1,332 Views
0 Shares

What to Do After You Buy a Gun

Advertisement
Advertisement

OK, you bought your gun. Now what? Here’s an outline of what you need to do after you buy a gun.

Gun Storage

Before you even bring your gun home you should think about how you are going to secure your gun and your ammunition when the gun is not on your body. IF you bought for home defense, having your gun stored in a hard to open safe or stuffed all the way in the top shelf in the back of a closet defeats the purpose. Investigate the number of easy to access secure options and find one that works for your particular situation.

Get a Holster

Assuming you are getting a gun to carry for personal self-defense, you will need some type of holster. We’ve written a few articles about this topic. If you are looking for gun holster buying tips, you might start with these articles:
“5 Things to Consider When Choosing an Everyday Holster”
“Inside the Waistband Holsters vs. Clipdraw”
“Best Types of Gun Holsters for Women”

Teach Your Kids

If you have children at home, begin the important conversations about gun safety. Teach them to keep their hands off your gun or any gun they may encounter. Teach them in supervised, structured ways how to load, unload and shoot and clean a firearm. Gun safety should be an ongoing conversation, not one you have just once.

Take a Training Course

Start with an online course like this one, that can be purchased as an in-hand book and DVD or streaming online course. Then graduate to an in-person training class with a certified instructor. Why do we recommend starting with an online or DVD class? Because you can watch the video as many times as you need to in the comfort and privacy of your own home. We have found that brand new people in their very first gun class are very shy about asking questions and getting the practice and one-on-one help they need. Learning the vocabulary, stances, holds, and parts of the gun when there aren’t a whole bunch of strangers around works best for the new gun owners we have spoken to over the years.

Know Your State’s Laws on Carrying in Public

As a gun holder, it is up to you to know your state’s expectations. Here are some things to think about that you may not be aware of as a new gun owner:
Do you have a “duty to act” while carrying concealed? – This means that since you have a gun on you, are you required to act in a self-defense situation? Different states have different takes on this situation.
Are you required to declare your gun if you are pulled over for a traffic violation? – Again, different states have different laws.
What are the laws about traveling with a gun? – Some states have reciprocity and some don’t.
What are your state’s laws about storing your gun in your car? – California requires that guns in cars be locked up and unreachable.

Comments:

Advertisement
Advertisement