Many first-time buyers end up spending about twice the price on the tag in year one, pay for extras they don’t need and get blindsided by permits and waiting periods. This manual shows you every cost, form and rule before you walk into the store.
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Nobody lied. There was sales tax, a background check fee, a starter kit, two boxes of ammo at the counter price and a protection plan. Every line made sense on its own.
Then come the safe, the holster, the class and a year of practice ammo. On a lot of first purchases, the tag ends up being about half of what you spend in year one.
This book shows you every line before you’re standing at the counter.
Thirteen short chapters, from the first question to the day you bring it home. Each one ends with the mistake that costs buyers the most and a one-minute summary to reread before you go to the store.
The six costs nobody puts on the tag. A $500 gun runs about $1,165 in year one.
Home, carry, hunting or range: match the gun to the job, and rent before you buy.
What’s worth owning, what to buy at each budget and the 48-hour rule.
Every part and term explained with labeled drawings, so no clerk talks over your head.
Cost per round by caliber, how much to keep on hand and when to buy.
Where to buy, private-sale laws and what to have a gunsmith check.
Twelve questions to ask, the add-ons to skip and the return-policy trap.
Whether you need a permit, which states honor it, what carrying costs in year one and how to pick a good class.
Three kinds of owners, five years each, and where to save without cutting corners.
Pick a safe that does the job, and know your state’s storage law.
Permits, waiting periods, age limits, and what to do if you’re delayed or denied.
A 7-step plan and a scoring sheet to choose between your top picks.
The official websites for each topic, answers to the questions buyers ask most and a quick index of every term in the book.
Know your number, the words on the tag and the questions to ask, before anybody sells you anything.
Stop paying counter prices for ammo, extras you don’t need and storage that doesn’t do the job.
The real cost of starting to carry, permits, reciprocity and how to pick a class worth the money.
The questions in this book come from the comments under the Gunny Kessler Guns videos: what to buy, what it really costs, what the law says in your state and why the background check got delayed. This book answers them in one place.
If the book isn’t useful to you, email gunnykesslerguns@gmail.com within 7 days of your purchase and you’ll get a full refund. No forms, no hassle.
A PDF e-book, 94 pages, that you download right after checkout. There is no physical product.
Yes. It opens on any phone, tablet or computer, and you can print it.
The chapters on ammo costs, the counter, used guns, storage ratings and state paperwork catch experienced buyers too. Chapter 8 shows where long-time owners keep losing money.
It explains how state rules differ and shows state maps checked in October 2026, with the official places to confirm them. Laws change, so the book shows you how to check your own state and date what you find.
No. It’s general education about costs, terms and paperwork. For a legal question about your situation, talk to a licensed attorney in your state.
No. It’s about buying, paying, storing and paperwork. There are no instructions for operating, modifying or building guns or ammunition.
Email gunnykesslerguns@gmail.com within 7 days of purchase and you get a full refund.
The Gun Buyer's Manual, PDF, 94 pages. Reviewed October 2026.
Get the Manual · $29