I'm not getting in line any time soon. There's 2,501 reasons not to. The first 2,500 are the cost, but the main one is I'm hoping to broker a deal on a used 12 bore 1100.

The ammo for the 9mm would be pretty much like the 38 spl - only the national brand, only 100 rounds every six months and in this case, only FMJ. One serious advantage is that the ammo they sell to civilians is the same as the Army uses. And the Army uses NATO Spec 9mm which the factory gets fairly close to decently done. The 38 spl, on the other hand, is sub par 158 gr RNL that only gets about 625 fps out of a 4" barrel. But I can hit what I'm aiming at up to 10 meters so will live with what I've got for the time being.

Still waiting to hear from the national shooting federation on what it will take to legally transfer the Remington. If it's doable I'll be doing some talking to the current proprietor ASAP. The federation, however, doesn't appear to be as eager to give info as I am to receive it. One advantage of the 12 bore is that the license is good for 10 years instead of requiring a tri annual renewal like the sixgun does. Oh, and if I can get the funds together they'll even sell me a case of ammo at a time.

For comparison, the price of the pistol sans ammunition or cleaning kit is roughly 8.3 MONTHLY salaries (minimum wage), and that's only the first hurdle. If one comes up with the money, then one ALSO has to prove "need". What does a poor factory worker in a rough neighborhood NEED a firearm for, anyway? Yours truly has been fortunate in that his nationality works for him since his native land foots a good part of the national defense budget AND it is recognized that his being from that land is a big risk factor to his continued well being in this area. It STILL doesn't get him off the hook from having to kowtow to every stupid suspension of carry rights due to some local official's whim or a visit from the Commander in Chief. But at least (so far) renewals have been routine. One reason the yearly membership fee for the hunting shooting federation is paid is that it helps "prove need", and should come in handy for obtaining a scattergun if ever one comes available that is transferable and the owner is able and willing to make the journey to the nation's capitol to do the paperwork. There is speculation that they WILL be available internationally, albeit at a far more reasonable cost than they are offered to the citizens of the nation that produces them. Oh, and down here? They are ALL "national property", subject to the whim of those in power as to if they will continue to be allowed to be in the possession of those who DO come up with the megabucks to obtain them. No wonder there's a thriving black market in things that go BANG. Trying to fulfill the myriad rules, regulations and Army officer whims is a royal pain in the rear, most folks still prefer to run the risk of 9-12 years in the pen if caught carrying an unregistered firearm instead of anteing up the required pile of cash to attempt to obtain one through official channels.