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Old December 18, 2010, 11:07 PM   #56
JohnKSa
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Join Date: February 12, 2001
Location: DFW Area
Posts: 24,929
Over the years I've been asked by many people for some advice on various aspects of getting started in firearms. I finally started putting some of the advice in writing and then collected it into one document. It's grown to about 15 pages at this time.

For what it's worth, here are the first couple of pages of general information before it goes into focusing primarily on cleaning procedures and materials. Maybe some of it will be helpful.
Getting Started in Firearms
This document assumes that the reader is familiar with the basic rules of firearm safety. Those should be second nature before the need to clean a handgun ever arises.
  • ALWAYS keep the firearm pointed in a safe direction.
  • ALWAYS keep your finger off the trigger unless you intend to shoot.
  • ALWAYS keep the gun unloaded unless you intend to shoot.
These 3 rules will prevent accidental injury or death if they are followed. ANY time a person is accidentally shot at least one of the 3 basic rules has been broken. A fourth rule is also very important in determining what a “safe direction” is: ALWAYS be sure of your target and what is beyond it. Bullets from modern firearms can penetrate a surprising amount of target material and can travel for more than a mile downrange.

What you don’t need
Ego. Forget about proving anything and instead make it your goal to do things right and to be SAFE. Concentrate on what you’re doing, read manuals, read instructions, read cautions, follow the safety rules, double and triple-check everything anytime there’s a chance of property damage or injury. Get some professional training and don’t be too proud or ashamed to ask for help when you need it. You’ll be better and safer for it and so will those around you.

A Firearm Owners Manual
These are usually available free of charge from the manufacturer. I’ve owned many guns but I still read the manual from cover to cover when I buy a new gun. You can save yourself a lot of hassle, time, money and prevent injuries or death by reading the manual. You DO have the time to read it and there IS useful information in it. For one thing, you’ll need to know how to refer to the various parts of your firearm in order to be able to converse easily with other firearms owners and in order to read the instructions below.

A Case
The case should protect the firearm if it is dropped during transport and should also provide a safe place to put the firearm while it is being stored. There is a wide variety of cases (both soft & hard) available. Protect your investment by purchasing one if your firearm didn’t come with one from the manufacturer. Be sure to purchase something of quality and something that is specifically made for firearms since some gun cleaning/preservative products can break down the materials found in general purpose cases or budget cases. That will result in damage to the case and can result in damage to the gun.

A Range Bag
A range bag doesn’t have to be fancy. I used an old backpack as my range bag for years. You need something to hold magazines, ammunition, your firearm case, hearing protection and eye protection, etc. A range bag will protect your equipment and will help insure that you get everything you need to the range and back home again when you’re done.

Hearing Protection
Don’t skimp. Using poor quality or inadequate hearing protection is uncomfortable, can make long shooting sessions much less enjoyable and can result in permanent hearing damage. It is important to understand that shooting firearms without hearing protection will result in permanent hearing damage. Notice I didn’t say it “might” or it “can”. It WILL.

Make sure that the headband is padded and that the foam ear pads (and the foam inside the ear cups) are replaceable. I highly recommend replacing the foam ear pads with gel pads if that is an option. The comfort difference is impressive and they also seal better.

If you’re shooting a lot indoors, shooting rifles indoors or shooting compensated guns, use foam earplugs in ADDITION your muffs. Firearms are VERY loud, and typical hearing protection only knocks the sound down by about 30dB or so. The muffled sound is still very loud, still above the levels that can cause hearing damage with repeated exposure. Doubling up on hearing protection will help save your hearing and when you get older, you won’t have to say: “What?” nearly as much.

I shot a lot of years and a lot of rounds before I finally got some really good hearing protection. You don’t have to make the same mistake.

Eye Protection
The earpieces should be thin and should lie flat against your temples so that they don’t affect the seal of your ear muffs. The lenses MUST be made of polycarbonate.

I’ve had an empty case from an automatic eject straight back and cut a quarter inch semicircle of polycarbonate out of my shooting glasses instead of my eye. I’ve also had a small spring bounce off a hard contact lens and have accidentally gotten solvent sprayed in my eyes while cleaning a gun. Protective glasses are a must for dealing with all aspects of firearms, shooting, cleaning and reloading.

If you wear prescription glasses, talk to your eye doctor. He can very easily make up a set of safety glasses with prescription lenses. These can be very reasonably priced if you don’t get fancy with the frames or lens options.
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