If I could turn back the clock:
M1 Garands and cases of ammo
M1 Carbines and cases of ammo
Pre-64 Winchester

From a money perspective, it’s Schindler’s List.

How many SKS could I have saved from Tapco?
How many P6 could I have saved from cerakote?

From a shooting perspective, you almost need to have experienced it to want to change it.

You almost need to pack around a 53oz piece with two extra mags and 22 total rounds in leather for 8-10 hours to understand why carrying a Commander is a bad idea.

You almost need to hang all the farkles on your AR and then try a class with it to understand how foolish it is.

In short, I’d have a lot more money than I do now, but I wouldn’t appreciate it, because I wouldn’t understand why.

Sig P226's and Sig P239's......

I didn’t interpret this as a “go back in time” thing, but rather a “start over from right now with the knowledge I already have” thing. So for me:

-Langdon 92G Centurion RDO
-Langdon PX4 Carry RDO
-Langdon PX4 Compact Carry RDO
-Beretta 87
-Ruger GP100 Match Champion .357Mag
-Ruger LCR .38SPL

-Accuracy International AT folder w/ thumbhole kit, nice glass, and a collection of barrels in various calibers as needed
-Custom rifle in .223Rem as a trainer for the AT
-Vudoo V22 rifle in .22LR
-Vudoo V22 rifle in .17HMR

-Remington 1100 in 20g
-Remington 870 in 12g

And then I’d stack ammo and/or reloading components just as deep as I possibly could. I’d like to add a lot more to the list, but more than anything I’d want to have as much ammo on hand as I can so I’d be able to use and enjoy what I had.

Right now, I have more than the above. Not by a lot, but I do have some things I REALLY enjoy but don’t shoot often enough for one reason or another. If I could let go of my sentimental attachment to them and turn them into a few thousand rounds of ammo in each caliber I have, that’d be amazing. But I doubt I can make myself do that lol.

To me, it’s not about the tool and more about the training. I wish I had taken more serious training when I started with firearms. I can’t really say I would change many of the guns I own/owned. I did start buying guns prior to the Clinton AWB & magazine bans and I wish I had put more emphasis on buying magazines. That mistake has cost me tremendously post ban as I have enough magazines and mag parts to last several generations for about every gun I own.

The only thing I'd change is saying yes more to my dad when he asked if I wanted to go shooting and taking in the moments.

The original premise of this thread was intended to allow for all of your previous and cumulative experiences to remain but to require you to start over now with an empty cart.
This exercise explores how your tastes might have changed based on that knowledge.
An analogy that comes to mind is I have always been interested in food and cooking.
Therefore I decided that I would need a set of kitchen knives and after research, I bought a very expensive large set of knives.
I now know that I needed only 3 knives for my cooking preperation.
I do understand that firearms are purchased for a variety of reasons.
Collecting
Investment
Pride of ownership
Target
Competition
Defense
Thank you all for your participation and input.

Regards

I would have skipped buying my Glock and I would have bought less 40sw pistols.

The insurance settlement after just surviving tsunami has finally arrived. Time to go shopping. The "*" indicates the ones I that I lost in the tsunami that I MUST have back.

Rifle:
- Tikka T3x 6.5 Creedmoor; deer meat is good enough, if a bit gamey. 6.5 is easier on the shoulder than the .270WIN Tikka I currently have
- CZ 457 Hunter .22LR w/ .22MAG and .17HMR barrels (upgrading from my 455 Hunter)
- Two, maybe three Ruger 10/22 takedown receivers w/ catalogs from Volquartsen and TacSol; the AR-15 of the rimfire world. 'Nuff said.
- Henry Big Boy CCH .357/.38, except with the large loop this time around.
- Zastava M70, just to have an AK

Shotgun:
- Beretta A400 Xtreme 12GA waterfowl gun; time to move on from Benelli
* Beretta 1301 Tactical 12GA
- Mossberg Shockwave 20GA instead of the 12GA I have now because controllability matters when it comes to effective speed
* Mossberg 500 12GA 18.5/28 convertible

Rimfire pistol:
* Ruger Mk4 22/45 for grouse, small game
* S&W M41
- Beretta 89
* S&W Victory
- S&W 617
- Browning Buck Mark Hunter (updated)

9mm:
* Laugo Alien
* Glock G19 Gen4 just because, maybe add a Glock G17 Gen5 for the same reason
- SIG P210-6 HD
* SIG P229
- SIG P226 X-Six instead of the X-Fives I already own
* CZ75 TS2 Racing Green; really didn't need the TS2 Orange but I didn't know at the time
LTT 92X build
* Caniks, lotsa Caniks; and especially not forgetting the Mete MC9, my micro 9 flavor of the month
* Stealth Arms Platypus (on order)
- HS Echelon
* SIG MPX 8"
* HK SP5 and SP5K

Revolver:
- Spohr L562 .357/9mm convertible
* Ruger GP100 .357 3" and 5"
* Colt Anaconda .44 new production

Other calibers:
* Glock G23 Gen4 along with .357SIG barrel
* Glock G20 Gen5 10mm
- WC 1911 .45ACP
- Korth PRS 6" .45ACP

* Finally a bunch of AR-15 receivers and lotsa AR parts to build from, because LEGO is just too much fun.

A couple of Bren tens

Colt M4 Carbine
SIG P226 (1988 - 1998)
GLOCK 19 (3rd Gen with the frying pan finish)
SIG P365

I don’t have it all sorted out yet but I know some generalities of what I like and should always have.

9mm 1911 (Kimber or Colt) hope my incoming Auto Ordnance GI 9mm also measures up

GP-100 .357’s
SP-101 .38 or .357 (3 inch) maybe a 9mm ?

A quality .22 Semi. In my case a 22/45 Lite

92 Series Beretta’s the more the merrier

Makarov (preferably in .380)

Bersa .380

Transfer Bar Equipped Single action .357

G43x

S&W 3913


Pistol caliber carbines

Actually, pretty happy with the choices I've made over the years. There has almost always been, and currently are, way more in inventory than would be reasonable to "need". But of course, it isn't about that around here.

Honestly, we all know you could go around the world with a decent 12ga., an '06 or bigger, a .22lr, and a 9mm.

Minimalism has its place, I just don't like it much when it comes to guns.

Well, I don't really know much at all. I might have passed on a few I bought and bought a few that I passed on. Replicating what I have now would be a challenge now but if we are talking time travel, fewer guns and more gold, less collecting and more specific purpose and call it good. Oh, and a couple hundred 30 round pmags probably.

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:

Much to your point, what you are today is based upon all the guns you owned. You know an awful lot about everything. It’s based upon your individual experience. I wouldn’t take a farm in Texas in exchange for that.

To me, the process of getting where I am today wouldn’t be sufficient without all the guns that I tried and didn’t work.

I totally agree with this. The journey is what has brought knowledge. That itself is invaluable.

That being said, if I could keep all the knowledge and instruct myself from the beginning...

I would have told my younger self graduating the police academy:

- Buy a P220, put a set of Nill grips on it, and carry that on duty. Don't fool around with anything else.

- Buy a P245 and S&W 642 and carry those off duty.

- Buy a Benelli M1 S90 for your all around shotgun at work and home.

- Just carry whatever rifle they issue you at work

Concentrate your time and effort on proficiency with these guns and ignore all the others for actual social purposes. Take good care of them and change the recoil spring frequently on the pistols.

Buy and collect neat stuff like P7's, Lugers, and P210's while they're cheap. They're never going to get cheaper.

if I had to start over knowing what I know now, I would have not purchased 226 220 228 225 229 232 365full size and probably some other sigs before I tried a Glock 19. yes I was one of those I'm not buying no cheap plastic gun kind of people. Could have saved a ton of money as I never shot the sigs well just always thought it was me. although I do like my 365 tac ops. also wish I never would have sold all six of my p7m8 chantillys with matching date coded mags and the p7m8 jubilee nib with coin. dumb dumb dumb mistake.

I’m 53 and bought my first Glock in 1990, I was 19 or 20. Tastes have been pretty consistent, I gravitate toward self defense firearms.. carry guns, AR’s and the like. Never been into hunting really.. none of that’s changed. There are plenty of purchases I wish I’d made, but I didn’t have the money so that’s moot. I know I’d tell myself to not be so fickle, sell less. Lord I can still remember pouring over those monthly Shotgun News issues when I was 15’ish.

I would have done things exactly the same. Tried everything, kept some, shot tens of thousands of rounds, a hundred thousand dollars poorer, traded when I wanted something else, and I would have ended up with what I now have which is a Sig X5 Classic and a Smith 640-1 Centennial. For the first time in 20 years I have no Glock. Great guns, but I am totally at peace with it and I don't even understand why.
What a hobby !!!

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:
Much to your point, what you are today is based upon all the guns you owned. You know an awful lot about everything. It’s based upon your individual experience. I wouldn’t take a farm in Texas in exchange for that.

To me, the process of getting where I am today wouldn’t be sufficient without all the guns that I tried and didn’t work.

Pretty much my feelings as well. The journey has been the journey, numerous firearms over the years, different needs/wants over the years in regard to my firearms use. I'm happy with the journey, and I wouldn't want to change it.

Pretty happy with my current guns, don't really see anything out there that calls out to me. I've been looking a bit over the last few months since I have some free $$$$ to spend too.

Knowing what I know now I would choose a pistol platform that was available when I started really working on improving my shooting skills and has remained available in similar form ever since.
That of course would have to be the Glock 9mm.
I think I could go my whole life never needing another pistol if I just bough 3 Glock 19's and 3 Glock full size 9mm of any iteration. (G45 being my current choice).
This would allow me to stockpile 15 and 17 round mags and concentrate on shooting rather than the latest shiny thing.