# The gun and ammo hoarders may have been right **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 2, 2017, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gun-and-ammo-hoarders-may-have-been-right/778837 "2017-02-02T18:31:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gun-and-ammo-hoarders-may-have-been-right/778837/141 "2017-02-07T17:34:41Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > He did say “real gun”, not “brand new gun”. And he’s right, I think – shooting can be a pretty damn cheap hobby. He claimed that he could get guns for under the price of a Nerf gun. If you want to play games like that, though, then I should be able to use the price of a _used_ Nerf gun, right? ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gun-and-ammo-hoarders-may-have-been-right/778837/142 "2017-02-07T17:34:53Z")
> [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](#): > > Can we get **Calico Jack** back? His posts at least made some sense some of the time, and were _entertaining_ when they didn’t. Now apparently _this shit_ is okay, because no matter how nonsensical and insane his statements are, he does so without using any slurs? Fucking hell. There is a solution to the triggering. Use the ignore function. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gun-and-ammo-hoarders-may-have-been-right/778837/143 "2017-02-07T17:36:46Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > He claimed that he could get guns for under the price of a Nerf gun. If you want to play games like that, though, then I should be able to use the price of a _used_ Nerf gun, right? Perhaps that’s one way to read it. Another way to read it is literally – i.e. there are guns out there that are cheaper to buy than some Nerf toy guns. Whatever the literal/non-literal reading, I was reading it as a defense of his statement that shooting is a cheap hobby. He’s right on that – shooting can be a cheap hobby (it can be expensive, of course, too, depending on gun and ammo choices). ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gun-and-ammo-hoarders-may-have-been-right/778837/144 "2017-02-07T18:50:33Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I just checked Walmart’s website and couldn’t find any shotgun for under $100. I then checked Cabela’s, Sportsman’s Guide and even Cheaper Than Dirt-no firearms at all for under $100. The website frequently doesn’t advertise prices. I’m not sure why. Single shot break action shotguns can be had for under $100. There are single shot .22 rifles for under $100 (many of these are for kids). I think you can get .25 pistol or a .38 revolver And if you are willing to consider used guns, your options expand considerably. ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gun-and-ammo-hoarders-may-have-been-right/778837/145 "2017-02-07T18:54:46Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Honestly, your faith is misplaced. Historically, men in uniform have followed orders. They will follow orders. American soldiers have followed orders to do many immoral things thoughout history, and in that regard are just like everyone else’s soldiers. > > No tyrant ever orders the military to “Subjugate the people.” It never works that way. They order the military to restore order, or to stop the criminals, or put down the rebellion against the state. Hell, the DHS people at airports followed orders. Separated young children from their parents handcuffed young mothers and locked them up for a day without food and other inhumane acts. And that was just in one weekend. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gun-and-ammo-hoarders-may-have-been-right/778837/146 "2017-02-07T18:57:47Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > He claimed that he could get guns for under the price of a Nerf gun. If you want to play games like that, though, then I should be able to use the price of a _used_ Nerf gun, right? I’m not sure what point you are trying to make. My statement was based on walking through a Walmart shopping for nerf guns when I saw one for over $100 the same Walmart had a break action shotgun for under $100. I’m not sure what you are arguing? What about your particular criticism of my argument do you think undermines my basic point that cost is not what is keeping liberals from buying guns? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gun-and-ammo-hoarders-may-have-been-right/778837/147 "2017-02-07T18:59:53Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > And if you are willing to consider used guns, your options expand considerably. And if you are willing to consider used Nerf guns, your options are pretty much nil. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gun-and-ammo-hoarders-may-have-been-right/778837/148 "2017-02-07T19:53:01Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > And if you are willing to consider used Nerf guns, your options are pretty much nil. What’s the point of hammering this nitpick home? Especially considering that the literal reading of the post you responded to, which didn’t mention whether the gun was new or used, is probably correct? Do you disagree with the main point that shooting can be a pretty cheap hobby? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gun-and-ammo-hoarders-may-have-been-right/778837/149 "2017-02-07T20:02:21Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > What’s the point of hammering this nitpick home? Especially considering that the literal reading of the post you responded to, which didn’t mention whether the gun was new or used, is probably correct? Do you disagree with the main point that shooting can be a pretty cheap hobby? Depends on the price of the gun, the cost of the shooting range and how available it is and the cost of the ammo, wouldn’t you say? Certainly not as cheap as its “Nerf” equivalent, of course-that was just a silly thing to compare it with, if he was trying to make a point. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gun-and-ammo-hoarders-may-have-been-right/778837/150 "2017-02-07T20:24:33Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Depends on the price of the gun, the cost of the shooting range and how available it is and the cost of the ammo, wouldn’t you say? Obviously – hence it _can_ be, but isn’t always, a cheap hobby. Shooting a .22 rifle on one’s own property (or a friend’s) at bottles and cans in a rural area can be very, very cheap – perhaps about $1 per 10 bullets (or less!). So shooting 100 rounds once a week might be a $10 per week hobby, plus an initial outlay of ~$90 for a used rifle. Other calibers, venues, and weapons can be orders of magnitude more expensive. > [@](#): > > Certainly not as cheap as its “Nerf” equivalent, of course-that was just a silly thing to compare it with, if he was trying to make a point. He was just talking about the weapon. The larger point, that it can be a pretty cheap hobby, is correct. Do you agree or disagree with this last sentence? ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gun-and-ammo-hoarders-may-have-been-right/778837/151 "2017-02-07T20:29:10Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > What’s the point of hammering this nitpick home? Especially considering that the literal reading of the post you responded to, which didn’t mention whether the gun was new or used, is probably correct? Do you disagree with the main point that shooting can be a pretty cheap hobby? Not sure about the shooting being a cheap hobby thing. The main reason I am not a gun owner is because of price. I could pick up a cheap $99 revolver that fires .22 ('bout a dime each) bullets, but my friends told me I would not like that one, and insisted that I buy one that costs over $600 and fires 9mm ('bout a dollar each) bullets. So I didn’t buy one that day, or any other day. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gun-and-ammo-hoarders-may-have-been-right/778837/152 "2017-02-07T20:33:12Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Obviously – hence it _can_ be, but isn’t always, a cheap hobby. Shooting a .22 rifle on one’s own property (or a friend’s) at bottles and cans in a rural area can be very, very cheap – perhaps about $1 per 10 bullets (or less!). So shooting 100 rounds once a week might be a $10 per week hobby, plus an initial outlay of ~$90 for a used rifle. > > Other calibers, venues, and weapons can be orders of magnitude more expensive. > > He was just talking about the weapon. The larger point, that it can be a pretty cheap hobby, is correct. Do you agree or disagree with this last sentence? With a really cheap gun using really cheap ammo and the ability to have free space where you can legally shoot, yes. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gun-and-ammo-hoarders-may-have-been-right/778837/153 "2017-02-07T20:40:42Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > Not sure about the shooting being a cheap hobby thing. > > The main reason I am not a gun owner is because of price. I could pick up a cheap $99 revolver that fires .22 ('bout a dime each) bullets, but my friends told me I would not like that one, and insisted that I buy one that costs over $600 and fires 9mm ('bout a dollar each) bullets. > > So I didn’t buy one that day, or any other day. It can be, but isn’t always. I’m not a shooter because I have other hobbies, but I’ve done it before and it can be fun. I’m familiar with guns from my military experience. I own a gun that I inherited, but no bullets right now. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gun-and-ammo-hoarders-may-have-been-right/778837/154 "2017-02-07T21:29:42Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > Not sure about the shooting being a cheap hobby thing. > > The main reason I am not a gun owner is because of price. I could pick up a cheap $99 revolver that fires .22 ('bout a dime each) bullets, but my friends told me I would not like that one, and insisted that I buy one that costs over $600 and fires 9mm ('bout a dollar each) bullets. > > So I didn’t buy one that day, or any other day. Expense-wise, shooting is comparable to golf. You can buy a beater set of clubs for $100, buy used golf balls for pennies apiece and play the local municipal course on weekdays. It’s fairly cheap and you can have a lot of fun, but you’ll never be a pro golfer with that setup. You can buy a used .22 semi auto pistol for $150, stock up on cheap .22 bullets and rent a lane occasionally at the local range. It’s fairly cheap and you can have a lot of fun, but you’ll never become the best marksman with that setup. On the other side of the coin you can spend $1000’s for the equipment, several dollars apiece for ammo/golf balls and hit the upscale course/range on weekends. Either will absorb all the money you care to throw at them. Really, the only difference is that golf and alcohol mix, guns and alcohol don’t. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gun-and-ammo-hoarders-may-have-been-right/778837/155 "2017-02-07T21:35:58Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > Really, the only difference is that golf and alcohol mix, guns and alcohol don’t. 😉 Then where do all those bottles they shoot off on stumps come from? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2017, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gun-and-ammo-hoarders-may-have-been-right/778837/156 "2017-02-08T01:08:26Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > Not sure about the shooting being a cheap hobby thing. > > The main reason I am not a gun owner is because of price. I could pick up a cheap $99 revolver that fires .22 ('bout a dime each) bullets, but my friends told me I would not like that one, and insisted that I buy one that costs over $600 and fires 9mm ('bout a dollar each) bullets. > > So I didn’t buy one that day, or any other day. I used to shoot a lot of .22 I used to have a Ruger Single Six (a nice single action revolver). For a weekend plinker, it was great. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2017, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gun-and-ammo-hoarders-may-have-been-right/778837/157 "2017-02-08T01:22:19Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > Not sure about the shooting being a cheap hobby thing. > > The main reason I am not a gun owner is because of price. I could pick up a cheap $99 revolver that fires .22 ('bout a dime each) bullets, but my friends told me I would not like that one, and insisted that I buy one that costs over $600 and fires 9mm ('bout a dollar each) bullets. > > So I didn’t buy one that day, or any other day. 9mm ammo is not a dollar each. More like twenty cents. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2017, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gun-and-ammo-hoarders-may-have-been-right/778837/158 "2017-02-08T13:33:45Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Then where do all those bottles they shoot off on stumps come from? 😃 Golfers, of course! ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2017, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gun-and-ammo-hoarders-may-have-been-right/778837/159 "2017-02-08T13:42:09Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > 9mm ammo is not a dollar each. More like twenty cents. Not at the range, it ain’t. I am sure it is cheaper elsewhere, but my friends always tell me how hard it is to find, and that they are always scouring the sports stores. It probably doesn’t help that whenever anyone finds ammo, they buy it all up, leading to empty shelves for the next person. I’ve never gone on ammo hunts with them, having only bought what little I shoot at the range. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2017, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gun-and-ammo-hoarders-may-have-been-right/778837/160 "2017-02-08T13:48:10Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > Not sure about the shooting being a cheap hobby thing. > > The main reason I am not a gun owner is because of price. I could pick up a cheap $99 revolver that fires .22 ('bout a dime each) bullets, but my friends told me I would not like that one, and insisted that I buy one that costs over $600 and fires 9mm ('bout a dollar each) bullets. > > So I didn’t buy one that day, or any other day. 9mm rounds are about $0.22 less if you use steel case ammo instead of brass or reloaded ammo. It all depends on what you want the gun for. If you need it for defense then its worth it to save up a bit. If you just want to plink at targets, then don’t let gun snobs push you around. Almost any gun you buy is going to be more accurate than your ability to shoot. Reliability is less of a problem if a gun jams at the range than if it jams when someone breaks into your house. .22 is fine round to get started with. 9mm guns don’t have to b expensive. There are plenty of reliable guns under $300 and some as low as $150. Your options expand if you are willing t buy used. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gun-and-ammo-hoarders-may-have-been-right/778837.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gun-and-ammo-hoarders-may-have-been-right/778837.md?page=9)