are you in illinois?
if so, you gotta get a FOID card first in order to buy guns/bullets or be in a gun store. that cost like $10 only.
for concealed carry, u gotta have a FOID card, then take 16 hours of safety classes by an approved instructor. that can cost u like $250 there.
then to get a concealed carry license, u have to apply on the state police website
https://www.ispfsb.com/
concealed carry license cost $150 and u pay on the website. but here's the kicker. when u apply for the concealed carry, you will have to enter the info from the safety class and instructor in order to proceed. if you don't take a legit state approved safety class, u CANNOT apply.
once you apply, ur good to go. u can either do it with or without fingerprints. if you use prints, ur permit comes faster. but prints cost like $75 more. I didn't get mine done. the state has 90-120 days to approve your concealed carry application.
once that's approved, they'll send u a permit, and ur good to go.
for me, me and my wife took the safety class in november. but I didn't apply for my permit til late february. I applied on 2/25 and my card game on 6/12. over 100 days. I did my wife's application on 3/26, and we're still waiting for her permit. her driver's license address didn't match her FOID card, so she had to fix that in order to get her application to go thru.
like I said, if u just wanna be able to buy guns and use the range and keep em in ur crib, you just need a FOID. being able to take em outside is a whole other issue.
I got my FOID first, but once I did, my father, father in law, brother in law, sister, and my wife all got theirs afterwards.