Hey guys and girls, I've been lurking around the forum since last night and have a few questions. I'm 21 years old, male, currently living in Hudson county. My first time shooting a gun was yesterday at a firing range in PA. due to the fact that I'm eligible for hire as a police officer in our state for the next two years I wanted to get my firearms permit to get some arms training before the academy. I'm sending in my applications sometime this week. I've decided on a Glock 23, from what I've been reading, its an extremely reliable gun and is seeing more and more use in the law enforcement fields. The pistol I was using yesterday was a 22, unfortunately I don't know the name of the gun but I was pretty disappointed in it. It was almost exactly like firing a pellet gun. I've also noticed that many nj residents are getting carriers permits from other states. Does that enable you to carry in our state? Also, I've been reading up on everything I possibly can, including gun safety around children, and in general, even though I don't have any children. I'd really like some good sources to become very educated about the firearm I'm trying to purchase as well as any other information I can possible get my hands on. I don't take this lightly at all. So any and all help, as well as some other guns that you guys may suggest, is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Hi, welcome.

 

A carry permit from Florida, VA, Utah, Arizona and others does not permit carry in the state of NJ.

 

As for which firearm to purchase, you're going to get a lot of advice. Here's mine.

 

Don't choose a model until you've at least held it and preferably shot it. While I think .40 caliber is fine for self defense, I personally just don't enjoy shooting .40 as much as I enjoy shooting 9mm or .45. You really should shoot a variety of guns and calibers before you make the decision unless you have unlimited funds.

 

As to safety, drill the 4 rules into your head.

 

1. Always assume the gun is loaded.

2. Keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot

3. Never point it at something you aren't willing to destroy.

4. Know your target and beyond.

 

Children must not have unsupervised access to any gun, it's the law in NJ.

 

There are lots of places to get safety information. Take a NJ hunter safety course, it's free and will cover everything you need to get started even if you never plan to hunt. http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/hunted.htm

Hi, welcome.

 

A carry permit from Florida, VA, Utah, Arizona and others does not permit carry in the state of NJ.

 

As for which firearm to purchase, you're going to get a lot of advice. Here's mine.

 

Don't choose a model until you've at least held it and preferably shot it. While I think .40 caliber is fine for self defense, I personally just don't enjoy shooting .40 as much as I enjoy shooting 9mm or .45. You really should shoot a variety of guns and calibers before you make the decision unless you have unlimited funds.

 

As to safety, drill the 4 rules into your head.

 

1. Always assume the gun is loaded.

2. Keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot

3. Never point it at something you aren't willing to destroy.

4. Know your target and beyond.

 

Children must not have unsupervised access to any gun, it's the law in NJ.

 

There are lots of places to get safety information. Take a NJ hunter safety course, it's free and will cover everything you need to get started even if you never plan to hunt. http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/hunted.htm

 

 

Good Job Mark and right on point!

 

To the OP: If someone like Mark were to take you under their wing, you would be a lucky noobie.

Thank you for the timely response. If getting carriers permits in those other states does not enable you to carry in nj then what is the point? As for your suggestions I will certainly take them into account before shelling out the cash on my final purchase. I really had been tossing the idea of the Glock 23 strictly because i would most likely be supplied with this gun as my service weapon, therefore this is the gun that I felt I should become most acquainted with. As for the 4 rules, I have them ingrained already lol, even at the range yesterday, before any research, I pretty much did that out of common sense. Thank you for the link to the class, I will be attending it at the first opportunity I get.

My first time shooting a gun was yesterday at a firing range in PA. due to the fact that I'm eligible for hire as a police officer in our state for the next two years I wanted to get my firearms permit to get some arms training before the academy

 

I would suggest getting some professional instruction. It may cost you a little but worth it in the long run. I was a "self taught pistol shooter" at one time and really pretty good. The problem is I developed bad habits which stalled my advancement. Once I got on a PD and had people who knew what they were doing teach me my shooting ability skyrocketed. I became a firearms instructor and found you never stop learning. I had the good fortune when I went to a federal job to have instructors like Jim Cirillo and a lot of other not so well known guys who were true "pistoleros".

 

 

 

I've decided on a Glock 23, from what I've been reading, its an extremely reliable gun and is seeing more and more use in the law enforcement fields

 

If you like the G23 I would suggest you get the G19. Same size in 9mm. The 40 is a good round (although I refuse to buy one) but ammo costs are much higher than 40. You can get a lot more shooting for your money with lower priced 9mm.

 

Bear in m ind your department will most likely be telling you what you will carry. Bigger department more rules.

 

Keep in mind that once you get on a police department you will be able to carry almost anywhere in the US. I'm sure they will cover this in the academy as you will be subject to some restrictions depending on what state you go to. If you wind up getting a federal job almost all the restrictions go away.

 

Good luck and PM me if you think I can help.

Thank you for the timely response. If getting carriers permits in those other states does not enable you to carry in nj then what is the point?

 

If you never leave the state, there isn't one. I get out to PA and Ohio fairly regularly and carry when I'm there. Getting one of the common permits will enable you to carry in 25+ states.

 

As for your suggestions I will certainly take them into account before shelling out the cash on my final purchase. I really had been tossing the idea of the Glock 23 strictly because i would most likely be supplied with this gun as my service weapon, therefore this is the gun that I felt I should become most acquainted with.

 

My brother carries a G22 as his service weapon or did until recently when they switched to something else, a Sig I think.

 

As for the 4 rules, I have them ingrained already lol, even at the range yesterday, before any research, I pretty much did that out of common sense.

 

The first time you hand someone a gun, their finger automatically goes in the trigger guard. What you need to practice on, is automatically keeping it out of the trigger guard. After some time it becomes automatic.

 

Thank you for the link to the class, I will be attending it at the first opportunity I get.

 

You should. It requires watching some videos and doing a workbook but it's well run and a great program.

Thank you grizz, im sure ill be pming you in the future considering that you have a law enforcement background. I'm sure you can understand why I'm trying to get some practice and training before the academy. Do you have any particular training facilities you can suggest in the northern nj area?

My first time shooting a gun was yesterday at a firing range in PA. due to the fact that I'm eligible for hire as a police officer in our state for the next two years I wanted to get my firearms permit to get some arms training before the academy

 

I would suggest getting some professional instruction. It may cost you a little but worth it in the long run. I was a "self taught pistol shooter" at one time and really pretty good. The problem is I developed bad habits which stalled my advancement. Once I got on a PD and had people who knew what they were doing teach me my shooting ability skyrocketed. I became a firearms instructor and found you never stop learning. I had the good fortune when I went to a federal job to have instructors like Jim Cirillo and a lot of other not so well known guys who were true "pistoleros".

 

 

 

I've decided on a Glock 23, from what I've been reading, its an extremely reliable gun and is seeing more and more use in the law enforcement fields

 

If you like the G23 I would suggest you get the G19. Same size in 9mm. The 40 is a good round (although I refuse to buy one) but ammo costs are much highercheaper than 40. You can get a lot more shooting for your money with lower priced 9mm.

 

Bear in m ind your department will most likely be telling you what you will carry. Bigger department more rules.

 

Keep in mind that once you get on a police department you will be able to carry almost anywhere in the US. I'm sure they will cover this in the academy as you will be subject to some restrictions depending on what state you go to. If you wind up getting a federal job almost all the restrictions go away.

 

Good luck and PM me if you think I can help.

 

Griz, right on the money- Alot of good advice out there today.

 

OP- If you want to shoot a G19 get in touch and we'll get you started.

Thanks for the clarification Mark.

Old school- I'm not currently licensed in our state, would that be legal? If so I will be in contact, thanks for the offer.

ammo costs are much highercheaper

 

Thanx for the fix old school

Old school- I'm not currently licensed in our state, would that be legal? If so I will be in contact, thanks for the offer.

 

Yes

Well then pm me with what you have in mind.

 

It's funny how the reputation of gun owners tend to be. I'm a parts of several forums ranging from cars, to hiking/camping, and this is by far the most welcoming site. Thanks a lot, all of u.

Smoke,

 

If your heart isn't set on the Glock (or even if it is), try to get together with some of the forum members at one of the regular range meetups. Not only will you get to shoot more guns than you can imagine, you'll get to meet a generally nice bunch of people who can help you with pretty much any issues and answer any questions you may have about the guns you're considering.

http://www.gunforhire.com/

 

http://www.njfirearms.com/

 

Here are two places near you that offer classes. I haven't been to either of them and don't know the people running them so I can't say one is better than the other. There are probably more places in the state.

 

I'm sure you can understand why I'm trying to get some practice and training before the academy

 

i can understand this but I've seen people with no experience go to the police academy or other basic course and turn into fantastic shooters because they were willing to listen and devote time to practice after learning the basics.

 

I have to go but I'll PM you later.

Good Job Mark and right on point!

 

To the OP: If someone like Mark were to take you under their wing, you would be a lucky noobie.

 

especially if he's wrenching on your computer!! -haha!

Well then pm me with what you have in mind.

 

It's funny how the reputation of gun owners tend to be. I'm a parts of several forums ranging from cars, to hiking/camping, and this is by far the most welcoming site. Thanks a lot, all of u.

 

 

Yeah friendly... You didn't see anybody get their head torn off yet!

 

PM me and Cherry Ridge works for me. We do a meet-up there once a month as well.

Perfect. I'll be in touch guys. As for not seeing anyone get their heads ripped off yet, I'm pretty sure they put themselves in that position. Either being disrespectful or acting like a know-it-all when you don't know anything. There are people like that on every internet community.

I aswell will be trying for the academy in next few years and about a year ago was in similar position as you trying to figure out what to get comfortable with that would become my service firearm. A bit of advice I could offer is, yes odds are you will be issued a glock as a LEO but PD's are now letting officers pick their weapons aslong as they meet a certain score or criteria.

 

I would suggest going out and trying all different types of hand guns and all the calibers to get a general feel. I personally dislike the .40 I know some people that love it for their own reasons I enjoy 9mm and like.45 even more. Regardless of what calibers you will and wont like training and repetition will build shooting discipline and muscle memory which is very important in critical situations when you may have to use a gun.

Don't be too hung up on what gun you need to use to be ready for academy, building up a good shooting form, discipline and that muscle memory will basically transition into any gun you may need to train with.

 

As far as getting the feel for a glock if you wish to do so I would suggest getting the G19 its in 9mm but it will be a bit cheaper to shoot than .40 since your going to be practicing a bunch and you will still build a feel for glocks and build on your form in general. Best of luck and acourse any questions PM me.

Thanks a lot Anthony, will be taking that into consideration

Hey. I just wanted to throw it out there that my first handgun / sig ever is in .40 to my last handgun / sig is in .40 and everything in between is in .40 so yee nothing wrong with this round especially if you have a good handgun. like the other stated its the matter of personal preference . I do own G19 4th Gen thou of course

Yeh, I'm still having a bit of trouble deciding. It's just a lot of information to take in and most of my concentration has been on safety aspects. So only now am I really trying to figure out what's gonna be best for me. It's gonna have to be something between cost effectiveness and stopping power.

Yeh, I'm still having a bit of trouble deciding. It's just a lot of information to take in and most of my concentration has been on safety aspects. So only now am I really trying to figure out what's gonna be best for me. It's gonna have to be something between cost effectiveness and stopping power.

 

Here's some facts in favor of 9mm:

 

Cheaper to shoot so you get more economicle practice in.

 

Initially easier to learn on due to reduced recoil.

 

Very wide range of ammunition from "range" quality to the hotest +P+ and the GLOCK will handle all.

 

NJSP I believe are still carrying 9mm

Also, I've been reading up on everything I possibly can, including gun safety around children, and in general, even though I don't have any children.

 

NRA has an excellent program for children. You can google Eddie Eagle and you will see that they teach children their own four rules which are "Stop, Don't Touch, Leave the Area, Tell an Adult". We have DARE but no firearms training for kids, why is that???????

NRA has an excellent program for children. You can google Eddie Eagle and you will see that they teach children their own four rules which are "Stop, Don't Touch, Leave the Area, Tell an Adult". We have DARE but no firearms training for kids, why is that???????

Rhetorical, right??

I think he means being taught in schools?

Rhetorical, right??

 

But of course sir.

How about a g23 then buy a lone wolf 9mm conversion barrel for $100. Best of both worlds.

The Glock 23 is, in my opinion the finest concealed carry gun on the market. I cannot even begin to tell you how many of my students have fallen in love with the gun and use it to carry concealed.

 

In the last Utah permit class that I taught, I'd say that about 50% of the students indicated that they gun of choice was a Glock, with the 23 besting the 19 by a slim margin.