Just bought my first gun, now what do i need with it?

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ravot

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Hey Folks,
after doing my homework i decided on a springfield 1911 loaded stainless steel in 9mm. tomorrow morning i'll be making the purchase to make it official and i wanted to post this now so i can get some feedback and wait less by the time my beauty gets to me.

So, being that this is my first gun, tell me. what else do i need? Anything else i need to know? Accessories, tools and what not.

Recommend me
oil rags,
oils to oil my gun.
brushes or whatever for the barrel, cleaning.

Mags. I hear the stock magazines on the springer are not great and best to purchase third party. i hear great about Wilson and Mec Gar but which? can you post links on which to purchase?

Storing my gun. My house has no children just adults, 2 more and the house is large, so i plan to have my gun stored/hiding in 'plain' sight. are there special cases for this sort of thing? Is a drawer fine for this?

I read that leather and the gun case foam can remove the oils from the gun, is this true and frowned upon to keep the gun stored there?

I plan on going to the range at least once a month, but maybe a few times.
Good carrying case?

sorry for the questions, but i want to make it right.

PS. i found out about the idiot scratch/mark earlier today. glad i found out so i can try to avoid it. any tips?
 
someone on youtube suggested using tape on the frame to avoid the idiot mark

not sure i would do that...i favor being careful rather than using something like that...but to each their own
 
I suggest you get a 3 piece rifle cleaning rod for it. Some of the pistol rods have a permanently attached handle. With a third of a rifle rod, you can push a bore brush all the way through, rinse, repeat.

Sounds like you're a bit obsessive over keeping the gun pristine. In that case, be very careful how you set it down, because stainless steel scratches easy.
 
If it will be in plain sight, be sure to purchase some "death" rounds for it. Self Defense ammo is a must. Generrally, those "bumps in the night" do not allocate time for you to load a magazine.
 
congrats!! Get a few extra mags. If/when you buy your mags have the gun with you. My buddy bought 3 mags for his desert eagle and they didn't fit just right. This was at a gun show. Buy a cleaning kit. At the last show I went to I bought a gun magnet and mounted it in a closet. Carefull of scratching it though.
 
Lvl21
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i read that too. i also saw some people use some thicker playing cards to put it underneath the slide stop, then after pulling it out. i might try that a few times just to get the feeling and be comfortable. i guess the trick is putting the slide stop at a 45 degree angle.

Gloob
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thanks for the tips. i guess i do sound a bit obsessive but i want to make sure i got the right tools without taking multiple trips to the LGS. i'd rather order it online. with the stainless steel, yeah you're right it's prone to easy scratches but i'm mostly concerned with the 'idiot mark' the wear n tear not so much.
can you recommend where to purchase this rifle rod cleaning tool?

Ben
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I'll keep that in mind for sure, good tip!

Harmon
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thanks!

wow
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Funny, i see that a lot. seriously to shoot it a lot. i'll plan on putting some good rounds through it so i learn some more on this new baby.

ultradoc
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I'll definitely get more mags, do you recommend brands and where to purchase?
 
You need a case of 9mm ammo and a large quiet open area and some reactive targets.

Let me know when your gun wears out.

I left on my will for someone to check on you in a couple hundred years.
 
Buy ammo in bulk. I get my ammo on ammunitiontogo.com for pretty cheap, there are other places like midway.com and cabellas. Usually one of these three will have a good deal whenever you decide to buy ammo, unless you live in NY or somewhere else where they don't ship.

This is your first gun, so I know how you feel about keeping it "pretty." It will either end up a shooting piece, or a collectors piece. I don't think you can really get both, but with stainless, you will probably be okay if you avoid scratches and it should keep looking sharp for years. Just remember that stainless is softer than most other steels so keep it away from scratchy things, like nails, granite countertops, etc.

You can get a good gun cleaning "kit" anywhere, and pick up a big bag of hoppes patches when you figure out which sizes you like the best. Just make sure that the kit includes 9mm and you will be fine. If you only like pistols, then a pistol cleaning kit might be best, I think Winchester makes a good one. If you will be looking into other guns down the road, then it makes sense to just get a delux kit now, and all you will have to do in the future is replace some brushes and such as they wear out. Anything else, rags, pads, etc you can find anywhere.

As far as oils and cleaning and what not, they are all about the same. I use RemOil and the Remmington 40X stuff as my primary cleaning agents, but my first gun was a Remmington 700 and if I remember right, it came with a little can of Remoil, so I've just stuck with that name. I don't like mixing cleaning brands, my car only gets Macguires, hehehe. Hoppes is probably the most popular brand, but there are others. Get a solvent and an oil. For a 1911 you may want to pick up a tube of grease also for the sliding parts. I use automotive high-temp grease and it does a wonderful job.

As for a case, since it doesn't come with one, you can look up pelican cases online, but most sporting goods stores sell some type of foam filled cases and you just take out the little foam blocks to make a place for whatever you want to put in there.

thats all I got, have fun shooting.
 
Buy plenty of ammo, not just FMJ either. Invest in a couple hundred rounds of SD rounds. Be careful, I don't want to sound like your mom but as this is your first, remember which end goes toward the enemy. As for holsters I like Bianchi Leather holsters for my metal guns but that's me.
 
- Extra Magazines
- Gun Solvent (Hoppes works well)
- Aerosol gun oil (Remoil is my brand of choice)
- Cleaning kit
- SD Ammo
- BS Ammo, alot of it(There is NO point in owning a gun unless you go out and actually shoot the thing)
- Bundle of good cotton rags for cleaning, polishing, etc.
- old tackle box to keep your cleaning supplies in.

You shouldn't worry too much about what you keep it in, just be careful with the finish, and give it a light oiling before you take it to the range, and a thorough cleaning once you come back from it. Keep your cleaning supplies handy, and if you don't shoot it for awhile, give it a cleaning. You'd be surprised at what gun oil can pick up and what can leech out of the barrel from just a few weeks of sitting.

Have fun and shoot it often!
 
I kept my Springfield 1911A1 GI Model in the case it came in for quite awhile, no problems. Just give it a good oiling now and then.

A holster might be nice - keeps it handy at the range, easy to keep it nearby in the house, too.

Buy some quantity of home defense ammo and make sure it functions flawlessly.

Always ensure the gun is empty multiple times before dry firing. Always.

Keep her clean, and take good care of her. 1911's are tough, you should be very happy with yours.

The tackle box for cleaning stuff is a great idea, too.
 
Gonzo
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haha will do!

Geckgo
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thanks for the great info!

Lowe
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better safe than sorry, thank you.

Noob
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awesome tips! thank you! Also, BS ammo is just any other ammo right? SD ammo is self defense? what are the differences with any ammo versus SD ammo? does SD ammo leave a bigger hole?


Stone
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again thanks info. also, what's the purpose of dry firing? Besides testing a trigger, firing pin...?
 
1- Buy a nice CCW holster.
2- Buy Ammo.
3- Defensive Pistol Training class and/or practice.
4- goto back point 2. Repeat every week.


...
 
To clarify Geckgo's comment about New York... New York City might be a problem, but the rest of the state has no problem buying ammo mailorder. I've had no problem buying ammo from Cabella's, Natchez SS, or even Cheaper then Dirt.

Natchezss.com is one of my favorites. You might want to check them out, ravot.
 
Re cleaning materials.

With only '1' gun, I wouldn't buy a 'kit'. Ypou'll end up getting a lot more than you need.

You want a cleaning rod long eng to go through your barrel with some extra at both ends. Hoppes makes an inexpensive 8" aluminum rod, 8/32 thread that will work fine. Wal-Mart /Academy Sporting Goods or online sources.

Hoppe's #9 is a solvent that works and available at Wal-Marts/ Academy sporting goods.

Don't mention oils out loud or you will have 200 reasons to buy XXX brand. CLP is a light penetrating oil to Clean Lube and Protect and any 10W-30 synthetic motor oil will keep you running until you get your own preferences. CLP = Wal-Mart / Academy +++++.

get a 45cal "brass brush, 45Cal (brass)JAG, One of the larger (8/32) brass slotted tips to hold a patch---all 8-32 thread if you buy the Hoppes rod and all at Wal-Mart or Sporting Goods stores., patches for 45 cal---same sources. Get a double ended nylon brush (looks like a tooth brush with a big end and a small end) May find at a sporting goods store.
I don't use steel rods or tips in my handguns YMMV.

After a while on the forums, you'll want to experiment with the latest-greatest of all the above. Keep it simple for now.

Get some instruction on proper grip, stance, sight use, and trigger pull. It's harder to "UN"learn a bad habit, than to learn the right way the first time----experience speaking here..
Shoot every week at least until you are completely comfortable with handling loading, unloading, shooting clearing and safety practices---you don't want to try to learn when you 'need' it.
 
It sounds crazy, but for whatever reason you can buy cheaper ammo in communist NY than in other firearm friendly states. Look for wholesale.
A few weeks ago I got 2K rounds of .40cal Federal 180gr. for $420 total in two factory sealed cases.
 
For cleaning/lube, I like and recommend a can of Eezox.

I leave my CCW (blued gun) in it's leather holster all the time. Never an issue with the finish other than a polish on the corners, normal to holstered carry. No corrosion or negative chemistry with the metal that I've ever noted.

For a holster, I recommend Nate at UBG holsters. Custom holsters for reasonable prices. Nice guy to deal with also, very patient and will take the time to talk to you to be sure you get what you want out of your holster.

For a range case, I recommend a pistol case, most sporting goods stores should have something that will suffice.

"Hiding the gun" - I'd recommend you hide it in a holster. This way you are always 100% sure nothing is in the trigger guard when you reach for said firearm. Otherwise, there are some magnets out there for guns that allow it to be hidden in the open a little deeper in concealment.
 
pmec said:
To clarify Geckgo's comment about New York... New York City might be a problem, but the rest of the state has no problem buying ammo mailorder. I've had no problem buying ammo from Cabella's, Natchez SS, or even Cheaper then Dirt.

Natchezss.com is one of my favorites. You might want to check them out, ravot.
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I bought 9mm ammo at walmart for .24 cents a round.

Good enouugh.
 
hey folks, hoppe's #9 solvent is the same as the hoppes #9 bore cleaning solvent?
 
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