I live by myself and after returning home to find things definitely not how I left them, my parents bought me a gun (kek thanks mom&dad). I've gone shooting a handful of times before and have had guns in the house (until my ex & I split up), but never had my own personal firearm to use/handle. I know the absolute basics (finger off trigger, don't point it in anyones direction at any time ever period unless you're intending to shoot them, treat it likes its loaded even if you're positive it's not, etc etc), but I want to get really comfortable with it. Tips/advice/suggestions, preferably on the affordable end?
I haven't even looked at it in person yet (taking it home tomorrow morning) but I know it's a glock 380 & I live in WI (don't have enough land to practice shooting on) but am planning to move to FL, if location is important
Alright, here's the deal. Bad training will undo good training. So don't just do anything. Asking for advice online can be helpful but cna hurt you if you get bad advice.
For the legal aspects of lethal use of force, Massad Ayoob and Andrew Branca are the best resources you'll find. Ayoob's Deadly Force and Branca's Law of Self Defense are the gold standard on that.
As far as learning and using the pistol, a 380 is considered about the most basic level of round for personal self defense. It's fine but you'll want to get quality HP ammunition. This may be a problem as it's all backordered everywhere. Look up reports and tests on the ammo you choose and how it shoots out of your barrel length. Shoot a few to test its cycle through your weapon.
As far as training, seek out the local range and ask who they have with a good reputation in your area. You'll want to learn how to carry your weapon and conduct a proper drawstroke and acquiring a sight picture. Dry firing may assist with this practice. You need to develop muscle memory. Generally the fight goes to the person who can put hits on target first so it's crucial to get that down.
This isn't really something that can be taught in a few paragraphs. So it's hard to say precisely what should be done in brief but you'll want to secure the fundamentals.