Buying A Gun

[CronoTriggerfan]

So, after four years of having a hunter's license and not owning a firearm, I figure it's time to exercise my Patriotic duty and buy me a gun. Seeing as I'm still too young to get a handgun, I'm still debating between a rifle or a shotgun. Any of you guys have any advice on a cheap, reliable gun for either category? As far as rifles go, I'd like to make it useful for, say, deer hunting and home defense. Maybe a 30-06? I dunno. Shotguns I'm not very knowledgeable about; a single-barrel, pump-action 12-gauge would be ideal, but that's really all the preference I've got.

So, any gun aficionados out there have any advice? Thanks!

[grossaffe]

So, after four years of having a hunter's license and not owning a firearm, I figure it's time to exercise my Patriotic duty and buy me a gun. Seeing as I'm still too young to get a handgun, I'm still debating between a rifle or a shotgun. Any of you guys have any advice on a cheap, reliable gun for either category? As far as rifles go, I'd like to make it useful for, say, deer hunting and home defense. Maybe a 30-06? I dunno. Shotguns I'm not very knowledgeable about; a single-barrel, pump-action 12-gauge would be ideal, but that's really all the preference I've got.

So, any gun aficionados out there have any advice? Thanks!

Mossberg 500 is a reputable pump-action single-barrel 12-gauge at a decent price. My brother and my dad each have one.

[SonyPortableizer]

Wow nice
I dont know anything about them, but suggest a nice hard to break, padlock case for it just in case things happen(AKA robbery on the gun and reselling it)

[Metallica Man X]

I'm not really an expert on the subject, but I am an ethusiast

Best I can suggest for deer hunting would defenitly be in the 30-06 category. If you can at all, get your hands on an old M-1 Garand--those are the shiznos! I was lucky enough to inherit my grandpa's, so I've never had to buy a rifle for hunting.

EDIT: The mossberg is definetly a good weapon too--a buddy of mine also has the 500 model.

[vskid]

I don't know much about brands, but I know a bit about type.
Rifles are not very good home defense weapons. They'll do the job if needed, but a shotgun would be best. Shotguns have more stopping power (large wound, all energy transferred to target because the shot stops in the target), and the spread/massive amount of lead in the air helps you to hit your target. They're also better to use indoors. Each piece of shot has only a fraction of the energy a rifle round would have (less mass, lower velocity), so walls are fairly effective at stopping it, helping to protect others in the home if you have to start blasting someone. Plus, if you get a pump action, you have the good ol' sliding sound as you pump it. If I were a criminal and I heard someone pump a shotgun, I would leave ASAP.
Rifle wins for deer hunting, of course. My dad has a 30-06 that was made in the 1910s and I think it still works fine (hasn't been shot in a while).

I have a bolt-action .22 rifle and a 12 gauge, single barrel, pump-action shotgun.

[Triton]

never been big on hunting myself but i LOVE guns. for high power things like deer hunting a .308, 30-06, .223 REM or other is good, or more exotic 7.63, 30 cal mauser etc.

ex military guns are awesome (springfield 1903, m1, lee enfield, mauser, mosin nagant etc) but tend to be expensive. also look at things like AR-15s they are way fun to shoot lol

in .22 cal i LOVE my marlin golden, you can get lever action marlins in larger caliber too! they are awesome

[Triton]

It's hardly ignorant for someone to not think highly of someone for having a potinetally dangerous weapon to either kill people or slaughter innocent animals for a sport.

automobiles kill more people per year than guns do, do you think lowly of people who own cars? also at least where I live people who hunt do it just as much for food as they do for the sport of it. animals have been killing other animals since the beginning of time this is no different. ALSO gun owner =/= murderer i own something like half a dozen rifles and several pistols and *SHOCKER* ive never killed anybody so yea what you said is ignorant

Lets just say i dont think highly of people that are interested in owning guns.

i would estimate something like 50-75% of american households have at least one firearm in them, in rural areas its probably closer to 90%

This thread is for helping CTfan pick out a rifle or shotgun, if it strays off to gun control and ownership issues again we will delete your posts

[Negative_Creep]

It's hardly ignorant for someone to not think highly of someone for having a potinetally dangerous weapon to either kill people or slaughter innocent animals for a sport.

automobiles kill more people per year than guns do, do you think lowly of people who own cars? also at least where I live people who hunt do it just as much for food as they do for the sport of it. animals have been killing other animals since the beginning of time this is no different.

I wasn't putting my personal thoughts on there, I was expanding on reasons as to why someone would possibly think that guns are bad.

If you need a rifle, M1 Garand ftw

[CronoTriggerfan]

Thanks, Triton. I've gotten rid of all the posts straying way far off-topic, as this is hardly the place for a gun control debate. Squalid, if you've got a problem with it, that's nice, but there's no reason to crap up a perfectly good thread over it.

And yeah, funny you should mention ex-mil guns, I've always wanted a Springfield, M1, or a Mauser, something of that ilk. Something like a Sturmgewehr or an AK would be super sweet.

[Triton]

Sturmgewehr or an AK would be super sweet.

you can get AKs for under 500$ if you know where to look, good luck finding and STG44 anywhere for less than prolly 3 or 4 grand but you can get mauser KAR98s for pretty cheap, like 200$ or so give or take from former soviet bloc countries and the like, eastern europe

also you should come to iowa end of this month, the gun show is in ottumwa the 21st to the 23rd, if you have a gun license (or your dad whatever) they have a TON of stuff. i wish you could buy pistols at 19

[weaponepsilon]

You an get WWII era rifles from Fleet farm if you live in the midwest. I saw an SKS w/ bayonet and banana clip for $100.


This wouldn't have anything to do with that thread that popped up about the same time as this...ATTN:CTF....would it?

[Triton]

SKS is more late 50s early 60s weapon

[XPCportables]

I have a really cheap little single action 7mm.08 which is really good for deer hunting. If you don't have much of a budget. My Remington 30-06 is nice for a more expensive gun. And My shotgun is a 1950s model Browning Sweet Sixteen sixteen gauge semiautomatic. I love my Sweet Sixteen . I also have a 1940s-ish Winchester semi-auto 12 gauge. Both are very nice shotguns.

16 gauge is my favorite shotgun round for slugs, but unfortunately 16 gauge rounds are not as readily available as 12s and 20s. It's kind of an obsolete round.

[Triton]

if your looking for a good affordable pump action shotgun benelli nova or supernova are nice lightweight shotguns, usually in the 200-500 range

[Aguiluz]

Guns can hurt. So I avoid them.