Firearms for Beginners

I can’t remember how I became infatuated with “gun” channels on YouTube, but I think it may have started about two months ago when a friend sent me a link to a free Conceal-Carry Permit class. While I already own a handful of guns I think I started watching them when trying to decide if I wanted to try and pick up another pistol specifically designed for conceal-carry or just use one of my existing pistols.

Regardless of how I started watching them, I’ve been semi-addicted ever since. Not out of some desire to become a gun-nut, but rather because I realized just how much I didn’t know about the subject and like many things in life, I don’t like not knowing. Sadly, I had to watch countless videos from countless channels of self-described “gun” and “tactical” experts to find some really good information and that includes reading the comments. Yes, the YouTube comments. I realize most people stay clear of the comments section, especially on YouTube, but if you’re willing to wade through the filth you can actually find some good information. Sort of like dumpster diving.

What have I learned? Well, Timmy, I’ve learned that there is a lot I didn’t know. As a teenager I was in the Police Explorers and shot a .357 Magnum with .38 Special rounds in competition - my first experience with firearms larger than a BB or pellet gun. In the Army I learned a bit more, this time about assault weapons ranging from the 5.56 NATO caliber M16A2, to include the M203 which I carried for a year, to the .50cal machinegun.

That was pretty much the extent of my weapons knowledge until I purchased my first handgun, a .40 caliber 5inch “tactical” model. Why the forty? For no other reason than because a friend of mine had one and I trusted his opinion, even though I went with a different manufacturer and barrel length. At the time I didn’t know the difference between a .40, a 9mm, a .357 or a .45acp - and the list goes on.

Now, I know a little more. Enough to know I don’t know everything, won’t know everything, but enough to feel comfortable saying I know more than the average bear. I’m not going to get into a lot of detail but I wanted to break down some basic knowledge to help other people wanting to know more have a solid foundation from which to start learning about guns. Most of this will be relegated to pistol calibers, but I will mention the 5.56 NATO round later on.

Let me preface the rest of this by stating understanding firearms can get a little confusing. I’m going to try and relate it as simply and clearly as possible but I may not. Feel free to ask a question or two if I’m not very clear. I cannot even pretend to cover everything about every weapon or caliber, but if you have a question I will try and answer it to the best of my knowledge unless you’re getting ridiculously nitpicky like, “a 9mm +p+ shot from a 3” barrel has more knockdown power than a 9mm shot from a 5” barrel and so it’s better to have a snub-nosed revolver shooting +p than a 1911 in 9mm,” or some such.

Now that we have that out of the way, let’s begin:

If there is one thing that can be said about firearms is that there are countless variations out there. As I said earlier, I’ll never be able to cover all of them, nor would I want to, but I will try to use the most common as examples in this write-up. For every “rule” there will be an exception and someone somewhere will joyfully point that out. Like I explained, this is a basic generalities post and we won’t be covering the “exceptions” unless it’s pertinent to the point I’m trying to make.

Let’s start with the basics. There are four main types of (consumer grade) firearms: handguns, shotguns, rifles and carbines.

Typical Revolver

A majority of handguns come in two very distinct flavors: revolvers and pistols. While “pistol” is generally used as interchangeable term, they’re a very distinct type of handgun, usually defined by their auto-loading feature. Revolvers, on the other hand, are easily identified by their cylinder which revolves when the trigger is pulled, loading the next chamber. Depending on the caliber, a handgun could generally have anywhere between 8 and 15 rounds ready to be fired, while a revolver might have 5, 6, maybe up to eight.

Shotguns have longer barrels, usually somewhere around 18-26 inches and shoot shells packed with different content based on need, such as birdshot, buckshot and slugs. Birdshot is obviously for hunting birds (and other small game), buckshot for larger game and slugs for punching a hole through just about anything. Unlike rifles, shotguns do not have rifled barrels.

Rifles, unlike shotguns, do have rifled barrels. The rifling is a groove etched inside the barrel to spin the round resulting in more stable and accurate flight, sort of like when a quarterback puts spin on the football when he releases it. Rifles can share caliber sizes with handguns, such as the .45 Colt, or they can fire bullets specifically designed for rifles, such as 30-30 or any military grade rounds like the 5.56 NATO or the 7.62. Rifles can also be magazine fed, bolt-action, tube fed, revolver-style or side-loaded.

Carbines are a special type of rifle, defined by their shorter more compact barrels. Where a rifle will probably have a barrel 18 inches or longer, a carbine will generally be shorter. Popular carbines generally come in 14” or 16” varieties. Carbines are especially popular in urban combat, heavy brush or jungle-type environments where portability is more important than long distance accuracy.

Hammerless Revolver

Pistols, revolvers, rifles and carbines generally come in hammer-fired, striker fired, internal hammer (or hammerless); automatic, semi-automatic or bolt action.

Confused yet? Don’t worry, it only gets worse.

With all firearms barrel length is important. Longer barrels - and I say longer, but there is such a thing as ‘too long’ - provide two benefits over their shorter counterparts. One, a longer barrel will allow better sighting of the target and thus a more accurate shot. It’s one of the reasons why snipers use longer barrelled variants of otherwise run-of-the-mill weapons. The second benefit to a longer barrel is power. When a round is fired the longer barrel allows more compression and consequently more power to push that round which can result in greater distance and greater impact.

For example, a 9mm shot from a 5” barrel handgun has more power and greater distance opportunity than a 9mm shot from a 3” barrel handgun. The same 9mm round shot from a carbine will have even greater impact force and distance capabilities.

But what about the short barrel, you might ask. There are some benefits there, too. Specifically, the ability to conceal the firearm easily. A short-barreled, or snub-nose, handgun might more easily fit into a pocket, a purse or be more easily hidden under a t-shirt, whereas a 5" tactical, an 8" revolver or even a four inch barrel may be more difficult to hide.

Speaking of ammunition, this is where it gets really confusing.

Firearm rounds come in a great many varieties, each with their own fundamental purpose and each that has been repurposed because - why not? This is American, dammit! We can repurpose anything!

Auto-Loading Pistol

But first, let’s talk turkey. Read my lips: there is no universal naming convention for bullets. While most are either named in metric or Imperial standards, there’s no rhyme or reason as to why a round received its particular designation other than the developer called it that first. With one caveat, of course. Most rounds are identified by their diameter. So, a .22lr is .22 inches wide; a .45ACP is .45 inches wide. A 9mm, on the other hand, is .355 inches wide. A 10mm is .40 inches wide, the same as the .40S&W, but with a longer case, and therefore more power than the forty caliber round. Another popular round, the .357SIG is a 9mm bullet stuffed into a tapered casing to make the entire round shorter, but still trying to reach the power of the .357 Magnum, which is built on the .38 Special casing.

Ammunition of same caliber isn’t all the same, either. Bullets of the same calibers come in a variety of different weights, or grains. A 35-grain round, for example, is lighter than a 65-grain round. The weight of a round - it’s grain - determines the distance and impact power that round will have; heavier rounds, for example, will not travel as fast (velocity) as it’s lighter cousin when fired from the same weapon. This means a lighter 9mm at 115-grain will travel faster and have more impact (foot-pounds of force) than a 9mm at 125-grain made by the same manufacturer.

This rule applies across all calibers: a .45ACP in 185-grain will travel faster, further and impact with greater force than a .45ACP in 230-grain from the same manufacturer shot from the same firearm; a 125-grain .357 will travel faster, further and hit with more impact than a .357 in 165-grain. And so forth. But, greater weight can also carry with it greater foot-lbs of force.

Like I said, this gets confusing. As one person I read stated, Would you rather get hit by a bus going 80MPH or a Camry going 80MPH? Both will surely kill you, but one will turn you into mush.

We haven't even mentioned the different types of rounds yet, either. There are full metal jackets, jacketed hollow points, round nose, semi-jacketed, etc. Each with their own intents, pros and cons, such as flight stability, mushrooming potential, penetration and more.

What's mushrooming you might ask? Many calibers of ammunition are designed to "mushroom" upon impact. This serves two fundamentally important purposes: [1] to inflict as much internal damage as possible and [2] to accelerate the bullet to slower speeds in order to prevent the round from over-penetrating and hitting the non-combatant behind the target.

And since we’re on the subject of rounds, let’s talk about +P and +P+ loads. These designations are a fairly recent addition to typical ammunition loads and designate a “hot” load or overloading of gunpowder. This is an attempt to achieve a greater power result from an existing caliber. “Plus” rounds have become especially popular among the 9mm and .38 crowds where more foot-pounds of impact were sought to compete against typically more powerful rounds such as the .357 or .40S&W. And yes, all the technological advances built into the modern 9mm round have also been put into other rounds thus keeping the differences in performance there. So, for example, while the modern 9mm round might have the same impact as the .40S&W from a decade ago, modern .40S&Ws have also benefited from the advances in bullet technology and maintain their advantages over the 9mm. They also maintain their disadvantages, such as a much harsher recoil and a lower magazine capacity.

Bullets

Most modern handguns can handle the “plus” rounds but it’s always a good idea to check with your manual or the manufacturer before trying them. Especially if your firearm is older.

Let me be real clear here: no matter which caliber or weight you choose to shoot with, all bullets are deadly. Some people will decry a .22lr or .25 as being too weak, but a .22lr will kill you just as quickly as a Desert Eagle .50 cal or a 5.56mm if you get hit with one. The .50cal and the 5.56 will just cause more damage, but in the end, dead is dead, right?

Some people will also claim they need more “stopping power” and will advocate for calibers with stronger loads such as the 10mm or .357 Magnum. Let me also be real clear: in a defensive situation you will rarely need “stopping power.” Defensive situations mean you or someone else are in immediate danger and in a vast majority of those situations you will not be defending against military-style body armor or defending yourself through a window. In fact, many places have rules that you are to try and retreat to safety before engaging. Check your local laws.

Remember, a .22lr will go through a 2x4 - it will go through you, too. In fact, the 5.56mm NATO round is a .22 caliber round with a ton of explosive power propelling it forward. So, if every M16 and M4 is strong enough to fight wars then a .22lr is strong enough for self-defense.

And let’s not forget the fan-favorite: the Magnum! Ooooh! Yes, Magnum rounds are cool and many calibers come in a Magnum format. What makes a Magnum so special? Simple: more power. The round itself is the same, but a Magnum variant has a larger casing that carries more gunpowder to propel the round faster, further and with more force than their non-Magnum counterparts. A .22 Magnum will go through just about anything. As will a .357 Magnum, a .44 Magnum or a .500 Magnum.

Many people carrying concealed "snub-nosed" handguns choose a more powerful round to compensate for their shorter barrel lengths and that's a valid argument. Barrel length, if you remember, matters and if a more powerful round shot from a snub-nosed revolver can have the same impact as a less powerful round shot through a 5" barrel then, why not?

So, to recap, there are a lot of calibers out there. Each variation of each caliber has it’s pros and cons. But, remember when I said barrel length matters? It does. A five inch barrel will propel the same round from the same manufacturer at a higher velocity, thus delivering more impact force, than the same round from a shorter barrel. On the other side of that coin, is a 7” or 8” barrel will provide more power and impact than a 5” barrel. And a 16 " barrel, and a 20" and so on. Until the barrel length no longer matters because there just isn't enough power in the round.

Taking into account barrel length, caliber, grain and gunpowder load some handguns have a fairly good “kick”, or recoil, to them. Auto-loading pistols and rifles (to include carbines) are designed to absorb as much of that kick as possible, but not all guns are created equal. Slides, springs, blowback and ergonomics all affect how much recoil a firearm will give when fired. Some shooters may not feel comfortable with a stronger kick than others and this needs to be taken into account when choosing the right firearm for yourself. No one wants to be around a person who is scared of pulling the trigger. It makes everyone else nervous. Revolvers of the same calibers as their pistol counterparts will generally have more of a kick, which is why many people choose lighter loads from those particular handguns, such as the 9mm or .38 Special.

Speaking of barrel length, we haven’t discussed the carbine yet. A carbine is nothing more than a shorter rifle. They’re popular for a variety of reasons to include being more nimble in an urban environment than a full-sized rifle or being more handy in tighter confines, such as the brush or jungle where a longer barrel is more likely to snap on branches or get caught on a bush. Carbines can come in both traditional rifle calibers as well as popular handgun sizes such as 9mm, .40S&W, .45ACP. In my opinion, handgun caliber carbines are a great way to have that rifle experience with a less expensive round. They’re also great for protection against bear, boar or bull while out on the ranch or in the backcountry, assuming you have the right rounds. A pistol-caliber carbine also has enough punch to hunt with, but I suggest checking local hunting laws as some calibers are restricted to and from certain game.

Pistol Caliber Carbine

To sum up, there are many factors to consider when choosing a firearm, choosing a caliber and choosing a round. The big question is: what are you hoping to accomplish?

If your goal is to just go plinking with your friends now and again, do you need a round that will go through a cinder block or do you need something fairly inexpensive to shoot? If you’re looking for a CCP (Concealed Carry Permit), do you want a tactical size or a compact size? A tactical size, 4”-5” barrel, will provide greater impact, but a shorter length will be easier and more comfortable to conceal. If you’re looking for reliability do you choose a auto-loader or a revolver? In what barrel length? In what bullet grain? If you’re just looking to marvel at penetration power do you choose the smaller round with the larger load or the larger round with a traditional load? These are all questions to ask yourself before shilling out the green.

No matter what you decide to buy, never let someone bully you into a firearm you're not comfortable with. For every caliber, every manufacturer, every old fat guy with a beard or veteran straight home from war, everyone carries a bias when it comes to guns. "You need more power." "No, you need control." "Get a Glock." "Stay away from Glocks." "Don't buy a Ruger." "Smith and Wesson are the best." "No, CZs are the best." "Buy American!" "German engineering!" "More capacity is better." "Bigger rounds are the best." "Don't buy that it's cheap." "Don't buy that, it's too expensive." "Only buy blued guns." "Stainless is better for cleaning." Some manufacturers have better warranties and some have better customer service. Do your research. SCCY and Hi-Point, both "budget" weapons, have unlimited lifetime warranties on their guns; other companies might offer a few years to the original owner. Some companies will void your warranties if you use a certain type of ammo such as steel casings or hotter +P loads.

There is no perfect formula for finding the right firearm for you. The only real method is to try a few out by borrowing from friends, renting from shooting ranges or visiting your favorite gun store repeatedly to handle anything you might be interested in. And above all else, know what your end-use will be - it’s important.

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