Disclaimer: this thread is not about gun control. It is not about gun related legislation. There's in depth discussions about it in the debates forum. Those discussions belong there. Please don't bring it up in here.
Up until a couple weeks ago I'd only ever fired basic hunting rifles and some shotguns. 30-06's, a 30-30, several different .22's, a .270, and both 20 and 12 gauge shotguns. I'd wanted to get a pistol for a long time, but was never quite sure what I wanted. After a recent trip to a gun shop spent fondling pretty much everything they had under the counter I bought a Glock 17.
The 9mm kicks more than I expected it to, but it's not bad really, I just need more practice. I can at least put all the shots on the paper on a small 25yard slow fire pistol target. I don't carve a big hole in the center or anything, but they're on there, which is pretty satisfying since I've only fired about 8 mags worth of cheapy Wolf range ammo in it to date. I figure more practice and I'll be fine.
Any favorite recommendations for a next pistol? Right now I'm eyeballing a Springfield XDm, but it's only available in .40 at the moment and demands a bit of a price premium over the regular XD. I've wanted a Kimber 1911 for ages, or maybe a Springfield GI. I don't know. Sway me!
Now on to my other impulse purchase. I bought an AR-15. Oh my is it ever fun. It's hard to use at past about 75 yards because the stock front A2 style sight post is huge and covers up a lot of the target area, but whatever. It's fun and I won't have to worry about that soon. New upper with 20 inch barrel and free float tube here I come.
And another question: any ideas on optics for the AR? Brands to avoid? I keep seeing decent deals on stuff from Barska, Bushnell, Millet, and a couple of other brands, but have no idea what's best of the bunch or of it's all comparable. I have time to think on it, as right now I'm pretty sure the front sight post would be majorly in the way of anything I buy and it'll be a good month and a half before I can afford to get the new upper with the longer barrel and the flip up/down front and rear sights.
Sidenote: We took a little Mossberg 12 gauge out a while back. I was initially afraid to shoot it, as it has a plain old pistol grip with no stock. The gun stops where I'm not normally used to a gun with an 18" barrel stopping. After a friend fired it I grew a pair and gave it a shot though. It's fun.
As for handguns, I like wheel guns and have a Ruger Security Six .357 Mag
I also own a 1936 Model 98 8mm Mauser, a Winchester 1200 12-gauge, and an old 22.
I have a pistol grip and slug barrel for the 12ga which converts it into the perfect zombie killer.
I've fired the AR-15 before and it's a nice gun, but compared to the 8mm canon, it's very light weight. I was able to purchase a large quantity of 1942 8mm Finnish machine-gun rounds that I fire through Ol' Hildegarde. The kick moves me back a pace.
Do you have a safe place to keep your weapons? I have a 6 year old and don't want her getting her into trouble. I have a nice gun safe bolted to the basement wall and keep the ammo locked up separately.
I bought an AR-15.
What brand? What specs?
And another question: any ideas on optics for the AR? Brands to avoid?
Well... that's a question that merits it's own question. What do you want to do with your optic? There's a lot of things that fall under that term.
Any favorite recommendations for a next pistol? Right now I'm eyeballing a Springfield XDm, but it's only available in .40 at the moment and demands a bit of a price premium over the regular XD. I've wanted a Kimber 1911 for ages, or maybe a Springfield GI. I don't know. Sway me!
If you've never shot a 1911 I highly recommend you try before you buy.
I personally have never shot an XD but I have several friends who are owners and they positively love them. One of them, a grizzled old Marine who feels that we should still be fielding M14's, says the XD is the best pistol he's ever used.
I like your loadout! Throw in red dot sights, RPGx2, Stopping Power + Deep Penetration, and you're good to go!
Alas, I have given my guns to my brother-in-law. However, my Dad is now bugging me to come get his guns. He has a customized Marlin 30-30 lever action that he had a scope mounted to. It's an extremely sweet gun.
I was also surprised at how much the 9mm kicks. It has a very sharp recoil. I've often heard about how bad the .45 ACP is, but I found it to be more of a slow pull and seemed more managable.
I don't have the opportunity to do so anymore, but I used to love plinking with .22 LR. Handguns or rifles, I'm not particular. Absolutely one of my favorite activities. I've just found any gun in that caliber to be fun to shoot, easy to manage, and generally simple to operate. Ammunition is so cheap that I don't feel guilty blowing through a few hundred rounds at a time.
I have an oldish (1969 or so) Browning Hi Power 9mm that was my dad's service pistol. I've only put maybe a few hundred rounds through it at the range and it's in practically mint condition. I dig it but the hammer drives me crazy, constantly destroying the web between my thumb and hand on recoil. I'm actually more tempted someday to get a shotgun for home defense over the pistol but I can't rationalize a firearm purchase at this time.
I had an older thread with my collection but I have,
Some repeating rifle from 1973
Stainless steel Luger from Texas
Some other 9MM that I forgot.
Browning Hi Power 9mm
Chinese SKS.
Some tiny 9mm from Spain called Star Firestar M-43, 9mm.
Lastly a .357 Magnum from Taurus Brasil, yet it is branded with Miami, FL on it.
And 27 other firearms I am waiting on to inherit. Once I am done with my bike purchase, I would love to look for a pistol gripped shotgun and short barrel for the home. After that an AR-15 like Thin_J or the like. It just depends on the other 27 firearms or so I have coming to me. I don't know what I am getting I just know I am getting something.
I own an russian siaga (I think thats the right spelling) ak-47 and a Mossberg 12 Guage riot gun. I used to own a Walther P99, but I sold it to buy a paintball gun (at the time it seemed like a good idea but now I hate that I sold it).
I really need to get to a range again. Its been nearly 2 or 3 years I bet.
Sadly the ak is post ban so its only 10 round. I was an idiot and bought it at a show and they told me it would use the 30 round clips (which they gave me 3 of). I'm not about to modify it to accept them so some year I want to get a preban. it will "use" the 30 round clips in that it will load and fire one round... then the second round will get jammed into the shell. Which would be bad!
Now on to the topic at hand! I fully expect participation from at least a couple of people around here. Quintin, Paleo, I'm eyeballing you
Reporting as ordered.
The 9mm kicks more than I expected it to, but it's not bad really, I just need more practice. I can at least put all the shots on the paper on a small 25yard slow fire pistol target. I don't carve a big hole in the center or anything, but they're on there, which is pretty satisfying since I've only fired about 8 mags worth of cheapy Wolf range ammo in it to date. I figure more practice and I'll be fine.
Huh. Well, the frame being plastic means a light-weight pistol, and light = more felt recoil. Generally your choice in frame is polymer (lightest), aluminum alloy, or steel (heaviest). If you get a chance to fire a steel-framed 9mm, see how it compares in terms of recoil.
Personally it's the Glock trigger safety I've never been able to get used to. But then, my main pistol is a 1911 single-action, and the two are practically as different as night and day.
Any favorite recommendations for a next pistol? Right now I'm eyeballing a Springfield XDm, but it's only available in .40 at the moment and demands a bit of a price premium over the regular XD. I've wanted a Kimber 1911 for ages, or maybe a Springfield GI. I don't know. Sway me!
Weeelll, depends on what you really want out of it. Just the joy of plinking? Of owning? Personally, I don't see that the XDm differs significantly enough from the Glock to warrant getting one so soon after the other. Experiment with some rentals. Rent a steel-framed .45 or a .357 revolver (assuming your local range rents). But also don't fear the .40.
And another question: any ideas on optics for the AR? Brands to avoid? I keep seeing decent deals on stuff from Barska, Bushnell, Millet, and a couple of other brands, but have no idea what's best of the bunch or of it's all comparable. I have time to think on it, as right now I'm pretty sure the front sight post would be majorly in the way of anything I buy and it'll be a good month and a half before I can afford to get the new upper with the longer barrel and the flip up/down front and rear sights.
Is the front sight removable? And it's hard to tell in the photo, but it looks like your rear sight/carrying handle is mounted on a rail rather than being permanently attached.
My recommendation would be a red-dot sight, though it's not based on personal experience firing AR-15s. If you want to retain the iron sights you've got, maybe look into getting a replacement front sight with flip-up/flip-down capability. That way you could leave it on and flip up when using the iron sights, flip down if you put a red-dot sight or scope on it.
Sidenote: We took a little Mossberg 12 gauge out a while back. I was initially afraid to shoot it, as it has a plain old pistol grip with no stock. The gun stops where I'm not normally used to a gun with an 18" barrel stopping. After a friend fired it I grew a pair and gave it a shot though. It's fun. Highly recommended in the event of a zombie invasion. Or a burglar. You know... whichever.
I haven't really had the urge to install a pistol-grip only stock on my Mossberg.
(at the time it seemed like a good idea but now I hate that I sold it).
I feel the same way about selling my S&W M29.
Sadly the ak is post ban so its only 10 round. I was an idiot and bought it at a show and they told me it would use the 30 round clips (which they gave me 3 of). I'm not about to modify it to accept them so some year I want to get a preban. it will "use" the 30 round clips in that it will load and fire one round... then the second round will get jammed into the shell. Which would be bad!
Well, it's not called pre-ban any more since the ban expired, I guess it's post-post-ban. Are you sure they're not just really really shitty 30-round clips?
painthappens wrote:(at the time it seemed like a good idea but now I hate that I sold it).
I feel the same way about selling my S&W M29.
Sadly the ak is post ban so its only 10 round. I was an idiot and bought it at a show and they told me it would use the 30 round clips (which they gave me 3 of). I'm not about to modify it to accept them so some year I want to get a preban. it will "use" the 30 round clips in that it will load and fire one round... then the second round will get jammed into the shell. Which would be bad!Well, it's not called pre-ban any more since the ban expired, I guess it's post-post-ban. Are you sure they're not just really really shitty 30-round clips?
I don't know could be but I doubt it. I have a friend who modified some 30 round clips (added a small plate when the round loads to lift it up) and they feed perfect into his ak as well as mine. My 30 rounders won't load into either his or mine past the first round.
why didn't someone tell me the ban was lifted?? Where the hell was I when this happened?
Generally though, this is just for range use and general shooting practice. I'd stick with the iron sights but the stock A2 front sight post is huge on this thing and I can't do anything with it past about 75 yards.
Is the sight exceptionally large or are you using small targets? Have you considered switching to a 6 o'clock hold?
painthappens wrote:(at the time it seemed like a good idea but now I hate that I sold it).
I feel the same way about selling my S&W M29.
I hope you two learned your lesson, guns are for buying not for selling.
paint: Saiga (a local name for a gazelle variety in Central Asia). An AK-74 derivative hunting carbine, as far as I know.
The front sight seeming too large might be partly due to the short sight radius. It might be me having perspective issues with the picture; but it seems like your upper is an M4 upper with the extra length (5-6 inches) added after the front sight. Maybe you'd like an A2 or A4 upper better.
I'd kill someone for any of the Fulton Armory M14's.
I hope you two learned your lesson, guns are for buying not for selling.
Yessir.
Quintin Stone wrote:Is the front sight removable?
Not without a hammer and a punch, which I'm not sure I'm willing to do.
You can also see if you can find a local smith to do it for you, and have them install a more suitable replacement if you can find one you prefer.
Honestly? Variety. I like the Glock. I do. I think I'll be a pretty solid shot with it after some more practice at the range. But I just.. want something different too. I guess that would be the joy of owning :P
Hey, nothing wrong with that as far as I'm concerned! I just don't know that you'll get much variety there. Aren't they both DAO striker-fired polymer framed handguns with double-stack mags? The major differences seem to be caliber and aesthetics.
Bah... I'm not a big gun owner, and I don't go to the range much, every few months I blow away some cans with my only firearm, a 12-gauge shotgun, to make sure I remember how it works. (unsure of the brand, I'll look when I get home)
The only reason I have it is for home defense. I can use it well, and I've never even heard of someone staying upright after a mid to close-range application of 12-gauge buckshot. (Well, once, but he was on PCP anc coke. So, no surprises there.) I've got it in my room, with shells handy, as my son is in florida (That's a mess and a half), so I don't really have any specific setup for it. (It's kept unloaded, safety on obviously) After I get my son back, I'll be getting a small gun case I can lock and bolt to the wall.
That being said, I've got some serious envy for some of those. (My personal preference is for a Beretta 9mm handgun as opposed to a glock, dunno why, the grip fits me better.) What I really want is a nice hefty .45 revolver. Of course, I'm broke, so that's not likely to happen for a loooong time.
(Though, from a pure fun perspective, I'd like to have one of those ARs)
The only firearm I own is a Stoeger Couger 8000 9mm handgun given to me by my father last summer. It's lots of fun at the range and it doesn't kick too bad either. I'd like to get a 22 of some sort since they're so cheap and fun to shoot at the range.
Something to be said for a nice 1911 .45, don't have to go to crazy if you have a budget. A Springfield GI is a nice piece. Kimbers are nice, stay away from their compacts though, a lot of shits been talked on the forums regarding the compacts.
Plinking, I love my P22, with a suppressor is damn near silent(I can only hear the slide on mine when its fired), cheaper then the target 22's and isn't totally inaccurate.
OR you can man up and get a class 3 :). A .50 Barret is always a fun step up. Out of my budget though.
Renji wrote:I'd like to get a 22 of some sort since they're so cheap and fun to shoot at the range.
If you want a rimfire pistol to just plink with get a Ruger Mark III. It's what pretty much everybody I've talked to recommends for that. If you want a .22 rifle then your options balloon out into the hundreds.
Ruger 10/22 is the way to go. Or 77/22 if you prefer the bolt action. Either one is customizeable to the nines with after-market parts.
I knew there was something I liked about this forum.
The Glock is a nice weapon-- indeeed, it was my first pistol as well-- but I find the 17 to be really "snotty," by which I mean it kicks like it's throwing a tantrum whenever you pull the trigger. My second was a Sig Sauer 226, which is put together like a swiss watch and doesn't buck half as bad in my hands as the Glock despite being the same caliber.
For 9mm, though, I cannot recommend the Browning High Power enough. I find it doesn't kick too hard for me, but your mileage may vary.
If you can't try before you buy, the next best thing is to make sure you have a good fit in your hand. Shopping for a handgun is like shopping for shoes. Does it fit? Do your fingers bunch up under the trigger guard? Is the trigger pull comfortable (ask the dealer before you dry fire as a courtesy)? Does the right part of your finger rest on the trigger so you can squeeze it instead of pulling it?
You might consider a revolver for something different. They tend to kick harder than automatics because the only thing absorbing recoil is you, but they're certainly fun to shoot. Don't fall for Dirty Harry syndrome, however. You'll notice that in just about every gun shop you visit, there will be a large selection of lightly used 44 revolvers. There's a reason for that.
For revolvers, if you've got the bucks and live in a state where it's legal to buy one, you cannot go wrong with a Colt Python (I live in Massachusetts. Colts are illegal to buy new here, and used ones sell at a premium, but that's off topic so I'll say no more about it.) My father bought one chambered in .357 (which also accepts .38, by the way) and he loves it to pieces. If you don't have the money, Ruger makes a fine double action revolver for the money. Not as nice as the Colt, but still a nice piece of machinery.
Ruger's single six is simply the most fun I've ever had shooting a single-action revolver. I found one with a 10 inch barrel chambered in .22, with cylinders set up for .22 long and .22 magnum.
Finally, while I'm on the subject of Rugers, they make a very nice pistol in .45. It breaks down easier than the Glock (which is saying something) and it actually shoots better with crappy, cheap ammunition.
I'm afraid I can't help you on the optics for your AR. I have one myself (Bushmasters-- Dear Old Dad bought it for me when I graduated college Magna Cum Laude) and I love shooting it. I use plain iron sights, but I don't shoot it much past 50 yards due to the limitations of my range. (Not as big as I'd like, but it's within a mile of my house and it has an indoor range so I can't complain) I've used Bushnell and Norinko optics, and I prefer the Norinko but as Reaper said, it depends on what you want to do. I've long lusted after a set of holographic sights, but haven't brought myself to spend the money yet.
Man, this is making me want to get back out to the range. I haven't been out since my wife got pregnant with our daughter because we live in a 2 bedroom flat, and I was worried about the fumes from the cleaning solvents. Now our daughter is a year old, and I haven't gone because it's difficult to find the time, or to justify going off to the range and leaving my wife to take care of the baby on the weekends.
When she gets old enough, though, I look forward to teaching her to shoot. Dear old Dad bought her a Daisy Red Ryder air rifle (with a compass in the stock) before he even knew whether it was a boy or a girl (he bought a blue bow and a pink bow, so he was covered either way), so she's all set to go. I'll teach her better than to put a paper target on a metal backstop, like Ralphie.
Something to be said for a nice 1911 .45, don't have to go to crazy if you have a budget. A Springfield GI is a nice piece. Kimbers are nice, stay away from their compacts though, a lot of shits been talked on the forums regarding the compacts.
Plinking, I love my P22, with a suppressor is damn near silent(I can only hear the slide on mine when its fired), cheaper then the target 22's and isn't totally inaccurate.OR you can man up and get a class 3 :). A .50 Barret is always a fun step up. Out of my budget though.
Bah! 50 caliber rifles? Nah, get a fifty caliber handgun instead.
You might consider a revolver for something different. They tend to kick harder than automatics because the only thing absorbing recoil is you, but they're certainly fun to shoot. Don't fall for Dirty Harry syndrome, however. You'll notice that in just about every gun shop you visit, there will be a large selection of lightly used 44 revolvers. There's a reason for that.
But those are so fun to shoot! It almost feels like you dont have to actually hit your targets just get close to them is good enough
On a serious note. This is something i've been meaning to check into, but what are the laws for gun ownership. I inherited all my dad's guns. I've yet to register them or anything. I dont even keep them with me. They're at moms and on holidays it's been a tradition to bring ammo and we'll all go out and shoot them and then break them down to clean. I'm also looking into buying some new ones. So should i register my dad's guns at the same time i buy my new ones?
The only firearm I own is a Stoeger Couger 8000 9mm handgun given to me by my father last summer. It's lots of fun at the range and it doesn't kick too bad either. I'd like to get a 22 of some sort since they're so cheap and fun to shoot at the range.
If 9mm was such a great caliber, we would have had a new Pope a long time ago. Man up and get a .45.
If you want a rimfire pistol to just plink with get a Ruger Mark III. It's what pretty much everybody I've talked to recommends for that. If you want a .22 rifle then your options balloon out into the hundreds.
Nah. Go to gun shows and look for the MkII. The loaded chamber indicator and magazine release safety on the Mk3 are not improvements and they make takedown exponentially more difficult.
When it comes to 22 rifles for plinking, the 10/22 is the way to go. If you need accuracy, go with the Anschutz or Cooper.
Something to be said for a nice 1911 .45, don't have to go to crazy if you have a budget. A Springfield GI is a nice piece. Kimbers are nice, stay away from their compacts though, a lot of shits been talked on the forums regarding the compacts.
Plinking, I love my P22, with a suppressor is damn near silent(I can only hear the slide on mine when its fired), cheaper then the target 22's and isn't totally inaccurate.OR you can man up and get a class 3 :). A .50 Barret is always a fun step up. Out of my budget though.
I just got my first federal stamp for my AA Pilot. I'm getting it fitted to my Ruger Mk2 and 10/22 later this month.
I have a 1911 and have owned several. I love it, but wouldn't recommend it for a first time handgun owner.
I'd kill someone for any of the Fulton Armory M14's.
I work about 4 miles from Fulton Armory and had help from Clint to build my AR15. Super nice guy, but he knows how good he is... which can be a problem sometimes.
I grew up shooting guns on a regular basis, but all I own now is a shotgun designed for home defense. I want to get at least one pistol for recreational shooting, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. Possibly because I have no idea what to get. I've enjoyed shooting my father's 9mm in the past though.
For the .22 fans out there, I grew up shooting an antique pump-action much like this one.
If you're having problems with the recoil of a 9mm and want a man gun, I would strongly recommend the FN Five Seven. The ammo is a little pricey, but the approach is really the coming thing. Very little recoil, huge mag capacity, and incredibly high terminal energy. Add to that a pancake flat trajectory out to about 150 meters, and the ability to defeat class IIIa body armor and you have a HECK of a SD gun.
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