Buying a pistol was pretty easy -- go to Wade's, rent time on the range, and start firing 50 rounds through each of a stack of guns. It took three or four hours, but I found what I liked.
The world of self-defense rifles (SDRs ?) is a lot more complex. A lot of times these are more like outfitting a boat than just "buying a gun." How do I start becoming an expert on choosing one? I've read Boston's Gun Bible which is a core of useful information surrounded by thousands of words of one man's opinions. It's hard for me to sort the wheat from the chaff when reading Boston. (For example, he says buy a .40 caliber Glock, use Corbon ammunition. Don't even consider anything else for a pistol. IMO, this is pretty limited advice.) I've also read the NRA Sourcebook, which was a great introduction to firearms, but not a whole lot of use on how to pick and buy a rifle.
Some of the things I'm reading about and wondering about:
Semi auto? For self-defense, this seems like a no-brainer.
Small caliber, or large? My inclination is towards something like .308 Winchester, but if the .223 is good enough for the Army, shouldn't it be good enough for me? Do I need some other caliber?
Do I really need an EBR, or is it possible to get something like a modern M-14 or M1A1 at a reasonable price with wooden furniture (right? "furniture" means stock and fore end?).
How about those surplus M1s? Too old to count on them?
What about something like an AK, or a CZ Vz. 58? I would be somewhat reluctant to buy an AK, but the Vz. 58 seems to be loved by its owners. How about an FAL (clone)?
Some of these rifles get really expensive, really fast. Do I need to count on spending $2,000?
Some background -- we live in a heavily wooded area east of Seattle. It's rare to be able to see 100 yards, let alone 1,000. If I'm thinking of defensive situations, I'm thinking that -- if I ever had to shoot -- it would be at ranges less than 200 yards. Of course, I'd take it to an outdoor range and shoot for fun, too, which is one of the reasons I'd like something "nicer" than an AK.
I stuck to 9mm for the pistol in part to keep the cost down. I'm not sure how much difference there is between the costs of different rifle calibers (there are so many...), but, as with the pistol, I think I'd shoot more often if the ammunition wasn't really, really expensive.
Are there good resources on where to learn this stuff?
Thank you for your help. You guys rule. :smt180:supz:
The world of self-defense rifles (SDRs ?) is a lot more complex. A lot of times these are more like outfitting a boat than just "buying a gun." How do I start becoming an expert on choosing one? I've read Boston's Gun Bible which is a core of useful information surrounded by thousands of words of one man's opinions. It's hard for me to sort the wheat from the chaff when reading Boston. (For example, he says buy a .40 caliber Glock, use Corbon ammunition. Don't even consider anything else for a pistol. IMO, this is pretty limited advice.) I've also read the NRA Sourcebook, which was a great introduction to firearms, but not a whole lot of use on how to pick and buy a rifle.
Some of the things I'm reading about and wondering about:
Semi auto? For self-defense, this seems like a no-brainer.
Small caliber, or large? My inclination is towards something like .308 Winchester, but if the .223 is good enough for the Army, shouldn't it be good enough for me? Do I need some other caliber?
Do I really need an EBR, or is it possible to get something like a modern M-14 or M1A1 at a reasonable price with wooden furniture (right? "furniture" means stock and fore end?).
How about those surplus M1s? Too old to count on them?
What about something like an AK, or a CZ Vz. 58? I would be somewhat reluctant to buy an AK, but the Vz. 58 seems to be loved by its owners. How about an FAL (clone)?
Some of these rifles get really expensive, really fast. Do I need to count on spending $2,000?
Some background -- we live in a heavily wooded area east of Seattle. It's rare to be able to see 100 yards, let alone 1,000. If I'm thinking of defensive situations, I'm thinking that -- if I ever had to shoot -- it would be at ranges less than 200 yards. Of course, I'd take it to an outdoor range and shoot for fun, too, which is one of the reasons I'd like something "nicer" than an AK.
I stuck to 9mm for the pistol in part to keep the cost down. I'm not sure how much difference there is between the costs of different rifle calibers (there are so many...), but, as with the pistol, I think I'd shoot more often if the ammunition wasn't really, really expensive.
Are there good resources on where to learn this stuff?
Thank you for your help. You guys rule. :smt180:supz: