GigaBuist
Member
Yes today was the day. I wrote before about how a former co-worker was going to purchase a pistol after I had taken him out a couple of times shooting. He got clearance from the wife, sold a laptop on Ebay, and today made the purchase after much deliberation.
I'm not sure who's happier honestly. He's got his first gun in his own hands tonight and I'm still grinning like a kid in a candy store myself.
Now, I may get beat up by the more experienced shooters here, but he purchased a Sprinfield XD with a 4" barrel in 9mm as his first pistol. If you want to retort to that saying he should have gotten a revolver or a .22 first please don't. I know the argument, I agree with the argument, but it just didn't happen. It may very well be his ONLY gun in life so at least it's in a reasonable defensive caliber. End of story
Cost was a concern, and a primary concern, but we found one locally NIB for $430. Not great, but some shops wanted $530 for the thing in our area. To ease the apprehension in making the choice I let him know that if he hates the thing and I actually said it'd be a good pistol I'd buy it off him for exactly what he paid. He could pretty much do this every 6 months while he and I tried out new guns for him if he felt so inclined. I wouldn't mind a bit either... good excuse for me to pick up more pistols guilt free
is there a point to this post? Not really. If there is, I think I finally understand why the fellow that helped me buy my first pistol spent all that time educating me and helping me out, and taking me to the range the first few times. It's just insanely gratifiying to walk into a house previously unarmed and see a man that's now got his very own defensive weapon. A straight thinking level headed man that now has a respectable pistol in his posession and is willing to train with it. It just gives me this warm feeling all over and has me smiling for hours! You older guys have probably done this is a few times... kinda makes me want to buy a bunch of .22LR rifles for 12 year old boys and hand 'em out or something.
I do have some issues with the "supplies" he was sold by the clerk at the gunstore though. He wanted me with him to buy cleaning supplies but that didn't happen so he followed the gun counter guy's suggestion. He got a kit with a rod that screws into a screw driver like handle with a mop and copper brush. That's good. For a cleaning solvent? Rem Oil. I didn't even know that was considered a cleaning solvent! No patches, nothing to hold patches with either. He'll need some Hoppes #9 or Shooter's Choice cleaner and a proper patch brush ASAP. Kinda miffed that the guy didn't think to suggest one of them.
Oh well, I'm haulling out the CZ-75B tomorrow and heading to the range with him to law down a stream of 9mm amm together. Should be fun -- and I can't wait to try this XD9 out!
I'm not sure who's happier honestly. He's got his first gun in his own hands tonight and I'm still grinning like a kid in a candy store myself.
Now, I may get beat up by the more experienced shooters here, but he purchased a Sprinfield XD with a 4" barrel in 9mm as his first pistol. If you want to retort to that saying he should have gotten a revolver or a .22 first please don't. I know the argument, I agree with the argument, but it just didn't happen. It may very well be his ONLY gun in life so at least it's in a reasonable defensive caliber. End of story
Cost was a concern, and a primary concern, but we found one locally NIB for $430. Not great, but some shops wanted $530 for the thing in our area. To ease the apprehension in making the choice I let him know that if he hates the thing and I actually said it'd be a good pistol I'd buy it off him for exactly what he paid. He could pretty much do this every 6 months while he and I tried out new guns for him if he felt so inclined. I wouldn't mind a bit either... good excuse for me to pick up more pistols guilt free
is there a point to this post? Not really. If there is, I think I finally understand why the fellow that helped me buy my first pistol spent all that time educating me and helping me out, and taking me to the range the first few times. It's just insanely gratifiying to walk into a house previously unarmed and see a man that's now got his very own defensive weapon. A straight thinking level headed man that now has a respectable pistol in his posession and is willing to train with it. It just gives me this warm feeling all over and has me smiling for hours! You older guys have probably done this is a few times... kinda makes me want to buy a bunch of .22LR rifles for 12 year old boys and hand 'em out or something.
I do have some issues with the "supplies" he was sold by the clerk at the gunstore though. He wanted me with him to buy cleaning supplies but that didn't happen so he followed the gun counter guy's suggestion. He got a kit with a rod that screws into a screw driver like handle with a mop and copper brush. That's good. For a cleaning solvent? Rem Oil. I didn't even know that was considered a cleaning solvent! No patches, nothing to hold patches with either. He'll need some Hoppes #9 or Shooter's Choice cleaner and a proper patch brush ASAP. Kinda miffed that the guy didn't think to suggest one of them.
Oh well, I'm haulling out the CZ-75B tomorrow and heading to the range with him to law down a stream of 9mm amm together. Should be fun -- and I can't wait to try this XD9 out!
