Spontaneous or Scientific?
- Thread starter lizziedog1
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newfalguy101
Member
I have used both approaches and have had mixed results from both.
I generally know exactly what I am looking for, but, have learned to NOT get so fixated that I miss out on a good deal right in front of me.
True tale, I went to a gunshow looking for something specific, and ONLY that particular item. A revolver caught my eye and I stopped long enough to give it a quick once over, noticed the price was outstanding and yet, since it was NOT what I was after I continued on, only to realize just exactly how good the price really was three tables later.....it was gone by the time I got back to the guys table, and probably less than ten minutes had passed.
Another story ( with a happier ending ), I went searching for a four inch .44 Mag revolver, cash in my pocket. I was in four or five different shops and had seen nothing I was interested in, the last stop, I found a 4 inch gun, a Taurus, not what I was wanting, I also noticed a semi-auto rifle on the rack at the end of the counter, hmmm I says, whats that, the guy tells me its a FAL, I say hmmm, what caliber, he says .308, I say hmmmm, then I leave to do a bit of research ( which means hit a couple other shops and compare prices ) , an hour later it was all mine.
Its a Century thumbhole, inch kit on a metric Imbel receiver and has NEVER given me a single problem in the nearly 10 years I have owned it, its one gun I just love to shoot.
True, I still dont have my 4 inch .44, but, hey a .308 hits WAAAAAY harder than a .44 anyway
I generally know exactly what I am looking for, but, have learned to NOT get so fixated that I miss out on a good deal right in front of me.
True tale, I went to a gunshow looking for something specific, and ONLY that particular item. A revolver caught my eye and I stopped long enough to give it a quick once over, noticed the price was outstanding and yet, since it was NOT what I was after I continued on, only to realize just exactly how good the price really was three tables later.....it was gone by the time I got back to the guys table, and probably less than ten minutes had passed.
Another story ( with a happier ending ), I went searching for a four inch .44 Mag revolver, cash in my pocket. I was in four or five different shops and had seen nothing I was interested in, the last stop, I found a 4 inch gun, a Taurus, not what I was wanting, I also noticed a semi-auto rifle on the rack at the end of the counter, hmmm I says, whats that, the guy tells me its a FAL, I say hmmm, what caliber, he says .308, I say hmmmm, then I leave to do a bit of research ( which means hit a couple other shops and compare prices ) , an hour later it was all mine.
Its a Century thumbhole, inch kit on a metric Imbel receiver and has NEVER given me a single problem in the nearly 10 years I have owned it, its one gun I just love to shoot.
True, I still dont have my 4 inch .44, but, hey a .308 hits WAAAAAY harder than a .44 anyway
ForumSurfer
Member
The things Justin mentioned are a huge factor. Once I started shooting regularly after I gave up my hot rod hobby, I realized that. Take a glock, xd or m&p for example. You're looking at a $450 to $575 handgun. Most people can save up for a year or so and pick one up. Now you have it and you're itching to start shooting regularly or start competing but it is your first glock and you need accessories since it is a new platform and a new caliber.
- $50-$100 for a carry holster
- Maybe $50-$100 more for an additional holster for competition, or just to buy another holster because the first one didn't work out for you.
- Single mag holder for carry and 1 or 2 double mag holders for competition or practice...another $50-$100
- 3-6 extra mags...yep, another $50-$100
- $50 - $125 for sights since nothing seem to come with the sights you prefer
- Most importantly...you'll need at least 500 round of ammo to get you through your new platform learning curve. There's another $100 or so. If you reload, you'll still have $100 or so in it because you have to buy new dies and such.
azmjs
member
On further reflection I think that I fall into the 'spontaneous' category because despite all the research I do, I only buy guns that I 'fall in love with,' never as the result of any sort of quantitative analysis.
And I have to fall in love with the way the gun looks, and its cultural circumstances.
I'd never in a million years buy an M&P or a glock or a similar gun, but I'll probably end up buying one of each Sig Sauer model, and maybe an HK USP some day.
And I have to fall in love with the way the gun looks, and its cultural circumstances.
I'd never in a million years buy an M&P or a glock or a similar gun, but I'll probably end up buying one of each Sig Sauer model, and maybe an HK USP some day.
lizziedog1
Member
The way a gun looks is important to me too. I know everyone has a different opnion on what constitutes a good-looking firearm, I definately have my own.
I refuse to buy any gun that I find distasteful. It could be the best functioning firearm to come along since the Brown Bess, but it will not take up space in my home.
Fast Frank
Member
The only way I could answer the question is "Both".
Sure, I have been walking along in a gunshow before and bought a gun that I saw laying there.
My Dan Wesson .357 was an example of that. I wasn't shopping handguns at all that day, and had never really considered owning a Dan Wesson before I picked that one up.
After I noticed it and had it in my hand, and it had passed all the quality inspection points, I was absolutely smitten by it.
I had never fired a Dan before, but had heard that they were very strong and accurate. Words like "Indestructible" and "Tack Driver" were racing around in my head and I bought it.
It was a good decision, and that pistol served me well for a number of years.
I used that pistol as a platform for my first reloading experiments and it survived my fumbling beginner mistakes admirably. It also lived up to it's reputation for accuracy.
It absolutely Loved an Elmer Kieth load using Hercules 2400 and a 125 grain JHP. The fireball from that load was as much fun as blowing random objects up with it.
Everything about that story was spontaneous from start to finish.
My Savage .17 HMR was was different.
I started by deciding the little rimfire round was interesting. I read about it, and studied it pretty hard.
A ballistics calculator said that it could shoot anywhere from 25 yards to 125 yards and never rise or fall more than one inch from zero.
The idea of being able to shoot golfball sized targets from 25 to 125 with zero holdover really appealed to me. Just put the crosshais on it and hit it.
And the stories of tight little sub-MOA groups was something I wanted, too.
Then, Savage come out with the accutrigger. Next, they released the stainles bull barrel in a laminated thumbhole stock.
I ran around looking for one of those for several months before I actually saw one.
I like to think that this was a "Scientific" purchase. I started with the bullet, then picked a brand, then picked a model, then searched for it until I found one. The whole process took over a year.
I've been very satisfied with that one, too.
I don't think it's fair to say I buy one way or the other. My gun collection is both practical and passionate, and so are my purchases.
And who knows what I'll do next!
Sure, I have been walking along in a gunshow before and bought a gun that I saw laying there.
My Dan Wesson .357 was an example of that. I wasn't shopping handguns at all that day, and had never really considered owning a Dan Wesson before I picked that one up.
After I noticed it and had it in my hand, and it had passed all the quality inspection points, I was absolutely smitten by it.
I had never fired a Dan before, but had heard that they were very strong and accurate. Words like "Indestructible" and "Tack Driver" were racing around in my head and I bought it.
It was a good decision, and that pistol served me well for a number of years.
I used that pistol as a platform for my first reloading experiments and it survived my fumbling beginner mistakes admirably. It also lived up to it's reputation for accuracy.
It absolutely Loved an Elmer Kieth load using Hercules 2400 and a 125 grain JHP. The fireball from that load was as much fun as blowing random objects up with it.
Everything about that story was spontaneous from start to finish.
My Savage .17 HMR was was different.
I started by deciding the little rimfire round was interesting. I read about it, and studied it pretty hard.
A ballistics calculator said that it could shoot anywhere from 25 yards to 125 yards and never rise or fall more than one inch from zero.
The idea of being able to shoot golfball sized targets from 25 to 125 with zero holdover really appealed to me. Just put the crosshais on it and hit it.
And the stories of tight little sub-MOA groups was something I wanted, too.
Then, Savage come out with the accutrigger. Next, they released the stainles bull barrel in a laminated thumbhole stock.
I ran around looking for one of those for several months before I actually saw one.
I like to think that this was a "Scientific" purchase. I started with the bullet, then picked a brand, then picked a model, then searched for it until I found one. The whole process took over a year.
I've been very satisfied with that one, too.
I don't think it's fair to say I buy one way or the other. My gun collection is both practical and passionate, and so are my purchases.
And who knows what I'll do next!
hnl.flyboy
Member
My first gun, a .223 Savage 12FV, was found when I was searching for a shotgun. I saw it, liked the look, saw the thick freefloating barrel, and I took her home.
I wanted an Archangel kit for my 10/22, and months later, I found one. I just happened to have some cash in the bank, so I took that home.
I was at one of my favorite gun stores to "talk story" with the guy there, and I decided on a whim that my girlfriend would like a 10/22, so I bought another.
My girlfriend liked the Archangel stock, so one day I went to the same LGS to ask when they'll have more in. They had no idea, but brought out a blue Raptor stock they had. Unfortunately, this was the day after payday, and when they showed me a matching blue Tactical Solutions barrel and a blue extended mag release, I bought them all, and left with an about $400 lighter wallet.
Just yesterday, I cashed out a bunch of savings bonds that made a year the day before. I went to the same LGS looking for a revolver. I heard a few Taurus stories, and didn't want to buy one, but all the other revolvers were out of my price range. There were no Glocks and a BHP was just a little to expensive. I asked about any 9mm or .22LR pistols in my price range, but I wasn't satisfied with any. Just as I was about to give up, I saw a RRA lower with a 2-stage trigger. I think the employee was a bit surprised when I looked it over quickly, tried the trigger a couple times, then announced it's mine.
I'd say I'm a spontaneous buyer.
I wanted an Archangel kit for my 10/22, and months later, I found one. I just happened to have some cash in the bank, so I took that home.
I was at one of my favorite gun stores to "talk story" with the guy there, and I decided on a whim that my girlfriend would like a 10/22, so I bought another.
My girlfriend liked the Archangel stock, so one day I went to the same LGS to ask when they'll have more in. They had no idea, but brought out a blue Raptor stock they had. Unfortunately, this was the day after payday, and when they showed me a matching blue Tactical Solutions barrel and a blue extended mag release, I bought them all, and left with an about $400 lighter wallet.
Just yesterday, I cashed out a bunch of savings bonds that made a year the day before. I went to the same LGS looking for a revolver. I heard a few Taurus stories, and didn't want to buy one, but all the other revolvers were out of my price range. There were no Glocks and a BHP was just a little to expensive. I asked about any 9mm or .22LR pistols in my price range, but I wasn't satisfied with any. Just as I was about to give up, I saw a RRA lower with a 2-stage trigger. I think the employee was a bit surprised when I looked it over quickly, tried the trigger a couple times, then announced it's mine.
I'd say I'm a spontaneous buyer.
scientific here most of the time. I research and make a list of possibles, then hold and shoot them to reduce that list. compare pros, cons, and prices. then i get the cash and start shopping. that is how i ended up with my XD.
on the other hand, i picked up a marlin 7000 the other day completely on a whim, just because i liked the look of it.
i guess i would say, if it's expensive enough to need justification, scientific. if it's cheap enough to ask forgiveness, emotional!
on the other hand, i picked up a marlin 7000 the other day completely on a whim, just because i liked the look of it.
i guess i would say, if it's expensive enough to need justification, scientific. if it's cheap enough to ask forgiveness, emotional!
I always have a few in mind at any given time. So, if I happen to find one my "chosen few" at a good price, I'll make a quick decision to buy. You never know when a good deal will show up, so I keep a mental account of models and prices.
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