The first gun

The first gun I ever bought was a Ruger SP101 in .357 mag. I went to Wild West Traders to see what sort of gun I should buy. I told the guy at the counter that I was 50 years old and had never shot any type of gun but I wanted a simple handgun for self defense. Instead of looking down on me he was very helpful and told me that what I needed was a Ruger SP101 Double-Action Revolver in .357 mag. He said that if I got the gun in .357 mag. I would also be able to shoot .38 special ammo which would be cheaper to practice with. Armed with what I considered good advice I left and went to check prices at different places.
This was my first lesson in the world of guns. The same gun may cost you totally different amounts at different gun stores, even in the same area. I found the exact same gun at a store called Nick's and made my first gun purchase there. They seemed nice enough but maybe not as patient and helpful as the guy at Wild West. I was very suprised at how easy it was to buy a gun. I just filled out a simple form, gave them my driver's license to copy and waited a couple of minutes while they called someone to "check me out." I passed the background check and I was the very proud owner of my very first gun. They said that I now had range credit and asked if I wanted to shoot. I explained that I had never shot a gun before and asked if someone would have a few minutes to go in the range with me and help me get started so I didn't hurt myself or someone else. He kind of laughed and said they were too busy. There were 3 other guys in the store besides the one who helped me and I was the only customer. This seemed a little strange to me but maybe I was asking too much. I already knew that I was going to sign up for a gun safety class before I shot much so I took my gun home and started down the path that I find myself on now.