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Critical Tip for Buying your First Handgun for Self-Defense

The answer to the most frequently-asked question is not what you might expect

Critical Tip for Buying your First Handgun for Self-Defense
(Photo courtesy of Downrange.tv)

Which gun should I buy?

What is your recommendation?

Over the 30 plus years I have been involved in firearms training, competitive shooting and plain old good plinking time on the range. I wish I had written down all the answers that have been given to new gun owners. It would have been at least a 350-page book with different answers to the same question.

What many of these different answers have in common can be narrowed down to personal preferences and experiences and they’re all important elements to consider. As a potential new gun owner, you should listen to all of them.  But before it comes down to the specific makes and models, there is one important thing to consider first.


I know…. this answer is not what most people want to hear. We live in fast paced times and we all want to take shortcuts either to save time, money or both. So yes, I understand that this answer can sound somewhat vague.  But here’s the truth:  All gun owners will have to make a time investment way past a gun selection to reach a point where they will say: This “is” the gun I’m most comfortable with.

My personal preference does not have to be yours! I’ve always been in favor of the 1911 with a manual safety. I can manipulate a 1911 in the dark. It’s the one I’ve trained with on the range and shot thousand of rounds with. I have a Sig P938 as one of my smaller carry guns because it has a 1911 functionality. All my training with a full size 1911 is to my advantage when I have to draw the compact Sig in a self defense situation.

Read the rest of “Critical Tip for Buying Your First Handgun for Self-Defense” at Downrange.tv.


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