Hi...I was wondering...What is a really good .40 cal. or 9mm semi-auto pistol to buy in the $350.00 range....?

Question

I just want the gun for target shooting, so I dont want to put $500 or more into it....thanks in advance for any info...

Answer 1

If you are just target shooting, you will find a wide range of inexpensive 9mm ammo available much more so than .40S&W. Even military surplus 9mm FMJ ammo is found in bulk cheap.
Considering that I shoot 100 rounds or more on a good practice, .40 can start costing you.

Most any gun shop will have some nice used 9mm pistols for you to consider. It is much better to buy a good used quality pistol than a cheap new one.

SIG The 'SIG Sauer' pistols are designed in Switzerland by SIG and made in Germany by J.P. Sauer. They are some of the finest semi-auto pistols ever made. Even the older military and police surplus P220 and P225s are good investments, the P226 and P229 are superb.

H&K Top of the line also, but expensive.

Glock I personally do not like Glocks and a lot of people flame me for it. I find the gritty, crunchy double-action triggers to be horrible and for hitting your target, this is unacceptable. Also, the lack of any safety makes these guns dangerous, considering that most people who do not know gun safety will always put their damn fingers on the trigger as soon as they pick it up.

S&W Smith and Wesson have a very spotty reputation for semi-autos. They have made some real dogs in the past. They also make some very good pistols, but who can remember which ones are good and which are bad? As a result, you will find their prices to be very attractive...be careful and research the model extensively.

Springfield XD. Outstanding modern pistol at a good price. If I were buying a modern, polymer pistol today, this is what I'd get.

Beretta. Not a big fan of the 92s but they are tough, dependable pistols and should be considered.

Taurus. They make a licensed copy of the Beretta 92 at the same quality for a better price.

Ruger. Like S&W, they made some problem models, but overall good ones. The owner of this company told Congress he felt there should be more gun control, so I have a personal political problem with Ruger.

Browning Hi-Power For a 9mm, this is my all time favorite pistol. It's a Single-Action, which means the hammer needs to be cocked and locked or carried with an empty chamber. The Hi-Power is the final refinement of John Browning's genius.....basically much improved over the Colt 1911 and for the smaller 9mm. You can find affordable versions made in Brazil and Hungary and the famous Czech Cz75 is a Hi Power clone.

That's pretty much the list you want. consider everything else suspect and do your homework.

Answer 2

DJ has the correct answer however there is something I wanted to add.

I see answers speaking of the S&W Sigma series. This is NOT a target gun by no means. The trigger pull is among the highest out there and even a pro target shooter will have problems hitting the mark. Its true that the gun shows little problems but if target shooting is your choice, the sigma is not !!!!!!

"What is a really good .40 cal. or 9mm semi-auto pistol to buy in the $350.00 range....?"

In my opinion there is no such thing as a good .40 or 9mm caliber handgun new for less than $450.00. These would include the Springfield XD and the Glock. Saving money is $5, $20 and even $50. Looking for $100's less is sacrificing quality and no longer looking at good deals.

Answer 3

Taurus Millenium Pro's are typically at that 350 mark I have the pt111pro in 9mm and love it. I use Hornady TAP FPD 124GR hollowpoints (reduced recoil for better accuracy in high stress situations) for personal defense. Practice Ammo is cheap but I won't lie I've shot 3 boxes of the hornady ammo(20+ bucks for 25rnds) for practice. Buy what you can handle some people don't like alot of recoil some do. Winchester Silvertips in 124gr or just there regular hollowpoints give a pretty good kick. I'm considering Taurus's new 1911 I love 1911's. A 9mm in 124gr is known for good stopping power, a 45 is the scale by which all are judged as far as stopping power goes. The 40 is the mid range for me as far as stopping power and kick (not that bad). If you know someone with guns of these calibers then go out and shoot them if they will let you and see what you like. I chose the 9mm hollowpoint because I know that even under stress (well under fast paced drill stress I can handle all of the 9mm loads at combat speeds with 1-4 inch groups in an 8 inch circle on a silhouette target. I hope my training never has to be tested in real life, but I feel confident with the 9mm. Also go with what you can afford a new gun with 2 boxes of ammo is short lived fun. You have to get atleast 10 boxes (ok maybe not that much but I keep my range bag full of atleast 15 boxes of different brands and loads. Mix up a few and load some magazines it also helps with flinching

Answer 4

I own two beretta 92fs and a 96fs all three of them work well and I do recomend them to people. I also havea springfield xd 9mm that has trouble shooting some rounds where the beretta would fire no problem.
I would say go to gun shops and guns shows and hold the gun in your hand and see what feel right and alot of times you may be able to get a good deal too.
Both a 9mm and 40 S&W are good rounds the 9mm is cheaper when buying rounds. Anyway have fun and enjoy shooting.

Answer 5

My wife carries a Taurus PT-145 (.45 ACP) and loves it. I carry it sometimes, as well. She's small at 5'2" and 110 pounds, but the .45 recoil doesn't seem excessive to her. She IS an experienced shooter, however, and shoots often. I believe there is something in the design of the gun that makes felt recoil easily managed. Other people who have fired the weapon agree that recoil is very light for the size of the gun and caliber. I would imagine that in 9mm, it would be even easier to handle. Another feature she enjoys is the relative small size of the grip as she finds Glocks and some of the other popular firearms too "fat" to fit well. The price of the PT series and lifetime warranty make it very attractive, as well. We're 20-30k rounds into the gun (if not more), and it's not failed to feed or fire with any of the ammo we've tried.

Answer 6

A used Sig 226, 227, 228, or 229. They are very reliable, don't have a bunch of unecessary safeties and crap, and have a decocking lever, which I personally consider to be very imortant.
Or, you can buy one of those damn plastic things. Of the plastic ones, I actually have to admit to kinda liking the Smith & Wesson M&P.

The EAA witness is one of the best pointing guns I've ever held. I want one! They are a median priced gun, and good quality.

Whatever you do, pay for some lessons. Go to an indoor shooting range and rent different guns to try. Looking at guns on a shelf isn't gonna help nearly as much as actually handling them, and you won't know what you want until you're pretty familiar with guns.

Answer 7

9mm is not the greatest way to go even in target shooting. Bullets are tiny. If you don't mind tiny then a .22 is cheap and easiest.
Longer ranges than a few yards and a nine won't cut it.
Try a good rifle at .22 or 308.
Step up to the big boys and a 556 or even better 762

Answer 8

I own various types of handguns and in recent years have found that the one I use most is the EAA Witness 9mm. Stainless, 3dot sight, really well made and very reliable and accurate. European American Arms Witnesses are brainchild of a nephew of the Beretta family. Its single most unique feature is the reversed rails on the slide and receiver which makes it thinner than other semi-autos. The rails are on the inside on the receiver; look at one and compare it to ones with outside rails. It is really amazing and well made.

Answer 9

I would get the S&W Sigma. They make it in 9 and 40. You can pick up a brand new one for about $319 give or take. I have the 9 and one of my friends has the 40, niether have given us any problems.

The guy below me is correct, The Sigma is mainly a self defense weapon. Although, I have had some pretty good groupings at the range.

Answer 10

Taurus Millenium Pro PT111 in 9mm or 40cal. $319-$359 at Cabelas

if you plan on shooting a lot (competition) save your pennies, nickels, dimes and quarter, get a Smith MP or Kimber on a 1911 frame.