Shot a gun for the first time!

Silver, you might have a great deal there and will have fun, however, my concern for you is a) that you will not fancy the recoil of those larger guns (which will not contribute to good shooting) and b) that the inherent inaccuracy and/or expense of those larger calibers will leave you disappointed in the safe shooting sports.

I am not trying to discourage you by any means -- far from it. But consider a decent .22, some above-average rimfire ammo, and some competition style practice for a 2nd gun.

;)
 
I appreciate your input Al.

That is a good idea actually. Though I will be getting the H&K in a few weeks, but will look into a .22 option as well. They look cool, and for just plinking at the range, might, as you said, be a more cost-effective option.

I appreciate (sincerely) everyones ideas and suggestions.

Chris
 
Chris, you got the bug! Yep, it starts out "shooting with friends". Then you want a gun of your own, for fun (heck, they are all fun!). Then you need one for your wife....for protection, and another for when you want to take friends shooting with you.

Next thing you know, you will have a safe full of guns and you need a bigger safe.....for bigger guns.....and more guns....:D

You are well on your way to becoming one of those "gun nuts".......just wait and see.:eek:

Welcome to the shooting sports!
 
I am glad my first experience was a good one. While I was never "scared" of firearms, I guess I could say I was "intimidated" by them. That part is pretty much gone now, so the fun begins!!!
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Welcome to TFL and the world of shooting. I read this comment and had to post. You should never lose the fear or intimidation of firearms. That fear will keep you and others safe. They are fun to shoot but never forget that they are deadly instruments and can kill in an instant.

I am a proud CCW permit holder and carry everyday. I handle a gun several times a day (gotta take it off to pee, lol) and I always keep in mind the 4 basic rules of firearm safety because I know the moment I relax on those rules is the moment someone gets hurt.

Be safe and do have fun, just don't forget that fear.
 
Aarond hasn't steered me wrong yet, as I am relatively new to this as well. (Only been shooting 3 times and do not own a firearm of my own yet)

Just some food for thought, I can get 550 rounds of .22 ammo at Wal-Mart for $18.95 (I think it was last I saw, in my area by the way PA), whereas I can get 50 rounds of 9mm for $15.00 ish dollars I think (I didn't look at the 9mm's only the .22's at the time)

Of course the quality will vary the price, but just to give some insight, you will be shooting thousands of .22 ammo vs hundreds of any other caliber type of ammo.

If your primary use is for range fun, I can't see anything better than a .22 caliber firearm.
 
Just some dessert after that food for thought: don't buy .22's that only cost $19 for 550. Go crazy and spend twice as much to get quality. I think you'll see it in your consistency and accuracy when you get past the novelty, albeit fun, of making noise and shooting as fast as you can...
 
Reasons to start with .22...price of ammo...noise level...recoil, extremely large variety of choices from revolvers, semi-autos, single shots Olympic level competitive pistols, all the way down to plinkers...oh, and did I mention...the cost of ammo?

Personally, I have four .22's. I would guess I shoot the .22's to 9mm about 10:1. I prefer Camden built High Standards for pistols and Marlin or CZ for rifles (all 22's). Savage makes a good .22 rifle too, but I don't have one. Some of the really good .22's arn't made anymore, so don't discount used.
 
I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it. Shooting can be very fun. I agree with the other guys recommending a .22. They are a blast to shoot and you can go through several hundred rounds for little money. The .22 is the best bang for your buck in guns imo.

Get a Ruger MK I II III or a Browning Buckmark. They both can be had for not much money. Used ones are fine too. If one of those is maintained at all it will last another few hundred thousand rounds. If you prefer a revolver there are plenty to choose from also. I own both.
 
Chris welcome to TFL and the world of shooting! Well, you're hooked now. A 9mm is a good place to start. Of course you'll need a revolver eventually. You've already fired a .45, so you won't want to start with a .38. You need at least a .357. Btw, a 357 can use .38s, but a .38 can't use a .357.
Pay attention, there will be quiz.
O.K., now we have you set up with a starter semi auto and a revolver. It's time to think about rifles.
I guess we'll wait on that.
We all know that once you start shooting those pistols you're going to have to get a carry permit. Along with that comes the decision-"what do I carry?"-we'll get you through that too.
Now you'll need a safe to keep that .9mm, the .357, and the couple of guns you'll buy until you settle on your carry piece. And all the holsters,too. We'll get back to you later about these.
So many choices. So much cash involved. You don't have children do you? They're a drain on your gun budget. Avoid them at all costs.
So, again welcome to the fun and frugal sport of recreational shooting.
 
If we're going to start recommending .22 pistols I have to mention the Smith & Wesson 22-A. I have one, two friends of mine have one, two other friends with Rugers want one. Great gun for money, reliable accurate, eats all brands of ammo, all of the things they say about the MK III and better looking too. ;) OK, the last one may be a bit subjective... That new Ruger SR 22 is very nice too.
 
Been a long time but I got my first pistol!!

Bought from a good friend. 9MM H&K USP with extra clips and some rounds :)

DSCF6010.jpg


Pretty excited.

Chris
 
I didn't start shooting until I was 30. I took two classes before I bought my first handgun. I don't think it's odd at all. Actually makes more sense in my opinion.

I agree with those who advocate buying a 22. You can shoot all day for next to nothing. Helps you develop trigger control, which is 90% of accuracy, IMO.
 
OK, you've been at it long enough that I'm comfortable correcting you on this. Those are magazines. Clips hold the cartridges and make it easier to insert them into magazines. A magazine can be detachable, like on your H&K, or a part of the gun like on an M1 Garand or a Remington 870. On a Garand you would use a clip to load the magazine because it's much easier that way. With the 870 you would just move the forend grip forward and insert the shells into the tube magazine. Hope that helps.

Wayne is right about getting a 22, but if you're like me you'll have too much fun shooting the HK to worry about that for a few months. Perfectly normal, don't let it bother you. Eventually you'll get tired of paying for 9mm and think "Hey, those guys at TFL said something about that..." ;) I probably shoot about 5 times as much 22 as 9mm now but I still shoot the 9 regularly too.

Nice purchase by the way! Enjoy.
 
To shore up your new found shooting skills, you might look for an NRA Basic Pistol Class in your area. They are not that expensive, but will teach you a lot about basic gun handling. . .some your more "experienced" friends don't know.
 
Excellent 1st choice SU aka Chris.

Old HK joke here, make sure to load magazines with the rounds pointy ends up front. ;)

Another point to consider with the HK... the front strap checkering can be quite aggressive during prolonged range sessions if you have "office" hands as opposed to "outdoorsman" hands.

Stay safe and shoot straight. clips, magazines... we ALL know whatcha mean but do expect someone to get all semantic nazi on ya.

Kinda envious in a way. Really nice selection, should serve you well over the years.

ETA, I just now saw Flopsweats post. :D
 
To shore up your new found shooting skills, you might look for an NRA Basic Pistol Class in your area. They are not that expensive, but will teach you a lot about basic gun handling. . .some your more "experienced" friends don't know.
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+100

Really, even if you think you know (from military or other training) this will prove and strengthen it.

And maybe you'll learn about other branches of fun. The lady who taught the course my wife and I took was also recruiting people to try IPSC ("action shooting") which is outstanding fun. I wound up helping her teach the course for awhile as well as branching into IPSC and then being the club range officer for awhile.
 
Thanks all. I am currently looking for a NRA course close to me.

Flopsweat...Thanks for the clarification. Sorry for my novice error :)

I think this will serve me well for a long time.

Chris
 
On a Garand you would use a clip to load the magazine because it's much easier that way.
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If you are going to correct usage, please get it right.
The en-bloc clip is the ONLY way to shoot a Garand as a repeater, not just "much easier".

Using a stripper clip to load the magazine on a Johnson, etc. calls for some hand strength and technique, it is quick but only if you can do it right.
 
That is a very good choice for your first handgun. H&K makes a quality pistol. 9mm Parabellum is accurate and easy shooting plus it's more affordable than say 45 ACP. You'll figure out the correct terminology in time. Just visit here and other firearm forums. Also there are many excellent books out there. Beware though. You'll find that if you really get into shooting it never ends. Now you'll need belts, holsters.................

Well you'll figure that out too. Enjoy. Good choice. Be safe.
 
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