If you’re new to the gun world or are thinking about buying your first self-defense handgun, wading through all of the information on what you need is a bit daunting. After initiallyt assuming that they only need to buy the firearm itself, most folks are often blindsided by all of the extra stuff that’s required.
Let’s figure out a reasonable, realistic budget for buying a self-defense gun and the other paraphernalia gun in 2023 to make sure you’re set up right. Our goal is to come in at under $1,500. That, of course, will depend heavily on the handgun your choose.
If you’re surprised by that number, keep reading to see what I recommend and why.
Gun: $500
First up is the gun itself. This is the part that people spend most of their time and energy on, and with good reason.
It’s imperative that you make a choice based on research and test firing if at all possible. In fact, I recommend that everyone test-fire any pistol before they buy it. Personally speaking, I never buy a defensive pistol unless I’ve shot it a bunch.
If you’re just in the market for a range toy, then shooting it first isn’t nearly as important. But if you plan to use the pistol to defend your life, you need to know that you’re comfortable with it, that you shoot it well, that it works with your chosen ammo, etc.
There’s a common misconception that you need to spend a lot of money on a personal defense gun. That increasingly isn’t true. There are a lot of reasonably priced options out there that you can rely on for everyday carry. And as the economy seems to slide further down those imaginary tubes, it’ll get harder to justify any big purchases for many.
The good news is that you don’t need to drop $1,000 to get a reliable firearm. There are a lot of very reliable and accurate self-defense guns in the $500 price range.
For example as of this writing Palmetto State Armory currently has handguns like the GLOCK 43X, SIG P365, the Ruger Max 9 and the S&W M&P Shield Plus all hovering right around $500 price point or less.
Or, you could go to your local FFL, peruse Guns.com, or any of the gun classified sights and buy any of the above-mentioned pistols used, and save even more cash.
The pictured gun at the top is a SIG SAUER P365XL.
Ammunition: $300
Next up is ammunition. I remember buying only one box of 9mm FMJ and zero personal defense ammo when I bought my first handgun more than a decade ago. Looking back I realize what a mistake that was.
You literally can’t have too much, but you need to have enough — mostly FMJ range ammo, but personal defense ammo, too — on hand so you can actually go to the range to build up your skills. To start, plan on at least 500 rounds (1,000 rounds is better) of FMJ…ball, target, range ammo…whatever you want to call it.
I say “at least” because any good self-defense pistol class that you’re going to take (which I’ll talk about later) is probably going to have you run through 750 to 1,000 rounds of ammo over the two days of class.
You’ll also need a few boxes of personal defense ammo, of course. For hollow point (JHP) ammo, I generally carry Federal HST, Speer Gold Dot, Hornady Critical Duty, or SIG V-Crown.
Right now ammunition prices are down somewhat from their recent highs, even if they’re still more than they were a few years ago. But order one or two fewer lattes every week and spend the money on ammunition. It’s well worth it.
Pictured at the top is a case of PPU 124 grain FMJ and Federal Premium 124 grain Punch hollow points.
Additional Gear: $200
It always baffles me when I see folks spend $500 to $750 on a good gun, buy some ammo, and then stick it all in a “one-size” nylon holster they bought at Wally World.
Then they stare at the mirror, baffled, trying to figure out why the gun sags and prints because, they figured they were all set hanging it call on the flimsy leather belt they bought 17 years ago.
Yeah…no.
Let’s talk about the other gear you’re going to need.
Holster: $70
You have to have a good method of carrying your firearm that’s comfortable, effective and discreet. You don’t have to spend a ton of money to get a very good holster. But it needs to be a good holster.
Do some research. Figure out in which position and style you’re going to carry your gun (pocket, appendix, strong side hip, 5 o’clock, inside the waistband, outside the waistband) and buy a holster for that style that’s made specifically for your handgun. A one-size-fits-most holster means it won’t work well enough with any handgun you carry with it.
Your holster should be comfortable enough to wear all day, including during long car trips. It should also covers the trigger completely for safety.
Be prepared to buy more than one holster because you probably won’t want to carry your gun the same way all the time. In the summer, with lighter clothing, you’ll probably want to carry IWB to keep your gun concealed. In colder weather when you’re wearing more clothing, OWB may make more sense.
And let’s be honest here…just about every gun owner goes through a lot of holsters before finally settling on the brands and styles they stick with. Fair warning.
The holsters pictured at the top are the Tulster Oath, JM4 Tactical Quick Click and Carry, and Concealment Express.
Gun Belt: $70
A good gun belt is one of the least appreciated pieces of gear by far too many people who carry guns. A good, rigid gun belt is more comfortable, keeps your holster from flopping, and more evenly distributes the weight of what you’re carrying. There are several good options here, most in the $60 to $80 dollar price point.
I specifically like the Kore Essentials EDC Belt (pictured above) and the Nexbelt Titan because of their nearly infinite adjustability. I own both and recommend either one.
When I need to put on a leather belt to look like I haven’t just pulled myself off the range, I like JM4 Tactical’s Double Shot which is one of the most expensive belts mentioned here, coming in at about $100. It’s probably the thickest, sturdiest belt I’ve ever used.
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter which gun belt you go with, as long as it’s designed to carry a gun. That old, stretched-out leather belt that you bought at a big box store for $12 just isn’t going to cut it.
Spare Magazine: $40
If there is something that I wish more gun manufacturers included in the box with personal defense pistols, it would be a third (or fourth) magazine. Some companies only include one. That simply is not enough. Most include two. That’s barely sufficient. You can never have too many magazines, but you need at least three, if not four.
There are numerous reasons why this is true, including the simple fact that the magazine is a weak point in a semi-automatic handgun that can and sometimes does fail.
Beyond that, you’ll need more for training like performing reloads, practicing failure drills, carrying extra ammo, and the list goes on. If you’re reading this and you don’t have at least a third magazine for your carry gun, remedy that situation. Today.
A spare magazine will run you anywhere from $20 to %70 bucks depending on the gun you carry. Most will be in the neighborhood of $35 to $40.
Magazine Pouch: $20
Not everyone chooses to carry extra an extra magazine, but you may choose to at some time in the future. It’s a good idea. As the saying goes, no one ever regretted having one when they really needed it.
The real reasons you should get a good magazine pouch is…guns fail sometimes and magazines are usually the cause in semi-autos. Also, if you’re training, you need a way to carry an extra magazine or two for changes.
Every pistol class I’ve ever taken has required a magazine pouch and spare magazines. It saves time during class. As an added bonus, you learn how to get your gun back into the fight after running empty or a malfunction.
Pistol Training Classes: $400
Last, but certainly not least, is instruction. When I say instruction, I’m talking about something beyond the what you need to get your state’s permit to carry. Your permit class isn’t meant to teach you how to defend yourself. If you’re lucky they teach you the legalities of carrying a gun in your state and (maybe) ensure you know how to handle a handgun safely.
The truth of the matter is that most gun carriers are woefully unprepared for an actual self-defense encounter.
I recommend that everyone take a good training class shortly after they get their permit to carry because, trust me here, none of us are as good as we think we are. Making matters worse is the fact that that our performance goes down drastically when the adrenaline is pumping in a self-defense situation.
The cost of training will vary widely from one area and instructor to the next, but the going rate is usually between $300 and $500 dollars for a good one or two-day beginning personal defense class.
Conclusion
The total cost for everything mentioned above: $1,400. The actual price will come in higher or lower depending on the gun you choose, how much ammo you buy, and the kind of training you take. That, however, should get you started and set some reasonable expectations. Now get out there and get going.
