117
Strapped up and strapping up the homies - 2A for the thems and theys!
Gosh i wanna get better at like actually shooting and understanding the when and how of using a firearm for defence but my only gun friend is just in it for plinking.
Go on YouTube and look up Tacticool Girlfriend, and Black Flag Civilian. They're good lefty channels that have a lot of educational material. There's a wild amount of channels out there, but your going to have to wade through sewage of reactionaries with murder fantasies. Don't let that put you off to it, there's a lot you can still learn. Honest Outlaw is the best out there for gun reviews.
If you want to get out and start shooting/learning the ropes, you can do it a few different ways. Get a used Ruger 10/22 rifle - they're relatively cheap and the ammo comes in buckets for really cheap. You can shoot for a whole afternoon for less than $45. You could also spend more up front on an AR-15 and get a dry firing system like Mantis. This allows you to simulate and practice without having to spend on ammo. Pistols are not great for much of anything other than a last ditch up close defense, but still good to have. Again, you can get a cheap .22 caliber pistol for cheap ammo, or spend more up front on a 9mm and dry fire system. You could opt for a pistol caliber carbine (PCC) - these are small rifles that most often shoot 9mm which is a handgun round so it's cheaper but is easier and cheaper to shoot than an rifle that shoots rifle rounds.
Your local gun store is a good resource and most of them will sell on consignment or outright buy your gun if it's not a good fit for you. A lot of gun stores have ranges where you can rent various guns and try them out too. If they have a range, they will also have private classes.
Gun "culture" is very much a part of some people's identity, so there's a lot of arguing about brands and dudes who want to squeeze ever bit of "performance" out of their guns - it's consumerist bullshit, don't fall for the trap. Unless you genuinely enjoy it, here's a quick list of guns that are relatively affordable and are rock solid reliable.
Cheap ammo guns (.22 caliber) - not much more powerful than an air rifle:
Rifle - Ruger 10/22 Pistol - Walter P22. There's a lot of others out there, you can safely get a brand that you've heard of before - don't spend more than $350.
More useful guns: Pistol: stick with 9mm.
- CZ P-10, P-07, P-09
- Smith & Wesson M&P Shield series (there's a lot of models)
- Glock 19
- Beretta 92FS, APX A1, or PX4 Storm
PCC: Again, stick with 9mm
- CZ scorpion
- Smith & Weston FPC
- An AR-9 from a reputable brand.
Rifle: stick with .223/5.56
- Generic AR-15 from a reputable brand. Don't spend less than $500 new retail - you'll start running into reliability issues. But don't drop more than $800, you'll start getting into diminishing returns. Get one with a 16" barrel.
- Ruger American Gen II for a bolt action rifle (think grand pappy's hunting rifle, but modern).
Get onto forums and ask questions too. 
actually has a pretty good "liberal" gun sub.
I agree with most everything you put here.
Please everyone get a Glock (or something that takes Glock mags) and an AR 15.
I want to be able to hand you loaded magazines and you be able to use them immediately.
Thank you for the youtube recs! Ill check them out!
Tbh my biggest concern right now is like, what situation would i genuinely need a gun in, yk? I have fear for the future, but i dont want my decisions coming from a place of fear, i want them coming from a place of calm analysis that recognizes the fear and understands its roots. I dont want to kill anyone... But if someone is trying to kill me i want to be able to stop them, and my body is kinda broken and contact sports like martial arts are out of the question for me. I carry my pepper gel everywhere, and want to get better a deescalation (i know the basics but havent deescalated beyond one-on-one encounters, how do i help make an environment fostering deescalation for when confronted by a group of people, thats a question thats been on my mind for a bit).
I have gone shooting before, shot a walther p22 and a ruger american with .223. Im not a bad shot if i do say so myself 
I dont want a pistol or to CC, cause like, tbh i dont have the time to train multiple days per week, which from a cursory glance is what it seems like is needed to maintain pistol skills, and i dont want to carry/use a gun if im not 100% confident in my skills (which means not just can i shoot at the range but like can i shoot and do all the calculus under high duress).
When you say AR from a reputable brand, how do i know what brands are reputable? Most of the stuff i hear is military brand names from news and the gun comm here. Just looked and an AR 15 from FN is like 1k USD minimum... A bit more than the 800 max you recommended. Part of me would love to build out a weapon from parts, just cause i like building things. But this would probably get pretty expensive pretty fast, a lower and an upper all preassembled at a factory will be cheaper id think. And like, im unemployed and dont have money to waste...
Assuming im going for an AR platform, what would the difference really be between 5.56 AR15 and 9mm AR9 PCC? Like, the 9mm is half the price per round it seems, but like what are all the considerations to have regarding effective range, recoil, penetration (i dont want to accidentally shoot someone cause of overpenetration!), or other considerations to take?
Also sorry if you dont want to lay this all out for me, im happy to go do my own research, i more just like dont know what i dont know, and tbh nothing makes me more gun averse than reading/hearing the murder power fantasies out there, which ive run into when looking stuff up in the past.
I agree with most of [email protected] response as well.
PSA makes passable cheap guns.
A slight addendum to the 5.56 info - it can pierce armor, depending on the weight and construction of the bullet, and the length of the barrel (longer makes the bullet go faster). There's rounds that won't over-penetrate.
But a PCC is a lot easier to manage for home defense and has those additional benefits they mentioned.
As for a posse of people to hand pistols out to... I mean, I guess there could be a scenario. Complete civil order breakdown, rifles. General unrest, self/home defense - handguns, PCCs, shotguns.
As for the why, and reticence to get a gun... Well, it's a deadly weapon and taking that seriously is what separates you from murder fantasy chuds who want to do a terrorism. The point is defense. If people with murderous intent come, you make sure you and your loved ones live to see tomorrow. You don't have to concealed carry either. And practice doesn't have to be as frequent or at long as you suggest. You can front load some training and do a periodic brush up, or consistently just dry fire at home. You don't need a license in most states to own and have a gun in your home for defense.
The majority of aggressive conflicts people are going to encounter are not at the level of deadly force. When it comes to self defense, pepper gel is fantastic - way less legal concerns and moral weight, just spray and get away using proportional escalation of force.
To be honest, I wish we didn't have to think about any of this, but until Y'all-Qaeda and US cops are disarmed, the people should stay armed.
I'm not the op but I agree with most of what they said and by most I mean like 95%. So I'll try to answer a bit.
I'm a palmetto state armory fan. They make cheap guns that are reliable. We call it the people's shitty armory (PSA).
https://palmettostatearmory.com/pa-15.html
This is their AR 15. You can get the parts kit+upper and a lower for 450 and put it together yourself. You can get the complete rifle for <600.
556 is a military round. The round is designed to maim and will penetrate armor. You can also get further piercing rounds. 9mm will not have that capability. The effective range with 556 is much further as well.
The chief benefit of a PCC is that they can run the same ammo and magazines as your pistol so you only would need to carry one set of ammo/mags and all your firearms would be functional if you grabbed a mag out of your pack. The longer barrel means more spin on bullet and more energy on impact than a handgun and you'll be infinitely more accurate with a PCC than a pistol. I have a PCC and it's my favorite to shoot with. They have less recoil than 556 and a lot less concussive force coming out the front.
I would recommend getting practiced with pistols, however. The size and versatility compared to a rifle can't be under stated imo. Theoretically I can have a laptop bag with 6 pistols in it and theoretically have an instant lethal friend group. This cannot be done with rifles and rifles can't be concealed even if you're only carrying for yourself.
This is the first time it my life Ive said 'thank you for your service' and meant it
Not me getting a gun for my 43rd (dead)name day.
this post was submitted on 17 Sep 2025
117 points (100.0% liked)
chapotraphouse
14097 readers
853 users here now
Banned? DM Wmill to appeal.
No anti-nautilism posts. See: Eco-fascism Primer
Slop posts go in c/slop. Don't post low-hanging fruit here.
founded 4 years ago
MODERATORS