Originally Posted by Robulous78
I am not a first gun owner as the thread states, I am thinking mostly in the following ways about handguns...
1) is Ammo for it going to be a pain in the ass to get or a pain in the wallet to purchase?
Depends on how much you shoot. Prices are still a little high, but ammo is more available than it's been since the Great Panic of 2013. If cost is a concern, I would look at a caliber that's widely available and more cost effective...like 9mm. Remember, it doesn't matter how big a bullet you're shooting, if you're not making your hits, then it's all wasted.
2) can it be both CCW-ish and still have a good punch for self defense/home protection applications, hand feel, and if I am CCW I want a safety also....
Nothing wrong with 9mm for both. 9mm is very manageable and most double stack handguns hold about 20 rounds. I have both 9 and .45 for both CCW and home.
3) is it SIMPLE? does it come apart to clean easily? does it have 1000 pieces or 4?
XD's are by far the easiest to field strip. Glocks a close 2nd. But at some point, you will have to detail strip the firearm...and ALL of them come in lots of small pieces. But in a firefight, the worst you would have to do is field strip, and that's for a worst case scenario.
Field Strip - remove slide from frame, remove guide rod/recoil spring assembly, remove barrel...inspect and reassemble.
Detail Strip - take it down to the frame and bare slide for cleaning/maintenance.
The rest of what I rambled on up top are considerations also but I know you can't find EVERYTHING in 1 package...
You'd be surprised. My first handgun purchase was an XD .45 Compact. It's had upwards of 10k rounds through it...no malfunctions. Comes with a 10-round mag for carry, and a 13-round for home. But I added a mag extension for home, so it's really 17 rounds. Even has a rail for my light.
If I am going the AR route, my considerations are different,
Yup. AR's CAN be used for home defense, but are larger and have higher velocity rounds. Train with a handgun, take as many classes as you can to be proficient with a handgun...THEN move up to an AR for defense. Mine stays in the safe while I'm at home.
1) if I get the lower, what are my costs for "decent" parts to finish out the build, meaning to make a firing weapon, customization can come later...
$80 for a lower. Another $80 for a lower parts kit. $50 for the tools to assemble it yourself, could be more. $500-900 for a complete upper to bolt on to it. I built my AR that way and grand total was $875 using Spike's Tactical parts. If you've never had one, I say buy one already complete. Familiarize yourself with it, THEN venture into building your own.
2) is ammo an issue to find on these already? how about the future? how expensive is it now and how expensive will it/ can it be?
What others have said...ammo is available, and the prices will eventually come down. Key is to check the online places when they run deals on cases. AIMsurplus.com is one of my go-to's.
3) I want my build as close to the federal limits as possible, might as well get as close to the line as they let you in case they push it back later, what are they? are they more expensive to build towards, and whats the cost of a build like this run?
keep the barrel no shorter than 16", and no full auto. Anything shorter than 16" is a Short Barrel Rifle and requires a tax stamp. Full auto is a Class III item and requires a lot of paperwork and money. But most places will specify if their parts are SBR/III.
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