Where to start with gun ownership if you're broke?

Question

Hi, I'm a trans girl, and with violent sentiment from the alt-right increasing all the time along with projections of insurgency/civil war cropping up I've decided I should probably own a firearm.

My entire life I've been anti-violence, and I've been able to get away with just having "scary dog energy" because I was perceived as a physically intimidating white guy. That's all melting away with muscle atrophy, and I'm acutely aware I'm more likely to be targeted for violence than most others Americans.

So I want to be armed in the case of things like domestic terror or hate crimes, but I'm also incredibly broke. I know I'd want to do everything right, learn gun safety, use proper protection, etc; both for my sake and the other people around me that could be targeted.

Edit - I have found the FAQ tab, took me a bit. Still, any advice related to the stuff that's more specific to me would be great!

Edit 2 - I live in KY, and the most experience I have with firearms is in the case of researching a bit for role-playing games and emptying a glock once without any actual target soooo basically nothing.

in SocialistRAby frostburn034

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1mo

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classicwfl

1mo

Another vote for pepper spray, at least initially.

Firearms have lots of hidden costs. Secure storage can cost more than the firearm itself in the case of cheaper firearms, and in order to be able to operate a firearm properly you'll need to train regularly.. Which means lots of ammo. Unless you're going with 22LR (most folks wouldn't recommend it for self defense) you're going to be paying quite a bit to train regularly on the ammo costs.

Also, you need to decide whether you're going the conceal-carry route or just having something for home defense.

If home defense, you've got some good budget options and a variety of choices, including rifles and shotguns.

If conceal carry, then as others have suggested modern Taurus pistols are pretty good for the budget, but you've got even more costs to worry about there beyond storage and ammo.. As in holsters. A good comfortable CC holster can cost a chunk from what I've seen.

So, for the immediate situation, pepper spray.. And rely on that even after you get a firearm until you get a good amount of training and comfort in operating your firearm as it relates to defensive purposes. You want the operation of whatever your firearm is to become a rote, mechanical process without having to think about it.

frostburn034

1mo

Thank you! I wasn't aware that ammo would be particularly expensive, along with the rest of the accessories too.

As for whether I'd want a weapon for concealed carry or home defense, I'd say a bit of both. I know I'm more likely to be targeted in public, but I also try to avoid particularly dangerous areas.

My biggest motivator to start is the threat of wider scale violence, which I'm fairly sure would be better to own a rifle in the case of since I doubt a handgun would help much with heavily armed and armored shooters.

classicwfl

1mo

The big thing to consider is engagement range.. the more tighter the range the less a rifle is useful.

Most self defense scenarios tend to happen at close range based on available research, so a pistol may be the best option, but rifles do tend to be easier to operate with accuracy.

frostburn034

1mo

That's a wonderful note, shooting at stationary targets in a long hallway doesn't seem like the best way. I'll just have to research a bit on ranges in my area, and also look into where exactly my money would be going.

Mean-Adeptness-4998

1mo

For what its worth, military and paramilitary units prefer short rifles for close quarters over handguns. They have considerations like body armor and barriers to consider, but at the end of the day a stock and a red dot makes for a much more stable shooting platform. A good sling properly equipped (i’m testing some $10 slings, will report in) and a light go a long way to making sure the rifle stays under your control and that you can verify what you’re pointing at. AR15s have widely replaced handguns, shotguns, and even the MP5 just because rifle bullets tend to stop people very quickly.

If you’re primarily considered about what one might term a “significant deterioration in the social order” then you might be better served working on non-firearm priorities and training with a group or others who have a more stable immediate financial situation.

Cadd9

1mo

Police will routinely auction off their old service handguns. That's a great place to look for cheaper, more reliable handguns, where aftermarket accessories will be easier to find. Taurus and other cheap new handguns are ones you tend to want to avoid.

At least with police service handgun auctions, they'll be guns like Glock and Smith & Wesson that are much more reliable. There might also be Sig Sauers in those auctions too.

Speaking of Sigs, I'd be careful with a p320. They've had horrific discharges where it fired on its own. A handful have been injured by them.