Posted on 12/16/2009 10:08:01 AM PST by bonillamktg
I am ashamed to say that I am 30 years old and do not own a gun. I grew up in a house without guns and never really thought about it until recently (as I started a drastic shift from being politically agnostic to a staunch conservative Constitutionalist) and now I am a new homeowner and new father and every day I think about needing to get multiple firearms. I need to start somewhere but, other than getting recommendations from a few friends I respect, I am a bit lost, having never fired a handgun before (I've shot several rifles and shotguns before).
My question is: What recommendation would you give me as the first gun I should own? I want this first gun to be easily carried concealed (I plan on getting my concealed carry permit ASAP), a good weapon for protection of my home, easily usable by my wife (who has never shot a gun in her life), and ideally, I'd like to get armed for $300-400.
And one other thing: the Smith & Wesson M&P 9C comes with 3 different grip inserts- small, medium and large- for different sized hands. It’s the only manufacturer who does this, to my knowledge.
Although not an ideal CC weapon, a model 66 S&W magnum is an ideal home defence weapon. It’s no longer made, but you can find them at Auction Arms. You will be paying less than $400. For ammunition, go to Extreme Shock and try to get their .357 Fang Face rounds, if they’re still available. That is a soft tissue round, will not egress the body and creates an entry wound 200 times the diameter of the round. I’ve used those rounds and they are highly effective.
You can also try for a Remington 870 12 gauge pump. If you opt for the shotgun, get the 6+1 option, which is an extention on the tube magazine, which normally holds four shells. With the extension, it holds six.
I notice you are American Indian living in Hawaii. We use to own a condo in Waianae in the Maili Cove. You close to there? I worked at the tracking station on Kaena Point.
Gotta love FR gun threads. 140 responses in less than two hours!
You already have some good advice:
Get Training from a qualified instructor (Look at the NRA web page for a list in your area)
Rent a few at your local range and decide what you like.
IMHO, the criteria for a fighting pistol are as follows:
Must Be Reliable.
Must Be Reliable.
Should fit your hand (lots of double-stackl semi-autos are simply too big for people, revolvers can be smaller since they don’t have the ammo in the grip)
You should like to shoot it, so you’ll practice.
So, good first choices will likely be medium-framed revolvers in .38 special or .357 magnum (you’ll want to shoot the .38’s, but they’ll chamber in a .357), and major-manufacturer semi-autos, including 1911 patterns, full-sized Glocks (I’m partial to the original, Glock 17), and the like.
Some Awful Choices include:
2” revolvers. Great for experienced shooters, terrible for noobs.
Any compact semi-automatic pistol, as they are much more difficult to shoot well than full-sized.
Any giant pistols (eg, the Glock 21, HK USP etc.). They are just too darn big unless you have ginormous hands, and as a consequence, make learning to shoot just that much more difficult.
My 2c. YMMV.
::clapping:::
Excellent advice!
I actually bought all those at around the same time (post election panic LOL) but have been learning to shoot them in exactly that order and it’s been great.
LQ
Thread cop
Concealing it is easy. Lifting my leg to fire, however, at 40-years-old, is getting more and more difficult and the recoil, well, I finally have my barritone back.
Now that funny right there don’t care who you are thats some funny stuff
What air rifle do you have?
I ordered a crossman 1077 12 shot co2 repeater and was pleasantly surprised to see/feel that it was a 10/22 clone.
Though more expensive, I would get a Colt .38 Super, with a 41/2 in. barrel or a Colt 1911 .45, 41/2 in. barrel. A bit difficult to conceal in the warm climates, but both have good stopping power.
As for home protection, a 12 gauge shotgun sounds good. For the price ($300), I recommend a Mossberg 50516 serioes. It can have either a stock or pistol grip.
RonF raises a good point. Consider how many people are, normally, in your house. Also, WHO are they? Does your wife share your interest in procuring a firearm? If so, she should be involved in the selection process. This is especially true if you are on a limited budget and can’t afford his and her’s firearms.
In any case, it would be wise to get her in on the conversation. Is she supportive, neutral on or against the idea of procuring a firearm? Find out why and talk it over as a family.
You also need to discuss the logistics of having a firearm in the house. How will you educate your child/ren about firearm safety? What steps are you going to take to ensure that the firearm is secured when it is not on your person? There’s a lot to think about. This is where an NRA first steps course could be useful.
I am not familiar with that exact spot you mentioned. I live on Maui but have been to all the islands as I've been here for 40 years. Still many places here I would love to visit in the future.
That is going to be my next pistol.
I love those derringers.
Look at the XD series of Springfield Armory.
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“I am 6’5”, 330 lbs at 7% body fat.”
Damn! That’s big!
And you might need one of these to go with it.
.38 Special. Revolvers are simpler in design and good for beginners. 9mm auto would be another good choice.
If you decide to get a .357, load it with hollow point .38 special ammo. Magnums have tremendous stopping power, but consider this scenario:
You buy a .357, load it with .357 magnum ammo, learn how to use it, and practice at the range until you are a very good shot. Now you are awakened in your home by a violent intruder. You fire your magnum just like you practiced, only now you are in a confined area WITH NO EAR PROTECTION. The report is so shocking that your second shot might not be as accurate as you like, and you have suffered permanent hearing loss.
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