Resist: It's Time

Use this site for optimal prices:

https://ammoseek.com/

As a Canadian, likely to receive your invasion, can I interest you in some of the fine offerings from the Nerf family of fine rifles and pistols?

AR-15. With how common they are you can easily find a configuration to your liking and can just as easily find parts and ammo. They are very reliable, easy to upkeep, easy to clear jams, easy to mod, easy to shoot, etc.

I'd also suggest a reliable pistol that holds 10 or more rounds, a Glock 17 or 19 would be my recommendation. They are super reliable, stupid easy to assemble, and take the most common ammo. Just like the AR-15, Glocks are easy and reliable and there is a huge market for things like holsters and magazines.

TL;DR: You want an AR with a red dot, or holographic sight. And something autoloading in 9mm, ideally with some sort of optic. The Pistol is more relevant.

Now I have a lot to say. We're gonna start with why I made my choices. I have a rifle in 22, in 556, a shotgun in 12ga, and a pistol in 9mm.

I went with an AR, in 556, because that's the default rifle in the US. If you're joining a club, you should have the standard equipment for that club. It's the most common, and the most common chambering. 223 or 556 can be found anywhere. Being common, the ammunition is cheap-ish. It's also quite light as rifles go, fitting your requirements well. An AR in 556 can be had from $450-4000, with most in the $550-1200 range. Mine is made of trash, and litterally hasn't failed in a way that wasn't directly operator error. We'll come back to why this is a good choice for you, at the end. I'm about $900 in on mine, including everything I've bought and then passed on.

I have a AR clone, in 22lr. This is so I can practice for $0.07 per shot, instead of $0.57 per shot. The manual of arms (Read: how you operate it) is the same. The furniture is the same. (Furniture is stock, grip, foregrip, accessories..) so I can train with it, and still instill the same.. behaviors. I have a Hamerli Tac R1. It was $400 I think, and I have another $100 of "stuff' on it.

Both guns have a LPVO (Low Power Variable Optic) which is a adjustable scope designed for "useful" combat ranges. I'm not entirely sure that's the right decision yet, but it's much better than the $20 red dots I had on them. LPVO's give you the opportunity to zoom in on things that are "out there" so you can make better decisions. Ideally, saving you from having to DO anything. I think that's a really important point. Almost as important as.. the next.

You wrote you're looking for a rifle, rifles require.. a plan. You're not going to be "somewhere" and decide you need your rifle and have it. You need to plan for it. Pistols however... you can just kinda throw in the bag, in the car, on your person. While a rifle is a good thing to have, you're more likely to get (as grizzly as it sounds) actual use out of a pistol.

I went with a Canik TP9 because... well. about 70% the dude on the other side of the sales table said he liked it. He wasn't wrong. It's more or less a Walther p99 clone, and while not as nice.. still quite good. Better than I am at least. 18 rounds available, full size, trigger based safety with a nice trigger feel. It came with two magazines and a holster. It's a bit heavy, but heavy isn't bad for a pistol as it reduces the felt recoil. It's good. I'll list what I've shot and my opinions later, so you can judge me silently later. :-) It was about $600, IIRC.

I also bought a Taurus G3c. I went in expecting trash, and walked out the door for less than $270. I can't reasonably carry the Canik, without it being clear I'm carrying, the Taurus is concealable. It's a lot lighter, but recoil hits a lot harder. It is however, Nero compatible, and I'm quite accurate with it. The shorter length does make the sight radius shorter which doesn't help things. It holds 12 rounds.

My opinions are based on the moderately wide range of pistols I have shot. 50AE, 45, 9mm, 270 Winchester (yes, really..), 22lr, and 380. There's been two revolvers, and I don't recall their chambering.

Ok, specific recommendations:

Pistols: What you're looking for in specific is a double stack, striker fired pistol. Chambered in 9mm. People have said Glock 19, they're right. It's like buying IBM, nobody can say you made a bad decision. If you're budget minded, also look at the PSA Dagger. It's a Glock 19 gen 3 clone that seems utterly unproblematic. It's been on the market long enough that we'd know if it had issues. My personal choice of Canik is also good. Don't get something with a hammer.

Rifles: Oh boy, everyone and their brother makes an AR. Get it in 556/223. Palmetto State Armory, Smith and Wesson, Springfield Armory, litterally a dozen other major manufacturers. As long as it takes mil spec hardware, you should be fine. Being a military specification, tons of people have made them. You want a flat top version, so you can mount your choice of optic. Buy a few magazines.

Finally, you have "a" gun. Go to the range, and rent a few guns. A bunch of guns. Some shops have done a $20 or 30 fee, and I could just trade through what they had in the rentals. Other places it's $20 per gun. Either way, it's good to try everything out you can. Learn what you like. If a glock feels like holding on to a 2x4, move on. If a Taurus G3c bites the web on your thumb, find something else. If your hands can't do a double stack, the Glock 43 and other subcompacts exist.

Welcome to the resistance.

If you want to be a revolutionary fighter then you should find or form a local cell/group and train with those people. In that case you should buy and train with whatever their standard weapons are (probably a carbine length AR chambered in 5.56 as people are suggesting).

HOWEVER, if you are just planning to be a prepared individual able to get in and out of situations and protect yourself and your noncombatant friends, an AR and the necessary gear to support it will just make you a target. Instead, I recommend a PDW such as the flux raider or other compact 9mm platform. PDWs are much easier to build skill with than handguns, but also much easier to conceal than a rifle or carbine.

The most important thing is to determine your threat model and what types of operations you need to be training for.

edit- a note on ammo and magazine scarcity: don't worry so much about being able to scavenge ammo and mags. Magazines are $10, just buy a few once a month until you have 20 or 30. Same with ammo, just buy two or three thousand rounds and replenish as you train. If you find yourself in a situation where you have shot all five to ten magazines you brought with you, it was time to exfil three mags ago and it's a miracle you're still alive. Don't be in that situation unless you're in a squad with a dedicated ammo bearer.

You didn't mention your budget, so I'll first suggest a WWSD rifle, which is a particularly light weight AR-15. They also make a cost reduced version that's half the cost while only being a little heavier at 5.4lbs.

I suggest these for two reasons,

1. They're genuinely excellent firearms. Well constructed, reliable, with easily replaceable commonly available parts.
2. KE Arms is one of the few leftist gun makers in the country, who fully support LGBTQ Gun ownership. One of the people who helped design the WWSD rifle is an Anarchist who makes excellent videos on youtube (InRangeTV).

If you have a lower budget, the best option is a simple PSA AR-15. They also make a 'pistol' version that's about the same weight as the KE Arms versions, but with a shorter barrel (which would be much louder than the longer barrels, something to keep in mind).

For information on how to use them, I'd recommend taking a look at Tacticool Girlfriend's videos, especially her series for beginners.

Also, don't neglect getting medical equipment (a small IFAK) and learning how to use them!

If you ever want to opt for armor, I'd suggest either a used level II or Level III Kevlar vest and a MICH helmet from eBay.

If you want rifle protection, consider Redstar Defense, a leftist armor maker that makes quite excellent ceramic armor plates for a very afford able price.

Whatever you go with, try to link up with like minded people and become organized in your community. Here's a solid guide on how to do that.

Your revolver is probably fine for home and personal defense. For more active defense, I imagine you need a group to train with to learn squad tactics or whatever (I don't even know if these really exist on the left, and I'd be cautious about the Feds).

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Well, a lot depends on your ability to either amass, or obtain ammo.

If you can afford to stock up, you can essentially pick what you want. 5.56 is popular for a reason, but 7.62 has advantages.

But, 5.56 and .223 may be easier to source if you're not where your stockpile is. That's the route I took in selecting a rifle because it's going to be more realistic to find something to load up with if it's crazy, and it's perfect for my needs vs varmints and dangerous animals if excrement and air conditioning never meet.

Now, another factor in selecting your ammo choice (which tends to be more important than brands or even platforms, imo) is portability and firability.

If you go with a 5.56, you're likely to be able to carry more than you would something like 308 that packs more punch, and you'll be dealing with less recoil. If you have weight limit on the rifle itself, you can't ignore the added weight of a full magazine, and spares. Since, again, that caliber is so popular, you can almost guarantee finding a lightweight rifle, and probably affordable, light magazines, which improves your ability to move as well as put bullets on target.

That being said, pistol caliber carbines exist, and have benefits too. A 9mm or 40 cal round is going to be okay, lightweight, and easy to source ammo for. There's some that use the same magazines as glock does, so you can mostly freely use the same mags, same ammo and switch between a handgun or longer gun at will. They also tend to be less expensive than your typical 5.56 rifle, though that obviously has a lot of overlap.

And, a PCC tends to be very lightweight. I've got a neighbor with a kel-tec 9mm that, to me, feels like a nerf gun in my hand. Iirc, that's the sub-2000. Decent gun, not perfect, but decent enough.

I’m disabled in a way that limits my ability to hold anything heavy, so lighter weight is good.

Literally the reason pistol braces exist.

99.9% use it as a stock to get around SBR laws, so you might have to research which one does the actual job it's supposed to best. But they were invented so you could literally strap an AR to your arm.

But rather than a rifle I'd say something like the Extar EP9:

https://extarusa.com/ep9/

9mm will be lighter weight and less recoil, and it's crazy lightweight with a short barrel keeping the weight towards your chest where its easiest.

Takes Glock mags, so you can run 15rounders to be as light as possible, grab a 33 round ruler clip to have more than a standard AR, or go all out and get a fucking drum.

15 in the gun and ruler clips for reloads would be a good plan.

I'm no expert by any means, but I have a little experience.

Revolvers load slowly and have very limited capacity. If you're going to choose a handgun, a semi-auto will be more useful. 9mm ammo is plentiful, so that's going to be a fine choice. A longer barrel will provide more accuracy and range, while a shorter barrel will be more concealable.

Rifles are far more accurate at longer ranges. I know from shooting an AR-15 that those are heavy, unless you're shooting from a supported position with a bipod. AR-15 build kits (that you just have to add a registered lower receiver to) can be very inexpensive. Add a bipod and a scope, and you're ready to post up - just don't expect to be doing a running gun battle with it unless you're young and strong. (Edit: I see people here saying AR-15s are lightweight. The one I shot was 5.56, and it was not light.)

On the other hand, a 22 rifle is much easier to handle from a standing position, and 22LR ammo is cheap. Unless you get a lucky shot, 22LR isn't going to stop someone wearing proper body armor, but it'll give them pause, and certainly be useful against looters and hooligans and the otherwise unprepared troublemakers.

Another option that I've been considering is a pistol caliber carbine. Should be relatively light compared to an AR-15, and I'd only have to worry about one caliber of ammo to use for both the pistol and the carbine. Not quite the range of a proper rifle, but plenty more than a handgun.

I've used a Canik TP9, full size 9mm pistol, I liked it a lot. Mossberg MC1sc, 9mm carry pistol, quite nice. Taurus G3C 9mm - it definitely works, I don't like the trigger. Hammerli TAC R1 22LR, looks like a battlefield weapon, goes pew pew - liked it. Some random AR-15, definitely fun to shoot, but if I "had to use it," I would absolutely want a bipod and a fixed position. Scopes on rifles make them so much more easy.

Buy or even better build a budget ar-15. Ammo and replacement parts readily available in a SHTF scenario. Easily swap out uppers for shorter or longer range engagements. Can be used close quarters or at distances of ~400m with some training. Can easily be acquired for between $500-$1000.

Glock 19 to start, then build a rifle

Go to your local range and ask. They will be your suppier of ammo and training so they will give good advice of what works where you are.

Knowledge is the greatest weapon you can use to affect change. A gun will, at best, stave off scavengers in the post-apocalyptic wet dream of the "resist" faction of the fediverse.

By the time you need a gun you'll have already lost.

Imma say use the single-least popular round.

Get a rifle chambered in .260 Remington, maybe a Tiika T3. Great ballistics, low recoil, higj lethality.

Best 'all rounder' in existence.