My first gun was a 1911. Had it for years, went to the range with a box of ammo monthly, never got better than like a 8" groups at 10 yards. COVID hit, grabbed a 22 semi auto and was able to burn 1500 rounds in a week thanks to cheaper ammo (lucked out at 5 cpr) and dropped that down to 3" at 10 yards within that week. Another year and a half with the gun and I'm down to 3" at 25 with both of the pistols.
On rifles:
Well after I bought my pistol, I got a Ruger 10/22. It's a semi auto rifle in 22lr. I started out at like 6-8" at 25 yards, but one week, one Appleseed, and a box of 22 later I was punching holes in quarters at that distance.
Rifles are great. Training is great. Combining them is the quickest way to get deadly.
On caliber:
A gun is better than no gun. Shot placement is VASTLY more important than bullet size and energy. The best gun is the one you have when you need it. The best gun is the one you can shoot comfortably and practice with regularly. Every caliber on the market is deadly if you're a good shooter.
My recommendations (if you're okay with the 1 gun shooting little bullets):
Everyone should own a Ruger 10/22 ($300-$500). (I like the take-down version.) High velocity 22 out of a carbine length barrel will readily destroy things, and it's the quickest thing to get good with. Add in some bolt-to-receiver tech sights (or a mounting plate/rail and a red dot), few spare 10 round mags, and a couple 25 round mags for fun. Automatic bolt release is a good upgrade if you're mechanically minded and like to fiddle with things.
OR
Taurus tx22 ($200-250) + tandemkross sights ($80) (the included rear sight is literal garbage, it jiggles with every shot), or KelTec P17 (below $200), extra magazines. Mostly recommending because they're a good value; cheap and accurate.
Gonna need basic cleaning and lubrication products either way, and possibly a locker depending on local legalities
Other recommendations:
Striker fired double stack semi auto 9mm pistol. This is essentially the default first gun recommendation for defensive handgun use. Glock 19 ($500) (9mm pistol) if your hands fit it. It's a popular brand for a reason. If they don't, see if you can find an HK VP9 ($750), they have tons of grip adjustability. If you have really tiny hands, a SIG P320 ($450-600) with a small grip module will be your favorite gun.
Ar-15 in 5.56/223/223 Wylde: they shoot soft while shooting real rifle rounds, they have adjustable everything, you will never have to look far for parts. Provided you don't get short term PTSD, it's one of the easiest to use and maintain rifles ever made. The only downside is it's a scary black gun and that comes with baggage. Like, an AR with a good red dot is literally just point and click at anything within 150 yards.
Final thoughts:
Shotguns get recommended for home defense a lot and like, I have one for that purpose and it's really probably the best choice IF YOU'RE GOOD AT IT which no one will be from day one because they fucking hurt to shoot and racking a pump is surprisingly easy to fumble and fuck up and they don't fucking come with any sights so there is only intuition to work with which is fucking awful when you can just slap a red dot on an AR spend a few minutes sighting it in and then punch thirty holes in anything that bumps in the night.
AKs are an awesome platform and lefty meme but you are not going to be able to get ammo or parts and you will be drawing attention to yourself.
Buy a 10/22. They're fun and accurate.
Buy a double stack 9. Everybody else has one.
Buy an AR-15, it's America's gun for a reason.
Or fuck, idk, any of the 22 semi auto pistols because they're cheap to run and the only way to get good with a pistol is shooting thousands of rounds: Ruger mark IV, Keltec P17, Keltec CP33, SW victory, Taurus tx22, Browning Buckmark. Whatever.
Oh I should also recommend that you hold a 1911 and pull the trigger. That was a religious moment for me. It was a straight up "this gun chose me" moment in the store. I was there for a Springfield XD and saw a pretty 1911, asked to hold it and it and dry fire it and in the fraction of a second before the trigger broke I felt the spirit of John Moses Browning himself hug me from behind and whisper "here it comes" in my ear. There were angels singing. It won two world wars because 45 ACP is God's chosen caliber. A well placed round of 45 ball from a 1911 doesn't just kill the body, it kills the soul.
On pistols:
My first gun was a 1911. Had it for years, went to the range with a box of ammo monthly, never got better than like a 8" groups at 10 yards. COVID hit, grabbed a 22 semi auto and was able to burn 1500 rounds in a week thanks to cheaper ammo (lucked out at 5 cpr) and dropped that down to 3" at 10 yards within that week. Another year and a half with the gun and I'm down to 3" at 25 with both of the pistols.
On rifles:
Well after I bought my pistol, I got a Ruger 10/22. It's a semi auto rifle in 22lr. I started out at like 6-8" at 25 yards, but one week, one Appleseed, and a box of 22 later I was punching holes in quarters at that distance.
Rifles are great. Training is great. Combining them is the quickest way to get deadly.
On caliber:
A gun is better than no gun. Shot placement is VASTLY more important than bullet size and energy. The best gun is the one you have when you need it. The best gun is the one you can shoot comfortably and practice with regularly. Every caliber on the market is deadly if you're a good shooter.
My recommendations (if you're okay with the 1 gun shooting little bullets):
Everyone should own a Ruger 10/22 ($300-$500). (I like the take-down version.) High velocity 22 out of a carbine length barrel will readily destroy things, and it's the quickest thing to get good with. Add in some bolt-to-receiver tech sights (or a mounting plate/rail and a red dot), few spare 10 round mags, and a couple 25 round mags for fun. Automatic bolt release is a good upgrade if you're mechanically minded and like to fiddle with things.
OR
Taurus tx22 ($200-250) + tandemkross sights ($80) (the included rear sight is literal garbage, it jiggles with every shot), or KelTec P17 (below $200), extra magazines. Mostly recommending because they're a good value; cheap and accurate.
Gonna need basic cleaning and lubrication products either way, and possibly a locker depending on local legalities
Other recommendations:
Striker fired double stack semi auto 9mm pistol. This is essentially the default first gun recommendation for defensive handgun use. Glock 19 ($500) (9mm pistol) if your hands fit it. It's a popular brand for a reason. If they don't, see if you can find an HK VP9 ($750), they have tons of grip adjustability. If you have really tiny hands, a SIG P320 ($450-600) with a small grip module will be your favorite gun.
Ar-15 in 5.56/223/223 Wylde: they shoot soft while shooting real rifle rounds, they have adjustable everything, you will never have to look far for parts. Provided you don't get short term PTSD, it's one of the easiest to use and maintain rifles ever made. The only downside is it's a scary black gun and that comes with baggage. Like, an AR with a good red dot is literally just point and click at anything within 150 yards.
Final thoughts:
Shotguns get recommended for home defense a lot and like, I have one for that purpose and it's really probably the best choice IF YOU'RE GOOD AT IT which no one will be from day one because they fucking hurt to shoot and racking a pump is surprisingly easy to fumble and fuck up and they don't fucking come with any sights so there is only intuition to work with which is fucking awful when you can just slap a red dot on an AR spend a few minutes sighting it in and then punch thirty holes in anything that bumps in the night.
AKs are an awesome platform and lefty meme but you are not going to be able to get ammo or parts and you will be drawing attention to yourself.
Buy a 10/22. They're fun and accurate.
Buy a double stack 9. Everybody else has one.
Buy an AR-15, it's America's gun for a reason.
Or fuck, idk, any of the 22 semi auto pistols because they're cheap to run and the only way to get good with a pistol is shooting thousands of rounds: Ruger mark IV, Keltec P17, Keltec CP33, SW victory, Taurus tx22, Browning Buckmark. Whatever.
Oh I should also recommend that you hold a 1911 and pull the trigger. That was a religious moment for me. It was a straight up "this gun chose me" moment in the store. I was there for a Springfield XD and saw a pretty 1911, asked to hold it and it and dry fire it and in the fraction of a second before the trigger broke I felt the spirit of John Moses Browning himself hug me from behind and whisper "here it comes" in my ear. There were angels singing. It won two world wars because 45 ACP is God's chosen caliber. A well placed round of 45 ball from a 1911 doesn't just kill the body, it kills the soul.
deleted by creator
lmao top tier pasta.