Bought 1st gun, what next ?

[Ask Questions Later]

Bought a M&P 22 this weekend at Ft. Wayne gun show. Looking forward to testing it out sometime over the next couple of weeks. Bought it because I'm planning on using it for practice and getting a larger caliber M&P for home protection, practice and possibly carry. Looking for suggestions on what the next M&P I should be looking for. I'm new to this so any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Also if there are any suggestions to make the 22 a better practice gun are also appreciated. Met some nice people at the gun show that were friendly and helpful. Looks like this may well be a hobby that pays off in a number of ways! Thanks!

 

[SEIndSAM]

Get an MP9 for home protection. Very nice gun, good stopping power and the cheapest of the center fire ammo. Cheap ammo means more practice, more practice means better shot placement.

Then get some training, it doesn't do any good to have ton's of weapons if you can't properly use them.

And now that you have bought one, your gonna want to buy more. It's an expensive addition you have started.

 

[TheFireArmorer]

Congrats on your first gun man! I would definitely look into an M&P9 if M&P's are the way you wanna go but don't forget there are so many options out there. But, i'd definitely go with 9 mm for your next handgun. Cheap ammo equals more range time plus it is a great defensive caliber. It will also be much more comfortable for you to shoot at first compared to larger calibers. Being confident and comfortable with your gun is so important!

 

[Bunnykid68]

ammo then a 2nd gun and a 3rd etc.....

 

[Phase2]

If you haven't gone there yet, then definitely invest in training.

Oh, and lots of reading on INGO. You can learn a ton here.

 

[Roadie]

ammo then training, then a 2nd gun and a 3rd etc.....

FTFY

 

[MrPeabody]

ammo then a 2nd gun and a 3rd etc.....

Ain't that the truth!

 

[MrYesterday]

M&P 45 FTW ... maybe I'm just a caliber whore. *shrug*
You got a good one to start practicing, and learning the ropes of safety and shooting with. 22 is cheap, and fun to shoot!

 

[Ask Questions Later]

Hi, Thanks for the replies and info. Wife and I took basic handgun course at Midwest Range and we got our IN carry permits. What would be other good courses to take? Is a 9mm a big enough caliber for protection? Alot of the people I talked to at the gun show were saying it does not have enough stopping power for home defense. What would be a good gun for the wife? She has in mind a revolver, but would that be too bulky if she wanted to carry that with her? Thanks

 

[MrYesterday]

They have very small revolvers that are light weight and specifically marketed for women, if that's what she's interested in.
9mm has been killing people for a LONG time just fine, but I prefer the .45ACP personally. People are killed with .22 caliber guns all the time (it's actually the caliber associated with most gunshot deaths/wounds IIRC), but just because a smaller round CAN do the job, I'd rather KNOW it will.

 

[Phase2]

Hi, Thanks for the replies and info. Wife and I took basic handgun course at Midwest Range and we got our IN carry permits. What would be other good courses to take? Is a 9mm a big enough caliber for protection? Alot of the people I talked to at the gun show were saying it does not have enough stopping power for home defense. What would be a good gun for the wife? She has in mind a revolver, but would that be too bulky if she wanted to carry that with her? Thanks

Very good questions. Many electrons have been used on this board discussing these topics. You will get various answers here, so search and read the threads here for much more info.

My takes:
If you've had the basic intro to handguns course, then a course on Defensive Handguns is recommended. These go much more deeply into basic safety and handling to give you practice with various situations and a better understanding of when use of a handgun is appropriate. There are several very good training groups on this site in the Tactics and Training section.

What caliber? That is basically a religious argument. There will never be an end to that argument/discussion. 357, 9mm, 40, and 45 are generally considered good defensive calibers. 380 and 38 specials are generally considered marginal defensive rounds. Small rounds like the .22 are generally not considered good defensive rounds. If you ever use your gun on another human being, the goal is to stop them quickly before they complete their attack on you, not bleed to death 20 minutes later.

Selecting a gun for the wife is a major topic unto itself. Be sure to read the stickies in the Women and Guns section to better understand how to approach it.

Good luck with your gun search, education, and range fun. INGO is a great resource for all three.

 

[cobber]

Get her one of the lightweight S&W .357s. They are fun to shoot with .38 special, and when loaded with .357 will do the trick.

 

[Bunnykid68]

FTFY

BOOOOO

 

[kjf40]

Congrats on your purchase,it will get addicting so be prepared to want more.
Know gun safety, practice...and good luck

 

[dhw9am]

Did You Say Home Protection?

Home Protection - shotgun

CC - 380 or above - something you WILL practice with and
carry. Something you won't leave at home.

Just my opinion.

 

[Roadie]

BOOOOO

What?
You got something against training?

 

[arsenal69]

I have an M&P AR-15 and I love it! this is a great hobby and you will love it

 

[Jeremy1066]

Wow, 4 posts and already so many rep points! That's impressive!

 

[Roadie]

Wow, 4 posts and already so many rep points! That's impressive!

WOW!

 

[SSGSAD]

Bought a M&P 22 this weekend at Ft. Wayne gun show. Looking forward to testing it out sometime over the next couple of weeks. Bought it because I'm planning on using it for practice and getting a larger caliber M&P for home protection, practice and possibly carry. Looking for suggestions on what the next M&P I should be looking for. I'm new to this so any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Also if there are any suggestions to make the 22 a better practice gun are also appreciated. Met some nice people at the gun show that were friendly and helpful. Looks like this may well be a hobby that pays off in a number of ways! Thanks!

My personal advice is a full size M&P 9mm, or pro, better trigger and sights, between $500.00-$600.00, there are a lot of good "self defense" hollow point loads out there..... I carry a 9mm, as well as other calibers.....