$300 and no gun at all, but...

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I found a Remington 121 Fieldmaster in 22lr. that was in pretty good shape other than the SS number someone had etched into it 50 something years ago. I think they had it priced $279 But I bet I could get it and a brick or two for $300. THey were never going to sell it like that.



I suppose I might try to combine some kind of cheap single shot 22 with a cheap but usable revolver in 38. But that would be pretty tough to do now. So I guess just spend it all on the 22



Edit-I dont know why I didnt think of a 22 handgun. That would be considered instead of the rifle. It would be a close call.
 
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With no gun at all, and only one gun to get, I'd probably go with something like a Mossberg 500 (that was actually my first gun, so I have some justifications I can give you):

1) You can hunt pretty much anything with a shotgun. Birds, small mammals, large mammals, and even dangerous large mammals if you're close enough.

2) It's a very formidable tool for self defense.

3) They're reliable, and ammo is easy to find for a 12 gauge (even during times of panic I can find 12 gauge ammo).

4) You can still have range fun doing trap/skeet, or hillbilly backyard clays with these guns.
 
a mosin nagant and a CZ 82 would be a good start to a gun collection. A year ago, you could have easily gotten both for 300 bucks. A used S&W 357 would make a pretty awesome first gun as well.
 
but....1 gun only!?!?! shudder at the thought!!!!!
At this point, it is hard to imagine any possibility that hasn't already been mentioned. Obviously, different strokes for different folks. In my case, I'd look for the cheapest (but in good working condition) 10/22 or 12 ga I could find, use the change for ammo, and then save up to buy the other. Those two are must-haves in my case. I would never settle for just one gun. Soon after those would come a handgun of some sort, and if money is precious, it would probably be a .357 of some kind. After that, a .30 caliber rifle, probably a Mosin, again assuming money is the deciding factor. Not too long ago, all four of these could be had for under $1k, easy. Still possible, I think, if someone looks long enough, and gets lucky.
 
At that price point a used Ruger 10/22 or a used Mossberg 500 would work just fine for me.
 
Long gun: Used Mossberg pump in 12-gauge.
Handgun: Used Ruger revolver in .38Spl/.357 Mag

No thanks to the Hi Point.
 
Before this latest craziness a new Ruger LCR could be had for $409, now $459. I'd sell plasma, skip lunch, work odd jobs, whatever was needed to get what I needed to get the cash for either a lightly used or new LCR. Some things are worth what they cost, and personal weapons top this list IMHO.
 
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I'd go to the back corner of the gunshop to where all the old bolt action shotguns are kept and buy one of those for $75-100.

I'd get one of those fiberoptic front sights, and cut the barrel down to 20 inches.

I'd use the remainder to buy a used 22.
 
I didn't read the thread because the answer to this is obvious. Nothing is as versatile as a shotgun. You can buy several under your $300 price limit including some very good ones. You could get a $200 Mossberg. They're fine shotguns but I prefer the 870 style design so I'd probably go with the clone of the 870, the H&R Pardner Pump. You can buy them brand new in Walmart for under $170. That leaves a LOT of room for ammo which is available for shotguns. If you want a gun that will do many things it will be a shotgun. Think birdshot for hunting birds, killing small game or clearing brush (yeah I've done that but only for tree branches I couldn't get to any other way). You can also shoot clay pigeons for fun and sport, shoot buckshot for HD and for hunting bigger game and shoot slugs for just about any game in N. America. My primary bear gun is a 12 ga. with Brenneke Black Magic slugs in it. You can reload a pump shotgun as you shoot meaning you don't have to pull out a mag to reload it. You just keep shoving rounds into the tube after you shoot a round you load another one in. There isn't much that can stand up to a Black Magic slug. Even a brown bear would have a problem standing up to 4 or 5 of them. Here's a hint. Make sure your shotgun has a recoil pad.

There are other good choices depending on what you think you might need. But my first gun was a shotgun, a Mossberg. I grew up with guns everywhere around the house so I always had access to pretty much any type of gun I wanted and dad gave me that Mossberg too plus a .22 rifle. I bought my own semi-auto pistol. I gave the same shotgun to my daughter for her first gun. Now she also has a revolver. I later bought a Tokarev pistol for $75. It was a great car pistol. There are lots of good choices but a shotgun is a great choice IMO.

I noticed some people suggesting a 10/22. Why? They aren't good for HD which is something I would really want. They're great for hunting and small varmints and plinking (in ordinary times when .22 ammo is abundant and cheap instead of non-existent). Also a Mosin is not exactly the best HD weapon either. It's plenty powerful. Too powerful is the word I'm looking for. You don't want to kill a neighbor in the next county over. And LCP is OK for a pocket pistol. I have one myself. But they have very limited range and capacity. I actually bought the one I have for my wife but she hasn't gotten around to starting to carry it yet. A CZ 82 is an excellent choice and they are just over $200. I'd get a true 9mm. That would give you a good carry weapon and a good HD gun and it won't break the bank. Finding ammo now might be a problem.
 
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Cee Zee:

I noticed some people suggesting a 10/22. Why? They aren't good for HD which is something I would really want. They're great for hunting and small varmints and plinking (in ordinary times when .22 ammo is abundant and cheap instead of non-existent). Also a Mosin is not exactly the best HD weapon either. It's plenty powerful. Too powerful is the word I'm looking for. You don't want to kill a neighbor in the next county over. And LCP is OK for a pocket pistol. I have one myself. But they have very limited range and capacity. I actually bought the one I have for my wife but she hasn't gotten around to starting to carry it yet. A CZ 82 is an excellent choice and they are just over $200. I'd get a true 9mm. That would give you a good carry weapon and a good HD gun and it won't break the bank. Finding ammo now might be a problem.

Because HD would not be my first priority. My first priority would be to buy something I would enjoy shooting first and foremost that had the most versatility. In my mind that is a 22. I would have to think about exactly which 22, because HD would also need to be a consideration. But not my first. I want what I enjoy the most.
 
I didn't read the thread because the answer to this is obvious. Nothing is as versatile as a shotgun. ...

I don't see that. They are way too legally encumbered to be useful for a lot of people. NFA '34 requires a $200 tax stamp and a long (6mo) wait for one that can even be brought out of the home, and then you have paperwork issues headaches and local restrictions in a lot of areas.

A rifled-barrel handgun (e.g. a S&W m10 ) is immediately usable and can be had for almost the price of the shotty's tax stamp. It can be used for anything from recreational shooting to home/self defense and even hunting. You can buy holsters all day long and cops' eyes won't light up in quite the same way when they find one in your glove box. That makes a handgun far more versatile in my world.
 
Because HD would not be my first priority. My first priority would be to buy something I would enjoy shooting first and foremost that had the most versatility. In my mind that is a 22. I would have to think about exactly which 22, because HD would also need to be a consideration. But not my first. I want what I enjoy the most.

Thanks for clarifying that. You just can't beat a good .22 for developing the fundamentals of shooting, and just plain fun.
 
My guess is that a 10/22 would do just fine for HD if the user had spent countless hours shooting thousands of rounds to the point of being able to point the rifle like pointing a finger.
 
Originally Posted by Cee Zee View Post
I didn't read the thread because the answer to this is obvious. Nothing is as versatile as a shotgun. ...
I don't see that. They are way too legally encumbered to be useful for a lot of people. NFA '34 requires a $200 tax stamp and a long (6mo) wait for one that can even be brought out of the home, and then you have paperwork issues headaches and local restrictions in a lot of areas.

Did I miss something?
 
Only one gun?

lord....

I simply cant answer this question with a solid responce. But i will say my first thought was ruger p series. Covers HD, Fun, Even some hunting.
 
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