What is the Right Gun For Me?

The most common question we hear from new customers has to be, “What is the right gun for me?” It makes sense that someone new to firearms is looking for a recommendation from a sales representative that will help narrow the selection from what can be a bewildering array of choices. Often, that rep will recommend something without fully understanding the intended use for the gun and the customer’s abilities. Typically, the choice is something small and light. Frequently, it’s a revolver.

The reality is, only one person can answer this question, and it’s you.

Handguns are like shoes: you’ve got to find the one that fits if you want to be happy. It needs to fit your hand physically and also fit the desired uses. You would not select the same shoe to go hiking as you would to slip into getting out of bed in the morning. Similarly, you wouldn’t want the same firearm for home defense as you would for concealed carry.

We recommend that your first handgun be a full-sized firearm. These are well suited for home defense, have enough mass to reduce the felt recoil and are inherently more accurate. Once you have mastered the fundamentals with a full-sized handgun, you’ll be much better prepared for a compact or sub-compact concealed carry firearm.

Part of handgun selection is choosing the caliber of the firearm. You should choose a firearm caliber that you are comfortable with for accurate shooting.  That may be a .22 LR, which is a low-power round usually not recommended for personal defense. A 9mm or .380 caliber handgun is most frequently used for both home defense and concealed carry. These offer the best compromise between stopping power and recoil/size. Regardless of the caliber you choose, what matters most in a defensive situation is accuracy, so make sure you are comfortable shooting the firearm you choose so you’ll practice regularly.

Ultimately, test firing a firearm before buying it will be the best way you can determine what firearm you should purchase. Indoor shooting ranges offer a wide variety of rental handguns so you can find the one that both fits you and with which you are most accurate.

You should rent a minimum of two to three handguns and test your ability to hit a target between five and seven yards away. While testing it, ask yourself how it feels in your hand. Can you reach all of the controls comfortably? Are you able to operate the slide to load and unload the firearm? And, most importantly, with which one are you most accurate?

While price will play a role in any purchasing decision, remember that this is a device you may be counting on to save your life. You don’t need to spend exorbitantly, but you should go with one of the major manufacturers like Sig Sauer, Glock, Ruger, Smith & Wesson and Springfield. These firearms offer great quality and all have excellent support from the manufacturer, should it be required. FBN

By Rob Wilson

Rob Wilson is the owner (with his wife, Elise) of Timberline Firearms & Training in Flagstaff. They offer a full line of firearms, accessories, safes and ammunition along with Liberty Safes. For more information, visit timberlinefirearms.us.