Gents:

I have arrived at the conclusion that it is time to be armed as a private, law abiding citizen. I understand the need to go through the proper channels to get the permit.

However, while I am a life-long hunter, I have practically zero experience with handguns. How does one get started in selecting a suitable weapon? How does this change for my wife who intends to arm herself as well? Incidentally, I am a LH shooter and my wife is a RH shooter.

Feel free to PM as well.

Thanks!

Jeff

Big can of worms and no opinions yet?

Permits, yes. Is Maine open carry? Would you want to open carry? CCw is more discrete but can be hampered by how you dress.

As far as which gun or caliber goes, is there a range in your area that rents hand guns? This lets you try several inexpensively.

Double action revolvers are easy to use but have a smaller capacity and may weigh more. I wouldn't go below a 9 mm or .38 Special, but .380's and .32's are becoming popular.

As for whose gun, that can be debated forever. Good quality at an affordable price. I carry a Taurus, some people think Taurus is too cheap to carry. Ruger makes good guns, S&W, Glock and Beretta are good but more expensive. For the left and right hand thing, most semi autos have ambidexterous controls. DA revolvers will become familiar aftera few reloads.

If you were down here I'd invite you to a range day and you could try several. Are there any ranges that offe CCW clases around? The class may be required for a permit but a good class can be infomative. I'm not an expert but I hope that is a good start.

For his and hers a Glock 19 is a good choice. it is dish washer safe, easy to shoot, not complicated to operate and has an impeccable service record. It will also take a light and double as a night stand gun.
The Springfield XDM in 9mm would also be a choice but does not have the service record, yet, that the Glock does. I personally think it is a better ergonomic fit than the Glock but the Glock is just plain reliable.

Perry

Starting from "practically zero experience with handguns"....I would recommend you purchase a decent quality .22 handgun and both of you begin learning to shoot it. Practice A LOT. Practice shooting "up close and personal". Stay within 10 yds. and less. Practice getting your shots off QUICKLY(once you've mastered the basics). EVENTUALLY...you may wish to also Practice darwing from concealment.
Do you start to see a common thread here ??...i.e.: whatever your choice...Practice.

just what don said. having taught several hundred people in various classes i generally find that most first time shooters will prefer a 38 special revolver like the s&w 36. but the best advice i can give is to find someone you know that has a few handguns and try them out.

quote:

Originally posted by jsl3170:
...it is time to be armed as a private, law abiding citizen.
How does one get started in selecting a suitable weapon?

To be armed against what, four legged animal or two?

Have you become so paranoid, like a few macho men here, that you wish to become prepared for almost anything, thus needing a 44 magnum strapped in your armpit, a 45ACP slabsides on your hip, a 9mm taped to one ankle, and enough ammo to fight for days on end? Don't laugh, there's some who tote that amount of extra weight wherever they go. Days, weeks, years without ever needing it.

Me, I'm of the minimalist persuasion cause I don't frequent the territory of crack whores and inner city gangbangers. When the weather permits light clothing I carry a KelTec P3-AT (380ACP), when in need of heavy clothing, my choice of a more powerful sidearm is a baby Glock in 357SIG or a Taurus totally titanium 5 shot revolver in 45 Colt. But in any event, only one at a time. I've tried other bigger, heavier weapons but more often than not decided to risk going unarmed rather than be encumbered with every step, every body movement of a gun sticking me in the ribs or hip. I chose lightweight and don't leave home without one. I leave those big, heavy guns concealed in the car or truck.

I also took an NRA personal protection 2 day course. I thought it might help in my defense if I ever had to use deadly force and got arrested doing so.

the 2 legged variety. i have simply concluded that one ought to be able to take care of themselves in a worst case scenario if one were to ever arise.

i think the best prophylactic measure if to try avoiding trouble where possible but sometimes even the best laid plans go awry. so, i wish for my family to know how to take care of itself.

and no i don't plan to mimic Neo from the scene of the building lobby.

Been packin'something or the other since 1973. I've gone through 1911's, PPK's, Browning Hi-Powers, K frames, and ~1000 dollars worth of various holster rigs. The key is to go with something you will 'carry' every day. Too many times the bigger stuff ends up at home or left in the pick-up. Ever pair of pants/shorts I own and wear anywhere outside the house has a pocket. So I've become keen on 'pocket guns'. I like alloy-framed compact revolvers in .38 +P or the lightweight .380 (or slightly larger) 9mm.

I've had graduates of the various handgun shoot-em-up schools make fun of my every-day 'poodle guns'. I then ask them to show me what they pack right then/there....not what they got at home or back in the jockey-box. Those guns don't count!

With your wife in the equation and the LH/RH issue, you might want to consider a .38 'airweight'. It's simple point-and-shoot technology that you can count on.

P.S. Onefunzr knows from where he speaks. I have two everyday guns. One is a S&W 642 but I've come to pack a Kel-Tec 3AT for several months now as it's so light and flat in my pocket (I really like the Desantis 'superfly' (?) holster I have for it). I just remember to unload/swap out the magazine often.

Remember....the purpose of a handgun is to give you the ability to fight your way to a rifle!

My friend.

Don't buy anything yet. Certainly not on the strength of an Internet forum. It is fine to use this and other forums as part of your research, but do not buy anything solely on what you read. Do not book a class yet.

Find a local instructor who can sit down with you---in person. The best instructors, in addition to knowing the tech side of things and having the ability to make a decent presentation, also have the skill to "read" their students. While talking to you and listening to you, they will be able to develop the conversation and guide it in a way that helps them to evaluate you on several levels. The best instructors will use this process to help you set realistic goals.

This whole business about personal defense is a lot more than what gun, what caliber and what holster. The better instructors know this. But they need to see you, listen to you, and ask questions while looking you in the eye.

All you are going to get on the Internet as a NG--not always, but usually---is some OG's favorite line. And beware the instructor who also sells shit.

Do some research about shooting academies and schools in your area, or within a reasonable distance. Do not book a class. Go to these places, find the instructors. Pay for an hour of their time. Examine their CV, and their syllabus. If you think it's appropriate, bring your family. Do not buy a gun or book a class until you've done this.

You are about to step into an interesting world, indeed.

Thank you TWL. I will heed your advice.

Never ever buy a his/her gun.
My gun store buddies have made fortunes off guys who buy guns for their women folks.

Best to let the lady choose what she likes.

Start her off on the Ruger LCR revolvers with the Crimson Trace laser. I don't recommend autos
for women.

I didn't mean his/hers guns; I means we are both interested to learn personal handgun defensive training.

Look at a CZ in 40 S&W and a 22 long rifle conversion kit. Then shoot the 22 a couple boxes a week for the rest of the year.

Rich
DRSS

Take the time and go to an indoor shooting range that has a large varity of handguns you can rent. You can try autos or revolvers of different sizes to see what you prefer. It will cost a little money and time, but is well worth the effort. You may also be able to get some quality instruction at the same location.

Start off with the permit system and figure out what permits you want and what you can obtain.

Then pick a firearm. I will lead you towards Glocks. A G19 will fit both hers and your hands and will work for self protection. Do not limit yourself to a revolver if you don't have to. There are a lot of other choices out there but the Glock is a simple reliable system. I have others in my safe but the Glock is the gun I would personally recommend.

Third, pick a school to help you learn how to shoot. Don't pick just a shooting school. Pick a mindset school. I will recommend Tactical Response. Look them up on the net.


Greg

Well Jeff, I've been carrying a Ruger SP101 357 everyday for 7 yrs or so. I like the SS as it's easy too keep, but the thing is just heavy when comparred too the new Ruger LCR. Super light weight but still packs that 357 punch "if" you ever need it. I won't have to wear suspenders to hold my pants up like I do with the SP101.

I agree, if this is your first pistol, get a 22 for practice and practice you will need so get a couple thousand rounds as it's just plain fun. Nuttin wrong with a Ruger MKIII for this work.

I also agree weather your State requires it or not, take a good self defense course on the use of weapons. I was not happy to see AZ go with no CCW permits required as I liked being able to carry concealed in several States without asking for more paper work.

3170

Get professional help. Train first before choosing a wepon. Real instruction, not necessarly the gun store. Hire somone or if necessary travel to get proper instruction. There are lots of shooting instruction schools. You will have to pay for good instruction.

You should want skill and confidence and this can come as a result proper training. If you go do so at the same time and it will be a learning adventure. Do not be tempted to go and return to teach.

With good instruction you will or should acheive higher skill levels rather than accumulated poor habits. And you learn the skills now.

Common sense note. Never try to teach your spouce.

Try out lots of firearms. And do not buy one for her.. let her choose her own after training. Question... how much sucess have you had in picking out her clothing?

Fair well

All right, as much practical advice as you've gotten I will add this:

it is not necessarily bad to buy your wife a gun, let me give an example. I bought my wife, while we were still dating or engaged, a springfield 03 in 30-06, muzzle brake, proportioned stock etc. great gun. she shot it, didn't like it, doesn't really like to shoot in general. Now, brake cut off, I have a nice medium weight 06 hunting rifle

I too will second the idea of going somewhere and sampling a lot of handguns. More so than a rifle I personally feel that handguns must "fit" a person. I had a beretta 9mm, hi-cap mags, at the time a very popular gun. It did not shoot well for me for whatever reason. Friends that were not as good a shot could shoot it better than me. I ended up selling it. some people don't like the way glocks feel, I do.

so when it comes to the gun portion I'd find what fits me best first, then decide how I could carry it well. versus decided on the application and then buying a gun to fit it. Does that make sense? later if you have more guns you can get them to fit different setups (i.e. for summer days on the golf course etc).

Just my 1c

Red

It's always been my practice when stating "newbies" out with hand guns to get their confidence up with .22's then .38 revolvers.

As much as semi-auto's have " simplified" over the years( Glocks, Kel-Tecs , etc, etc)

I think as a defense weapon , particularly at first, a revolver is the path to start.

For concealed carry a 442 S&W ( perhaps the new Ruger, only perhaps).

For non-carry, or open carry, something with a longer sight radius (4 to 6 inches, such as a 686 S&W or a Ruger GP-100.( Or Taurus, etc.

Revolvers do not require the magazine to be in lock-up, the slide to be in battery, the mag spring to be functional, the safety to be off, the--etc, etc,etc.

99.99999% if it's loaded and you pull the trigger the revolver fires.

(yes, auto's are generally far less malfunction prone these days-- but-- they are still more complex-- especially when you are stressed.)

For home defense-- a 20ga shot gun,esp for a newbie.

Go try or at least handle as many different guns from differnt reputable makers as possible. Then pick the one that fits you best. I personaly carry 1911's in 10mm, SIG's of one type or another in 9mm or 40 S&W, or Kahr Arms in 40 depending on what I'm wearing or where I'm going. I'm considering an even smaller auto in 9 or 40, or a small wheel gun in .357 or 38 just as a pocket gun for the summer.

I most definitely agree with virtually everything that DuggaBoye wrote, with the exception that it might be practical to carry a heavier (and more shootable) gun than a 442, particularly in the winter.

I also agree that you should get professional instruction, and that it is probably best not to be the one to train your wife.

In addition to shooting instruction, and perhaps more important, you should attend Massad Ayoob's LFI-1 or an equivalent course, not that I'm sure there is one. At least read "In the Gravest Extreme," available from Police Bookshelf through www.ayoob.com.

To put things in perspective, the military was taking recruits who never had fired a gun and qualifying them on the 1911A1, in 45 ACP. Recoil, complexity, and mechanics of maintenance be damned. If a green recruit can do a 1911, a hunter can figure out any sort of handgun.

For personal defense, 45 ACP, 40 Smith & Wesson, .357 magnum, and 9mm, pretty much in that order.

Find something that works for you and get familiar with it. It's not rocket science.

The primary difference in a recruit and a civilian and the process--

rote , routine, forced, coerced,etc, etc

(ie: No Choice)

vs

Choice

Anyone can be placed into an environment of:

Must

and they will learn.

Most civilians , though their life and those of others may depend on their skill with a weapon

simply will not tolerate the military-style "teaching"--

(at least not initially)

I figure it is better to have people who enjoy the process, at least at 1st--

then encourage them into more disciplined weapon education (military -style)

I am with you that it can (and even perhaps should) be militarily "drilled" in.

Just that is my experience teaching J.Q. Public,

you gather more flies(students and referrals) by a "non-immersion" or forced environment.

As their understanding of the gravity of the situation grows,

most (unfortunately not all) then CHOOSE to become mere knowledgeable/proficient and will seek out "military-style" training.

It is my feeling that the MORE people get ANY education with respect to weapons/personal defense --

the more our communal safety increases.

Would I love to see the type of training this country got in the past via, Boy Scouts, FFA, 4-H, CMP, NRA, etc etc

resumed as the "usual" rather than the exception--

absolutely.

It just ain't gonna happen in an old style "recruit" type setting.

The difference between a draftee who doesn't want to be there and a civilian with a clear objective is motivation.

When you say defend yourself, and perhaps I missed it above, I'm assuming you mean concealed carry. You may find, like myself, that a .45 or .357 is more than you want to lug around.....or you may be perfectly comfortable with it. My point is that you should find a gun that fits you well, is comfortable to wear concealed, AND that you shoot well inside 10 feet.

I see you're in Maine.....you're not too far from Manchester which has the Manchester Firing Line right off of 293 on Brown Ave. They rent guns and teach classes so you could kill two birds.....

My .02, I don't think I'll need more than .38 +p.....and in the summer, my LCP .380 fits in a tee shirt pocket. You're welcome to shoot both if you decide to come down this way. Just let me know.

Edit: I didn't see how long ago the OP's last post was......maybe he lost interest......or maybe he's at the handgun range.

Handle and shoot every firearm that you think you may want to try.

From what I hear from those I know that do carry, they tend to have something relatively small with them and soon start leaving "big" guns at home in the safe. In the safe is about a useful when one needs a firearm as altitude above you is to a pilot.

I've been looking for the "perfect" concealed handgun for about 20 yrs. What I've discovered is that one gun is not going to be the answer. Just like one vehicle won't cover you from 4WD to fuel economy, and long road trips. And to continue that analogy, sooner or later you're going to discover you can't live without a Harley Davidson.

Here is what I have determined that works best for ME for concealed carry...

The best combination of power, firepower, accuracy, and ease of carry is a 1911 Light Weight Commander. Nothing else even comes close.

For a second gun, a S&W Bodyguard, is the best choice, IMHO.

quote:

1911 Light Weight Commander

For YOU! I have a Sub Compact, and a full size mil spec. Only time I carry either is "open" and outdoor recreation. I keep going back to a .357 J-Frame snubby.

I really think your wife needs to have alot of input on her gun. Everyone keeps talking about guns that will be good for both of you, but here is my take on that. I'm 5'1" so I have small hands. I can shoot most any handgun, but I've discovered that I have complete confidence and control with a .380 and to me that is a necessity for a carry weapon. I carry a Sig Sauer and absolutely love it. Good luck!