Saturday, August 14, 2010
Newfound hobby??
I have been playing with the idea of purchasing a handgun to learn how to shoot as a new hobby. I finally got the opportunity to get some hands on experience this week.Yesterday I had the opportunity to join a fellow paramedic friend of mine along with a gentleman who is well versed not only in the workings of the fire department for multiple decades but also in firearms. We drove out across the mountain to an outdoor range where I had the opportunity to try several different firearms. I tried both a 22 and 45 revolver, the 45 was much larger and heavier than the 22 and also packed a heck of a kick but it did have a scope on it which was pretty interesting. I also tried multiple semi-automatics to include a 22, a 40, a 45, and a 9mil. While these were all pretty similar in size, the 40 really held a punch as it was a stub-nose. (PS I learned a lot of these terms yesterday and what they mean) I found that the 22 and 9mil seemed to be the best fit comfort wise for me in handling and shooting. I now feel a little more comfortable in terms of purchasing a gun, now that I know Im comfortable shooting one and have an idea what the difference is. Still deciding what I might purchase, but I now know how to use the safety on guns and how to load both a revolver and semi-automatic, not to mention learned just how fun and stress relieving it is to empty a magazine! :)
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2 comments:
Sounds like you had a good day at the range.
I grew up in a house with no guns, no one in my immediate family hunted. I bought my first gun about three years ago. I started doing my research into it from a standpoint of wanting to learn a new skill set, but then I learned a lot more about the Second Amendment and decided that I wanted a handgun for personal protection. I bought a Glock model 22 (full size frame chambered in .40S&W), I got my concealed carry permit and the rest, as they say, is history.
I have a handful of friends who get together on occasion for what we refer to as recoil therapy, the general rule is that we bring our guns, we bring ammunition and we shoot. We shoot our own guns, we shoot each others guns, we do some target shooting, maybe some skeet shooting and we have a good, safe time.
My recommendation is to do some research, find people who will let you shoot what they have, get comfortable with shooting different guns and then decide what to buy. Try things out, see what works for you. I have ginormous hands and my first gun was a full frame, but I've found that a compact Bersa is more comfortable and so that is what I carry. Don't let anyone give you the "oh this gun is good for a woman" bullshit, find the size, type & caliber that suits you and go with it.
Good luck!
I DID have a good day at the range. The whole purpose of me having the day was to try out some different models/calibers to see what I liked, now I just need to some more research to learn a bit more about my options and simple things like how to clean a gun. I just wish I had a few guys like @MedicMatthew or @AmbulanceDriver to give me advice and teach me the proper ways....
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