Posted on
by

One of my first posts was on the First Firearm that I purchased. That article has become the most popular article I have written to date, maybe because many other people have recently done likewise. My intent was to add more firearms to my inventory but job and financial considerations stymied those efforts. The good news is that with (relatively) stable employment and improving finances, I was able to purchase my second firearm a few days ago. Here is a picture of it…

This is SIG Sauer’s newest full-sized 9mm pistol, the P320.

Over the past seven years, many regular Americans like myself have become firearms owners. Collectively we have purchased millions of firearms, billions of rounds of ammunition, and spent countless hours learning how to take greater ownership of our security. We are in the midst of a golden era of firearms right now in the USA, which is great but also produces a bewildering array of products to chose from. I wanted to share my thoughts so that others may benefit from my experience and make good decisions on their firearms purchases.

Decision

I’ve been talking about getting a pistol for years but haven’t pulled the trigger on buying one. There are so many choices in the marketplace today, it’s hard to decide what to get. A friend of mine has written about this subject, and I have talked to other people I trust about it. But nothing beats trying out a wide range of guns to see which one works best.

My preference was for a 9mm full-sized automatic, preferably a striker-fired one. I wanted a bigger handgun that could handle recoil well and had a >10 round magazine. What I decided to do was test-fire a variety of pistols both at the local indoor and outdoor public range to see which ones worked well. Over the last year, I have shot the following handguns:

Not all of these were either 9mm or full-sized pistols but they did give me a chance to sample a wide variety of weapons before deciding on mine.

Now why did a select a pistol that I did not fire beforehand? Even though I did not have a chance to fire it before purchasing it, the P320 felt perfect in my hands. It was the right size, the grip felt perfect, the balance is outstanding, and the design is elegantly simple. I had a similar experience with the Glock 17, it just felt like everything was just right for me. Also, I had heard some good things about the gun from people I trust. So instead of going with a gun I knew and liked (the Glock 17), I opted for the new yet unknown one (the SIG P320).

Impression

Even before I fired it, I knew I made the right choice. Before I shot it for the first time, I practiced handling it empty so I could get the feel for it. The P320 is well-made and has a solid feel to it that I like. When I went to the range, the recoil was moderate and I could handle it comfortably. My goal was to get used to firing it, so I wasn’t focused on accuracy or speed. The only thing I had to get used to was the trigger pull, which others have said could be improved. Of course, that may also be a function of my relative inexperience with pistols compared to rifles. In time, I will have a chance to correct that with practice and training. Overall though, I really liked it right from the start.

Other more experienced writers have written about the P320 as well so you may want to check out some of their reviews too. A friend of mine brought his Glock 23 and he let me shoot it while he shot my P320. He really liked it and said it was a comfortable gun to shoot. Some of my other friends want to shoot it next time we go to the range so it already looks like a hit. I’m just happy I selected a pistol that puts a smile on my face when I shoot it.

Conclusion

It took me a while to select my second firearm, perhaps longer than I anticipated. However, if you are going to spend over $600 on a firearm you want to make sure you are making the right decision. Even though I had a rough idea of what I wanted, it wasn’t until after I shot a range of automatics that I knew which ones I would consider buying. That’s why getting a membership at an indoor gun range can be so helpful, you can shoot a lot of different pistols to form your own opinion. Plus, talking to several different people both inside and outside the firearms industry helped as well. I tried a number of guns that I otherwise would not have had a chance to use based upon the recommendations of others. Having friends that have a variety of different pistols helps too.

Now that I have my second firearm, the real challenge begins. What I need to do next is take some classes so I can operate my new pistol more effectively. My pistol skills are basic right now and I want to improve that soon. Training and a lot of practice are in my future, I just need to make the commitment to both. Down the road, Three-Gun competition and other shooting sports may be an option after I obtain my third firearm… What is exciting is that I am learning and becoming more proficient at firearms, which is a lot of fun.

One thought on “Second Firearm”

Comments are closed.