I commented yesterday that I had thought about doing a gun thread and several thought that’d be a great idea. Now I don’t have much experience in the world of guns and ammo as I’ve only been doing this now for 3 or 4 months. But I can tell you about my experience so far and what I’ve acquired.
So the first gun I purchased for home protection was the 12 gauge Remington 870 tactical:
Looks just like that and holds 7 cartridges. I bought reduced Remington’s managed recoil buckshot 00 and took it to the range with a friend so I could get used to shooting it. Well let me just say that after about 6 shots I was ready to stop. Good grief. Even with the reduced recoil, it still packs a wallop on the body every time you shoot. It wasn’t nearly as enjoyable as I had thought it’d be. I continue shooting it for a while, practicing different ways to hold it, but I was glad when we were done.
My next gun was a handgun. Here in my state it takes about two weeks for the sheriff’s department to process the purchase permits, but you can buy as many permits as you want. I got three.
So on the advice of a friend, I went to the store and bought a 9mm Smith and Wesson SD9VE. It was about $350 and has around a 7-8lb trigger (which is the safety):
It’s a great gun with two magazines that hold 15. I was told that you want at least 12 shots in your magazine as it’s not easy to hit someone in a real world situation. If you only have 6, you might only hit once and then you’re out.
Also I’m not crazy about the somewhat heavy trigger as it makes me less accurate, but it’s great to carry around concealed knowing that it won’t go off if you drop it. Also it’s not that heavy either given the economical way it’s made.
After shooting that at the rage a few times, I decided I wanted to get the Beretta PX4 Storm Compact. It looked cool with its rounded edges, but when I held it in my hand I just didn’t like it. The safety felt too sharp when I tried to flick it with my thumb and I didn’t like the slide release.
So instead I got the 9mm Beretta 92fs:
Now that’s a heavy gun that feels just a bit unbalanced in my hand, but oddly enough I shoot it pretty well (all things considered) at the range. It has the double/single action trigger and while some complain about the safety/decocker, I love that feature. I also love how easy it is to disassemble and clean. It’s so much easier than the SD9ve. It also comes with two magazines hold 15, but I got several more than hold 17 from Beretta!
The last gun I bought is my current favorite. I call it my antichrist gun because it’s actually made in Turkey. It’s a 9mm single action Canik TP9SA:
A big reason I love this gun is not only the awesome price tag of $350, but it’s the way it feels in my hand that sold me on it. The grip is just not as thick as my other guns and it just fits better against my palm. It’s also very balanced when I hold it. It comes with two magazines that hold 18, which is fantastic.
I would tell you it shoots great, but I’m not sure I’m proficient enough to make that claim. But I like the way it shoots, especially with the single action trigger. I took it to the range today and unloaded 5 magazines into this poor chap:
Me at the gun range today. From 7 yards with my TP9SA . I’m slowly improving. pic.twitter.com/MSXdDwQFwK
— ⚡️ Right Scoop ⚡️ (@trscoop) December 6, 2016
That’s about 90 bullets. Some shots were slower and more intentional. Others were more rapid fire.
As far as ammo goes I tend to buy the 9mm Remington 250 mega packs, but I just bought a couple Blazer Brass 350 boxes and I can’t wait to try it. I heard it shoots cleaner.
My next gun will likely be a Beretta M9-22. Unlike most 22 handguns, it holds 15. I primarily want to get it to help me overcome my flinching that happens sometimes when I shoot my 9mms. Also, the ammo is cheaper and I expect it to be fun to shoot as well.
So that’s my story. Let me know what you think and be sure and share what kind of guns you have and how you think I’ve gone all wrong with my gun selection.