Consolidating calibers/guns, valuable or not?

[Crow Hunter]

I have been furloughed the last week and pretty much stuck in the house. My mind has been wandering :rolleyes: and I was pondering some things.

I currently have 3 revolvers that have no emotional attachment to me. I have trouble using the sights on them without switching glasses (presbyopia and narrow/shallow rear sights), I don't use them as carry weapons and one of them I find painful to shoot. If I were to sell/trade them, I would no longer have a need to stock any .38/.357.

I also have a .243 rifle that I purchased a couple of years ago to use as a combination varmint/deer rifle. I have EBRs that utilize 5.56 and 7.62X51 and I keep rounds for them on hand. I don't use them for hunting because they are heavier and more cumbersome in the field than a nice bolt (Believe me, I have tried;)) I could sell the .243 and get a nice bolt in .223 and one in .308 and it would eliminate another caliber but it would add two rifles to the mix.

If I were to do this, I would have a net decrease of 2 guns and would reduce my "caliber footprint" by two as well.

When the Wuhuflu hit I successfully got rid of guns/ammo in .45, .40, .357 Sig and it did make my ammo locker much more organized and kind of prompted my thinking about this.

Have any of you guys contemplated or actually went through with doing similar things?

Opinions?

[MistWolf]

You're over-thinking it. Sell what you wanna sell. Buy what you wanna buy. Deal with the ammo as needed. Rinse and repeat.

Personally, I've regretted firearms I've sold, firearms I never bought and none that I have.

[Stephanie B]

I have been furloughed the last week and pretty much stuck in the house. My mind has been wandering :rolleyes: and I was pondering some things.

I currently have 3 revolvers that have no emotional attachment to me. I have trouble using the sights on them without switching glasses (presbyopia and narrow/shallow rear sights), I don't use them as carry weapons and one of them I find painful to shoot. If I were to sell/trade them, I would no longer have a need to stock any .38/.357.

I also have a .243 rifle that I purchased a couple of years ago to use as a combination varmint/deer rifle. I have EBRs that utilize 5.56 and 7.62X51 and I keep rounds for them on hand. I don't use them for hunting because they are heavier and more cumbersome in the field than a nice bolt (Believe me, I have tried;)) I could sell the .243 and get a nice bolt in .223 and one in .308 and it would eliminate another caliber but it would add two rifles to the mix.

If I were to do this, I would have a net decrease of 2 guns and would reduce my "caliber footprint" by two as well.

When the Wuhuflu hit I successfully got rid of guns/ammo in .45, .40, .357 Sig and it did make my ammo locker much more organized and kind of prompted my thinking about this.

Have any of you guys contemplated or actually went through with doing similar things?

Opinions?

Well, no. When the `09/`12 ammo panics hit, I took note that there were two pistol calibers that almost always were available: .357 Sig and .40 S&W. so when there was a good deal on a Sig P226 in .40, I jumped on it. If I feel the need, I can get a drop-in /357 Sig barrel for it and I'd be GTG.

[Crow Hunter]

Well, no. When the `09/`12 ammo panics hit, I took note that there were two pistol calibers that almost always were available: .357 Sig and .40 S&W. so when there was a good deal on a Sig P226 in .40, I jumped on it. If I feel the need, I can get a drop-in /357 Sig barrel for it and I'd be GTG.

I actually was doing that then.:cool:

When I sold my G23 w/.357 Sig barrel it was with some of the .40 and .357Sig I bought then. :) However, that was also before Wally World decided to go all SJW activist. Now, there is no where locally you can even find either round. I could probably find it at Academy an hour from here but nothing at any of the local gun stores.

Now I do find that .38/.357 always seems to be available online and even in local fun stores usually in reasonable quantities.

Unfortunately S&W revolvers don't seem to be agreeing with me much anymore.

[Cypher]

I suggest you not listen to the PF cool kids and do what you think is best for you.

https://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?23483-One-Platform

[OlongJohnson]

With my recent downsizing, I no longer own any .40 launcher that isn't a USP, and I no longer own a gun that will fire only .38 Special.

Oh, I did get rid of my only 20 gauge.

Thinking about getting rid of a rifle caliber or two. Maybe three, if I can find a buyer for the third one, but that's unlikely. Probably will do the first two.

And I bought into a new pistle or rifol caliber, depending on how you look at it: .300 BLK.

I probably don't have much to add to this thread, thinking about it.

[Crow Hunter]

You're over-thinking it. Sell what you wanna sell. Buy what you wanna buy. Deal with the ammo as needed. Rinse and repeat.

Personally, I've regretted firearms I've sold, firearms I never bought and none that I have.

I always overthink. According to my SO, that is "my thing". There are really only a couple of guns that I have sold that I have regretted. Browning HP and a Walther P5.

I have gotten rid of quite a few guns a calibers over the last few years and so far I haven't regretted anything yet.

That is my biggest concern about getting rid of the revolvers. Both of the J frames have very, very nice triggers and the other isn't made anymore. But I doubt by eyes will get better as I age and I also doubt my hands will become less affected by recoil.

[Duelist]

I really like most of my revolvers, and enjoy having at least one in every traditional S&W DA size: J, K, and N. I may get an L one day, but don’t feel a lot of burn to do so. I have adjustable sights on two Ks and the N, so if I need to get a more “diminished vision” sighting system on one or more, it could be done.

That said, you do you. If you don’t see keeping them, I’m sure you can find a new home for them.

I would keep the .243. It is a balanced, versatile round with much greater effective range on deer than .223 and more moderate recoil than .308. But I wouldn’t stop me from getting another hunting rifle in either or both of those calibers in the long run if that is what I wanted to do. Even though really, it’s why I bought the .243 in the first place: to be versatile and reduce the number of rifles and calibers I need to worry about. Worked, too. For a while.

I have also hunted with an AR and not been excited to keep doing it. I’d rather pack my .243 or .270 or Marlin 1894. I have a nice 20” AR with a 14x scope on it if I want to sit on the Wyoming prairie and smoke prairie dogs, but for regular big game and larger varmint hunting, I like my bolt actions.

[Clusterfrack]

I did this a while ago, and do not regret purging .45 ACP and .40 from my arsenal. More calibers == more hassle, more components to store, more different reloading recipes to test. I shoot almost exclusively 9mm in pistols. When I add a new caliber, it better do something really special. And guess what, I've added 3 new rifle calibers in the last few years: 6.5 Grendel, 300 BLK, and 300 PRC, and have a reasonable justification for each of those.

If you don't love the .243 rifle, that's a great reason to purge it and the caliber. But, I'm not a huge fan of .223 bolt guns because there are so many better calibers for a short action. And .308 has been surpassed by 6.5 CM and the like.

[TGS]

Crow Hunter what are you using the .223 and .308 ARs for?

Seem to me like the obvious cut would be the 308 AR and 243 rifle. Buy something in 6.5 to replace them and share commonality, if that's what you're after.

[Crow Hunter]

I did this a while ago, and do not regret purging .45 ACP and .40 from my arsenal. More calibers == more hassle, more components to store, more different reloading recipes to test. I shoot almost exclusively 9mm in pistols. When I add a new caliber, it better do something really special. And guess what, I've added 3 new rifle calibers in the last few years: 6.5 Grendel, 300 BLK, and 300 PRC, and have a reasonable justification for each of those.

If you don't love the .243 rifle, that's a great reason to purge it and the caliber. But, I'm not a huge fan of .223 bolt guns because there are so many better calibers for a short action. And .308 has been surpassed by 6.5 CM and the like.

I actually like the .243 as a round and the rifle I have isn't bad (not particularly stand out either). If I didn't already have rifles that shot .223/.308 I wouldn't buy bolt rifles in those calibers. I was just thinking that since I already am buying those rounds anyway, I could use the .223 for a varmint gun and the .308 for a deer rifle versus the .243 that I use now. That would lessen the number of rifle calibers I am keeping.

Currently I have use .22 for plinking/squirrels. .22 Mag for muskrats/other nuisances and the .243 for coyote and the occasional deer hunt. I figured if I ever decided to out "Out West" for an Elk hunt I would get something specifically for that.

However, with .223/.308, I could use the .223 for Coyote and the .308 for deer/elk.

But I have been talking about doing an elk hunt for 20 years and never have gone and got rid of the .30-06 I bought for it nearly a decade ago.:rolleyes:

[Clusterfrack]

Or get a 6.5 PRC or 300 PRC for elk, and shoot deer with it too? Whoops I’m not helping.

Yeah, you should probably keep the .243.

[Crow Hunter]

Crow Hunter what are you using the .223 and .308 ARs for?

Seem to me like the obvious cut would be the 308 AR and 243 rifle. Buy something in 6.5 to replace them and share commonality, if that's what you're after.

My SHTF fantasizing and LARPing honestly and I don't do much of that anymore.

The .223 AR lives in a quick access safe. The .308 AR comes out a couple times a year for range fun ringing steel at 400yds (my farthest range on the farm) burning up old milsurp ammo I bought years ago in my M1A phase and still have quite a bit of.

Honestly if I didn't have all that ammo left over I probably wouldn't have it. If I were starting out fresh today, I definitely wouldn't buy one. It is really too heavy to be a "joy to carry" and too lightweight to be "fun to shoot".

That is an interesting thought to contemplate. The farmer that leases my land just recently setup a 1000 yard range on some property he owns and mentioned to my brother we should come out and shoot with him.

[Totem Polar]

I went through some version of "caliber consolidation" over the last couple of years, precisely because it became a real drag stocking all the different skews. To be fair, I had *a lot* of calibers. I bailed on .380, .327 federal, .32acp, .25acp (imagine that) and actually stacked .38/.357 deep—mainly because I like DA wheelies, have a pile of them, and if there is a gun on me, it’s probably a snub .38.

Ironically, the only two "outlier" chamberings I kept were a .44mag lever gun and... my old bolt .243 deer gun from my youth.
OMMV.

[Joe in PNG]

Some observations after 20 years of buying, selling, trading, and so on:

-I've never regretted the selling of any of my fotays- the Glock 27 especially

-I have regretted the sale of most of my 9mm service pistols- a Sig 229, a CZ 75, and a CZ Raami

-I've always regretted the purchase of 'kewl' guns, cheap brands, and "fill in" guns- a Taurus PT 100 fotay, Kel-Tecs, an Interams PPK, a GSG MP40 9mm, and so on.

-I have never regretted buying some of my 'collector' guns, even if I don't shoot them a whole lot- mostly S&W K frames and a few old Colt pocket pistols.

Conclusion- dump the cheap guns, buy only good ones, and hang on to them.

[45dotACP]

Life's too short to have guns you don't shoot well, let alone guns you don't shoot hardly ever.

I'd sell em, but that's just me

Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk

[okie john]

I have been furloughed the last week and pretty much stuck in the house. My mind has been wandering :rolleyes: and I was pondering some things.

I currently have 3 revolvers that have no emotional attachment to me. I have trouble using the sights on them without switching glasses (presbyopia and narrow/shallow rear sights), I don't use them as carry weapons and one of them I find painful to shoot. If I were to sell/trade them, I would no longer have a need to stock any .38/.357.

I also have a .243 rifle that I purchased a couple of years ago to use as a combination varmint/deer rifle. I have EBRs that utilize 5.56 and 7.62X51 and I keep rounds for them on hand. I don't use them for hunting because they are heavier and more cumbersome in the field than a nice bolt (Believe me, I have tried;)) I could sell the .243 and get a nice bolt in .223 and one in .308 and it would eliminate another caliber but it would add two rifles to the mix.

If I were to do this, I would have a net decrease of 2 guns and would reduce my "caliber footprint" by two as well.

When the Wuhuflu hit I successfully got rid of guns/ammo in .45, .40, .357 Sig and it did make my ammo locker much more organized and kind of prompted my thinking about this.

Have any of you guys contemplated or actually went through with doing similar things?

Opinions?
Logistics over ballistics.

I’m down to 12 gauge, 308, and 30-06 for working long guns, plus a 7RM with sentimental value that I haven’t fired in a couple of years.

Handguns are 9mm, 44 Magnum, and 45 Colt, though I might add a 357.

The 308 and 30-06 are ballistic twins but having both doubles the chance I’ll be able to find ammo. Same goes for the 45 Colt and 44 Magnum, and for the 9mm and 357.


Okie John

[Borderland]

I downsized awhile back. My wife wanted to move and the city she wanted to move to didn't have a decent range. The closet would have been an hour away so I knew my once a week range trips were going to be history. We started looking at houses and there wasn't really anything that fit. Consequently we didn't move. Now the world is on fire so we aren't moving into a city anytime soon. Maybe never if people keep dying in cities.

I don't miss the rifles and pistols I sold. I had too many anyway. I recently added a new revolver and auto but so far I've managed to keep the loading simple.

[Duelist]

I actually like the .243 as a round and the rifle I have isn't bad (not particularly stand out either). If I didn't already have rifles that shot .223/.308 I wouldn't buy bolt rifles in those calibers. I was just thinking that since I already am buying those rounds anyway, I could use the .223 for a varmint gun and the .308 for a deer rifle versus the .243 that I use now. That would lessen the number of rifle calibers I am keeping.

Currently I have use .22 for plinking/squirrels. .22 Mag for muskrats/other nuisances and the .243 for coyote and the occasional deer hunt. I figured if I ever decided to out "Out West" for an Elk hunt I would get something specifically for that.

However, with .223/.308, I could use the .223 for Coyote and the .308 for deer/elk.

But I have been talking about doing an elk hunt for 20 years and never have gone and got rid of the .30-06 I bought for it nearly a decade ago.:rolleyes:

If you have a .30’06 and a .243 in turnbolts, you really don’t need a .308. Adds nothing to capabilities you already have covered. For simplicity’s sake, I have my .243 and .270 - if I had a .30’06, I doubt I’d have a .270, but since I have a .270, I doubt I’ll buy a .30’06.

You’re already more than covered for hunting elk if you have a .30’06, but I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that. Colorado still sells over-the-counter elk tags every year. Just to put an idea bug out there.

Logistically, having the .308 in a bolt action so you could reduce the numbers of calibers of ammo you stock could work - except that the two rifles would almost certainly have different rounds they need in order to do their best work. The bolt will need ammo of a certain length and weight to be most accurate and effective killing deer, another for killing elk and other heavy animals, and possibly a third for plinking or killing coyotes - the coyotes will die from anything in caliber, but elk rounds will be expensive and you’ll want a cheaper version of a hunting round if you decide to do that with it. The AR, as you know, needs rounds to fit a certain dimensional standard so it can cycle and fire the rounds. SO you may not actually be reducing the variety of ammunition you stock, just reducing the caliber labels you stock while increasing the variety within a caliber.

Just more food for thought.

[Clusterfrack]

...The .308 AR comes out a couple times a year for range fun ringing steel at 400yds (my farthest range on the farm) ...If I were starting out fresh today, I definitely wouldn't buy one. It is really too heavy to be a "joy to carry" and too lightweight to be "fun to shoot".

... The farmer that leases my land just recently setup a 1000 yard range on some property he owns and mentioned to my brother we should come out and shoot with him.

I know I'm going to generate some comments about this, but I've never been excited by the AR-10 for the reasons you mention. Too heavy, but not great at shooting accurately at distance unless you invest a lot of time and/or money in it.

.308 is definitely a 1000yd caliber, but it takes a good rifle, load, and shooter to do it consistently. I recommend selling the .243 and the .308 and getting a nice 6.5CM bolt gun that can shoot deer and 1000yd steel.. Or also get rid of the 30-06, and get a 6.5 PRC or 300 PRC, which can shoot deer, elk, and 1000+yd steel.

[Sanch]

I never understood the argument of having extra guns so you can be more likely to find ammo during dry times. I’m on a budget just like everyone else but I never had a problem keeping 5 cases of 9mm on hand as my base level plus 1/2 a case of 5.56 and 7.62x39 each and some random amount of .22lr.

That’s a lot of ammo to get me through dry times and it’s under $2,000 worth. I also never buy ammo by the box at wal mart because it’s more expensive than having it shipped in bulk tax-free and Walmart is a huge PITA since I don’t shop there normally and when I forget how much it sucks and make my annual trip to look at “cheap ammo” I’m disappointed by lack of supply, not so cheap prices, and waiting around for 20 minutes for someone with a key to unlock it.

I mention that only to say it seems weird to me to think to have a 357 sig and .40 glock and duplicate 556 and 308 just so during a 2 to 3 year ammo dry spell I can make weekly trips to wal mart to buy whatever caliber they have to shoot that week. I don’t mean offense by that to people who have done that or it’s their plan for the future, but it seems cheap enough to get 9mm for $150 to $170 a case pre-corona and stockpile a few years worth.

But I will admit I did have a weirder idea that I’ve since let go. And my idea is even sillier with less merit. I got it from a deep preppier dude, it sounded cool and it was an excuse to buy more guns. The idea was to get a glock .40 upper for my glock 19 and also a 357 sig barrel for it. And keep them in a car survival kit, in case I ran out of 9mm I could scavenge 40 or 357 and keep rolling. Ridiculous idea from Mid-20s that now at 40 I laugh at and just keep a few extra 9mm mags in the car.

[Crow Hunter]

If you have a .30’06 and a .243 in turnbolts, you really don’t need a .308. Adds nothing to capabilities you already have covered. For simplicity’s sake, I have my .243 and .270 - if I had a .30’06, I doubt I’d have a .270, but since I have a .270, I doubt I’ll buy a .30’06.

You’re already more than covered for hunting elk if you have a .30’06, but I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that. Colorado still sells over-the-counter elk tags every year. Just to put an idea bug out there.

Logistically, having the .308 in a bolt action so you could reduce the numbers of calibers of ammo you stock could work - except that the two rifles would almost certainly have different rounds they need in order to do their best work. The bolt will need ammo of a certain length and weight to be most accurate and effective killing deer, another for killing elk and other heavy animals, and possibly a third for plinking or killing coyotes - the coyotes will die from anything in caliber, but elk rounds will be expensive and you’ll want a cheaper version of a hunting round if you decide to do that with it. The AR, as you know, needs rounds to fit a certain dimensional standard so it can cycle and fire the rounds. SO you may not actually be reducing the variety of ammunition you stock, just reducing the caliber labels you stock while increasing the variety within a caliber.

Just more food for thought.

Sorry that didn't actually come out right from my fingers. :)

I used to have a .30-06 that I had bought nearly 20 years ago that I planned on taking elk hunting. I have never gone and I sold the rifle about 10 years ago and never really missed it.

Sorry about that.

That is a very good point about the ammo differences.

[BehindBlueI's]

I'm not real concerned with "what's available" during a shortage, I'm more worried about "what I have". One of the reasons I reload is I can have a lot more "what I have" of anything because many of the components can become whatever I need them to be. If you don't reload, to me it makes a lot more sense to have 5k rounds you can use in any gun then 500 rounds each of 10 different things you can use in some guns.

I don't actively seek out new calibers because there's nothing a new caliber will do for me and what I do. On the other hand I haven't gotten rid of anything just to get out of a caliber.

[ranger]

I did this a while ago, and do not regret purging .45 ACP and .40 from my arsenal. More calibers == more hassle, more components to store, more different reloading recipes to test. I shoot almost exclusively 9mm in pistols. When I add a new caliber, it better do something really special. And guess what, I've added 3 new rifle calibers in the last few years: 6.5 Grendel, 300 BLK, and 300 PRC, and have a reasonable justification for each of those.

If you don't love the .243 rifle, that's a great reason to purge it and the caliber. But, I'm not a huge fan of .223 bolt guns because there are so many better calibers for a short action. And .308 has been surpassed by 6.5 CM and the like.

I am practicing for long range rifle - I am getting great value out of 223 bolt guns practicing long range while reducing wear/tear of my 6.5 Creedmoor. I was shooting my new Tikka T3 Varmint 223 1-8 out to 700 yards today with 73 ELDMs over 24.5 TAC. I probably could get to 800 but could not see the hits on steel and did not have a spotter. If I could find a buyer - I would sell my 308.

[willie]

I knew a man who was an ardent quail hunter. He had a kennel with several bird dogs. When one dog slowed down or was deemed not useful, he shot it. Over the years he shot many of his working dogs. He also killed puppies that did not pass his test. He thought he had no use for these animals. He discarded them. Gun owners occasionally discard variations within their collection.

Over the years I had acquired a large number of highly desirable handguns. Unfortunately I sold most of them. At the time, I changed my mind about how useful the gun was, or I wanted something else, or I needed the money. Now I have neither the guns or the money. We sometimes overthink conundrums before us. The 6.5 Creedmore has superb ballistics, but I would not discard a .308 that I had labeled outstanding. It's replacement may not be outstanding. Buy a Creedmore but remember that both the .308 and .223 have more available components than any other two rifle calibers. Fine revolvers are not easily replaced. The same holds true for certain shotguns.

Yes, do what you wish with your possessions. But put this in the equation: If the guns are paid for, and you do not need to raise money, consider keeping them. About 40 S&W and 357 Sig, I noticed that this ammo is not stocked as it once was. My lgs does not stock a single box of either. I do understand the usefulness of conversion barrels.

[fixer]

When times are good and ammo supply is bountiful, consolidation makes sense and simplifies things. When times are the opposite it can really suck.

In my neck of the woods 45 acp was only thing left.

[RevolverRob]

OCD Rob says, "Yes, consolidating calibers and guns is valuable."

Pragmatic Rob says, "Eh, it's probably not that valuable overall."

Unless there is a storage space or cost issue, sometimes getting rid of guns is more hassle than it is worth.

Now, if you don't enjoy shooting them and/or they are painful to shoot. Get rid of them and buy yourself something you like. And it would make sense to go ahead and not add a new caliber to your pile when you do that.

But if you have the space and like shooting them - then I wouldn't bother, just because you want everything the same.

Do what I do. Buy a gun safe for your EDC/Defensive stuff and have a separate safe for "everything else". Your defensive gun safe will be all nice and neat and organized with redundant identical guns and magazines etc. The "everything else" safe is the one with the leftovers of a bygone era.

For example:

I am now stuck, for at least the next 8-10 years with a 7.62x25mm Tokarev pistol. It was my father's, one of his favorites, and I won't be selling it. The next time it goes somewhere it will go to one of my nephews. I don't have much use for a Tok. It's kinda fun to shoot sometimes, because it's loud and blasty as fuck, but otherwise it doesn't do much. It's certainly not a defensive weapon. So, into the "everything else" safe it goes to be kept safe (heh) until it is time for it to move on.

This is a similar situation for calibers .45 and .38 Special. I have sentimental guns in each caliber that I cannot get rid of, because they are earmarked for one of the kids. Yet OCD Rob is saying, "Come on man, this safe should be perfectly organized!" - Well it isn't happening OCD Rob, deal with it.

So, I brokered a deal - OCD Rob gets the "Defensive Safe" and Pragmatic/Sentimental Rob - gets the "Everything Else Safe" - and they both get ammo cans for ammo storage.

[Joe in PNG]

I think every shooter at one point or another will have a pile of "good idea at the time" guns. The "just as good as Brand X" pistols that aren't, that odd caliber frankenstein AR that you can never get working right, some commie milsurps which was all you could afford back then, a blitzenthumerboomer magnum that turned out to be super unpleasant to shoot, a kewl gun you wanted as a youth but found it's unshootable, and so on and so on.

Those you can safely dump with no regrets.

[Totem Polar]

...sometimes getting rid of guns is more hassle than it is worth. .

Totally OT, but, why is it that—of all the worthless tomfoolery I’ve seen coming out of Olympia—the one statist/grabber idea that the Gov and AG *haven’t* tried is a state-funded buyback. I have 3 or 4 POS that I’d gladly offer up for .45acp and kydex money.

[CCT125US]

I'm not real concerned with "what's available" during a shortage, I'm more worried about "what I have". One of the reasons I reload is I can have a lot more "what I have" of anything because many of the components can become whatever I need them to be. If you don't reload, to me it makes a lot more sense to have 5k rounds you can use in any gun then 500 rounds each of 10 different things you can use in some guns.

I don't actively seek out new calibers because there's nothing a new caliber will do for me and what I do. On the other hand I haven't gotten rid of anything just to get out of a caliber.

Much wisdom in this.

Many years ago, the only ammo available was .40, so I picked up a pistol in that caliber. Couldn't find 9mm, bullets powder, or primers (since fixed). Having a variety of launchers is certainly a viable option in times of drought. However, if you are ahead of the wave, buy it cheap and stock it deep. Getting into a new caliber entails initial gun purchase and a case of ammo, mags, sling, holsters, etc..... while dumping a caliber yields little return, in my opinion.

I've been on a 9mm kick for about 10 years, before that .40, prior to that .45, whose to say things won't take a turn.

As far as reloading, I have stated before that owning the means of production is priceless in times of drought. Sometimes adding calibers costs next to nothing. For example, I am still considering a setup for .357 Sig. I need dies, case gage, and shell holder, all for under the cost of what 4 boxes of factory would run. Pretty cheap insurance, however it would be a long, strange set of circumstances that would leave me with that as my only option.

It seems as though many shooters confuse "need" with "it'd" be nice.

But hey, there's worse things I could spend my money on than guns and ammo.

[OlongJohnson]

TI have 3 or 4 POS that I’d gladly offer up for .45acp and kydex money.

I did, too, but then the dempanic happened and I got commission checks from the LGS that covered what I'd paid.

[Cyberpunk1981]

I am currently consolidating all of my pistols to 9mm Glocks. If I do buy another pistol caliber it will only be a .45 ACP and will most likely be an HK. I plan to purchase my first AR pattern rifle and it will be in 5.56/.223 as it will be my go to SHTF gun. I believe in standardizing myself and it works for my goals of having the most commonly used calibers in case SHTF. I plan to only purchase 9mm or .45 ACP pistols, rifles in .308 or 5.56/.223, 12 gauge for my shotguns, and .22LR for my plinking guns. All of my friends pretty much only have these calibers so it is nice knowing that if SHTF we can share our supply if need be.

But do what works best for you and to further your goals and interests.