Lock, Stock, and How Many Barrels?: A Beginner’s Guide to Buying Your First Handgun

Are you considering the purchase of a gun? If you’re like 67% of gun owners that seek guns for protection, you’ll want to consider a handgun as your first option.

When it comes to buying your first handgun, you want to ensure you get one that feels right and will help you learn how to use it more effectively. There are many considerations you want to keep in mind when it comes to choosing a handgun that fits this description.

Considerations for Your First Handgun

It’s tempting to choose a cheap option for your first gun, but this could prove a mistake. You want to pick an option that’s well known as the best equipment so you can gain the skills you need to learn to fire your gun. You can read more here about the need for name brand equipment to see why this proves important.

Protection Possibilities

While most burglaries happen when you’re away from home, it’s still worth considering a break-in when you’re home. Small handguns are useful for this consideration, depending on how you want to store the gun.

When determining if a handgun proves necessary, you’ll want to know the crime rate for your neighborhood. Check with neighborhood watches and crime reports to determine if the area has a problem with break-ins or other crime problems that would require a gun for protection.

Conceal Carry or Home Defense Weapons

The first thing to consider involves how you plan to use the gun. Do you want to keep it safe at home or carry it with you? This will help you determine the size and caliber of the gun you need.

This will also determine the licensing requirements for your new gun. If you plan to carry the gun with you, you might need to get a conceal carry license, depending on the state where you live.

A concealed carry gun also requires a smaller size. Generally, you want to choose the largest handgun that will fit where you want to conceal it. This will cut down on the recoil of the gun when firing.

Choosing Size and Caliber

If you’re new to shooting a gun, you’ll want your first gun to prove easy to maneuver and learn with. This means choosing an option that you can practice with on a range. 

You also want to prove an option with less recoil so you’re less likely to injure yourself. It’s best to choose a heavier handgun which will provide less recoil and help you get comfortable with a gun in your hand.

Experts also recommend choosing a lower caliber gun to help you learn the fundamentals. Choosing an option such as a .22 caliber or 9mm will help reduce the recoil and get used to the use of a gun. The caliber involves the diameter of the barrel and the size of the bullet you can use.

Revolver vs. Semi-Automatic

Another thing to consider involves the way you can load bullets into the gun chamber. You can choose a revolver or semi-automatic weapon depending on which option proves easier for you to use.

Revolvers have fewer parts, which makes it easier to manage on the whole. You fill the cartridge with the bullets and release the hammer to fire. Then you just pull the trigger to hit your target.

A semi-automatic requires a magazine that you load into the gun’s grip. You then pull back the slide to put the ammunition into the chamber. Semi-automatic weapons also have a safety you have to disengage before firing.

Consider Including a Sight

Another consideration to include involves whether you need a sight on the handgun. A sight helps you find your target easier, so you might consider this if you’re starting out. 

Consider how you want to learn when practicing. If you’d rather have the ease of firing without having to add a step, you might want to leave the sight off. The sight can help you learn how to aim better though.

Tips for Choosing a Gun the Feels Right

When choosing your first handgun, it’s best to check it out before purchasing. This means you want to purchase your gun from a gun store or conference.

You want to see how the gun feels in your hand. Take time to determine the weight that you can manage and the ease of handling. This includes making sure you can get all your fingers on the grip.

You also want to test your ability to manage all the components. Make sure you know how to load the gun properly and that you’re able to do so effectively. Also, make sure you understand all the components of the gun, including how to clean the different parts.

Ask questions to ensure you know everything you need to know about the gun you choose. This includes asking about the best bullets to use and all safety considerations.

Safety Considerations for New Gun Owners

If you’ve never owned or used a gun before, it’s best to get practice to learn how to use the gun safely. You can take classes or take time practicing at a gun range. These safety precautions include

  • Learning how to target effectively
  • Only point the gun when you’ve located your target
  • Only point the gun at your target
  • Only put your finger on the trigger if you’re ready to fire

Safety precautions also include storing your gun when not in use. For instance, you want to ensure any conceal carry weapon has a safety that’s set when storing.

When storing a weapon at home, it’s best to put it in a place where others can’t get hold of it. While you want to make sure you can access it, you also want to ensure children or even burglars cannot.

Protection, Safety, and Other Tips

As you can see, deciding to purchase your first handgun involves plenty of factors. You need to determine if gun ownership proves your safest and best option for your protection. 

Protection and safety aren’t the only useful tips you can use for a better lifestyle though. If you’d like more helpful guides, check out our useful tips section.

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