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I'm American and Turned 18 on the 16th...What HK Long Guns should I Consider?

8K views 64 replies 29 participants last post by  Sombra 
#1 ·
I say this as someone who's been behind current market trends since being American and watching SHOT Show YT videos has become increasingly socially taboo since my birth in 1999.

I.E. I know most Civilian-legal HK guns as per import law and my state laws (I'm in Washington currently, considering a move to NM or AZ permanently.)

Any suggestions?
 
#5 ·
Almost nothing given $25 in Birthday money is my net worth. Without estimating the value of my personal property, anyway.

I've been told by SIG fans that the HK price premium for more modern ones (I've been a fan of the P30 since a P30L V3 was my first experience firing a 9mm handgun.) is why they prefer SIG-Sauer overall. As a fan of the P938, MK25, and M11/P228, they have a point.

I might get a bolt action .308 under 6 pounds as per "Scout Rifle" technical specs first and foremost, but the MR556A1 and MR762A1, the weight due to import/export restriction in Germany and the Us forcing HK to have a pro-accuracy heavy barrel among other less consumer-friendly add-ons and missing features (I.E. True glow in the dark night sights due to the substances used in night sights being often radioactive, such as tritium, as far as my understanding of what tritium/German law is.) that make them both heavier than is ideal for a general purpose semi-auto, and bad for H&K internationally with its reputation for being more about its military contracts than its civilian market outside of Germany, and especially overseas, despite Colion Noir's opinion of the MR556 being favorable despite the weight.

Might look into the HK91 as per D5K's post, though. A SBR'd MP5 clone in 9mm (If the 91 is as per my memory a civilian legal limited import version of the MP5 as it stands as a modified G3 receiver on the "HK-slap" friendly design of both the MP5 and the G3 and its semi-auto equivalents for civilian use.)

The HK53 has been on my radar since reading about its use by Alaska's SWAT equivalent, however.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Given the financial statement above....you are not getting into a clone let alone an actual HK rifle. And this is looking like a possible troll thread.
 
#7 ·
I assure you I wouldn't troll on a forum for a topic I am passionate about. It frankly is rude and insulting that you'd even imply such a thing about me.

And I never said it'd even be this year that I first buy a gun in, did I? It doesn't have to be a nigh immediate purchase to be something I've been researching since age 13; when my first account here was most likely deleted without me being duly informed at the time on whether it was or, if so, why.
 
#11 ·
it just depends on what you wanna do, do you wanna shoot? or do you want an investment? if youre looking at zenith mp5k i'd highly suggest just saving up for sp5k... it's really a much better deal. Yeah you don't get the paddle mag or the 3 lug. sp5k comes with a lifetime warranty though and isn't really as gimped as zeniths and stuff despite lacking paddle mag and 3 lug. You might want to wait though, there could be all sorts of surprises coming up.
 
#12 ·
it just depends on what you wanna do, do you wanna shoot? or do you want an investment? if you're looking at zenith mp5k i'd highly suggest just saving up for sp5k... it's really a much better deal. Yeah you don't get the paddle mag or the 3 lug. sp5k comes with a lifetime warranty though and isn't really as gimped as zeniths and stuff despite lacking paddle mag and 3 lug. You might want to wait though, there could be all sorts of surprises coming up.
Given certain life events, I'm more into firearms as SD/Home defense means and tools with which to hone marksmanship as a discipline than, say, hunting. (I'm too squeamish about death and gore for that, my moral obligations to hunting for anything but the potential food intake or taxidermy-related endeavors aside.) So any HK I do buy, new, used, or whatever other condition you can think of, will be in calibers I like for their ballistic qualities for accuracy and relative comfort with the right factor weapon and aftermarket accessories, i.e. 9mm-.45 ACP in pistols or pistol caliber carbines, .22 all the way up to .308 or 30-06 in semi-auto or bolt rifles.

And you make a good point about the Zeniths, but the Sp5K seems a little too undermined in the looks and feature departments by German export and American import restrictions for my tastes in the actual MP5K and MP5K-PDW variants aesthetically and practically, feature wise.
 
#13 ·
You mentioned an HK53. That would be my vote. I have a Vector and Century HK53s clone, it is my absolute favorite HK platform. The vector is a much better, nicer and more reliable rifle. You can typically pick up a Vector for $1000-1500 bucks, the Century's are $600-800. Both CAN have issues, but most issues can be fixed on your own with some research.

If you want a really nice range rifle that you can sit at a bench and shoot 100+ yards then look at a HK91 or clone, or if you are really saving up then get an MR556 or MR762
 
#14 ·
I do intend to save up short-to-long term, but the fact all of my disposable income currently is that 25 USD of mine (Two years looking for work in a Right to Work state is nothing without unpaid internships, my diploma, or a degree that's at least an Associate's or Bachelors in the US' current job market, sadly.) makes it difficult for now. I might be able to swing employment at a local branch of the Pawn One brand of stores in my part of the world and the US, but it's tricky given this location's gun counter is both run by much older people than me, and the fact that, again, being pro-gun and a five year gun community member at age 18 after certain events post 1999 in the Us gets you a LOT of weird looks, if not outright objective disgust, from most people in a state as domestically liberal and anti gun as WA tends to be post I-594.
 
#15 ·
Hmmmm.....not seeing anything to change my initial assessment. Have fun
 
#16 ·
I am trying to with what little fun guns can be on a bad day in history, at times, for RKBA being an increasingly feeble right to defend from a legal perspective, the 2nd Amendment aside, on all levels in the USG's various jurisdictions, so thank you for the bid of enjoyment of my as of late legal hobby. :)
 
#19 ·
Buy a few mags for the rifle you want, and ammo, etc. Start there, then save up for the rifle. I did that with my first purchsed rifle when I was about your age. It was a nice Romy G AKM with beautiful red wood furniture. Worked at Dollar General at the time. Once I'm set on buying a new firearm, I always start with ammo and mags first. Sort of a tradition. I like to have parts for my guns too.
 
#30 ·
Hey Gonad, D9 just laid some wisdom on you. Most of the dudes around here are a little older and more established in life and our common love for quality Hk's. earn your way into it, nothing will be given to you. Start small, work your way up. It seemed like you came out of the gate at 100 mph and were still attempting to find a direction. For the most part, we are pretty laid back here. Welcome to the site. There are quite a few highly experienced and knowledgeable people here to learn from. Good luck with your studies and goals you have set forth.
 
#31 ·
Certain things, historically and in contemporary times still, as controversial as they can be in the US as a self-identified Democratic-Socialist like Senator Sanders has been called in the time since his campaign for the American population's support going back to at least early 2016 with the DNC/RNC primaries, given the role of socialism in 20th and 21st Century history of the world, especially, led, in part, to his loss in the Democratic Primary and subsequent, the support of the DNC or its affiliated that came from supporting Senator Clinton's 2016 bid for campaigning to be elected POTUS, with social welfare increasingly controversial in the US these days in some conservative circles, give me cause to say without a shadow of a doubt that I do, in fact, have the opinion, as an unemployed adult in a RtW US state, that, regardless of my merit and such which make being on EBT growing up less taboo to some Americans, the fact that a capitalistic society will not "hand" me anything is abundantly clear to me.

At the level that is long-term, however, people who suggest or are suggesting HK long guns based on my current amount of disposable income and being unemployed in the technical and legal sense (No first job yet despite my best efforts since roughly November of 2015, however variably is expressed, often, in variably obvious degrees to outside scrutiny since then.) aren't giving me much relevant to the motif of these boards to give cause to me to think this topic worth it's weight in bandwidth required to load it with great speed currently to let you get back to your lives as you all likely have legal requirement or contractual obligation to make most adults, especially your employers, happy in a world of all at-will employment, all the time, as per current US and WA state laws on such things.
 
#32 ·
This is one of the funniest/weirdest threads I've read through in a long time. I've done so with a great big grin on my face.

But here's my sincere suggestion.

Make a list of all of the firearms you will want to buy and think you could afford during the next 5-10 years. Separate this list into two lists with a short lineup of 5 or so priorities. Then start saving and watch for a screaming deal for anything on either list on gb or forums like this. I'm 31, I started when I was about 22 and I currently have more of a collection than I thought I would ever accumulate in my lifetime. When I was your age my lists looked about like this:

Short
-AR15
-Mark 23
-HK 91
-22 handgun
-22 rifle

Long List
-Short Shotgun
-Field Shotgun
-AK
-PSG1
-M1 Garand
-1903a4
-USP's
-Custom bolt gun

Remember too, all of the money you spend on ammo is gone forever, most of the money you spend on accessories/parts you'll never see again, but money spent on plain old used centerfire firearms can potentially be used over and over again.
 
#37 ·
GtN, We have all been where you are right now. Some of us have had a fortune invested in various guns only to have difficulty and lose them all. Some of us build our collections slower and more carefully than others who buy the arm d'jour and forget them in a corner of the safe where the rest of the gun sediment collects over the years. There's nothing wrong with dreaming, planning and scheming if that is what gets you to the goal eventually. My advice is for someone of your age to solve the cash flow problem as the 1st priority and, as you have done here, research so that when your iron is hot, you can strike with power and precision. I encourage you to get what you can as soon as reasonable and get training.....real training; professional training. It may not seem like it now, but you have a lifetime to amass and refine your collection. Best to build a financial foundation first. Good luck, brother.
 
#38 ·
18 and can't find work.....join the Military. By the end of this year you will have all the money you need to start buying weapons, HK or otherwise.
 
#46 ·
I'm actually native English fluent by birth and formal education. I took two AP English classes at my local High School (In Kitsap, WA) for two years of my time there, and am not an idiot that uses acronyms and slang English terms willy-nilly online as if it all an IM or text messaging service from a Phone or Internet Service Provider.
 
#47 · (Edited)
I'm actually native English fluent by birth and formal education. I took two AP English classes at my local High School (In Kitsap, WA) for two years of my time there, and am not an idiot that uses acronyms and slang English terms willy-nilly online as if it all an IM or text messaging service from a Phone or Internet Service Provider.
Sorry NO American 18 yo is going to use that term.

Plus if the way you phrase things is the product of American AP English classes then heaven help us.
 
#53 ·
I would suggest you get a handgun. seeing as how you maybe starting college soon money will be tight. When I was 18, I went on my local gun trading website and found a LNIB USP9 for $650. In my state the laws were okay with me buying from a private individual. I went to and bought a a ton of stuff to make it a faux USP9SD. I'm now 25 and have amassed a nice collection of Hk handguns, have some stupid expensive toys, and am looking to build some more. it takes time to get into the HK game, but trust me its worth it!
 
#55 ·
Resorting to ad hominem while I'm offline serves to help nobody do anything productive in this thread.

Sextus said:
I would suggest you get a handgun. seeing as how you maybe starting college soon money will be tight. When I was 18, I went on my local gun trading website and found a LNIB USP9 for $650. In my state the laws were okay with me buying from a private individual. I went to and bought a a ton of stuff to make it a faux USP9SD. I'm now 25 and have amassed a nice collection of Hk handguns, have some stupid expensive toys, and am looking to build some more. it takes time to get into the HK game, but trust me its worth it!
Thanks, I'll take this into consideration, but WA's laws have been strict with the Youth Handgun Safety Act and I-594 having been on the books for a few years each, at least, but I might look into a USP .45 and my old favorite, the V3 P30 9x19 from my first outing to a range, if I can find anything that'd allow me to purchase without, say, going to Arizona for pro-gun legislature and such.

Cheers.
 
#56 ·
GTN,

As a fellow resident of WA and a gun owner here for, hm, probably a couple decades, our local gun culture is actually quite strong (yes, in spite of recent initiatives). City dwellers will be much less familiar with firearms than suburban and rural folks, though. I don't hide my interest but I also don't broadcast it and I do keep in mind the company I'm with.

There is actually quite a lot available to us (for now).

Copule issues:

Hand Guns
These you won't be able to legally acquire in WA until you're 21 years of age. However, they'll tend to be the more affordable firearms.


Rifles / Long Guns
As you know, you can legally buy these at age 18. However, the HK long guns are expensive. To the point that as someone with a household income in the (very) low six-figures I still don't see the value in them. They are awesome but I can't bring myself to pony up the money for genuine HK guns. That said, I am appreciating the HK Clone market. They are still expensive but more accessible and based on the HK design. I might suggest looking there as others have suggested also.


I-594 / Purchasing
As much as I want to puke thinking about I-594, I have conducted some sales under the new rules. It was enough of a PITA that under other circumstances I'd just assume buy new as it's not worth the hassle for the price discount of a used gun. However, I was the seller trying to raise cash for my own new rifle purchases and went where the buyers were (some local, some out of state). It was still a PITA of coordinating a sale with a buyer, and then finding a gun shop that was open and mutually convenient to go do the in-store background check. But we got through it.

Otherwise, all of my purchases have been new firearms to date and I-594 didn't impact those in any way. Even my on-line purchases (which are required to be shipped direct to my FFL) weren't impacted by I-594. I wish it wasn't voted on but it hasn't slowed me down.


Specific Suggestions
This will depend entirely on your interest but I would factor ammo costs into the equation, too. I recently picked up a PTR91 (HK 91 clone) and as much as I love it I went into it knowing I'll be shooting it less often than other guns due to the cost of .308 ammunition. But the rifle was ~$1k, magazines are ~$5 ea, and I really like the design. It's a relatively cheap(er) HK patterned rifle. So . . . I bought on. That said, YOU need to determine what YOU want. Figure out the intersection between your interest and your budget and then start saving up.

HK MP5-22
I have one and it's one damn fun plinker! Cheap to purchase ($350-ish on Armslist all day long or ~$475 new). Cheap to shoot (.22lr is till cheap vs. other ammo). Gives you the form factor and feel of the MP5 without costing you 4x as much or more. Hard not to recommend this to start with. Plus, you can have a lot of fun with this while saving up (which may be a while), then sell this to put you over the top on a different rifle.

Century C93 (.223)
It's like an MP5 but in .223. The magazines are a little expensive and the .223 cartridges are more than 9mm but. Damn, hard to beat the price.

Vector V53 / V93 (.223)
A nicer rifle than the C93 but otherwise "the same thing", a .223 MP5. Cost is more but still much less than a 9mm MP5.

PTR91 (.308)
Solid rifle, well built, amazingly affordable for a ".308 battle rifle." Mags are cheap and plentiful but the ammo is expensive.


Try Before You Buy
This is going to be rough right now but if you can, try before you buy. You might find you don't really like how a gun shoots or handles. And it would be good to find that out before dropping serious coin. If you develop a social circle of fellow gun owners you can try each other's stuff out when you go shooting. I have a few friends I do this with. Also, ranges sometimes have rental guns you can try out. They most likely won't have any HK long guns but they might have some of the newer pistol offerings. Point being, it's good to have experience with a wide variety of guns to make an informed decision on. And I do recognize this will be tough with your funding situation. Rental fees, range fees, and ammo costs add up fast.


Oh, and the reason everyone is giving you grief is . . . . . we've all been in your shoes before.


Take a breath, slow down, focus and tackle this one step at a time. Some patients AND determination will go a long way and you're going to need both. As you hit 18 and get out into the adult world you'll be surprised how much of your income is eaten up with necessities. But if you work hard you can make a go at this. If you're determined, a second job can help finance some extra toys. After all, what else are you going to do in the evenings watch TV? Surf the internet? Or make some money?

Best of luck.
 
#57 ·
Kid, your AP lit and grammar classes might have taught some formulas, but they leave one wanting in life. Communication is far more than diction and parlance. So here's some free advice; get some life experience before you act like you've got it figured out. Stop trying so hard fake a pedigree you don't have, to impress people who don't care.

Save your hithertoos and wherefores for sonnets written in iambic pentameter, or law school. If you want to speak like an educated man, and be able to dine with peasants and with kings, you're studying the wrong things.

Go read some Hemingway. Put your energy into acquiring gainful employment, and self improvement...the life kind. Nothing makes dreams a reality like hard work. Yes, it sounds cliche and old fashioned, but how do you think things become old fashioned and cliche? They stick around forever because people repeat them...because they're true.
 

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