Need advice...on getting back into shooting...

J

Javocado

Inactive
Hey Guys,
Javocado here. I'm 38 years old, Married with a 6 year old, living in the state of Virginia (Northern). I grew up shooting rifles, and then stopped. I'm having a huge craving to get back into gun ownership and shooting. I've never owned a handgun before but am very interested. The gun would be for recreational shooting, and for home safety (my state also allows for a conceal carry permit). I was looking at the Glock 19 (9mm), but I admit I know very little. What's a good first handgun? How do I go about getting my feet wet here? I live right by the NRA headquarters as well. Maybe a class on handguns? How do I do this the most beneficial and educational (and safety conscious way). How do I go about choosing what is right for me?
 
Hello Javocado,,,

First, welcome to the forum.

When someone says recreational shooting I always think of a .22 handgun,,,
Either in a revolver or semi-auto would work for fun plinking.

I say this because you can shoot the high quality .22 ammo,,,
For about 6 cents a shot and bulk ammo for 3 cents.

9mm practice ammo is anywhere from 20 cents to 30 cents a shot.

You didn't say whether you only wanted one pistol,,,
Or would be buying more than one pistol.

I'm not a fan of Glock handguns,,,
But to be fair they really are very fine guns,,,
It's just a personal thing that I don't smile when I hold one.

One thing you might consider is buying the 9mm Glock,,,
Then buying a converter kit to make it a .22 pistol,,,
Changing the gun takes about 3 minutes at most.

If you could own two pistols than here are my recommendations.

These are the 5 most common target style .22 pistols out there,,,
Any one of these 5 will give you many years of excellent performance.

I've not listed them in any order of preference.

Browning Buckmark = Great pistol but I found the grip to be funky.
Ruger 22/45 Mk II or MK III = Great pistol with a 1911-ish grip.
Beretta U22 NEOS = Great pistol with a very slender grip.
Ruger Mk II or MK III = Great pistol with a luger-ish grip.
S&W 22A = Great pistol with a very fat grip.

Any of these will serve you very well,,,
They are all reliable firearms that aren't ammo picky,,,
Rather than sweat over which one is the better handgun,,,
Get the one that fits your hand and makes you smile real wide when you hold it. :D

My final recommendation is a bit pricey I will admit,,,
But in my not-so-humble opinion,,,
It's the best way to go.

This is what I did after months of exhaustive research,,,
And shooting many other people's guns

Buy a CZ-75B in 9mm and a CZ-75B Kadet in .22 LR.
czechs2.jpg

26-zenasestra.jpg

I absolutely love my pair of Czech ladies.

Extremely high quality, reliability, and accuracy.

There are a lot of 9mm semi-auto pistols out there,,,
That are just as high quality as the CZ-75B,,,
But there are none that are better.

Now wait five minutes and read a lot of other people's advice.

It will be just as valid as mine. ;)

One final piece of advice,,,
No matter how well the specs look on paper,,,
When you pick the gun up, if it doesn't make you smile, don't buy it. ;)

Happy gun hunting,,,
You're starting a fun adventure.

Aarond.
 
+1 to what Arrond said. Learning to shoot well with a centerfire handgun isn't easy.

A .22 is the way to go until you master the fundamentals of trigger control, follow-through and calling the shot.

That being said, the Glock 19 or XDm 9mm are both excellent. When you get you that point, that is, when you can shoot good groups on demand with your .22, either of those guns will serve you well.
 
Definitely check out what they're offering at the NRA HQ range. They've got an impressive facility.

And the recommendation to buy a pistol that has an available 22 conversion unit is a good one.
 
Welcome! I would suggest you visit Sharp Shooters in Springfield. They have a decent amount of guns you can rent. They just remodeled their store and looks nice. Anyway, I would recommend renting a few different types and see what you are comfortable with.

Good luck with your future purchase. BTW? Beware, once you buy your first gun, the second one won't be to far behind. Neither will the 3rd, 4th, etc...:D:D
 
Here is another option for you,,,

I finally talked a friend into buying this handgun,,,
It's a 9mm and comes with a .22 LR convertor.

I've been curious about it ever since I first saw it advertised at Buds,,,
But I have a top of the line 9mm and .22 so I don't need one,,,
Spending other peoples money is so much fun and low risk. :o

It is the EAA WITNESS 9MM/22LR COMBO
Read the reviews that some purchasers gave it.

EAA stands for European American Armory,,,
They aren't the manufacturer of the gun,,,
They import it from Tangfolio in Italy.

By all accounts Tangfolio makes very nice handguns.

Anyways, this is the only gun I know of,,,
That is a 9mm and a .22 right out of the box.

My buddy finally succumbed to all of my rhetoric and bought the set,,,
His impression is that it's a fine gun and well worth the money,,,
So far it's been a trouble free shooter in both calibers.

When he first received it we went out to the range,,,
100 rounds of 9mm FMJ and 300 rounds of CCI Mini-Mags later,,,
Not one failure to feed, failure to fire, failure to eject, or malfunction of any kind.

I found it to have a very similar feel to my CZ pistols,,,
Not surprising as some say Tangfolio cloned the CZ design for their guns.

I don't know if that's true or not,,,
But they look and feel very similar in my hands.

Anyhoo,,,
Just thought I would toss out another option,,,
$419.00 for a nice dual caliber pistol is not bad at all.

Aarond
 
I have an old friend going thru the same thing you are...

and I've put together a safety class / familiarization class for him ..with some .22's ( revolvers and semi-autos), some 9mm semi-autos ( like Sig 239, and a 1911 platform), some .357 mag revolvers ( where he can shoot .38spl and .357 mag / in some 2 1/2", 4" and 6" barrels) ...and we go to a local range for a couple of hours once every 2 weeks ....and I've loaned him copies of my reference books like "combat handgunning - 6th edition" from gun digest, Brian Enos's book on Practical Shooting, J. Michael Plaxico's book on Shooting from Within, etc ...

Its not about what fits my hands ...its about what fits his hands, what controls he likes, what esthetics he likes ...and to some extent on what he shoots the best ...and what he'll practice with.

Right now he's leaning toward a S&W revolver in .357 mag in a 4" ...and maybe a 5" 1911 platform in 9mm ...both of which are pretty reasonable for him to practice with. He wants a rimfire down the road ...but the lack of recoil doesn't make it fun to practice with ...but a Browning Buckmark ..or maybe a S&W revolver will probably be where he ends up.

My lessons and class are customized to his desires ...so its good advice to get to a range that rents a lot of guns. We also supplement guns from my fairly extensive collection - with rental range guns. But I'm just the catylist giving him suggestions on grip, stance, etc ...and helping him find his own way down the path.

Some ranges have great classes ...some of them are a colossal waste of time ...they're preachy, and full or ridiculousely redundant info ...but some are great ...in your area / you need to talk to folks that have taken them. Some of them really push certain brands of guns - which I personally dislike. Some of the instructors are flexible ...some of them aren't. Sometimes you can find a guy that does private lessons at a local range - those can be very good - because they're specific to your needs.

But no matter what - have fun with the process.
 
Hey Javacodo, welcome! Tough question but the easy first step is caliber. Either 9mm or .22 is what you want. .22lr is cheaper, lots of fun, great way to get experience, and good for kids to learn to shoot on too. 9mm is a little more versatile in that it is also good for home defense and carry, is still fairly cheap, and is still nice to shoot (the most fun round of all IMO). The best plan is to get both eventually.

As for guns, it's what you like best, decide on things like hammer vs striker (I like hammers better but both work fine), metal vs plastic frame, DA, SA, or DA/SA triggers, safety, capacity, looks (yes, I like a gun that looks good and has a nice finish), and very important, just how it feels in your hand. My first pistol was the smith 22A. Liked the look and the price. The second was a Beretta NEOS because the 22A was so much fun half the time I couldn't get a turn to shoot it (it still gets shot the most of all my guns even though the NEOS is nicer). My third was my still all time favorite the Beretta 92FS. Chosen for Looks, finish, feel, reviews, reliability, metal frame, hammer, safety features, and DA/SA trigger.

Whatever you choose, try to let price come second (within reason), chosen right and your first gun is likely to be your favorite. If you really like Glock, then get a glock but otherwise, make sure you check out the other brands too.
 
Imho skip the 22lr, unless it is for a young child. If it doesn't recoil, make a loud bang, and make you flinch how would you learn the basics?;)


Theres a learning curve for everything, so don't be afraid to flinch and miss. It takes you prob 3 magazines to get dialed in
 
I too returned to my roots and started shooting once again. I can't believe I went so long ...

with a 6 year old
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First things first ... do you have a plan on how to safely store the gun?


The gun would be for recreational shooting, and for home safety
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A gun for home safety can be used for recreational shooting, but a decent rec gun isn't necessarily a good defensive weapon.

You can find decent, inexpensive shotguns that are perfect for home defense. I found a used Maverick 88 12 gauge for $125.

The handgun is all about choice ... Glocks are popular and trendy. But honestly, I think there are better shooting guns out there for the same money. I can't say enough good things about my Springfield XDm9 or my Ruger SR9c. Both great shooters, reasonably priced and cheap to practice.

But don't rule out a revolver. A .357 Mag makes a heckuva hole in a would be bad guy and will shoot a 38 special wad cutter for practice which puts it down in the 9mm range on a cost/round.

Before you buy, find a range and rent a few guns. It's cheap and let's you make a decision that best fits your needs and hands ...
 
You're 38 yrs old so alot of common sense should be there. Go and find a good 38 spl revolver. Excellant round, very common ammo and a perfect bedside gun. It won't knock you're socks off and will lead you to either a more powerful caliber or just finding the perfect 38 which is the S&W 36-1 3 inch barrel.
 
I would see if any there any gunshops/range near where you live that have rentals, provide instruction, etc.
A centerfire pistol with a conversion unit-the CZ being an excellent example-is always my first choice these days, you leanr to shoot with the rimfires, when you transition to centerfire the feel of the gun is familiar and you have mastered the basics of shooting. Likewise a .22 rifle is how you learn to shoot rifles.
 
Welcome to the forum. I also suggest starting out with a .22 Long Rifle for any handgun or long gun. Make good, informed decisions and do not rush things. Do stop by the NRA HQ. I suggest you take the NRA Basic Pistol Course. Here is a link where you can look for classes in your area. Be sure to choose from the courses on the left (courses on the right are instructor level courses).

http://nrainstructors.org/searchcourse.aspx

If you go the revolver route, be aware the .357 Mag is more versatile than the .38 Special as the .357 Mag can also shoot .38 Special ammo.
 
After checking with your family about child safety concerns, I'd review your NRA class schedule and get back up to speed. Befriend your local gun shop/range folks and try out some pistols. I'd start with a Ruger .22LR pistol and shoot a lot for only a few bucks a week. You might also attend a Friends of NRA Dinner/Auction in your area, just for the fun of it.
 
Imho skip the 22lr, unless it is for a young child. If it doesn't recoil, make a loud bang, and make you flinch how would you learn the basics?
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Most of the people at my local range (and every range I've visited in the last 40 years or so) appear to have taken this advice.
As a result, the vast majority of them shoot 15-25 foot goups that look like buckshot patterns. And most of them are happy with those "patterns".
There are exceptions, of course...but that is exactly what they are. Exceptions.

Proficiency require lots of practice, and it requires a mastery of the basics. A .22 allows one to shoot a lot of rounds inexpensively, and re-inforces good habits (as opposed to re-inforcing a flinch).

When I got serious about handgun shooting about 3 years ago, I started shooting once a week with 100 rounds of .22 followed by 25-50 rounds of centerfire.

Within 6 months, the difference was noticeable. Within a year, I was a far better shooter that I had been. I don't have Todd Jarrett shaking in his boots, but I am a far more competent and confident shooter than I could have foreseen.

I still take, and warm up with, .22 every range session. My .22s have paid for themselves many times over.
 
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Rentals

Do a little research there are many gun shops and ranges in the VA, MD, PA area that will allow you to borrow or rent a variety of guns to shoot and try out http://www.silvereaglegroup.com/[/URL] is one near you.
Pick the one that feels best in your hand and doesn't have any issues when firing. Good luck and happy shooting
 
^^ I agree with orionengnr, with exception of the noise level (which you won't really notice at the range anyhow with hearing protection on) and more recoil which you get used to in a few shots, the .22lr is every bit for practice as a larger round is. I joined a .22 league 2 years back, since then my .22 scores have gone way up, my center fire shots have gone up equally well. Place a grapefruit at 50ft and I'll take it out easily with either gun yet over 90% of my practice is the .22lr.

But if you can only afford 1 gun or you just plan to only have 1 gun and you want it to double for home defense (and who wouldn't?) then skip the .22lr and just go with the larger round. Since you mentioned Glock, I assume you want an auto, to me that makes 9mm the easy choice. You may want to check this sight out before choosing a gun, it's a pretty good list that is updated on an ongoing basis. Pretty good list (except I thing the Cougar should be in the top 10). And another good sight is gundirectory.com (not as good as here ;-) , but it's pretty good).

http://www.best9mm.com/pistolvote.html
 
Man...you guys were amazing. I guess as expected, I feel like I got a huge range of responses but I love how complimentary you all were of each others opinions. I also forgot to mention that I'm a big guy...6'3" 260Lbs. I look like a hockey player, and honestly....the 22 handguns I've shot in the past, felt like toys to me, but they weren't nice ones like you guys are mentioning. I bring this up because I want to have a grip that fits my big hand, something solid.

So, my plan is this, and please correct my approach if I'm misunderstanding the group direction. I'll sign up for the "introductory handgun" class over at SilverEagle (Thanks oef-vet) or go over one day, and rent a bunch and pick one I like (like Aarond said...find one that makes me SMILE), then take the class. And oh yes, safety is first, as far as getting it locked and away from my son.

This is a random question and may be inappropriate but not intended to be offensive, but is there any chance someone in this group might be in Northern VA and willing to meet up at a shop/range and talk/teach me what to look for or what I should know. I just thought I'd throw this out there, since I'm doing this solo, and one of you may enjoy this process.

Anyways...let me know your thoughts guys....
 
I'm in Fairfax. I'd be happy to help in anyway! Like I said before, you should checkout Sharp Shooters in Springfield, Va. They have plenty of guns for rent. You can then make a better educated purchase based on what you feel comfortable with (grip wise and price wise)
 
Hivoltage,thanks for the recommendation of Sharpshooters! Javocado we would be glad to help you with anything you need. We have over 50 guns for rent and we can recommend several instructors if you choose to go that route.
 
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