Buying Your First Gun: Advice for New Owners On What To Look For

Unfortunately, guns and gun control is an incredibly divisive topic in today's world. However, that doesn't change that there are millions of firearms owned legally by Americans nationwide. While I'm not going to get into the debate of whether something should be legal or illegal, the fact remains that shooting sports are an incredible hobby and guns are tools that when used properly can provide positive experiences for their owners. As a result, the trend is clear. Millions of Americans are becoming first-time gun owners. This makes it essential that we take a look at the safe operation of these machines. 

Know Why You Want To Own A Gun

With thousands of firearm models available, your purpose for owning a gun should drive your selection process. A clear "why" saves time, money, and potential disappointment down the road.

Consider these key questions to clarify your motivation:

• Self-defense? Are you primarily concerned with home protection or personal carry?
• Hunting? What specific game will you pursue? Different animals require different calibers.
• Sport shooting? Will you shoot competitively or recreationally at ranges?
• Collection? Are you interested in historical significance, craftsmanship, or investment potential?
• Multi-purpose? Which function matters most if you need versatility?
• Learning curve? As a beginner, how much time can you dedicate to training?
• Storage situation? Do you have children or others in your home that affect safety considerations?

Your honest answers will guide not just your purchase decision but also your training approach, storage solutions, and overall ownership experience.

Make Sure You Know How to Keep Guns Safe

Guns are dangerous weapons. They aren't toys. That should be obvious but unfortunately, accidents happen. I still remember my first encounter with a gun in a friend's house as a kid. He was so excited to show me his dad's handgun that was tucked away in his father's sock drawer. Luckily nothing happened, but imagine if that gun was loaded and had gone off while we were playing with it?

Keeping guns safe is more than just trigger locks and gun safes, but it's still important to keep guns safe and locked away so they can only be used by properly trained operators. Talk with your kids and other people in your home as well. Education is key here people and it can save a life!

Gun Safety and Firearms Owner Training Classes Are Essential

Even though there's no requirement in most jurisdictions to have any sort of education or licensing when it comes to owning a firearm, education is critical. Not only will it help you operate the weapon more effectively, safely, and more accurately - but it helps take the mystique away. Make no mistake. These are not toys. Guns are fun to shoot, beautiful to look at, and critical for their intended purpose - punching holes through things. However, they aren't magical. Just like with me and my friend, the first experience with guns for many kids is because they wanted to see the thing dad wouldn't let them touch. 

So, start firearms education early and create a positive relationship with your son or daughter early on in life. When you do, you'll have an exciting new hobby to share with them for a lifetime.

Keep Safe - Wear Eye and Ear Protection

Just as it's important to keep guns safe in your home, it's critical to make sure you wear proper eye and ear protection. Many people don't think about it at first, but guns are loud and when they fire, small pieces of metal or even shells can fly out at you. It's so easy to carry extra earplugs or shooting earmuffs and a pair of glasses, so just make sure that's in your ammo gun case and your ammo.

Today, there are a wide variety of hearing products available. This includes the classic in-ear "squishy foam" that is still probably still the best solution since it blocks sound from entering the ear by creating a physical barrier. However, newer products will deaden the sound as well as allowing you to have voice calls and even listen to music while on the range.

Understanding Different Types of Guns

Before making your first purchase, it's crucial to understand the major categories of firearms and how they might align with your goals as a gun owner.

Handguns: Versatile Options for Self-Defense and Sport

Handguns are compact, portable firearms designed for one-handed use that excel in personal protection scenarios but require consistent practice to master their shorter sight radius and more challenging accuracy.

Shotguns: The Versatile Home-Defense and Hunting Choice

Shotguns fire shells containing multiple projectiles (or single slugs) making them excellent for home defense and bird hunting, with the added benefit of being more forgiving in terms of aim for beginners.

Rifles: Precision and Power for Distance Shooting

Rifles feature longer barrels with spiral grooves (rifling) that provide enhanced accuracy at greater distances, making them ideal for hunting, target shooting, and competitions where precision matters.

Modern Sporting Rifles: Customizable Platforms for Multiple Uses

Modern sporting rifles like AR-15 and AK-pattern firearms offer unprecedented customization options to fit your specific needs, though they come with additional responsibility due to their higher capacity and increased public scrutiny.

While that tactical shotgun or chrome-plated revolver might look impressive, the smartest approach is to consult with experienced gun shop owners, discuss your purchase with family members who will be affected by it, and honestly assess your actual needs, ultimately selecting a firearm that serves your specific purpose rather than just making a statement on your gun rack.

Gun Ownership and Collecting Can Be an Expensive Hobby

Regardless of what type of gun you buy and what you want to do with it, gun ownership can be an expensive hobby. When pricing out your gun purchase, make sure to factor in things like what ammo it needs as well as the cost of targets, ear and eye protection, gun safe, and other items such as ar-15 accessories, for example. Then there are fees related to the cost of belonging to a club to shoot at. Even handguns can be expensive to purchase, operate, and maintain so remember to take into consideration all the different costs.

Check Your Local Laws Before Shopping

While gun ownership is constitutionally protected, different states and local municipalities have different rules of who can buy guns, how many, what type, and where you can buy them.

Before shopping, research your local gun laws regarding:

• Purchase requirements and waiting periods
• Registration requirements
• Magazine capacity restrictions
• Concealed carry permits
• Transportation regulations
• Restricted features or firearms types

While any federal firearms license (FFL) gun dealer knows their stuff and so do most reputable dealers, it's important that you do some research online as well. This will help avoid disappointment after shopping for hours ... only to find out that you can purchase the gun you dream of owning.

Becoming a Responsible Firearms Owner: More Than Just a Purchase

Gun ownership sits at the intersection of you constitutional rights, personal responsibility, and lifelong learning.

While  the firearm itself might cost a few hundred dollars, the true investment is in education, safety, and the commitment to mastering a skill that demands respect at every level. When you pick up that first gun, you're not just becoming an owner—you're joining a community with centuries of tradition that will judge you not by what you own, but by how responsibly you wield both the right and the tool itself.