Thinking about buying a gun...

[sekaran]

Springfield Armory XD - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Springfield Armory

Brother has one. Feels/shoots awesome. I'll probably be getting one in the future.

[Correction]

He was pretty specific about his price range...why are people still posting Desert Eagles?

[BadKarma]

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/2708/artillery.jpg

Clearly.

[Omnipotent]

http://www.geeked.info/wp-content/up.../10/zapper.jpg

[fantasticdan]

Get one of these.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1205/...cc763d528c.jpg

[aru]

Get one of these.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1205/...cc763d528c.jpg

i think that model has a tendency to backfire.

i am suprised nobody has said this already (or i missed it): call up the ranges in your area and ask if they rent and if they do what models do they have. go there, take a couple shots with each one and find which one you might like. that will narrow down your search by alot. you can also go to gun stores and talk to the guys working there and ask them to show you some of the models they like and how to operate them. having the grip, location of the safety, mag release, etc should all feel natural in your hand.

a .22 would be an ok choice if you intend to use it only as a target gun. if you intend to use this thing to also defend your home this is not the round you want to be firing at an intruder. .22 has some history of bouncing off of skulls. you would want to stick with 9mm, .40 and .45acp since these are the most effective common cals out there. .50, .41, 10mm etc are all good rounds but good luck with the location and price of this stuff. which round is best? i dont know. you are probably going to have to figure out that for yourself when you hit the range and fire some.

as for specific models, these are the models that i have heard hardly any complaints about: Glock, 1911, Jericho/Baby Eagle.
the 1911 has been around since, well, 1911 and survives to this day with little modification to the original design for a reason. it is a great gun and thus has been picked up by most large manufacturers. do your research on each one and you wont be sorry. i would recommend against Taurus and HK as they seem to have terrible customer service should you ever have trouble. you can buy loads of aftermarket parts to customize it too. Plus, these weapons have a Nazi killing heritage. you can't beat that.

Glocks are a choice made by law enforcement. if you are in the market to put 120 rounds into an unarmed black kid, this is your gun. they also have hexagonal barrel rifling which supposedly makes them easier to clean. you can also grab stuff like extended mags to increase capacity and laser sights come with some models. thousands of law enforcement agents can't be wrong, can they?

the Jericho/Baby Eagle is the most rare of the three i listed. however, i have never, never, heard a complaint about a single one anywhere. that is saying alot. everyone that owns one loves them which is good and bad. it's good that it would be a good investment and it's bad because there is no used market because people hang on to them. like the glock, it also uses a hexagonal boring but supposedly is more "true" (whatever that means). this is an israli design and was called the Jericho when it was manufactured there. now that Magnum Reasearch makes them they are called the Baby Eagle (apparently to try to capitalize on the popularity of the Desert Eagle- they are two completely different guns, the only thing they have in common is their manufacturer and the "eagle" in their names). Spike from Cowboy Bebop uses this weapon in space, i think it'll work for you at the range.

some other things to consider is if your are left or right handed and are you left or right eye dominant. if you end up shooting left handed, you might want to consider a weapon that ejects hot brass in a direction that won't put it in your face/down your shirt. also, check your state laws about maximum round capacity in your handgun. i know CA and NJ are pretty strict. you may want to go with a cal that maximizes the amout of rounds you can have without special round reduction mags. (if your state restricts you to 8, buying a 9mm that can hold 17 would waste half your mag capacity so getting one in .45acp that holds 7-8 might be a better option.)

you should also take a safety course either at a range or by the NRA to get yourself more familiar before you do anything.

[BIGSTIC]

First thing I have to say is DO NOT buy a gun if you are not going to take the time to get trained in its use and learn how to properly take care of it.

Being an avid gun owner for the last 20 years (dad gave me a .22 when I was 10) I have seen to many people buy a gun just because they think it looks cool or would be good for home defense. If you don't know how to properly use a gun they are no more useful than a brick. A poorly maintained gun will have constant misfires and will give terrible accuracy.

I would advise you to find a local indoor range. Give them a call and see if they are putting on any Beginner Handgun Classes. These classes go through the safe handling and proper maintenance of hand guns and will also show you the proper way to hold a handgun while shooting.

Once you have finished the class and decided that a handgun is what you want then start looking at buying one. Most ranges have guns you can rent so that you can get the feel before you buy the gun. All hand guns fit differently in your hands and some are more comfortable than others depending on the shape of your hand. Don't base your buying decision on price but rather feel.

I am not a big handgun guy, prefer long rifles and long shots, but do have a couple for concealed carry duties. To me shooting a target 25 yards away is boring, give me 700yds + any day of the week.

All I ask is please be safe and get the proper training.

[Sepukku]

I would recommend any form of the Sig Sauer P226. They're a very nice series of handguns, and they cost around $900-1000, but with ammo and any add-ons, you'll probably go a little over, but whatever. Certainly cheaper and better for a beginner than Desert Eagles lol

[Demosthenes]

Colt Single Action Army. "SIX BULLETS!"

[zoobernut]

ruger 1022 is like 200 bucks, can shoot 100 feet away and ammo is dirt cheap, .22 cal isn't that large of a caliber, if you're hunting humans or something you might want to go with a higher caliber. if you really want to spend that kind of money you can get a yugo or russian AK47 at most gunshows and some pawnshops for anywhere from 500-1000 depending on mods, 7.62 ammo is pretty cheap (for now..), its what I shoot at the range most often, lots of fun. 100 feet is a long haul and there isn't much point in shooting that distance unless you shoot competitively or just for kicks, an altercation is most likely to occur at 20-30 feet or less, tops I go downrange with my target is 50 feet

I was thinking about picking up a ruger 1022. Do you have any experience with them? What sorts of things should I look for to know it is in good condition? Are there different models or anything along those lines that I should keep my eyes open for?

Also does anyone have a higher caliber rifle that they would recommend for more long distance target practice?

[BIGSTIC]

I was thinking about picking up a ruger 1022. Do you have any experience with them? What sorts of things should I look for to know it is in good condition? Are there different models or anything along those lines that I should keep my eyes open for?

Also does anyone have a higher caliber rifle that they would recommend for more long distance target practice?

A Ruger 10/22 is probably one of the best plinking guns around. I have a couple for when kids come to the rage with us. They are also super cheap so when you put 1k rounds down range it doesn't hurt your pocket book to much. Pick up a decent scope and you can reah out to 100yds fairly accuratly. If you want better accuracy get a fluted bull barrel.

When you say long distance what do you mean? My .223 and 22-250 go 200yrd. Got the .270 and 30-.06 reach out to the 3-400 yrd range. Got a .308 that likes the 5-700yrd and then got a .50 cal that honestly will shoot farther than my bad eyes can see. I really want a .338 Lapua but am buying a house so gonna have to wait. They have an effective range of 1500 yrds.

[Boyiee]

The police here use glocks lol

exactly

Almost all police in US use glocks because they get them cheap and need mass quantities.

Friend has a desert eagle, I've only used that and an ar15 at the local range, I'd get that.

[Obev]

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/4551/051403m.jpg

Get this one so you can look like Han Solo.

[Qalbert]

my dad bought me this for christmas. the fact that it has XD in it makes me lol.
Springfield Armory
to clarify its the 45 ACP mdoel

[Militant]

The D. Eagle is like the least practical hand gun you can own, sure it looks cool, but its performance (other than sheer firing power) is rather dismal.

[Penthesilea]

Someone already mentioned it, but go and find a range that rents guns and try them out.

Also if you're considering home defense, consider a shotgun. Little penetration compared to a hand gun.

[FNH]

I sell guns for a living so I'll toss in my .02.

get a .22 handgun, browning buckmark, ruger mkIII, walther p22, sig mosquito, etc. to learn the mechanics, because they are the same and it's cheaper to practice. It also helps you to prevent bad habits from starting, like flinching or limp wristing (which is the main cause of jams).

If getting a .22 rifle get a ruger 10/22, or a marlin 60. both fine starters. As above the mechanics are the same. start out using the iron sights before going to scope, because a scope is a tool not a crutch. I see many people using a scope at the range and they can't hit anything with open sights.

after you do this then go up for something to carry, don't fall into the bullshit people try to feed about caliber. 38special and up will do fine. .45 is great but if you can't afford to practice with it you probably will not hit squat with it when it matters. I'd rather people have a 9mm they can hit with(and afford to practice) than the .45 they cannot. Which brings up what people have mentioned before about renting. try multiple calibers there is a certain round that most people tend to be proficient with it just depends on what someone is comfortable with.

Same goes for the gun, if it doesn't feel good to you then do not buy it, no matter how uber pwnage people say the gun is, find one YOU feel comfortable about then read reviews on your choices. I find my XD comfortable( on "team springfield" btw), I like glocks and sig sauer comfortable also, hell even taurus makes comfortable quality guns at a good price. By the way BUY NEW! especially the first gun most places will charge nearly the new price for a used gun.

Once, you've made you choice and filled out your 4473+other paperwork and waited the state waiting period if applicable. Buy as much ammo as you can afford both in fmj practice and hollow points for defense, trying different brands and loads, take it to the range and break it in with 200~ rounds then function test whatever you will be carrying with.

Pistol Permit laws vary by state, my state is a may issue state so is dictated by the county sheriff in the county I reside in, took an application with character references and a 7 day investigation and $20, some states require a training course which is good.

Any other questions feel free to PM me.

edit: anyone recommending a Desert Eagle is a dumbass. same goes for .50 caliber rifles like this retard below. V

[HAcoreRD]

http://www.defensereview.com/1_31_20...%20Rifle_1.jpg

[Elites]

I only played around with airsoft and thats bad enough considering i live in nyc(only water pistols are allowed and ontop of that they have to be colored a gay bright tone). I love pistols though and i'd have to say this is the best I've ever felt comfortable with..

1911 S&W
http://www.gunshopfinder.com/smithan...odelsw1911.jpg

[Ferien]

I only played around with airsoft and thats bad enough considering i live in nyc(only water pistols are allowed and ontop of that they have to be colored a gay bright tone). I love pistols though and i'd have to say this is the best I've ever felt comfortable with..

1911 S&W
http://www.gunshopfinder.com/smithan...odelsw1911.jpg

My roommate and I have been playing with the idea of going through the ropes with the NYPD. How much of a pain in the ass was it for you? Where do you usually go to shoot? Do we need the permit just to own a gun, or is it necessary no matter what if we want to handle one?