8 tips first time gun buyers need to know BEFORE they buy

With all the political hubbub out there about firearms, I know that there are MANY people who do not own a firearm, but are now seriously considering getting one. And to those people, I strongly urge you to do so. Our 2nd amendment rights are under attack. So now is the time to exercise your rights. For more on protecting your second amendment rights, please click here.

Being able to defend yourself and your family is ultimately your responsibility. Hence having the means and ability to do so is paramount.

But before you rush out there and buy the first new shiny gun you see, you should consider these tips. They will help make your buying experience easier and more rewarding.

1 – Ask yourself if you could pull the trigger

My first firearms instructor once told me, “Do NOT point your gun at anything you are not ready to destroy.” He was absolutely right.

For those of you who are considering purchasing your first firearm for self-defense, you need to do something. The first thing you need to do, before rushing to a gun store or even looking online, is to stop and think for a bit.

Could you pull the trigger if you had to? Could you possibly take another human life?

If you have some doubts now about whether you could potentially kill another human being should you be in a life threatening event, those doubts will most likely be compounded and magnified in a high stress incident. Many times people react to highly stressful situations much differently than how they anticipate they would. Some people may “freeze up”, hide, or run. The whole “fight or flight” thing kicks in.

Unfortunately for many people, they don’t know how they will react until the event is happening. But like I said, doubts now are a good indicator of what you might do in those events.

“Even if I can’t bring myself to pull the trigger, I could get a gun and just hold it. The threat of a gun will scare them off!” you say.

BAD idea! While the mere sight of a gun is often time enough to send a criminal fleeing, there are times where the sight of a gun could escalate the situation. The bad guy may try to take it from you, or worse, he may pull out his gun. And in that case, chances are strong that he WILL pull the trigger resulting in a very bad day for you.

I’m assuming that since you are still reading, you have thought it out and decided that if you and or your friends/family were in danger, you could defend yourself with deadly force. Training and range time will significantly help to build your confidence. So if you have some concerns about this, I HIGHLY recommend regular training with your firearm. At the bottom of this article I have links to help you with training.

2- Determine the purpose of your firearm

Firearms are tools. There are different types of guns for different types of jobs. So decide what your gun will be used for. Do you want a pistol that you can conceal for self-defense? Were you thinking shotgun? Rifle? There are pros and cons to each type of firearm, so YOU have to determine what is best for you.

Pistols are obviously much easier to conceal. Rifles are better for shooting at a distance. Shotguns are the most versatile. Determine what you need, and what will work for you based upon your situation.

For self-defense and EDC carry, I recommend a pistol or revolver. They are easy to conceal. A lot of folks like shotguns for home defense. And if you are a beginning hunter, a rifle is probably the way you want to go. But again, you need to decide which you prefer and which will help you the most in your situation.

3 – Decide which firearm is right for you

When it comes to firearms or calibers, what is most important is what YOU feel comfortable with. A 44 magnum (think Dirty Harry Callahan) won’t do you much good if the gun is unwieldy, the recoil is too much for you, or you simply do not feel comfortable with it. I promise you, a .22 caliber bullet (one of the smaller bullets out there) can be just as deadly as a shotgun in the right situation. I mean, the end result is dead!

Several years ago, my ex-girlfriend decided that she wanted to get her carry conceal license, and she wanted to purchase a pistol. She had shot my mid-sized Glock before, but I thought she would do well with a snub nosed .38 revolver. In my mind, it was small enough to fit in her purse, wouldn’t jam, and it had enough “stopping power” should she have to use it.

We went to a local gun range where we could rent firearms, and I rented her a Smith and Wesson .38 revolver. But after 3 or 4 shots, she turned to me and said “I don’t like it.”

She explained to me that she just didn’t feel comfortable with it, and she liked shooting my Glock more. So while I fired off the rest of the ammo for the revolver, she sent a bunch more lead down range from my Glock.

In the end, she got her carry conceal license, bought a Glock, and we eventually went our separate ways. But I realized that what I thought would suit her didn’t matter. It was what SHE felt comfortable with. And the same is true for you.

So before you buy anything, I’d encourage you to shoot some different firearms and different calibers. See what feels right for you. If you can’t find a gun range that will allow you to test fire or rent, see if you have friends or co-workers who shoot, and tag along with them.

And if all else fails, I would find multiple online videos and watch them. Get a general consensus of the firearm. (I typically do this in addition to test firing…but I LOVE watching gun videos.) In fact, I would encourage you to do this IN ADDITION to test firing. You might see a few firearms that you want to try out.

4 – Try to stick with a new firearm the first time you buy

While there are plenty of quality guns that are used and obviously cheaper, there are also plenty of unscrupulous dealers out there. There could be issues or problems with the gun that you are not aware of. And they could be small enough that the untrained eye would not notice them. So until you have more experience and know what to look for, I would stick to getting something brand new.

In addition, most firearms have a manufacturer’s warranty. (Be sure to ask about that when purchasing.) If something goes wrong with your gun, it can be fixed or replaced usually at the manufacturer’s expense. But with a used gun, the warranty may be expired. Or the previous owner may have done something to the firearm which voids the warranty. (Some gun modifications can void a warranty on a firearm.)

I understand money can be tight for a lot of folks. So if you do buy used, make sure it is from a person/dealer that you trust. Below is a video (not me) on things to know when you purchase a used pistol. Hopefully this helps you if you feel that this is the route you need to take. Again, you know your circumstances better than anyone. (I watched the video, solid info in my opinion.)

5 – Stick with a common caliber

At the age of 21, I decided I wanted a “Dirty Harry gun”, a 44 magnum. And that was the extent of my firearm knowledge. So I went to a gun show with the intent of acquiring such a revolver.

The first booth I found that had 44 magnums, I was excited…until I saw the price tag. OUCH! I was a poor struggling college student. And although I had some money burning a hole in my pocket, I didn’t have THAT much.

“Not to worry” said the man in the booth. He had a used 44 Special. Almost the same thing…right? The bullets are close to the same size. (For the record, a 44 mag will shoot 44 special rounds, but not vice versa.) And on top of that, since it was my first gun, he would throw in a box of rounds for FREE!

What college student doesn’t love FREE?

Needless to say I was tickled pink with my purchase, and within a few days I was at the range. I pulled the trigger, and it went bang every time. No issues…until I ran out of bullets. The employee at the range didn’t generally carry 44 special rounds. In fact, the only store I could find that did was 20 miles away from my house!!?! And to make matters worse, I had no idea how expensive that ammo was. (In terms of a poor struggling college student.)

Well this sucks!

Ok…time to rethink my plan. The guy at the range seems to have plenty of .357 ammo. While it was still expensive, it is cheaper than 44 special. So at the next gun show, I traded the 44 special for a Rossi .357 magnum. (I’ll let you guess who got the better end of that deal.)

Anyway, my point is that I’d stick to calibers that are common and usually plentiful. For handguns, .22lr, 9mm, 40 cal, .357, and 45 APC. For shotguns 12 gauge is the most common. But 20 gauge and .410 are also easy to find. For rifles, .223/5.56 and .308 are probably the most common in the US. 30-06 and .270 are also readily available. (.22 is also available in rifles.)

I am not discounting other calibers I did not mention. There might be other calibers not on my list that are plentiful. I’m simply giving you a starting point.

6 – How much is your life worth?

To me, when it comes to firearms, quality matters. My life may someday depend on it! So ask yourself, how cheap am I willing to go on a tool that could someday save my life? You should budget yourself for a decent, quality firearm.

Guys…if you are buying a gun for your wife/girlfriend, that question applies to her as well. What is her life worth to you?

About a year or so after I acquired my Rossi .357, I realized that in the movies, the action heroes were all carrying semiautomatics. That must mean that the revolver is old and outdated. I had to get with the times and get a semi-automatic! (Oh to be young and naïve again.)

Unfortunately, the money burning a hole in my pocket was not quite as large a sum as the last time. So I was basing my decision almost solely upon the cost. I found a semi-auto that I could easily afford. I determined its caliber, and then walked around the gun show. That caliber round seemed to be available, and was cheaper than .357. (See? I had learned my lesson from the 44 special.)

I left the gun show confident with my Bryco/Jennings .380. The fact that it cost me only $100 should have been a clue.

For those who are new to firearms, a Bryco/Jennings (now Jimenez Arms) firearm is quite possibly the cheapest firearm on the market. It had several design flaws, and was eventually sued because of it. You can read here about the lawsuit filed and won over design flaws with this pistol.

I quickly learned that cleaning it was a pain in the ass because it was VERY difficult to field strip. It wasn’t always reliable and sometimes had problems with ammo jamming. In the end, I put maybe 500-600 rounds through it. I didn’t like it so I didn’t shoot it much. It stayed in a shoe box in my closet for years.

A few years ago, I gave it to my brother. He put maybe 200 rounds through it before the frame cracked. Yes, that is a picture of it. Less than 1000 rounds through it. Junk!

I’m not going to get into “which gun manufacturer is better” debate. What’s the point? Everyone has their opinion and in the end it is up to YOU to decide. But I would encourage you to stick to a brand that has a solid reputation.

You have the benefit of the internet and YouTube. Do some research. Try out different manufacturers before purchasing one. Shoot a Glock, a Smith& Wesson, a Springfield, etc and decide which one works for you.

Remember, this is an investment that could save your life someday.

7 – Skill with a firearm can go rusty

Ok, you made a purchase that you are happy with and managed to put some rounds down range without shooting your eye out. However, that does not mean you are good to go. You need to build your skill level up. You do this by spending time at the range practicing.

Remember when I talked about not always knowing how you would react in a high stress situation? Well practice and repetition help to build confidence. And those things will help to determine how you react if you find yourself in a life threatening event.

As I said above, this is a skill that can go rusty over time. So make “range time” a fairly common occurrence in your life. If you can, get your significant other to go with you. With a gun in the house, they should know how to use it as well.

If you have children, teach them firearm safety! The NRA has a wonderful Eddie Eagle program that teaches firearm safety to kids. When my sons were growing up, I took them to the range so much it was sometimes boring to them. But they know firearm safety inside and out!

8 – Don’t forget about low-light situations

As I have said in other articles, you could find yourself in a deadly situation at night. So you want to make sure you have solid sights on your firearm. Do they stand out? Are they easy to see and allow for quick target acquisition? I have OEM sights on my Glock, which glow at night and in low light scenarios. (See pic on the right)

Ease of being able to attach an external light source to your firearm is also something you should think about. This is especially true if you plan on having your firearm for self-defense purposes.

My home defense system involves my Glock 23. I prefer this because I have a lot of corners in my house, and it is MUCH easier to move around those corners with a pistol. In addition to my night sights, I also have a Streamlight TLR 1 mounted to my Glock.

Purchasing a firearm can seem like a daunting task. Hopefully by reading this you feel a bit more comfortable. Feel free to post any questions in the comments below.

More Resources

If you would like to read more on prepper firearms, click here for the follow up article. I try to go a bit more in depth on EDC and home defense firearms. In Part II, I cover firearms for a long term survival scenario.

To learn about building your own AR, click here.

For hints and tips on carrying your EDC firearm every day, click here.

For hints and tips on firearms training and surviving deadly encounters, click here.

5 potential shooting problems new handgun owners will experience

Top 5 Carry/Conceal handguns under $500

Best budget battle rifles for preppers

Gun safety tips for parents and first time gun owners

What you need to know about firearm accessories

Some tips on cleaning your firearms

Stay safe out there!

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