First gun(s)?

[rob94133]

Hi all,

Thanks for all the information. I have a lot better understanding after your answers and suggestions and just doing more reading. Wow. It's kind of sad what one has to go through to protect their person, home and family.

Can I have some opinions on buying used for handguns and shotguns? Good or bad idea? Can/should you but from private owner vs store. Is a store does sell used can you recommend one. I wanted to go to Jackson Firearms and would like to rent and test some guns out there but someone mentioned I'd have to go there with someone that's already armed? Not sure if I understood that correctly. From researching it sounds like a Glock is most reliable. Would also like to get the Mossberg and for purposes of being able to corner in the house better I wanted to know if I'm allowed to saw down the barrel and if it's a bad idea. Are we allowed to have AR15 in the house? Heard good things about them also. Ideally I'd like to have a couple in various rooms so I'm not scrambling or blocked from getting to the firearm. Thanks all.

[Librarian]

Hi all,

I wanted to go to Jackson Firearms and would like to rent and test some guns out there but someone mentioned I'd have to go there with someone that's already armed? Not sure if I understood that correctly.

This bit is an attempt to prevent suicides; the expectation is if one does not come alone, or if one brings in a firearm, then less dramatic activities are more likely.

[OCEquestrian]

[Milsurp Collector]

Ideally I'd like to have a couple in various rooms so I'm not scrambling or blocked from getting to the firearm.

If that's what you're worried about get a holster and carry a handgun inside your home. California hasn't outlawed that...yet.


.

[omega]

sawing a shotgun barrel

Hi all,

Thanks for all the information. I have a lot better understanding after your answers and suggestions and just doing more reading. Wow. It's kind of sad what one has to go through to protect their person, home and family.

Can I have some opinions on buying used for handguns and shotguns? Good or bad idea? Can/should you but from private owner vs store. Is a store does sell used can you recommend one. I wanted to go to Jackson Firearms and would like to rent and test some guns out there but someone mentioned I'd have to go there with someone that's already armed? Not sure if I understood that correctly. From researching it sounds like a Glock is most reliable. Would also like to get the Mossberg and for purposes of being able to corner in the house better I wanted to know if I'm allowed to saw down the barrel and if it's a bad idea. Are we allowed to have AR15 in the house? Heard good things about them also. Ideally I'd like to have a couple in various rooms so I'm not scrambling or blocked from getting to the firearm. Thanks all.

not a good idea on shortening a shotgun barrel, the legal length is 18" in or longer

they already sell a Mossberg shotgun with the 18.5" in barrel the legal limit

[P5Ret]

Would also like to get the Mossberg and for purposes of being able to corner in the house better I wanted to know if I'm allowed to saw down the barrel and if it's a bad idea. Are we allowed to have AR15 in the house? Heard good things about them also. Ideally I'd like to have a couple in various rooms so I'm not scrambling or blocked from getting to the firearm. Thanks all.

Using a shotgun inside a home is a bad idea if you don't know what your doing. Anything with a long barrel is not ideal for checking a house, especially an older homes that tend to have narrower halls and smaller rooms than what we see in new homes. Minimum barrel length on a shotgun is 18 inches, anything less that you DIY could land you in a camp fed, or paying a long term visit to one of California's less than desirable address' managed by DOCR.

Unless you have one, an AR isn't really much an option any longer thanks to California voters being mislead by Newsome. If you are in SF you need to research city codes, as I believe it is not legal to leave a firearm unsecured in the city, so having multiple guns in various locations could be troublesome.

[JackEllis]

Personally I'd rather invest in putting some armor around my vehicles to protect my wife and me from stupid drivers because they're a bigger threat than a criminal with a gun, but if you live in a bad neighborhood I could understand wanting a weapon for self-defense. In that case I think I'd get ONE semi-auto shotgun with the shortest barrel I could legally own.

If you have kids or roommates, having loaded guns lying around introduces a whole other set of complications.

[Epaphroditus]

You can't protect your wife. Are you by her side 24/7/365?

[kcheung2]

used guns - Nothing inherently wrong with buying used, but you must know what the orig price is (lots of people here sell used gen 3 Glocks for more than new) and you should be familiar enough with guns to know regular wear vs a serious defect. If you don't know, then just buy new.

sawed off shotgun - don't do it. Save it for the gangster movies.

renting guns - yes ranges have that policy. You cannot go to the range by yourself if you don't already have a gun. Bring a wife/girlfriend/buddy. Suicides & lone wolf crazies.

reliable Glocks - I like Glocks, but even I won't make that claim. Toyotas are reliable, but I'm sure a lot of Honda/Ford/Yugo drivers make the same claim. Likewise, Sig, Beretta, S&W etc have been around for centuries because they're doing something right.

AR15 in the house - Where else would you put it if not in your house? In your neighbor's shed?

guns in various rooms - Long ago some tech visionary geek predicted we'd have tv's in every room. But then some smarter geek figured it would be easier to carry around 1 screen in your pocket. If you feel the need to be armed in every room, then arm yourself

[rob94133]

Thanks for all the feedback. I only get my info from what I read online and this forum. It sounds like 1 firearm is what I'll go with then. I'm sure just dealing with these idiots just has me being overly protective and not at ease. I would want a firearm that legally holds the most rounds and is the most reliable one if I'm only going to own one. Can you recommend the firearm you would choose that fits that bill. I read online the Glock. If that's not your choice please let me know what would be for hokolding the most rounds legally and the most reliable

[Garv]

10 round mag. +1 in the chamber is the max. for a handgun.

Rent a Glock 19.

Ideally, rent a few guns and see what you are most comfortable shooting.

You will need to shoot a lot to ensure YOU are more reliable than the gun.

[kcheung2]

I agree with this:

You will need to shoot a lot to ensure YOU are more reliable than the gun.

Instead of fixating on reliability or capacity, figure out what gun works for you. Because realistically most guns are reliable, and capacity is limited to 10 regardless. (except for tubefed, but that's not a likely option)

Some people like hammer fired guns, others like striker fired. Some people hate the Glock trigger or grip angle or sights. Are you one of them? Only way to find out is to rent one and shoot it, then compare it to a Sig or a HK or a XD. A reliable gun is useless if you're not comfortable with the trigger or the safety is in an awkward location for your hands.

[SomeGuy75]

If you are looking for a shotgun for home defense, take a look at the KSG 12 gauge. It’s much shorter than a Mossberg 500 with an 18” barrel, and I have mine loaded with 24 aguila mini buckshot rounds. It’s of firepower with less chance of over penetration.

But I highly recommend you rent or borrow MANY different guns before you decide what works for you.