Reddit mentions of Radians Revelation Protective Shooting Glasses (Amber Yellow Lens/Black Frame)

So my plan was to do some sort of Soviet soldier in the 70s-80s era, but due to lack expertise in the precise gear a regular soldier would carry, this was the best I could do without having to completely indulge my time in finding that information.

Item|Price
-|-:
CYMA AK74| $185.00 $148 w/ 20% code "vghs"
Matrix 520r Flash-Mag | $15.00 $12.00 w/ 20% code "vghs"
Elite Force 0.25g 2700ct BB's | $7.80 $6.24 w/ 20% code "vghs"
NCStar AK Chest Rig (OD) | $22.31 $17.85 w/ 20% code "20offdaily"
Flora Camouflage | $55.00
SSH68 Helmet | $39.95
Russian Flora Helmet Cover | $15.00
ANSI rated shooting glasses | $5.77

TOTAL: $299.81 before shipping costs.

Wow, that was clutch. My original plan didn't include any sort of chest rig because the next best thing would cost $100+ so I threw in a generic chest rig. Also, the only sort of protection is shooting glasses, which aren't bad; just lacking in face protection. All in all, this was pretty enjoyable to create and I think you (OP) hit the sweet spot with the budget because I found it fairly challenging.

Hopefully you've tried contacting your target to ask them about their collections, their uses, stuff they want, and stuff they wouldn't like. Feel free to drop as many Phone Booth references as possible. You should be able to get some ideas.

If you can't find anything specific, the stuff you've mentioned will never go amiss. Some other stuff I could think of:

• Targets, be they paper, adhesive, or metal
  
  
• Gun bags, belts, storage and transportation solutions, either generic or tailored to what you know of their collection
  
  
• Magazines (specific to their gun and of legal capacity; you can never have too many)
  
  
• Some ear or eye pro
  
  
• Gift certificates or range memberships for businesses in their area
  
  
• Action movies with gun porn (anything with a long-ass entry on IMFDB)
  
  
• A nice coffee table book
  
  
• Generic tools, like a pocket knife, multitool, or tacticool flashlight
  
  
• If they're a gun-toting gamer, stalk their Steam/Xbox Live/Playstation accounts and pick out a game they'd like (reloaders will particularly enjoy Fallout New Vegas)
  
  
• Beef jerky

I went to a sporting goods store and got some shooting glasses that have a yellow tint to them since I live pretty far north in America. They look dorky but work pretty well so far.

Something similar to these Radians Revelation Protective Shooting Glasses (Amber Yellow Lens/Black Frame) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000F7R47U/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_.hvBCbYX9CG44

You're going to hear a LOT of different things. My advice is to read as much as possible. Don't just take one person's word as gold, because what works for one person doesn't necessarily work for everyone else. My opinion? $600 isn't enough to be competent and comfortable with a setup, if you're not already experienced with guns.

On a budget, here's what I'd do:

First, I'd go with 9mm. I'm a firearm enthusiast, and I primarily shoot 9mm. There are pros and cons to both, but to me, the single biggest benefit of 9mm comes down to affordability. I can buy twice as much 9mm as I can .45. Thus, I can shoot twice as much, and be far more prepared. 9mm won't hit quite as hard as .45, but it hits hard enough to kill. You'll be able to carry more 9mm than .45 ammo, you'll be more accurate (because there's less recoil from 9mm), and you'll be trained better before anything even happens.

So the bare minimum starter package for a gun owner (regardless of caliber) should include a firearm, ammunition, safety gear, and a cleaning kit. Forget about carrying, for the moment. Without those basic things, owning a firearm is completely pointless. Having a firearm in your home that lives in a drawer and can be used against home invasion is better than not having a firearm at all, even if you don't ever carry it outside of your home. And it's a good starting point. A dirty firearm doesn't fire. You must be able to maintain your firearm with regular cleaning, and oiling. A dirty firearm malfunctions. A rusty firearm malfunctions.

On a tight budget, I'd go with a Taurus Millennium G2. People on here love to bash Taurus as a brand, and maybe they deserve that bashing. But the Millennium G2 (that's 2nd generation of the Millennium) get great reviews. Look it up, read reviews of any firearm you're thinking about. Watch videos on Youtube. Don't just talk to people who have never handled that specific model, but do as much research as possible.

So, here's the list-

Taurus Millenium G2 - $209, free shipping. + $35 (average) FFL fees to get it from your local gun store.

Break Free CLP (cleans, lubes, and protects- all in one cleaning product) - $7.99, plus something to wipe the bore($10.97), plus some rags and an old toothbrush to clean the gun.

Disposable ear plugs. Not as good as over the ear, active noise cancelling, etc... but they're a start. $7.86

Shooting glasses. $7.19

This is a start, and it's half of your budget. The other $300 can be put toward something like a holster, a belt, ammo, and classes. I highly recommend classes. If you're not intimately familiar with firearms, they're basically a must. Even if you are, they're still a good thing. Even without classes, you'll still need a range, and ammo adds up. Defense ammo is going to run you ~$30/box, and I recommend shooting that at least occasionally, so that you know what it feels like to shoot (hint: it's different from 115 grain target ammo).

Then, shoot as much as possible.