Hello. New member here. Brand new to pistol use (fired the M-16 during military service, so I know a little about those type of rifles).

What is the best SIG pistol for a beginner? Never fired a pistol before. Complete noob to pistol shooting. Any help for this beginner is appreciated. Thanks.

PS- looking for something that isn't "off the charts" expensive.

go to a range and rent. buy whichever you shoot best.

I would look for a p226/9 .22 pistol personally. More practice.

Thanks. Would something in 9mm or .45ACP be ok for a beginner? Or is that "out of my league"?

Sp2022 is the gateway SIG. good hunting.

You say you're a noob. My suggestion would be to find an introductory handgun course that includes trying a variety of guns under an instructor's supervision.

quote:

Originally posted by pistolnoob2018:
Hello. New member here. Brand new to pistol use (fired the M-16 during military service, so I know a little about those type of rifles).

What is the best SIG pistol for a beginner? Never fired a pistol before. Complete noob to pistol shooting. Any help for this beginner is appreciated. Thanks.

PS- looking for something that isn't "off the charts" expensive.

You never handled or fired a pistol during your military career?

quote:

Originally posted by henryarnaud:
You say you're a noob. My suggestion would be to find an introductory handgun course that includes trying a variety of guns under an instructor's supervision.

There is a dealer with an indoor range on premises near where I live that offers many courses (both pistol and rifle).

As soon as I get my FOID card (and can afford them) I plan on signing up for their beginner and intermediate pistol classes.

If you are a beginner to shooting pistols, then I would suggest as others have to try shooting a variety of pistols to find what suites you best. Although Sigs are fantastic pistols, I would not limit yourself to a Sig only. As far as caliber, it may be best to start of with 9mm, but even then it is really up to the pistol you shoot.

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Originally posted by 12131:

quote:

Originally posted by pistolnoob2018:
Hello. New member here. Brand new to pistol use (fired the M-16 during military service, so I know a little about those type of rifles).

What is the best SIG pistol for a beginner? Never fired a pistol before. Complete noob to pistol shooting. Any help for this beginner is appreciated. Thanks.

PS- looking for something that isn't "off the charts" expensive.

You never handled or fired a pistol during your military career?

Nope. Came close once. I was a helicopter mechanic. Helicopter crew chiefs started w/ .38s (mfr unknown to me), and later transitioned to Beretta 9mms.

I ended up becoming a "crew chief trainee" scheduled to transition from maintenance platoon to flight platoons, but after less than a month I got orders to change duty stations to overseas.

Did get to fire the M-60D for aerial gunnery (that was fun). Missed out on the .50 cal and claymore mine though (rained both scheduled range days and they were never rescheduled ).

quote:

Originally posted by pistolnoob2018:

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:

quote:

Originally posted by pistolnoob2018:
Hello. New member here. Brand new to pistol use (fired the M-16 during military service, so I know a little about those type of rifles).

What is the best SIG pistol for a beginner? Never fired a pistol before. Complete noob to pistol shooting. Any help for this beginner is appreciated. Thanks.

PS- looking for something that isn't "off the charts" expensive.

You never handled or fired a pistol during your military career?

Nope. Came close once. I was a helicopter mechanic. Helicopter crew chiefs started w/ .38s (mfr unknown to me), and later transitioned to Beretta 9mms.

I ended up becoming a "crew chief trainee" scheduled to transition from maintenance platoon to flight platoons, but after less than a month I got orders to change duty stations to overseas.

Did get to fire the M-60D for aerial gunnery (that was fun). Missed out on the .50 cal and claymore mine though (rained both scheduled range days and they were never rescheduled ).

But, don't all military personnel at least get some range time / training? Obviously, I have no ideas.
Anyway, shooting rentals at your local range will be the way to go, plus taking a beginner course. Don't get too hung up on SIG. There are tons of great guns out there that cost less.

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:

quote:

Originally posted by pistolnoob2018:
Hello. New member here. Brand new to pistol use (fired the M-16 during military service, so I know a little about those type of rifles).

What is the best SIG pistol for a beginner? Never fired a pistol before. Complete noob to pistol shooting. Any help for this beginner is appreciated. Thanks.

PS- looking for something that isn't "off the charts" expensive.

You never handled or fired a pistol during your military career?

That was not uncommon when I was in during the late 90s. I’d say a solid 50% of Marines never touched a M9. It was probably even higher than 50%. Since GWOT it may have changed but back in the day (a Tuesday) pistol training was uncommon.

Pistol qual was not a part of normal, non-infantry training. Every Marine qualifies on the M16 but the M9 was only for Staff NCOs and for certain jobs.

My suggestion is always a .22, like a Ruger Mark II/III/IV or something similar. It has low recoil and less noise so that you don't get into bad habits out of the gate (flinching, etc). I still start most shooting sessions at the range with a mag or 2 of .22 before moving into larger calibers. Plus it's just fun.

I definately agree with go to the range and shoot a bunch of guns preferably with a good friend who knows guns but won't have you shoot something painful to be funny.

If they hand you an airweight 357 snubby they aren't a good friend.

Whatever you do, do not buy either a Sig or a Beretta because when you do you will buy another and another. Before long you will be trying to figure out how you can sneak the next one into the house without the wife noticing. :-)

That said, there are some great choices out there and you will want to visit a range where you can rent a number of different models and calibers to find what you like.

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:

quote:

Originally posted by pistolnoob2018:

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:

quote:

Originally posted by pistolnoob2018:
Hello. New member here. Brand new to pistol use (fired the M-16 during military service, so I know a little about those type of rifles).

What is the best SIG pistol for a beginner? Never fired a pistol before. Complete noob to pistol shooting. Any help for this beginner is appreciated. Thanks.

PS- looking for something that isn't "off the charts" expensive.

You never handled or fired a pistol during your military career?

Nope. Came close once. I was a helicopter mechanic. Helicopter crew chiefs started w/ .38s (mfr unknown to me), and later transitioned to Beretta 9mms.

I ended up becoming a "crew chief trainee" scheduled to transition from maintenance platoon to flight platoons, but after less than a month I got orders to change duty stations to overseas.

Did get to fire the M-60D for aerial gunnery (that was fun). Missed out on the .50 cal and claymore mine though (rained both scheduled range days and they were never rescheduled ).

But, don't all military personnel at least get some range time / training? Obviously, I have no ideas.
Anyway, shooting rentals at your local range will be the way to go, plus taking a beginner course. Don't get too hung up on SIG. There are tons of great guns out there that cost less.

I'm finding that out lol. Checking out the variants of the P226 on the SIG website. Gorgeous looking pistols, but wow are they expensive. The legion models look amazing...

I'd try to find a range with a P320 in 9mm as the P320 is the state of the art and future of the Sig line up. Many slide size and grip module size combos possible.

The above was painful to write as I'm a huge fan of the P229.

If you can only afford ONE pistol a good 9mm like a Glock, Beretta, Sig, S&W M&P, H&K etc might be the best overall choice. 9x19 ammo is among the less expensive centerfire pistol ammo and there are some very effective self defensive loads available. I also would STRONGLY suggest the purchase of a 22lr pistol like the previously mentioned Ruger if you can possibly afford a second pistol. A 22lr pistol can pay for itself in it's lower ammo costs and can also be invaluable in correcting bad shooting habits induced by recoil.

IMHO you would be FAR better off as a new shooter buying a less expensive but still very good 9x19 AND a 22 pistol than spending the same amount on a higher end 9x19.....

I’ll say what most others have said...

Try before you buy. Ranges in my area have rental guns and usually have a deal where for a flat rate, you can try everything they have so long as you are buying their ammo.

What area are you in? Lots of folks from everywhere on this board and many are looking for an excuse to go shoot and willing to help a newb.

As much as I love my Sigs (P226 Legion, P229ST blessed by Bruce himself, and a bushel of P320s), given the recent price drops I would definitely recommend taking a look at HK VP9 and P30 guns.

It’s a good time to get hooked, guns are CHEAP right now, so is ammo and it is plentiful...

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Originally posted by 911Boss:

What area are you in? Lots of folks from everywhere on this board and many are looking for an excuse to go shoot and willing to help a newb.

Good Points 911Boss! FWIW I'm in Frisco Texas and there's an excellent indoor range I'd be willing to meet fellow forum members at with a pretty strong range of firearms I'd let them try. Lot's of other great members on this forum all over the country..........

Best depends on you. What your intended use is, your thoughts about what is safe vs unsafe, what just makes sense to you and ultimately how you shoot it.

A .22 is a good start for a beginner. Cheap ammo and low recoil/blast let's you practice a lot. That said, I started on .40 and have never owned a .22, so it's not a must. M&P .22s seem okay, avoid SIG Mosquito and Walther P22. Personally, I'd go Ruger Mark IV or maybe a Browning Buckmark.

If you're skipping .22, that's fine. You have to think about what action makes sense to you. A great way to learn proper technique is to use a DAO or DA/SA and practice with the DA most. The relatively long and heavy pull help to teach you how to keep from disturbing the sights while you press the trigger. It's more challenging to start, but I feel it pays off in the end. Conversely, a SAO like a 1911 will have a very short, light pull. It doesn't require as much effort to do, but when you think you're a good shot and then pick up something without a great trigger, you realize you're not as good as you thought. In between are the striker fired options. They run the gamut from really good to not-so-good.

Safety wise, they're all only as safe as the user. But they have features you may like or dislike. The DAO and DA/SA have the long heavy pulls that can help prevent unintentional discharge. A SAO will have a manual safety. The strikers may have a manual safety but most don't. That doesn't make them less safe, but some (especially beginners) may prefer some extra layer of protection.

Once you decided on what action makes most sense, then it's caliber, size (often based on intended use), capacity (related to size and caliber, and material (polymer frame vs metal). The options you choose along the way will narrow down the available options. Then handle the ones that fit your preferences and rent the ones that you think you like the best. Buy the one you shoot the best.

I would probably start by putting a 9mm SP2022 in your hands. It polymer framed with changeable grip sizes. It's pretty much a full sized pistol, so it will not have as much felt recoil as small pistols. It's DA/SA, so you can learn on the SA to start familiarizing yourself with shooting a pistol, then work on DA to get good. And the price point is quite reasonable. I don't recommend spending a lot on your first, because you're quite likely to want something different after getting some experience. If you're recoil sensitive, I'd hand you the P226 next. It's a touch bigger and heavier (metal frame). If you really struggle with the DA/SA, then I'd move you to the P320.

Perhaps the most important thing is to get into a class with a reputable instructor as early as possible. That way you don't learn bad habits on your own that you'll need to break. That will cost money, as will a good chunk of ammo to practice with. Expect to spend almost as much on training and ammo as you do on the pistol, if not more.

If you have questions, feel free to ask! Welcome and thanks for your service!