According to recent surveys, right around 30% of Americans own at least one gun. Are you interested in joining them by buying your first gun?
If so, you should know that choosing your first gun is probably going to be more challenging than you might think. There are so many options out there for a first-time gun buyer to choose from. This can make buying a gun very difficult to do.
Fortunately, there are some gun buying tips that you can keep in the back of your mind while doing it to make the process a little simpler than it would be otherwise. By learning how to buy a gun in advance, you won’t find yourself feeling unprepared while you’re staring down the barrel of one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make.
Take a look at ten tips for buying your first gun.
1. Begin by Thinking About Why You’re Buying a Gun in the First Place
Why exactly are you interested in buying a gun? Is it because:
- You want to be able to protect your home
- You’re interested in going hunting
- You’ve always loved guns and the idea of owning one
There are so many different types of guns that you’re going to be able to check out when buying a gun for the first time. From basic handguns to rifles designed for shooting big game from a distance, there won’t be any shortage of options for you.
With this in mind, you should try to narrow down your options so that you’re not overwhelmed. You can do this by deciding once and for all why you want a gun.
2. Come Up With a Gun Buying Budget for Yourself
Buying a gun is more expensive than many people realize. Even a relatively simple handgun is usually going to start at about $500 and go up from there.
This is going to make it important for you to create a gun buying budget for yourself. You should think about how much you can afford to spend on a gun before you start looking around for one.
You might find that you’re going to need to save up a little more money to be able to afford the kind of gun that you want. It’s better to know this from the beginning as opposed to falling in love with a gun only to find out that it’s well out of your price range.
3. Find Out as Much as You Can About the Different Gun Manufacturers
With so many Americans investing in guns these days, it seems like there are more and more gun manufacturers popping up all the time. There are dozens of them out there, and the exact number feels like it’s always growing.
It’s a good idea for a first-time gun buyer to find out everything they can about the different gun manufacturers operating throughout the U.S. You should know names like Volquartsen and understand what they’re all about.
4. Shop for Your First Gun Through a Trusted Dealer
When you’re buying your first gun, you’re undoubtedly going to have a million and one questions that you want to ask. So the last thing you want to do is go to a dealer that’s not going to have time to answer them all for you.
Read reviews for gun dealers in your general area and attempt to find one that has earned a reputation for practicing patience with first-time gun buyers. They’ll be by your side every step of the way as you seek to learn more about guns and pick one out.
5. Consider Which Gun Grip Size Is Going to Work Best for You
The gun that you buy when shopping for one for the first time needs to feel comfortable when you have it in your hand. It should be the right grip size for you based on the size of your specific hand.
It’s smart to pick up several different guns and test them out to see which feels the best to you. You should be able to land on one with the right grip size before long by experimenting with a bunch of your different options.
6. Familiarize Yourself With the Various Types of Ammo Used for Different Guns
Earlier, we spoke briefly about how there are many types of guns for first-time gun buyers to pick from. Each of these guns will look and feel slightly different from the next.
Additionally, each of these guns will call for you to use a different type of ammo in it. From .380 ACP to .45 ACP, it can get to be a little bit confusing for first-time gun buyers to keep the various types of ammo straight.
Make it your mission to familiarize yourself with these types of ammo before shopping for your first gun. It’ll help you pick out a gun that uses the type of ammo that’s going to benefit you the most.
7. Check Out Which Accessories Are Available for Guns
Picking out gun accessories for your first gun is going to be almost as much fun as picking out your first gun itself. There are so many great gun accessories out there, including grips, sights, magazines, holsters, and more.
Which of these accessories are you going to add to your collection when buying a gun? You obviously aren’t going to need to buy all of them at once. Part of the fun of owning a gun is adding more accessories to the mix over time.
But you should try to pick up at least a few accessories that are going to allow you to make the most of your new gun. Even something as simple as a holster will add to the excitement that you feel when you buy your first gun.
8. Make Sure You’re Fully Prepared to Clean a Gun Prior to Purchasing It
From the second that you buy your first gun and bring it home with you, it’s going to be your responsibility to clean it. Most experts recommend cleaning your gun thoroughly at least twice each year, but you should do basic cleaning jobs more often than that.
The problem, of course, is that you’re not going to know how to do this when you first buy a gun. You should speak with the dealer who sells it to you about how to clean it and what to look for when you’re doing it.
The first one or two times that you clean your gun will be intimidating. But it’ll be important for you to clean your gun and to clean it right to keep it firing the way it’s supposed to.
9. Learn About the Different Gun Safety Tips When Buying a Gun
There are a handful of gun safety tips that every single first-time gun buyer should commit to memory before buying a gun. The National Shooting Sports Foundation is one of the many organizations that has gone out of its way to compile a long list of necessary gun safety rules.
Some of these rules include:
- Treat your gun as if it’s loaded at all times
- Always point your gun in a safe direction
- Avoid relying on your gun’s so-called “safety” to keep your safe
- Get into the habit of using the right ammo in your gun from the start
- Put on protection for your eyes and ears when firing your gun
- Steer clear of making any alterations to your gun
Just about everyone knows how important gun safety is. But people sometimes fail to follow even the most basic of gun safety rules. If you’re not ready to follow them, then you’re not ready to own a gun yet.
10. Think Long and Hard About Buying a Gun Before Pulling the Trigger on It
Buying a gun is not something that you should do on a whim. You shouldn’t pick out the first gun that you see when you start shopping for one and agree to buy it without doing your homework on other guns.
Instead, you should think long and hard about buying your first gun and make sure it’s the right one for you. If you aren’t 100% confident in your decision to buy a gun, you’re better off going back to square one and continuing your search rather than blindly buying a gun that you might not love later on.
Buying Your First Gun Doesn’t Have to Be a Stressful Experience
Buying your first gun is supposed to be exciting. It’s not supposed to cause you so much stress that you write off the idea of buying a gun.
The tips found here should help you build up some anticipation for your first gun. They should also help lead you in the right direction as you set out to find the best possible gun for your specific purposes.
Would you like to read through other informative gun-related articles prior to purchasing your first firearm? Poke around on our blog to check out more great posts on guns.
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