What gun to get? -first firearm

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UllrsIshtar -> What gun to get? -first firearm (9/4/2012 7:08:16 PM)
So my green card showed up in the mail today. Yeah! Logical next step: I'm going to get a handgun. My local gun club has a course starting in a couple of weeks that will take beginners through all the basics, including getting the CCW permit. It's a 30 hour course, with several hours of range practice. Anybody interested in looking into the program further can find it here: http://www.bluemesashooting.com/Blue%20Mesa%20Shooting%20Academy%20Class%20Flyer.pdf Now the problem is that the class requires me to supply my own firearm, holster, gun belt, additional magazines (or speed loaders), and ammunition and I don't have any idea what to get. I think (the way I read the instruction) they've got loaners available to try with before I'd have to decide to buy something, but I'm not a 100% sure on that, and have to call the class to confirm. If that isn't the case I'll also ask them what they recommend, but I would like to have a variety of advice on this to give me an idea of what my options are. Any gun-nuts out there who have recommendation on what to get for a beginner?

PeonForHer -> RE: What gun to get? -first firearm (9/4/2012 7:27:53 PM)
I think you're posting on the wrong site, Ishtarr. Nobody likes guns at CollarMe.

OsideGirl -> RE: What gun to get? -first firearm (9/4/2012 7:32:56 PM)
Best advice I can give is go to the ranges and rent several different pistols. Remember the smaller the pistol, the stronger the kick. So, while those snub nosed .38s are cute, they tend to kick a lot. Start with a .22LR, try a 9mm (Glocks are pretty easy, and the Gen 4s have a smaller grip), once you gain some comfort you might even want to try a .45ACP 1911. But, I think the .22LR is the best place to start. (I shot a 1927 Colt Woodsman .22LR that was amazing to shoot, it gave me a 1.5 inch grouping) .380 and .40 tend to be kind of snappy. I don't find them enjoyable to shoot. I ended up with a Bulgarian Makarov 9mm X 18 because I found it fits my hand really well. It's got a strong kick, but it comes straight back into your hand, rather than bouncing upwards. Another good course is called Women on Target put on by the NRA. It is a day of shooting with women only and they provide the firearms. http://www.nrahq.org/women/isc/index.asp Good luck and have fun!

epiphiny43 -> RE: What gun to get? -first firearm (9/4/2012 8:03:50 PM)
Handguns are as individual as fetishes. No one can even recommend a likely decent fit to your hand without seeing it and recoil tolerance is key in picking caliber and gun weight. CCW practicality rewards lightness; accuracy and delivered impact energy is associated with heavier weapons. Carrying a model 1911 all day is a lot less fun than advertised. I've been around guns all my life and am pretty skeptical of someone new to them benefiting from CCW. Your situation is not knowable to us and your capabilities in sudden emergencies aren't either. If you proceed to a utilized CCW permit, monthly training is required the same as aviation piloting. Your skills with any tool drop off rapidly with lack of recent practice. Think carefully at Every stage as you learn how you deal with the physical and judgment challenges of guns and the use of deadly force and the largely inadequate portable tools CCW requires that deliver it. It's been said many times that a pistol is just to fight your way to your rifle? The movies and TV are incredibly unrealistic in both the difficulty of hitting anything with a hand gun when adrenaline is surging or the actual wounds on intended and accidental victims of your fire. Most police miss most of their shots in stressful incidents. Bystanders are often irritated by this. Serious calibers also Will result in hearing damage if ever used indoors and usually in outdoors discharges. I fired a 9mm ONCE with out ear protection. Never again! Even .22s will reduce your hearing with time, why everyone with a brain uses ear plugs and ear muffs on range. People who have had to use short barrel large caliber 'hideout' guns in cars were unemployed afterwards as they were partially deaf; but alive, a risk of undercover work? A huge factor is how you judge life-threatening situations when armed as opposed to not. Some people find they are very, "To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail." Others are even more careful entering situations of risk knowing they have the capability to end a life. And have at hand not a very dependable real safety measure. The average civilian with no experience around weapons, even with reasonable training courses is more a danger to themself than to possible criminals. No one accepts this judgment about themself easily. I own the best fitting hand gun for my hand in an adequate caliber. I don't carry it and work really hard not to be in situations where I wish I had. It's worked fairly well most times for my many years so far. I won't live in a place where anticipation and street awareness doesn't keeps me safer than carrying deadly force. Not all have that option.

ARIES83 -> RE: What gun to get? -first firearm (9/4/2012 8:18:53 PM)
Go test fire some and get the one that feels best for you, I'd recommend a glock, never fired one myself but I've had female friends that had and I've heard good things from them. I only have personal experience with target rifles

Duskypearls -> RE: What gun to get? -first firearm (9/4/2012 8:21:33 PM)
OsideGirl gives good suggestions. See if you can find an individual or group that will let you try out as many as possible, 'cause you don't want to invest beau coup bucks on a handgun you're not absolutely happy with. Try semi-auto's and revolvers to see which you like better. I have a S&W .357 revolver, and a Browning 30-06 hunting rifle I'm very happy with, and would LOVE to one day get a Sig Sauer P 238. Attend local gun shows, and talk to dealers. If you get into rifles, start with a Rueger 10/22. They're good, relatively cheap, and ammo is very cheap, so it's great for target practice. Then, maybe move up the ladder from there. Whatever you get, practice till the cows come home, from a standing position as well as when moving, so you get REAL intimate with it. Weapons are not cheap, so always ask if a buyer will accept less. Looked at a Ruger 10/22 last week, balked and complained it was too much. They were willing to take $60 off the store price.

UllrsIshtar -> RE: What gun to get? -first firearm (9/4/2012 9:02:44 PM)
Thanks everybody! I just found out (on another section of their website) that they don't want me to get my own gun until we're halfway through the course at a minimum. They'll have us try various things while training as well. But at least now I've got some idea before I'm getting myself into this. [:)] quote: ORIGINAL: OsideGirl Another good course is called Women on Target put on by the NRA. It is a day of shooting with women only and they provide the firearms. http://www.nrahq.org/women/isc/index.asp I'm actually doing this together with my husband. He's never shot before, and target practice is a hobby we're looking forward to taking up together, which makes all women's classes less desirable for me. quote: ORIGINAL: epiphiny43 I've been around guns all my life and am pretty skeptical of someone new to them benefiting from CCW. Your situation is not knowable to us and your capabilities in sudden emergencies aren't either. If you proceed to a utilized CCW permit, monthly training is required the same as aviation piloting. I'm not looking to immediately utilize the CCW permit. I'm also not planning to stop at the beginner course. I'm intending to take just about every course they offer, over time (which is currently about 20) and to put in regular time on the range in between classes. They have several classes that cover, in detail, both the legality, as well as the practicality/reality, of actually using a gun in a life threatening situation, all of which I'm intending to take. But even after that, I'm not really getting this gun because I feel I'll need it in such a situation and considering where we're currently living, I don't really feel the need to carry a gun from a safety point of view either. I'm more intending to do this as a hobby, then that I'm seriously counting on ever having to use it to protect myself. quote: ORIGINAL: Duskypearls Whatever you get, practice till the cows come home, from a standing position as well as when moving, so you get REAL intimate with it. Weapons are not cheap, so always ask if a buyer will accept less. Looked at a Ruger 10/22 last week, balked and complained it was too much. They were willing to take $60 off the store price. That's the plan. [:)] I've heard that guns also tend to be cheaper at trade shows than in the shops. Is that true?

LadyHibiscus -> RE: What gun to get? -first firearm (9/4/2012 9:07:27 PM)
Guns are cheaper at the trade shows, often they're used, which is fine, or...of 'questionable provenance'.

kitkat105 -> RE: What gun to get? -first firearm (9/4/2012 9:36:44 PM)
Woohoo Greencard! Congratulations on 'official' conditional residency! Thanks for posting this - I am interested in learning how to shoot a gun, plus ownership down the line.

Hillwilliam -> RE: What gun to get? -first firearm (9/5/2012 1:51:51 AM)
I've been shooting since I was 5 or 6. If you just want to punch holes in paper and get used to shooting, a .22 is the most economical. Recoil is minimal to nonexistent as well so its a great beginner gun. Always wear hearing protection. I didnt because it was just not common among civilians in the 60's/70's to do so. I wear hearing aids now. After you're comfortable, try out several models and calibers to see what YOU like best. If you get serious, look into reloading your own cartriges. When you do decide to purchase something for defense, frangible ammo like Glaser Safety slugs will minimize over penetration.

GreedyTop -> RE: What gun to get? -first firearm (9/5/2012 2:12:25 AM)
~FR~ congrats on the greencard, Ishtar!!

Aswad -> RE: What gun to get? -first firearm (9/5/2012 3:56:54 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: UllrsIshtar Logical next step: I'm going to get a handgun. Have you considered a rifle? (Asks the nutcase looking to get back down to 50bpm...) quote: Any gun-nuts out there who have recommendation on what to get for a beginner? Others have mentioned some good choices, so I'll throw in an expensive oddball: FN's Five-seveN. The professionals don't like it, but the weight is amazingly low, the recoil is low, and the accuracy is good. More to the point, it will not shoot the guy behind an attacker, will generally not kill a bystander on a stray hit, and it is about as much fun at the range as a 22LR (but more costly, and likely to make you consider muffs over the plugs for your ears). IWYW, — Aswad.

UllrsIshtar -> RE: What gun to get? -first firearm (9/5/2012 4:18:44 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Aswad quote: ORIGINAL: UllrsIshtar Logical next step: I'm going to get a handgun. Have you considered a rifle? (Asks the nutcase looking to get back down to 50bpm...) Oh yeah totally. And a shotgun too. I'm getting a handgun first, because well... I really don't know why. Cause I want to. [:)] But ultimately the goal is to get proficient with a number of different weapons. Besides, I definitely want to learn to go hunting as well, and I've got a feeling handguns may not be the first pick for that. [:D]

BamaD -> RE: What gun to get? -first firearm (9/5/2012 4:49:59 AM)
Handguns are usefull for hunting, but only after attaining a high skill level. My brotherused to hunt sqiulls with a single action 22. However a shotgun is much better for small game. Most of the advice you have been getting here seems valid. The 10/22 is one of thebest 22 rifles made and relatily inexpensive. Although I personally like 45s, both acp and long colt they are not neccesarily the best choice for a beginner. Something in the .38/9mm range might be better, maybe even a .32. Remember no mattere how good the round is it is worthless if you don't hit what you are aiming at. Your purpose for getting a firearm seems somwhat nebulous (although I read it in the middle of the night so it could just be me) so it is hard for gun enthusiasts to be terribly helpfull. All that said not a us citezen? In many places you cannot leaglly buy a firearm. Your use of the term gun nuts makes me dubiuos of the sencerity of the thread.

PeonForHer -> RE: What gun to get? -first firearm (9/5/2012 4:59:34 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: UllrsIshtar I'm getting a handgun first, because well... I really don't know why. Because you're in America.

UllrsIshtar -> RE: What gun to get? -first firearm (9/5/2012 5:02:24 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: BamaD All that said not a us citezen? In many places you cannot leaglly buy a firearm. Your use of the term gun nuts makes me dubiuos of the sencerity of the thread. I'm aware of that, but luckily it doesn't seem to be an issue in CO. I do understand that there are a lot of options out there, and that unless I know what I want, it's hard to tell me what I should want. [:)] However, this thread has so far given me exactly what I was looking for: a starting point to do a little research and reading online before class starts later this month, so that I've got at least some semblance of a feeling that I have some idea as to what is out there. I come from a country with a very strict anti-gun culture (so badly that a lot of our cops, like traffic cops, don't even necessarily carry a gun) so this is about as foreign a subject to me as eating raw horse meat would be to most Americans. And the thread is very much meant seriously... I didn't mean the term "gun nut" as being offensive. Mark it off as a bad attempt at a light tone.

UllrsIshtar -> RE: What gun to get? -first firearm (9/5/2012 5:03:58 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: PeonForHer quote: ORIGINAL: UllrsIshtar I'm getting a handgun first, because well... I really don't know why. Because you're in America. Yeah... isn't it awesome that, in SOME states, I'm finally a "people" now?

PeonForHer -> RE: What gun to get? -first firearm (9/5/2012 5:29:24 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: UllrsIshtar so this is about as foreign a subject to me as eating raw horse meat would be to most Americans. So, you feel pretty much at home with the subject, then. [;)]

TahoeSadist -> RE: What gun to get? -first firearm (9/5/2012 6:45:43 AM)
Congratulations, and welcome to the world of shooting sports. Lots of good advice so far, especially about the degree of individual choice in finding any gun, especially a handgun that fits and works for you. I would say that the idea of beginning with a rifle, and particularly a .22LR (I prefer to teach on a bolt action) rifle makes a lot of sense: rifles are easier to master than handguns, 22s are inexpensive to shoot, recoil is a non-factor, and even good quality 22 rifles are reasonably priced. Next, since you did express interest in target shooting, would be to find your local shooting club or clubs, and and see what kinds of shooting they do. Great places to continue learning from people who do it a lot, and you'll also be able to see the variety of different kinds of activities, sports, and shooting styles. TS

OsideGirl -> RE: What gun to get? -first firearm (9/5/2012 8:01:21 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: ARIES83 Go test fire some and get the one that feels best for you, I'd recommend a glock, never fired one myself but I've had female friends that had and I've heard good things from them. I only have personal experience with target rifles Yeah, we have a friend with a Glock that I have spent a lot of time shooting. It doesn't really fit my hand, I have to wrap my hand a little bit which means that I have to tweak my wrist and it's no longer a straight shot down my arm. The new Gen 4s are better with the adjustable back strap. Ishtarr, if you really want to do target shooting, check out the S&W 22a. It's a 22LR target gun, has a ton of accessories like fiber optic sights and it's just under the $300 price. It reliable, accurate and easy to shoot.

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