Comments on: A Guide In The Purchase Of Your First Handgun

By: Felix

Felix — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 00:47:35 +0000

Since the focus of this piece is on “first handgun,” I really think the no-safety gun-hipster thing is misplaced. If someone is terrified of shooting themselves or a loved one by accident, they’ll never load the thing or transport it to a range.

My suggestion would be something like a Bersa Thunder in .380. It is easy to shoot with nice sights, low felt recoil, hammer drop safety, magazine pull safety, and a great trigger pull. A newbie can feel safe with the weapon in “Israel Carry” (magazine loaded, no round chambered, hammer down). Then they can become familiar, move up to chambering a round and dropping the hammer with the safety.

Then, once they feel comfortable and trust the gun, they can buy their second, be it a Glock or Diamondback for ECD and be competent and confident enough to carry a live pistol.

In short, I think tossing newbies in the deep end is the wrong move. A gun like the Bersa is well-made, holds its value for when they feel comfortable moving up and offers many levels of safe carry for them to learn on.

By: Michael L

Michael L — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 05:17:04 +0000

I think it is time in this country to hold our elected officials accountable. Each and every one swore an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution Of The United States against all enemy’s both foreign and domestic. They are not!

It is time we demand that do what they swore to or get out of office. If they do not, it is up to us to impeach every last one of them.

If their word is no good, then neither are they!

By: franco

franco — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 14:03:13 +0000

I like an external safety on a pocket gun or a nightstand gun but if you really think you need that street protection you are best served without one. That is what most of the police carry. After all, the revolvers never had them. If you carry with a safety on, you best practice with it so much that it is second nature to disengage it under duress

By: HBH

HBH — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 20:01:59 +0000

My first handgun was a Colt snub nose .38 bought in 1972. I have all kinds of handguns now but that Colt is still really special to me.HBH

By: Johnny Nightrider

Johnny Nightrider — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 15:14:06 +0000

I went to a gun range and practiced with a .22lr revolver before I bought a handgun.Than I bought a S&W 686 plus,7 shot, 4 inch barrel,SS,SB conversion,hogue monogrip.I was happy but had to sell it. So I bought a Ruger Sp101 .357 magnum SS 3 inch barrel revolver.Nice thing was you can fire .38 special and plus P rounds through a .357 magnum revolver.Than I bought a Browning buckmark standard pistol in 22Lr. sold that.bought a Sig Sauer reverse two tone mosquito 22lr. sold that.Than I bought a Glock 19 9mm.Great pistol.Than I bought a S&W M&P .45 auto 4.5 inch barrel,magazine disconnect,no external safety.I tried the .40 s&W at the range and preferred the .45 auto by far.My favorite self defense pistol.The glock 19 with the upgrades I done to it is a fine defense pistol also but I like to use it for the range.9mm is cheaper than .45 auto ammo.Than you got to have a .22lr rifle.I have a ATI GSG-522 SD.Its a fun rifle that looks like a suppressed MP5.Than you got to have a semi-auto .223 remington (5.56X45mm)rifle for plinking,varmint control,coyote hunting and put a optic on it,like a red dot sight, and its fun.Than a bolt action or semi-auto 308 winchester (7.62x51mm)rifle is fun to have and you can hunt most anything in North America with it.I’ve bought and sold alot of firearms all through the same gun shop for years.THey really help you out at gun shops and gun ranges because they also want return business and you want to be happy with what you purchase.The only bad firearm I ever bought was a Rossi .357 magnum revolver.It was the model 971.It was SS with a 4 inch barrel and a rubber grip.After 100 rounds of .357 magnum ammo.I knocked the timing off and seized the action.I sent it back and had it fixed.Than I sold it.Rossi has better quality control since Taurus purchased them.Though I would never buy another Rossi and for DA/SA revolvers only S&W,Ruger,and Magnum Research made revolvers.I would buy a Taurus pistol though I don’t know about a Taurus DA/SA revolver.Has anyone owned a Desert Eagle .357 magnum or .44 magnum and we’re happy 100% with it?

By: Richard P

Richard P — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 04:42:43 +0000

I understand the reasoning behind the Glock no safety paradigm, however, personally I do not need it. My first hunting experience was upland game hunting, and a safety was not only expected but required. Walking with a loaded shotgun without a safety was considered dangerous, and all of us were equally competent in operating the safety to get the shot off in a time critical manor. The same extended to my 0.22 cal rifle for rabbit and squirrel hunting. A safety on a gun is as natural to me as turning a key to unlock a door. So obviously I want a safety on my handgun.

For me the Glock does not fit may hand, and I cannot hit a target worth a darn no matter how hard I try. Only recently becoming handgun owner I had tried everything from a 45 ACP to 380, and settled on a 9mm for personal protection, and currently own two guns. Both fit my hand and I am gaining proficiency with every practice outing. And yes both have safeties.

The point of my comment is that for you the Glock without a safety works, and for me my gun with a safety works for me. My safety is not a crutch, but a backup for the unexpected. My muzzle control was ingrained into me starting at 8 years of age, and I cannot stand being at the counter of a gun shop and watch what happens on a regular basis of sweeping others with a “cleared” gun, safety or not. It just drives me bats. Walking in a field without a safety on a gun is asking for trouble. So my perception and yours are different, and trust me, I do not fault you for yours. I just choose to keep my psycho-motor skills as consistent as possible. So, every time I bring a firearm to bear I will disable the safety automatically.

I do like your reasoning in directing new shooters in their first gun purchases. It shows good, thorough, and effective assessment of needs and ability. I still can’t shoot a Glock and don’t like having to dry fire the gun to clean it. But hey, to each their own.

By: Bill Baker

Bill Baker — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 21:16:20 +0000

It’s not known as ‘external safety leg’ its called Glock Leg. Why, too many times their lack of an external safety means if the trigger catches on your shirt as you get into the car and you have one in the chamber….boom, glock leg.