First gun, first class, first range — what is the actual order for a complete beginner?

I'm going to be honest because I was that person six months ago—I bought a gun without taking a class first, and it was dumb.

I landed on a full-size 9mm (Glock 19, actually) but for completely backward reasons. I thought I was being smart. I wasn't. I just got lucky that it worked out.

What I wish I'd done: Take kept.simple's advice *exactly*. Class first, full-size 9mm, then buy. Here's why I'm saying that even though it sounds like I'm contradicting gulf's "find what fits" framing—I'm not, I think I'm just filling in what that actually means for someone in my position.

The "find what fits" part is real, but you find it *within a sensible category*, not across .22s and .380s and compact this-and-thats. I rented like five different guns before my class and honestly it was noise. Once an instructor watched me shoot the full-size 9mm, she adjusted my grip slightly and suddenly everything clicked. I didn't need to rent a dozen guns. I needed someone to show me how to hold the one that actually matters for what I was buying it for.

Home defense changes the calculus. It's not "what do you like"—it's "what works." And kept.simple is right that modern 9mm defensive ammo is documented to actually do the job. I didn't know that. I just bought what felt least scary.

So: find an instructor, take a beginner class that includes range time with a full-size 9mm, let them tell you if the ergonomics work, then buy that gun. You're not overthinking it. You're just making one good decision instead of four mediocre ones.

I'm still learning, but that's what I'd tell my past self.

This thread is actually making sense to me in a way the rest of the internet wasn't. I'm three months into owning my first pistol, and I kept.simple and convert.2020 just described almost exactly what I did wrong and what I wish I'd done differently.

I went the "find what fits your hands" route first. Rented a Glock 19, a Sig P365, a Shield—the compact parade. My hands are small, so I was convinced I *needed* a compact gun or I'd be fighting the grip. Then I took a beginner class (finally), and the instructor—who I should have paid first—put me on a full-size M&P9 and adjusted how I was actually holding it. Completely different experience. Turns out my problem wasn't the gun; it was my grip.

I ended up with the M&P9 because of that class, not because I "figured it out" on my own. And kept.simple is right about home defense—I was buying for that, even though I was thinking about it like I was shopping for a range toy.

What I'm confirming: the sequence matters more than the shopping. Class first, then rent the *right* category (full-size 9mm for defense), then let someone with actual eyes watch your hands before you decide. I wasted money renting five guns when I should have rented one gun after getting instruction.

For the OP: if you're serious about this, take gulf's framework but lean on kept.simple's timeline. Get a class booked before you even walk into a rental range. It's maybe the only part of this where the order actually changes the outcome.

Let me break this apart, because the internet argument you're running into doesn't actually hold up.

**Why the .22 versus 9mm debate is backwards:** That's mostly about cost of practice, not about what you should *start* with. A .22 is quieter and cheaper to shoot. A 9mm teaches you real recoil management from day one. Neither one is wrong—it depends on your actual plan. If you're going to shoot once a month, the .22 argument evaporates.

**What actually matters first:** Before you touch a gun, decide what you're defending or practicing for. Home defense? Carry? Range shooting? That changes everything. Then take a class—not after you buy, *before*. An instructor can watch your hands, show you what fits, let you try different grip angles on rental guns. You'll learn more in four hours than from six months of forum reading.

**The honest first step:** Rent three or four guns at a local range with an instructor present, or take a beginner class that includes range time. Most ranges can set that up. Pay attention to grip comfort, recoil management, and how naturally your finger lands on the trigger. That's your data.

**Your concrete path:** Find a local instructor who teaches beginner handgun or shotgun (depending on your use case). Take their intro class. Rent options during that class. Buy based on what fit your hands and your actual use case—not the internet's use case. Expect to spend $300–400 on the class and rental time. It's the best $300 you'll spend before dropping $500–700 on a gun.

What's the actual threat you're thinking about—home defense, or something else?

Gulf's framework is solid, but I'm going to push on one thing: if home defense is actually in the picture, skip the .22 and the "find what feels right" shopping phase. Go straight to a full-size 9mm and a class that teaches you *that* gun.

Here's why. Home defense ammunition in 9mm—modern defensive rounds—does what it's supposed to do: it penetrates reliably through barriers (drywall, clothing) and expands consistently. That's documented. A .22 doesn't. And the "find your fit" part matters, but it matters *after* you've made the caliber/platform decision, not before.

Full-size 9mm handguns (think Glock 17, M&P9, CZ75) have lower recoil than compact versions, they're easier for new shooters to shoot accurately, and they hold enough rounds to matter in the rare scenario where you actually need one. The ergonomics are forgiving. You can find one that fits your hands *within* that category instead of treating it as an open menu.

Take a beginner class that uses 9mm—most do. Rent a full-size 9mm during that class if you haven't bought yet. Then buy based on that experience, not on months of online argument.

Cost difference between .22 and 9mm is negligible once you factor in ammunition. The difference in what actually works for defense is not.