The best gifts for a new gun owner (even if you don't shoot)

Gifts for new gun owners are easier than they look, because the best ones aren't about the gun at all. A first-time owner needs the same short list of range gear everyone needs: ear pro (hearing protection), safety glasses, a bag to carry it in, something to load magazines with, a way to clean up afterward and a few targets. You don't have to shoot to buy any of it well. You only need to check one detail per gift, and we point out which one below.

Every pick comes from one of our category rankings, and each section links to the full list it came from. If you'd rather cover everything at once, our first range kit for beginners gives one pick per slot, in the order a new shooter needs them.

How we picked these gifts

We don't test gear, and we won't pretend we put these muffs on a sound meter. Each pick keeps the score it earned on its category rubric, built only from what the maker publishes: the EPA-labeled NRR (Noise Reduction Rating, the number on the package) for ear pro, the Z87+ marking (the high-impact mark on safety glasses) for eye pro, and caliber lists, sizes and contents for the rest. The weights are on our how we pick page.

We added one filter for gifts: can someone who doesn't shoot buy it without getting the size, fit or caliber wrong? So the order isn't score order. Safety gear comes first, then the gifts that make range day easier.

Three things to find out before you shop

Most gift mistakes come from one missing fact. Find out these three, ideally by asking:

1. Do they wear prescription glasses? If so, they need safety glasses made to go over them, not a standard pair.
2. What caliber is their gun? This only matters for a magazine loader or a caliber-specific cleaning kit. Ask, or look at the box or manual the gun came in. Don't pick up their gun to check: the NSSF's first tip for new shooters is to "treat all the firearms as if they are loaded" ( NSSF).
3. Where do they shoot? Indoors changes the ear-pro advice: NIOSH's indoor-range guidance, written for range workers, calls for earplugs and earmuffs together (NIOSH Alert 2009-136). Outdoors means sun, wind and a target stand.

Can't ask without spoiling the surprise? The range bag, the universal cleaning kit and the targets have the least to get wrong.

The best gifts for new gun owners, and why each one lands

Pick #1 or #2 for their ears, not both, unless you're buying for two people. The rest can be given alone or together.

1. Howard Leight Shooting Sports Safety Combo Kit

Why it lands: it covers the two things every shooter should wear. The NRA's safety rules say "shooting glasses and hearing protection should be worn by shooters and spectators" ( NRA Gun Safety Rules). This box holds both: clear shooting glasses that Howard Leight rates ANSI Z87.1-2015 (High Impact) and CSA Z94.3, with an anti-fog coating, plus an adjustable folding earmuff rated NRR 25 (Howard Leight combo kit page). Owning a set matters, because not every range hands one out. Connecticut's Glastonbury range, for example, states that "ammunition, firearms, eye and ear protection, and targets are not provided" ( CT DEEP).

Who it suits: an adult starting from nothing, or a spouse or friend who comes along to watch. Spectators need eye and ear protection too.

Check before you buy: it's an adult kit, so buy a child's gear separately (see the buying checks below). If they wear prescription glasses, Howard Leight doesn't describe these glasses as fitting over a pair, so choose an over-the-glasses frame instead.

What they'll still need: foam earplugs to wear under the muff at a loud indoor range. The kit ranks first in our ear and eye protection combos, next to six other kits.

2. Howard Leight Impact Sport

Why it lands: it's the upgrade a new shooter notices on the first trip. An electronic muff lets quiet sounds through, so they can hear the range officer without lifting a cup, while the cups still block sound like any muff. Howard Leight lists NRR 22, two AAA batteries with about 350 hours of life (its own estimate) and an auto shut-off after 4 hours, so a muff left on in the bag doesn't drain (Howard Leight Impact Sport page). The slim cup, which Howard Leight says leaves clearance for a firearm stock, helps if they shoot a rifle or shotgun.

Who it suits: someone who has been to the range once or twice on rented or borrowed ear pro and is ready for their own.

Check before you buy: the size. Howard Leight lists this model as Medium/Large. For a smaller adult or a teen, there's an Impact Sport sized Youth/Adult Small, with the same NRR 22 (Howard Leight Youth/Adult Small page). It's ear protection only, so pair it with Z87+ glasses if they don't own a pair.

What they'll still need: spare AAA batteries, glasses from our best shooting glasses, and plugs underneath at an indoor range, since NRR 22 is on the low side for a loud bay. It leads our best electronic ear muffs for shooting, where you can compare it with five others.

3. Allen Eliminator Rangemaster Range Bag

Why it lands: it gives their gear one home. It's a middle-size 23 L (1,408 cu in) bag with a foldable pistol rug in the box, a rigid bottom with feet and three molded zippered outside pockets (Allen product page).

Who it suits: someone with one or two handguns and a local range.

Check before you buy: Allen publishes the volume but not the outer dimensions, and it doesn't mention lockable zippers. A range bag also isn't a locked case. If they need one for the drive or a flight, that's a separate gift (see what they'll still need, below).

See how it compares with five other bags in our best range bags.

4. Maglula UpLULA Pistol Magazine Loader

Why it lands: it's the accessory most new owners don't know they want until they've pressed a few magazines full by hand. Maglula says one UpLULA loads and unloads "virtually all 9mm Luger up to .45ACP single and double-stack magazines", plus most .380 and 1911 mags, with "no inserts, spacers, or adjustments" (Maglula product page).

Who it suits: a pistol owner in the common calibers from .380 to .45, including one who adds a second pistol in a different caliber later.

Check before you buy: the caliber. Maglula doesn't list it for .22 rimfire, so skip it for a .22 pistol. "Virtually all" also means an unusual magazine may not fit.

What they'll still need: nothing; it works on its own. It's also on our range bag checklist.

5. Otis Elite Universal Gun Cleaning Kit

Why it lands: it's the cleaning kit you can buy without knowing the caliber. Otis lists it for .17 caliber through 12 gauge, with over 60 components: 16 bronze brushes, 8, 12 and 36 inch Memory-Flex cables, optics care and two 0.5 fl oz bottles of FP-10 CLP, so they can clean the day they open it (Otis Elite page).

Who it suits: a new owner whose caliber you don't know, or one likely to add a rifle or shotgun later.

Check before you buy: size. It comes in a 15 1/4 x 8 3/4 x 4 1/2 inch nylon bag, so it lives on the bench at home. If you know they own one 9mm-family handgun, the smaller Otis 9mm Pistol/Rifle kit (.357, .380, .38 Special and 9mm, FP-10 included) is simpler (Otis 9mm kit page).

What they'll still need: something to protect the table, and soap or wipes for their hands afterward. It tops our best gun cleaning kits.

6. Birchwood Casey Shoot-N-C 12 x 18 Handgun Trainer

Why it lands: new shooters want to see where they hit, and these targets are made for exactly that. Birchwood Casey says hits leave "crisp, chartreuse rings around each bullet hole", and the pack holds 5 self-adhesive 12 x 18 inch targets plus 110 pasters for covering holes and shooting the same sheet again (Birchwood Casey product page).

Who it suits: anyone shooting a handgun at paper, which covers most new owners.

Check before you buy: the range's rules. Every range sets its own target rules, so paper is the safe choice for a surprise. Skip steel: Champion's own warnings set 15 yards as the minimum distance for its steel targets, even with non-magnum handgun ammunition (Champion steel target warnings).

What they'll still need: something to stick it to at an outdoor range, such as a cardboard backer on one of our best target stands. It's the first pick in our best shooting targets.

What they'll still need after the gift

A good gift fills a gap in the kit. Here's what usually stays on the new owner's own list:

• Ammunition. Leave it to them; the owner knows what their gun takes. We don't recommend or link ammunition.
• A case for getting the gun to the range. Ranges expect guns to arrive unloaded and cased. The Range 702 in Las Vegas advises bringing "your firearm into the range unloaded and in a case" (The Range 702). Our lockable pistol case picks and guide to transporting a gun to the range cover the options. Rules vary by state, so the owner should check their own.
• Spare batteries for an electronic muff, and staples if their targets aren't self-adhesive.
• A class. The NSSF notes that "classes and clinics such as NSSF's First Shots abound for first-time firearms owners" ( NSSF). Ask their local range what it offers; it makes a thoughtful gift on its own.

The full first-trip list is in what to bring to the shooting range.

What to check before you buy

Here's the one detail per gift, in one place. None of them means handling a gun.

Reading the NRR. The NRR is printed on the package under a federal labeling rule, which also requires the note that "higher numbers denote greater effectiveness" (40 CFR Part 211, Subpart B). The same rule has makers note that the NRR "may not be an accurate indicator of the protection attainable against impulsive noise such as gunfire", so fit matters as much as the number. Our NRR guide explains it plainly.

Reading the Z87+ mark. HexArmor, a safety-eyewear maker, explains that "Z87+ means that the eyewear meets a higher impact standard" than plain Z87, and that the marking usually sits "on the sidearm of the frames or on the right side of the lens" (HexArmor). If you can't find a Z87+ on the frame or the listing, keep looking.

Prescription glasses. Over-the-glasses frames publish the largest frame they fit over. Pyramex says its OTS fits over frames up to 5 3/8 x 1 3/4 inches (137 x 44 mm) (Pyramex OTS page). Our shooting glasses for glasses wearers covers the options.

Kids and teens. Buy gear made for their size. Walker's says its Baby & Kid's folding muffs suit ages 6 months to 8 years (Walker's) and Allen designs its ULTRX children's muff for ages 3 and up (Allen). Our kids' ear protection and kids' shooting glasses rankings sort out the rest.

Gifter mistakes to avoid

• Sunglasses instead of shooting glasses. If the frame isn't marked Z87+, don't count on it at the range. Our shooting glasses vs sunglasses page explains the difference.
• Guessing the caliber. A 9mm-to-.45 loader won't help a .22 owner, and a caliber-specific kit won't fit a different bore. If you can't ask, give caliber-free gifts or the universal kit.
• Adult gear for a small child. Adult muffs are sized for adults. Buy a kids' muff with a stated age instead.
• Checking the gun yourself. Don't pick up their firearm to read the caliber or measure it for a case. Ask. Treat every gun as loaded, as the NSSF puts it.
• Steel targets as a surprise. Steel needs room: Champion sets a 15-yard minimum even for non-magnum handgun ammunition, and farther for magnum and rifle loads. Our steel target safe distance guide has the details.
• Treating the range bag as a travel case. For flights, TSA says firearms "must be unloaded and locked in a hard-sided container" (TSA). A soft bag isn't that.