First off, the Glock 30 is NOT a 45mm pistol. There is no such thing. It is a .45ACP, which is a .45 caliber round.

Second, the .45ACP is not a cheap round to shoot and I would not recommend such a compact gun and such a large caliber for a new shooter.

I normally recommend a revolver for new shooters but if you would like a pistol, I suggest you look at the Glock 19. This pistol is chambered for the 9mm round and its magazines hold 15 rounds each. It is large enough to shoot well and small enough that it can be carried concealed.

Before you do anything, I would suggest you take the time to complete a basic handgun course.

Good luck.

Make that #2 for the G19. 9mm will be easier on the funds for practice and carry ammo. Get yourself some hi-cap mags to go with before they dry up or get overly expensive. I carry a G19 daily under a t-shirt. See if you can handle some pistols or try them out before you buy something. Check your state laws and take a basic class of some sort. Also realize carrying a gun is not a detterent, requires some extra responsibilities, and demands you be of the survivor mindset and willing to do what is necessary to keep youreslf or loved ones alive. A lot of places you can't shoot someone for simply shoplifting. You've got more ahead of you than you think in order to be fully responsible in your decisions. Good luck with it all.

Oh! And of course..................welcome to the forum.

A Glock is an excellent choice. I'd like to case my vote for the 19 for an additional reason, as a range gun it will be easier to shoot well and you will shoot more and become more proficient. By all means, take a course before starting to carry, the more education you have the more empowered you will be. Take a look at Front Sight and their courses. The motto there is "Any gun will do if you will do". I am not a Glock fan, but that shouldn't concern you if a Glock fits you, they just don't fit me. Our department issues Glock 22's in .40 S&W and I have one in the safe while I carry a Beretta 96 with a Stoeger Cougar as a BUG. Selection of dress can enable you to carry almost any handgun that you are comfortable with. With today's holsters it is very easy to conceal a larger weapon. I use the Galco SOB for a lot of summer carry and am going to get an MOB for winter carry of the Cougar inside the waist band in the middle of my back. Just make sure that you go to a good range and shoot what you are interested in first and make sure you are comfortable with it on all levels. Welcome to the community and be responsible in your actions. Try the IDPA and USCCA websites as well for more information.

A compact 24 ounce .45ACP would be very low down on my list of recommendations for a new shooter. As the other guys have mentioned, a 9mm is very likely a better choice. Easier and less expensive to shoot, and perfectly adequate for defense when loaded with good modern HPs.

Originally Posted by Mike Barham

A compact 24 ounce .45ACP would be very low down on my list of recommendations for a new shooter. As the other guys have mentioned, a 9mm is very likely a better choice. Easier and less expensive to shoot, and perfectly adequate for defense when loaded with good modern HPs.

+1, if you're a new shooter then the recoil of such a small gun may deter you from enjoying the sport of it. Start with a full frame 9mm and grow from there. You will enjoy your beginning so much more from both accuracy and recoil viewpoints.

Originally Posted by Mike Barham

A compact 24 ounce .45ACP would be very low down on my list of recommendations for a new shooter. As the other guys have mentioned, a 9mm is very likely a better choice. Easier and less expensive to shoot, and perfectly adequate for defense when loaded with good modern HPs.

I agree with all of the above.

-Jeff-

Yeah I agree a compact .45 glock pistol is possibly one of the worst choices for a newbie. They are not easy to shoot and have no safety. A lot of people will recommend glocks as a first handgun but I think that's just dumb. Even though I carry a .45 cal glock every day! Glocks are so easy to accidentally fire. Sure if you handle them right they are super super safe but for a newbie it's a very real risk. Especially if the gun might be used in high stress self defense situations. Pick a .38 2' barrel revolver or a 9mm pistol. 9mm and .38 +p are good man stopper rounds if you use good quality ammo. You can't go wrong with a Sig Arms p239, p229 or p226. An HK usp compact in 9mm would also be a great choice. Look man just buy a Taurus or Rossy snub .38. It will teach you how to shoot well and how to safely carry a gun. Then after a wile go a buy that Glock 30! After all Taurus and rossi wheel guns are cheap and good!

R

I disagree that a Glock is unsafe for a new shooter. As long as one keeps one's finger off the trigger as one should with any firearm, the Glock is a as safe as any other handgun.

Also, recommending a 2" barrel .38 for a new shooter is poor advice in my opinion. A snubnosed revolver is not an easy weapon to shoot and it is a common mistake for new shooters to pick one.

Again, I always suggest a 4 inch barrel revolver as one's first center fire handgun.

Originally Posted by Ptarmigan

I disagree that a Glock is unsafe for a new shooter. As long as one keeps one's finger off the trigger as one should with any firearm, the Glock is a as safe as any other handgun.

Exactly! It only makes sense. the Glock is a as safe as any other handgun.

I stand by my Glock statement as would all of my dozen or so gun buddies. I will concede though that a snub wheel gun is not the best choice for a newbee. How about a Ruger 9mm? Cheap, good , safe and easy to shoot!




R

My advise, for what it's worth, find a range and rent a Glock 19, an XD
9mm, a S&W 38, and anything else you see that appeals to you.
Shoot each more than once, (range trips), and you will answer your own question.
And do yourself a favor, and take a gun safety course.

The best recommendation I can give is to find a gun range that rents handguns. Try them ALL at least once. Be wary of gun store salesmen. They might know what they're talking about, however working in a gun store does not guarantee gun knowledge.

I spent about 1.5 years trying out different models and researching objective reviews and reports on several different handguns. Eventually, I concluded that the G30 was the right self-defense gun for me. Primarily because that was the most accurate firearm in my hands. When it comes to self-defense, accuracy counts.

On the upside:
- One of the softest shooting .45 ACP pistols you will find
- Exceptionally accurate
- Easy to operate, easy to clean, very safe

On the downside:
- Ammo is expensive, about .35/bullet for the cheap Winchester White Box at Walmart
- Not quite as concealable as some other pistols
- It's built like a functional tool, not a hand-crafted family heirloom

The G19 was my 1st runner up after I finished researching pistols to figure out what to get. The recoil is a little snappier than the G30 but it's very easy to handle and get used to.

The Glock is a very simple gun: Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot. This is one of the FOUR BASIC RULES OF GUN SAFETY. If a Glock is unsafe in your hands, then you should seriously consider ANY gun to be unsafe in your hands. There's nothing tricky or clever or confusing about it. You can drop kick that thing across a soccer stadium and it will NOT go off. If you pull the trigger, it WILL go off. Pure and simple, the way a self-defense firearm should be.

No gun is foolproof, and I strongly encourage you to get properly trained by a professional. If possible, make sure your training ALSO covers the firearms laws in YOUR state, and pay particular attention to the laws dealing with using a firearm in self-defense. It's better to be judged by twelve than carried by six; but it's better to be ignored by the DA than charged.

Considering the circumstances you laid out in your original post, the G19 seems the way to go. The 9mm round:

- Much cheaper than .45 (more practice for your dollar)
- Very easy to find (everyone sells them)
- Available in a wide variety of 'flavors'
- As deadly as your aim

In terms of self-defense (high stress, life-threatening, close range, rapid fire) you need a firearm that is reliable and simple. The newer you are to shooting, the more bullets you'll want available to you in an emergency. As you practice, you'll be more accurate and it will take you fewer bullets to neutralize a threat.

Good luck on your search.

You have received some very good advice, so far, and I have nothing new to add.

I would only stress the need to buy something you will enjoy shooting, from the very beginning, so you will practice more. Most people who buy handguns never get very good with them, because they don't have good fundamentals, and they don't practice enough. Anybody can shoot a handgun fairly well, if they know the basics and get lots of disciplined practice. Most don't.

I will always choose a .45 for self-defense, if that option is practical for my mode of dress, but I also am confident with a 9mm. It is completely adequate, if loaded properly and in the hands of a good shooter, and it makes a lot of sense for a person who may only own one handgun, or is just buying their first handgun.

The most important thing is to get started off right, and that means getting help from a pro, or at least some very competent person, wearing very good ear protection at all times (so you that you can overcome the flinch that all new shooters have), and practicing.

you want a glock?
GOOD
i first bought a G26 but I am not a newbie
NOW i want to add the G19 to my collection
For my hand - it felt really great
as for the comment about it going off too easily - disregard that post
it is a very safe gun - it will never go off unless the trigger is pressed by a finger

As everyone else i will add to the list of starting out with a 9mm.If you want a higher caliber starting out dont go higher than a .40cal. The three guns i would go for would be Glock19,Springfield XD9,or S&W M&P 9...

Originally Posted by hi im drummer03

The three guns i would go for would be Glock19,Springfield XD9,or S&W M&P 9...

... Sig P226, FN FNP-9, Beretta 92F, CZ 75, CZ 85 (if you are left-handed). Fortunately, the world is awash in good 9mm pistols. If you tried and liked any of these (and I'm sure I'm missing some good ones) you would not go wrong.

I could easily have ended up with a Springfield EMP if money wasn't an issue. Nice pistol, but about $1,100.

EDITED: Walther, H&K, Taurus...