New dad, hopefully new gun owner soon

[allskillbill]

Hey guys! I've never had a strong opinion about gun ownership or regulations but there was a season in my life that my politics leaned fairly left. One of the most enlightening experiences I've had (a couple years ago) was to better understand the conservative ideology which I more consistently align with now. This has brought to my attention the controversy and attack that gun ownership is under and it has inspired me, in a lot of ways, to embrace my 2nd Amendment rights. Furthermore, I've been feeling more and more burdened (in the best possible way) to see that my wife and my 5 month old are protected against any potential harm. It is no secret that we live in a broken world with bad people and the least I can do is be prepared and protect ourselves.

I'm hoping to get some help from this community in any tips, information, or suggestion for a newbie like myself. I'll be looking to purchase a shutgun and a hangun, as well as obtain my concealed weapons permit. I don't have a very big budget for guns but my wife has already given the "ok" and is interested in seeing that we invest what we can.

I look forward to responses and getting to know some of you folks. Thanks in advance with any interest to help me out!

[Shovelhead]

Welcome to the site.

GOOD professional training courses are well worth the cost.
Good used firearms can be found almost anywhere.
A 18" barrel pump shottie is always a good 'first' gun.
Amazing how having loved ones to protect from the bad guys in the world can change your point of view, ain't it.
And practice, practice, practice.

"When you have seconds to react to a threat, the police are only minutes away."

[Fronty Owner]

welcome to the forum, Glad you have started to understand the desire for firearm ownership.

Contact some of your local ranges, most will have a "new shooter" program that will cover the basics of safety, operation, and get you some range time. Price varies depending on how in depth the program.

[allskillbill]

Thanks for the warm welcome. I'll be visiting a local gun shop this weekend that offers courses. It would be tough for me to know how to gauge one as "good" or not but I suppose it can't hurt to at least give them the benefit of the doubt and hope to get a good bang for my buck (pun intended of course). I didn't think to consider used weapons. Where should I go to look for them? Pawnshops?

[Fronty Owner]

what kind of firearm are you looking for?
pistol, rifle, shotgun?
Pawnshops can be great or a disaster for a new shooter.
They can be good for a good price on a firearm that is in decent condition without having to buy new.
They can be a disaster for a "know it all" clerk that talks you into buying a particular brand that supports his profit margin over your interest. Also, some heavily abused firearms can end up on a pawn shop shelf that will vary from inaccurate to unsafe.

Forums will get you a lot of differing opinions on firearms. I would suggest to go ahead and put the money up front and buy new until you learn what to look for in a used firearm. My cousin bought a semi auto .30-06 a few years back that looked good, but would rip the case lip off about 1/2 the time. It ended up in a different pawn shop for a bolt gun.

[Administrator]

Originally Posted by allskillbill

Hey guys! I've never had a strong opinion about gun ownership or regulations but there was a season in my life that my politics leaned fairly left. One of the most enlightening experiences I've had (a couple years ago) was to better understand the conservative ideology which I more consistently align with now. This has brought to my attention the controversy and attack that gun ownership is under and it has inspired me, in a lot of ways, to embrace my 2nd Amendment rights. Furthermore, I've been feeling more and more burdened (in the best possible way) to see that my wife and my 5 month old are protected against any potential harm. It is no secret that we live in a broken world with bad people and the least I can do is be prepared and protect ourselves.

I'm hoping to get some help from this community in any tips, information, or suggestion for a newbie like myself. I'll be looking to purchase a shutgun and a hangun, as well as obtain my concealed weapons permit. I don't have a very big budget for guns but my wife has already given the "ok" and is interested in seeing that we invest what we can.

I look forward to responses and getting to know some of you folks. Thanks in advance with any interest to help me out!

Welcome to the site. I'm curious, how did you find out about us? I ask because I'm working on making the place more accessible. I'd like to get some more users here, but it's been a slow go.