I went to the gun store today
 

My Daughter and I went. It was a huge store. We had a great salesman and he spent a couple hours with us. He was patient but didnt talk down to us and made us comfortable.

After several hours in the store I ended up buying a 20 gauge mossberg shotgun with lots of ammo. I didnt like the Remington and all the 12 gauges were too big. My daughter and I both picked out little 38 Smith and Wesson handguns for when our permits come in. We also bought some knives and water storage tanks.

My daughter and I are going to start practice shooting next week. We have 30 acres so we can practice at home. We bought earplugs. Im sure our first time with the shotgun will be entertaining. I decided to hold off telling my husband about the shotgun and ammo until he recovers from the big batch of mountain house food I ordered this weekend.

BTW for any single gals out there. The gun store is a great place to meet guys if your looking. My Daughter and I both got hit on several times. One man came up and told us there was just something very appealing about a woman holding a shotgun. :rofl::rofl:

Re: I went to the gun store today
 

Congratulations! You can practice with just plain old FMJ ammunition (Full Metal Jacket), but I highly recommend Federal Hydrashok in your handguns when you have the loaded for defensive use.

Re: I went to the gun store today
 

Cool, glad you're enjoying all this :) Wear safety glasses too, just in case!

Re: I went to the gun store today
 

Very good Jaima. I am proud of you. Practice plenty, enjoy the time with daughter, and please wear ear and eye protection. Have fun.

Re: I went to the gun store today
 

Excellent! make sure you use the cheep, low powered ammo when learning to shoot. Don't want to ingrain a flinch reflex. Shooting should be fun and relaxing.

SB

Re: I went to the gun store today
 

Be very careful with the pistols....since you are new to shooting and handguns.....handguns are very short and easy to point in an unsafe direction. I strongly suggest you find someone to give you basic range safety instruction.....this is all very common for kids that started out with guns at age 8 ...and grew up hunting...but I see a lot of adults with no experience...and they are dangerous! The NRA has basic safety guides for free/cheap.

Be careful when holding the revolver....you will most likely use two hands....keep your fingers away from the front of he cylinder...lots of pressure from gas.....this past fall, i saw a guy at the range damage his fingers and blow off a finger nail from the escaping gas from a .44 Magnum Pistol.....again, these are obvious for people that have been around guns a lot....but you have zero experience. Find someone that knows what they are doing....not just some average bone head that has a bunch of guns....

Just remember safety first. I know it sounds lame....

Great choices....exactly what I suggested....simple pump gun and simple revolvers.....you can't go wrong with these.

Nice move!

Re: I went to the gun store today
 

Cool!
I have a mossy 500 20 g. Great gun with low recoil. I call it "Blasty".
Have fun shooting! If there is one piece of advice to give, it is practice safety from the start. You want to engrain it in you brain to never point your gun at anything you are not planning on shooting / killing. And never put your finger into the trigger guard until you are ready (have in sights) to shoot / kill whatever it is you are shooting.
I have to "go back" and retrain myself....

Re: I went to the gun store today
 

Firearm Safety Rules
1. Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
2. Firearms should be unloaded when not in use <o:p></o:p>
3. Don't rely on your firearm's safety <o:p></o:p>
4. Be sure of your target and what's beyond <o:p></o:p>
5. Use the correct ammunition <o:p></o:p>
6. If your firearm fails to fire when the trigger is pulled, HANDLE WITH CARE! <o:p></o:p>
7. Always wear eye and ear protection when shooting <o:p></o:p>
8. Be sure the barrel is clear of obstructions before shooting <o:p></o:p>
9. Don't alter or modify your firearm, and have firearms serviced regularly <o:p></o:p>
10. Learn the mechanical and handling characteristics of the firearm before using it

Re: I went to the gun store today
 

Thanks for all the safety tips. I am a little nervous. I have fired a 22 rifle and pistol before but never a shotgun. The salesman gave us good instructions and we will wear goggles and ear plugs.

ruprick, you were right. When I started looking at guns I was most comfortable with a very basic weapon. I was amazed at the assortment of guns, rifles and shotguns they had. They had one handgun that looked like a cannon. I was definitely out of my element but it was interesting and the store had some very cool gadgets.

Re: I went to the gun store today
 

For #1 I learned: "Always treat EVERY gun as if it is loaded." I think another good one is "Don't put your finger on the trigger until you are ready to shoot."

Re: I went to the gun store today
 

jaima,
I'd like to personally welcome you to 'the gun culture'. You have taken the first step to independence and freedom. Yours, your families and your nation.

Once you realize that you have the power to protect yourself, your family, your property and your friends, it will seem somewhat 'overpowering' at first.

Kind of like the first time you carry a concealed weapon. You are SURE everyone KNOWS you are carrying. Truth is, most people don't have a clue.

So, again, welcome to the gun culture. If you would like a book that's part fiction and part truth, but gives a fair description of the gun culture from about 1900 forward, go get the book "Unintended Consequences". It's 900+ pages and can be a bit daunting at first.

I've read it so many times, that I just have to recommend it. Once you start, you will probably feel compelled to finish it.

Congrats on the purchases.

You say you got 'ear plugs'? Not muffs? The plugs work OK for short term, but in the long run, if you like shooting (most people do, once they get past the noise, fire, smoke and smells - I actually have come to love Hoppes #9 cleaning solution - go figure) you should invest in at least a good set of ear muffs, generally less than $20.

They CAN be very expensive, as they make ones you can wear that allow you to hear what people are saying until you shoot, then they cut the amplification circuit and the outside noise is once again 'muffled'.

So, any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Did you buy a cleaning kit of any kind? If you have any questions regarding cleaning your firearms, speak out.

Re: I went to the gun store today
 

Ain't that the truth! I thought it was just me.

HAHAHAHAHA

E-A

Re: I went to the gun store today
 

Wallew, I got a cleaning kit. I will admit I am a lot more intimidated by a shotgun then a 22 rifle I have fired. Hopefully I will get over it when I shoot it. I dont plan on practicing with the shootgun much. Just enough to get comfortable with it. If I target shoot it would be with the rifle.

My husband is being a real pain in the ass about all this. I will never understand men. He is having issues with me buying guns, gold and survival food and supplies. Its not that he thinks its a bad idea, he just doesnt want to be reminded the world is deteriorating. I told him the best way to handle it was for me to just do what I needed to do and leave him out of the details.. Now he is all upset I bought a shotgun without him and asked a salesman for help.

Re: I went to the gun store today
 

Jaima, has your hubby ever shot a shotgun? If so, get him involved, ask him to show you. Remember that the male ego can be a fragile thing, and while there is no doubt you can handle yourself, you've entered into what he might consider male territory. Find a way to get him involved!!! Ask him if he has any friends who could teach you to shoot. He might find out how much fun it is. My kids and I love shooting clay pigeons.

You said you're intimidated by the shotgun. OK. Good. That shows respect for it's potential. But is won't kick real hard until you use the the more powerful shells. Start with the target loads. Get used to it. You'll notice the kick really isn't that bad. That's what I've always done with my kids. My daughter will learn next. She's 11.

Obviously, you are a sheepdog, wanting to protect your flock. Don't scare the sheep.

SB

PS I can see why you got hit on at the gun store!!!

Re: I went to the gun store today
 

All the advice given is very good but don't forget to buy lots of ammo.

Why?

1. Who will be selling ammo when the SHTF?
2. It will only go up in price
3. It keeps forever

Re: I went to the gun store today
 

I bought quite a bit of ammo. I will pick up some more over the next month. The salesman said the price of the bullets for the Smith and Wesson had doubled this year already.

Squirrel bait, my husband knows how to shoot. He grew up on a farm and is very outdoorsy. I think you are correct that he feels I have over stepped my bounds. He feels he has always taken care of the family and done a good job. Not only is he concerned I might be a little nuts but he is insulted that I don't feel we are adequately prepared. The truth is although he is distrustful the Government he is fairly clueless as to how bad the economy could get.

He said he would help me practice with the shotgun and perhaps that will perk him up. I am not looking forward to the look on his face when UPS starts bringing is cases of mountain house food in the next few weeks.

Those of you that have cooperative spouses are blessed. As far as scaring the sheep you might be right. The thought of me with a shotgum scares my husband..lol

Re: I went to the gun store today
 

I think you are doing the right thing and after your husband sees you taking issues into your own hands, he will see you differently. Get ready for a little extra affection.:D

Re: I went to the gun store today
 

jaima,
There's a line in the movie "The Whole Nine Yards" that might HELP YOU.

It's when Bruce Willis aka 'The Tulip' hit man is 'whacking' the family that's trying to hit him (near the end of the movie). After the scene is all over, his black hit man buddy comes up the steps to see the female lead, standing there naked holding a gun.

He says, "There's NOTHING FINER than seeing a fine looking naked woman holding a gun. YOU ARE just all kinds of fine."

That HAS to be one of the better lines in ANY movie I've ever heard. VERY TRUE AS WELL.

And you are correct, our male egos are pretty fragile. Given how much property you own, consider picking up a case of 'clays' and some kind of clay thrower and then let your husband 'teach you how' to shoot the shotgun.

I'm pretty sure I don't have to tell you which buttons to push.

Oh, and you need to be a little more definitive with your adjectives when you say "I bought quite a bit of ammo". Unless you are talking a pallet...

I buy it multiple cases at a time. My last shipment weighed right at 385 lbs. I actually felt sorry for my UPS guy. But he's delivered this amount previously and knows I'm a gunsmith.

You can NEVER have too much ammo. LITERALLY. Properly stored, it can last well past fifty years.