New Owner Common Mistakes

[oremike]

Speaking of value or worth...

At time value or worth does not mean dollar value...but what use the item has for you.
I have at times , traded a firearm that was "worth" more than the one I was getting , simply because I had a better use for the new one , than the traded one.
So...the new one's "worth" , meant more to me than just dollars.

Not the best of ideas if you are trying to trade up so to speak..or working for a retail store.
However...
It can get you something that you want , have a use for and actually use...rather then holding to something that you don't use with the hopes of it being worth dollars.
Andy

Exactly right, I recently traded a 480 Ruger and all of it's accouterments for a 9mm race gun. I was enamored with the 480 at first but then realized it was just a big, heavy hand cannon better suited to the Alaskan back country than the type of shooting I'm doing. The CZ on the other hand is a great happy can gun, fast, easy to shoot and fun. Did I make money on the trade, probably not but I did increase the fun factor substantially.

 

[Bobbygun]

I know this looks and sounds good on paper but the correct number of guns is just one more. For me I didn't find out what were the right guns for me with out buying and shooting what I thought I wanted. One example of this is Thompson Contender pistols. Three or four times I've had a contender and with multiple barrels each time. They are fun, accurate and as a re loader entertaining to load for particularly the wildcats. Eventually I get bored with shooting a single shot and they get traded off for the next shiny squirrel.

Ain't that the truth? Man, I love Contenders and their extra barrels. Just never seem to shoot mine. Maybe it's that "one shot at a time" thing? But I shoot my muzzleloader more than the contender, and it's slower to load, so...

 

[MrMykonos]

Took me a while to get through this thread. Great info from everyone! My 2cents as a Washingtonian would be DON"T WAIT! I saw way too many people that were unable to purchase a gun because of stupid law changes.

 

[Ann]

The guy who hands a hard recoiling handgun to a novice is the opposite of a good teacher (with respect to anything). The good teacher shows you how and makes it seem easy to master and you believe you can master it and, surprise!, you do. He has in reality thought carefully about the way to master the skills and presented it in steps so you are succeeding at each step. His ego is low key and generous. He is happy to have you become his equal or nearer to his equal with respect to the knowledge or skill. This will make him seem a bit less exalted with respect to you. But his is a happy ego that enjoys company. And he loves watching and helping you grow in knowledge, skill, and self-confidence.

The guy who hands the hard recoiling handgun to a novice wants the novice to be humiliated and discouraged from thinking she could ever learn it. He wants her to believe he is superior to her in this way, and maybe by extension, in all ways. His own ego is too fragile to allow him to teach anybody anything. He will use any opportunities to teach as a chance to make the subject as difficult to learn as possible. He wants the right to have contempt for a gf or wife and to express it openly. This guy will make a rotten husband. Either the lady will divorce him or he will undermine her until she has lost all her courage and joy in life and will to live.

Good points - I've been thinking about expanding my .22 collection pretty much for this reason. Start slow and small, build confidence, go from there.

 

[Alexx1401]

Good points - I've been thinking about expanding my .22 collection pretty much for this reason. Start slow and small, build confidence, go from there.

A nice .22 pistol is just made for this, teaching a new shooter. There is a ton of video of idiots handing a large caliber gun to some woman thinking this is funny. All it does is ruin the person on shooting for the cheap laugh. I have also many times used a .22 to get a newer guy on paper who bought some cannon and then could not shoot. Get them on paper with the .22 then let them at the larger gun and suddenly they actually start to learn.

 

[ma96782]

I made an absolute bonehead move of not reading the manual on my new gun and dry fired my single aciton revolver. Ugh. Doesn't look like it sustained any damage but thats what I get for going by word of mouth, a friend had said it should just fire when ytou pull the trigger with a heavy pull. He must have been thinking double action, because while it works it made a nasty sound and I know it can't have been good for the gun. Hopefully a single dry fire won't do too much damage.

So, what are some common mistakes and pitfalls new owners might run into ? Share a story if it's not too embarrasing.

Yes, read the manual.

From reading that, I assume that you have a Colt SAA? Wait, I have a story about the firing pin on an Italian clone SAA.***

BUT, But, but......
I think that the US military would have a HUGE PROBLEM.....if their firearms were spec'ed to NEVER be dry fired.

Aloha, Mark

PS.....***maybe it's more about the QUALITY of the build and/or the quality of the steel? Whatever.....I got the message and I don't do it anymore with my Colts.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

It occured to me some of you old veterans could help us newbies along by passing some wisdom related to common firearm mistakes people might make. There is the ones that are drilled into you (only point at something you plan to kill, always treat a weapon like it's loaded) but there must be less common ones as well.

I made an absolute bonehead move of not reading the manual on my new gun and dry fired my single aciton revolver. Ugh. Doesn't look like it sustained any damage but thats what I get for going by word of mouth, a friend had said it should just fire when ytou pull the trigger with a heavy pull. He must have been thinking double action, because while it works it made a nasty sound and I know it can't have been good for the gun. Hopefully a single dry fire won't do too much damage.

So, what are some common mistakes and pitfalls new owners might run into ? Share a story if it's not too embarrasing.

Don't by a damn thing assembled/built by century arms. If they are just importing something and not touching it no problem. But don't buy anything touched by them no matter how cheap it is.

 

[ma96782]

Don't by a damn thing assembled/built by century arms. If they are just importing something and not touching it no problem. But don't buy anything touched by them no matter how cheap it is.

WAIT a second. Without Century Arms......how is he suppose to feed his family?



Aloha, Mark

 

[orygun]

Good points - I've been thinking about expanding my .22 collection pretty much for this reason. Start slow and small, build confidence, go from there.

I shot 22 handguns for probably 15 years before I bought my first centerfire revolver. Years later, when I realized that I was using very poor trigger control due to recoil, I would put down the big gun, pull out my ol Ruger Standard and go to work. When I had settled down and was shooting properly, I would pick up the Magnum and go back at it. It still amazes me how quickly a good 22 handgun points out the shooters mistakes.

 

[Spitpatch]

I shot 22 handguns for probably 15 years before I bought my first centerfire revolver. Years later, when I realized that I was using very poor trigger control due to recoil, I would put down the big gun, pull out my ol Ruger Standard and go to work. When I had settled down and was shooting properly, I would pick up the Magnum and go back at it. It still amazes me how quickly a good 22 handgun points out the shooters mistakes.

There ARE guns that will teach you to shoot, and teach you better than any book, film or instructor.

They are never big guns.

And way too many shooters spend too much time with the guns that don't.

 

[duldej]

I shot 22 handguns for probably 15 years before I bought my first centerfire revolver. Years later, when I realized that I was using very poor trigger control due to recoil, I would put down the big gun, pull out my ol Ruger Standard and go to work. When I had settled down and was shooting properly, I would pick up the Magnum and go back at it. It still amazes me how quickly a good 22 handgun points out the shooters mistakes.

I'm kind of opposite. I struggle with .22s.

Although I like the inexpensive rounds, firing a 9mm matters. It matters how proficient I am with a defensive gun, whereas I find too much opportunity to get picky with the .22.

I do not appreciate any better accuracy with the .22, and believe every better set of 10 shots I make with the 9mm amounts to a valuable life skill.

I kind of feel like the .22 is a middle man that could be skipped.

Plan to teach my daughter to use my P322 and for cost effectiveness, again, it's good, but it's only a matter of time before I decide to sell it, just like I sold the two Ruger .22s that I used to own. The 9mms that I own, though. Cold, dead hands.

The .22 is like stretching before a run or like running an app in a Test environment before Prod. It's adviseable but not nearly as fun.

 

[arakboss]

Don't make the mistake of not enjoying your firearms. They are not just a tool. They can be a great way to spend your leisure time and create enjoyment in your life. The gun grabbers and others might tell you otherwise. We are lucky in this first world country to have the freedom and time to enjoy firearms as something other than just a tool.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

I'm kind of opposite. I struggle with .22s.

Although I like the inexpensive rounds, firing a 9mm matters. It matters how proficient I am with a defensive gun, whereas I find too much opportunity to get picky with the .22.

I do not appreciate any better accuracy with the .22, and believe every better set of 10 shots I make with the 9mm amounts to a valuable life skill.

I kind of feel like the .22 is a middle man that could be skipped.

Plan to teach my daughter to use my P322 and for cost effectiveness, again, it's good, but it's only a matter of time before I decide to sell it, just like I sold the two Ruger .22s that I used to own. The 9mms that I own, though. Cold, dead hands.

The .22 is like stretching before a run or like running an app in a Test environment before Prod. It's adviseable but not nearly as fun.

Ilike .22s because they are fun. Suppressors and subs mean you can shoot anywhere so you can shoot more often. Plus they are silly quiet which is fun in itself. Cheap means you can shoot more often. Cheap means you can shoot binary or mag dumps much more often. Clones of every gun imaginable (often for very cheap) are available in .22 so grail guns like g36, buntline special, stocked SAA, and others like uzi, every type of pistol etc etc are made and very affordable. Every possible type of target pistol are made as well as target rifle, lightweight rifle, and tons of different ammo made.

10 round burst of .22 (binary) costs 60 cents.

.22 .MOV

• ilikegunspdx
• May 18, 2024

 

[OldBroad44]

I shot 22 handguns for probably 15 years before I bought my first centerfire revolver. Years later, when I realized that I was using very poor trigger control due to recoil, I would put down the big gun, pull out my ol Ruger Standard and go to work. When I had settled down and was shooting properly, I would pick up the Magnum and go back at it. It still amazes me how quickly a good 22 handgun points out the shooters mistakes.

What points out your mistakes even faster is having a laser on the gun. Boy is that useful in learning or upgrading skills with any handgun but especially shooting DA with a DA revolver. I put Crimson Trace laser grips on my EDC, Buddy, my SW 686-4 .357 mag snubby. Took many a raccoon, possum, and even a few skunks outta the business of viewing my duck flocks night pen as a fine dining invite for their kind. I was firing from inside my house, which was completely dark so the predators couldn't see me, through an open upstairs living room window with the screen off.

 

[OldBroad44]

I actually gave the predators (except skunks) a one-time training session before killing them. For example, the first time a raccoon went after my ducks I would put a shot into the ground next to it. About 2/3 of the raccoons would run and never come back. The rest would skip one night, then try again the second night. And I'd put a .357 mag round through its chest. I'm a gentle polite elderly lady. But best pay attention if I say no.

One night a bear showed up in my back yard and headed for my duck pen. My eyes and brain spent a full second trying to make those huge far apart eyes fit into a raccoon body. Then I spotlighted the bear and yelled at him (from the safety of my second floor outta reach window.) Bear kept coming. Put a shot in the ground next to him. He vanished. Ran away so fast it was as if he evaporated. And never returned. Too bad it wasn't bear season and I had no bear tag. There are laws against shooting from your car on a road, but as far as I know there are no laws against shooting a bear from your living room.

 

[Alexx1401]

I actually gave the predators (except skunks) a one-time training session before killing them. For example, the first time a raccoon went after my ducks I would put a shot into the ground next to it. About 2/3 of the raccoons would run and never come back. The rest would skip one night, then try again the second night. And I'd put a .357 mag round through its chest. I'm a gentle polite elderly lady. But best pay attention if I say no.

One night a bear showed up in my back yard and headed for my duck pen. My eyes and brain spent a full second trying to make those huge far apart eyes fit into a raccoon body. Then I spotlighted the bear and yelled at him (from the safety of my second floor outta reach window.) Bear kept coming. Put a shot in the ground next to him. He vanished. Ran away so fast it was as if he evaporated. And never returned. Too bad it wasn't bear season and I had no bear tag. There are laws against shooting from your car on a road, but as far as I know there are no laws against shooting a bear from your living room.

In another thread someone was talking about how many of the predator's certainly learn to leave some things alone. The Racoons that share my area have given the chickens home a wide berth ever since I killed the one. Watching them on the camera they really seem to clearly avoid that fence now.

 

[Spitpatch]

Plan to teach my daughter to use my P322 and for cost effectiveness, again, it's good, but it's only a matter of time before I decide to sell it, just like I sold the two Ruger .22s that I used to own. The 9mms that I own, though. Cold, dead hands.

For best results, buy your daughter a .22 that SHE likes, that fits HER, and SHE can decide whether or not she decides to sell it. She will learn what you've missed and she will become the better shot, NEVER considering a "set of 10 shots" as the measure of any consistency, accuracy or defensive skill whatsoever.

You will never be in an "FBI-grade" gunfight.

It is the first one that will save your life.

Or your daughter's.

 

[Spitpatch]

The guy who hands a hard recoiling handgun to a novice is the opposite of a good teacher (with respect to anything). The good teacher shows you how and makes it seem easy to master and you believe you can master it and, surprise!, you do. He has in reality thought carefully about the way to master the skills and presented it in steps so you are succeeding at each step. His ego is low key and generous. He is happy to have you become his equal or nearer to his equal with respect to the knowledge or skill. This will make him seem a bit less exalted with respect to you. But his is a happy ego that enjoys company. And he loves watching and helping you grow in knowledge, skill, and self-confidence.

The guy who hands the hard recoiling handgun to a novice wants the novice to be humiliated and discouraged from thinking she could ever learn it. He wants her to believe he is superior to her in this way, and maybe by extension, in all ways. His own ego is too fragile to allow him to teach anybody anything. He will use any opportunities to teach as a chance to make the subject as difficult to learn as possible. He wants the right to have contempt for a gf or wife and to express it openly. This guy will make a rotten husband. Either the lady will divorce him or he will undermine her until she has lost all her courage and joy in life and will to live.

This is a masterpiece from a woman's perspective, complete with insights to the mind of a child and the mind of many men, fortified by life experience. If any of this was uncomfortable, look in the mirror. Lots of these guys are out there.

I had a recent exchange with a Dad who put a 4 year-old behind a 6.5 Creedmoor, and because "it scared him..." was looking for a .223 to put him behind.

Justified the whole thing because the 6.5 had a brake and recoil pad and mild loads. No mention of what that brake did to the child. Tellingly modified the description of kid's reaction to "just surprised" when I gave my assessment of the episode as child abuse, and offered help toward a milder approach.

Was so defensive that he made the claim that it was all okay because a bit later the child expressed interest in Dad's .28 Nosler! I was required to inform him that a 4 year old will do ANYTHING to make a Dad happy. I repeated an offer for help and advice. The reception was predictable.

Ego (graphically expressed) is a horrible, destructive master often at the expense of those without it.

 

[OldBroad44]

For best results, buy your daughter a .22 that SHE likes, that fits HER, and SHE can decide whether or not she decides to sell it. She will learn what you've missed and she will become the better shot, NEVER considering a "set of 10 shots" as the measure of any consistency, accuracy or defensive skill whatsoever.

You will never be in an "FBI-grade" gunfight.

It is the first one that will save your life.

Or your daughter's.

Right. As a person who usually carries a revolver for SD, my standard is what I can do with the first shot after not having fired the gun that day or in weeks. I've even practiced that first shot while hiking or camping and had a backstop.

 

[orygun]

Right. As a person who usually carries a revolver for SD, my standard is what I can do with the first shot after not having fired the gun that day or in weeks. I've even practiced that first shot while hiking or camping and had a backstop.

Quite a while back I created a thread about just that thing, shooting my carry gun "spontaneously". My conditions were kind of like yours, @OldBroad44 , shooting my gun because I had the opportunity to do so. Usually, it was also when I had a reload of ammo, I would empty the gun and reload. But there were times it was just like you described. Pop one off and reholster. Carry on.

Nice reassurance in the choice of carry.