What should I add next to my gun collection?

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bos19

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I just started building my collection in the last few years. Here’s what I have:

-Glock 19
-SKS
-S&W M&P 15 Sport 2 AR-15
-Mosin Nagant 91/30 (adding soon)


I’m not a hunter or anything like that-I am just a hobbyist who really appreciates the history of historical guns. Ideally, I’d like to buy a bunch of historical guns, but I want a well-rounded collection.I’ve been trying to decide between a .357 magnum, 1911, or AK as my next gun. I was also thinking about buying a .22 rifle, but those are so cheap I can buy one any time.
 
You should definitely consider a lever gun in .30-30. Either an older "JM" Marlin 336, or a Winchester 94, whichever one feels better to you. But they are more fun than a semi-auto at the range for rapid shots. For historical value, I would lean toward a Winchester, though mine is a Marlin.
 
With “Historical” in mind I would recommend the 1911, SAA, Garand, and a lever action. These would be a good start. All are historically significant and a lot of fun to shoot.
 
The first thing you need to do is decide on a theme for your collection. Without a theme, all you have is a mere accumulation. Popular themes are U.S. military arms, Winchesters, Colts, etc. Don't make the mistake of spreading yourself too thin.

I find it very hard to stick with one country’s guns. There are so many good guns from other countries haha
 
A Garand, M1903, M1 carbine, or, if you dont plan on shooting it much (due to the scarcity and $$ of ammo), a Mauser, Enfield, or Arisaka.

Indian (Ishapore) Enfields are fairly common and relatively cheap. They are often found in .308, and sometimes .410. British, Canadian, and Australian Enfields are all going to be in .303 and often saw hard use. They are usually pricier too.

South American (and Turkish) Mausers are still plentiful, saw little action, and are not too pricey- but have very high quality German craftsmanship. They were mostly chambered for 7mm or 7.92mm originally, but can sometimes be found arsenal rechambered for .308 or .30-06. Do your homework and decide for yourself if these are safe to shoot.

Arisakas are still dirt cheap, except for the very nicest examples which are finally rising in price, but factory ammo is steep.

On the other hand, AKs are NOT going to get cheaper than they are right now. There WILL be panic buying on all things "assault rifle" as we near the election and that will only get worse if a Democrat wins. In addition, nearly all of the cheap 7.62x39 ammo is imported from Russia, and we are one incident away from more trade sanctions which could shut off the flow......
 
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A Garand, M1903, M1 carbine, or, if you dont plan on shooting it much (due to the scarcity and $$ of ammo), a Mauser, Enfield, or Arisaka.

Indian (Ishapore) Enfields are fairly common and relatively cheap. They are often found in .308, and sometimes .410. British, Canadian, and Australian Enfields are all going to be in .303 and often saw hard use. They are usually pricier too.

South American (and Turkish) Mausers are still plentiful, saw little action, and are not too pricey- but have very high quality German craftsmanship. They were mostly chambered for 7mm or 7.92mm originally, but can sometimes be found arsenal rechambered for .308 or .30-06. Do your homework and decide for yourself if these are safe to shoot.

Arisakas are still dirt cheap, except for the very nicest examples which are finally rising in price, but factory ammo is steep.

On the other hand, AKs are NOT going to get cheaper than they are right now. There WILL be panic buying on all things "assault rifle" as we near the election and that will only get worse if a Democrat wins. In addition, nearly all of the cheap 7.62x39 ammo is imported from Russia, and we are one incident away from more trade sanctions which could shut off the flow......

Do you think the supply of Lee Enfields will go down in the near future? I was looking at one that was relatively reasonably priced because it seems like they have been slowly increasing in price, presumably because they aren’t as common. I think if I were to go for a rifle it would be between a Lee Enfield and an AK. I just bought a Mosin though...
 
Bos19: if you simply want to shoot many, many handgun rds., for a given cost, how about a S&W M&P .22?
Otherwise my only suggestion is Lots of extra Ammo, for your favorite guns (many guys have 'years of ammo', but are afraid to mention it).

As NIGHTLORD40K stated, only one more problem with Russian relations could create a large price jump in many chamberings of US Brass-cased and foreign steel-cased ammo.

The US arms industry would gladly help the anti-gunners lobby for a high, punitive tariff on imported ammo, if not a total ban one day (-not many politicians would defend Russian ammo-).
 
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I guess my completely biased answer would depend on your volume of shooting.
For high volume: a 22lr pistol such as the ruger mk series or a browning buckmark is difficult to beat.
For lower volume: the garand and swiss k31 are my personal favorite mil surps.
 
I just started building my collection in the last few years. Here’s what I have:

-Glock 19
-SKS
-S&W M&P 15 Sport 2 AR-15
-Mosin Nagant 91/30 (adding soon)


I’m not a hunter or anything like that-I am just a hobbyist who really appreciates the history of historical guns. Ideally, I’d like to buy a bunch of historical guns, but I want a well-rounded collection.I’ve been trying to decide between a .357 magnum, 1911, or AK as my next gun. I was also thinking about buying a .22 rifle, but those are so cheap I can buy one any time.
Go price an Anschutz 54 and tell me how cheap a .22 is
Historical - start with a real Colt .45, a Luger, a rare 1911 version, a registered S&W 357 magnum, a post WWII Sig210, an M1A National match
there I just spent about $30K of your money
 
I just started building my collection in the last few years. Here’s what I have:

-Glock 19
-SKS
-S&W M&P 15 Sport 2 AR-15
-Mosin Nagant 91/30 (adding soon)


I’m not a hunter or anything like that-I am just a hobbyist who really appreciates the history of historical guns. Ideally, I’d like to buy a bunch of historical guns, but I want a well-rounded collection.I’ve been trying to decide between a .357 magnum, 1911, or AK as my next gun. I was also thinking about buying a .22 rifle, but those are so cheap I can buy one any time.


The absence of a revolver is what first struck me, but the theme of your collection is, "reliable, but otherwise as cheap as possible." Along that vein, what you're missing is a Mossberg 500.

Your goals are somewhat vague, especially considering your current inventory doesn't lend anything remarkable toward them. If you're serious about collecting, consider selling three or all of them and buying one good collector piece. On the other hand, because it doesn't seem certain you're determined to collect, consider selling three of them and spending the proceeds and your remaining acquisitions budget on training with the fourth.
 
With just 4, you could close your eyes and drop a pin on letters of an open book and have chance pick you one.

For me if I had only one .22 LR, I’d have none. That said, I have more .22’s than anything else by far. It’s a lot like stamp collecting but you get to have more fun with them. Just pick one buy it and move on to the next. Once you have a .22 LR, I’d say get a 50 BMG, then you can fill in the middle ground.

That’s what your wife and daughters will do with shoes, purses and clothing...
 
History... blackpowder firearms were used for about 500 years before smokeless powder was invented. To gain an appreciation for modern cartridge convenience, learn to use a flintlock or percussion gun, rifle or handgun as it pleases you. Modern reproductions are not terribly expensive, made of good steel, satisfying to shoot. Prepare for an education! :thumbup:
 
Thanks for the interesting question. I would second the comment by Mr. AlexanderA regarding a theme. It can be a very "loose" theme, but if you are interested in "historical" firearms, it would be more educational for you if there were some sort of theme bringing it all together. That way, if you happen upon a period of limited funds and consequently aren't adding to your collection, you can still be reading, researching and learning about it. With regard to your comments about .22s, however, the belief that "historical" .22s are always available is somewhat misleading. Yes, there are lots of .22s out there, but if you're considering "historical" .22s, the supply of examples such as the Winchester 1873 in short and long rifle, Winchester Winder 22 in short and long rifle, Springfield M2, and any of the more recent .22 caliber military trainers such as the H&R, Mossberg, and Kimber, can be difficult to find and a little costly when you are fortuante enough to find them. Best of luck and keep us posted -- pictures would be great!
 
I found a M1 Garand that is priced reasonably and it belonged to a Marine at one point. I'm really tempted to buy it.
Then buy it. Being a former Marine and owning a few M1 Garands I can assure you that all of that means nothing. Yes, a Garand is an interesting as well has a historic rifle as is an older 03 or 03A3 rifle. There is also the Johnson along with an endless list of others.

What you are asking comes down to two things. The first being the size of your pocketbook closely followed by your specific taste in a gun, be it rifle or handgun or even a combat shotgun? I certainty can't suggest much of any gun since I have no clue what you may or may not like. Looking at what you already own you may like an 03 or 03A3 as to a bolt gun or an M1 Garand as to a semi automatic rifle.

Ron
 
Then buy it. Being a former Marine and owning a few M1 Garands I can assure you that all of that means nothing. Yes, a Garand is an interesting as well has a historic rifle as is an older 03 or 03A3 rifle. There is also the Johnson along with an endless list of others.

What you are asking comes down to two things. The first being the size of your pocketbook closely followed by your specific taste in a gun, be it rifle or handgun or even a combat shotgun? I certainty can't suggest much of any gun since I have no clue what you may or may not like. Looking at what you already own you may like an 03 or 03A3 as to a bolt gun or an M1 Garand as to a semi automatic rifle.

Ron

The M1 Garand is pretty much a dream gun purchase for me. The only reason why I mentioned a Marine used to own it is to basically say it seems like it was really well cared for. In my experience, those who have served or are currently serving tend to take excellent care of their firearms. That being said, I don't feel like M1 Garands are really going anywhere soon. The Glock 19 was my first gun and I bought it right out of college. I really like guns with historical significance and have a preference for American guns with historical significance, but I also own a SKS and Mosin Nagant.

I would say the glaring holes I notice in my collection are the lack of a .22 rifle or pistol, a revolver, and shotgun. For some reason, shotguns don't really excite me all that much, but I will eventually buy one.
 
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