Any gun recommendations?

In My Humble Opinion
1

So, I’m considering buying a gun. No particular reason, but I have thought about target shooting lately. I looked at crossbows today, but my wife suggested that maybe a gun would be a better option. What kind of gun should I purchase? I’ve never owned a gun before, but know a bit about them. What is good for a beginning shooter that wouldn’t be too ridiculously expensive but at the same time will hold up over time? We have no local gun shop, but there are some within an hour or so drive. I may stop by one when I’m in town on Thursday and talk to the shop folks. Just looking for ideas so I’m not completely useless when I show up in the shop at some point.

Brendon Small

2

Since it appears you know nothing about firearms, I would suggest a safety course.

Picking up a gun with no idea of what you’re doing is a recipe for disaster.

3

.22 revolver, cheap to shoot and low recoil.
Do not load the gun until you understand the 10 rules.

4

I have taken a basic hunter safety course twice in the past - once because I wanted to go hunting and once because it was offered in the building I worked in. I also have never owned a gun, but have fired several different ones in the past (rifle and shotgun, never a handgun). I plan on doing safety/conceal carry classes, but haven’t done so yet.

Also, I am familiar with the 10 rules, and understand them. .22 is something I had considered. My father in law owns one and I have talked to to him about it and he said the same things you did - cheap to shoot and nearly no recoil (well, according to him).

Brendon

5

And the #1 rule of handling a gun is that you ALWAYS treat a gun as if it were loaded unless you have personally verified that it is not. If someone hands you a gun and tells you that it is not loaded, treat it as loaded until you have checked.

6

Many of the cheap .22 autoloaders do not work well.
That is one of the reasons why I recommend a revolver.
You might be better off with a used name brand gun instead of a new cheapy.

7

Used is an okay option - I have no problem with that. Great advice so far! Thanks.

8

For easy cleaning and reliability I prefer a revolver. The next gun I plan on purchasing will be a Taurus Judge, it’s chambered to accept both .45 long colt and 20 gauge shotgun shells. I don’t keep many guns around at any one time so the versatility seems fun.

9

Ex competition shooter here

If you just wanna punch holes in paper there are plenty of good .22 handguns, even autoloaders. Problem with .22 autoloaders is the lack of power to cycle the action making them less forgiving of poor cleaning and maintenance. Something with a little more oomph to the point of being both a decent target gun as well as something that can be useful in self defense or as a hunting backup without breaking the bank, 9mm is a good option. Beretta, Taurus, Glock, Ruger, all solid contenders in the caliber.

There are better guns for self defense or target shooting but the ol 9mm is gonna be a good “well rounded” choice for effectiveness as well as ammo cost. I used to shoot stock class IPSC matches with a Beretta 92FS

Beretta 92 - Wikipedia.

10

Quibble: Thats .410 shotgun shells.

11

:smack:You’re right. I’ve been shopping/reading reviews on the things for about two months now, even owned an old .410 at one time, and I still jump straight to 20 gauge when I think small shotgun shell.

12

Ten rules of what? What does it mean to “treat” a gun “as if” it is loaded? That you should not point it at your foot unless you have checked the chamber? How long before you need to check again? Should you check if you set it down and then pick it back up?

There are four rules to safely handling firearms. Multiplying their number diminishes their value and dilutes their strength in the mind. You should be able to rattle off these rules off the top of your head before you ever pick up a firearm, and you should handle all weapons in the same manner regardless of whether you believe them to be loaded or not.

They four rules are thus:

Rule #1: All guns are always loaded.
Some guns don’t go bang when the trigger is pulled, but if the weapon is in battery–that is, the slide or bolt is closed, or the cylinder is locked in the frame–the gun is in a loaded condition. Do not soften this rule by suggesting that you “treat” a gun as loaded, or “assume that it is loaded until you check it.” All guns (that are in battery) are always loaded, no exceptions.

Rule #2: Never let the muzzle cover anything you are unwilling to destroy.
The only way something important gets damaged is if it is in the path of the bullet, which (for all intents and purposes) is a straight line out of the muzzle. A loaded gun out of the holster should be pointed downrange at all times. If there is any question about whether the gun is loaded, refer back to Rule #1.

Rule #3: Keep your finger off the trigger until the sights are on the target.
Do not imitate your favorite action hero or TV detective who chases a suspect up stairs, over fences, and across the rooftops with his finger glued into the trigger guard. Without pulling the trigger there is virtually no way a modern, good quality firearm can be unintentionally discharged. The way to assure this is not to put your finger on the trigger where your monkey-evolved instincts will clutch when you are surprised or off-balance. If there is any question about the muzzle being on target, check Rule #2.

Rule #4: Know what your target is, and what is behind it.
Do not point your weapon at vague shadows, or handle a weapon casually in a bystander-rich environment. If you don’t have a good reason to have a loaded gun in hand (see Rule #1) or are uncertain about where it is pointing (Rule #2), you should not have the firearm in battery or your finger on the trigger (Rule #3).

As for selection of the weapon, I would recommend a .22 LR automatic, and in particular the Ruger Mk III or the Browning Buckmark. The .22 LR has low recoil, relatively low muzzle blast (although you should always wear earplugs or hearing protectors), and is by far the cheapest caliber to shoot, even for match grade ammunition. The Buckmark is a little tricky to field strip, whereas the Ruger is nearly impossible to get apart and back together. The solution for both is just to use Teflon lube to clean the action and chamber, scrub the barrel well, blow it all clear with canned gas, and then lightly lube it. However, if you insist on properly field stripping, get a padded vice, a selection of pin punches, a set of jeweler’s tweezers or forceps, and a lot of patience. There are a selection of videos on YouTube.com showing how to field strip both pistols.

Stranger

13

i’d start you with basic gun safety and a reliable .22 BB or lead pellet gun in a 10-meter indoor range. when you mastered the basics of squeezing (not jerking the trigger,) of sight picture, of not shifting any other part of your body between shots, of grouping at least 5 shots in the black (with both eyes open,) and correctly handling the weapon at all stages, that’s when you can buy something with a powder charge.

14

The short answer is “no” but that’s too short of an answer.

Simple pattern:
[ol]
[li]Train[/li][li]Research[/li][li]Purchase[/li][/ol]

  1. Take and pass your basic firearms safety courses. Most will end with a certification/licensing test. If yours doesn’t, then take and pass that test separately.

  2. Now that you’ve got laws and theory in your head, as well as some practice under your belt and your license/certification card in your wallet, go to a range – preferably with friends and/or former course-mates – and rent what’s available (preferably at a place with a wide variety for rent). My friend and I went to three different ranges near our neighborhood and rented a different pistol each weekend for a year, slowly narrowing down the calibers and shapes we did and didn’t like (as well as testing some rifles and hand-cannons we had no intention of owning). My friend ended up with a 9mm and I ended up with a .45ca (because the heavier round seems to have a more comfortable recoil for me. My point is that you need to find out what works best for you; don’t get a gun (or car or motorcycle or girlfriend or…) that your friend (or one of us) recommends because it works perfectly for him; you’re you, not him.

  3. Talk to the people at the range who have been so wonderfully patient with your repeated visits and constant questions (yeah, ask questions ‘cause they like sharing their expertise) and arrange to purchase a new version of the pistol that you’ve discovered is the best fit for you. Don’t forget to purchase a cleaning kit, your own ear protection, and your own eye protection. If you are really grateful to the range guys, get a long-term membership so you have an excuse to come see them frequently. Oh, and make sure you get equipment for safely storing the weapon in accordance with local laws.

–G!

“Gimme back –
Gimme back my bullets!”
–Lynrd Skynrd
Gimme Back My Bullets

15

Yeah, but… all guns aren’t always loaded. Does “hardening” the rule into a lie make it more likely to be obeyed?

16

I asked this question earlier this year - not here, but IRL of several people I know who are firearms-savvy. I was in the Navy Reserves and have “played with” several types of firearms since then, but am still basically ignorant.

Universally, the advice was: find a good range that has a comprehensive array of guns you can try out, with knowledgeable instructors, and go practice until you find something that’s a good fit. Then go buy it. Then everything I read online pretty much echoed that advice. Also my head started to spin reading about the vast array of opinions on different firearms.

I found several ranges within an hour drive of me, but haven’t followed through. However, if and when I do, I will absolutely follow the advice I was given.

17

Most negligent discharges are followed by some variation of “But, I didn’t think it was loaded!” This is not an excuse for an unintended discharge. There is no reason to be handling a gun in a fashion other than as loaded even if you absolutely, positively “believe” that it is unloaded. Aside from the chance that you may have not actually properly checked the chamber (or did something stupid like drop the slide on a full magazine, thereby loading a round into the chamber), handling a weapon in a manner inconsistent with safe practices un-trains the instincts that it is the purpose of safe gun handling seeks to condition. If you watch a properly trained professional or experienced shooter, not only do they handle their “loaded” weapons safely, but they also handle toy guns, power tools, and anything else that resembles a firearm in the same fail-safe manner. This reinforcement assures that they don’t get sloppy and negligently discharge a weapon one day when they aren’t paying 100% attention.

All guns that are in battery are always loaded. If you follow this, and the other three rules, you will not have a negligent discharge, and should you encounter the rare firearm with damage that renders it unsafe, an accidental discharge should not result in damage, injury, or death. Firearms are just tools, but they are tools that can do exceptional damage at distant range in ways that are not at all intuitive to our primitive monkey brains. By “loaded” we mean they are capable of being actuated and discharged. Just because the gun doesn’t go “bang” when you pull the trigger doesn’t mean it isn’t loaded; there could be a particularly hard or dislocated primer, a weak firing or damaged firing pin, or (unlikely in modern centerfire ammunition) a hang-fire, but all guns are always loaded.

Does that clarify the rule and the rationale behind it for you?

Stranger

18

I have to agree with the 4 rules as provided. I did have ONE, and exactly ONE negligent discharge with hundreds of hours with a firearm in my hands. I was carrying that I knew was loaded with blanks. In the Army you are taught to keep the rifle on safe when you are not actively engaging a target and to keep the muzzle pointed down. We had just finished a simulated engagement and were discussing what went right, and what went wrong and how to do it better next time.

I got bored during the discussion, and found my finger in the trigger well. It scared the shit out of me when my rifle went off. Fortunately, it was pointed into the ground. There was many people close to me. I really could have hurt someone. It only took me one time to realize that the safety rules are LAWS to be followed.

Following that incident, I have become obsessed with weapon safety. I have had to train people who have only held a firearm maybe once or twice in their life. They can learn the whys to weapon safety. The most dangerous are those that are sure that the weapon is unloaded or that the safety is on.

As for my recommendation, I would say a revolver also. The reason seems almost counter-intuitive, but a revolver is always loaded, has no safety, and you will be way more careful if you accept those as fact.

SFC Schwartz

19

I would not recommend a handgun for a first gun. A handgun is inherently less safe than a long gun, and requires more training.

For a first gun, I would recommend a .22 semiautomatic rifle, like a Ruger 10/22.

20

I agree a Ruger 10/22 is a great first gun and further agree if your purpose is to go target shooting, you’re better off starting with a rifle. If shooting becomes a big part of your life, the 10/22 is highly customizeable to keep it from becoming a boring old relic of your neophyte days in your gun collection. If you insist on a pistol, I’d suggest a Ruger Mark III, also chambered in .22lr. Neither is a defensive or hunting weapon, the Mark III is not a pistol you would carry in a holster for defense, but they’re good target guns and good learning guns. .22lr ammunition is exceptionally cheap allowing you to learn a great deal about your abilities and spend time on the range improving them.

The option not presented here is a shotgun, which many claim is most appropriate as a home defense weapon (when loaded with birdshot). If your primary purpose is target shooting and not home defense, I’d shy away from this option until you have some more shooting experience under your belt. Shotguns can be heavy on the recoil and while trap and skeet shooting can be fun, I’d go with your first instinct and go with something more suited to target shooting.

After achieving mastery with the 10.22, you could consider a main battle rifle (MBR) or high-power rifle such as an AR-15, M1-A, or, if a bolt action rifle is more your style, a Remington 700. I’d recommend any second rifle you get be in either .223rem cal/5.56mm NATO or .308win cal/7.62mm NATO which are the most popular and common calibers. After achieving mastery with the Mark III, you could go on to a large caliber pistol such as an M1911, Glock, Beretta M9, or Heckler & Koch USP in either 9mm Parabellum or .45 ACP. .40 S&W cal is also popular, although I recommend you choose one of the first two.