Good gun for first time gun owner?

Question

For all gun owners on here:

I am looking to purchase a firearm for home protection. I've never owned a gun before, but I've shot a 9mm and a 22 hand gun. What kind of gun would you suggest for a first time gun owner?

Answer 1

It depends on what you want it for.  If it's for home defense then get a shotgun.  If it's for conceal and carry then get a pistol in sub compact to full size depending on what and how you will be carrying it.  If its for range shooting and plinking get a gun that will be cheap to shoot so you can shoot it often. You can get either a pistol or rifle that will fit this.  In rifle you need to decide if you want a sporting rifle, self defense rifle, or bolt action.  

For a shotgun I'd go with a Remington 870 express or Mossberg 500 or 590.  You can get 2 barrels and switch them out easily enough so you can shoot trap, skeet, and hunt then switch to the short barrel for home defense.  Get some buck shot that is for home defense and bird shot for trap and skeet.

For self defense conceal and carry there are tons of good guns.  Glock, Springfield's XD series, Kahr, Ruger, Berreta, Keltec, etc the list goes on and on in semi automatics and revolvers.  I'd look at the Springfield XD's in .40 or .45.  They are about the best pistol around right now imo.

For plinking i'd get a .22 pistol or rifle.  The rugger 10/22 is a good plinker.  So are any marlin 22's.  Remington makes a great .22 pistol that is accurate and reliable.  

Also 9mm ammo is pretty cheap right now and there are many guns in that are chambered in it.  Again I'd look at the Springfield XD's for a great plinker as they are accurate and comfortable to shoot.

For a sporting rifle plinker i'd look at the SKS or AK-47, 200-500$.  Both are decently accurate and require much less maintenance and know how than a AR-15.  There's also the Ruger mini 14 which used to be terribly inaccurate but the new ones are really pretty good.  Look for guns chambered in .223 or 7.62x39 as these rounds can be bought in bulk pretty cheaply and can be used to hunt with or for self defense.

If you are looking for a bolt action check out military surplus rifles.  They are cheap 80 to 200 bucks and are everywhere and reliable and can be pretty accurate.

Like I said it all depends on what you want it for.  There's many rifles and pistols that will fit into anything you want it to.

I will get flamed for this but if you are looking for a pistol on a budget, check out hi-points.  They are ugly, and cheaply made at 120 bucks, are semi accurate and rattle when you shake them.  But they are a good starting gun.

Good luck with making this choice.  Careful guns are addicting and a lot of fun.  Also learn the 4 rules and always apply them.

1.Treat all guns as if they are loaded.

2.Never let the muzzle of a gun point at anything you do not want to destroy or kill

3.Keep your finger straight and off the trigger until you're ready to shoot!

4.Be absolutely sure of your target, and what is behind it.

Answer 2

barret .50 cal, its great for annoying the neighbors!

Answer 3

A pump shotgun! Nothing quite like a Remington 870 or Mossberg 590 for home defense. An 18 or 20 inch barrel would be ideal.

Hey Weeman, pavid folks like you would just roll over belly up during a home invasion. I am glad there are still people who choose not to be violated, attacked or robbed and will fight for what they have worked so hard for. Please grow a pair.

Answer 4

I think that a small 380 cal. like colt pony, or Walther ppk

is a very good choice.

Answer 5

You would be better off with a 12 gauge shotgun for home defense than a 9mm pistol.

Mossberge 500 or Remington 870 are superb choices.

Answer 6

For home protection hands down its the shotgun....... Consider the Mossberg 500 Persuader.... Its reliable, inexpensive and not as overpenatrive thru walls as a high power rifle.....

This model is perfect. Its 12 gauge and has an 18 inch barrel for easy maneuverability in confined spaces. Its a Mossberg 500 # 50411......

http://www.mossberg.com/images/Mossberg_...

This is what resides at my house..... A Mossberg 500 8 shot 12 gauge #50577...

http://www.mossberg.com/images/Mossberg_...

Mossberg Home Defense / Police shotguns...

http://www.mossberg.com/products/default...

Home defense shotgun article....

http://www.gunsandammomag.com/long_guns/...

And And And.....

http://personalsecurityzone.com/Shotgun_...

Answer 7

choosing what caliber size to get and buying a gun is difficult when asking for help because many people are biased to what ever gun of which ever caliber for what ever reason. they go by their sole experience good or bad, and thrive on it. let me just say it varies dramtically by preference. im assuming for home defence you would want a hand gun.

to make the caliber size part quick, remember a projectile flying will still hurt/kill a person and thus be effective. a bigger caliber like a .40 sw or .45. are more expensive but provide more than enough power for the task at hand. if price is an issue go for a 9mm which is cheaper and too has power and impact. also remember that the bigger caliber have more recoil than smaller. making the gun a bit harder to control for inexperienced or smaller people. which ever you decide to get make it a hollow point because that has more power upon impact and is ideal for home defence.

as for the gun there are two type, revolvers or pistols.

revolvers are great, easy to learn to use and safer than pistols. are very reliable because there is little that can go wrong in the firing process. i highly recomend a revolver for home defense use. the calibers i mentioned in my discussion above are primarily for pistols but the same concept applies. bigger are more costly, powerful, and have more recoil. also note many revolvers are magnum rounds which means they pack aloy or punch behind the projectile. youll notive them being much longer than other bullets because they carry more powder. a .38 special would be more than sufficient. one down side to revolvers is that they are limited to haw many bullets, most being 5 or 6 rounds in the wheel. also reloading is longer. but i dont see the use of needing more than like 2 shots, unless the intruder engages in a gunfight which is unlikely because they mostly just run away in the sight of a gun or gun shot.

as for pistols they work fine too. there is just alot happening like loading the magazine, loading it, cocking the chamber that makes them more complex than the revolver. im not saying your incompetent or cannot learn how to use a pistol, im just taking to regard you said first time gun owner, thus talking as if you have no experience with guns. simply pulling the triggers of friends gun does not classify as experience with gun for me. it requires alot or knowledge of your fiearm to SAFELY have it. pluses to a pistol is capacity and reloading speed. you can simply have a full agazine on stand by and slap it in when needed. safety note, simply because the magazine is ejected does not make the gun safe, always make sure the cmaber is empty.

as for which brand and model to choose is up to you. some are too small, too big, too heavy, uncorfortable, the list goes on. it does not need to be expensive. $300 - $500, new or used is great enough. like i mentioned before its all about preference.

what ever the choice is get familiar with it, learn how to maintain it and clean it. and practice with it.

sorry for the long post but hope this helps

Answer 8

For home protection, a shotgun is probably the best (12 or 20 gauge, depending on your size and how much recoil you want to put up with.) However, that is making some assumptions, which may or may not be true. Are you JUST interested in home protection, or would you like to carry the gun around outside home? Would you want something that's affordable to go to the gun range with or does that not matter? Or are you not even interested in shotguns at all?

If shotguns are ok, then stick with something smaller, more suitable for home defense, maybe like a Mossberg 500 with a pistol grip (shotguns without a buttstock are harder to control though from what I've heard; never fired a pistol grip myself so I can't say.) Remington 870 is pretty popular. Benelli is another popular shotgun brand too. As far as cost, you're probably looking at least $300 for a decent shotgun (new.) I'm not an expert on shotgun prices these days, but I think that's a good ballpark price. Also, pump action and semi-automatic are probably the best way to go. Pump actions tend to be more reliable, but semi-automatics can (theoretically) fire faster, although I'm not sure that would matter much in any realistic situation.

If you're looking more at handguns, I can give you my two cents on that as well, although with guns, in case you haven't realized, there are a lot of people with personal preferences  and/or suggestions which may or may not be founded on any sort of logical basis (especially choosing makes and models.) My answer would be no exception to that principle.

Anyway, good luck, and if you need more help, just ask.

Answer 9

Considering you have already shot a 9mm I don't see why you would have to get a .22 as a first gun.  There are plenty of 9mm models to choose from so cost should not be an issue.

Answer 10

A bolt-action .22 calibre rifle, of any sort. They don't give off much recoil, they're quite easy to use, and they're also good for shooting targets or hunting small game.

EDIT: I didn't know you were purchasing one for home protection. Up north here, we just use our guns for peaceful purposes. :)

Answer 11

A lot of people will say get a shot gun and they have..but I personally don't like them and prefer a hand gun for close quarters and home defense.

The 9mm is a cheap and adequate round for home defense and I'd recommend a Glock 17 or 19 or a Springfield XD9 in 9mm. Go to your local gun shop and hold a few and see what feels best .

What ever you buy.. practice as much as possible and put a few hundred rounds through the gun to make sure it's reliable before you depend on it.

I'd also recommend taking a safety course at your local range as well.

Answer 12

Shotgun

Answer 13

Your best choice is a 357 Magnum, because you can also shoot 38 caliber ammo in it.* You get two (2*) handguns for the price of one.* It is a no-nonsense man stopper, tried, tested, and proven to be the best.* Use 125 grain jacketed hollow points for self-defense ammo.* I prefer the Smith & Wesson Brand myself.* Get a 4" or 6" barreled revolver.*

Answer 14

Shotgun or 9mm. That's what I keep for home protection.

Answer 15

pump action shotgun. easy to use and the noise of the "pump" [chk- chk] will scare the h**l out of an entruder so much that they'll be gone before you even have a chance to use it. people highly recognize the sound of it and the damage it is capable of. plus, its just a badass.

Answer 16

18 to 20 inch shotgun loaded with l;ow recoil self defense rounds

9mm or .38/357 handgun

Depending on which type you feel more comfortable with

Leave the 22 rifles for plinking at tin cans

Answer 17

There are advantages to a pump shotgun but  a 9mm handgun is not a bad choice the ammo is not that expensive so you can practice. As for a brand or model I would go to a gun store and try out the feel of several pistols, and see which is to most comfortable to you and if the safety and slide release are in a easy position for you to use.

Answer 18

This should not even be a debate. The two weapons are so different.

Look what the pros use for indoor room to room battle. A 12 gauge works better than any practical gun on earth.

The best part of a 12 gauge, is the variety of loads available. One can use a slug that will pass through an adversary leaving a large 72+ caliber wound in its wake, as opposed to the .38 caliber wound a 9mm makes. Or one can use a 2 3/4 inch OObuck shot that creates 9, 32 caliber wounds with one shot.

But if you are like me, and care about where your lead is going, there is always number 4 buck. This will put 27 24caliber pellets into the bad man holding a gun, with one shot of the 2 3/4 inch shell.

The combinations are endless.

I would invest in a Remington 870. The Mossberg is a sturdy gun, but is a bit sticky until it is well worn. The Remington is very refined for the money. And just so you know, if a bad man came into your home, a loud and purposeful rack of a pump shotgun is a very distinct and intimidating sound. I doubt anyone would stick around after hearing that.

Answer 19

Thompson Center and NEF makes a gun that you can buy different barrels for

Answer 20

Since you've shot the 9mm then go with that as the .22 handgun is not really a defensive weapon.  Consider the Glock either the Model 17, 19 or 26.  Glocks are extremely user-friend (like shooting a hi cap revolver), durabile, accurate, dependible and available in more diverse calibers than any modern semi-automatic.  PROVISOS:  As a general safety rule applicable to any firearm, keep your finger outta the trigger guard until you are ready to shoot.  Never throw in a drawer or purse full of clutter unless it is completely unloaded or secured in a holster that covers the trigger.  Carry in a holster that does cover the trigger.  

For defensive purposes always use quality defensive ammo in the 115 to 127 grain jackted hollowpoint category.  For defense stay away from any 9mm FMJ bullets or anything that says 'subsonic.'

Sign up for a gun safety course and if possible, get your CCW.

Good luck.

H