Couple of Questions (Sorry New Here)

[Bobdole10]

Group,

I have never owned a gun before. Now with that said I have done a lot of research and yes before you tell me I have to have shooting time. But I am intrested in 3 main things.

1. A very good hand gun for me and my wife for home protection.
2. Good Manufactures to look into for a Rifle and Hand Gun (Not so much for looks but for performace)
3. A Good understanding in Long range and the semi auto rifle section. I have seen alot of talk about th ar-15 but dont really know where to start.

Now with that out there. Money is not an option right now because I will building slowly just looking for advice and areas to find more research to make a good call. I also would like to know more about PA's Gun laws and before you yell I am looking on the site too for info.

Thanks for any help in advance just someone new looking for others thoughts. I have my eyes on a remminton 30.06 and also have been checking out a 12 shotgun just some others I have been looking for. Have not looked at any hand guns but I hear and correct me if I am wrong, but something with a clip *more shots*.

Thanks again
Jeremy

[mjfletcher]

Welcome to the forum. With that said...

1. You're going to get as many answers to this as there are members responding. Smith & Wesson, Glock, Taurus, Beretta, Springfield Armory, etc etc etc are all good. Best recommendation is to go out to a range that rents guns or a shop and handle ALOT of different ones. IMHO a range that rents would be a better choice because after you and your wife have found one that "feels right" you can rent it in each of the most common defensive calibers (9mm/.40S&W/.45ACP) and fire it right away to see how it feels and figure out which caliber works best for you.

2/3. If you've never fired a rifle before, pick up a .22LR. Cheap to shoot, minimal recoil, and even once you get into bigger calibers still fun as hell to shoot. Since you're interested in semi-autos, pick up a ruger 10/22, itll run you between 200 and 250 depending on exactly where you are. Its also highly customizable, so if you're considering a build such as an AR-15, you can start to learn a bit about the inner workings and get some experience under your belt.

For laws, you've already discovered the search feature so thats a good start. HERE you'll find the PA UFA (Uniform Firearms Act), and you can pick up a printed copy at your state legislators local office and many sheriffs offices.

Clip? Clip? Clip???? Uh oh...

Clip = bad
Magazine = Good
LOL

A clip holds bullets for easy/rapid loading into a magazine.
A magazine holds bullets for feeding into the guns chamber.
Sorry bout that, we have several clip/magazine nuts on the board so I had to join their ranks for a moment.

Group,

I have never owned a gun before. Now with that said I have done a lot of research and yes before you tell me I have to have shooting time. But I am intrested in 3 main things.

1. A very good hand gun for me and my wife for home protection.
2. Good Manufactures to look into for a Rifle and Hand Gun (Not so much for looks but for performace)
3. A Good understanding in Long range and the semi auto rifle section. I have seen alot of talk about th ar-15 but dont really know where to start.

Now with that out there. Money is not an option right now because I will building slowly just looking for advice and areas to find more research to make a good call. I also would like to know more about PA's Gun laws and before you yell I am looking on the site too for info.

Thanks for any help in advance just someone new looking for others thoughts. I have my eyes on a remminton 30.06 and also have been checking out a 12 shotgun just some others I have been looking for. Have not looked at any hand guns but I hear and correct me if I am wrong, but something with a clip *more shots*.

Thanks again
Jeremy

[Shawn.L]

1) Treat every gun as if it is loaded
2) Keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction at all times
3) Keep your finger out of the trigger guard until you are ready to shoot
4) Be sure of your target and what is beyond your target

Most of the big name manufactures build a quaility product.

Want to try out some guns?

What are you doing second Sunday next month?
http://forum.pafoa.org/shoots-range-...tml#post533527

[Bobdole10]

Thanks for the info so far, I did not know there was places to shoot before you buy so that would be great. As far as the .22 I have shot guns before just have never owned one. I was in the boy scouts and that was a main stay for them.

As far as the Gun even I read the 5 dollar fee and that is cool but how much to rent the guns to shoot? Again I have nothing to bring but my smile and a warm handshake.

Well more info would be great because I think I want to show up and get some time to figure what works for me.

I do have one more question when you posted about the ruger 10/22 you said you can "Build" it up now from some pictures I saw I dont see how that can be done. Again not questioning but seems like alot of work to "Convert" a gun. I know its a savings but hell I cant even make a bird box with out a couple attempts....LOL

Well again thanks for the advice and thanks for welcoming me into the group.

[P-11 shooter]

You can buy every part for a 10/22 seperately and build one how you likd it. Or just buy one off the shelf.

The group shoots are the way to go if you want to shoot alot of differnent guns for free. I don't know how far you are from pittsburgh, but that's your best bet.

[adymond]

Thanks for the info so far, I did not know there was places to shoot before you buy so that would be great. As far as the .22 I have shot guns before just have never owned one. I was in the boy scouts and that was a main stay for them.

As far as the Gun even I read the 5 dollar fee and that is cool but how much to rent the guns to shoot? Again I have nothing to bring but my smile and a warm handshake.

Well more info would be great because I think I want to show up and get some time to figure what works for me.

I do have one more question when you posted about the ruger 10/22 you said you can "Build" it up now from some pictures I saw I dont see how that can be done. Again not questioning but seems like alot of work to "Convert" a gun. I know its a savings but hell I cant even make a bird box with out a couple attempts....LOL

Well again thanks for the advice and thanks for welcoming me into the group.

What they mean by customizable is not that you can convert it, but rather that you can switch out the stock, the trigger group, add different sights and scopes as well as hanging different accesories off of the rigle. Sort of like the little brother of the AR. That said if you are primarilly looking for a home defense weapon and are looking at handguns deffinately head out and shoot a few pistols before you buy. I would think about going with a 12 gauge though. With any pistol caliber you have to worry about penetration more than you really do with 00 buck.

[mjfletcher]

With a 10/22, building is actually more expensive than buying off the shelf, but with all the options and ability to customize to your desires you get a gun thats worth alot more than an off the shelf model.

[knighthawk06699]

First off let em say a very happy welcome. Next thing you want to do is find a gun range that rents guns and try a ton of different guns out. I am a huge Glock fan so for a pistol let me recommend a Glock.

After you and the Misses have decided on a handgun and you purchase it, the very next thing you will want to do is get your selves enrolled in a credible pistol self defense course. Learn how to use that gun inside and out, up and down, left and right. Once again I recommend a Glock the are very very simple to take care of and have to hell and back reliability.

But please remember the most important thing for you is to find a gun the that is right for you. Realize this also, what works for you, may not work for your wife. So you may have to buy two handguns...oh damn I Know what a tough world.

Second is the pistols course, it is worth every penny and may just one day save your life.

[P89]

Nothing to add that hasn't already been said but still want to say welcome aboard!

[sabre]

Hi Jeremy ~!

Welcome to the Forum !

I agree with everyone above and encourage you to go out and shoot, you will find that shooters are some of the most generous people out there esp when showing off their guns !

A few more questions to ask yourself that might help you narrow down what guns you would like and calibers to look at ... ( this of course is just my thoughts and will help you start off your collection )

For rifles:
Will you be hunting ( bolt action vs Semi )? 30-06 is an excellent hunting cartridge and .308 will work as well.

Will you target shoot for fun or competition ( again bolt versus Semi )? .223 for fun on up to .308

Rifle for be self defense ? .223 or 7.62x39

As you can see there is some overlap. Your target and hunting rifle could be the same rifle bolt action while your self defense rifle should be semi-auto.

For pistols: comfort and grip are very important so try a few out and don't forget about wheel guns ( revolvers ) for your wife, Ruger and Charter Arms come to mind. I have a CZ-75 DB that is almost too big for my wife to shoot, double stacked magazines hold many rounds (15) but also make the grip large. If the gun is comfortable for you wife to hold she will enjoy shooting more

Also most self defense situations resolve with out having to shoot as the bad guy ( who are cowards by nature) turn and run. So having 15 or 13 rounds versus 5 or 6 is not as big an issue.

The course and lots of practice are a must and are lots of fun too ! Nobody drives once or twice a year and expects to be able to drive in race ( or even merge on the freeway for that matter.

Take Care
Sabre