So... I'm seeing a lot of people in my follows and mutuals in the USA considering getting firearms. It's time to talk firearms.

For reference, I'm an ARSO in the Canadian military, I've shot competitively, and I've been into practical shooting skills for over a decade.

First and foremost, before you set out to the local gunshop, do the following:
- Read up on your state gun laws. Each state has their own thing going on for what kinds of firearms you can own, wait times, magazine capacity limitations, carry laws, places of use etc... Learn them.

- Look at where you intend to use said firearms. Life isn't the movies, penetration is a thing, and most walls don't stand up to them well.
- Consider how much, if any, practice or training you're going to be able to get in. Some firearms are friendlier to use than others.

Once you've hashed that out, it's time to consider what kind of firearm you want to get. A sad reality is that, especially as a POC, you're going to need to consider "optics". Not as in sights, but in the sense of how your firearm may be perceived by a jury in the event of use.

This means that high speed rigs that look like they're fresh off a SOF armoury rack or ultra cheap modern equivalents of "Saturday night specials" may work against you if you end up in court after having used it in personal or extended defense. Optics matter.

On firearms themselves. Pistols are hyper popular and a staple of American gun culture. They're also finicky, easy to negligently discharge, and inaccurate at range. Pistols are weapons of convenience and to get the most out of it, you have to practice, practice, practice.

If you choose to get a pistol, look at the .380 ACP or 9x19mm (aka 9mm Luger, 9mm Parabellum) ranges of calibre. The former is the broadly considered the weakest reliable self defence round, and the latter is the most common round on earth. Both have relatively light recoil...

...in most platforms they're in, making them friendly to newer shooters. .40 S&W and .45 ACP should only be considered if you have the time and budget to do extra training to get used to their relatively heavier recoil and handling characteristics.

I know there's people out there this will upset, but forget revolvers. If you're getting a pistol for self defense, get an automatic.

As to type, check your budget. Expect to spend $200 to $1000 USD depending on the make and model, not including ammunition.

If you're looking at rifles, I recommend against them for self defense. Not because they aren't effective, but because they're, again, training intensive, and depending on the calibre, can make your self defense into a neighbourhood problem because rifle rounds *travel*.

If you do want a rifle, and it's for self defense, look for something in an intermediate calibre (.223/5.56x45mm, 6.5mm, 7.62x39mm, or .30-30 at maximum). The recoil is lighter than heavier hunting or military rounds, and thus is conducive to training. And you will...

...need to train. Whether your rifle has open/iron sights or an actual optic, you will need to spend time on the range or in a location where it's legal to discharge firearms getting used to handling it. Bolt, lever, or semi-automatic, to get the best safe and legal use, you...

...HAVE TO TRAIN. Expect to pay between $300 and $1500 USD for a rifle, and tack an extra $50 to $300 USD on if you have to buy an optic or attachable iron sights for it too. Ammunition can expensive too, depending on what you feed your rifle, so budget for it.

Finally there's shotguns. IMHO, a semi-automatic or pump action shotgun is probably your best bet for self defense at home. Why?
- low learning curve, simple to operate
- variety of munitions for different effects
- less of a hazard for neighbour (still dangerous, be aware)

Shotguns still need you to practice with them (especially loading), but are reliable and give you a lot of options. Look in the 12ga and 20ga ranges, and go to the range to see the effects of different shells on targets to determine what ones you want to use. Look at ~$500 or so.

Now the gritty bits. Like I said earlier, life isn't movies. Especially if you're a POC who's used a firearm in self defense. This is why you need to be knowledgeable about your state's self defense laws and how they've been applied in the past. It's also why buying a...

..."mom n' pop" or "grandad's old gun" type firearm, like a pistol based on the M1911, a shotgun with wooden furniture, or a lever action rifle can be a sounder choice than a tricked out Glock 17 or AR-15.

Avoid decorating your firearm with anything that could be considered...

...as showing "intent" or "aggression"; for example: Punisher style or any other skulls, phrasing like "fuck you", or even a Black Power fist. This shit has been used in courts in the USA in the past to show user aggression.

Next is storage. Store your firearm safely.

I cannot stress this enough, store firearms safely. The news is filled everyday with people dying from negligent discharges because of improperly stored firearms. If it needs to be "ready to use", you need to be within arms reach of it at all times and cognizant of its status.

And then there's handling. If you're going to have a firearm, you need to be competent with handling it. Buying a firearm to "have one" and then not training on it is a recipe for disaster. Do you have to go full operator? No, absolutely not. But you do need to be familiar...

...with your firearm's handling characteristics, how to maneuver it safely from target to target, and so on.

The final point is this:
Never point a firearm at something you're not willing to destroy.

Firearms are no joke, and a serious responsibility. I hope this advice helps.

Oh, forgot a category: pistol calibre carbines. These are rifles that use pistol (or close) cartridges. These are very useful in self defense, with the only real downside being that, like any long arm, they need two hands and you need to practice maneuvering them. Past that...

...they have low to negligible recoil, and combine the better aspects of pistols and rifles in one package. They can be costly though, expect $500 to $1500 make and model dependant. The oldest one is still one of the coolest, that being the M1 Carbine.

Things I strongly recommend against:
- oddball calibres: they generally cost more and can access can be limited.
- "pistol" rifles: they're short barreled rifles with no stock, eliminating the benefits of both rifles and pistols in one package. And braces don't help.

- any "weird" or "gadget" firearms, like the Rhino revolver, they're interesting to look at, but no.

Things I caution about:
- used firearms: only if you're comfortable. Read up on the firearm in question, and get as much detail as possible before purchasing.

- surplus rifles: they did the business in two world wars, and will still do it, but many are in harder to find calibres these days, and a lot of them are just old. Be aware that they have a significantly larger danger template, and don't care about "walls".

Things you will need as a firearms owner:
- trigger lock: this is the lowest level of security for a firearm that's not in arm's reach.
- cleaning kit: buy one in your firearm's calibre, get CLP for lubricant and cleaning.
- spare rags and q-tips: more cleaning stuff