I walked into a gun shop and told the man behind the counter that I was interested in learning about firearms. He was in his seventies, his mouth wrinkled from decades of smoking. He wore with a plaid shirt and steel-rimmed glasses.
"Well, what have you fired?" he asked with a drawl.
"Nothing" I replied, "I've never even handled a gun."
He scratched his head and furrowed his brow. "Best to start with a .22 revolver, I suppose. We can sell you one for about $300."
"But I REALLY don't know what I am doing." I said.
"Best to go with a friend to a shooting range. They won't let you shoot if you're alone and you don't have your own gun."
"I don't really have any friends who have any shooting experience."
"Hmm."
"So I can't learn more until I buy one, and I don't want to buy one until I learn more. Kind of like a chicken-or-the-egg situation."
"Yeah." He furrowed his brow again.
After an awkward pause I said: "Okay then ... I'll just have a look around."
"Let me know if you need anything." He replied and walked off.
So I left empty-handed and thought to myself: "The people of the web will help me!" So I found this forum and read a bit. You guys seem to know your stuff.
I learned that the NRA has basic pistol courses. Do you think I should start there?
Also I found this one:
http://www.allsafedefense.com/Courses/AllSafeHandgun.htm
which is near me. Is there any advantage to taking a NRA course vs. an independent one like this?
If I do buy a handgun, I am probably going to want just that one, as opposed to a mini-arsenal locked up in my closet. So if I only own one, I would want it to be reliable with decent stopping power. But I understand that I must crawl before I can walk. Should I really buy a .22 first? I was thinking I could rent one at a range and work my way up to a 9mm, then a .38 then a .40 etc.?
Also: I come from an ultra-liberal family so please don't tell my parents that I might be giving money to the NRA.
Thanks in advance for your advice!
"Well, what have you fired?" he asked with a drawl.
"Nothing" I replied, "I've never even handled a gun."
He scratched his head and furrowed his brow. "Best to start with a .22 revolver, I suppose. We can sell you one for about $300."
"But I REALLY don't know what I am doing." I said.
"Best to go with a friend to a shooting range. They won't let you shoot if you're alone and you don't have your own gun."
"I don't really have any friends who have any shooting experience."
"Hmm."
"So I can't learn more until I buy one, and I don't want to buy one until I learn more. Kind of like a chicken-or-the-egg situation."
"Yeah." He furrowed his brow again.
After an awkward pause I said: "Okay then ... I'll just have a look around."
"Let me know if you need anything." He replied and walked off.
So I left empty-handed and thought to myself: "The people of the web will help me!" So I found this forum and read a bit. You guys seem to know your stuff.
I learned that the NRA has basic pistol courses. Do you think I should start there?
Also I found this one:
http://www.allsafedefense.com/Courses/AllSafeHandgun.htm
which is near me. Is there any advantage to taking a NRA course vs. an independent one like this?
If I do buy a handgun, I am probably going to want just that one, as opposed to a mini-arsenal locked up in my closet. So if I only own one, I would want it to be reliable with decent stopping power. But I understand that I must crawl before I can walk. Should I really buy a .22 first? I was thinking I could rent one at a range and work my way up to a 9mm, then a .38 then a .40 etc.?
Also: I come from an ultra-liberal family so please don't tell my parents that I might be giving money to the NRA.
Thanks in advance for your advice!