Soon to be gun owner seeking advice

[tikyo2000]

Hi guys,

I am planning of buying a handgun and if ever, this will be my first. I am new at this so any advice will be appreciated especially in the following context:

1. Like buying a car, what are the things that I should scrutinize before paying for it?

2. How will I know if the gun I am buying is really new, has no defects, not old stock, etc?

3. Questions and things that I should be asking the dealer.

4. Just incase it becomes a hobby, can it be use for practical shooting? E.g. Taurus Millennium Pro or XD9


Thanks in advance!

 

[WillBrayJr]

I recommend the XD-9 out of the two you mentioned, with all the features the XD is a great newbie pistol. Springfield Armory is friendly and has a lifetime warranty. You'll need a cleaning kit. www.otisgun.com has cleaning kits starting at $10.00 and they too have a lifetime warranty excluding patches and solvent. You'll need a secure lock box of some sort to lock up your pistol when not needed. A small Brinks Safe is perfect plus it's fire proof. CCI Blazer and Speer Lawman are good for practice. I do recommend trying 147gr Hornady XTP or Tap PD ammo for protection. Don't forget about hearing protection.

 

[Norton]

If you poke around here on the boards, you will find a lot of threads dealing with this very subject.

However, I would add that if you were to tell everyone where you are located there would be more than enough people to direct you to a reputable shop. In fact, I bet that there would be lot of people here that would be happy to take you out for a range session so that you could try out many different firearms.

 

[RyanM]

If you want a revolver, make sure you check this thread. http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=1430

I'd suggest trying to find a range nearby that rents guns. Just shoot whatever looks interesting (but try to start with a .22 or other light-recoiling gun), and see what works best for you. But keep in mind that range guns are generally filthy and poorly maintained, so jams and other failures may not be a reflection on the quality of the gun. Once you have some idea of what model(s) work best for you, look online for information like price, recalls, and other potential problems. For instance, Glocks with serial numbers below a certain number (it differs based on the model) may need an upgrade.

 

[Oldtimer]

Your best bet is to

(A) Sign up for a handgun safety course BEFORE making your first purchase. Quite often, the instructor will have "loan" handguns for the students to use, and that will give you your first "hands-on" experience.

(B) After you've completed the handgun safety course, find out if your local shooting ranges will rent handguns. Try as many as possible, to figure out what you like the best.

(C) Keep doing your "homework" by perusing as many firearms-related boards as possible. You'll find out what the most popular handguns are, as well as the ones that you should steer clear of.

(D) Talk it up with gun store owners/employees that make "sense". Some will try to sell you a handgun that you don't want, but many will steer you toward what you might like.

(E) Find out if you have friends that have handguns. You can usually rely upon friends much better than total strangers.

(F) Don't stop asking questions! In my opinion, there are VERY few questions that can't be answered honestly. Steer clear of the "experts" that sound like they're full of "BS".

Lastly, if a handgun is going to be your very first firearm, I'd suggest that you reconsider. A good .22 rifle would be a great starter, for it will allow you to learn the basics of shooting without sending you off to the ATM machine. Most quality handguns will cost you TWICE the amount of a good .22 rifle, and .22 ammo is downright cheap to shoot!

Beyond that? Well, it will be up to you whether you want a Colt, Smith & Wesson, Beretta or...what have you. Then, you'll have to decide whether you want a revolver or semi-auto pistol. Blued steel or stainless steel? Caliber? Type of sights? New or used? WHEW! Lots of decisions to make! Just be patient and do your "homework" before you plunk down your hard earned cash!

 

[MrAcheson]

I'll give you the advice I give all new shooters looking to buy their first gun:

Find to a range with an extensive rental collection. Start shooting there regularly to figure out what you like and what you shoot well. Then buy something that fits in both those categories. Getting a range membership may cut down on the expense, but expect to spend some money here. This is what I did.

Alternately, if you have a buddy who shoots, get him to pack up his pistols and take you to the range. This is cheaper, but you and your buddy may not have similar tastes.

A good first gun is a .22lr auto like the Buckmark or the Rugers. The ammo is cheap and the trigger is good. But they don't have any stopping power and you won't learn how to handle recoil very well. My second pistol was a .22 buckmark.

Another choice for a practical first pistol is a 9mm auto. The ammo is cheap for centerfire. They have decent stopping power with hollowpoints and the recoil is present but manageable. My first pistol was a 9mm hipower.

Yet another good choice is .357 service revolver like S&W 686 or Ruger GP100. Ammo is more expensive than 9mm even if you practice with .38s. Stopping power can be higher with .357 hollowpoints. Revolvers are better for the mechanically uninclined. They are also great training tools for all sorts of things like flinching, trigger control, recoil control, etc.

As for the specific guns to buy, once you know what you like, then study up on the gun. Try to find a forum that caters to that make and model. Typically the forum will have a new gun checkout procedure. Do that. Search THR for them too. The revolver forum here has a good one for wheelguns.

Your dealer should be trustworthy, but he may not check his guns out himself before he sells them. Which is why you should check the gun out yourself. The most common problem I see at shops is overpriced guns so shop around. But I wouldn't worry about out and out fraud. A dealer probably wouldn't risk his license for a few bucks.

 

[Blair]

Also, find out what brand of ammo your local police forces use. Use this ammo for defense purposes, as if you ever end up in court because of a defensive shooting, you can't be picked apart due to your ammo choice.

"It's the same brand of ammo that the police in my area use. Same ammo, same purpose"

 

[rkt88edmo]

1. Like buying a car, what are the things that I should scrutinize before paying for it?

Would you buy a car if you didn't know how to drive?

As said above, get training, and then get some experience. You will be safer and probably happier with your purchase.

 

[tikyo2000]

WOW after a few hour, I returned to this thread and found a lot of helpful tips & advice!
I will take most of your advice especially the Safety course, trying out a few rentals.

Thanks a lot guys!

 

[f4t9r]

Your best bet is to

(A) Sign up for a handgun safety course BEFORE making your first purchase. Quite often, the instructor will have "loan" handguns for the students to use, and that will give you your first "hands-on" experience.

(B) After you've completed the handgun safety course, find out if your local shooting ranges will rent handguns. Try as many as possible, to figure out what you like the best.

(C) Keep doing your "homework" by perusing as many firearms-related boards as possible. You'll find out what the most popular handguns are, as well as the ones that you should steer clear of.

(D) Talk it up with gun store owners/employees that make "sense". Some will try to sell you a handgun that you don't want, but many will steer you toward what you might like.

(E) Find out if you have friends that have handguns. You can usually rely upon friends much better than total strangers.

(F) Don't stop asking questions! In my opinion, there are VERY few questions that can't be answered honestly. Steer clear of the "experts" that sound like they're full of "BS".

Lastly, if a handgun is going to be your very first firearm, I'd suggest that you reconsider. A good .22 rifle would be a great starter, for it will allow you to learn the basics of shooting without sending you off to the ATM machine. Most quality handguns will cost you TWICE the amount of a good .22 rifle, and .22 ammo is downright cheap to shoot!

Beyond that? Well, it will be up to you whether you want a Colt, Smith & Wesson, Beretta or...what have you. Then, you'll have to decide whether you want a revolver or semi-auto pistol. Blued steel or stainless steel? Caliber? Type of sights? New or used? WHEW! Lots of decisions to make! Just be patient and do your "homework" before you plunk down your hard earned cash!

+1 but let me add look at Sig (I love em)

 

[dairycreek]

Learning to shoot and learning to play golf have a lot in common. Anybody can pick up a golf club and swing it or pick up a gun and shoot it. And, often, bad habits are learned. Just a little, good instruction can help you to start with the right habits and get better and better. Learn to do it right and you will enjoy it a lot more in the long run. FWIW

 

[whm1974]

Also, find out what brand of ammo your local police forces use. Use this ammo for defense purposes, as if you ever end up in court because of a defensive shooting, you can't be picked apart due to your ammo choice.

"It's the same brand of ammo that the police in my area use. Same ammo, same purpose"

This may not work. My landlord was supprise that I can get a gun and ammo that the poilce use after I showed him my XD9.

In areas where legal gun ownership isn't common some sharp DA could use the fact that you have a "poilce" weapon agaist you.

-Bill