[Dr.Tramp]

Thanks - I'm from the Netherlands originally. Had to relinquish my Dutch citizenship when I naturalized to US citizen several years ago. Some of my friends and co-workers thought I was crazy since I already had a Green card, but being a US citizen is important to me. I want to vote here, have no plans to move back to Europe. I actually love living in California, it's not perfect and yes the laws are a little crazy sometimes (and the rear estate prices are totally insane in the SF Bay Area) but the scenery and climate are hard to beat year around.

No holster for me because California is not an open carry State and getting a license for concealed carry is difficult to get, I wouldn't qualify as far as I know. You have to lock the gun in the trunk with the ammo separate.

I lived in Amsterdam and worked as a private contractor Harley Davidson technician for about a year and while it's a fun place to party it's much too crowded and expensive to live there.
The smaller places like Breda, Tilburg, Eindhoven, and Nijmegen are cheaper and much more pleasant and I hope to be able to go to Assen for the MotoGP races next year.
I also lived and worked outside of Munich Bavaria for a while but overall I preferred being in the Flemish part of Belgium where I stayed for a bit more than 3 years.
From 1953 to 1968 as a child and teenager I lived in Southern California and actually watch Disneyland get completed and opened but there is is no amount of money or type of incentive to entice me to live there now.
A holster is a convenient way to carry your pistol while at the range or if you can find someplace out in the country to shoot. For transporting it in your car I recommend something like this which can also be used to hold ammo if it has to be locked up separately while being transported.
Ride Safe. Dr.Tramp....................

Lock Boxes & Cabinets - Hornady Manufacturing, Inc

Hornady Lock Boxes are constructed with 16-gauge steel, which is far superior to the 20-gauge steel used by other products on the market.

www.hornady.com

 

[Griddler]

Thanks for the welcome and feedback everyone. As to ammo, I'll just go with whatever the store recommends me (that's Old West Gun Room in El Cerrito by the way, a bit of an institution here in the Bay Area). Buying ammunition online is not really an option in Calfornia, easiest is to buy from a licensed gun dealer.

As to the hearing protection, I bought an AXIL GS Extreme (that's a little bud that goes in your ear with a clip around your ear to hold it in place; with electronic amplification of ambient sounds, bluetooth etc.) and a Razor Slim electronic muff. The idea is to use both at the same time, so the muffs go on top of the earbuds for additional protection. The Axil has a claimed noise reduction of 29dB and the Razor an additional 23dB. Since I'll wear glasses and there's a little electronic from the Axil going around my neck maybe a little less because of leaking but maybe 50dB total dampening, while still being able to hear my instructor. I've watched dozens of reviews, opinions about what is 'best' differ, I'll start with these and see how they work for me. Maybe I'm a bit paranoid but getting hearing damage or even tinnitus is probably the last thing I need.

Tinnitus is terrible. Protect those ear drums any way possible!

 

[pr5992]

I lived in Amsterdam and worked as a private contractor Harley Davidson technician for about a year and while it's a fun place to party it's much too crowded and expensive to live there.
The smaller places like Breda, Tilburg, Eindhoven, and Nijmegen are cheaper and much more pleasant and I hope to be able to go to Assen for the MotoGP races next year.
I also lived and worked outside of Munich Bavaria for a while but overall I preferred being in the Flemish part of Belgium where I stayed for a bit more than 3 years.
From 1953 to 1968 as a child and teenager I lived in Southern California and actually watch Disneyland get completed and opened but there is is no amount of money or type of incentive to entice me to live there now.
A holster is a convenient way to carry your pistol while at the range or if you can find someplace out in the country to shoot. For transporting it in your car I recommend something like this which can also be used to hold ammo if it has to be locked up separately while being transported.
Ride Safe. Dr.Tramp....................

Lock Boxes & Cabinets - Hornady Manufacturing, Inc

Hornady Lock Boxes are constructed with 16-gauge steel, which is far superior to the 20-gauge steel used by other products on the market.

www.hornady.com

Cool ... yeah, I hear you about Amsterdam. Amsterdam is a bit like NYC, cool place to live but $$$ and crowded. Plus, lots of people living in Amsterdam and the "Randstad" in general tend to look down upon the rest of the Netherlands as "peasants". Much in the way that some folks in SF or NYC like to look down on the people living in the "flyover States". Ha! Lots of parallels in other countries as well, people living in Paris tend to view people from the French countryside as peasants. It's all very narrow minded really. That said I lived in Amsterdam for well over a decade when I worked for a big law firm, but was born and raised in Eindhoven and studied at the Maastrict university (beautiful old town all the way down south, with cobblestone streets in the city center and walls built by the Romans, etc.).

 

[pr5992]

Tinnitus is terrible. Protect those ear drums any way possible!

Yeah, I hear you. I'm a musician and a composer (night job). Getting tinnitus is the very last thing I am looking for. It's painful, irreversible, and most importantly, for most people, completely preventable.

 

[Dr.Tramp]

Cool ... yeah, I hear you about Amsterdam. Amsterdam is a bit like NYC, cool place to live but $$$ and crowded. Plus, lots of people living in Amsterdam and the "Randstad" in general tend to look down upon the rest of the Netherlands as "peasants". Much in the way that some folks in SF or NYC like to look down on the people living in the "flyover States". Ha! Lots of parallels in other countries as well, people living in Paris tend to view people from the French countryside as peasants. It's all very narrow minded really. That said I lived in Amsterdam for well over a decade when I worked for a big law firm, but was born and raised in Eindhoven and studied at the Maastrict university (beautiful old town all the way down south, with cobblestone streets in the city center and walls built by the Romans, etc.).

I never lived in Eindhoven, Breda or the other places I mentioned but really liked visiting them, and Maastrict like Bruge, is a beautiful old town and a work of art. I detested Paris, like NYC it's crowded, dirty, crime ridden, and full of people that look down on everybody who's not from there. Parisians even look down on other Parisians if they don't live in the "right" part of town.
You be careful and stay safe out there in SF and if you ever get a chance check out the Rockies and the Great Plains.
Ride Safe. Dr.Tramp.............

 

[pr5992]

You be careful and stay safe out there in SF and if you ever get a chance check out the Rockies and the Great Plains.
Ride Safe. Dr.Tramp.............

Always ... the Rockies and the Grand Canyon are still on my bucket list (actually all the national parks). Tomorrow I am heading out to Tahoe, for a mid-week of hiking and mountainbiking. Always fun in every season, and only 3 hours away.

 

[fireman5]

Good evening everyone:

I just purchased my first handgun, a Glock 17 third generation. I live in Oakland, originally from Europe. I am not wild about guns in general, but things are getting a little wild around here. When the **** hits the fan I want to be able to defend myself and my loved ones. I will be picking up my gun two weeks from now (California law) and take a couple of handgun safety classes, and training on the range. I know the basics but it's all about training, so safe gun handling becomes second nature.

Two questions:

1. Any recommendations as to ammunition?
2. Any recommendations regarding hearing protection?

Thanks,
Peter

Welcome to the group. If you ask a question, you'll get an honest answer. The people here have been great with me.

 

[BGross]

Welcome!
You will - and should - go through lots of ammunition at the range. Not just blasting away, but learning. The Glock is very forgiving of a variety of brands & types so let your wallet help guide your choices. Regular ball (FMJ) is fine for the range, but for personal protection consider JHP. It’ll be expensive (relatively speaking).

Enjoy!

 

[pdl777]

Good evening everyone:

I just purchased my first handgun, a Glock 17 third generation. I live in Oakland, originally from Europe. I am not wild about guns in general, but things are getting a little wild around here. When the **** hits the fan I want to be able to defend myself and my loved ones. I will be picking up my gun two weeks from now (California law) and take a couple of handgun safety classes, and training on the range. I know the basics but it's all about training, so safe gun handling becomes second nature.

Two questions:

1. Any recommendations as to ammunition?
2. Any recommendations regarding hearing protection?

Thanks,
Peter

Any ammo you can find as long as brass case. Walker Razor is a reasonably priced electronic hear protector.

 

[pdl777]

Welcome from Northern Virginia!

 

[Cotick20]

Welcome from Illinois!

I have been using Ammunition Depot for my 9mm Glock ammo purchases. Usually, they have ok prices if you get cases.

 

[LElliott]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[pr5992]

Hey everyone:

I am a gun newbie, and this is my first handgun, a Glock 17, third generation. I also got an ammunition box, a gunsafe from Amazon, several speed loaders (the lula and Ludex), and hearing protection (Axil GS 2 and the Walker Razor). Next up are gun safety classes and range time. I dry fired the gun with snap caps for several days (and watched probably hundreds of youtube videos) to understand the basis physics, I think I am getting there. But nothing like firing live ammunition.

Cheers from sunny California,

Peter

 

[Kraken]

Welcome to the forum from Oklahoma!
Congratulations on the new G17.3.

 

[Olga17]

Welcome to the Forum!

 

[SJ 40]

Welcome to the forum, the G 17 is a great first choice.

 

[RIP]

Welcome to the GF.

The G17 was my first Glock as well.

 

[smw66]

You do not need to use snap caps to dry fire a Glock 17.

Here is a video that is worth watching when you first start to shoot.

(2) AIMING IS USELESS! 3 Secrets To Great Shooting | Rob Leatham 6x IPSC World Champion! - YouTube

 

[Danzig]

Welcome aboard from North Texas!
Congratulations 🎉🍾

 

[SixG17s]

You do not need to use snap caps to dry fire a Glock 17
Here is a video that is worth watching when you first start to shoot.

Actually you do, otherwise there is nothing to absorb the energy from the firing pin and it will eventually blow out the breach face. I have seen this many times, especially in competition, where shooters tend to dry fire thousands of times.

As far as Leatham's video, that is still wasted on most experienced shooters, let alone brand new newbies. Get thru you basic gun safety class first, then practice simple drills to get your fundamentals (gundamentals) down: stance, grip, sight picture and trigger control. Followed by transitions and movement. Consider shooting competition next, USPSA/IDPA or Steel Challenge (SCSA). Then look at Leatham's video and you will understand.

"Learn how to jerk the trigger without moving the gun. It's that simple, it's just hard to do"

All the Grand Masters will tell you the same thing.