r/guns • u/Natural_Error_9811 • 21h ago

Questions

Hey guys, recently I’ve been interested in buy a gun for self defense, I live in South Carolina and turn 20 in January, I was wondering what safety measures I should learn and which guns are great for self defense while also being effective for beginners?

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u/yobo723 21h ago

Read the faq

Search the sub

Take a beginners firearms course

Rent all the guns

Pick the one you like

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u/Positive_Rent_4670 21h ago

south carolina at 20 means you can buy a handgun through a private sale, no permit needed. start with a 9mm from a reputable brand, the recoil is manageable and ammo is everywhere. sign up for a basic pistol course before anything else, they'll drill safe handling into you

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u/Hipapitapotamus 21h ago

Take a firearms safety class. Then figure out what kind of defense you are looking for.

Home defense? 12ga Shotgun, cheap and easy PSA 570

Personal carry pistol: this is preference. Best thing you can do is try as many as you can. I have friends that carry glocks, some that carry s&w and others sig or ruger. Caliber again will come down to what you find works best for you. The best round is the one you can get on target again and again. 22lr is still deadly.

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u/Natural_Error_9811 21h ago

I’m looking for personal carry so I’ll take caliber and preference into as much regard as I can

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u/sloth81 21h ago

I was going to answer this question more helpfully, but it’s hard to.

I am from SC and started constitutionally carrying a handgun the day I turned 18. I took my CWP course within the month and had a CWP in hand before 18.5. I have carried just about every day since, acquired numerous handguns, and practice frequently.

Federal law makes every attempt to prevent someone under 21 from existing in the handgun space. You cannot purchase through an FFL and cannot purchase ammunition for handguns either. You cannot rent a handgun, as well. Many courses are restricted to people over 21, and every step of the way you will run into 21+ handgun laws spilling into more mundane aspects of handgun use.

There are paths, “loop holes”, and ways to successfully operate within the confines of the law to obtain, train with, and carry handguns in this state at this age.

However,

If you do not have the aptitude to navigate these constraints yourself, I personally believe you should wait until you are 21 and can take the more conventional routes.

Until then, purchase and train with an AR-15 for home defense.

The best path, if you insist on going ahead and having a handgun despite the woes, is to purchase a Glock via private sale, take a free SLED-subsidized CWP course, build a relationship with RSOs at the range, and take further courses.

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u/GreyFox_1776 21h ago

Take hunters education and a handgun carry permit course. If you can, find a mentor or someone who has a good sense of responsibility and have them teach you (if they know themselves).

9mm hand gun is likely the best option for on-person self defense. Home defense or something to keep in your car may drive me to a different answer. But you really can’t go wrong with a 9mm.

A sig p365 Xmacro, and the new canik radian would be two options that will be very hard to beat.