4 Must Have Resources For Handguns
Preparing to buy your first handgun can be quite overwhelming. They are not cheap. New handguns range in price from $250.00 to $2,500.00. As well as to complicate the matter even further, there are several different manufactures and choices. I tell people in my carry permit course that you will discover as a variety of kinds of handguns as the manufacturers can talk people into buying. What is probably most confusing to someone new to this industry will be the fact that for every make and example of handgun, you'll find 3 gun magazine writers telling their readers that their particular brand or caliber or gizmo will be the best, and 4 others proclaiming that the gun in question will get the reader killed.
Yesterday I was asked my opinion about Glocks. I said that what I thought did not matter; it was not my money or my safety on the line. My preference does not matter within the decision to buy your gun. My wife likes Glocks; I feel the same about revolvers. Our preferences differ. As long while you know your gun, why you chose it, and it fits your preferences, then it's the most effective gun for you. Basically, that being said lets discuss the benefits and drawbacks of the 2 main types of handguns, semi-automatics and revolvers.
Revolvers are a sort of pistol which has a rotating cylinder containing a number of firing chambers. They typically hold five or six rounds, each held in its own firing chamber. They are generally cheaper to purchase than a semi-automatic, with a new one from a major manufacturer such as Taurus or Rossi being within the neighborhood of $250.00. The key advantages of this type of handgun include:
They may be simpler to learn to manipulate, because there can be fewer functions than an average semi-auto.
They are normally easier for weaker handed persons to operate. This really is due to the lack of a slide.
They're generally more reliable. - There is more choice of ammunition.
Revolvers are not as training intensive as a semi-automatic pistol (more concerning this later).
I prefer revolvers for home defense, as a home protection weapon will be stored loaded for an extended period of time. It is because they have fewer moving parts, which in turns makes them less sensitive to a lack of cleaning and upkeep than semi-automatics. I also recommend them for someone who is not going to train as intensively as recommended because this sort of handgun has fewer functions to remember. To be able to manipulate a revolver, one only has to operate the trigger as well as the cylinder release, whereas a semi-automatic pistol generally has a trigger, a magazine release, a slide lock, and at least one safety lever.
Revolvers do have disadvantages, which is due to these disadvantages that police departments around the county have changed from them to semi-automatics. These disadvantages should be understood in the event the reader wishes to make a decision; therefore I will list them:
Revolvers are slower to reload than the typical semi-automatic. They're sometimes harder to conceal, because of width of cylinder. Revolvers don't normally hold as many rounds (5-6rds when compared with 8 or 10rds in a semi-automatic.
Because a revolver contains separate chambers for each round, to fully load a revolver, the operator must put a round in each chamber (6 actions for 6 rounds). To fully load a semi-automatic the operator must insert a single magazine in to the pistol (one action for multiple rounds).
Semi-Automatic pistols fire a single cartridge each time the trigger is pressed. It automatically extracts the spent casing and prepares to fire another round. A semi-automatic is sometimes called automatic, although the difference is a true automatic can fire multiple rounds per trigger press. This seemingly small difference can cause tens of thousands of dollars in fines and years of time in federal penitentiaries, so be sure you know the real difference. A semi-automatic holds its rounds in an individual device called a magazine (it's possible to offend some hard-line gun enthusiasts by calling a magazine a clip). This magazine is normally inserted into the grip of the handgun. These handguns are the most popular, and they are that way for many reasons. Some of the most recognized reasons are:
Semi-autos can hold many rounds compared to a revolver. Normally a semi-auto magazine holds 8 to 10rds, but there are magazines capable of holding 15 to 30. They allow faster reloads. Because of popularity, there is a wider choice of accessories such as holsters available. They are simpler to conceal because of thinner action than a normal revolver. It really is easy to carry spare ammunition via preloaded magazines.
Iyt is because of the total amount of rounds effortlessly carried in magazines upon one's body and the quantity of rounds within the pistol that caused the semi-automatic to replace the revolver in the arming of our nation's police. What has kept it there will be the different features which are possible in a semi-auto. A police or a private user can decide the type of safety devices or modes of operation that they want in a firearm and buy a brand that has those features. Although this is a benefit, it also can become a drawback. The reasons for this are:
They're very training intensive. Before one begins to carry a semi-automatic for self-defense, it's a good idea that the user fire 2 or 3 thousand rounds of the type of ammunition they intend to carry in their firearm as a way to completely understand the function of their firearm. Semi-autos are more complex. This means more prone to fail. While modern firearms and ammunition can fire thousands of rounds without malfunction, it can and does happen. They are higher priced than a revolver.
Firing them may be harder for people affected by arthritis or of weaker stature to manipulate slide. This sort of handgun might be more sensitive to ammunition type. Some types of semi-automatics are more prone to jam with certain types of ammunition, which is the one other reason it is suggested to train with the type of ammunition you intend to carry.
The semi-auto sort of firearm is extremely well represented worldwide of guns. Because of this sales popularity, there are lots of different functions and characteristics. Comparing this is like comparing pickup trucks to cars. There are several brands of pickups (revolvers), but generally they all are basically the exact same. In the car (semi-autos) world, they have sedans, sports cars, wagons, convertibles, limousines, economy class, and luxury designs. You may buy a vehicle or possibly a quality firearm based solely upon an arbitrary reason for example looks, popularity, or precisely what the marketing hype in a gun magazine tells you. You may also buy a tool for example this by deciding your needs and weighing your options.