Got my CPL when I turned 21 a couple months ago and learned this site
existed just today. I figured this was as good of a place as any to
learn more and be more involved. So, hey. Nice to meet you.

welcome to the jungle Eric, your off to a good start. Got question feel free to ask. What do you shoot?

Thanks.

I've never had the ability to (age + money) until now so I'm taking full advantage of it.
I'm signed up for a firearms class at the Marksman and I've been mulling over what my first purchase should be.

I've been told about a billion times to purchase a Glock 19, but that's also another reason I'm here... to figure it all out.

Welcome to WaGuns, Eric! Great intro thread, thanks for posting.



The Glock 19 is certainly a great carry gun; however, whether it's right for you or not is a decision that you'll need to make.

I think the first question is what category of gun you want. Do you want to go skeet shooting or duck hunting? If so, get a shotgun. Are you a deer hunter or are you interested in making tiny groups of holes in paper? If so, a centerfire rifle is in order. Want something to carry around all day? Yup, a pistol is what you need, and whether it's a Glock or a Sig or a Springfield or something else depends entirely on what feels good to you, and what style of carry you intend to try.

Or just say "fuck it" and buy one of each . . . you'll get there eventually anyhow.

Thanks!

Carry gun. I can't fish (I'm pretty good at feeding them though... ) so I'm scared to think of how bad of a hunter I am.

Once I purchase one I'll want them all, probably just to have (and shoot of course) them because I like having stuff...

Welcome Eric! The glock 19 was great advice for an initial carry gun. It will shoot decent groups at the range, run reliably, and handle damn near any self defense scenario. Not to mention 9mm ammo is cheap and plentiful. I'd wager that better than 50% of the members on this site have owned a 19 at one point or another. I have. Good little pistol.

Start there. Attend the group shoot events and walk up to every table and say "what's that?" You'll have shot 50+ guns by the end of the day and have a better idea where to invest your money on the next one. For now, go for that G19. You won't regret it.

Welcome to the world of dreams and "Big Boy Toys".

There are a LOT of different types of hand guns out there. A good suggestion is to go to a gun range where you can put "finger prints" on a lot of what they have. In many cases you can rent a gun to shoot at their range. You get to try lots of them, before you buy.

cootduster

Welcome aboard.

Lots of great people and information here (and a few loons too...).

Have you had much shooting experience?

I head to the Marksman about once a month or so.

Marksman is pretty decent for rentals, and they do have some good ones. I personally prefer Federal Way Discount Guns' range. A little better lit, better ventilation, etc, and they have different rentals than Marksman.

When you do get around to actually purchase, consider purchasing elsewhere, as Marksman is known to be somewhat inflated price wise.

G19 is a good pistol, and does many things well, but as mentioned, it is not for everyone. For me personally, I shot a bunch at the range and ended up with a Springfield XDM before I became comfortable with the concept of no manual safety (the grip safety was added peace of mind for me at first).

I do recommend you get a double stack as your first pistol, rather than letting someone convince you to get single stack. A double stack is more concealable that you might think at first, and usally very controllable.

Plan to budget for a gun belt and a good holster as well.

Will do. I can't wait, I've only shot 2 or 3 handguns the *only* time I've been shooting.

Thanks for the advice!

Haha, thanks. I'll make sure to try as many as I can. This is a hobby I've been itching to get into.

On my 18th birthday my dad took me shooting. It's the only time I've been. He grew up with guns and hunting but he hasn't wanted to do it as long as I've known him (so, my entire life).

How do you like the Marksman compared to other ranges? I work in Mercer Island, so I pretty much have the ability to go anywhere along I-5 without it being too much of a hassle.

Is there a reason why I should go for a double stack over a single stack?

I will. I've been told that I should budget for something like $500 over the price of the gun because of stuff like a holster, belt, cleaning supplies, etc... although, most of that is a one-time purchase.

I've only been to The Marksman and Bullseye in Downtown Tacoma in the last few years.

Bullseye has an AR (in pistol caliber) with a Bump Fire stock for rent and they allow double taps.
The Marksman rule is one round per second.

Bullseye does not require a "membership" to shoot.
The Marksman requires a one time member fee of $11 and a safety briefing class (takes about 15 minutes).

Both have decent rental prices, but you have to buy and use their ammo in the rental guns.

That being said, I find them both to be relatively equal in other aspects.

Shoot me a PM if you want to go check either of them out.
Any excuse to go shooting, lol.

Double stacks are easier to manipulate (mag reloads, Tap-Rack-Bang, etc) and can "flex" to a variety of roles. They also tend to be softer recoil than single stacks.

This is a gross generalization, but a mistake some new shooters can make is getting a gun that is too small but is too snappy for them to effectively trian with.