Patricia
Buying a gun can help you feel safer in your own home. No longer will you have to worry about people breaking in and hurting your family.
Practicing your shooting can also be a pretty fun hobby that will help you work on your fine motor skills. It gives you the chance to talk to your family about gun safety too.
Well, you should talk to your family about it, anyway. Failing to let your children know about gun safety once you bring one into the house is one of the biggest mistakes with buying rifles.
We say one because there are many of them that you’ve got to avoid when you’re shopping around. Check out this guide to learn more.
Refusing to Do Your Homework
There’s a lot of homework that goes into buying a gun. The first bit of research that you need to do involves figuring out what you want to buy.
There are different types of rifles for you to choose from. If you don’t pick the right one, you won’t be able to return it later. You’re stuck with it.
So, it’s not a decision that you want to leave up to the store clerk. They can help you pick something out, and they can answer some basic questions, but they’re no replacement for a Google search.
Not Learning the Local Laws
The next bit of research that you need to do involves learning the local gun laws. There are some basic rules that all states have in place.
You have to have a clean criminal record. You have to be at least 18 years old if you want to own a long gun and 21 if you want to buy a handgun.
You can carry your gun on your person, but you have to get your concealed weapons license first. If you want to keep a gun in your car, that’s fine, but it has to be in a case, and it can’t be anywhere near you. Your trunk is the perfect spot for it.
Failing to Learn the Basics of Gun Storage and Safety
Owning a gun is useless to you if you don’t know how to use it. It’s dangerous for you and everyone around you. Our recommendation is to take a training course. The classes will teach you everything you need to know about gun safety and how to fire them.
On top of knowing how to use your gun, you need to learn how to store it. The last thing you want is for an intruder to have easy access to your firearm. That could mean danger for you and your entire family.
Keep your gun in a cabinet or safe. This safe should be equipped with a trigger lock. That will prevent your children from being able to get to it
Buying the Wrong Gun For You
It can be easy to pick the wrong rifle for you. You get so caught up in your options that you end up choosing a gun that’s too powerful for you to handle. Start small and work your way up from there.
You should also be buying a gun for the right reasons. It’s a tool that you can use to protect yourself and your family and get a little peace of mind in your home.
You don’t want to buy a particular rifle because you got caught up in some kind of hype. The best way to avoid that is to look at unbiased online customer reviews. Don’t watch sponsored videos because those are only going to focus on the positives of buying the firearm that you’re looking up.
Making a Paperwork Error
The easiest mistake that all gun newbies make is messing up their paperwork. Gun stores should turn you down if you come in with an expired license, but sometimes things slip through the cracks.
If you get caught, the penalties you’ll face will be extreme. To avoid getting in trouble with the police, always make sure that your paperwork is up to date before you begin shopping around.
Only Shopping From a Local Store
There are benefits to shopping at a local store. You’ll have the chance to hold a gun in your hand before you buy it. The problem is that the brick-and-mortar stores have a limited inventory.
Geissele and other online sources have more to offer. Keep in mind that buying online doesn’t get you around needing a license and going through a background check.
Most online shops won’t ship a gun to your house. They’ll send it to an FFL agent in your area. You need to have your license in your hand to pick up your order.
There is a small fee involved with going this route, but it can be worth it to have a larger selection of rifles to choose from.
Buying the Cheapest Gun Possible
We get it, you want to save a little money. That doesn’t mean you should choose the cheapest gun available. If the rifle is less than 700 dollars, there’s a chance that you’re going to run into misfires and poor accuracy.
As you can imagine, that can create a dangerous situation for you and everyone around you. If you do want to shave a bit of cash off the total cost of your firearm, you can buy used, but you should check it over before committing to the purchase.
We also suggest comparing rifle prices before you go shopping. That will give you a cost point in your head to work with, which will stop you from overspending.
Using the Wrong Ammo
You can’t have the gun shipped to your home, but you can order the ammo and have it sent to you. It’s convenient, but it makes it easy to buy the wrong bullets for your rifle.
It’s for this reason that it’s better to buy your ammo from a physical shop. The person at the counter will be able to help you find what your gun needs.
Rushing Through the Buying Process
As you can see, there’s a lot that you’ve got to think about before buying a gun. It’s not something that you should rush through. Again, you’ve got to do some research.
The process doesn’t go faster just because you pick out a gun and go to the store. You’ll need to fill out some forms and register your new firearm. If you get in too big of a hurry, there’s a chance that you could mess up the paperwork, which can land you in trouble.
You’ll also have to sit through a lengthy background check. If you’re the only person in the store, you’ll only be there for about 30 minutes. If the shop is busy, on the other hand, it can turn into an all-day affair.
Purchasing the Wrong Parts
There are several reasons why you would need to buy additional parts for your firearm. You may have to replace a faulty part, or maybe you simply need to upgrade.
Either way, you’ll need to be wary. If you buy a faulty part, it could end badly for yourself and the rifle. Never buy from a company that you’ve never heard of, and look up reviews to make sure they’re legit.
Not Talking to Your Family About Your Gun
Locking up your guns so your kids can’t get to them is all well and good, but you shouldn’t stop there. If you tell a child that they can’t have something, they’ll find a way to get it.
It’s a better idea to sate their curiosity. Talk to your family about the guns. Let them know why you picked the firearm up from the store in the first place.
Explain why they should stay away from them. Tell them everything you know about firearms. Don’t let your children hold your guns.
You can let them look at one of your rifles, but if you hand it to someone who doesn’t know how to use it, that can end in disaster.
Don’t Make These Mistakes With Buying Rifles
There are many reasons to buy a firearm. Having it will give you some peace of mind, and it will allow you to keep your family safe. Owning guns is also a pretty fun hobby.
There are some mistakes with buying rifles that you can make. If you don’t do your research or you try to go the cheap route, you’ll be disappointed.
You can get hit with a penalty if you don’t fill out your paperwork. There’s a lot that you have to keep in mind. We hope that reading this article prevents you from getting yourself in trouble.
For more tips that will help you with your firearms, feel free to explore the rest of our blog.
