Wanting to buy a higher end firearm

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Why? That is the main question. I have "high end" as well as budget guns. At this point, I think I have too many "high end" guns that don't get used nearly enough, especially when I own cheaper (but high performing) guns that do the same job just as well. I question the usefulness of AR's with barrels that are getting into NFA/pistol territory unless a can is attached. Shotguns (for me) are almost always used for shooting things with feathers, and my Mossberg 930 field gun does fine at that. For everything else, my $140 partner pumps with 18" barrel do as well as anything else. I have Larue AR in 5.56 that is a 1 MOA rifle, but I have another I built for a lot less from Brownells parts that is about 1.5 MOA. In the 1911 realm, I have a personal problem with those pistols when made in places like china, the Philippines, and Turkey, and in any caliber besides 45. regardless of the great results others have with them, to me they are "unseemly". To me, unless one is buying true "vintage" guns for a collection, obtaining quality guns at reasonable prices that you can feed (and will actually use) makes more sense in this day and age. At the end of the day, to each his own.
 
LiveLife said:
Henry Golden Boy - https://www.henryusa.com/rifles/golden-boy/

View attachment 1066585

I recently bought a Henry .22 golden boy. That thing is fun to shoot and fairly accurate, not a tack driver but close. The old style sights are a little hard to see but 50 yards was no problem. Very smooth lever action and the trigger is not to bad either. But shoulder one before buying, the comb? Is low and hard to get a proper check weld. I had to add a riser.
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Also to subject of quality over $$$

I feel after $1,000 ($1,300 with inflation) the return in $$$:quality diminish quickly.
 
Have to agree with Mark Mark. At a certain point, you don't get much return on the dollars spent. Is a $3K Nighthawk better than a $1.5K STI. Yea, probably, but twice as good. Nope. If that extra money is no big deal to ya, great, spend it if the Nighthawk rings your bell. Most of us here have to budget & shop around. In the market today, your $1K + or - range will not buy what I'd define as high end. It'll get you something pretty nice. Decide what you want & consider buying used. Then again, you may hit on something that far exceeds your budget, but really takes your breath away. In that case, save up. I have a couple revolvers that are stupid expensive, but I REALLY wanted them. Took awhile to gather the money, but I got 'em.
 
tuckerdog1 said:
Have to agree with Mark Mark. At a certain point, you don't get much return on the dollars spent. Is a $3K Nighthawk better than a $1.5K STI. Yea, probably, but twice as good. Nope. If that extra money is no big deal to ya, great, spend it if the Nighthawk rings your bell. Most of us here have to budget & shop around. In the market today, your $1K + or - range will not buy what I'd define as high end. It'll get you something pretty nice. Decide what you want & consider buying used. Then again, you may hit on something that far exceeds your budget, but really takes your breath away. In that case, save up. I have a couple revolvers that are stupid expensive, but I REALLY wanted them. Took awhile to gather the money, but I got 'em.
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“Stupid Expensive” please elaborate!!!
 
FL-NC said:
Why? That is the main question. I have "high end" as well as budget guns. At this point, I think I have too many "high end" guns that don't get used nearly enough, especially when I own cheaper (but high performing) guns that do the same job just as well. .... At the end of the day, to each his own.
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Collecting guns is not unlike collecting watches. A Casio keeps perfect time and won't let you down. But a Patek Philip is something you pass on to your son even though you don't actually use it much. Like a Korth.
 
Zerodefect said:
1911 should be .45. .38super is a fossil. 9mm 1911's have at least ten times more issues than any other 1911. 10mm is fine. I recommend the Dan Wesson Valor, TCP, or Specialist. Black Duty Treat only. And Guncrafter Industries, house melonite as well.

9mm, but high end? The CZ Ts2. CZ Shadow 2. CZ Czechmate.
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38 super is a fantastic round.
 
upptick said:
Collecting guns is not unlike collecting watches. A Casio keeps perfect time and won't let you down. But a Patek Philip is something you pass on to your son even though you don't actually use it much. Like a Korth.
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Funny I do both as well. Good example.

Just what is expensive, or in this case high end. In the watch world is a Tudor or Ball high end....well no not really, but to some people that are deep into that hobby they are very high end. Some people see a $500 automatic as just insane, where others see it as the bottom level....it all depends on your point of view.

We really need to know what is high end to the OP, is a Merkel Helix high end? Something not common, a good name, years and years behind it. Or is a ruger #1 Both can be in the same ball park as far as $$$ go. However one is very different from the other, There are so many ways to go.

Then we can look at his comment on 1911.....what do you call high end there, I think we can cross off Rock Island, but are we talking colt or wilson, or is les more (get it....funny eh) Or are we looking at that WWI version. There are just so many ways.
 
To me higher end means that the finish, well beyond practical purposes, is responsible for much of the value of the gun.

Merkel SxS. I sold it but kept the old Remington 870 Express Turkey Special that was $230 OTD at Walmart a few years ago.

KxOPNJph.jpg


I do not consider a S&W K-22 high end but the standard in rimfire revolvers, the one that all others are judged against and the only thing that makes a work horse like my Hammerli International high end are the grips.

Hammerli-Grips.jpg
 
It’s quite obvious that most here seem to view their choices through their own lens of reality. I chuckle when I see Remington, Henry, and Winchester offerings as “high end”.

Some have been very fortunate and blessed, and can pretty much afford whatever they want. “High end” is a moving target and varies by individual. If Bill Gates or Jeff Bezos wanted a high end gun, they could drop $50,000 and miss it less that we would a $5 bill. A lot of members would rant that it’s stupid to spend that much. Maybe, maybe not

Anyway, back to the OP. At one time I had a unfired Les Baer custom target .45 that I got absolutely dirt cheap. Thought I was going to do some target shooting, but after some time I decided it wasn’t my thing. I sold it at a good price ($1,200 IIRC) to someone on this forum. Point is, you could get a REALLY nice 1911 for a very affordable price. You could get a Sako rifle, Anschutz, etc.

It’s all priorities. When someone says “I can’t afford that”, what they usually really mean is “it’s not worth it to me”.
 
Obviously, "high end" means different things to different people and seems to be defined by some as how much a firearm costs. What's high end to me is entry level to someone who has 10 times my disposable income. The OP could help us out with an indication of how much he wants to spend.

And I have a couple of .38 Supers and don't consider them fossils.
 
1911 category - 45 acp. Dan Wesson, followed by Colt and/or Springfield

22 rifle category - Marlin 39A or maybe a new CZ 22 rifle

Shotgun - Browning pump or a Beretta semi auto

9mm category - Beretta 92 or Sig 226

AR category - BCM, Colt, or Daniel Defense

None of that is exotic but it’s all solid, well made stuff that definitely is a step or two beyond budget.

Edit to add…. You could spice up the 9mm by going with a Langdon or Wilson Beretta. The 1911 could be bumped by looking at Wilson or Nighthawk but I saw you mentioned a 1K price ceiling so that may be out of bounds for you.
 
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