This is my first post on permies!
Ok as a long time (all my 48 years) gun owner, Hunter, competitive and recreational shooter, I wanted to chime in.
The "fact" that you are more likely to get shot with your own gun is simply not true. It is manufactured to scare people who don't know anything about guns.
Ok. Here is my reccomendation, do NOT buy ANY gun!
(Yet) find an instructor in your area, talk to her or him and tell them what you told us, and that you'd like to learn how to handle and use a gun. Ask them to bring some guns for you to try. If the first gun (and it should be a rifle) is anything other than a .22 there is a problem! Same with handguns! start with a .22 ANYTHING else can/ may recoil and have you flinching. And that's no good! Any instructor will have a good selection of guns, heck that's usually why they instruct, because they like guns!
Just make sure you do NOT end up with a jerk redneck who will put a .44 magnum in your hands to watch you wince in pain or put it on YouTube (God knows there is enough of that on YouTube already!)
If there is anything we can do to help do not hesitate to ask. We (the responsibl gun owning community) can have you shooting in an IDPA or steel challenge match in a couple of months! Oh, and don't be afraid to enjoy it! .22s (and later, even .44s) are a lot of fun to plink with!!
Well, as a gun owning redneck, I have to go work on my four wheel drive!!
Norm
