Random thoughts...

Wait wait wait if im getting back $3k that means i can finally get the shotgun of my dreams <3 no way in hell im paying $1.6k of my regular paycheck money on that but seeing as tax return money was money i basically couldnt have from past paychecks...then im def gonna buy this thing

Or should i play it safe and just get a handgun for home defense and an AR for sport. These days its pretty shady to be empty handed.

I say get a subcompact pistol for self defense, Makarov size or smaller and a Saiga 12 shotgun. That way you can have the fun of a semi-automatic and a shotgun for a relatively low price. Should have around $1,000 leftover. Edit: Might not be $1,000 left over since sales tax doesn't exist in NH, nor does any sort of paperwork needed to buy a firearm.

@hell_hound7 I was not happy about that. Russian Vepr AK-74s and AKMs are unbreakable. But surprisingly the Romanian and Serbian options are extremely high in quality. Same with Polish firearms. These options last well over 10,000 rounds before the rivets begin to give out. However that is usually minimum lifespan. My Romanian WASR-10 has lasted a good 12,000 rounds with no issues so far. Minimal wear to the trunnion and the bolt is still rather nice. Even the Chinese AKs from the 90s are good. However do not buy Chinese anything made after 1995. NEVER buy American AKs such as the RAS-47 or the C39V2. By far the worst I have seen is the I.O. AKs. Those things end up with smashed bolt faces, trunnions that grind down before you reach the 5,000 round mark. With the RAS-47 or C39V2 I'd say their lifespan is around 7,000 rounds. I.O. on the other hand is around 3,000 on average. As much as the Russian versions are the finest, the Romanian, Polish, Serbian and Czech options are no joke either.