Posted: 7/13/2009 4:25:04 PM EDT
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I have a glock in 10mm, a rock island 45, and by the end of the summer i should have a taraus in 45.
So my qusetion is should i buy another 45 (a colt tactical ) or should i just call it and stop buying handguns.( in case of the shtf) and concentrate on buying ammo and preparing my bob for use? |
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Depends on why you are buying.
Do you want to be "prepared" and proficient with a weapon? If yes, pick that weapon, buy a bunch of ammo, and practice on a regular basis. Also take some real classes. Do you want to collect just for the hell of it? Buy away. No wrong answer. Just decide whats important. |
Well, it's never "enough". 
But of course it is important to have a balance between guns, mags, and ammo. No sense in having 20 guns if you only have 10 rounds for each. No sense in having eleventy billon rounds of ammo if you only have one mag per gun. And no sense in having buckets of mags if you don't even have enough ammo to load them all. |
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I think Walkure has made a zen point - be balanced. Once you hit a certain number of guns, maybe direct the next guns towards a reloader and then shooting more. Learn more about the guns and what you like, then go buy more. My progression was kinda like this:
Grew up shooting .22 rifles and .45 1911s. First gun was a cheap 1911. Next a .38 S&W. Next big spend was a Dillon reloader. Shot lots. Next purchase a NICE 1911, custom Caspian. Then another. And again. Then some Colts. Then LOTS of S&Ws. Along the way I sampled Beretta, Glock, Taurus, Ruger, and other guns. I realized what I liked and got rid of what I didn't and returned to what I like. Some guns I like I have two or three of the exact same model. I don't feel bad about that. I've said before, I'd rather have three identical models of a gun I love than one gun I love and two I don't like as much. Buy what you want, but buy smart and buy things of quality that make you happy. I still have that first Norinco, and by far it's my worst gun. I've learned quality trumps price. But I hang on to it for sentimental reasons. Lately I have been spending a tremendous amount of time making sure all my 1911 magazines work in all my guns, and with all my ammo. Again, I wan't sense and reliability within my guns. "Balance" like Walkure said. |
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Without a doubt, buy more ammo (and magazine and training).
This is a great subject IMO that doesn’t get talked about enough here. Now let me just say that if disposable income is not an issue for you then sure, buy as many guns, magazines and ammo as you can get your hands on but if you are like most of us, your gun money is limited. That being the case, you have to be smart about where you spend that money. IMO, for self defense purposes, the average person only really needs 2 handguns, a primary and a backup. If you can afford more then that then great but if owning more handguns will limit the amount of ammo, mags and training you can obtain then I would argue that those extra firearms are a poor use of your resources. If the events of the last 6 months should demonstrate anything it’s that, in times of crisis or craziness, it’s ammo that will be hard and expensive to obtain and that having a safe full of the guns won’t matter in the least if you don’t have any ammo for them. On the other hand, one quality handgun can last you the rest of your life provided you properly maintain it and have enough ammo and mags on hand to last that long. Don’t forget to factor in magazines and training. Magazines are a wear item and with enough use, they will get worn out and unreliable and you can’t count on being able to “rebuild” them. 2-3 mags for your primary is no where close to enough. Training is just as important (and maybe even more important) then what gun(s) you have. Having a gun(s) and thousands of rounds of ammo doesn’t mean squat if you don’t know how to properly use it. |
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Quoted:
I have a glock in 10mm, a rock island 45, and by the end of the summer i should have a taraus in 45. So my qusetion is should i buy another 45 (a colt tactical ) or should i just call it and stop buying handguns.( in case of the shtf) and concentrate on buying ammo and preparing my bob for use? Skip the Taurus and get the Colt tactical......start the bug out bag now today and add to as you can afford to... at a minuim you need–––– first aid kit 3 mags 50 rounds of good ammo flashlight a good backpack all in all less than $200 there even if you go with really expensive stuff |
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Between Walkure's and airgunner's posts, there's more common sense than you will get in most threads here on arfcom.
Given limited resources, buy what you need to serve your planned uses, buy a back-up of that, and accessorize the hell out of this duo––mags, parts, ammo, training, etc. For me, anything else after this is for fun/hobby. As airgunner always tells me, you've got to determine your own level of paranoia. I like to think of it as my own level of preparedness. If you are first and foremost interested in self-defense and being prepared for the "what if," then you should be less focused on getting something else or something new to fill a new desire. If you are first and foremost interested in shooting and collecting guns as a hobby/gun enthusiast, then we can argue the best guns to have in a good gun collection all day long. |
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Never enough ammo & mags. It's enough firearms when you have the "need" calibers covered w/a quality firearm & needed gear for said firearm. 9mm/.40/.45 for handgun, .308, .223 .22LR for rifle & 12g shotgun
While we're on the subject, what is everyone's take on enough mags for handguns? |
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While we're on the subject, what is everyone's take on enough mags for handguns? I have no maximum but my minimum for "go to" handguns is 10-12 and for others its 6. Luckily for me, my go to handguns are Glocks and the mags for them are relatively cheap and easy to find. 
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Quoted:
Quoted:
While we're on the subject, what is everyone's take on enough mags for handguns? I have no maximum but my minimum for "go to" handguns is 10-12 and for others its 6. Luckily for me, my go to handguns are Glocks and the mags for them are relatively cheap and easy to find.
If you ask him, airgunner will admit to you that he is a mag whore.
I've always felt that 4 mags was the bare minimum for a pistol. For a "go to" gun, I like to double that to a minimum of 8. |
| If SHTF preparedness is your thing (to each their own.. we all have choices to make) then I would focus on shelter, clean water, food, and fuel (heating/generator/vehicle) for the period of time you feel is about right. This can be pretty expensive to set up. Other than that, pretty much any reliable pistol will do to get you to wherever your rifle is. |
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There are several levels of "enough"
What you can actually access and carry during SHTF. What will cover the major shooting diciplines/sports you enjoy. What will cover all the types of shooting you ever want to do. What will cover all the variants of a particular firearm type, or historical period you're interested in? What will cover all types of firearms? The problem is that you'll keep shifting categories/levels, and it'll never be "enough". |
What is this word "enough"?
Buy a bunch of ammo and then start buying guns again. I have a pile of ammo for my ARs, Garands, AKs, K31s, 1911s and XD9. Recently I have been using my .22 conversions in my AR and 1911 with just enough centerfire ammo to remind of what recoil is. Much cheaper that way. |