Buy a Gun

Mike S. Adams gives us some gun purchasing recommendations for those who have yet to buy a gun:

Ruger 10/22 rifle-This was not the first gun I bought, but it should have been. The .22 is cheap and fun to shoot. There is nothing more fun than picking up an economy pack of 550 Federal hollow points (for less than $10 at Wal-mart) on a boring Saturday afternoon. But beware: you can empty the whole carton in less than half a day, if you get carried away. Also, if you know a really strident anti-gun liberal, see if you can get him to fire a few rounds through your 10/22. If you can, chances are he’ll be voting Republican by the end of the year.

Remington 870 Express shotgun-This is another fun gun to shoot and it is versatile. I bought my first 870 with an 18-inch open choke barrel for home defense. My second 870 came with a 26-inch barrel and a modified choke, good for varmint hunting and well-suited to deliver buckshot. The 870 can also be purchased with a 20-inch fully rifled slug barrel for deer hunting. Whichever version you purchase, extra barrels can also be bought, ready for quick interchange. It should only take a novice about 30 seconds to change barrels. Needless to say, I recommend this gun in 12-gauge.

Ruger .357 magnum revolver-If you are at least 21 years of age, you will probably want to consider a handgun for personal protection. The .357 is a great choice because it allows novice shooters to use .38 caliber loads, which have less recoil. The .38 is also arguably better for home defense. The 4-inch barrel provides good accuracy and is small enough to fit inside a glove box (check your state laws first). It can also serve as a good sidearm for hunters. Four or six inch barrels both work for that purpose. Also, Ruger makes a snub nose that is ideal for those with concealed carry permits. I bought a Model 640 snub nose back when I was still doing business with Smith and Wesson.

Marlin 30-30 lever action rifle-In 2000, my friend Lloyd Bass invited me on my first hunting trip to Ivanhoe, NC. Shortly thereafter, I bought a Marlin 30-30 with an inexpensive Tasco Scope (mounted and ready) for $289 at Dick’s Sporting Goods. One hour and ten minutes into my hunting career, I put a 170-grain Winchester bullet through the heart of my first white-tail deer. I have been hooked ever since. This is a great brush gun, good for hunting deer up to 100 yards.

Browning A-Bolt .243 Micro Hunter-Everyone has a favorite gun, and this is mine. If safety concerns drive you out of the brush and into a tree stand, you will want to have a long-range deer rifle. The .243 is simply perfect for the small white tails in North Carolina, especially if you usually take shots under 100 yards. The 100-grain Winchester Supreme round packs enough punch to do the job. If you decide to step up to something bigger for deer, you can use the .243 as a varmint rifle. A 55-grain silver tip is a great round for coyotes and other large varmints.

Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 magnum revolver-When I stopped carrying my 30-30 into the woods, I decided I needed something in my back-pack to ward off the black bears that inhabit the woods of North Carolina. The Super Blackhawk is an inexpensive single-action with a very solid frame to absorb recoil. No North Carolina black bear is going to walk through the 275-grain hunting loads I keep in my Ruger. The only thing that surprises me is how much fun this gun can be at the shooting range.

Glock .40 or 9mm semi-automatic pistol-Did I say that my .243 was my favorite gun? Well, the Glock .40 (model 23) is a close second. I got this gun for self-defense based on its reputation for reliability. Indeed, it has never jammed in the years since I bought it. What surprises me is the gun’s accuracy. I use 155-grain Winchester silver tips in my Glock. It is nice to be able to explode two liter bottles at 30 yards with a single round. With that kind of accuracy (coupled with power that rivals the .357) it is also a good side arm to take into the woods.