Enter any new job, start any hobby, adopt a new lifestyle, and you are walking through the proverbial minefield. You do not avoid the maze of questionable decisions and bad selections when the ink on the check form has dried and you walk away from the counter as a gun owner. Congrats by the way! But in all seriousness, buying a gun is both a 1st step into a new life and the 1st step into the minefield. Here are five critical Do’s and Don’ts for new gun owners.
Do Seek Instruction
Firearms training can be an intimidating subject to approach. From concealed carry to force-on-force classes, training is available to suit any need. Good training is valuable if you have the time and the extra cash to throw at it. But a lack of formal training is not a death sentence, despite what some firearms trainers with vested interests would have you believe. Firearms came around in the 1st place because they were so much easier to use than bows and swords!
On the other hand, you would be surprised at the number of folks I have seen who load ammunition backward in magazines and can’t verify whether a given firearm is loaded or not. Even if you do get some instruction but you don’t practice enough to commit it to memory, it can be an obstacle to get over.
The 1st vital step of instruction and the remedy for most mishaps can be found in the owner’s manual. Chances are, if your firearm is factory new it comes with an owner’s manual in the box. Don’t assume you already know everything about it. Go ahead and read the manual! If you are unable to locate an owner’s manual in the box, one could be found for download on the firearm maker’s website free of charge.
Sometimes you come across a gun old enough that it is no longer manufactured. I partake in elderly revolvers, muzzleloaders, and old military surplus guns where a manual of operation simply isn’t available. In this circumstance, I read a sampling of online and print review materials, followed by some on-range instruction as needed.
Whether your gun is new or old, once your research is done you do have to head to the range. You have to practice in order to put your research firmly into memory.
Do Purchase a Cleaning Kit
While you can scale the costs of instruction, it is wise to spend the extra $15 dollars to purchase cleaning supplies. In particular: solvent, oil, patches, and a cleaning kit with the necessary jag and brushes.
You shouldn’t wait to change the oil in your car every ten thousand miles if you want it to last. The same goes for firearms. Lead, copper, and powder fouling coat the moving parts while friction burns off lubrication and creates wear. Although some will brag about high rounds in a given firearm, our safety and lives cannot be predicated on the boasts of others.
Even if you purchase a firearm without any intent to go to the range, it is smart to use a basic cleaning kit to do your own maintenance and ensure functionality should you need to shoot.
In my own experience in the retail world, cleaning accessories were rarely bought up front and I have seen about a half dozen new guns become nonfunctional because of a lack of post-buy care. I was bewildered to have a Glock 19 returned to me by a customer who bought it only a few days previously only to have the pistol seize up after a range trip. It was shipped from the factory bone dry. Fortunately, this happened at a range and not in the time of need.
Another customer was not so fortunate. He used a new Mossberg Maverick 88 shotgun to repel without having to fire a shot. That man was lucky that his would-be assailants took off at the sight of that 12-gauge because when he attempted to chamber a round, the shotgun locked up due to packing grease that had not been cleaned out after purchase.
For some peace of mind, a cleaning kit goes a long way and it does not have to be complicated. I like a caliber-specific kit with a rod, jag, and bronze brush. I also like to use 100% cotton shotgun patches that I can then cut to size whether I am using them on a jag or a wipe. Unlike some synthetic patches, these leave behind no fibrous residue. A ton of solvent and lubricating oil options are out there. Some CLPs claim to both clean and protect, but I prefer dedicated oils and solvents—particularly Hoppes No. 9.
Do Secure your Firearm
An option to secure your firearm should be adopted for your new purchase sooner rather than later. Depending on your prerogatives, security options can be scaled. For long guns that will spend a good amount of their time sitting and waiting for woods work, I gravitate toward a gun safe. Security options get more complicated when it comes to storing handguns. Depending on your living arrangements, you might get away with putting your concealed carry gun on by day and on a shelf by night without lock and key. This is not always satisfactory. A home defense handgun spends most of its life at home and potentially accessible to the unauthorized.
The most secure safes are also the hardest to get into quickly so you will have to balance accessibility with security. For securing pistols, I like the Fort Knox FTK-PB because it is mechanically operated and I need not worry about the electronics of other safes that require upkeep. But if your needs don’t require it, you can get by with less.
On the rare occasions I am traveling and must take off my pistol, I lock it in a Snapsafe lock box secured under a seat. You will need a key to get into it, but it is inexpensive and available at most sporting goods stores. Pistol safes and lockboxes won’t stop a dedicated thief, but they do go a long way toward stopping opportunists and curious children.
Do Understand Ammunition Differences
Further down on the hierarchy of Do’s is to tailor your ammunition selection to the task at hand. This begins with consulting the owner’s manual, which contains the types of ammunition your firearm can shoot. Some handguns fire cartridges that are backward-compatible, such as the ability to shoot 38 Special cartridges in a revolver chambered for the longer 357 Magnum. But others are not, like the litany of cartridges that share the same number but are otherwise completely different.
On more than one occasion, I have seen new shooters attempt to load and use their 9mm Luger pistols with 9mm Makarov cartridges that are simply too fat to cycle. Some handguns are rated for higher pressure or +P loadings, while some are not.
Reading the owner’s manual and simply looking at the stampings on your gun can alleviate these early concerns. But ammunition differences go beyond that. A bullet is a bullet but different types excel at different applications. Buying ratshot because it is the cheapest ammunition on the shelf can be a disservice for a home-defense handgun, but it is a great option for a barn gun. Full metal jacket target ammunition is poor for personal defense compared to most hollow-point options. A bonded heavier slug will perform better on whitetail deer compared to a light-weight varmint load appropriate for groundhogs.
Tailor your ammunition selections to your intended purpose. To learn more about appropriate ammunition choices, advice from gun store clerks can be hit or miss. Consult multiple sources and, above all else, ensure that your ultimate selection will function in your firearm.
Don’t Buy a Gun That is Too Big
Most of the worst mistakes a new gun owner faces can be mitigated with a bit of instruction, but sometimes the 1st mistake is buying the wrong gun!
We are individuals of different builds, different hand sizes, and different experiences going in. It can be tempting to buy a gun that is simply too large and probably too powerful. Sometimes, buying a big gun is about ego but we must leave that at the door.
Leaving that aside, bigness can be broken down into two categories: too big to handle and too big for the task. You might end up with a pistol that appears easy to work with. You can rack the slide and flick on all the buttons when holding it in your hands at the store but when you go to hold it in your hand, you may find yourself having to shift your grip to reach the controls or press the trigger.
Likewise, you might buy a hunting rifle that feels great to shoulder in the summer only to have difficulty getting behind the rifle once you are wearing a few layers of clothing during the hunting season. That hunting rifle—chambered in 338 Winchester Magnum—can be punishing to shoot and leave a new shooter with bad shooting habits, if not giving up the sport altogether. It can be tempting to pick up a subcompact pistol in 40 S&W or 45 ACP when you might be better served by a lower recoiling 9mm.
On the flip side of selecting a gun that is too big to handle is a gun too big for the task. That 338 Win. Mag. will serve you well in bear country or when taking long shots, but its utility is questionable when going after Louisiana swamp deer.
Don’t Buy a Gun That is Too Small
I don’t mean to be hyperbolic. You can buy a gun that is too big, but you can also buy a gun that is too small. This issue often pertains to concealed-carry handguns, but it can also be applied to home defense and hunting.
There are legitimate reasons to buy a bigger gun. A typical full-sized handgun in the appropriate caliber will generally be easier to operate and have less felt recoil compared to its smaller counterparts. Smaller handguns, simply by virtue of their lack of real estate, can be harder to get a commanding grip, cycle the action, and achieve a good trigger squeeze. In some small guns, it takes noticeable mental and physical effort to hold them down for follow-up shots.
Unfortunately, I have seen many new gun owners walk away unconvinced with a tool they cannot effectively learn on. Many gravitate towards small guns because of perceived hand fit or believing a bigger gun means a more powerful gun that one simply does not need. Micro 380s like the Ruger LCP fit this category. Others gravitate toward snub-nosed revolvers like the S&W 642 due to hand strength issues. Both of these types have their place, but not in the hands of a greenhorn.
The Bottom Line
There is much to unpack with new gun ownership. How do I store this gun? How do I operate this gun? Where can I shoot this gun? What does a hollow point do? No matter how long you’ve been in the game, there will be new learning. And there is plenty of knowledge out there, but some old hands do try to complicate things to the angst of new players. You don’t have to be an SAS-level commando to competently and safely use a firearm. Rest assured. The critical mistakes are made or avoided before you are ever downrange.
