Ever have buyer’s remorse before? It’s that awful feeling of regret we get after buying something new, especially when it’s expensive. It’s like we are so dissatisfied with the purchase that we literally grieve in our hearts and spirits.
That feeling can take the joy right out of buying firearms especially if you are new to the 2A community.
If you are new and are considering purchasing your first firearm, let me be the first to say, “Welcome to the 2A community and relax, you really are among friends”.
Maybe you’re not new to the wonderful world of firearms but are trying to decide the next one to get. You may feel you need to get it right so as to not hurt the budget and not get that nasty feeling we were just talking about. Either way, I would love to help.
Here are my top 5 things to consider when buying a handgun.
Consider Your Why
This sounds like one of those clichés but it really is important. What I mean here is what do you plan to do with it when you buy it. Do you plan to conceal carry it? Do you plan keep it on or near the bedside for home defense? Do you plan to just throw it in a safe and only get it out to go to the range? Maybe you have thought of these and maybe you haven’t. Either way, you still need to get your answers. It’s only going to help you move forward to the next step. The most exciting step that is, buying a firearm!
Consider the Trigger
This is something that may not cross your mind much until you actually have the firearm and are engaged in shooting it. There are two types of triggers when it comes to handguns, single action and double action. A single action trigger is easy to pull back. It’s when the firing pin inside the handgun is pulled back (from racking the slide on a semi automatic pistol) or when the hammer is pulled back already (like a revolver) and all it takes is a little pull and bam! A double action trigger is normally on revolvers but some pistols have them. It’s when the hammer on the handgun (or inside it) is slowly pulled back as you pull on the trigger. It’s harder to pull and may take longer to pull it all the way back. With that in mind, now you can determine what type of trigger you need and that will also lead you to certain models to consider.
Consider the Caliber and Capacity
This is a big one especially in today’s world. The questions here are, “are they able to find?” and “are they affordable?” When I say “caliber” I’m talking the type (size really) of bullet. You’ve probably heard of Nine Millimeter (9mm) or Twenty-two Long Rifle (22lr). How about Forty-Five Auto (45acp) or Thirty-Eight Special (38sp)? The things here to consider are can you handle the power or recoil of the handgun that shoots these calibers? That’s when the gun kicks back when you fire it. Also, can you find the ammo and at a reasonable price so you can practice without going bankrupt? I have stopped myself several times on purchasing a certain revolver. I love the look, the feel, and the caliber seems to be big enough to get the job done. However, the price of that certain caliber is still pretty high and would be really expensive to get out and shoot a lot. Then there’s the capacity. When I say “capacity” I’m talking about how many bullets the handgun can hold. This may be a factor for you in your decision. Do you need something that holds a lot of rounds or are you okay with having fewer rounds? For example, most pistols will hold around 10-17 rounds. A revolver, however, will only hold about 5 or 6 rounds. Except my snub nose 22lr revolver that I have. It holds 8 rounds. Again caliber and capacity.
Consider the Safety
This is an important one to most because, well, we want to be safe right? This will also help us to decide whether we are going to carry one in the chamber if we are conceal carrying. There are a lot of arguments on whether you should have a round in the chamber or not. I’m not trying to make that argument here. I’m simply wanting to help you consider what safety features you may want if you do. Most safety features are external meaning they are on the exterior of the firearm. They may be in the form of a lever or a button on the grip. They might even be on the trigger. These safeties are designed in a way that unless they are operated correctly, the firearm will not fire. Some firearms do not have an external safety at all. One of my handguns does not have any external safety but it is a double action trigger. I can carry a round in the chamber (because that’s important to me for speed) but the trigger requires more pressure and will not go off when it’s barely touched. That’s just my preference for that particular handgun. Which leads me to my last thing to consider.
Consider Your Preferences and Not Others’
The last thing to consider is your own preference. Don’t allow yourself to be persuaded by a friend or colleague (or even a gun dealer for that matter) to a certain model or brand just because it’s popular. Take a Glock for example. It’s the most popular handgun sold and yet, sadly, one of the most returned. Why? Not because of poor quality (we all know its great) but mostly because people didn’t realize external features were important to them. Until they bought it. That’s that buyer’s remorse feeling again. Some people prefer striker fired pistols to internal hammers in pistols and revolvers. Some prefer single action triggers and some double action. Some prefer high ammo capacity while some aren’t too worried about it. Some people prefer external safeties and yet some actually prefer no safety. Some people only prefer a certain model or brand of handgun and that’s fine as long as they have their reasoning for that preference. The question is what do you prefer? If you need some extra help schedule a consultation with your local dealer or click below to schedule with me.
There you have it. Those are my top 5 things to consider when buying either a new or the first handgun. There are way more things to consider and discuss but I think if you can narrow down these 5 and answer the questions within them, you are well on your way to being prepared to make the right choice for you. No more buyer’s remorse!
Carry On My Friends,
Josh Detro
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