I don't (or didn't) like guns...but now I am thinking of getting one.

C

Clovus

Inactive
Title says it all. Until a few weeks ago I had a real dislike for guns, handguns especially.

I am not really sure what has changed. Perhaps it is because I am older, more pragmatic, and feel that guns, in the "right hands," can stop some very bad things from happening. (The pragmatic part being it is nearly impossible to keep guns out of the "wrong hands.")

So, I am considering a handgun, to be kept at home, for the wife and I. We would take it to the range fairly often (6-10 times a year maybe) to make sure we maintained a certain level of skill for safe use.

In the next year or so, we are thinking about having children...the idea of having a gun with kids present is both good and bad. Good if it is ever needed, and bad for all the reasons that are horrifying to consider.

Not really sure why I am posting this. I guess I am looking to learn as much as possible before we make our final decision, and this seems like a good place to start.

Any recommendations on resources for someone still a little uneasy about firearms thinking about getting one for the house? For reference, my familiarity with guns is somewhat basic (I have fired about 100 rounds in a glock 22).
 
Any recommendations on resources for someone still a little uneasy about firearms thinking about getting one for the house?
Click to expand...

Start locally...

Talk to others...

Take a safety course...

If by 'range', you mean a place that you pay to shoot/be a member, then you must have a place in mind...Talk to them...
 
The best thing you can possibly do is to go to a local range or gun shop and ask about classes for you both. This will accomplish several things: learn how to handle firearms safely (the most important); get you started on the right track shooting well without developing bad habits to un-learn; familiarize you with the laws governing firearms and their use in self defense in your jurisdiction; expose you to different types of handguns so that you can begin to decide what you may want to buy.

Big point: Learn about handguns and then make a purchase; don't buy a handgun to teach yourself.

With children on the way, you will also want to invest in a quick-opening gun box for storage. GunVault makes some popular models, but there are other brands available, too.

Everyone will be willing to tell you which handgun they like. Your job is to pick the one that serves YOU well.
 
I suggest a Ruger 4" GP100 357 magnum revolver. In addition to 357 magnum loads you can also use lighter recoil 38 specials if the 357 is too much for you. Simple to operate and reliable since you will be using it for home defense.
Teach your kids early about guns, but keep the gun in a safe place until they are old enough to understand that guns are safe, it's the people who handle them incorrectly that are the problem. Also take a NRA gun safety course to ensure that YOU handle it safely.
You are not afraid of a knife or a baseball bat when you are using them properly so there is no reason to be afraid of a gun.
 
In my city there's a class available called "Project Safe Neighborhoods". It is a one-day class taught (on their own time) by city and county law enforcement officers.

The class neither promotes nor discourages firearm ownership. Rather, it teaches the basic legal (city, state, federal) aspects of purchasing/owning a firearm, the laws regarding use of deadly force, safe storage and the responsibility to make firearms inaccessible to children or unauthorized people, rules of firearm safety, and other useful information.

There is considerable demand for these classes, I greatly admire the officers who give up their free time to be instructors.

You might check with your local city PD or county SO and see if something similar is available.
 
Clovus,

I'd like to invite you to step over to my website, www.corneredcat.com, and look at the resources there. The site is designed for women (sorry about that!) but I think you'll find it very helpful.

Especially be sure to check out the section on kids & guns. Your concerns mirror a lot of the same ones I had as a new gun owner. My husband and I have five sons, very closely spaced in age, who were very young when I decided we needed to keep a firearm available for personal protection. Laugh about that here, then follow the links at the bottom of that page to get the rest of the story.

Hope it helps.

pax
 
Find a range and instructor whom you trust. Take classes. Start with the most basic course and continue until you are proficient.

Rent or borrow as many different firearms as you can prior to makeing your purchase.

I have often stated that purchasing a firearm is like buying a pair of shoes or other apparel. The weapon must fit and be comfortable or you will not like it and will not take the time to become proficient in using this tool.
 
Is there a range in your area that rents handguns? If you can try several out, that would help you in your selection.
 
I can understand your trepidation on owning a handgun, but a lot of good advice has been posted. One of the first things to do is visit www.corneredcat.com. As pax says, it is written for women but there is a lot of information on the site.
 
Clovus;
Welcome.

I'd recommend the NRA "Basic" books which are the "texts" for the basic classes you might want like Basic Pistol (there are also Rifle, Shotgun...) and The Basics of Personal Protection as well as Home Firearms Safety (which is touched upon in the others as all safety is core to every program). These courses are taught by Certified Instructors (full disclosure: I am an NRA Intructor Trainer and Chief Range Safety Officer) tho "Protection" will include a Police Officer or Attorney. Folk of all ages and inititial knowledge love these small, well layed out, big diagram filled books.

The programs are cool and, besides helping to provide the knowledge, skills and attitude to own and shoot a firearm, you'll find that shooting is alot of fun!

Contact NRA and ask for the number of a local ACTIVE Instructor.

I wish you and the Mrs. the best of luck.
 
I've been to Pax's site and have found it very informative and useful. Highly recommended for all folks
 
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Just curious...How does the wife feel about it? Most women see guns as something that is going to blow up if you touch it.
 
Thanks for the advise all.

Lockinload,

The wife is somewhat more apprehensive than I am. However, she has fired a gun before, and seem somewhat interested in them.

She is very focused on the safety aspect of the decision. She realizes that a gun would give her the ability to defend herself if needed, but she is also weighing the likelihood of needing to defend herself with the likelihood of some kind of gun related accident.
 
Read as much as you can (including the previously noted web site). Take a basic handgun class. This will give you a base of knowledge to look into your purchase.

My wife wasn't really anti-gun, just very apprehensive. She simply tolerated their existence and never looked at them as a necessary tool that she might need one day. To her, it was simply one more of the oddities that came with keeping me around. After I took the CCP class she expressed an interest in learning more and getting her CCP. First thing I did was sign her up for a basic handgun class. It was the best money I ever spent. She actually managed to have fun. A few weeks later she went through the CCP class. While she hasn't expressed an interest in shooting as a hobby, her attitude has changed in a positive way. In fact she bought herself her own carry gun and 2 of my 1911s were purchased by her as gifts.

You don't go into detail as to what your looking to spend. I would offer one suggestion: Consider a .22 caliber handgun in addition to the one intended for serious business (if it's feasible) or perhaps a .22 adapter kit if you end up with a gun where that's an option. It will make practice easier due to the lack of blast and recoil as well as offer a less expensive practice opportunity.
 
Welcome to TFL Clovus,

The more you hang out here on TFL, the more you'll find that there are some very knowledgeable people here that will help you. If you feel comfortable, it would be helpful to know your approx. location as there are more than a few instructors and members that have taken many great courses here on TFL that may be able to lead you to a reputable place for some training.

Your(and wifes) apprehensions will be 'best cured' by good knowledge. ;)
 
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