Terrey Thompson
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- Jul 16, 2017
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- 3
Hey, I'm Terrey Thompson. I just joined this forum to learn more about gun safety and what kind of firearms I should consider buying.
Gun Safety and Buying
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Hokie_PhD
Member
Welcome to the forums
First if you haven't done so go take a training class or two.
Learning safe handling, storage and usage is very important.
From there what you but will be influenced on your needs, budgets, location etc.
Some places place severe (unconstitutional) restrictions on what you can but, own, carry etc. so you need to be aware of them even though some of us feel they're totally illegal and should be overturned.
That said, the triad of a pistol, shotgun and rifle are the usual basis for firearms.
If you haven't shot a pistol before a full size 9mm is going to be much easier to handle then say a compact or a compact 45. Don't do what some of us did and start with a gun that's better for concealing then learning good technique.
A shotgun is flexible and something I think every American should own and know how to use. The vast range of ammo they can spit out is amazing. The damage they can do is brutal and there's just something cool about racking a pump action that I think should be part of your life experience.
Rifles come in all sizes, shapes and formats. I'm a big fan of ARs or what is often called the modern sporting rifle. A bare bones AR can be had for about $400 and they shoot cheap 223/556 ammo. They're often called Adult Legos as you can easily customize them, modify them and make them exactly what you want and/or need. Plus they're just a lot of fun. I'm currently building one from parts, after having bought one, snapped an upper and lower together, and now taken the leap to know them from the insides out.
Of corpse there are other types of rifles such as AKs, mini 14s, bolt actions etc. but I'll leave them to someone that knows them better than me.
Oh, and know there are tons of deals out there so don't rush buying anything.
One final thought. Reloading or more properly hand loading ammo is also a lot of fun. It's also a great way to get high quality ammo fairly cheap and really understand your firearm and what you can do. I mention this not to encourage you to look into it now but to think about it in the future if you get serious about your firearms.
First if you haven't done so go take a training class or two.
Learning safe handling, storage and usage is very important.
From there what you but will be influenced on your needs, budgets, location etc.
Some places place severe (unconstitutional) restrictions on what you can but, own, carry etc. so you need to be aware of them even though some of us feel they're totally illegal and should be overturned.
That said, the triad of a pistol, shotgun and rifle are the usual basis for firearms.
If you haven't shot a pistol before a full size 9mm is going to be much easier to handle then say a compact or a compact 45. Don't do what some of us did and start with a gun that's better for concealing then learning good technique.
A shotgun is flexible and something I think every American should own and know how to use. The vast range of ammo they can spit out is amazing. The damage they can do is brutal and there's just something cool about racking a pump action that I think should be part of your life experience.
Rifles come in all sizes, shapes and formats. I'm a big fan of ARs or what is often called the modern sporting rifle. A bare bones AR can be had for about $400 and they shoot cheap 223/556 ammo. They're often called Adult Legos as you can easily customize them, modify them and make them exactly what you want and/or need. Plus they're just a lot of fun. I'm currently building one from parts, after having bought one, snapped an upper and lower together, and now taken the leap to know them from the insides out.
Of corpse there are other types of rifles such as AKs, mini 14s, bolt actions etc. but I'll leave them to someone that knows them better than me.
Oh, and know there are tons of deals out there so don't rush buying anything.
One final thought. Reloading or more properly hand loading ammo is also a lot of fun. It's also a great way to get high quality ammo fairly cheap and really understand your firearm and what you can do. I mention this not to encourage you to look into it now but to think about it in the future if you get serious about your firearms.
Welcome to the forum
4 Rules of Gun Safety:
1. Treat all guns as if they are always loaded.
2. Never let the muzzle cover anything that you are not willing to destroy.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on target and you have made the decision to shoot.
4. Be sure of your target and what is behind it.
boatdoc173
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- Joined
- Mar 7, 2014
- Messages
- 219
welcome to this forum
you can never be to safe with guns. follow the basic rules that Jack B laid out above and ALWAYS verify yourself that a gun is TOTALLY safe(magazine is out of gun, slide locked back, nothing in chamber)
you can never be to safe with guns. follow the basic rules that Jack B laid out above and ALWAYS verify yourself that a gun is TOTALLY safe(magazine is out of gun, slide locked back, nothing in chamber)
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Can't be emphasized strongly enough.
What kind of shooting are you interested in?
Looking for a self defense weapon?
Welcome to THR
Welcome.
Most medium to large cities have ranges that offer beginning safety classes along with gun rentals. It would be helpful to know the general area of where you are located. More likely than not there are forum members that can point you to a good place to go. I'd try shooting at least half a dozen different guns before buying anything. Are you interested in rifles, shotguns, handguns, or all of the above? There are a dizzying array of options in each of those categories.
Most medium to large cities have ranges that offer beginning safety classes along with gun rentals. It would be helpful to know the general area of where you are located. More likely than not there are forum members that can point you to a good place to go. I'd try shooting at least half a dozen different guns before buying anything. Are you interested in rifles, shotguns, handguns, or all of the above? There are a dizzying array of options in each of those categories.
Welcome!
You got it right, horse in front of the cart --- safety 1st, purchase 2nd
You will see more references to safety within any shooting sport pistol/shotgun/rifle then perhaps any other sport. To others posts I will add a qualified link;
https://gunsafetyrules.nra.org/
What general area of the country are you? Also these safe handling rules are the very first you will read in any manual
Again, welcome!
You got it right, horse in front of the cart --- safety 1st, purchase 2nd
You will see more references to safety within any shooting sport pistol/shotgun/rifle then perhaps any other sport. To others posts I will add a qualified link;
https://gunsafetyrules.nra.org/
What general area of the country are you? Also these safe handling rules are the very first you will read in any manual
Again, welcome!
You will find for the most part (I don't count myself in this) the people here are more grounded then on say the AR forum.
Take everything you read on the internet with a grain of salt....none of it is correct till backed up with a few different sources.
Take everything you read on the internet with a grain of salt....none of it is correct till backed up with a few different sources.
entropy
Member
Welcome to The High Road, Terrey! If you are in an area that has an indoor gun range that has rentals and or classes, take advantage of that. Otherwise another thing you could do is contact an outdoor range and explain you are new to this and ask if any members would like to help out. Shooters are usually only too happy to help with newbies. You've got you priorities straight, safety first, always!
v35
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- Joined
- Feb 8, 2006
- Messages
- 910
Phrasing!!!
Welcome to THR, Terrey!
As you can see, the THR membership is a pretty helpful bunch. Practice the 4 rules religiously. We all love our guns here, but errors can be fatal. I'd suggest that a basic firearms course is the first order of business, before you start worrying about what to buy. We'll also need to know your intended purpose(s) for your firearms. What we'll recommend for concealed carry (CC) will be markedly different than what we'll recommend if you want to try your hand at turkey hunting. Knowing your budget and location would also be very helpful.
As you can see, the THR membership is a pretty helpful bunch. Practice the 4 rules religiously. We all love our guns here, but errors can be fatal. I'd suggest that a basic firearms course is the first order of business, before you start worrying about what to buy. We'll also need to know your intended purpose(s) for your firearms. What we'll recommend for concealed carry (CC) will be markedly different than what we'll recommend if you want to try your hand at turkey hunting. Knowing your budget and location would also be very helpful.
Kendal Black
Member
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2011
- Messages
- 1,647
Here is some background on this "four rules" thing people keep mentioning.
http://shootery.blogspot.com/2013/06/gun-safetys-four-rules-dont-end-up-in.html
Welcome to The High Road!
http://shootery.blogspot.com/2013/06/gun-safetys-four-rules-dont-end-up-in.html
Welcome to The High Road!
Welcome Terrey.
You've already been given the four rules so I won't go over them again.
Once you can recite the Four Rules like the Lord's Prayer, then it will be time to turn your attention to what you NEED in the way of a gun before you go looking to buy one.
Talk to friends, relatives, acquaintances about what guns they have and why they bought them. I tell people never ask what is the BEST of anything because what you'll get is either what they consider the best - which may not be the best for your needs - or they'll tell you what they would buy if they could spend your money. I suggest you always ask why someone made the choice they made and what they think they're going to do with it.
For example; I went decades without buying a 9mm pistol. I didn't have a need for one that wasn't address by my other pistols. Then, someone gave me a bunch of 9mm brass. Since I reload my own ammunition, that brass called to me. So I started to reload it. Of course, if I had 9mm rounds, I had to have some way to test them. That meant I needed to buy a 9mm pistol. I don't intend to do more than reload and fire the brass I was given, so I shopped primarily on price and ended up buying a Taurus PT-111. But I bought it because it was available locally and was cheap. To go out to the range, it is satisfactory but I don't think I would have bought it if I was going to carry it somewhere I might have to bet my life on it. That's why I suggest you ask "why?" a lot before you make a decision on what's right for you.
Good luck.
You've already been given the four rules so I won't go over them again.
Once you can recite the Four Rules like the Lord's Prayer, then it will be time to turn your attention to what you NEED in the way of a gun before you go looking to buy one.
Talk to friends, relatives, acquaintances about what guns they have and why they bought them. I tell people never ask what is the BEST of anything because what you'll get is either what they consider the best - which may not be the best for your needs - or they'll tell you what they would buy if they could spend your money. I suggest you always ask why someone made the choice they made and what they think they're going to do with it.
For example; I went decades without buying a 9mm pistol. I didn't have a need for one that wasn't address by my other pistols. Then, someone gave me a bunch of 9mm brass. Since I reload my own ammunition, that brass called to me. So I started to reload it. Of course, if I had 9mm rounds, I had to have some way to test them. That meant I needed to buy a 9mm pistol. I don't intend to do more than reload and fire the brass I was given, so I shopped primarily on price and ended up buying a Taurus PT-111. But I bought it because it was available locally and was cheap. To go out to the range, it is satisfactory but I don't think I would have bought it if I was going to carry it somewhere I might have to bet my life on it. That's why I suggest you ask "why?" a lot before you make a decision on what's right for you.
Good luck.
OP
OP
Terrey Thompson
Member
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2017
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- 3
thanks for the info
Excellent!
Read a lot, as a few questions after reading a lot, share what you learn and you'll do well.
Ignition Override
Member
Never forget that Young Children are much more clever than we realize, and figure out how to find "hidden guns".
I would rather have no guns, than have the possibility that my toddler grandson could have access to one.
My rifles are kept empty until they are at the private shooting club (then checked before being put back into the car, then checked at home again), but handguns are usually purchased/owned to be Kept Loaded most of the time.
Why do people ever expect handguns to be empty, even at home? It makes no sense.
This common assumption (1), plus aiming the gun at her (2) and putting a finger inside the trigger guard (3rd major violation) explains how an 18 year-old boy accidentally Killed his girlfriend weeks ago in Arlington TN, about five miles away from here.
Her father had given the nitwit the revolver as a gift.
I would rather have no guns, than have the possibility that my toddler grandson could have access to one.
My rifles are kept empty until they are at the private shooting club (then checked before being put back into the car, then checked at home again), but handguns are usually purchased/owned to be Kept Loaded most of the time.
Why do people ever expect handguns to be empty, even at home? It makes no sense.
This common assumption (1), plus aiming the gun at her (2) and putting a finger inside the trigger guard (3rd major violation) explains how an 18 year-old boy accidentally Killed his girlfriend weeks ago in Arlington TN, about five miles away from here.
Her father had given the nitwit the revolver as a gift.
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Good Ol' Boy
Member
Aside from the four rules of gun safety that have already been stated, I will touch on the above post about guns in the home.
Although some here claim to do it, it's highly ill advised to keep loaded firearms unsecured in random places throughout the home. If you want immediate access to a gun while at home, put one on your hip.
Guns not on your person should be stored securely, whether that be locked in a room, or a gun cabinet or a safe. You may choose to store them in whatever condition you choose (loaded or unloaded).
Although some here claim to do it, it's highly ill advised to keep loaded firearms unsecured in random places throughout the home. If you want immediate access to a gun while at home, put one on your hip.
Guns not on your person should be stored securely, whether that be locked in a room, or a gun cabinet or a safe. You may choose to store them in whatever condition you choose (loaded or unloaded).
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