No, this post is not a joke.
Before we start, yes, I am a liberal, but no, I am not an "anti" and never have been. I'm a big supporter of the second amendment, I'm pro gun-rights, and I oppose any sort of gun control (yes, including AWB). OK, now that we've got that out of the way...
I didn't grow up around guns and have never owned one. This is because I'm an urban dweller and have never had a use for one. Yeah yeah, I know, self-defense. But I don't need one, truthfully, because I have a head on my shoulders. I stay out of situations, and even having lived in some of the worst neighborhoods in the most dangerous cities, I can always find a way out of a situation without the need for deadly force. I have shot a half dozen times times. Mostly borrowed pistols and rentals, tough I did get to empty a few magazines from an AR-15 once which was a blast.
But to be truthful, things are getting scary out there. I've reassessed my situation, and basically came to the conclusion "its better to have a gun and not need it, than to need a gun and not have it." The primary use for my gun would be range shooting. After that its just to have it in case, heaven forbid, of a HD of SHTF situation. I've decided its time to practice what I preach and become a gun owner.
I found this forum when searching for information online and really like it. It wasn't two days lurking and reading here that I went from "OK, I'll buy a gun just in case", to planning my arsenal and forming a collection in my mind! Haha! But first things first... this is where you come in. Living in the People's Republic of California and consorting with fellow liberals like I do, I don't know any gun people. I don't want to be like the "new gun owners" in this thread. So I need your help.
My questions fall into two basic categories, safety, and gun selection.
So, how do I go about becoming a responsible gun owner?
Do I take a class? Do they offer them at any ol' gun range or store or what? Do I take a class before I get a gun, or do I buy first and learn with my own weapon? Are there standards for classes and what do they consist of?
Basically, I don't even know what I need to know. So please give any advice for what and how someone should learn in order to become a responsible gun owner, starting from zero.
And what gun should I pick?
Ah, finally the fun part. You have to have bullets for a gun to be useful, so affordability and availability of ammunition are paramount. I briefly, actually, considered some autopistol that would take .22LR, but that seems like too much compromise. I'm pretty sure my fist purchase will be a 9mm of some sort. I have about $500 for this, and I expect a couple hundred will go to fees and licenses and the like, and then there's ammo, so something in the range of $300 is my best guess.
I was eying the Bersa Thunder 9mm Ultra Compact, but I learned that CCW is not an option where I live, so now I'm thinking something full-size would be more appropriate. The reduced recoil with a larger gun might be usefull for a new shooter too. Remember this is a "first gun", not the last one I'll ever own, so I don't need all the bells and whistles. Just something reasonable that will fire when I need it to. Suggestions?
I'm hoping y'all can help turn me into a "gun nut" in a responsible way. Thanks in advance for any help.
Before we start, yes, I am a liberal, but no, I am not an "anti" and never have been. I'm a big supporter of the second amendment, I'm pro gun-rights, and I oppose any sort of gun control (yes, including AWB). OK, now that we've got that out of the way...
I didn't grow up around guns and have never owned one. This is because I'm an urban dweller and have never had a use for one. Yeah yeah, I know, self-defense. But I don't need one, truthfully, because I have a head on my shoulders. I stay out of situations, and even having lived in some of the worst neighborhoods in the most dangerous cities, I can always find a way out of a situation without the need for deadly force. I have shot a half dozen times times. Mostly borrowed pistols and rentals, tough I did get to empty a few magazines from an AR-15 once which was a blast.
But to be truthful, things are getting scary out there. I've reassessed my situation, and basically came to the conclusion "its better to have a gun and not need it, than to need a gun and not have it." The primary use for my gun would be range shooting. After that its just to have it in case, heaven forbid, of a HD of SHTF situation. I've decided its time to practice what I preach and become a gun owner.
I found this forum when searching for information online and really like it. It wasn't two days lurking and reading here that I went from "OK, I'll buy a gun just in case", to planning my arsenal and forming a collection in my mind! Haha! But first things first... this is where you come in. Living in the People's Republic of California and consorting with fellow liberals like I do, I don't know any gun people. I don't want to be like the "new gun owners" in this thread. So I need your help.
My questions fall into two basic categories, safety, and gun selection.
So, how do I go about becoming a responsible gun owner?
Do I take a class? Do they offer them at any ol' gun range or store or what? Do I take a class before I get a gun, or do I buy first and learn with my own weapon? Are there standards for classes and what do they consist of?
Basically, I don't even know what I need to know. So please give any advice for what and how someone should learn in order to become a responsible gun owner, starting from zero.
And what gun should I pick?
Ah, finally the fun part. You have to have bullets for a gun to be useful, so affordability and availability of ammunition are paramount. I briefly, actually, considered some autopistol that would take .22LR, but that seems like too much compromise. I'm pretty sure my fist purchase will be a 9mm of some sort. I have about $500 for this, and I expect a couple hundred will go to fees and licenses and the like, and then there's ammo, so something in the range of $300 is my best guess.
I was eying the Bersa Thunder 9mm Ultra Compact, but I learned that CCW is not an option where I live, so now I'm thinking something full-size would be more appropriate. The reduced recoil with a larger gun might be usefull for a new shooter too. Remember this is a "first gun", not the last one I'll ever own, so I don't need all the bells and whistles. Just something reasonable that will fire when I need it to. Suggestions?
I'm hoping y'all can help turn me into a "gun nut" in a responsible way. Thanks in advance for any help.