I don't really like glocks, got my eyes on a Sig P239 Enhanced Elite 9mm, but also kinda like the Berettas for not being a burgerland company, any other brands I should be looking at, whats the least chuddiest company, I looked at the HK site and my god, they have American flags everywhere and MAGA sales.
ETA: Im in 'Commiefornia' so any gun suggestions should be able to be sold here.
To piggyback, if you were talking to a comrade who lives in a mid-sized midwestern city and has been thinking about getting a gun on and off for years, what would you say would be an affordable 'generalist' option that would be good to have if things went sideways? I have a toddler so I am very worried about safety, and have generally given up the thought on the grounds that, at the point where I have to defend against intruders I'm probably already fucked, even if being able to coordinate with other workers and perhaps hunt in an emergency are valuable capabilities.
For home defense - Pepper spray
For community defense - AR-15
for hunting - pretty much any cheap bolt action rifle with a half-decent scope on it.
You've got three different use cases that require different kinds of guns.
I thought people hunt with AR-15 because it's such a common platform?
Why do you suggest a bolt-action instead?
Bolt guns are really cheap. That's mostly it. You can hunt with an AR just fine. You choice of optics and accessories will probably be different. And a bolt-action rifle in a larger or spicier caliber than 5.56 is usually less expensive than getting a large caliber AR. You don't need a larger caliber for hunting, 5.56 works, but .308 or one of the countless other hunting rounds, afaik, is more likely to get a clean kill on the animal.
.308 is a good game cartridge for elk, if you're shooting whitetail sized deer something around a .250 to 30-30 range is going to waste a lot less meat.
Anybody who hunts with an ar-15 should be immediatly ignored.
It's the perfect gun if you want to trade the ability to take a well placed clean shot for the ability to take 6 shots that will ruin the meat around where it hits.