[Pre-diddy]

Visited the local gunshop today. In my searching I figured the closest one to be 30 minutes away, turns out there is one about 5 minutes away. Imagine my delight.

Went in, poked around, waited for a lady to finish with her questions, asked to se a G19.

It felt so perfect in my hand I couldn't believe it. I was expecting to like the 229 better, but not so. Infact I was a little disapointed in the balance of the Sig. Well, untill I held a stainless one, that restored my faith. But this visit to the gunstore answered a lot of questions for me as far as what I want to get as a first gun.

However being the first time I went into a gunstore for more than just casual browsing I was overwhelmed. From the moment I asked to see the Glock, I had one gun or another in hand untill I left. I'm taking each gun and examining it, taking mental note of price, condition, etc. to try and figure out my options, but at the same time can't even keep up with everything the guy is handing me, different calibers, generations, I didnt expect to feel so naive about the whole thing.

One thing I noticed that I wasn't a fan of, the guy stopped clearing the gun/checking the chamber before handing it to me. He did it for the lady before me (obvious noob) and the first couple he handed me. I don't know if it was carelessness on his part, or he saw that I was obeying all the rules, and wasn't going to be a problem. I guess the latter which I understand, but not being familiar with any of the guns I was handling I was feeling a little awkward holding them without being able to verify a clear chamber. But like I said, the rules were followed so "crisis" averted.

In the end though, all my questions were answered and curiosities satisfied so it was a godd experince overall. Hopefully I'll have something to show for it in the not-too-distant future.

 

[MrMcCrackin]

you should rent one at a local range - or shot one that a friend owns to ensure its the right fit



glocks are great weapons - as are sig's, hk's, xd's, ect ect


but they all fell a little different when fired

 

[einzelherz]

i'm going to assume you have big bear hands if the glock felt nice to you...

if you can find one, try a steyr. better trigger than glock and imo much better handling/feel.

 

[Pre-diddy]

Thats the thing, I was expecting the glock to not be that good for me because my hands aren't that big. I have longish fingers I suppose, but thats it. I will try your recomendations out before buying, but unfortunately I haven't been able to find a shop/range close by that rents.

Also, while their prices for most of thier guns were OK, many of the Sigs, HKs, and some of the higher end stuff was over 1k$. Someday I will own guns that nice, but I can't justify that kind of dough right now. If I find a nice deal I won't hesitate but less than half that for a Glock sort of makes my descision for me.

 

[Balbino]

Speaking of how a gun feels in the hand. I think the browning hi power is one of the best feeling guns in my hand. Its also a highly reguarded gun.

 

[einzelherz]

Thats the thing, I was expecting the glock to not be that good for me because my hands aren't that big. I have longish fingers I suppose, but thats it. I will try your recomendations out before buying, but unfortunately I haven't been able to find a shop/range close by that rents.

Also, while their prices for most of thier guns were OK, many of the Sigs, HKs, and some of the higher end stuff was over 1k$. Someday I will own guns that nice, but I can't justify that kind of dough right now. If I find a nice deal I won't hesitate but less than half that for a Glock sort of makes my descision for me.

a run of the mill sig or HK shouldn't cost more than 500-700. $1k better be a special edition or made out of golden chocolate. I paid $300 for my steyr and it was worth every penny.

 

[Pre-diddy]

To be fair I didn't really check out the HKs at all, their prices could be better than what I am assuming. But I think I'm fighting the supply/demand curve around here, as there aren't a ton of places nearby that I could dig up. There is one other store that isn't too far that I may check out.


An aside: Apparently this place is also a class III dealer, so there was some nice eye candy on the walls for me to mentally file away under "In my dreams".

 

[MrMcCrackin]

what state are you located?


is there a gun show coming up?

 

[Pre-diddy]

MD! Sarah Brady loves this state.

And actually just this morning I heard on the radio of one coming up this weekend not too far from me. I'm pretty busy I think but I am trying to make time to stop and check it out.

 

[MrMcCrackin]

MD! Sarah Brady loves this state.

And actually just this morning I heard on the radio of one coming up this weekend not too far from me. I'm pretty busy I think but I am trying to make time to stop and check it out.

if its worth it to you


road trip to DE - i have friend that owns an indoor gun range and gun shop


you wont be able to buy there - but you should be able to rent


PM me if your interested

 

[Gun-Nut]

For what it's worth, I think the G19 is a great choice. There are many who think, that everyone should own at least one.
This is coming from a guy that swore he would never own a Glock.

Don't get me wrong, the HK's and Sig's are great guns (I own both), but I think the G19 is one of the best guns for a first time buyer. 9mm ammo is on the cheaper side too.

 

[Adler]

Glock is a fine gun.......and if it fits you well it will most likely be a very pleasant performer as well.

 

[brucelee]

Glocks are great if they fit your hand nicely, otherwise they are pretty useless. Lucky for me they fit like a glove (well, not the G19, too small, the G21 and G20 and the greatest!).

 

[robb]

MD! Sarah Brady loves this state.

And actually just this morning I heard on the radio of one coming up this weekend not too far from me. I'm pretty busy I think but I am trying to make time to stop and check it out.

I lived in MD last year, and am now in VA.

There will be a show in Dale City (about 16 miles south of the beltway on 95) the first weekend in August.

I will be there.

 

[Draken]

Glocks are great if they fit your hand nicely, otherwise they are pretty useless. Lucky for me they fit like a glove (well, not the G19, too small, the G21 and G20 and the greatest!).

I have to agree with this 100%, Glocks are great guns, perform great, great reliability...but they are not in the slightest bit comfy in my hands. Love my XD subcompact, not real comfy, but after somewhere around 9000 rounds though it have not had one FTF for any reason. But still the most comfy hand gun I have ever shot was a Sig 226, and second was a Beretta 92F, but that one shot like junk.

All in all, one of the most important things is how it feels in your hands, but if its going to be a CCW gun, then you also need to worry about how reliable it is.

 

[mwink822]

My first gun was a Glock 23 which was a great performer, but it didn't fit my hand well, just felt too big and bulky for my hand. I got rid of that in favor of a Kimber Eclipse Target II, which is a phenomenal weapon, but it's an expensive gun, ammo is pricey, and it just looks like a gun that isn't meant to be shot all regularly. The only MAJOR downside the Kimber has is that it is not a good choice for CCW for me since it's a large gun and I have a pretty small build. I still have the Kimber, but I got a Springfield XD 9 sub-compact for CCW, and it is a GREAT weapon, and it's pretty cheap to shoot too. I'd give the XD-9mm with the 4" barrel (same as a G19) a look before you go Glock. Just my $0.02.

 

[Pre-diddy]

My first gun was a Glock 23 which was a great performer, but it didn't fit my hand well, just felt too big and bulky for my hand. I got rid of that in favor of a Kimber Eclipse Target II, which is a phenomenal weapon, but it's an expensive gun, ammo is pricey, and it just looks like a gun that isn't meant to be shot all regularly. The only MAJOR downside the Kimber has is that it is not a good choice for CCW for me since it's a large gun and I have a pretty small build. I still have the Kimber, but I got a Springfield XD 9 sub-compact for CCW, and it is a GREAT weapon, and it's pretty cheap to shoot too. I'd give the XD-9mm with the 4" barrel (same as a G19) a look before you go Glock. Just my $0.02.

Good recomendation! Since my last post, I went to a couple more stores and held a few more, compared options, etc. Bass Pro beat the other stores I had been to on price and that was the only thing I was concerned about at that point. 560$ for a G19, blech. So I am there gun in hand and as the words "OK, I'm gonna go ahead with this one." escaped my lips the guy said "Have you looked at the XD-9?"... "Nooo, not really.."

So he pulls it out, I check it out, and now face a dilema, because I really like it. More than the Glock. Then he tells me its 40$ cheaper too. Another nail in the Glock coffin. Comes with more stuff. I'm torn. On one hand, I've done my research and have my mind set, on the other hand, this looks like a great option that I wasn't prepared for. The guy must have seen my confusion at this point and suggested I take some time durring the asinine anti-gun Maryland firearms owner video class to think about it. (My words, not his)

So now I'm a waiting period away from an XD-9 4". One day I will own a 19, just not for a while. (Well minimum of 30 days, as per MD law *cough* BULLSHIT! *cough*)

New question: MD has a 7 day waiting period on purchacing a "regulated firearm" such as a handgun. How do those days count? Is it one week proper? ie.
Monday -> following Monday
or
Monday -> following Tuesday?

Either way, thanks all for your help and I look forward to getting more involved in this sport as time goes on.

 

[MrMcCrackin]

^^

are you sure its not "business days" according to the state?


let see what i can dig up:


here is a blrub from the "brady campaign" ugg -
WAITING PERIOD
Is there a waiting period on gun sales? Yes

Maryland: State law requires a 7-day waiting period for all handgun or assault weapon sales. This 7-day period is used by law enforcement to run a criminal background check to make sure the handgun buyer is not prohibited from acquiring firearms.

from the BATF:

http://www.atf.treas.gov/firearms/statelaws/26thedition/maryland.pdf

 

[Pre-diddy]

I checked it out last night, but now I can't remember what it said. For whatever reason, I was under the impression that the application only could be sent through durring bussiness days, and could be approved before the 7 days expired, but I still had to wait the full 7. Who knows. I'll go look it up again too, if nothing else than to double check.

EDIT: http://www.mcsm.org/mdlaw.html

Copyright 2003, so it may be out of date, but its what I was reading last night.

[PURCHACE]

Purchase of a handgun or "assault weapon" from a dealer is subject to disapproval by the Maryland State Police during a seven-day waiting period.


The application may be disapproved only if the purchaser is ineligible or if the information supplied is false or incomplete. If no action is taken within seven working days from the date the application is forwarded by the dealer, the handgun may be delivered to the purchaser.2 In no case, however, may the handgun be delivered before seven days, even if the application is approved earlier.

---------------

Well now I'm not even sure. At best ambiguous.

Looking for a newer version....

EDIT AGAIN:

http://www.nraila.org/statelawpdfs/MDSL.pdf
Feb 2006.

Same vagueness.

 

[MrMcCrackin]

everywhere i look, it just says 7 days - but there is no definition anywhere what a "day" consists of, which is very strange


i was surprised to see the laundry list of "banned" weapons

also interesting that you can only purchase 1 firearm at a time within a 30 day period