I’m new to guns but I want to buy a sub compact pistol I can take hiking in druggie infested woods. What is the best caliber and model? I don’t know why but instinctively I lean towards .32 even though I’ve never used it. I’ve shot rifles and shotguns but never pistols.
if you need to protect yourself, you owe it to yourself and others to kill what you shoot at efficiently, and be able to land your hits effectively. guns are not magic death machines where you wave them at something scary to make it go away. .32 ACP is, in some circles, the bare minimum for a useful firearm. depending on your situation it might be inadequate or inappropriate. this is why asking and trying stuff out and getting information and education is vital to being a responsible gun owner.
go to a rental range and try a bog standard Glock 19, Springfield P365, S&W M&P Shield, et c. then try an
all-metal automatic pistol that feels good in the hand (Beretta PX4, CZ 75 Compact or equivalent like a Canik C100). maye put a cylinder or two through a S&W J-frame .38 special. once you get a feel for weight, balance, what sort of control layout you feel confident in being able to understand and use intuitively, consider the recoil and feel when shooting. be sure to ask people to take you shooting. if you are new to guns, then expose yourself to good safety habits with instruction and more experienced gun owners to try what you're comfortable with.
once you have that down, determine if your preferences for the revolver, automatic, frame material (polymer, alloy, or steel), and general layout and try stuff to see what you like. do you understand the operating principles of how the gun works, can you understand the parts and what they do, the manual of arms for operating and cleaning and safe handling, et c. this varies between designs, sometimes significantly.
ammo that is readily available is ammo you can buy readily to practice with (regularly and with instruction, even if it's watching a lot of youtube gun safe handling new shooter videos) and you can find that ammo in a defensive load to actually carry. picking expensive or difficult to find ammunition in you area means less practice, means expensive practice, and means you aren't going to be as defended as you could be due to something like insisting on ammunition you can hardly buy or a gun that you're scared to shoot or is too expensive to risk carrying and losing in the woods.
generally speaking, a heavy gun has more mass to resist recoil (inertia) and will be easier to shoot for a new shooter.
gun purchase and carry requirements vary by jurisdiction. consult your local police department or a lawyer to determine how to legally store, transport, carry, et c a gun. your local laws can also affect gun choice, restrict ammunition choices, impose specific requirements to purchase a gun, or demand various paperwork and fees, et c. consult a local lawyer familiar with guns, consult an experienced friend, consult your state's bureau of firearms (department of justice can point you in the right direction) or go to a few gun stores and ask for what's required to purchase a firearm in your area.
if you use your gun irresponsibly, you risk imprisonment or death of yourself or others. if you cannot handle that and responsibly care, own, carry, practice/train, or
listen to other, more experienced people and
be humble enough to ask for more info and opinions on a
deadly weapon you might need to depend on to save your life, then you shouldn't have a gun.
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