It wasn't mine, but a friend of mine got a Springfield 1911 for christmas and man was that fun. We went out to the range and I shot between forty and fifty .45 rounds. I was surprised by the lack of kick it had, with the first shot I was extremely nervous and thought the thing would fly out of my hands but it really wasn't very violent. Previously I've only fired shotguns so a pistol was a nice change.

I've wanted to get a gun for awhile now but I think this sealed the deal. Here's my dilemma, I'm turning 21 in 6 months, should I wait and get a handgun or go ahead and get a rifle sooner? I figure I can do more with the rifle such as hunt and shoot, whereas with a handgun I would only be using it at the range but it is much more portable, etc. BTW, I live in Kentucky so it's extremely easy to buy either one.

Suggestions?

 

heh heh heh...
And thus the odyssey begins!

Stop and ponder what you want from your firearms. Do you want a hunting rifle? A Remington 700 is an AWESOME start, and it is a ton of bang for the buck, pun intended.

Do you want home defense? Get a shotgun. A Remington 870 is a no brainer...

Uh oh, starting to sound like a Remington commercial...

Do you want something for fun at the range and home defense, well then a pistol is a decent choice, although home defense with a pistol means you'll need to spend a lot of time at the range getting proficient.

Firearms are like tools... They can be for fun, and for "work". Choose accordingly. BTW, DO NOT get caught up in the annoying discussions about the caliber of a weapon. Find one that suits your hands, and go with it. Know your weapon.

 

.45 isn't as bad as most recoil wussies whine about it being. I've taught many a young lady to shoot with one, and so long as you have a correct stance and aren't using end of the world loads, it's perfectly manageable.

In fact, I've had more people complain about muzzle lift with various 9mm pistols than recoil with the .45.

As for what to get, it's up to you. If you just want to start throwing lead down range, no reason to wait. Get a rifle. With current goings-on, it's a pretty good time to buy a scary battle rifle, perhaps in 5.56 which is pretty cheap to shoot, and as many high cap mags as you can find for it. Chances are it'll only go up in value in the coming years.

 

.45 is a nice low-pressure round, so it's more of a push than a kick. Plus it throws that big, heavy bullet out there... It's not a fluke that it's still the #1 choice for 100 yrs or so.

Here's my $.02 (putting on instructor hat): Get a rifle (doesn't matter what kind, but I agree w/Simba about getting a nice AR type). Make sure you learn the fundamentals of trigger control, sight picture/sight alignment, and breathing (you can get it from a knowledgeable person, a DVD, or a good book). Nail down those fundamentals with the rifle until you are proficient. Then get a handgun and apply those fundamentals there. It's much, much, much easier to go from a competent rifle shooter down to handgun. Handguns right out of the box require a lot more skill.

 

chris makes a great point. A handgun does require more skill period, so if you have the fundamentals of trigger squeeze, breath control, and site picture down on a rifle; using a pistol becomes a bit more easy.

 

Thanks for all the great input!

I think after firing a handgun I had a fascination with the idea of having something more tactical. Practically though I could get more done with a rifle and therefore think I'm gonna try to go that route. Following choke's advice I checked out the Remington website and they seem like good quality guns at not such a terrible price. I understand I need to learn the basics of shooting before I get in over my head.

I'll let you all know if I pull the trigger

 

Try a semi-auto rifle with a detacheable magazine (if they are accessible). I like my 1911, but I consider my rifles to be more "fun." You may also want to consider the price of ammo before making a decision on what gun you will purchase. For example: .308 ammo costs significantly more than say .223. This will matter if you shoot a lot and you're on a budget.

 

Shooting skills have the shelf life of bananas... just figure out what makes you feel the most comfortable and practice as often as possible. chokeu2 can give you some great pointers on cqc stuff...

 

LOL! Well put! Shelf life of bananas! Ain't that the truth!

I'd recommend anyone in Birmingham, getting hooked up with this crazy shit Loki... He has a way with words and is a very good teacher. I watched him teach a total novice, and taking him from a sneeze like shot group, down to a very respectable shot grouping.

 

Thanks Chokeu2... anyone wants to go shooting in bham give me a holler.