my first gun

First gun if you only could have one should be something in .22LR. A good Ruger 10/22. For a handgun I LOVE a good reliable revolver. Get a serious man stopping .357.

Everyone's entitled to my opinion.

 

It has been said before, by experts (Col Jeff Cooper for one), handguns are there to give you time to get your shotgun in a home defense situation. They have more stopping power than a handgun.
A pistol grip, double-barrel, exposed trigger, break-action shotgun is the choice for home defense. Shotgunner takes point. Handgunner rounds up family.
Training for any type of guncraft is readily available, if you look for it.

Everyone is responsible for their own defense and must live/die by their choices. I'm not here to ram anything down anyone's throat.

 

Check out these guys, they usually have good prices on guns.

budsgunshop.com

 

that's where i've been looking. they do seem to have good prices. huge selection too. and they ship the guns to a lot of locations...lots near where i'll be

 

There is "The Range" in Stafford, VA and another range (cannot recall name) in Woodbridge off Rt 1.

 

thanks don. you know if they rent? an NRA range is real close to my house, but i don't believe they rent out anything.

 

Shooting around corners can be fun if done right. A pistol might be easier - but nothig like the sound of a round getting chambered in a shotgun.

 

Oh yea brother! They do rent for sure... Dawson's Small Arms in VA is a great place to buy from. I bought my Kahr P9 Covert from there. The Woodbrige range isn't far from there... Just wish I could remember name.

 

Here is the place in Stafford/Fredericksburg area: http://www.indoorrange.com/

Place in Woodbridge: Shooters Paradise, 13979 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Woodbridge, VA 22191, 703-491-4867 (Don't buy from here if you can help it, last time I was there the prices were higher than Dawson's Small Arms).

 

I disagree with this; the general rule of thumb revolves around the intruder physically being in the house. In some states, they must also threaten your safety, or the safety of those you are protecting. If they are in your home with malicious intent, then you have every right to defend yourself.

Also, if you rack your shotgun to alert them that you have a weapon, you've just admitted that you didn't previously have a round chambered. Why would you confront a criminal without a round chambered? The presence of a firearm immediately escalates the situation; if you are going to brandish a weapon then you best be prepared to use it. My rule: don't brandish until you absolutely have to kill them - and don't shoot to wound, shoot to kill.

I agree that weapons should never be used for intimidation purposes. Too often they will escalate the situation out of control, and they will be used when it may have been possible to avoid shooting all together.

My opinion on a good home defense weapon: a 1911 in .45 ACP by Colt, Smith & Wesson, Kimber, Springfiled, or any other reliable manufacture.

These pistols are really accurate, reliable, and can put something down if need be. I also like the single action aspect of the weapon. For example, when I use my 1911 as a home defense weapon, I don't have a round chambered. I believe that racking the pistol can be done soon enough and will allow me a few more seconds to gain sound judgement if I awoke in the middle of the night and needed a pistol (as opposed to being able to grab and fire while still being half asleep). I have a K-Bar if I literally don't have time to chamber a round. This would be identical to keeping any other pistol without a round chambered - all you have to do is rack the slide and you're ready to go. If you are going to keep it in a gun vault, then you could make the argument that getting into the vault requires enough processing to wake you up, so you could keep a round chambered to reduce reaction time.

However, when I carry it concealed, I carry with a round chambered - cocked and locked (If I need a pistol on the street then I won't have enough time to rack the slide) - and I like the ability to have a mechanical safety. Double action only (DAO) pistols like the Glock don't have an active mechanical safety. They have a passive safety in the form of a really long trigger pull.

Just my two cents.

 

Thanks Don, I'll have to check out those places before i head down to florida. Not that i have anything to compare to, but the stafford range seems to have really good rates on gun rentals. $8 for a gun, $11 for 50 rounds and $8 for a half hour of range time sounds pretty reasonable

 

That's where I used to shoot all the time. Small - off the beaten path...

 

Colin- When you get back to Melbourne, give Action Gun Outfitters a call, they are on Aurora Road in Melbourne, they have an indoor range and do rent pistols. It's a small indoor range but the only one in Melbourne that rents used pistols. I have a Ruger P95 DC that I keep handy, no true safety button/lever but one round in the chamber,hammer down, drop it throw it down it wont fire, the first shot is a long trigger pull @ 11 LBS then every other trigger pull is around 4 Lbs,(or close to that) that means no slide to be operated, no lever to pull just aim squeeze and shoot. It's a very safe gun, but somewhat on the large size to carry on your person concealed.

 

The duty to warn that you are armed is a myth forwarded by the anti-gun political groups. No such law!!! The question is one of escalation of force... ie. can you use deadly force where none is presented toward you? In your home most states have adopted the approach that if someone is in your home (intruder) the burden shifts from what a "reasonable person" would do, to what was reasonable based on your impression or understanding of the level of threat. The use of a safe room is a good practice but sometimes becomes impractical. However, giving away your position is not only ill-advised it is plain stupid if the intruder is armed. Anymore you have to assume that any intruder is armed. I agree with other posters on the note to shoot as a last resort but never to warn or wound.

As far as what first pistol? If you want cheap shooting nothing beats a .22lr and ruger makes some great models. Not a big fan of the larger semi-autos. Accuracy and reliability are known problems with Ruger. Frankly any semi auto is prone to failure. Even the best names..dont believe the hype. A wheel gun (revolver)is a must for anyone starting their collection. That said I carry an HK .45c and it has never jammed and hits where I point. There is a reason that every special ops and swat teams use their subguns.

 

If you don't want to go up to a .45 ACP, then imo you should seriously consider either a 9mm or a .40. With the 9mm you get the advantage of being able to almost always find ammo for it. Even right after Obama took office, I was able to regularly find it. And depending on the gun you get, you may have a few more rounds with a 9mm than a .40. Either way you have way more than you would with a .45 (but if you cant drop someone with 8 rounds of .45 your screwed anyways ). With the .40 you have the advantage of a bit heavier slug which translates into more stopping power. It was a little more difficult to find when Obama first came in, but I see it pretty regularly now.

As for the models... like everyone else said, I would wait until you can get to a range that rents out weapons and get your hands on as many as possible. Personally, I love the feel of the Springfield XDM .40 and have been considering making that my next gun . But it really is all about personal feel. Find something that fits and feels good in your hand and is also accurate with your shooting.

Good luck and let us know what you decide to pick up!

 

thanks Kevin, it's good to know of a reputable range in the melbourne area, and even better that it rents.



so i think i'll be looking mostly at 9mm pistols. seems like they are easy to find amo for, cheaper to operate, and will get the job done.

 

xd 45 acp, ftw!

 

Now I dont mean to come across as a smart ass, although why would anyone in their right mind warn someone that they are about to get shot... Sure you gave your reasons, but none of them are good enough to warrant notifying an intruder that you are about to open fire . A dead man doesn't talk, so whether or not you warn the bastard is irrelevant. In my eyes, and the law's eyes, if you are inside of my house committing robbery, or with the intent to cause injury to myself or my family, you are as good as dead.

 

When you get in town look me up here. Call me, and take my Ruger for a trial run. Then look into Indian River gun range, it's 30 minutes south of here (Sebastaian) and a public outdoor range. Nice place, very safe, gun friendly.