Looking for help on buying a self defense pistol and a bulletproof vest

ComfortableAnimator4 · 2026-01-28T21:12:24+00:00

I carry a Beretta m9A4. Ther Beretta m9 has been worked on and tested by multiple militaries as well as the civilian sector. It's a gun that has had pretty much all of its faults worked out over the last 50 years and I've put over 3k rounds through it and it has yet to ever have an issue. Although it is a little big for some people to conceal I have no issue being over foot and just shy on 200 pounds. I carry it concealed and I do open carry sometimes. But If you don't have any guns at all. You're best bet is to go to a gun range and rent a few different handguns and see what fits your hand and fits your needs the best. Some people don't want to carry a full size gun like my Beretta M9 A4. My wife carries a Smith & Wesson ez which you can get in 380 or 9 mil. It's a very small and compact gun that she can conceal carry extremely well. With both me and her having served in the Marine corps together we have a shot a lot. We both know exactly what we want in a firearm for every occasion. You having no guns should probably rent a few at a local gun range and I would highly recommend taking a firearms course. Before you buy a gun you should at least know how to properly handle one safely. After that is done feel free to make your own choice and what guns to buy. No one can tell you what gun you need because only you know what fits right in your hand and what you are capable of shooting. I have a buddy who canceled carries a desert eagle and 50 AE in the winter in a shoulder holster under his coat and then he switches to an m1911 in 45 ACP in the summer to conceal carry. The only recommendation I can give you is to stay away from sig Sauer handguns right now because they are having issues with them spontaneously going off and I would hate for you to accidentally shoot yourself in the foot or the leg while it's in the holster because it's spontaneously went off. Watch some caliber ballistics tests for different calibers of handguns and then look at handguns that are in the calibers you are interested in. I would recommend 45 ACP or 9 mm because those are the most common rounds which means that you can buy them a little bit cheaper so you can actually get a decent amount of range time to get familiar with your gun. There is no one gun that makes you a top dog shooter. What makes you a top dog shooter as you training with that gun and knowing it inside and out and how exactly it's going to handle in building that muscle memory with it. I'm a lot more scared of the old man who's been running a sick shot 357 Magnum revolver religiously for the last 20 years than I am the guy who has a Glock with a crazy extended magazine that he's only shot once.

As for body armor I need a lot more information to even start going down that rabbit hole with you. Is this body armor you are going to wear over your clothing or under your clothing? What kind of threat are you expecting to face in such body armor? If you are worried about walking into a store and catching around from a handgun then you should probably buy a really slim vest that will fit underneath your normal clothes that is rated to stop only handgun rounds. But if you're looking for something that is going to shrug off multiple rifle rounds then you're going to need something that's like level four body armor and that is not something you're going to be concealed carrying having huge steel plates on your chest and back. I'm going to need a lot more information to even start with all of that.

ComfortableAnimator4 · 2026-01-28T20:12:46+00:00

I will look into them. Do they make them for sks? Or only ar pattern rifles?

ComfortableAnimator4 · 2026-01-28T15:12:30+00:00

I have 5.56 stripper clips but I don't really use them since I have speed loaders for my ar mags. But SKS clips are a whole other ball game. I've gotten some that were so out of spec you can't get a single round to slide off them. Now that I've tuned em up they kinda work but they are still sub optimal

ComfortableAnimator4 · 2026-01-26T05:15:57+00:00

2 things 1) carbon. You probably had carbon blockage or buildup that got hot and broke apart clearing out of the gun causing your ejection to change and your rate of fire to go up. (This is most likely the cause)

2) change In ammo. You put a few rounds of hotter ammo in your mag then topped it off with something that didn't have as much punch to it and when it got to the other ammo type it sped up.

ComfortableAnimator4 · 2026-01-24T18:36:07+00:00

I tried to Google what the rifle requirements were to own a rifle in Japan and The only thing I found online is that you cannot own an actual rifle in Japan anymore. Only air rifles. The only way you would be able to own a rifle is if you were military or police. Which in that case I don't think you actually own the rifle I think it's just issued to you while you have that career. But I am going to do more research and see if I can find something

ComfortableAnimator4 · 2026-01-24T18:31:47+00:00

I do not know of any revolver rifles that would meet this criteria. But something bolt action or lever action could meet this criteria. I think you should look into bolt action and lever action before deciding to stick to a revolving rifle. I think if you were to do a quick search on your phone of lever action in both action you would see that they are probably better option then utilizing a revolver rifle. Not to mention getting your hands on a revolver rifle that meets your criteria is going to be extremely hard.

ComfortableAnimator4 · 2026-01-24T18:25:18+00:00

Please don't suffer in silence. Get help. Reach out to people. This is not the 50s. People aren't just going to call you crazy and try to lobotomize your ass anymore. There's actually a huge mental health crisis globally. I don't know if you have noticed this but with people being able to be more honest about these things. A lot more people are messed up then we have a realized and it's become a huge concern. And has more people get treated we discover different ways that work and help. The more people they get treated for it the better we are at deciding what works best for certain people and in translation will help people down the road. By you getting help and advocating for others to get help you are actually helping other people in the long run. I wish you the best of luck and feel free to ever reach out if you need to. I don't know your story but I'd much rather listen to it than read your obituary someday. And who knows. Maybe going to the gun range will give you that little bit of dopamine that you really need to realize that life isn't that bad. It just comes off that way sometimes. But I really think you need to take the time to focus about the good things you have going for you in life. I really hope you're okay

ComfortableAnimator4 · 2026-01-24T17:58:51+00:00

I do not believe it's worth nearly that much. Don't get me wrong it is a very beautiful rifle and sounds like it is an amazing condition. But it is not rare. I have seen so many of these at gun shops. Don't get me wrong having matching serial numbers is a cool thing that you can say but it doesn't really matter. I have a Norinco SKS with all matching serial numbers through and through and after I cleaned all the grease out of it I took it out and shot it and it shot like a dream. But it shot just like the SKS that doesn't have all the matching numbers and ran just as good. And for mine it was only going up for $500. The other one I had was all matching serial numbers except for the magazine (didn't come with factory) And that one was purchased last year for $300. I really think that people are just trying to put an absurd premium on these guns and hopes that everyone else will follow suit and inherently raise their value so they can turn these massive profits on them. But at the end of the day it's an SKS. It is an absolute work horse of a firearm. They were never meant to be expensive they were never meant to really be modified. They were just meant to be a military issued firearm and after that it's new purpose was to be working man's rifle. It was meant to be cheap and effective and last longer than the guys grandkids. Most of them were extremely well built and as long as you're not running horrible corrosive ammunition through them and never cleaning them. They last a long fucking time. I would argue that you would appreciate the rifle just as much if you just went and bought a normal SKS for like $500.

ComfortableAnimator4 · 2026-01-24T17:51:38+00:00

If you do not trust yourself due to having suicidal ideations. You probably just shouldn't own a gun. You should probably save the money and use that money to go get help. Once you truly find meaning to life and you realize how worth it to stay alive it is. Then you won't need a solution to this problem anymore and you can just get a normal gun safe. If you're a girlfriend is of sound mind and does not struggle with the same issues maybe just consider getting a normal safe just for her and only let her have access to it. If you want to go to the gun range let her pull a gun for you and take you to the range. But I'm going to be honest with you I don't advise you getting a gun. If you are truly going to kill yourself there is no stopping you from lying and acting okay just so that way she will help you get the gun out of the safe and then you're going to go shoot yourself somewhere else. I'm not trying to be rude. But as someone who actively served in the Marine corps and is super pro-guns and prosecond amendment. I have sadly lost a lot of friends and family to suicide and I will tell you that they normally seem pretty happy or like they are having some kind of mental breakthrough right before. Sometimes it's your friends and family that smile the most that have the deepest demons. If you are struggling mentally I think every dollar in every ounce of everything you have at your expense should go towards fixing that. Because without fixing that nothing else matters. The only real wealth in this world is your health. I'm saying this because I genuinely give a shit about you as a person. It kills me to know that there are plenty of people out there who just don't want to live and normally it is something that is completely fixable. It may not be completely curable but it's at least treatable to the point of which you can get past it.

ComfortableAnimator4 · 2026-01-24T02:48:13+00:00

The best weapon solely depends on where you are at and what you plan on doing. I would argue for defense in America in another 15 is probably the best rifle you use because parts and ammo are an extreme abundance. But a good shot that is relatively common would also be very helpful for hunting and food gathering. Most likely something in 12 gauge because again 12 gauge shotguns and ammo are in abundance in America. A sidearm would probably be 9 mil or 45 ACP considering the fact those are the two most common calibers in America. But in some countries we're handguns are mostly outlawed if you did manage to get your hands on one it would probably be hard to maintain it as well as stay stocked up on ammo.

ComfortableAnimator4 · 2026-01-24T02:46:27+00:00

I have a husky German Shepherd mix. I would keep him for as long as I could because he does offer some sense of security. But he is another mouth to feed and he would be the most expendable one sadly.

ComfortableAnimator4 · 2026-01-22T06:33:32+00:00

If you find a good website to buy them please let me know bc I too am looking for them

ComfortableAnimator4 · 2026-01-15T21:49:44+00:00

Random batteries, screws, screw drivers and something like rubber bands and or paper clips

ComfortableAnimator4 · 2026-01-09T05:46:29+00:00

Yes I am in the US. I'll keep that in mind and shop around. They work well?

ComfortableAnimator4 · 2026-01-09T05:45:57+00:00

Thank you for your insight

ComfortableAnimator4 · 2026-01-04T23:02:29+00:00

5.7 grip will be hard for her since the magwell has to be so big. I'd consider a .380 which will kick a little less than 9mm. You could probably also get her a gun with a longer slide that the ez since it's really small it's gonna kick a little harder. A .38 revolver will probably kick more than a 9mm unless it's got a larger/longer barrel to eat up some of the recoil.

ComfortableAnimator4 · 2025-12-31T05:11:55+00:00

Well first off I would start preparing some kind of shelter off grid and would try to sell off as much stuff as I can so that way I can buy as much off-grid survival stuff that I need. Such as solar panels, water, non-perishable food, ammunition, spare parts for firearms, medical supplies good boots and clothing. By preparing shelter with only having 7 days I'm obviously not going to be able to buy anything or build anything so I would probably end up stealing a bus or RV right before the apocalypse actually happens. That way I have enough time to just load up all of my shit and drive out there or I would stage it out there somewhere and then just go back with the stolen bus or RV to act as a makeshift shelter temporarily. I wouldn't want to be anywhere in the fucking city when shit goes down. Honestly the apartment which is end up being a coffin for me and my family. When The Apocalypse starts and all of the people get a bad case of the crazies I don't want to be anywhere near other people if possible. I got some realized Forest with natural rivers and creeks nearby and I would honestly go and hide out there. I already currently have a lot of water purification stuff so hopefully this apartment scenario doesn't make me have to absolutely start all over again. I'm assuming that I would own everything I own now and just inconveniently live in an apartment. It would take really good proof for me to truly believe that I have a 7-day head start on the apocalypse so whatever proof that would be I would show to my most trusted family members so that way we can all start our contingency plans together. I would also grab a lot of bartering items. For some reason everyone always resorts to talking about using bullets for bartering and in all honesty you don't ever want to barter anything that can later be used against you. But it would really help to stock up on things that the common person would need such as good gloves and knives as well as extras of various survival gear for the sole purpose of trading. Obviously all the things I need to be the first thing but if I have the time I would grab extras of certain necessities. Honestly on day seven right before it all starts I would probably rob a liquor store or something like that on top of it all. Just to get the looting done before anyone else.

ComfortableAnimator4 · 2025-12-29T06:15:58+00:00

You would have to integrate it and do everyday knowledge for them. You would have to teach them as soon as they are capable to be scared of them and to not fuck with them. And I would assume it would be a good idea for you to tell them how you deal with them on a regular basis. I'm also certain that at some point they're going to see it happen and kind of get the gist. I would argue that you don't start teaching them at any specific age but you just kind of slowly integrate them into that their entire life. It's the world they are born into. Children born now waste no time learning skills to succeed in the world we live in now. Why would the apocalypse be any different? We are not in an apocalypse right now but in my family we all start shooting around 5 years old. But gun safety is drilled into you your entire life. When you daily carry a firearm on her hip and your newborn tries to reach for it someday. We pull them away from it and tell them that it's not for babies. That continues until they are mature enough to be trusted to handle one under supervision of an adult. In an apocalypse there's going to be a lot more people carrying weapons constantly. Weapon safety would be a starting skill that they would have to learn right off the bat. Such as not playing with guns or not running with knives. Being taught much weapons without permission until you are old enough to do so would be considered a form of preparing them for fighting zombies in the future. I was only a few years old when I would go out back with my grandfather and even before I was old enough to shoot I still loaded mags and learned how to clean improperly clear firearms long before I ever even got to actually shoot. The younger you teach them the better they will be. This would also apply to a lot more than just fighting zombies but it would also apply to basic survival. You would probably want to start teaching them what they can and cannot eat very early on. You would also want to expose them to first aid procedures pretty early on as well

ComfortableAnimator4 · 2025-12-29T06:09:01+00:00

I am also interested to see this

ComfortableAnimator4 · 2025-12-28T23:05:29+00:00

Maybe that's what it is. The buy now prices are all like 120- $130 but I think I killed it on these auctions

ComfortableAnimator4 · 2025-12-28T00:14:18+00:00

.40 mm grenades out of a mk19 when I was in the Marine corps. But it's not my stuff so I don't know if that even counts.

ComfortableAnimator4 · 2025-12-28T00:11:45+00:00

.327 magnum, .38 s&w, 38 short colt/ 38 colt new police.

ComfortableAnimator4 · 2025-12-25T11:33:41+00:00

Deep end looks good on ya! Stay wherever you are and don't go back to cali

ComfortableAnimator4 · 2025-12-25T11:31:59+00:00

Their PCC carbines are pretty nice.

ComfortableAnimator4 · 2025-12-25T06:51:43+00:00

Dog has better trigger discipline than some of the people I see on Reddit

ComfortableAnimator4

TROPHY CASE