Actually I wouldn't mind hearing it.

The conundrum here is that learning more Buddhist thought actually helped me get to the range. It is all about "leaning into the sharp points" in life. Fear is to be embraced rather than...well....feared. The terror is not in events or objects but rather in our perception and reaction to them. Fear is healthy and not to be avoided, but it is not to rule your life

WHAT, NO HEAD HITS! You are weak!


Just kiddings, nice grouping!

Oh yeah, before you buy... you MUST try a .357.
I went with the 9mm for the "firepower" and ease of finding ammo. While I do think it is a good round and I'm 99% sure if I hit a person in the chest with a 9mm hollow point it would put them down (God forbid).
After firing my friends .357 I wish I had got one of them.

Nice choice. You can use the .38 ammo for inexpensive shooting and the .357 for stopping power. The recoil on my 3" Ruger .357 snubby can be pretty harsh, but it's fun to shoot. If you do try the .357 mix up the .357 and .38 rounds to learn how to avoid the recoil of the .357.

Todd, personally I see you as a 1911 .45 ACP guy.

If you try a .357 I would start with a 6" barrel. Less kick+more accurate=more fun.

Interesting you mention Buddhism, I have studied that philosophy for awhile and I have read that devout Buddhist are vegetarian and refuse to harm insects.

Although most people are surprised that I as a devout Christian study Buddhism... and own a sports car... interesting how stereotypes fail so often.

Get a good rifle or shotgun if you are worried about S hitting the fan. More fun to shoot too :)

a 12 guage will be the other noisemaker. As for Buddhists, there is nothing that directly says you need to be vegetarian. But many interpret the "do not harm sentient beings" to include animals, hence not eating them. Interestingly in Tibet a lot of areas can't grow a lot of grains/vegetables, so meat is a staple. So you go with what you can eat...

So... anybody else bought, thinking about, or close to buying a firearm after reading this thread?

I'm getting close to a final decision;
Springfield Armory XD9
HK USP9
Glock 19
Para Hawg 9
Taurus Millenium Pro 9

Really down to the SA XD or the HK. I'm leaning towards the HK. Decided to go with the 9mm since I already have one and it will simplify ammo for the range.

Todd,
Good shooting! Try a Beretta 92FS 9mm, I bet you'll like that one, it's my favorite!