Starting from square zero

cmdshep · 1 year

The NRA classes should do a good job at covering the basics of what your after. Things like maintenance might not be completely covered, unless the instructor knows what gun you will have.

A .22 is a good first gun to get. It has minimal recoil, so it will help in keeping you from developing a flinch. On top of that, .22 rounds are very cheap, so you can buy a lot more to practice with for the same price as say a 9mm. Plus, pretty much every gun owner I know of has at least 1 .22 in their inventory. Just because its a small round doesn't mean it isn't fun.

As for storage, I personally use a hard case with locks. Gun safes can get very expensive. Until I have my own house, I think my solution will be fine.

Welcome to shooting. It can be a very fun hobby, but can also get expensive:P Always keep in mind the 4 major safety rules and be safe.

IndifferentPorchdog · 1 year

A .22 is way more than just one step above a bb gun. No matter how many guns you come to own, a .22 will always be one of the most basic parts of any collection.

I probably bought 20 or so guns before I bought a .22, but that's because I grew up shooting them. When I finally bought a 10/22, it wasn't just for the cheap practice and the fun factor, it was for pest control (which .22 is perfect for). It's also great for taking first-timers shooting, your friends' kids, your own kids someday, etc.

griffeycom · 1 year

Are you wanting a rifle or handgun? I'm going to tell you my .02 based on a rifle.

1.) Basic NRA class is probably a good idea to teach you about your firearm, basic safety, etc. When you've got that down and want to learn some marksmanship attend an Appleseed. Being a new shooter it'll be easier to teach you (No bad habits to break!) and you'll do very well and shoot better than a large portion of gun owners. 2.) You cannot go wrong with a .22LR, period. It's cheap to shoot and still lethal (be it hunting or self-defense). It's been said a millon times but a 10/22 is an excellent rifle for your first.
3.) If you really think you will expand your collection, sure get yourself a safe. Sounds like you have no kids to worry about so maybe just find a good hiding spot for it..

Anyway, just my .02 and what I would do based on my experience now.

sometimesitrip · 1 year

1) It depends on your instructor. My state has a mandatory safety certification prerequisite for any firearm. My NRA instructor knew that I had experience so the whole class was less than two hours including range time. He said other instructors that go over every detail can take up to 6 hours for their course. The NRA basic pistol class is fairly in depth and will teach you the fundamentals of everything you asked about. The instructor should provide the firearm and ammo since you are paying him. Also, you'll get a chance to try out some guns before you buy. Look at it as a test drive.

2) You won't be unhappy with a .22 and they are remarkably more fun than a BB gun. They are great for plinking because the ammunition is so cheap and the recoil is so small. Any techniques that you learn (like breath control, sight picture, trigger squeeze) on a .22LR will translate to bigger guns, so that's why people say to start off on a .22. Check out Ruger, Marlin, or Savage Arms lines of .22LR rifles.

3) depending on where you live your firearm may be required by state to come with a trigger lock or something. A gun safe or at the least a lockable case would be a good investment to protect your investments.

Welcome, and prepare to surrender the contents of your wallet.

MaximusNerdius · 1 year

Before you buy, see if there is a range near you that has guns to rent. Go a couple times and try different guns to see what you like and what feels comfortable.

ArmBears · 1 year

I'd rather not buy something that I'll want to replace in a couple of months. Down the road I can see myself building up a collection, but will I be unhappy if I go the .22 route to start?

No, you won't want to replace it. You'll want to add to it, but that's inevitable; no one gun can get all the jobs done. I have a variety of guns in a variety of calibers and the .22s still get a lot of action. They're great for cheap practice on the fundamentals. I would never trade them in. In a typical range trip I'll bring at least one centerfire and at least one .22, and then switch off between them to prevent boredom. I can't really fire 100 rounds of .45 ACP in a day and get the maximum benefit out of it, but I can shoot 50 rounds of .45 ACP and 100 rounds of .22 LR in a different gun and get maximum benefit from every round fired.

Zak · 1 year

There are a number of good .22 pistols on the market. You'll probably be introduced to a couple if you take a basic shooting class. I quite like my Ruger Mk. II Target, and the Mk. III appears to be a fine evolution of the platform. The Browning Buckmark is also nice, and appears to have adjustable sights on all models, unlike the Ruger. You might find another more to your liking. I'd say away from anything compact, thin-barreled or with fixed sights.

You want adjustable sights on this pistol. Most defensive pistols have fixed sights because they're smaller, less likely to snag on clothing and more durable. Most target and hunting pistols have adjustable sights so you can make the gun hit exactly where you aim. In principle, you'd think the pistol could just be manufactured so it always shoots exactly how it's aimed, but different ammunition will tend to shoot a bit differently, different shooters will vary slightly because of their eyesight and the point of impact will change as the gun wears.

I've never gotten bored with my .22 pistol, in large part because I can afford to shoot it as much as I want to. I cannot afford to shoot any of my other guns as much as I shoot the .22, and even if I could, the .22 is still fun. If shooting for pleasure was my only concern, and I could only keep one pistol, it would be my .22.

p8ntslinger · 1 year

I think that the NRA would be an excellent way to start out learning about firearms. I know that a lot of them provide guns for people to use, but I am sure that you would need to follow up on that to make sure.

As far as the gun, I recommend a .22 revolver. They are more simple to maintain than a semi-automatic handgun, are more reliable, and I think make for a better first gun. Ruger, Smith and Wesson both make excellent .22 revolvers.

Storage- a lockable hard case would be the safest, even though I keep my firearms in soft cases. Hard cases are probably your best bet.

telvox · 1 year

There is a very clear line between bb guns and a .22. To put it in to a car analogy, a bb gun is a bicycle, a .22 is a small motorcycle. Yes, there is a lot of stuff your sports car, your heavy duty truck or your suv will be able to do that your little motorcycle won't. You will eventually get the other cars for those other uses and you will enjoy them but, when it comes down to just going out for a fun drive, that bike's going to win 9 times out of 10. And your going to be able to enjoy the entire day for a few bucks.

desmodude · 1 year

I currently have three pistols, two rifles and a shotgun. My .22 pistol is my favorite. It is a High Standard Model GE made in 1950. Beautiful, dead accurate and collectible. Because of its age, I only shoot std. velocity target rounds with it. This makes it a little more expensive to play with than a newer .22 would be, but still pretty cheap fun.

I would highly recommend a quality .22 target pistol with a 6" barrel. Browning or High Standard would be my top choices. When you go shooting with your friends, their guns will make more noise, but you will be the one knocking over all the cans!

talkingheads86 · 1 year

I own a Secure Vault push-button safe that I paid 60USD for at a local shop. It is made by Boyt See if you can find one online. It has worked well for me, and I have it mounted to the wall (in a good spot).

sewiv · 1 year

Check out www.gunvault.com for your storage needs.

Get a .22.

rvlvrlvr · 1 year

1) NRA FIRST Steps Pistol is meant for new shooters who have already purchased a handgun and now need to know how to safely shoot, store, and maintain it.

NRA Basic Pistol is meant for new shooters who haven't bought a gun yet and need to know how to safely shoot, store, and maintain any of the three common pistol types (semi-auto pistol, double-action revolver, single-action revolver).

The same goes for NRA FIRST Steps Shotgun and Rifle, and NRA Basic Shotgun and Rifle.

You should be able to find NRA FIRST Steps and Basic firearms courses at http://www.nrainstructors.org/searchcourse.aspx

2) A handgun (revolver or semi-auto) chambered in .22LR is an excellent place to start for a first handgun. Ammunition is less expensive and recoil is minimal, which allows for more trigger-time and practice, which promotes faster, better learning. Later on you can get a handgun chambered in something larger/more powerful if you wish, and all the skills you learned from shooting the .22 will transfer to the larger caliber.

An air pistol is also a good option - as with any gun the safety rules still apply, but they have a fraction of the recoil of even a .22LR handgun, and you can generally shoot them in the home with a good pellet trap (make sure your local laws and rules are OK with this). You can use one to learn the basics of trigger control and sight alignment and still get feedback from the holes in the paper (grouping, good vs. bad hits, etc.).

3) a safe, even a strong-box or lockable cabinet, is a good idea, and doesn't have to be that expensive. There are small, single-handgun metal lock-boxes that are inexpensive and store anywhere that would make a good, basic home storage option.

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