noob gun owner - questions about safety glasses and guns

[silversnake]

Hi Everyone,

No, this isn't another "what gun should I buy first" thread.

I've taken a basic safety course (it had been over 20 years since I used a firearm) and after considerable wait actually received my Massachusetts LTC-A. So, now that I know I can legally own firearms in the state, it's time to start actually buying equipment. Here's where I need your help:

1. I wear prescription glass (so near-sighted it's not even funny) so I'd like recommendations from other glasses wearers out there on relatively inexpensive safety glasses that will fit over my glasses comfortably with decent quality and protection. Alternately, are there reasonably affordable options for getting safety glasses in a prescription that anyone would recommend? While I'm at it, any recommendations on good brands/models of hearing protection?

2. Before I purchase a gun (I have several in mind from reading here and other research online) I really want to feel it in my hand and fire it a few times. The feeling it in my hand I can get at the gun store, but obviously not firing it. I only know a couple of people who are firearms owners but, they have long guns so no help there in trying out pistols. Does anyone on here have any recommendations of places where I can rent/try guns within an easy drive of Boston or lives nearby and is willing to be a range buddy for the cost of some ammo, a nice lunch, and gratitude?

3. Finding a basic pistol safety course was easy, but I'd really like to find some hands-on training that goes beyond that now. I mean serious trigger time to work on basic marksmanship and gun-handling fundamentals as well as some instruction in the theory and practice of concealed carry. I continue to search online and will be asking at the local gun store soon, but thought I'd throw it out there for any recommendations you all might have.


Thanks in advance.

[Ziege]

Most people consider polycarbonate prescription glasses that actually cover the eyes (vs. the little granny half glasses or the like) to be reasonable shooting glasses. I have some ANSI polycarbonate safety glasses that can go over a normal pair of glasses, but they are for loaning out to others. They were cheap and are kinda goofy looking. I wear very close fitting polycarbonate sunglasses usually, but I'm part of the post-glasses crowd.

Can't help you with Boston shooting options. I will say that every indoor shooting range I have visited had a rental counter with 10-20 different guns available.

There are a LOT of advanced gun training opportunities if you are willing to travel.

[PistolPete]

Modern polycarbonate prescription lenses should be adequate. Beware however, if you shoot handguns a lot you can get nicks in your lenses from time to time. It's not common, but I have gotten a couple from hot brass. I'm not aware of any safety glasses that go over your existing prescription glasses. I do know several companies, like Oakley and Wiley-X offer prescription safety glasses. They could be worth a look.

If you're in the midwest I can point you at places to try out different guns, but in Mass I have no idea. Good luck!

[Trebor]

You can have ANSI rated prescription glasses made. Add in some side shields, and you are GTG.

That's what I did. It really beats putting glasses on over my glasses. I don't like running with my regular prescription glasses due to a lack of side shields and the fact I've had my glasses dinged up in the past.

As for hearing protection, my advice is "Plugs and muffs", especially indoors. Find the highest rated plugs you can find, 33 db is possible, and then put high rated muffs over them. If you then have problems hearing range commands, etc, you can simply not put the plugs in as tight. The advantage is you still get more protection then either plugs or muffs alone and, if you ALWAYS wear plugs underneath, you will be protected for that rare occurence where someone shoots right AFTER you've taken off your muffs. (It WILL happen, sooner or later).

I like the Peltor Ultimate 10 or HA 10 muffs. Same muffs, just two different names. Very comfortable and they are rated for 31 db, which is very high rated.

For classes, take the NRA Basic Pistol Class, you can then take the NRA Personal Protection in the Home class followed by the NRA Personal Protection Outside the Home class.

After Basic Pistol, if you want to skip the other two NRA classes and take a different kind of defensive pistol class, that works too. Just make sure the curriculum meets your needs and check the instructor's qualifications.

[Phoenix David]

You can have ANSI rated prescription glasses made. Add in some side shields, and you are GTG.

That's what I did. It really beats putting glasses on over my glasses. I don't like running with my regular prescription glasses due to a lack of side shields and the fact I've had my glasses dinged up in the past.

I've got contacts specifically for shooting so I can wear standard shooting glasses, but I still sometimes just shoot while wearing my regular glasses and they are a polycarbonate and right now they have a nice nick nick from a piece of commie brass. Darn you USSR!!!!

[silversnake]

You can have ANSI rated prescription glasses made. Add in some side shields, and you are GTG.

That's what I did. It really beats putting glasses on over my glasses. I don't like running with my regular prescription glasses due to a lack of side shields and the fact I've had my glasses dinged up in the past.

I was hoping to avoid the expense of prescription safety glasses (definitely don't want to use my regular glasses due to the no side shield and getting dinged up thing) but this seems like the route I may have to go for comfortable safety. I'll have to have a talk with my eye doctor and such. Thanks for the advice.

As for hearing protection, my advice is "Plugs and muffs", especially indoors. Find the highest rated plugs you can find, 33 db is possible, and then put high rated muffs over them. If you then have problems hearing range commands, etc, you can simply not put the plugs in as tight. The advantage is you still get more protection then either plugs or muffs alone and, if you ALWAYS wear plugs underneath, you will be protected for that rare occurence where someone shoots right AFTER you've taken off your muffs. (It WILL happen, sooner or later).

I like the Peltor Ultimate 10 or HA 10 muffs. Same muffs, just two different names. Very comfortable and they are rated for 31 db, which is very high rated.

That's the advice I've been hearing from others, so I'm definitely going the plugs and muffs route. Thanks for the brand recommendation. Any thoughts/opinions on the electronic noise canceling muffs that are supposed to amplify speech (range commands) but kick in to block loud noises? Seems to me they could be useful, but just as likely a waste of money if I were to buy the wrong ones.


Thanks again everyone for the advice.

[Trebor]

The electronic muffs are nice, especially if you are taking a class. But, the standard Noise Reduction Rating of the electronic muffs is usually lower then regular muffs.

With electronic muffs to get the really good ones you have to spend a couple hundred bucks or more. The cheaper ones either dont work well, break, or work OK, but are low rated for NRR.

[Tendrax]

Dunno how easy it is for you to get up to NH, but Manchester Firing Line is a nice indoor range with a large selection of guns for rent. Their main website seems to be down ATM, but here is a link to their facebook.

[Dave_M]

That's the advice I've been hearing from others, so I'm definitely going the plugs and muffs route. Thanks for the brand recommendation. Any thoughts/opinions on the electronic noise canceling muffs that are supposed to amplify speech (range commands) but kick in to block loud noises? Seems to me they could be useful, but just as likely a waste of money if I were to buy the wrong ones.

We have a thread on that specific topic if you want to peruse it:
viewtopic.php?f=107&t=78748

[silversnake]

Dunno how easy it is for you to get up to NH, but Manchester Firing Line is a nice indoor range with a large selection of guns for rent. Their main website seems to be down ATM, but here is a link to their facebook.

Thanks for the recommendation. Manchester is not that far away so I might try them. I've also found Original Bob's Shooting Range in Salisbury, MA.

Dave, thanks for the link on the hearing protection thread. Couldn't find it with the search function for some reason, but that's exactly the sort of topic I was looking for.

[EeeNinja]

Prescription goggles aren't that unreasonably priced from here: http://www.zennioptical.com/

Several members here wear glasses from them, in fact I heard of Zenni from ZS.

[SMoAF]

May I respectfully make a suggestion? Since you're not in a "it's time to buy a gun right now" phase, if it's possible, you might consider taking a vacation to a locality that is truly gun friendly to actually get some serious trigger time with guns you're interested in. There are a number of ways to do this legally. For an example that's not too far from you, IIRC, PA has pretty friendly gun laws, and pretty much anyplace in the South is a good bet for friendly gun laws. In a fair number of places, you can just go in and rent a handgun at a range for use on-site. Of course, you can always try and find somebody who legally owns guns that would be willing to take you to the range and play with his or her toys. (I'll PM you about this.) Even if you're only able to make it a weekend trip, you should be able to get someplace that would make the trip worthwhile. How far is Vermont for you?

[wagdhead]

As for the shooting glasses, I buy Fit-Over-RX safety glasses for my employees several times a year. Add a dab of anti-fog stuff to them and you regular glasses and they are good to go. Most of my guys also use them as shooting glasses and swear by them. Here is where I buy them from: http://www.safetyglassesusa.com/fiovrxgl.html

As for training, I was in the same boat as you with pistols about 5 years ago. I have spent most of my life behind a shotgun or rifle as a hunter and shooting competiton. I have shot pistols on a plinking basis and was never any good at it, but it was not "my thing" so I just kept putting it on the back burner. I decided to get into pistols, bought one and signed up for a class a LEO buddy recommended. I spent a full day, learning how to shoot from odd angles, learning speed reloads, etc.., but I did not learn how to shoot a pistol.

I went here : http://www.nrainstructors.org/searchcourse.aspx and found a guy local to me. I called him and explained that I had a CCW, but really needed basic instruction on pistol marksmanship. Long story short, he taught me the basics and I still take classes from him. Most of the instructors from the NRA website are decent teachers, are more than willing to work with a student, and will happily offer 1 on1 instruction that is not part or a cattle call NRA class.

Hope this helps.

[MVegas]

Dunno how easy it is for you to get up to NH, but Manchester Firing Line is a nice indoor range with a large selection of guns for rent. Their main website seems to be down ATM, but here is a link to their facebook.

Thanks for the recommendation. Manchester is not that far away so I might try them. I've also found Original Bob's Shooting Range in Salisbury, MA.

Dave, thanks for the link on the hearing protection thread. Couldn't find it with the search function for some reason, but that's exactly the sort of topic I was looking for.

I've spent time at both MFL and Bobs. My advice largely is, try to go on a weekday. That way you'll be less likely to have a foreign-exchange student bouncing .22lr's off the range floor in the next lane over (yup....really happened- but the range officer was right on top of it.)

My point is, on the weekends, both of them are often very busy, and many of the shooters are "tourist" shooters, if you will. Those folks will drink up a lot of the staff's time, and the guns you're interested in handing will already be rented. A Tuesday afternoon? You might be the only shooter on your range. You'll get to rent what you like, and not get muzzle-swept by an excited Japanese college-student who just shot for the first time.
Don't get me wrong- the newest of new shooters are partially what these places exist for, and I love seeing people who have never shot giving it a whirl- especially in this part of the country. I'm just saying that their presence may get between you and what you're trying to accomplish.

Let me add that the staff at both are nice, helpful guys. You want folksier and old-school? go to Bob's. You want new & clean but don't mind a little impersonal? Manchester Firing Line. (Also, though it doesn't help you in your search for your own firearm, MFL being in NH means you get to play with guns that MA makes the frowny-face about )

ETA- There's also American Firearms School in Attleboro.

[grennels]

http://www.zennioptical.com/?q=safety%20glasses

[w3rdtoyamama]

I wear my prescription glasses all the time, even though my eyes arent THAT bad. I dont wear any other glasses while shooting and haven't had any problems (knock on wood).

[Zombland]

silversnake, I'm a MA resident, a Master class shooter in IDPA (CDP and SSP), and have been an NRA instructor in pistol, rifle, and personal protection for, oh, damn, more than 20 years.

My local range is the Harvard Sportsmen's Club, in Harvard, MA, right where Route 2 intersects I495.

If you're interested in some no-cost instruction on some beyond-the-basics stuff, I'd be glad to spend an hour or two with you. If interested, feel free to PM me.

[KentsOkay]

silversnake, I'm a MA resident, a Master class shooter in IDPA (CDP and SSP), and have been an NRA instructor in pistol, rifle, and personal protection for, oh, damn, more than 20 years.

My local range is the Harvard Sportsmen's Club, in Harvard, MA, right where Route 2 intersects I495.

If you're interested in some no-cost instruction on some beyond-the-basics stuff, I'd be glad to spend an hour or two with you. If interested, feel free to PM me.

Wait, wait, what?

I'm a Harvard Extension School student, PM sent

[Zombland]

silversnake, I'm a MA resident, a Master class shooter in IDPA (CDP and SSP), and have been an NRA instructor in pistol, rifle, and personal protection for, oh, damn, more than 20 years.

My local range is the Harvard Sportsmen's Club, in Harvard, MA, right where Route 2 intersects I495.

If you're interested in some no-cost instruction on some beyond-the-basics stuff, I'd be glad to spend an hour or two with you. If interested, feel free to PM me.

Wait, wait, what?

I'm a Harvard Extension School student, PM sent

PM replied to, but to clarify for others, Harvard Sportsmen's Club (HSC) doesn't have anything to do with Harvard University. HSC is located in the town of Harvard, MA, about a 40 minute drive from Harvard University's home in Cambridge, MA.

By the way, my offer to silversnake stands for anyone else in the region who might like to do some shooting, once the weather picks up (I prefer to shoot outside, as HSC's indoor range is rather poor (just a basement), and for practical purposes that means temps of 50 degrees or higher are best).

Also, if any people considering the offer are female, and perhaps understandably uncertain about meeting a strange guy at an unknown shooting range in rural MA, feel free to have a friend, male or female, come with you. I've got enough extra equipment for, say, four extra people total, although if I brought that many guests at once to the range on a regular basis I might start getting some static, so groups of two guests at a time are probably best. In terms of firearms that could be available, I'm not comfortable listing that stuff on the inter webs, but be assured a satisfactory variety of types and calibers can be made available.

This offer is at no cost, as previously mentioned, as I'm envisioning this as just a friendly outing, an hour or two at the range, with perhaps some tips and suggestions (if such are desired, otherwise just let me know to keep my tips to myself ), not any kind of formal training event.

There is ONE cost, actually--shooting guns makes them dirty, and dirty guns need to be cleaned, so if anyone would like to shoot be prepared to spend a little time cleaning--don't worry, I've got enough cleaning equipment for all of us, and I'll be happy to show you what to do. Each gun would take only a few minutes, as I'm more of a "practical clean" guy, not a "showpiece clean" guy. And let's face it, knowing how to properly clean guns is good knowledge to have regardless, right? Don't think of it as "work", think of it as a "learning opportunity".

[Biggin]

I'd get something that clips on over your glasses or get a pair large enough to go over your glasses. Most people nowadays aren't wearing glasses that would be large enough (at least for my comfort) to count as safety glasses. I've caught too many casings/fragments/bits of powder to the face to ever shoot without safety glasses again.

[oldsoldier]

Kind of old thread, but Manchester Firing line, as others have mentioned, is great. Most places wont let you test fire guns as, well, they arent new once that is done. And, the used ones, they would have to clean.

Zombland, HSC is my home stomping grounds too-I am 10 minutes away from it

[silversnake]

Kind of old thread, but Manchester Firing line, as others have mentioned, is great. Most places wont let you test fire guns as, well, they arent new once that is done. And, the used ones, they would have to clean.

Zombland, HSC is my home stomping grounds too-I am 10 minutes away from it

I'm sensing a good location for a meetup sometime in the warmer weather.....

[Zombland]

Kind of old thread, but Manchester Firing line, as others have mentioned, is great. Most places wont let you test fire guns as, well, they arent new once that is done. And, the used ones, they would have to clean.

Zombland, HSC is my home stomping grounds too-I am 10 minutes away from it

Not to be working against the consensus, but the very openness of Manchester Firing Line was what I didn't like about it the one time I visited (maybe 15 years ago).

The partitions between the shooting positions are (or appear very much like) cardboard. I happened to glance over at the guy to my right, and he was trying to clear a malfunction holding the gun parallel to the shooting line, with the muzzle pointed directly where I'd been standing a moment before. I didn't let the door hit me in the ass on the way out.

Any environment that lets essentially ANYBODY, experience level unknown, pick up an unfamiliar handgun, load it up, and commence unsupervised firing in a crowded indoor environment is too dangerous a place for me. I'll never go back.

In contrast, the S&W facility in Springfield is a pristine indoor facility, with good ballistic glass protection between shooting positions. The range of guns you can rent is is likely more limited than what might be available at Manchester--limited to S&W firearms I would guess, but I've never rented there--but it's a much better controlled environment.

Anyway, just my two cents, and perhaps the Manchester Firing Line place has cleaned up its act in the 15 or so years since I was last there. I wouldn't know.

[Zombland]

Zombland, HSC is my home stomping grounds too-I am 10 minutes away from it

Cool, I'll keep my eyes (and ears) open for the bagpipes!