We found this article on the Guns & Patriots section of HumanEvents.com. It’s a great perspective on purchasing your first firearm from a woman’s perspective. In addition to the article below, here are a few pointers on purchasing your first firearm:
- Shop around - you’ll get different perspectives from different shooters, and every once in a while, there’ll be a woman behind the counter! You also never know what kind of bargain you might run into!
- Try before you buy - asking a male or female friend for advice on which handgun to shoot is a great starting point, but you’ll likely get as many suggestions as people you ask. So definitely head to a range where you can try out a variety of types of guns and figure out what fits you.
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions – look, we admit going into a range or gun shop can be intimidating. Either go in with a variety of questions already in mind, or be sure and ask plenty you think of while you’re there. If you get any pushback, then say thank you and move on to the next shop.
- Check out a gun show - in some instances, when you go to a gun show, you can get a good deal on a gun; but only do this if you have a specific gun in mind to purchase.
- Function >>>> Fashion – yes, it’s hard for us to admit, but this is one instance where looks don’t matter. Function in a firearm is the most important thing to look for. Sure, it’d be fun to have a pink gun, but when it really matters, how your gun looks is not as important as how it works and, more importantly, how well it fits you.
- Have enough & the right type of ammo – we don’t mean the right caliber, but the right function. There are multitudes of different types of bullets for each gun; make sure you buy the right ones for what you intend to use your gun.
- Gun safety – we talk about gun safety a lot on here, but make sure that you take precautionary measures if anyone but you will have access to your guns (think: kids). There are all sorts of safes and locks out there you can use, but be sure and get what will be best for you.
Thanks to Jennifer Kendall, the task now seems much less daunting. Read on:
Gals & Gun Shops: First Gun Buy
by Jennifer Kendall
When I visited the third shop I was pleasantly surprised at how much more relaxed I felt there after the shooting range experience. Here I was shown a Beretta 92FS for $649.99, a Springfield XD-9 for $499.99, and a Glock 17 for $609.99. All three of these guns are semi-automatics. After the last store suggested a revolver I decided to question why he suggested semi-automatics instead. His answer was that, “There is no reason for a pistol unless you want to throw it in a drawer and never use it.” He explained that as long as I was willing to take my new gun to the shooting range and get comfortable with it, he believed a semi-automatic weapon was a better choice. This salesman was the first to go through all the safety features and mechanics of each gun with me. At one point he mentioned that if I was willing to spend $800-$900, instead of $500, that a Sig Sauer, top of the line semi-automatic, would be a great gun for me. That’s when I realized that Roger at the first store had steered me towards more expensive guns than necessary. I left the third store feeling very well informed and even more relaxed about being around gun stores and guns in general.
Each store’s salesman referred me to a different type of gun. Some preferred a revolver and some preferred a semi-automatic. Each store was very different, but they all treated me with the utmost respect and kindness. They all also agreed on one thing: once you decide on and purchase a firearm it is essential that you take it to a shooting range and get comfortable handling it. The prejudices that I bought into were absolutely wrong. As a young woman there are few stores that I have felt more at ease in then these gun stores, that is, once I got used to the amount of weapons surrounding me.
I checked out one last gun store and again was greeted with a smile. Here, the salesman went very in depth about each guns safety features, shooting accuracy from various distances, and comfort of the grip and trigger in my hand. The salesman was very enthusiastic about each guns capability and the different advantages they provide. He suggested a Springfield XD .40 S&W for $485 because of the ability this gun has to shoot when it is pressed into an attacker’s body. He also suggested a Smith & Wesson Lady Smith .38 spl +p for $526 and a Smith & Wesson Lady Smith .357 mag for $605. He explained that because a revolver will never jam it is a good choice for protection. Before I left he said that, “Getting a firearm right now is very smart.” He explained that the government is going to make it increasingly harder to purchase ammunition.
Story continued Here.
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