[ken21]

take a vacation in texas,

and someone will train you!

[octobersky]

bttt

[gorush]

I’d rather be judged by twelve than carried by six. Pretend that the Constitution means what it says and do what you deem necessary in this regard.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Hi Point C9 9mm. VERY inexpensive ($120-140 brand new with a lifetime warranty), somewhat heavy, but reliable.

[43north]

Owning any firearm means you have the responsibility to keep it out of the wrong hands. You won’t be carrying it all the time.

I’d recommend consideration of a gun safe with the capacity for at least 24 long guns and a dozen or so handguns. Then start to work on filling it up.

[eleni121]

I’m with you. I carry pepper spray and we have shotguns but I would like a nice litle handgun...

I heard it takes forever to get a license in NYS...

[DanielRedfoot]

You opened a can of worms now :)

Plan on tons of suggestions...

Such as - This is a nice new Ruger sub compact.
Quite small and nice for C&C and good quality for a 380

Good Luck

http://www.ruger.com/LCP/

[LimaLimaMikeFoxtrot]

You will find no shortage of opinions here. Some more valuable and less blustery than others.

In TN I don't have a mag capacity ban. So I carry 13 rounds of Federal +P+ hollow points in a Sig Sauer P228 9mm.

P228 is a nice compact size and was favorite of Feds and Special Forces guys.

I love mine.

Good Luck

PS: Consider getting some sort of a safe anyway, kids or no kids. Guns that I don't carry are locked in a safe when I'm away from the house.

Stolen guns can be a large liability pain in the ass.

[Fido969]

I know of attorneys that get briefcases with armor plates and little secret compartments for their pistols.

[GOP_Raider]

I’m a huge fan of Springfield Armory, IIRC they have a .45 ACP. You will need to take some practice and if you’re like me, you’ll need to have some Lasik surgery, but nothing works better than a .45 in life.

[Lurker]

"Gun" is a horribly generic term.

Please be a bit more specific as to the purpose for which you intend to purchase this firearm.

Is it for self defense?

Is it for home defense

Is it to put meat on the table?

Do you intend to carry it concealed?

What are the distances at which you reasonably expect to encounter a lethal threat?

All these questions need to be answered before any useful advice can be offered.

L

[jessduntno]

Here comes the Judge:

http://www.taurususa.com/products/product-details.cfm?id=199&category=revolver

[Chode]

no matter WHAT you get... make sure it's at least a .40

[Poser]

Concealed? This one is excellent and very small.(Ruger LCP .380)

[monkeycard]

For a first time weapon that you can drop into your pocket, briefcase etc and be guaranteed to fire when you need it to, I would suggest looking at a 38 Special revolver. The weapon is intended for self defence so within that parameter and distance limitation, plus some range time, a 38 Special will do the job. Charter Arms produce a good line of revolvers at a reasonable price.
JM2Cents

[Secret Agent Man]

First,

generally speaking, it is always nice to hold as many bullets as possible. Remember “10” is a forced limit from the Clinton era.

Second it depends on what you feel comfortable with, and how hard it would be to conceal and retrieve quickly.

There are a lot of great handguns out there. I personally have enjoyed Ruger’s firearms. I also like Smith and Wesson semiautos. Lots of people here like Glocks. I’d say test a few different models out. Gun stores that have indoor ranges usually have models you can use to test fire to see how you like them.

The bigger they are the harder they are to conceal. It may also make a difference in what kind of holster you’d have to use to conceal them more effectively.

[Octar]

Take an NRA sanctioned firearms safety course and then ask. You put the last question first.

[kaspergutman]

I've put a couple of thousand rounds through the Glock 17 and the Glock 26 (most through the 17). Never had a stoppage. Very reliable weapons, easy to break down for cleaning and no external safety or other confusing bells and whistles so IMO a good auto-load choice for someone who is relatively inexperienced, but who intends to practice, drill and learn good, safe gun handling technique.

The Glock 26 is small, light and easily concealable. I carry it in a Cobra Gunskin (waistband tuck-in) leather holster which I've used since the early '90s. Can't recommend the Cobra holster enough.

Nothing wrong, BTW, with conceal-carrying a revolver. Easier, less complex to handle, and you don't have to worry about the weapon jamming or not being in-battery.

Hope this helps.

[JoenTX]

As for carrying guns in open sight, not handguns with a CCW. I do believe gun racks are still legal (?) here so in this since, yes, carried in the open or at least they use to be on a routine basis.

For me, for pure self defence, I prefer a revolver over a semi-auto. Yes, semis are very reliable and do have higher magazine capacities, but nothing is simpler and easier to use in a pressure situation IMHO. Call me old-fashioned, I know. I have a little Taurus .38 that is my favorite for this and makers like S&W, Charter Arms, etc. make similar and most of them are very affordable.

[Lurker]

Were I you I would strongly consider one of the SigSauer single stack models in either .380 or 9mm.

They're incredibly well made, utterly reliable, slim, light, and extremely accurate.

L