I h ear it all the time from beginning shooters: “What semi-auto handgun do you recommend?” It’s not any easy question to answer — there are so many options out there. Over the next few articles I plan to go over some of the various choices. I will try to do this with an open mind and look at the good and bad of all choices presented. Some people will say they love one brand and hate another, but very often these opinions are based on brand-name advertising or uneducated prejudice. I will try to do better if I can.

There are some important factors to consider regardless of brand. What will the gun be used for? Strictly self-defense, target shooting, hunting, collecting, investment or some combination? It’s unrealistic to expect one gun to be able to cover all the bases with much success. Multipurpose handguns embody a series of compromises that make them mediocre at best for any single function. A shooter wishing to engage in several types of shooting will usually end up with a separate gun for each activity or one gun for the highest-priority purpose. How much are you looking to spend? While the old “you get what you paid for” proverb is quite true when it comes to firearms, that doesn’t mean you have to take out a second mortgage to get a quality gun. What will the ammo cost? If you shoot a lot (and you should) some calibers are pricier than others.