I agree with everything you said. I once had an "older" P35 Browning with the regular hammer etc. LOVED IT! Stupidly sold it for a colt "Officers model" 45. One of the dumbest things I have ever done. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/doh.gif" alt="" /> This was WAY back in 1986. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif" alt="" />

I went the "cheap route" and replace on the Colt 45 I had "built" because of the price. I looked at all the "big guns" in the gun business but couldn't afford at least twice the price for a gun I just wanted and would not shoot very much. Now if I was going to shoot a lot I probably would have saved up for a while. I put about 350-400 rounds through it without a studder. Works fine for me. But whey you're young (40 and just retired from the Air Force, and single) I wanted a new toy right then, not down the road 6 months to a year.

I know what you mean about funds being hard to find when you need them ... my first expensive knives and my Sig were bought on what you guys would call "lay away" or "on tic" over here ... lol ... I even needed a fair old time to pay off the magazine's for my Sig P210 ... they were'nt cheap ... but as you say it depends a lot on how much you are going to shoot the pistol ... no sense spending a fortune if it is only going to get moderate use ...