I have some bottom-line advice for people in the market for their 1st (or next) self-defense handgun. It will appear at the end of this short post.
In a Daily Caller article, Mike Piccione goes into some of the issues for first-time handgun buyers. He brings up some valid points, and I recommend that you take a look at the article.
I would, however, caution you on to take a step back and reflect before you take his advice on one issue. I'm talking about his recommendation for "simplicity".
He thinks that remembering to cock a piece or take off a safety may be too complex for new gun owners. Let's look at the matter in the same way that you might approach another deadly mechanism: the automobile.
Operating an automobile involves a lot of complex coordinated actions on the part of an operator. Any individual who does want to learn these complexities has no business operating on motor vehicle on the public highways -- period.
The same holds true for handguns. You undertake a great responsibility by just picking one up.
Further, there is no such thing as a foolproof firearm. Fools should leave them alone.
As to the rest, you need to become as familiar with the operation of your handgun as you are with driving your car. Perhaps even more so.
Rather than muddy the waters with too many factors, I think the prospective defensive handgun buyer should focus on two major issues:
In a Daily Caller article, Mike Piccione goes into some of the issues for first-time handgun buyers. He brings up some valid points, and I recommend that you take a look at the article.
I would, however, caution you on to take a step back and reflect before you take his advice on one issue. I'm talking about his recommendation for "simplicity".
He thinks that remembering to cock a piece or take off a safety may be too complex for new gun owners. Let's look at the matter in the same way that you might approach another deadly mechanism: the automobile.
Operating an automobile involves a lot of complex coordinated actions on the part of an operator. Any individual who does want to learn these complexities has no business operating on motor vehicle on the public highways -- period.
The same holds true for handguns. You undertake a great responsibility by just picking one up.
Further, there is no such thing as a foolproof firearm. Fools should leave them alone.
As to the rest, you need to become as familiar with the operation of your handgun as you are with driving your car. Perhaps even more so.
Rather than muddy the waters with too many factors, I think the prospective defensive handgun buyer should focus on two major issues:
- Quality: the best you can afford
- Caliber: the biggest you can control
Everything else comes under the heading of training. Or as my barber puts it, "Practice, practice practice."
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