If you cannot afford to pay for it right now, you cannot afford it.
This is bad debt. You do not need to pay financing on a firearm. It does not benefit you in any shape, form, or fashion. Sadly, many people will chime in with “justifications” out the wazoo on why this is a good idea and how wonderful it is to have a high credit score so that you can purchase more items you don’t need on credit so you can raise your credit score so you can… well, you get the gist.
You want an M&P15 for $114 a month? You can still get it without going into debt. Simply put $114 a month into a bank account and in 8 months, purchase it outright. Instead of paying 18% interest, you can actually earn money with that money sitting in the bank. Sure, it’s not going to amount to much more than a few pennies with today’s rates, but it’s still not negative.
Budget for what you want. You’ll find that often, the things you absolutely must have right now damn the added costs!!!! turn out to not be as important as you thought, and if they are, then you’ll have the money you need to pay for it. As a bonus, if any other emergencies pop up before you’ve got the money saved up, you won’t be stuck with a bill you can’t pay. Win-Win!