How do we do it?

I play BINGO to support my addiction.

MachIVshooter said:

I would recommend just about anything but an MG at today's prices.

Click to expand...

I tend to agree with this.

Old-timers like me were spoiled (back in the 1970's) when we could buy original Thompsons or BARs for less than $1,000, tax included. And the ATF wait was only a few weeks. It was possible to assemble a nice collection.

Things are completely different now. The months-long approval process is probably as much a deterrent as the high prices.

Don't overlook semiautomatic clones of MGs. These include BARs from Ohio Ordnance, M249S from FN, as well as the ubiquitous AR-15. You'll pay $6,000 for an M249S and at least $4,000 for a BAR, but that's still a fraction of what an FA would go for.

Full time job and two side businesses for me. Plus living way below my means and keep reinvesting profits. Firearms is my main hobby and the only one I really spend money on. Usually when I add things to my collection its when I come across a smoking deal.

Also when I want to buy a part/accessory the first question I ask myself is, "Can I buy a dozen at a discount and sell the rest off at regular price to make mine free?".

work harder then others, spend less on things you don't need, live under you means and watch your money grow. then when you want to spend money on something bad enough you will have it.

AlexanderA said:

I would recommend something else for a first MG. I had a MAC 11 once (suppressed, no less), and got rid of it. Way overrated.

Click to expand...

Perhaps true at one time, but with the current crop of uppers and accessories offered by Lage & others, the M11/9 may be the best bargain in the transferrable MG world. I have the .22LR conversion upper, carbine upper & had the M11-15 .223/5.56 upper (since sold that one). All work well and make it among the most versatile platforms out there.

Bought my first machine gun in 2012. Thought at the time it was a risky investment but it has obviously turned out ok at this point & no I would not sell now even though I could triple or quadruple my original purchase price. Nothing relieves stress like a couple of well timed mag dumps. Plus, allowing others to shoot machine guns for the first time and seeing the smile it puts on their face is priceless.

How did I do it? Years and years of hard work and living below my means, raising my kids and sending them off with a sound moral and ethical compass so my wife of 40+ years (first and only wife-also an important point when discussing accumulating worldly wealth) could enjoy a few years as empty nesters while awaiting grandchildren as others were indulging in and heavily investing in more temporary pleasures.

Also, I learned to be self sufficient and at least marginally skilled in a diverse field of endeavors. (mechanic, carpenter, heavy equipment operator, machinist, reloading ammo, gunsmithing). I purchased my first silencer then decided that I could make my own from that point on, so I Form 1'ed 9 silencers carving them on my lathe from raw materials ranging from aluminum composition for a rimfire, to stainless and Titanium for more potent calibers.

Worked for me
YMMV

Credit cards