My philosophy regarding what guns I want has changed over the past few years. It could be that I'm young and fickle, it could be that I've learned and grown wiser...either way, its changed. I was just wondering how others have changed, or what others think of how I've changed. Ready for a ramble? Here goes:
I used to want a large variety of guns and calibers, so that I could have a lot of options available to me when I decide to carry or what to grab in a HD situation. For me, personally, all my guns are for self defense (and practice). I don't do competition, I don't want a plinking-only gun, I don't hunt, I don't collect (well, I was planning on a collection that fit within my other criteria), and I don't do long-distance target shooting. I simply practice and plan for SD.
My original plan, before I even purchased a firearm, was to have a lot of different styles of a lot of different calibers. After picking the criteria I wanted for a self defense pistol, I realized I'd rather have one basic style (DA or striker-fired), and my philosophy evolved. However, I still liked the idea of having multiple calibers available to me, for everything from .380 ACP to .45 ACP (and maybe even get that Glock with the .50 GI conversion).
Over the past week, however, I started thinking...why would I need both a 9 and a .45 in the same model? If I were to only grab one in self defense, shouldn't I already know ahead of time what to grab? Shouldn't I know, in the dark, which one I'm pulling out of the gunvault multi? I also came to the conclusion that I don't really need as big a variety of platforms.
My new philosophy is, then, that I will get options with only a limited amount of variability. For handguns, one caliber for social work against 2-legged predators, one caliber for woods work against 4-legged predators, both in semi-auto. For shotguns, specifically 12-gauge tube-fed shotguns...in fact I think I may already have all the shotguns I need (may get a Saiga, who knows). For rifles, I think I'll end up settling on 6.8mm once I get one, and then only get one or two instead of the several I was planning on.
Granted, some of this change is based on some guns that weren't available when I was looking at it 3 years ago, specifically in regards to pocket pistols.
In the end, this will save me money (because my collection will be smaller), and I think aid in training and practice. I guess I'm approaching the "be afraid of the man who has only one gun" ideology slowly. Of course, I never will have "one gun" (I believe that a pocket pistol for BUG or EDC, a handgun for night stand/carry, and a rifle OR a shotgun is the minimum I want), but I am approaching that point.
What is still kinda unclear to me, based on my new philosophy, is whether I need a pump-action shotgun when I have a semi-auto (instead of having 2 semi-autos to have a backup) and whether I need both a rifle and a shotgun if I'm only going for one long gun in SD. Anyway, just my musings as I look back on where I was 3 years ago and where I am now, as far as my personal wishlist is concerned.
I used to want a large variety of guns and calibers, so that I could have a lot of options available to me when I decide to carry or what to grab in a HD situation. For me, personally, all my guns are for self defense (and practice). I don't do competition, I don't want a plinking-only gun, I don't hunt, I don't collect (well, I was planning on a collection that fit within my other criteria), and I don't do long-distance target shooting. I simply practice and plan for SD.
My original plan, before I even purchased a firearm, was to have a lot of different styles of a lot of different calibers. After picking the criteria I wanted for a self defense pistol, I realized I'd rather have one basic style (DA or striker-fired), and my philosophy evolved. However, I still liked the idea of having multiple calibers available to me, for everything from .380 ACP to .45 ACP (and maybe even get that Glock with the .50 GI conversion).
Over the past week, however, I started thinking...why would I need both a 9 and a .45 in the same model? If I were to only grab one in self defense, shouldn't I already know ahead of time what to grab? Shouldn't I know, in the dark, which one I'm pulling out of the gunvault multi? I also came to the conclusion that I don't really need as big a variety of platforms.
My new philosophy is, then, that I will get options with only a limited amount of variability. For handguns, one caliber for social work against 2-legged predators, one caliber for woods work against 4-legged predators, both in semi-auto. For shotguns, specifically 12-gauge tube-fed shotguns...in fact I think I may already have all the shotguns I need (may get a Saiga, who knows). For rifles, I think I'll end up settling on 6.8mm once I get one, and then only get one or two instead of the several I was planning on.
Granted, some of this change is based on some guns that weren't available when I was looking at it 3 years ago, specifically in regards to pocket pistols.
In the end, this will save me money (because my collection will be smaller), and I think aid in training and practice. I guess I'm approaching the "be afraid of the man who has only one gun" ideology slowly. Of course, I never will have "one gun" (I believe that a pocket pistol for BUG or EDC, a handgun for night stand/carry, and a rifle OR a shotgun is the minimum I want), but I am approaching that point.
What is still kinda unclear to me, based on my new philosophy, is whether I need a pump-action shotgun when I have a semi-auto (instead of having 2 semi-autos to have a backup) and whether I need both a rifle and a shotgun if I'm only going for one long gun in SD. Anyway, just my musings as I look back on where I was 3 years ago and where I am now, as far as my personal wishlist is concerned.