First thing to do after a firearm purchase?

Do a lil happy dance
Read the manual (I almost always have watched multiple vids and done tons of reading on it before the purchase to familiarize)
Give her a good cleaning and mount my optics if needed.
 
jjohnwm said:
I agree with this fully. When you help a new driver buy a car, you don't recommend that they strip down the thing and re-build it themselves, do you? Why would you want them to do it with a gun? Specifically, telling a new shooter to start playing with the trigger adjustment first thing is nuts IMHO.

OP, read your manual and understand how to operate the gun; loading, unloading, bolt operation and removal, operation of the safety. I would also suggest a couple dry patches through the bore before firing. If the scope has been mounted before purchase, it should be bore-sighted already, so you should be at least on paper with your first shots. You could perhaps read up on simple bore-sighting and check that if you wanted to.

Beyond that...shoot it. All the other nonsense that is being thrown at you in this thread is stuff that you can revisit once you have a better idea of and feeling for the operation of the gun.

You asked for stuff that others do when they buy a gun. You have heard what a bunch of experienced gun nuts do when they buy their next gun. You'll likely do most of this stuff yourself when you have a few years and a few guns under your belt. For now, though...take it easy and enjoy. Walk before you run. Don't be that guy who does something stupid and gets hurt, and then sues the maker for something that is entirely operator error...and don't be the guy who shows up at the gunsmith with a box full of springs, pins, screws and assorted hardware and wants it re-assembled into a gun. Good luck and welcome to shooting
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I'm definitely aware of my limitations as a newb, and I'm very safety conscious. I'm not the type to jump head first into something that can injure or kill. But I am the type to get obsessed with something until I feel I'm certain I know what I'm doing, much to my wife's displeasure haha

Since passing my tests, I've spent countless hours watching video and asking questions. I appreciate having a website like this with so many experienced gun owners willing to share knowledge. I'll definitely wait to take my guns apart until I know what I'm doing and fully comfortable.

Thanks for your advice!
 
RyPal said:
Don’t forget to giggle like a school girl when you get the chance (or express yourself however you choose).

New gun day is the best day.

Ryan
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I giggled like a hyena when I passed the tests. Now I'm ready to explode with excitment about that first gun purchase. That happy dance is gonna be felt all through my neighborhood haha

For certain, I'm going Mossberg 500 shotgun, and likely a .22 rifle. Just don't know which yet.
 
fire@will said:
Give it a close "look-over", to make sure there are no obvious scrapes, scratches, flaws. Cycle the action to make sure it's smooth - no hang-ups or catches. Cycle a few dummy rounds/snap caps through it, to make sure it feeds and ejects okay. Run a cleaning patch down the bore. Familiarize yourself with the guns controls - safety, etc. If everything is okay, you should be good to go.
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Agreed. Firearms are machines. The parts will be correct and functional, but not worn together. Lubricate the contact surfaces. Cycle the operations many times. No! It is not cool to watch TV and aim at faces on screen.
 
If it is a bolt, pump or semi, sit in front of the tv with it well oiled and cycle the action a bunch of times. Most firearms come from the factory pretty stiff and can be annoying/ cause jams right out of the box. Before I go shooting, I always "work in" the action.
 
logandrut said:
If it is a bolt, pump or semi, sit in front of the tv with it well oiled and cycle the action a bunch of times. Most firearms come from the factory pretty stiff and can be annoying/ cause jams right out of the box. Before I go shooting, I always "work in" the action.
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This is good. I'm gonna buy a bunch of snap caps and practice dry firing.
 
DSza said:
This is good. I'm gonna buy a bunch of snap caps and practice dry firing.
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Make sure you’re aware of where the snap caps will eject, on most guns they will fly out hard enough to put some dents into drywall or scratch the floor, don’t ask me how I know.
 
DSza said:
Hi everybody, i just sent my application for my PAL last week and already going crazy waiting for it. In the meantime, i'm just gather info and trying to plan purchases and storage at home and all that. My quiestion to you experienced owners is, what are some of the first things you do when buying a new gun? Do you clean it first? Straight to the range? Looking for any tips you can give a newb.
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If it is a NEW gun, make sure the stock screws are tight. Wipe any excess grease/oil off. Make sure the bore is clean. Go shoot it.

If it is a used gun, make sure the stock screws are tight. Wipe any excess grease/oil off. Make sure the bore is clean. Go shoot it.
 
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