KJD Firearms Training

Buying a Handgun

You should not buy a handgun until you have shot it. The gun may feel good in your hand but it may not feel good when you shoot it. This can be a problem in some Northeast states as many gun stores do not have an attached range.

One solution is to take a Handgun training course. Often there are several handguns available for shooting during the course. This exposure will at least help you narrow down the type of handgun you're interested in; for example a revolver or a semi-auto. You can also get a good feel for the amount of recoil you are comfortable with. All handguns except .22 caliber handguns have recoil. Usually, the larger the caliber, the larger the recoil. I say usually because there are exceptions.

For example, a compact (or sub-compact) 9 mm may have more recoil than a full sized 357 magnum shooting 38 specials. In general small guns have more recoil as there is less gun to absorb the recoil. Another factor affecting recoil is the weight of the bullet. All ammo has the weight of the bullet stamped on the box. For example, 9mm can be 115 grain, 124 or 147 to site some. The heavier bullets have a bit more recoil and more stopping power as well.

It is very important that a handgun be cleaned regularly and so you need to field strip your handgun in order to clean it. When you have decided on the handgun you are purchasing, do the following: 1. Establish a working relationship with a salesperson at the gun store stocking the gun. Tell them of your intersted in the gun and the approximate purchase time. You may even want to put a deposit on the handgun. 2. When you're ready to buy, go to the gun store during the week when it isn't crowded and ask the salesperson to field strip the handgun and then reassemble. You do the same. If you are unable to field strip and reassemble the handgun then you don't want to buy that handgun.

You may want to consider purchasing a used handgun. There are many good used handguns for sale and every gun store has some in stock. Used guns are cheaper than new guns. Ideally it would be good to talk to the orginial owner, if possible. You can ask the approximate number of rounds shot, how long they owned the gun, are they the original ower or did they buy it used, etc. You can save some money and perhaps make a shooting friend in the process.

Firearms -- Getting Started

So you want to shoot? That's good! There are places you can go where they will rent you a gun (you will need to purchase ammo from them), provide you ear & eye protection and finally a place to shoot. But you might have a few questions that may not be fully answered such as:

1. What handgun should I start with?

2. How do I hold, aim and shoot the handgun?

3. What kind of ammo should I use? How many rounds should I shoot?

The answer to these and other questions you have will determine your future with the shooting sports.

Everyone who has ever shot a handgun, has an opinion. An opinion on the best gun for a beginner, how to shoot a handgun, why this ammo is better than that and so on. And if you talk to enough people during the day, your head will be spinning by 6pm and you may be more confused than you were when you started.

If you are serious about learning to shoot and shoot properly, you want take training. Go to a professional who will answer your questions and teach you the correct way the shoot.  Like other sports, muscle memory plays an important part in good shooting. If you develop wrong muscle memory it has to be undone before you can develop the right muscle memory. You can go through a few hundred rounds of ammo in the process and as you know (or will soon know) ammo is not cheap.

So save yourself time and money and take training from a professional as you begin the shooting sports.