General Finally talked my wife into a gun safety course. What guns should I be purchasing for home safety/hunting?

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FINGERS

TMMAC Addict
Nov 14, 2019
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A pulse rifle like in Aliens would be useful.

Just don't fire it near a nuclear power station.

Use harsh language in that environment.
 
Oct 24, 2015
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I would go to shops that let you try out firearms before you buy. Maybe you have a friend with a stock pile. Let's you find something you can get comfortable with instead of regretting the purchase later. Case in point I bought a M&P 40. Wanted a 40 cal and was told it was good. Once a had it really wasn't what I wanted. Got myself a USP 40 now and it's much better. Lower round capacity but the recoil and it being a hammer fire makes a big difference to myself. What one person is comfortable with another might not be. Most of my friends are into 7.62x39. AK's and SKS's. I'm into 556. I also like 38 special. Hopefully you find the right fit. Doing those training classes you're on the right track.
 

Filthy

Iowa Wrestling Champion
Jun 28, 2016
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I would go to shops that let you try out firearms before you buy. Maybe you have a friend with a stock pile. Let's you find something you can get comfortable with instead of regretting the purchase later. Case in point I bought a M&P 40. Wanted a 40 cal and was told it was good. Once a had it really wasn't what I wanted. Got myself a USP 40 now and it's much better. Lower round capacity but the recoil and it being a hammer fire makes a big difference to myself. What one person is comfortable with another might not be. Most of my friends are into 7.62x39. AK's and SKS's. I'm into 556. I also like 38 special. Hopefully you find the right fit. Doing those training classes you're on the right track.
TheFifthScallop @Thefifthscallop - this is some bestest advice here. For a first firearm, it's all about natural point-of-aim.

The way you find your natural POA on a weapon is to pick a spot on a wall, stare at for a couple seconds, aim the weapon at it for a couple seconds, lower the weapon, close your eyes, point the weapon back at the target (eyes still closed), then open your eyes and see how close your sights are to the spot on the wall.

a good place to start is at a gun range with rentals. You can handle a couple types to find a good POA, then buy some ammo and see how they feel when being fired.

Now that I'm thinking about it again, you should also give preference to platforms that allow a weapon-mounted light, and include a light in your budget, and your training.

The only reason to not have a light on your weapon is for concealability.
 

Wintermute

Putin is gay
Apr 24, 2015
5,816
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For the past 6 years I’ve been telling my wife that I think we should take a class to learn gun safety, and purchase a few guns for home protection/hunting. I really started bringing this up a lot more since around May 2020 when shit really started getting crazy here in Portland. Now in July of 2021 after record numbers of shootings, stabbings, muggings, almost half of the police force going away, I finally have my wife on board.

We will be going to a class starting August 13th to start learning proper safety and technique. We don’t have a gun yet and we don’t need one for the class. But you can sure as shit know I’m going to be buying one after the first class. Where the hell do I start?

I have aspirations to learn how to hunt deer/elk in Oregon and Washington, and I was told a 30-06 rifle would be well suited for that, but I’m more interested in the home protection part first, since we still are living in Portland. A rifle would obviously be able to protect my family from an intruder, but seems a bit cumbersome as opposed to a hand gun. Maybe I’m wrong about that.

I know there’s a lot of you here that are very knowledgeable about firearms, so please, help me out. Point us in the right direction.
Bro... we need to hang out. I just read the first post and we're on similar pages. I have a Sig P2022, a Benelli nova pump and an AR and have some instruction in each. I'm happy to go shooting with you guys at a range or in the Tillamook wilderness to try them out if you like.
 

TheFifthScallop

Who am I kidding? I’m a whore.
Amateur Fighter
Nov 15, 2015
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Bro... we need to hang out. I just read the first post and we're on similar pages. I have a Sig P2022, a Benelli nova pump and an AR and have some instruction in each. I'm happy to go shooting with you guys at a range or in the Tillamook wilderness to try them out if you like.
I’m totally interested in doing that. Let’s get after it soon.
 

Grateful Dude

TMMAC Addict
May 30, 2016
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Did your wife have to get used to the recoil of the H&K .40 s&w?
I know some folks have trouble with the .40.
I have a CZ P-06, which is a .40
It has some snap to it. I love that pistol, and so do pretty much all of my friends that have shot it. But my wife would definitively not like shooting that one.

Don't know what it is like in your area, but .40 ammo has been scarce. And if you do find it, it is crazy expensive now. The last time I saw it available it was ~$40 a box (50 rounds) of the basic Winchester FMJ, which is about double the cost of what it used to be.

I like the .40 round, but I know not everyone does. I do wonder though how the CZ P-01 (9mm) feels compared to my .40
 

SongExotic2

ATM 3 CHAMPION OF THE WORLD. #FREECAIN
First 100
Jan 16, 2015
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Americans don't need guns. They pretend they do because they like shooting them, which is fine
 

Rambo John J

Eats things that would make a Billy Goat Puke
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Jan 17, 2015
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That's categorically false advice. At the distances you have inside a house the pellets barely have time to leave to cup and your pattern is going to be about the size of a fist.
I got one of these
1627332899434.png
It will "buckspray" shot at a fairly close distance...not buckshot though because it only holds 4 "buck balls"...Only "Bucksprays" with smaller shot

Obviously it is because of the super short barrel

Haha I couldn't resist making dumb jokes...sorry, just loved the terms that guy used
 

Rambo John J

Eats things that would make a Billy Goat Puke
First 100
Jan 17, 2015
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Wow really? Because every time my brother brings up firing guns and their accuracy he always swears by that?
Home defense shotguns are going to be "Cylinder" bore. So he's looking at a 7.5inch spread in a 30 foot long hallway. I can pretty safely say most of us don't have hallways that long. If memory serves defense shooting typically occur at 7 yards of less, and at 7 yards that spread becomes 4.5 inches.

How long dat barrel be do?