Perhaps you should try out different types of firearms at a shooting range.
I went to the local gun club for a basic skills class, and joined. We could try all types of fire arms.
The club has an active membership and offer events almost every day of the week. Members train, teach, mentor, etc.
I found that trying out the different guns is important to determining what you can hold, aim and use.
Check the NRA for Basic skills or other courses in your area as well as gun clubs.
Ping
Whatever you decide to buy, the key is *HOW* you use it.
Here is a video with some helpful hints -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=iDnEkFSMRik#
If I were in the market at this moment and had nothing at all, I would look at the SKS. I believe it’s likely to survive the ban when the Rino’s cave in and it’s still a fighting weapon. Especially three or four of them together.
There are two critical issues you really need to address.
First, attempting to bluff with a firearm is a potential disaster. If you bring a firearm to a deadly force confrontation, you must be able to kill with it. If you can't get rid of it.
Second, you absolutely must learn the use of deadly force laws where you live. When and when not to use a firearm to defend yourself and/or property is not governed by common sense or what you have read in books or seen on TV or the movies. The use of deadly force is governed by technical laws and past legal discussions. It has nothing to do with justice or fair play.
You are doing the right thing, you just need to be prepared for the obvious worst case outcome. While you are at it look into a concealed carry license along with a course on using you selected firearm. Good Luck.
Pump shotguns are still available and have not increased in price. Yet. I would suggest getting a $200 12 gauge shotgun and some 00 buck shells if you want something for home defense.
If you want a good shotgun, get a Remington 870. Can't go wrong. More expensive, but something to be proud of.
Go to an indoor range and bet advice. You’ll also get a chance to fire some items that pique your interest.
Get some good knives as well.
Have a plan for “what if?” And practice it. Plan for your plan to fail and have a backup and yet another backup.
Stuff happens and the best laid plains fail.
Better safe than sorry.
If you’re talking about home defense, then I think it makes sense to have a shotgun and a pistol. The pistol if you get woken up at night and need it quickly, the shotgun if you have someone trying to break into the house and you have enough time to prepare a reception.
After getting some classes... go buy...
357 revolver with 4 inch barrel - simple, reliable, effective, fires good variety of common ammo. Get it in stainless and you are even better off.
Other choice is a Remington 870 shotgun, common, reliable, lots of accessories, inexpensive, used by Police and has large following.
Both, even in today’s hysteria should cost a fairly low relative price. $600 for the revolver, and $320 for the shotgun.
Happy shooting. Don’t forget to get plenty of ammo.
my advice, go buy a shotgun because they’re easy, very effective, highly useful, and currently one of the few firearms easily obtained and reasonably priced.
mark
Step one: Take a gun safety course. Start from the very basics. You will get some exposure to a variety of firearms in most courses, and that may shape your purchase decision.
Decide if the weapon is primarily for home defense, or if is one you wish to carry concealed. This makes a big difference in terms of what weapon you will choose, since a shotgun is a little hard to conceal. :)
If home defense is your primary concern, you should probably look at shotguns as a good choice. There are many models that will do the trick ... Mossberg 500, Winchester Defender, etc. Try to shoot both 12 and 20 gauge version and decide which you like best, and can handle best. Avoid pistol grip versions. Even tho they are more compact, as a beginner, you will want to spend time as much time as possible shooting the weapon and pistol grip 12 gauge shotguns (and even 20s) are not fun to shoot repeatedly unless you have a bionic thumb.
Handgun models work for home defense as well as concealed carry. There are so many choices, the best bet is to go to a range and rent and shoot as many different types as you can until you find the most comfortable one for you. And your comfort and familiarity with the gun are the most important factor starting out. Whether revolver or semi-auto, it is your comfort level that matters most because you will be shooting this weapon hundreds of times to build proficiency.
Don’t get too hung up on caliber, although it is best to avoid anything smaller than .380 unless you have tiny hands, and even then there are plenty of compact models in larger calibers, though they may rough to start out with. Get the best quality gun from a name manufacturer you can afford, and spend as much time as you can getting all the basics of marksmanship covered.
Talk to plenty of people, and read the no doubt hundreds of replies to your post that will show up here ... ;) It is ultimately your confort level and proficiency that matter most of all.
Good luck.
Some good information here: http://www.corneredcat.com/contents/
Thanks for this post. My wife and I will be looking into concealed-carry permits when we move to FL. I do have a little experience, but they say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, so taking the NRA courses is absolutely a great idea!
Aria,
Everyone has given you some great things to consider already, but I just wanted to put my two cents in because my wife and I just recently purchased a firearm. The primary reason for the purchase was to have something that she could operate in an emergency without a lot of things to think about.
A gun dealer friend of mine recommended a 38 special revolver for women - particular for women without a lot of experience with guns.
He said this because, in an emergency, you probably won’t have time to think about all the steps you are supposed to use in operating a pistol with a clip (pulling back the bolt, making sure the safety is off, making sure the clip is in correctly, etc.) - all this takes precious time.
When you are nervous and in an emergency mistakes can be made. Of course which ever firearm you purchase you will need to practice, practice and practice again until you can do it without having to think about the steps.
What is so great about a revolver is, all you have to do is make sure it is loaded, point and fire. There is no safety, you don’t have to pull back the bolt and no clips are involved. Just learn how to load it and get used to the recoil through practice. Ammunition is plentiful for 38 specials as well.
Some will say that the problem with a revolver is that it only holds 5 or 6 bullets. True, but most confrontations in the home, which is what is the likely scenario, will probably be within 20 feet or so of the target. If you can’t hit them with at least two to four shots at that range then having a gun isn’t going to help you anyway.
Reloading a revolver isn’t that hard, especially if you’ve hit your target a couple of times already, which should give you time to quickly reload (with practice of course).
Just my thoughts. I’m sure you’ll get something that will work just fine.
A lot of the polymer framed pistols have grip inserts that allow the gun to better fit your hand. A good place to start is with a firearm that feels comfortable to hold and shoot, one that feels right for you.
There are people recommending rifles and this can be a good choice. BUT ... if you live in an apartment complex, condo, or a neighborhood where the houses are really close together, a rifle is not the best choice since most rifle rounds will go through a wall and out ... to where? A shotgun and most pistol calibers will not penetrate the walls in most homes or apartments, and even if they do it will be with very little energy left.
Also, do not ever under any circumstances refer to magazines as clips. :) There is a difference, even though they seem to be interchangeable terms now.
It takes lots of time and practice to be good with any gun, and paying to go to local indoor ranges can add up quickly. Find some targets, several boxes of ammo, and head for the hills.
It's fun and in many ways a more pleasant way to sharpen your skill. Ask around for tips on where to go. Take some friends, food and drinks, and have a ball!!