Easy to get carried away

[cluznar]

I have a friend who never fired anything but a shotgun for hunting. He now wants to get into concealed carry. He started asking me what is the best pistol to get, what is the best holster, ammo, gun belt, cleaning/lube, and on and on.

I suggested he get a .22 pistol and first learn to shoot well. I suggested Hoppe's #9 for cleaning it, RemOil for lube, and no holster yet. I told him after shooting a few thousand rounds and being sure he can hit where he aiming that we can then discuss a CCW gun and get into holsters, ammo, etc. I told him to go ahead and buy a good gun belt because once he does find a gun to carry he will need it.

If this guy had gone to a gun shop they would have sold him more than he could carry. My friend did look at products online for cleaning, holsters, gun belts, ammo, etc. This is fine, it gives him some knowledge of things. But someone new to guns needs to learn the basics first. After he shoots the .22 enough, we can start figuring out a carry gun for him, let him learn to shoot it well, then get him in a CCW class. But that is a process that will take a little time. He will have to hold as many pistols as possible, shoot as many as possible, decide how much he is bothered by recoil, see how much he has to spend on a gun, etc. etc.

Luckily this guy is level-headed and will listen to advice. He is working on trying to pick out a .22 now and ordering a gun belt.

I have never went through a variety of gun cleaners/lube, never went through very many holsters, and even tough I have owned some guns, I never just bought guns to own them. I either bought a gun for hunting, range/plinking. or defense. I am now down to 2 guns for CCW/home defense. Keeping things simple is how it works for me.

:dance3:

 

[Paul_of_TX]

It is also east to get overwhelmed. I grew up with guns so gun safety and shooting were things I already knew about. Now as an adult I don't just shoot what is available but looking for the right hunting rifle in the right caliber or the right holster with the right carry weapon can really make you feel swamped with all the information and different options. I would say you gave some good advice to a new shooter.

 

[cluznar]

Thank you Paul_of_TX you are right about picking a holster. It can be tricky, you need to look online and also read reviews on them. I have been lucky myself, since getting my CCW permit I have only bought a few cheap holsters and a couple mid-priced holsters which I ended up not using long. I then found two excellent holsters and no longer need to look.

 

[dogshawred]

Someone taking your advice that only intent is to purchase a weapon for self defense/concealed carry, ends up spending money on a weapon, money on ammunition, money on cleaning rods, brushes, swabs and supplies and may find themselves in a position of not being able to afford a more suitable gun for proper concealed carry/self defense.
~
With so many ranges offering rentals of so many varieties, finding a more suitable firearm could be a lot less costly and easier for your friend by shopping around and seeing what is available and how they feel first hand.
~
If his intent is otherwise and he can afford to buy weapons and step up to what he ultimately wants to carry, good on him.

 

[wolf_fire]

Cluznar,

I respect a slow and methodical approach, such as the one you described. I also cannot argue with any of the advice you gave. But is it truly necessary to start with a .22? He most likely will never carry that as a self-defense weapon. Why not have him try some of the firearms you own first and get a feel for what is comfortable for him? (I assume you have several models in different calibers, yes?)

Your approach is definitely a good approach, but if I was getting into firearms and the advice I first heard was get this caliber of gun and practice and then buy a second gun later and then looked into my wallet, I may be turned off with your advice.

Thoughts?

wolf

 

[telpinaro]

Cluznar,

I respect a slow and methodical approach, such as the one you described. I also cannot argue with any of the advice you gave. But is it truly necessary to start with a .22? He most likely will never carry that as a self-defense weapon. Why not have him try some of the firearms you own first and get a feel for what is comfortable for him? (I assume you have several models in different calibers, yes?)

Your approach is definitely a good approach, but if I was getting into firearms and the advice I first heard was get this caliber of gun and practice and then buy a second gun later and then looked into my wallet, I may be turned off with your advice.

Thoughts?

wolf

I started with a .357 magnum. Hasn't hurt my accuracy a bit. And yeah, it took me many months to save up for a second gun. I anticipate nearly a year before I can buy the .45 I want. (No idea which one yet, but I'm not gonna try them out until I'm closer to being able to buy one. That'd just be torturing myself!)

 

[Burtboomer]

Everyone does things different so I'm in no way saying your wrong about the 22 idea,but I would have gone with a little different approach.he could have rented different calipers at a gun range,find what he is comfortable with,buy that caliber,model and spent time handling the weapon he actually wants and will be carrying.No disrespect just a thought.

 

[cluznar]

Since he has never fired any handguns it was logical to me to start with a .22 It never hurts to have a .22 to shoot and a .22 in home defense is better than nothing. He has a decent job so money is not a big problem with him. Once he is used to shooting the .22 accurately I will let him try my Bersa Thunder .380 and also my Thunder .32 and will tell him to rent some guns to shoot also. I see no reason a person has to rush into buying a higher caliber pistol unless he has a reason to believe his life is in danger.
:dirol:

 

[whodat2710]

First pistol I fired was a Colt .45 in the Army back in the '80s, and I have since used a Beretta 9mm and a SIG .40 as duty weapons. I didn't buy a .22 pistol until I started getting my kids into shooting.
-
If your recommendation was based on the price of ammo, it makes sense. If you think that someone needs to fire thousands of rounds before you approve of them defending themselves with a "real" gun then I have issue with that. If you have guns he could try, or a range that rents several models for him to decide from that would make more sense before he buys ANY gun. If he feels uncomfortable shooting a pistol I could see loaning him a .22 just to save on ammo.
-
Decisions (in what I think are a good order):
1. Wheel gun or Auto.
2. Grande, Venti (regular, compact, sub-compact, pocket)
3. Caliber that feels controllable in the size gun chosen
4. Make and model.

The last 2 will be the toughest because of the vast options available, but price range can whittle that list down considerably.

 

[dogshawred]

Why carry if not for defense?

I have a friend who never fired anything but a shotgun for hunting. He now wants to get into concealed carry. He started asking me what is the best pistol to get, what is the best holster, ammo, gun belt, cleaning/lube, and on and on.

I suggested he get a .22 pistol and first learn to shoot well. I suggested Hoppe's #9 for cleaning it, RemOil for lube, and no holster yet. I told him after shooting a few thousand rounds and being sure he can hit where he aiming that we can then discuss a CCW gun and get into holsters, ammo, etc. I told him to go ahead and buy a good gun belt because once he does find a gun to carry he will need it.

If this guy had gone to a gun shop they would have sold him more than he could carry. My friend did look at products online for cleaning, holsters, gun belts, ammo, etc. This is fine, it gives him some knowledge of things. But someone new to guns needs to learn the basics first. After he shoots the .22 enough, we can start figuring out a carry gun for him, let him learn to shoot it well, then get him in a CCW class. But that is a process that will take a little time. He will have to hold as many pistols as possible, shoot as many as possible, decide how much he is bothered by recoil, see how much he has to spend on a gun, etc. etc.

Luckily this guy is level-headed and will listen to advice. He is working on trying to pick out a .22 now and ordering a gun belt.

I have never went through a variety of gun cleaners/lube, never went through very many holsters, and even tough I have owned some guns, I never just bought guns to own them. I either bought a gun for hunting, range/plinking. or defense. I am now down to 2 guns for CCW/home defense. Keeping things simple is how it works for me.

:dance3:

This is my response originally to your OP;
Someone taking your advice that only intent is to purchase a weapon for self defense/concealed carry, ends up spending money on a weapon, money on ammunition, money on cleaning rods, brushes, swabs and supplies and may find themselves in a position of not being able to afford a more suitable gun for proper concealed carry/self defense.
~
With so many ranges offering rentals of so many varieties, finding a more suitable firearm could be a lot less costly and easier for your friend by shopping around and seeing what is available and how they feel first hand.
~
If his intent is otherwise and he can afford to buy weapons and step up to what he ultimately wants to carry, good on him.

Cluznar,

I respect a slow and methodical approach, such as the one you described. I also cannot argue with any of the advice you gave. But is it truly necessary to start with a .22? He most likely will never carry that as a self-defense weapon. Why not have him try some of the firearms you own first and get a feel for what is comfortable for him? (I assume you have several models in different calibers, yes?)

Your approach is definitely a good approach, but if I was getting into firearms and the advice I first heard was get this caliber of gun and practice and then buy a second gun later and then looked into my wallet, I may be turned off with your advice.

Thoughts?

wolf

Wolf, I agree with your line of thinking, but feel the need to caution you regarding Cluznar's published opinion about calibers, anything over .380 is unnecessary and not relevant. Which are opinions to which he is entitled, but his need to verbally demonize higher calibers is a good reason for him not to give advise to someone just starting out. IMO

Since he has never fired any handguns it was logical to me to start with a .22 It never hurts to have a .22 to shoot and a .22 in home defense is better than nothing. He has a decent job so money is not a big problem with him. Once he is used to shooting the .22 accurately I will let him try my Bersa Thunder .380 and also my Thunder .32 and will tell him to rent some guns to shoot also. I see no reason a person has to rush into buying a higher caliber pistol unless he has a reason to believe his life is in danger. :dirol:

The above highlighted areas demonstrate what I reference about Cluznar regarding caliber size for self defense, and he has his right to his opinion as limiting as they may be. It is his over zealous need to push those limits on unsuspecting newcomers that seem just so wrong. IMO.
~
Buying a weapon that is comfortable in your hand, a weapon you have fired and can handle the recoil comfortably by test shooting at a range, is not rushing to purchase a firearm. It is called research and is how most firearms are purchased today by newbies to the sport.
~
"buying a higher caliber pistol" higher caliber that which the .22 or your .380, if you were referring to a 50AE or even an AR15 platform 5.56X45 pistol like I own then yes it could be considered possibly foolish as a starter gun. But that is up the individual, but I fully believe your friend should try 9's, 40's, even 45's and make up his own mind before spending money on a .22 just to fire a few thousand rounds through. He will have fun and improve his marksmanship but he will have to start all over again once he goes to a larger caliber and may feel he has wasted money and time.
~
"unless he has a reason to believe his life is in danger" we all carry for the same general reason "self defense" and that is because we all believe that our life could be in danger at anytime during the course of our day. So, if he doesn't feel his life is in danger it is OK for him to carry what you refer to as "Not higher caliber pistols" and that's good for his self defense. You just aren't making a lot of sense in your own thread.
~
In my very humble opinion, you need to rethink your own self defense posture and defiantly keep your opinions to yourself. (Yes I believe, opinions are **********, everyone's got one, some just show theirs more than others.) Here's Mine.