For a beginner

[scan]

My cousin's husband which is a ex Army soldier. He told me that he's gonna take me to a Gun Range. I have NEVER shot a gun EVER(I did pull the trigger of a gun but it was not loaded, when I was a "bad boy"). What kind a gun would you suggest to me to use, as a beginner?

[bhanson]

The best firearm for a beginner is a .22 caliber rifle or pistol. It has several advantages. The recoil is almost non-existent so you don't learn to flinch when you shoot. Because of this you can better concentrate on the basics of marksmanship.

AND the cost of the ammo is very small. You can shoot all day for $10 to $20 dollars.

If you decide you enjoy shooting you can then move up to a .38 revolver or 9mm pistol and then to the more powerful weapons depending on what type of shooting interests you the most.

[Jynkxxie]

I agree completely with Bhanson.

I started out a with a larger caliper. And then when I went down to a .22, I found my error. I used to, and still do sometimes, blink and flinch, causing the muzzle to fall and my shots to be low.

Bad habit, but I have gotten better.

Definatly start out small. From what I hear that is how they teach you in the academy.

I would also suggest a good teacher, which it looks as though you have. I was fortunate to have a very good friend of mine who was a sniper, and ranger in the army, to teach me.

[Mac]

Use a revolver first. Simple in design, just point and pull the trigger. But never put your finger on the trigger until the gun is pointed down range and you are ready to shoot. Use some common sense and you'll be fine.

Mac

[Dan]

what everybody said so far, start with a .22 revolver, simpler then a semi-auto, cheep ammo, ect....Then work your way up

[scan]

The ex army guy said that a 9mm is what I should start out with, I guess a 22 is best because all of you said to start out with a 22

[NLegaspi]

everybudy will have their opinions about calibers and such. i figure you would be fine to start off on a 9mm, not everybudy has a .22 cal pistol handy. just make sure if you are using an auto that you understand the mechanics and components of the pistol before you hit the range and go over safety with the person you will be shooting with. id prolly field strip the pistol with you and go through a quick clean while i was at it before we hit the range as to show you how the gun works etc.

[CXT_180]

Originally posted by Mac
Use a revolver first. Simple in design, just point and pull the trigger. Mac

You could do the same thing with a Glock...
:D

[Freedom Fighter]

haha..."flinching" :D

I couldn't shoot a handgun worth a damn until my expert older brother handed me his .357 years ago and told me to carefully aim and squeeze slowly at the target.

As I sqeezed (well, actually jerked) the trigger, the muzzle jumped all over the place and the hammer fell on an empty chamber... (*CLICK*)...I looked sheepishly at my bro and he was cracking up... he said "THAT is why you can't shoot. you flinch like a dog!"

I was sooooo embarassed that I started to REALLY learn how to let the hammer fall just happen...let it surprise me... anticipation will just RUIN your score!!!

I can stack em up pretty nicely now... thanks to my brother.

FF

PS: Those who prefer security over freedom,
deserve neither security or freedom.
Benjamin Franklin.

..great sig line, MAC.. I couldn't agree more!

[sgtbear111]

I hsve had very good reesults with a Ceiner 22 conversion kit on my Beretta 92. I got the kit (top assembly and mags) in the matte white finish so I had a visual indicator that the 22 kit was on my matte black duty weapon The Ceiner kit was a bit ammo sensitive, by brands, and I found that CCI mini-mags worked best, giving very good groups. Function was fine. There is no slide safety on this kit. The rear sight is adjustable L-R for windage. I'm sold on this kit.

I got one for my Glock and took it back. Horrible. Non-adjusting sights that were WAY OFF. Unreliable fuinction, and difficult to install on my G-19. I hope Ceiner fixed the problems, the concept is nice and the G-19/23 is a nice size for my grip. Anyone having better luck with the Glock conversion?

[vbgecko]

SCAN (IMO) I think everyone is getting ahead of theirselves here ...
I think the first thing you should be looking into is a certified gun safety course (when I say "certified" I'm not talking about the one you're Uncle Eddy says he can give ya) I come from a gun family that firmly believes that before you even touch a gun you should know the "Ten commandments of firearm safety" ...

After that I totally agree with the graduation to different calliber guns ... flinching sucks, .22's are a great remedy even if you are already shooting a higher calliber you can drop back to a .22 for a couple of practices ... trust me, it works. Yeah not everyone is privy to a .22, but a lot of gun ranges have .22s for RENT ...