New to guns you say? So were we once. It’s okay. The firearms community is very welcoming to people interested in obtaining one for the first time. We’ve written several articles on guns here, at Farm & Flannel, you can check them out here.
When getting started, there is a plethora of options to choose from. You also have a bunch of different opinions of which types of firearms are best. Today, we are going to answer what we believe is the best 3 for the new gun owner.
Handguns
Now whether this is a semi-automatic pistol or a revolver, that’s up to you. However, Some sort of 9mm semi-automatic pistol is what we recommend for the first time owner. Companies like: Sig Sauer, Glock, Smith and Wesson are good options on brands to go with. They all manufacture great compact and full size 9mm pistols for your shooting needs.
9mm is very popular right now for its ergonomics and its affordability. The 9mm round doesn’t have a lot of recoil either, making it easy to fire follow up shots. Many compact 9mms can hold up to 11-15 rounds of ammunition!
We’ve covered in a previous article the importance of revolvers for the first time gun owner, so we won’t go into much detail here. However, a good revolver is another important firearm if you’re completely new to firearms. They’re simple to operate and very reliable. If 9mm isn’t your style, we would suggest trying out a trusty, .38 Special revolver instead.
Other popular handgun calibers include the .40 S&W and .45ACP.
The .40 S&W round was created after a disastrous shootout between law enforcement officers and criminals. Feeling they needed a round that would work better than their .38 special and .357 magnum the .40 caliber was born! .40 S&W was very popular in the 80’s-2000’s. Law enforcement carried the popular Glock 22 in such caliber. Nowadays with 9mm’s advancements, the 40 caliber has declined. However, it is still a powerful and good round to shoot!
The classic 1911 is chambered in .45ACP. The gun was used in both world wars and is still in use with some military groups to this day! The 1911 is a little more complex, due to its double safety mechanisms and its needs to be well lubricated to operate well.
Shotgun
A strong, well-built shotgun is a must for new gun owners. Most people have some sort of idea on how to load and operate pump-action shotguns. We recommend sticking with 12 gauge, for it is the the most popular and most prevalent around. Even for someone with a smaller or frailer frame, its still a manageable round. The sound of the pump action has been said to scare off any would be attackers.
The best manufacturers are Mossberg and Remington. Those will be the ones you will see most in gun stores and pawn shops.
The shotgun is a very versatile weapon. You can shoot buckshot, birdshot, target loads, rifled slugs, sabot slugs (depending on the barrel), and non-lethal rounds out of one gun. If you do feel that 12 gauge isn’t for you, 20, 410, and 16 gauge are also very popular.
Rifle
The type of rifle you choose is ultimately up to the buyer. However, we recommend an AR-15 as the entry-level rifle. Check out our article on them, here.
A solid rifle is a good choice for beginners. The AR-15 happens to be America’s most popular rifle. There are others like the AK-47, Ruger mini 14, Remington 700, Marlin 336, and the Ruger 10/22 that are other easy platforms to learn.
Whatever your preference is to an entry level gun, these three are the ones we feel you should start with!