scoobysnacker
New member
This is for those that have "more than a couple" guns, and add more on a regular basis. I might be one , you know if you are too.
I've recently posted in threads about the Beretta 81, and the "Is 40 dead" thread, and these both pertain to this question.
Caliber definitely drives my buying choices. I own pistols in 9mm Parabellum, 9mm Makarov, .45 acp, .32 acp, and .22lr. And despite my firm belief that I have "enough", another seems to find it's way home to me at least once every few months.
My primary category is 9x19. I have a bunch of those, with metal frames, DA/SA, or SAO. I call this my "Duty Gun" collection, and have things such as Beretta 92s, Sig P226, S&W 5906, CZ 75 etc. The single action guns were serving the same purpose- a FEG Hi Power, several Stars (a B Super and a pair of BMs). This includes my first purchase decades ago, a Chinese T 54 (Tokarev with a 9mm barrel). These seem to share several features- they are metal framed and thus 'obsolete' and cheaper to buy, they sling 9mm, and almost all served some country's military or PD; the model if not the actual gun.
My next category is 9x18, I started off again decades back with a FEG PA 63. These are the Warsaw Pact guns, surplus cheapies, with both some historical relevance and, as it turns out, are sturdy little shooters. I have the FEG, the CZ 82, an East German Makarov, a Russian doublestack Makarov, and a Polish P64.
Because of these categories, I have avoided .40 and .380. I have yet to find a .40 I couldn't get in 9mm, and thus share ammo instead of having to add more. And because the Mak is so close to .380 in size, I didn't want another "supplemental" pile of ammo that would serve the same purpose.
By avoiding the .380, I noticed that I was missing quite a few neat little pistols that didn't come in 9x18 Mak. In particular, I lusted after the Beretta Cheetah series; my favorite Mak pistol is the CZ 82, and I thought the Beretta 84 would be a great companion gun (much as the Beretta 92FS is a great companion to the CZ 75 and Sig P226).
But while looking into the .380, I discovered a suitable workaround: the .32 acp. I discovered that almost every .380 had a .32 counterpart, and that there were also a lot of neat, older pistols designed around .32 first. And best of all (justification, of course!), those older guns tended to be cheaper.
So began the .32 quest. Started off when my son found a CZ 27 at a pawn shop, when I was picking up my P226. Gun was $220, and in great shape; and was a late pre-war model (polished blue, slanted slide serrations, Czech stamping). We made it almost to the car before we turned around and added it to the purchase , and thus began yet another caliber grouping.
I quickly added a Savage 1907 for about $125, a couple more cheap CZ 27's, and a pair of Mauser 1914's. These were absolutely just range toys, and neat conversation pieces- examples of designs that weren't "Browning designs", but worked.
After awhile, I decided to get something in that group for more everyday usage, and less of an antique; the obvious choices were the Colt and the Walther. Both tended to be quite pricey, and the Colt was also veering into the antique category. Luckily for me, the "Walther option" included the FEGs- a near-perfect clone at a bargain price. So I landed an AP7 that is identical to my PA 63, but in .32.
*and of course, full disclosure: James Bond inspired my purchase of both the PA 63 and the AP7 ... I want to carry one of these while wearing a tuxedo*
Getting the FEG caused me to stock up on .32, and thus I came across a sweet deal on GECO at LAX Ammo. $159+ shipping. I bought a case, to supplement the Fiocchi and PPU I already had.
And thus, I had plenty of .32 stashed away, when the unexpected happened- the $200 Beretta 81's hit the market. Perfect storm for me- the one design I really wanted but didn't have, in the acceptable caliber I didn't have to add to the inventory list. When a buddy texted me about the sale, I went online and ordered one, before I even replied back to him.
Sorry if this rambled a bit, but I enjoy the subject a lot. I know others do too. I'm sure others have bought guns mostly to match the caliber, and have held off on a desired purchase because it was the wrong caliber. Feel free to share your tales!
I've recently posted in threads about the Beretta 81, and the "Is 40 dead" thread, and these both pertain to this question.
Caliber definitely drives my buying choices. I own pistols in 9mm Parabellum, 9mm Makarov, .45 acp, .32 acp, and .22lr. And despite my firm belief that I have "enough", another seems to find it's way home to me at least once every few months.
My primary category is 9x19. I have a bunch of those, with metal frames, DA/SA, or SAO. I call this my "Duty Gun" collection, and have things such as Beretta 92s, Sig P226, S&W 5906, CZ 75 etc. The single action guns were serving the same purpose- a FEG Hi Power, several Stars (a B Super and a pair of BMs). This includes my first purchase decades ago, a Chinese T 54 (Tokarev with a 9mm barrel). These seem to share several features- they are metal framed and thus 'obsolete' and cheaper to buy, they sling 9mm, and almost all served some country's military or PD; the model if not the actual gun.
My next category is 9x18, I started off again decades back with a FEG PA 63. These are the Warsaw Pact guns, surplus cheapies, with both some historical relevance and, as it turns out, are sturdy little shooters. I have the FEG, the CZ 82, an East German Makarov, a Russian doublestack Makarov, and a Polish P64.
Because of these categories, I have avoided .40 and .380. I have yet to find a .40 I couldn't get in 9mm, and thus share ammo instead of having to add more. And because the Mak is so close to .380 in size, I didn't want another "supplemental" pile of ammo that would serve the same purpose.
By avoiding the .380, I noticed that I was missing quite a few neat little pistols that didn't come in 9x18 Mak. In particular, I lusted after the Beretta Cheetah series; my favorite Mak pistol is the CZ 82, and I thought the Beretta 84 would be a great companion gun (much as the Beretta 92FS is a great companion to the CZ 75 and Sig P226).
But while looking into the .380, I discovered a suitable workaround: the .32 acp. I discovered that almost every .380 had a .32 counterpart, and that there were also a lot of neat, older pistols designed around .32 first. And best of all (justification, of course!), those older guns tended to be cheaper.
So began the .32 quest. Started off when my son found a CZ 27 at a pawn shop, when I was picking up my P226. Gun was $220, and in great shape; and was a late pre-war model (polished blue, slanted slide serrations, Czech stamping). We made it almost to the car before we turned around and added it to the purchase , and thus began yet another caliber grouping.
I quickly added a Savage 1907 for about $125, a couple more cheap CZ 27's, and a pair of Mauser 1914's. These were absolutely just range toys, and neat conversation pieces- examples of designs that weren't "Browning designs", but worked.
After awhile, I decided to get something in that group for more everyday usage, and less of an antique; the obvious choices were the Colt and the Walther. Both tended to be quite pricey, and the Colt was also veering into the antique category. Luckily for me, the "Walther option" included the FEGs- a near-perfect clone at a bargain price. So I landed an AP7 that is identical to my PA 63, but in .32.
*and of course, full disclosure: James Bond inspired my purchase of both the PA 63 and the AP7 ... I want to carry one of these while wearing a tuxedo*
Getting the FEG caused me to stock up on .32, and thus I came across a sweet deal on GECO at LAX Ammo. $159+ shipping. I bought a case, to supplement the Fiocchi and PPU I already had.
And thus, I had plenty of .32 stashed away, when the unexpected happened- the $200 Beretta 81's hit the market. Perfect storm for me- the one design I really wanted but didn't have, in the acceptable caliber I didn't have to add to the inventory list. When a buddy texted me about the sale, I went online and ordered one, before I even replied back to him.
Sorry if this rambled a bit, but I enjoy the subject a lot. I know others do too. I'm sure others have bought guns mostly to match the caliber, and have held off on a desired purchase because it was the wrong caliber. Feel free to share your tales!