[fabsroman]

Believe me, I don't look down my nose at anything other than my work. I drive a 1998 Taurus with 150,000 miles on it because it gets the job done. My first o/u was an entry level Citori, and it did not hold up very well to my shooting. Then, I was shooting about 1,000 rounds a week. I would shoot on Wednesday night and all day Saturday or Sunday depending if hunting season was in. For $100 more, I could have gotten a gun with chromed barrels.

I just bought the Browning figuring that it was a good enough gun. Well, it wasn't. I bought a field gun for clays and it was a disaster. After that, I bought a Beretta 682 Trap Combo and I am still using it. I have spent some money on guns over the years, but I haven't had any problems with them other than cosmetic stuff.

What would really suck is buying a Stoeger, starting to shoot really well with it, and then having it break every other weekend so that you cannot shoot or you have to shoot with a gun you are not used to. I would find that to be more frustrating than saving my money to buy the right gun.

For instance, I am contemplating the purchase of an AR-10 and AR-15 right now. Problem is that the ones I am looking at are $1,500 and $2,500 respectively. The wife has already told me to buy them, but I am having a hard time swallowing the price tag. Granted, I could get something less expensive that would get the job done, but I have learned that I want to buy something that will last me decades, not years. I hope to get 10 years out of every car of mine, and am shooting for 20. Likewise, I want 30+ years out of my guns if they do not become outdated by technology.

Oh yeah, I also believe that you get what you pay for. My Taurus gets the job done because I use it to get from point A to B and to haul my dog, hunting equipment, and other stuff. However, if you want to pull 1 g on it, you are going to die.

If you are looking at shooting 500 rounds a month for the rest of your life, you might just be okay with a Stoeger.

Personally, I find nothing wrong with buying cheap guns, if they will do the task at hand. Just do not expect a less expensive gun to do the same thing as one that costs more.