question regarding second gun

[Johnkard]

not to play the parrot...but: BUY A GLOCK as your backup. Used it will run you 350-400 and you can probably get 50-100,000 rounds out of it depending on it's prior handling and specific model.

If it's a question of ammo and classes, a flat sum of ammo isn't going to help much. Best investment you can make is to join a shooting community that will allow you to shoot with them and provide drills. Check your local ranges, but a good group will often just charge a yearly insurance deposit (50-100$ depending on group size and insurance guidlines) and a small range/class/target fee (10-20$) per event. My local ranges host a wide array of tactical, competition, and steel oriented shoots, and I haven't met a single weekly attendee who wasn't very good at his/her chosen shooting discipline.


A 1 day class will be a lot of fun, but probably is not worth what you will spend on it (just my opinion...instructors can tell you what you are doing wrong, but they can't build years of muscle memory into you instantaneously)

[JAD]

Umm, neither? I'd say buy 1000 rounds and find a class.

Jeff's right on the money here -- for me there's a difference between practicing and training. To me, if I'm not learning anything from somebody else, it's practice. Training is an educational experience that requires outside input.

Of course you may have already taken a class or two. If that's the case, of your two choices I'd go with the spare pistol, but if I was that strapped I would first look at a reloading press.

[Al T.]

Class. I was very late to get good training and I'm a convert. Wasted a bunch of time (years) and money (thousands and thousands) plinking while erroneously thinking I was practicing.

[cracker]

Remember only perfect practice makes perfect and without the classes and training you might think you are practicing when all you are doing is wasting whammo. I am the one gun wonder and while taking training I am worried about something breaking and not having a back up but it has not happened yet. So my two cents is training so you can perfectly practice,more training more perfect practice. I am not sure how practice makes perfect if only perfect practice makes perfect or something like that.
Cracker

[JeffJ]

A 1 day class will be a lot of fun, but probably is not worth what you will spend on it (just my opinion...instructors can tell you what you are doing wrong, but they can't build years of muscle memory into you instantaneously)

I could not possibly disagree with this any more. I see a ton of people at the range, and at matches, using cup-and-saucer grips, doing pathetic reloads, having zero idea of stance, etc. In other words, they were never taught the basics. If you don't have a solid foundation it is impossible to build up. A good one day class will go over proper grip, sight alignment, stance, trigger control, gun handling, and malfunction clearance (maybe) Without good instruction on these basics you're just wasting ammo (ask me how I know)

Instuctors can't build years of muscle memory, but building muscle memory doing things wrong is even worse. Ask any instructor: what's easier to get moving in the right direction? The guy who is "self taught" and has been doing things sub-optimally for years. Or the guy who only has about 300 rounds down range.

[Johnkard]

I've been a martial arts instructor (Tae Kwon Do) for years. Between a complete beginner and somebody who has done a year of Karate, I almost always need to spend an equal amount of time forcing them to do the most basic drills possible. In addition, I have only ever taught one or two very athletic people who could change their habits completely based on a single correction from me. For the most part, It takes at least a few weeks of steady drilling for any noticeable improvement to happen.

This is why I think joining a gun based social group that has regular range activities is a better idea. More experienced members can teach you the absolute basics, and keep you shooting while you develop more long term skills. 1-200$ is a bit much for something that can be taught by any reasonably experienced shooter, and if you start spending time at your local range, you will meet plenty of them with adequate good will to help you on your way(just try to be a bit selective about who you take your advice from. Make sure his/her groups are small and actions are smooth.)

If you are determined to spend money on a class, you should decide based on your own experience and performance level:

Beginners should look for a week long military style course, or immersion training scenario. Best possible way to drive the basics into you asap.

Intermediate shooters can gain a great deal from the right 1 day course.

Experts should start teaching. Best possible way to continue learning.

[JeffJ]

I have a decent bit of martial arts experience myself (Shorin-Ryu, Jujitsu, Tae-Kwon-Do, American Karate) mostly learning and a little teaching and understand that if that is your background how you would think that.

Pistol shooting at the beginner level is IMO, much more like golf (which I also play) - The fundamentals are very basic, and most importantly, static. Good instruction early on will save an immense amount of retraining later on with regards to grip (especially - I believe that it is difficult to make changes in how you hold things after several 1000 repitiions) and stance.

I also belive that a structured class, as opposed to informal education, builds a much better basis for safe and correct gun handling.

I've been fortunate to spend time around good shooters and good golfers and have experienced learning much more with short sessions with an actual instructor who is there to teach me, as opposed to trying to help me on the side.

I have no doubt that there are many good shooters who will glady help others out - but, I am a firm believer that teaching, especially teaching beginners, is a skill set in and of itself that is often discounted.

Also, your shooting community sounds somewhat unique to me - frankly I'm jealous, I don't know if we all have access to something like that.

[Long tom coffin]

Chicken/egg scenario. If your primary goes down during the class and you don't have a backup, your learning experience is curtailed. If you buy a secondary but can't afford a class, your learning experience is curtailed.

If your primary is a fairly well regarded reliable gun, I'd probably recommend taking the class before buying a backup.

This.