Amen to what the Sarge says....Sadly, this is a business that usually requires some hard lessons be learned. There is so much to know about the history and technology, let alone what your personal preferences and, (dare I say the "n" word, well OK) NEEDS are. I've spent easily $400 on just old books and magazine subscriptions, let alone some of the clunkers I just had to have. (Just having access to Drew's seemingly endless depth and breadth of gun-related information is worth that here!)
Besides having the old gun above the toilet to remind you, please remember to always do your homework before parting with the cash. This web page is a wealth of knowledge that didn't exist even a few years ago. If you avail yourself of this and some of the other fonts of knowledge out there, your next trip to the figurative alter with a doublegun should be a much brighter experience.
Words to live by for us all!
LM