Firearms are great tools and there are so many different set ups and gadgets out there, anyone can go nuts. I’m all about basics, that’s how I learned and that’s what I teach. Anyone looking for that perfect firearm or combo needs to do the research on themselves. 1) Comfort with your handgun and long gun. Don’t get too many different guns because your skills will diminish.
2) Spend a dime to save a dollar or your life. Don’t allow cost, especially inexpensive, to drive your choices or purchase. Don’t look at 9mm as cheap(unless it’s aluminum cased blazer-junk), but highly available so when SHTF, it will be easier to locate more. Others are 22LR, .40S&W, .45ACP, .223/5.56 and .308/7.62×51. 3) Simplicity and Reliability-my wife just couldn’t get accustomed to semi-auto handguns so we went with a revolver and she’s amazing with it! 4) Know your gun and how to repair it. That means get extra parts, spend time with it and don’t just take it apart if you don’t know what you are doing. Educate yourself. 5) Don’t succumb to marketing. Less is more so going back to basics, learn iron sights over everything else. When you add stuff on that, you also add a higher percentage of failure. I don’t care how good your batteries are, they don’t last forever. If you are dependent on a platform with battery driven optics, you will fail when they do. 6) Know your ammo and it’s capabilities and limitations. .223/5.56 FMJ when above 2500fps will fragment and not go through a body causing great damage. Under 2500fps, it will hold together and just make a small hole. Example, 16” barrel is effective, >2500fps out to 200yds while a 14.5” barrel is only good to 150yds. Using soft point Ammo can bring on feeding malfunctions.
There’s just a few things for now. Practice perfectly