List of Essential Accessories for First-Time Gun Owners

You’ve bought your first gun. Congratulations! As part of becoming a responsible gun owner, you may want to spend some time seeking out information and equipment to help you get the most out of your shooting experience. Whether at home, on the range, or on the street, these accessories are essential for keeping you and others safe, and your gun working properly.

Search By Gun

Instructional Materials

At a minimum, you should have the owner’s manual, also sometimes called the operation and maintenance manual, for your new firearm. If you don’t, manufacturers often make digital copies available as downloadable PDF files.

The more comprehensive manuals contain a detailed description of the firearm, including how it works, a list of technical specifications, a full set of disassembly/reassembly instructions, and troubleshooting guidelines.

Gun Safety

Part of being a responsible gun owner is understanding and observing gun-safety rules. To properly understand gun safety, you need to know how your gun operates.

If you’re unfamiliar with gun safety, here are the four basic rules:

1. All guns are always loaded.
2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target.
4. Be aware of your target and what is behind it.

There are numerous variations, some more or less extensive —  the NRA has its own set — but this formulation is one of the most popular. Gun and sporting goods stores usually carry free firearms safety pamphlets. It’s worth taking one or two to have as a periodic refresher.

Eye and Hearing Protection

Smokeless powder is a low explosive. As a result, there are certain risks associated with discharging firearms. Dedicated, wraparound shooting glasses protect your eyes against unburnt powder particles, metal fragments, errant cartridge casings, and other flying debris.

Through the use of differently colored lenses, they can improve the contrast between your target and the surrounding area. The reading glasses on your desk or aviators in your car visor aren’t up to the task.

You should also invest in a decent pair of ear plugs and, ideally, earmuffs for longer shooting sessions. The risk of permanent hearing loss is real but avoidable.

Cleaning Kits

After firing your new gun for the first time, you should take the opportunity to learn how to disassemble it and understand how it functions. Keeping your firearm clean and well lubricated can help it continue to run smoothly and reliably. A cleaning kit should include the following:

• Cleaning rod
• Bronze wire bore brush
• Cleaning jag
• Cleaning patches
• Nylon brush 
• Oil or gun grease
• Cleaning solvent

You may also want to wear disposable medical gloves, preferably hypoallergenic, to minimize contact with solvents and lead residue.

Range and Practice

Paper targets go without saying — if you want to improve your shooting skill, you need to see where you’re hitting.

One useful tool is a chamber safety flag. This is brightly colored, usually orange or yellow, and serves to clearly indicate that the action is open and the chamber of your firearm is empty.

However, your shooting practice doesn’t need to begin and end at the firing range. Dry firing is the act of squeezing the trigger and releasing the cocked hammer or striker on an empty chamber. This is an excellent way to practice the fundamentals — stance, grip, sight picture, and trigger control — at home without expending ammunition.

While generally not harmful to firearms, some models, particularly rimfire handguns and rifles, are susceptible to suffering damage to the firing pin or barrel face from dry firing.

To remedy this, you can buy snap caps. Similar to inert dummy cartridges in purpose, the snap cap is a cartridge-shaped training accessory, usually made from plastic, that can be chambered in a firearm. In addition to taking the blow from the firing pin/striker, snap caps are also useful for practice drills, such as clearing malfunctions.

A Good Holster

Regardless of whether you bought a gun for recreation, to participate in formal matches, or for personal protection, learning how to wear, and draw from, a good holster is essential.

There are different types of holster to choose from.  Incognito Concealment offers IWB (in-the-waistband), OWB (outside-the-waistband), and paddle holsters to suit the concealed pistol licensee, the competitive target shooter, and the tactical training enthusiast. We also have several magazine pouches/carriers available in a wide variety of handgun models.

Gun Safes and Cases

Depending on your reasons for purchasing a  concealed carry firearm, your approach to safe storage may differ. You’ll have to strike what you consider to be the appropriate balance between easy access for emergency self-defense and restricted access to prevent injury or theft.

In addition, you should have a hard plastic gun case to transport your firearm, either on the road or by air, that has lockable latches or that can be padlocked. If it’s watertight, all the better. You may also want to check whether it’s TSA compliant.

First Aid Kit

No one expects you to become an EMT, but even though you can, through strict observance of gun-safety rules, reduce your risk of firearms-related injury significantly, you can’t predict the behavior of other range participants. While rare, it is also possible for a firearm to experience a catastrophic malfunction. For these reasons, among others, keeping a first aid kit, particularly one designed for treating traumatic injuries, in your range bag or vehicle can be an asset.

Final Thoughts

At Incognito Concealment, we specialize in providing one of the essential accessories every gun owner should have — a good holster. Whether you intend to carry openly or discreetly, Incognito Concealment has several secure options available. Give us a call at  (586) 333-4240, and we’d be happy to discuss the best holster option to suit your needs.