Tips/Knowledge for New Owners

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pcoutu17

New member
Hey all! I'm sure some of you have come to be annoyed by my many threads lately asking for advice and info. Hopefully though, it's the kind of annoyance that leads to endearment :D.

Anyway, I have gone from buying my first handgun (CZ 75B Omega in 9mm) to now owing a total of 3 (Stoeger Cougar Compact in 9mm and a Sig Sauer SP2022 in 40 S&W), all in about 2 months. Now that I've got a good base going, I'm looking more into upgrades/how to ensure the longevity of my purchases.

Aside from the basic cleaning and safety practices, what are some of y'all's most important tips for keeping your firearms running smoothly?
 
Congrats on your growing collection!

Not really a safety or maintenance tip, but even when my pistols don't need cleaning I like to wipe the slide down with a silicone cloth to remove fingerprints and such.
 
A handy tip that costs nothing

When you purchase a new TV or other electronics.
That little packet in the box that is always stamped Do Not Eat? Save them.

Put them in your gun safe. Those packets are Silica gel dessicant. The material absorbs water vapor from the air. No moisture=no rust.
Unless you live in the desert they really help. About once or twice a year put them in a warm oven for a few hours to "recharge" the material.

I live in the rainy old Pacific Northwest, and my gun safe is in my basement. The packets are free and they are effective.
 
Thanks for the input y'all! All great tips, and exactly the type of stuff I'm looking for!

I've certainly found myself taking them out and admiring them every few days, after which I always wipe them down with a cloth. I've heard that oil from your hands can be bad for some of the finishes they use now, so I try to eliminate any possible issues from that.

I'll have to be sure to keep up with those silica packets. I've seen you can buy them, but why not just save 'em up like you said :D.

I haven't been able to get to the range quite as often as I like, as the closest one only has the pistol range open at random times, and the next closest is a bit of a haul. I plan on trying to get out and shoot at least once a week though. Nothing is as important as practice and familiarity!
 
I would recommend you take a few classes from competent instructors. The classes could be shooting courses, cleaning and maintenance courses (when I taught private security officers the cleaning and maintenance was with the shooting course), legal shooting courses, defensive shooting courses. You may also wish to attend a few competitions (as a spectator at first) and talk with some competitors to get tips and see what they use. Also check on an armorers course for your guns. I carry a Beretta on duty and have one at home and considered myself knowledgeable on them. Then I took a factory armorers course. I learned more there that week than in all my years of shooting. Good luck.
 
In my small gun safe I have one of these plug-in dehumidifiers. Every two or three weeks I plug it in over night to recharge it. You need more for a big safe, but if you have a lock box of some sort for your three pistols, it will work. Mine holds 8 to 10 and it works fine.

http://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/remington-model-365-mini-dehumidifier?repChildCatid=29446

I have seen them branded Stack-On (mine), Remington, Eva-Dry, and maybe one or two other brands, and they all seem to be the same except for the printing.

"Good cleaning" to me means field stripping for most guns, as opposed to frequent detail stripping. I don't think it is needed except for part replacements or, in the case of striker fired pistols, accessing the firing pin channel once in a while for cleaning. (I do my Glock once or twice a year, and that might even be over-doing it.) And follow manufacturer directions for lubrication. Those owners' manuals are actually kind of handy.

Most of all, enjoy. I am a frequent fondler myself, and I maintain that there is nothing wrong with it. ;)
 
Get a range bag to take whichever guns you intend to shoot to the range and back. I've packaged most of my cleaning kit in a soft, zippered pencil case and keep it in the bag. Not that I'm likely to want or need to clean a gun while at the range, but the kit is right there with the guns I've shot when I return home. The bag is a good place to tote ammo, ear and eye protection, and other items you don't normally carry everyday. I suggest you avoid a large rangebag, as you may be tempted to fill it to the point of needing a wheelbarrow to haul it to and from your car.
 
Have a good place to store your weapons, whether it be a safe, the box it came in, whatever. Understand that just tossing it under the bed or in a closet may not be the best idea, depending on how humid it is where you live. Also, though it's never happened to me or anyone I know, there have been cases of birds or insects taking up residence in unused firearms. If they were something like mud dauber wasps, this could result in personal injury.

I also recommend taking some courses from a reputable instructor, first in hand gun safety and maintenance, and then a basic handgun shooting course.

Some may not agree with this, but I'd go ahead and buy a cheap cleaning kit from Hoppe's or whatever. You'll probably get at least a year of use out of most of it and by then you'll have a better idea of what you like or don't like about the kit. At that point you'll know how you want to build your own cleaning kit.

Same goes for a holster.
 
Some great upgrades that are totally unnecessary for your purchases could be a set of nice night sights (big fan of the Trijicon HD line myself) and grips (VZ all the way). For maintenance, everyone will say different things here. I own a pistol rod, but generally just use an M16 steel rod kit for all handguns and long guns. Get the brushes for various calibers that you need, some Hoppes #9 to clean your bore, CLP for the everything else and a big package of cotton patches. The more often your guns are cleaned and oiled, the less chance of rust eating them up. If they are stainless steel or nitrided, you can probably let them sit for your lifetime without worrying about them. If they are blued, you will need to maintain them often. I have white lithium grease I use for various things like my bike chain that I also use on triggers, hammers and slides of firearms. Obviously, if these are to be kept outside in cold climates I would never use lithium grease on them.

I know I don't speak for everyone, but I personally welcome questions from new gun owners because not only is that what this forum is for, but our hobby should be encouraged and cultivated through positivity and education. You are among world class experts in the field of firearms (NOT ME!) and there's a chance some of them will bestow upon you great nuggets of wisdom that benefit us all. I'm always happy to hear when a new gun owner is bit by the bug and can't stop buying more, after all, that's exactly what it was like for me getting into the hobby. As it turns out, I'm buying them at a rate faster than I can even shoot them. Whatever, I can't help myself!

Keep us informed of your future acquisitions!
 
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Thanks again for all of the responses!

I'm certainly interested in some classes, especially the defensive shooting and armorers options. I plan on getting my CWP within the month as well.

One of the first things I did was buy a cleaning kit and a pack of extra patches. I've found it quite fun and relaxing to clean each handgun so far.

I also got a range bag, and a proper storage solution for the house. The pencil pouch is a nice thought for the cleaning supplies, as right now I just store them in a ziploc bag.

I'm currently looking at upgrading the sights on my 75B to some night sights, and have been eyeing some of the VZ grips as well. I've also been actively researching holsters (have another thread going on that), and a couple of those will likely be my next set of purchases.

How about extra magazines? what's a good number on those? I've heard a Maglula Uplula loader is a handy thing to have, any thoughts on that?

Any suggestions for good ear and eye protection?
 
pcoutu17 said:
Hey all! I'm sure some of you have come to be annoyed by my many threads lately asking for advice and info. Hopefully though, it's the kind of annoyance that leads to endearment :D.



Anyway, I have gone from buying my first handgun (CZ 75B Omega in 9mm) to now owing a total of 3 (Stoeger Cougar Compact in 9mm and a Sig Sauer SP2022 in 40 S&W), all in about 2 months. Now that I've got a good base going, I'm looking more into upgrades/how to ensure the longevity of my purchases.



Aside from the basic cleaning and safety practices, what are some of y'all's most important tips for keeping your firearms running smoothly?
Click to expand...


I don't care if it has been said. I will say it again: dehumidifier. Put it in your gun cabinet and let that bad boy run. They make them for gun safe's too. Really reduces rust.
 
pcoutu17 said:
Thanks again for all of the responses!



I'm certainly interested in some classes, especially the defensive shooting and armorers options. I plan on getting my CWP within the month as well.



One of the first things I did was buy a cleaning kit and a pack of extra patches. I've found it quite fun and relaxing to clean each handgun so far.



I also got a range bag, and a proper storage solution for the house. The pencil pouch is a nice thought for the cleaning supplies, as right now I just store them in a ziploc bag.



I'm currently looking at upgrading the sights on my 75B to some night sights, and have been eyeing some of the VZ grips as well. I've also been actively researching holsters (have another thread going on that), and a couple of those will likely be my next set of purchases.



How about extra magazines? what's a good number on those? I've heard a Maglula Uplula loader is a handy thing to have, any thoughts on that?



Any suggestions for good ear and eye protection?
Click to expand...


Walmart for ear PLUGS. No need to break the bank. And anything over the ear is great, but I actually used a pair from 30 years ago that still used cotton. And it worked. Better than other modern electrics lol.

Additionally: I am a martial artist. So if you plan on taking CWP...please...please...PLEASE look into some grappling based defensive arts. Anything that tells you that you don't need to worry about how to fight on the ground....doesn't know how to fight. Let's just put it in perspective:

You know who Zimmerman is. You wouldn't if he had ANY basic grappling defensive knowledge.
 
I was in your position, heck we all were.

The one thing I really wish I had done much earlier was better selection of targets. All those years of tin cans, 2 liter sodas, clay pigeons etc. The one thing that has 'revolutionized' my shooting is steel targets. They give instant feedback when hit and really improve trigger control.

If you look around you can find decent 3/8" AR500 targets with various mount options for under $100. It's well worth it.

I know you were inquiring about the guns themselves but it's still a tip for a new shooter.
 
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