Starting Over

Boy talk about being between a rock and hard place. $550.00 ain't going very far at today's prices. Depending on what you feel you need? I would look to the second hand and Police Turn In market. There are still some deals to be had. Revolver wise you could get a Smith Model 10. If it had to be a Semi? Palmetto State just had the Taurus G2 on sale. The SAR pistols would work. Rifle? Going to be hard to find something with what is left over after a pistol. I might concider by passing a rifle and use the extra money to buy something of better quality that could be carried if need be.

WB

I would never get rid of the 12 ga pump. It is the most versatile and one of the most reliable guns you can possibly own.

As for your question it really depends on your situation and the application you will most likely need the gun for. In most states you can hunt almost everything you would need to survive with the 12 ga. If you are in a city and think you need to carry then a glock 9mm pistol or any other simi auto in 9mm would be hard to beat. If you are in the west where we have bigger game you would hunt and don't need the pistol I lilke the idea of a cheap 22lr and then an inexpensive hunting rifle. Ruger American or Savage Axis come to mind. I prefer .308 because it is so plentiful, less expensive and versatile.

Good luck finding anything nowadays. Not sure what the future holds. But right now shelves are empty. Bare no ammo, no guns. Good luck and post pics of what you get. We like pictures.

Hell I just wanna eat ! so a shotgun keeps birds in the stew pot a hunting rifle for red meat and survival.

LGS has handguns in stock, gun store at the range also has a full handgun cabinet so guns are available - whether or not ammo is also readily available, hard to say; but the range also rents guns and has ammo, although they have limited how much you can buy at one time - especially for the 9mm and 223

My 12 ga will be a Remington 870 Wingmaster Magnum.
Purchase #1 will be a gently used Marlin Model 60
Purchase #2 will be a gently used 4in 38 Special from (Taurus, Ruger or S&W)
I have plenty of ammo for them all.

hso said:

Used 9mm semiauto are easy to find from four to five hundred.

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Good luck with getting ammo

I'd probably buy a used semi-auto polymer, hopefully high capacity magazine, hand gun for as little as I could reasonably spend, maybe $250? Then I'd try and find another barrel for my 12g shot gun, a rifled one so I could hunt birds and game. Then I'd spend whatever $ I had left on a used rifle of some kind, maybe a 10/22, maybe an old lever action rifle of some kind, maybe a bolt action rifle of some kind...

Edit: you can find Remington Game Master rifles, like the 760, that are pump action, for really cheap money, so I might go and buy and old 760 game master in 30.06

I'd also be good with a good old .38 M&P, and a Marlin .22 rifle. It's still possible, though less and less likely, to run into a S&W .38 for $350 (I bought one last Feb. at a gun show for that). If there was no other way to get ahead, I'd maybe sell or trade the shotgun (I am NOT a shotgun man, at all). And buy more ammo.

Lycidas Janwor said:

I'd probably buy a used semi-auto polymer, hopefully high capacity magazine, hand gun for as little as I could reasonably spend, maybe $250? Then I'd try and find another barrel for my 12g shot gun, a rifled one so I could hunt birds and game. Then I'd spend whatever $ I had left on a used rifle of some kind, maybe a 10/22, maybe an old lever action rifle of some kind, maybe a bolt action rifle of some kind...

Edit: you can find Remington Game Master rifles, like the 760, that are pump action, for really cheap money, so I might go and buy and old 760 game master in 30.06

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You do not want a rifled barrel for hunting birds; you'd be better off with a regular smoothbore and use the slugs designed for that.

A decent 22LR rifle and all the ammo I could find. I've put a lot of thought into this, read a lot on other folks opinions and I still come to the same conclusion...I can do it all with a good 22 rifle.

A used or new if possible 9mm. Any money left over would go for a used .22 rifle and ammo.

Taurus G2C $250
https://www.armslist.com/posts/12274554/tulsa-oklahoma-handguns-for-sale--taurus---g2c
Mossberg 100 ATR .243 $300
https://www.armslist.com/posts/7217616/tulsa-oklahoma-rifles-for-sale--mossberg--100-atr

I also believe that your scenario depends on where you live. If I lived in a big city, my primary focus would be personal safety. So I would probably opt for a nice(r) handgun and worry about getting my food from the store(s).

In a rural setting, I might be more concerned with putting food on the table. So I would likely opt for a 22 or cheaper handgun, and maybe a cheap centerfire rifle like what I posted above.

Glock 22/23/27 (40 S&W) (nice "new to me" model) and ammo.
40 S&W was about .40 a round delivered weeks ago, a case of 1,000 rounds ammo ~$400 - It is likely more now if it can be found.
$550 aint currently enough, add more money.

$550 ?
Put that into a different barrels for the shotgun, assuming you have a 'normal' one a rifled barrel for slugs. with sights and a short cylinder bore for close self defense. With the left over cash buy ammunition.

Robert said:

Let's keep this based in reality and not drift in to SHTF or EOTW stuff.

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One could say that "SHTF" is increasingly becoming reality, at least for some.

Hoyte said:

In this scenario, you have $550 and a 12 ga pump. The firearms you spend the money on are the only ones you will have in the foreseeable future. There’s no option to save up more money or acquire other firearms afterwards. Society is how it is currently. What handgun and or rifles would buy that would last you a lifetime and will prepare you for whatever may come?

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Assuming the money can be entirely devoted to firearms and ammo can be acquired later, I'd buy a police trade in Glock 23 and a 9 mm barrel for it (if I could find them)

Hoyte said:

In this scenario, you have $550 and a 12 ga pump. The firearms you spend the money on are the only ones you will have in the foreseeable future. There’s no option to save up more money or acquire other firearms afterwards. Society is how it is currently. What handgun and or rifles would buy that would last you a lifetime and will prepare you for whatever may come?

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Used Glock 17..remember ya gotta buy ammo with that $550, for the SG also...

$550 should get you an AR-15 (or at least it could up to a few months ago). You still might be able to find a Poverty Pony on the secondary market.

Compact(4-4.25”) 9mm I bought NIB M&P9C for $350. Back in March.

today’s prices probably a Shield9 and ammo

A lot of people don’t have much use for a shotgun.

I'll disagree - one can defend, hunt, and enjoy shooting sports; they generally cost less than a handgun and are typically easier to own in states with gun restrictions; ammo is generally more readily available

Trade the 12ga and use the cash + trade for 20 gauge with a field barrel and a smooth bore slug barrel.

A shotgun can be very versatile, one barrel for shot, one for slugs and there isn’t a thing on the planet you can’t do with it.

They are also the last weapon to be targeted or considered scary. Everybody’s grandpa had a shotgun, be it a S/S, O/U, or pump

South Prairie Jim said:

Hell I just wanna eat ! so a shotgun keeps birds in the stew pot a hunting rifle for red meat and survival.

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There ain’t nothing you CANT do with a shotgun. It’s probably the single most versatile firearm in existence.