GUNS: What Should I Get?

[urbanfarmer]

I have been considering purchasing a gun for a while or perhaps 2 or 3. I own a small piece of farmland, and I feel the need to be ready to defend myself if need be. My main concerns are cost, reliability, and ease of use.

UPDATE: No experience with guns, but I intend to get some kind of training and lots of practice. I want the gun(s) for protection against humans!

What suggestions, recommendations or advice do y'all have for me on the topic?

[JCO]

In addition to being a sniper trained by the military I went through the Missouri Highway Patrol Academy in 1975 so I know how to handle a hand gun as well as a rifle. Still today I can hit a target at over 1,000 yards with my bull barrel 22-250 cal varmint rifle or put holes in your chest with a hand gun.

What do you want your gun/s to do. Self protection (carry permit) or kill snakes, rodents, coyotes, bears or fend off interlopers? Pick your targets and I'll tell you what weapon to buy but be prepared to shell out some serious doe!

I hope you know how to use whatever you purchase after you take it home. The accidental or intentional firing of a weapon of any kind in any direction could result in an accidental injury to other people and possible prison time for you!.

[davidstcldfl]

You didn't mention, if you have any experiance with guns...?

For the 1st one.......I'd think about a basic pump shot gun, like a 12 gauge mosburg. Not too costly and pretty reliable, easy to use.
Get some #00 shot for defense. Even if you don't hit them, the noise will scare the crap out of a burglar...
Get a few boxes of smaller shot for practice and..... 'if' you ever need, or want to hunt for food.
Make sure to buy a cleaning kit for it too.

[stucco]

At present, my wife and I are looking at 375 and 38 special for our concealed carry. They both will work in the old Henry rifle chambered in 357. I am also loking at a http://gastatic.com/UserImages/124775/9 ... 527103.jpg with choke tubes and a rifled slug barrel it a very versatile weapon/tool.

[stucco]

At present, my wife and I are looking at 375 and 38 special for our concealed carry. They both will work in the old Henry rifle chambered in 357. I am also loking at a http://gastatic.com/UserImages/124775/9 ... 527103.jpg with choke tubes and a rifled slug barrel it a very versatile weapon/tool.

http://www.gunsamerica.com/904395073/Gu ... S_MOBU.htm

[rfeiller]

like shooting fish in a barrel? sorry

i like my 9mm berrata, accurate reliable and effective enough. whatever you buy in a pistol make sure you are able to fire it rapidly and maintain control of the weapon. people tend to get large caliber pistols, like the police for instance, and the bullits go everywhere but what they are shooting at. a 44mag in a rapid fire situation, even a 357mag maybe too much. one accurately placed 9mm shot is better then a dozen scattered 357's. now if you want to scare the hell out of someone try a consul .454 revolver,(not the best for shooting snakes). if excited you may not hit anything but the shockwave will make the guy wet his britches.

a mossberg 12 pump is a great low cost and very reliable weapon.

[urbanfarmer]

No experience with guns, but I intend to get some kind of training and lots of practice. I want the gun(s) for protection against humans!

A buddy of mine got a 9mm handgun for $400, and he loves it. I would like to stay in that budget range for my first handgun, but I am exploring my options after weighing the wisdom I expect to gain from this thread.

This is a little off topic, but how long do bullets keep? I assume forever if the humidity is kept right, but I have no idea...

[Hotrodmike]

I am 100% with JCO as every weapon has good points and bad so a general use weapon ain't out there .
First off with no weapons backround ,go get some form of training before you go drool over things at the gun store . Go to a range as most have rental weapons for you to try out . So Get Training ,Try out multiple weapons after all that is done then go to the gun store knowing what you are looking for . The weapon not only needs to fit your purpose but fit you as if the weapon is too big ,too small ,too heavy etc. it will just make it harder to shoot . Now thats what you need to do ,,,but is there anyone else in the house ,wife ,kids ? Since you said it was for protection what if something were to happen and your wife was near the weapon and you were not ,would she be trained or know how to use it ? For a first gun I really tend to say revolver just for the fact it is simpler and is pretty hard to wrap off multiple round as a semiauto can
Since you said Self Protection
Now the last thing no one talks about is mental conditioning . Can you take another humans life as just pullling a weapon with no or little intent is a very bad thing to do and may very well be taken away and used on you and this is a very hard question to answer till you are placed in that kind of position and may not be as easy as you think .
Also once you learn ,keep learning and shoot how ever much it takes to keep your skill level up . Dont think that you got pretty good ,but you have not had it out of the drawer for 3 years and you still can shoot that well . I am sure I am more the extreme but when I used to really stay active I would go through 3 -5000 rounds a year
As for ammo most have sealed primers and kept dry should outlast you ,except for shotgun shells as the plastic get brittle . I have shot old can sealed military ammo that was maybe 80 years old ,still went boom !
Have A Kind Day
Mike

[stucco]

I’m way more accurate with the 357 revolver than the glock 9 auto that I’ve been shootin, my wife on the other hand blows me away with the glock 9. She is deadly accurate and mean too. For me it is the size of the handle. Most conceal carry size semi autos feel like a cardboard cutout of a gun in my hand.

[rfeiller]

for me the glock is very uncomfortable. yet they are very popular. that's why it is good if there is a pistol range around to try out several different ones. same with rifles or shotguns.