Newc: Sir; your simplest and best value; RENT and shoot many different makes and models.
All have a different ?feel? What I like in certain models you may not enjoy.

All the major firearm companies have sound products. Some cheaper than others. Price ranges???? Where ever.

I enjoy Glock, SW, Ruger, Remington and have some of each. Single Actions to semi auto. Have enjoyed shooting XD's, Kahar, and many more.

Recommending should fall into 'rent and shoot' don't lock yourself into one brand or one cartridge.
Shoot them all and one will ?feel? and you have it.

Follow up with your thoughts and thanks

Thanks for the advice...I will continue to head to the range to try out their selection untill I find the best fit.

Good advice from Neo- try and rent a LOT of guns!

As far as the original question of Beretta 92FS vs CZ-75B... I have never owned either, BUT I do own a Beretta 96FS (same as the 92, only .40 S&W) and have owned a Magnum Research Baby Eagle 9mm, which is a CZ-75 clone.

My Beretta has been 100% utterly reliable in the many years I've owned it. It's the smoothest cycling gun I've ever owned and just looks sweet- I've got the stainless "INOX" model. The DA trigger has a very long, hard pull, but little to no "grit" to it. The SA pull requires a decent pull too, but has a very crisp break. It needs a little too much pull still for my liking; I just don't shoot the gun very well, unfortunately. I think I just need to get a trigger job...or practice more, but .40 ammo is $$$!!! As you'll probably NOT be carrying it, the weight and bulk of the gun shouldn't be an issue.

The Baby Eagle I owned was a full-size steel model. It was a great shooter, and very accurate. It was the most accurate pistol I'd ever owned, and I regret selling it. With any CZ, Baby Eagle, EAA Witness, or Tangfolio (sp?) design, the downside, if you call it that, was that the slide was a tad hard to grasp. There just isn't as much to grab onto as the Beretta, or any other gun for that matter. The DA trigger was a little gritty, but never got broken in. The SA trigger was smooooth and nice! It reminded me of my 1911's trigger when I had it.

The Beretta 92FS has a manual slide-mounted safety/decocker, and I think the CZ-75 can come in other flavors. DA/SA, SAO w/safety, etc. Maybe someone can back me up on that. Some people don't like slide mounted safeties, but they've never bothered me. I've practiced with my 96 and can flip the safety off very easily.

If it were me, I'd get the CZ-75B in the Satin Nickel finish!!

+1 on trying and handling as many as you can. In regard to the two that you specifically mentioned, I own the Beretta 92FS and I am not that familiar with the CZ except from what I've read.

I understand that the CZ is a very good firearm, so they are both very good. I can tell you however, that the Beretta would make just about anyone's list of all-time great pistols. Extremely reliable, will smoothly process all ammo, and is also extremely accurate (5" barrel) and soft shooting. Of course, feel is individual so YMMV. You may shoot the CZ or something else better. But generally speaking these attributes can be said about the 92FS. Classic styling design as well, easily one of the most recognizable pistols around.

I would venture that the resale value on the Beretta would be better than the CZ should you ever want to trade it.

But hey, if one firearm was the best for everyone, there would only be one gun on the market and the HGF boards would be alot smaller. Check out the threads in the CZ and Beretta forums, as well as some of the other makes you might be interested in.

The search is part of the fun, so enjoy it. Let us know what you decide.

1. Attend a NRA handgun safety/basic handgun course
2. Shave your head and/or grow a goatee like all of us on this forum.
3. Watch video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7TtP...eature=related

I just bought my first gun. It's a Ruger P95 and I like it alot. However in retrospect it may not be the gun that I intended to get as far as usage. I'd go to a range that rents guns and try all that I was interested in. Think about the use that you have in mind;home defense, concealed carry etc, then narrow it down based on what fits your criteria.

Do yourself a big favor. Rent some guns. Do not avoid any major brands out of bias. Do not let the "gun magazine" mentality prevail. Try them all. Whatever fits you best, is best. They all work. A semi-auto is fine for your needs if you are indeed going to practice a lot with it.

Be sure you are comfortable with the "system" of the gun; the safety features; the grip and pointing; your ability to shoot it. All of this before you purchase something.