Palmetto State Armory Blog

Walking into a gun store for the first time can be an incredibly intimidating ordeal. And while some may hate to admit it, certain gun shops maintain the aura of a high-class country club that doesn’t take kindly to non-members. That feeling and environment is not very conducive to the first-time gun buyer. With that in mind, here’s a guide on how to wade your way through the myriad of debatable topics that go along with purchasing your first handgun. The biggest factors of choice have been distilled down to 3 key points and one easy-to-understand car analogy.

Until recently, I worked at our Mt. Pleasant retail location. Sometimes, when newer customers walk in looking for a firearm to carry, they ask a lot of questions, which is a wonderful thing.

Some of the questions I would often get are:

• Should I get a pistol with a safety?
• What kind of safety features does this pistol have? Safety is very important to me.
• I want a firearm to protect me and my family, what should I get? I'm kind of scared of guns though.

My oldest child is a boy. When he was born my wife was nice enough to agree to let me buy a high-end 1911 that I could have fun with now and then pass on to him later. Six years later my gun collection (and my family) have grown, and while the 1911 still hangs in the safe, I've acquired some nice pieces that my two boys may prefer more than the 1911. But that 1911 will always be special to me because I remember why I bought it. Even if my boys grow up to say they'd rather have something different, I'll still cherish that 1911...