What are your criteria?

[taliv]

heh, rob

i went through the "buy everything that looks cool" phase but i was continually frustrated by performance of really cool-looking guns (e.g. SL8, PS90, M1A, USC, mac10, barrett 50, etc etc)

and also, it's too expensive to shoot so many calibers, so now i sold off all the stuff i never shot or never shot well, and now my criteria limit my purchases to things that are first and foremost:

platforms (widely available parts from many mfgs, highly modular for multi-purpose roles, millions of people shooting them to work out the bugs so I don't have to)

and then

in one of my standard calibers unless there's a dang good reason

and then

highest quality components (if I can't afford it, which is often the case, I'll save up until i can)

 

[possum]

i want a gun that is 1 reliable, goes bang each and everytime that i pull the trigger. 2 i want a gun that is shootable, easy to control. 3 i want a gun that is accurate enough for what ever intended purpose it is for. and 4 i want something that is easy to maintain, and i know how to fix if something goes wrong, ie i use the ar, and ak's.

 

[RP88]

mine boils down to an either/or case:

-it's prolific; I like guns that have been time-proven and use and practicality-proven i.e. reliable and usable for just about anything, especially for plinking and Red Dawn II; it's mainstream and has a good aftermarket
-it's historic; I have a Mosin and still want an Enfield, Kar98, and Garand. An SVT and M1 Carbine would be nice, too. Getting a FAL and others would be on the list as well.

 

[Shawnee]

Hard to describe but a gun I buy must "connect" with my personality.
Don't know how to explain that. I own...

Ruger #1
Rem. Model Seven
Marlin 336
Win 94 (two)
Ithaca 72 lever-action 22
Ruger SBH
Ruger Single-Six
Colt 1861 Navy
Rem. 1975 single-action
Browning SxS shotgun
Browning O/U .410 Grade VI
Browning Buckmark (first year of production)

 

[dakotasin]

So what criteria do you use to select the firearms you own?

plenty of exceptions, but it pretty much needs to say 'remington 700' on the receiver.

Have they changed over time?

for the most part, no.

 

[CrankyOldGuy]

Ex military by any chance, Dakota?

 

[cbrgator]

Hey rob how do you like that mount for the aimpoint?

 

[rob_s]

Hey rob how do you like that mount for the aimpoint?

Seems to work well. I have an old version that I had no trouble with in about 1500 rounds (not much, I know) before I started my year long AK experiment.

 

[d2wing]

Criteria? Uhh, I wanted it. Shoot it, Maybe keep it. Maybe sell, buy something else.

 

[lionking]

Criteria?Oh I can convince myself a multitude of ways "why I should get this" tehehe.

Wow,look how nice that one is,don't see one that nice too often........


Wow,not a bad price............


Hmmm,got one already but not by that maker..........


Hmmm,don't have that caliber yet....


Hmmm,got that caliber already but not in that type...


see how easy it is to have a criteria?

 

[jpwilly]

I laugh at those of you who think every gun purchase has to be the most solemn deathly serious experiance possible

+1 things are getting out of hand.

 

[rob_s]

I laugh at those of you who think every gun purchase has to be the most solemn deathly serious experiance possible

Funny, I laugh at those guys that buy tools for no other reason than to show them off to the other hens at the sewing circle.

They're tools, gentlemen, not collector little orphan annie teacups to hang on the wall and dust with a doily. How the hell the "means" became the "end" for some people is just freakin' weird.

 

[dakotasin]

Ex military by any chance, Dakota?

lol... you can tell that by an affinity for 700's?!

yes...

 

[lionking]

Tools? well yes but they can be more,they can be anything you want them to be because it is your hobbie or whatever.Depending on a person's situation,maybe a guy enjoys collecting the K98,maybe he has 20 or 30 of them.Are you going to be a able to shoot 30 K98's?,maybe but not dedicated.

Maybe he enjoys the K98 and more rare pristine ones he holds on to be cause he appreciates the fact that is a rare code and of condition not normally seen.So he collects the more rare ones and shoots the less rare ones,or doesn't shoot them at all.

Whatever floats your boat.Personally I think that a person who enjoys collecting should enjoy shooting some of them at least because part of the reason for the interest is the interest to see what they can do but I have known a couple guys who collect only and don't really shoot or shoot anymore and if that makes you happy then so be it.

 

[R.W.Dale]

Funny, I laugh at those guys that buy tools for no other reason than to show them off to the other hens at the sewing circle.

They're tools, gentlemen, not collector little orphan annie teacups to hang on the wall and dust with a doily. How the hell the "means" became the "end" for some people is just freakin' weird.

Who said anything about not shootin em, I shoot more rounds in a month than most do in years


So I take it you have no fun or enjoyment whatsoever shooting your toys.

You must be one of those fellows who call target practice "training"

 

[zammyman]

1. I want it to be practical by itself and with other firearms I have in the house. For example if I buy two shotguns I want them to have similar actions so I can swap parts if need be, I.E., 2 Mossberg 500 series.

2. When it comes to handguns, I want similar operation on them all. If I plink with a Glock then carry a 1911 I'm not really doing myself any good, and my automatic reaction for operation and trigger pull may suffer.

3. It needs to be a gun which won't suffer in the element I'll use it. Since a lot of hunting out here occurs in the rain, I prefer a stainless barrel and action. Same for my carry gun.

4. It needs to fill a real need or desire beyond "I want one." This is a real gray area.. in fact... not even going to touch it, otherwise I cannot defend my collection.

5. Finally, it needs to be a common caliber I can get ammo for just about anywhere. Walking into Walmart I see lots of 45 ammo and not much 357 sig (not much of either lately, though). If I walk into Walmart and say I need a box of 325WSM they're more likely to give a blank stare than if I say a box of 30-06.

 

[bgeddes]

I'm a careful buyer. I'm not wealthy so I need to maximize my dollars. Purchased an AK 2/08, turned out to be great timing. Built an AR this past summer, another good move. Other guns this year were RIA 1911s. Proven to be great guns for the money. Shoot the S&W 22A very often. A very overlooked bargain in my opinion.

I have the unique opportunity to shoot competition benchrest guns. My father-in-law competes on the East Coast. I can shoot them well, just not my thing. I buy what I like to shoot.

Why buy if you don't want to shoot.

 

[proven]

You must be one of those fellows who call target practice "training"

there is a difference you know.

as for being too serious...i don't buy things just because they are pretty or i think they are "neat", but i have plenty of fun with my firearms. i don't have tons of expendable cash, so i make my purchases count. to each his own.

 

[jjohnson]

It Depends.

Yeah, I'm using that line a lot lately for people who ask questions that are too broad.

My answer would depend primarily on exactly what I intend to use the firearm for. My criteria differ, for example, for:
1) Combat worthy
2) Target
3) Big game (deer and larger) hunting
4) Varmint hunting at long range
5) Varmint at shorter range
6) CCW firearm
7) Milsurp "collection" gun to shoot at the range on sunny days only

You get the idea. I can deal with a few failures for collection guns but that is absolutely a deal breaker for a CCW. I don't need 30-round mags for target shooting, either. There are way too many surveys out here (and I KNOW this isn't a 'survey') that aren't thought through before posting. Ask sharp questions, you might get sharp answers.

 

[spyderdude]

I tend to favor the tactical/military style weaponry over the traditional hunting/sporting firearms. I am not much of a hunter either. Maybe it is because I enjoy first person shooter games so much. Anyway here is my criteria,


1. Combat worthy
2. Reliable even under some degree of adverse weather conditions
3. Easy to carry
4. Detachable magazine fed
5. Able to accept optics
6. Easy to field strip and maintain

 

[BHP FAN]

''I bet if you took 100 multiple-gun owners, made them take a personality test then looked at their gun cabinets, you'd find the types of firearms that match their personality...''

Hmmm nine sixguns three leverguns,two double barrel shotguns two Trapdoor .45-70's Im guessing at least part of my personality never left 1880!

 

[rob_s]

So I take it you have no fun or enjoyment whatsoever shooting your toys.

You must be one of those fellows who call target practice "training"

There goes the boat... run, you might catch it... it's getting away... almost there.... yep, damn, you missed it again... all you can do now is wave as it's pulling away.

A Baseball bat is a tool. A golf club is a tool. A tennis racket is a tool. A scuba tank is a tool.

and yes, a guy that collects baseball bats, golf clubs, tennis rackets, or scuba tanks is a tool.

 

[R.W.Dale]

There goes the boat... run, you might catch it... it's getting away... almost there.... yep, damn, you missed it again... all you can do now is wave as it's pulling away.

A Baseball bat is a tool. A golf club is a tool. A tennis racket is a tool. A scuba tank is a tool.

and yes, a guy that collects baseball bats, golf clubs, tennis rackets, or scuba tanks is a tool.

and so is the guy who has dreams over a red dawn,day of the dead type scnearo every time he looks at a rifle. I pity you for your inability to enjoy the shooting sports, obviously it's a stressfull chore for you

Quick run to your basement to inventory your ammo, rearrange your canned food, OH! and your tinfoil hat is overdue for an oil change. Quick the commies are coming for your white women

 

[taliv]

so, nice weather we're having.

 

[gvnwst]

Not north of you (SC KY), this weather stinks.