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As long as it's a firearm that you're comfortable with and can use properly, it's all good.

 TheMeanDM wrote:
Picking up my first firearm on Monday evening!

Starting with a budget friendly, good quality, and comfortable pistol.

Researched quite a few, but was limited in selection unfortunately (seems like everyone has the same idea I did).

Going with the Ruger Security 9 with the Hogue grip.

Felt one at a shop, and felt good....but am going to get the 17 round extended mag to increase the grip length so my pinkey finger has a better, more secure grip.

Feel good with a price of $310.

Spoiler:

Congrats,I think the security line will serve you well. Now you can start saving for the Ruger PC carbine that takes the same magazines.
Wonder where Security 7 and 8 ended up?

All the ranges are closed here :(

Had a go with my boys in the garden with an airsoft 1911 though

Well...
Added a Kimber 10mm 1911 to my collection. Nice. Fired off a mag just for to be familiar with it.
Added Springfield 911 380. After firing the 10mm and then firing that...sounded like a .22
Added a Henry lever action hex barrel 47 50 round that um......cheap to buy but the rounds are expensive (200 rds over $500). 2 rds fired into a fell tree. 1st shot figure a tree with 18 trunk was good.....tree is going to die I'm sure. Huge exit hole. 2nd shot a fell tree with path of travel was down the trunk. Remain 198rds was ammo boxed and set in storage
Added a .22 Henry lever action rifle to. That was fun to fire off seven rds. Not at once. I had a failure to fire and waiting ten minutes before I extracted the round. Felt like "The Rifleman" moment though

Added equipment
6 Magpuls
2 Sight Marks, one is now on my M4
4 more 15 rds mags for my M1 carbine with pouches (this is a very fun plinker weapon)

 TheMeanDM wrote:
Picking up my first firearm on Monday evening!

Starting with a budget friendly, good quality, and comfortable pistol.

Researched quite a few, but was limited in selection unfortunately (seems like everyone has the same idea I did).

Going with the Ruger Security 9 with the Hogue grip.

Felt one at a shop, and felt good....but am going to get the 17 round extended mag to increase the grip length so my pinkey finger has a better, more secure grip.

Feel good with a price of $310.

Spoiler:

Ruger is good stuff. My first pistol was a Ruger. I don't have personal experience with the Security 9, but it if performs similarly to most other Ruger handguns, it should serve you well.

 Jihadin wrote:
Well...
Added a Kimber 10mm 1911 to my collection. Nice. Fired off a mag just for to be familiar with it.
Added Springfield 911 380. After firing the 10mm and then firing that...sounded like a .22
Added a Henry lever action hex barrel 47 50 round that um......cheap to buy but the rounds are expensive (200 rds over $500). 2 rds fired into a fell tree. 1st shot figure a tree with 18 trunk was good.....tree is going to die I'm sure. Huge exit hole. 2nd shot a fell tree with path of travel was down the trunk. Remain 198rds was ammo boxed and set in storage
Added a .22 Henry lever action rifle to. That was fun to fire off seven rds. Not at once. I had a failure to fire and waiting ten minutes before I extracted the round. Felt like "The Rifleman" moment though

Added equipment
6 Magpuls
2 Sight Marks, one is now on my M4
4 more 15 rds mags for my M1 carbine with pouches (this is a very fun plinker weapon)

The often feel M1 carbine dose not get the respect it deserves. It seems to generate a lot of discussion. One of my Vietnam vet buddies once said, and I quote " stone cold killers chose the M1 carbine."

From my subjective experience with the M1, they're funky.

They're light, handy, cool looking, fun to shoot and easy to operate. I can definitely see the draw of one during WW2/Korea for a mag fed semiauto when volume of fire is paramount. I've also never seen one make it through more than about a hundred rounds without a malfunction of some sort (be they original WW2 guns, modern repros, rebuilds/kitbuilds, etc), the magazines are finicky, and the cartridge itself occupies something of a weird niche.

 Vaktathi wrote:
From my subjective experience with the M1, they're funky.

They're light, handy, cool looking, fun to shoot and easy to operate. I can definitely see the draw of one during WW2/Korea for a mag fed semiauto when volume of fire is paramount. I've also never seen one make it through more than about a hundred rounds without a malfunction of some sort (be they original WW2 guns, modern repros, rebuilds/kitbuilds, etc), the magazines are finicky, and the cartridge itself occupies something of a weird niche.

Well when my father handed it over to me. I researched the serial number. Last refurb was after the Korean War. I gave the weapon a spin after disassemble and cleaning and the weapon had a major feed problem. So again I took it apart and reassemble this time from a YouTube video. Still was having the same issue on failure to feed. Then I remember magazine (clip ) upkeep on M4 I've done on deployements

Some mags don't get use all so after 30-45 days I unload the clip and take apart the mag to stretch out the spring and rotate them to my upper pouches on my body armor

Took the 15 rds mag apart and they were in serious need of service. No idea how long my Father had the clips(mags) fully loaded. After that I burned through four mags with just one failure to feed but SPORTS remedy that (no idea what it is for M1 but safety was paramount)

He also had 30 rds mags. Now those suck to and wouldn't even recommend it to anyone.

Sorry got a little off track there.

The first thing I did though before firing the M1 was see how the magazine actually sits in the well. I'm going to compare the chambers here using my M4 (AR15). The M4 chamber actually has "guides" to help chamber the round. The M1 does not. Chamber itself is straight cut off and with no guides. Even the brass casing edge if not "sealed" to round itself will cause the round to not chamber by jamming on the "cut off portion".

So remedy on that is use a washer which fit the .30 cal round itself. Easily slide through round is good. If it catches its set to the side.
Bad rounds I use another washer that I use that I counter sunk a bit and with a non metallic mallet tap them though. Chamber the round individually and eject the round. The load the round in a mag and go from there. Pretty much simple. Don't try if your not familiar with fire arms and rounds and you buy one

I feel comfy with it now and have over 1k rds for it for home defense and plinking. My wife wants a pink sling for it...

Neat stuff, I've never had a chance to get that far into them, sounds like a fun project/plinker, I say rock the pink sling

Oh my goodness....the Security 9 that I handled at one shop this weekend didn't have the Hogue grip, and my pinky was slipping off.

Today when I went to get *my* pistol, that came with the Hogue grip.....what a world of difference!!

Feels super comfortable and no pinky slippage.

Can't wait to get to a range. The one I usually go to in Ames is closed right now.

Getting some inexpensive ammo to range fire could be a challenge.

I have some Speer 124gr LE Gold Dot Jacketed Hollow Point to use at home. Paid a pretty penny for it...so hate to run it through the range if I don't have to.

Most important thing to do with any defensive ammo you select is to fire 150-200 rounds of it through your handgun to verify they work. Ammunition, particularly defensive ammunition comes in a variety of shapes/sizes, and some brands/types do not work well with certain handguns (mainly due to feed-lip design).

There are also some combinations which simply don't work...and the issue can be very minute, but obviously important. While companies like Speer are supremely well thought of ---- always, ALWAYS verify the rounds you have work in your specific gun.

Having said that, a lot of handguns I've owned have been slightly finnicky within the first 20-50 rounds. So don't run your defensive ammo first. Let the gun warm up a little with standard ammo.

It's always amazing how much difference a grip can make. I used to think different grips were stupid gimmicks, but nope, the magic is real sometimes.

Picked my pistol up Monday night.

Felt a mix of both security and anxiety having a handgun in my home. A strange dichotomy of emotions perhaps. It is certainly one thing to handle and shoot at a range....and another to have it readily available.

I am sure I will get used to it, especially once I am able to get some good range time in.

So spent a little bit of my stimulus check. Bought a .458 SOCOM upper for my AR.

Neat, I've never had a chance to shoot one of those, get some pics up and tell us how it shoots!

Nickname it "Thumper."

Just gonna call it my Boltgun.

Cause seriously, the rounds look like bolter cartridges.

Lovely . But is it better than a good old fashioned 12 gauge slug? What's the muzzle velocity and effective range on those bad boys?

What size is the case head? .308?

Yeah, the Case head is .308. The original cartridge was based on a lengthened .50AE cartridge that was necked down. You can use the same bullets as .45-70 govt.

 Gadzilla666 wrote:
Lovely . But is it better than a good old fashioned 12 gauge slug? What's the muzzle velocity and effective range on those bad boys?

Depends on the round. My Nosler reloading manual lists a load for 300gr projectiles traveling ~1800 fps.

The bullets I ordered to load myself are some 350gr bullets and I found some load data that nets around 1150fps for that weight.

There is ammunition available that has some 900fps 500gr subsonic projectiles too. Grafs.com also had some solid brass bullets available as well. Lighter, only around 245-300gr, but still beastly.




I would describe this round as being a shotgun slug traveling at rifle velocities with rifle distances.

So basically a rimless 45-70 with a bit less velocity in an AR platform? Excellent. Though still not up there with a 437 grain slug doing 1600 fps, I'm sure the effective range is significantly better, not to mention improved accuracy.

Damn....inexpensive but still quality 9mm Luger ammo is scarce around here and even on the net from what I am finding.

Alas, right now is not the best time to be shopping for ammunition, especially anything inexpensive. It's all being gobbled up and hoarded in people's basements

Yeah. Nobody has any cheap common caliber ammo right now. The gun store has a 2 month wait just to get most guns in stock.

 TheMeanDM wrote:
Damn....inexpensive but still quality 9mm Luger ammo is scarce around here and even on the net from what I am finding.

As a new gun owner, you might be tempted by steel cased ammo like Tula and Wolf. I'd like to recommend against that, generally: it's hard on your gun, and it's pretty dirty.

I'm not saying it's bad, per se - I exclusively shoot Tula in my AK - but avoid it in most other platforms.

So, I just learned Bolos ammo is a thing for Shotguns.

Given their billing, you’d think a splatter flick would’ve featured such a thing!

I've seen videos of ballistic gel tests for bola rounds. All around rather unimpressive. Didn't really do what you'd want from something sold as Bola rounds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fj5XGfXwnZc

Nope, Ouze, I may be new but I did do some research and learned about the perils of crappy steel ammo. Hard on guns...not always reliable....etc.

Got some Hornady 115gr XTP.

Was the cheapest stuff left at Fleet Farm ($17 per 25).

That is in adsition to the SPEER Gold Dot 124 gr FMJ Holow Point LE that I originally ordered ($55 / 50 after shipping & tax).

That will ruin somebody's day very effectively.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
So, I just learned Bolos ammo is a thing for Shotguns.

Given their billing, you’d think a splatter flick would’ve featured such a thing!

They're just as impressive as other gimmick rounds, as in not. Stick with 00 buckshot. There's a reason it's existed as the no1 defense option for shotguns so long.

 TheMeanDM wrote:
Nope, Ouze, I may be new but I did do some research and learned about the perils of crappy steel ammo. Hard on guns...not always reliable....etc.

Got some Hornady 115gr XTP.

Was the cheapest stuff left at Fleet Farm ($17 per 25).

That is in adsition to the SPEER Gold Dot 124 gr FMJ Holow Point LE that I originally ordered ($55 / 50 after shipping & tax).

That will ruin somebody's day very effectively.

Freedom Munitions has pretty good prices on brass 9mm, both new and reman. I paid $83 for 500 rounds of new brass 9mm luger from them.

I too actually carry Speer Gold Dots, as above. I think they are an excellent choice. Too expensive to blast away with, but I did run a few boxes through my carry gun just to make sure it fed well (it does, of course).