How do I go about learning and buying firearms in Northern CA?
 

I want to keep this off PARF because there’s a lot of knowledge about this stuff here.

I live in the SF Bay Area and I’m interested in lessons about personal firearms for wifey and me. I’d eventually like to purchase revolvers for both of us. There may be gun ranges nearby but I’ve never really been interested in them until recently. Nothing happened but a movie I saw made me think we ought to know how to protect ourselves, family and property in case it all goes to hill.

So, where do I start and what does the brain trust recommend for personal firearms? Thanks!

Join the NRA...

On the opposite coast ....

First, join calguns.net - another forum like Pelican.

Second, I don't think there are any gun shops left in SF - recall reading something about that a while a go.

Third - before investing in buying, etc. go rent, and decide if it is worth the time and hassle. From what I understand, CA makes buying and possessing a gun much harder than what I would consider to be infringement. Forget about CCW unless you have connections OR a good county sherrif.

Now that the PARFy part is done, here's what i would do. Hopefully there is a spoon owning pelican near you who will send you a PM shortly offering a trip to the range. Should you decide to travel, consider this my invite if you find yourself in N. Florida ... I'll even call my machine gun owning buddy :D

If you don't know someone who will introduce you, find a place that does rentals. Find a not-terribly-busy place, indoor ranges suck for introduction no matter what, and outdoor ranges are OK until they get busy.

Rifle and Pistol - start with rimfire. Cheap ammo, inexpensive firearms, plenty if all you want is the challenge of hitting the X ring on the range, sky is the limit on types of shooting you can do with a .22. When you decide to actually buy, for rifles I'd recommend a bolt action and a semi auto, one with nice iron sights and the other with a scope. For pistols, Ruger Mk whatever or Browning Buckmark or one of the 1911 types. Both small bore rifle and pistol are Olympic sports, and don't forget the biathalon.

Shotgun - skeet, trap, sporting clays. Trap mimics quail or pheasant hunting - the target moves up and away from you, landing again further out when you miss. Skeet mimics the variations possible in dove or pigeon hunting - birds coming from all of the directions, sometimes more than one. Sporting clays (or "5 stand" on smaller ranges) is golf with a shotgun. All fun, I like skeet and while I like the concept of sporting clays there are no ranges near me I can afford (one local club, expensive to join). Both skeet and trap have Olympic variants (targets move a lot faster, delay between calling target and it actually launching, random launch locations, etc)

If you are asking about for home defense or if SHTF there is plenty to be said for a 12ga (or 20ga) pump shotgun or a pistol caliber carbine.... If you think you want a pistol I'm a big fan of CZs in 9mm OR a 1911 in 45.

Here is what I did years ago when my sports car racing days were coming to an end and I needed a new hobby. I had never touched a gun since 1965 when I joined the US Navy as a nuclear machinist. First I did a Google search of the gun shops in the San Diego area and as I have found out there are many more now than in 2000. I visited each one and talked with the staff and checked to see which had/have indoor ranges and offer training. Many had staff that seemed to be very full of themselves, so I passed on them. I also wanted instructions for my wife and daughter and a couple had hand guns available to rent so we both could try them out so we settled on one. We visited about once a week and bought several revolvers, finally a couple of Ruger's new 38+P LCR which was about the only gun she could shoot due to arthritis.


I visited the several outdoor ranges we have in SD county and finally joined the South Bay Rod and Gun Club and have now been a black powder shooter and range safety officer for 10 years or so. My wife only goes to the range a few times a year now but can still hit a target okay.


I also found a FFL that I could easily deal with and he has been in business for many years and has never steered me wrong which is pretty important. He is my reference on firearms laws and how to get by in CA which is a terrible state for shooting sports. There are many forums and websites so treat whatever you read with a grain of salt or sort of like the responses on here for someone who is wondering if they need brain surgery or not! Good luck.

I have found the NRA to provide good training at reasonable prices. Instructor focus (at least for the classes I have taken) have always been on the subject at hand (few instructor-lead "distractions"). Here's a link where you can find courses near you.

https://explore.nra.org/interests/safety-and-education/

If you go S. on 101, past Mt. View and past 237, you might even see the building sign on your right. Of course, you can get there from anywhere else...silly me.
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Reed's Indoor Range
1100 Duane Avenue, Santa Clara, CA 95054
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They rented guns there...back when I lived in Mt. View 20 yrs. ago. I see that they still do.
Good luck.
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Reed's Indoor Range
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Reed's Indoor Range
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Which movie did you see that has prompted you?
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indoor shooting range san francisco bay area
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https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=nuJSW6amEMqn0ASckpuIBQ&q=indoo r+shooting+range+san+francisco+bay+area&oq=Indoor+ gun+ranges+san+fr&gs_l=psy-ab.1.2.0i22i30k1l3.3025.14582.0.19468.25.21.0.2.2. 0.519.3238.2-5j4j0j1.10.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..13.12.3302.0..0j0i131k1.0.BlhsLcenL60

The movie was How It Ends with Forrest Whitaker.

Thanks everyone. I'll look into joining the NRA and will check out indoor gun ranges. I found out that there's a gun club not 10 miles from me.

Seeing that you and the wife are inexperienced finding a good local range is excellent advice . This is no time to be a tough guy go in and tell them you are newbies there is no shame in that . If they are a good range they will adjust their teaching down to your level . This is important to ALL involved for safety ! You should be able to rent pretty much everything in regards to style of pistol ( revolver vs. semi auto ) and in different calibers . You both need to find a style of weapon and caliber that you can handle and feel comfortable with . My 2 cents is go revolver because they are VERY simple to load/shoot/clean . And they are available from .22 rimfire to .357 magnum and beyond so you can stop a train if need be :D

Can't stress enough practice..........practice...........practice !!! Range time will add up $$$ but is worth every penny . Remember in a stressful situation where you or your wife have to defend yourselves you may not be thinking rationally , your heart will be pounding and you'll be looking for cover . It may be dark the point I'm trying to make your weapon of choice has to feel like second nature just an extension of your arm/hand . Good luck with your search and become a well informed safe gun owner .

PM me when ready for an outdoor range. Metcalf down in San Jose is close by and I have a few buddies I go to the range with and good to hang out with too.

Reed's is great as it is close. There's one in Milpitas but haven't been there in years.

Also why revolver? Try a lot of guns before settling on a type.

I believe most of the NRA courses are offered to all (don't necessarily need to be a member to register/attend).

Not hard to buy a handgun in CA, just has to be CA-approved (don't get me started on that). You go to a gun shop take a simple test (hint. you have to be 18 to buy a rifle and 21 for a handgun). Ten day waiting period. I bought my S&W 40 from a place online in KY and had it shipped to a FFL in Burbank, shop around for FFL transfer fees, they very from $25 to $100. get it delivered, and wait ten days.

Less evidence at the scene, man! Cmon!

lol

Go to the grocery store on cahuengua and franklin. Stand in the produce aisle and wait for Burt to ask you “wa ya wan?”. Under no circumstances buy his weed. It is. Nothing but seeds and stems. Tell him varmint sent you. Have cash. He will hook you up.

You can practice online for the test:

California Firearms Safety Certificates Quizz

I googled around and found a range near me that has lessons... even husband wife lessons... not sure I ever took an actual firearm training class (except shooting .22's in boyscouts) probably would be a a good idea for me to brush up.

Another hint on the test, it is not okay to lightly drink alcohol before shooting.

RE: A revolver, point and shoot... much easier to do if you and/or your wife is stressed out.

A friend of mine is one of the best Armorers in Hollywood, he said if you want something to have in the night stand that might sit for years, get a revolver, no springs under tensions, just get a double action, so you, or her, or him (whatever) don't have to remember to cock it when the SHTF,

Just about any gun range will have basic operation and shooting courses and more advanced home defense scenario courses. They typically also offer private lessons which might be a less intimidating way to introduce the wife to shooting. Rfeurst is right don’t be a tough guy, go in and ask about your options as a new guy learning how to safely shoot and they’ll help. Keep an open mind and try a lot of stuff, the answer to “what’s the right gun” is different for everyone. I used to think that revolvers were for Westerns until I shot one, now I own two. It’s a really fun hobby with the added benefit of being able to protect your family, and as a bonus quality firearms rarely depreciate in value.