It's time to get educated.  Hanging around with The Flakes, I realized it's time to step up my knowledge of firearms. When I start hearing numbers and stats about guns being thrown around in conversation, I ACT like I know what's being talked about. But in my head all I hear is "Yeah I got a 1945 dual-action quad range 244 with the double motion trigger and 18 inches per second flutter control." To those who KNOW guns, that sentence doesn't make any sense. But you could easily fool me to believe there's a 244 with a double motion trigger.

When I asked Mark and Paul what a good first gun would be, they both suggested a Ruger. Then STRONGLY suggested I let them show me how to safely use it.  Paul cautioned me multiple times that "you just have to remember there's always one in the chamber."

A couple others around the office suggested a Remington 870 but no one thought the AR-15 or 44 Magnum was as a smart idea for my first firearm purchase.  Probably for the same reason it wasn't a good idea for Mark's first car to have 500 horsepower.

Gun News Daily listed the Mossberg 500 Tactical 8-Shot as the 'Best Shotgun For Beginners'. What about something I can conceal? A top handgun for first time owners according to Wideopenspaces.com is the Glock 17 because it's durable and reliable.

NRA Family provided these 5 tips for first-time gun owners purchasing firearms:

1. Do Your Homework - You don’t necessarily need to know the model you want when you walk into the gun store, but you should have some idea of the type of gun (revolver or semiauto) and the caliber you’re looking for.
2. Find A Gun That Fits You - Some people love the way that a semiauto feels in the hand and how easy they are to conceal. Others prefer the simplicity of a revolver. Some shooters prefer a gun that’s equipped with a laser while other shooters prefer white or fiber-optic iron sights.
3. Choose The Right Store - It’s not out of line to ask someone about their past experience with firearms. Don’t feel like you have to buy a gun at the first shop that you enter, either. Spend time shopping around to be sure that you’re getting the best price.
4. Opinions Are Not Rules - Seeking the advice of a seasoned shooter is a good idea, but it’s more important to find a gun that you enjoy shooting and carrying.
5. Spend More Time At The Range Before You Buy - Whether you’re shooting with friends in the back yard or you enroll in a next-level shooting course, the more experience and trigger time you have the better equipped you’ll be to know what you like and what you don’t like.

With Firearm Frenzy coming up Saturday at the Columbia Club, I think I'll just buy a ticket for the 30-Gun Super Raffle and let the gun gods choose what my first weapon should be.

 

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