Which gun should I buy next?

[John357]

Hey guys! So I am buying a new gun in the next month or so, and I am just wondering what you all think I should get. Currently I have:
-Marlin 795 (.22 semi auto)
-Mossberg 500 (12 gauge)
-Henry Lever Action .22
-Mossberg Maverick 88 (20 gauge)

What I am looking to buy next is something that I can take to the range with me every time, not break the bank shooting it, but still has some decent power and kick. The 20 gauge isn't bad to shoot, but it's still the same price as 12 gauge, so you are losing power per penny. I usually go to the range and shoot about 300 .22 rounds, then finish it off with some slugs or buckshot, but I need a better middle ground caliber in terms of power such as .223 or 7.62x39.

Therefore, I was looking to buy either an AR or an AK type rifle (or even an SKS). I'm not sure what to get first. I'm not big into aftermarket stuff, I rather just have a great rifle right out of the box. An AK has the advantage on an AR from that perspective.

I really just wanna hear what everyone thinks. There's no price difference in .223 or 7.62 right now, so that's what I am here asking for opinions. I am leaning towards the AK just because I want a little more power for sake of fun.

I was also thinking of getting a Marlin 30-30, because you can get them on Bud's Gun Shop for only $402 WITH a scope, which is a great deal. Should I go with the wild card and get the Marln? 30-30 is expensive to shoot, so that sucks. But those guns are simply BADASS, and I would like to have one eventually because I LOVE my Henry 22 already. I couldn't imagine a larger cartridge lever gun.

Thanks everyone, John.

[CLYA]

I've owned four ARs. The last is a 300 Blackout. Then I saw a Marlin 30-30 stainless steel lever rifle on display one day, a year or so ago. That gave me the itch for lever guns with wood stocks. Didn't get a 30-30 at the time, but went with a Marlin 45-70 around four months ago, and a Henry 45-70 shortly after that. I now own the 30-30 stainless steel, and I'm very happy with it. It would pay to check out the gun before purchase. That may be difficult when ordering from the internet. Marlins have a tendency to vary with workmanship, since the buyout from the Freedom Group/Remington. From what I've seen, the workmanship has really improved in the last year, if not a bit more. Since I'm on the lever kick at the moment, I don't pull out the ARs or my revolvers & semi-autos much. But I'm sure that will change.

[stephen426]

Ha! Tied at one vote a piece. This isn't helping! LOL

[JoeSixpack]

I vote ar15, man if you're ever gonna build one especially on the cheap.. now is the time.
Even if you're building pre built.. still a good time to score one.

[John357]

That's a great point. I honestly want the AR-15 the least, but they are so damn cheap right now, why wouldn't you?

[Blindstitch]

I voted for 7.62 because I think your real focus is cheap to shoot. I've only shot one AR and it was full auto in Vegas and bored me to death.

I would probably get an SKS or Ak. Personally I have an SKS which I see as the perfect rifle that doesn't have to be altered in those antigun states. It seems less threatened but more fun. It doesn't even bother me that it only holds 10 rounds. Stripper clips load it back up fast.

Now if cheap shooting wasn't the idea I would get a 30-30 in Marlin, Winchester, or Henry. On the other hand if you reload you can produce 30-30 cheap. I have some lead cast mouse loads that cost maybe $15 per hundred.

[Dranrab]

You are looking for an AR. Very good ARs can be had for $399 and 223/5.56 ammo is as cheap as you will find centerfire rifle ammo.

[Longhorn1986]

I have an AR & an AK. I view the AR as a scalpel and the AK as a machete. For >100 meters, the AR gets the nod; for <50 meters, it's the AK. If you're going to do any mods, the AR has a clear advantage, plus you can change uppers down the line if you want a different caliber. If you just like the feel of a indestructible rifle chugging along, the AK is the ticket.

The lever gun is pretty cool in any case. If you're thinking about adding a revolver to your collection at some point, you could always get the rile in the same caliber (e.g. .357, .44, .45 colt) and pair them up.

[SerenityNetworks]

I'm going to suggest the 30-30 or maybe something like a CZ 527 (in .204 Ruger perhaps). You've already got a couple great rifles in the Marlin and Henry that will give you lots of quality trigger time on the cheap. So how about a bolt action that's a real tack driver? There are lots of options. I love the .204, but there is also 6.5 Creedmore that has more oomph and won't break the bank. Another semi-auto (AR/AK/SKS) or even lever action doesn't get you something you don't already have in a similar form. Heck, get a venerable bolt action like a 30-06.

Anyway, I just thought I'd toss out some other food for thought. There's no write or wrong answer. You'll enjoy whatever you get.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

[Don Fischer]

I'm not big on black rifle's, I think they are ugly! :-) On a $500 budget I know I'd look for a bolt action, that's just me. Probably more important to you is cartridge and from the look's of what you have, I'ed be tempted to get something in a 243. I'm not sure you can get one in an AR though. In that case I'd probably drop to the 223. it'll likely be most inexpensive to shoot.

[osbornk]

I have similar long guns and I recently bought an AR-15. It was the best choice for me.

[brasscollector]

• ARs are cheap to build/buy right now
• @ $500 price point the AR is likely more accurate
• Buy/build another upper and have multiple calibers

[jimbob86]

Very good ARs can be had for $399 and 223/5.56 ammo is as cheap as you will find centerfire rifle ammo.

AK's are not cheap right now, and cheap AK fodder is not so cheap right now either.... and what is cheap often has steel jackets or bullet cores and are not allowed at many ranges (chews up their backstops and bullet traps, apparently)

[Pathfinder45]

I voted for the 30-30. But maybe you should look into a lever-action 357 Magnum. It will likely cost more/be harder to find than a 30-30, but will be relatively very cheap to shoot. It all boils down to personal preference. I doubt that I will ever own an AR or AK; I would have a lot more fun with a traditional muzzle-loader. However, I lean to classic lever and bolt guns with real wood stocks. I think every American rifleman ought to have either a 30-30, or, a 30-'06, or, a 270 Winchester, or, perhaps all of the above if circumstances will afford. Get whatever seems best to you at the time, and if it loses its charm, trade into something else. If it weren't for reloading, I wouldn't shoot much center-fire ammo due to cost. Incidentally, I have noticed that it's cheaper to shoot a bolt-action or lever-action than it is to shoot a semi-auto when the calibers are all equal. Not cheaper per-round, but you get a lot more satisfaction in fewer rounds fired, thus using less ammo.

[bassJAM1]

If you aren't specifically looking for an AR or AK, and already like your Henry lever .22, the 30-30 seems like a no-brainer.

I doubt you'll notice the price of ammo much, mostly because if you're shooting an AR/AK you're going to load up the 30 round magazine and pop off rounds pretty quickly.

A lever action that only holds 5+1 is going to slow you down, so you'll probably shoot less. That's not a bad thing.

The suggestion of a .357 lever action wasn't a bad one either, handgun ammo is very cheap by comparison. You could even get a .44 mag lever action and still buy ammo cheaper than a 30-30.

[bricz75]

I voted the 7.62x39. If you want military style, there's the AK and SKS. If you want bolt action there's the CZ 527, which was made to shoot imported steel cased ammo.

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

Since your already into rim fires and shoguns. Shotguns have always been considered the best all time defense long barrel firearm. AK or ARs look strikingly cool with a 50 round drum or a 30 round clip. Well too some they do.

[Areoflyer09]

Building off of bassJAM1 & Pathfinder, have you considered a pistol caliber lever action? If you like your Henry .22, then a Big Boy in .357, .44 or .45 would a wonderful match. The .357 & .44 can run the .38 or .44 specials as well. If a rifle caliber is desired, there is he Henry Long Ranger in .223 & .308 as well. The only downside to he Henry options is the price, compared to the Marlin.

I wen through a similar thing earlier this year. A friend talked me into an AR, put 20 rounds through it and never shot it again. I find them to be unnecessarily large and cumbersome for my needs. I got a Henry .22 Golden Boy a month later for my birthday and any remixing interest in ARs was gone. Traded the AR for a built 1911 and bought the Henry Big Boy in .357. I'll have another .223 down the road, but it will be a Henry Long Ranger.

Given the 30-30 is the closest to what I would get, it's what I voted for.

[raimius]

Whichever suits your fancy.

AR-15s are a relative bargain right now, so if you do want one, now is a good time. If they don't interest you, no need to pay money for something you don't want.

[ronl]

I'd vote for the AR type as they are really cheap, on the whole, rather accurate, easy to buy parts for, and ammo is probably cheaper than any other ammo out there. PSA had 1000 rounds for 249 after rebate with free shipping a few days ago. Hard to get any cheaper than that concerning centerfire. I'll warn you, the AR platform will grow on you, and you may very well get bitten by the bug.

[muzzleblast...]

I am with the AR crowd on this one. You don't have one. They are as cheap as they will likely ever be. Ammo isn't so expensive you can't run through a couple of mags when you go to the range.

[Maligator]

"30-30 is expensive to shoot, so that sucks. But those guns are simply BADASS, and I would like to have one eventually because I LOVE my Henry 22 already. I couldn't imagine a larger cartridge lever gun."

I voted 30-30 because of your quote listed above.

[smee78]

I voted for the AR but that is purely based on how cheap they are selling for. A nice Marlin in 30-30 or even one of the pistol cals is an instant classic but due to hunting season right around the corner it may be harder to get a good deal. Go with what your gut tells ya, no one knows you like yourself.

[OldScout]

I have had two 30-30 rifles. I am not too found of 30-30,recoil at my age, and bullet drop. Too many other rifle ammos available that do a better all around job.

[ARqueen15]

Count me as one that voted for the AR.

Simply put it is a barbie doll you can do almost anything you want with. You could for instance throw on a dedicated .22 upper and shoot cheap. Conversely if the 5.56 round isn't enough for your needs you can easily get a 6.5 grendel or 300 blk that might fit your needs (long distance shooting or hunting). That's not even getting into all the accessories and customization options out there.

There's also a question of value and in this again the AR is light years ahead of the AK. Mind you it wasn't always that way as AK's were super cheap at one time but that's changed completely. Now you have what were $800+ AR's selling for $500 or less. AK's are not nearly as good a value and the more affordable ones oftentime are very rough (even by AK standards) and leave much to be desired.

SImply put you are getting way more gun for the money in 08/2017 for an AR compared to an AK.

As for the others, well, a 20 gauge shotgun is a very versatile gun. However unless shoot trap/skeet or have your own land, you'll likely be limited to shooting slugs at the range (most ranges anyway) and that is probably the least fun thing to do with shotguns.

So I'd say go for the AR all the way. It's tough to beat a quality factory S&W M&P-15 these days for < $500 or if you want to build your own and roll the dice a bit with assembly, a PSA model for even less.

The lever gun has appeal of its own kind and an aged quality that might be what you want. However as a round, it isn't exactly blowing away something like the 300 blackout in an AR. Plus the quality of some of the lever guns leaves something to be desired, especially Marlin models after the freedom group takeover.

Be sure to followup and let us know what you got and how you like it.