First time firearm owner - advice

[JohnnyMarko 1]

I know a lot of you own guns, so hopefully I'll get some good info or starting point. I could probably take this to a gun forum or local shop/club/range, but I have no idea where to start and already have an account here. My only experience is shooting shotguns on the farm when I was a kid, haven't touched one in about 15 years.

To start, I am not looking to have this thing on me at all times, ready on the nightstand for intruders, or to carry when I'm in a rough part of town (even though I feel pretty safe every where I go in Denver). I would say I only have 2 reasons for owning a firearm, for practice/hobby at a local range AND to have while camping/backpacking in the high country (where allowed).

So, anyone have suggestions of who/where I should start? In my mind, I need to go somewhere and take a class before even touching a gun (well, that's what I'd like to do)? Anyone have suggestions for a small handgun (so I start looking at prices)? If I'm not at a range or camping, it will be locked away in the depths of my closet. I have no intentions of being able to carry concealed unless I have to have that permit.

[stayhigh 2]

Pistol? Shotgun? Rifle? Auto/Semi/Manual? Do you want affordable ammos or really expansive ammos?

So many to choose from.

I think pump action shotgun should be the first firearm everyone should get. Easy and reliable, and if you have a trap/skeet range near by that is really fun thing to do.

Shooting at paper target with a handgun at a target range isn't a thing for me. I like it when I split the clay in half and shoot the bigger half with the remainder. To really have fun doing trap/skeet, you might wanna get a over and under.

Benelli. not too expensive, not too cheap. I like how it operates.

Far as handguns go,, revolver style? or semi-auto?

Springfield XD. I like those. That really depends on your hand size. You are gonna have to go and hold it in your hand.

Bernie Sanders for President 2016

[JohnnyMarko 1]

Right now, I say a pistol with affordable ammo. I'll save the big toys for after I've gotten my feet wet and feel ready for something heavier.

And no, I don't want to start with just a cute, little, pink pistol

[jgoose71 0]

Welcome to the land of the Second Amendment!!!

First and foremost, it is an inanimate object. Don't be affaid of it, it won't jump up and git you, despite what some people might say.

Always remember the 4 basic safety rules of gun handling:

1. Always assume the gun is loaded.
2. Never point the gun at something you are not willing to destroy.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot.
4. Always know what your target is and the back-stop. Bullets don't alway stop at the target.

Beyond that, I would suggest going to your local gun shop and asking where there are some supervised ranges at. A good shop will know these things along with which ones have NRA certified instructors that can go over the basics of your firearm with you.

Also highly recommended (especially if you live in big city) have a way to secure it when not in use. The last thing you want is for it to get stolen.

Be safe, but most of all have fun!!!

"There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss."
Life, the Universe, and Everything

[stayhigh 2]

Go grab one. Only way to get the feel for it.

if you wanna go really cheap get the .22, but that isn't gonna stop anyone unless you empty the entire magazine within 5 feet range.

.22 is the cute little pistol that a 5 year old can shoot without any recoil.

Bernie Sanders for President 2016

[yoink 321]

stayhigh

.22 is the cute little pistol that a 5 year old can shoot without any recoil.

One I played with last weekend was the Glock 41. I was surprised how light it was and the small recoil it produced while still putting big holes in the targets.

[D22369 0]

Get professional instruction, basic shooting classes and advanced classes are available but you may have to check around to find out where and when they are held.

practice the safe firearm fundamentals until they are second nature and never never get complacent.
Always know what is behind your target - bullets can go a looong ways and you are liable for every round that leaves your gun.

Go to a range that has demo weapons, try the semi-auto's from .380 to 10mm find the weapon and caliber that fits you and is fun to shoot - .380 is on the low end of effective self defense (IMO) and 10mm is over the top (Powah!!!)
The revolvers from .38 cal (low end)(IMO) to the .44 mag (Redonkulous Powah!!!) - or even the .50 which is (Retardomaculous Powah) -*A touch on the OMGWTFBBQ end of the spectrum... unless you run into a pissed off Grizzly...

.380, 9mm or .38 are good, most bang for your buck if you want to shoot a lot as the other calibres are more expensive.
Use fmj for practice but hollowpoints for self defense.

Once you purchase the one you like Learn the weapon inside and out, learn to fully disassemble it and learn how each piece functions.

get a good holster - one that covers the trigger, don't go cheap on this!

Do not listen to anyone that tells you that you need a competition trigger, most semi auto's have between a 5-6lb trigger pull, this is perfect for a carry gun, leave the weapons with a 2lb trigger where they belong - in competition.
Once you have done all this and are comfortable with your firearm go take a combat course, learn to move and shoot - you will gain a ton of knowledge on the capabilities of your weapon (penetration, overpenetration) and how to move and shoot effectively.

Get a small biometric gun safe, keep the weapon out of curious hands when it is not in your possession.

Shooting is like skydiving, you never really forget how to do it but you do get rusty - Practice Practice Practice!

Roy

They say I suffer from insanity.... But I actually enjoy it.

[JohnnyMarko 1]

Thanks, nice reply.

So, I'm making an analogy to skydiving here, but it sounds like I need through ground school (gun safety courses, intro to equipment, etc), then my first jump (actually getting to shoot after class), work on getting my A-license (or whatever paperwork is required to own a gun in CO), then demo some canopies (try out different firearms and see what feels good for now), then once I know what I like and how to work it, buy the canopy and practice some more (buy what feels good in my hands and start out slow).

[D22369 0]

The process is amazingly similar as is the penalty for skipping steps.

I forgot to add: Have fun and be safe!
Roy

They say I suffer from insanity.... But I actually enjoy it.

[riggerrob 558]

stayhigh

Go grab one. Only way to get the feel for it.

if you wanna go really cheap get the .22, but that isn't gonna stop anyone unless you empty the entire magazine within 5 feet range.

.22 is the cute little pistol that a 5 year old can shoot without any recoil.

..................................................................................

Please ignore Mr. Stayhigh's attempt at humour.
All you will gain will be holes in your toes.

Even though I fired a wide variety of weapons during my military service, I recently took an RCMP-approved Firearms Acquisition License course and learned a few things.
When playing with firearms or propellers, you can never know too much.
Start by asking your local gun-shop about local ranges and attend a course or three given by your local gun club/range.
My first purchase would be a .22 rifle for plinking. Once you get safe and accurate with a .22 rifle, then go to a gun range that rents out various sizes and try a few pistol caliber carbines (9mm, .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .45 ACP, etc.).
Once you get accurate with a pistol-caliber carbine, consider learning how to shoot a pistol. Again, start with a .22 caliber pistol, then eventually move up to full-bore pistols (.38 Special, .37 Magnum, 9mm, .45 ACP, etc.).

After that, chew the fat with other shooters that you meet at the range and consider your long-term goals: plinking, home defense, hunting, trap competition, etc.)

[tikl68 6]

Hey Johnny, all good advice. Lil back ground. I have been shooting for fun/sport (little bit of competition on local level) for 20 years and hunting with dad since 13. Dad was in Marine Corps for 28 years and been a sheriff for 18 and not a patrol officer but a RSO (range safety officer) and trainer for law enforcement.

The comparison to skydiving was good. A couple other things to consider in gear choice is, discipline.There are many firearms to choose from. Hold them, shoot them,ask about reliability, think about simplicity and ease of maintenance/cleaning. Glocks are dependable and simple to operate and very easy to clean and fairly smooth trigger, down side is there are minimal safeties so if you have children around maybe not for you. Kimber makes a nice .45. Ruger is ok IMO but lots of moving parts when comes to cleaning an not super simple. I tend to stay away from models that have a decocker. If you have to clear a malfunction, it is easy to hit the decocker in the process and make the gun "safe" when you try to get back to the business at hand and your gun is inert.

There is a magazine called "shotgun news" that test fires all kinds of guns and they tell it like it is. There is no advertisement in the magazine so there is no bias, they call em like the see em. Revolvers are awesome, hate reloading them but great for home defense,down side is they can over penetrate (.357 or .38 ++p) depending on calber. IMO .38 or .380 is fun for target shooting at the range and pretty cheap, but lacks stopping power.

I would only use a barreta as a door stop or maybe to pistol whip some one but thats about all its good for in my experience.

There is a .22 conversion kit thats fairly cheap for glocks and kimbers so you can shoot cheap while practicing and end practice session with two or three mags of the regular caliber of what ever you purchase.

Glad you are approaching this in this manner and GLAD you have decided to join the club.

Long guns, about the same. Depends on type of use.
If you cant buy a safe at least buy a proper lock box.

Have fun be safe.

[stayhigh 2]

how is that an attempt for a humor?

i don't find any of it funny, what did i do wrong this time?

Mr.Almighty?

Bernie Sanders for President 2016

[tikl68 6]

Forgot to mention that much like skydiving ,there will always be people at the range that will give you, bad advice, wrong advice, or advice that does not pertain to your "discipline" or skill level just like at the DZ, from "that guy".

[JohnnyMarko 1]

stayhigh

how is that an attempt for a humor?

i don't find any of it funny, what did i do wrong this time?

Mr.Almighty?

Yeah, I don't know. I took your post pretty seriously and thought it was informative.

[stayhigh 2]

seriously, I have no idea what part of that post was funny.

.22 rounds are some of the cheapest round you can find.

you asked for some little pistol. so I said .22

there is a debate wether .22 has a enough stopping power to knock down the intruder.

i was being serious the whole time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y1eqYPxCxI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zgz7jTja9As
If I was trying to be funny, I would've recommended something like Fully Automatic Nerf.

Bernie Sanders for President 2016

[riggerrob 558]

...
if you wanna go really cheap get the .22, but that isn't gonna stop anyone unless you empty the entire magazine within 5 feet range.
...
..................................................................................

Anyone who takes your cavalier attitude to a pistol range .. had better be on a different range than me. ...

.22 caliber is the preferred weapon of professional assassins. Small pistols are easy to conceal and carry within range of VIPs. One .22 bullet to the head will kill/cripple an adult.
One .22 can cause the victim to bleed out through an artery.

[stayhigh 2]

there is a lot of debate on whether .22 will be a stopper.

that debate goes on all day.

same with the other question "will #8 shot shell will stop an intruder?"

While no one questions the stopping power of .45 and 00 buckshot.

I'm pulling out my .45, when there is some robber inside my house.
Sure as shit I'm not gonna pull out my .22, that is for fun and shooting some little bugs off the rock.

I'm glad that you find some of the non funny post funny, and when it comes to funny post you find it serious.

Bernie Sanders for President 2016

[D22369 0]

Quote

22 caliber is the preferred weapon of professional assassins. Small pistols are easy to conceal and carry within range of VIPs. One .22 bullet to the head will kill/cripple an adult.
One .22 can cause the victim to bleed out through an artery.

A .22 is a small round which is why its not usually recommended for defense, can it kill - definitely

but in a fight or die situation - that kill may take long enough for the assailant to end you.

A larger round makes a larger hole and dumps more kinetic energy into the body - the reason you use hollowpoint ammo is so it doesn't merely go right on through wasting that kinetic energy that could be imparted to your attacker.

That being said: I sure as hell will never volunteer to be shot by a .22 and I doubt there are many who would.

Stayhigh's comment about the range is way off the mark, they are dangerous much farther than most people realize.
Its a great inexpensive round but take it for what it is - deadly to small animals and potentially deadly to larger, but shot placement has to be perfect or really lucky in a fight or die scenario and if It was all I had I would definitely empty it into the attacker to increase my odds of him going down.

assassins use it at point blank ranges

Roy

They say I suffer from insanity.... But I actually enjoy it.

[stayhigh 2]

Bigger problem with .22 is that they don't cycle well, or maybe that is because I use the cheapest .22 that I can find. But I'm not spending top dollar on a .22.

I certainly did pull that range of .22 out of my ass, but you get the point.

Sure as shit, I don't wanna get hit by .22, and no shit they are lethal but it ain't my first choice of caliber if I really have to get into a gun fight.

I'm a shotgun person. Pump action or O/U is where my heart is at. Simple and primitive operating system, but they always go BANG. I haven't cleaned my pump shotgun since I bought it, they still go BANG every single time.

Bernie Sanders for President 2016

[D22369 0]

I have heard that, but my experience with .22 is bolt actions and revolvers - I cannot remember ever shooting a semi auto .22

I don't remember why they have issues cycling though... I just recall reading about it somewhere.

edit to add: is it a rimfire problem? my son has a .17 semi auto that shoots the Mach II's and it has no feeding problems at all - damned fine rifle

Roy

They say I suffer from insanity.... But I actually enjoy it.

[BartsDaddy 4]

D22369

I have heard that, but my experience with .22 is bolt actions and revolvers - I cannot remember ever shooting a semi auto .22

I don't remember why they have issues cycling though... I just recall reading about it somewhere.

edit to add: is it a rimfire problem? my son has a .17 semi auto that shoots the Mach II's and it has no feeding problems at all - damned fine rifle

Roy

Any semi-auto can have feeding problems. That is why you put a couple of hundred rounds through it of your preferred defense round before you say it is good for self defense.

But .22's are a litle more finicky cause they have less of a charge to work the semi-auto action. Some .22 guns will eat almost anything others will only work with one or two types. And that is why some have an adjustment to the action to try to make more work. But that is a pain in the ass if you have to adjust by trial and error every time you find another brand on sale.

Handguns are only used to fight your way to a good rifle

[riggerrob 558]

Yes,

You can buy ammo that is cheap, reliable or accurate ... pick any two.

The other feeding issue is the wide rim on .22 ammo. You need to load rimmed ammo so that rims are stacked with round #1 always ahead of round #2, #3, #4, etc.
Similar to loading any weapon with .303 British ammo and lots of the older pistol cartridges.

[Hooknswoop 19]

Go here:

http://www.blucoreshootingcenter.com

They have very good courses and a wide selection of pistols. You can try out different pistols on the range downstairs. What you feel comfortable with is very important.

Derek V

[jtiflyer 0]

Hooknswoop

Go here:

http://www.blucoreshootingcenter.com

They have very good courses and a wide selection of pistols. You can try out different pistols on the range downstairs. What you feel comfortable with is very important.

Derek V

this

firearms are like cars. Lots to choose from but there will be that "one" that fits you and your needs. If its only used at range and possibly in the backwood country, I would suggest a full size frame. No need to go to a small compact. Smaller frames offer less choice, fits fewer hands, caliber and magazine capacity are an issue.

best way to find out what fits your needs it to spend some time at the range and try as many as you can afford to try. Different calibers, different frames. Also try many of the same caliber and frame just because one doesn't work, does not mean another wont work.

[Coreeece 2]

I'd recommend a gay-frame .38
https://www.google.com/search?q=j-frame+.38&es_sm=91&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAmoVChMI8ObvoaH1xgIVCjs-Ch2WOg-6&biw=1211&bih=918#tbm=isch&q=j-frame+.38+pink

Seriously tho...they don't look like much, but they pack some good power top.

Very comfortable...a good fit for a first-timer.

Never was there an answer....not without listening, without seeing - Gilmour