The Coli Buyer's Guide - Home and Personal Defense on a Budget
Contributions by NatiboyB, NZA, Stir Fry and Wildin
Last updated May 28, 2022
As a gun owner, you have a responsibility to shoot a gun before you buy it. To get the fit, to get the feel, to see if you can overcome the recoil, etc. Guns are like shoes, and people's hands are like feet. Different sizes, shapes, bends, etc. Just like some people can't rock Chuck Taylors or some Nikes or Adidas cause they have flat feet, wide feet, high arches etc., guns are exactly the same. You can't buy guns off looks alone. You really have to analyze what you need and what's good for you. Try to go to a local gun store and see how some options feel in your hand, then
find a range that rents out guns and try out the ones you thought felt nice.
RIFLES
Unless you live in a slave state, buy an AR-15 in 5.56 NATO/.223 Rem.
+ Ammo is reasonably priced
+ Parts are common
+ Reliable magazines like the
PMAG M2/M3 and
USGI are affordable
+ Knowledge on how to maintain and modify them is widespread
+ Easiest to use gun for women, children, the elderly, or the disabled
+/- Some models, usually marked as "optics ready," don't come with sights
+/- If you need sights the
MBUS is a good option that often goes on sale for around $65 a pair,
Vortex and
Primary Arms make affordable red dots and the
SIG Sauer ROMEO5 is also great
- Can't fit one in your pocket
Anderson AM-15 - $450
Palmetto State Armory PA-15 - $450-500
Del-Ton Echo 316 - $500
+ Affordable, works well enough
+ Pick whatever mid length rifle you like best
+ You can save more money by buying the upper and lower separately, and can mix and match between companies
+/- You can save even more money by building the lower, the only uncommon tools you need are a set of punches and a $10 castle nut wrench
- Building the upper isn't worth it for a first time owner since you need several uncommon and expensive tools
Smith & Wesson M&P15 /
Ruger AR-556 - $550-600
+ Better fit and finish and quality control than the previous tier
+ Easier to customize the upper, PSA goes out of their way to make their uppers hard to modify
- Generally a little overpriced
.22 LR semi-auto:
+ Large capacity magazines are common and affordable
+ Ammo is the least expensive kind you can buy
- Ammo is the first thing to be hoarded during shortages, driving prices up
- Very underpowered for defensive purposes, but...
+ Most people don't like being shot
Marlin 795 - $150
Mossberg 702 - $150
Ruger 10/22 - $300
For slave states:
Ruger PC Carbine - 9mm - $550
+ Reliable, great backpack gun
+ Ammo is reasonably priced
+ Magpul just came out with
backpacker-style furniture
- Less powerful than an AR-15
+/- Uses pistol ammo, which you can't buy until you're 21
Savage Axis XP - .308 Win, also comes in .223 Rem - $375
+ Comes in a package with a scope
+ You can take the scope off and put a red dot on
+ .308 model is more powerful than an AR-15
- Bolt-action, not semi-auto so you'll need to practice to be able to fire rapidly
- Magazine only holds four rounds
- Magazines are expensive
PISTOLS
Nothing fancy, just a striker fired semi-auto in 9mm or .380. There's plenty of good options that aren't on this list, once you get past a certain price point pretty much everything's comfortable and reliable. Almost all of these come in several sizes and/or in optics ready versions, I've chosen a compact size without a red dot for most of them.
+ Ammo is reasonably priced
+ Okay for home defense, great for concealed carry
+ Easy manual of arms, you pull the trigger and it goes bang
- The smaller and lighter the gun, the harder it is to shoot well
- Need a holster to carry safely
+/- Have to be 21 to buy
+/- Some states require a license to own and/or or have severe restrictions on carrying
Hi-Point C9 - $150, less than $100 used
Taurus G2c - $175 used
Smith & Wesson M&P9 Shield - first gen - $200-300 used
Kel-Tec P11 - will be replaced soon by the
P15 - $225 used
Taurus G3c - $225
Taurus GX4 - $300 - same as the G3c but smaller and lighter with more capacity
Beretta APX - $350
Canik TP9 Elite SC - $350
Ruger LCP MAX - $350
CZUB P-10 C - $400 used
Glock
19 or
43X - $400 used or factory rebuilt
IWI Masada - $400
Mossberg MC2sc - $400
Ruger MAX-9 - $400
Smith & Wesson M&P9 Shield Plus - same as the Shield but with higher capacity - $400
Springfield Hellcat - $400
Palmetto State Armory Dagger - $300
+ Lowest entry point to getting an optics ready pistol
+ Gen3 Glock clone so it has the largest aftermarket of any pistol ever
+ You can buy the frame and slide separately
+ PSA sometimes does runs of slides with decent red dots pre-mounted, these are great deals since with most companies you get a janky pack-in
Smith & Wesson M&P9 Shield EZ - also comes in
.380 ACP - $350
+ Great for women, the disabled, the elderly, or anyone who can't rack the slide or load the mag on other automatics
+/- Has a grip safety which some people don't like
If you get an optics ready pistol, here are some good options:
-
Burris FastFire 2 - $150
-
SIG Sauer ROMEOZero - $175
-
Vortex Venom - $200
-
Holosun is just out of the price range of this guide but has a large catalog and great bang for the buck
REVOLVERS
+ Reliable
+ Often found used in good condition
+ .38 has manageable recoil
+ Can be carried without a holster
+ Easy for women to load and carry, but...
- Not so easy to shoot
- Only five rounds capacity
- Slow to reload
- Short barrel means lots of noise and muzzle flash
Armscor M206 - $250
Ruger LCR - $425 used
Smith & Wesson 442 - $425
SHOTGUNS
If you can't get an AR-15 or a handgun, get a pump-action 12-gauge shotgun. When looking for shotguns, it pays to check local pawn shops and gun stores. Old hunting shotguns are sold off for the low to these stores who in turn flip them them at low prices. Big box retailers like Wal-Mart, Bass Pro, Cabela's, Scheels and Academy also sell a wide variety of shotguns. In most areas, you can find quality shotguns for $200 or less easily.
+ Can change out the barrel for hunting or shooting sports
+
Powaful Impak!
- Needs more strength and skill to use than an AR-15
- Low ammo capacity
- Buckshot and slugs are expensive, defensive ammo is very expensive
- Ammo is bulky
- Many indoor ranges ban shotguns, making it harder to practice
Mossberg Maverick 88 Security - $200
Winchester SXP Defender - $300
Mossberg 500 - $350
Benelli Nova - $400
POVERTY TIER OPTIONS
Only consider these if you're on a super tight budget, these are the least expensive long guns I can recommend in good conscience.
Hi-Point 995TS - $175, much less used
+ Very affordable, it even comes with sights
+/- Hit or miss quality control, but well-made examples are
very reliable
- Uses less powerful ammo which you can't buy until you're 21
- Outdated features, such as having only a Weaver rail
- Heavy, uncomfortable to shoot, uglier than sin
Midland Arms Backpack - $150
+ Extremely light, fits in a backpack
- Only holds a single round at a time, will need to practice reloads especially under high stress situations
+/- Seriously, just get a Hi-Point unless you live in a slave state
GUNS TO AVOID
- Saturday night specials/"Ring of Fire" guns - Bryco, Cobra, Davis, JA Industries, Jennings, Jimenez, Lorcin, Phoenix, Raven, Republic, RG, Rohm, Sedco, Standard, Sundance, Talon - low quality and dangerous, banned in some states
- AK-47s and magazine-fed shotguns - at these price points you won't be able to find one that works well
- Remington 870 - made by several different companies varying from poor to great quality control, all well-made versions are used
- Military surplus like the Mosin or SKS - prices have risen a lot, ammo is getting harder to find, available guns are in poor condition
- Cheap Turkish shotguns - never come across one that wasn't trash, good ones like Stoeger or Huglu have price tags to match
AMMO
Rifles - FMJ is less expensive but has worse terminal effects and can overpenetrate. If you're buying for defense, consider
hollow points or
bonded soft points, but they're quite expensive and you need to test it out to make sure it feels reliably. 5.56 NATO ammo can't be safely fired in a rifle marked .223 Rem, but a 5.56 marked rifle can fire both types.
Pistols - FMJ is fine for training. Quality defensive ammo like
Federal HST or
Speer Gold Dot is expensive, but well worth it. Try to get the 50 round law enforcement boxes, not the 20 round civilian boxes. It's the same product, just much less expensive. Make sure to test out a box or two before carrying it. There's a test of several different kinds of ammo
here.
Shotguns - Buy #00 or #1 buckshot for defense, avoid birdshot unless you're planning on being attacked by tiny birds.
OTHER THINGS YOU'LL NEED
- Cleaning supplies - a brush, a jag, a rod, patches, solvents, oils, etc. You can get cheap kits at Wal-Mart or most sporting goods stores. The minimum I'd go with is a rod and jag, a bottle of
CLP or
Ballistol, and some old cut up cotton shirts.
- Safety glasses
- Ear protection - avoid foam earplugs.
Howard Leight Impact Sports and
Peltor Sports are a nice budget choice and are much comfier.
- Holster for a pistol - avoid one size fits all cloth holsters.
- Flashlight - consider one for a home defense gun, and maybe a mount if it's a long gun. Avoid cheap Chinese lights, the
TLR-1 HL and
TLR-7 Sub are good options. Just like with guns, you really get what you pay for here and a lot of budget lights can't hold up to the stresses of gunfire.
- Training - the NRA has a site for the
basics of firearm handling, the USCCA
offers classes, and some academies have free courses on YouTube.
Project Appleseed is a great way to get marksmanship training.
- Safe - optional, but in some states these are mandated if you live with kids. Small safes, like the ones with a biometric reader are useless against thieves or determined teenagers but will keep a young child out. There's a great buyer's guide
here.
WHERE TO BUY
To buy a gun online, you need to visit a local store ("FFL") and ask them to send a copy of their license to the store you're buying from. The FFL will do a background check on you and charge you for the transfer, $15-25 is typical in most areas. Highly restricted areas like NY/CA will have higher fees, and in some places like DC, the only FFL is the police department.
-
gun.deals is a search tool where stores can submit prices for guns they carry. It can also be used for accessories, parts, medical gear, etc. and comes with an alert tool that can email you when something you're looking for falls below a certain price. A lot of stores that buy listings here don't actually carry inventory though, they just drop ship from their distributor.
-
AmmoSeek is a search tool that crawls the Internet for the best prices on ammo. Watch out for the listings all the way at the top, these stores usually charge a lot for shipping. Ammo is almost always going to be less expensive at a local gun store since they won't charge you for shipping.
-
GunBroker is the eBay of guns, be sure to check here for what you want before you buy it elsewhere.
- Local forums - some states have very active exchanges like
Georgia Outdoors Trader and
Texas Gun Trader
-
Black owned stores and ranges across America. Honestly though the margins on guns are so small that I wouldn't worry too much about buying guns only from black owned stores. Buying accessories, range time, classes, or doing transfers helps out a lot more.