If I could give one bit of advice to any first time gun owner it would be this:
Don’t purchase a gun because someone said it would be the perfect gun for you. Try before you buy.
That is not to say you should ignore gun reviews, YouTube channels or advice from friends and other shooters. Just bear in mind that what works great for one person may not work you. Purchasing a firearm is a significant, serious and expensive investment - treat it as such.
During the Pandemic, in the middle of our “Summer of Love and Mostly Peaceful Protests” we had so many people come to the range with their first firearm purchase. Some were panic buys, purchased out of fear. Some people had been “on the fence” about owning a gun for a while and all the madness they were seeing in their city had cemented the decision. We had mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, sisters and brothers come in with guns bought for them by well meaning family members who themselves had little to no firearm experience.
A highly petrified elderly couple in their 70’s who had never shot a gun before came in desperately looking for a walk-in lesson with their brand new Springfield XD45sc that a “helpful” salesperson at a local gun store said would be PERFECT for them. A man with ZERO knowledge of guns traveled 40 miles so someone could show him how to shoot his new Benelli M4. A friend had told him that it was the perfect home defense gun for him but neglected to tell him about that pesky thing called “recoil”.
A few were the practical types. They did some research on their own pouring over insightful and practical reviews on nearly every firearm in existence. I applaud anyone that takes gun ownership seriously, but the vast majority had well-meaning friends and relatives who went out of their way to tell them the best gun to purchase. They came to the range with their new purchase and when they shot it for the first time it was a less than stellar experience. The, “What the hell did I get myself into?”, look is not fun to see.
Others buy sight unseen when a new gun gets rave reviews from every reputable reviewer and they are convinced that they now have the “Perfect gun!”, only to run a couple of mags and have immediate buyers remorse (Speaking from personal experience).
Please, go to a range and shoot you’re interested in first before plunking down your hard earned money.
Most ranges have rental guns. Take a couple of hours and try all that are available. Build a list and take it with you. Try all those recommendations you’ve collected from your friends. Put the gun gurus to the test. You may be surprised what you discover.
At my home range we offer is our version of a “Tasting”. When you sign up for a “FT3 Test Drive” you’ll have your choice of up to 6 handguns or rifles to test with one of our instructors to help you with fundamentals (if needed) or walk you through unique particulars of each gun that you may be unfamiliar with, ie: double/single action, grip safety, decocker, magazine disconnects, etc., then make your decision.
One of my lessons had her heart set on a recommendation from her co-worker, a Glock 19. We tried the Glock and 4 more guns she had never heard of. A few weeks later she emailed me to happily inform me she was now a proud owner of her first gun - a CZ 75 SP01. Now, the Glock 19 is a fine pistol but after shooting the two It was the one that fit her the best. She’s been to the range every week since, getting better and better.
If you’re looking to buy your first gun or are interested in one you’ve heard about seek out a range with a good amount of rentals I urge you to take the time and shoot before you buy.
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