As the country braced for the incoming presidential administration, there has been an unprecedented run on guns. While experienced shooters are well represented among the anxious buyers, there are more than a few people in line who have never purchased a gun before. To those folks, I say, "Welcome."

The problem with buying a gun is the same as when making any other major purchase for the first time: It's hard to figure out exactly what all you need--and what you don't.

When you were a teenager, you may have saved up just enough money to cover the purchase price of a car, only to learn about additional costs such as fuel, insurance, maintenance, etc. The sticker price was only the beginning.

If used regularly, a BoreSnake, Break-Free CLP, and a few other items are all you need to keep your gun clean. However, a neglected firearm may require additional solvents and cleaning tools.

Much the same holds true for buying a firearm.

What do you really need when purchasing a firearm? It's more than you'd think but less than you're likely to be told by a typical sales associate. A gun, regardless of its intended use, is part of a system and is far from self-contained. All require ammunition, safety gear, cleaning and maintenance equipment, and some method of secure storage.

That is not to say that additional firearm-related products and accessories aren't useful. Many are Godsends when it comes to making shooting more enjoyable or maintenance more effective, or enhancing a gun's utility. The nice thing is that such products and accessories will likely always be available, regardless of who's in office, so there's no urgency to buy them now. You can get started shooting without them and make judicious decisions as to what else you'd like as you get more involved in the various shooting disciplines.

Of course, the type of shooting you intend to do largely determines what products and accessories will eventually benefit you, but as I said, there are certain universal basics that you need to include when budgeting for a firearm.

Affordable, Available Ammunition
The first additional item people think of is ammunition. If you're purchasing a firearm chambered in .22 Long Rifle, it's not much of an issue. You can purchase bricks of decent rimfire ammunition inexpensively and conveniently.

It's the rare calibers that create a problem. You may be getting a good price on the gun, but how much does the ammo cost and where can you buy it? And what varieties are available in that chambering? Match-grade target ammunition and premium self-defense ammunition are nice when needed, but you'll save a lot of money in the long run if there are cheap, generic reloads available for routine practice.

Eyes & Ears
Range safety gear is essential equipment you may or may not have to purchase. How so? Well, if you do your practicing at a commercial range, it will typically provide eye and ear protection as part of the range-use fee. If you like high-end equipment, you can purchase the latest condition-specific tinted eyewear, sound-canceling/amplifying electronic muffs, or custom-molded ear plugs. However, you can shoot just fine with the rental stuff at no additional cost and without having to haul extra gear to the range. Of course, you may want to bring some sanitary wipes with you.

Keeping It Clean
Believe it or not, gun cleaning is one of the most hotly debated topics in firearms. It seems everyone has a theory on frequency, products, and techniques when it comes to cleaning guns. A lot of it has to do with personality type--from laid back to anal retentive--but it also has to do with the kind of shooting you do.