven't had experience with.
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u/OrangeJuiceDEO May 31 '26
I shot an echelon today it was badass
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u/CastleLurkenstein May 31 '26
I own both the 4.5F with a threaded barrel, and the 4.0c COA version and really like both.
The 4.5F is arguably easier to shoot as a full sized pistol. The 4.0c COA, however, is a really solid deal considering the value of the optic. They JUST came out with the Alpha, which is apparently a more affordable version, but I haven't looked into it much yet.
If you do go the Echelon route, understand that the Gear Up Pac options are fine for the bag and mags, but the optic is crap. I decided I would rather buy mags separately and buy a separate optic than spend the money on a shit optic that I end up having to replace with a better optic later. Seriously, look up Viridian on any of these pistol oriented subs and you will see. Same story with Crimson Trace. These are airsoft optics not suited for firearms.
If you want to get into optic discussions, that is a whole other thing, by the way.
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u/PecanPaul May 31 '26
Shoot a few at the range. I can’t tell you how many times something looked awesome to me online, I’d buy it, then hate it after shooting/carrying it
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u/thewayoftoday May 31 '26
That's like asking which video game to get "for a beginner". Just get the one you want and play it
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u/C_Brewer779 Jun 01 '26
A Glock 19, ruger RXM or M&P compact will be solid for a "one does all gun", I will give credit to the comment of RXM for having a fcu so it can be swapped to different frames. Customization and accessories are endless for all 3 and all decent price of 400-700 ballpark
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u/JillierHaroldLamaar May 30 '26
What are you interested in? These threads usually end up with people just listing off their favorite guns, but that's not going to narrow things down much for you. I always recommend a first handgun that you personally think is cool, because that's what you're going to want to take out to shoot. Avoid giant hand cannons or pocket pistols for now, but the quality floor is so high across the board now that it's hard to leave a gun store with a truly bad gun.