Father Goose

This has saved me so much time and money: www.ammoseek.com

Vortex: Strikefire or Sparc Bushnell: TRS-25 Primary Arms: Micro Dot, Classic 30mm

I bought mine through Gallery of Guns via the Gun Genie. I think I paid ~$530 new (including transfer fees, background check, etc). However, I added an Apex FSS (polymer) and night sights later. +HD Image

At that price range, there are so many options. Aside from what others have mentioned, you could also look at Zeiss, Nightforce, and Leupold.

Got one of these recently; 453 lumens in a casing the size of my thumb. The build quality doesn't seem as nice as my Surefire, but it's still pretty awesome (~$55). Image ©EagleTac

Thanks all!   @whitewolf: LP (Ann Arbor area)

Next on the list is a bottle of Laphroaig Cairdeas Port Wood Edition :) Out of a few staple items too...meh.

Another vote for Benchmade!

I love mine :) + HD Image

Hey there! I moved down from Michigan about three years ago, so I'm not too new to the area. This past year, I finally got back to the firearms hobby after a long hiatus (way too many other things on the plate). Bought my first handgun late last year - M&P40 - and built my first AR between last year and this year (the ol' Mauser is quite jealous). Looking forward to many more years of safe fun and learning :)