Second amendment diary – My first handgun
Six months after taking my firearms class, three months after receiving my Class A permit, and two weeks after my federal tax return came (so that I could afford it), I purchased my first handgun.
I had been leaning towards the Smith & Wesson 910S, but at the local sporting goods store there was a used S&W Model 908 available for half the price of a new gun. The 9mm pistol looked brand new and one of the two clips in the case clearly had never seen gunpowder. The guy at the store broke it down for me so I could see how everything fits together, threw in a box of ammunition, and that was that.
I don’t know when I’ll get a chance to try it out, but I’m glad to have it. Like I’ve told my wife (who’s been very supportive), if there’s some kind of cataclysm such as a nuclear bomb going off in Baltimore, it’s going to be utter chaos. And if I never take it out of the case again, I’ll be a happy man. But if I need it, thank heaven it’s there. Now I have to get a floor safe and some additional safety equipment.
7 comments:
Three words.
Practice, practice, practice.
handguns are for close proximity. for personal protection.
if it's left in a box, unloaded then you are giving a lot of time to an intruder. you might not always get a warning that there's an intruder. when you hear one you might not be in the room where the box is located. the intruder might be armed and be between you and the box.
i think you need to re-think the handgun.
also: if there is a nuke in baltimore then you'll need more than a handgun.
you should probably have a shotgun, too.
good advice all around.. especially Bruce's... the same thing applies to handguns as asking directions to Carnegie Hall.. a gun is a very specifically designed tool that requires intimate knowledge to use properly and with confidence
find a local shooting range and go there at least once a month until you know how to load, unload, dismantle and reassemble the gun without hesitation.. you'll be glad you did
and pick up some good ear and eye protection for both you and your wife.. she'll feel better about the pistol once she knows how it works, too
and congratulations! I was starting to wonder if you had dropped the ball.. glad to see you kept with it!
now how about getting some tattoos and growing a goatee?
I will have to look up your model, but a lot of Smith's have a very nice feature, the magazine disconnect, which means you can leave out up the snout and make the gun safe just by dropping the magazine.
The latest model smiths have moved the barrel much lower and closer to the center of gravity, too, which makes them more competative with the glock.
Still, pepper spray and a shotgun for home defense...
the 'very nice feature' called the magazine disconnect is also a feature that most seasoned gun owners despise with a passion.. it's the equivalent of having a car that requires an ATM card as well as a key to operate.. drop the magazine accidentally (or even fail to insert it just right) and the gun becomes a very expensive hammer.. not exactly the kind of feature you want in a weapon that you plan to use exclusively at moments when seconds count and adrenaline is causing you to act without thinking
another reason why you should become extremely familiar with your pistol
Thanks for the advice, everyone. I'm going to see if I can get over to Springfield this weekend and get some guidance from Smith & Wesson.
A floor safe? Not neccessary. You can buy a nice gun metal gun cabinet for handguns or
long guns. WalMart, Kmart,etc. carry them. And, they won't drain your bank account and deprive you of $$ for your next purchase, a good (not expensive) shotgun. You have received a lot of good advice in the posts that are worth listening to.
My advice would be to learn safe gun handling from someone capable of teaching it and then go and practice, practice.
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