Record numbers of American’s are purchasing firearms, many of whom are new to guns in general. Here are five different questions to consider that can help you pick the perfect gun for you.
- Is this for home defense, or daily carry? Determining what job you need your gun for will help you choose the proper tool for the job. For example, a home defense gun may lead you to higher round capacity, night sights, or a larger frame. A daily carry gun needs to fit your lifestyle, and whether or not you will carry openly or concealed.
- What is the warranty from the manufacturer? Is it a lifetime warranty, or limited? Most companies offer excellent warranties, and the customer service representatives are good to work with.
- What is the reputation of both the seller and the manufacturer? Do a bit of research and find out what both companies are like to deal with. You want to make sure that both the seller and the manufacturer are available for questions and assistance, should they arise.
- Can you readily get the caliber? For example, 9mm, .380, .38 Special, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP are easy to obtain, but .32 (long and short), .25, and .22 Magnum are incredibly difficult, and tend to be quite expensive when you can locate it. Price for practice (or range) ammo may be a factor to consider also. Generally speaking, 9mm is a lower price than 38 Special, .380, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP.
- Are there aftermarket accessories? The internal parts of magazines will wear out with use over time, so you want to make sure you can get replacements, and at a reasonable price. You may also want to consider sights (night sights, XS Big dots, etc), are there modifications available for controls (such as extended slide releases or magazine releases), trigger modification kits, laser sights, and grip modification kits. Holsters are much easier to obtain, but some rare models of handgun may need a custom holster created.
Making a handgun purchase can be quite involved. Asking questions, doing research on brands and models, as well as handling and shooting as many different models and calibers prior to making a purchase will make the decision much easier.
Remember, the best gun for you is the one that you are the most comfortable with, in the highest caliber you are consistently accurate with. Shooting is a perishable skill, be prepared to gain and maintain your proficiency with regular range visits. Happy Shooting!