What Gun Will Work For Me?
Once you have immersed yourself in the gun culture, researched your state's gun laws and have taken the steps required to buy a gun there are many aspects to consider when buying your first gun.
What application do you want the gun for?
Are you looking for a carry gun, home defense only, hunting, target shooting or any/all of the above? If you are looking for a concealed carry gun commonly referred to as an EDC (Every Day Carry) consider the three types of actions (process that is initiated when you pull the trigger) that are available.:
Single Action, Double Action, Single/Double Action. Head over to the How a Gun Works page for more information on what those are.
What is the most comfortable gun for you?
Guns come in many different lengths and widths, and many different round capacities. You should purchase a gun that fits well in your hand. Size, shape and round capacity can influence this aspect quite a bit.
How many rounds should my gun hold?
Different states can have regulations on how many rounds the magazine or cylinder can hold. Know the regulations so you don't get burned but the dealers in your state know these regulations already. Round capacity can be influenced by the application the gun is used for. For example if you're target shooting you might want to purchase a gun that holds the maximum your state will allow. If it's a concealed carry gun, you want as many rounds as you can get but the more rounds the gun holds the less concealable it will be.
What materials are guns made of?
All guns have to have at least some steal in them so as to be able to be detected by metal detectors. Also you would want the fire mechanism made out of anything but steal. Parts that don't need to be steal are made from polymer materials which is a form or durable plastic. These polymer guns are usually widely used for concealed carry as they are lighter but may have a more pronounced recoil, while guns made entirely of steal are primarily used in target shooting. That doesn't mean you can't carry an steal gun if you're comfortable with it. There are steal frame guns in what is called sub compact size or compact which lend themselves more to concealed carry.
Examples to Consider
Revolvers
Revolvers
Revolvers
Beyond spending time at the range, revolvers can be both a good home defense gun and every day carry. They are offered in sizes small enough for concealed carry. Typically, they have heavier triggers which could increase shooting time unless the hammer is drawn back first. They tend to be wider than a pistol and usually carry less rounds but have a far less chance of jamming in a crisis scenario.
Pistols
Revolvers
Revolvers
Pistols are widely used as home defense and for concealed carry. They come in full size, (not typically used for carry but can be) compact and sub compact, the latter two which are widely used for concealed carry. Common compact size guns are the Heckler and Koch VP9 and the Smith and Wesson M&P Compact Series. Sub Compact gun include the Smith and Wesson Shield, Ruger LC9 and Walther PPK. Pistols are narrower than revolvers because they have a magazine as opposed to a cylinder and offer more round capacity but can jam. While jamming is rare you would want to get comfortable with clearing the jam so as to properly deal with it in a crisis scenario.
Rifles
Revolvers
Rifles
Rifles are great guns to take to the range and widely used for hunting and self defense but obviously not for concealed carry. If you use a wheelchair or some other mobility device they may not be a good defense weapon as it would be tough for you to move and control one at the same time due to their size.