Four black youths in Chicago kidnapped, beat and tortured a white, mentally handicapped, teenage boy, streaming their crime live onto Facebook.  Managing to escape, the victim was found by Chicago police, wandering the frigid streets of Chicago in a tee shirt, shorts and flip-flops, dazed, exhausted, injured and confused.  The four attackers cut the victims scalp, tore off his cloths and forced him to drink from a toilet, while beating and berating him for about 5 hours.  The video shows them laughing and screaming about hating white people and Donald Trump.

Had this been a white on black scenario, complete with the racially charged remarks, Chicago would be on fire right now and looting would be justified in the name of social justice.

Posted on dozens of websites are the mug shots of these criminals.  The belligerence, the attitude, especially from the two boys is palpable.  Their photos indicate not only a total lack of remorse, but instead an arrogance of prideful boasting.  The back-story here that few outside of the legal or social work fields understand is that in their communities, these thugs are heroes to many.  While normal people see this video and flinch with revulsion, many of the folks representing the communities these sub-human felons come from are watching and laughing right along with the perpetrators.  These criminals didn’t enter the world this way, they were taught this behavior.

This video is a microcosm of the same reaction and mind-set perpetrated in larger groups, like the rioting in Ferguson, Charlotte, Milwaukee and Baltimore, nothing more than an excuse to commit mayhem while citing some vague rationalization for doing so.

In the case of this horrific crime in Chicago, it was clearly articulated by the thugs about a hatred of white people and more specifically Donald Trump.  In the case of the riots, again, hatred towards white police officers, the false accusation of “Hands Up Don’t Shoot”, which never happened, and the false, repeating narrative that white cops routinely and unjustly kill black men.  Even when almost all of the law enforcement involved were black, as was the case in Baltimore, the narrative simply changes from white police to police in general because truth be told; the underlying issue for black criminals and their supporters is a distain for authority of any kind.  These animals have never followed rules and they spit on the ones society lays down.  That is the definition of a criminal.  Clearly, a large component of the criminal element of the black community is perpetrating a continuous hate campaign against white people, neatly wrapped in the ongoing, lying assumption that blacks are routinely mistreated by the police.

Now it appears that the new, expanded excuse for criminal deeds is the election of Donald Trump.

The four pieces of garbage that committed this barbarous act are the product of a culture and criminal society that is larger and more insidious than most Americans can fathom.  I fear that United State of America is on the verge of a race war the likes of which no country has ever seen.  To those who embrace this sub-culture of anarchy I offer this single prognostication.  The vast majority of civil society will not lay down and take a beating, especially to cowardly, gutless cretins who can only find success when beating down the weak.  The day of reckoning is long overdue.

In January I put an ad in the local newspaper reading;  Wanted:  Canoe or Kayak.

Being a single dad with two teens at home, my thought was that with a canoe and a kayak, the three of us could go paddling together, sharing the outdoors as well as each others company.  The strategy was to buy one of those sturdy, aluminum canoes along with a sleek little light-weight kayak.  I reasoned that the little used canoes littering hundreds of family’s barns and garages would be gladly exchanged for some unexpected income, especially in the middle of winter.  What middle class family can’t use a few found dollars right after Christmas and before the taxes are due?  Hopefully thoughts of paddling would seem so far away as we negotiated price.

As the calls mounted, I heard all kinds of offers.  Eventually, a gentleman called me with what sounded like a really good deal.  Jim introduced himself as the manufacturer’s representative that sold and distributed Old Town boats to regional dealers.  Old Town is a fine maker of canoes and kayaks and has been in the business since 1859.  He had a kayak that was sporting a manufacturing blemish and Old Town did not want it sold via their traditional sales route, so he offered it at a significant savings.  I agreed to meet him at his home.  My son and I arrived there early the next evening after supper.  The kayak was just what I had been hoping for and the price was so reasonable so I accepted without haggling.

The next day, I received a call from a man with a Grumman aluminum canoe, exactly what I had been waiting for.  After getting directions I arranged to meet Doug at his home late in the afternoon.  I arrived at his modest trailer park just before dark.  I knocked on the door of his seventies vintage single wide trailer and Doug quickly ushered me out to the back yard as he pulled on his hunting coat.  We struggled to unfreeze the canoe from the ground as we turned it over and swept away snow covering ice covering leaves forming a stiff carpet of the bottom of the canoe.  Obviously anxious to make the sale, Doug talked up what a good boat it had been and how his kids had lost interest after he bought the “big boat”, which he proudly gestured toward.  “I’ll throw in the paddles and I’ll even deliver it”, he said.  “As a matter of fact, I’ve got another canoe, and old wooden one, that I’ll throw in, no extra charge!”  I was happy to take just the aluminum canoe and I told Doug that I was not interested in the other.  He said, “Come on, just look at it,” as we started to walk towards a broken down shed.  As we swept away even more debris that we did on the first canoe, I saw the words Old Town on a brass placard.  “I just want to get rid of it.” Doug said.  “I’ll deliver them both for free.”  We shock hands as I gave Doug directions to my house.

Doug dutifully arrived at my house, on time, with both canoes precariously perched on the roof of his old pickup, pointing up and over the windshield, the whole family crammed in the cab. As I helped him pull the boats out of the truck and into my yard, I paid him the $100 promised and he happily accepted.  I dragged the aluminum canoe behind my house and tipped it on its side, against the fence.  I went back and looked more closely at the decrepit old wooden canoe.  The seats were woven cane, badly damaged with more holes than seat.  The frame work was basically all there but many of the small wooden parts were chipped or broken.  I took digital images of the boat and the brass placard and called Jim, the Old Town representative.  After exchanging email addresses, I sent Jim the images of the old canoe.  My phone rang later that evening and Jim was excited.  Old Town keeps very good records it seems as Jim was able to tell me when the canoe was built, what the customer had ordered that was special, who the dealer was, when it was delivered and what it cost.  The canoe was custom ordered in 1961 and was hand-built by Old Town.  In 1961, that canoe sold for just over $800.00!  Jim told me that without doing a thing, a collector might pay $500.00, maybe more.

The next morning, I placed a personal ad in the Boating Section of the newspaper.  My phone sprang to life with calls from collectors.  The following day, the high bidder loaded the canoe from the exact spot it was delivered to me not a week earlier and I was $600.00 richer.

I had paid $200.00 for the kayak and $100.00 for the aluminum canoe, both terrific deals.  I thought about Doug, his trailer, his family and his old truck as I drove towards Doug’s home.  One of the kids opened the door and I asked for Doug.  His wife recognized me and asked if something was wrong or if I was looking for a refund.  I assured her no and at the same time, Doug appeared from another room.  I explained to Doug the gist of what had happened and then I gave him $300.00, reasoning that I had everything I wanted at no cost.  It only seemed fair.  Doug and his family were on the verge of tears as Doug hurried me into the kitchen.  He said, “You won’t believe what I was doing when you knocked on the door.”  Doug showed me a notebook.  The pencil entry was entitled, Wish List.  In columns were items Doug explained were for the “big boat” that he knew he couldn’t really afford, but was wistfully hoping for.  Doug told me that he didn’t think there were people “like that” anymore.  I told Doug I was only doing what was right.  As I was about to leave, Doug’s wife asked me if I were a Christian.  I told her yes.  She said, “I thought so.”  As I trudged towards the car, through the crunchy snow, it troubled me to think that doing what is right is now sadly relegated to only Christians.  Is that what we have become in this country?  I sure hope not.

My father loved his garage.  We spent countless hours there together, me working on various cars, motorcycles, or lawn mowers, while dad either watched, talked, or grabbed a rag and cleaned whatever was nearby and dirty.  While not particularly handy, dad decided that if he couldn’t fix it, at least he could clean it.  His old, two stall, wood frame, dimly lit garage, situated in the back of his modest home, was a shrine of sorts.  He told me hundreds of times how much he loved this place.

While dad was mechanically challenged, he nevertheless loved tools, even ones he had no clue how to use.  I think my dad hoped the legal adage of “possession being nine tenths of the law” somehow equated to his ownership of tools magically rendering him handy.  Before the Alzheimer’s, dad knew where ever one of those tools were located in his windowless temple to the god’s of repair and the angels of the less than handy.

The truth is, we used the garage as a meeting place, the replacement for the tree house of our youth.  Men Only.  You could say things in the garage you wouldn’t dream of saying anywhere else.  While we didn’t post signs to keep women out, it seems they understood that this was turf akin to a locker room and as if by magic, they seemed almost afraid to approach us while we were inside.  Neighborhood men, on the other hand, sensed our presence in the garage and spontaneously appeared like salmon going upstream to spawn.

At about the time my dad began to noticeably give ground to his battle with Alzheimer’s, I bought my first home and ironically, it was garage-less.  This would have been a deal breaker if my father had not lived nearby and been kind enough to share his shrine with me.  During that time, my dad’s fight with Alzheimer’s began to challenge him in a greater way.  As his mobility suffered, even going to the garage had to stop.  From then on, after finishing whatever I had to do in the garage, I made sure that I came into the house and spent time with my father, describing to him what I had done and asking him questions about where things were in the garage in an attempt to keep him engaged.

Last week, I did my final oil change in dad’s garage.  Earlier this evening, as I stood in the shadows of darkness in my own garage, part of the deal in a recently acquired income property, I thought about the cruel irony of the situation.  My dad went into a nursing home today.  That officially returns his garage to its former use as a mere storage facility, shrine status now and forever revoked.  My hope is that some of the magic we created and enjoyed there finds it way to my garage and my son.

The 50 United States collectively contain 3411 counties.  Donald Trump’s candidacy for the presidency of the United States won 3016 of those counties.  Hillary Clinton took only 395 (or 11.5%) in her 2016 bid to become the first female president.  If you look at a US map highlighting the election results by colors, it is easy to confuse it with a Verizon wireless coverage map, overwhelmingly red in the middle with blue spots mostly around the edges.  Expressed by measuring acreage per vote, Clinton controlled approximately 5% of the land mass, reinforcing the brilliance of our founders in designing the Electoral College.

While middle and rural America hugely backed Trump, the largest urban centers voted overwhelmingly for Clinton.  In the geographical breadbasket of the US, the three adjoining states of Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma together contain 275 counties.  Only four backed Clinton.  Using Texas as an example, the further north you go in the state, the fewer and fewer Clinton votes you find, that is with the exception of Dallas, the sole county supporting Clinton north of Houston.  But drive due North from Dallas to Kansas City, a trip of more than 500 miles, and you pass through two states where Clinton carried but a single county.

So the billion-dollar question becomes; why is it that the tighter together people are packed, the more likely they are to vote liberal?  The short answer is that urban dwellers apparently cannot tell the difference between the smell of cow sh*t and bull sh*t.

The further away you are from the stench of corruption that wafts around Washington DC and the closer you are to the sweet smell of cows, wheat, corn and soybean fields, the more likely you are to appreciate self-reliance and pride of accomplishment over the expectation of big-government handouts to buy votes.

You see, when people in the country have a breakdown, whether it be their homes roof, car, pick-up truck or their tractor, their first thought is how to fix it themselves and how to budget the funds to pay for it.  When urbanites face a transit or cab strike, or a rent hike, their first inclination is to blame someone else and ask why government isn’t fixing it.

For those living and working amongst millions of people packed into a city, it is understandable that they might feel more like a cog in a giant gear, lost in the sheer magnitude of faceless anonymity, toiling away at work that shows no outcomes, no finality, no joy of achievement.  Folks who work on farms, small businesses, restaurants, auto parts stores and the like, find a quiet dignity of relating to their purposes, understanding the goals, challenges and nuances of their work.  They can see the bigger picture because there are fewer moving parts and a clearer image as to the goals and outcomes.

America has finally awakened from its liberal coma and proud patriots have forcefully said, enough is enough, we’re defending our proud heritage.  We’ve heard the encouraging voice of a man who wants to make America great again.  While Donald Trump remains to be judged by man and history as impactful a force as Reagan was, it is clear that Trump has tapped into an enthusiasm and hopefulness that has not been seen since the Reagan years.  To loosely quote Michelle Obama, of all unlikely people, most of the folks in those 3016 red counties are feeling, for the first time in eight years, proud once again of America and to be an American.

Donald Trump had a habit of uttering the single word; “Wrong”, during the various debates when he heard something said with which he disagreed.  It is a word that every professional journalist, media pundit, talk show host and politician should repeat as they stand facing a mirror.  Everyone was wrong about Trump.  Moreover, today and I’m sure tomorrow, those same dead wrong prognosticators will continue to write and talk and lecture and babble about everything they have been proven not to know about Trump, as if they actually got it right.

Look carefully at the voting map of our country, red everywhere with blue edges.  Thank God and our founders for the concept of the Electoral College, which defends against the likelihood of the disenfranchisement of Middle America via the voting bloc of large urban areas like New York and Los Angeles.

The liberal agenda American has been suffering under since Lyndon Johnson has perhaps happily met its Waterloo.  Hillary Clinton was the final leg of the Obama legacy, now vanquished by the people.  Those millions of “deplorables”; bitter clingers clutching at their guns and their Bibles came out in force to address the insults head-on.  Clinton received some 6 million fewer votes than Obama in 2012.  The media machine reminded us of the shame all of the millions of non-college educated white men should feel, apparently so thoroughly stupid as to cast a vote for Trump, oh the humanity!  Nice try, but we all know that this is just liberal code for dumb rednecks, they just don’t have the guts to say it outright, political correctness and all that don’t you know.  What is deplorable is the condescension; the assumed moral authority and the soft bigotry of the low expectations of the “great unwashed” liberals so cavalierly embrace.

During the final debate, when Trump suggested he might not go quietly if he lost the election, the Left went crazy saying this in a October 19, 2016 article in Politico.  “Donald Trump delivered another unprecedented historical moment during the final presidential debate Wednesday night when the Republican nominee, who appears on his way to a landslide loss, refused to say that he would accept the election’s outcome.”  When we fast-forward to the present, we see rioting in major cities by the same leftists who were so quick to accuse those on the Right of acting out when Hillary was to be crowned as their first Queen.

So now, those on the Left call for calm, understanding and reconciliation, just as they would be doing had Clinton won, right?  Oh no, we don’t believe that anymore, too many examples of blown expectations.  Elections have consequences, picking winners and defeating losers.  Hillary Clinton is by definition a loser and as another famous queen was heard to say to her faithful followers just before her untimely demise, “Let them eat cake.”

What was unthinkable for liberals and unsavory for traditional Republicans has transcended from abstract theory to here and now reality.  Donald Trump is the President elect.  Pundits, critics, advocates, they all got it wrong and got it wrong in the grandest of fashion.  Every single step, or mis-step along the way was promised to be Donald’s undoing.  He was out spent, out organized, out classed, a political neophyte treading water in a shark tank with sixteen veteran Republican politicians and he not only survived, he harvested the poisoned media machine that was out to crush him and turned them into his own, free PR firm.

Every time a mainstream politician of either stripe called him out, I gained interest.  Every time a journalist pronounced him as toast, I gained respect.  Trump has promised to drain the swamp.  Let’s be sure no one escapes that swamp before hand because it is not only the game that is rigged, but those who have played it for so long that are as slimy as the muck out of which they crawl.

Good luck President Trump.  Let’s make American great again.  Drain that swamp and then build that wall.

In a re-enactment set to music, the Broadway play “Hamilton” brings back to the audience the concept of dueling.  In truth, founding father Alexander Hamilton was fatally wounded by US Vice President Aaron Burr, in a pistol duel in 1804.

The issue?  Each mans honor.

Honorless men have nothing to defend.  No wonder the concept is as dead today as Hamilton.

Compare and contrast Burr with NY Governor, Andrew Cuomo.  Both lawyers and former Attorney’s General from NY, their similarities end abruptly there.  Unlike Cuomo, Burr was an Army officer, US Senator and Vice-President.  Also unlike Cuomo, Burr was a man with a high regard for his honor and an even higher intolerance for those who questioned it.

Cuomo’s metro-sexual demeanor is the antithesis of yesterday’s men and the values of our founding principles.  Sadly, his example is the rule and not the exception for most of today’s leaders.  Honor, valor, chivalry, humility, bravery, loyalty, are all concepts that may be out of style, but not without value.

The shrewd and spineless leading us today duel with their mouths, fearless of physical retaliation.  Bringing back the duel would quiet many a mouthy politician while dramatically improving the quality of candidates.

Deciding to own a handgun is a deeply personal and private undertaking.  There is not only a lot to think about and consider, but also much to learn and understand before you go out and purchase your first sidearm.  So, before you even consider owning that firearm, let’s talk through the array of possibilities generally regarded as the most likely sets of conclusions one has arrived at that reach the realization that the ownership of a handgun is not only advisable but also desired.

What to consider:

First, you need to know the status of the laws pertaining to firearms as they apply to you.  These wide variety of laws, rules, ordinances, regulations and forbearances affect all firearms owners and begin at the federal level.  Without getting into too much legal detail, suffice it to say that federal laws mostly concern the kinds of firearms available to be sold to the civilian market within the United States.  Federal law also regulates the licensing of dealers, the methods of firearm transfer, shipping, individual background checking, and things of this nature.

What is left to the laws of the individual states is the specific determinations about who can possess and carry sidearms, where they can be carried, and what restrictions can be applied to different classes of owners, etc.  Each of the 50 states vary widely when it comes to handgun regulation.  What is perfectly legal in one state is banned outright in others.

A good example of this is comparing the laws in New York with those of Colorado.  In New York, each county has control over the issuance of handgun permits.  In the New York City area for example, no other counties permits are recognized or are valid.  It is nearly impossible to obtain a concealed permit in New York City, (ironically the place you may feel you need it the most.)  In some NY counties, obtaining a handgun permit is quite simple.  In other counties, it is nearly impossible.  The controlling factor in NY is the county court judge in each county, which is in charge of the process.  If he or she is firearms friendly, then the process tends to be easier in that county.  If the judge has an aversion to guns, then the process becomes painfully slow or practically impossible.

By contrast, in Colorado, it is legal, without a permit, to carry a sidearm in public, as long as it is exposed and not concealed.  It is legal, without a permit, to have a handgun in your home or in your car.  The only situation in which Colorado law requires the acquisition of a permit is in the case that you would like to carry a sidearm concealed.

So, depending on the state in which you reside, the laws are going to be very different from one state to another.  Also important to know is that neighboring state may or may not have reciprocity with your state regarding your rights to possess or carry your handgun in that state.  The good news is that these laws and regulations are readily available via the internet and each state has them published on their websites.

Also note that those folks involved in the business of selling firearms and gun related accessories are generally pretty knowledgeable about the local rules and regulations as well.  I do not suggest that you take what the local sports store employee has to say as gospel, but at least you can get a general idea of what the local rules are as they apply to you.  Always verify with your local law enforcement authorities your understanding of the laws as they apply to you in the state in which you live.

Once you have learned the laws and regulations that apply to you and your circumstances and it is determined that you are legally eligible to own a firearm, then the next question you should be asking yourself is simply; Why?  What is it you wish to accomplish?  Is your desire for personal protection?  If so, is that concern more in terms of your home, in your car, in your office, when you jog, travel?  Maybe you simply want to learn to be a great marksman and shot targets at your local gun club.  Perhaps you’re simply a collector and wish to obtain certain guns because they appeal to you for personal reasons, maybe your dad was a police officer, or he brought a weapon home from the war and this got you interested in collecting.  Answering this question of why will determine what kind of firearm you will buy.

Like shoes, hats and jackets, one firearm cannot and will not fulfill all of the requirements you have for all circumstances.  What works best for target shooting may not be at all suitable for collecting.  What is great for home defense is correspondingly the wrong choice for your car.  Just like hiking shoes work best in the woods, sneakers work best in the gym.  Knowing this, if this is your first firearm purchase, keep in mind that fulfilling the single biggest goal you have first in mind might just be properly tempered against the information you are about to learn from this article.  For example, if cost is a major issue and you can only afford to purchase a single firearm and not more in the foreseeable future, then your consideration in choosing a weapon will be different from those others who look to own several or even many firearms.

The most likely distinction between new shooters to the world of handguns is probably the question of whether or not you have ever fired a firearm of any kind?  Furthermore, have you ever fired a handgun before?  If you have absolutely no experience with firearms at all, that is a big distinction between someone with basic knowledge and understanding of guns and gun safety.  Many folks have fired rifles or other “long guns”, but never handled a handgun.  Understanding your position in this experience matrix will allow you to customize the level and quality of training you will need to become safe, confident and proficient.  There is no component of firearms more important than your level of training.  Safety cannot be over-emphasized.  Remember, you’re dealing with an inherently deadly weapon.  Carelessness and ignorance take lives by mistake, and this can be avoided with proper training and then personal discipline in adhering to the rules.  Seek out the services of a trained, credentialed professional in handgun safety.

So, not only do handguns come in a variety of types, they also are defined by the caliber, or in basic terms, the size of the projectile.  If you simply Google handguns, you’ll see over 14 millions hits, so learning about types of handguns and their calibers is a matter I’ll only slightly touch upon for the sake of clarifying what I anticipate will be your most basic questions.

Your basic decision in handguns come down to two choices, (even though there are many variations on this generalization,), either choosing a revolver or an automatic.  The revolver is sometimes called a “wheel gun”, because it has a round cylinder that revolves each time the trigger is pulled, exposing another bullet for firing.  Most revolvers offer 6 rounds of ammunition, some smaller caliber guns feature 8.  Revolvers were very popular in years past, before the refinement of the automatic types, which did not initially perform flawlessly 30 years ago.  Revolvers also do not have as large a choice of calibers as are found in the offerings for automatics.  With revolvers, spend shell casings remain in the cylinder whereas in automatics, spend shell casings are automatically ejected out of the gun as they are fired.

Criminals and “hit men” prefer revolvers because no evidence is left at the crime scene via spent shell casings which may have fingerprints, and also readily identify the caliber of the gun used in the crime.

The term “automatic” is widely and freely used to describe the other types of handguns that are not revolvers, but the term is actually incorrect.  Technically, a true automatic weapon is capable of firing rapidly and automatically, as long as the trigger is kept depressed.  The handguns herein referred to as “automatics” are actually semi-automatics, it just happens that over time, common usage of the term has slipped into shortening the words to simply automatic.  In semi-automatic firearms, each single pull of the trigger releases a single projectile.  In order to fire rapidly and release multiple projectiles, the user must physically pull the trigger each and every time for each and every bullet, as opposed to the true automatic weapon which requires only a single depressed trigger to release bullets as fast as they are cycled through the weapon.  Guns of this type are generally banned from civilian ownership, which some limited exceptions.  Where you see true automatic weapon use is in military applications.  More often than not, these weapons are referred to as “machine-guns.”  Some fully automatic weapons are capable of firing between 600 and 1200 rounds per minute with the single pull of the trigger!

So the first decision is revolver or automatic.  I think most of you will conclude that the automatics of today are absolutely as reliable as the older style revolver and also offer more versatility in the array of calibers.  Additionally, most automatics allow for a much higher numbers of bullets than the standard 6 in a revolver.  Some automatics have magazines that store as many as 17, so firepower is also dramatically improved, especially important when considering self-defense.  And lastly, concealing a automatic is generally easier than concealing a revolver, simply because the revolver protrudes because of the cylinder, making for lumpy bumps under your clothes, (if you’re interested in carrying your handgun concealed.)  Automatics tend to be flatter because instead of a revolving cylinder holding the bullets, the magazine in the traditional automatic is housed inside the handle of the weapon.

OK, automatic it is, (for most of you.)  Now, What caliber?

Again, I’m keeping this simple and basic, so please those of you with superior knowledge about all the nuanced calibers, exceptions and oddities regarding firearms, I know and understand, but for the purposes of explaining this to neophytes, I’m going to make some generalizations.

The smallest and lightest caliber is the .22.  The numeric designation simply means that the diameter of the shell casing is .22 inches.  Commonly referred to as a “twenty-two”, this is probably the most common caliber in the world.   It is a widely used as an entry level cartridge to teach and introduce young people to hunting and shooting sports.  Available for rifle and handguns, this caliber is very versatile.  Also, the 22 is the least expensive round to purchase and produces almost no recoil, making shooting easier and more effective in teaching and training.  The downside of the 22 is the fact that the round is also the weakest of the calibers in terms of stopping power.  Make no mistake, a 22 can be lethal, (this caliber weapon was responsible for the assassination of Robert Kennedy), but in general terms, it is not considered as a serious choice for self-defense.  It is the perfect caliber for learning and teaching, it is also nicely suitable for target shooting or even squirrel and rabbit hunting, but it lacks any real credible place in the arsenal of anyone seeking a personal- protection weapon.

I could write about every other caliber and detail each, but for the sake of this entry-level informational article, let’s say this about making that choice.  In very general terms, the bigger the projectile, (caliber), the more stopping power.  The flip side of this is the larger and heavier the gun, and the more difficult it is to accurately control the recoil.  As the caliber goes up, so too does the price of ammunition, much to consider.

Many shooter like the 9MM for a nice balance between too light and too heavy.  Another common choice and very popular caliber is the .40.  Both offer good stopping power with manageable recoil.  Generally speaking, and in my opinion only, anything less than 9MM is unacceptable for self-defense.  If you are a target shooter the 22 is perfect.  If you are new to the sport, the smaller calibers are easier to learn and control.  The experts seem to all gravitate eventually to the .45, the granddaddy of all calibers, but I would suggest waiting until you are expert in marksmanship before making that transition.

I want to make one minor exception to my assertion about smaller calibers and stopping power.  In certain very limited situations, a smaller caliber is just the right solution for self-protection in very specific roles.  For example, I enjoy bicycling.  When I cycle, I sometimes carry a small frame, .380 automatic that fits nicely into the hip pocket of my biking shorts.  The gun is super small, and if it ever comes into play, it will be in very close quarters, so the trade-off in stopping power is made up for in how close to my adversary I would likely be in that limited situation.  In addition, the need for a smaller size in a sporting environment with limited ways in which to conceal a larger weapon in the absence of street cloths with many pockets is a consideration.  Also of note, if you have small hands, a smaller frame gun may be better for you in enabling you to best control the weapon.  Regarding the .380 in particular, even though this cartridge is in my opinion too small for my every day carry needs, in close quarters, and with the right hollow-point ammunition, the stopping power of this little cartridge can be dramatically increased with technology.

Again, to not get too far into the technical world of ballistics, each caliber also has multiple choices regarding the specific types of projectiles available for differing applications.  These differences have to do with the amount of power in which the projectile is expelled from the barrel.  Different application call for differing velocities.  Also the shape and type of material the actual bullet is made from can be customized to fit your specific needs.  I referred earlier to a cartridge called a hollow-point.  This is one of the choices that distinguish the nuanced differences that exist within the same caliber cartridge, but addressing differing needs.  Consult with your sporting goods dealer when it comes to deciding what type of ammunition is best for your conditions.  There are many choices and much to learn.

All right, we’ve worked through first, the legal realities for your possession of a handgun and also answered the question of why you want to possess a weapon and for what specific purpose.  This process is meant to help you narrow your choices amongst the myriad of handguns available.  Next comes deciding the make, model and caliber of your first handgun and then finally, your choice of ammunition.  I hope this article has helped you make those decisions in a thoughtful manner.  Best of luck to you.