new to guns

[jli567]

hi im new here, trying to get into the sport of shooting but after extensive research i've come to the conclusion that i can't ask for ppls opinions on what guns they think is good but to rather go to a store and hold and maybe fire the guns for myself. my question is if theres anyone in the so. california, san gabriel area that can tell me or maybe show me where a good gun shop is. and show me what the process is in buying a gun. im 23 so i know im good in my age for a handgun. thanks in advance.

 

[Stickjockey]

First off, welcome to the High Road! I've found thid to be about my favorite gun-related site on the web for general gun info, RKBA stuff, whatever. come on in, look around, put your feet up on a rock by the fire and sit a spell!

It's true; peoples opinions are good for a general idea of what's good and what's not, but you have to be able to get past the surface of it.

By the way, since you're in the SoCal area, you might try looking up our resident banjo-pickin' king of tacticality, Skunkabilly. I'm sure he'd set you right, gunshop-wise.

 

[juggler]

Welcome!! Be VERRRRRRRRY careful!!! I made the mistake of joining a gun club and now have acquired a firearm for all the calibers (auto and revolver) we do in pin shooting, picked up an over/under for skeet, and am looking at rifles.

My point is that you may want to find a local gun club. I have found the people to be courteous, friendly and informative. Most would be more than willing to impart their wisdom to a newbie, and chances are good that you would also have invitations to try numerous and varied guns.

Asking someone about their favorite gun is not much different than expressing interest in photos of the grandkids.......

I have learned (from reading threads from here and other forums) that there are clubs that have members with less-than-desirable social skills, but that is true of the population in general. If you go in with an open mind and some patience you should be able to weed out the nimrods and maybe even find yourself a Rabbi to take you under his/her wing.

Then there is the wide world of re-loading...................

 

[El Tejon]

Welcome to THR!

 

[Nathanael_Greene]

Welcome to THR!

One thing you may learn about shooters is that a lot of us don't want to draw a lot of attention to ourselves, so you may find that discreet inquiries (among your friends, co-workers, etc.) may have more results.

Also, the opinions expressed are just that; everyone comes from a different perspective on these issues. Search through THR and you'll soon find a tremendous difference of opinion about calibers, manufacturers, type of firearm, etc. etc.

You will also quickly learn that the amount of fun you have is directly proportional to the amount of effort you put into safety.

 

[Mikul]

In order to save yourself a lot of time by following down the path of many new shooters you should throw at least a thousand dollars out your window and fill a safe/cabinet with a bunch of crap that you never use, and then go out and buy the stuff you really wanted all along. It also helps to toss another $200 out the window and then put a bunch of unused leather goods in a box.

It'll save you a lot of time.

Welcome to TFL. There's a lot of good advice here (the stuff above notwithstanding). Do your research and don't let yourself get caught up in the excitement of buying your first gun. If you make the right choice, you'll be able to pass it along to your grandchildren. I don't know too many other things that we buy that we can say that about.

 

[dairycreek]

Dear jli567!

Welcome to THR! This is an excellent place to learn. Don't be afraid to ask any and all questions. This place is full of folks with great expertise. I would also add that you read, read, and read some more. Not gun magazines per se but there are tons of good books to be found in public libraries and on the internet as well. Take a good look at the net sites of firearm manufacturers and read carefully. Remember that they are trying to sell stuff but they do tend to describe their products well and there's an awful lot to learn from that kind of reading. There are lots of ways to learn and you should examine all of them. Good shooting

 

[Ala Dan]

Greetings My Friend And Welcome Aboard-

Its nice to see you young folks on this forum. I think you will find
that as a whole, we have a very knowledgeable and friendly
membership. Sorry, I can't be of much help in recommending a
gun shop in southern California as I'm about 2500 miles away.
But one thing is for sure, selection of ones first firearm is not an
easy task. I will stay away from any recommendations, but
shooting different types (revolvers and semi-autos) at a rental
range is a good way to get started. After you have completed
shooting the weapons you are interested in (and before you
make a purchase), come'on back to this forum and ask any of
us about our thoughts/opinions/experiences with weapons
that you have tried and are interested in. We are always glad
to be of help, and again welcome to The High Road.

Respectfully,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member
Bessemer, AL

 

[jli567]

stickjockey, actually i did try to pm skunkabilly but he hasnt got back to me yet. i've lurked around these boards and know that he knows his stuff so hopefully he'll get back to me soon and show me around a range.

 

[MrMurphy]

I would recommend some L.A gunshops since I was a resident of Kalifornistan for 22 years, but you're in San Gabriel (nowhere near). If you do get down into the 57/60/210 interchange area, Tuan's guns off of 60 Fwy at Colima/Nogales is excellent, the prices are low and they have the corner on the cop market. They sell a lot and the guys are knowledgeable. Not BS artists.

 

[joe sixpack]

Welcome to THR, this is the best place to talk firearms and related
topics. The people here are most cool and helpful.

I've posted several links for you, the first below is to "LAX Firing Range"
an indoor place to shoot, that has a wide range of rental handguns
as well. It is one of the places I first got started a few months ago.
Of course they are closest to LAX (airport) by the coast so it's a 30 min drive.

http://www.laxrange.com/

There is also The Firing Line which has a location in Burbank. Though I am
not as familiar with them, I do believe they have a smaller selection of handguns to rent and their rental rates may be higher.

http://www.firingline.net/

The next link is where I bought my first gun. They are a sporting goods
chain and have many locations throughout the LA area, including an outlet
in Pasadena which would be the closest to you.

http://www.turners.com/turners/stores.php

One of the best places to go shooting once you have your gun is at
the Angeles Range above Lake View Terrace. I like shooting outdoors
more than indoors for a number of reasons including noise.

http://www.angelesranges.com/

I would recommend that you go to LAX (with someone who can
guide you) and try out a number of handguns. To determine which guns,
the people here will help advise you and you can also use the search feature of the forum and find out a lot about the various choices out there. That is what I did, and it worked, I'm still here!

Have fun and stay safe.

cheers, ab

 

[jli567]

AB: thanks for the links, i think the range at lax is too far from me its like a 45-50 min drive. i actually went to turners in west covina which is closest to me and the guy there was really helpful and patient. i got to hold a plethora of guns today and he refered to a range in brea which is a little closer to me than lax im going to check them hopefully this weekend and test shoot some guns. he suggested the ruger 9mm to me for the handgun and the ruger 10/22 for a first rifle. any more suggestions? the ruger was cheap and supposedly pretty reliable. any more imput would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Stand_Watie]

If the first handgun you're purchasing is for target shooting, I'd suggest a .22. You can pay for another pistol in short order with the money you'll save on ammo if you like to shoot - since you already are looking into the Ruger line, check out their 22/45 (I have one of these I bought new for about 200 bucks a couple years ago).

http://www.ruger-firearms.com/Firearms/FAProdResults?function=famid&famid=4

Or the Mark II


http://www.ruger-firearms.com/Firearms/FAProdResults?function=famid&famid=5