While traveling out of town, I had some spare time before my appointment so I took the opportunity to visit a gun shop in the area.
The shop being occupied by only a handful of firearm enthusiasts, it was easy to move about and browse the inventory. Also, it was a rather small shop, so it was not difficult to overhear the conversations of others.
One of the shoppers was an older woman, some might describe her as elderly, interested in purchasing her first handgun. It was her conversation with the salesperson, on the other side of the gun counter, I found a bit uncomfortable.
As the woman asked her questions, the salesperson courteously responded to her inquiries and showed her one handgun after another.
What quickly became evident, the woman had no clue as to what she was doing or knowledge of what she was shopping for. All the woman knew was she wanted a gun that would fit in her hand, was not too heavy, had a safety and would fit into her small pocketbook.
She was overheard saying her friend had one that “looks like that”.
As the salesperson handed her one gun after another, she manipulated them, pointing out their shortcomings and why they would not work for her.
Her attention was directed toward the semi-autos. That is what her friend had.
Her concern was she had arthritis and did not have the strength to pull “that thing” back. Of course, the gun had to have a safety and she wanted one that would not jam. She was not concerned about how to load it. She would have someone do that for her. Maybe her friend.
After sometime and well into the shopping experience, a well-intentioned, nearby, fellow shopper suggested she consider a revolver.
Her response: “Oh no. Those are old-fashioned. I want one with a safety. My friend has one like these,” as she pointed at the semi-autos.
The woman must have looked at least 20 handguns and handled a dozen of them. Becoming obviously more and more dissatisfied with her inability to find the one gun that fulfilled all her needs, she left the store frustrated and empty-handed.
THE TAKE AWAY FROM THE EXPERIENCE
Before purchasing your first firearm:
First and foremost, determine what the gun is to be used for:
Concealed carry/self-defense
Home defense
Target or sport shooting
Competition
Hunting
No one gun is good for all purposes.
Second, set a budget. What is the most you are willing to spend. Guaranteed, what you want, a gun that will fit your needs, is going to be more expensive than what you initially considered. Also, you get what you pay for. Go cheap and you will get a cheap gun. When purchasing a tool to defend your life and the lives of your loved ones, it is no time to go cheap. If you ever have to use the gun to defend your life, you will only be given one chance. There are no do-overs.
3rd – Do your research. Yes, ask friends. Ask other gun owners. But do not rely solely on their opinions. You know what is said about opinions. Everyone has different physical characteristics, hand size, hand and arm strength, firearm knowledge, skills and experience. Remember, this is your first handgun. A cardinal rule: Keep it simple. The simpler your first gun is to operate, having the fewest buttons, levers and gadgets on it the better. At 2 o’clock in the morning, when you hear glass break and you do not own a cat, it no time to have to think: Is this the gun with the safety up or the safety down? Do I have to pull the slide back? Read bona fide articles, but avoid YouTube videos. Many videos are misleading.
4th – Before purchasing your first handgun, take a firearm training class. Learn the differences, the pros and cons of the different handguns, from an unbiased, certified firearms instructor. The few bucks you will spend on a handgun training class can save you hundreds when purchasing your first gun.
Following the above suggestions will save the first-time handgun buyer a lot of aggravation and likely prevent him or her from making a $450 – $600 mistake.
Contact us for official NRA firearms training. We will educate you in how to purchase your first firearm and train you in using it safely.
