Now is as good a time as any to purchase your first gun. Gun sales are at an all-time high, and for good reason. There’s violence and unrest in the streets, and many people are arming themselves to keep themselves and their families safe. If you’re thinking about buying your first gun, you probably have many questions. What caliber should I get? How many rounds do I need? Here I will help you answer those questions and assist you in determining exactly what kind of gun you should purchase.
Why Do You Want A Gun?
The great thing about our Second Amendment is that you don’t
need a reason to exercise it. You can buy a gun for any reason or no reason at
all. You will never be asked why you’re buying a gun as a condition of the
sale. But it is a good question to ask yourself before making your first
purchase.
Some of the most common reasons for buying a gun include
hunting, home defense, personal defense, and sport shooting. Some types of guns
can be used in different scenarios. Narrowing down exactly what you will be
doing with your gun will help you decide which type to buy.
Hunting
In the United States, the two most popular types of hunting
are game hunting and bird hunting. Rifles are the best for game hunting, while
shotguns are more effective for bird hunting. The reason is that game hunting
(deer, coyote, rabbit, etc) is usually done at greater distances, 100 yards or
more. A scoped rifle is accurate at long range and can take down game animals
up to several hundred yards away. Birds are generally drawn close to the hunter
using calls and decoys, and the shot is taken at much closer ranges, usually
less than 50 yards. Because most bird hunting is done on the wing (flying),
shotguns are better for hitting a moving target.
There are many rifle calibers to choose from, depending on
the size of the game you are hunting. If you’re looking for a good all-around
cartridge, the .243 Winchester is a classic for deer hunting. If you’re looking
at something a little bigger, .30-06 is a great multi-purpose round.
Shotguns come in several gauges as well. 12 gauge is the
most common, with over 50% of shotguns sold in the United States chambered for
12 gauge. 20 gauge and .410 are also popular shotgun calibers.
Home Defense
Home defense is one of the most popular reasons for someone
buying their first gun. There are many factors to consider before keeping a gun
in your home. If you have children, be sure to secure your gun when not using
it. If you don’t want to purchase a gun safe or gun vault to store it in, at a
minimum you need to purchase a gun lock. This is a device that either locks the
trigger or the barrel, effectively disabling the gun until the key or
combination opens it.
Handguns and shotguns are the two favorite guns for home
defense, although rifles can also be used. All three have advantages and
disadvantages.
Handguns are small and easy to access quickly in an
emergency. They can be safely kept locked in a gun vault next to your bed.
Handguns can be equipped with accessories to help you in a home defense scenario,
such as flashlights or laser sights. Finally, handguns can hold many rounds,
and extra magazines are easy to store and carry as well. If you’re new to guns,
a revolver might be a better choice over a semi-automatic pistol. They are
nearly impossible to misfire, they don’t jam or misfeed like semi-automatics
sometimes can. But revolvers usually have a much smaller capacity than
semi-automatics. Most revolvers hold either five or six rounds, while a
full-sized Glock, SIG Sauer, or Smith & Wesson can hold up to 17 rounds.
Another debate is about which caliber is best. The most popular are 9mm, .40
S&W, and .45 ACP. Honestly, use whichever you prefer. You will get a few
more rounds of 9mm, but .45 ACP has better stopping power. So it’s a trade-off.
Shotguns are also popular home defense weapons because they
are very easy to fire effectively and require very little aiming to be deadly.
A shotgun can be fired from the hip and still be accurate because the shells
spread after being fired, hitting anything in their path. Shotguns can have
different capacities, but they are usually between 4-10 rounds. Birdshot and
buckshot are the two most popular loads for home defense. Birdshot is small
pellets, which usually won’t kill a person when they’re shot. Buckshot has larger
pellets and can be deadly at close range.
If you plan to use a rifle for home defense, you need to be
aware that high-velocity rifle rounds have a tendency to penetrate walls and
keep going, and could potentially injure people on the other side of a wall.
AR-15s are the most common rifles to be used for home defense because they have
30 round magazines standard.
Personal Defense
When you’re talking about carrying a concealed weapon (or
open carrying), handguns are the only real choice for personal defense. Some
people open carry rifles, but that’s mostly for show. Many states still require
special licensing to carry a concealed handgun, although more and more states
are switching to “constitutional carry” laws.
How you carry your handgun is an important decision. There
are many different types of holsters made, there’s one for just about any
situation you can imagine. Inside the waistband holsters are the most popular
for concealed carry. They hold your gun securely inside your pants, which helps
to conceal it. Outside the waistband carry is also popular. It’s more
comfortable for the wearer, but often harder to conceal. If you have a small
handgun, you can carry it in a pocket holster. These go in either your front or
rear pocket and are easily accessible and concealable. For those looking for
additional alternatives, you can get a shoulder holster or ankle holster. Belly
band holsters are great if you’re wearing athletic apparel such as gym shorts.
The biggest debate for concealed carry enthusiasts is the
9mm vs .45 ACP debate. More rounds, or more stopping power? Generally, the
smaller the caliber the more rounds you can carry. The bigger the caliber, the
more stopping power. So you can make this decision for yourself.
Conclusion
If you’re looking to buy your first gun, the first thing you
need to ask yourself is what you intend to do with your gun. Once you have
defined your intent, it makes your decision much easier.
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