Buying a handgun in Georgia for a person who's never touched a gun in their life (Atlanta: rentals, insurance)

[SW30303]

Going to a shooting range to get some training is a must. I'm sure you can find someone there to talk to about firearms and general safety. Of course, there is always a lot of useful info online. Great suggestions, here, too.

Yes, having your home broken into is upsetting to say the least. I just try to think of worse case scenarios such as home invasions. Anyway, good luck with whatever you decide to do.

[MisterNY]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

My old Shepherd/mix was tested by more than one trainer and they all concluded she had the intelligence level of (most) 5 year old human kids. Example - the dog would turn the TV on herself, when she wanted to watch it, etc. Point made. LOL. Dogs (at least SOME dogs) ARE smart enough to find, and tinker with, a gun. So yep - hide them from kids AND pets. Not only to protect them, but also you, as if they were to become injured, your butt is going to jail for it. Any responsible place he goes to get a gun though, should go over all of this with him - especially if he indicates it's his first gun.

You're not lying. They are getting brighter these days.

Dog-gun It. Puppy Shoots Man with 12-Gauge Shotgun

Wow! There must be something in the puppy chow...

[cityrover]

yes you need a license and you need to register it. go down to your local police and apply for a purchase permit. bring your birth certificate...

and wait.. georgia right? no stinking permission needed. go to store, buy gun, walk home with it.

tl;dr the rest

[Georgia]

* If you have never handled a firearm then find a person who has been trained, being an NRA instructor, a police officer, or a veteran. Have them take you to a range. There are plenty around. The best in the Atlanta area but closer to Athens in Bogart is the Firing Line.

* For new owners or shooters I would suggest a revolver .38 or a 9mm S&W auto. Rather a Taurus, Glock, S&W, etc., 9MM's are just a remake of the old Colt M1911 model. Easy to handle, easy to assemble, easy to clean.

* Unless you are going to be a full time collector and massive gun fan then stay away from higher cal., firearms. All you will be doing is shooting dollars through a paper targe. .357's .44's (Dirty Harry's) are cool, they are big, they have kick, and it is fun to watch the target blow up. But think of them as a giant gas sucking SUV when it comes to buying shells. Unless you can cap your own don't waste your hard earned money.

*Do you have kids around? Do you have kids that visit? If so, get a trigger lock! All you need is one ankle biter to grab hold of your weapon and have an accident. Then you will be held liable not to mention you will not forgive yourself.

*Permits. When you buy a firearm you will have a CI background check at the store. You will fill out some information. If you want a CCP then you will need to go to your county seat, file and wait until you are approved. Georgia and all states have the same process but Georgia's is less beaucratic. Illiniois for example requires a FOID. You have to get a resident purchase card. NJ, same thing, but then you need to do the same thing in the county, then the city. Overall, same thing but just a way governments suck more money out of your pocket. Frankly, I have no issue with permits (Im a life NRA member, Veteran, US Marksman team past competitor, and firearm gunsmith) since all you need to do is go to any gun show and see folk who should not handle a firearm nor even own one.

*Weapons for protection. My teaching is simple. If you ever, ever, pull a firearm you better be ready to use it. Ask yourself a question, if you find some 12 year old punk on your property doing the dirty work of his 20 year old thug buddy, can you pull a firearm, point, and fire into the eyes of a child? Punk yes, but still a child. Most people buy expensive Glocks, etc., and end up placing them in a drawer where they collect dust with bullets that turn green.

*Guns vs., Alarms. Since I am in the boonies I have a firearm. Mostly for copperheads, rabid coons, and coyote's if needed. For the rest my home is alarmed like a bank. Criminals are cowards. They pray on the elderly, women, and children. They hide until you leave. Most breakin's are done when you are out. If you are a long term tennant then invest in an alarm or camera. Mark your residence. If your in a condo have a high quality bolt lock installed with a steel frame door enforcement at your expense, still cheaper than a Glock.

*One last suggestion. Buy a nice large cannister of Pepper Spray and always aim for the eyes. Followed by a billy club to the back of the head Bass Pro Shop and still cheaper than a Glock.

[dunn4040]

I second Bull's Eye in Lawrenceville. Decent range and very cheap to use, (30 min = $5). It's the place I usually go.

Since you don't have too much experience with firearms, you may want to consider a revolver geared towards concealed carry. Something like the Smith & Wesson Airweight .38 or the Ruger LCR. There is no safety, external hammer, etc. This is good for two things. First, you don't have to worry about it getting snagged on something when you are trying to conceal carry it. Second, you have less to worry about in a life and death situation. Last thing you want to happen when your life is on the line is to pull the trigger and realize you didn't disengage the safety.

Personally, I'd go with the Ruger. I have one myself and it has an amazingly smooth trigger pull. Plus, you can get it in .357 Magnum. This means you can shoot either the .357 or the .38 special out of it. You can shoot the .38s at the range and for fun (a little easier on the hands), and then carry with the .357s.

If you want to have a little fun, load a couple .38s in the cylinder, a couple .357s, and then leave one empty. This is a great way to practice a smooth trigger pull without hesitating since you don't know what you are going to shoot.

Getting a carry permit is done at the county level. Go to your local government building or courthouse. The probate court should be the one handling it. It's not too expensive (my county is $75 for a 5-year permit), but the price varies. They will fill out some paperwork and take your fingerprints. If you have never been convicted of any crimes and your background is clean you should get it in the mail after a few weeks.

Hope I was of some help. Good luck!

[criv1]

These guys have good reviews



Wild West Traders Gun Shop and Shooting Range Marietta Georgia

[alinka72]

As you can see the posters give you very straight forward advice. It is simple to get a gun, shoot the gun at a range (they hve plenty in Ga) and armor all the home.

You will always have the posters who live in denial trying to 'downplay' your experience as if you were lucky it was not a home invasion...and you got killed over TVs, computers and a USB ports... Really?

Reality is break ins are getting to be numerous and more prevalent than ever in Atlanta to include home invasions: the economy is struggling, unemployment is high you name it. Break ins are not going away.

One poster noted a very true statement: if they did it once they will do it again. They will do it in about 2 months actually because Spring and Summer is coming up. They will not do it while you are at home. If they do, they will be armed.

The most important thing is to make it so they cannot break in. They already gave you tips on what to do to keep the perps from being able to kick your door.

A gun will not do anything if it gets stolen while you are away. So secure it. It happens more often than one thinks.

Neighbors: Atlanta is a big city with ppl working different schedules. There is always someone at home while everyone else isnt. Bond with the neighbors and help each other out. Start a neighborhood watch, start a forum just for your condo and e-mail each other out, start communicating: suspicious activities, travelling, schedule changes so that you can keep an eye on each others apts or homes. It is amazing how much of a difference this makes. Join your NPU Neighborhood planning unit meetings City of Atlanta Online (http://www.atlantaga.gov/Calendars/NPU.aspx - broken link) that are there to help you with all things infrastructure but it also has a county police rep who will take in account how your area is being hit by burglars. Sometimes a police report does not do much to have your area patrolled.

Hope this helps.
Good luck.

[brownhornet]

Best starter pistols are ruger p9's or bersa 380's. For a first gun you should always start with something that has a safety. After you get confortable with that then move on to a sig sauer or a glock. BTW, you dont need training to learn how to use a gun.. just like any other tool its purely common sense. Going to the range is a good idea just to get your accuracy up to par but the manual of the gun will tell u everything you need to know. I mean if you need training to learn how to load it, **** it, hold it and fire it then you probably shouldnt buy one. I never had "training" but go to the range regularly and the police that go to Nicks range in Marietta will tell you firsthand, id be one of the ones theyd hate to be in a shootout with

[lookup138]

Most first timers, heck even those who shoot regularly (at the range I hope) are so nervous. I agree that your first gun should have a safety on it and of course if you are nervous and have a trigger happy finger . But head to a shooting range and let them know that you have no experience with firearms and they will tell you the important things you need to know. Of course, make a list of all your questions, fears, concerns, etc and they will help you. If you don't mind heading to Gwinnett/Lawrenceville (don't know where you live) try Bulls Eye because they will give you lessons and help you step by step.

[grindin]

Thank you all for your advice. One of the first things I did was have a new kickplate put in my door with longer screws as well as an anti-pry shield. I alerted my neighbors and told the managers office (hell, maintenance had to come over and put the frame back on). I am planning on buying an alarm too.

I think I will be purchasing a .38. I do know a few cops, so I will be contacting them so I can get some pointers.

Again, thank you all for your advice.