First time gun buyer/owner - suggestions??

I shoot every weekend, I'd second the glock 17 and the remington 870. Bith are very reliable. The glock is a 9mm which wont break the bank when going to the range to practice.

The 870 in 12ga is an excellent defensive weapon with the right ammo.

In the end you need to be comfortable with the weapons for them to be of any use

It's true... The AK Series has a HELLUVA reputation... But, Unless you have spare mags that have been tested (Not some Russian / Polish / African BULLSHIT you picked up from cheaper than dirt dot com or "Shooters") You're bound to run into problems!

When teaching "non-shooters" I always steer them to bolt action, "pump-action" or "lever-action" shooters. They have an extremely low failure rate and a very easy learning curve.

Runner-up after the G19 is a Smith and Wesson J-frame revolver, in the airweight series. Chambered in .38 special of course.

It's an all business, no-frills snub nose pistol.

BULL SHIT EXPENSIVE AS HELL, SELLING USED GUNS FOR FULL RETAIL AS NEW! SCAM

Before making a decision hold both an M&P and a Glock and u decide which one feels better in the hand. Both are reliable.

something to keep in mind though is if you buy an ak, is if you are using it for home defense to be mindful of the power of the 7.62 39 round...it'll go straight through walls which can be a problem when you have other members of the family in your house. so it depends on what situation youre looking for. for shtf in general where you may have to move, you cant go wrong with an ak, purely for home defense get a glock or remington 870 but an ak will def work too just practice and keep its power in mind.

I wouldnt recommend pistol if they are untrained , probably miss the perp. Shotgun all the way.

I'd buy both

I would beg to differ. There are many other better choices than a Glock. Polymer is great, But people have had problems with them.

here are top five

USP .40 compact- Great accuracy, concealment, and a double spring slide, making it handle like a smaller caliber handgun

P99 9mm- Tried and true, easily maintainable, like you say, 9mm is always available, cost friendly, and if you buy the right round, still has enough stopping power

SIG 229 .357 Compact- One shot, one kill. Stopping power to the max, compact for easy concealment. A good choice for someone who prefers kick, and a lot of it.

1911 .45 ACP- for obvious reasons. This has been issued in service for a very long time. Kimber makes an EXCELLENT line of 1911 for EVERY shooting enthusiast. I'd recommend the pro tactical, as it has a built in laser sight, is durable, the grips can be used in all weather (without slippage) and is a great round.

Beretta M9- still issued to law enforcement, military. This holds a good amount of rounds in it, is easily discharged in consecutive bursts, without losing accuracy. this is also mass produced, so magazines are in abundance and cheap.

what he said

Look... You're going to get a TON of "specific gun" recommendations.

The reality is that you need to find the weapon that feels right with YOU and YOUR HUSBAND, and work from there.

If you want, BUY a Semi-auto. My only caveat is that you practice with it. (And I don't mean, go to the range and shoot a paper plate or something) LEARN how the weapon fails, and what to do when it fails. LEARN what the pro's tell you is the fault with the weapon and practice over-coming that fault. That's all...

The only reason I recommended the weapons I did was that they have the LEAST amount of faults and are very reliable.

I own Glocks, Berretas Various 1911's, Sigs, Smiths and even a Colt. Each one is different. Each one has it's pros and cons.

In long guns I own Piston driven / Gas driven semi's, Bolt actions and pumps.

I have trained with them for my whole life. The reality is... In a pinch, I have my favorites.

Last Edited by Travis Bickle on 11/16/2012 11:57 PM

Any thing you want to know, they will be able to answer. They may even have free lessons on how to use it.

Peace.

Last Edited by Still Raging on 11/16/2012 11:56 PM

blunderbus or muskatoon

You might get different opinions from different people, but everyone here who knows anything about guns will all agree on one thing: practice, practice, practice. become very familiar with whatever gun(s) you choose, so that when you NEED to use them, it's instinct.

only gun you will shoot much is a 22 rimfire because it is affordable. Great for tapping rabbits or squirrels, killing snakes, varmints in general. Ruger makes a great one, the 10-22

I agree. No one here is telling them to buy it then just let it sit. You have to practice, practice, practice. Other thing, saw some people recommending the Mossberg 590. Make sure you can operate the pump without feeling like you have to reach too far. 870 is easier for smaller people.

I'd agree with this post as well.


The reasoning for a revolver is it's low failure rate, and you can shoot it in just about any condition without problems!

Now that would be a HUGE plus!

Thank you all VERY much for the responses. Now I have some info to get me going.

I gave green karma to those of you who answered that I could, thanks again!

Very, VERY true... for you!

amt.30 long slide

Yes, that is a very good point, and I def. plan to practice once we decided on and buy one =)

Amy, don't listen to most of these assclowns. They didn't even qualify you, where you live (in a rural or urban area), your stature and whether you've ever shot a gun before or not.

First... Some women can handle any gun a man can and some cannot. This isn't sexist, it's pure logic and dynamics of body weight and upper body strength. So if you're a bull dyke and have extra testosterone, a bigger gun won't be an issue. My wife for instance, she's a dead-on shot and she can handle up to a .45 hand gun and just killed it with an Ak-47 out on the range last week. However, she didn't care for the 12-gauge shotgun or .30-06 rifle because of the kick with both.

Second... What is your living situation and area to defend in? If you are in tight quarters, apartment, etc., a 20-gauge shotgun will work just fine. In fact, just the clacking of it will give whoever is breaking in second thoughts to stick around for the BOOM that follows. Chamber it with #2 or #3 buckshot and you'll do some serious defense and damage.

Third... Read what this guy has to say... He's smarter than most people I've spoken with and if you follow the links at the bottom of this link, you'll find just about all the information you'll ever want on guns. [link to www.chuckhawks.com]

Lastly (my two cents)... Guns are subjective to a great many factors. My perfect combination might not be your own, but it doesn't mean it's wrong.

We have a Remington 870 20 gauge (although I would have went with a Mossberg 500 or Beretta Xtrema II (Watch this clip and you'll understand why). Beretta CX4 Storm (.40 S&W), Beretta 96FS (.40 S&W), ATI GSG 522 (.22 LR), SIG P226 (9mm), Judge 410 (.45/.410 shotgun style shells) and I load hollow point in most of them because of the stopping power PLUS hollow point won't go through people and keep on going (like hitting someone else behind them. I went with .40 S&W on two of them because I anticipate there being plenty of it to pick up off of dead bodies in the apocalypse.

That's it... Good luck in your decision.

that was a joke ,get a pump 12 gauge ,no trigger time u cant miss.to bad oo value packs are gone.youll pay $9 for five lol

Well, good thing - I just googled "gun shops in VT" (I live in VT), and got plenty of results =) Maybe this weekend I'll get my mom to watch our 3 boys and me and hubby will go check one out. Thanks again everyone!

PS - Since the time it took me to write and post, there have been some excellent replies.

Travis knows what he's talking about. Some of the others have watched too many Steven Seagal movies, lol.

VT? You're in gun paradise (and an open carry state I believe?) Which part? Vermont is my home away from home.

PPS - I live in NJ and close quarters to many people, therefore, there are no long rifles appropriate to my situation here. The CX4 Storm carbine serves that purpose.

I'm 5'4, 118 pounds. We live just on the edge of town, but it's a pretty small town we live in, and we're fairly close to the Canadian border. We currently live in a single-wide trailer - decent lot of land. Neighbors to our right are very nice - older couple who spoil my kids, and the next house over is actually 3 monks that live together - they're always doing neat stuff - like walking around to find certain plants and stuff to make their own medicines, and they are also very nice.

Neighbors to the left? Its like night and day - to our left is a run-down apartment complex of about 6-7 apartments - it's pretty much all welfare bums - and no I do not think everyone on welfare is a "bum" - when I use that term I mean the losers who pop out kid after kid to get more, who don't work or try to find work, etc......there is one over there, a kid actually, 14 years old - the little punk actually crawled through our bathroom window one night and tried to steal my son's Nintendo DS that was on the nightstand by my side of the bed....of course we woke up and my husband probably would have killed him if I didn't calm him down. That kid hasn't come around since, I think hubby scared him but wtf? Come in while we're sleeping - and try to steal something by my head?!?! That incident scared me, even though it was just a kid.....So yes, I do worry about my neighbors in that building - they're low lives who have the whole "I'm entitled" attitude, not good!