jad0110
Member
First off, welcome to THR! We are glad we can be of assistance, but do take everything we say with a grain of salt. You are doing all the right things - trying stuff out for yourself before you buy.
And yes, http://www.corneredcat.com/ is a fantastic resource, for men and women alike.
Actually, I count 3 guns in there
! Perhaps 4, I could go on and on .
Cheap practice: Unless you are a millionaire, nothing beats a 22 for cheap, fun practice. Any 22 would be fine: semi auto or revolver (double or single action). I have but one 22, however I enjoy them so much that I'd like to add more. Even though I reload my own, there is something truly care free about shooting ammo that costs only $10 for 550 rounds from Wallie World.
Home protection: For now, your trail gun and home defense gun can do double duty. The autos you have listed will work great for either role, as will a 357 revolver. Later, you can get something a little more specialized for home defense. Size doesn't really matter here, so your options open up a lot. Of course, it should be a gun you are comfortable and confident with. I'm not sure what your housing situation is, but a shotgun of some type is tough to beat for home protection. 12 and 20 gauge are the most common, but there are other options as well. Shotguns, particularly pumps, can be picked up for very reasonable prices used. For example, I recently saw a nice used Mossberg 500 20 ga (18.5" barrel) for $150. Shotguns are far more powerful than any handgun, and though they still must be aimed they are a lot easier to hit a target with.
Trail/Hiking: As I said, for now this can be the same gun as your home protection choice. Weight can be a concern for hiking. Then again, a good quality belt and holster has a way of making the weight of a heavier handgun (such as an all steel 4-6" barrel 357 revolver) disappear.
Concealed carry: Depending on the size and weight of your trail and/or home protection gun, it could also serve you well as a concealed carry piece. Though eventually, most people seem to get a dedicated, small, easy to carry piece to encourage daily carry whenever legal. Packing a monster handgun becomes a chore for many people, so they stop carrying. I pack a 5" 1911 from time-to-time, but I carry my little S&W 642 the vast majority of the time. A small Kel-Tec in 32 ACP or a 38 snubnose revolver that goes with you everywhere beats a big burly 45 or 357 at home every time.
So as I said, that could mean up to 4 different guns. See, once you become a gun nut like us, the number will just keep getting bigger . Look, it went from 3 to 4 in my own post!!! When I started out, I said I only neeeded two. Refer to my signature line below...
And yes, http://www.corneredcat.com/ is a fantastic resource, for men and women alike.
Actually, I count 3 guns in there
! Perhaps 4, I could go on and on .Cheap practice: Unless you are a millionaire, nothing beats a 22 for cheap, fun practice. Any 22 would be fine: semi auto or revolver (double or single action). I have but one 22, however I enjoy them so much that I'd like to add more. Even though I reload my own, there is something truly care free about shooting ammo that costs only $10 for 550 rounds from Wallie World.
Home protection: For now, your trail gun and home defense gun can do double duty. The autos you have listed will work great for either role, as will a 357 revolver. Later, you can get something a little more specialized for home defense. Size doesn't really matter here, so your options open up a lot. Of course, it should be a gun you are comfortable and confident with. I'm not sure what your housing situation is, but a shotgun of some type is tough to beat for home protection. 12 and 20 gauge are the most common, but there are other options as well. Shotguns, particularly pumps, can be picked up for very reasonable prices used. For example, I recently saw a nice used Mossberg 500 20 ga (18.5" barrel) for $150. Shotguns are far more powerful than any handgun, and though they still must be aimed they are a lot easier to hit a target with.
Trail/Hiking: As I said, for now this can be the same gun as your home protection choice. Weight can be a concern for hiking. Then again, a good quality belt and holster has a way of making the weight of a heavier handgun (such as an all steel 4-6" barrel 357 revolver) disappear.
Concealed carry: Depending on the size and weight of your trail and/or home protection gun, it could also serve you well as a concealed carry piece. Though eventually, most people seem to get a dedicated, small, easy to carry piece to encourage daily carry whenever legal. Packing a monster handgun becomes a chore for many people, so they stop carrying. I pack a 5" 1911 from time-to-time, but I carry my little S&W 642 the vast majority of the time. A small Kel-Tec in 32 ACP or a 38 snubnose revolver that goes with you everywhere beats a big burly 45 or 357 at home every time.
So as I said, that could mean up to 4 different guns. See, once you become a gun nut like us, the number will just keep getting bigger
. Look, it went from 3 to 4 in my own post!!! When I started out, I said I only neeeded two. Refer to my signature line below...
