Mr. Noob, what should I get as my first gun?
It seems I’ve been asked this a lot lately. Many of my friends have become inspired to start shooting and, between you and me, I’d like to take full credit for starting that. What seems like a relatively simple question is actually amazingly difficult to answer.
We’re talking “can of worms” territory here. Don’t believe me? Log into ANY gun forum and ask what you should get for your first gun. After about page 3 it will get completely Godwin’d. Everyone has strong opinions on it and there doesn’t seem to be any middle ground on forums.
So how am I going to answer this? Simple: I’ll start out with a disclaimer.
Disclaimer: Every person is different. The advice I’m about to give worked for me and has, thus far, worked for everyone that has taken it. I am not at any point at all saying that this advice is better than anyone else’s or is 100% guaranteed to be perfect. You should still do your own research regardless.
That being said, you first have to seriously ask yourself what you want the gun for. If you’re just going to buy a cheap gun, load it, shove it in a drawer and never even think about it unless someone kicks your door in then, frankly, it doesn’t really matter what I say does it?
If you are wanting a gun for home self defense: In the absense of a 12 guage shotgun, I would highly recommend a good, full sized 9mm or higher semi-automatic pistol. If you have had some shooting experience and are comfortable with the “boom” and recoil then I would say a .40 or a .45. Although I know there’s some 1911 fans that who’s brains would melt when I say this: you really can’t go wrong with a Glock. They’re low maintenance, easy to shoot and quite fun at the range to boot. If you’re not one to take a gun out and clean/lube it every couple of months then a Glock is definitely the way to go. As long as the ammo is good, you can pick it up and fire. If you just find that you absolutely hate the look of a Glock or the striker action, a Beretta 92 is a great 2nd choice.
Wanting a carry pistol? I will tell you this right now: there is no one single carry gun to rule them all. I like the new .380 pocket pistols but for my money, I personally carry a Ruger LC9. It’s got some punch to it and it’s still small enough to fit in my pants pockets. I will not ever carry anything less than a .380, however. There’s just too much that can go wrong with .22 and .25 caliber guns.
If you’re having trouble deciding, check around at your local gun ranges. Some places actually rent out guns and that is a great and inexpensive way to try out a bunch of guns before you decide which to buy. In the absense of that, chances are you have at least one friend that owns a couple of firearms. Bribe them with lunch or beer and they’ll gladly let you try them.
Ultimately, no matter what you wind up getting, make sure you learn how to use it. Spend some time at the range and get good with it. If the time ever comes where you need to use it, you’ll be glad you did.
UPDATE: I’m aware there are some people who just adamantly hate Glocks for whatever reason. If you are, for some reason, against buying one but want a good polymer pistol with the latest technology then one of the Springfield XDM guns is a great choice as well. Like the Glocks, they come with a heck of a starter kit.
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