Arming yourself

So there has been a lot of discussion about buying your first firearms on here and I'd like to weigh in. First off, do not panic buy! Firearm ownership is not something to look at lightly, in the context of self defense, it can carry very heavy consequences. Research is everything.

For context I was an MP as well as a private security contractor. I'm well trained and well versed in firearms and gun laws and own more firearms than I'd tell Reddit about.

First off, I applaud those looking to defend yourselves, and to those who are still anti-gun and carrying this topic isn't for you however I ask you reconsider.

The United States is entering a scary time, threats against woman and those in LGBTQ communities is at an alarming high and is probably going to get worse. Before you get a firearm there is a lot of things you should do and a lot of things you shouldn't do.

What you should do is go hold a lot of handguns if that's the route you want to take. Handguns are not one size fits all, don't let anyone tell you what to buy as it's all preference and comfortability. I highly recommend Parros in Waterbury as they are not full of pro trump iconography in their store, it's a safe and clean environment. Secondly prepare to spend money. There are plenty of good quality handguns in the 4-600 dollar range however it doesn't stop there. I HIGHLY recommend buying 1000 rounds of ammunition, two spare magazines and a good quality holster. Then go to a range and practice practice practice. Anyone can buy a gun and pull a trigger, no one is good with one immediately. Lastly, because I forgot, a strong, durable storage solution, they make good biometric safes that are fast and efficient, but a cheap cabinet safe will do fine as long as it locks.

What you shouldn't do is simple. Don't flash it off, don't buy a colored firearm (I can elaborate if needed), but most importantly don't buy it and leave it at home. So many people buy a firearm for self defense and leave it at home. If you're going to buy a handgun get used to having it on your body, yes it's inconvenient at times and you will have to take it on and off your person to go certain places but a gun at home is useless.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out to me. I'm a married man in my 30s who is pretty laid back and I love to help others. We are Vermonters and together we're the best damn state in the Nation and I will always do what I can for my neighbors.

Now if you want a place to start looking I have loose recommendations but again to my first point, try things for yourself. - Caliber 9mm is ideal for most people. Low recoil, low cost, high availability and reasonable power. Don't go .380 and don't use .22. Those rounds are not reliable as self defense calibers in my opinion. Can they be lethal? Yes but 9mm has better results overall. It's been standard for the military for 3 decades at this point. - Brands. Glock, CZ and S&W have excellent choices in a reasonable budget. They're reliable and tough as nails. Please don't trust your life to a sub 300$ hi point or Taurus. In the firearms world, cheap usually does not mean good. - Ammunition. For practice, any brass cased ammo is good, I have a preference for federal. For carry, please only carry hollow points. They are designed for self defense and to hopefully, not overpenetrate and hit something that isn't your intended target.

Again if you have any questions regarding training, law, where to go, just ask. I want this to be a safe place for people to ask anything they want to!

Important note - none of this is legal advice, if you want legal advice get a lawyer, this is gun owner advice.