60 yr old rookie with first gun permit needs advice

Unless there is some urgent need to get a gun, take your time.

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As has been mentioned getting some classes under your belt before you choose a gun is a good idea. Some begining classes let you try out a variety of guns.

You might also consider getting a used .22 pistol of some sort before you buy a concealed carry piece.
They let you fire many rounds down range for not too much money. The experience you get from practicing with a .22 is easily transferable to a centerfire handgun.

Don't get too caught up in picking a cartridge. imho it is much more important that you pick a gun that fits your hand.

Just one word of caution, I am not comfortable shooting guns that weigh less than 20oz. for more than a few shots.
While a light gun is easier to carry they can be a chore to shoot and it follows that you might not practice with it as much as you should.
 
Snub revolvers....

I agree with Pax(a forum member).
Small frame or J frame size snubs are not ideal for a new or entry level gun owner IMO.
They may be good for carry but target shooting/marksmanship is where a new gunner should start.
After a period with a medium size 3"/4" barrel revolver or a semi-auto pistol, then Id suggest a smaller carry gun.
Remember the old target shooting saying: Only the hits count. ;)
 
Sorry I got you all twitterpated Dragline. I didn't know that .22s were in such meager supply, I average about one or two bulk packs a month, and I'm thinking a 50 rd box of .380s is almost as much the bulk packs of 500 +.22s.

Of course I don't know for certain how much .380s are having never owned one, but if I did I'd be casting and reloading them just like every other caliber I own, there is no ammo shortage at my house.

Anyway, I'm sure you have a swell family, and as far as I can tell from your posts, MA and you are perfect for each other.
 
I'd advise a good revolver, a SP101 3" Ruger for example...or a 3" S&W 60...revolvers are reliable, affordable, and easy to use and maintain. When you get more shooting experience, then you'll know what you want in a semiautomatic, assuming you still want one.

Laura
 
Sorry I got you all twitterpated Dragline. I didn't know that .22s were in such meager supply, I average about one or two bulk packs a month, and I'm thinking a 50 rd box of .380s is almost as much the bulk packs of 500 +.22s.
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Their is a nationwide shortage of .22lr, online retailers are sold out with no ETA and usually wont allow back orders. When shops actually do get .22 ammo in, and these days its not often, there is usually a strict 1-2 box limit per customer. A good deal of shops are holding on to their .22 ammo and only offering it to customers who buy guns chambered in .22 that day. When it shows up in classifieds, online auctions, and gunshows, they are selling anywhere from $60-$120 for 500rd bulk packs which used to sell for $20, and some people are even buying them for as much as $175+. I can walk into just about any shop and either find 50rd target boxes of .380 or 20rd boxes of the premium SD stuff, the last time I was able to find any .22 ammo for regular prices was 3 months ago and they were 333rd bulk packs and I was only able to buy 2 of them. The next day I went back and it was all gone.

and as far as I can tell from your posts, MA and you are perfect for each other.
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Not sure if that is supposed to be an insult? All I can say is if it wasn't for Massachusetts you would probably be speaking with a British accent right now ;)
 
Good advice above. Definitely shoot as many handguns as you can to determine which ones handle better and feel better in your hands. If you're not going to conceal then I'd go for a full size model to help you control recoil. I'd go with 9mm in semiauto or 38 Special in revolvers (or larger calibers if you can handle them). 9mm semis are very popular but nothing wrong with a revolver if they feel better to you.

I'm an older guy too, 66, and can tell you if you have good eyesight and aren't stove up then you should be able handle and be accurate with most calibers, including 40S&W, 45ACP and 357 Magnum. Your choice.


... For semi-auto pistols, Id suggest the simple, robust, easy to carry Glock 23 or larger 22. It's a .40S&W caliber but with after market kits or barrels can be quickly converted to .357sig, 9x19mm, .22LR. For one Glock pistol, you can shoot four popular calibers...
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This is good advice if you can legally buy a Glock. I have the G23 and G27, both 40S&W, and use the Lone Wolf G23 40-9mm barrel in both to convert to 9mm. It works well. I haven't tried the other conversions since I don't use 357Sig and have a .22 already.
 
I'd forget about Glocks and guns you can't own in this state, which are considerable. The laws stink....there's a lot to be said about a solid revolver and there's plenty of guns to choose from, even in Massachusetts. I don't think you could go wrong with a good S&W or Ruger.


Edit to add, if you do decide you want a Glock, which is very over priced to buy privately, you can do so legally here, or otherwise find good guns near you for maybe a better price than what you'll find in the shops:

http://www.armslist.com/classifieds/massachusetts/handguns
 
That sucks Dragline, whenever I'm close to either of the two Wally worlds in my town I check for rimfires and altho it's not an everyday occurrence I hit a shipment often enough that the last time I bought two bulk packs for a relative, (not even one I feel obligated not to move away from). I do note an occasional box or two of tula .380s.

Not sure if that is supposed to be an insult? All I can say is if it wasn't for Massachusetts you would probably be speaking with a British accent right now
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It was a bit of a dig Dragline, but since I'm a vet and your ancestors drove the Brits out of the colonies I apologize, but a British accent is easier for me to understand than a Boston accent. Just saying. Oh yeah, and just what firearms the great state of MA not allow its citizens to own?
 
Do rent and try out as many different pistols and revolvers as you want.

For your first gun, I recommend a revolver, 3 or 4 inch barrel, instead of a semi-auto, just for simplicity.

Don't let anyone snow you that .38 Special, 9mm, etc., are not adequate for self defense. The guy at the store insisting that the .357 Magnum, or .45 ACP is the only acceptable cartridge, is feeding you a line of crap.
 
Another revolver vote. Just pure simplicity and simple manual of arms. If you decide shooting is a hobby you really want to get into, you can always upgrade to a high speed low drag high capacity auto loader.

If you decide you just really want to keep a handgun for protection, and don't want to take it on as a full time hobby/pursuit, you will still be adequately armed,for the rest of your life, with a good revolver.

Also, as more inane laws are passed regarding mag capacity, it won't affect you.

I'm chasing you in age, and I have to be realistic, will I get arthritis or old hand injuries make manipulating a slide and magazines more difficult as I get older? Live with anyone else at your house? Will they have access to it and possibly need to use it? Will they get the same training you are willing to get?

A Ruger SP101 would be good for home and carry. A bit heavy, but, it won't beat you up to shoot it.

Wish you lived closer to Texas. I'd meet you at the range with a bunch of stuff to try out.
 
but a British accent is easier for me to understand than a Boston accent.
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The funny thing is they did a study comparing the Boston accent to other accents around the world and they found it was most similar to British and Australian accents. Twice in my life when out of state I was asked if I originally lived in Britain because of my heavy Boston accent. Kind of amazing that even after 200+ years people in Boston still have a hint of a British accent.

Oh yeah, and just what firearms the great state of MA not allow its citizens to own?
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For handguns to be sold in MA they have to be submitted for approval by the manufacturer, most manufacturers will only submit the models they think will sell in this state which is usually only their best selling models. For example, most polymer Kahrs you can get in MA, but they never submitted their all steel models like the K9 since they wont see nearly as much returns over the poly models. So if a company thinks that it's not worth their time to submit a gun for approval, they wont.

Some manufacturers like Springfield don't even want to deal with the hassle, so they haven't submitted any handguns for the approval process which is a shame, so as a result the only Springfield handguns you can get in the state are used models.

For the most part, the handguns need to have a loaded chamber indicator to meet the guidelines, although My Sig 232 does not have one, so it just goes to show it's all a bunch of red tape. Contrary to what some people believe, handguns are not required to have a magazine disconnect or external safety to be sold in MA, many of my handguns have had neither. Those are more California laws, but as a result many of the CA compliant guns are also the ones shipped to MA since it helps the manufacturers avoid any further problems. For example we can only buy the CA compliant Seecamps which have an external safety only because those models include a LCI.

While Glock's did make the roster, the attorney general came around and said they cant be sold to the public due to a lack of a LCI (loaded chamber indicator). What makes no sense though, is I can legally buy and possess a Glock if I buy a used model that was in the state prior to whole approval process. The shop I frequent have 31 used Glock's for sale according to their used page, many including high capacity mags with them.

As far as high capacity mags go, if you have a Class A license which I have, it allows you to possess large capacity magazines, although the only way I can possess them is if they are "pre-ban" and have been in the state prior to 1998. So that means I cannot get high capacity magazines for an M&P for example since the gun was produced later than 1998, but I am able to get 15rd magazines for my Beretta which I have a few of since they are considered pre-ban. As a result most of my full size handgun purchases will be slightly older designs since I will be able to find pre-ban high capacity magazines for them. Fortunately for me I prefer DA/SA pistols and Sig's happen to be my favorite handguns which you can find pre-ban high capacity magazines for.

Rifles do not need to be submitted for approval, which is why you can buy Springfield rifles but not handguns, but they need to meet guidelines, which again is all a bunch of red tape. For example, you cannot buy new AR's with flash suppressors, but I can buy a brand new M1A with a flash suppressor. To me it almost seems like they make up the rules as they go along as they really make no sense.
 
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Sarg, man I wish! Just trying out a whole bunch. You sort of cut right to the chase for me. The idea that I can always get some fancier target shooting guns later if I really get into it, but for now the revolver sounds like a good first gun, especially for protection. Thanks everybody, it's been fun researching all these guns
 
... While Glock's did make the roster, the attorney general came around and said they cant be sold to the public due to a lack of a LCI (loaded chamber indicator). What makes no sense though, is I can legally buy and possess a Glock if I buy a used model that was in the state prior to whole approval process. The shop I frequent have 31 used Glock's for sale according to their used page, many including high capacity mags with them...
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I guess the AG ignores the fact that current Glocks do have a LCI (the extractor)? Figures! :mad:
 
Thanks Mastro and Dragline always nice to see how other states handle Constitutional rights. I'm assuming that you guys avoid waiting periods and background checks by displaying your carry permit when purchasing a firearm.

Oh yeah and DL, there are rimfires available here but you have to make timely checks or be willing pay a premium. I haven't counted recently but I've managed to pick up somewhere around 9000rds of various .22s, and I'll end up shooting at least half of them during the summer.
 
I guess the AG ignores the fact that current Glocks do have a LCI (the extractor)? Figures!
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For a short period in 2002 I believe new Glocks were able to be sold in MA again due to the addition of a LCI, the attorney general came back and said that he did not agree that the LCI on the Glocks were sufficient. Letters were sent out to all who bought Glock's saying they could return them and get a refund, of course the majority of people ignored the letter and kept them as it was perfectly legal to. What makes no sense is the LCI on my Beretta is exactly the same which is the extractor pushing slightly out with a bit of red paint, so really it's just the attorney general not wanting Glocks to be sold in the state because their "evil". It's kind of like AR's cant have flash suppressors here, but I can go and buy an M1A with a flash suppressor. Typical liberal nonsense.

I'm assuming that you guys avoid waiting periods and background checks by displaying your carry permit when purchasing a firearm.
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No waiting periods, and the way it used to be was that when buying a firearm they would phone into an FBI office, for what I can only assume was to make sure there were no outstanding warrants. Due to the overwhelming number of new gun owners over the past few years it was becoming too time consuming, now when buying a new firearm the shop I go to has you fill out a quick form on the computers they have set up. Before checkout they also have a fingerprint scanner at the desk you are required to use to make sure you are the actual person on the license. A little overkill and it takes around 20-30 minutes sometimes to buy a gun, but that's what it is.
 
This is a tough one for me to answer; here's a brief breakdown of the criteria, as I see it:

1. "Enough stopping power"
2. Already has access to .22 pistol
3. Newbie
4. good concealed carry, i.e. compact

So, here's what I recommend. Let's start with Caliber: 9mm or 38/357. Next, action - I recommend a double action/single action in semi-auto or double action only (like a revolver) - no glock triggers, no 1911 style triggers.

Something compact - able to be carried, but not a micro or pocket gun. Here's what I come up with for you in a semi-auto:Witness Polymer Compact 9mm http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=400962129 . If you want a revolver, I'd look at something like this: Smith & Wesson 19 .357 http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=400493351
 
Ruger GP100 Clapp revolver...

For my $, I think a simple Ruger stainless steel Wiley Clapp .357magnum GP revolver with a 3" or 4" barrel would be fine.
It's offered with Novak style sights, it's a .357magnum, it's stainless steel & it's a medium frame.

I go by the 3x3x3 Rule; that a armed citizen(not a cop, Marine, soldier, security officer) will be a gunfight with these conditions: 3 feet or less, in approx 3 seconds total with about 3 rounds fired total.
A 5/6 round DA or DA only revolver can defend you under these conditions.
Clyde
 
i live in mass as well and it is strict here gun wise..but at least i have my concealed carry permit....its much worse in places like california,new jersey,new york city etc... if you keep your eyes open you can find guns that are not mass compliant for dealers to sell,but if someone moves into the state you can purchase a non mass compliant gun from them via private sale... dont be reliant on only what dealers can sell...
 
These guys have it covered. Just wanted to welcome you and say how gratifying it is to see new folks introduced to firearms. Thank you for your interest.
 
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