Help me with my first Gun Purchases (2 Viewers)

Nuhockey

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Hi Guys,

I live in New Jersey which is a pretty restrictive state when it comes to Gun Purchases. I know I'm very late to the game in getting a firearm. I just filed for my permits online. I know I should of gotten a gun years ago when my wife said go ahead I have no issues with you getting a gun or guns. Then shortly after my son was born and I thought about not getting one because having guns around a young child was not a good option in my mind at the time. Now with what's going on looking back at it I should of just done it. Now I'm looking at a pistol first. I was thinking maybe a Ruger, Glock, Sig Sauer, or a S&W. So many choices, but I don't know what is good and what is not. I have friends in Law Enforcement and they have Glocks. I've fired a Glock and Sig Sauer before and liked them. I'm also going to look at getting a shotgun after the pistol. I've fired a few shotguns before, but have no clue what to get. I've filed for three permits. If any of those who are gun owners on here if you could give me your opinions it'd be appreciated.

Thanks,
Mike
 
Hey Mike,

Much like chips, there will opinions all over the board, but you’ll be hard pressed to find anyone disputing the reliability of a Glock. Caliber is another thing that is often highly debated. I personally choose a glock 19 (9mm) for my daily.

The best gun for you will be the one that you actually take the time to learn and practice with.
 
Out of the brands you listed, I don’t think you can go wrong, I would also look closely at Beretta as well (Beretta 92). Do you want semi auto or revolver? Have a caliber preference? Semi auto I would steer you towards 9mm-low recoil, more capacity, and readily available ammo (perhaps not currently, but you’ll find that With everything right now). Revolver (Ruger SP101) I would steer you towards a 357, it packs a punch, but you can still run 38 special in it for a lower recoil round.
I would also look at S&W M&P or Springfield XD in you caliber

ETA I have multiple firearms...all name brands and the only issues I’ve ever had were operator error or ammo issues, never a firearm issue. I don’t shoot as much any more, but for about 5 years I shot between 500-1000 rounds a month
 
Out of the brands you listed, I don’t think you can go wrong, I would also look closely at Beretta as well (Beretta 92). Do you want semi auto or revolver? Have a caliber preference? Semi auto I would steer you towards 9mm-low recoil, more capacity, and readily available ammo (perhaps not currently, but you’ll find that With everything right now). Revolver (Ruger SP101) I would steer you towards a 357, it packs a punch, but you can still run 38 special in it for a lower recoil round.
I would also look at S&W M&P or Springfield XD in you caliber

ETA I have multiple firearms...all name brands and the only issues I’ve ever had were operator error or ammo issues, never a firearm issue. I don’t shoot as much any more, but for about 5 years I shot between 500-1000 rounds a month
@RowdyRawhide Thanks for the info. Probably will look at Semi Auto 9mm as my first gun.
 
Mike --

I did 25 years as a police officer and can tell you that the pistols you list -- Ruger, Glock, S&W and Sig -- are all top quality pistols. I carried and shot regularly with a Glock 19, a Sig P228 and a Smith and Wesson 6906 9mm.

I don't think you can go wrong with any of these. Among the ones you mention, my choice would be a Sig P226 . Some key questions to ask are:

Will you actually be carrying the pistol concealed? If so, compare them to search for the lightest and most compact.

What caliber weapon do you want? 9 mm ammo is much less expensive and easier to find than 40 cal.

For shotguns, my hands-down favorite recommendation is the Remington 870 pump shotgun.

And of course, take that NRA or state safety course first, learn to safely break the weapons down for cleaning, practice with your weapons at the range until you can hit exactly what you're shooting, and keep them securely locked up at all times!
 
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Mike --

I did 25 years as a police officer and can tell you that the pistols you list -- Ruger, Glock, S&W and Sig -- are all top quality pistols. I carried and shot regularly with a Glock 19, a Sig P228 and a Smith and Wesson 6906 9mm.

I don't think you can go wrong with any of these. Among the ones you mention, my choice would be a Sig 226 (small than the full-size model.) . Some key questions to ask are:

Will you actually be carrying the pistol concealed? If so, compare them to search for the lightest and most compact.

What caliber weapon do you want? 9 mm ammo is much less expensive and easier to find than 40 cal.

For shotguns, my hands-down favorite recommendation is the Remington 870 pump shotgun.

And of course, take that NRA or state safety course first, learn to safely break the weapons down for cleaning, practice with your weapons at the range until you can hit exactly what you're shooting, and keep them securely locked up at all times!

Thanks Dennis. Will not be carrying them concealed. I will keep them in the house. Will have Gun Locks on them at all time and might get a safe as I have a 6Yo in the house. I've gone shooting with my friends who are in LE, but a safety course is not a bad idea either.
 
There is a whole lot of advice that could be given about which firearm to purchase. Every company has their fanboys and haters. The fact is that most modern firearms are going to be reliable and serve you well.

Much like poker chips, get samples if possible. And by samples, see if there is a local range where you can rent different firearms or friends that will let you shoot a variety of makes/models. The slight differences in feel is why most people feel strongly about their preferred brand(s). There have been firearms that I was interested in until I held them and/or shot them and then really disliked them. Also like chips, there are all price ranges available.

If you are interested in specific make/model recommendations, I am happy to provide my opinions on those. In general though, any commonly purchased firearm from a large manufacturer will serve you well (Glock, CZ, S&W, Sig, Ruger, etc).
 
Mike, it's never too late until it's too late.

A few things to consider:

If you are married or have older children that you intend to train to use this weapon, consider a handgun that will fit their hands as well as yours. For my family, that is the Glock 19 (midsize 9mm). It is a good fit for both my hand and my wife's.

If it is a handgun that you intend to use for home defense, consider a flashlight and laser. You can buy a combo that goes on the rail of any modern "plastic" handgun. Also, you will want quick access at night. So hide a handgun safe in your bedroom...one that uses a fingerprint or quick combination to open. And practice opening it. Regularly. You and your spouse.

Practice at the gun range. Take a safety class, but also take shootings classes. I am not sure what is in your area, but around here you can take defensive handgun classes.

In normal times, I would recommend finding a gun range where you can rent a wide variety of guns for a fee. Then, you could choose the one that feels the best. In these times, I say get the Springfield XD 9MM 4" Service Model. For a new shooter, the grip safety might be a good idea. Glock, S&W and Sig are great choices too. I'm not too familiar with Rugers line of semi-autos, so I can't speak to them.

PM me if you want to ask any questions, or I can show you what I have been carrying.
 
My first gun was a .357 Ruger GP100 revolver. I got it for my camping trips when I moved to Colorado some 20 odd years ago, and still have it. She's always on my hip loaded up with Buffalo Bore at the campfire, and next to my pillow in the tent. Although in all honesty, it is not great for concealed carry or home protection (due to it's limited capacity and bulky size).

For a home pistol that's still (somewhat) carry-able, I recommend the Glock G19 (as others already have). It holds 15+1, is easy to clean/disassemble, and, to steal Apple's line, it just f*ckin' works. You pick it up, pull the trigger, and it goes "bang" every time. If you want something a bit smaller to fit more comfy in the waistband, the G43x is a total dream.

I now have 4 Glocks (G19, G43, G43x, and just this week, a G20SF), and love every single one of them.
 
....shortly after my son was born and I thought about not getting one because having guns around a young child was not a good option in my mind at the time....

Good thinking.

....Now with what's going on....

Really bad thinking.

Good advice from @dennis63. But IMO, If you haven't been trained/indoctrinated in the military or law enforcement, just thank your lucky stars and enjoy your life. You're better off without weapons around.

Just look at the thread recommended above and consider all the nutcases in PCF alone...and I'm not joking.
 
FYI, RTSP in Union offers safety classes, and they also have guns available to rent and try out. Unfortunately the range is now shut down for COVID.

With kids in the house, 10000% get a safe, even if it's just a small one.
 
Good thinking.



Really bad thinking.

Good advice from @dennis63. But IMO, If you haven't been trained/indoctrinated in the military or law enforcement, just thank your lucky stars and enjoy your life. You're better off without weapons around.

Just look at the thread recommended above and consider all the nutcases in PCF alone...and I'm not joking.
What about those of us that hunt? You learn weapons well, safety, and how to care for them. Plus when killing animals, you want to be a good shot, on a moving target...
 
Also, Mike, if its possible to locate a shooting range near by (that does some general courses on safety and use) they typically let you rent handguns to learn and practice with. This may be helpful to get a feel for different types of guns, as well as recoil, how they load, etc
 
I would also recommend HK VP 9. I have Glock, SW, Beretta, etc and like all of them, but the HK VP 9 has some extra features like ambidextrous controls, night sights, and smoother factory trigger all standard for pretty much the same price as the other brands.

The down side is the cost of extra magazines is much higher than the others.
 
Also, just throwing this out there, you can always get a cross bow... no way a kid can load it, the tension of the strings is too much for them to draw, and if you keep the arrow heads and arrows safely away from them they cant hurt themselves. And you dont need a permit (that I know of). And once cocked and arrow loaded, it fires with a trigger similar to a gun. Just a rogue thought. Maybe not a good one lol
 
I would also recommend HK VP 9. I have Glock, SW, Beretta, etc and like all of them, but the HK VP 9 has some extra features like ambidextrous controls, night sights, and smoother factory trigger all standard for pretty much the same price as the other brands.

The down side is the cost of extra magazines is much higher than the others.
Want. Been meaning to snag one of those since they dropped years ago lol
 
like a lot of people have said any pistol from one of the big manufacturers is going to be reliable. I myself am a big fan of Springfield (xdm, not normal xd) and sig.

But it will come down to what you shout best and feel most comfortable with. If someone asked me what snowboard boots are “the best” or which one “they should buy” I wouldn’t be able to answer it. 32, vans, burton, k2 all make very good boots..... but it only matters what feels good on your feet. Everybody is different.

The few things I will say is if you aren’t going to carry it don’t go any smaller than a glock 19, pistols get very snappy the smaller they get and it’s hard to shoot them accurately. I have a little S&W .380 that my wife thought she would like shooting. It has more recoil than any of my bigger 9mm and .40 pistols and isn’t any fun to shoot. It just sits in the safe now.

Whatever you get buy a light for it at the same time you buy the gun. Get a laser as well if you want in combo (I’m not a laser fan), but a light on a pistol is an absolute must if you are serious about having it for the unlikely situation you will need it to defend your family.

Also, make sure you shoot it. A lot. especially in the beginning. It’s hard to hit something with a gun in the bright, controlled environment of the range- now try it when you are still half asleep having been woke up to a bump in the night and full of adrenaline with your eyes not quite working yet. (Again, a defensive weapon for your house HAS to have a light, imho only of course)
 
I currently own a S&W MP shield, S&W MP Compact 2.0, and a Glock 19 Gen5. If u plan to use the gun for home defense I recommend a bigger like the Compact 2.0 or G15, more rounds and easier to control consistent shot placement. For conceal carry u really want a single stack gun (MP Shield, Glock 43) much easier to hide, lighter slimmer but less total rounds. You can conceal a bigger gun as well but it’s pretty obvious your carrying a gun under your clothes. Most people will recommend a Glock 19 but just know that it does have a rather big grip on it so it tends to favor those with bigger hands. Most women I take shooting with me do not prefer the Glock “Hump” grip. They rather prefer a single stack grip, or the small backstrap option on MP guns. I say this because it was an issue with my wife using the handguns comfortably.

All advice given so far is great, learn good gun safety, hold or tryout a few guns at a gunshop first if u can. Its generally recommend that ones first gun be a 9mm for various reasons, but ymmv. Oh and please use hollow point rounds for home defense, can’t tell you the number of idiots I’ve seen carrying ball fmj ammo in their defense weapons. Good luck scoring what you need. Right now it’s pretty tough buying guns and ammo due to craze in over buying due to the current pandemic. Hope this helps.
 
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Hey, now. I resemble that remark. ;)

Edit: I just choose not to post my collection publicly. I enjoy the other thread though.

I’ve been on a few gun boards in the past where guys just straight up open their safe and take pictures of everything in there to post. :eek: I think I’ve even seen it in the other thread on this site. I couldn’t do that. That’s crazy to me.

There was a thread I can remember on a local board titled “show off your safes”. :rolleyes: LOL unreal. This was 8-9 years ago or so and people could very easily pull locations the pictures were taken out of the exif data ( I think that’s what its called?) for certain pictures. The thread was deleted when one member started quoting the post with the picture of the safe and then attaching a google street view of the house it was taken in. I’ve never seen so many people learn a lesson in one thread. Insanity to me.
 
What about those of us that hunt? You learn weapons well, safety, and how to care for them.

Some do, many don't.

Plus when killing animals, you want to be a good shot, on a moving target...

You've got Giant, Safeway, Aldi, Food Lion, Wegmans, right?

Besides, hunting takes away time you could be cleaning your chips, playing poker, or hanging out on PCF.
 
For all the recommendations people give for the G19 as a carry pistol know that a lot of people definitely don’t like the way glocks feel, but some absolutely love them. I’m not a Glock person. Hate their grip. But, I shoot a Glock very well. A lot of this comes down to personal preference.

For a compact gun that you could carry if you wanted but still have it at home I would suggest looking at the Sig 365 and the Springfield HellCat. I think those two set the bar for those kind of guns right now.
 

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