Starting fresh with common ground

[thefloridian]

Hey Y'all,
I'm a new member to The High Road but as I've been doing research I seem to keep finding great answers on these forums. I have a few questions that I'm sure y'all can help me with.

I'd like to have a collection that works together. As an example, I'd rather buy a set of ratchets that are meant to work together than just pick up random ones that I think look cool. Money is always an issue and a thousand dollars is a lot of money to me, but I'd rather buy something once than have to go get something else when it breaks.

So, in that same vein, I'd like to have a set of guns. I'd like to be able to shoot them comfortably (read: long range days) and often (read: cheap, available ammo.)
I'd like a;
CCW pistol
a pistol for the nightstand
a carbine that shoots the same rounds as the pistols (especially if I can use the same magazines)
and later on I'd like to get short AR-type gun to shoot mid-distances (out to 150 yards)
and a long rifle to shoot farther.

I'm really just interested in guns that go bang everytime (especially for the handguns) I'd like for the handguns and carbine to shoot the same round and it would be nice if the AR-type and long rifle shot the same ammo. I'm willing to lose some accuracy to make them all work together.

I know there's not a magic bullet that does everything but most of my days will just be target shooting so I'd like to save myself the hassle of looking for different bullets for every gun.

Having said all that, I'm looking at glocks in 9mm for the handguns, kel-tec sub-2000 for the carbine, colt for the AR, and remington 700p for the long gun.

Any ideas? Thanks in advance! Y'all's help really means a lot!

 

[NeoSpud]

my take:
CCW- Glock 26 (the 9mm subcompact) or 19 (compact)
nightstand- Same as CCW
Carbine - Kel Tec sub2000 that accepts Glock mags

I prefer 9mm to .40, but I know I'll catch flak for that. Glocks and sub2000's come in both flavors, so if you're going for interchangeability, you can't go wrong there.

Police trade in Glocks are an affordable deal, from what I hear, and the sub2000 will run ~300 or so.

--edit--

I'm personally in the market for a sub2000. Gunbroker prices seem artificially high, which I think may go down later. YMMV

 

[CU74]

CCW - nightstand - carbine using same ammo:
S&W 59XX series 9mm pistol (load with Speer Gold Dots/Federal HST/Win. Ranger T-Series) and a Marlin Camp Nine carbine. The Camp nine will take the S&W 59-Series double-stack mags. You will have to look around and buy used because none are currently manufactured. (If you prefer larger bullets, Marlin also once made a Camp Carbine in .45ACP. I don't have one, but am told it accepts a "standard" 1911 magazine.)

150-yard rifle:
There are lots of choices: SKS, M1 Carbine (my choice, but NOT with FMJ), any number of .30-30 levers, etc.

Long rifle to shoot farther:
Semi-auto, my choices are the relatively cheap M1 Garand (.30-06) and/or the more expensive M1A (.308 NATO).
LOTS of bolt-action choices in LOTS of calibers. Prices start under $100 with mil-surp Mosin Nagants and go up. My choices are 1903 Springfield (.30-06), Swiss K-11 (7.5x55mm) and Swedish Mauser (6.5x55mm).

 

[hso]

Pistols? Get what fits you instead of some stranger on the internet. You'll do better with a tool that is selected to fit you instead of trying to fit yourself to the tool. Once you find what handgun you point naturally, you can then select a CCW version and a full size version. Make sure the gun has the same layout so that the muscle memory for one is the same as the other.

Carbine? I'd go for the intermediate cartridge (AK/AR/SKS) before getting a pistol caliber (unless you find that a revolver fits you and then I'd go to a .357 mag or .44 mag lever gun and revolver combo).

Long range? I'd go with a nice bolt action rifle with a 3X scope.

 

[bgeddes]

This goes back to the standard American firearms kit.

I'd skip the carbine for a good pump shot gun.

CCW: there are TONS of great 9mm and .38spec pieces

Nightstand: Pump shotgun, or big caliber large cap autoloader

Carbine(in lieu of a shotgun): Some shoot 9mm so that might work with the CCW

For self defense, you're done here, to feed the family, a good hunting rifle can eliminate the need for a battle rifle.

A Rem 700, in a common caliber, say .270, .30-06, .308, can effectively be used to take most larger game.

For starters, cheap, reliable, and available ammo, buy a good .22lr rifle. Hone your skills with the cheapest available ammo. Many regular shooters take a .22 to each range trip for the economic practice. Same goes for pistol practice.

The greatest firearm in the world is worthless without the presence of shooting talent.

Ensure you can hit the target, it is the most important thing.