Bondhead88
Expert
I just wanted to offer some unsolicited advice on buying both guns, ammunition and supplies of all types to newbies.
I spent many years as a buyer for several companies before giving it up to work in the ministry and no before you ask we definitely didn’t make this type of change to our lives for the money. I could probably make more money selling cold lemonade to penguins.
When I was a buyer I made purchases in the millions every week, negotiating terms, investigating products and determining marketability of product lines.
I remember one time one of the ladies from payroll came into my office and asked “You get paid to shop for a living?” I laughed and told her it was not as exciting as it sounded as there was whole ton of leg work that needed to be done.
My son once summed it up when he came with me on career day. He said “You’ve got a really boring job dad” Once you take out the glamour of television from any job it turns out to be just another way of making a living.
Having said all that there are some key things to buying anything, including guns, ammo, and equipment. Buying anything can be exciting, fun & nerve racking. When you add the responsibility of making it a deadly weapon it magnifies the situation.
So for those new to guns here are some things in both preparation and purchasing. This could apply to men or women but since I am non-apologetically a man, I am going to talk like a man to men.
1. 1) If you are married talk about owning a gun with your spouse before you buy one. Men we love things that go fast. Make loud noises and feeling like we are protecting or families, but showing up at home with a hand gun with no warning or discussion with your spouse is unfair and unwise. Speak with your wife; explain why you feel why you want to bring a gun into the home, whether it is for protection, target shooting, hunting or any other multitude of reasons. This will go far in calming her fears or concerns. Remember people fear the unknown. (it’s just the familiar they loathe…lol)
2. 2) Take a course in gun safety. You may have your wife understanding why a gun needs to be brought into the home but remember, she has seen the damage you have done with a hammer and nail. This is something you can do together. Even if she feels like she will never want to use a gun, understanding how to properly and safely use one will calm her down. Plus if you’re smart about this it can be a date event. (Finally one you get to choose). One of the interesting things I have seen with guns is the exhilaration people get from shooting one. Even people who are not comfortable with guns have commented on the thrill of shooting one.
3. 3) Investigate and budget what type of gun is best for you. Inexpensive and cheap are not necessarily synonymous, neither is expensive and quality. Do not rush to make a purchase. Plan on making a few trips to your gun store before making any final decisions. Use the experience of a reputable dealer. Ask questions on good gun forums. In all the years I was a buyer there was no way I could know everything about all the things I had to buy but buy investigating, asking questions, taking time to consider all the options and having patience helped me to do well in making sure what I was buying was meeting what was needed.
4. 4) Make sure the gun will fit not only into your budget but also your lifestyle. If you are the type of person who wears shorts and muscle shirts a lot then trying to buy and conceal a Desert Eagle .50 probably isn’t going to work for you. Now that might be an extreme example but having a gun that fits into your hand so that it is comfortable for you and one that you can conceal will be important. I have bigger hands and I have never been comfortable holding any 40 acp as my hand is too big for the grip. Even some 9 mm that I thought looked good in magazines ended up not feeling right in my hand.
5. 5) Understand and be prepared to spend more than what you thought you were going to spend. You see a gun advertised for $500 it is the one you have researched, asked opinions on, held in your hand and decided on. You go to the store plop your money down, point through the glass and smile like Ronald Macdonald. Then it hits you. You need ammo but what type if you buy 100 rounds for target and then some Hornady Critical Defense, then ear muffs (surely you don’t want to go deaf), you’ll need glasses (cause you will want to keep your vision), a holster, (you’ll want o carry your new gun), If it didn’t come with a spare magazine or two you’ll probably buy one (just in case there are 45 bad guys and you need one round per bad guy), a cleaning kit and a nice range bag to carry everything in. All this can easily add up to the same amount as your gun.
6. 6) If you have children in the house PREPARE THEM. Do not try and hide the gun in the house, somehow convincing yourself they will not know it is there. Every gun I have brought into the home I have done so in full view of my family. I always take it out, showing them how to safely handle it. We go over the danger of treating guns as if they were unloaded. (every gun in our home is treated like a loaded firearm) My wife, my daughter and my son come and shoot with me. Now my son comes a lot more and enjoys it more but they all know how to handle a gun. Sneaking a gun into the home will raise the curiosity of a child (especially boys), unfamiliarity with a gun leads to horrific events. It also plants the thought that dad is doing something wrong. My son started taking both hunter safety and gun safety as soon as he was legally allowed.(12 in Canada)
7. 7) Store your gun in a safe accessible place when not carrying it. If your gun is for personal protection having it buried in the attic will do you little good in emergency situations. But leaving it sitting on your nightstand when you are not at home will only help a burglar.
8. 8) REMEMBER that continuing to learn and relearn gun safety is a continual process. Read, ask, participate and learn, the educated gun owner is someone who knows their rights, can articulate them well, even when passionately discussing gun rights with people who are trying to remove your rights.
9. 9) Understand if you do not exercise your rights the government will try to remove them. The way the government thinks is like this. LTCH acquisitions are down every year for the past 5 years, so therefore the public does not want to own guns, therefore we should remove gun ownership. If you are going to be a gun owners then join a good group which will help fight to keep your rights alive. There are some good ones out there, find the one you can support
I spent many years as a buyer for several companies before giving it up to work in the ministry and no before you ask we definitely didn’t make this type of change to our lives for the money. I could probably make more money selling cold lemonade to penguins.
When I was a buyer I made purchases in the millions every week, negotiating terms, investigating products and determining marketability of product lines.
I remember one time one of the ladies from payroll came into my office and asked “You get paid to shop for a living?” I laughed and told her it was not as exciting as it sounded as there was whole ton of leg work that needed to be done.
My son once summed it up when he came with me on career day. He said “You’ve got a really boring job dad” Once you take out the glamour of television from any job it turns out to be just another way of making a living.
Having said all that there are some key things to buying anything, including guns, ammo, and equipment. Buying anything can be exciting, fun & nerve racking. When you add the responsibility of making it a deadly weapon it magnifies the situation.
So for those new to guns here are some things in both preparation and purchasing. This could apply to men or women but since I am non-apologetically a man, I am going to talk like a man to men.
1. 1) If you are married talk about owning a gun with your spouse before you buy one. Men we love things that go fast. Make loud noises and feeling like we are protecting or families, but showing up at home with a hand gun with no warning or discussion with your spouse is unfair and unwise. Speak with your wife; explain why you feel why you want to bring a gun into the home, whether it is for protection, target shooting, hunting or any other multitude of reasons. This will go far in calming her fears or concerns. Remember people fear the unknown. (it’s just the familiar they loathe…lol)
2. 2) Take a course in gun safety. You may have your wife understanding why a gun needs to be brought into the home but remember, she has seen the damage you have done with a hammer and nail. This is something you can do together. Even if she feels like she will never want to use a gun, understanding how to properly and safely use one will calm her down. Plus if you’re smart about this it can be a date event. (Finally one you get to choose). One of the interesting things I have seen with guns is the exhilaration people get from shooting one. Even people who are not comfortable with guns have commented on the thrill of shooting one.
3. 3) Investigate and budget what type of gun is best for you. Inexpensive and cheap are not necessarily synonymous, neither is expensive and quality. Do not rush to make a purchase. Plan on making a few trips to your gun store before making any final decisions. Use the experience of a reputable dealer. Ask questions on good gun forums. In all the years I was a buyer there was no way I could know everything about all the things I had to buy but buy investigating, asking questions, taking time to consider all the options and having patience helped me to do well in making sure what I was buying was meeting what was needed.
4. 4) Make sure the gun will fit not only into your budget but also your lifestyle. If you are the type of person who wears shorts and muscle shirts a lot then trying to buy and conceal a Desert Eagle .50 probably isn’t going to work for you. Now that might be an extreme example but having a gun that fits into your hand so that it is comfortable for you and one that you can conceal will be important. I have bigger hands and I have never been comfortable holding any 40 acp as my hand is too big for the grip. Even some 9 mm that I thought looked good in magazines ended up not feeling right in my hand.
5. 5) Understand and be prepared to spend more than what you thought you were going to spend. You see a gun advertised for $500 it is the one you have researched, asked opinions on, held in your hand and decided on. You go to the store plop your money down, point through the glass and smile like Ronald Macdonald. Then it hits you. You need ammo but what type if you buy 100 rounds for target and then some Hornady Critical Defense, then ear muffs (surely you don’t want to go deaf), you’ll need glasses (cause you will want to keep your vision), a holster, (you’ll want o carry your new gun), If it didn’t come with a spare magazine or two you’ll probably buy one (just in case there are 45 bad guys and you need one round per bad guy), a cleaning kit and a nice range bag to carry everything in. All this can easily add up to the same amount as your gun.
6. 6) If you have children in the house PREPARE THEM. Do not try and hide the gun in the house, somehow convincing yourself they will not know it is there. Every gun I have brought into the home I have done so in full view of my family. I always take it out, showing them how to safely handle it. We go over the danger of treating guns as if they were unloaded. (every gun in our home is treated like a loaded firearm) My wife, my daughter and my son come and shoot with me. Now my son comes a lot more and enjoys it more but they all know how to handle a gun. Sneaking a gun into the home will raise the curiosity of a child (especially boys), unfamiliarity with a gun leads to horrific events. It also plants the thought that dad is doing something wrong. My son started taking both hunter safety and gun safety as soon as he was legally allowed.(12 in Canada)
7. 7) Store your gun in a safe accessible place when not carrying it. If your gun is for personal protection having it buried in the attic will do you little good in emergency situations. But leaving it sitting on your nightstand when you are not at home will only help a burglar.
8. 8) REMEMBER that continuing to learn and relearn gun safety is a continual process. Read, ask, participate and learn, the educated gun owner is someone who knows their rights, can articulate them well, even when passionately discussing gun rights with people who are trying to remove your rights.
9. 9) Understand if you do not exercise your rights the government will try to remove them. The way the government thinks is like this. LTCH acquisitions are down every year for the past 5 years, so therefore the public does not want to own guns, therefore we should remove gun ownership. If you are going to be a gun owners then join a good group which will help fight to keep your rights alive. There are some good ones out there, find the one you can support
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Great information presented well and intelligently. Thanks for your contribution to the cause, Bondhead!
