Before You Buy a Gun: Here are some considerations
5 min readFew actions require more fore-thought than purchasing a firearm. But more important than the style, caliber, action and size is the reason for buying one in the first place. Why do you want a firearm? Do you really need it? Would you be better off without a gun? You might be surprised.
by Leon Pantenburg
For me, owning firearms was never a consideration. I come from a long line of hunters and shooters, and some of our firearms have been passed down for generations. I grew up on an Iowa farm, and all my peers hunted. Some of my first memories include my Dad teaching me gun safety and how to shoot. The first item I saved up to buy was a Ruger 10/22 rifle.
In my Dad’s locked gun cabinet were firearms of many configurations, ranging from pistols to shotguns. Dad, a World War II infantryman, had an M1 Carbine, and a couple loaded clips. That was the weapon he reached for when things went bump in the night on the farm. It never occurred to me to use that M1 “assault rifle” with the extended clips to do harm to anyone.
But suppose you have no firearms background whatsoever, and are considering buying one. Let’s say you are concerned about self-defense, and want to be able to protect yourself and your family during a potential disaster or emergency. As a side benefit, you may want to eventually get into hunting, or think it might be a good idea to learn how to shoot accurately.
Buying a firearm is not something to take lightly. Here are some of my opinions, based on experience, that will hopefully impact your decision process.
- I support the National Rifle Association and believe in the Second Amendment right to bear arms. But I don’t think everyone should own a firearm! Anyone unwilling to invest the necessary time to become proficient with a firearm, could become a danger to himself or others. If you are mentally unstable, a convicted felon or otherwise impaired from the responsible use of a firearm, you should not have one.
- Before you buy any firearm, take a gun and/or hunter safety course or a concealed weapons class, even if you don’t intend to carry concealed. There are many educational opportunities available, and contacting the sheriff or local Fish and Game Department is a good way to locate a class. Have a safe, secure place to store the firearm and ammunition before you go shopping.
- Why are you buying a gun? Self defense? Hunting? Recreation? Target shooting? Learn the differences between firearms – a .38 caliber snubbie revolver for self-defense will not work very well for deer hunting. And that scoped, bolt-action hunting rifle might not be the best choice to repel intruders inside your apartment.
Here are some things to think about as part of the gun-buying decision process:
Where will you secure the gun? Owning a gun that can’t be stored safely is irresponsible, and in my mind, is a good reason NOT to have one.
A firearm is neither good nor evil. It is an unthinking machine until someone picks it up and decides how it will be used. Possessing a gun won’t keep you safe. Like anything, you must develop the skills to use the weapon.
A semi-automatic weapon, with high-capacity magazine, does not make the best self-defense weapon. Large capacity magazines encourage a lot of “spray-and-pray” IMHO, and the only shots that count are the ones that hit the intended target.
Last year, I interviewed U.S. Marine, Kyle Thompson of La Pine, OR. Thompson had just come back from deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he had served on recon teams. The Marines, all of whom were sniper school graduates, were frequently dropped in Taliban territory to track down terrorist bands and help defend isolated villages.
With any weapon at their disposal, Thompson said the Marines frequently relied on the bolt-action .308-caliber M-24 scoped sniper rifle. The Taliban were armed with fully automatic AK-47s. A common ambush situation, Thompson said, was that a Taliban terrorist would open up on a patrol and empty a 30-round clip in a continuous burst. The Marines could stay out of AK range and respond with a M-24. Results were predictable.
One of the most important self-defense questions is this: Are you willing to kill someone to keep yourself or a loved one safe? This question needs to be answered honestly before you go any further on the self-defense firearms purchasing path.
In his book On Killing Lt. Col. Dave Grossman argues that many people could not kill someone, even when threatened with lethal force. Killing from a distance, Grossman writes, such as artillery or bombing, can be relatively easy. But a close encounter, where you can see the other person and witness the effects of pulling the trigger, can be extremely difficult for most people.
Brigadier General S.L.A Marshall discovered this in surveys of combat military personnel.
“In World War II, only 15 to 20 percent of combat infantry were willing to fire their rifles. In Korea, about 50 percent,” Marshall writes. “In Vietnam, that figure rose to more than 90 percent.”
If trained military personnel have problems pulling a trigger during combat, what will your chances be? Your unwillingness or inability to use your gun under dire circumstances could cause you to be disarmed. Then you have armed a perpetrator.
If your mind in not made up on these points, don’t buy a gun. It will do you no good, and may cause harm.
Check out this video regarding extended clips.
So, do you recommend a particular handgun?As a future counselor in training, I’ve been advised to get a conceal carry, as many have been threatened by clients or their partners. I’m a good shot with my husband’s and son’s 22 rifles, but I’ve never shot a handgun before. I’ll be taking a conceal carry course soon at the local community college.
My dad referred to the magazine as a “clip,” I’ve heard many shooters refer to a magazine as a clip, and and the terms are interchangeable in mos tcommon useages.
Wrong
I’d suggest you complete the class before before going shopping. Ask the instructor for recommendations, and if possible, get a chance to handle and shoot several different styles and calibers. You might be surprised what you end up with. My wife, not a big person, ended up with a .45 calber 1911 style Kimber. She shoots it very well.
Smith & Wesson® M&P .40 guaranteed for life. If it breaks they even pay for the shipping. With a 4 1/4″ barrel it is easily concealed. It holds 15 rounds plus 1 in the chamber. The compact version has a 1″ shorter barrel.
A “clip” is used to insert rounds into a “magazine”. People often use the terms interchangeably. A semi-auto handgun is better than a revolver. Typically, the magazine holds 7 or 8 rounds and up to 15 in some 9mm pistols. Moreover, the semi-auto will enable you to get off the second shot faster and they are faster to re-load. The smallest effective calibre is 9mm (0.380 in) and the calibre go up from there; 38 Special, 357 Magnum, 40 SW, 45 ACP (the familiar Army semi-auto), 454 Casull and 50 Cal. 9mm is the calibre of the current issue side arm for the military. There are also a number of “machine guns” in this calibre. 45 ACP is a serious side arm. Within its effective range it delivers a tremendous amount of energy to the target. BUT it does have a kick. Almost anyone cxan learn to manage the recoil with training.
The Beretta 92FS in 9mm is the current issue side arm. It is very reliable and easy to maintain. Because it is so common repair parts are easy to obtain. BUT because it is the issue sidearm ammunition is difficult to obtain.
The Sig Sauer 1911 and the Colt 1911 are my choice in a 45 ACP. I have both and they are also very reliable. You can also buy a 22LR conversion kit for both which lets you train with cheaper ammunition. The smaller round does not give you the recoil but does let you work on your grip, sight picture and return to target.
Currently anything firearm related from the firearms themselves down to bullets, primers and powder for reloading is almost impossible to obtain. Hopefully, this will be resolved soon.
It is prudent to take a firearms class as you will learn a lot. But be aware that many instructors require you to have a gun of your own for the class. After you have located a class ask the instructor for his recommendations. Also find a gun dealer and ask for his recommendations being aware that he may well try to steer you to a more costly gun. Higher cost does not mean to a better gun. You can always “tune up” your handgun later.
Lastly, as noted above, ask yourself if you are willing to kill someone to protect your family. A rational person would very likely just flee when confronted with a gun. But what if the person is irrational or hungry or a sociopath? None would be likely to flee. As I was taught by my father and grandfather don’t point a weapon at anything you won’t shoot but when you do make it count.
Call me a traditionalist, but you can’t go wrong with an M1911 .45 automatic.
I agree, my family and I own many variations of guns, and have tried various ones while at a shooting range and in my various training courses. One of the easier guns to operate was the 1911 my instructor had for LTC. It was a very easy magazine to load quickly, had decent recoil and accuracy, and 1911’s are known to be very reliable. I’d go with a known brand, and shoot for $800 to $1200 price range to get something that’ll last for years and possibly be passed down to other generations.
The only “downsides” if you want to call them that is that 1911’s are typically a lower-capacity handgun with only 8+1 to 10+1 and the fact that they are mainly non-ambidextrous (I’m a lefty, so I notice such things when it’s hard to find them). That said, most people are right handed, and smaller capacity usually means lighter weight and better conceal carry, all things to consider for self defense.
I recommend a revolver for anyone who isn’t familiar/comfortable with guns. They’re simple point-and-shoot, no worries about jamming. I have a Smith and Wesson Bodyguard and I love it. It’s hammerless and has a strong trigger pull so it’s perfect for concealed carry.
I stopped reading the article when the author referred to “clips” instead of magazine’s in the first paragraph.
Besides the whole clip thing good article Leon.
I’m not getting this – clips and magazines are interchangeable words among my gun-type friends.
thats why ur the expert panelist leon.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clip_%28ammunition%29
The Merriam-Webster dictionary now defines a clip as “a device to hold cartridges for charging the magazines of some rifles; also a magazine from which ammunition is fed into the chamber of a firearm.”
well if you want to get out a book , Magazine is the name for an item or place within which ammunition is stored. It is taken from the Arabic word “makahazin” meaning “warehouse”.
Magazine is also a term used for a place where large quantities of ammunition are store d for later distribution, or an ammunition dump. This usage is less common.
The ammunition storage area aboard a warship is referred to as a magazine or the “ship’s magazine” by sailors.
Historically, when artillery was fired with gunpowder, a warship’s magazines were built below the water line —- especially since the magazines could then be readily flooded in case of fire or other dangerous emergencies on board the ship. An open flame was never allowed inside the magazine.
i dont care what ya call it AR-15, bushmaster or black rifel as long as you know how to shoot it and it goes bang when you press the switch. and yes i call it a switch not a trigger because i press the switch not pull a trigger , if your confused thats ok take as many classes as you can , as long as you learn something new keep going , and if you want to call your firearm a cute name like i do , it’s nicer to say ” have you seen sally?” in place of “where did i put my DPMS artic panther M4 5.56 semi-auto rifel with an Eotec holographic sight and hi-cap magazine ?”
Oh my lord. I cannot believe what I just read in this article. Especially the tripe about high capacity magazines and Gary Kyle – you dishonor the man by using such a comparison. The .308 he refers too is a “surgical” long (repeat LONG) distance weapon and wanna guess who is “protecting” that guy with the sniper rifle? Yep, the guy holding the military version of an AR-15. Man, it is so obvious that you just looked around, cheery picked stuff that fit your view point, and then proceeded to spout seriously ignorant commentary. And then to justify something because ‘well thats what the dictionary says?’ Gezz Louise, dude. Do yourself and everyone else a favor – if you don’t know anything about a subject don’t write about it. Unless, that is, all your trying to do is convince other ignorant people that you are smart. People who know the subject will just shake their heads and sigh. // And for you people recomending types of firearms to other people with no experience with firearms because YOU “like” them, or you are parroting something you heard someone else say — you are doing other people a disservice. Tell them to go try out different firearms and determine what THEY need and are comfortable with through education and experience. A gun is as individual a choice as boxers or briefs, shoes, bras for women, and taste in food. What’s good for you may be a disaster for someone else – or too little or too much. // Lastly, for you considering purcasing a firearm, run don’t walk away from anyone who says, “This is the gun you need.” Only YOU can decide what gun you need. No one else. Not a friend, gun salesman, instructor, husband, wife, or government. There are no “best guns” just as there are no “ladies guns”. Have a 4’9″ asian lady as an advanced student. Her gun of choice is a 45 ACP 1911 Colt Combat Commander model. She decided it was good for her and what she needed – I didn’t. She handles and shoots it very very well. I never said, “Little lady, that’s just too much gun for you.” I will never ever limit any person with my own prejudices. No one ever should!
Using the term “clip” and magazine interchangeably is still laughed at by anyone who actually understands the difference between the two. I think it’s intellectually obtuse, not unlike your statement concerning “spray and pray” being caused by standard capacity magazines – reality being bad behaviors are NOT caused by inanimate objects but by lack of discipline/training. Also please make clear the statement regarding the Marine you interviewed. The Marine did NOT tell you that all members of his patrol element used bolt action sniper rifles as this would go against all Marine doctrine AND common sense.
Whatever u say.
I was under the impression that the M1 was one of the few guns where it was actually correct to use the term “clip”, as it actually was, by definition, a clip being used to insert ammo into the fixed magazine inside the M1.
I agree, most still hate it when the “gun uneducated” refer to them as clips when they are supposed to be called magazines, but it’s become so common place for the misuse, that it’s becoming common place. I think of it like saying “hand me a Kleenex” or “let’s take a dip in the Jacuzzi”, where those are names that have become associated with the item and not what it actually is (a tissue or a hottub).
If referring to the M1 Garand you are correct, the author was speaking of an M1 carbine. He is incorrect the terms while often incorrectly are used interchangeably are not synonymous.
If you notice he referred to the M1 Carbine , which is a magazine fed rifle. The M1 Garand was a clip fed rifle. The Carbine held a 15 round magazine and fired , what I consider a pistol cartridge because of its weak ballistics compared to a real rifle cartridge. M1 Garand = 30-06 , M-14 = .308, M1 Carbine = .30 caliber carbine
The term clip and magazine ARE NOT interchangeable. A clip is used to store the ammunition together as a whole unit and is inserted into the magazine of the firearm. A magazine is both a storage and feeding device, that uses a spring to push the ammunition into the weapon. A magazine can either be detachable or an internal part of the firearm. Generally if it has a spring in it, then it is a magazine.
exactly Dan!
I had hoped the conversation generated from this post would be about the ethical considerations of gun ownership. I will stick with the dictionary definition of “clips” and “magazines”, and am not interested in further semantics discussions.
Saying that a semi automatic with a high capacity magazine isn’t a good home defense weapon is just wrong. Other than a revolver or bolt action rifle, most guns are semi automatic. And the number of rounds has nothing to do with how you use them. Your reference to automatic AK-47 use in the battlefield has no relation to the topic.
“Large capacity magazines encourage a lot of “spray-and-pray” IMHO, and the only shots that count are the ones that hit the intended target.” – Wow. Your opinion lines up nicely with those who would take your 2nd Amendment Rights away. And then the segue into how a .308 is a great self defense weapon? If your enemy is hundreds of yards away, I suppose you’re set. If it’s someone in your home, you might be better served with what our troops use when they are clearing hostile houses – an AR-15 with what you call “Large Capacity” mags.
interesting and thought provoking….i have been considering a gun purchase, but I am not sure I could actually kill someone or something….I used to go “hunting” for birds years ago, but I never shot one, although others in my group did….don’t know if this was reluctance on my part or just poor shooting…..
some times the mire show of a gun can protect/save you.. also you don’t have to really consider using it against someone.
A generally well-written article. The only issues I have, are that the writer confuses some facts; clips and magazines are not interchangeable, despite Hollywood and some news anchors. Our bolt action long gun, manufactured in 1936, uses clips, that are intended for reloading. A clip helps reload the gun faster, it doesn’t stay in. A magazine is a device that feeds bullets into the firearm as you shoot and eject the previous round. It is common for gun owners to have multiple magazines for practicing magazine changes. Proficient average gun users change out and reload in less than 2 seconds.
My other cringe was the bit about semi-automatic guns with “high capacity magazines” encouraging a “spray and pray” mentality. An automatic weapon will keep firing until you run out of bullets. That is what the AK-47 does, and why Marines talk about it and “spray and pray” in the same sentence. A trained shooter can get moderate results with short aimed bursts of automatic fire with a fully automatic weapon, but opt to use the semi-automatic function of their gun for aimed shots for better economy of ammunition, and drastically improved accuracy. Thankfully, terrorists don’t have professional training most of the time.
A semi-automatic will shoot one round, eject the shell casing, and chamber a fresh round. You have to pull the trigger once for every bullet you fire from a semi-automatic. As a woman, if I have to defend myself and mine, I’ll opt for my semi-automatic “scary” handgun with its 16 round “high capacity” magazines, thank you very much.
This my 2 cents, as someone with military firearms training.
This was not a well done article as the author misused some terminology and offered up some often regurgitated and some marginal at best advice, from years gone by.
Here’s a good starter of some better reading to begin getting you up to speed. Please also remember these few bits of advice:
* Articles in gun magazines will often make it seem as though “this new gun” is the be all end all perfect solution to every need for a kinetic solution. There is no such thing, these article are generally biased sales pitches thinly veiled as legitimate consumer product reviews. That said there are some very credible sources giving good reviews. I’ll let you decide whom to trust.
* Many gun shop salesmen tend to be tellers of tall tales and as likely as a used car salesman to sell you something they have available in the case just to make a quick sale.
* Visit lots of shops and compare service you’re shopping for a good dealer as much almost as the right gun.
* Handle as many models of the type of weapon you would like to purchase as possible and as test fire as many of those as you can. A firearm that feels right to the individual shooter is far more likely to be practiced and or trained with, will impart more comfort and confidence, and therefore will be more likely to be close at hand if hopefully never needed.
The following will put you months ahead of a novice in probably well under an hour of reading…
Low recoil defencive pistols
http://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/defensive-pistols-low-recoil/
Chooseing self defence guns
http://armedcitizensnetwork.org/choosing-self-defense-guns
Tailoring guns to females
http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/ayoob131.html
Armed and female
http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/ayoob63.html
Why you shouldn’t listen to bad advice on self defense
http://thedentalwarrior.com/2013/02/20/why-you-shouldnt-listen-to-bad-advice-on-self-defense/
Why young women want AR15s
http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/338418/why-young-women-want-ar-15s-celia-bigelow
5 Defensive shotgun myths
http://brillianter.com/2008/11/5-defensive-shotgun-myths/
5 Worst bits of advice from other people at the gun shop
http://www.gunnoob.com/Home/tabid/55/entryid/160/5-Worst-Bits-of-Advice-From-Other-People-at-the-Gun-Shop-Gun-Show-Gun-Range.aspx
5 Ridiculous gun myths everyone believes thanks to movies
http://www.cracked.com/article_18576_5-ridiculous-gun-myths-everyone-believes-thanks-to-movies.html
9 Classic myths and whoppers about firearms
http://www.itstactical.com/warcom/firearms/debunking-9-classic-myths-and-whoppers-about-firearms/
“The C.T. Fischer four-inch Bushcraft is a great choice for an all-around, everyday carry knife” .
I strongly disagree with this. This knife doesn’t have much of a hand guard to stop a wet hand ( either from butchering game , camp chores or self defense ) from sliding down onto the blade. I thing a Ka-Bar 1213 or something similar with a good solid hand guard would be a much better knife in a survival situation or any situation. By the way , the Ka-Bar is also battle tested and proven.
http://www.kabar.com/knives/detail/26
I think you’re on the wrong post. This is about firearms, and there is no mention of knives.
My knife of preference is a morakniv (they cost about $12.99 on Amazon). It’s cheap, durable, and the new model has an improved handle. Nothing fancy or butch about it, but it works, and I’ve had some version of it since I was 6. Cody Lundin looks to be carrying a Mora style knife in Dual Survival on Duscovery. I also have had a gorgeous hand forged Marttiini hunting knife, but that one’s too big for everyday carry.
i’ll
i’ll
i’ll drive, you shoot. dont want one…
i’ll drive, you shoot. dont want one…
I didn’t know that what I comment on Facebook shows up on the website, that’s odd, as posting via the article, you need to register or log in via Facebook, and give it permission to post on your behalf. Hooray for technology. That however means, that I can respond via the facebook thread to responses I can’t see on facebook.
Anyway, Faith Rich Fidler was asking about handgun recommendations. I’m a lefty, and have an ambidextrous H&K P30 pistol for target shooting. It’s easy to use, and the girls at the range love it, it can be a bit clunky for women’s everyday carry. For concealed carry, you might like to look at a Sig Sauer or Ruger sub-compact pistol. They are smaller sizes that fit into the pocket or a purse.
I didn’t know that what I comment on Facebook shows up on the website, that’s odd, as posting via the article, you need to register or log in via Facebook, and give it permission to post on your behalf. Hooray for technology. That however means, that I can respond via the facebook thread to responses I can’t see on facebook.
Anyway, Faith Rich Fidler was asking about handgun recommendations. I’m a lefty, and have an ambidextrous H&K P30 pistol for target shooting. It’s easy to use, and the girls at the range love it, it can be a bit clunky for women’s everyday carry. For concealed carry, you might like to look at a Sig Sauer or Ruger sub-compact pistol. They are smaller sizes that fit into the pocket or a purse.
If you google “clip”, you find all sorts of things. The full quote from Wikipedia was “The Merriam-Webster dictionary now defines a clip as “a device to hold cartridges for charging the magazines of some rifles; also a magazine from which ammunition is fed into the chamber of a firearm.” In essence, the clip stores the rounds of ammunition before being inserted into the magazine, which houses the clip inside for use by the firearm.” Which doesn’t disprove Leon’s point, but doesn’t disprove every other commenter, either. So be civil.
Facebook does not allow comments to be posted to Facebook from other sites.
I noted the author’s argument for a bolt action .308 is based upon the fact that snipers use that configuration. Any bolt action is inherently more stable in its flight characteristics and thus more accurate at distance. Therefore all current sniper rifles are bolt action for this reason. They are not designed for CQB or for use in an infantry company in open order combat. The sniper is tasked with surgical strikes and thus needs the increased accuracy. Different tasks, different weapons.
One concern I also have with this point is that, such “long-range” rifles in sniping situation are intended for use at distances greater than 300yds, where a .223 cal bullet starts to tumble and lose accuracy. If a “threat” is over 300yds out, can you really consider it a “threat”? I understand that in an extenuating circumstance – it is possible, but let’s face it, when talking about a firearm for personal defense, we’re not talking about such distances. When a defensive shooting situation reaches trial, I can’t imagine any jury that would support you if you claimed to be “defending yourself” against a “threat” that you shot from 400 yards away.
The military uses semi-auto, sniper grade M-14’s, and Barrett .50 box fed semi’s.
Not all current U.S. sniper rifles are bolt action. SR-25 (AR clone in .308) and M21 (M14) are autoloaders. Also take a look at designated marksman rifles – not bolt action either. Totally agree with you on tasking.
screw facebook and the man lol they shut me down for 2 days for sharing anti- obama pics… freedom of speech my ass!
The clip v. magazine argument is alive and well, I see. The following links should clarify the difference:
Clip: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stripper_clip
Magazine: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magazine_(firearms)
Is it a real issue how you refer to them? Not really. However, when I was a Corrections Deputy with the local Sheriff’s Dept, my firearms instructors would have my hide if I ever referred to a magazine as a clip.
Some other considerations with what type of handgun to consider for self defense:
1. As stated above, revolvers are slower to reload than a magazine fed pistol.
Consider this in light of the Georgia woman, who used a revolver (.38 special) to protect herself and her two 9-yo twins from an attacker. She emptied 6 rounds into the man and he still ran off, got in a car, and fled (eventually crashing and getting caught). All six of the rounds went into his torso, neck, and face. She was at that point defenseless (other than hitting him with the revolver, I suppose). Had he continued his attack, there is little chance she could have reloaded quickly enough to continue firing. Magazine fed pistols negate this concern, both by carrying more rounds (7 to 17) and making it faster to reload.
2. Pistols (mag fed) are more complex than revolvers.
They have more moving and working parts in them and therefore are more prone to malfunction. Thus, learning to clear such malfunctions is critical to being able to use them in personal defense. The same is true for revolvers, but less common.
3. Just because it’s a smaller round, doesn’t mean it’s easier to shoot.
How easy a handgun is to control is based on many factors, including: caliber, size, weight, design, etc. Many people mistakenly assume that a 9mm will be easier to control than a .45ACP because it is a smaller bullet. However, my wife hated shooting my Glock 17 when I was with the department, but loved her Kimber Pro Carry. Similarly, when I switched from the Glock 17 to the XD45, my qualification scores improved by 5-8% on average.
Part of this could be due to the design of the gun itself, but I believe part is also due to the ballistic differences. A 9mm has a higher velocity than a .45ACP. Part of this is achieved by packing the bullet into the casing tighter so that it “pops” out harder and faster than a .45ACP will. This increase velocity, however, increases the “muzzle flip” as the bullet clears the muzzle of the gun. Muzzle flip is different from recoil. The .45ACP is a heavier round and therefore has more “recoil”. However, because it is a slower round that doen’t “pop out” like a 9mm or 40S&W, it doesn’t have nearly as much muzzle flip and is easier to keep on target.
Finally… What you really should do is, as Mr. Pantenberg recommends, take a safety class, then go to a range that has guns to rent. Try a few of them out to see what works and what doesn’t. Some you won’t even have to use – you’ll be able to tell that it just doesn’t feel right in your hand. Others, you will find out by shooting that they are more or less comfortable to shoot. Find the one that you are comfortable with and that you can shoot accurately and consistently; that’s the one you should get.
For my mom, that was a Walther P22. I certainly don’t recommend using a 22LR for personal defense – it’s just too small a round. However, she was terrified of shooting the .45ACP my dad got for her. As I see it, a gun you’re confident in shooting is a better defense than one your afraid to even touch.
Shoot Safely!
I must disagree with some of your information. The factor of having a hi cap magazine should not have any effect on a well trained individual’s marksmanship. The Marines that you mentioned in your article have at least 20 round magazines for their M4 or M 16 and these are without doubt the finest shots as a group on the face of the earth. the fact that they were taking out Taliban with their bolt action sniper rifles was due to their training and tactics but be advised their were individuals in the sniper team that had hi cap mags and M4’s, m 16’s or SAW’s.
The best concealed carry weapon is the one you’re most proficient with and will carry. Revolvers are simple in operation, maintenance, and firing. Semi-auto’s require more frequent maintenance, cannot be shot in a pocket, and generally aren’t good for anyone who is not very familiar with firearms.
Newbies: Start with a revolver. Revolvers almost always go bang when required to. Semi-autos can fail to eject a casing, stove-pipe, fail to feed, etc. If you don’t understand these terms, get a revolver. The idea is for the gun to repel an attacker. Failing that, it’s to stop one. Hitting your target is the point, not throwing lead around!
U’ve got to be kindy .
I thought the author did his best with a subject he has not taught and was not totally versed in.
I am not saying I can do better,but I was an LEO and firearms instr,so I know how badly many shoot – including police officers.Sadly they know too little about the tool that causes the most lawsuits.