What is/has been your hardest type gun to decide on?

[checkmyswag]

I feel very set/happy/comfortable with my pistol and shotgun choice(s).

But as those of you who read the rifle sub-forum have noticed, I cannot decide on rifle(s).

Why is this? Price, yes, my other guns have been moderately priced. The rifles I'm interested in are around 3x as much in price.

Do you find yourself in this same position? Having a hard time figuring out which gun is right for you, yet others you're happy with?

I'm not talking about being fickle or trading for fun or the latest thing. I'm talking about making a reasoned and thoughtful purchase. Identifying your needs and some wants and finding the proper gun (rifle in my case) to fill that role.

[10-96]

Oh yeah, you could say I have that problem... and how!
I've got all the pieces, parts, and doo-dads for a heavy varmint rifle build on a 03A3 action except for the barrel. I know what brand of bbl I want, what type of steel, what twist, what length, what weight, and what size squirt-um-out hole I want... I just can't make the final decision between a .243 and 6mm Rem. I actually lose sleep debating with myself which way to go.

[BarryLee]

Identifying your needs and some wants and finding the proper gun

Yes, I have been experiencing some of that over the last year as I’ve been considering the purchase of a .44 Magnum. I think part of the problem is that I’ve owned and sold two .44s in the past. So, this kind of makes me wonder exactly what specific model I might be happy with or if I even need one.

[chris in va]

I don't hunt, which limits me to shooting at the local range.

A 22 lever action, x39 bolt action, AR15 and Garand fill my 'needs' just fine. The Garand would stay if I had to keep only one.

[DLiller]

Decide? I don't think I ever do. They are all great in some way or another.

[DaleA]

Lots and lots of times I've thought it would be cool to have a rifle/pistol combination like they did in the old west.

But every time I go to buy a rifle in a pistol caliber (.357, .44, .454, or maybe even a S&W .500 etc.) I realize I'll be carrying around a RIFLE but I won't be getting RIFLE performance, so I never actually do it - but I never stop thinking about it either.

[gearchecker]

The hardest gun for me to decide on would be either my M1 Garand or my Springfield M1A.
It took me at least 3 months for each, to decide on what I wanted in them and especially what I wanted to pay for them.

The Garand came in on budget and is in near mint condition. It took 5 months form when I started looking until it was in my safe.

The M1A, I bought here thru the classifieds. It was about $200 more than I planned on, but it came with many more features than I had planned on. This one took about 3 months from start to finish.

I have no regrets with either rifle, and they'll both be with me till I pass on, if I have anything to do about it.

[aarondhgraham]

I am a dyed in the wool revolver guy,,,
But I did want to own one high-quality semi-auto.

At the time I only had general knowledge of semi's,,,
And even less about the different actions,,,
So I borrowed and rented guns.

Fortunately I am a member of a nice Rifle & Pistol club,,,
Every time I saw someone with a pistol I had never handled or fired,,,
I would strike up conversation and offer some rounds through any of my revolvers,,,
If they would show me their handgun, how it operated, and please allow me a few rounds through it.

I took a lot of notes and jotted down my impression of the various guns,,,
I quickly determined I wasn't a fan of striker fired pistols,,,
And preferred steel frames over polymer frames.

I also took a few trips to H&H gun range in Oklahoma City,,,
They have a large number of rental handguns,,,
I spent a few worthwhile dollars there,,,
It was worth every penny I spent.

So it boiled down to a pistol with these features:
9mm,,,
Full size steel frame,,,
DA/SA action with exposed hammer.

I really was in no hurry so I had time to really search for "MY" pistol,,,
If I recall correctly there were initially over 40 guns on the list of guns I tried,,,
When the decision finally started to narrow down to just a few I again rented and borrowed guns.

I finally decided on a CZ-75B in 9mm,,,
I purchased it and a CZ-75B Kadet in .22 LR,,,
I could not be any happier with the gun(s) I selected.

The Sig P-226 was a very close second,,,
Firing a rental Sig the same day as a borrowed CZ-75B sealed the deal,,,
The grip on the CZ-75B fit my K-frame hands like they had molded my palm print.

Research, patience, and a lot of shooting paid off.

Aarond

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[gaseousclay]

I would say you should save your money to get the rifle that costs 3x as much, rather than splurge on the moderately priced guns. I think we as gun consumers are into instant gratification, but more than anything we want a deal. I say you're doing yourself a favor by saving up for that big ticket item instead of splurging on the cheaper one. I tend to research the pros and cons of any firearm so I know what i'm getting, otherwise i'll get a bad case of buyer's remorse

[chadio]

Pistol?

Yes. Sig Sauer P226 - the reliable one with the perfect control layout. Beretta 92FS - feels the best in my hand, bar none. 1911 - I simply shoot it better than anything else.

Rifle?

Loved the M14 in my Navy days. Now? My LMT AR15 is such a joy to shoot. Cost effective? An SKS would be just about perfect....

[Skans]

O/U shotgun for sporting clays and skeet. I thought I knew guns, but I had to have a veteran shotgunner walk me through buying the right O/U for me.

[hoytinak]

my EDC....always trying to find the perfect compromise between size/weight/caliber/capacity/shootablity.

[Edward429451]

That would be my Colt MK IV Series 80, 5". I knew I wanted a 45 and my dad had a Combat Commander, so I was really there to buy one of them. They were out. It was the 5" or nothing that day so I had to decide. Hmmmm oookayyy I'll take it.

I wound up liking it better than my dads CC. I like long barreled handguns. I can't say I disliked his 4" 29-2 but I just love my 7.5" RH & SBH. It's soo easy to load exactly what I want in a 44 but without having to overload it for a short barrel to get there. But I digress, I never had regrets with the Colt. Impulse buy. That's as close as I can get to one that was hard to decide on.

[gun nut]

No problem with the rifles. Just buy a lot of them!

[edfrompa]

Smiths and Ruger revolvers, very hard choices for me.

[buckhorn]

Trying to decide between .44-40 and .45 Colt when I bought my old Vaquero in 2001. Luckily, I decide .45 colt and have since converted my .44 B/P guns to .45 so I can use the same ammo in all of them. I still like .44-40 for the historical value, and maybe I'll get one sometime.

[joey253]

I him hawed around for a long time about getting an ar15 pistol. I finally did the other day and I couldn't be happier. It's a black rain 7.5" and shoots excellent.

[JWT]

What's to decide? If it seems like the right thing to get at the time I generally letit follow me home.

[KMAX]

Single action revolver. What caliber? What make? What model? What barrel length? These are the questions that currently haunt me.

[Brian Pfleuger]

Rebarreling my Savage. What maker, barrel length, metal, finish, flutes, crown, contour, cartridge...

Yikes.

[Dstroyr]

Rifles, in my experience, are the hardest to narrow down. It took me 4 months to finally decide on an AR10 that would fit my price range and list of features I wanted. I literally spent 6-8 hours most days researching reviews, accuracy reports, quality issues, customer complaints, etc. I almost fell asleep at my computer a few times doing it. XD

Here's what helps me personally (may or may not work for others). I start by mapping out what my average distance I want to shoot is, ammo capacity and desired overall weight. Based on that I'll choose a caliber. Then based on caliber I come up with a list of features that are a MUST for me, which I refuse to compromise on.

For example, I'm currently looking at an AR-15 as a bug-out weapon. I love my DPMS 308 and it shoots like a champ, but it's not practical for that due to its weight. I originally considered an AK chambered in 223/5.56, but the mags are not easy to come by in most gun stores in my area, and not as accurate as an AR-style rifle, so that gun was ruled out. I liked the idea behind the Kel-Tec SU-16C (along with its chrome lined barrel), but it seemed a bit iffy to me as far as long-term reliability because of its polymer receiver. So I ultimately chose to start with a DPMS Sportical as a base model and only make very minor upgrades to it to keep weight down. All I plan to do with it is add some lightweight BUIS, an Aimpoint P.R.O., and an ambidextrous extended charging handle. The rest is staying stock to keep weight down.

[Botswana]

Trying to choose my .223/5.56 rifle is a bear. The only consolation is I don't have the funds gathered yet. Sidenote: As a family rule we try not to put things on credit, because you end up paying one way or another.

I'm not sold on M4geries, but they offer a broad range at a somewhat effective cost. Also, without going into the $2000 range they are probably some of the most accurate. But I hate DI and fired the M16A1 so I am quite aware of what happens to those kinds of guns over time. Unacceptable as a possible SHTF gun.

Unfortunately, if you are unwilling to pay over $1000, that limits your options. Didn't used to be that way but with the market flooded with all the different AR15 derivatives I don't see much in the way of competition unless you want a Century Arms refurbished 80's special. Then you lose platform support.

There's the Ruger with it's proprietary magazine issue or AK's in 5.56mm that suffer both from the proprietary magazine problem, odd optic mounting options, likely reduced accuracy, and questionable quality depending on the vendor.

I'm seriously thinking of bumping up my price range to maybe a SIG 556 or something similar. Oh yes, I am fully aware of the Kel-Tec SU-16c as well (VAPORWARE!)

Funny, pre-ban there were tons of different options. The current market reminds me of the old quote "You can have any color you want, as long as its black"

[FairWarning]

Without a doubt, pistols. There are so many I still want, mostly the established classics first, such as a CZ 75 variant, HK USP, Beretta 92, 1911 of some kind, Sig Sauer, etc, etc.

Runner up is fine bolt guns. I agonize over the brand, caliber and scope. There are some I'd like just because they are icons in a certain caliber, but have no real justification for buying them, so I haven't........yet.