how do you decide what to buy next?

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rickinma

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I have a bunch of things on my wish list, but I'm having a hard time deciding what direction to go in first. Was curious how you guys decide which item on the list to buy first/next.

For example, I've wanted a s&w 686 for the last 20 something years (32 yo) but can't decide between 7 or 6 shot, and 4" vs 6". I have a couple of 38's, so I don't "need" it, but at some point, I need to bite the bullet and get one so it's high on the list.

I'd also like to pick up a 20 gauge shotgun to take the kids to do clays. My kids are still small (below 5) but my sister in law and nefew(12 yo) just moved into the area, and prices don't seem to ever come down, so why wait, except, I haven't narrowed it down enough. I like the idea of teaching on an o/u or pump, but like the idea of the reduced recoil of a semi for my little girl. Decisions, decisions,...

also, high on the list...a rifle, or perhaps 2. Having grown up in NJ, rifles were useless to me (shotgun only hunting) but now I feel terrible I don't have a .22, a black rifle, or something in .308. How do I get another revolver or shotgun when I don't have a single rifle that isn't powered by air or a spring?

lastly, somehow I don't have a 1911 - seems easy enough to fix, but how do I put it ahead of the others?
almost forgot - I think I'd like to start getting into reloading too.

I'm fairly certain my wife would be ok with me spending a few hundred dollars, but where do I start when there is so much I "need"?

how do you guys prioritize your wish list?
 
rickinma said:
how do you guys prioritize your wish list?
Click to expand...
I take my running list (currently consisting of a GI-style 1911, M1 Carbine, and a Remington 700 SPS) and compare it to what I can afford to buy AND maintain (i.e., ammo costs, accessories, etc.).

If you have so many options, I would start out with what would get the most use and/or what you're going to have the most fun with.

While I don't reload, I can't comment on whether I'd do that before or after gun aquisitions, but I can imagine arguments for both.
 
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LOL. The first thing to remember about your next purchase is that it's not going to be your last! For most people here, this is a lifelong hobby of buying and selling as things fall in and out of interest.

I recommend buying something you are sure to shoot a lot.
 
I usually go with whatever I think will be harder to get later or what will rise in a price range to the point that I can't afford it and need one now.
 
SKS Ray said:
I usually go with whatever I think will be harder to get later or what will rise in a price range to the point that I can't afford it and need one now.
Click to expand...


This is what I do. You do have to be ready to bite the bullet if you see something on your list that might be hard to get. I have to stop buying all these old .22's I have been picking up lately and save a few dollars for two guns on my list right now. Right after I get my M1 I sent for. You know the one, the one to keep the others from being lonely.
 
I would opt for the shotgun for the kids if they are interested...Just be mindful a 20g can have more felt recoil than a 12g due to the lighter weight.
7/8 or 1 oz shot out of a lighter 20 guage will kick more than a 12 guage shooting 1oz shot.
I would get the 22 rifle for the kids also. Easier to shoot ,learn on,cheaper and really has no age limits. Young and old will shoot a 22. Ammo is cheaper.

For personal guns.......sometime you just have to say "today is the day I have X amount of dollars in my pocket and im buying Y"
I recently did this with a SKS purchase, did not need it , not a high priority. Just something I grabbed before the prices go up again
 
Dude don't worry the good portion of the hobby or lifestyle is the hunt. Then the rest is just talking about guns. Theres also a little bit of shooting involved.

For us here on NES guns are the equivalent to any accessories a women buys. Can never have enough
 
Tough choices.... I really want a S&W 629 and a 686 and had been saving for them. But I already had 5+ pistols and revolvers and not a single rifle over .22. I did have a 12 ga shotgun, so obviously my glaring gap was a rifle in a larger caliber. Those black tactical jobbies had been calling out to me for awhile so.... I guess the revolvers will have to wait for a while longer. I do know some guys that have zero interest in rifles (or pistols for that matter) so to each their own. I do think it it wise to have some representation in each category (sorry, no black powder). If it were me I would go with the shotgun to teach the kids clays.. They are only that age for a very short time.
 
Aside from things that might skyrocket in value, holes in the collection are a good place to start. A fun .22 (whether its a classic Marlin or tacticool GSG5 or G22) really is a fantastic option since you can practice forever for practically free. It would also be a good gun for younger shooters, and can be used at the 25 and 100 yard line alike.

Are you going to be hunting or target shooting at well over 100 yards? If not, the .308 might not be a good fit. If so, on the other hand, it could be a lot cheaper than a .30-06 or other large caliber rifle.

1911s are fantastic and come in practically every configuration and make you could want. At the same time, they're a little expensive to feed for constant practice and target shooting (but that shouldn't stop you from picking one up at some point).

.223 Black Rifles are great project guns and fun to shoot out to and well beyond 100 yards (if your range has the space). Ammo is more reasonable than a .308, that said you'll probably be dumping a hefty sum, especially if you're looking to go the preban route.

Don't have enough experience with 20 gauge over 12 to comment on the recoil factor.

In the end, of course, its your call.
 
I have a list of guns I want but even then I ask myself the following questions, more or less:

Can I afford it- and all the crap to go with it (eg, a good holster that isn't a POS) and can I afford to KEEP it?

How much use am I going to get out of it? If the answer is not "a lot" - with a few exceptions, then it never gets bought- mostly because I end up selling stuff that goes unfired for a long period of time, so why buy it to begin with?

How expensive is it to feed it? (and if this is an issue, can I reload for it- and even then, can I get brass for it easily?). This is the reason I don't have stuff like guns chambered in 6.8 SPC, .50 Beowulf, etc. Too far out there and too much of a pain in the ass.

Am I going to be pissed off with some shortcoming of this gun, and can it be addressed, and can I do it without ending up in a pit of financial unpleasantness in the process?

Have I been down this road before and what happened the last time I went down this road? For example I used to have a few J-frame revolvers.... and I would never buy another one without budgeting in some cash into the equation to have the trigger cleaned up.

I used to just buy whatever piqued my interest at the time, but I've learned over time that, that alone is generally a shitty idea and a sure-fire way to waste money or tie up time and resources. I still commit the occasional impulse buy but those are few and far
between, although I had two of "those" this year, but only one of them was really an impulse buy... the other one was on the "BOLO list. "

-Mike
 
I'd skip the 20 gauge for now...they do kick like a mule and it is actually tougher to find low recoil 20 gauge ammo than 12.

Go for a .410 single shot. Light means more recoil, but it also means that they can hold and shoulder it safely and comfortably. An H&R single shot is a really cheap, reliable option and if you start with a rifle, you can buy an accessory 410 barrel and kill two birds with one stone. You'd be into the whole thing for under $300.

My next purchase tends to be whatever i come across first. I try to plan, but impulse buys are definitely an "issue".
 
They are tools to me. If I want to redo my kitchen, I'm going to need some tools like a hammer, tile cutter.....

Same for guns. If I'm going to shoot skeet, I get a skeet gun.

B
 
Tim94gt said:
Winner!

Since I have no kids, my choice is much easier. I knock my list down one at a time, usually pick the next one at random and start saving for it.
Click to expand...

I don't have kids either. I bought an 870 20 guage for the sole purpose of introducing smaller-framed and female shooters to clay shooting.
 
I want the stuff that I can't have (yet): suppressor and full-auto stuff.

I'm buying a .22lr semiauto pistol next because that's a hole in my portfolio.

I'd like to narrow down my collection to German-made: Walther, H&K, Luger and Broomhandle. Maybe adding a Sako hunting rifle or two. There are too many guns out there, and I can't own them all. Sooner or later, I'll have to specialize.
 
I NEVER pick a gun to buy, I have a working list and I visit lots of shops looking for the best overall value for any one of the firearms on my list. I had a AK in. 223 on my list for over a year until the other day. Got the deal I wanted and went for it. I got the gun I wanted in the condition I wanted, for less than I wanted to pay, and the ability to turn around and sell it for a profit if it doesn't work out ( that last part is key for me )
 
I have a list with columns for SHTF, competition, carry, and home defense. Guns that hit all four take priority unless I have a specific need.

Then there is a want list.

Sent from my SPH-P100 using Tapatalk
 

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