Complete Noob

[NumberCruncher]

I'll admit I may be part of the recent panic about impending gun legislation. In my defense I've been interested in shooting most of my life. I just wasn't brought up around it and never owned a gun.

With that said, I want to buy a gun for sport and for protection. My first thought was a hand gun and I will get one at some point, but I think, like lots of people, if I ever want an AR, better to get it now in case they are banned in the future.

What would you all recommend? Should I be looking based on ammo? I've found I can get both handguns and AR that will shoot .22LR, but is that powerful enough for home protection? Originally I was looking at .40 handguns. Are there any gun makers I should avoid?

Any advice would be welcome. The more I research, the more I get overwhelmed.

 

[THard6]

well i think you've found a great place to answer some of your questions. the best thing i can say is go out to a gun show and feel some guns for yourself. i personally wouldn't use 22LR for protection. i would use it for cheap fun target practice. stick with a 9mm or something larger.
but as far as what gun should i recommend, i won't do that. just go look at prices and the feel for yourself. whatever you can afford and will keep you safe is what you should go with.
but remember before you purchase that $200 hi-point. it's supposed to protect your life and your family. so don't be afraid to spend a little more for a good reliable gun.
welcome to INGO

 

[Tripp11]

IMO, I think a logical place to start would be a gun range that allows you to rent/shoot numerous makes/models/calibers. What might feel great in my hand might not feel as nice in yours. So, when I made my first handgun purchase, I was in SC and went to a range that offered numerous guns for rent. I shot and shot and shot until I narrowed it down to two handguns.

Based on caliber, I found that I shot the 9mm much better than either the .40 caliber or the .45. So, for my first gun, I went with the 9mm which is still my caliber of choice simply because I personally am able to get more rounds accurately on target than the other two calibers.

There are plenty of fine gun manufacturers out there, and I find that plenty of folks are loyal to THEIR gun. So, I would handle as many as possible and make your own decision.

 

[HavokCycle]

honestly a .40 is a lot of gun. theyre not easy to handle, muzzle flip being the primary reason. not that it cant be done, but to put follow up shots into the same center mass is rough, unless youre competent and familiar with it.

to qualify what im saying - my first handgun was also indeed a .40, a ruger. until i got serious about shooting with it, i was TERRIBLE. couldnt hit the same spot twice to save my life, literally.

im likely to get flamed on this one, but just my .02. do as you like, its doable.
ive become used to handguns with heavy recoil like .40 and it has served me well.
it also matters a lot what you buy. my sledge hammer of a ruger felt nothing like a lightweight glock, had to adapt.

let me finish by saying that i adore .40. if you want it, buy it, just be prepared to need some familiarity with it to be proficient.

 

[MisterFurious]

I wouldn't get too freaked about the AR situation; my personal feeling is that this will die down after a while. If you're wanting something for home defense, get a 12 gauge pump shotgun and load it with 00 buckshot. More effective, in my opinion, and way cheaper. I wouldn't bother with a .22 for home protection. .40 is a good choice in a handgun, S&W MP and Glock are two I've had and really liked.

 

[O'Shark]

You have some good suggestions so far. While the .40 is more powerful than the 9mm, I would recommend the 9mm over the .40 to a new shooter. The recoil is not as snappy and practice ammo is way cheaper. A full-size 9mm is comfortable to shoot and many can hold 15+ rounds.

 

[Paul30]

If you are looking at handguns I would look at 9mm handguns for personal protection. I shoot about anything well. I am accurate with about any handgun. The 9mm should be enough power to get the job done, allows the most rounds in the magazine, and can be purchased in a compact gun for ease of concealment. The S&W Shield is a great gun for a good price if you can find one. Many new shooters like the lower recoil of the 9mm, the round is the most available bullet you will find. If ammo ever gets hard to find, it will still be the most available.

 

[MrBlue54]

You should locate and visit the Local Gun Shop. Tell them that you are looking for your first gun and what you plan to use it for. Then find a local gun range that rents guns and shoot as many as you can before you buy.
This is what I did.
Kinda fun. Thought I wanted a Glock, but this is not what I liked when I shot it.
Good Luck and Welcome,
MrBlue

 

[NumberCruncher]

Thanks for the advice!! So where is there a decent range where I can rent a gun? I live in Carmel / Noblesville area. Is Popguns the only place that rents guns?

 

[Birds Away]

Another option is to find an INGO member in your area who might be willing to let you shoot some of his/her guns. Sometimes having someone with a bit of experience can help you along. When I was looking to buy my first gun I knew a co-worker who had a lot of experience. He let me shoot some of his and did not push his brand on me. He was patient and allowed me to find my own way with the occasional nudge away from bad practices. INGO is everywhere and there are lots of good folks on here willing to share. As far as caliber is concerned, I go with 9mm because, of what I consider to be adequate self defense rounds, I can buy more 9mm rounds with the same money as any other caliber. More rounds means more practice means more proficiency. Self defense is about putting the biscuit in the basket under stress. I would rather have the gun I shoot the best rather than the one that makes the biggest hole. YMMV and good luck.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

How to start if you are not a cleaning patch baby like many of us here:

1. Do you have a friend who knows anything, maybe a gun school grad? See if he/she can take you shooting? I do this for friends and friends of friends. My fee is a sushi based schedule.

2. Do you have a range that rents guns and you can hire an instructor for a couple of hours?

3. Recommended: go to school. Allow your software to select your hardware. What you like as a "noob" may be far different once you obtain experience.

Optimally I would send you off on a plane to Gunsite, Thunder Ranch or drive down to Shootrite, HOWEVER, INGO has several people who teach classes right here in Indiana. Go sign up now.

"But, Kirk, I don't even have a pistol."

Doesn't matter, ask to borrow one, ask if you can shoot different ones.

One thing about the gun culture is that it will bend over backwards to accomodate new shooters. Buy good eye protection and ear protection, ask to borrow a pistol for class.

Good luck, remember The Four Rules are life.

The key is spending money on education, not hardware. Education will narrow your focus and prevent you from burning money on "evolutionary dead ends" in your gun buying.

 

[Birds Away]

How to start if you are not a cleaning patch baby like many of us here:

1. Do you have a friend who knows anything, maybe a gun school grad? See if he/she can take you shooting? I do this for friends and friends of friends. My fee is a sushi based schedule.

2. Do you have a range that rents guns and you can hire an instructor for a couple of hours?

3. Recommended: go to school. Allow your software to select your hardware. What you like as a "noob" may be far different once you obtain experience.

Optimally I would send you off on a plane to Gunsite, Thunder Ranch or drive down to Shootrite, HOWEVER, INGO has several people who teach classes right here in Indiana. Go sign up now.

"But, Kirk, I don't even have a pistol."

Doesn't matter, ask to borrow one, ask if you can shoot different ones.

One thing about the gun culture is that it will bend over backwards to accomodate new shooters. Buy good eye protection and ear protection, ask to borrow a pistol for class.

Good luck, remember The Four Rules are life.

The key is spending money on education, not hardware. Education will narrow your focus and prevent you from burning money on "evolutionary dead ends" in your gun buying.

This is probably the best gun advice you will ever get.

 

[NumberCruncher]

Well, that's right up my alley anyway. I like to do a lot of research and education before I either buy or try to enter a new hobby, so that was my initial thought anyway.

I was thinking of taking the gun safety class at IN Gun Safety in Fishers. Is that a good place to start?

Then, I was planning to get my license to carry. Then start working my way through some rounds with a few different guns. Is that the right order of things?

And as always, thanks for the help.

 

[kcdiver]

Hello

It amazes me with the number of people that go for 9mm, just like the number of poeple that rave about certain types of vehicles. The best advice on here was to get shotgun, instead of buckshoot, get self dense rounds. Safety and practise are the keys to a successful future. As to performance of the rounds, you have to move beyond 9mm for 1st round kill. A local retired sheriff actually doesn't recomend anything under 44mag. This seems overkill and not for the new shooter; however, I personnally dont want to get shot with anything including a 22. 22 is cheap to shoot, and your new 22 cal. ar-15 styles allow you to cheaply shoot and become familiar with ar-15 style firearms. A final though is where are you using the weapon, in a country home an ar-15 would work, no worries about a stray round going through wall and causing collateral damage. In an apartment or duplex, you dont want to go through the wall into neighbors. I use a 45 with laser/light, while there are nite sights on pistol, i use reading glasses and sights are blurry. So one push of a button and the target is both lighted and red laser on it. What matters is what is going to work best for you. Recomendations to go to range and shoot multiple guns is excellent advice and allows you to make good initial choice.

 

[Adrian8]

For a complete nooby, and for anyone else, a nice small .38 revolver is a great gun..simple to use, and is less "complicated" than a semi auto, especially for the woman in your life. Want to go bigger? Get a .357 Magnum and you can shoot .38 standard, 38+P and .38+P ammo in the .357 Mag chambered gun.

 

[actaeon277]

I agree with Birds Away and Kirk.
See if there is an INGO Meet & Shoot to visit. Or see if anyone here wants to take you under their wing, and let you try stuff out.
YOU have to find something. Big enough to do damage, small enough to handle accurately, affordable enough to practice with. Only you can make that decision.
And..... training
And..... practice
And..... be safe

Its a little far for you, but we have some great M&Ss up here in NWI. If you could make a day trip, we usually have hundreds of weapons.

 

[TheWabbit]

Number, I'm in Noblesville. Take the NRA basic pistol course with IndyGun Safety. Randy is here at INGO. You will get to shoot various revolvers and semis during the class.

 

[infiremedic07]

Indy gun safety is a great place to start. Take the NRA basic pistol course and learn about the differences between the types of handguns available. Apply for and get your licence to carry handgun in Indiana. The lifetime personal protection is not going away but with all the hubbub lately there is now a delay in getting it processed. Even when you go the L1 electronic fingerprinting route. (Which I highly recommend).
When you buy find a dealer or someone who will take the time to show you and work with you to get you a good fit.
Good luck and welcome to INGO.

 

[MadMan66]

A gun class is a great place to start. However, I would get the ball rolling on your LTCH first. It takes about 5 minutes to submit the application online. I only say to go ahead with the LTCH first because I was in there the other day to upgrade my 4 year LTCH to a Lifetime and they said it's gonna take about 4 months for me to receive it (luckily my 4 year doesn't expire until august) because their system is getting swamped with applications "due to recent circumstances" as the lady at the desk put it. So while you're waiting for that to come in the mail, you can be taking gun classes and figuring out what you want. Just my

 

[grogie]

Welcome! That's great advice to start with an NRA safety course. My wife was new to guns and when we got married I signed her up for several classes (introduction and personal protection). I also took the classes with her and they were excellent. Besides just using a gun, they'll cover legal aspects as well.

And as you said, they're a lot of options! Take your time deciding, but understand that you'll want more then just one, two or five.

And join the NRA while you are at it.