Friend suggested one of these for first pistol I would own for Personal Protection. Keep it in truck and take in house for peace of mind. Don't anticipate being an avid shooter but will shoot it enough to break it in and get familiar with it. For money sounds like it might fit my bill? Comments / suggestions appreciated.

I question just how good of a friend he is if he's suggesting a Taurus

On a serious note I would suggest avoiding Taurus.

Smith and Wesson is running a great rebate on the Shirlds right now.

I have the PT111 Gen 2 and have had no issues. Got it for $199. Nice gun for the price.

Buy it shoot it clean it load it. I'd rather have a $200 gun and $300 for training&ammo than a $500 gun. Graveyards are filled with folks because of Charter,Rossi,Davis,Bryco,RG,Taurus....and my personal fave the Raven .25acp.

That gun shoots fine. It is reasonably accurate. Never seen it misfire or jam. Because of the low price point, I wouldn't be scared to leave it in my truck.

I completely disagree with the naysayers on Taurus. Their quality control picked up more than 20 years ago, and they build some real fine pistols and rifles, now. We have 2 Taurus pistols, including one I've had since the late-80's, it is, and has always been, a super reliable and accurate shooter. The only problem there's ever been with it was a catastrophic ammo failure...rim separated from the rest of the brass upon ignition...that dislocated some of the internals, but taking it all apart, cleaning/inspecting, then reassembling fixed all that quick fast and in a hurry. That pistol is a PT99, a near clone of the Beretta 92, and I like it way better than any Beretta I've ever handled or shot. It's made of better steel, has a frame-mounted safety instead of slide-mounted, and nearly all parts interchangeable with the Beretta.

TAKE A LOOK @ A SMITH & WESSON SD9VE OR SD40VE. $299.00 @ ACADEMY SPORTS AND I LOVE MY 40. NO PROBLEMS EITHER AND VERY ACCURATE (LONGER BARREL).

I've got the little Taurus PT .380. I love it. It's ay midget. Gonna have to buy 2 more, one for me (this one stays in wife's car) and one for daughter.

Shields are going for $254 right now after rebate. I'd go that way first.

Good little gun for the money. Better trigger on mine than on my glocks.
They worked all the bugs out on this Gen 2. Double stack vs single on the shield.
Two different pistols all together. It just depends on what you want.

Thanks for all the input. It'll stay in truck most of time I'm sure. Maybe when traveling in wife's car. I figure spend a couple of hundred dollars on pistol, get familiar with it and see where I go with it.

X1000
even if the Shield and Taurus is the same quality the Shield will have much better resale a year from now.

If you are spending $200 on a gun, you are not worried about resale price. Buy the one you like. The Taurus is a 12+1. The shield is what 7 or 8?

FYI - the shield is $214 after rebate at Palmetto States.

youre crazy as hell if you dont get the shield with the deals they have going on

I have both the pt111, G2 and a shield. I prefer the G2 hands down over the shield. Mine shoots smoother(less recoil) more accurately, fits me better, and holds more ammo.

All of these Shield fan boys are gunna be hatin' on you.

Sometimes the truth hurts.

There is no doubt the shield is a good gun, but knowing what I know now, I would pay more for a G2 than I would for a shield.

There is nothing wrong with the PT111. My wife has one and she can do some serious damage with that little piece of artillery.

I'd try and handle or shoot as many handguns as possible and go with what fits you best or that you're most comfortable with. For some folks that's a 5 shot j-frame and for others it may be a .50 cal Desert Eagle.

I own the PT11 and the sheild. PT111 has a super long trigger pull. I do like the grip better on the PT111. I shoot the sheild better.

I would also add the kahr cm9 at $300. Wonderful trigger and very compact.