Do you personally own a gun?

[David S]

More than one.

For those who don't have a gun but are thinking of buying one; do yourself a favor and take an NRA safety class. They have hunter education classes and personal protection classes. Both will teach you to use layers of safety, so that one error does not result in tragedy.

[Democratic Hawk]

No - never have, never will

Dave

[WiseGuy]

More than one.

For those who don't have a gun but are thinking of buying one; do yourself a favor and take an NRA safety class. They have hunter education classes and personal protection classes. Both will teach you to use layers of safety, so that one error does not result in tragedy.

Since you seem to know a lot about guns, I was wondering what kind of gun would be best for me to buy when I got one?  I plan to use it for range shooting and home/personal defence.

[John Dibble]

More than one.

For those who don't have a gun but are thinking of buying one; do yourself a favor and take an NRA safety class. They have hunter education classes and personal protection classes. Both will teach you to use layers of safety, so that one error does not result in tragedy.

Since you seem to know a lot about guns, I was wondering what kind of gun would be best for me to buy when I got one?  I plan to use it for range shooting and home/personal defence.

I'd defer to him, but I did some reading on the subject yesterday and it sounds like a double-action revolver would be the best type in general since you don't have to cock it(you can, but just pulling the trigger hard will fire) and you can leave the bullets in as long as you want(semi-automatic magazines should have their bullets taken out every month because leaving them in screws up the spring and can cause jamming). If you get one I recommend getting a speed loader or two.

[Richard]

More than one.

For those who don't have a gun but are thinking of buying one; do yourself a favor and take an NRA safety class. They have hunter education classes and personal protection classes. Both will teach you to use layers of safety, so that one error does not result in tragedy.

Since you seem to know a lot about guns, I was wondering what kind of gun would be best for me to buy when I got one? I plan to use it for range shooting and home/personal defence.

Drop the defense goal first, and learn to use a firearm.  Get yourself a cheap .22 rimfire rifle until your aim is good.

[John Dibble]

More than one.

For those who don't have a gun but are thinking of buying one; do yourself a favor and take an NRA safety class. They have hunter education classes and personal protection classes. Both will teach you to use layers of safety, so that one error does not result in tragedy.

Since you seem to know a lot about guns, I was wondering what kind of gun would be best for me to buy when I got one? I plan to use it for range shooting and home/personal defence.

Drop the defense goal first, and learn to use a firearm.  Get yourself a cheap .22 rimfire rifle until your aim is good.

Well, he should practice with the kind of gun he wants to end up using first, I think. Just my opinion.

[Storebought]

I will sooner just rent a gun and shoot at a range than own one. Because of my, ahem, skin complexion, owing a gun is politically disadvantageous.

Still, it is murderously stupid for a robber to jump a stranger, what with TX's lenient conceal and carry laws.

[WiseGuy]

More than one.

For those who don't have a gun but are thinking of buying one; do yourself a favor and take an NRA safety class. They have hunter education classes and personal protection classes. Both will teach you to use layers of safety, so that one error does not result in tragedy.

Since you seem to know a lot about guns, I was wondering what kind of gun would be best for me to buy when I got one?  I plan to use it for range shooting and home/personal defence.

I'd defer to him, but I did some reading on the subject yesterday and it sounds like a double-action revolver would be the best type in general since you don't have to cock it(you can, but just pulling the trigger hard will fire) and you can leave the bullets in as long as you want(semi-automatic magazines should have their bullets taken out every month because leaving them in screws up the spring and can cause jamming). If you get one I recommend getting a speed loader or two.

Thanks for the info.  Anybody have any idea on what brand I should get?

[AkSaber]

More than one.

For those who don't have a gun but are thinking of buying one; do yourself a favor and take an NRA safety class. They have hunter education classes and personal protection classes. Both will teach you to use layers of safety, so that one error does not result in tragedy.

Since you seem to know a lot about guns, I was wondering what kind of gun would be best for me to buy when I got one?  I plan to use it for range shooting and home/personal defence.

I'd defer to him, but I did some reading on the subject yesterday and it sounds like a double-action revolver would be the best type in general since you don't have to cock it(you can, but just pulling the trigger hard will fire) and you can leave the bullets in as long as you want(semi-automatic magazines should have their bullets taken out every month because leaving them in screws up the spring and can cause jamming). If you get one I recommend getting a speed loader or two.

Thanks for the info.  Anybody have any idea on what brand I should get?

I think the brand you want is totally up to you.

[WiseGuy]

More than one.

For those who don't have a gun but are thinking of buying one; do yourself a favor and take an NRA safety class. They have hunter education classes and personal protection classes. Both will teach you to use layers of safety, so that one error does not result in tragedy.

Since you seem to know a lot about guns, I was wondering what kind of gun would be best for me to buy when I got one? I plan to use it for range shooting and home/personal defence.

I'd defer to him, but I did some reading on the subject yesterday and it sounds like a double-action revolver would be the best type in general since you don't have to cock it(you can, but just pulling the trigger hard will fire) and you can leave the bullets in as long as you want(semi-automatic magazines should have their bullets taken out every month because leaving them in screws up the spring and can cause jamming). If you get one I recommend getting a speed loader or two.

Thanks for the info. Anybody have any idea on what brand I should get?

I think the brand you want is totally up to you.

Yeah, but I was asking if anyone had any ideas about which were good quality.

[The Dowager Mod]

Mines a .32 smith&Wesson revolver.
I used to carry it in my purse when i was in Texas,but here i can't.

[WiseGuy]

Mines a .32 smith&Wesson revolver.
I used to carry it in my purse when i was in Texas,but here i can't.

You own a gun???  Well, I guess it isn't that big a surprise since you lived it Texas.  Gald at least that rubbed off on you

[angus]

None of the choices fit, so I'll post my own response:

(R)  I have neither owned nor fired a gun.  But I'm pretty sure that if these authoritarian Democrats get their way and outlaw gun ownership I'll stock my house with them and invite Teddy (who'd he drug, rape and kill lately?) Kennedy to come and take them away personally.  I do not own a gun BY CHOICE.  And as long as it's a choice, I'll not own one. 

Guns don't kill people.  Drunk rednecks with alcohol, firearms, and motorboats in combination kill people.  Usually themselves.

My choice not to have them in my home.  Not the government's choice.

[Joe Kakistocracy]

None of the choices fit, so I'll post my own response:

(R)  I have neither owned nor fired a gun.  But I'm pretty sure that if these authoritarian Democrats get their way and outlaw gun ownership I'll stock my house with them and invite Teddy (who'd he drug, rape and kill lately?) Kennedy to come and take them away personally.  I do not own a gun BY CHOICE.  And as long as it's a choice, I'll not own one. 

Guns don't kill people.  Drunk rednecks with alcohol, firearms, and motorboats in combination kill people.  Usually themselves.

My choice not to have them in my home.  Not the government's choice.

Hey angus, where you been buddy?  It's been a while since we last saw you around.

[ilikeverin]

No, and I don't plan on getting one. I'm personally a pacifist, although I'm not the type who thinks that everyone else should be one.

So you're not a militant pacifist.

Basically. I simply would prefer not to resort to violence if at all possible. I don't care what anyone else does. I suppose I'm not 100% pacifistic since, if someone was actively trying to kill me, I probably wouldn't just sit there and take it, but I would likely want to resolve the situation in a fashion that didn't involve killing the other person, though, if at all possible. I simply would really not like to have the thought of having killed another person on my conscience, even if that person was what many would consider to be "evil", or whatever.

I prefer the self-defense technique called 'running away while screaming like a little girl'

[dazzleman]

None of the choices fit, so I'll post my own response:

(R)  I have neither owned nor fired a gun.  But I'm pretty sure that if these authoritarian Democrats get their way and outlaw gun ownership I'll stock my house with them and invite Teddy (who'd he drug, rape and kill lately?) Kennedy to come and take them away personally.  I do not own a gun BY CHOICE.  And as long as it's a choice, I'll not own one. 

Guns don't kill people.  Drunk rednecks with alcohol, firearms, and motorboats in combination kill people.  Usually themselves.

My choice not to have them in my home.  Not the government's choice.

Excellent.  I couldn't have said it better myself, man.  Your logic has been missed around here lately.

[David S]

More than one.

For those who don't have a gun but are thinking of buying one; do yourself a favor and take an NRA safety class. They have hunter education classes and personal protection classes. Both will teach you to use layers of safety, so that one error does not result in tragedy.

Since you seem to know a lot about guns, I was wondering what kind of gun would be best for me to buy when I got one?  I plan to use it for range shooting and home/personal defence.

Well if you want to start with a .22 I would suggest a Ruger MKII. Its pretty inexpensive as handguns go, and its accuracy is decent too. You can get target models with a bull barrel that are very accurate and still not too expensive.  .22 ammo is far cheaper than any centerfire ammo. Recoil and noise are minimal.

If you want a gun for defense, double action revolvers are easiest to master. Smith & Wesson and Ruger both make excellent guns. Taurus may be  OK too although I'm not sure about the quality. Years ago they weren't too good but I understand they have improved. A .357 magnum with a 4" or 6" barrel would be a good starter gun, although I don't recommend using magnum ammo at first. The blast and recoil of a magnum round are spooky for a new shooter. But its perfectly safe to fire .38 special ammo in a .357 magnum gun and its much easier to control. The magnum gun gives you the flexibility of using .38 special rounds for target practice, or using .357 magnum ammo if you want more power for defense or even deer hunting. If you buy a .38 special revolver you cannot fire magnum ammo in it.
At first you will probably shoot it in single action mode i.e you cock the hammer with your thumb and then squeeze the trigger to fire it. That makes for a light crisp trigger pull and its easier to shoot accurately. But after you get acustomed to it you should fire it double action. Then you don't cock the hammer you just pull the trigger. That creates a long stiff trigger pull and makes it harder to shoot accurately, but you can definitely fire faster that way. Eventually you will get the knack of it.

Another popular gun for a defense pistol would be a Glock semi-auto. Its  used by many civilians, and police depts. Its very simple to use, reliable and safe if you follow safety rules. It has no manually operated safety, but does have internal safetys that keep it from firing if dropped. There is also a small safety lever inside the trigger, so once you put your finger on the trigger the gun is ready to fire. Note that it is not safe if a child gets a hold of it, although neither is any other gun either. The trigger pull is smooth and light and feels like a single action although its really a cross between a single action and a double action. Its availabe in 9mm, .40 S&W, .45ACP and 10mm and a few less common calibers. It also comes in the full size version, a semi-compact , and a compact which is nice if you have a concealed carry permit permit. For home defense the full frame model in any of the first three calibers would be a good choice. (The 10mm is a real heater that scares even some experienced shooters.)

By all means take a safety training class. Everyone thinks he's an expert on guns until he shoots the refrigerator (or worse) so take the class!

[Giant Saguaro]

.357 magnum is a pretty good weapon - once a person gets used to a larger caliber, I personally would recommend it. That and the .38 would be about the perfect thing for defense and would be what you'd need, IMO - I know a lot of people who have .38 revolvers - compact enough as to not take up much space and it's medium enough still as to not be an outright hand cannon. And as David suggests, best to not start with the larger calibers.

For a semi-automatic, I like the classic Colt .45, but I don't think there are many of those around anymore. Some folks don't like semi automatics because they can jam and these folks usually prefer revolvers. So it depends on preference and what a person likes once they start practicing.

[David S]

No, and I don't plan on getting one. I'm personally a pacifist, although I'm not the type who thinks that everyone else should be one.

So you're not a militant pacifist.

Basically. I simply would prefer not to resort to violence if at all possible. I don't care what anyone else does. I suppose I'm not 100% pacifistic since, if someone was actively trying to kill me, I probably wouldn't just sit there and take it, but I would likely want to resolve the situation in a fashion that didn't involve killing the other person, though, if at all possible. I simply would really not like to have the thought of having killed another person on my conscience, even if that person was what many would consider to be "evil", or whatever.

I prefer the self-defense technique called 'running away while screaming like a little girl'

Actually there is nothing wrong with that technique as long as you are able to run somewhere. Some states actually require that you  do that if possible, and only shoot if you cannot run away.  The problem comes when you have nowhere to run or the intruder is attacking a loved one. Then you need a more forceful response.

[??????????]

.357 magnum is a pretty good weapon - once a person gets used to a larger caliber, I personally would recommend it. That and the .38 would be about the perfect thing for defense and would be what you'd need, IMO - I know a lot of people who have .38 revolvers - compact enough as to not take up much space and it's medium enough still as to not be an outright hand cannon. And as David suggests, best to not start with the larger calibers.

For a semi-automatic, I like the classic Colt .45, but I don't think there are many of those around anymore. Some folks don't like semi automatics because they can jam and these folks usually prefer revolvers. So it depends on preference and what a person likes once they start practicing.

I like the Colt 1910 .45 personally. Now that is one hell of a weapon. I have no idea why the military gave that up for the crappy 9mm.

[John Dibble]

No, and I don't plan on getting one. I'm personally a pacifist, although I'm not the type who thinks that everyone else should be one.

So you're not a militant pacifist.

Basically. I simply would prefer not to resort to violence if at all possible. I don't care what anyone else does. I suppose I'm not 100% pacifistic since, if someone was actively trying to kill me, I probably wouldn't just sit there and take it, but I would likely want to resolve the situation in a fashion that didn't involve killing the other person, though, if at all possible. I simply would really not like to have the thought of having killed another person on my conscience, even if that person was what many would consider to be "evil", or whatever.

I prefer the self-defense technique called 'running away while screaming like a little girl'

Actually there is nothing wrong with that technique as long as you are able to run somewhere. Some states actually require that you  do that if possible, and only shoot if you cannot run away.  The problem comes when you have nowhere to run or the intruder is attacking a loved one. Then you need a more forceful response.

There's another problem with that technique:


God I love this chart, lol.

[WiseGuy]

Well if you want to start with a .22 I would suggest a Ruger MKII. Its pretty inexpensive as handguns go, and its accuracy is decent too. You can get target models with a bull barrel that are very accurate and still not too expensive.  .22 ammo is far cheaper than any centerfire ammo. Recoil and noise are minimal.

If you want a gun for defense, double action revolvers are easiest to master. Smith & Wesson and Ruger both make excellent guns. Taurus may be  OK too although I'm not sure about the quality. Years ago they weren't too good but I understand they have improved. A .357 magnum with a 4" or 6" barrel would be a good starter gun, although I don't recommend using magnum ammo at first. The blast and recoil of a magnum round are spooky for a new shooter. But its perfectly safe to fire .38 special ammo in a .357 magnum gun and its much easier to control. The magnum gun gives you the flexibility of using .38 special rounds for target practice, or using .357 magnum ammo if you want more power for defense or even deer hunting. If you buy a .38 special revolver you cannot fire magnum ammo in it.
At first you will probably shoot it in single action mode i.e you cock the hammer with your thumb and then squeeze the trigger to fire it. That makes for a light crisp trigger pull and its easier to shoot accurately. But after you get acustomed to it you should fire it double action. Then you don't cock the hammer you just pull the trigger. That creates a long stiff trigger pull and makes it harder to shoot accurately, but you can definitely fire faster that way. Eventually you will get the knack of it.

Another popular gun for a defense pistol would be a Glock semi-auto. Its  used by many civilians, and police depts. Its very simple to use, reliable and safe if you follow safety rules. It has no manually operated safety, but does have internal safetys that keep it from firing if dropped. There is also a small safety lever inside the trigger, so once you put your finger on the trigger the gun is ready to fire. Note that it is not safe if a child gets a hold of it, although neither is any other gun either. The trigger pull is smooth and light and feels like a single action although its really a cross between a single action and a double action. Its availabe in 9mm, .40 S&W, .45ACP and 10mm and a few less common calibers. It also comes in the full size version, a semi-compact , and a compact which is nice if you have a concealed carry permit permit. For home defense the full frame model in any of the first three calibers would be a good choice. (The 10mm is a real heater that scares even some experienced shooters.)

By all means take a safety training class. Everyone thinks he's an expert on guns until he shoots the refrigerator (or worse) so take the class!

.357 magnum is a pretty good weapon - once a person gets used to a larger caliber, I personally would recommend it. That and the .38 would be about the perfect thing for defense and would be what you'd need, IMO - I know a lot of people who have .38 revolvers - compact enough as to not take up much space and it's medium enough still as to not be an outright hand cannon. And as David suggests, best to not start with the larger calibers.

For a semi-automatic, I like the classic Colt .45, but I don't think there are many of those around anymore. Some folks don't like semi automatics because they can jam and these folks usually prefer revolvers. So it depends on preference and what a person likes once they start practicing.

Thanks to both of you.

[WiseGuy]

I know realitivly nothing about this, so, if I'm asking to many stupid questions, just shoot me :P

But I was wondering if this gun would be suitable for Concealed Carry:

http://www.ruger.com/Firearms/FAProdView?model=1719&return=Y

[Gabu]

There's another problem with that technique:


God I love this chart, lol.

What exactly does "doing nothing" imply when you're being assaulted?  That you just sit there going "la de da, some guy is beating the crap out of me, I'll just take it and hope he gets bored"?

If so, uh, who are the people who would actually do that?

[John Dibble]

What exactly does "doing nothing" imply when you're being assaulted?  That you just sit there going "la de da, some guy is beating the crap out of me, I'll just take it and hope he gets bored"?

If so, uh, who are the people who would actually do that?

You know, that's a good question. Though assault is different than battery(the actual injury inflicted in an assault), so my guess would be these people who don't get inured probably just don't do anything, and maybe some friends of theirs hold the guy or something, maybe the guy stops the assault after attempting a couple of hits.