Looking for advice on a first handgun

Sorry to disappoint... I'm not ANG yet. Hoping to be in a few years, but for now I'm a daydreamer.

Thanks for the links, looks like I've got some reading to do.

One more before I go to bed: So, I understand I have to get my licenses and everything in NC. But can I buy the gun in GA, or to buy a gun in GA as a regular civilian do you have to be a GA resident?
 
Are Taurus and Rossi guns just poor quality? I guess you get what you pay for?
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In a sense, yes, you get what you pay for.

Taurus bought out Rossi a few years ago. The interior of most Taurus revolvers doesn't match that of a S&W, despite their outer appearances being similar. Taurus is made in Brazil which is capable of some very good quality work. But the big selling point for Taurus is price and sometimes it seems as if their quality control takes periodic dips. The same can be said of Rossi. They have made some excellent guns but also some dogs too.

Both brands are fine if you test them out with several hundred rounds of range ammo, followed by about 100 rounds of defense ammo. If it hasn't broken, then it'll probably serve well if you don't shoot it a lot. High-use Taurus revolvers seem to break down more frequently than do S&W's, Colts or Rugers.

Rugers appear to be built heavier than S&W or Colts and give the impression of a "tank-like" construction. But this is because Ruger frames are cast, instead of made from billets of forged steel. It reduces the cost but requires a bit more metal for the same strength. Ruger has proven that cast frames can be long-lived with powerful loads and has a generally excellent customer satisfaction.

The internals of a typical S&W revolver (this is an J-frame .38 special)
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The internal lockworks of a Taurus 605.
Taurus605lockwork2bd3.jpg

Note the lack of the rebound slide in the Taurus and the weaker mainspring mount at the rear of the hammer. Most of the action parts on the Taurus are cast. S&W's hammer, trigger and cylinder stop are metal-injection-moulded (MIM) are more durable.
 
OK. Another semi-related question: When do you need a concealed carry permit?

1. Without a concealed carry permit, and not wanting to open-carry, is it basically impossible to legally have a gun on my person? What if it's in a bag, out of reach, and not loaded?

2. Without a concealed carry permit, what's the deal with having a gun in the car? How do you carry a gun legally with no CCW?

Also, being in GA but being an NC citizen: is that going to be a problem for me if I go to a pawn shop or gun shop to buy a gun?
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Federal law prohibits the purchase of a handgun outside your state of residence. Some states have specific laws requiring registration of any handgun and a gun imported from another state would raise red flags too.

CCW requirements vary from state-to-state. Alaska and Vermont do not require a permit of any kind. 44 states are "shall issue", meaning that unless they can find a disqualifying reason, the permit must be issued. Know the laws of your state by taking appropriate CCW training.

Some states permit "open carry" of a loaded firearm anywhere while others limit the carry to areas outside of cities and towns. Learn your state's laws. Other states, like California, prohibit open carry without a permit (and these are restricted by geograph).

Carrying a gun in a book bag, fanny pack, etc. while unloaded may still run afoul of the law in certain states. You'd be illegally carrying a concealed weapon even if it was unloaded. And usually a personal attack will occur fast enough that you won't have time to retreive and load even a semi-auto pistol.

Also, when/if you get a CCW, check to see what OTHER states honor your home state's permit. Before travelling to the other state(s), be sure to bone up on their state CCW laws too -- especially things like whether you can carry where alcohol is served or if you must notify police that you are armed when stopped.
 
MLeake said:
.... correct me if I'm wrong, but it looks like you have a SimplyRugged K pancake with thumb-break and basket weave options.
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Consider yourself corrected. This is a Safariland pancake holster from the late 70's/early 80's. :p
 
My vote is for the 4" 357mag shooting 38 specials,

38's at least for practice. For Carry I might go hydro shock 158gr mags... Georgia arms, just west of you, has some of the best.... don't like 125gr 357 mag rounds at all.

If you can find an older (no lock) model Smith and Wesson... stainless then that is the ticket...

I'm a auto-loader fan and carry semi's all the time... but think the basic revolver is what will fit your needs better than anything else.

The finest and best handgun I own, and that is well over 20, is a Smith and Wesson model 19.
 
It looks to me like GA honors NC CCW. Besides that, is there anything else that I'd need to do to buy a gun in NC (my home state) and possess it in GA? Do I have to declare ownership to the GA government or anything?

Also, I guess you guys have got me pretty much convinced that a .357 4" is the way to go. Now that I'm into that realm, any specific model recommendations? I'm looking for something that I can hopefully pick up used, and I'm looking to spend $300-450 or so at most.

I'm visiting my folks in NC in a few weeks for a long weekend, and if I get all my ducks in a row then I may be able to pick up a gun, head to the range for an afternoon, and then go straight to a CCW class the next day.
 
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1) NC does have reciprocity with GA. Since NC requires a class, it actually has reciprocity with more states than GA does, because GA does not require a class. (Many, but not all, states only extend reciprocity to other states with similar requirements to their own; this is why NC has reciprocity with WV and SC, and GA does not; the fact that I have had plenty of classes between the military and the state of FL does not help me use my GA permit in either of those states.)

1a) A friend of mine near Asheville has had some difficulty finding a class he could take, between class availability and his own work schedule. Hopefully, you can time things so your visit home will work. Good luck, get on it ahead of time, as you are doing.

2) GA does not require handgun registration. You don't have to do anything to bring your handgun from NC. However, NC does require a pistol purchase permit, so when you go home you will need to go to the sheriff's department with your proof of residence, pay your $5, and get your purchase permit. Note: This is one permit per weapon.

3) I'm not sure what the waiting period requirement is in NC if you don't have your carry permit - IE I don't know if the purchase permit from the sheriff's department waives a waiting period, but I suspect it does not. So, you may not be able to buy your pistol prior to your CCW class. When I took my class in FL, the range there offered loaner pistols for the practical portion. If the range where you take your class does not, you might be able to borrow one from a friend. Note: Federal prohibitions against interstate transfer of possession of handguns do not apply to loans, only to actual transfers of ownership, so you could borrow one from a friend in GA.

4) The list people have given you so far for recommended used revolvers has included the S&W 19 (the 66 is the stainless version), Ruger GP100, and Ruger Security Six in .357 magnum, and the S&W 15 in .38 Special. These are all good choices. The S&W models listed all have adjustable sights, and are K-Frames (relatively light). There are similar fixed-sight models on the market, too, but the model numbers are slightly different. Another good revolver would be the S&W 686, but finding one in your price range would be tougher.

Since you are looking at using the revolver for SD, HD, and camping / outdoors use in black bear country, I personally would not go any smaller than a 4" barrel. You get a significant drop in velocity, and increase in recoil, as you go shorter than that. If your primary use were to be as a woods gun, I'd recommend a 6" barrel, because at that length the magnum rounds really start to shine.

(Then again, I don't like the balance of 6" barrels, so I still use a 4", but my woods gun is a .44)

Cheers,

M
 
OK. Another semi-related question: When do you need a concealed carry permit?

1. Without a concealed carry permit, and not wanting to open-carry, is it basically impossible to legally have a gun on my person? What if it's in a bag, out of reach, and not loaded?

2. Without a concealed carry permit, what's the deal with having a gun in the car? How do you carry a gun legally with no CCW?

Also, being in GA but being an NC citizen: is that going to be a problem for me if I go to a pawn shop or gun shop to buy a gun?
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1. Yes, you can not carry a gun about even in a bag unloaded except for some limit rights to take the gun into or from a gun shop or range, varies with the state, but if you can legally own the gun you can take it home from the store. Of course in open carry states you can carry open and some states have hunting provisions that say in bad weather you can cover the gun to keep it dry and the like.

2. In most states you can legally carry on your own land and to and from your car if you are taking the gun to a range, hunting or gun shop. When in the car it will have to be unloaded and away from you or other passengers. VA says this is the trunk or in a case in the back of a SUV or Van. Some state allow carry in the glove compartment and some specifically disallow it. Federal law allows transport across state boundaries if the gun is unloaded and in a locked case or the trunk and you have the right to posses the gun in both the starting and ending states. States vary on what you have to do with the ammo, some allow it in the same case some do not.

The only problem i could see is if you have a GA drivers license and want to buy in NC. In that case it would be an issue of what documents were required to establish residence like a voter registration card or similar.

I would suggest the books from http://www.gunlaws.com/ for both GA and NC. I would also check and see if the FAA has specific regulations on carrying firearms in private aircraft. Unloaded in cases I am sure is fine, but loaded and available may not be.
 
I think a 3" .357 would be perfect,but I think only the more expensive brands make 3" guns.If you go with a $300 gun like Taurus or Rossi,I would say go 4" since they only come in 2" and 4" I believe,and you will be doing a little target practice and outdoor survival stuff I think you said.
 
I've been thinking about this a little bit more, and looking at some prices online. Considering that .357 ammo is pretty expensive, and I want to get into this as a weekend hobby at the range in addition to my protection needs, would it be worth my while to get some kind of .22 pistol first or in addition to the .357 to maintain pistol proficiency on the cheap?

I can't see myself going to the range and shooting off $80 worth of .357 bullets, but if I had a .22 pistol too or instead, then I could shoot all afternoon for a lot less than that, and then maybe just shoot off 20 or so .357 to stay sharp on that gun too.
 
If you can afford both....

... then a .22 is certainly a good idea for an extended practice firearm.

Since you are looking at a revolver as your primary, I'd recommend trying to find a similar revolver in .22. Options are out there in S&W format; DA Ruger .22 revolvers are hard to find, and if your main is a DA revolver, then I personally wouldn't get an SAA .22 revolver.

If you can find a used Model 18 .22, it's the .22LR version of the Model 15 .38, and it's also similar to the Model 19 .357, so I think it would be ideal for your purposes. Note: Sorry, I'm not selling my own Model 18; it's my tack driver.

Cheers,

M
 
Weapons and GA aircraft

In a nutshell, it depends on a few factors.

Will you be entering or transiting a "sterile area?" This is an area controlled by TSA, where security screening is done, etc. If so, the weapon will have to be unloaded, cased, and declared.

Will you be carrying passengers for hire under part 135? If so, as a crewmember you would need permission from the certificate holder in order to carry a firearm.

Will you be operating aircraft over 12,500lbs? This may bring certain prohibitions under 49 CFR (regulation largely pertaining to the transportation of hazardous goods).

If the answers to the above questions are all "No," then you can carry in accordance with the laws of the state you are in, and any state you happen to land in. (This goes back to the earlier post, talking about having to add legal planning to your usual preflight planning routine.)

Link below goes to a legal website; an attorney answered these questions in more detail. More importantly, he provided links to the actual Federal regulations involved. (Always take internet advice with a grain of salt; verify it against the regulations posted on official government websites, or else go to the appropriate government office and request written instruction.)

http://www.lawyerintl.com/law-articles/674-Carrying%20Firearms%20On%20Aircraft
 
And4me - from your post mentioning being NC resident because of parents - just making a stab in the dark statement - if you are a student attending college in Atlanta, you would need to check the laws regarding guns on campus. IIRC, Atlanta has some pretty strict gun-control requirements as well.

If my thoughts are off-base, then disregard......
 
oneounceload...

What are you talking about with regard to Atlanta?

I agree with you about campus prohibitions. However, state law passed in 2008 basically limits the power to regulate firearms to the state of Georgia. Cities and counties can't add additional requirements, so far as I know.

Georgia is a very gun-friendly state, that way, and in others.
 
ang4me,

fisherman66's post #9 only half jokingly suggested a .22 rimfire. Many shooters like to be able to practice with a .22 rimfire because of how relatively inexpensive it is to shoot compared to centerfire cartridges.

We all seem to be assuming that you are over 21 years of age and not one of those who will answer yes to one of the questions on form ATF 4473 that the Federal gubment requires you to truthfully answer no (questions 11 b-l).

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Georgia law has a provision that even if you do possess a concealed weapons permit you are prohibited from carrying a concealed weapon to places considered a "public gathering". Exactly what a public gathering is is unclear. On that issue the GA attorney General issued an unofficial opinion about it. UNOFFICIAL OPINION U96-22 dated Oct. 25, 1996 It begins with:
"The provisions of O.C.G.A. § 16-11-127, which prohibit the carrying of deadly weapons to or at public gatherings, while not limited in application to the enumerated places and functions in the statute, do not apply to every place in which the public may be present, but only to those places in which the public is gathered."
The complete opinion can be read at: http://www.georgiapacking.org/ga-ag/u96-22.htm
 
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Strangely enough...

... Gun Shows appear to fall under the "public gathering" rule. At least, so the organizers claim. I haven't felt like challenging that interpretation, as it could very well be valid.

I also tend to assume things like political rallies and Fourth of July picnics and fireworks displays will fall under that rule. Hate it when rules are vague....
 
Has been a while since I lived there, hence the IIRC preface. When I did Atlanta was NOT gun friendly, even though the state was. Same as campus rules....was just thinking out loud
 
I moved to the Atlanta region...

... while the legislation was making its way forward, and it was passed shortly thereafter. So, I never lived there while any particular area was restrictive. It may have been worse when you were there.

If so, I think you'd like it much better now, oneounceload.

Cheers,

M
 
I don't deal with the 285 loop...

... except when I need to go to ATL, or travel to FL to visit friends and family. This means I get to time my transits for other than rush hour.

It's nice to live outside the loop, and in the sticks. Not much traffic where we are. Nice mountain view, though.
 
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