Primary long-term focus: ammo or guns?

[Ignition Override]

My objective is primarily extra contingency ammo.
Update: The reason is because my selection of guns is mostly complete, and will only add a new handgun type to be used for potential carry in the future.

Any responses from other people are strictly voluntary.

 

[TennJed]

both? I know that may not be the answer you are looking for, but both are worthless without the other. I am lucky to have plenty of both. If I fell on hard times, I would probably sell more of my guns than my ammo though

 

[Ignition Override]

"Roger that". It's easy for me to forget that so many people don't yet have the gun that they really need/want.

 

[USAF_Vet]

I've got the basics covered in the guns department, although there are always more I want. I should focus more on buying ammo.

 

[TanklessPro]

Being I don't "need" another gun, I'm guessing ammo. My most favorite caliber to shoot is 38 and I'm down to around 1500 rounds. All the other calibers are in the +3000 round count, give or take a 1000. But I would never pass up a good buy on any gun.

 

[SFreed]

Ammo....Specifically reloading components. Like others, there's ALWAYS another gun I want, but I want to make sure I can assemble my own ammo as needed.

 

[Ignition Override]

Having only reloaded two rifle rounds: .303 "Brit." and .308, woudn't reloading .32 acp be more tedious and time-consuming with only single-stage Lee gear?

 

[gunnutery]

I'm not diversifying into any other calibers for a long time. I'm pretty set on my non-essential calibers, but I need to buy more of my staple ones.

I've currently only got two types of guns I'm going to get in the near future, but it's hard to decide between ammo, parts and mags. I try to pick up a little of everything when I can.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Components and rimfire

 

[stonecoldy]

I have enough "cars" and have focused on "fuel" for awhile. Just started into 6.8 SPC and brass doesn't appear abundant but have done OK on bullets to date.

 

[bannockburn]

For me it would be to have more ammo than guns. It would be like having a Ferrari but not having any gas to fuel it with. Sure looks neat sitting in the garage but beyond that it's not really functional.

 

[Milamber]

It all depends on your reasoning. I am a believer in quality not quantity when it comes to firearms. I also believe in minimizing the variations in caliber I have to stock for. So to answer your question, once you have the firearms you need / want then ammo. But don't forget training, practice and spare parts.

 

[redneck2]

During the Depression, many rural families got by with a bolt .22 and single shot 12 gauge. Ammo was the hard thing to come by. Hardware stores sold shot shells or rounds of .22's one at a time .

I worked part time at the LGS. I was amazed at how many guns were traded back in that were unfired. Maybe 30%. Guys would say they didn't have money for ammo. But, they'd turn right around and buy another $750 gun.

If you're really a shooter, you'll also reload. When I was in high school, I had a Lee hand loader for my .22-250. Slow but it worked and it was the only way I could afford to shoot as much as I wanted to.

IMO, if you've got ten guns and you're not a reloader, you should consider selling one of the guns and finance your own ammo manufacturing. Right now I could probably load over 10k rounds with what I have in my shop. Just built it up a little at a time over the past fifteen years.

 

[Manny]

Ammo.

A gun without it is at best an expensive club. I can think of no more useless posession in the world than a gun with no ammo, unless it's a lot of guns with no ammo.

My biggest regret as a shooter isn't any gun I didn't buy. It's that I didn't follow the wisdom of far wiser shooters who said to "buy it cheap & stack it deep" when there was lots of high quality, cheap surplus ammo available by the case, as many as you wanted, for next to nothing. More recently the memory of pallets full of cases of .22lr ammo at rediculously low prices is my regret.

As the PA Dutch like to say, "to soon old, to late smart".

 

[HexHead]

The guns are just clubs or paperweights without ammo.

 

[tuj]

hexhead nailed it. I guess I would add that maybe you focus should be reloading equipment and supplies and rimfire ammo.

 

[cfullgraf]

Having only reloaded two rifle rounds: .303 "Brit." and .308, woudn't reloading .32 acp be more tedious and time-consuming with only single-stage Lee gear?

More tedious as compared to what?

With a powder measure that will throw an appropriate charge for 32 ACP, I do not find it any more tedious to load on a single stage press than any other cartridge.

While I prime and charge my 32 ACP off the press, I seat the pullet and crimp on my progressive. Again, with a reliable charging method, there is not reason the 32 ACP could not be loaded on a progressive. I do not load much 32 ACP so I have not made the effort to sort out details of a powder drop tube for 32 ACP and my progressive.

Dillon sells a cartridge change kit for their Super 1050 for loading 32 ACP.

The small size of the bullet and case means a little extra care and slower handling but the 32 ACP bullet is giant when compared to a 17 caliber bullet.

Now, the 25 ACP...

 

[cfullgraf]

Ammunition is a consumable do it it will always be needed.

I do not need to buy any more guns but it sure is a "high want".

 

[Queen_of_Thunder]

To the OP.


There is always another gun you want to purchase but like others have said your firearm is useless without ammo. Therefore the accumulation of ammo is paramount. Not only factory ammo but the ability to reload is also crucial. However you see it you must have access to both to help you get through shortages and price shocks. So start putting that factory ammo on the shelf and start purchasing the requirements for reloading.

As for firearms always have backups.

 

[Agsalaska]

Ammo without a doubt. My shooting collection is pretty complete. There is a possibility of trade and but it will not grow or shrink.

Before this panic and against the advice of everyone on this thread I was a 'buy as you go' shooter. Because I do not shoot all that much I would just stop by the gun store or something and by what I wanted to shoot. It was nothing for me to have a half a box of whatever deer cartridge from the year before, a couple of loaded magazines for a Glock 19, five .38's for my snubbie plus a reload, a few random shotgun shells, and thats it. Never again will I allow myself to operate in such a manner.

Now I will continue to buy guns for collecting purposes when I come across guns that I feel are underpriced or that I believe will appreciate in the future. For example an early Win 94 Big Bore in .375 win in 98% condition caught my eye recently. I will probably add a couple of JM Marlins this year if I find the correct guns. But that stuff is just stuff to me. It is a hobby just like someone who collects, say, sports memorabilia. It is completely separated in my mind from the guns that have jobs.

 

[larryh1108]

I feel the future trend of .gov will be to make having/buying ammo more and more expensive. Like they've done with other items they do not approve of (cigarettes, liquor, etc) they just tax it until it becomes a burden to buy it. No, they aren't taking away our guns but thru taxation (expensive classes for expensive permits and then ammo taxes) they will make shooting for fun and sport secondary to having a handful of ammo on hand for self defense (which is, what we all say, is the main reason for our firearms).

Buy it now and store it for later because the day will come when ammo will be hard to come by and expensive when you do find it (kind of like the shortage we are in now but a more permanent basis).

 

[FROGO207]

I try to have a set minimum of ammo for each firearm I own. Some factory and some reloads as I see fit. If I choose to sell something to get up some cash it will be worth a bit more with some ammo thrown in. I also have the ability to be fluid in what I reload. No shortages here other than depleting my .22 stash. I do feel for those that are unable to get ammo for whatever reason now. Learn from this and put away some for the future as you can afford to.

 

[Potatohead]

With a powder measure that will throw an appropriate charge for 32 ACP

I would think that's the trick, finding something that will drop small charges consistently.

 

[osteodoc08]

For the average joe, a QUALITY firearm with enough ammo is all they'll ever need. Me, I like variety of quality but I find my go to handgun to be either Ruger or Smith revolvers and Sig autos.

Rifles- any quality bolt action.

AR- well, I don't want to start any fights , but I don't have to drink the colt kool aid.

Then ammo ammo ammo. You'll spend more on ammo than a quality weapon if you shoot enough (like I do)

 

[mope540]

My biggest regret as a shooter isn't any gun I didn't buy. It's that I didn't follow the wisdom of far wiser shooters who said to "buy it cheap & stack it deep" when there was lots of high quality, cheap surplus ammo available by the case, as many as you wanted, for next to nothing. More recently the memory of pallets full of cases of .22lr ammo at rediculously low prices is my regret.

As the PA Dutch like to say, "to soon old, to late smart".

That comment is a welcome change...normally those who didn't stock up on ammo will whine, bellyache, and lay blame on the "hoarders" who had the foresight to buy a lot and buy it cheap when they still could.
Good luck finding what you need.