30 Aug Best Resources for a First-Time Gun Owner
So you’ve just bought your first handgun. Congratulations! You’ve started down the fun and exciting road of gun ownership. Now you might be wondering, where can I get more information on how to shoot well? What holster should I buy? How should I carry this thing? Have no fear, there are plenty of resources available for a first-time gun owner. Here are some of the resources we direct our students towards when they are looking to flesh out their gun and gun accessory inventory:
GUN SHOPS
One of the best places to find new gear and info are gun shops. They can be big box stores or small mom-and-pop shops. Stores are always on the lookout for the latest and greatest inventory item to drive traffic to their shop. You can talk with salesman and owners at length about what might be the best ammo, best holster, etc. Just keep in mind their goal is to sell you something.
Make sure you do your research before you go in. The last thing you want is to get yourself invested in a particular gun or product just to get to the range and find that it simply doesn’t work for you.
Purchasing Guns Online
It’s no surprise material online is in this. There is a wealth of material online with tons of different opinions. The trick is to weed through the bad to get to the good. Online reviews are a fantastic way to get an idea about how a new piece of gear might work for you. Forums go on at length about potential use-of-force scenarios and reactions to them.
Remember though that a person’s opinion is just that: their own opinion. What works for them might not work for you and vice versa. Make sure that you aren’t simply just following the crowd and be sure that the source you are listening to is reputable.
Hiring top Instructors
Local firearms instructors, like the experts at Tactical Dynamics, are excellent resources for a first-time owner. You’ve probably already taken a safety course with someone and will have seen the amount of information instructors have. Good instructors can relate their firsthand experiences to yours and will be able to recommend gear to you. They’ll have a personal connection with you that online reviews can’t match. An instructor will generally be willing to lend you gear for a class, so you can even get some on-hand experience with a holster, firearms, etc. before you spend your money in a store.
There’s also no substitute when it comes to training than a reputable instructor. Check social media for reviews and see if their website is up to par. If the instructor is willing to share some of his or her knowledge without exchanging cash, you’re in a good place. Of course our blog is one such place!
Draw on the knowledge of competent instructors such as our own Denis Donovan, shown here teaching trigger control to one of our students.
Purchasing a firearm can be a daunting experience. There’s no end to the amount of gear, material, and opinions in the firearms world. Just go in with an open mind and you will have a great time!
Leave us a comment below with your suggestions for new shooters on what resources you like to use for gaining knowledge about the sport!
Rick
Posted at 10:55h, 31 AugustA nice primer for the new person. You might want to mention the unmatched pair of approved firearm lists in the Commonwealth. Something a new person might have seen online or shot with a friend might not be legally available in MA.