I tell people that if they are going to carry a concealed pistol prepare to invest between $6,000 to $10,000. Most of it in training.
Yes there’s the equipment issues (including fer gawd’s sake a GOOD holster). That and gunsmithing can easily get you into into a grand plus. This kind of stuff is important for making sure your bullets go where you want them to.
Then there’s lots and lots of training and range time. Again to make sure your bullets go where you want them to. (Remember, every bullet comes with a little lawyer attached). That’s just to get the mechanics of shooting down.
There’s even some degree of the tacti-kool, Rambo fun house stuff. Learning how to shoot accurately while adrenalized is indeed one of those useful skills to have.
But where you need to invest most of your money is in training that will help you make good shoot/no shoot decisions, the standards of using lethal force, learning how to deal with the legal aftermath and how NOT to step on your dick when making a statement. Yeah, all that boring legal stuff.
Then comes finding an attorney. One who knows how to defend someone who both acted in self-defense and work an affirmative defense defense.
And once your found that person, dropping a nice fat $1,000 to $2,000 retainer. So that if — god forbid– something happens you can make the call and get him down to the police station ASAP. This to guide you through making a statement (after you’ve consulted with him) and to get your ass out of there as quickly as possible.
Now why should you invest now? Well because it’s an investment to keep you from losing everything you own trying to stay out of prison. Shooting someone involves all kinds of nasty, expensive paperwork and processes. The money you invest now, will save you big time if you ever have to pull the trigger.