The first thing you need to do is either take a hunter safety course or a gun safety course. If they are not available, learn the 10 commandments of gun safety which are widely available.
Think about safe handling of guns. Become something of a fanatic on the subject. If someone makes fun of you for being so careful, ignore them as they as stupid. Also get hearing and eye protection which are both inexpensive and required for learning.
Probably should buy a good quality .22 Auto or revolver. If you have a place to shoot it, do so often. If you don’t, but a good quality air pistol and pellet trap. Shoot it until you become reasonably proficient. A good starter air pistol is the Crosman 1377c. It is accurate and can be powerful if pumped to 10 pumps.
The .22 will be adequate for defense until you feel you can handle something larger. Some guns just seem to fit my hand way better than others. For example the Browning Hi-Power just feels like it was modeled just for me. Most people feel the .45 Automatic feels good in their hand.
If at all possible, find a place in the country (land owned by relatives is perfect) and do a lot of plinking. Always clean up afterward.
There has never been a more critical time to Lock and Load till your pocket book can’t stand it anymore.
If you need someone to tell you that you should buy a gun then you probably shouldn’t buy a gun.
Sure, if you want one.
NO!!! WHATEVER YOU DO, DO *NOT* BUY A GUN!!!
BUY *TEN* GUNS!!!
I bought two guns this year, after a somewhat internal struggle, but glad I did.
I used to own several guns. Then one day my canoe hit a submerged log that I couldn’t see. Damn thing tipped over with my entire arsenal in it. Can’t believe that log was so close to the surface since the water was at least 100’ deep where the guns fell in.
Not a single legal, stamped and registered gun left. Tragic.
A gun is like a table saw, ya never know when it might come in handy.......
The first question you have to ask yourself is this:
Can I kill another human being?
If your answer is “no”, you should not posess a firearm.
If your answer is “yes”, then you need to try many, many different firearms....shotguns, pistols, etc to find what you feel comfortable with holding/shooting. Don’t worry about accuracy at first, just feel comfortable.
Then, practice, practice, practice and make it a routine. Practice as least once per month with the firearm. This will force you to clean it and keep it in good order and to keep your shooting skills up.
Oh, and 10 year old boys fire Uzi's fine.
Short answer: Yes.
Longer answer: Yes. Buy more than one: get a pistol and also a shotgun. Buy at least 500 rounds of ammo for each.
If you wait until it becomes obvious that you NEED a gun, then you won't be able to get one. Either lots of other people will have gotten similar ideas and the shelves will be empty, or the government will issue an order banning gun sales (as LA did during the Rodney King riots). Or trouble will just arrive at 3am when all the gun stores are closed.
“Should I buy a gun?”
Yes, without doubt, indubitably, soitainly, definitely,
in a New York minute, with no hesitation, and then learn to say, “I love you baby”.
IMHO
What kind of a Southern man asks that question in a public formum?
It’s up there with, “Should I buy pants, or keep wearing the skirts my momma sews for me?”
Anybody in Louisiana who goes fishing without a gun is nuts....a) snakes, b) alligators.
In the latter case, the "fisherman-without-a-gun" is also called "lunch".
How about the Russian ideal for home and ranch defense? (Ironic but hear it out)
Buy a Century Arms M-74, which is a semi-auto version of the AK-74 (make sure it is legal in your area). It is simple, easy to learn on, easy to field strip and clean, accurate enough, abundant good 30 round magazines and very effective. Simple enough to train a Russian peasant and be effective in the Russian Army. Can be found for under $400.
Best of all, the ammo is CHEAP. 1080 round cans of Russian surplus ammo can be had under $150 delivered.
Total expense including ammo is less than a Kimber .45 or a mid grade M-4 style AR-15.
Ah, you ain't fishing in the right places.
There are some ponds where a stun-gun just
won't do the job.
you are lucky to be alive... and gun owners do not depend on luck.
buy a gun. train to use it effectively. practice what and how to use it in situations, possible and probable and pertaining to the police who will eventually confront you.
know your rights. stick by them. then buy two more.
one as a gift to a friend.
who some day will have your back.
you will need a personal side arm to enable you to get to your rifle and shotgun and a crowd cleaner.
good luck.
t
Yes
the kick from the gun nearly tore my shoulder off,
While 'funny'. That is not unusual. Even for a 'big guy'.
Back in our yute we used to go to 'The Quarries'. Mostly for swimming, and drinking a little beer, and shooting our .22 cal rifles. Then on one day one of the guys (avg teenage size guy) brought his 12ga shotgun along. 'Joe' - who was built like a 55 gal barrel and prolly the 'strongest' among us - takes it to shoot.Now I've never fired one either, and now I'm thinking if getting one to add to my 'collection'. But now at my age (and knee conditions) I'm thinking 20ga. I can get any load I want for it from Buckshot to Slugs, and unlike Joe, I prolly won't get knocked to the ground from the recoil.Well good ole Joe - who could have an 'attitude' at times - didn't have the shotgun butt firmly onto his shoulder. When he fired the recoil knocked his big strong butt to the ground.
Joe never fired a shotgun again.
With our rifles we'd pick random targets like abandoned tower line Ceramic Insulators. Hitting those was a blast. It was like a clay pigeon exploding. (we were all 'Expert Shots' back then. I can't recall anyone missing the targets, 'series'.)
For a guy that doesn't own a gun, writes a couple hundred questions about whether he should buy a gun, has only ever fired one, once, thirty years ago, those statements sound like beer muscles.
He should buy at least three, a 22 rifle to learn how to shoot, cheaply and with no pain.
In an emergency it can be used for self defense but it would be my last gun of choice.
He should buy a handgun, I favor a revolver {at least 357 magnum} not a semi-auto but that's up to the individual.
The shot gun is probably the best home protection weapon, especially for some one that has not spent any time around guns.
It's just like their ipad camera, just point and click {it may make a little noise and have some kick] and be prepared to clean up a mess.