First Gun...

[Dooligan]

Big 5 Mossberg 12ga 28"/20" barrel combo. You have a "cost-effective" shotgun that is low maintenence, will chew through ammo, and you basically get 2 guns in one with the 28"/20" barrels (trap/skeet/hunting or HD).

[Time of Flight]

May I ask why you are so set on a large bolt action as your first?

Its not a bad choice per say, but I would (and did) go a different route. My first gun was an AR15 that I built (assembled) from scratch.

Dont listen to those that say shotguns wont over penetrate through walls. That is simply not true, if you know how to pick the correct ammunition. Buckshot, and especially slugs, will go through many more walls than a .223 soft point will. Hollow point/soft point .223 ammo is moving at such a rapid velocity that it will practically disintegrate after a couple of sheets of dry wall. Buckshot on the other hand will pass through several rooms. I can post data from www.boxoftruth.com if anyone is interested.

Personally I would start with an AR15 or mini 14 in .223. The ammo is cheap, which means you will have plenty of rounds to practice with (what you need most), and you can take game up to deer size with it. The recoil is practically nothing as well.

If you really dont want to go that route, than what Scope Eye said is spot on. Go with a shotgun. You really cant beat the versatility....

[Twystd1]

Witchdoktor... Where do you live?

One of us just might have to take you out shooting and let you try out a bunch of weapons.

T

[erik_26]

[stix213]

After a long discussion we came to the conclusion of a mosin-nagant. I was ecstatic at the idea of using the same rifle as my Russian grandfather used in WWII. The only problem I heard it has a giant kick, and takes a lot of maintenance. I have most of my experience with full metal airsoft replicas of guns, aside from firing a .22 once. Even with that said I am not too worried about the kick since I am a pretty big guy at around 5,11 , 200lbs. I was wondering on calguns' opinion on the matter. If you guys had any other recommendations. Also if you guys could recommend shops and ranges in the south bay area (i.e. Palo Alto). Thanks ahead of time guys!

When you fire it, just make sure the stock is tight to your shoulder and you'll be fine. The problems with the high recoil from the mosin is when you hold the rifle slightly off your shoulder, which will cause it to slam into your shoulder when fired. Though that's just going to cause a slight bruise if anything.

They take a good amount of maintenance if you fire military surplus ammo, which is generally corrosive. So you have to clean the whole gun thoroughly afterward. If you buy new production ammo (even cheap stuff like Brown Bear brand you can get online) then its a pretty low maintenance gun. Plus if you damage the gun, they are only worth like $99, so even a kid's allowance can be saved up to buy a new one

So, cost wise the mosin makes a lot of sense for a first gun, being so inexpensive. I'd recommend shooting one before buying it though (as in shoot a friend's mosin) to make sure the recoil just isn't too much for you to learn how to properly shoot with it. Its better to normally start with something smaller/lighter while you're learning the fundamentals. Something in .22LR or .223rem would make sense.

[GrayWolf09]

I would go with a .22. Ammo is cheap and you can do a lot of shooting for little money. No recoil easy to learn. I still own a Ruger 10/22 I bought in 1968 for $49.95 -- it cost more because it was the deluxe model. Great gun. Whenever someone who has never shot before wants to go shooting, that is the gun I take.

[bsg]

For home protection: Shotgun, wont over penetrate

wish it were true; defensive loads can and will.

[PRCABR4Christ]

Your end use should dictate what your first gun should be...with your limited experience I would suggest a bolt action .22, a 10/22 would be nice as well (they last a lifetime), if you get a shotgun get a bolt action (my first shotgun was a bolt action 16ga) or a pump as they are easier to maintain than a semi auto. A rifle isn't an awful choice for home defense if you don't live in the city (no worries in my neck of the woods), and you can get frangible loads for home defense if you're worried about overpenetration (we be usin' FMJ out here)

[iareConfusE]

For an all around gun, nothing really beats a shotgun in versatility. Home defense? - Load it up with some buckshot (It will still penetrate drywall easily though, so you need to learn how your shotgun patterns) Hunting? - Load it up with buck.bird shot depending on your game, and even slugs. Riflery/longer ranges? - Load it up with slugs and shoot it out to 100 yards even.

A Mosin would make a terrible home defense gun (It's unwieldy, and it'll overpenetrate by 5000 homes). It can be a great hunting gun if you get one that's fairly accurate.

[RollingCode3]

May I ask why you are so set on a large bolt action as your first?

Its not a bad choice per say, but I would (and did) go a different route. My first gun was an AR15 that I built (assembled) from scratch.

Dont listen to those that say shotguns wont over penetrate through walls. That is simply not true, if you know how to pick the correct ammunition. Buckshot, and especially slugs, will go through many more walls than a .223 soft point will. Hollow point/soft point .223 ammo is moving at such a rapid velocity that it will practically disintegrate after a couple of sheets of dry wall. Buckshot on the other hand will pass through several rooms. I can post data from www.boxoftruth.com if anyone is interested.

Personally I would start with an AR15 or mini 14 in .223. The ammo is cheap, which means you will have plenty of rounds to practice with (what you need most), and you can take game up to deer size with it. The recoil is practically nothing as well.

If you really dont want to go that route, than what Scope Eye said is spot on. Go with a shotgun. You really cant beat the versatility....

+1....

IMHO, the ar15 is much better choice than the shotgun for HD. Is it my first choice? NO . Shotgun is a very bad choice for first time gun owner. I have seen people short stroking under stress during training. I still can't believe there are so many people still think shotgun a perfect choice for first time gun owner .

Rack and invaders will flee with pissed pants = MYTH

Point and fire and the bad guy will go down (one shot man stopper) = MYTH

If you belive this you really should spend some more time training with your shotgun. At short range (HD ranges) you will have to aim for you target. There is no target so big or too close that cannot be missed

If i hear some weird noise at 3am, I will grab my Glock 19 and Surefire.
There is nothing wrong with having a shotgun for HD but just be aware of it's limitations. Home defense is not just about having a gun... but knowing how to use it, and how to defend your home.