new gun collector! HELP!

I just turned 21 and have really gotten into firearms. I currently have:

-My grandfathers 870 wingmaster (20 gauge)
-1966 Marlin 39a

What next? I'm thinking a rimfire pistol, possible a S&W 617? I also really would like a centerfire rifle, possible a AR-15. Also, centerfire pistol? 1911, glock???? So many guns, so little time (and money). What do you all think I should save my hard earned pennies for?

Yeah You will probably want a 22 to plink with thats just a general fun gun, and you will probably be better off starting with a revolver for a handgun. A 357 Mag wouldnt be bad since it can take 38 ammo for you to use at first. An AR-15 sounds like a good choice, but if you Dont have a lot of money to spend get an AK-47 Clone and never look back. Cheap Ammo too. Even cheaper is an sks (Same ammo as an AK).

And most of all Ya gatta practice with em all:neener:

Just my 2 cents.

Greeting's nub My Friend-

First, a big ole' hearty welcome aboard The High Road~! Lot's of good
folk's here, with solid information in most cases; so pull up a chair and
join in on the fun. ;)

Lot's of good choices in weapons remain for your thoughts and possible
consideration. You mentioned some in your first post. With the all out
uncertainy of the political future of this great nation, I would strongly
suggest that if you want one of those "black evil rifles" now is the time!
None of the presidential candidate's impress me on our 2nd amendment
rights. With that in mind, there are several that just would love to ban
all firearms ownership~!

So, I would move the AR-15 too the top of my "want list", and quite
possibly even add a Ruger mini-14 as an added bonus. Standard capacity
30 round magazines are still available for both; but you had better get
'em while you can. As for handguns, the 13 round capacity .45's ACP's
[read Glock 21 or Springfield Armory XD's] are a sure "sign of the times";
as this is a cruel world be live in, and either would be a great choice.
Revolver's are excellent weapons; but lack in the 'round count. In the
centerfire choice, I think 8 rounds is 'bout the limit? Next, I would get
myself a good home defense shotgun; something along the lines of the
excellent Remington 870 Marine Magum; or perhaps the Remington OD
green "Tactical", as the gun grabbers may try and attack them under
"large capacity feeding device" theme.

If you live in "free state" where CCW is allowed, a good choice for most
concealed carry options would be a Smith & Wesson model 642 .38 SPL.
caliber snubby; with a good BUG (back-up weapon) being the .380 ACP
caliber KEL-TEC P3AT. Save the Smith & Wesson model 617 as a "fun
gun"; used mainly for plinking or shooting slow fire targets. :)

Later on, you will want too add a quality 1911. I won't suggest any
particular make in hopes as not to confuse you; but shop around
before purchasing, as these have gotten wide spread popularity as
of late with prices all over the board. :scrutiny:

I sincerely hope this helps in some way, to evaluate and access not
only your needs; but give a bit of advice as too the way I see this\
country going~! :D

Stay safe, my friend and again welcome aboard~!

Its the only way to be sure.

What next? I'm thinking a rimfire pistol, possible a S&W 617? I also really would like a centerfire rifle

Welcome!

I like the rimfire revolver idea. The 617 is a great piece, but keep your eyes open for a vintage S&W K-22 Masterpiece as well. Many consider them the high-point of S&W quality, and since they're not made any more, they'll hold their value (or even go up). Around here, they generally seem to sell for less than a new 617.

Centerfire rifle...How about a Marlin 1894c .357 lever carbine to go with your 39A? Plinking, HD, and hunting small game to small deer, this handy little carbine is about as versatile a rifle as you'll find, and will also compliment the .357 revolver that you'll eventually get. And fun, fun, fun to shoot. The hard part about these Marlin .357s is finding one. BuffaloArms.com currently has one for sale.

http://www.marlinfirearms.com/Firearms/1894centerfire/1894C.aspx

http://www.buffaloarms.com/browse.cfm/4,6698.htm

Stop, Look and Handle as many of the type you like. Look hard and often but do not buy until you are absolutely certain it is the gun you must have.
You can also trade any that don't work out for you!

Hey Nub,

Welcome to THR.

+1 to everything Ala Dan Said. Good advice.

Nub -

I think it'd help to know what it is you're wanting to do with your next few puchases. How often will you be shooting? Are you wanting a gun for SD/CCW? Hunting? Range use only? Learning basic marksmanship? Plinking fun? Collecting vintage semi-collectible guns? Your next purchase(s) should be guided by your needs.

For example, IMHO, if your interest for now is to learn basic marksmanship at the range, I'd skip the snubbie, and get at least one .22LR handgun. Snubbies are hard learn to shoot accurately with, and .22LR ammo is by far the most economical way to practice. OTOH, if you're interested in CCW, a snubbie's not a bad way to go, provided you practice with it.

Older blued Colt and/or S&W revolvers are cool, well-built, collectible and hold their value. As are older Winchester rifles.

How 'bout a CZ 452 .22LR rifle? Arguably, the among the best .22LR rifles for the money. Put a scope on it (or use the iron sites), and work on your bench shooting. Or squirrel hunting. The list is endless!

Welcome to the forum. Since you already have the classic Marlin 39A, I think the first place to start with your gradual gun accumulation is a 22 handgun. I really like the the Smith Model 617 as a starter. I prefer it's predecessor, the Model 17 or 18. In an affordable 22 semi-auto, I like the Ruger Mark II or III with a 5.5" bull barrel. They shoot well.

You acqusition steps should revolve around your interests. For example, if you hunt, I put a centerfire rifle high on your want list.

Next step is probably a centerfire handgun. I prefer revolvers and would suggest a Ruger GP100 (357/38spl) with a 4" barrel or another Smith. The 686 would be my chosen 357 for general use. Makes a good home defense gun, woods gun, or general range gun. Semi-auto... I'd look hard at the Glock line in 40S&W or 45ACP.

AR-15... if you want one, I'd start thinking about getting one. I have no particular recommendation as to which model as it depends more on your budget and needs.

First think about what you would have the most fun with and have the oportunity to shoot the most. Then decide what to buy. No need in buying something that you would have to travel quite a ways to shoot or the ammo is too expensive for you right now.

The magical four are as follows

AR 15
Springfield 1911
Ruger MK series pistols
Smith and wesson 626!

Welcome nub!

The 617 is a great choice if you can afford that price. 22 is a great idea for the first (and later still favorite gun :)) Another post mentioned looking for some used Smith revolvers, which is what I did, 'cause I have kids and can't afford the 617...

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa150/BlackAdderLXX/IMG_0034.jpg

This is a Smith model 34 that I picked up on GunsAmerica.com for about $320 and it's great.

I also have a Browning Buckmark, which is another nice 22 for close to the $300 mark.

I still am not sure if I like my 22s better than my 9s or maks or my 357. They're all so much fun to shoot.

Again welcome!

Thanks for all the replies! To answer some of your questions, I really only have an interest in hunting fowl for the moment, mostly because I have no place to put larger game in my small apartment. I really enjoy going to the range and shooting. (by "range" I mean rural areas in the hills around my house, not to many real ranges in eastern washington)

I really enjoy working on my markmenship and hope to shoot competively at some point. I have a limited amount of experience with pistols and rifles but really have enjoyed my 39a as well as my buddies HK 9mm.

In general I would like to purchase higher quality firearms. I fired a friends cheap AK and would much rather have one nice rifle than 2 or 3 cheap ones.

At the moment I'm very interested in either an assualt rifle, home defense shotgun, or revolver. Are home defense shotguns fun to shoot? They aren't exactly trap and skeet guns:)

Also, what are some other good resources about firearms? I've already found rimfirecentral.com

Any other suggestions or comments are welcome!

At this stage of the game, lets call it the dream book stage, I'd suggest you pick up a copy of the most recent or last years Gun Digest (usually availabe on ebay), and probably a copy of "Modern Guns Identification & Values" written by Quertermous (Steve and Russell). Not very good for gun values, but there are pictures and it covers most of the brand names of firearms. I believe Gun Digest also publishes a book on historical guns (ie for collector or firearm history buffs) but I don't own it. Check out the big book stores.

The forums are fine for what they are, but you can't really look at a lot of guns quickly at a forum. Rimfirecentral is a great forum for 22's.

I don't particularly find shooting home defense type 12 gauge shotguns a lot of fun. You buy them, shooting them a bit, and park em for when there is a need. If you hunt birds, you will probably be looking for a 12ga at some point, but I would not choose one of the home defense type guns for this purpose although it is possible to use them. Your 20ga should be good for many things (pheasant, grouse, dove, rabbits, squirrels etc.), but not powerful enough for ducks or turkey and often marginal for pheasant. Depends if your 870 will chamber 3" shells.

I agree with your buying philosphy on guns. Stick to it and don't buy the junk that catches your eye due to a low price tag until you learn about the different gun manufacturers. The Smith 617 is a great place to start you accumulation.

The Ruger Mini 14's can be a good choice for general shooting. But they are not target guns, but of a design that you are probably comfortable with currently. I mostly plink with mine and I guess it's ready for the next zombie attack or whatever. :)