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Hello,

For background I grew up in an extremely anti-gun single parent household, my siblings and I were not allowed to have toy guns to the extent that when I was 8 I had a toy phaser confiscated :(. In that environment I never even considered owning a gun myself even though I am a military history buff and am excited at the prospect of owning a working piece of history.

I have fired .22 caliber rifles and pistols (AR-7, Rugger Mk II) as well as 9mm Parabellum handguns (Beretta M9 and Rugger P-85) with friends and its fun, but my background has always prevented me from jumping into the hobby with both feet. Recently a couple things have changed that have made me reconsider taking up firearms as a hobby.

First off, it seems like a fun activity that is fairly affordable and does not require a huge time investment. It’s also very technical and interesting for someone who enjoys tinkering.

Second, I have a family of my own now and feel that I should have an understanding of firearms that I can pass on to my children. I think the ability to shoot and a general comfort around firearms is something that every American should have.

Right now I am trying to figure out the best way for a beginner to get involved. I am planning on attending a home firearms safety course on the 18th and will apply for my concealed weapons permit and C&R FFL over the next two weeks.

I could really use some advice for a beginner with almost no experience with firearms who would like to get involved with the hobby.

Right now I am thinking that a .22 caliber rifle would be a good starting point to get my feet wet with firearms, but I am intrigued by all the ads for Mosin Nagant rifles given their history and affordability. Of course I have already started thinking about my “wish list” but I need to walk before I can run so my novice questions include:

What’s a good “first gun” for a large adult to learn with?

Does anyone know of a good place to shoot in East Pierce County?

Besides the home gun safety class I am registered for, are there any good introductory classes offered through local clubs?

Any feedback would be appreciated.
 
What’s a good “first gun” for a large adult to learn with?

Really depends on your caliber of choice.

If you want to go 9mm, and you want to conceal, I'd say Glock 19.

If you want to go .40 S&W, and you want to conceal, I'd say Glock 23.

If concealment isn't an issue, then I'd go with a Glock 17 for 9mm or a Glock 22 for .40 S&W.

Thus far I'd recommend only Gen 3. I'm still hearing mixed results about the Gen 4s.
 
You might try shooting a couple different types first, to get a feel for the weapon. If you have a range that will rent guns, try them there first. Nothing worse than going into a gun store, buying a gun because it feels right but on the range it is not.
When I first started, I used a Taurus 92 because it was close to the Berreta that I was forced to shoot in the service. But I was more comfortable with the 1911 and then evenatually the Sig frames. Being comfortable with what you have is a large part of the enjoyment.
 
Any opinions on long guns?

.22's

With those you work on trigger pull, quick acquisition of targets and you don't worry about recoil AND they are cheap to go shoot. Everyone's first should be a .22 rifle. Either in a Ruger or a Marlin(tube fed). ***IMHO***

Using a .22 gets you comfortable and its something nice you can pass along when future generations come up and it's time for them to learn of safe handling.
 

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