ATTN: Potential New Gun Owners
Posted: Sun May 13, 2012 9:16 pm
It's exciting isn't it? You've made the decision that you want to join a community that is several hundred years old. You want to buy a new gun. So, you come here and look around at what others have bought to see what may be good and what may be bad. You ask those same questions that hundreds of others before you have asked. What should I get? What caliber should I be looking at? What sort of prices should I be expecting? You're going to get many different answers. Because there are many answers.
Hopefully, you will get some questions first though. Questions like, what do you want to use it for? Just going to the range and popping off some rounds down range? Hunting? Self-protection? Home protection? What's your price range? Are you planning on getting your CHL (Concealed Handgun License)? All of those questions have to be answered first before you get serious about purchasing a firearm. For instance, let's say you want it just for popping rounds down range. A full size handgun might be something you want to look at seriously. The longer barrel will add to it's stability and your accuracy and quite frankly, you are worried about whether it's going to print through your shirt if you carry it concealed. Plus, it will hold more rounds typically. This is also a good gun for home protection for alot of the same reasons. Or, how about this, you've decided after doing a bit of research, you want to get a handgun you can carry concealed. You might look at a smaller more compact version of the full size gun you were thinking of getting. Is it just for home protection? Maybe a nice 12 gauge pump action shotgun would fill that bill. If you are thinking about hunting, then the game you are hunting will pretty much dictate what type of gun and caliber you are going to need.
Some responses you will see are: The only gun you will ever need is a (Fill in the blank here). Usually it's the 1911 addicts or the Glock freaks that are that adamant about their particular brand of guns. And, there is nothing at all wrong with either of those particular types of guns either. Hopefully they shoot when they are supposed just like everybody else's guns. But, IMHO, they aren't the end all be all of guns. Get the .45 caliber because of it's stopping capability. Hogwash. The .45 is a serious round, of that there is no doubt. But, if you shoot a bad guy in the chest with a 9mm they are going to go down hurt or dead. That's all there is to it.
Want to know what gun to buy? Here's what you do. Lurk here. In this forum. Read as many of the posts as you can about the different guns. See what has everybody excited. Right now, the gun that has everybody all excited is a new one put out by S&W called the Shield. There's almost always a gun out like this. A few months ago it was the Beretta Nano. Before that it was the Kimber Solo. Before that it was the....well, you get the point.
After lurking here, go to your local gun store. STOP!!! Do not get talked into buying anything. At least not just yet. Go look at some of the guns you've looked at in your research. By now there's a good chance you know as much about certain guns as the guy behind the counter. Maybe even more. Pick up those guns you are interested in. How does it feel in your hand. Tactile feel is just important as many other factors when purchasing a new gun. When you sight down the barrel (being very careful to not aim or sweep it over anybody) does it have a natural feel to it? if your gun store has a range where they rent guns for you to shoot, then by all means add that to your research. Shoot some 9mm or some .40 or some .45 down range.
Go to local gun shows. Do the same thing. Pick them up. Sometimes you can get a good deal at he gun shows and sometimes not. Feel free to negotiate with the seller. At gun shows, with many gun dealers all trying to sell the same thing, it is usually a buyers market.
Ok, how about calibers? There are as many different thoughts on this subject as in buying guns. Again, this could depend on what you want to buy the gun for. If you just want to shoot rounds down range, then maybe a .22 will help you out. .22 ammo is cheap cheap cheap. If you want the gun for other purposes, then maybe going with a stouter round would be better. IMHO, the .25 and the .32 are virtually useless. Not to say that those little rounds couldn't be deadly under the right circumstances, but the wind could blow them off course. There are folks who like the little .380's. It is a small caliber. Typical accepted rounds for revolvers include 38 Special or .357 Magnum. There are stouter rounds like the .44, .44 magnum, and the .45 LC or ACP, but those are generally the accepted ones. The most prevalent rounds for handguns include 9mm, .40, or .45. 9mm has some very reasonable prices. .40 and .45 are a little more expensive but hey, in this you have to make your own choices. There are those that say the .40 is a nice compromise between the 9mm and the .45. There are also those who say if you aren't shooting a .45 you're a wuss. I guess because they think name calling will get you to want a more "manly" round. Again, hogwash. Get what you are comfortable shooting. If it's a .45, then go for it.
The guns you might note that are owned and used by the various members of this forum include Springfield (either the XD or the XDm series), Kahr, Kel-tec, Ruger SR series, HK USP's, Sig Sauer, Beretta, CZ, Kimber, Ed Brown, Les Baer, S&W (M&P series), Taurus, Rock Island, Para Ordnance and a host of others. The Kimber, Ed Brown, Les Baer, Rock Island, and Para Ordnance are all 1911 guns. They are a bit hefty in the prices for some but, supposedly worth every penny. The Rock Island has a few reasonably priced 1911's under $500 but the rest don't. the HK, Sig, and Beretta were also mostly above the $500 range. Guns that are, for the most part, under $500 include Springfield, Kahr, Kel-tec, Taurus, S&W and Ruger. Taurus guns, based on my research, are ok guns. They go boom when they are supposed to, but they are considered to be lower end guns. One of the absolute lowest are Hi-Points. Oh, and that S&W M&P Shield? Currently it's $449. Which is not a bad price considering it's the new hot thing right now.
Now, I consider this post a primer (hahaha, nice pun there eh!!). I try and give you, the potential new gun owner, some basic guidelines in what and how to research getting a new firearm. There is one last thing I want to focus on. Gun safety. You are thinking about buying something that could have lethal consequences. Gun safety is critical to everyone in your house and to folks in your neighborhood. Take a gun safety course. Read up on the four basic rules of gun safety. 1.) The gun is ALWAYS loaded. 2.) Keep your finger OFF the trigger until you have your target in your sights. 3.) Do not sweep or allow the muzzle to cross anything you are not willing and wanting to destroy. 4.) Be aware of what is behind, beside, and in front of your target.
Once again, when you come across folks who are closed minded to ALL the gun possibilities, then treat their advice with a grain of salt. Have fun with this. Owning a gun, going to the range to put little holes in paper, being prepared to protect your family, it is definitely all worthwhile.
Short disclaimer: This is all IMHO and YMMV.
**Also, this post has been edited since it's original posting to attempt to take out as much of my personal preferences as possible.**
Hopefully, you will get some questions first though. Questions like, what do you want to use it for? Just going to the range and popping off some rounds down range? Hunting? Self-protection? Home protection? What's your price range? Are you planning on getting your CHL (Concealed Handgun License)? All of those questions have to be answered first before you get serious about purchasing a firearm. For instance, let's say you want it just for popping rounds down range. A full size handgun might be something you want to look at seriously. The longer barrel will add to it's stability and your accuracy and quite frankly, you are worried about whether it's going to print through your shirt if you carry it concealed. Plus, it will hold more rounds typically. This is also a good gun for home protection for alot of the same reasons. Or, how about this, you've decided after doing a bit of research, you want to get a handgun you can carry concealed. You might look at a smaller more compact version of the full size gun you were thinking of getting. Is it just for home protection? Maybe a nice 12 gauge pump action shotgun would fill that bill. If you are thinking about hunting, then the game you are hunting will pretty much dictate what type of gun and caliber you are going to need.
Some responses you will see are: The only gun you will ever need is a (Fill in the blank here). Usually it's the 1911 addicts or the Glock freaks that are that adamant about their particular brand of guns. And, there is nothing at all wrong with either of those particular types of guns either. Hopefully they shoot when they are supposed just like everybody else's guns. But, IMHO, they aren't the end all be all of guns. Get the .45 caliber because of it's stopping capability. Hogwash. The .45 is a serious round, of that there is no doubt. But, if you shoot a bad guy in the chest with a 9mm they are going to go down hurt or dead. That's all there is to it.
Want to know what gun to buy? Here's what you do. Lurk here. In this forum. Read as many of the posts as you can about the different guns. See what has everybody excited. Right now, the gun that has everybody all excited is a new one put out by S&W called the Shield. There's almost always a gun out like this. A few months ago it was the Beretta Nano. Before that it was the Kimber Solo. Before that it was the....well, you get the point.
After lurking here, go to your local gun store. STOP!!! Do not get talked into buying anything. At least not just yet. Go look at some of the guns you've looked at in your research. By now there's a good chance you know as much about certain guns as the guy behind the counter. Maybe even more. Pick up those guns you are interested in. How does it feel in your hand. Tactile feel is just important as many other factors when purchasing a new gun. When you sight down the barrel (being very careful to not aim or sweep it over anybody) does it have a natural feel to it? if your gun store has a range where they rent guns for you to shoot, then by all means add that to your research. Shoot some 9mm or some .40 or some .45 down range.
Go to local gun shows. Do the same thing. Pick them up. Sometimes you can get a good deal at he gun shows and sometimes not. Feel free to negotiate with the seller. At gun shows, with many gun dealers all trying to sell the same thing, it is usually a buyers market.
Ok, how about calibers? There are as many different thoughts on this subject as in buying guns. Again, this could depend on what you want to buy the gun for. If you just want to shoot rounds down range, then maybe a .22 will help you out. .22 ammo is cheap cheap cheap. If you want the gun for other purposes, then maybe going with a stouter round would be better. IMHO, the .25 and the .32 are virtually useless. Not to say that those little rounds couldn't be deadly under the right circumstances, but the wind could blow them off course. There are folks who like the little .380's. It is a small caliber. Typical accepted rounds for revolvers include 38 Special or .357 Magnum. There are stouter rounds like the .44, .44 magnum, and the .45 LC or ACP, but those are generally the accepted ones. The most prevalent rounds for handguns include 9mm, .40, or .45. 9mm has some very reasonable prices. .40 and .45 are a little more expensive but hey, in this you have to make your own choices. There are those that say the .40 is a nice compromise between the 9mm and the .45. There are also those who say if you aren't shooting a .45 you're a wuss. I guess because they think name calling will get you to want a more "manly" round. Again, hogwash. Get what you are comfortable shooting. If it's a .45, then go for it.
The guns you might note that are owned and used by the various members of this forum include Springfield (either the XD or the XDm series), Kahr, Kel-tec, Ruger SR series, HK USP's, Sig Sauer, Beretta, CZ, Kimber, Ed Brown, Les Baer, S&W (M&P series), Taurus, Rock Island, Para Ordnance and a host of others. The Kimber, Ed Brown, Les Baer, Rock Island, and Para Ordnance are all 1911 guns. They are a bit hefty in the prices for some but, supposedly worth every penny. The Rock Island has a few reasonably priced 1911's under $500 but the rest don't. the HK, Sig, and Beretta were also mostly above the $500 range. Guns that are, for the most part, under $500 include Springfield, Kahr, Kel-tec, Taurus, S&W and Ruger. Taurus guns, based on my research, are ok guns. They go boom when they are supposed to, but they are considered to be lower end guns. One of the absolute lowest are Hi-Points. Oh, and that S&W M&P Shield? Currently it's $449. Which is not a bad price considering it's the new hot thing right now.
Now, I consider this post a primer (hahaha, nice pun there eh!!). I try and give you, the potential new gun owner, some basic guidelines in what and how to research getting a new firearm. There is one last thing I want to focus on. Gun safety. You are thinking about buying something that could have lethal consequences. Gun safety is critical to everyone in your house and to folks in your neighborhood. Take a gun safety course. Read up on the four basic rules of gun safety. 1.) The gun is ALWAYS loaded. 2.) Keep your finger OFF the trigger until you have your target in your sights. 3.) Do not sweep or allow the muzzle to cross anything you are not willing and wanting to destroy. 4.) Be aware of what is behind, beside, and in front of your target.
Once again, when you come across folks who are closed minded to ALL the gun possibilities, then treat their advice with a grain of salt. Have fun with this. Owning a gun, going to the range to put little holes in paper, being prepared to protect your family, it is definitely all worthwhile.
Short disclaimer: This is all IMHO and YMMV.
**Also, this post has been edited since it's original posting to attempt to take out as much of my personal preferences as possible.**
face. I was just kidding. It was a good post and I agree that research is vital. I enjoy owning and shooting a number of different caliber handguns and rifles. I have settled on a Glock 23 as my ECD but am looking to purchase and incorporate a PM 9 into the rotation. I would also strongly urge those considering a firearm purchase to shoot as many weapons as you can get your hands on before making a decision. Again, great post that provides excellent information not only to first time buyers but also those looking not to make the same impulse purchase time and time again.
Thought I'd go overboard on the smiley faces to make up for not using one earlier. 