Where do I begin when I want to become a gun owner

[Phil83]

I will be honest from the start here. I am 23 and for a very long time I have not agreed with owning a handgun. for any purpose. A year ago my roommate had a gun stuck in his face in a rough part of Pittsburgh, My aunt was mugged about 8 months back. I have been giving it a lot of thought since then and the shootings at VT this week have made my decision final. I know now that I want the ability to defend myself if I am ever (god forbid) put in that situation. I am currently a student at IUP (Indiana university of PA) and I want to know what steps I should take to A: learn how to properly handle a handgun and get some experience B: where to legally purchase and file for all permits and C: what type of handgun would you personally recommend to an individual such as myself who is looking primarily for defense, but would also like to maybe get involved in target sports. I have been around rifles for some of my life and know the basic rules around guns. any feedback is greatly appreciated. and also do any of you know a good place to find information about a concealed weapons permit in PA. It's not a decision I am ready to make yet. but i would like to read up on it. Thanks again guys your info will be a huge help to me.

[danp]

Well, not to pat ourselves on the back, but here is a great place to start. We have thousands of great people here ready to help answer pretty much any question you can have.

My suggestion for your first step would be to find a local gun range and see if they offer a basic firearm safety course.

Once you have taken that and learned how to safely and responsibly handle a firearm go to the range every once in a while. Rent various guns until you find one that just "feels right". What works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another.

When you've found one that works for you just practice practice practice.

When you feel your ready you can purchase your own.

Then you just keep practicing.

As far as permits and licenses, there are none necessary to OWN a firearm, but if you want to carry a firearm you will need a Pennsylvania License To Carry Firearms which you get by applying with the Indiana County Sheriff.

The right to own a firearm comes with the responsibility to use it properly and safely so those should be your biggest concerns. From the tone of your post you sound ready to accept that responsibility and educate yourself properly.

The main thing: Don't be afraid to ask questions. We were all in the same position at one time or another and I'm sure every one of us would be happy to help answer any questions to have.

Good luck, and welcome to the club.

[Skuggi]

I fully agree with all of danp's suggestions also try and find someone you know who knows something about guns, that will be one of your best resources. Does IUP have a rifle team? try and bump into one of them fellows or just go and bring up the VT shootings and you'll probably find some gun owner around ya.

[T Durdin]

Hi Phil83 and welcome,

I'm sorry such tragic events led you here, but it most certainly the right place. I would ask you that if you come to enjoy exercising your 2nd Amendment rights that you consider also voting Pro-2nd, groups like the PAFOA, NRA or GOA at http://gunowners.org can be highly informative and some rate the candidates running for office.

I would suggest finding a gun shop local to you that rents guns. Go in, rent the different kinds and different calibers until you find one that feels right for you.

If you join a group like NRA safe gun handling courses are available for a little less than if you'd go it alone. For concealed carry overview you should check out http://Packing.org.

Personally I shoot 45 auto. I have had good results with weapons in this caliber. Some people find smaller caliber more accurate and small cal pistols are usually more concealable. Against an unarmored opponent, at close range, this difference is negligible, but larger calibers may have more stopping power. The ability for a good hit to incapacitate the aggressor.

Good luck and good and safe shootin'.

[buster]

This may sound stupid to some of our more knowledgeable/trained members here but I would be willing to meet you at your choice of ranges to do some shooting. I have a couple hundred rounds of .357 ammo to burn and a 9mm that needs broke in. If you can find no resources close to you I will help in any way I can to give you some hands on experience. Like I said, this will sound stupid to some, as I have no formal training, but whatever you gain from it will be worth my time and effort. I live about 30 minutes from Indiana.

[inkie]

Besides all of the good information in the other posts. The least expensive way is to call the NRA 's Education & Training Dep't {1 703 267 1500} and ask if there are any certified pistol instructors in your area. If so, they will supply you with telephone numbers. Some belong to clubs and offer courses others teach individually for nominal fees. A certified instructor will teach you how to safely handle a firearm, offer classroom instruction and show you the basics of how to shoot the handgun. Most often they have access to club ranges where you can learn how to shoot the gun with live ammo. Also, besides this forum, you can go to the library or the mall bookstores and start reading anything on handguns. The mall bookstores have racks and racks of magazines pertaining to handguns. Good Luck!

[T Durdin]

Buster -

That don't sound stupid at all, it takes guts to help out somebody you never met to get into shootin'.

I'd just add to that make sure someone knows where you'll be, and who your gonna meet or take a friend.

Just follow the rules and practice you basic safety procedures and you can't go wrong. Here's a link to an article on accurate pistol shooting http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/ayoob85.html

and here's a chart showing how your doing by placement of your shots-

http://www.pafoa.org/forum/vbimghost...yimg&imgid=976

courtesy of soberbyker

Thanks
-TD

[Phil83]

Wow. I have to say I was not expecting such quick and informative responses. Let me just thank you all for the help in advance. I am going to start tomorrow by calling the NRA and seeing what resources are around my immediate area. Buster, thank you for the kind offer I may def take you up on that somtime early this summer. Again I appreciate the responses and I will keep you posted on My progress. any other publications you guys would recommend?

[Mtbkski]

My better half currentlty lives out near Clymer. So, I'm out by Indiana once in a while. Like Buster said, if your interested, we can try and make a day of it, and maybe all of us hook up at a local range to give you some tips, advice, and a chance to shoot a couple different firearms. I personally have an XD 9mm and a 38 that you can try out. To bad you missed out first big outing. You would have loved that.

Let me know if you interested and we can try and get this together.


Buster, PM me. Where is this place you live????

[Emptymag]

Phil83,

Your original post indicates you are going about your venture into handgun ownership in a responsible manner. Your concerns and questions will be addressed and answered here by many good people who are willing to help. (as you may have already noticed)

Browse the forum, do some searches, ask your questions... you WILL learn a lot here.

I doubt I need to say this, but don't jump in too fast! Like T Durdin said, try some different firearms to see what works for you before making a hasty purchase. If you can't find a place to rent a handgun or you have trouble hooking up with a member, watch for our next Pittsburgh area, pafoa group shoot! The next one should be in about a month and since you are within reasonable driving distance, join us if you can! Check out this link... the first post has a link to photos from last Sunday's shoot.
http://www.pafoa.org/forum/general-2...zed-shoot.html

We had a lot of fun shooting, talking and sharing our gear. Don't be intimidated by any lack of firearm knowledge! You'll quickly learn that we are a friendly bunch and we enjoy sharing our knowledge. I've never met a gun owner who didn't enjoy talking about their hobby!

Oh, and welcome to the forum!