20h ago

I’m wanting to invest in a handgun. How much should I budget?

As the title says, with things getting… spicy, I’m looking to purchase my first firearm.

I haven’t shot a gun since I was a kid, and I live in a deep blue area.

I want to make sure I cross all my T’s in making sure whatever I get is appropriate and practical.

What sort of accessories are typically purchased with a firearm, and how much should I look to spend for something of reasonable quality?

I’m assuming a few things are a given like a safe and extra ammo. What else do you suggest?

And not to beat a horse to death, and of course, there is no ethical consumption under capitalism, but are there brands that can be supported without feeling like my money is going to making problems worse?

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There are already so many great and detailed answers here. I'll give some short opinions.
Take a training class or go with a gun loving friend to rent some common guns. Decide which one you like the most and shoot well. Having a gun you can personally shoot well is much more important than some feature people say you must have.
Get a flashlight on the gun or to keep with the gun. Don't put a flashlight on the gun unless you personally want to.
Get something you can easily carry all the time. The super cool full sized handgun on your desk is not as useful as the .380 in your pocket.
Spend some money. A good used gun is almost always better than a cheap new gun. Guns don't expire and it'll probably always be worth close to what you paid if you go to sell it.
Get a good holster if you're carrying. Don't be afraid to try a few and see what works. There is no right choice. It's all about what works for you.
It's all about you. Seek advice but do what feels right to you. The things that matter are how well you can shoot that gun and that you have it available if needed. You get to decide what that means to you.
Personally I carry a .357 6" revolver and a .380 bodyguard. As long as my pants have a pocket I can have the bodyguard on me.
If you have more specific questions feel free to ask but I would very highly recommend talking to someone in person.

I'm going to make an incredibly simple list with very little nuance, because the reality is that so long as you don't buy a total POS, the gun you buy matters far less than your training. So I'm keeping it very straightforward.
As someone who loves unique guns and much as it pains me to say it, it's hard to go wrong with your basic Glock. They come in all shapes and sizes and calibers, and are the default choice for a lot of reasons.
Get something in 9mm. Ignore anyone who says otherwise. Dozens of studies have shown that with quality defensive ammo, it's going to do it's job.
I'd recommend a Glock 19. Lots of rounds, fairly easy to carry, nor particularly heavy, and a very popular carry gun all around. If you find that too big, you can step down to a 43, but you're trading shooting comfort and capacity for daily carry comfort. Not necessarily a bad thing if it means you're more willing to carry it. New, you're looking $400-500 depending on seller and generation, but law enforcement trade-ins aren't a bad idea if you're on a budget. They're usually well taken care of and have very low round counts.
For accessories, have at least 4-5 spare, high quality magazines. There are some very cheap ones out there, and a shitty magazine can turn the best gun into an unreliable one very easily. Even if you don't plan on concealed carrying initially, plan to get a good AIWB (appendix in waistband) holster. Probably about $100-150 max.
Night sights aren't a bad idea, but not necessary.
Only other thing some people will add is a light, but again, not a necessity.
A small safe that can be bolted down is a good idea. Don't have to get too fancy with it, just something that prevents an opportunistic grab or some nosy visitor from fucking with it. Maybe $200
Ammo. Buy lots and practice lots. It'll sound like a lot, but 500 rounds/year is kind of what I aim for. It's only 5 range trips with 2 boxes of ammo each trip. Find a local club/range (most are shockingly LGBT friendly, at least in blue-ish areas. Regularly practice with whatever defensive ammo you pick, but you won't want to practice solely with that unless you have a LOT of money lol. My personal pick are Federal HSTs. Very well rated, reasonably priced, lots of testing showing they perform well, and not a meme like a lot of "defensive" ammo seems to be. Keep at least 100 rounds of it on hand, but more is always better if possible.
As for the ethical consumption, unfortunately, given we're talking literal arms dealers here, you're kind of limited... Buying used helps, but only so much. Glock is Austrian and Federal is a subsidiary of a Czech company, so even though the manufacturing is in the US, you're not directly supporting dictatorships like with buying something made by Canik (Turkish) or something.
- I'm going to second the need for practice, that is much more valuable than the gun itself. Having said that, OP please go to a range to try out guns BEFORE you purchase one. You just don't know how a gun will feel/fire in your hands until you use it. By no means is this a "my preferred brand is better" rant, when I went to buy my first gun I did a lot of research and had it narrowed down to 2 guns, and 1 just never felt "good" when I tried it out at the range, the other felt much, much better. Most ranges will charge you a gun rental fee at the range but you should then be able to try several at 1 session.
  
  Seconding the rental guns as well. At most ranges, it's an extra $10-20 on your range fee, and they'll let you try as many guns as you want for that price. Only downside is they'll require use of pricier range ammo, but you'll get a good idea for feel after a magazine or two.
- I second everything here.
  Practice is key, especially if planning to use it defensively. You want good behavior engrained so you don't hurt yourself or someone else should anything ever happen.

Hearing Protection, eye protection, extra magazines (I'd recommend having at least 4 total), a cleaning kit, a discrete range bag to hold everything along with the extra ammo and a safe. Also a good holster if you plan on conceal carry (check your local laws around this) I personally prefer appendix carry but there are a lot of options here. Some guns will allow you to mount a light which can be nice for a home defense gun but I find them a little bulky for carry. However, I usually have a flashlight in my pocket and there are some good grips you can utilize: https://www.usacarry.com/flashlight-shooting-techniques/ with a standalone flashlight.
Optionally they have things that will make loading magazines easier which is optional but they are usually pretty inexpensive and if you plan on a big range day, they can just make your life a little easier. It's absolutely not required and you can wait on this and see how easy/hard it is to load your magazines before getting one.
If you have a range near you that lets you rent guns, that's the best way because you can try a few and see what you like. However, be warned, some places won't let you rent if you go alone because too many people have committed suicide that way so before you go, check their policy on that, sometimes you just have to bring a friend.
As for what gun, there are a lot of really good ones out there. Expect to pay about $400-$500, unless you can find a good deal on a used gun. (some places will have police trade ins which can be had for cheaper) If you can find a local gun store that is LGBTQ+ friendly, that's where I'd go to buy it (which might be easier than you might think if you're in a blue state) but before you go, you can browse around sites like https://www.gunbroker.com/ or https://www.armslist.com/ to get an idea of what might be available and about what the prices are currently. If you wanted to order from an online site, you'd still need a FFL so finding a good local dealer is still important.
I'd recommend 9mm, it's a good balance of stopping power, and being able to hold a reasonable number of rounds without being too heavy. Also I'd recommend a Semi-Auto over a revolver, they hold more rounds, are easier to reload (with extra magazines) and if you get a decent one, are generally just as reliable. Glock has already been mentioned and they are certainly a good brand but I'd also look at Smith and Wesson (S&W) (specifically their m&p line), Ruger and Walther. There are other good brands as well, but I'd start there. On the upper end, if you wanted to spend a little more, I'd also take a look at Sig and Heckler and Koch (H&K).
Finally, I'd recommend getting some training. ESPECIALLY if you are going to conceal carry but also if you are just looking for home defense. I'd recommend starting with https://www.pinkpistols.org/ and see if there's a chapter near you but you should have some option.
Live the 4 rules: https://www.corneredcat.com/article/firearms-safety/the-four-rules/ and get out and practice!!!

I'm not a handgun expert, but I used to donate to chapters of the John Brown Gun Club. They're a left-wing gun club that does activism and teaches people how to properly use and handle firearms. They were very active on Twitter before Musk took over. I'm not sure about now since I don't use the site anymore. You should see if there is a chapter in your area.
- Some chapters made the jump to bluesky:
  
  I had never heard of JBGC and noticed what would be my local chapter in your screenshot. I took a look and it was just a page for anti-(f)elon memes, no useful info or anything, both on twitter and bsky, and no website or anything if I google them, that’s a bummer, but there are plenty of other orgs to look at.

Following because I have all the same questions

We just bought our first handgun. We spent about $600 on a nice new one. But we had options for new that were between $300-$500. I don't know shit about shit tho so if you were willing to do research and shop around, I'd say $400 is a reasonable number for a first timer

The biggest thing is to find a place you can hold, and then rent and try out several guns. The best gun is the one most comfortable for you to shoot.
I have no advice on picking a brand that's less bad than others from a policy type standpoint. I find virtually every brand supports some cause I'm not a fan of. The same goes with buying ammunition, accessories, range time etc. My money inevitably goes to some crummy causes, but it's what I accept to keep my family safe in this unfortunate timeline.
I personally run 9mm and love my Caniks, and I really like my wife's Walther, for what it's worth.

I'm not an expert, but this is something I've been doing too. I bought a shotgun a few months ago. And now I am looking into getting my CCW permit so that I am more comfortable with transporting a pistol. If you're going to be transporting a pistol around, look up laws in your state about the transportation of a firearm. Does your state allow open carry, etc. You don't want to get stuck in a bad position illegally carrying/transporting a firearm. But I'm also going to have to travel more with my pistol, which is why I'd be more comfortable with the CCW permit. But that's just me.
Things I purchased for my shotgun. I've bought a safe with quick access, ammo cans containers and dehumidifying gel silica packets for shotgun shells, gun cleaning kit, ear protection for practicing, gun case for transporting, 12 gauge #4 buckshot & lead and steel target loads. For within my safe I also bought a dehumidifying canister. Which is just something that you recharge by throwing in the oven every 6 months. This will keep your guns dry and prevent issues in the future, depending on where you're storing the safe and where you live etc. (I don't think I missed anything)
As for buying the shotgun, super easy. I bought it for self defense and maybe trap shooting. Took maybe an hour or two to walk out with a shotgun. I got a good deal on a Benelli nova for only 300 dollars. Pump action, simple.
But I've been looking at pistols for the past 3 months, and it looks like decent reliable ones are around 4-500 dollars. I've been looking specifically at getting a Glock. Since my pistol would also be for self defense, I want something reliable. I've learned really any of the generations of glocks are the same with minimal changes. Whatever is cheapest is the best one to pick.
Let me know if you have any questions.

13 comments