Good advice, for anyone who has a stalker, lives in a bad neighborhood, owns property they'd like to be able to defend against those who would take it, or otherwise places their own life and the lives of their friends and families above the lives of random thugs.

Likewise good advice for those who wish to avoid being herded into boxcars.

Politicians prefer unarmed victims.

Suggestions on buying a firearm. Obviously some of these guidelines only apply if you live in the United States of America, but some of them are good advice anywhere.

1.) If you've never used a gun before, go to a gun shop and discuss your needs with the people who work there. They typically have a lot of experience with guns and can help you figure out what you need. Tell them that you've never used a gun before, and ask them where you can go to get lessons in how to properly handle the firearm.
2.) If you're a female member of the race, and you go to a gun store, don't let them sell you a girl gun. That is, don't let them sell you a particular calibre of firearm, or steer you away from another, merely because you are female. Ask them specifically if what they're trying to sell you is something they would feel comfortable carrying through a dark alley. (There are some limits to this rule, but mostly they don't apply just to females. If you weigh 70 pounds and you're 4 foot 8, you probably won't want a .50 cal Desert Eagle. *I* think they kick too much to be really effective, and I'm 6 foot 5. But this applies to small boys as well. It is possible to buy too much gun. But buying too little gun is a problem as well.)
3.) Now that you know what type of gun it is you want, and what caliber you need, buy some ammo from the store. If things go well, that's all you'll ever buy from them, and it's nice to buy something for their help in enhancing your knowledge. Go look in your local newspaper. If it's not run by statist gun-grabbers, it'll have a classified section for firearms. Buy a firearm from someone who is not a licensed dealer. This is known as a private sale, and this means that you won't have your transaction subjected to unconstitutional federal laws about waiting periods, background checks, or registration. If your state has laws regarding registration of firearms, you might take this opportunity to fill out their form. Or, you might not. California (for example) requires registration of all firearms. Recently they used the list of registered owners to confiscate a wide variety of semi-automatic rifles.
4.) If you can't find what you need in the paper, go to a Gun Show. In the Albuquerque, NM area, we have a gun show every 2 months or so, pretty much like clockwork. Private sales at these events are like private sales anywhere else, and you can often find great deals on parts for your firearm.
5.) Find a Gun Owners Group in your area, and go to meetings. Ask if they know of anyone selling a firearm like what you want. These people will frequently know other people with firearms, and some of them will be looking to sell.
6.) Failing all of that, give in to the fascists, and go buy your firearm at a regular licensed dealer. You'll be registered, but at least you'll hve a firearm. If the government decides they want to confiscate all the guns of they type you bought, you can always say "No." And you'll have a gun to back it up with.
7.) Take your training class (if you've never used a gun before) and find a shooting range where you can practice firing your gun. It's worse than useless if you aren't comfortable holding it, and firing it, and can't hit what you're shooting at.
8.) If you have children, either take them with you, or teach them about firearms yourself. Many training classes will allow children in for free if a parent is taking lessons, both because it's good PR, and because these people don't want untrained kids playing around with firearms either.
9.) Practice.
10.) Practice.
11.) Practice some more. Practice regularly. Practice until you're really good, and comfortable, and prepared.