Approaching the faction

Do not limit yourself in means of roleplay, think outside of the box and show the faction what you have to offer.

Please understand that you do not need to roleplay a seasoned and experienced career criminal from the start to be valued here. In more cases than not, it is the other way around.

Your character has family in the gang

Your character parties with the gang

Your character buys drugs from/sells drugs to/uses drugs with the gang

Your character dates a gang member in the gang or a gang member that is a relative to a member in the gang

Your character wants to sell drugs for the gang and later becomes a fully-pledged member of the gang

Your character is legally homeless and wanders between squat and trap houses where he parties/lives with gang members

Your character met a gang member from the same/a nearby community in jail/prison

For those who want to develop from a child and grow older with the faction, there's numerous ways you can come about.
Just know that making your roleplay stand out is a key factor to this, roleplay as if you would coming around a gang in real life. You wouldn't instantly go up to the head of the block and ask them to be put on, you'd actually meet everyone in the community and get to know them. Make friends, get a clique of people to hang around and let your name spread around the hood.

There's no restriction on firearms but trigger happy members will be excommunicated from the faction. Roleplay fear around guns, roleplay fear around anyone who is murdered. Just do as you would in real life coming up in a gang.