Newbie Questions

[Chad]

If I am doing this wrong, let me know but I am a new gun owner and have a few (many) questions. A little about me, 54, professional and my wife and I decided that given everything a handgun for the home may not be a bad idea. So we went and looked at a local gun shop. We left thinking of two options, a S&W 686 .357 or an SIG or HK MM. We went to a shooting range, rented both and decided on the S&W. Mostly because my wife had a problem with loading the clip and working the slide.

So, Sunday we purchased a new S&W 686. Also picked up two speed loaders, a small gun safe, four boxes of Blazer .38 and two boxes of Winchester Gr .357. So I have a few questions about what we have done thus far:

1. In looking on the web I see ammo comes in lots of different flavors. So, for a HUD round and the gun we have, any recommendations? Keep in mind it would not only be myself but my wife as well that, god forbid, may need to use them.

2. Ammo storage. The gun safe I have can hold two handguns and six or so boxes of ammo. I want to order ammo in bulk, say 10 or 20 boxes at a time to get a better price so other than just put them on a shelve, should I put them in a fire safe box?

3. Fire Department. Again, god forbid we have a fire I really do not want a fireman trying to save our house to get hurt or killed because of my ammo storage. I was thinking of notifying my local fire station of the type, quantity and location within the house of the ammo. Good idea?

4. Any thoughts on what we have done thus far? Are we going the right direction or did we completely screwup?

Thanks in advance.

Chad

[gibbygoo]

The 686 should be an excellent home defense revolver. In fact the double action of a revolver will help to prevent and accidental discharge.

1. if you have to use the gun in self defense, you won't notice the difference in .38 or .357. Just about any hollow point will do.

2. no need for fire safe

3. cases give way before bullets fly. They just go pop.

4. I think you made a good choice

[leelaw]

1. Get some ball or wadcutter .38 for range practice. For home defense, load with some type of hollowpoint .357 magnum.

2. Ammo may be stored in the open, in ammo cans, or in the safe. It's personal preference.

3. Ammo sitting in the open during a fire may spontaneously ignite, but since it lacks a barrel to control and direct the energy of the explosion, the bullet or brass will launch, but not at a speed that would be dangerous. They'll make popping noise and not much else.

4. Yeah, it's a "magazine" not a "clip"

Have fun with your new acquisition, and practice, practice, practice!

[Davidoff]

Welcome, and congratulations on purchasing a excellent first (or only) handgun. The S&W 686 will serve you well for HD, as well as being a great range gun.

For ammo storage, a fire box is not necessary. Like gibbygoo said, the unsupported case will rupture if not contained in the chamber of a firearm. Therefore, the projectile is not propelled forward, instead the hot gas is expelled out of the side of the case. If you really want to go above and beyond for safety's sake, you could get a small fire box to lock up your supply.

As far as ammunition selection for HD, just about any modern hollowpoint round will do the job. I personally like the Speer Gold Dot, but YMMV.

ETA: Got beat.

[762cavalier]

Welcome to Calguns. Great choice on a HD gun. Revolvers are simple and if they don't go bang you just pull the trigger again. Bought my wife a revolver for the same reason. she had trouble manipulating the slide and there is just too much to think about with a semi-auto when things go bump in the night.

Ammo storage has been pretty well covered. I would recommend both you and your wife maybe take a handgun training class. They will teach you all the fundamentals you need to know. Ammo is a personal choice. Shoot and use .38s for practice and load .357 for HD. You will want to run the .357s that you plan on using for HD to find out Point of impact and how they shoot. Or you can just stick to .38s for home defense. I use .38s in a snubnose revolver for a bedside gun and do not feel undergunned at all. Have fun with your new purchase and feel free to ask any questions. There are a lot of good people who are fairly well informed on many gun related subjects.

[steve parker]

I think you and your wife made a great choice with the revolver, gun safe and ammo. At night I keep my handgun inside of the safe with the door open. The safe is next to my side of the bed bolted down (otherwise it's just too easy for a burglar to walk off with the safe. Not good).

I like to keep the gun in a small holster while it resides in the safe. I like the holster because I can grab the gun when I'm half a sleep and not have to worry about hitting the trigger by mistake. Actually, any holster that you can palm with one hand will work. I can then draw the gun from the holster easily.

For training purposes I use snap caps. I'm definitely no expert, so I like to practice drawing the gun from the holster, loading ammo, indexing a round, trigger control etc. most of the time without looking.

Range time is essential, but there's a bunch of things you can practice at home. Good luck.

[tiko]

Dear Chad,
Beware of practicing with .38 rounds, because they are shorter than 357 therefore some residues will build up and form rings in the cylinder. It is very hard to clean and you can not load 357 rounds in that cylinder if not totally cleaned. I always use 357 cases and load them mild to comfort the shooting.

[PorkLover]

Welcome Chad.....you will love CalGuns.....tons of information here......practice as much as you can until both of you feel comfortable with it....

[tortoisethunder]

Nice to have a new member. Thanks for asking questions, remember there are no dumb questions when it comes new people and firearms.

Just remember...
1. Always assume a fire arm is loaded, and always check for this when you give or receive the firearm with anyone. Always check BEFORE cleaning PLEASE!
2. Always keep the muzzle in a safe direction, always be aware where the gun is pointing.
3. Never put your finger on the trigger, unless you plan to pull it...whether at the range or using it for home protection.

Have fun and both of you shoot often.

[domokun]

Nice to have a new member. Thanks for asking questions, remember there are no dumb questions when it comes new people and firearms.

Just remember...
1. Always assume a fire arm is loaded, and always check for this when you give or receive the firearm with anyone. Always check BEFORE cleaning PLEASE!
2. Always keep the muzzle in a safe direction, always be aware where the gun is pointing.
3. Never put your finger on the trigger, unless you plan to pull it...whether at the range or using it for home protection.
4. Always know your target and whats behind it.

Have fun and both of you shoot often.

There's one more thing to remember. See in-line above.