# Looking for Accessories/advice, first time owner



## Chazus (May 23, 2015)

So, I'm going to be getting a handgun relatively soon. This is for recreation, not defense. A 9mm, nothing special (I haven't decided what yet. Probably either Beretta M9, 92, or Glock G17). To make things easier, I'm not just 'hurr gonna get a gun'. I ran a rifle and shotgun range for several years, I've just never owned a gun of my -own- and want to actually have some good, personal gear, and not the nasty rental stuff they'd have on range.

That said, I'm looking for some feedback on all the 'other stuff' I'll be wanting. I'm looking for:

Glasses (Indoor and Outdoor)
Ear Protection (Gear and plugs)
Case
Bag
Auto Loader (Uplula?)
Open Chamber Indicator
Cleaning Kit
Any other suggestions on common range gear?

Also, I'm in Nevada. I may just call the locals and ask, but do loaded magazines need to be separate from the gun case with the gun itself, or simply 'not loaded'?

Also also, I'm just starting out, and I'm not looking to spend a lot of money on higher end stuff until I feel more comfortable with the gear I'm working with. Is there any particular reason not to just get cheapie 9mm FMJ 115 or 124 rounds for the time being? The 20c/round type?


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Safety Glasses: Polycarbonate, maybe? Wraparound lenses, probably. (I wear my regular, plastic-lens eyeglasses when shooting.)
Ear Protection: Find muffs with the most noise reduction you can afford. Some people use both plugs and muffs. (I use only plugs: Most of my hearing is already gone.)
Gun Case: Don't merely leave the cleaned pistol in its case, because it'll rust. Put rust-preventer chips or paper in there too. Check the gun frequently.
Bag: Should easily hold muffs, pistol case, ammunition, and a bag for empty cases. Maybe a simple cleaning kit, too. (I use Dillon's "Border Shift" for loaded rounds and empties.)
Open Chamber Indicator: Never used one. Slide-stop lever is enough, because open slide is pretty obvious.
Cleaning: A bore snake and some Hoppe's #9 or Ballistol does the job at the range, but a rod is useful if you ever have a squib load and a stuck bullet.
Magazine Loader: I've never used/needed one. But I shoot with single-stack magazines only.

If you want to use cheap practice ammunition, buy factory-made stuff because its quality is predictable. Bulk bags from the local gun store contain stuff of unknown quality.
Russian-made ammunition has the reputation of being dirty. Some people also don't like Russian steel cases.

No personal experience, but reports tend to make me counsel staying away from Taurus pistols: Bad quality control.


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## Chazus (May 23, 2015)

Anything wrong with any of these?

Hoppe's Cleaner
Leight L3 Earmuff
MagLula Loader
Leight Glasses
Hoppe's Cleaning Kit
Double Case
Bag
Rust Prevention Chips (I've honestly never heard of these before, and this is the first time it's been mentioned. Do I just leave a few in the case?)

Alternatively, is there a reason not to get the No9 Kit?

As far as ammo goes, how do I know where it's from? I was just going to pick something up from here. Also, how important is Boxer/Berdan primed, or brass/steel. Is once-fired something I should avoid?


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Chazus said:


> Anything wrong with any of these?
> 
> Hoppe's Cleaner
> Leight L3 Earmuff
> ...


Hoppe's #9 cleaner is really good stuff.
Howard Leight earmuffs are good too, but invert the earcups so the slanted part is at the bottom and contacts your shoulder.
MagLula: Never used it. Good reputation, though.
Howard Leight glasses are good stuff.
Hoppe's Universal Kit? You don't need that unless you have lots of different guns with many different-size bores. Hoppe's one-caliber kit ("No9 Kit") is enough.
Two-gun hard case? Do you really need something that big and elaborate? Maybe a simple gun rug that zips closed will be enough.
That Gun Mate bag looks nice, though. Just remember that "junk accumulates to fill all the available space," and than you need a bigger bag.
The Rust Inhibitor Chips seem to be the right thing, and nicely cheap. I've always used Brownells' version, but I'm sure that there's no difference.

The Military Ballistics Industries bulk reloads are probably quite good enough, and the price seems right.
Boxer-primed cases are reloadable (or collectible-and-resellable). Berdan-primed cases just get discarded, or sold as brass scrap.
Clean and _properly reloaded_ once-fired cases are just fine.


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## Chazus (May 23, 2015)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> Two-gun hard case? Do you really need something that big and elaborate? Maybe a simple gun rug that zips closed will be enough.


I don't know, honestly. I have heard that transporting, weapon needs to be separate from ammo. I don't know if that even counts and/or matters. It would be in my trunk regardless. That, and I imagine (I don't know) I would be bringing likely 4-8 magazines to the range. Or should I be reloading there?



> Boxer-primed cases are reloadable (or collectible-and-resellable). Berdan-primed cases just get discarded, or sold as brass scrap.


I imagine wherever I go, the brass stays there (at least, we didn't touch the casings after use when I rented). I have no desire to reload myself.

On another note, and this may be a per-state thing. What are the laws regarding other people using a weapon? If the gun is registered to me (and is a shall-issue state), can I let my friends use it in my presence (after running them through normal safety training)? Nevada only requires a license for CCW.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

I'm in Washington State.
I know nothing about the laws of Nevada.
Best advice on gun law: Ask your Nevada State Rifle and Pistol Association, or your attorney.

Every state publishes its laws on-line, usually very nicely indexed. You might want to do a little research yourself.
Gun laws are frequently found under Crime/Criminal, but not always.


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