So De mentioned something a while back about buying a handgun. I feel like I have a lot to say (Oho, suprise there), and I wanted to create a post around it.

First things first. If you've never owned a gun before, or didn't grow up around them (hunting, shooting, Beirut) I suggest making friends with people who did. Given the 38-40% gun ownership rate across the US, most of us know some responsible gun owners. Given De's location, if she didn't grow up around guns, she knows some people who did. There's a certain way responsible people act around guns, and it's a behavior that should be ingrained.

Me personally? I'm fairly cautious. The safety is not off, nor is a magazine in my gun, unless I'm actively aiming and shooting. When I carry the gun, even to the range, it's in a SERPA holster. Granted, this isn't really secure should someone with half a brain try to take the gun off my person; but generally people with half a brain don't try to take a gun off your person.

As for gun choice, that really depends on two things - learning curve, and how something feels in your hands. I started out with a 9mm, because I wanted to be able to fire hundreds (thousands?) of target rounds. 9mm rounds are fairly cheap. I can usually buy 50 target rounds for $16. The downside is that many enthusiasts will tell you 9mm rounds don't have any stopping power. As far as I'm concerned, some crackhead who's breaking into my house to steal a TV or DVD player is going to experience a moment of clarity as soon as I start shooting at their face. It doesn't matter if I have a .22, a 12-gauge, or an assault rifle. Being shot at does that to people.

Now on to feel. I have big hands with large knuckles, and as much as I liked the look and style of the compact tactical weapons, they just didn't fit. Some of the plastic ones felt top heavy, the grips felt small, etc. I ended up choosing a fairly run-of-the-mill Beretta 92. Turns out, this is the standard weapon of various police forces; so it's also fairly common if you're looking for parts and accesories.

But in all honesty, you should pic a caliber you want, and then pick something in that caliber that fits your hand. You'll know it when you pick it up at the store.

On to supplies. Of course, you're going to need ammo. Unless you have experience firing a handgun, you're going to have a steep learning curve. The shorter barrel means there's much more sensitivity to your sights, which is one of the reasons why many people choose a shotgun for home defense. Because of the steep learning curve, I suggest buying cheaper target rounds for practice, and then some ballistic rounds for the uninvited guests. Alluding to the earlier discussion regarding the "pant shitting" factor of being shot at,: being shot at with something that will put a hole the size of a coffee saucer in the back of your skull as it exits increases this factor by exponents. I recommend keepeing seperate, loaded clips of both. Since my gun never has a clip in it, I can grab and go for whatever purpose is neccesary.

Thankfully, I've never had to grab and go on ballistic rounds. That would generally mean having to pay someone to replace the carpet; and that shit is expensive.

Then there are supplies. One pretty basic cleaning kit (less than $20) will get you going. I usually clean after every time I go shoot, but that's because I generally fire close to 50 rounds every time I go. Renting a lane is fairly cheap, and there's usually no time limit. Make sure you get regular with one of the local retailers though; they'll usually throw stuff like targets or 10% discounts at you if you're regular.

When I bought my first gun, the shop owner threw me a 10% discount next time I came to the store. So when I came back, I bought 75 rounds, a cleaning kit and a holster. The guy threw thirty shooting targets my way.

Here's a photo of everything. The gun is top left, chamber open. Empty clip to the right, loaded clips just below with ther respective rounds. MagTech target rounds on the right, and the ballistic rounds on the left in the darker jackets. Below these the targets are rolled up, and below them you'll see the cleaning kit.

The second photo shows the SERPA holster. It's made from hard PVC plastic, and features a passive lock that prevents accidental release. You can see from the finger positioning that it is in a natural position if you're drawing, but if someone wanted to run by and grab the gun, they'd have a little trouble. Like I said, it works for idiots and not for smart people; but generally smart people don't try to grab a gun as it sits on your hip.