Diversity vs consolidation: an internal debate

[Magic_Man]

I've been consolidating lately.

Sold my 10/22. Yes, I know everyone says you should have a .22LR, but I never shot it.
Also sold my SKS, Saiga .308 (replaced the Saiga w/a DPMS .308), sold my Pardner 12ga (Have an 870), selling my CX4 Storm & selling my M&P fullsize to get a compact for carry.

 

[oneounceload]

K.I.S.S. - makes sense in business and other life activities....makes sense here as well

 

[Mags]

I think if you can afford it have all the different guns and ammo types you want. I cannot afford it and consolidated down to the usual:
22lr
9mm
45acp
223/5.56
308/7.62
12ga
I only purchase new guns in those calibers for now but hopefully as I grow older I will be able to afford new gun and caliber combinations.

 

[theotherwaldo]

I guess I'm consolidating - sort of. I'm finding guns that interest me and consolidating them into my collection.

I've got more bullet molds than most of you have guns.

Life is good.

 

[David E]

selling my M&P fullsize to get a compact for carry.

In reality, the compacts are not that much smaller than the standard 4" gun. But they are harder to shoot well.

Were it me, I'd invest in a better holster for the fullsize.

 

[David E]

I personally think a better tack is to focus on common calibers instead of minimizing them.

For example, adding 5 guns to his 3 gun battery (12 ga, Mosin, 452 .22 rifle) to do all you expect/want to do with a gun. Maybe the OP can provide a price ceiling.

What would they be ?

 

[Balog]

David: you're a bit feisty there aren't you? I have no idea why you're assuming I'm ignorant, but I assure you I'm not utterly clueless. Belt and holster are from Tucker Gunleather, and when my back isn't freaking out it's very comfortable. I already have serious back issues, and the weight exacerbates it. Geez...

How realistic is elk hunting?!?! Elk tags are over the counter here, and if I hadn't contracted the flu at the worst possible time I'd have been out there this year. Why in the world would it not be realistic?

I don't care for the shotgun for home defense, just a personal quirk. I greatly prefer carbines. In carry guns I dislike small autos; either full size autoshuckers or any size revolver is fine.

 

[Yoda]

Consider this....

Every odd caliber you have is one more hedge aginast the stores running out of what everyone else wants.

- - - Yoda

 

[David E]

David: you're a bit feisty there aren't you? I have no idea why you're assuming I'm ignorant, but I assure you I'm not utterly clueless. Belt and holster are from Tucker Gunleather, and when my back isn't freaking out it's very comfortable. I already have serious back issues, and the weight exacerbates it. Geez...

I make no assumptions. I'm only trying to clarify things, as I thought you were asking for input/advice. It helps to know some pertinent details before making specific recommendations. For example, many people think Fobus is a great holster, that they "have no problems with it," yet cite issues that are definitely holster related. YOU clearly are not one of them.

How realistic is elk hunting?!?! Elk tags are over the counter here, and if I hadn't contracted the flu at the worst possible time I'd have been out there this year. Why in the world would it not be realistic?

Many people think, dream and plan of some type of hunt that, in reality, they'll never go on. Yet, this doesn't stop them from buying a gun or two for that extremely remote possibility. Again, clearly, this does NOT apply to you.

I don't care for the shotgun for home defense, just a personal quirk.

Good to know.

I greatly prefer carbines.

Also good to know.

In carry guns I dislike small autos; either full size autoshuckers or any size revolver is fine.

Yet another good thing to know. Thanks for the clarifications.

 

[John Wayne]

I go through cycles. I'll get it in my head that I need to diversify so that I am more likely to find ammo. Then I pick up guns when a good deal is to be had.

Then I end up with several guns, none of which I can afford to shoot.

So I sell or trade something off, and start trying to justify why I should buy xxx because it would serve several purposes...

 

[Balog]

Sorry for the pugnacity David. I suppose I've become accustomed to more... combative forums whilst I've been away from THR. My apologies for reading something into it that was not there.

 

[David E]

Apology accepted !

Now, did you have an upper spending limit ? That might help narrow things down.

 

[Magic_Man]

David, the M&P has a 4.5" barrel. I'm a small guy so it's not easy to conceal + it's just too heavy IMO. Personal preference. I also have a 4" barrel XD and that's also uncomfortable.

 

[Balog]

This project will be almost entirely self funded ie if I want to buy I need to sell. So, you know, whatever my guns are worth.

 

[David E]

David, the M&P has a 4.5" barrel. I'm a small guy so it's not easy to conceal + it's just too heavy IMO. Personal preference. I also have a 4" barrel XD and that's also uncomfortable.

I'm actually carrying a 4" M&P .40 right now in a KyTac "Peerless Pancake" OWB rig and find it easy and comfortable to do so. Prioer to this, I was housing it in a KyTac "BraveHeart" IWB without problems.

What holster are you using?

 

[David E]

This project will be almost entirely self funded ie if I want to buy I need to sell. So, you know, whatever my guns are worth.

Which you anticipate to be how much?

 

[dkk73]

Been thinking about consolidating.

Currently got:
9mm
.38sp
.44sp/mag
.45ACP
.223/5.56
.308/7.62
7.62 russian

plus some 357SIG reloading dies.

Practice time and ammo is elusive enough (on personal time) that I don't want to expand. It's fine to collect and experiment, but the *utility* starts to diminish for most folks.

Interesting thread.

 

[David E]

I require or can use the following calibers:

.22 Short, .22 LR, .22 magnum, .25 acp, .32 S&W Short, .32 S&W Long, .32 acp, .380, .38 Special, .38 Super, 9mm, 9x23, .357 magnum, .40 S&W, 10mm, .44 Special, .44 Magnum, .45 acp, .45 Colt, .223, 7mm Mauser, 30-30, 30-06, .35 Remington, .308

I can use nearly anything I can find. But that doesn't mean I need to have 5000 rds of .32 S&W short, either.

 

[lamebums]

I recently bought a sportered Swede M96. Beautiful gun, more accurate than I am and a blast to shoot. But the more time goes by, the less happy I am about owning it. Why is that? It adds another caliber to my collection.

I have a similar dilemma. As much as I'd love to buy more guns, that would require me to buy at least so much ammo for it (typically, I'm not satisfied until I have at least two cases of the appropriate caliber.) I'm limited by space, and of course, because I'm broke and in college, making $7.50 an hour on weekends.

It's put a serious damper on what I've been buying lately. I'm not intending to sell, though - just only buying things in the calibers I already have. And if anything, buying a Mauser and ammo for it was a $400 goof that I don't intend on doing again. (I love it... just too many calibers, too expensive.)

 

[StealthyBlagga]

Standardizing ammo makes a lot of sense if you are equipping a team for combat (improved logistics) or if you are reloading (reduces the tooling costs, can buy components in bulk), but becomes less important if you are shooting smaller quantities of ammo (which, with respect, sounds more like the case for you). I suggest you de-couple the "standardizing ammo" issue from the "what I need guns for" issue. Start with identifying the roles the guns need to fill and your "ideal gun" for that role - it sounds like you are well on the way to doing that - but don;t allow the ammo standardization aspect to override your gun choices.

One other approach I would suggest you consider: Get guns that can be converted to multiple calibers. I own a Glock in .40S&W (for carry) with a drop-in 9mm barrel (for cheap practice and competition use) and also a .22LR conversion unit (for even cheaper practice, new shooters etc.). I do the same with an AR15 (.223 and a drop-in .22LR unit). This approach lets you leverage your trigger time because the gun will feel the same for all these different applications. The guns take up less storage space, and can cost less. With just the two guns listed above, you would have a self-defense pistol, a competition pistol (9mm and .22), plinking pistol, a self-defense rifle, a hunting rifle (.223, if legal in your state, and .22LR) , a target rifle and a plinking rifle.

I hope this provides food for thought.

 

[dom1104]

also, if you plan on stocking a few thousand rounds of ammo, its much easier to standardize calibers.

 

[Balog]

Which you anticipate to be how much?

I've listed what I have, and I've been out of the gun culture long enough that I am not sure of current values. ~$1k perhaps. ~$300 of which will be going towards reloading, a higher priority than new guns.

Standardizing ammo makes a lot of sense if you are equipping a team for combat (improved logistics) or if you are reloading (reduces the tooling costs, can buy components in bulk), but becomes less important if you are shooting smaller quantities of ammo (which, with respect, sounds more like the case for you). I suggest you de-couple the "standardizing ammo" issue from the "what I need guns for" issue. Start with identifying the roles the guns need to fill and your "ideal gun" for that role - it sounds like you are well on the way to doing that - but don;t allow the ammo standardization aspect to override your gun choices.

I currently do not shoot often, it is true. I'm looking to correct that. The only ammo standardization vs gun conflict is the carry pistol as there are no .22 conversion kits for revolvers.

One other approach I would suggest you consider: Get guns that can be converted to multiple calibers. I own a Glock in .40S&W (for carry) with a drop-in 9mm barrel (for cheap practice and competition use) and also a .22LR conversion unit (for even cheaper practice, new shooters etc.). I do the same with an AR15 (.223 and a drop-in .22LR unit). This approach lets you leverage your trigger time because the gun will feel the same for all these different applications. The guns take up less storage space, and can cost less. With just the two guns listed above, you would have a self-defense pistol, a competition pistol (9mm and .22), plinking pistol, a self-defense rifle, a hunting rifle (.223, if legal in your state, and .22LR) , a target rifle and a plinking rifle.

I hope this provides food for thought.

An excellent suggestion, but not applicable to the guns I personally like and am most comfortable with (aside from 1911's). Although a Marlin 39 would allow similar cross training experience, and perhaps not be more than a .22 AR upper.

 

[David E]

if you plan on stocking a few thousand rounds of ammo, its much easier to standardize calibers.

True, but of the 25 calibers I listed, I will only worry about stocking up 6 of them.

.22 LR, .223, 9mm, .40, .45 acp, .308

And if I had to, I could limit it to the first 3.

 

[David E]

The only ammo standardization vs gun conflict is the carry pistol as there are no .22 conversion kits for revolvers.

Yes, they do. I don't know how good or accurate they are, tho.

 

[Balog]

Really? I can see the sleeves for the cylinder and barrel to take it down to .22, but I wonder how they'd get it offset so the firing pin can strike the rim?