Conversational Question

[Eschaton]

I pose a question for the wonderful people here.

How do you decide which gun you want to buy next?

I've had my pistol for barely two months and I love it to bits because it's exactly what I wanted. But I still find myself online everyday looking at more pistols trying to decide what I want.

Do you go by caliber, maker, looks, etc...?

How do you decide?

 

[General Geoff]

I buy a lot of guns because I think they're cool. I just try to buy the ones that are both cool and reliable, durable, and accurate.

 

[cyclopsshooter]

i cruise for good deals on smith wheel guns and colt 1911s... as long as they are not nickel

 

[jeepmor]

I spend too much time on THR reading threads of guns, then go find what it is I want.

I still don't have a 1911, but if I get one, it's probably gonna have to be a 10mm.

Since my son was born and I took the new job, now I really just want the time to go shoot any of my guns. I don't really want to buy more without getting rid of a couple. I like the ones I have now, don't get me wrong, but there's a couple I'm not in love with that I could easily part with so I could go "find" my new love, or at least search for it.

I'm now to the point that I want a heavy hitter like a 454 casull or similar. I just like that stout recoil for some reason, makes me all giddy and such. Although, I do have a 10mm fetish. A 610 revolver would be real nice since I wouldn't have to go hunting for the brass.

The number of people who mix up the words "than" and "then" boggles the mind...

Oh brother, I've seen so many professional writers foul this one up it makes me sick.

 

[mustang_steve]

I look for something that interests me. I already have a 9mm pistol, and will soon have a T/C Contender...then next up is either a 22 pistol or revolver (that will cut down on range costs drastically, shoot a 9mm mag every session to keep in practice, but work on trigger technique on the 22).

My next medium caliber firearm will probably be a Walther PPK. I've always wanted a James Bond Gun. I'd love to get a Tokarev T33 though, they seem to BE the ugly stick, but they feel so nice in the hand.

 

[Deus Machina]

All of the above.

My first gun was "I want something to carry", decided I wanted 9mm (cheap to practice with), and went to the gun shop. Looked through all the reputable guns until I found something that just seemed like it belonged.

Decided I wanted a .22 rifle, kept an eye out, and one day at Dick's I just thought "Hey, a lever-action looks fun!" So now I've got a Henry.

Call them informed impulse buys. Save the money, do the research one what you want a gun to do, and try everything in that category until your brain just goes "That's it!"

 

[Fish_Scientist]

I generally buy for function rather than as a collector. For example, I had been saving for a high-power rifle for elk hunting for some time and bought a beautiful used (first year production; older than I am!) Remington 700 .30-06 today. Next up will likely be a back up to my Glock 22. After that, I'd like to add a semi-auto rifle (i.e., SKS) to my "collection". If, by then, I have a real job and am not just a graduate student, I may start buying for funzies (.45 1911, probably) rather than just purchase functional (for me) weapons.

Steven

 

[PT1911]

OH COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I NEED IT...


that is about the gist of it.

 

[content]

Hello friends and neighbors // Tool for job or safe Queen

All my firearms are shooters. My holy grail is Ferguson breech loading rifle.

 

[Ltp0wer]

I keep a gun wishlist text document.
The guns are ordered from most to least wanted, and anytime I hear about a gun I think I'd like, I add it to the list.

 

[Avenger29]

I buy guns to fill roles. I pretty much have my roles filled, so I probably won't be buying anything new for a long while, except a pocketable .357 revolver. When buying to fill that particular role, I do serious research and buy the most suitable firearm to fill that role. No gun in my safe is the result of a mistake or impulse purchase.

.22 handgun? Check. S&W Model 34-1 Kitgun
Full size handgun? Check. Ruger Security Six
Fighting rifle? Check. AR-15.
Fighting shotgun? Check. Remington 870
Hunting rifle? Check. Marlin 336.
Sporting shotgun? Check and check (and I don't even use 'em to sport with!). Moss. Maverick 88 and Winchester 1300.
.22 rifles? Bolt CZ-452 and 10/22, both check. I put the most mileage on these and the S&W .22.

 

[Eightball]

Do you go by caliber, maker, looks, etc...?

Yes. Mixed in with some of Avenger's wisdom, and you pretty much have it. I figure out what holes in my collection need filling, then research to find out exactly what I want/need to fill that spot (on a mechanical basis), and then I find the one that fits me the best or looks the most awesome, because let's face it: If all other things are equal, you're probably going to decide to go for the one that looks cooler/more fun/whatnot.

 

[Tim the student]

Depends if I have a void that needs to be filled.

Other than that, it depends on what catches my eye I guess. Cost to shoot and how much I will actually use it play a role too.

A .416 may be cool, but I would shoot it very seldom, while another Garand will get shot lots for much less.

 

[X-Rap]

I keep a list of guns that I have no use or wish for. The others are all fair game when found.

 

[paintballdude902]

ummmm when i see a gun that looks cool i do soem research and learn about it then if i can i buy it if i cant i buy somethin cheaper like if i wanted an ar it wont happen on a college kid budget so id buy maybe an sks thats how i do it but right now my heart is set on a galil so im saving all my change for one

 

[KarenTOC]

I have a wish-list that I sorta-kinda follow.

I was given an old Colt Huntsman .22lr pistol. Shooting? What pure, unadulterated fun! Replacement parts? A different story. So I "needed" to buy a .22lr pistol I could shoot without worrying about parts. Wasn't on my list, but... welcome to the family, Mr Ruger.

My son gave me a set of crimson trace grips which i put on my S&W 10-5 snubby. Cool... but ugly. I mean, totally unbalanced looking. All back and no front. So I "needed" to buy a K-frame revolver that would look better with my grips. Wasn't on the list, but welcome to the family, Mr 19-3 with the 4" bbl.

My wish list contained the PPK/s that I [strike]wanted[/strike] "needed." So when I found it, I snatched it up. Welcome Herr Walther to the family. Interarms, stainless steel, .380 auto. Nice. But then I got to thinking... they also come in .32 and .22lr versions. And don't forget the blue version. And the german-made version. And the s&w version... now i "need" a representative from each group just so I have all the variants. They're still listed.

The .22lr pistol is great... so now I "need" a .22lr revolver. This is #1 on the list.

Then there was the Colt Cobra that I saw from the corner of my eye at the gun shop that wasn't even on my wish list. Blue, 3" bbl. "A thing of beauty is a joy forever." Welcome to the family, Mr Colt. I like my new cobra so much, I've decided I "need" a Colt Detective Special. It's now on the list.

And that's how I pick new guns.

(To paraphrase Harry Potter: "The owner doesn't choose the gun; the gun chooses the owner.")

 

[Sav .250]

"Want and need." Oh, ya, money. At the moment I`m in remission.

 

[mcdonl]

Depends if I have a void that needs to be filled.

Same here... I am purpose oriented first and I have not filled all of my voids....

I wanted to have the following categories....

Carry pistol
Large Caliber Revolver
Full Size Semi (Non-1911)
.22 Revolver
Hunting Rifle
AR/AK
Shot Gun
.22 Rifle
C&R Rifle
1911
Pistol Caliber Carbine

Once I have all of them filled... (I need a 1911 still....) it is a matter of what is available in my price range. I have no specific brand, just purposes.

If you ahve just purched your first pistol you may want to consider a .22 pistol as you can shoot it a lot. But, bottom line is your screwed you will find reasons for needing a gun.

Good luck and happy shooting.

 

[snorky18]

I keep a gun wishlist text document.
The guns are ordered from most to least wanted, and anytime I hear about a gun I think I'd like, I add it to the list.

I do the same thing, the problem is the list never gets shorter, only longer

My list is somewhat purpose oriented as well. Although if I find a smoking deal on something further down the list or not even on the list I may jump on it.

 

[daskro]

Make a list every year, update it every six months, buy accordingly.

Although sometimes the "I want it" factor kicks in. Didn't have a ak-74 on my list, now I have one, a dozen mags and 5000+ rounds of ammo.

 

[Madcap_Magician]

It's usually roles for me. But there's more and more of those as time goes on, and sometimes something just catches my fancy, or there's a feature that's not on the gun I have now that I suddenly decide is important.

I started out looking for a carry gun and ended up with both a Kel-Tec P32 and a Kahr P9. The Kel-Tec was a pain to shoot, and only fed ball ammo. Plus it was a .32, and after an experience where I had a bullet stopped by a 2 x 4, I knew I needed a bigger pocket gun. The Kahr was easy to conceal, but like Kahr polymer guns occasionally do, it had reliability issues. Admittedly, I was still in the break-in period, but I think a gun should be reliable out of the box. Plus it was only a 9mm, and for a 9mm, it was really snappy. And the capacity was low.

The "Only a 9mm" thing really irked me, so my next carry gun was a .357 magnum SP101. Which was then TOO bulky, with the CT grips that grabbed my shirt and made it impossible to conceal.

Next gun was a S&W 642, which I still have and occasionally carry, because of the concealability issue. The 642 disappears, and I had good ammo for it, so I didn't feel as bad about the .38 thing.

But there was still the capacity thing... so now I have a full-size S&W M&P .40 cal.

But the M&P is a strict working gun, and gosh darn it, it's not that pretty... so now I want a Sig P229 or P228 user that I can make all pretty with new bluing and pretty grips and new sights...

You get the idea.

 

[madcratebuilder]

Hell, I buy them all. Three or four guns a year for forty years well fill your safe.

 

[LeonCarr]

Sometimes they just fall into your lap, guy at work has a gun and needs money to pay bills, etc.

Sometimes you have a buddy that has one, you shoot it, you like it, you go buy one .

Sometimes it is just impluse buying. You see it, you like it, you go buy one .

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[CoRoMo]

Needs come first, and they are listed in order of importance.

I have to fill the voids in my collection with the right tools for each purpose. For instance, my next gun will be a Beretta Urika 12ga. because I don't have a good bird gun. After that, I'm going to look to outfit my wife's needs. She needs a carbine and a couple handguns. After that, it'll be a .30 caliber hunting rifle, or another carbine, or handgun, etc. I don't plan too far out there with precise specifics, but as I get closer, it comes into focus.

I don't buy guns that don't fill a purpose, and I don't buy guns on a whim.

 

[DHJenkins]

I have a list in mind of what I want, and basically wait until I find a good deal and buy that one.