Wheres a good place to start looking into guns.

[tranceport]

I got a nice gun for sale. It has been used so much the serial numbers have started rubbing off. Lets see. Its 9mm. And I'll see it real cheap.



jk jk jk jk.

 

[Moonbeam]

I got a Marlin lever action 22 with a scope a few months back I'd like to try.

 

[BillyGoat]

The comments from others have expressed the issue of safety better then i could of myself.
I also have been shooting since age 5 and am Military Trained in firearms, and a NRA certified sharpshooter.
If you are looking into purchaseing a gun, like others have said a 22 is a great start. Much better to buy a high quality 22 then a low quality 9mm.They will run about the same price. In addition to the ruger- i suggest the walther p22- it has the feel of a larger gun, is alot of fun to shoot and is very accurate in the target eddition- I have 2 of these. If you start with a high quality 22- youll own it your whole life, and never get tired of shooting it.. You will eventuly move of to higher calibers 9mm is popular.. then 40 and 45. I personally carry a 45 when i pack. Whatever you do do not buy a cheap sat night special. Your life is not worth the price difference, and it will break in 2 yrs, while a ruger or simialr will last you all your life, and they will fix it when it breaks. a decent 22 handgun will run betwenn 250- 600. 9mm and 40
will run between 300-700 and 45s about 400 and up- If you have a question about the quality of a weapon you are looking at post here or talk to a local marksman... Most experienced people will let you know whats what.

 

[coolred]

former ohio resident, what part?

I am in Columbus now, but am originally from Fremont, thats around sandusky.

Edit - For a first gun, I'd say to start - 22 caliber, nothing bigger. Learn to handle and control that.

Yeah I was pretty sure that was a small caliber, so it should be easier for me to handle. I should also mention that I am not your average sized person. I'm not a midget, but I am short at only about 5' even, and accordingly I have somewhat smaller hands then most others, so I understand I would just have to try and find a gun that feels good in my hand, but if you can think of any off hand with a smaller grip, that would be great. Also I am reading this one thread at a time, and then posting replies to any messages I see relevant, so forgive me if I ask a question that may have been answered later on in the thread.
I have heard of some of those guns in a couple sites I checked out last night, so I will give them a look.

If you do decide to use a pistol for home/personal defense, please check back again. A .22 certainly isn't the best choice.

I understand what your saying, and I will certainly do that, but as one site quoted. "When your life is on the line a .22 slug that hits is still better then a .45 that misses." But I will check back when looking into home defense if I ever do.

 

[codeyf]

Originally posted by: coolred
But I know enough to know i don't know enough...

Yogi Berra quote????

 

[coolred]

Is that were I heard that before? I knew someone else said it.

By the way, what is the differance between single and double action?

 

[nan0bug]

Jennings J-22 is a nice, small hangun that would be good for you to learn on. For 9mm its hard to go wrong with a Glock, although Taurus makes some nice ones too.

 

[Ophir]

For a good source of info go here: 1911forums.com. Good site w/ lots of good people. A little advanced, and tends to be 1911 (Colt 45) specific, but they are great about helping out newbs.

Also try: glocktalk.com not as friendly, and glock geared, but still helpful.

Finally, this site: thefiringline.com was most helpful, but was shut down due to constant outside hacking (damn liberals). It's up in archive form and there's tons of good info.

Always remember to follow the 4 basic rules of gun safety (posted by rogue9) and have fun. It can get addicting. Also, keep an open mind and ask questions at the range.

 

[Rogue9]

Originally posted by: HokieESM

As someone who has been around firearms all his life--this is very good information.

I'd like to add one thing (not to dismiss Rogue9's excellent suggestions): if possible, always leave a firearm (or hand a firearm to others) in a neutral/safe position and one that is OBVIOUSLY neutral/safe. For example, hand a revolver to a person with the cylinder open and unloaded, grip first. For a semi-auto, lock back the slide. For a bolt-action rifle, open the bolt. This goes with the "a gun is always loaded"--it makes it easier for the person you're giving the firearm to check to make sure its safe/clear. Also, it ensures that you're not representing a "threat", as the gun is obviously neutral.

Enjoy target shooting--its very rewarding and fun. I did it for many years--and the shooting is very soothing(especially if you can find a quiet range). And if you really enjoy shooting--handloading is GREAT.

Good suggestion there too, HokieESM. Actually, the Army MSgt who taught me make a big deal of this - said that every class he had, someone would bring a gun up to him that jammed or something, pointing it right at him. The rules are a lot easier to memorize than actually put into practice.

I also agree with your comments about target shooting. It can be almost meditative, because you have to control your muscles, breathing, etc. (Some of you non-gun people probably think that sounds nuts. )

 

[Rogue9]

Originally posted by: coolred
Is that were I heard that before? I knew someone else said it.

By the way, what is the differance between single and double action?

Single action: When you pull the trigger, the hammer drops. The hammer must first be cocked with your hand (for the first shot) or the recoil of the slide (for the rest of the shots).

Double action: The trigger cocks the hammer and drops the hammer. This allows you to fire a gun with an uncocked hammer. Most handguns today are DA/SA (double/single action), meaning that for the first shot it's double action and for the following shots it's single action.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

There's been a lot of excellent advice in this thread. Deserves a bump.

For a 9mm, I'd second the choice of the 9x19 - a lot of people chastise Glocks for poor safetys, but they seem to have forgotten something - never put your finger on the trigger unless you're going to fire. Considering you seem to be of ... ahem ... "reduced stature" ... I'd spend a lot of time learning to control the smaller calibers. No need to take your arm off with a fifty-cal hand-cannon.

- M4H