- Location
- Terrace, BC
I'm going to write my experience as a gun owner and buyer, and possibly a bit of wisdom learned from the process; it might save a newbie some cash.
1. 12 gauge pump action shotgun. Can fire magnum rounds, I still own it.
2. 9mm handgun. Was a lot of fun, I bought a high quality gun. Sold it.
3. .45acp handgun. Plenty of fun. Again, high quality.
4. Over/under 12 gauge. Great quality from an underrated gun. Bought it for skeet shooting. Own it.
5. .45acp Titan frame. Fun, cheap, kick was horrible due to the small frame, awful sights. Sold it.
6. .22 semi auto rifle. Everyone owns a Ruger. Its fun, but I prefer my inherited bolt action .22. Own it.
7. .22 1911 frame handgun. Good sights, cheap to shoot, lots of fun, still own it.
8. Very pretty, very expensive single barrel trap 12 gauge shotgun. It is my dream shotgun w/ ported barrel, gracoil recoil pad. Will never sell it.
9. .22 compact 1911 handgun. Yes, a baby Browning. Fun, light, not terribly accurate. Would be perfect for a trapper to carry. Own it.
10. .22 7.25"barrel target handgun. It shoots better than I can shoot it, but I've noticed the tight patterns.
Ok, why did I sell the .45 and 9mm handguns?
First, I must say the joy of firing 9mm and .45acp is joy.... but it really doesn't last unless you take an interest in IDPA or IPSC shooting. Cost to shoot absolutely can not be underestimated for many. I read of guys here asking what to buy for their first handgun, and saying they don't really want to spend $1000. Well, 1500 rounds of .45acp costs about $1000. Competitive shooters reload themselves, taking the cost down to about 1/2... but with a big start up cost, certainly. BUying a 9mm or .45 is the cheapest part of the purchase..... feeding either gun ammo is expensive. I sold my 9mm and .45 because I got bored of plinking with them, and could not afford the time or money to shoot competitively for a hobby.
Why the .22 semi auto 10/22 Ruger?
It will happen late this coming summer..... dead gophers in southern Alberta. Practicing longer range shooting with any sort of .22 rifle is a lot of fun. I'll see how big a pile of gophers I get this summer.... lol, how the experience goes.... and consider .17 caliber after the experience.
Do I need 3 shotguns?
Absolutely. The pump action is a great field gun, and I needed something of my own for the trap range. I have hardly shot the over/under, because I enjoy trap more. I will make the effort to get into skeet shooting this summer. The $4200 pretty single barrel shotgun? First, life is too short not to own a pretty shotgun. I also did my homework.... 34" barrel... ported barrel prevents mussel jump (big deal for trap) and the gracoil recoil pad, in combination with the long barrel = zero kick. It is a trap gun for a lifetime, and I absolutely love it.
The .22 handguns.
The only mistake was the baby Browning 1911. It is a great gun, but I didn't need it. The compact frame makes it difficult to be accurate with. The first .22, 1911, remains my favorite and is a joy. The 7.25" is very accurate, and I'm just getting used to it. I don't have a lot of time for plinking at the range, but I enjoy the .22s. They are dirt cheap for ammo, and I just don't need to make a bigger bang with a .45 or 9mm. No handguns have any purpose for home defense in Canada either. I wasn't going to fire handguns that much anyways, so getting rid of the .45 and 9mm made sense. I don't believe in hanging on to clutter that I don't use.
So there you have it. I discovered my true shooting love is trap shooting, and there will be room for skeet this spring too. My local range only charges $4 to shoot a round of 25 clays. I get in on a group buy, made up of local guys, and we get cases of 12 gauge shells for $70. If I won the lottery tomorrow, I'd find a place in Arizona that had a trap range and golf course nearby. Really, I could shoot trap daily for the rest of my life, & say I had a full, complete life.
I volunteer in the winter as a range safety officer for our clubs indoor handgun range.... so the 22s I kept give me something to do if nobody shows up to shoot.
In Summary....
Be mindful of the real cost of handgun ownership. The cost of ammo makes for a very expensive sport to do in any quantity. I'd recommend a 1911 .22. Hmm, model might be up for debate.... but really, the affordable GSG .22 1911 is impossible to beat, as a combination of price and accuracy.
1. 12 gauge pump action shotgun. Can fire magnum rounds, I still own it.
2. 9mm handgun. Was a lot of fun, I bought a high quality gun. Sold it.
3. .45acp handgun. Plenty of fun. Again, high quality.
4. Over/under 12 gauge. Great quality from an underrated gun. Bought it for skeet shooting. Own it.
5. .45acp Titan frame. Fun, cheap, kick was horrible due to the small frame, awful sights. Sold it.
6. .22 semi auto rifle. Everyone owns a Ruger. Its fun, but I prefer my inherited bolt action .22. Own it.
7. .22 1911 frame handgun. Good sights, cheap to shoot, lots of fun, still own it.
8. Very pretty, very expensive single barrel trap 12 gauge shotgun. It is my dream shotgun w/ ported barrel, gracoil recoil pad. Will never sell it.
9. .22 compact 1911 handgun. Yes, a baby Browning. Fun, light, not terribly accurate. Would be perfect for a trapper to carry. Own it.
10. .22 7.25"barrel target handgun. It shoots better than I can shoot it, but I've noticed the tight patterns.
Ok, why did I sell the .45 and 9mm handguns?
First, I must say the joy of firing 9mm and .45acp is joy.... but it really doesn't last unless you take an interest in IDPA or IPSC shooting. Cost to shoot absolutely can not be underestimated for many. I read of guys here asking what to buy for their first handgun, and saying they don't really want to spend $1000. Well, 1500 rounds of .45acp costs about $1000. Competitive shooters reload themselves, taking the cost down to about 1/2... but with a big start up cost, certainly. BUying a 9mm or .45 is the cheapest part of the purchase..... feeding either gun ammo is expensive. I sold my 9mm and .45 because I got bored of plinking with them, and could not afford the time or money to shoot competitively for a hobby.
Why the .22 semi auto 10/22 Ruger?
It will happen late this coming summer..... dead gophers in southern Alberta. Practicing longer range shooting with any sort of .22 rifle is a lot of fun. I'll see how big a pile of gophers I get this summer.... lol, how the experience goes.... and consider .17 caliber after the experience.
Do I need 3 shotguns?
Absolutely. The pump action is a great field gun, and I needed something of my own for the trap range. I have hardly shot the over/under, because I enjoy trap more. I will make the effort to get into skeet shooting this summer. The $4200 pretty single barrel shotgun? First, life is too short not to own a pretty shotgun. I also did my homework.... 34" barrel... ported barrel prevents mussel jump (big deal for trap) and the gracoil recoil pad, in combination with the long barrel = zero kick. It is a trap gun for a lifetime, and I absolutely love it.
The .22 handguns.
The only mistake was the baby Browning 1911. It is a great gun, but I didn't need it. The compact frame makes it difficult to be accurate with. The first .22, 1911, remains my favorite and is a joy. The 7.25" is very accurate, and I'm just getting used to it. I don't have a lot of time for plinking at the range, but I enjoy the .22s. They are dirt cheap for ammo, and I just don't need to make a bigger bang with a .45 or 9mm. No handguns have any purpose for home defense in Canada either. I wasn't going to fire handguns that much anyways, so getting rid of the .45 and 9mm made sense. I don't believe in hanging on to clutter that I don't use.
So there you have it. I discovered my true shooting love is trap shooting, and there will be room for skeet this spring too. My local range only charges $4 to shoot a round of 25 clays. I get in on a group buy, made up of local guys, and we get cases of 12 gauge shells for $70. If I won the lottery tomorrow, I'd find a place in Arizona that had a trap range and golf course nearby. Really, I could shoot trap daily for the rest of my life, & say I had a full, complete life.
I volunteer in the winter as a range safety officer for our clubs indoor handgun range.... so the 22s I kept give me something to do if nobody shows up to shoot.
In Summary....
Be mindful of the real cost of handgun ownership. The cost of ammo makes for a very expensive sport to do in any quantity. I'd recommend a 1911 .22. Hmm, model might be up for debate.... but really, the affordable GSG .22 1911 is impossible to beat, as a combination of price and accuracy.
