If you started your gun journey over...

I would have kept the model 29 I bought as new in the box for 200 bucks and sold for 300. Otherwise I can’t think of anything I’d of done differently.
 
teerex.otw said:
I concur, the Rem. 742/7400 rifles have horrible gas systems, I’ve had a couple and been around several more and have never seen one go more than 200-300 rounds before wear starts to cause a “short stroke” situation, it will kick out the empty and cock the gun, but the bolt doesn’t go far enough back to pick up another round. This is a real shame, because these rifles otherwise are really comfortable, user-friendly, and quite accurate.
My current is an old 760 pump in ‘06 with a 2x7 Burris…The only way I could be any happier is if deer started grazing in my front yard !
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Is that what causes that? First magazine I fired it did that on the second to last round. Next magazine the bolt remained in battery with a spent case in the chamber and was from that day stuck there
 
I always think about what I would do if I started over, I used to buy anything I had the money for, if a buddy or acquaintance was selling a gun, I would basically call dibs on it with cash and wasn't really all that selective. I wound up with a bunch of guns in 18 different cartridges/calibers so I sold or traded off a bunch and sometimes I wish I never got rid of a thing, other times I wish I didn't even have what I have and could do with less....

As of right now, I think I could do with a Glock 19, a few various 12ga shotguns, a couple .22lr rifles and pistols and an AR. I basically have redundant duplicates of everything and in my mind it's really in excess of what I really need, but I'm not about to go down the road of selling only to later regret/second guess it. If anything, I might add a gun or two even though I could really say goodbye to a dozen of them and still have all my bases well covered. Heck, most people can do it all with 3 or 4 guns.
 
My answer would depend greatly on if I get to go back in time and start over or if I just had to start over now, today.
 
hemiram said:
If I could start over, I would have ignored "Ray" a family friend and ex-NYPD officer and not bought the truly awful Taurus Model 83. Looked nice, had a lot of problems. The Dan Wesson 15-2 I bought to use while it went to FL twice ended up being the first of about a dozen 15-2's I've had over the last 45 years. I also would have avoided some other trash guns I bought, like the Colt Combat Commander, the AMT Hardballer Longslide, TWO AMT Back-ups, and a few others. Just thinking about the trigger on one of those Back-Ups makes my hand hurt. And the zero issues but just weird HK VP-70Z would get a pass. That trigger, wow.
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I love shooting my VP-70Z! I actually carried it a few times. Conceals very well and a very safe gun too!
 
...I would have started with training classes, to fast-track my knowledge and experience. If I could have known then what I know now, that would have been really nice. Training courses would be the only way to achieve that.
 
Appalachiannative said:
Is that what causes that? First magazine I fired it did that on the second to last round. Next magazine the bolt remained in battery with a spent case in the chamber and was from that day stuck there
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This seems to be the case with most.
First I had was a used 742/‘06 from lgs, it would either short-stroke and not load, or as you describe, not move far enough back to eject or cock the gun and simply rechamber the empty.
Years later I bought a 7400/.270 hoping that Rem. had fixed the problem with the newer model…nope.
Functioned well for the first 200 or 250, then started doing the same crap.
My brother-in-law still has 742 in 6mm Rem…same thing.
Some members of a deer camp I hunted with for a couple of years had these as well, the autos, regardless of caliber gave problems, the 760/7600 pump rifles had no issues.
I like mine, but would probably not buy another because o.e.m. magazines (and probably other parts as well) are practically impossible to find, and out-of-line expensive if you can !
 
Mark_Mark said:
I love shooting my VP-70Z! I actually carried it a few times. Conceals very well and a very safe gun too!
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It was just too weird for me, the trigger was pretty bad, and I just didn't like it. Everytime I took it to the range, someone asked me if they could shoot it. Sometimes it was a lot of people asking to shoot it.
I sold it for almost exactly what I paid for it to a local guy who was one of the "He's got everything" gun guys, and bought my second Beretta 92. Nobody cared about it.
 
If I started my gun journey over I would have bought a lot more C&R military surplus firearms back in the golden 90's when I had a C&R license. I bought quite a few but I should have bought more!

The first hand gun I ever purchased was a Bersa 380 which I would pass on now. The first centerfire rifle I purchased was a M1 carbine which was HUGE mistake... I should have bought the whole rack of them instead of just one.
 
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Brings back many memories. When I was 18 I purchased a Remington 742 carbine in .308. Still have it. During college purchased a Marlin .22 Mag. Graduated from college in ’68 and received my pistol permit and purchased a used Colt huntsman .22lr. This is before the Gun control Act. Traveled from NY to VT and covered much of the state looking for a S&W .357. None! Purchased a new Ruger .357 6 1/2” If memory serves me right $69. Ruger 10-22 next. A year or so later found my first S&W Highway patrolman 6” .357 $98. Still have all those plus many competition guns. Just turned in a .25 auto that shot 2 feet left at 20 feet, received $500 from NYS for the gun turn in. Guess what that money will purchase?
 
The meth-head kid that was shooting at my grandma's house was using a 742.
I don't know if it jammed or he ran out of ammo, but I caught him fumbling around with it and butt-stroked him with my old Topper until he dropped the gun and ran off.
The cops took it, so I never got to check what happened.
I picked up a 742 for about the price of the scope that was on it.
The gun is still in the safe, unfired by me... .
 
My first was a Remington 788 in 6mm Rem in 1973 for shooting snapping turtles and coyotes, still have it. My biggest regret is passing on a M-1 Carbine which had been cut down to large pistol size in 1975. I saw it in a gun shop but was in my last year of die maker school and spent what little spare money I had on beer and pork chops. Bad decision as the beer and pork chops are long gone but I would have still owned the M-1 carbine pistol.
 
Steel Horse Rider said:
My first was a Remington 788 in 6mm Rem in 1973 for shooting snapping turtles and coyotes, still have it. My biggest regret is passing on a M-1 Carbine which had been cut down to large pistol size in 1975. I saw it in a gun shop but was in my last year of die maker school and spent what little spare money I had on beer and pork chops. Bad decision as the beer and pork chops are long gone but I would have still owned the M-1 carbine pistol.
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So true !
I would have a large and impressive collection, but I squandered all my money on food, rent, taxes, insurance, gasoline, work apparel, and the necessary tools to enable all of the above (and more)…
At my age I’ve given a lot of thought to what I’d do differently !
 
teerex.otw said:
This seems to be the case with most.
First I had was a used 742/‘06 from lgs, it would either short-stroke and not load, or as you describe, not move far enough back to eject or cock the gun and simply rechamber the empty.
Years later I bought a 7400/.270 hoping that Rem. had fixed the problem with the newer model…nope.
Functioned well for the first 200 or 250, then started doing the same crap.
My brother-in-law still has 742 in 6mm Rem…same thing.
Some members of a deer camp I hunted with for a couple of years had these as well, the autos, regardless of caliber gave problems, the 760/7600 pump rifles had no issues.
I like mine, but would probably not buy another because o.e.m. magazines (and probably other parts as well) are practically impossible to find, and out-of-line expensive if you can !
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Two .308 742 carbines. Never had a problem with either. I hunted at least 20 days a year with them. Carried them all day.
 
Yes, quality over quantity. And wait a couple of years for that Internet thing to take off so I could do some quality research.
 
My first real rifle was a J.C. Higgins single-shot .22 that I co-owned with my older brother. What would I do differently? Not co-own anything with my brother! I would buy the same gun. It was cheap, reliable, and accurate. I killed bunches of squirrels and rabbits with it.
What else would I do differently is not marry two idiot women. But then I was an idiot too, so there you go:). Now I have a great woman for the last 30 years and all the guns I want....well, almost.
 
ADKWOODSMAN said:
Two .308 742 carbines. Never had a problem with either. I hunted at least 20 days a year with them. Carried them all day.[/QUOTE

I can only wish that would have been the case with mine.
I liked everything else about these except the gas system…fit and finish were great, all control features were appropriately sized, placed, and easy to use, balance and pointability were spot-on, and performance ? The 7400/270 with factory 130gr “Core Lokt” ammo was magic on deer, a high-lung broadside shot would usually drop them like a sack of potatoes !
I tried everything I could think of, imcluding loading less ammo in the mag. (even with one round chambered and one in the mag. I couldn’t get it to act right). I considered sending it back to Rem. to see if they could sort it out, but by then I had the 760…and that becomes a whole ‘nother story.
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ADKWOODSMAN said:
Two .308 742 carbines. Never had a problem with either. I hunted at least 20 days a year with them. Carried them all day.
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Hmmm, wonder why earlier reply got dropped ?
Anyway, I can only wish this would have been the case with mine.
Until it started malfunctioning, I liked everything about that rifle; fit and finish were great, control features were appropriately sized, placed, and comfortable to use, balance, pointability, and accuracy were all spot-on.
The 7400/270 with factory 130gr. “Core Lokt” ammo was magic on deer…with a high-lung broadside shot, most dropped like a sack of potatoes.
When the problems started I tried everything I could think of, including loading less ammo in the mag. (even with one round chambered and just one in the mag I couldn’t get it to act right).
I was considering sending it back to Rem. to see if they could sort it out, but by then I had the 760…Which becomes a whole ‘nother story.
 
If I was to star over again I think I would probably keep it around 5 firearms and be happy. I really like my S&W K22 Masterpiece so I would get another or maybe a model 17. For a centerfire handgun I am split between a Model 14 or a 1911. I would probably go with the revolver. I would look for an older Remington 700 in something like .308 or possibly .243. The rimfire rifle is the dilemma; I have both an Anschutz 1712 that I enjoy but I recently bought a Vudoo single shot and I fully expect that to displace the Anschutz. I could even go the cheap route and get a 10/22, drop it into a Bell & Carlson stock that I currently have and like very much. Put a Kidd heavy taper barrel on it, a BX trigger and call it good. I would need to round out everything with a shotgun because everyone needs a shotgun!
 
Now I think about it… Hindsight is 20/20

Nothing wrong with what I had to begin with! some of my best memories was with my brother 1st gun, a 20gauge break action single shot! He had his buddies cut it down to 18 or 20 inches in the school machine shop! $5 walmart sling! THAT WAS FUN
 
Just to pick a nit, hindsight isn't 20/20 ... even though it's more accurate than foresight. Don't think so? Ask this question again in a few months and we'll all provide somewhat different answers. ;)

@BobABQ, I like the way you're thinking. I don't think I'd be happy with only five. I could do with six, but I'd be happier with a dozen. I'd no doubt be in a better place had I set a limit of 12 and only added on condition of a subtraction. As it is, I'd be hard pressed to decide which 12 to keep if I truly had to downsize that far.
 
Legionnaire said:
Just to pick a nit, hindsight isn't 20/20 ... even though it's more accurate than foresight. Don't think so? Ask this question again in a few months and we'll all provide somewhat different answers. ;)
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well… now I think about it! I should have started with a HK Mark 23! lol
 
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