"Buy Once, Cry Once" I don't get it.

it means its better to spend more money(cry once at the price) and buy something of quality that will function well and not break or jam.

rather than to buy something cheap (and not cry at the price...), but only to have it break and jam all the time (....but to cry at all the times it doesnt work)

The idea is that you're sad to give up the money (hence "cry"), but giving up a bit more money to get a product that will last is better than having to shed those tears because you have to buy replacements for the cheap crap you bought the first (second, third, etc.) time.

So, buy good (expensive) stuff the first time and only suffer the pain of cash leaving your wallet one time.

Like all other platitudes, maxims, or truisms, there's a bit of truth to it, but it's not a universal solution for everyone. A better one would be, "be a wise consumer."

Pay for what you get, get what you paid for.

Example: A few years ago I bought a made in 1968 with box 2 1/2 inch Colt Diamondback in 38 special for $800. I was offered $1500 on Tuesday and said no. I did express an interest in a trade for a S&W model 57 in nickle with box plus cash though. We shall see.

Example 2. I passed on a mauser red nine fo $1300. I do wish I had bought it just like the Colt Viper I also passed on. Today both of these guns are hard to find and the prices are out of reach for my budget. Should have bit the bullet and bought them when I had the chance.

I frequently find this applies to holsters.

Good point about holsters!

Everytime I buy a gun, I think about whether or not I really needed to make the purchase. Buyer's remorse. So, I "cry once", but I try to buy wisely.

mljdeckard said:

I frequently find this applies to holsters.

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You got that right. I really should dig out the holsters that I never use (some that I didn't care for and a few that I admittedly tried to save money on) and have a sale. Save now! 50% less tears.

This is very frequently applied to scopes/optics

And sometimes to 1911s.

And occasionally to ARs.

Spend the money on quality equipment up front rather than spend more money over time to replace lesser quality equipment.

Read my sig line below

People say that the reasons AR's are so expensive is because they are hand made, like a Maserati. I say I don't want a "Maserati" gun, I just want a Ford or Chevy type of gun. Something dependable, but not out-friggin-rageous!

AR's are not expensive. Most would be compared to a Ford or a Chevy. Even the most expensive models are selling at about the same price as a common hunting rifle today.

People say that the reasons AR's are so expensive is because they are hand made, like a Maserati. I say I don't want a "Maserati" gun, I just want a Ford or Chevy type of gun. Something dependable, but not out-friggin-rageous!

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there is a huge difference between 'hand made' and 'hand assembled'....

i'll eat my holster if ANY of the common ARs are actually 'hand made'

I frequently find this applies to holsters.

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Anybody who has every bought a cheap holster knows exactly what you mean. I agree 100% on this.

mcmurry said:

People say that the reasons AR's are so expensive is because they are hand made, like a Maserati. I say I don't want a "Maserati" gun, I just want a Ford or Chevy type of gun. Something dependable, but not out-friggin-rageous!

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What?

ARs are not "so expensive"...they are not hand made...and I have never before heard a single person, anywhere, say that.

If you think ARs are "out-friggin-rageous"...I don't know what to tell you.

Have you checked out the high-end 1911 market lately?

How about an AR alternative such as the FN Scar?

Buy quality scope and pay more $$. Cry because you spent so much on a quality optic.

Buy crappy scope, cry because crappy scope is crap. Replace crappy scope with another crappy scope then cry because crappy scope turned out to be crap. Etc...

This axiom applies heavily in sport optics like red dots, rifle scopes, and spotting scopes. Several of my rigs have scopes that cost as much as, or more than the rifle.

Optics/lenses are definitely a place where it pays to spend the money for any kind of even semi-serious use.

It's not across the board. You don't have to spend a lot of money to get a good gun that will do the job. I tell my students, if they don't have the wherewithal to do extensive testing, start with a used J-frame of G-19. It will do the job.

But yeah, with the scope reference above, my late father was so cheap, he would make the same mistake twice. Now, he wasn't very demanding of his gear, most of his shots were uncomplicated shots at deer at less than 200 yards. You don't need a Leupold to do that. But he bought a good varmint rifle, and I told him he was going to want more magnification. So he went and bought the cheapest Simmons 5-20 Walmart has to offer. I didn't say anything. It had a few adventures behind the seat of the truck, and we took it out to the open range one afternoon. I laid it across the hood and shot it at a target 200 yards away, and it was putting them in the dirt about 50 yards out. He thought I was just being stupid, so he tried it, and it did the same thing. We took it home, and took the scope off, and realized quickly that the tube was bent. Oh well. He said he would have to replace it, and I didn't say anything. So he replaced it with.....THE EXACT SAME SCOPE. I still have the rifle, and it works, but it's at the top of the list to replace.

No, you don't HAVE to buy the very best example of something to have it work. But if you buy a cheap one, and abuse it, and STILL expect it to work, you might be disappointed.

Agreed. And a cheap Simmons scope might be just what you need...depending on what you expect out of it. I wouldn't expect to bounce it around in the back seat of the truck and have it work. I do have a $40 Simmons scope on one of my rifles, and I am very happy with it...but it's just a simple 4x32 on my 10/22 that is only used for inexpensive plinking/practice where failure is borderline-acceptable. So far it has done everything I could have expected and everything I have asked of it.

But whenever I can afford to put a scope on my AR (currently has an Aimpoint), it'll probably be a ~$750 affair. Failure, or even sub par performance, will not be an option there.

This term also applies well to tools....especially when Harbor Freight is involved.

I use Harbor Freight for tools I only plan on using once, but I don't plan on throwing them away either.

I suppose using common sense would do you well but common sense aint so common anymore.

Lots of folks really dont know how to research a product before they buy it.