Falling out of like with a gun

EnglishBob

EnglishBob

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Ok, as you know I'm a relatively new shooter so this is a new experience. I'm bored with my p226... I'm assuming this can happen over time. How do you guys deal with it? Trade/sell it? throw it in the safe until you want to shoot it again?

It's a slow day, give me ideas. I'm leaning towards trading it, but should I be wary of trading out my first gun? (not that I'm sentimental at all).
 
If its been reliable, id Keep it unless your tight on cash. Then if you buy another and you end up not liking it, or have problems with it, you still have ol faithful.
 
Are you bored with the gun, or bored with standing at the line shooting static paper targets? I would suspect the latter. If you haven't, take a basic defensive pistol class. You'll shoot a bunch, but more importantly, you'll get some drills that can make range time more fun and far more productive. You can really get most of the drills from YouTube.
 
You don't trade away a reliable gun. You just acquire more. A 226 is as good as it's gonna get, so you'd end up getting the short end of the stick when trading. Get a Glock, hate it, and go back to the SIG. Been there, done that, got a Glock shirt, and used it to polish my chrome parts on the bike.
 
I say if you don't care for it stow it away for a while. On the verse I hated my cm40 traded that right away, its been through two others already...funny watching that thing sift around on fbook gun groups for trade.
 
EnglishBob said:
Ok, as you know I'm a relatively new shooter so this is a new experience. I'm bored with my p226... I'm assuming this can happen over time. How do you guys deal with it? Trade/sell it? throw it in the safe until you want to shoot it again?

It's a slow day, give me ideas. I'm leaning towards trading it, but should I be wary of trading out my first gun? (not that I'm sentimental at all).
Click to expand...

I sold my 226. Great firearm, but in my opinion, it was too large to do anything other than punch paper. Sure you could use it for HD, but I think there are better options. If you like the 226, check out the 229 - perfect (intermediate) size that allows usage on all fronts.
 
I would just store for the time being. After the election, you never know what the commies are going to do. You may not be able to replace it or get something else you like.
 
Do what you like. My personal preference is to put it in the safe and find something else you like. Ive never sold any guns and the one I traded I wish I still had even though I like the one I got in trade.

What do you think youre bored with , the caliber? Platform? Try something in a bigger caliber. Try a revolver. Get into reloading and work up your own loads. Rifles, shotguns, competition shooting, classes. There's a lot out there. As was stated earlier, maybe youre just bored standing in the same spot shooting at a piece of paper.
 
jibbr71 said:
Are you bored with the gun, or bored with standing at the line shooting static paper targets? I would suspect the latter. If you haven't, take a basic defensive pistol class. You'll shoot a bunch, but more importantly, you'll get some drills that can make range time more fun and far more productive. You can really get most of the drills from YouTube.
Click to expand...

Englishbob,

This is great advice above. If you could answer some questions, I'd appreciate it.

1)where do you shoot?
2) what do you shoot at?
3) have you ever shot an IDPA or other practical shooting event?
4) if no - have you ever considered shooting an IDPa type event.
5) so I can make suggestions on places to go, where do you live?

With that said, ifyou shoot the 226 well then you should keep it. Especially if you don't have any other guns to use as a point of reference. My suggestion to you is that you buy something like a Glock 17 or 34 or an M&P 9 or similar gun. They are just as good as the 226 but very very different.

You may find that you prefer the 226, you may find you like them both equally well, you may also find that you like the Glock/M&P better.

I don't like traditional double action guns like your 226. Because of that I shoot mainly Glocks and 1911s. But thats me. The 226 is a fine firearm. One of the best.

I hope this helps.

Don

p.s. Whichever one you choose, I'd strongly suggest that you pick up a .22 conversion kit for the .226 or Glock. Other than the last two years, .22 has historically cost about 1/8th what quality 9mm costs. It will eventually get down there again. Having a .22 conversion allows you to pull the trigger on a gun you know 8x as many times for the same cost. If I'm practicing for a match with my Glock or 1911 I may practice drawing and firing the first shot 100 times with the .22 kit on it. (when you are only firing 1 shot the recoil difference is irrelevant) Eventually I switch to 9mm or .45 and finish up.

p.p.s. You should NOT EVER feel like "I'm not good enough to compete". Everyone was new at some point. As long as you check your ego at the door, people will bend over BACKWARDS to help you out. Unless you are a pro competing for money, its much more fun to watch other shooters do well. And even then, I've seen pros giving suggestions non-pros at high profile events.
 
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On the opposite end of the spectrum:

A P226 is not a hens tooth. I buy things, I shoot them, I sell them if I'm not in love.

I am not one to get sentimental about a mass produced product. If you miss it someday you can go out and buy another one. Convincing yourself you should hang on to things you don't enjoy because of potential legal changes is a good way to end up on one of those 'hoarders' shows someday.
 
EnglishBob said:
Ok, as you know I'm a relatively new shooter so this is a new experience. I'm bored with my p226... I'm assuming this can happen over time. How do you guys deal with it? Trade/sell it? throw it in the safe until you want to shoot it again?
Click to expand...

Unlike wives, you can have more than one gun without them getting crazy

Top 10 Reasons a Gun is Better than a Woman 10. You can trade an old 44 for a new 22.
9. You can keep one gun at home and have another for when you're on the road.
8. If you admire a friend's gun, and tell him so, he'll let you try it out a few times.
7. Your primary gun doesn't mind if you keep another gun for a backup.
6. Your gun will stay with you even if you run out of ammo.
5. A gun doesn't take up a lot of closet space.
4. Guns function normally every day of the month.
3. A gun doesn't ask, "Do these new grips make me look fat?"
2. A gun doesn't mind if you go to sleep after you use it.
And the number one reason a gun is favored over a woman....
1. YOU CAN BUY A SILENCER FOR THE GUN.
 
jpk said:
Unlike wives, you can have more than one gun without them getting crazy

Top 10 Reasons a Gun is Better than a Woman 10. You can trade an old 44 for a new 22.
9. You can keep one gun at home and have another for when you're on the road.
8. If you admire a friend's gun, and tell him so, he'll let you try it out a few times.
7. Your primary gun doesn't mind if you keep another gun for a backup.
6. Your gun will stay with you even if you run out of ammo.
5. A gun doesn't take up a lot of closet space.
4. Guns function normally every day of the month.
3. A gun doesn't ask, "Do these new grips make me look fat?"
2. A gun doesn't mind if you go to sleep after you use it.
And the number one reason a gun is favored over a woman....
1. YOU CAN BUY A SILENCER FOR THE GUN.
Click to expand...
Whoa !
 
jibbr71 said:
Are you bored with the gun, or bored with standing at the line shooting static paper targets? I would suspect the latter. If you haven't, take a basic defensive pistol class. You'll shoot a bunch, but more importantly, you'll get some drills that can make range time more fun and far more productive. You can really get most of the drills from YouTube.
Click to expand...


This. Learn to really shoot the gun.
 
Keep the 226 and buy something else. If you don't have a .22 pistol, get one and you might as well get a .22 rifle at the same time if you can financially.
 
Some of us sit and think of the ones we sold that we can't get back. A decent firearm is like money in the bank over time and if Massachusetts puts it on one of their "lists", it's like shite-ing out a gold brick. If it was a Kel Tec I'd say dump it, a 226...keeper.
 
It's just time to buy something new. Half the fun is researching and deciding what you want next. If you're generally pleased with the 226, and can afford it, just put it aside for awhile. But if you have to sell it to finance something new, and later regret selling it you can always buy another.
 
Best way to choose a new gun is to shoot a friends at the range

Or go to a commercial range and rent one of theirs
 
Still love my P226 and bought the 22lr conversion kit. Now it gets a lot more use at the range as a 22 and then I convert it back to my home defense handgun.
 
Enzo said:
Still love my P226 and bought the 22lr conversion kit. Now it gets a lot more use at the range as a 22 and then I convert it back to my home defense handgun.
Click to expand...

Thats one of the most attractive features of that model
 
EnglishBob said:
Ok, as you know I'm a relatively new shooter so this is a new experience. I'm bored with my p226... I'm assuming this can happen over time. How do you guys deal with it? Trade/sell it? throw it in the safe until you want to shoot it again?

It's a slow day, give me ideas. I'm leaning towards trading it, but should I be wary of trading out my first gun? (not that I'm sentimental at all).
Click to expand...

If I don't shoot it, I don't own it and I am looking for a spare 226 [wink]
 
I have a gun trading disease - there I said it. Trade / sell the P226 because they are easy to come by and you can always get another one. I owned Glocks, M&Ps, Ruger, Sig, Hk, 1911s, Browning HP, SW 617, 627.

The one that I shot the best was the P226
 
Kevski said:
I have a gun trading disease - there I said it. Trade / sell the P226 because they are easy to come by and you can always get another one. I owned Glocks, M&Ps, Ruger, Sig, Hk, 1911s, Browning HP, SW 617, 627.

The one that I shot the best was the P226
Click to expand...

You sold a HP?

 
Last edited by a moderator:

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