I am planning on getting into shooting target practice at my local gun club but am just getting into the sport. I dont know anything about guns. Right now i am researching all of the legal stuff involved with buying and having a gun. since i am a minor i will need my mom with me whenever i go to the range which kinda sucks but o well. the two guns that caught my eye were the Colt Gold Cup Trophy Stainless and the Smith and Wesson 945. they are both 45 ACP caliber. im not really sure what to get. should i start out with one of these guns?? I am only 15 but am pretty big for my age(6'1" and about 220lbs) so i dont want a little wussy gun. Please help, what do you think i should get? What will i(or my mom) have to do to get a handgun(liscenses, permits, etc.)??

thanks in advance
joe

 

Your mother will have to be, and frankly should be, very involved in the process. Be sure to get good information regarding the legalities of owning and handling firearms. In today's society, one mistake by gun owners is always magnified (and crucified) in the press.

Keep whatever you buy in a locked cabinet. Mom should be the only person who has the key. It's the only safe way to protect your mom. She is the one liable for any problems.

As far as caliber, I would not start with a 45 ACP. Consider a 357 which is an excellent place to start. Revolvers are much simpler to operate and can be excellent target guns. Get something with adjustable sights if you are planning to use it primarily for target shooting.

The beauty of the 357 round is that you can grow into the recoil by shooting 38 special rounds for a while until you and the gun get used to each other. And because of it's popularity, the guns and the ammuntion are reasonable in price.

I suspect that a 4 inch barrelled revolver would be well balanced in your hand. They are consistently some of the best balanced guns on the market.

Remember, the semi-auto, while a fine weapon (I own both), does require more dedication, practice and skill to master. It's a great second gun.

Lastly, find someone you trust in a gun store and try out a few. Preferably at a range. Learning gun safety is the most important information you may ever learn. You life depends on it.

Good luck and best of all, be very safe. Be sure to wear all of the necessary equipment (ear and eye protection, etc.).

Take care and be SAFE.

Hunt

 

IMHO, Hunt4Fun gave very sound advice.

GL, be safe and always follow rule # 1

Rule #1: Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.

Remember - once the trigger is pulled, you can't call back the bullet!

Natty

 

It's good to see a 'youngster' interested in guns and the safe/fun use of them. I taught our son about the awesome power of handguns, rifles, and shotguns. I wanted him to know what responsabilities he assumed whenever he picked one up. Happy to say we never had a problem and at 25, he has his own Glock 23.

I wouldn't get any Smith & Wesson weapon--for purely political reasons. I think the Colt is a better choice anyway. With your mass(large hands too?), I wouldn't think you'd have any physical problems with the .45 caliber. You might even want to take up reloading? If you're left-handed, you will need an ambidextrous safety or a left-handed safety. A well-made, properly maintained semi-automatic(useing the proper ammunition) should never give you any reliability concerns.

Btw, first rule to learn--keep your finger out of the trigger guard and off the trigger until your weapon is pointed down-range and on target. When you are ready to fire, you squeeze the trigger, you do not 'pull' it.

Stay safe and stay free.

Dan

 

good advice from all the guys here. I shot my first pistol when I was about 7 years old and been doing it since. They are a blast. I agree with the advice about having it locked up with only your mother having the key. If that gun got out of your hands (even without your control) and was used in a violent form, your mom would be the one held responsible and could go to jail for quite a long time.
Another rule to follow is this: THAT GUN IS ALWAYS LOADED!!!! I don't care if there is no magazine in the gun, and you know the chamber is empty. I don't care if it's in twenty pieces on the ground, or if the safety is on. Always treat it as if its loaded.
Might want to check out some of the handgun safety courses the NRA offers, heck, join the NRA .

 

J15BIG,

Here is a great site on firearms. Poke around, you will learn somethings.

http://thefiringline.com/forums/

Be safe and don't get carried away with the choice of your first gun,

 

Joe, right off you need to realize that there is no such thing as a "wussy" gun. Even the samllest deringer is capable of killing someone.

As others have said, you definitely need to take a gun safety course. Since you are not old enough to carry legally, I would recommend a smaller caliber handgun. Reason? Ammunition is cheap. Check the prices. .22's will be the least expensive, then .380, the 9mm. When you get into the bigger stuff you can easily find yourself spending 25 to 50 cents a shot. I think a 9 mm is a good compromise, or possibly a 38.

 

Good points! I still use my .22 handgun all the time! (my main handgun is a 9mm) mainly because you can buy a box of a hundred rounds and spent a few cents per shot, if that. With 9mm the price goes up to about a dime a shot. Doesn't sound too pricy but when your going through clip after clip you can spend a fair amount!
Also, a .22 is a great learning handgun. Problem is if you start with a 9mm or a .45 is you'll have to learn to handle the kickback instead of learning how to shoot the gun. if you start with a .22 you can learn the best ways to shoot the gun, then start focusing on kickback.

 

Great points being brought up here. I'd suggest finding a good firearms safety course and take it. It is mandatory for certain ages around here to have taken a course to buy a hunting license. The course I took was great and covered a lot of ground.

Small caliber is a great way to start, and much easier on the pocketbook!

I follow the same rule Mattadams does - I always treat the gun like it's loaded. Even if I know it is unloaded, chamber empty, torn down into pieces, safety on, whatever. Safety first!

I'm not a pistol guy, but the same rules apply to rifles and shotguns too. All are lethal, even in small "wussy" calibers.

 

thanks for all the help guys, didnt expect this much.

anyway, from what i have read, most of you dont think i should go with a 45, too much recoil for a first timer. so now, according to these posts, here are my choices
.22
.38
9mm
357
(did i miss any?)
the guys over at TFL say i should start out with a 22lr. now
lr=long rifle, right? i dont know if i really want a rifle, i was looking for more of a handgun type, but if thats what i should start out with to get some practice then i will go for it. one guy said that he bought a 1000 rounds for under $20 for his 22 and he bought a 1000 rounds for his 45 and it cost him close to $200 which makes me lean towards the 22. one of the guys recommended a ruger rifle. there are so many, if i were to go with a ruger, which one should i go with? i dont want a cheap one, but i also dont want top of the line because i dont need that yet. i just want middle of the road. is ruger the best choice? if i still want to go with a hand gun, can i get a 22, or can you only get that in a rifle? which handgun should i get?

thanks for all the info guys
joe

 

J15BIG,

You can buy a pistol in 22lr probably one of the best semi-auto pistols to learn with would be a Ruger Mark II. I have one I got to practice with so I wouldn't spend a fortune feeding my Beretta 9mm and Desert Eagle 44mag.. It is a fun pistol to shoot and with the bull barrel it has a little heft to it as well. Everybody else has great points on the safety and legal issues so I won't repeat them.
Jim

 

I think a nice little .22 pistol is the way to go. I remember having a good time with my Ruger Mk2. The Colt Buckmark is another nice one. It takes a lot of practice to be good at shooting a gun and ammo cost adds up in the larger calipers. Now once you've taught the little 22 bullets to find the X in the target you can start to teach the larger bullets.
Note that since you are in the Peoples Republik of Kalifornia you will have to contend with a gazillion really useless gunlaws. Make sure you know them because the cops, the state and the Feds sure don't.

Now, there are only 4 (four) rules for gun safety. Obey them always or something will happen:
1-The gun is ALWAYS loaded
2-Do not point the gun at anything you do not want to destroy.
3-Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.
4-Be aware of your target and what is behind it.

Join the NRA, go to a gun safety class and have fun.

Fritz

 

J15BIG,

Jim A and Fritzthecat are dead on. A little Ruger .22LR semi-auto or revolver would make a near perfect 1st gun.

And, as Frizthecat mentioned, "Join the NRA, go to a gun safety class and have fun. " Very good advice.

 

.22 caliber is the way to start shooting. Long Rifle is actually the type of cartridge and refers to the length of it, not the gun. The advantages? It's what high school rifle teams shoot. A box of ammo is cheap. Very little recoil. You can always move up to larger calibers as soon as you master the .22.

I have a Browning Auto. Lots of fun to shoot. I usually grab the .22 before I grab the .357 or 10 mm.

 

Dude, dont get carried away, to start, buy a used Smith or Colt .357 revolver, should get a nice one for under $200. .38 reloads are cheap, then, take your time, see what the other guys at the range shoot and try everything. Then get a .45 Glock and shoot with the BIG DOGS!!! (a S&W model 13 is a great first gun.)