So, a new college grad asked me what would be a minimum gun collection on a budget? I told him that it depends on what he's going to do with it. I also told him not to look at the price of a gun when buying the gun, but instead, he should look at the price of the ammo. During the lifetime of a gun, the price of the gun itself is only a very small fraction of the total cost of ownership. The majority of the cost of a firearm is going to be ammo, followed by range fees, then the price of the gun should be the last consideration. Therefore, he should find out what the least expensive nearby range allows you to shoot. Then, narrow his choice by what is the least expensive ammo. Also, he should buy what is common and try to buy used so if he is pinched for cash, he could easly and quickly sell the gun for equal to or more than what he paid for it. Finally, he should choose the gun he likes. Based on the ranges in the North Dallas area and ammo prices around here, this is what I recommend if he hunts;
1. Centerfire Rifle - Smith & Wesson M&P 15 Sport: buy new at Grabagun for $560.
2. Handgun - Glock 19 or Glock 26: buy used at a gun show for $430 or less. Many LGSs sell police trade ins for about $430.
3. Shotgun - Mossberg or Remington pump action 12 gauge shotgun. Buy used at gun show for $200 or less. Many LGSs sell them as police trade-ins for about $200.
4. Rimfire Rifle - Savage bolt action at Grabagun for $165.
Total: $1355.
If you do not hunt, then I would suggest #1 and 2 or #2 and 3.
Total: $990 to $630.
The rationale is, you do not want a slick semi-auto short barrelled shotgun because Elm Fork range doesn't allow them. Just buy a plain Jane pump action normal length barrel shotgun. 12 gauge ammo is cheapest and easiest to find for shotguns. The least expensive rifle ammo that is domestically manufactured is the AR-15's 5.56/.223 ammo. You don't want to buy a gun that depends on foreign ammo such as an AK-47 because importation of foreign ammo could be banned simply by executive order, theoretically. Also, most milsurp foreign ammo is FMJ ball that most DFW ranges don't allow. The caliber that offers the least expensive centerfire domestic rifle ammo that is soft point is 5.56/.223. The least expensive handgun ammo would be 9mm. A police trade-in would be the cheapest option for 9mm. Glock barrels last forever so used shouldn't be a concern. Besides, most cops barely shoot their guns, anyways. Rifles, depending on what you want to do with them, could lose their accuracy after as few as 1000 rounds. Therefore, unless the round count is known and low, I suggest buying new. If you are never going to hunt nor shoot competitively, then go ahead and buy a used rifle if it is a fantastic bargain. Most self defense uses of a gun is inside of 20 ft. Any gun, no matter how shot out the barrel, will be able to make 2 inch groups at 20 ft. You can buy a shotgun used, too, because you're not shooting accurate single shots with a shotgun, but a "pattern" of shot. The supplies of ammo have normalized somewhat, so that's a relief. Otherwise, I'd have to recommend 17HMR or an air rifle instead of a .22lr rifle.
Anyways, that's my 2 cents. Feel free to chime in your opinion.
Thanks,
no need to buy one just yet.
