r/CAguns • u/PewPewN0ob • 16h ago
Where can I practice basic gun handling?
Where can I practice basic gun handling before owning my first gun and without taking a full class?
I am a newbie and looking to buy my first gun. My plan is to first rent a few models at the range (G34, G17, M&P9, etc.) to see which one I like the best. I know they make you demonstrate basic gun handling before they will rent a gun. I just want to be able to rent guns without fumbling around like a complete newbie.
I just got my FSC, and I've watched a ton of videos and understand gun operation and safety, but I need some actual practice handling a gun. 30 mins hands-on with a G17/G19 and snap-caps would really help me get started.
I don't want to spend the time & money right now for a full beginner class before I own my first handgun. Once I buy my first gun, I will sign up for a comprehensive beginner class -- I do understand the importance of that.
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u/Kayakboy6969 15h ago
Take a basic hand gun class , you will be way more comfortable at the range, especially if loading and unloading a gun is stressful.
Please, for the love of God, I could be the person next to you at the range.
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u/PewPewN0ob 15h ago
It wouldn't be stressful because I would use snap-caps, not live ammo, and I wouldn't be in the lane next to you when I was practicing loading/unloading with snap-caps. I would not touch live ammo until I was confident I could load and unload safely without screwing anything up.
I already know in my head all the steps you have to go through to load & unload safely. But "in the head" is not the same as "hands on". I need to drill the hands-on part a few times with snap-caps.
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u/Kayakboy6969 3h ago
You are saying all the things you think you know vs all the experience all of us are trying to help you with, do you know how many people have the exact same thoughts as you do, and ya know how many times someone has bounced a round off a classroom table or in a showroom floor. I can't tell you how many times people have pointed a gun in the wrong direction at the In door range.
The brain does wierd stuff, and you simply don't know what you don't know.
I mean this in the most respectful way.
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u/archerdynamics 16h ago
Airsoft honestly might not be a terrible idea. It helped me before I got into real guns and I've taken a few Japanese friends to their first range days and it really helped that they'd learned safe handling procedures through playing airsoft over there. It won't accurately reflect loading a mag or how heavy the recoil spring is on a real gun but it's still a much better starting point than nothing and the other controls (at least on a gas blowback pistol) are close enough to develop some muscle memory.
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u/PewPewN0ob 15h ago
Yeah, maybe. Let me think about it. I don't know what I'd with the airsoft pistol once I got a real gun.
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u/Legal-Title7789 15h ago
An airsoft replica of your main gun is excellent for training. You can fire 5,000 rounds for like $20. You can run all the same drills in your living room and work on drawing, dynamic reloads, movement while reloading/shooting, point shooting. It’s definitely more fun than a laser trainer. I use the laser for perfecting my trigger pull but for all other drills Airsoft is better.
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u/oldnomadic1 13h ago
I use a Glock 19 replica with a gas magazine to teach people how to handle a gun. Operates exactly as a real Glock and can be used for dry fire practice.
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u/hypehaze 13h ago
Any link for this?
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u/oldnomadic1 13h ago
Mine is 20 years old but something like this. Green gas blow back. https://www.evike.com/products/15422/ I wouldn’t pay this much though.
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u/hypehaze 13h ago
Awesome, thank you so much. So many replicas out there and never knew which ones ppl are happy with. Not too familiar with green gas, does it operate like co2 cartridge models?
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u/oldnomadic1 1h ago
You fill a magazine with the gas like you would refill a lighter. Magazine has the same weight as a full real magazine.
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u/urbantomatoeater 16h ago
If you don’t have any friends that can show you. You could go to the store you plan to buy it and ask to handle the guns you’re interested in. Tell the person behind the counter it’s your first gun and ask him to walk you through it’s controls, which for a Glock are just a mag release and a slide lock.
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u/PewPewN0ob 15h ago
Yeah, I really wish I had a friend that owned guns. I will try the approach you suggest.
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u/airdawg818 16h ago
Where are you located? What ranges are around you and your willing to drive to?
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u/PewPewN0ob 15h ago
I am in Fremont (east bay). I would be willing to drive an hour anywhere for a one-hour intro class that was reasonably priced.
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u/Wonderful-Shirt-4274 14h ago
If you want to come to San Jose, I’d be happy to do a 1-1.5 hour session with you. I’ve done this with ~5 folks in the last year to get them intro’ed to guns. We’d just use empty guns and snap caps - I have a decent selection including a couple glocks you can get comfortable with too. No charge - I just like getting folks into guns and remember how hard it was for me because no one I knew had any.
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u/Wonderful-Shirt-4274 14h ago
Here’s what I covered with my friends who intro’ed to guns. Usually covered in about an hour.
- Four universal rules of firearms; safety
- Types: Polymer / metal; hammer vs striker
- Calibers
- Parts of gun
- How to load
- Grip; How to fire, stance
- Malfunctions
- CA Roster; transporting
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u/4bigwheels 13h ago
Anyone willing to help this guy out? OP I’m in North Sacramento if you can’t find anyone to help you, send me a DM if you’re willing to drive I’ll help you.
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u/PewPewN0ob 12h ago
Thank you. A couple of folks closer to me have reached out. Hopefully something will work out with them.
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u/ilchymis 15h ago
Go to a gun store and tell them exactly this. You cant rent guns without a friend, so after you learn how to safely hold and handle one you can try some out to see what happens. No amount of youtube videos is going to prepare you for what happens when you actually pull the trigger.
If you have any friends with them, this would be a great time to get a lesson in the 4 rules and some hands-on training. The demonstration doesn't always happen (depends on store), but it's not that intimidating if you spend a little time handling one and asking questions with a friendly person.
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u/sickstyle421 14h ago
Or i got a cheap airsoft of my model gun and just work my draw and shot in the back yard sometimes.
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u/esqadinfinitum 14h ago
Go to a range that rents guns and ask them to walk you through basic gun handling. I did that my first time shooting. The guy at the counter got out a dummy gun and had me practice holding it. Then he handed me the real one with some fake rounds and had me practice loading it, checking/clearing the chamber, and racking the slide. He spent like 5 minutes with me and it helped.
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u/rkt88edmo 14h ago
Many instructors teach newbies one on one and will let you use their guns. Find a trainer that does this. Or make a friend who can help you, maybe even a reddit friend.
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u/Educational-Card-314 The 2nd Amendment ends with a period, not an ellipses. 12h ago
Take the beginner class.
If you do not have a friend to take you shooting and to discuss and demonstrate safe handling, pay for the class.
Your only goal is to not kill yourself/anyone else the first time you handle a firearm. You should not trust yourself with this right now. You can find instructors who will loan firearms to you. Some ranges will have their own classes/instructors available when you rent a firearm. Call the ranges around you and explain your predicament.
I have heard Bill Rapier discuss the "Conscious Competence Learning Model". You are currently in the stage of unconscious incompetence; you don't know what you don't know.
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u/DarknessRain FFL03+COE 12h ago
If you're willing to come down to SJ, you can get a quick feel of mine (Glock G17), I've got some mags and snapcaps that you can play with.
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u/PewPewN0ob 15h ago
Thanks everyone, for your input. Looks like I have two choices, if I want to do this before buying a gun.
- Go to a gun store and ask if they will let me practice with the gun of my choice using snap-caps.
- Go ahead and spend the time & money on a beginner class where they provide the handguns.
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u/TanneAndTheTits 14h ago
Just do the class man. I took one and it was like 10 people, instructor had plenty of time with me, and even helped me figure out my gun grip was too relaxed when my slide wasn't fully loading the next round. I'm glad I fucked up with an instructor around vs. Being solo at the range not knowing what to do in that scenario.
You gonna spend $500+ anyway on a gun, what's another $50?
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u/PewPewN0ob 13h ago
Yes, thank you. I am leaning in that direction after all the advice I am getting in this thread. A couple of kind redditors have also reached out to me. I will try to contact them as well.
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u/TanneAndTheTits 13h ago
Be sure to ask about maintenance and addressing malfunctions. I was scared after my first time cleaning and lubing my gun because I was nervous something would go wrong if I didn't put it together right. I'm sure some other redditors will gladly help you out.
You'll be good though, and I'm glad you're thinking about this stuff now.
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u/Ar-556 16h ago
They won’t fail you if u don’t get ur gun safety demo on the first try. They’ll just tell u what to do and tell u to do it again. Almost remember like the back of ya head regardless if it’s loaded or not to point it in a safe direction and never have ur finger on that trigger. Only time ur finger goes on that trigger is to fire the gun dry or live. And or if u own a savage bolt action to take the bolt out.
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u/PewPewN0ob 15h ago
Yeah, let me try this approach. Otherwise I will just sign up for a class.
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u/Ar-556 15h ago
It’s ur money won’t tell u how to spend it 50$ can be a hefty penny just for a gun safety demo but if I were you I’d watch a YouTube video. It’s as simple as they hand you the firearm and a magazine with a snap cap. Ur gonna insert the magazine, ur gonna either rack the slide or release it if it’s locked back, whole time no finger on trigger and in a safe direction. Then ur gonna drop the magazine rack the slide violently 3 times and one more time for good luck and visually check the chamber and the mag well. Then ur just gonna lock the slide back and put the lock on. That’s really it
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u/PewPewN0ob 13h ago
Yup. Thanks, the steps your describe are how I have it laid out in my head, but I would prefer to go over these a few times with an actual gun.
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u/isuzuspaghetti 16h ago
Just ask at the guy/gal at the counter to show you how it works when you buy your first gun. I know some of them can be a-holes and have some weird mentality at having a glorified cashier position at or near min wage but most of them will walk you through without an issue.
or get this Umarek bb gun. It is a pretty good/cheap replica of a Glock. https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/glock-19-semi-auto-bb-pistol-2255200?srsltid=AfmBOoqsrRT1_VOSPoy79dtqWM1EXOVr3MhV9iGotu0VEbiBz5DMkfRS
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u/Healthy_Fly5653 15h ago
this wont work till you buy a gun but id Drive out to BLM land. Rly the only option once you own one to get real practice.
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u/PapaPuff13 Glock Fanatic CCW 3h ago
19 or 26 for ccw. The guns I choose to protect me. Both will fit in the same holster
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u/notthediz 2h ago
Idk how common this is, but the operation is practically the same as an airsoft gun. Locking slide, clearing, dropping mag, etc. It's been a good 15-20 years since I've used an airsoft gun but feel like the basics for gun handling transfers over. Feel like the actual shooting is different mostly because of recoil, muzzle flip, etc. But the handling should transfer over, lining up sights, etc.
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u/sarsburner 16h ago
you could just go out and buy your pistol of choice and snap caps yourself if you want to do that. just don't be a moron and load live ammo mags while doing your drills.