LETS TALK GUNS YO!
One of my favorite subjects but not the only one im looking to cover. Guns, Golf, Investing, lifestyle discussions.
Welcome to my blog covering what I, think should be your first firearm purchases. Lets start by getting a few things out of the way. The people this is intended for is those who are just starting out in purchasing firearms. Whether that be a college student living on their own (How I got started), just moving out of the parents house (with no passed down firearms), or even a new found love for the finer things in life that go boom.
Some of the criteria that we looked at for these options are the usual; cost, accuracy, reliability, purpose, and ease of use. I hope that you all understand that I cannot tailer this article to abide by all states in this glorious country. If you live in any of the more restrictive/ or “less American” states, then the particular recommendations may not apply but the fundamentals should still hold true. I would like to give two options for each purchase, one being a budget minded option while the other is a “standard/high” quality option.
Lets start with your age, if your over the age of 21 then my recommendation of the order in which you attain these firearms will remain constant. If you are only 18 years of age then you can go ahead and skip the pistol(s) until you become of age unless your state statues allows for “gifting” (in which your gonna need parents/family etc).
What is the first firearm that i should be as a someone new to guns? Where I am going to recommend is with a Pistol. Not just any ole pistol that you can get your hands on. One that fits your “needs” and you. By “needs” I mean the purpose in which you plan to use it for (Not the “all lawful purposes” catchall, NFA guys). Self-Defense, home-defense, target practice, etc. Without getting into the debate of which caliber is better, I am going to recommend a good 9mm. Reason being, it is a more than capable round and the ammunition prices will allow for you to get more shooting practice in. If your new to shooting then the more practice the better. Practice of the fundamentals is what is going to make that pistol worth owning, not the price tag or caliber you tell your friends. The size of the pistol is the next consideration. I am going to recommend you get something that is practical to be used as a concealed carry/open carry weapon that is not too small for your hands in home defense. Ammunition capacity is the next consideration, lets face it, if you suck…you need more ammo. Remember, these are not the end all be all for 9mm pistols but they are my recommendation based off of my opinion. So what particular pistols do i recommend?
Glock 19(compact)/Glock 17(fullsize) – Both are 9mm caliber, striker fire, semi-automatic, with polymer frames, and the can be the easiest pistol for operation. The safety is on the trigger so ease of use and employment times are increased. They come 3 x 15rd Magazines for the Glock 19 and 3 x 17rd magazines for the Glock 17 when you buy them new. You can fit any larger capacity Glock magazine to increase the umber of rounds to carry. They come in around the $500-$550 range for the newest model. They can also be had for around $400 used. Glock has been around for a while and is trusted by both law enforcement and military organizations. If its good enough for them, its good enough for you. Glocks are known for their reliability and are easy to clean. I have owned Glocks are they will always be my go to pistol.
Canik TP9 – The Budget minded option is this 9mm caliber, striker fire, semi-automatic, and polymer framed gun. It budget friendly because it can be had new around $300-$325. Its a relatively new pistol that has been on the market for less than a year now. Its a great entry level gun for the cost. Its supposed to be the affordable 9mm that everyone has been waiting for. It was designed in Turkey and has some good reviews on reliability. I don’t personally own one but from the research ive done, its on the list now (a very long list) to buy when i get back home. This gun comes with a de-cocker which will change the pistol from double action length of pull to a shorter length of pull. I have to tell you, this is the budget minded option for a reason. If you can afford the Glock 19/17 or better, then get the better of the option.
You very well might be a Glock hater, thats ok, I was too at some point. I thought they looked like gangbanger guns and featureless. That was until I shot a few. I was hooked. I will always recommend before purchasing any firearm that you shoot it for yourself. It may cost you an additional $20-$40 but you will at least have to opportunity for fitment an functionality testing. Guns are a lot like cars, its all about personal preference. Best thing to do is to get out on the range and have some safe fun training. If all this doesn’t apply to you because your not old enough for a pistol stand by for our next blog where I will cover the next firearm I think you should buy.
Hope you all enjoyed the reading. Stick with me as Part 2 comes out. Let me know what you think below! You think rifle or shotgun should be #1? Why?
