Luxury or necessity? Put another way, “need to have” vs. “nice to have.”

**Buncheong** · 03-03-19, 09:48

Originally Posted by Firefly

There are many many many days I think all I really need is my 686 and my Garand because nobody is gonna actually bother me on my own time.

I have similar thoughts ^

Took me way too long to kick the AK habit ... but I finally did.

Trying to kick the milsurp collector habit, now.

**ABNAK** · 03-03-19, 09:50

Originally Posted by Firefly

You say that but no. Really of what I have the only guns I shoot are:

-my utter whore of a Colt 6920
-my SR25
-my 22 crap
-my Glock and beretta

Everything else is gravy. I have put more than my fair share of state ammo down range on state time and as I get into my middle age I just don’t care as much. Do I want a ban? No. If one happens it won’t really affect me.

Really I just get mags and barrels now.

Per “training” a lot of it is on par with fantasy camps. On my own personal time, if I cannot do it with what I am carrying or what sits by my bedside then it is very much someone else’s problem.

I would hate to be some gun hoarder. At times I have more respect for people who stockpile naked Chinese cartoon figures and love pillows because at times they seem like they have more of a life.

There comes a point where proof markings and castle nut staking becomes aggravating to listen to and now I think I actually despise FALs more than AKs due to the whole autism over the subject matter.

There are many many many days I think all I really need is my 686 and my Garand because nobody is gonna actually bother me on my own time.

Yet.

When what you have piques the interest of Big Brother because, well, he doesn't want you to have it and decreed so, then you could very well be "bothered".

**OH58D** · 03-03-19, 09:51

Originally Posted by SteyrAUG

So on TOS I invented a game called Gun High Card, a person posts a picture of a firearm they actually own, then somebody tries to top it with something cooler, rarer or otherwise more collectible. Some people had some seriously nice stuff but I don't recall losing very much. I do remember some people with some serious guns such as gyrojets (with ammo), complete Luger collections with Borchardts and vintage Baby Lugers and all of the Swiss Lugers.

I still need to rebuild my ammo inventory. At one time I was maintaining 10,000 rounds of each major caliber as a reserve. Course ammo used to be a lot cheaper.

I am heavy on military rounds like 5.56x45, some in spam cans (5.45x39, 7.62x39). What I am trying to build up are the pistol calibers (9mm, .45 ACP, .357 magnum). Then I have the calibers for the old west stuff like .45 Colt, .45 Schofield, .44-40, .44 Russian, .38 SW, .32 SW. A lot of this has to be black powder loaded because the firearms are pre smokeless ammo builds before 1909.

I am 59 years old as of last month, and have 3 kids with one still in high school. Some of you in this thread are coming to terms with your own mortality. Are you starting to think the real hard times in the US will happen beyond our lifetimes? Perhaps, but I am seeing things happen at a faster pace than I expected, considering gun control and the socialist moves are happening at the State levels now, not just the predicted federal level.

I have taken the view since the sunset of the AWB in 2004 that guns, ammo and accessories are an investment - like money in the bank or in a jar buried in your backyard. You can always get money out of the sale of a gun. When the supply dries up, the value goes up. I will say like I have done here many times. We will be in an America sometime in the future like the days of Prohibition. The gun economy will be under the radar, operating in the shadows. It will be buying, selling, bartering in one of the many thousands of little enclaves cropping up all over the US, but not out in the open.

**Buncheong** · 03-03-19, 10:16

Originally Posted by OH58D

Some of you in this thread are coming to terms with your own mortality.

Guilty as charged.

Are you starting to think the real hard times in the US will happen beyond our lifetimes?

Dunno. I thought it was showtime in the early/mid-1990’s, and I was physically faster and stronger, then.

But I do know if/when the time comes that I’m too old/slow to drive a car and get around on my own, I may be too old/slow to defend the family from the angry, gender-fluid disciples of Ocrazio-Kotex. It’s a concern I have. Time doesn’t seem to be slowing down for me.

**Wake27** · 03-03-19, 10:27

Originally Posted by Buncheong

I haven’t had an training per se; my experiences trying to get sound instruction have been poor. For example:

Tactical trainer A: very well-known US SpecOps military veteran and high profile YouTube personality. E-mailed him directly about his class requirements as he encourages folks to do on his website. Never heard back, despite multiple attempts at contact.

Tactical trainer B - a conversation which went as follows:

Tactical trainer: “do you have any military experience?”

Me: “8 years US Air Force.”

Tactical Trainer: (laughing aloud) “the CHAIR force!? Oh I’m sorry, forgive me - did you mean the Air Farce? I’ll ask you again - do you have any military experience?”

Tactical trainer C (a millennial “regular guy”) - conversation went as follows:

Tactical trainer: “how old are you?”

Me: “I remember Richard Nixon pretty well.”

Tactical trainer: “well look, this is a go-fast class, ok? This is a class for warriors. I think you’d do better in a class more geared toward elderly. Sorry.”

_______

So, I’ve given up on “training,” you could say. Those experiences were enough for me to drop the notion.

These days I practice, but I don’t train.

Not sure why you wouldn’t name the instructors.

ETA - also, what classes? I’ve never heard of instructors saying that for a pistol or rifle one. Usually that’s some type of “combat” or at least intermediate level course.

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**Buncheong** · 03-03-19, 10:31

Avoid controversy.

Others may have different experiences than mine, loyalties, etc. YMMV.

**Firefly** · 03-03-19, 10:47

Originally Posted by ABNAK

Yet.

When what you have piques the interest of Big Brother because, well, he doesn't want you to have it and decreed so, then you could very well be "bothered".

Really? You think so?

I doubt it. "Big Brother" can barely keep UZIs and Military hardware used by the Cartels moving north of the border. "Big Brother" cannot stop the literal hordes of Islamic and Communist Chinese splinter cells in or near every major capital city.

Are they really going to send in the Marines for one lame ass guy and his SR25?

**ABNAK** · 03-03-19, 12:44

Originally Posted by Firefly

Really? You think so?

I doubt it. "Big Brother" can barely keep UZIs and Military hardware used by the Cartels moving north of the border. "Big Brother" cannot stop the literal hordes of Islamic and Communist Chinese splinter cells in or near every major capital city.

Are they really going to send in the Marines for one lame ass guy and his SR25?

Not sure to what scale or even if it will get that bad, but with the rise of the socialist/communist wing out there it seems inevitable unfortunately. The one thing they MUST do as early as possible is eliminate the ability to actively resist their policies and "plans" they have for us. We all know what that means eliminating.

I would agree with you on the degree of ineptitude that Big Brother displays. That would, if God forbid it ever came to that, come back to bite them in the ass. However, would a prohibition on guns (at least effective guns) be handled in the same way that the prohibition on weed has? Something tells me it wouldn't, because what we possess can at some point be detrimental to them. Weed? Not so much. I would predict an all-out focus like we've never seen, with folks like us as targets. Sure, their innate ineptitude would make them stumble at times, but make no mistake they'd still come forward even clumsily.

Of course as OH58D likes to point out, Prohibition didn't go too swimmingly well, so who knows.

**Korgs130** · 03-03-19, 13:40

Originally Posted by Buncheong

I haven’t had an training per se; my experiences trying to get sound instruction have been poor. For example:

Tactical trainer A: very well-known US SpecOps military veteran and high profile YouTube personality. E-mailed him directly about his class requirements as he encourages folks to do on his website. Never heard back, despite multiple attempts at contact.

Tactical trainer B - a conversation which went as follows:

Tactical trainer: “do you have any military experience?”

Me: “8 years US Air Force.”

Tactical Trainer: (laughing aloud) “the CHAIR force!? Oh I’m sorry, forgive me - did you mean the Air Farce? I’ll ask you again - do you have any military experience?”

Tactical trainer C (a millennial “regular guy”) - conversation went as follows:

Tactical trainer: “how old are you?”

Me: “I remember Richard Nixon pretty well.”

Tactical trainer: “well look, this is a go-fast class, ok? This is a class for warriors. I think you’d do better in a class more geared toward elderly. Sorry.”

_______

So, I’ve given up on “training,” you could say. Those experiences were enough for me to drop the notion.

These days I practice, but I don’t train.

Sorry to hear about your negative experience. There are plenty of instructors that are more than willing to teach folks regardless of skill lever or background. I’ve taken several classes (from instructors local to me and from nationally know instructors)and it has been far and away the best money I’ve spent related firearms. IMHO you just need to pick a class and go.