There are a lot of new and inexperienced shooters out there, and it is great to see the sport taking on new members. As these people join our midst we are flooded with questions, one of the most common being “what should my first gun be?” A friend of mine just recently got his LTC and asked me “what should I get?” Since this is a very popular question I decided I would throw together some information for these people in an attempt to help guide them in their decision making process.
The following is a rough breakdown to help guide these people in a helpful direction in order to make an educated decision. I by no means claim to know everything, so for those of you that feel I either left something out or got something wrong please feel free to toss me a PM and I will make revisions as I see fit.
For this review I will focus on just handguns for now, but if it gets a positive response I will consider writing an additional review dealing with rifles.
HANDGUNS:
There are two different types of handguns, the revolver, and the semi-automatic (ignoring the odd ball single shots). Both categories have their pros and cons depending on what your intended use of the gun will be. Many first time shooters are more concerned with mastering the art of using a firearm in a sport target shooting environment as opposed to its role as a tool of self defense. However no matter what type of shooting you are interested in, you will be spending quite a while and thousands or rounds of ammunition at the range in order to master your firearm. Before I breakdown target shooting and self defense guns I would just like to state that I believe no gun owner should be without at least one 22 caliber pistol. The reason for this is that 22 caliber ammunition costs a fraction of the cost of any other caliber. What this means for a shooter is that they are able to put far more rounds down range without hurting the wallet. The benefit to this is that you will be given more of an opportunity to master the basics of stance, breath, grip, and trigger control through the ability to practice more. For those of you with money to burn, by all means knock yourselves out with larger calibers.
Revolvers:
Pros:
- Will very rarely jam and are therefore very reliable as a carry weapon. Even if you have a dud you can keep pulling the trigger.
- Some have the flexibility to fire multiple cartridges such as the .357 magnum / .38 special with no modifications.
- Very easy to clean and maintain.
- Most newer revolvers built to high safety standards are capable of being dropped while loaded without going off (same goes for some automatics as well). It was brought to my attention by Depicts that most there are many older revolvers out there that are not built to the same standards, and therefore have the potential to be set off when dropped. I would not recommend throwing your gun on the ground to find out.
- They come in all different frame sizes to fit the shooters hand and needs
- Can be purchased as single action, double action, or both.
Cons:
- Limited capacity, anywhere from 5 to 8 rounds.
- On average (depending on experience), slower to reload than an automatic and carrying extra ammo can be more cumbersome than an extra magazine for an automatic.
- The cylinder makes them slightly wider than an automatic, depending on the person this could make it slightly more difficult to carry.
- Have more felt recoil because they lack a buffer mechanism.
If you decide to buy a revolver, you need to decide what you intend to use it for. If you decide that all you really want to do is target shoot, you will have far more options when choosing because you are not limited to what you can conceal. If you do not own any guns yet, as mentioned above, I would recommend you get at least a 22 to practice technique in addition to a larger caliber of your choosing. I personally own several J frame .38 special snub nose revolvers as well as a 3” .357 magnum which is capable of accepting .38 special (all of them happen to be Smith and Wesson’s, they make a damn good wheel gun with very nice stock triggers so I am partial to them). Many people make the mistake of assuming that revolvers are not as accurate as automatics. This is quite far from the truth. I am perfectly capable of shooting a paper target with any of my snubbies at 50 yards (with practice they are capable of much more). With any quality gun and good ammunition, the gun will usually outshoot the operator so it is simply a matter of practice, practice, practice. Most revolvers will usually be capable of shooting in both single and double action; I highly recommend one that does. Single action means that the hammer must manually be pulled back (or “cocked”) before each shot. The action of cocking a revolver pull back and set the trigger while at the same time rotate the cylinder positioning a round to be fired. A double action revolver does not require you to cock the gun prior to firing it, you simply pull the trigger (much longer and harder pull than single action) and it will automatically rotate the cylinder, pull back and drop the hammer firing the gun. In a self defense situation you never want to cock the gun (unless of course it is single action only) because it creates a chance that you will accidentally set it off. In single action the trigger will require far less pull travel in order to set the gun off. While your adrenalin is pumping it is far too easy to accidentally pull a shorter (usually lighter) trigger (many revolvers have adjustable trigger pull weights). For this reason you should make it a point to practice in double action (which will take far more time and effort to master). The benefit to mastering double action is that you will never accidentally set off the gun because you twitched. This is because a double action trigger requires an intentional pull with several pounds of pressure.
There are several different qualities in a revolver to look for when deciding which one you want aside from what type of trigger action it has. Some of these features include weight, barrel length, frame size / grip, and caliber (these are equally as important when choosing an automatic). Weight is very important and very specific to the user of the gun. A heavier gun will reduce felt recoil upon firing which will not punish the user as much, and it will increase your ability to place a fast follow-up shot down range because of less muzzle climb. On the other hand a heavier gun may be more annoying and cumbersome to carry around all day as your concealed carry gun (can usually be helped by a good carry rig and belt). A lighter gun increases how much kick the gun has, and can prove to even be painful for some users, especially with extended use. The benefit to the lighter gun is that it is obviously easier and less noticeable to carry. Next is the barrel length. There is an overwhelming belief that a longer barrel is more accurate and therefore better. Remember this, when it comes down to a handgun, IT IS NOT A SNIPER RIFLE, and should therefore not be treated as such. In a self defense situation, statistically you are likely to engage a target at only a few feet, meaning a snubby has more than enough barrel to do the job. However when you approach the realm of target shooting, the argument carries more weight. A longer barrel makes a handgun more accurate but usually not for the reason that most would think. It is mostly the increased sight radius which makes the gun easier to aim, and therefore more accurate (feel free to disagree). Next comes frame size and grip which is also usually specific to what you plan to do with the gun. A very popular carry size is the J frame because it is very easy to conceal, but many people also carry full size magnums, it really depends on the person. Another feature to look for in a carry gun could be an internal hammer, which prevents the gun from snagging on clothing when you draw (an example could be the S&W model 642). I would say the most important feature of the frame and grip is that it needs to feel comfortable in your hands. Go to a store and see what feels best in your hands, everyone is different. Last but not least, caliber, which is usually a big topic of debate. Personally I would never carry anything smaller than a .38 for reasons of stopping power. Obviously the bigger the bullet, the more stopping power it has. However the 22 in your pocket is always better than the 45 you don’t own yet. You can use lead or full metal jacket target ammunition to practice, but if you plan to carry make sure to pick up some quality hollow points (make sure to test it through your gun to make sure it functions as it should, because your life may depend on it).
The following is a rough breakdown to help guide these people in a helpful direction in order to make an educated decision. I by no means claim to know everything, so for those of you that feel I either left something out or got something wrong please feel free to toss me a PM and I will make revisions as I see fit.
For this review I will focus on just handguns for now, but if it gets a positive response I will consider writing an additional review dealing with rifles.
HANDGUNS:
There are two different types of handguns, the revolver, and the semi-automatic (ignoring the odd ball single shots). Both categories have their pros and cons depending on what your intended use of the gun will be. Many first time shooters are more concerned with mastering the art of using a firearm in a sport target shooting environment as opposed to its role as a tool of self defense. However no matter what type of shooting you are interested in, you will be spending quite a while and thousands or rounds of ammunition at the range in order to master your firearm. Before I breakdown target shooting and self defense guns I would just like to state that I believe no gun owner should be without at least one 22 caliber pistol. The reason for this is that 22 caliber ammunition costs a fraction of the cost of any other caliber. What this means for a shooter is that they are able to put far more rounds down range without hurting the wallet. The benefit to this is that you will be given more of an opportunity to master the basics of stance, breath, grip, and trigger control through the ability to practice more. For those of you with money to burn, by all means knock yourselves out with larger calibers.
Revolvers:
Pros:
- Will very rarely jam and are therefore very reliable as a carry weapon. Even if you have a dud you can keep pulling the trigger.
- Some have the flexibility to fire multiple cartridges such as the .357 magnum / .38 special with no modifications.
- Very easy to clean and maintain.
- Most newer revolvers built to high safety standards are capable of being dropped while loaded without going off (same goes for some automatics as well). It was brought to my attention by Depicts that most there are many older revolvers out there that are not built to the same standards, and therefore have the potential to be set off when dropped. I would not recommend throwing your gun on the ground to find out.
- They come in all different frame sizes to fit the shooters hand and needs
- Can be purchased as single action, double action, or both.
Cons:
- Limited capacity, anywhere from 5 to 8 rounds.
- On average (depending on experience), slower to reload than an automatic and carrying extra ammo can be more cumbersome than an extra magazine for an automatic.
- The cylinder makes them slightly wider than an automatic, depending on the person this could make it slightly more difficult to carry.
- Have more felt recoil because they lack a buffer mechanism.
If you decide to buy a revolver, you need to decide what you intend to use it for. If you decide that all you really want to do is target shoot, you will have far more options when choosing because you are not limited to what you can conceal. If you do not own any guns yet, as mentioned above, I would recommend you get at least a 22 to practice technique in addition to a larger caliber of your choosing. I personally own several J frame .38 special snub nose revolvers as well as a 3” .357 magnum which is capable of accepting .38 special (all of them happen to be Smith and Wesson’s, they make a damn good wheel gun with very nice stock triggers so I am partial to them). Many people make the mistake of assuming that revolvers are not as accurate as automatics. This is quite far from the truth. I am perfectly capable of shooting a paper target with any of my snubbies at 50 yards (with practice they are capable of much more). With any quality gun and good ammunition, the gun will usually outshoot the operator so it is simply a matter of practice, practice, practice. Most revolvers will usually be capable of shooting in both single and double action; I highly recommend one that does. Single action means that the hammer must manually be pulled back (or “cocked”) before each shot. The action of cocking a revolver pull back and set the trigger while at the same time rotate the cylinder positioning a round to be fired. A double action revolver does not require you to cock the gun prior to firing it, you simply pull the trigger (much longer and harder pull than single action) and it will automatically rotate the cylinder, pull back and drop the hammer firing the gun. In a self defense situation you never want to cock the gun (unless of course it is single action only) because it creates a chance that you will accidentally set it off. In single action the trigger will require far less pull travel in order to set the gun off. While your adrenalin is pumping it is far too easy to accidentally pull a shorter (usually lighter) trigger (many revolvers have adjustable trigger pull weights). For this reason you should make it a point to practice in double action (which will take far more time and effort to master). The benefit to mastering double action is that you will never accidentally set off the gun because you twitched. This is because a double action trigger requires an intentional pull with several pounds of pressure.
There are several different qualities in a revolver to look for when deciding which one you want aside from what type of trigger action it has. Some of these features include weight, barrel length, frame size / grip, and caliber (these are equally as important when choosing an automatic). Weight is very important and very specific to the user of the gun. A heavier gun will reduce felt recoil upon firing which will not punish the user as much, and it will increase your ability to place a fast follow-up shot down range because of less muzzle climb. On the other hand a heavier gun may be more annoying and cumbersome to carry around all day as your concealed carry gun (can usually be helped by a good carry rig and belt). A lighter gun increases how much kick the gun has, and can prove to even be painful for some users, especially with extended use. The benefit to the lighter gun is that it is obviously easier and less noticeable to carry. Next is the barrel length. There is an overwhelming belief that a longer barrel is more accurate and therefore better. Remember this, when it comes down to a handgun, IT IS NOT A SNIPER RIFLE, and should therefore not be treated as such. In a self defense situation, statistically you are likely to engage a target at only a few feet, meaning a snubby has more than enough barrel to do the job. However when you approach the realm of target shooting, the argument carries more weight. A longer barrel makes a handgun more accurate but usually not for the reason that most would think. It is mostly the increased sight radius which makes the gun easier to aim, and therefore more accurate (feel free to disagree). Next comes frame size and grip which is also usually specific to what you plan to do with the gun. A very popular carry size is the J frame because it is very easy to conceal, but many people also carry full size magnums, it really depends on the person. Another feature to look for in a carry gun could be an internal hammer, which prevents the gun from snagging on clothing when you draw (an example could be the S&W model 642). I would say the most important feature of the frame and grip is that it needs to feel comfortable in your hands. Go to a store and see what feels best in your hands, everyone is different. Last but not least, caliber, which is usually a big topic of debate. Personally I would never carry anything smaller than a .38 for reasons of stopping power. Obviously the bigger the bullet, the more stopping power it has. However the 22 in your pocket is always better than the 45 you don’t own yet. You can use lead or full metal jacket target ammunition to practice, but if you plan to carry make sure to pick up some quality hollow points (make sure to test it through your gun to make sure it functions as it should, because your life may depend on it).
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