Thread for self defense and weapons training

Not good for opsec, but this thread might be helpful for everyone; we’ve got a lot of knowledgable gun nerds on here. I don’t think I’ve ever held a firearm in my life but it’s time for me to get trained and git good at firing at random objects. So what would be the course of action for me, a silo’d individual in rural new England? How do I get a license? Which gun should I get (ngl I want the HK MK23) How do I get better at it, and at selfdefense?