You’ve never own a firearm but now your considering investing in one for the primary purpose of defending yourself and your family.  Going through life, each day you become more concerned, fearing that the poverty and the violence of criminality that it stokes like wind to fire might catch up you.  Looking at your wife and children, you make a decision that BGs’ must go through hell if they think they victimize you to the detriment of your family’s future.  Not only do you decide to buy a gun, you’ve resolved to carry daily.

First task at hand is choosing the appropriate gun.  There’s a wide selection to chose from; the affordable Chinese clones to the perfect out of the box masterpiece every gun enthusiast dreams of owning.  How do you decide what’s right for you?

Perform a reality check with the basic question, “Who are you?”.  What is your occupation, what is the acceptable clothing decorum in your line of work, do you sit in the office at any given work day or are you a field person constantly on the move, is travel a given in your job, do you normally carry a case/man bag, what do you usually do on your days off, what is your non-work day preferred attire.  Remember one must carry concealed (that means no one can tell that your armed) and that the FA  must be within your reach should #*/@ start to happen (which means it must be with you at all times).  Should you prefer a pistol, an extra mag is a must … not because you’ll need all that ammo but rather most operational problems are usually mag related so a replacement is a must should you encounter a failure.

The insights generated from your reality check may now be used to define the specs of that ideal carry gun.  For example:  people who prefer casual, light clothing and not comfortable lugging a fairly large bag would normally stay away from full size FAs;  people who usually spend most of their day sitting in front of computer wouldn’t have to consider the weight of the unit compared to someone who is constantly on the move or spends a lot of time standing about such as cite inspectors.  Best thing, get a piece of paper and write down your preferred gun specs: Overall length, height, thickness and weight. Would you prefer a wheel gun with its inherent advantage of not having to clear a failed round? Or would you go for a pistol because the shape is much easier to conceal since it is essentially flat not having a cylinder; or maybe because reloading is much more simple, the extra rounds more “organized” within a mag.

Next, consider what caliber you prefer:  the legendary 45acp that usually stops a threat with one center of mass hit; maybe the 9mm with the current high tech improvements for penetration or expansion (which would usually allow for more ammo within a similarly sized mag) or a .380 common to pocket guns.  Maybe you like the power of the 357 mag which you may load with 38s’ for affordable practices at the range.  Or would you like a mouse round such as the 32 cal, 25 or rim fire 22? Doesn’t exactly have much power but the small package is a guarantee you’ll have it with you at all times; maybe even in trunks lounging by the pool.

Your preferred gun specs plus choice of round would likely limit your FA choices significantly.  For example:  You desire a FA that’s no more than 5 inches long, 4 inches tall, 1.25 inches thick (or less) that is light for whole day carry (you’ll probably go for polymers) utilizing nothing less that a .380 and no larger than a 40cal.  Research the possible choices for those specs and caliber preference:  Taurus TCP, Ruger LCP, Kel-tec, Kahr PM9 or PM in 380, Bersa cc .380, Ruger LCR, J-frame SW, Snub-nosed Charter Arms … make as comprehensive list of options as possible.   

Now you need to determine availability and affordability; make a table: Unit, Where Sold, How Much, Remarks/observations/special notes.  Take time to visit as many gun stores as possible … phone inquiries are useless if you’ve never actually seen and felt (held in your own hands) the units you are asking about.  Don’t rush this process … a solid decision is only possible with hard data … bawal hulaan, bawal assumptions … each data must be precise and verified. 

So you’ve done your homework … you’re now a certified amateur in gun research   .  Buy a couple of bottles of your favorite brew and put on your thinking music.  Lock the room and take your favorite corner for pondering.  Study your data one unit at a time … don’t rush, be very deliberate.  Mark units with (x) when you think it’s no longer an option; mark (?) if its worth re-thinking and (+) if it’s definitely a good choice.  You’ve shrunk your list even further … how many left?  3?  4?  2?

Final step … try to get range time for each of the very few choices left … some ranges rent out units … some units you’d have to source from or through friends (friends of a friend).  Gastos ka konti but I swear it will all be worth it.  Don’t settle for anything less than 20 rounds for each unit left in your list of choices. 5 rounds slow deliberate aimed fire, 5 rounds smooth sight acquisition from the low ready position, 5 sets of double taps.  Rate each choice as you get to experience them.  I’m confident you’ll realize your optimum choice … now you definitely know what you want.   

Time for that last most crucial step  ….  gather your wits, bring a financial plan of what expenses to save on and possible sources of funds … take a slow calming smoke of your favorite cigarette … then with all the confidence a man can muster, tell your wife, “Honey, may I buy this toy?  Pictures would be good at this point.

POST SPECIALLY PREPARED FOR NEWBIES DETERMINED TO BUY FA FOR DAILY CARRY  (hope this helps bros and sis).

This is a guest post by mandaragit. The article originally appeared on PinoyGuns.