Having a gun will not protect you. OK, away from philosophy and back to the tool. A personal protection gun should fire a large enough projectile at a fast enough speed to stop an attacker. It is generally accepted that a 9mm is the minimum appropriate size.
On the other hand, the popular advice, with which I agree, is that one should carry the largest caliber gun that they can shoot well. This might mean that a weak-wristed arthritic person cannot handle even a.
The 9mm is considered a minimum, and a movement currently exists saying that the 9mm is not enough. There are many more aspects to caliber selection, which we will not discuss in this article. In summary, I suggest 9mm,. How do you plan to carry your defensive gun? Do you just want a gun to keep beside your bed? Each of us has a different body type and personal preference.
I am a big guy and personally dislike plastic guns. I am often beaten in IDPA matches by smaller-framed people shooting plastic guns, so I can not criticize any gun that YOU shoot well and enjoy shooting. The most frequent mistake I see is the sale of lightweight revolvers to small-framed ladies new to shooting.
The gun dealer assumes that the lady is not smart enough to figure out a semi-auto and sells her a small framed. This might be the right choice for some ladies, but for most it is not. The decision can be difficult, as the list of handguns is long and there is no perfect handgun, no perfect caliber, and no perfect bullet. The most important consideration is to get a gun that you feel comfortable shooting, not the gun you think you need. Your comfort holding and shooting a gun is far more important than the "right" caliber or bullet.
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Method 1. All rights reserved. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc. Consider your personal defense needs. Pistols are used almost exclusively for self-defense. Thus, you need to consider why you need the pistol and envision the places you intend to carry it.
Do you plan on carrying it with you at all times, or is it staying in the house? Do you want something that will stop people and work as a crime deterrent, or do you want something with enough power to end the standoff violently? These decisions make a big difference on the size, shape, and type of pistol you choose. Think long and hard about whether or not you could ever pull the trigger on another human. It may seem like a good idea to pull the gun out without shooting to scare a criminal off.
But, more often than not, a gun escalates the situation, and will make things much, much worse if you're not willing to shoot it. Determine your basic point-shoot at the range before buying. You must find out how comfortably you can aim a gun before buying it.
With an unloaded gun, close your eyes and point the gun in a safe direction with your finger next to the trigger, but not on it, at a makeshift target. Open your eyes — the sights should be lined up exactly where you wanted them. At five yards, it should be no more than a couple inches off center-target. If you're too low, try a lighter gun. Too high, you might want something heavier. If the handgun is pointing high or low, this can be compensated for with practice.
For example, almost everyone who has never used a Glock before has a high point-shoot location by 6—10 inches But with practice, you will find that you can compensate for that quickly. Sample a variety of guns whenever possible. You want the one that feels comfortable in your hand when shooting, or a "more accurate" model might not do you any good.
Choose a larger pistol for greater accuracy and range. Larger pistols are more accurate than smaller ones due to their fit to the hand, weight reduced felt recoil , and longer sight plane. They are, however, much harder to conceal and carry, and the added weight may make them difficult to aim and maneuver for some people. Also called "combat pistols" or "duty-pistols. The , Glock 17 or 22, and Beretta M9 are all good examples of popular combat pistols.
Choose a smaller pistol if you need to carry it on your person. Smaller pistols are easier to conceal and are lighter to carry, but they trade off some power and accuracy. However, because they are smaller they are often easier to aim, especially for smaller people.
Conceal-carry guns have a length of 4. Often sold as "compact," "snubnose," or "conceal-carry" pistols. Know that chamber caliber matters as much as size when choosing a gun. The caliber bullet you're shooting does not change evenly with the size of the gun. Each caliber has it's own strengths and weaknesses, and you need to find one that fits your needs instead of just going for the highest number you can find.
Beginners should aim for smaller calibers. Smaller calibers mean less recoil, which in turn means faster and more accurate follow-up shots, but generally less energy and force. A good starting point is. Try out. Know that revolvers are considered more reliable and simpler than semi-autos.
A revolver is easy to load, point, and shoot, and have been popular options for decades. They are also easier to clean and maintain than most semi-automatics.
That said, comfort holding and shooting should be your first concern when getting a pistol. Method 2. Consider both the benefits and drawbacks of each bullet type. Most people who study handgun bullet ballistics and tactics have concluded that handgun rounds are weak comparatively, and bullet-placement is a more reliable fight-stopper than the round itself. However, there are some advantages from one round to another, and knowing what caliber you're search for will help you make the most of your purchase.
Penetration is extremely important. If a bullet does not penetrate deep enough, vital organs and the nervous system are less likely to be damaged. In the late '90s the FBI conducted extensive studies which suggest a bullet should penetrate at least 14—16 inches This allows for bullets to enter a body at less than optimal angles and still have enough energy to reach vital organs or the spine. Permanent cavity is the resulting "void" in a fleshy target where the majority of a bullet's energy was transferred and tissue was destroyed.
The larger the permanent cavity, the greater the chance of vital organs or central nervous system being destroyed. Recoil is something that is often not talked about in bullet ballistics because it is a very subjective and weapon-specific characteristic.
Low recoil allows you put place more shots quicker and more accurately. Each person will have a different feel for the recoil of a bullet, and each handgun will transfer the recoil to the user in different ways. Bullet energy is an over-emphasized feature of a round. In handguns, energy of bullets is extremely low. Illinois is the state that I live in and we have one of the most extensive processes and waiting times probably longer than any other state.
It is your responsibility to know your local laws so make sure you do your own research. A good handgun for concealed carry will be a little smaller than most. Compact or Subcompact is what you are going to want to look for. You could always carry a full size but this will be harder to conceal and more uncomfortable.
Decide on the type of handgun you will be most comfortable with. There are two main types of handguns, semi-automatic pistols, and revolvers. Each of these has pros and cons but it is up to you to decide which one is right for you. So I will say that semi-autos are more common and are what I personally would recommend.
Some of the benefits are that they usually hold more rounds, can come with or without an external thumb safety, and can be smaller and lighter making them easy to conceal and carry. Most people have gotten away from revolvers and semi-autos are definitely a more modern type handgun. Get comfortable with them and learn how to shoot with one. Also, understand how they work. There are a huge amount of calibers available and can be customized to fit the person carrying the pistol.
First, you need to decide a good caliber to use, and I recommend 9mm for anyone just starting out and looking to buy their first handgun. It is very common and will be available at any store that sells ammunition, it is also cheaper to buy so you will be able to buy more and practice more which is good for a beginner just starting out. Another benefit of 9mm is that is a smaller caliber and has less felt recoil when shooting.
Some people argue that is too small of a caliber and I would disagree and say that the military and most law enforcement officers use this caliber in their side arms. I also being shot placement is more important than caliber size. Another thing too is that ammunition has come a long way in the last couple of decades and a modern hollow point round has enough stopping power in most situations. Semi-autos have three different sizes, and this is solely up to the person and the environment you will be in while conceal carrying.
A person who lives up north and deals with cold weather might prefer a pistol that is larger because they will be wearing more clothing. This makes carrying a full-size handgun much easier for them compared to someone who lives down south that usually wears shorts and a t-shirt.
They might want a subcompact that will print less printing means how much the gun will show underneath clothing. It will have a good round capacity and will still be comfortable to hold and shoot. Also, it will not be very snappy when shooting which a lot of subcompacts tend to be.
New shooters often think that the larger the gun the more felt recoil and that is not the case. The size of the caliber determines how much kick the pistol will have.
This is the complete opposite of reality, smaller guns have more recoil because they weigh less and have shorter barrels. When buying your first handgun a medium sized compact or full size will most likely be the best place to start.
Modern pistols from a quality manufacturer are very safe and will not fire off a round unless the trigger is pulled. So keep your bugger hook off the bang switch and you will never have a negligent discharge!
Most people who have been carrying a while choose to go with no thumb safety because having a thumb safety slows you down, and in a stressful situation you lose the use of your fine motor skills.
People will instinctively try and pull the trigger in a self-defense scenario and forget to take off the thumb safety. People just starting out like having a thumb safety because it gives them some comfort. This is all personal preference and most peoples thoughts on this will change and develop over time when carrying a handgun. I recommend going with whatever makes you feel comfortable. I would always hear a lot of people taking and giving their opinions when I worked behind the gun counter on this topic.
You might only have two seconds to draw your pistol and get a round of when being attacked. You might only have one arm available to draw with. So yes you should always have a round chambered, this is also called condition one.
I personally love revolvers, they are simple and reliable. However, I never carry them for concealed carry. Having a few more rounds in a semi-auto gives me a little peace of mind. Also, it is easier to carry an extra magazine and reload quicker with a semi-auto pistol.
If you do not care about round capacity and you want a handgun that is very reliable then a revolver is the way to go. They are simple point and shoot guns.
Revolvers make great home defense guns. They can be left loaded without the worry of magazine springs wearing out like in semi-autos. They are also easy to use, even someone with no experience or training can use one. This is a good place to start when buying your first handgun.
A handgun that is going to be used to protect yourself and your family in your home can be a little easier to choose compared to one for conceal carry. Having a full-size gun that is comfortable in your hand is better to start out on. You can practice shooting and familiarizing yourself with handguns better. You can even get a bigger caliber if you want even though I still recommend a 9mm. Larger frame guns will have less recoil and be easier to control when shooting. It is easier to be more accurate with them and the controls are easier to manipulate.
Buying a range gun can be pretty easy. Get whatever you want! You will probably want a gun that you can run a lot of ammo through it relatively cheap. A small caliber pistol might suit you better for this task.
A small 22 caliber is really cheap to shoot and is good for practicing the basic fundamentals. If you are new this might be the best place to start. Not only is the ammo cheap but the pistols chambered in 22 tend to be cheaper as well.
Okay now to the fun part, all of these I either personally own or have shot and would be good choices for a first-time gun owner.
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