I want to buy a firearm

If you are not familure with fire arms. Training is a must. They will give you any information you need especially laws in your area. You will have an opportunity to fire multiple types from hand guns to long arms (rifles) find what you are comfortable with. If you have kids make sure you educate them... Better yet they have safety courses for kids.

My recommendation after the traing and any licensing necessary in your area would be a Springfield armory xdm9. I have one as my conceal carry. Its light. The trigger and grip safety helps keep it safe while carrying. And if necessary its quickly readied if needed.

Any pistol caliber carbine will be fine, as a more ranged weapon like an AR15 or AK require CAREFUL consideration of your round's travel.
In an urban environment ,THAT can lead to tragedy.

originally posted by: Tempter
Hey, OP! You've taken a good first step to becoming a smart gun owner, and that is to ask a lot of questions.


You might want to consider buying a pellet gun pistol and practice shooting with that.

You might find you're more comfortable shooting a non-lethal weapon to become more comfortable with the idea of holding something truly deadly in your hand.

I'm guessing this might be a factor for many new shooters.

No...practice w the type of gun you're going to carry, that's why it's important to hit the range and try different types...find one you like and then practice w that particular one ...

You don't practice w something totally different then buy a firearm ...pellet guns are not even close to the same

No offense but don't give advice about firearms if you don't know ...

You don't buy a pellet gun for defense....you'll only piss off your attacker...

Instead learn what you are carrying is deadly, learn to respect it , and learn that the only time you pull it is if you absolutely have to....

Not some pellet gun you know is not lethal, then pull it when you shouldn't because you know it won't kill someone , and have them pull an actual gun and shoot you dead...

Seriously ...

a reply to: DanDanDat

Any local gunshop, or local law enforcement, can hook you up with someone, or someones, who can show you the ins and outs of practicing with your firearms safely.

There's, as has been said, but bears repeating, no such thing as too much practice, or being too safe.

I grew up around firearms, well over forty years worth of practice, and I still learn new things on a regular basis.

Ask questions. Where firearms are concerned, there's no such thing as stupid questions. As you learn, you'll know when you're being fed a line of poo. Ask more questions.

Then practice. If you're serious, you'll soon discover that your best source of information are your fellow shooters. Many of them have, like myself, been shooting for the vast majority of their lives.

a reply to: Outlier13

originally posted by: Outlier13

originally posted by: nOraKat
I think it’s a dangerous mentality to think that everyone will decide to act uncivil to each other.

Have you ever been in the aftermath of a natural disaster where basic everyday services have stopped working? I.E. no food, gas, water, electricity, etc?

The average person does not have enough emergency food or water on hand at any given time to last them more than 2 days. Which is why it has been shown that civil unrest begins within the first 36 hours after a natural disaster occurs.

When people are out of resources and they need those resources for either themselves or their family...I think you would be very surprised at how quickly people move into self preservation mode. At this point civility goes out the window.

Name one case in the last thousand years where something occurred and neighbors were trying to steal food or water from each other and things got so out of hand that people had to fight each other off with guns?

I rest my case.

-----

The closest thing I can think of is Argentina, or say Puerto Rico.. I don't think people are fighting each other off with guns or threatening each other..

Buy a 12 guage shotgun,usually when you chamber one,people scatter,just need to point in general direction,a pistol you need skills

a reply to: nOraKat

Name one case in the last thousand years...

Just one???

HURRICANE KATRINA!!!

...and practically every similar type event in HISTORY before and since!

You, sir/madame, are absolutely full of S#, and completely blinded by your anti-gun zeal so as to be categorically out of touch with reality!

If you're going to make a comment, at least comment with FACTS ... NOT FANTASY!

...I rest my case.

ETA...

Here's some others...seeing as how you seem to have lost all touch with reality...
- California riots following the Rodney King verdict (look into what happened in the Korean section of town).
- Ferguson Missouri 2014
- Hurricanes, floods, widespread power outages and too many other instances to even name.

Get some facts, before you start spouting off with crap like that!

a reply to: dashen

i prefer mossbreg, 500 or 590 series, in 12ga, if that kicks to much go with 20ga still enough knock down up close.
Mossberg

a reply to: hounddoghowlie

Just for the record, 'felt recoil' is often greater with a 20ga. shotgun than it is for a 12ga. shotgun.

Not always, but often.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

well that's not my experience, all my 12ga's kick harder than my 20ga's.

a reply to: hounddoghowlie

I've done many side by side comparisons with the exact same model shotgun in both gauges, Winchester Mdl. 12's most recently and found it to be true. I was pretty surprised actually.

Now, of course a 3-1/2" mag slug in a 12ga. is going to have more felt recoil than a reduced recoil trap (7.5 - 8 shot) load in a 20ga.

a reply to: DanDanDat

Decide on handgun or long gun. You can move quickly w family w handgun... Harder to take with you when a long gun...

Personal decision... let more knowledgeable members advise types, makes and benefits of either/or.

Get training and good luck.

MS
Daily Carrier

OP, before you start thinking about a particular firearm, you probably should first should analyze your environment and most likely scenarios. You will quickly discover there are numerous considerations like projectile weight, velocity, penetration and potential for collateral damage. A person living in an apartment building will need something different from someone living in the country (like me).

Here's another piece of advice; don't allow yourself to be lured in by the "look" of a particular firearm. In the firearms world this is known as the "tacti-cool" factor. Don't fall for it. Looks achieve nothing (despite what the politicians may think). Form follows function. The best and most effective firearm is one you can safely shoot and shoot well.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

here ya go, pretty plain and simple comparison. it's all subjective.

Make Up Your Mind Monday: 12 gauge vs. 20 gauge

reasons to use 20ga and a review of the mossberg 500 tactical 20 ga in one article.
and another from the same guy,
A 20 Gauge for Home Defense? Mossberg Special Purpose Review

5 Reasons to Run a Tactical 20 Gauge

plus up close # 4,5,6, within say 20 to 50 feet in a home at center mass will kill most people, which most home defense situations are likely to be. lack of full spread is your friend up close.
and of course there's always buck shot or slugs.

originally posted by: seasonal
a reply to: DanDanDat

A decision that is sometimes neglected is the chamber of handguns-rifles. I suggest matching them if that makes sense.

In other words 9mm glock and 9mm carbine if a carbine is a viable option. Simpler to stock ammo.

Ummm...I use that very same method...with my 45/70 Government rounds...


YouSir

a reply to: hounddoghowlie

Great post.

No argument whatsoever that a 20ga. is a perfectly suitable chambering for a personal / home defense firearm...none whatsoever. It's a perfectly fine round. In fact, it's an excellent round. The only issue with 20ga. is the variety and availability of ammo. Not nearly as bad as 16ga (and/or 28ga)., but 20ga is not always something you can find at a mom & pop hardware store and the like.

I reload both 12ga and 20ga so it's not an issue for me, but it may be for someone who doesn't have this capability.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

i go to gun stores, and i don't know where you live but most here in the panhandle of fl carry lots of different shotgun shells in 12, 20 and 410. i guess because it's all of the hunters and the number of people that have guns for home defense.

and believe it or not i know several people that prefer to use a .410 for home defense. i've been think about getting this one for my mom.

500 Tactical - HS410 Home Security

here's a review for it.
Home Defense Shotgun: The .410 Test

a reply to: nOraKat

Are you serious? Every hurricane that hits the US there is and has always been a scenario where looting occurs. Spend some time Google searching the name of a hurricane followed by "looters". The specific storm the OP is talking about Hurricane Sandy. By day 3 there were people at a gas station who had some gas to sell and a man shot another man in order to get gasoline.

Hurricane Katrina prompted looters to come out and shoot at US military rescue helicopters. The looting was widespread. The latest Hurricane Irma check out the stories of Key West where entire neighborhoods were riddled with nightly looting so bad they were setting up watches to keep the looters at bay. Hurricane Harvey has widespread reports of people being looted while stranded in their homes.

You're living under a rock if you think people maintain civility when they come to the realization help is not on the way and they no longer have access to daily resources such as food and water.

a reply to: DanDanDat

Let's see (and if this has already been mentioned, my apologies)...if I were you I would find a friend or someone who knows firearms well to go to the range with you. In my experience, most (if not all) indoor firing ranges rent firearms for you to try.

Rent some and fire them--different brands, sizes, and calibers. Most places let you interchange firearms while you're at the range when you're renting, so try one, take it back, get another, wash, rinse, repeat.

I would argue that just one firearm would not be the best solution if you're concerned about a SHTF (crisis) lasting from weeks into months: At the very least, you would want a pistol to carry on you at all times, and then either a semi-auto rifle (I would go with the AR platform for availability of parts and ammo, or even a .22LR if you don't think that you'd have to engage a target from long distances) or a pump-action 12-ga shotgun to have available at your home or in your vehicle if you're having to take a relatively long, sketchy trip. (I say 12-guage because of availability of ammo variety...I own a 20-guage, which I prefer, but I hate having to find buck shot for it)

Again, most shooting ranges, at the least, rent out many pistols and rifles, and most that I've been in do shotguns as well (although shotguns are less person-specific, IMO, so firing them isn't always a necessity). Take advantage of this, because a Glock handgun may feel good in your hand, but you're not very consistent when firing it, whereas a Smith & Wesson M&P may not feel as good, but may fire better. Or a Springfield, or an H&K, or whatever. I'm a big believer that you can get good with any pistol, so price may dictate more than comfort or accuracy at the start.

As long as you can hit a torso target at 10 yards consistently, I would argue that the pistol will work for you.

Rifles are a bit easier to pick up, IMO, once you figure out all of the fundamentals--I can switch from a .22LR to an AR (shooting .223 ammo) and a hunting rifle with a scope chambered in .270, and be relatively dead on without a problem from the first shot.

My point is that once you find a firearm (or two) that you are comfortable and relatively accurate with from the rental process, you now have a good foundation to purchase that/those firearms confidently. Once you do, then you take your firearm(s) into a beginner firearm course where they will walk you through how to take the weapon apart, clean it, deal with malfunctions, and all of the rest of the necessary things you would need to know.

Once you are through with that, you have a decent foundation to get going and doing your own thing.

The most important thing is practice, practice, practice, until you are 100% comfortable with your weapon(s). Then, once you're there, branch out and do some tactical training to see what it's like to fire a weapon under stress, or while moving or kneeling or lying down, etc. Not only are those courses fun, but also practical.

Good luck!

a reply to: nOraKat

Are you serious?

Katrina, and any other hurricane you care to mention. There's always going to be some who decide what's yours is, in reality-their reality, anyway--theirs, and aren't terribly shy about coming to get it.

Any time the fabric of society is torn, or even wrinkled, the low end of that society tend to come out to loot. To take what isn't theirs.

You really need to get out more.