Gun Collection

Gun Collection

Which gun should I buy to round out my collection?

I have a Glock .40 S&W and a barrel that I swap to shoot .357 Sig. I also have a cheap 9mm pistol (I am ashamed to say it's a Jennings) and have access to my fathers P89 Ruger 9mm. I also own shotguns, .22, 30-30, and 7.62X54R.

I want to add another gun to my collection primarily for target shooting, but the right gun might double as a secondary hunting/defense weapon. I am primarily interested in a handgun or 5.56/.223 AR-15 or similar style rifle.

I am considering two options.

1) Buying a cheap Taurus or other backup handgun for $350 or so in a 9mm or .45. This will probably be a compact. Or buying a revolver (I do not own a revolver) in a snub nose .38 special or a longer barrel .357 or .44 mag.

2) Expensive route: saving for a larger purchase and either buy a 1911 style .45. Rock Island Armory is $375 if I go cheapo or Colt in $600-$800 range. Rifle would be 223/5.56; Olympic Arms makes an A1 plinker for $600.

Which gun is needed in everyman's gun collection?

Bound's hubby here:

Let's talk rifles first. If you are looking at (serious) target shooting, I would suggest you get an AR15-type rifle from a reputable manufacturer (Colt, DPMS, Armalite, Bushmaster) with a 1x7 or 1x8 twist barrel. With a little work, any of these will be seriously competitive, but should be limited to varmint hunting ... to use the .223 on anything larger than varmints would be inhumane! If you want a target rifle that can double as a hunting rifle, look at either a Garand or a severely modified Remington 700 ... depending upon your concept of target shooting. By the way ... Olympic Arms and Quality Hardware (the same company) does not make a quality rifle ... it has a poor following in the competition circuit.

With respect to handguns ... if you may use the handgun for self-defense, cheap should never find its way into your vocabulary! Your dual barrel Glock is a good start (personally, Glocks are not my cup of tea).

About back-up guns. Ideally, a back-up gun should be chambered the same as your primary arm, that way if the primary arm becomes disabled, you still have a useful supply of ammo. Carrying two calibers of ammo is a give-away if you get jumped and searched. That being said ... back-up to me means last-ditch/close-up ... so I would consider a Smith & Wesson revolver as a back-up, either a Model 36 in .38 Special or a Model 13 with a 3" barrel in .357 Magnum. Either the Model 36 or Model 13 would be a must in my collection ... they are small enough to pick-up and carry all the time, so you will have them when you need them most!

For a larger purchase, I would look at either a Springfield M1911A1, ideally a Trophy Match in .45 ACP ... it is a great gun, but beyond your price range! If you want to venture into a multi-purpose revolver, I would suggest you look at a S&W Model 686 .357 Magnum with a 6" barrel. This would be a perfect revolver for target shooting (bulls-eye, silhouette, PPC), hunting (varmint, bunnies, boar or deer), or defense (home or auto).

Two points you must keep in mind in this day and age:
1) You only get what you pay for.
2) With the potential that ammo could become scarce in the "not too distant democratically controlled future", the revolver will ensure you have your brass at hand for reloading.

Good luck!