Choosing a Firearm

BEFORE YOU PURCHASE, KNOW THE PURPOSE

 

What is the reason you want to own a firearm?

 

This is not something that anyone needs to know but yourself; however it is likely the most important factor when choosing what firearm you are going to buy.

 

REASONS TO OWN A FIREARM:

 

SELF DEFENSE - One of the most common reasons for people to own a firearm is to protect the safety and well-being of themselves and their loved ones. Within the category of self defense there are subcategories of open carry, concealed carry (CCW), or home defense.

 

ALWAYS CHECK LOCAL LAWS GOVERNING THE CARRY OF FIREARMS.

Ignorance of the law is not an acceptable excuse for breaking it.

 

Open Carry - This is, as the term suggests, carrying out in the open. Holstered in plain sight and in a way for the public to clearly see that you are carrying a firearm.

 

Concealed Carry (CCH, CCW, CWP) - When shopping for a firearm that you will be using for concealed carry you must consider your wardrobe, your body type, the size of the pistol, and how or where you will carry it. You will want to coordinate these factors in the greatest possible combination in order to avoid printing, or in other words, revealing that you are carrying a pistol through a perceived outline (print) in your clothing.

​

THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN CARRYING

​

1. Wardrobe - What you wear will determine how well you are able to conceal a firearm as well as how comfortable you will be while carrying your gun throughout the day. Yoga pants and a sports bra are not very conducive to hiding much of anything.

2. Body Type - Your frame will greatly impact the pistol frame that you are able to conceal successfully. A six foot plus muscle bound person might be able to hide a larger pistol more easily than a smaller five foot petite person.

3. Pistol Size - Pistols come in different sizes. Some examples are Sub-compact, Compact, and Full size. A larger pistol might be easier to hide in colder climates on smaller people because of the excess bulk in cold weather clothing.

4. Carry Method - Holster; Inside the Waistband (IWB) or Outside the Waistband (OWB), in a bag, in a purse, in your car. No matter what method you choose, it must prevent access to the firearm by unauthorized persons.

 

HOME DEFENSE - A gun that is purchased strictly for self defense and the defense of others while in the home can cover a much broader selection of firearms. This is because you do not have to be concerned with concealing it while out in public. It can be a shotgun, pistol, or even a hunting rifle.

 

COMPETITION - The competition area of firearms is so vast that there is no way to describe all of the different formats or firearms for each in a single article. Some examples are skeet/trap shooting for shotgun, long range accuracy for rifles, pistol competitions, or various different competitions where you must transition between multiple types of firearms. It is best to do some research as well as find out what you like best about shooting then find out if there are events that hold competitions for it. Maybe you like shooting at stationary targets or, maybe you prefer to shoot and move. Then find out what type of firearms work best for that type of event. It is highly likely that you will find a form of competition that you will enjoy if that is the route you want to take.

 

RANGE DAYS - Some people enjoy just going to the range and punching holes in a target. There are days when all you want to do is blow off some steam without a format. There is a wide variety of targets to choose from. Some are playing cards where you see who can shoot the best hand. There are games of “BATTLESHIP”, or even zombies. Of course many ranges have different activities or types of shooting as well. Some ranges even have a large selection of different types and calibers for you to try. Trying range rentals is a great way to get a feel for a particular firearm before making a final purchase.

​

HUNTING - Hunting has been around for as long as humans have been hungry. The type of firearm you purchase for hunting will be determined by the type of hunting you want to do. Hunting doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll be using a rifle. Some pistols are of a sufficient caliber depending on what you want to hunt. Whether you want to hunt bird, bear, elk, or hare, there’s a gun for that.

Don't hesitate to use the contact form below if you have any further questions or would like to make an appointment with an instructor who can assist in making sure you have the information necessary to make an informed decision.

​

Always remember, the NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IS SAFETY no matter how you decide to enjoy the activity of shooting. Proper training and practice of the basic safety rules will ensure that you and those around you are kept out of danger and mitigate the risk of injury or death.