Question from new handgun owner...where to start?

[Majenja]

Hello.  It has been over a decade since I have shot a handgun.  I just purchased my first one.  I need a class desperately.  Where should I go?  I haven't even taken it out of the box.  What do I need to bring with me to my first class?  What should I carry it in. I have ammo ready and am ready to learn what I need to learn before shooting it.  I wanted to post here to get some direction. I appreciate the help so much!

[Will Carry]

 Welcome to TGO. You did the first step correctly. You asked for help from other shooters.  What kind of pistol did you buy?  When you select a training class, the instructor will tell you what you need to know. It sounds like you have had some military experiance.  You need to buy a "Range Bag" to carry your pistol to and from the range. Do you have a cleaning kit? Ear protection and eye protection?  In my range bag I keep 1) a cleaning kit 2) first aid kit 3) ear protection 4) Safety Glasses 5) ammo 6) Pistol 7) spare magazines 8) electricians tape 9) Sharpie marker 10) Pen 11) paper 12) tool kit 13) Pocket knife 14) Flash light.

 

You may also want to buy a holster for it. Learn the 4 basic rules of gun safety and practice handling your unloaded pistol with your trigger finger pointed straight and outside the trigger guard. The first sign that a shooter is untrained is if he/she puts their finger inside the trigger guard.

 

Good luck Hombre! You will do well.

Edited January 26, 2013 by Will Carry

[RED333]

D&T in Rivergate

805 Rivergate Pkwy  Goodlettsville, TN 37072

(615) 448-6293

Guns and leather, Hendersonville

600 W Main St  Hendersonville, TN 37075

(615) 824-7846

Make the phone calls, they will answer all your questions.

Hearing and eye protection is a must.

Some kind of bag, box will work till you find something you like.

I use a tool bag for my range bag.

O Yea welcome to the forum and congrats on the new firearm.

Edited January 26, 2013 by RED333

[glock55]

I would suggest you decide where you want to take the class and give them a call. They will advise you on the details of the class. Try to get with someone that can go over the shooting fundamentals with you in advance. you can even shoot the test in advance to build your confidence. If you do go to guns and leather try to get there as early as possible as they do the shoot in the order you sign in.It can be a long day if your towards the end.

 

Glad your getting back into shooting. if i may ask what motivated your return after a decade of absence?

[RED333]

I would suggest you decide where you want to take the class and give them a call. They will advise you on the details of the class. Try to get with someone that can go over the shooting fundamentals with you in advance. you can even shoot the test in advance to build your confidence. If you do go to guns and leather try to get there as early as possible as they do the shoot in the order you sign in.It can be a long day if your towards the end.

 

Glad your getting back into shooting. if i may ask what motivated your return after a decade of absence?

I would say we all can answer that one, in one form or another.

[Garufa]

First thing you need to do is read the owner's manual.

[TNcitizen22]

In general other than the basics that Will Carry listed for a range bag, grab some extra mags and ammo.  I try to have at least five mags for every pistol I own and for most classes you need three or more.

 

As for classes, I have taken quite a few from the guys at Coal Creek Armory, and I took one at Tactical Response.  I have to say, the guys at TR were great, even though the owner (Yeager) seems to have lost it a bit these days.

[runco]

What these guys have said it textbook, and is the correct thing to do.  However, if you have access to property, and you are at no risk of stray bullets hitting people/houses, grab some paper targets or coke cans, and go the property, wear hearing protection, and have at it.  If need be, brush up on some youtube videos for safe handling.   To me, learning how to shoot is like learning how to drive a car, you can take drivers ed at school, or you can drive your dad's truck in the hay fields or on the back roads.  Now I am probably old school.

Edited January 27, 2013 by Runco

[glock55]

I would say we all can answer that one, in one form or another.

 

WOW!!!! What was i thinking????

[RED333]

WOW!!!! What was i thinking????

:wave:

[Jonnin]

Hello.  It has been over a decade since I have shot a handgun.  I just purchased my first one.  I need a class desperately.  Where should I go?  I haven't even taken it out of the box.  What do I need to bring with me to my first class?  What should I carry it in. I have ammo ready and am ready to learn what I need to learn before shooting it.  I wanted to post here to get some direction. I appreciate the help so much!

Class for what?  Carry permit?  Self defense training?  Basic how not to shoot yourself in the foot overview? 

 

The class will tell you what to bring.  It varies depending on if you will actually fire the gun or not, and how much, etc.  If its a live shoot course you need your own ammo usually.  If its a training course you need rugged clothing, holster/belt, extra mags, water and food, etc.  They will tell you.

 

Carry it to the range it the box it came in if that is a rugged plastic box.  If not, buy a rugged plastic box at any gun store.  Paper/styrofoam boxes do not last or hold up well.   Carry as in on your person, that means a holster once you get your permit.  Type depends on gun type and your likes.

 

What to learn before shooting it:

the rules of gun safety.   Always treat it as if loaded.  never point it at anything you do not want to shoot.  Always know what is behind the target.  Keep your finger off the trigger if you are not shooting on purpose at a target.

 

how your gun works.  Will it fire with the magazine removed?  Where is the safety, if any?  What ammo does it use? How do you load it?  How do you empty it?  Read the manual that came with it.  Examine it and learn where the controls are (safey(s?), mag release(s), slide release, cylinder open, whatever). 

 

How to clean and lube it  -- which I advise doing before the first shot is fired.

 

-------------

I strongly advise you go to a public range that has a range safety officer and maybe others around.  Tell them your situation.  Ask for help.  Someone should be willing to show you how to work your gun properly.   If you have a shooting friend who is trustworthy and a decent teacher that can work too.

[tnhawk]

Read the manual and become comfortable with the gun before loading it.  Learn the rules of safe handling and ALWAYS follow them.  Find a range, take a class and practice often.

[Peace]

Congratulations on a first step towards safety for you and your family.
All good advice; Red pointed you in a great, great direction.


If I may, humbly:
1) commit the 4 laws of firearms safety to memory; infuse them into everything you do that even remotely involves a firearm - without exception, and never let anyone tell you or coerce you into doing differently. Ever. Summation: muzzle discipline (be intentional and aware, always), and trigger discipline.

1a). If you don't have one, get a holster that protects that trigger guard.

1b). Learn how to safely clear a weapon, and always know the condition of any firearm you take possession of. (And of course, treat them all like they are always loaded.)

2) consider safety at home (access to and storage of the weapon)

3) there are great classes all around the Nashville area. Take one or two if you can. Great options have already been mentioned. Nashville Armory also has classes - cant personally vouch for the quality, just know that they are there.

4)after you've had some training, revisit the 4 laws and how your practicing them keeps you and those around you safe. Every time you handle a (your) firearm, get in the habit of doing a quick "self check" to ensure that you are in the right frame of mind.

5) read up, study up, or get some training in mental preparedness. ex. Cooper's color code and the combat mindset.

6) back down and away from every fight if possible. If you get your CHP and carry, avoid scenarios that may become a fight. Bravado will not raise you (or anyone else) from the dead, help you raise kids from prison (being "in the right" doesn't guarantee anything), or pay for your self-defense civil court costs. Evade first, Escape second.....


One more tidbit - more of a personal thing - one that others may or may not agree with. If this handgun becomes a your carry weapon, when you are out and about and a buddy asks to see it, the answer is NO. It is there for a purpose, and "show and tell" isn't it. Something pre-planned might be a good alternative. Edited January 27, 2013 by Peace

[graycrait]

I'll add my tired refrain:  buy a  .22LR pistol also and shoot it thousands of times.  Most folk can't afford to shoot centerfire to get enough practice to be able to use their handgun like a comfortable tool, safely and effectively.

[1gewehr]

I'll add my tired refrain:  buy a  .22LR pistol also and shoot it thousands of times.  Most folk can't afford to shoot centerfire to get enough practice to be able to use their handgun like a comfortable tool, safely and effectively.

 

 

Ditto!  A basic .22 pistol is the most useful firearm you can have.  Training done with a .22 will apply to any other caliber.  You can afford to shoot a lot more, and it is easier to not learn flinching, jerking the trigger and other bad habits by starting with a .22.

 

Whether you want to learn tactical training, hunt small game, or just kill tin cans, the .22 is your best bet for doing all of that economically and with fun.  And in a pinch, the .22 is no slouch for self-defense.  While not ideal, it is certainly better to hit with ten rounds of .22 than to miss with 6 rounds of .357 that you have not practiced enough with.

 

There are a number of good .22 pistols available for under $350.  There are ranges that offer basic handgun classes and have rental guns.  Rent a .22 that feels good to you and take the class.  After the class you will be better prepared to shop for features that appeal to you.