The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Beginner, advice on making first purchase, any input appreciated

Theohazard · December 12, 2012, 10:37 AM

The .40 is a snappier cartridge with more recoil than a 9mm, so the difference must have been the size of the gun, not the cartridge. That said, if she wants an SR40C get her one, just keep in mind the SR9C will have less recoil, higher capacity, and - most importantly for newer shooters - ammo will be significantly cheaper meaning she can practice a lot more.

On a side note, I caution newer shooters in trusting the gun advice of people solely based on their military/law enforcement experience. Those institutions don't necessarily teach anything more than just how to use the specific weapons one is issued; general firearms knowledge is rarely taught. Being a former Marine who spent four years in an infantry MOS, I can tell you that the Marine Corps only teaches you how to use weapons; general firearms knowledge is usually completely irrelevant, especially pertaining to civilian weapons.

Sure, there are many current and former military/law enforcement personnel who have received advanced training and are also well-versed in civilian firearms. But there are also a lot of those who don't have advanced training and haven't studied up on civilian firearms at all, yet still act like firearms experts just because of their military/law enforcement experience.

So while some of the best training and advice I've received has come from current and former military/law enforcement, some of the worst firearms advice I've ever heard has also come from the same kind of people.

December 12, 2012, 10:37 AM	#4
Theohazard Senior Member Join Date: April 19, 2012 Location: Western PA Posts: 3,829	The .40 is a snappier cartridge with more recoil than a 9mm, so the difference must have been the size of the gun, not the cartridge. That said, if she wants an SR40C get her one, just keep in mind the SR9C will have less recoil, higher capacity, and - most importantly for newer shooters - ammo will be significantly cheaper meaning she can practice a lot more. On a side note, I caution newer shooters in trusting the gun advice of people solely based on their military/law enforcement experience. Those institutions don't necessarily teach anything more than just how to use the specific weapons one is issued; general firearms knowledge is rarely taught. Being a former Marine who spent four years in an infantry MOS, I can tell you that the Marine Corps only teaches you how to use weapons; general firearms knowledge is usually completely irrelevant, especially pertaining to civilian weapons. Sure, there are many current and former military/law enforcement personnel who have received advanced training and are also well-versed in civilian firearms. But there are also a lot of those who don't have advanced training and haven't studied up on civilian firearms at all, yet still act like firearms experts just because of their military/law enforcement experience. So while some of the best training and advice I've received has come from current and former military/law enforcement, some of the worst firearms advice I've ever heard has also come from the same kind of people. __________________ 0331: "Accuracy by volume."