Help me buy my first gun

[RWW]

To everyone: Thanks for all the input; it's been mostly helpful.

I want to follow up on this though:

Missouri has gun shows all the time all over the place, the newspaper is a good place too.

I've been looking into gun shows since before I started this thread, but there doesn't seem to be one scheduled anywhere near me until at least March. I don't feel I can afford to wait that long. I have been watching the local papers, though.

Gun show or private sell = no paper work.

If I understand correctly, the law would disagree, for handguns. Personally, I don't care a whit about the law in this matter, but will other Missourians really just ignore it like that?

To those of you who have given advice regarding non-handguns, I understand what you're saying and I would ideally like to have a 12-gauge on hand as well, but my priority right now is to obtain something that I could have on me at all times if the need arises in the near future (and I feel it will).

[Proud 2b Peculiar]

All I can tell you is rumors at this point. I have not engaged in the things that I hear about regarding unregistered weapons.

I have heard many get guns in pieces or just get them at the shows.... Everyone around says go to the shows, you will find what you are looking for.

When I first moved here from Utah, I was not totally awake, and I was scared of all the criminals that talked about their unregistered guns... well.. They understood the Constitution better then I did at the time.

[Blip]

The best gun is whatever gun you can get your hands on. They are getting hard to get.

Hi-point compact 9mm, makorav, tokoravs, cz-52s, cz-82s, .38 specials (don't like them), any eastern block types are usually compact and around 200 $s. All of these are around 200. There are a bunch of revolvers that can be purchased for cheap. Avoid the nagant revolver, because of the ammo. Good luck not leaveing a paper trail. Gun owners are asking for all the info on the people they sell to now. From what I HEARD.

Remember that you can also hunt with a shotgun. From birds to large game.

If I didn't have much I would seriously consider a hi-point 9mm and a pump shotgun. Dalton is right. Just the sound of that pump action is enough to scare people off.

[ChelC]

Here's my advice. Go to a shooting range that also rents handguns and try them. The safest gun is going to be the one you are the most comfortable with handling. Have them show you how to take it down and practice different types there in the store. Our personal preference of all that we've tried is our XD40. My husband and I both love it. It has some nice safety features and packs a serious punch without too much recoil. I can't say how accurate it is for me, because that would require accuracy on my part I'm not there yet! It's pretty accurate for my husband, but I'm positive that is a fluke, or at least that's what I tell him.

Shawn is right about the cost of the ammo. The .40 ammo is much more expensive, BUT when all the stores were out of 9mm stuff, they still had stuff for our .40, so I don't know. We also have a 380 which we like, it's smaller to carry, but it doesn't feel nearly as nice in your hand as the XD does.

[ShawnC]

I have a Hi-Point 9mm that works great.

My cz-52 is better than your hi-point. And the round is better too. That means that I am better. Nahnah..nahnahnah..nah.

I called CZ and asked them about this and they actually told me that mine is better than yours! Wierd huh?

[ShawnC]

Sweet! All these people saying I am right for a change. Booyah!

[Blip]

I called CZ and asked them about this and they actually told me that mine is better than yours! Wierd huh?

This is obviously hate filled propaganda. Woe unto the liar for he shall be thrust down to HE!!.

[ShawnC]

I called CZ and asked them about this and they actually told me that mine is better than yours! Wierd huh?

This is obviously hate filled propaganda. Woe unto the liar for he shall be thrust down to HE!!.

Also a moose once bit my sister.

[Blip]

Now that I believe. Moose are violent creatures. I bet you wish you would have had a CZ-52 to protect her. They are almost as bad as those baby seals that the Canadians have to club for self defence purposes.

[Blip]

Look at this brave warrior defending his homeland.

http://www.seashepherd.org/seals-resour ... bing_4.jpg

[ShawnC]

No really, moose bites can be quite nasty!

I actually have a CZ-100 in the .40. Pretty nice gun, and is the one I usually carry. I have small stubby fingers and it has a single stack that fits my hands nicely. A little less accurate then I want, but can hit a person at 25 yards consistently.

I recon I may just let my carry permit run out and not renew as I am trying to remove all trace of myself from public information and such.

I once used the CZ on a bunch of mexican whooping llamas. Quite effective.

[Blip]

You in the rockies?

[ShawnC]

You in the rockies?

2 potatoes are standing on a street corner, how do you tell which one is the prostitute?

-The one with the lable that says....wait for it...IDAHO!

I really hope that wasn't offensive to anyone, I think that one is tremendously funny.

The moose stuff is from Monty Python. If you had seen it you would probably have recognized it. Or at least seen it as many times as I have.

[Blip]

Idaho is nothing but mountains, huh. Good place to be.

-The one with the lable that says....wait for it...IDAHO!

Could you explain this in more detail?

[ShawnC]

Idaho is nothing but mountains, huh. Good place to be.

-The one with the lable that says....wait for it...IDAHO!

Could you explain this in more detail?

Really?

OK...

I-DA-HO

[Blip]

You should have a higher opinion of yourself. Repent and stop being such a HO. God will forgive you.

Got you.

[crash-n-burn]

RWW
You have started out right by asking the questions and acknowledging your lack of experience. This shows intelligence and the aptitude required for gun ownership.
First determine your use. You have stated you want this for concealed carry.
Determine who will use the weapon, only you, your spouse, daughter, or mother? This will help you determine type and caliber.
Find a qualified instructor such as an NRA instructor to help you learn. As CHELC mentioned go to a store and rent a few and try them out. You will find gun owners the most friendly and willing to help people around. They want you to be educated, safe and effective with your new firearm.
There is no "perfect" firearm. As a matter of fact you will find that a few select guns will round out your preparations and they will range from your primary personal carry gun to others such as 22's, shotguns, etc. if you look under survivalblog.com and click on the "survival guns" link Jim has an excellent outline of choosing the proper gun and caliber.

One recommendation is to stay away from "off brands" or calibers. Ammunition and parts are very difficult to find. 38, 357, 9mm, 45 ACP are the most common and easily found. You may wonder why the 40cal was still available when the 9mm wasn't. Well supply and demand. The 40 is an excellent caliber but much rarer and more expensive.

Also I would suggest not letting price be the determining factor. Sell or trade something to get the additional money required to buy a well known brand in a popular caliber. I have never been pleased with a firearms purchase when price determined my purchase. For example you can buy an inexpensive pistol for $250-350 or a Glock or XD for $400-450 which is a much better commitment to your families safety.

[Spence]

You can look here for relative pricing.

http://www.impactguns.com/store/

.38 special revolver or Springfield XD is my recommendation.

[ChelC]

You may wonder why the 40cal was still available when the 9mm wasn't. Well supply and demand. The 40 is an excellent caliber but much rarer and more expensive.

Right, this was kind of my point. In certain circumstances it could be a plus. Cost of ammo doesn't matter if you can't get it.

[ChelC]

Shawn, you laugh at moose bites, but if you'd had close encounters with the moose kind as I had as a child, you would shudder at the thought! Quite frightening up close and personal, and it's not easy to run in water. Jeremy can back me up on this. Plus, Alaska moose are extra big, and thus extra frightening.

[ShawnC]

Shawn, you laugh at moose bites, but if you'd had close encounters with the moose kind as I had as a child, you would shudder at the thought! Quite frightening up close and personal, and it's not easy to run in water. Jeremy can back me up on this. Plus, Alaska moose are extra big, and thus extra frightening.

I have run into a few in my time. I was deer hunting one day alone, and the biggest bull moose I have seen walked right up to me so close that I could pet it. The gun was cocked and loaded but I simply and somewhat calmly walked away (backwards mind you, so I could watch him) and he left me alone. Scared me pretty good though. All kinds of thoughts went through my mind of how are they going to find my dead body, and would I be able to crawl back to the car if he maims me? Funny how the mind works that way.

Shawn

[Blip]

Get it while you can. Everything is about gone. It maybe a scare, may not be.

[lundbaek]

Has anybody had experience with the Makarov pistol? I understand they are available in the Russian 9mm short and in the .380.

[ChelC]

Shawn... that's sort of like my experience. I was wading in a lake trying to catch minnows and turned around intent on splashing my brothers who I heard in the water behind me only to discover that it wasn't my brothers! I was about eight or so. It was a cow, and I doubt she cared much about me, but I tripped all over myself trying to run out of that water. My parents were unfortunately a bit slow with the camera, so we have a picture of her somewhere but I was already out of the water at that point. Sneaky buggers.

[Blip]

Yes I have. Great little guns. I think they do make it in 9mm, but mine was 9x18. The 9x18 is not as good as the 9mm, but close. 2 thumbs down for the .380 (opinion)

I am telling you guys to look at something like this if you are short on change.

Gun

http://www.jgsales.com/product_info.php ... 02abadec0a

Ammo

http://www.jgsales.com/product_info.php ... ts_id/3145

This is a screaming round. Way better than the 9mm. Look at the price. My CZ-52 fires it. It is a has some serious punch.

We might have a problem getting imports, but from the way it looks, we may have a problem with domestic.

Get a few thousand rounds for it, while it is still cheap.

http://www.jgsales.com/index.php/ammo-f ... Path/25_28