Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!ames!dftsrv!mimsy!UCSD.EDU From: btree!hale@UCSD.EDU (Bob Hale) Newsgroups: rec.guns Subject: Re: Dumb Beginner Questions Message-ID: <35375@mimsy.umd.edu> Date: 7 Jun 91 17:13:27 GMT Sender: magnum@mimsy.umd.edu Organization: Brooktree Corporation, San Diego Lines: 52 Approved: gun-control@cs.umd.edu In article <35259@mimsy.umd.edu> larock@software.org (Curt Larock) writes: [ about preparing to buy his first gun ] #What should I do now? What dumb mistakes should I avoid? You have done a good preparation job. Now it's time to find something that both you and your wife can reliably and comfortably shoot. Try going to ranges that rent guns. Handle each one that seems like a possible candidate. Select the ones that fit your hands and have a decent sight picture for your circumstances. BTW, indoor ranges usually have semi-poor lighting, much like the conditions under which you may use the gun in a defense situation, so an indoor range is probably best for the evaluation. Now that you have some candidate guns, try them out. For those that can handle different loads, try several loads (e.g., .38 special vs .38 +P vs .357 mag). See how well each gun instinctively shoots. See how comfortable they are - do they beat up your hand after 50 rounds? See how easy it is to align the sights in a hurry. This process should probably be repeated at several ranges (assuming that your area has several). While you are at the ranges ask about gun shops. You want to find one that knows what it is doing, one that will solve your problem rather than one that wants to sell you the most profitable gun. If your area has gun clubs you should check them out. The people at the clubs usually have a lot of experience and can tell you what to avoid and what works well for them. Of course, you will encounter a lot of opinion in these members so make your own judgements. Overall I have found that gun club members are quite unselfish and definitely willing to help. If your area has a firearms safety course I suggest signing up for it. They are offered by the junior colleges in my area. The local course is taught by police officers who are knowledgeable in guns (not all officers are; to many the gun is just another tool, like the night stick). Above all, enjoy! Bob Hale ...!ucsd!btree!hale 619-535-3234 ...!btree!hale@ucsd.edu [MODERATOR: I agree with Bob's approach. The only extra suggestion I would make beyond his text is that you *first* get some more experiences shooting *anything*, perhaps with the help of kindly locals over on your side of the Potomac. Get some of the complete-novice jitters out of your system before you begin evaluating weapons. I am reminded of the experience of my wife in this matter: the first centerfire pistol she fired was a rather large frame revolver using mid-power .38's. She was a little intimidated, not for recoil but just because of the novelty. After a little more trigger time on a .22 revolver, just getting used to handling a firearm that isn't several feet long, I had her try the .38 again. She had no problem at all, and in fact now prefers this. Had she been out shopping, then based upon the very first experience she would never have acquired the fine/tuned combat .357 that she now uses every time out to the range.]