If you were starting over, would you buy the same guns?

[goon]

If you had to start your collection over would you still end up with the same guns you have now?

I wouldn't.
Some of my current "lifers" got into my collection accidentally, more than less.
The P-225 was a happy accident. It fits my hand well and is very accurate and reliable, but if I were starting over I would probably end up with a commander sized .45 or a Glock 19.
I would have bought an 870 instead of the 835 bought and then sold.
I would have left the 91/30 for someone else and just stuck with the M39.
I would have talked my dad into getting me a 20 or 12 gauge for my first gun instead of a .410.

Since I already have these guns and since they are all great guns, I would have a hard time justifying ever getting rid of them. Some have sentimental value and will never get sold.
But if I were starting over...

What about you?

 

[Rembrandt]

Knowing what I know now....I would have bought Lugers, Colts, and Old Winchesters.

 

[boofus]

I'd have loaded up on HK P7's and transferable MGs and just ate ramen noodles for a decade.

 

[Taurus 66]

I'd buy all the same guns I currently have, but if I could do it all over, more of my money would've been invested in guns than in fun times. At one time I had $3,000 cash in a lock box. I originally wanted to purchase a Taurus revolver and a S&W semiauto, complete with rigs, extra mags, speed loaders, the works. I only got the revolver.

 

[MachIVshooter]

For the most part. I have a few guns that I got because of a good deal, etc, that weren't really on my list. But pretty much everything I have was either on a list I concieved in my pre-legal days, or came out after I was 18 and was a must-have. Only one on my original list that hasn't materialized yet is the Barret M82. Could still be awhile on that one.

 

[Standing Wolf]

I'd buy a lot more High Standards and Pythons—but I sure wouldn't want to have to go through my teens and twenties again to do it!

 

[chris in va]

I'm damn happy with my CZ and it's Kadet kit, but...some of my other purchases were way off base.

Regret buying:
Ruger Mk III 22/45
Benelli Nova 20ga
CZ 40P (sortof...jury's out)

Wish I had bought:
Remington 870 youth
1911 or Witness 45
Walther P22

Happy coincidence:
CZ 75BD
Pardner 410
HiPoint carbine
P11 (love/hate relationship)

 

[UberPhLuBB]

Only thing I think I'd have done differently would have been to get a .22 rifle first then a 1911 as my first pistol later on down the line. As it is, my first gun was a P99 in .40S&W which made me develop a flinch I've only recently gotten over thanks in no small part to what I've picked up here at THR.

I love my P99, as I did from day 1. I just wish I had purchased my guns in a slightly different order to break myself into the hobby.

 

[Bridger]

I'd have skipped my first gun, a single shot .30-30 break action, and gone with my .22. Lessons learned. Don't even shoot that first gun anymore but won't sell it beacuse it's the first.

 

[Bridger]

Oh, and I really wish I had bought a SAIGA-12 when they were so damned cheap!

 

[bakert]

I'd buy the ones I have again but I'd also buy quite a number of the ones I passed up for one reason or another.

 

[coonan357]

the only guns I regreted on getting was my 608 taurus , its big and clunky and shiney and not really useful for anything other than to show off , and the only other regret was getting married , I told her I was sick !!!

 

[Arkady]

I think the only thing I would have done differently was get the factory ghost rings on my Mossberg (purchased as a high school graduation gift to myself) rather than the bead sight. That summer after high school really taught me to love slugs

I might have gotten the night sights on my Sig (first pistol), as well.

 

[chaim]

While I don't really regret buying any gun I bought (I learned something from each), there are a few things I'd change:

1) The Ruger P89 I bought as my first auto would have been a CZ 75B (which I did buy later) or possibly a Taurus PT92 (though probably the CZ).

2) Since I probably would have already had a CZ 75B at the time I actually bought my CZ 75B (see above), I would have bought a BHP at that time instead.

3) For my first handgun, instead of my Taurus 82 which I stupidly sold, I would have saved another month or so and bought a .357mag like I really wanted (probably a Taurus 65 or 66). Later, once I realized I wasn't going to only own one or two revolvers and one or two autos I would have bought the Taurus 82 and/or a S&W M10. The way I did it I bought the .38 first (Taurus 82), then when I got a .357mag I thought I should sell the .38 since I "knew" I wasn't going to have many guns.

4) Instead of the Taurus 605 I quickly sold (I didn't like .357mag in such a small gun, and it is heavier than the .38spl only Taurus 85 so it didn't make sense to me to keep it and only shoot .38 in it) I would have bought a Taurus 85 at that time and then I wouldn't have ended up selling.

5) Colt Police Positive Special. I wanted a dedicated .38spl medium frame revolver but I never really warmed to it and sold it for a loss. I should have bought a S&W M10 or replaced my Taurus 82 instead.

6) Bersa Thunder in .380. Great gun, but I don't like the S&W style slide mounted safety/decocker. Not sure what I'd buy instead, maybe a Beretta Tomcat (there were still some around locally at the time), a S&W 642 (though I wasn't thinking along those lines at the time) or a Taurus 85UL (aluminum alloy).

7) Charles Daly 1911. I love my Daly, it has been a decent gun, but at around 10K rounds it is definately showing its age more than a higher end gun would. I'd probably have saved for a Springfield Armory Loaded or Mil-spec instead.

9) Ruger 10/22. I never did like that rifle. I already had a Marlin 60 I liked. I should have simply been happy with the Marlin, or maybe tried a Remington 597.

10) Remington 581. I never liked that rifle much (though it shot just about every .22lr round I put in it, and it was much more accurate than I am). I should have bought a CZ .22lr rifle instead.

11) Savage 110 in 30-06. It was a good rifle but I should have saved longer for a Howa or CZ in a caliber I would have liked more (.243, 6.55 Swiss, or even .223 or 7.62x39).

12) AR15. Good gun, but it is a lot of money to have tied up in a gun I barely use (I don't go to the rifle range much). If I wanted a semi-auto .223 I should have bought a Ruger Mini-14 and saved a couple hundred bucks over the AR.

13) Benelli Nova 12ga. Good gun, but I think I'd have prefered to spend about $100 less and replaced the Mossberg 500 I sold during an unemployment period or a Remington 870. Alternatively, I could have spent about $50 more on a Remington 870 Marine Magnum or Mossberg 590.

 

[Wags]

My first and all current pump shotguns would be Ithaca Model 37's. Did not own one until I was 41 years old 4 years ago. I have some catching up to do with this wonderful shotgun.

 

[Zach S]

Probably.

 

[Jim PHL]

I absolutely would have made a 1911 an early purchase. I stayed away from them for years because I had always heard it was an "experts only" gun. I never even shot one until my late thirties, now it's one of only a few autos that interest me at all.

 

[LiquidTension]

My first pistol I would definitely buy again, along with my AK and my FAL (home built). Anything I've sold I would have passed on and tried something else instead. Except for my Mossberg, which I sold and then bought again

 

[halvey]

At this moment, everything that is in my safe or on me is what I want.

There were 2 shotguns I found at a shop recently that I really wanted, but couldn't swing right now, the guy asked me if I had anything to trade. For the first time I didn NOT!

I wish I'd have never purchased the 15 Para Ordnance guns I once owned. A couple of them were accurate and reliable, but most weren't.

 

[W Turner]

I would probably end up with what I have now plus a few more.

compact carry 9mm
alloy framed 1911
j-frame pocket gun
.22 target pistol
4" .357

plus I would also have.....

something in 10mm- had a couple of different ones, sold them before I got into reloading... :banghead:

.44mag revolver....coming soon if the local shop doesn't sell the one I have had my eye on for a few months

S/A revolver - only started getting interested in these recently, but wnat one each in .22lr, .357 and .45LC. The .45LC will be the first

I would have scrounged the money ($250) for that LNIB factory nickeled SW model 38........ :banghead:


That's about it I guess

W

 

[JohnBT]

I shouldn't have picked a Savage 24 .22mag/.410 and a Fox Model B 12 ga. for 2 of my first guns. They were both too big for me as a kid. I should have gotten a Model 12 20 ga. like my dad's. Other than those two I've done a good job of picking guns over the past 40 years. And the Mountie my uncle gave me was just right.

John

 

[rde]

Yes..I would buy SOME of what I currently have now. But not all of what I have now. Took me quite a bit of trial and error to find out what I really like the best, what I shoot the best, and what I am the most comfortable with. While I will probably keep the "extras" that I have now because they are good choices and I enjoy having them...if I were to start over I would buy my "default" or "fail safe" "essentials" only and be happy. What is interesting in my specific case is these are actually what I thought I would prefer when I first started out...the "extras" (those that I have kept as well as those that I have traded in and out of) are what I tried based on what other people had a preference for...especially if I ran into a good deal on something. This has been a lot of fun and I enjoy trying out a lot of different things. But if knowing what I know now I think I would try to avoid doing this again. My choices/preferences are actually quite humble as well: SKS "paratrooper(s)", Ruger P series, Baby Eagle(s).

 

[Ian]

I wouldn't have purcased a .308 Vepr or a Bushmaster M17. The Vepr was simply a poor compromise of features (IMO), and I would have been much better off with one in .223 or 7.62x39. The M17 was a fubar-ed attempt to make a few bucks on a purchase. I bought it for a premium for during the AWB, because it has a flash suppressor and I was told it was a preban gun. A couple months later when I went to sell it and called Bushmaster to confirm the preban status. Guess what? It was post-ban. Took me forever to get rid of the thing (I couldn't even shoot the darn thing, being left-handed), and I lost some money on it to boot.

On the other hand, most of my other early purchases have turned out very well, particularly my Daewoo K2, Sistema 1911, and No4Mk1* Enfield.

 

[Yowza]

My first gun purchase was a Beretta Tomcat. If I was doing it over, that would definitely change. I probably wouldn't have bought the Springfield Compact .45 either, at least not as my second purchase. Most likely I would have bought some Sigs to start out with.

I also probably would have gotten a shotgun instead of the HK USC I have, but that was a gift so maybe not.

Rick

 

[gulogulo1970]

I would get pretty much the same stuff. Probably with less plastic and more Colts.

But...I would never have bought a Colt Double Eagle as my first handgun, I would never have bought anything by Davis. I never would have bought a Mini-14.

Now, if I could go back in time, I should have bought a M-1 Garand, S&W Registered Magnum, Colt Viper, Colt Diamondbacks and Colt Magnum Carry all when I had the chance and they were reasonable. :banghead: I guess, I left them for the smart guys.