Did you go through a lot of guns in order to figure out what guns you like?

B

breakingcontact

Moderator
Made a list today of the different guns I've had over the years. Although of course there are some in there I wish I had still, but overall I look at it all as evidence my tastes/knowledge are being refined. I know what I prefer now and what works well for me. Also i have figured out the different roles I want to fill and the best way to fill those roles, compliment other guns and backups that make sense.

I have never been one to chase the latest fads, but I definitely have made some impulse buys. Now that I've thoughtfully laid out the roles I need and the firearms to fill those roles, I am happy with my small "collection" and now have several that I don't ever plan to sell.

How about you? Did you go through a lot of guns (and money, ouch) to figure out what makes the most sense for you?
 
I have definitely gone through a number of guns before settling on what I know I like. It's gotten pretty stable now, mostly revolvers and SA/DA autoloaders.
 
Guns I like... pretty much all of them.

Guns I sold because I didn't like them... none.

Guns I sold because they had a fatal flaw... a couple. (Browning Buckmark rifle comes to mind.)

Guns I sold/traded because I didn't need them... a couple.

Guns I sold/traded/destroyed because they were dangerous... a couple (plus one that wasn't mine).


The "sold" list is pretty short:
Browning Buckmark rifle (early production 'sporter' carbine - fantastic little rifle, but it spit hot powder and wax in your face)
*Ruger Super Blackhawk (A mistake - I got it back ;))
Yugo 24/47 (cracked receiver rails - used it as a target)
Mossberg 800BSM (.243 Win, "Scoped Police" model - I didn't need it, and got the better end of the deal with an even-trade for a nice revolver)
Ruger 10/22 (my wife's, and she didn't shoot it - traded for a Krag rifle)
Krag rifle (cracked bolt lug)
Tula SKS (fantastic rifle, but too expensive to plink with and not a good choice for hunting)


Not mine, but I helped wear it out and then destroy it:
Sterling Model 302 (dangerously unreliable and unsafe)
 
I don't know what you mean by "go through," but I prefer to try somebody else's before spending the money on one. I have ruled out a LOT of guns that way that I thought might be nice to have.
 
I had Savage Model 24 combo guns and Remington Nylon 66 .22s in the past. I lost interest in them so I sold them. I enjoyed them while I had them, but don't miss them now. Other than that, my tastes haven't changed at all.
 
I own one I don't like - a RR NM AR. I use it for high power and do acceptably well with it. They are easy to shoot, and if it is a good one (like mine), quite accurate. And, when putting a lot of rounds down range, like in high power, it is a little more economical than some others. I shot my first M16 in 1969 (thanks to Uncle Sam) and used them for 26 years. Always qualified expert. Never much cared for them, but they do work. Just another tool.
 
...I prefer to try somebody else's before spending the money on one.
Click to expand...

Of course, but we don't always have that option available to us.

I think this is where I'm at and where a lot of discerning gun owners (didn't say collectors) are at or heading towards.

I have definitely gone through a number of guns before settling on what I know I like. It's gotten pretty stable now...
Click to expand...
 
Code: 
...How about you? Did you go through a lot of guns [B][I][COLOR="Blue"](and money, ouch)[/COLOR] [/I][/B]to figure out what makes the most sense for you?

There are other threads in here with the mantra of never sell a gun, or how sad, I wish I'd have kept this or that. All I know is, there are some junk firearms out there, but I never bought any junk. But it turns out, everything I ever sold, if I'd have kept it, would have been an investment doing much better than my IRAs or CDs!!!

FWIW...

...bug :)
 
I prefer to try somebody else's before spending the money on one.
Click to expand...

That is why I've mostly bought used guns. Yes, I've gone through a lot. There aren't many I haven't owned, it would number in the hundreds.

If I buy a new gun and don't like it I can sell or trade it for about the same as I could have bought the same gun for used. Buying used, if I don't like it I can always sell it for about what I paid for it. Sometimes I lose a little, at other times I make a small profit if I make good choices when I buy. Many other times I've made a pretty good profit if I actually keep it for a few years.

By making careful choices, and buying used I've been able to upgrade to some decent guns over the years at minimal cost. This Winchester EW sells for about $1,000. I sold a used gun at a profit to finance this gun, bought used as well. The McMillan stock normally sells for $600 and the scope for $400, those were bought used. I have only $700 in everything you see in this photo.

guns1001.jpg


4-5 years ago I sold a bunch of guns that were just sitting in my safe and bought this Kimber. I put $1,500 in the bank after all was said and done. It has taken me a while. I bought what I could afford as I went along but never bought junk budget guns. They don't have any resale value. By carefully choosing used guns you can try most all of them and decide what really is best.

guns1015.jpg
 
Recently I've sold a few that I didnt use and to consolidate my centerfire caliber to 380 and 40s&w... gone are all 9mm and 45's.

PM9 - Absolutely loved it, but never carried it much anymore, no point in keeping so much money tied up in such a focused-use (ccw only) pistol.

G21 - I really liked it too, but its a little fat and expensive to feed.
Replaced it with a G35 to consolidate to 40 and its magazines also work in my G27.

CZ75 SA - Again another great gun, really didnt like its trigger though.

I was far worse with knives... I bought and sold more than a hundred of them (Benchmades, etc) to finally land on the Chris Reeve Sebenza, the Spyderco Dragonfly's and a few Victorinox's.
My searching ended with those 3... the gun hunt is still going :)
 
Had to sell some due to a disease of the elderly, pernicious financial anemia.

Traded others for things I wanted more, and sometimes wondered why I wanted something else more--a lovely CZ-75 and a nice little Smith 459 come to mind. Got rid of a couple because they just didn't work for me, notably a Kel-Tec P32. Nice enough little gun, but just didn't fit my hand well enough for me to be able to shoot it well, and I didn't think the caliber was adequate for SD (I know, I know, it's better than a Nerf gun).

But as I've aged, either my tastes have become more refined (which I choose to believe) or I'm becoming an old throwback (possibly true): I've returned to my first love, revolvers. Older Smiths for choice, though I've had a couple of Rugers I liked a lot.
 
I have never sold or traded a firearm. I only acquire. It's not a rule or policy of mine, it is just how things have worked out.

Now holsters??? OMG I have gone through a truck-full of holsters to find the ones I like.
 
I shot a lot of my grandfathers handguns before I was old enough to buy one and was never any good with them. My buddy took me shooting with his dad who had a Colt and a Kimber 1911 and I've been sold ever since.

I've figured out that it takes ALOT to make .223/5.56 interesting for me, ARs are just vanilla to me. My Bushmaster ACR was even boring, sold it Pre panic for $1400 to a buddy in my unit, used the money to fun a new Colt 1911 and a McCann Carbon Fiber stock for my M1A.
 
No, haven't gone through any actually. Only ever sold one gun, and that was an 1851 repro that I still get to shoot now and again.
I research things before I buy. Pick out what I think will work well. Then I go and handle the gun, see how I like it. Some that I have bought are better/more accurate etc. That doesn't mean I don't like the lesser ones, just more of a challenge. I think my only impulse buy was an American Arms CX .22. Took a little work to get it to run right. Dealer would have taken it back, glad I kept it. Fun little shooter. Its in my pocket right now. I try to make things work for me. Also, I'm lucky I haven't bought a true POS I guess. :cool:
 
Frankly, I can buy by specifications and detailed pictures. Once I define a role for a new gun, I can set specs which will make me happy. Then, if required, I can correct many issues which I might have.

I was once disappointed by a Taurus PT101. I made a mistake thinking I wanted adjustable sights and Taurus put the front dot off center by about 0.01". Otherwise, it was ok and served me well as an SD gun in college. I sold it and slightly regret that.

I bought a model 94 Winchester in 30-30. It never reslly grew on me like my dad thought. Later I sold it for like 2.5 times what I paid for it and bought my first CCW gun a S&W 640 magnaported 357, a favorite still. Still, I wish I hadn't sold it.

I bought a Star Firestar, love the gun, but I really just wanted that gun because I borrowed one in 45 auto during my first CCW class and fell in love with the design and pointability. It sits idle too often because I don't have any desire to CCW it or use for HD. I just shoot it like 40 rounds a year...trouble is, a 17 HMR TC barrel might have gotten more use.

On the other hand, I bought each of my CCW's and can't seem to even cull 1 from the herd...do I really need 5 CCW's?
 
Went through very few. In fact I've only traded in a couple - a Ruger LCP and a Glock22. Both because I did not like the percieved recoil and found them difficult to shoot. I did learn early on that I have a fondness for 1911's and recent purchased have been pretty much limited to them.
 
Absolutely, especially carry guns. In the past 2-3 years I have sold/traded a S&W 60, S&W 640, Walther PPK, Ruger SR9C, Henry Lever Action, and a Carcano Bolt Action. The S&W 60 was traded for the 640, the PPK was sold and I picked up a Sig 232 to replace it, and the Ruger SR9C was sold recently and upgraded to a Beretta M9A1. The Henry lever action I really regret getting rid of and plan on getting another one day.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top