GUN SNOBS

[Ruffnek]

Hello INGOers.I have to rant about something because it is starting to bug me.First,I'll give some background on myself for those of you who don't visit my profile and maybe you can then understand where I'm coming from.

I am nineteen years old with a wife and infant son.I work nights as a custodian for $10.78 per hour and no benefits.I have two car payments per month along with various other bills.We literally live from paycheck to paycheck sometimes.My very first firearm that i could call "mine" was acquired at age eighteen and was a Cobra .32 semi auto.I had to save up for almost two months to get the $125 for my lifetime LTCH.

Now for the rant...

I am getting tired of reading posts from people being gun snobs.It seems like every time I jump on INGO,I run across a post saying that (insert name of any "affordable" firearm)s are junk.It used to make me feel inferior,now it just makes me angry because people such as myself are getting advice that they have to pay high prices for any good guns.Am I wrong for loving my Kel Tec,DPMS,Maverick,or my Remington?These guns were what I could come by and they all go bang every time that I pull the trigger.I'm now looking for an affordable .45 for carry and my best option,money wise,looks to be a Hi Point due to my financial situation.I have heard stories of Hi Points,Kel Tecs, and other lower-priced guns being junk.I have had great experiences with these "undesireable" guns.I've also heard horror stories about the almighty Glock but I still wouldn't mind having one.My own belief is this:a Hi Point in hand is better than a Kimber on the "SAVE FOR" list.Why do people have to talk so much crap about good guns just because they don't set you back $1000 when you get one?

Bring on the gun snobs...I wouldn't mind some friendly discussion either.

 

[SERparacord]

Sorry, I only speak to Ed Brown owners.

 

[Dead Duck]

Ya - I hear that Cobras suck.
















Some guns - "You do get what you pay for".
It's mainly a safety issue for me. Nothing more. Yet there are plenty of overpriced crap guns out there as well.

You can't go cheap on quality.

 

[Hdfb03]

 

[jblomenberg16]

Ruffnek, you started out just like a lot of us did. You start with what you can afford, and upgrade from there.

You'll look back one day and realize that there are some major differences in quality and reliability in some of the weapons that the snobs like to talk about, and you'll also at some point also see that some of the inexpensive guns do have some short comings.

Kudos to you for doing what you need to do to protect your family. My best advice to you is that which ever gun you chose to carry, that you shoot enough rounds through it that you are 100% confident it will perform when you need to trust your life to it.

We all hope and pray that day will never come, but also need to make sure that if it ever does, no matter how slim the odds, that we have a firearm that will do what we need it to do.

 

[ultra...good]

Look into the thread where a guy dropped a $1200 Kimber and now it does not work.
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...ion/282924-dropped_and_damaged_my_kimber.html

Or the SIG 238 that will not feed ammo.
https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/handguns/282672-sig_238_failing_to_feed_issues.html


You buy and shoot what you can afford. Who cares about what others have to say.
Just say away from the Glocks, everybody knows those guys are a bunch of limp wrist-ed you know whats.

 

[hoosierken]

Hi Ruffnek. I'll start out by saying that I don't consider myself a gun snob or any snob for that matter. I'll be honest, I own a Kimber Ultra Carry. But, I didn't buy one till a couple of years ago. I'm 52 now. I bought it for my 50th birthday. Throughout most of my life I shot shotguns and rifles that my dad and grandfather handed down. They were Ted Williams from Sears and old Marlins.
My advice is to do what you gotta do when you gotta do it. You want to protect your family and don't have a thousand to lay down for a .45 then get what you can. Online forums are just like real life. You pay attention to people that encourage and teach you, ignore those that insult you and use you.
My opinions only. I may not know what I'm talking about.

Ken

 

[throttletony]

I think you're just fine for liking those brands. Don't let people's preferences and opinions bug you too much. I think, like with most products, folks just feel comfortable with what they know.
That being said, some people like spending extra money if they can on their guns. There is a breaking point though (or a point of diminishing returns), where you really just pay more for the name than for the product itself. This also applies to the "you get what you pay for" mentality -- it's true to a point.
As long as (1) it goes bang when you pull the trigger and (2) you take care of it, there's no such thing as a bad firearm. If #1 or #2 above fail, then it's time to reevaluate.

 

[exbrit]

Shoot what you like

Read your post and the first thing that came to mind was this.
You should shoot what you can afford and what you like.
I think that buying the very best you can afford makes sense over the long haul.
I have some very nice revolvers and autos too, prices I paid vary all over the place. Some I bought over 30 years ago and now they are worth a fortune. The regular Ruger autos have also gone way up too. But I have a couple of inexpensive ones that I quite often take down to the range.
Heck I even shoot cap and ball revolvers, inexpensive ones too, got a couple of Pietta's that were really low cost and one I just bought at a show was a Euro arms Colt New Army. got it for $80 and it shoots really well,
So hang in there and as time and circumstance permit, you can upgrade as you see fit.
Above all, shoot what you have and enjoy!! that's what its really about!

 

[actaeon277]

Hello INGOers.I have to rant about something because it is starting to bug me.First,I'll give some background on myself for those of you who don't visit my profile and maybe you can then understand where I'm coming from.

I am nineteen years old with a wife and infant son.I work nights as a custodian for $10.78 per hour and no benefits.I have two car payments per month along with various other bills.We literally live from paycheck to paycheck sometimes.
....
Why do people have to talk so much crap about good guns just because they don't set you back $1000 when you get one?

Bring on the gun snobs...I wouldn't mind some friendly discussion either.

First of all, take it easy.
Take a deep breath.
Remember, this does not change the things that matter. Family, Health, Job. Those are important.

Next.
You buy what you can afford.
Most of us started there. Low paying job. Expenses eating it all up. Seeing other better stuff. Not just guns.. Cars, TVs, whatever.

Hopefully over time, job situation will get better.
And over time, you accumulate stuff, so then you don't have to buy it later. After a while, gee I have my TV, my car, and the kid is clothed and fed. You might have a little more money because of that.

Don't worry about others too much. Worry about yourself.
Oh, I'm not saying ignore them.
But there's a difference between soliciting opinion, and getting frazzled over the responses.


Many people on INGO are helpful.
Some, not so much.

Develop a thick skin.

 

[chezuki]

Am I wrong for loving my Kel Tec -yes ,DPMS -no,Maverick -probably,or my Remington -hell no?


have heard stories of Hi Points -fugly, but reliable ,Kel Tecs -more of a kit than complete firearm. Can be ok if you do all the finishing work that the factory didn't have time for, and other lower-priced guns being junk.I have had great experiences with these "undesireable" guns. I've also heard horror stories about the almighty Glock -the only one that's true is the chunky grip story

Replies in red...

 

[Scutter01]

When I was 19, the only car I could afford was a beat up AMC. The thing was a piece of crap, but I loved driving it. "What you can afford" is not the same as "what is reliable", your personal feelings on the item in question notwithstanding. If you like the low-cost gun, then that's great and everyone else can get bent. But that doesn't necessarily make it a well-manufactured or reliable gun. Stop worrying about what everyone else thinks about your gun. It's not a contest and you're just going to give yourself a complex.

 

[762minigun]

Hi Point will put holes in bad guys just like any other. Just don't expect a whole lot out of it.
Buy what fit's you the best. At one time all my guns came from layways, and I never bought new. I still don't buy new. Unless I find that 6920, or 6921.

 

[LANShark42]

You're always going to run into brand loyalty. Sometimes, it goes into fanboy-ism. Best off just to ignore those people. You certainly won't learn anything from those types.

Live within your means and be happy with what you have. There are some of us who choose not to buy Kimbers and Sigs, even though we can afford them.

 

[kawtech87]

For people on a budget the Sig SP2022 is really hard to beat. Any Ruger is also a great value IMHO. The SR line has been proven reliable and they just introduced the SR45 to the line up. May look into that. CZ is a great value, Glock and the S&W M&P of course are almost impossible to beat in thier price range.

Also the second hand market is your friend. Police trade-ins are a great value. Normally carried ALOT shot VERY little.

Just a few options for you. No offense intended. Start off where you can and trade up later. Good on you for being proactive in the defense of yourself and famiy. Let the haters hate and let it roll off your back.

Good luck.

 

[Manatee]

When I was younger, I didn't really care to listen to what fat old men had to say.

Now that I'm old (not so fat), I still don't listen to most of what other people say, unless it makes sense and fits with my view of the world.

That doesn't mean my approach or view is the correct one, but it's gotten me this far.

So, don't listen to what someone else says about what a pos your firearm is or how ugly your dog is. They are yours and you don't need his opinion unless you ask him for it.

 

[Racechase1]

I inherited my guns, didn't buy my first new pistol until this year, and I'm 50. Keep your head up, keep putting one foot in front of the other. You'll make it one day.

You do have a couple things going for you, you believe in doing the right thing, and your willing to work. Nice to see a young man do this, most do just the opposite.

 

[Dobber]

If you run a search on keyword "hipoint" and my username you'll see that I'm nothing but a fan of Hipoint for what it is. I truly wouldn't want to carry one anymore simply because it has a bulky frame that's tough to conceal but I found out last week that I may be able to buy back my first gun (HiPoint .380) soon. That $100 I got for it was the worst $100 I ever made. The $100 I'll buy it back for is the best $100 I'll ever spend. Buy the gun that does what you need it to do, not the gun everybody else says you should have.

Lastly, don't be ashamed, resentful, or regretful of where you are. To your story I would say this: You're presumably an upstanding young man who works (maybe even hard) to support his family. That hipoint or whatever you get your hands on will directly reflect the hard work and perseverance that you experienced to buy it. It doesn't matter what's in your hand. What matters is what you did to get it.

-Dobber

EDIT: Typos.

 

[s-works]

I feel the same way about trophy wives.

Seriously though, go with what you can afford and think of all the people in the world (Chicago) that cant even have a hi point

 

[LarryC]

Been there - done that! There is nothing wrong with a Cobra. I have a pretty extensive collection of firearms - some dirt cheap, some fairly expensive. As to a Cobra, I have both a 22 Mag and 38 spl Cobra Derringers. I normally carry a Colt Double Eagle 45 ACP Stainless steel firearm. Other times I carry a Cobra.

My son has an extensive collection also including a couple of 45's. Last time we were out he was carrying a Romanian TC semi-auto! We both fire every firearm we own and do tune them to insure they are reliably and that we are familiar enough with their operation we aren't fumbling for a safety or mag release!

Last firearm I purchased was a Garand from the CMP right at $1000, one I purchased before that was a Turkish Mauser, it looks pretty scruffy, stock has been patched , bluing fairly worn! Paid $120 for it. We took it out to a friends to try out, range was about 150-200ft, and it printed about 1/2" (group of three rounds), My son shot it and my friend worst grouping was about 1" - this with a pretty poor set of Iron sights! Love that gun! Heck I am just as proud of my Mosins as my German Mausers or Garand's or M1 carbine. I have my FFL-03 and bought a couple of the Nagant revolvers - gave one to my son as a gift. ($99 apiece). We have had a ball shooting them!

As I have stated before most of the gun "snobs" probably don't really know how to shoot their high priced firearm. They are afraid to "use" the gun much for fear the value will be reduced by wear or holster wear. I don't worry about any of mine - I bought them to shoot and damn well shoot them!

Be proud of what you own. You saved for them, Paid for them (I'm sure some of the "braggers" still have credit card bills), and use them. As you say - they go bang, will do the job if needed, you don't owe for them and can afford them!