Put simply, I'm not a big 'gun guy'. If you follow me on Twitter, you know I've never shied away from defending the Second Amendment against gun grabbers, but I am not bearing many arms personally.
I know what you're all thinking …
I have been considering buying a handgun for some time to join my lonely shotgun.
This week, I finally pulled the trigger. (Yes, there will be dad jokes.)
Guess What Happened to Violent Crime Rates After Ohio Adopted Permitless Carry?https://t.co/syoraxGjSn
— Bearing Arms (@BearingArmsCom) October 25, 2023
Our sister site, Bearing Arms, recently wrote about the reduction in violent crime rates since Ohio made it legal to carry a concealed firearm without a permit.
Not only did violent crime and homicide rates both decline last year, the drop in violent crime in Ohio far outpaced the national average.
Ohio's recent passage of permitless concealed carry was a motivator for me to bite the bullet and purchase a handgun, but not the primary driver. Home defense was also a factor in my decision, which was the primary reason I purchased my shotgun.
If I'm being honest with myself, one of the biggest reasons I finally bought a pistol is because there are a lot of people in the country right now who would like to deny me the right. Yes, I'm stubborn like that.
Gun violence has terrorized and traumatized so many of our communities in this country.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) October 27, 2023
It does not have to be this way.
President @JoeBiden and I call on Republicans to work with us, pass commonsense gun safety laws including an assault weapons ban, and save lives.
Given an inch, they would take a mile.
Don't give them a shot.
Democrats target what they call 'assault weapons' because it sounds scary to the uneducated. As you all know, the vast majority of gun crimes are committed with handguns.
Anyone saying that it’s harder to buy Sudafed than it is to buy an AR-15 has very clearly NEVER bought any type of gun, ever.
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) October 26, 2023
I can't say I tried to purchase Sudafed, so I can't report on how hard it would be here in Ohio.
What is the deal with Sudafed anyway? Well, meth heads were buying Sudafed to cook meth and kids were overdosing on their product.
The government stepped in, regulated Sudafed sales, and big meth labs sprang up in Mexico to meet the demand.
According to the CDC, in 2021, about 32,537 people were killed from overdosing on psychostimulants (mostly methamphetamine). For comparison, about 20,958 were murdered by guns in the same year.
What's the moral of this story? Bad people will do bad things, even if you punish innocent people.
Shield Plus ✔️
— Smith & Wesson Inc. (@Smith_WessonInc) January 29, 2022
What other essentials are you carrying with you every day?#SmithAndWesson #ShieldPlus #EDC pic.twitter.com/QBHUHYPbey
Last week, I drove over to a nearby Federal Firearms Licensed (FFL) dealer and discussed the process with him.
I ordered the gun online. It was shipped to the dealer within days, and I went back to the store, filled out the required 4473 NICS Background Check form, and waited for the online background check to complete.
It was a pretty easy process. I assume it tends to be a rather easy process if you're not a criminal.
I can't say I've ever had a criminal background check performed to buy cold medicine, adopt a pet, or rent a car. Please do continue with your stupid comparisons, gun grabbers.
So which firearm did I decide on?
@Smith_WessonInc M&P 9 Shield Plus Optic Ready Semiautomatic 9mm Review
— Athlon Outdoors (@AthlonOutdoors) October 16, 2023
The latest from @PDWdefense is here: https://t.co/OaLbzQYMYK
I bought the M&P 9 Shield Plus Optic Ready with a thumb safety. (It's the gun in the photo accompanying this article.)
I'll give you my reasoning below and all of you good VIP folks can take aim in the comments. Remember, I'm a newb. Be gentle. LOL.
- Family members already own various versions of the M&P Shield and I have shot it a few times. I knew it fit my hand well, and for those who don't know any better, it's easy to go with something you have some knowledge of. This was, admittedly, the biggest factor in choosing the M&P Shield.
- I wanted a thumb safety. I know enough to know this is a big debate among gun experts. I don't really care. I'm going to ease into this and every little bit of precaution is a plus for me personally. (I realize a safety is not a substitute for proper training and handling.)
- 13-round magazine. I mean, more bang for the buck … what else is there to say?
- I won't be carrying it anytime soon, but I wanted a gun that could be comfortably carried.
That's pretty much it.
I've shot a very few rounds just to be sure everything was in working order. I've mostly been familiarizing myself with the weapon and researching. It appears to me there is a lot of very good information on safety and shooting on YouTube, as well as a lot of not-so-good information. A newbie like myself needs to be careful.
My next step will be to visit the range with a more experienced gun owner to begin practicing.
What do you think?
If you have any tips you'd like to offer, want to share about your own firearms, or blast me in the comments for my decision-making process, go for it! It's all good.
I'd like to hear from you.
