by hand me downs, i just meant given to you by family, which is not uncommon. but you see....you hunt, compete, etc.....my guns are just for blasting cans & vegetables mostly. meet up with friends and shoot stuff. i might hunt/compete one day, but not anytime soon.

i have a berreta 92fs 9mm. its been a great gun, no complaints at all.

TE=jimbobborg;615970]Hand me downs? Now that's funny. I purchased all myself.

One other thing, what kind of handgun do you have now? I've got 6 of them, three shotguns, and the rest are rifles. I do some competition shooting, not as much as I'd like. Four of the rifles are hunting guns, three of which pull double duty as competition guns, two of the handguns are hunting guns, two of the shotguns do double duty hunting/competition, although the side by side shotgun can be used for trap/skeet.

But a lot of folks will tell you, including myself, don't sell one gun to get another! You will regret it. There's not a day that goes by where I kick myself for selling my Ruger Vaquero to get an AR upper. Don't get me wrong, the AR is fun, but I should have just bought it and not sold the Ruger.

Jim[/QUOTE]

Never give up a functioning gun if you don't absolutely have to. That Mossberg may get great reviews, but the one you pick up may be plagued with problems. Nothing like getting a new gun and depending on it and then having it cause problems.

BTW, it's easier to take a long gun from someone than it is a hand gun. And slap a laser on the Beretta and you don't have to use the sights!

Jim

Everyone needs @ least 1 pistol...

If I could only have 4 weapons?

1.) Pump shotgun-Mossberg 590 A1 or Remington 870.

2.) Bolt action .308 Remington 700.

3.) Semi auto rifle or carbine - AR, Mini, AK, M1A.

4.) Pistol- Springfield 1911, Glock-19, Sig P-220, Beretta 9mm or .40 S&W.

The pistol will compliment a long arm and it's easier to conceal when need be.

This thread is depressing...

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so.....

are you depressed because i only have 4 guns?

or...

because jimbob has 17?

Returning to the "4-gun limit", was the original limit of 4 a relatively randomly chosen, somewhat arbitrary number in response to "OK, how many guns do you think you need?", or was there an evaluation of what sort of duties you expect to be able to perform using firearms? Guns are really just tools, with each type best suited for a specific job. The jobs you expect to undertake determines the tools you get, both type and number.
Women do this instinctively with clothes and shoes and purses: a certain outfit mandates a particular color and style of shoe, which in turn, mandates a certain purse. Same principle applies to cookware, vehicles, etc.
If your joint decision to set a limit on the number of guns (or anything else) was based on anything other than careful consideration of tasks and the tools best suited to perform them, I'd suggest you revisit the issue to make those limits more practical. Some limits will go up, others down. It's a worthy goal, and also allows you to focus on quality over quantity.

Having ruled out the expectation of needing to do the job best handled by a pistol (short range portable quickly-deployed fight stopping), I'd agree that you have no more need of a pistol than I have of a .700 Nitro Express double rifle. Ergo, your current needs are best met by trading the pistol for the shotgun.
I still think you need more guns...

hmmm...if i remember correctly, the 4 gun limit was never a number so much as a "ok, that's enough for awhile." it can probably be extended, but maybe just not any time soon. the problem also is, when i get to drop hundreds of bucks on something, my wife does too, and somehow that arrangement leaves us really broke? probably saving slow would work.....but once i want something.....

and again, i hate to admit this, but i really don't NEED more than 1 gun. they are just a hobby. the only purpose i really have for them is home defense. i guess i could also claim "doomsday situations", but a zombie probably doesn't care what type of gun you shoot it with.

all that said, i definately WANT more guns.....

Fixed it. THAT'S whats depressing...

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concealment is a big + when considering the usefullness of a handgun. wearing clothing designed for cool weather even the mighty 1911 and other large frame pistols can be easily concealed.
I have a Beretta .32acp for carry when lightly dressed. pocket carry or IWB holster if wearing trousers.

I have found that my Ruger SP101 fits in some of my pockets, but the barrel is about 1" too long for most of my pants. I just had to get the 3" barreled version I have an IWB holster for it, but I have found I need to lose about 20 lbs for that to work. I can do a credible job with my Taurus PT840 in an IWB holster wearing a loose t-shirt.

Hawkguy, just save up the pennies. SA Shotguns are fun! Nothing like smoking 6 plates in under 3 seconds to put a smile on your face!

Jim

i traded in my ol handgun and got a mossberg 930 home security model.

i'm really happy with the shotgun, it feels great and i can't wait to shoot it.

i know some of you will be disappointed with my choice to give up my only handgun, but i had owned it for over 10 years, so i had my fun with it. also, i worked it out to get another handgun sometime in the not to distant future...

i know its a trade down in power, but i handled a ruger 22/45, and i really liked it. i haven't had a .22 since i was a teenager, and i think a bonus would be the cheapo ammo for plinking. what do you think?

Congratulations, Hawk! Now all you need is some ammo and you're GTG.
The Ruger 22/45 is a very nice pistol. You will enjoy it for a very long time. The only alternative I might suggest is the Browning Buckmark. It's a bit lighter and certainly "prettier". Wives (in my experience) tend to prefer it over the Ruger: I'm still trying to get your wife into shooing.

Glad you are happy with your purchase. 4 is not many, I know people with more than 4 cars, and lots of people with 4 of the same gun. You will be buying another pistol in the future, save money, find something she wants, and each get what they want at the same time.

I would just "have" to have 3 of my pistols. A big one, probably one of my 10mms., my 22/45 Ruger with the light rail bolted to the bottom and my N.A. Guardian .32 cal. One is a canon, one I can shoot as much as I want for little money and one slips in my pocket. I used to have a "dream" list of 10 guns that would take me anywhere I wanted to go, and now I have about 35 so I understand that part about them taking over your play budget but think you and yours just need to use your pistol more often or swap it for a .22 and use that as much as you want for about 15 bucks (550 rounds of cheap .22 ammo). I stuck my Ruger in a 15 dollar Uncle Mikes holster and took my 4 year old grandson 4 wheeler riding this A.M. It made me feel much better around the fallen trees and bushes where ol sneaky snake hides out.

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four more years.....groan.

I posted before I read all the posts, now am laughing. I would have gotten rid of the Beretta also, it's too big for a 9mm. (although I have the Taurus 99 copy and refuse to sell it.) Get the 22/45 when you can, it isn't much money and it is addictive, accurate and so cheap to shoot.

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four more years.....groan.

thanks! its not the "purtiest" shotgun for sure, but i think the "fun factor" for shooting will be high. can't wait to get it out and run some rounds through it!

i'll check into the browning buckmark. the 22/45 i handled was a bull barrel, shortened version. i really liked it.. it was really affordable and shoots cheap ammo to boot... if it is pretty accurate, i think i will enjoy it a lot

i'm really liking this idea

thanks for the advice. so you have a 22/45? what model? do you like it? is it fairly accurate & reliable?

everyone seems to say pretty good things about them.

http://perfectunion.com/vb/attachmen...8&d=1269101302

If you click on this it should bring up the pic, my guess is it's the one you were looking at.

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four more years.....groan.

yep. that was it. do you have the same one?

Sorry for not being clear, those are my guns in the picture. It only differs from stock because I took the supplied scope rail, after modding it and attached it to the bottom of the barrel for the light to hang from. The other gun is the pocket pistol I bought while taking the gun to have the holes drilled in the barrel.

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four more years.....groan.

Been reading this thread and want to put my two cents in. If your heart is set on getting rid of your pistol and getting a shotgun for home defense then go for it. Me personally, if I hear a bump in the night I want one of my pistols in my hand close to my body and a flashlight in the other. I have heard bumps before and walked thru a house with a shotgun. What went thru my mind entering a room is how easy it would be for someone to grab the barrel and the wrestling match would begin. With one of my pistols that just ain't gonna happen. My pistol skills are good and someone breaking into my house is in a world of do do. JMHO

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An old saying is an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. I believe in a head for an eye and a hand for a tooth. Keeps folks away from my eyes and teeth.

I got a 5.5" bull barrel 22/45 when Turner's was blowing 'em out @ $200. Not a fan of plastic but I was looking for a .22 target pistol, the price was right...

It's only had 100 rds through it, but it was 100 rounds from a brand new bottom feeder with just a quick cleaning & shot of oil... zero malfunctions

I thought the bull barrel would be a little front heavy, but it feels good. Good sights. I'm happy with mine.

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You really need to re-negotiate that 4 gun limit!

It is a ridiculously low limit.

Congrats on your new shotgun. I wouldn't have traded in my handgun for another shotgun, but you have a different view of pistols from me. My house isn't that big and a handgun is more maneuverable, and being able to use it with one hand is a consideration.

Given the 2 .22 pistols you are looking at the Browning would be my choice. I think the Ruger is a great handgun, but not quite as good as the Browning.

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Bulk .308 Ammo

As for your original question about why you should have a pistol, consider defense. My daughter travels extensively in her job and is often out until way after dark. She lives alone. She carries a .45 Combat Commander in her purse and when she comes into her house, her hand is on the grip of that pistol. Hard to do with a shotgun.