Noob here

[Stoneman]

Noob to the site and don't own a firearm yet. Starting the research and found this board.

I've fired guns before, shotguns and pistols, but definitely a beginner. Part of the reason I want to get a gun is, well, I had lots of fun shooting. Part reason is my buddy starting shooting again and I have someone I can shoot with. Part of the reason is I have 3 small kids and in the event of something tragic in society I refuse to be unable to protect my family.

That's my story, so I guess I am looking for possibly (2) firearms...(1) for home defense (looking at a Mossberg 500) and one for skeet and trap.

I live in Silver Spring and the only ranges I know about are the trap/skeet range in greenbelt and the indoor range right near Andrew's AFB.

Any info you can share would be great. Thanks!

 

[Ab_Normal]

Welcome.

 

[Mark75H]

Welcome Stoneman.

I have a Mossburg 500 with a Knox low recoil stock. Its a good budget HD gun. Mossburg sells the 500 in about a million different versions, lots of tacticool marketing; you will have to decide what version tickles your fancy.

 

[Boom Boom]

Welcome aboard.

Mossberg 500 is nice, as is 590. As just mentioned, lots of tacticool flavors. Suggest avoiding those and getting one of the least expensive, plain-Jane models. Even the least expensive one should reliably go bang. That's good enough for HD.

You can find very nice used skeet and trap shotguns for as little as 25% the price of new. Look around at different shops. Shoulder them. Take the time to figure out what feels right. Some will shoulder completely wrong. These are easy to pick out because you'll have to crane or contort your neck to see down the barrel. Some will feel okay. Some will feel great. Narrow it down to which one(s) feel great and pick between those. Avoid picking the lightest one. The lighter the shotgun, the more felt recoil. No big deal for a few rounds of hunting. A very big deal for 100 or more rounds of clay shooting, especially if you go the O/U route, especially when you end up with a huge bruise on your upper chest for days. Been there. If you want an O/U, try to get one that weighs at least 8 pounds. For semi-auto, weight isn't as important.

Others can chime in on shotgun ranges near you.

Good luck!

 

[gmhowell]

Welcome.

IWLA has a range in Mont. Co. somewhere. There is also Gilbert's indoor, not too far from you.

 

[Mdeng]

Welcome from Southern Maryland.

While it not a favorite, check out Gilberts in Rockville

 

[1970swifty]

Welcome from Elkton

 

[28Shooter]

Welcome from Southwest Baltimore County!

 

[Bikebreath]

Hello and welcome. I came here not knowing squat and I've learned a lot since 6/2009.

 

[redrumtc]

welcome

 

[Dave MP]

[FONT=&quot]Welcome from Dundalk!
Take a look at these links – LOTS of [/FONT][FONT=&quot]amazing[/FONT][FONT=&quot] info![/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]FORUM RULES[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]Helpful Hints Video[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=&quot]

[/FONT][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]Range Etiquette and Staying Safe[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=&quot]

[/FONT][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]Admin News and Announcements[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=&quot]

[/FONT][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]Gun Rights and Legislation[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=&quot]

[/FONT][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]Industry Partners[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=&quot]

[/FONT][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]Maryland Ranges[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=&quot]

[/FONT][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]MDS Logo Gear[/FONT][/FONT]

 

[onatsky]

Welcome!

 

[gotguns]

WELCOME!

 

[danielw]

Welcome aboard. If you got a question this the place to get answers

 

[swinokur]

Hello and welcome to MDS.

Please consider joining Maryland Shall Issue, the only grassroots organization fighting for your 2A rights in MD.

www.marylandshallissue.org

 

[august1410]

Hello and welcome. I came here not knowing squat and I've learned a lot since 6/2009.

You now know squat, Doug.

 

[mcbruzdzinski]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[LGood48]

Welcome.

 

[Stoneman]

Thanks for the warm welcome folks. Alot of message boards are ruined by idiots, but I can see this one is for real.

Would love to get started checking out some used guns. Anyone have some favorite places? Is used inventory typically posted online?

 

[Oldcarjunkie]

Welcome to the forum.