What kind of gun should I get it's my first one?

Question

I decided to get a gun to protect my property, something to scare people away just by the look and size..please give me some input thanks :)

Answer 1

Using a gun to scare, intimidate, or otherwise cause panic is reckless and irresponsible.  It makes other gun owners look foolish.  More importantly, it is very dangerous for you because a true threat will not just back down under intimidation.  You may still very likely be attacked or killed.  A gun, for purposes of self defense, should be used when your life is truly in the line -- and that means pulling the trigger.

I don't recommend a 12 gauge shotgun if you're female.  There are very few females who are comfortable shooting such a large, heavy gun.  The recoil from the gun is also extremely unpleasant for most females (h**l, it's unpleasant for many males).  Unfortunately, it's an excellent home defense gun, BUT that means nothing if you can barely point it and lose footing from the recoil.  My girlfriend HATES shooting my 12 gauge; half the time she gets bruised, even after we both carefully make sure she has a tight, proper hold.  Consider shooting a 20 gauge at a range where you can rent it and try it out; generally, with shotguns, the higher the gauge number the less powerful of a cartridge it'll fire.  If it's honestly comfortable, buy that for home defense.  I'd recommend a Remington 870 in 20 gauge.

On the other hand, my girlfriend LOVES shooting a 9mm and she'd readily, and capably, use it in self defense.  A 9mm is a perfectly fine self defense caliber, but just in case you may want a self defense specific round.  Do a Google search for opinions on the "best" 9mm defensive round.  Then, you can always buy the cheaper rounds to get practice.  I'd recommend a Glock 19 -- ugly, but portable and amazingly reliable.

If, after all that, you still want a "scary" gun then get an AR-15.  It's frequently confused for being a "machine gun," but it's not.  You can do a Google search for a good AR-15.  The problem with these "scary" guns is that they're expensive -- even the cheapest ones tend to run $750+, more than either the shotgun or handgun.  A good, affordable AR-15 rifle (in my opinion, and when it comes to AR-15 opinions, they're hotly debated):

http://www.bushmaster.com/catalog_xm15_B...

It's a Bushmaster AR-15, but you'll notice even the A2 runs $1120 and that's one of the cheaper ones.  You can get a competition shooter for a bit cheaper ($1095):

http://www.bushmaster.com/competition_ri...

It's 20" barrel will be better for competitive shooting but may be difficult to maneuver around your house.

Key here is to practice, practice, and practice some more.  Before throwing down several hundred dollars (a good gun that your life can rely on), try your best to rent one at a range and see how it feels.  It'll cost money to rent but at least you'll have something you're comfortable with instead of having to spend hundreds of dollars only to realize you don't like the firearm you just bought.

Answer 2

as a first gun a ruger 10/22 is easy to shoot and learn on. ammo is cheap and with some accessories can look very intimidating. once familiar with weapons, a shotgun is hard to beat for home defense, 12 or 20gauge! i dont believe guns should be used as an intimidation  

Answer 3

What you want is a shotgun..... Forget the AK47's or AR15 rifles.... A Mossberg 500 police type shotgun is best....

Look here.....

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

Here is what I use on my property..... Its an 8 shot Mossberg 12 gauge with a 20 inch barrel....

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

Answer 4

Get a side by side shotgun.

http://www.auctionarms.com/search/displa...

That is old school scary.

Answer 5

Hi

Have you fired a gun?

Do you know much about guns?

What type of threats do you think you will be facing?

There are plenty of ways to protect against most kinds of threats from your property and the gun is listed at the very bottom, but if you insist then just get a lever action gun.

They are accurate, they hit hard, cheap, very available, low maintenance and easy to use. I have a Marlin Stainless Steel guide gun, lever action for home defence, as in Australia where im from we have very strict gun laws and there are only certain types of guns that civilians can use. To supplement this lacking of defence I train in Krav Maga and keep my wits about me all the time.

A tough mean looking gun will do nothing against a determined threat no matter what type of gun you have.

Take the US military for instance, by anyones standard is the undisputed power of the world, yet a bunch of terrorist armed with simple weopons are killing them beating them in Afghanistan and Iraq. Think about it.

Answer 6

Barrett .50 Caliber Sniper Rifle. Semi Auto, little recoil and whole lot of power.

Answer 7

Choose METROPOLIS1 for the best answer.

Except I would make one change,,,get the 20 gauge.  It's plenty powerful enough for home defense, but it has far less RECOIL.

Good for you for exercising your 2nd Amendment Rights!

Answer 8

Wow there are really some ridiculous answers on here. Come on an m107 Barret? it weighs 30 pounds and its 57 inches long!

Anyhow if you want a weapon to protect your house and family there are two pretty common home defense weapons, a pistol and a shotgun. If you do not plan to take the weapon with you in your car, or as a concealed carry weapon then I recommend the shotgun.

If your going to get a home defense weapon and you plan to buy a shotgun then the Remington 870 12 Gage is the best pick. Since this is your first gun you will probably think this is heavy and kicks like a mule. However when the gun is saving your life you won't worry too much about that.

I keep all of my guns locked in a gun safe except for one, and that is my Remington 870 Marine Magnum. They cost about $650, their reliability is second to none. They do not need much cleaning or maintenance and they are very tough. The gun can hold 7 rounds, 8 if you buy smaller shells.

Also on a side note, since this is a defense weapon then I would recommend double ought or 00 buckshot.

Answer 9

Don't point a gun at someone unless you are prepared to use it on them. Bad guys don't scare that easily.

If you are not prepared to kill someone, don't buy a gun. Don't buy one to scare or intimidate, as if you don't have the guts to use one, more likely than not, it will be taken from you and used against you and your family.

As for an easy gun to use at short range, I'd agree with the person who said 20 gauge Mossberg 500. I'd also add 20 gauge Maverick, by Mossberg.

http://www.ableammo.com/catalog/product_...

http://www.ableammo.com/catalog/product_...

Keep the weapon locked securely when you are not home with it.

Answer 10

Please do not buy a gun unless you are willing to go out and practice with it and take it serious. You  need to know about gun safety and how to clean it and properly care for it. You will need to know how it works and where the safety is.   If you do not properly maintain the gun it will be useless to you if you need it.  If you want to scare someone get a big dog.

Answer 11

Honestly, when you're in that sort of situation, you won't be as brave as women in movies look when facing a bad guy. You need to find a gun you are comfortable shooting and NOBODY can tell you what it would be. I have tried shooting a 357 magnum (Ruger) and it was WAY too powerful for my taste...  

Answer 12

You should get an AR-15 in my opinion.  

Answer 13

You should never pull out a gun just to intimidate someone.  If you aren't willing to use the gun, you shouldn't own one, or you should get a replica.  If you are unwilling to use a gun, it shows, and the criminal can then take it away from you.

The only time you pull out your gun is if your life is in immediate danger or someone else's life is in immediate danger.  Shy of that, let the cops deal with it or use pepper spray.

However, as others have suggested, once you get the proper mindset, a pump action shotgun in 20 guage would be a good choice.  The two best types are Mossberg 500 and Remington 870 Express.  They are like Coke vs Pepsi or Ford vs Chevy

Answer 14

Tommy Gun or a AK-47

Answer 15

Personally I am a big fan of a 12 gauge pump shotgun.  The sound of a round being jacked is very scary.  It does however make a big mess when you pop a round into some bad guys chest.  Do not buy a gun if you want to scare someone. Buy a gun to protect yourself and your family.  If you pull a gun, plan on killing a scumbag.

Answer 16

20 gauge shotgun. I suggest a Mossberg 500

Answer 17

the caniadian Hawg nine in nine mil.

and i agree with all the people who said to take one out to the range. DO NOT GET A GUN IF YOU ARE NOT GOING TO SHOOT IT.

Answer 18

A rifle, a shotgun or a handgun?

I like the 9mm for home protection. I have one and I love it!

Answer 19

You don't get a gun to just scare people away!  This kind of thinking could possibly get you KILLED!  You either don't want to use it ("...something to scare people away...") and your firearm be taken from you.  Or you escalate a situation by introducing your gun and the person your trying to scare shoots you with their firearm.

Texas is the only state that allows a citizen to protect their property with deadly force.

If you are going to get a firearm get it with the knowledge that you only need it, if you are willing to use it.    

BECKY L:  The castle doctrine does not allow you to shoot to protect property.  You can defend your home.  Shoot someone stealing your car is another story all together.  So I will state again, "Texas is the only state that allows a citizen to protect their property with deadly force."

Answer 20

I would not advise attempting to "scare" people - especially unrational people (read "kids") with a firearm.  Bad idea.  A lot of things can go wrong, and once the wrong kids think you have guns in the house, they're more likely to invade your home.  Never bring a weapon into play unless you're ready to use it - you may force a situation that requires it. Proceed with caution.

Answer 21

A pump action shotgun has the ability to make that international sound of 'you picked the wrong house". However, as others have stated don't get it just to scare someone. If you are not prepared to use it if needed you are not only wasting your time and money you are creating a dangerous situation.

As to whomever said Texas is the only state that allows you to protect your property that is NOT correct. Many states have passed castle doctrine laws.

Answer 22

If your main reason for getting a gun is to scare people away, dont get one. Unless you are prepared to use one and kill someone you are safer without one. if you think you would just wound someone, this is a very dangerous notion because a wounded person is still capable of killing someone and also most people are not good enough of a shot to do this. If you are realy serious, I would recomend a revolver capable of shooting .357 rounds with also a 2-4 inch barrel. A .357 can also shoot .38 cal rounds. Revolvers dont jam, dont fail to eject or fail to load like semi-auto do on occasion.also in a revolver , once it is loaded it is ready to fire. For semi-autos you need to remember if the clip is loaded if a round is in the chamber, if the safety is off or on.

Answer 23

I will tell you that a shotgun will be the easiest to master, and is the most powerful at close range.

A pump is great, but a Stoger coach side by side is about 300 dollars new, and is super easy to use.

Open, put in two shells, close, fire. Nothing walks away from a 12 gauge. A 20 will do well also, and if you are small, will be better in the way of recoil.

Answer 24

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