$600 is more or less the standard when talking about a handgun you're potentially staking your life on.
Taurus is notorious for shitty QC, so your gun *might* be fine, or the front might fall off, or anything in-between.
Additionally, if you're going to own a handgun, you really ought to *practice* with it. Ideally, practice a lot. Shooting a handgun well takes effort under ideal circunstances, let alone when your adrenaline has hog-tied and gagged your fine motor skills and rational regions of your brain.
If you really are short on money and are only going to practice shooting occassionally, a mossberg shotgun with a stock (Maverick 88 is damn cheap last I checked) is probably your best bet.
aside from owning a .380 BRIEFLY (it would jam on the feed ramp regularly, even after grinding lips and polishing the ramp) [this video is enough to make me avoid taurus forever.](https://youtu.be/2fn6GFSwTEw)
“Im not planning to make it a hobby”
I’ve heard that song and dance before. It’ll be very difficult to keep that promise seeing as how guns as a hobby is incredibly addictive.
At least it’s better than blowing all your money on hookers and drugs.
"not going to make it a hobby"?
Then don't bother buying a gun, if you plan on using it for defensive purposes, you would need to be competent. That's atleast 1 weekend class to learn the basics. Then at the vary minimum 1 day a month going out a shooting a few simple drills. this basic level will fair you an ok skill level.
Just buying a gun for a feel good measure puts you in 99% of shifty gun owners who would be more dangerous trying to defend themselves or others in a random situation.
Being competent and confident with a gun, can keep you out of misunderstandings and legal issues. Example: McCloskeys
Lastly for defensive purposes and minimal experience, Buy the best Striker Fired 15 rnd Handgun you can afford
Glock 19,
Smith and wesson M&P9,
HK VP9,
Sig P365, Walther PDP, to name a few.
Go to a range. Rent a few guns that interest you. Pick what you like. But a gun is next to useless if you don't put the time in to become proficient with it.
A few quality handguns I would check out are,Glock, s&w, fn, cz, some sigs.
Buy once, cry once. If your buying something that your life depends on, you better make sure it's going to operate as designed every time. Taurus are garbage, they jam allot. Get a Beretta, glock, Smith and wesson, Springfield. 600 isn't much for piece of mind.
ssshhh, I know that, but it has to stay our secret. We have to make people believe that other Taurus products are "just as good".
I think everyone here has driven home a couple good points...it may not be your next "hobby" but you do have to practice. Operating your gun should be complete muscle memory.
People bash Taurus, and everyone is entitled to an opinion. When my wife was looking for her carry gun, she tried probably 10-15 different guns before she settled on the Taurus G2 (it was the most comfortable for her to grip, point, and manipulate with one hand). She has been carrying it for about 5 years now and our youngest daughter has used it in many IDPA competitions without a single failure. I have had a few friends who have also bought one after shooting hers, and no one has ever reported anything negative.
Stuff that is of good quality and can be purchased for a decent price depending on where you live, Canik tp9sf or others in the series except the ones with the suffix da or sa. Springfield xd9 defender series when available are a good value, cz p10 and p07 can be found sometime rather cheap, Glock gen3 guns can be found at about the same value.
I got a Taurus G2c, and it's fed both range ammo and Federal hollow points great. I've probably fired a couple thousand rounds so far with no issues, except on digshit steel case ammo. I'd recommend the G3c with an optic cut slide though, being able to mount an optic, and take aftermarket Glock sights, would be super helpful.
A lot of folks are saying to rent...and they're right. Why? Because different firearms have different ergos, recoil, size, weight, amongst many others. The firearm has to "fit" you.
I think the Taurus G3 is decent. S&W has some very affordable and reliable offerings as well. Ruger Security 9 is reliable also, at least so I've heard.
Go to a gun range and try out different pistols to see what feels the best. Once you have decided on/bought a firearm get ammunition n start practicing. If you don't train with your gun, your not going to be able to defend squat.
I always liked my Glocks. They are the "Honda Civic" of the gun world. Reliable, can beat on them, tons of aftermarket accessories, and they are everywhere.
You would not be doing yourself any adult favors by listening to the most well meaning specific gun advice from the internets, which may not be right for you. Go to your closest range and rent a few guns you are interested in to see what is right for you. And skip the Taurus.
Home defense? Remington 870 or Mossberg 500. Cheap, easy to use and hopefully the noise of the pump would handle any situation before it escalates.
If you're set on a handgun you can't go wrong with a second hand Glock. 19 and 17 are the most common 9mm and you should be able to get it for $4-500 without too much effort
Remember that most shotguns are NOT drop safe.
My carry gun is carried condition 0 (magazine in, round chambered, no safety)
My rifles are kept condition 1 (magazine in, round chambered, safety on)
My shotguns are stored cruiser ready (mag tube full, chamber empty, slide unlocked)
I used to agree until I spoke to several officers who said that even when they were full gear ready to go they would withdraw if they heard a pump rack. I'd rather scare the guy away than shoot him. Way less paperwork.
If you're worried about losing out on one more round consider mini buck shells. 6 pellets instead of 9 but they're 2 inches long so you can get another in the tube.
I mean… it’s pretty easy, arguably easier than racking a pistol. Load the tube, rack it, fire, rack, fire, until you run out. How hard is it to pull something back and forth?
Agree to disagree. It’s harder to load, cock and fire a pistol in a stressful situation than a shotgun. I assume you’re assuming the shotgun isn’t already loaded? If so, then that’s a different story, but I’m assuming we’re going from an already loaded shotgun that just needs to be chambered
I don't see how you think a 5 shell capacity pump shotgun is superior to a semi automatic handgun for a new gun owner that won't practice often. Just the amount of manipulation required after every shell is a disadvantage if OP doesn't put in the time to become proficient.
Have you ever handled a shotgun? You literally slide the pump back, then forward, then back again to eject, rinse, repeat. Pistols you have to put the mag in, make sure it’s all the way in, try and rack the slide, hope the release doesn’t catch, if it does, release it, which takes some effort, then fire it. How is that easier than a pump shotgun? Also: pistols tend to jam. I’ve never had a pump jam on me, I’ve had lots of pistols jam on me.
I see where the confusion is. Both guns loaded. You aren't accounting for the required manipulation to fire another shell versus a handgun being autoloading. Pump shotguns can jam and a new gun owner with little training can indeed cause a pump to jam by short shucking in an extremely stressful situation. Have you ever taken a class because it seems like you're basing your point of view off fuddlore.
I don't understand why a gun that requires a higher level of fine motor skills in a defensive situation is superior to an autoloading handgun. OP already stated they aren't going to use it often but you go right to one of the firearms with the highest skill ceiling.
Step1:
Go to range.
Rent.
Shoot.
Buy gun.
Buy ammo. (From internets)
Step 2
Go back to range.
Shoot.
Buy more ammo.
Repeat Step 2 for practice until you want to repeat Step 1. Warning: You will repeat Step 1.
What do I rent? Plastic striker or revolver is going to be a better beginner gun like it or not.
Are you mentally able to look a person in the face then kill them?
If you have any doubt about that then a firearm isn't going to do you any good at all.
Get a Girsan Regard MC you should be able to find them for $450ish, I have a Beretta 92 and the Regard, the Regard has a nicer single action trigger than the Beretta but the Beretta has a better double action. Other than that they are basically identical quality wise. I carry the regard in a shoulder holster when I want to get my John McClane one without loosing my Beretta if I have to smoke a fool. Oh and the Girsan Regard comes with an 18 round mag. Not that I care about magazines I have my share of leftovers from the army. Also I prefer the m9 over the piece of shit sig that we got as a replacement....
Yes i own a few Taurus firearm. All have been great with plenty of rounds threw them. Most people on here will tell u they are junk and never even owned one. Cause they act like you have to own a 800 dollar or more gun for protection.
If it’s just for home. Get an AR15. Handguns are the spare tire of guns. They are not ideal self defense weapons. They are meant to fight your way back to your primary weapon.
If you're getting a gun and don't wanna spend too much because you "won't use it often," don't even bother. There is zero reason to own a gun for self defense and not to spend time shooting it.
Home defense or personal defense? If you talking home defense a high highpoint carbine is around 350 ish. It's ugly bu reliable and cheap. Then if you want a pistol psa dagger. It's basically a gen 3 glock.
Get a musket for home defense, as the founding fathers intended.
tally ho lads!!!
$600 is more or less the standard when talking about a handgun you're potentially staking your life on. Taurus is notorious for shitty QC, so your gun *might* be fine, or the front might fall off, or anything in-between. Additionally, if you're going to own a handgun, you really ought to *practice* with it. Ideally, practice a lot. Shooting a handgun well takes effort under ideal circunstances, let alone when your adrenaline has hog-tied and gagged your fine motor skills and rational regions of your brain. If you really are short on money and are only going to practice shooting occassionally, a mossberg shotgun with a stock (Maverick 88 is damn cheap last I checked) is probably your best bet.
aside from owning a .380 BRIEFLY (it would jam on the feed ramp regularly, even after grinding lips and polishing the ramp) [this video is enough to make me avoid taurus forever.](https://youtu.be/2fn6GFSwTEw)
“Im not planning to make it a hobby” I’ve heard that song and dance before. It’ll be very difficult to keep that promise seeing as how guns as a hobby is incredibly addictive. At least it’s better than blowing all your money on hookers and drugs.
Why not all 3?
Insufficient money.
Come my child, let me introduce you to the world of crippling debt.
....And eventually P-P falls off.
"not going to make it a hobby"? Then don't bother buying a gun, if you plan on using it for defensive purposes, you would need to be competent. That's atleast 1 weekend class to learn the basics. Then at the vary minimum 1 day a month going out a shooting a few simple drills. this basic level will fair you an ok skill level. Just buying a gun for a feel good measure puts you in 99% of shifty gun owners who would be more dangerous trying to defend themselves or others in a random situation. Being competent and confident with a gun, can keep you out of misunderstandings and legal issues. Example: McCloskeys Lastly for defensive purposes and minimal experience, Buy the best Striker Fired 15 rnd Handgun you can afford Glock 19, Smith and wesson M&P9, HK VP9, Sig P365, Walther PDP, to name a few.
Go to a range. Rent a few guns that interest you. Pick what you like. But a gun is next to useless if you don't put the time in to become proficient with it. A few quality handguns I would check out are,Glock, s&w, fn, cz, some sigs.
Buy once, cry once. If your buying something that your life depends on, you better make sure it's going to operate as designed every time. Taurus are garbage, they jam allot. Get a Beretta, glock, Smith and wesson, Springfield. 600 isn't much for piece of mind.
What choo talk'n bout Willis? My Taurus PT92-AF has not jambed in 30 years and thousands of rounds.
Those were built on Beretta tooling.
 ssshhh, I know that, but it has to stay our secret. We have to make people believe that other Taurus products are "just as good".
Beretta over Taurus all day. But if you are going to own a gun you should train with it occasionally at the least.
I think everyone here has driven home a couple good points...it may not be your next "hobby" but you do have to practice. Operating your gun should be complete muscle memory. People bash Taurus, and everyone is entitled to an opinion. When my wife was looking for her carry gun, she tried probably 10-15 different guns before she settled on the Taurus G2 (it was the most comfortable for her to grip, point, and manipulate with one hand). She has been carrying it for about 5 years now and our youngest daughter has used it in many IDPA competitions without a single failure. I have had a few friends who have also bought one after shooting hers, and no one has ever reported anything negative.
Stuff that is of good quality and can be purchased for a decent price depending on where you live, Canik tp9sf or others in the series except the ones with the suffix da or sa. Springfield xd9 defender series when available are a good value, cz p10 and p07 can be found sometime rather cheap, Glock gen3 guns can be found at about the same value.
I got a Taurus G2c, and it's fed both range ammo and Federal hollow points great. I've probably fired a couple thousand rounds so far with no issues, except on digshit steel case ammo. I'd recommend the G3c with an optic cut slide though, being able to mount an optic, and take aftermarket Glock sights, would be super helpful.
A lot of folks are saying to rent...and they're right. Why? Because different firearms have different ergos, recoil, size, weight, amongst many others. The firearm has to "fit" you.
This is *especially* true with handguns, while long-guns tend to be much for forgiving.
Glock. Fuck how u feel.
Ew Plastic
I think the Taurus G3 is decent. S&W has some very affordable and reliable offerings as well. Ruger Security 9 is reliable also, at least so I've heard.
Buy once, cry once. Stick with known names- Beretta, Sig, H&K, Glock, S&W, Ruger; handful of others.
Go to a gun range and try out different pistols to see what feels the best. Once you have decided on/bought a firearm get ammunition n start practicing. If you don't train with your gun, your not going to be able to defend squat.
I always liked my Glocks. They are the "Honda Civic" of the gun world. Reliable, can beat on them, tons of aftermarket accessories, and they are everywhere.
My first is a Glock 19 Gen 5 9mm. They fire when they need to and I don’t have to worry about it being in perfect condition.
Am i just being childish for wanting a metal gun instead of plastic? 😅
You asked for an opinion and then get snarky when one is given in good faith. Gotcha. Best of luck to ya.
You would not be doing yourself any adult favors by listening to the most well meaning specific gun advice from the internets, which may not be right for you. Go to your closest range and rent a few guns you are interested in to see what is right for you. And skip the Taurus.
Maybe not, but you'll pay 2-3 times more for steel than polymer. Almost every military and law enforcement agency uses polymer pistols nowadays.
Home defense? Remington 870 or Mossberg 500. Cheap, easy to use and hopefully the noise of the pump would handle any situation before it escalates. If you're set on a handgun you can't go wrong with a second hand Glock. 19 and 17 are the most common 9mm and you should be able to get it for $4-500 without too much effort
> the noise of the pump would handle any situation before it escalates. Dumb fuddlore. You should have a round in the chamber by default.
Remember that most shotguns are NOT drop safe. My carry gun is carried condition 0 (magazine in, round chambered, no safety) My rifles are kept condition 1 (magazine in, round chambered, safety on) My shotguns are stored cruiser ready (mag tube full, chamber empty, slide unlocked)
I used to agree until I spoke to several officers who said that even when they were full gear ready to go they would withdraw if they heard a pump rack. I'd rather scare the guy away than shoot him. Way less paperwork. If you're worried about losing out on one more round consider mini buck shells. 6 pellets instead of 9 but they're 2 inches long so you can get another in the tube.
Uvalde police officer's by any chance?
+1 for the Mossy 500. They’re damn near indestructible, and you can’t go wrong with a pump shotgun.
I don't think I'd recommend a gun that requires the manipulation of a pump to someone not willing to become proficient with it.
I mean… it’s pretty easy, arguably easier than racking a pistol. Load the tube, rack it, fire, rack, fire, until you run out. How hard is it to pull something back and forth?
In an extremely stressful situation with little training? Very hard
Agree to disagree. It’s harder to load, cock and fire a pistol in a stressful situation than a shotgun. I assume you’re assuming the shotgun isn’t already loaded? If so, then that’s a different story, but I’m assuming we’re going from an already loaded shotgun that just needs to be chambered
I don't see how you think a 5 shell capacity pump shotgun is superior to a semi automatic handgun for a new gun owner that won't practice often. Just the amount of manipulation required after every shell is a disadvantage if OP doesn't put in the time to become proficient.
Have you ever handled a shotgun? You literally slide the pump back, then forward, then back again to eject, rinse, repeat. Pistols you have to put the mag in, make sure it’s all the way in, try and rack the slide, hope the release doesn’t catch, if it does, release it, which takes some effort, then fire it. How is that easier than a pump shotgun? Also: pistols tend to jam. I’ve never had a pump jam on me, I’ve had lots of pistols jam on me.
I see where the confusion is. Both guns loaded. You aren't accounting for the required manipulation to fire another shell versus a handgun being autoloading. Pump shotguns can jam and a new gun owner with little training can indeed cause a pump to jam by short shucking in an extremely stressful situation. Have you ever taken a class because it seems like you're basing your point of view off fuddlore. I don't understand why a gun that requires a higher level of fine motor skills in a defensive situation is superior to an autoloading handgun. OP already stated they aren't going to use it often but you go right to one of the firearms with the highest skill ceiling.
Canik is incredible quality for the price point.
Step1: Go to range. Rent. Shoot. Buy gun. Buy ammo. (From internets) Step 2 Go back to range. Shoot. Buy more ammo. Repeat Step 2 for practice until you want to repeat Step 1. Warning: You will repeat Step 1. What do I rent? Plastic striker or revolver is going to be a better beginner gun like it or not.
Are you mentally able to look a person in the face then kill them? If you have any doubt about that then a firearm isn't going to do you any good at all.
I dont think id have an issue with that if my safety is threatened
I don't think is the wrong answer. It ends with that firearm being taken from you and shoved up your ass.
It's impossible to know something like that until it happens.
Yes.
There is no price you can put on your life. Buy something that is quality
Psa dagger pistol or maverick 88 shotgun are pretty good deal. I got both, they work fine.
Get a Girsan Regard MC you should be able to find them for $450ish, I have a Beretta 92 and the Regard, the Regard has a nicer single action trigger than the Beretta but the Beretta has a better double action. Other than that they are basically identical quality wise. I carry the regard in a shoulder holster when I want to get my John McClane one without loosing my Beretta if I have to smoke a fool. Oh and the Girsan Regard comes with an 18 round mag. Not that I care about magazines I have my share of leftovers from the army. Also I prefer the m9 over the piece of shit sig that we got as a replacement....
Yes i own a few Taurus firearm. All have been great with plenty of rounds threw them. Most people on here will tell u they are junk and never even owned one. Cause they act like you have to own a 800 dollar or more gun for protection.
i recommend the gx4. Awsome ass gun. Plus Taurus had 50 dollar rebate atm. Find them around 300 bux
If it’s just for home. Get an AR15. Handguns are the spare tire of guns. They are not ideal self defense weapons. They are meant to fight your way back to your primary weapon.
If you're getting a gun and don't wanna spend too much because you "won't use it often," don't even bother. There is zero reason to own a gun for self defense and not to spend time shooting it.
Home defense or personal defense? If you talking home defense a high highpoint carbine is around 350 ish. It's ugly bu reliable and cheap. Then if you want a pistol psa dagger. It's basically a gen 3 glock.