this post was submitted on 10 Jun 2025
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I should buy a gun.
The best time to buy a gun is before you need a gun.
If you have any inkling that you might need a gun, you need to have one right now. It will take a little time to get, it will cost a bit of money. You'll need to buy ammo, cleaning supplies, holster, safe storage, range bag, extra magazines. You'll need to go to the range and practice with it, regularly. You will need to learn safety through that practice. You'll need to learn how to field strip and clean your weapon. You'll need to learn how to handle malfunctions quickly and safely. You'll need to become familiar with gun laws where you live. Depending on where you live, you'll probably want to get a concealed carry license (not applicable everywhere). Then maybe you'll want accessories like better sights, light, magazine loader, scope.
Before all of that, you'll need to decide what gun(s) will satifsy your own needs. Strictly for home defense, shotguns would be great, and they're the cheapest option, too. Some have detachable magazines, some are tube magazine, some are single or double shot break action. Rifles are quite accurate at distance, but they can be on the expensive side.
Semi-automatic pistols come in various sizes; larger have better accuracy, and smaller are more concealable. Revolvers don't leave shell casings on the ground, and should be less susceptible to malfunction, but a malfunction will take more time to clear, and loading is slower. They also hold fewer rounds, generally speaking. Pistol caliber carbines are out there, but they can be quite expensive. If you match the caliber with your pistol, you only need to have one kind of ammo, and the carbine will bring greater accuracy.
With regard to caliber, there are so many options. 9mm for pistols is readily available, and a good choice. 22lr/22 is dirt cheap. I'm not personally versed on shotguns, you'll have to dig into that yourself.
So yeah, there's a lot to it. To repeat, if you find yourself seriously thinking that you might need a gun, the best time to get one was two months ago. The second best time is right now.
I've got a question about ranges. If you have a ghost gun, will that be a problem? Do they check serial numbers?
The range I go to doesn't check anything, and it's a "clean, well-lighted place." But they have an RSO on the line at all times, and they definitely watch you.
The time I went to sketchy possibly fascist industrial park range, they didn't even have an RSO on the back line where I was but once every fifteen minutes to peek in the door and then close it again.
You could probably get away with it at a sketchy range, but I wouldn't do it the first time you go. Even then, I might add a "I was curious, have you ever had anyone come in with a 3DP gun?" and see what they say.
You may want to look for open air Wildlife Management Area ranges. They are often unsupervised.
I've never had anyone check my guns at a range.
Yeah that's going to attract attention for sure, in more ways than one. The ranges I've been to are unmanned.
Depends what state you're in. I think some states require serials on all homemade guns. In those states, private ranges are probably going to check. But t even then, they probably aren't cross-referencing to see if it's yours.
My state doesn't require serials unless you go to transfer ownership.
Like the other poster said, go to state gamelands if possible. The ranger sometimes stops by to see if you paid for your hunting/range license, but that's about it.
The only time I've ever had someone check my serial numbers is when I pick a new gun up from the Public Safety Ministry or when I fly, but I'm not American so your experience could be different