Thinking about buying handgun...

[drew2kew]

I have never owned a gun before except BB guns, but thinking of purchasing one. After seeing that story about that man eating another man's face in miami, me and my wife decided we need protection. What's a good handgun to purchase at maybe an Academy or similar store? Nothing with too much kick.

[drew2kew]

And maybe some tips on use. Thank you

[RuckusJr]

Point and shoot. Aim for the head on zombies.

[Topside]

find a shooting range near you that lets you "rent" guns- that way you can try a bunch and find what you like best. you should also take a class from a NRA certified instructor. im not familiar with the gun laws in TX- you might be required to take the course before being able to purchase a handgun.

[bigvig]

If youve never owned a gun, take some classes. You dont want to be on the news for shooting yourself or your wife. Yes, its a lot of common sense. However, one mind cramp can kill someone. A couple years back a local guys kids were at their camp. 4 teenage boys hanging out. One had a handgun....loaded....with the safety off!!!!! When he passed it to another kid, the kid grabbed it by the grip, pulled the trigger and blew the other kids brains out. It happens that fast.

As for a gun, all kick. The recoil difference between most handguns is so minimal you wont notice it. What I like is a good combination of size, comfort and caliber. I own everything between the smallest (.22 caliber) and the largest (.470). My absolute favorite gun that I carry everywhere is my Taurus .45 ACP. Not too big, fits comfortably in my hand and if I had to shoot someone, it WOULD stop them. Go to the store, ask TONS of questions, pick up TONS of different models and if they have a range and let you shoot them, DO IT! Thats the only way to get the right gun for yourself since you arent a "gun person".

[sonofdestro]

If you just want a gun for home defense and not concealed carry, I would recommend getting a shotgun. The Remington 870 and Mossberg 500 are both excellent choices. I won't go into the many reasons why shotguns are superior to pistols for home defense purposes, because you can find a wealth of information on the net concerning the subject.

[sharky]

Im not familiar with the gun laws in TX- you might be required to take the course before being able to purchase a handgun.
Whatever the laws are I'm sure they are more gun frinedly in Texas. :)

[Spectre]

If you are looking for a home defense weapon, go with a shotgun.
A 12 gauge pump would be best. Like a Rem 870. Use 6 or 4 shot in it as it will do all the damge you need and won't go through interior walls like a pistol. Very important if you have others in your home such as children or live in close to others. With a shotgun all you need to do to point center mass and fire. If you don't have experience with handguns, get some range time before you buy one. Learn how to handle different models and cali's. Find the right one for you and your needs. But by far the shottgun is better.
I speak from many years of experience.

[bigvig]

Yes, home defense you want a 12ga pump shotgun. Youll never have an issue with it, it wont jam or fail, you can point it (instead of aiming) and kill your target, etc. Go with a Mossberg 500, 835 or 935. All can be had cheaply on the secondary market (I purchased a 935 2 years ago for $125 bucks and that included a $20 dollar box of steel shot AND a spare choke that was probably $20). Handguns are much easier to own though since they are smaller, you can conceal them, etc.

[Indiana Joe]

less thinking and more doing

[goodguys9]

Remington 870 Tactical

[MisterShipwreck]

As mentioned above - try to rent some guns. Find out what is best for you... Not someone else's favorite gun.

I've owned a ton of guns over the years - always buying and selling... And planning the next 3 purchases down the line.

After owning just about everything at one time or another, I found that I enjoy the Beretta 92 platform the best. Very easy to work on. I now have 9 of them (and a few other guns as well).

9mm is probably the way to go. Despite what ya see in the movies, all bullets are poor manstoppers. Shot placement is the key. The difference from 1 bullet to the next is not very much.

So, less recoil means more accuracy and better follow up shots. Also, 9mm is cheaper - hence being able to afford more practice.

Let us know what you end up getting :)

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g320/mistershipwreck/9-wheel-o-berettacopy.jpg

[CornDog_The_Ninja]

I have never owned a gun before except BB guns, but thinking of purchasing one. After seeing that story about that man eating another man's face in miami, me and my wife decided we need protection.

You live in Texas and you don't own a gun? Is that even possible?

[drew2kew]

I been holding and shooting quite a few handguns. Narrowed it down to the 92fs or g19. They feel balanced in my hand and I shoot pretty good with both. Hopefully Academy or Carter's country has a sale on them this weekend. There's also a gunshow in town, but last gunshow I went to there were very little glocks or barettas.

Havent been able to test out shotguns yet.

How hard will it be to put in night sites? do i need a device for alignment?

[Cody]

Codys Mother: "Ive been using bath salts for years, thank god I never tried to taste them?!"

[drew2kew]

You live in Texas and you don't own a gun? Is that even possible?

My dad had guns. 2 revolvers and a rifle. I loved shooting BB guns ever since I was young. But when I was 22, my cousin suicided with her husband's handgun. Thats why I been iffy about getting one. I love to shoot and all, but just worried about this and that.

[Cody]

The Grandmother: Him think to have a suicide

Sedaris' mother: You don't have a suicide! It HAS YOU!

[MisterShipwreck]

I been holding and shooting quite a few handguns. Narrowed it down to the 92fs or g19. They feel balanced in my hand and I shoot pretty good with both. Hopefully Academy or Carter's country has a sale on them this weekend. There's also a gunshow in town, but last gunshow I went to there were very little glocks or barettas.

Havent been able to test out shotguns yet.

How hard will it be to put in night sites? do i need a device for alignment?

Go to either the Reliant Center gunshow or the one at the George Brown Convention Center.

You will save $50-$75 on a Beretta 92 there.

Otherwise, a 92FS will cost you around $575-$595.