I grew up in a very safe neighborhood in the suburbs of Chicago. My family and I rarely experienced petty crimes growing up, therefore the necessity to be prepared for the worst was not a priority (my parents words, not mine). My folks also don’t believe owning a firearm whatsoever is a necessity; similar to their take on tattoos and owning multiple vehicles.
Through my life, I’ve lived in safe and unsafe neighborhoods. I’ve been fortunate enough to stay safe through that tenure, even while living in Warren, Michigan which does not have a great notoriety.
I now live in a relatively safe suburb of Cleveland, and in the two years of living here, had two close encounters that luckily did not escalate to violence. One was a very intoxicated resident of the neighboring apartments banging on our door thinking it was her house. She finally figured out her mistake and apologized profusely. I caught another individual peeking through our mudroom window. I was awake watching tv, and confronted him. He claimed he was looking for his friend, but I had my doubts. He hustled off down the road after I told him to leave before I call the cops.
I’ve always wanted to own at least one firearm. I’ve gone shooting at ranges with friends and enjoyed it thoroughly. I also believe one reliable firearm is a smart home defense method (and a lot more effective than the croquet mallet that currently is out defense system). But I know getting in to that scene is not cheap, and I already am hemorrhaging money in to other hobbies and habits. So I always put it off for “when I have expendable money”.
I recently came across a few hundred bucks towards Cabela’s and thought this would be a perfect opportunity to finally acquire something for home defense. So I’ve been researching and online shopping for a pistol lately. I am your typical novice looking to get in to the scene, so I am learning about different ammo sizes, trigger styles, rimfire vs. centerfire, the list goes on.
Ohio law doesn’t require a permit or license to own a pistol. And I don’t plan on conceal & carry it ever. My record is clean, so the background check should pass with flying colors (unless they deduct for traffic violations /s). I have a lock safe that usually has our birth certificates and other important documents, and it’s large enough to store a pistol too. The box sits under my bed in an arms reach. I am setting a budget for $300-$400 not including ammo or attachments. It seems the consensus for ammo is 9mm for a basic firearm. Cheap and plentiful.
Here’s what I found on Cabela’s website
All are in budget, all have great reviews, but they all look the same to me. I know I need to go in and see how they feel in hand, and see if they even have any in stock with everything going on now.
Once acquired, I plan on taking myself and the missus to the nearest range for some training and opportunity to shoot some rounds off. As for attachments, the only two I see necessary are night sights and maybe a flashlight under the barrel.
What say you Oppo? Open to all advice and criticism.