Aunt killed by gun...

[CountryboyRonPaul]

I was raised on guns, I own several, I love to shoot, I support the second amendment 100%. However, I was taught from a young age how to properly handle a firearm. You are right, you should not fear guns, but they must be respected, for they do have the power to kill (intentionally or accidentally). To posses a firearm is a right, but with it comes a great deal of responsibility. One mishap could cause irreversable injury or death to yourself or a family member in a split second. If you have never owned a gun before and haven't had a lot of experience with guns, i recomend finding an experienced shooter (a friend) who can show you the ropes. He/she could also let you fire different guns and help recomend one that fits your needs. If no such firearm savvy friend is available, there are classes you can take to teach you how to safely handle firearms. I am glad you have decided to enter the wonderful world of shooting, the more of us the better! Just remember you shouldn't fear the gun, but you must respect it.

QFT, guns aren't toys, I learned to shoot and respect guns at 4 years old, and I've never had any problems.

You need to take every precaution while learning to handle a firearm properly. Never keep your finger on the trigger until your ready to pull it. Never keep a loaded gun around the house. Never keep a loaded gun with the safety off until your ready to fire. When you get handed a gun, or you pick up yours, always check to see if it's loaded.

And, the number one rule, Never point Any Gun at Anybody, loaded or not.

Oh yeah, and learn proper maintenance.

A Hunter's safety course isn't a bad idea.

 

[forsmant]

A saturday night special

 

[youngbuck]

Yea I highly recommend you take a hunter's safety course. Regardless whether you plan to hunt or not, you'll learn all the necessary safety fundamentals to be a completely responsible firearms owner, and part of the unorganized militia ;-).

ALWAYS keep the gun pointed in a safe direction
ALWAYS keep your finger off the trigger (outside the trigger guard) until you are completely ready to fire
When picking up a firearm, ALWAYS verify 100% whether or not it's loaded.

Edit: Yea, basically just repeating what countryboyronpaul said....

 

[1000-points-of-fright]

Remember, there is really no such thing as accidental shootings. They should really be called negligent shootings. Guns very rarely malfunction and go off by themselves. 99.99% of the time it's the user being careless.

 

[dorinda]

Go to the gun range and try them out. No matter how great the gun is for someone else, if it doesn't fit your hand or it has to much kick, you will not like shooting it. That will cause you to not practice and........... well you get the picture. As long as you don't buy a crap brand gun, they all shoot and are almost all very reliable. It's all in the eye or hand of the beholder.

 

[piotr1]

i would recommend you start with a .22 rifle and work your way up.

 

[Rattlehead]

If you're you're looking for a home-defense type weapon, you can't go wrong with a 12ga shotgun. Something with and 18" barrel. I personally use 00 Buck shot in the shotty closest to my bed.

For a pistol, check out Springfield Armory's line. I'm a .45 kind of guy and my go-to pistol is my XD 45ACP compact with 4" barrel. Holds 13 rounds in the mag plus 1 in the chamber of 45ACP ammo.

Best thing I ever did was go out with a buddy of mine who was a gun "enthusiast" ... I tried many different pistols, revolvers, rifles, etc. and found what I like the best.

 

[CountryboyRonPaul]

Edit: Yea, basically just repeating what countryboyronpaul said....

It can never be stressed enough.

People who do commit these "accidental shootings" or "negligent shootings" as 1000-points-of-fright points out, are almost always inexperienced, and non-respectful of guns. Either that or they're simply a Neo-Con Vice President.

Either way, it's often someone who has no experience with guns that gives gun owners a bad name. That is why my father taught me how to handle a gun at the same time as I was learning to read and write.

Edit: PS. HUNTERS SAFETY COURSE!!!

And I also agree with Piotr, you can't go wrong starting out with a cheap .22 rifle. It was my first gun, and I spent about 6 years with that popping off cans, Robins, Squirrels, and Rabbits.
Marlin makes a cheap .22, and if you don't mind spending a little bit more, the Ruger 10/22 is probably the most accessorizable rifle on the market.

 

[Dequeant]

Well, my "homeland defense" weapons are an XD .45 ACP w/5 inch barrel and a Stag 5L 6.8SPC AR15.

My "arm up the neighbors" arsenal is a different story......AK....SKS....Shotguns....and the collection is growing by the day.

 

[Dave39168]

It can never be stressed enough.

People who do commit these "accidental shootings" or "negligent shootings" ... are almost always inexperienced, and non-respectful of guns. Either that or they're simply a Neo-Con Vice President.

ROFL, i know its not really funny but...

 

[Doktor_Jeep]

When I saw "Aunt killed by gun" it scared me. I have heard of some cases where guns escaped from their lockers, loaded themselves, and then floated around 3' off the ground looking for live targets. I never believed that but titles such as this thread made me think it really happened.

And what is an "assault rifle"? I have yet to see a rifle assault anybody.