To do it all over again

B

bignz

New member
A simple question aimed at those of you who have owned, or currently own, a significant number of handguns (lets say 30 minimum over your life):

If you could do it all over, in what order would you build your collection? And why? For practicalities sake, just list and explain the first 3-5 you would buy.

I ask because I don't want to simply know your favorite gun. I want to know how, with about 5 guns, you start down the road to a collection of guns you are proud to own.
 
You don't need to spend a ton of money to get a good gun.

Broken down into loose classes:

Ruger or Browning .22

Ruger P95--Glock 19--Sig Pro 2022

Ruger or S&W double action .357

Ruger Blackhawk or Smith 29 .44

Colt 1911
 
Would have bought two Security Six's back when they were readily available. A GP-100 is a fine substitute, though.

I would have built a premium 5" rather than going all-out and transforming my Springfild Defender into a race gun. Sometimes less is more.

I would have shot more airgun early on. Cheaper and no need to go to a real range. I bought a Webley Hurrican back in 1983, and I might have bought my Daisy 717 sooner, since it's lower powered and quieter, and probably a better choice for shooting in a suburban back yard.
 
i only thought about the first three handguns i bought.

for the first one i wanted a "do it all" gun. to me do it all meant suitable for range, home defense, and ccw. for me that would be one of the german police guns (p5,p6,or p7). i could not easily afford one those, so i settled on the then just introduced S&W 3914.


the second time i decided i wanted a .22 (cheap to shoot),that would be challenging to shoot (small with small sights). this was not the greatest idea i ever had. it was between a walther tph and a beretta 21a. number two was a beretta 22a.


i had only those two for a few years, then someone decided there should be a law telling me where the magazine capacity of my guns should max out. i now had to have what i never wanted, a high capacity 9mm.
i did like the browning hi-power, but if i am going to be limited why stop at 13. i liked the cz-75, but they were just catching on at the time, so i was concerned about parts. i already had a S&W. the walther p88 was expensive . just like the u.s. military my finalists were the sig/sauer p226 and the beretta 92fs. the beretta felt better in my hand, so beretta it was.


i kind of went on a sort of a buying frenzy at this time, not only on guns but on magazines. also at this time califrornia closed it's "gun show loop hole". i lose track of the order of my purchases at this point. i buy magazines for guns i don't even own. i buy guns i never shoot. a few more high capacity 9mm pistols were introduced after the ban went into effect. somehow there were standard capacity magazines available for the the walther p99 and the browning bdm. i only saw a p99 once during this time, that ship sailed. the spree ends with a browning bdm.

my next purchase was also prompted by a new califorina gun law innovation "the list". i traded my beretta 92 and paid an additional 30 dollars for a beretta tomcat. i wanted one. i did not have any money at the time. i did not think they would be available. i could always get another m92. i did something stupid.



i did not buy another gun for about seven years. i moved to arizona during my gun buying hiatus, not because of gun laws. for my 2008 new years resolution i went with one gun a month for the year. it's my only new years resolution success story.


my advice after about 20 years of handgun buying is this:

buy what you want because you want it. don't buy based on external factors (such as gun control laws). i have not participated in the obama frenzy.



if i started all over today my criteria for buying the first few would be about the same as it was then.

1. the do it all - an hk p7 or walther p5.

2. a .22 for cheap range time - maybe a buckmark.

3. a full size pistol for home defense/range - an fn hi-power perhaps.

4. a ccw - i like the walther ppk

5. time to stop thinking about a specific purpose.
 
NO 1. FA. 44MAG. NO 2. FA. 22LR .NO 3. SMITH WESSON M19 357MAG .NO4. RUGER 22 AUTO. NO 5. SEECAMP 32. Covers all the bases :D
 
I don't know that I'd do it any different...

*My dad started me with a Sheridan pellet gun

*Later (about 12 yrs old) my grandfather gave me a Marlin .22 rifle and a Ruger Mark II

*About 6 months after that he passed me down a double barrel Savage 20 ga (family heirloom)

*At about 16 I got a Norinco SKS

*At 17 I got a Romanian AK47 (wanted to stay with the 7.62)

*At 21 I got a Sig 226 9mm (which began a good few years of buying only handguns)

And the rest is history (history that involves a lot more money being spent on various firearms)
 
Do it over...

make the simultaneous purchase of my m39-2 & the Rem-Rand .45 next to it.

Got two M17 (no dash)

get two Security Six, one for me, second for Dad.

two BHP

the entire Colt WWI commemorative series

three Colt Combat Commanders; 9mm, .38Super & .45

& one Swenson "Bobcat"

"to dream, ah, there's the rub"
 
Interesting question! I would definitely not spend so much money going through so many gun buys and trades!

A Glock 27 might be first, as my all around gun.

A nice 1911, preferably something with historical value, but a shooter, too.

A .22 plinker, probably a S&W Model 41

A 3" or 4" 629.

A nice Colt SAA in .45 Colt
 
Without naming brands or models:

A large caliber "service" revolver, .357 Mag. or larger.
A .38 snubby.
A double stack medium/large semi, 9mm or larger.
A single stack semi (James Bond type), prolly .380 ACP.
A compact semi, 9mm.

There are particular guns I'd like to own, and I'll add them to my "collection" as they become available at a good price. There is no gun I'd "pay any price" to have.

I don't buy on make, but on how much I like the gun, reputation, and how it fits me and my wants. I say "wants" rather than "needs" because there are some guns I've bought for a particular purpose, and some I've bought just because I like them, and those may not be in the list above.
 
There is one thing I should have done differently every time I went gun shopping. I would spend the extra hundred dollars to buy the better gun rather than settling for the one that I thought was within my budget. This one little change would have saved me much money and aggravation over the years.

You're better off with five nice handguns that thirty pieces of junk.
 
In the early days, my focus was on handguns suitable as police service firearms. This meant 6-shot wheelguns with a 4" or 6" barrel and 4" or larger semiautos. Some of the purchases I wouldn't change at all.

I would have not eschewed the 5-shot J-frame .38's back then if I know what I now know. I might have balanced purchases with snubbies a bit better. I would have also bought a real "safe" instead of a cheaper security cabinet around 1995... that decision cost me a lot of my early handguns.

Building (and rebuilding) my collection today would go something like this...
  • A good .357. Original: Colt Trooper MkIII 6". Replacement: S&W Model 19 4".
  • A solidly reliable 9mm. Original: S&W 39-2: Replacement: S&W 39-2.
  • A high quality .22LR handgun. Originally: S&W 422, Replacement: S&W 617
  • Well made concealable "snubby" .38/.357. Originally: none Later: S&W 649 Bodyguard.
  • Sturdy, reliable shotgun: Originally: None, Later: Winchester Defender 12ga.
  • Reliable medium range carbine: Originally: Ruger Mini-14; Hindsight: AR-15
  • Big bore Magnum revolver: Originally: S&W 58, Replacements: S&W 57 & 2x 58's.
If you followed the pattern above, the .357 can be used as a home defense gun nicely. The 9mm then adds an auto of similar power (and perhaps a lot more capacity). Then it's time to either buy a .22LR for inexpensive practice or a small "snubbie" as a backup or CCW gun.

I usually don't buy a gun unless I see a use or need for it in some way. Nor do I buy lots of accessories and geegaws for my rifles or pistols. I detest a light AR-15 bloated to the weight of an M-14 by adding gimmicky stuff.

One lesson I did learn over the years... if you find a nice gun you'd like to own (even if it doesn't make sense) and you find one at a good price, buy it. Even if you have to put it on layaway. You'll be happier in the long run. For me, the gun that fell into this category was a S&W Model 31 in .32 Long. :o
 
If I could start over again I would buy as many stainless pythons as I could when they were new and available at reasonable prices. :D
 
first would be a five shot lightweight snub in my case I have a S&W M&P340,
second would be a good 1911 45acp I'll take my Springfield parked loaded,both have Crimson traces.
next I want a plinker 22 I'll take my Ruger MK2
next I'd want a hammer 44mag I'll take my 50th anniversary flattop Blackhawk.
now I'm torn on what to get next either my 4" GP100 or my CZ85 combat I'd also be real tempted to get a HK P7PSP right now while they're real cheap.
 
"Proud to own" can mean various things. I am more interested in reliability, utility, good quality and sometimes historical nostalgia. I have little interest in collector grade firearms.

So for me, assuming familiarity with handguns but starting your own "collection":

1&2) Self defense pistols (two is one, one is none)
Anything proven reliable, reasonably accurate and fits you. Must have a decent trigger. A compact version of a service pistol like the G19/G23, compact XD, M&P or anything else that you deem ultra dependable like the Hi-Power, 1911, etc. These can do multiple jobs: CCW, home defense, training,

3) .22LR conversion for your defense pistol, or a solid .22LR pistol such as Ruger, Browning, etc. Allows lots of cheap practice, and introducing others to shooting.

4) Specialized utility handgun. This is for any special situations based on your lifestyle and activities. Could be a G20 or GP100 for hiking and hunting backup. A .38 S&W for the wife. A S&W snubnose or Keltec for the pocket. Or a hunting hangun such as a Super Blackhawk .44 mag.

5) Pure fun but stay with quality. It could be a military classic (Luger, P38, S&W or Colt .45ACP, 1911, etc.), a .500 S&W, SAA .45 Colt, Freedom Arms .454, Race gun, whatever.
 
First gun: a .357 revolver. I bought a model 19 which is a k-frame S&W. Not made currently as far as I can tell. If you wanted a S&W you'd have to get a L-frame, and could get a 7 shooter.
Second gun: a good 22 rimfire. Either a revolver or a semi-auto.
Third: 1911 in either a 45ACP or 10mm auto.
Fourth: A powerful large caliber revolver. At least a .44 magnum but could go with a .454 Casul or a .500 S&W just for fun.

I'd also consider getting reloading equipment for the center fire cartridges. It helps to keep your option open.
 
If I could go back in time 25 years and start over? Besides a number of other things I wasted money on (wine, women and song!), handguns are at the top of the list. Well over 100... yes, a huge waste of money. :rolleyes:

One good Ruger .22 revolver or Ruger .22 pistol for target and trail, and a SW snub .38 model 60 or Walther PPK/S in .380ACP for CC and home defense. And I should have custom ordered a Jack Howard Gamemaster Jet recurve Bow in 60# pull, for all my other hunting purposes. And plenty of bullets and arrows for all of the above.

The rest of the $$$$ I WASTED... would go into an SP 500 index fund. I would easily have been able to pay CASH for a home, had I not wasted my youth and income in the pursuit of certain "objects" that mean nothing to me now.

Buy only what you need, buy quality, and for God's sake INVEST the remainder!!!!
 
I had a small advantage...

In that, the first half dozen handguns I "had" belonged to my father. He owned and used them, but I got the use of any of them, when I wanted, provided he wasn't wearing it at the time!:D

When I moved out on my own, the first handgun I bought for myself was a .45 Auto. It happened to be a Browning BDA .45, not a 1911 like Dad had. Second handgun was a Ruger Blackhawk .45 convertable. I bought that one with the intent of shooting my .45ACP ammo, without having to hunt for the brass in the weeds, but I made a small mistake. I go a box of .45 Colt, and shot that first! After that, I was a confirmed .45 Colt fan!

Things get a little hazy after that, can't recall exactly what came next, was either a Ruger Mk I .22 or a S&W M19. After that, I wasn't looking for niches to fill, but rather getting guns I had always wanted, or that appealed to me at the time.

IF I had to do it all over again (and especially if I could be young to do it again;)), I would still do it about the same way. Personal defense handgun, then big bore revolver, or plinker (exact order unimportant, as long as you wind up with what you want), then interesting collector or special purpose pieces.
 
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