Personal weapon selection plan? (long post)

[Mr Bogus]

ya know many ranges "rent" fire arms..

 

[BA BUSA]

ya know many ranges "rent" fire arms..

I guess ya didn't read the first post

 

[VANNWRAY]

GET YOU A BLACK GUN AND THE 22 CONVERSION , IT WILL COME IN HANDY IN THE FUTURE AND IT'S ON THE LIST . GET'EM WHILE YOU CAN . DANIEL DEFENSE WOULD BE THE WORD .

Been thinking of buying a personal weapon and welcome your advice.

Goals:
1) Experience. I've always been good with a rifle, but never too good with a sidearm. I'm 50 years old and this would be my first weapon not owned by the government.

2) Bonding with my son. He's 15 and has always been attracted to weapons - airsoft, rubber bands, paintball, and anything military at shows or a museum.

3) Personal protection. Actually pretty low on my list, haven't needed one for the last 50 years, but you never know what the future will hold.

4) Constitutional rights. Frankly, I'm a little paranoid with the present crowd in power. Maybe I should do this now before it gets harder.

So I visited a local shop / indoor range and got what I thought was some pretty good advice. Basically, he said he could just take my money, sell me a membership for the range and rent me guns and ammo to try them out until I found something that worked for me> But instead he advised me to learn a little more first - have a plan for what I want to accomplish, which is the purpose of this post.

I went in wanting to look at the Springfield XD which I've read about and find appealing for a number of reasons, safety, design, price, and 1911 grip angle are high among them. I've read a few reviews ando spoken with a number of friends who have praised the XD series as excellent value. Was thinking about the 4".

The fellow at the gun shop advised me to learn more before committing to any weapon. (He also wasn't that hot on the XD although he is a Springfield dealer.) We talked about revolvers - the reliability in a critical situation is a good point, although I think I'd prefer the subdued recoil of the autos.

Caliber is a hard choice. The fellow at the gun shop actually recommended a 22 for getting started. You can shoot a lot of 22 ammo and it's easier to get nowadays. He also made the point that a good grouping with a 22 will still get someone's attention in a self-defense situation. Funny, a 22 never even crossed my mind. I was thinking 9mm or 45, but then I do own a Busa, right?

Some notes about us as shooters:
a) I'm a lefty, so grip is an issue, as are the ejection port and gas from an auto.

b) I'm, umm, solid, My son is 15 and small, but also strong. My wife and daughter are both petite. I don't think either of the girls will really get into this, but I'd like them to at least learn something. This is where I thought the auto might be an advantage.

I'd like develop a plan to go shooting, maybe a few weapons to try and different calibers. What do you folks think?

 

[dmrowe]

ya know many ranges "rent" fire arms..

Just about every indoor range on the planet, check the phone book. ???


And in response to NCPanther01, guns are like tournequets, you may never need one but when you do you'll need it in a damned hurry. I am a firearms enthusiast and a proponent of the second amendment to freely own and bear arms. But with that does go responsibility, learn how to handle the weapon safely and keep it secured under lock and key. Insofar as someone's life being worth a DVD player...when a perp enters your residence with the intent to steal or do bodily harm they should ask themselves the same question. The police are very rarely there to prevent crimes, they report and investigate after the fact. It is each citizens responsibility to provide for their own security as the law and their own ability allows.

“Laws that forbid the carrying of arms… disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes… Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants…â€￾ — Thomas Jefferson in “Commonplace Book,â€￾ 1774-1776

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote."

Benjamin Franklin

 

[Mr Bogus]

Just about every indoor range on the planet, check the phone book. ???


And in response to NCPanther01, guns are like tournequets, you may never need one but when you do you'll need it in a damned hurry. I am a firearms enthusiast and a proponent of the second amendment to freely own and bear arms. But with that does go responsibility, learn how to handle the weapon safely and keep it secured under lock and key. Insofar as someone's life being worth a DVD player...when a perp enters your residence with the intent to steal or do bodily harm they should ask themselves the same question. The police are very rarely there to prevent crimes, they report and investigate after the fact. It is each citizens responsibility to provide for their own security as the law and their own ability allows.

“Laws that forbid the carrying of arms… disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes… Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants…â€￾ — Thomas Jefferson in “Commonplace Book,â€￾ 1774-1776

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote."

Benjamin Franklin

you should rent an Uzi or AK47.. The Thompson with the barrel mag was the most fun.. to me.. There was an Israeli thing we shot and it sounded like a motor is used up rounds so fast.. suppose that might not work for home defense though..

 

[Mr Bogus]

I guess ya didn't read the first post

yea Rich I did.. note whistle and the fact that it is a good idea to rent.. A lot of women can not rack the first round into many auto's.. hands are just not strong enough and that is heck of a thing to find out after you bought the thing..

 

[dmrowe]

you should rent an Uzi or AK47.. The Thompson with the barrel mag was the most fun.. to me.. There was an Israeli thing we shot and it sounded like a motor is used up rounds so fast.. suppose that might not work for home defense though..

It would sure make them scramble for the door through!

 

[showtime]

yea Rich I did.. note whistle and the fact that it is a good idea to rent.. A lot of women can not rack the first round into many auto's.. hands are just not strong enough and that is heck of a thing to find out after you bought the thing..

That's why most people I know including myself carry "one in the hole". I don't anticipate having the time to rack the slide before firing. If I pull my weapon on someone, all attempts at diplomacy have obviously broken down and death is imminent. Not trying to sound morbid but when a firearm is drawn on someone the intent of the drawer should be to kill, not scare. If that isn't your intent, leave it in the holster.

 

[Mr Bogus]

That's why most people I know including myself carry "one in the hole". I don't anticipate having the time to rack the slide before firing. If I pull my weapon on someone, all attempts at diplomacy have obviously broken down and death is imminent. Not trying to sound morbid but when a firearm is drawn on someone the intent of the drawer should be to kill, not scare. If that isn't your intent, leave it in the holster.

how you carry is irrelevant.. if you are physically incapable of operating the firearm, then you should not be carrying the gun in the first place... The conversation had nothing to do with intent..

 

[StromBusa]

Do yourself a favor & pick up a Ruger 'single six' revolver, 22 cal. Get the one with an extra 22 mag cylinder. Work on that for a while while you get your son involved. Nice piece, put a trigger kit in it whan you get real accurate. KILL SOME CANS.

 

[Revlis]

FWIW, I now have three Springfield pistols. XDm 9 XDm .40 and my daily carry the XD .45.

I have .22 pistols as well, and they are more fun than just about anything else, and affordable. It's good to practice with your other calibers as well, but nothing out there is as much fun for plinking than a good accurate .22 pistol.

I also recently got a .22LR upper for one of my AR lowers and it's also a barrel of monkeys.

The XDs are tough and accurate. Glocks are tough and accurate. I love my SIGs and Rugers as well though.

SO, best bet without all the armchair commando's offering their expert advice is to find a local range that rents pistols, spend an afternoon shooting what you want and then decide from there. Consider your intended use, and budget, then press on.

Also, GunsAmerica.com is a great place to find the pistol/rifle you want and save big $$$. You just have to contact a local FFL that you know and trust and have them send their license information to the seller of the pistol/rifle and you are good to go.

But decide for yourself what works for you, stay away from the real budget weapons, and accept that most likely you'll be looking for a couple of pistols to accomplish everything you want.

I'd recommend a 9mm or .40 cal for you defensive tool though. They are easy to master and you'll be able to find ammo for them.

 

[ToXSicK RoCKeT]

I really want a .45 cal Bounty Hunter

I have one......they are pretty neat!

 

[showtime]

how you carry is irrelevant.. if you are physically incapable of operating the firearm, then you should not be carrying the gun in the first place... The conversation had nothing to do with intent..

True, but how you carry is very relevent. Not trying to be confrontational, just stating my position.

 

[NCpanther01]

Just about every indoor range on the planet, check the phone book. ???


And in response to NCPanther01, guns are like tournequets, you may never need one but when you do you'll need it in a damned hurry. I am a firearms enthusiast and a proponent of the second amendment to freely own and bear arms. But with that does go responsibility, learn how to handle the weapon safely and keep it secured under lock and key. Insofar as someone's life being worth a DVD player...when a perp enters your residence with the intent to steal or do bodily harm they should ask themselves the same question. The police are very rarely there to prevent crimes, they report and investigate after the fact. It is each citizens responsibility to provide for their own security as the law and their own ability allows.

“Laws that forbid the carrying of arms… disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes… Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants…â€￾ — Thomas Jefferson in “Commonplace Book,â€￾ 1774-1776

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote."

Benjamin Franklin

Please all excuse me I'm not trying to jack this thread or limit anyone rights to bear arms. I've only stated my point of view!

 

[theemrrdkill]

Well, I have yet to see anyone say anything about a ( Ruger Mark II / III ).. I bought 1 .. Mark II ..when my kids wanted to learn how to shoot .. after about 2 weeks I found I needed to buy another one ( 3 kids) .. sharing , well they try too.. anyways, I also purchased 6 mags a piece .. that way I could load 2 rounds per mag.. till they got the hang of ..theory and correct usuage of Firearms ...was down pat.
Needless to say both guns are ..Tack drivers ... they both have ( bull barrels ) .. and as of now my kids are, hmmmm... lets say quite accurate with all my guns ..
Next, I taught them to use my 357's ...since loading up with 38's are cheap ... and since I reload .. I can make them quite affordable .. then came the 45's ...
Since what you wanted to know was ...what gun would a person start with, I say the (Ruger Mark III ) ...since the ( Mark II ).. is 'ol skool' ... same gun, just updated ..or so they say.
good luck, with what ever you choise.. ...

 

[BusaCruise]

my xd sub 9mm was my personal carry....and it still is when not riding.
but with a full clip 15+1 rds it's just a tad too wide and heavy for long days.

now the ruger LCP 380 does the trick...
it is everything people claim it to be....
7rds of pure reliability....fits in the palm of my hand.....can even be stuffed in a front pocket if needed.

 

[AJAY]

This discussion has been very interesting. I really appreciate the advice and the respectful differences of opinion.

Couple of responses from me....

1978 or so, M16. Good groupings. About the only thing I remembered being complimented on. Learned to button my collar in the prone position. (I'm a lefty! )

Used to shoot my brother in law's rifles once in a while at the range. He had a 30-06 with bolt action. Ruger? Beautiful weapon, felt right, expensive ammo. Had some Chinese made piece of crap tommy gun that couldn't hit a door at 25 yards, but a total blast to shoot. Also a couple pistols and I sucked with them. All this was 30 years ago.

I've been rethinking the revolver issue. Maybe that would be a good start. Simple, not too expensive, and sounds like revolvers are typically more accurate than autos from some other reading I've done. The several comments on women not being strong enough to rack an auto also makes me lean this way a bit.

Home defense? Who am I kidding. This is going to be for home defense when the apocalypse comes. Otherwise it will have a trigger lock and be in the safe unless going to the range. (points taken from our LEO contributor)

The fellow at the gun shop advised buying used. It seems it's not too hard to buy and sell, so maybe the choice is not that big a deal if I want to move to something else, or just add to the "collection."

Please keep your comments coming. I'm learning, I'm learning.

 

[goodluck]

my xd sub 9mm was my personal carry....and it still is when not riding.
but with a full clip 15+1 rds it's just a tad too wide and heavy for long days.

now the ruger LCP 380 does the trick...
it is everything people claim it to be....
7rds of pure reliability....fits in the palm of my hand.....can even be stuffed in a front pocket if needed.

i think the ruger lcp 380 is a great little gun also carry one everyday in my pocket never even know its there liked it so much now almost everyone in my family has bought one and love them. great little guns

 

[EarlyBird]

.22 revolver to start off with. Then move up to a .38 special. Then .357 magnum. Then go up to a .45!!! I have at least one of each!!!!

 

[oldschool]

Having been around and owned all sorts of firearms my entire adult life I would say, like I always do, to get a revolver first if you're considering your first handgun. Something like a Ruger GP100 in .357 mag (since you have some shooting experience) which will also allow you to shoot the softer recoiling, but just as lethal, .38 special. Then if you need more power, for whatever situation, you can simply load some .357 mag shells which are every bit as powerful as any other primary "defensive" handgun round.

I am also a firm believer in .22LR for training. .22LR is inexpensive to shoot and there is hardly any recoil and a lot less distracting noise for the beginner. It also allows you to work through any "recoil sensitivity" you might pick up as your skills grow.

Revolvers are also much easier to clean and maintain than an auto. Unless you practice practice practice you gain nothing by going with an autoloader over a revolver.

I'll leave my personal political stance out of the discussion and simply state that owning a firearm is a BIG responsibility, however, it is your right to own one and I applaud you for asking questions. Please learn and practice safe firearm handling skills because all it takes is one mistake and you can't change the outcome. Sign up for an NRA safety class in your area and bring the family. Familiarity with firearms will take away the curiosity your kids have for them and could prevent a tragedy.

Good luck.

FWIW, my preferred sidearm is my Kimber Stainless Pro Carry .45acp.