So You're Buying a Gun

Table of Contents

Welcome to firearms ownership! This document is to help you learn the basics and give you the fundamental skills necessary to defend yourself and your loved ones.

What to know

Firearms are tools that are there to help you survive in either a deadly confrontation or a dire survival situation. They are not toys. You can certainly have fun with them, but there is a real gravity to being a firearms owner that should never be lost on you. It is a tool but it’s purpose is to kill and you can never forget that.

That being said, there are practices that you as a gun owner need to observe every time you are handling a firearm.

  1. TREAT EVERY GUN AS IF IT WERE LOADED.
    All guns are always to be treated as if they are loaded. No matter what.

  2. ONLY POINT THE GUN IN A SAFE DIRECTION.
    When at a range you point the gun down range at all times. When moving firearms from place to place, keep the muzzle pointed away from other people, preferably at the ground.

  3. KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOU INTEND TO FIRE
    Trigger Discipline is key to safe firearms operations. Many modern guns have so many safety features that the only way to negligently discharge your firearm is if your finger or other object pulls the trigger.

  4. BE AWARE OF YOUR TARGET AND ITS SURROUNDING
    When shooting it’s important to remember that your bullet probably won’t stop in the intended target. Obviously true for the paper targets you will train on and often true for human threats you may be stopping. But remember that bullets don’t obey you, they obey physics.

These are all rules that you will obey whenever you are holding or operating a firearm. You will be expected to remind people to obey these rules at all times because it keeps all of us safe. Now there are safety rules for just you to remember.

  1. EYES AND EARS
    You need eyes and ear protection whenever you go shooting. Lots of us have permanent hearing damage from failing this rule. Firearms do fail and they do send shrapnel in all directions if/when they do. Protect your eyes.

  2. KNOW YOUR FIREARM
    Every gun is different. Knowing how to do all basic operations of your firearm and what ammo it needs is vital to successfully operating a gun. This includes cleaning and disassembly. Search YouTube for your gun before you buy one so you can gauge if the operation is too much for you.

  3. INVEST IN A GOOD HOLSTER
    Whether you intend to carry or not, a means of transporting your firearm from home to the range is important. Guns are very sturdy and don’t need to be babied while in use, but the better care you take of it not under duress, the better it will treat you if something happens. A proper holster for Every Day Carry is also important for both your comfort and to keep the firearm from getting gross with natural bodily discharge. And it keeps objects out of the trigger guard and protects you from accidentally getting shot.

Okay I know what is safe. Now what should I buy?

A solid question. If your goal is home/personal defense the trifecta is Handgun for Everyday Carry, a Long Rifle, and a Shotgun. The reasoning for a Long Gun is that you can use a long gun MUCH easier in the dead of night than you can a handgun. If you want specific recommendations for this kind of setup it will always be

  1. Striker fired handgun (Glock 19/43x, Sig P365, M&P 9mm)
  2. AR-15 from a reputable manufacturer (Palmetto State Armory, Aereo Precision, M&P)
  3. Remington 870 or a clone from any reputable manufacturer.

You may also consider a gun in .22 LR (Long Rifle). These guns are fantastic for honing in the fundamentals of shooting and translate phenomenally into proper self defense calibers like 9MM and 5.56. Any .22LR rifle like a Ruger 10/22 is great for a new shooter to focus on the fundamentals with and not have to worry about the high cost of regular ammunition. There are also AR-15 conversions that allow them to shoot .22LR with a super simple upper receiver swap. You may also consider a full sized handgun in .22LR like a Ruger Marksman or an M&P22. These will serve the same function but for handgun training. Note on Handguns: The ones listed are not the entire list. Nearly all 9mm striker fired handguns will do the same job and it is recommended best practice to go to a range that allows gun rentals and try out as many handguns as possible to see what fits both your budget and your hands.

Nagaram avatar
Nagaram
Nagaram is a knower of many things but an understander of none!