Firearms discussion - hardware only, no politics

[Spkr_Bldr]

I've been thinking about getting a handgun for sport shooting and possibly home defense. Any particular recommendations for a first gun?

I have medium to smallish hands if that matters..

First gun, I'd say it has to be either 9mm or 45ACP. Then the other choice is polymer frame vs. steel frame. Decide those two things and you could really narrow down your choices ... and budget of course.

I always recommend a Browning Hi-Power in 9mm to first time buyers. It's a timeless classic that has a huge fan base, for good reason. I have 3 myself

 

[Spkr_Bldr]

I have a Bushmaster M4 AR-15....I love it. My friends have the AK's. The abuse they put their rifles through is ridiculous, I just don't see the AR-15 holding up in the extremes they put on their rifles. I cant say ive seen them clean any of their AK's even after an all day marathon of shooting. I strip my AR every time i shoot it, and meticulously clean it. It usually has a extreme build up of burnt powder in the upper receiver/bolt area. I acquired a lot of Mil Spec ammo from a local sporting goods store and ive had a terrible time trying to use it. I don't know why but the primer in some of the bullets is coming out and getting in the buffer area and causing the bolt to stay open slightly. I have to take the pin out and open up the receiver and fish out the primer. I haven't bought any other ammo in bulk to try after getting burned on that deal. I'm eyeing some bulk Fiocchi stuff at the moment. Ive never had a bad experience with Fiocchi ammo. I haven't even looked at any Ammo prices of any caliber in a few months.

I can't think of the name of it, but there's a cheap little plastic wedge you can put in your lower to stop that exact problem ... blown primers getting in the works.

Ask guys that come back from the sandbox, you can beat the crap out of AR's as well and they keep going just fine. They're less tolerant of dirty operation, but the gun seals better so it's harder to get gunk inside. Carbon buildup is no problem, they can take 10,000 rounds of suit buildup easily.

On a different note, Has anyone seen the full auto Ruger 10/22 on YouTube?
I seen it last night and it has stirred my curiosity I don't want one but i am very interested in how they are modded to make them work. In the video it appears that the bolt remains open after firing, until the trigger is depressed again. Anyone know anything? If so please PM me

Sounds awfuly illegal unless you're LE or Military. Most full auto guns operate from an open bolt. But mod one and get caught and you're looking at 20 years minimum.

 

[MidnightSensi]

I wasn't being literal ... just saying if I wake up at 2am and hear somebody coming up the stairs after a dead sleep, firing a gun is going to leave me deaf and blind for at least 30 seconds. By then, if there's a second guy coming up the stairs I'd be screwed.

A friend and I have a Sig vs. HK thing going. I'm the Sig guy, he's the HK guy I do like his fullsize HK 45, but prefer the steel framed Sigs.

I shot a S&W 460 Mag in the dark once after being outside for a good 1/2 hour and my eyes had adjusted. I was seeing floaters for hours. But that thing makes the Desert Eagle muzzle flash Cali posted look like a 22.

Well, you both have good taste in guns.

I love my P220 and H&K....well H&Ks... and Smith & Wessons... and a 870.... Kimber....Glock...haha, I love guns.

I got my P220 back in like 2004, it was the outgoing model and I think I picked it up for like 400 bucks ... and the new model wasn't even much different other than the mounting surfaces. It was just a "whatever I'll buy it gun" and I ended up really, really liking it. Sig makes a top gun no disagreement there.

The only reason I have more H&Ks than Sigs is because the H&Ks fit my hand a bit better and I like the modularity. Also I think I might just be an H&K snob. Not sure yet. At any rate, there are so many good trustworthy guns out now its like Christmas. Where with speakers I have a small list of companies I recommend, with guns I have a huge list.

 

[jliedeka]

Here's my favorite gun:

I'm still not very good with it but it's still fun to shoot, especially with .357 magnums. I tried some Hogue rubber grips but went back to the stock target grips.

Jim

 

[unreal.freak]

I can't think of the name of it, but there's a cheap little plastic wedge you can put in your lower to stop that exact problem ... blown primers getting in the works.

Ask guys that come back from the sandbox, you can beat the crap out of AR's as well and they keep going just fine. They're less tolerant of dirty operation, but the gun seals better so it's harder to get gunk inside. Carbon buildup is no problem, they can take 10,000 rounds of suit buildup easily.



Sounds awfuly illegal unless you're LE or Military. Most full auto guns operate from an open bolt. But mod one and get caught and you're looking at 20 years minimum.

I'm well aware of the consequences of being caught with a "machine gun".
I don't want one nor do i want to make one. I'm a mechanic by trade and i love to know how things work, just one of my many flaws i guess.


Is the blown primers something you have heard of before? If you think of the item you speak of shoot me a link. I have heard of a plastic piece for the trigger guard but only for aesthetics.

The gas piston conversion for the AR-15 eliminates the burnt powder being expelled into the receiver area. I wish i had the money for one of them. I think it would make cleaning a lot more easy.

Peace,
Tommy

 

[unreal.freak]

A friend of mine recently bought a .17 rifle, which I thought was supposed to be the new rim fire, but have been told it is actually a center fire cartridge, haven't taken the time to read up on the new little varment gun, but it does sound interesting witht the smaller bullet and nearly the same powder load it should have some good accuracy and penetration power for slightly larger varments such as rabbits and skunks for where I live. Anybody else tried out a .17?

I have a .17 HMR, its a very nice target rifle. Very fast bullet, very little recoil, with plenty of killing power in small animals. Ive put down Raccoons, Bobcats, Dogs, opossums, Crows, and domestic cats, with mine.


Peace,
Tommy

 

[unreal.freak]

I've been thinking about getting a handgun for sport shooting and possibly home defense. Any particular recommendations for a first gun?

I have medium to smallish hands if that matters..

I'm going to offer up my advice on this. I recommend starting with a smaller caliber handgun, then after you are comfortable with shooting move up to something larger. The Walther P22 is a fine handgun, it comes with a selection of grips to fit most peoples hands. It is a .22 cal, it is plenty enough to get you started + it doesn't have a lot of recoil and noise. If you have already target practiced with a handgun, you may already know, its hard to hit something if you have any amount of fear of the gun. The smaller calibers is what i started my wife out with and she was able to shoot without getting all worked up over the recoil and loud report of the gun. When you get good with the smaller caliber you can trade it in on something bigger. This is my recommendation based on my experience with handguns. A Lot of people will tell you that anything smaller than a .40 cal is insufficient for self defense. I disagree for this reason, if you are so nervous due to the guns recoil and loud report, that you cant hit the intruder, the larger guns aren't any good at all. I hope this helps. It is only an opinion and there are many others here that are far more qualified (law enforcement) than me.

Peace,
Tommy

 

[the grunt]

In addition to what unreal.freak already said about starting with a smaller caliber weapon I would also add the ammunition is less expensive if you plan on doing lots of practicing.

If you are already comfortable with handguns you might also consider a 4 inch or longer barrel .357 magnum. It has the advantage of excellent stopping power when using .357 ammo but can also fire .38 special ammo which is cheaper and has less recoil if you are not yet to comfortable with handguns. If you are worried about if it’s any good for self defense it was the sidearm I was issued as an embassy guard in the Marine Corps.

Cheers,
Dean

 

[Spkr_Bldr]

I'm well aware of the consequences of being caught with a "machine gun".
I don't want one nor do i want to make one. I'm a mechanic by trade and i love to know how things work, just one of my many flaws i guess.

Haha, good ... just making sure. I don't have and haven't had a Ruger 10/22, so don't know how it worked. But I can easily imagine, sounds like you can to. Just open bolt operation.

Is the blown primers something you have heard of before? If you think of the item you speak of shoot me a link. I have heard of a plastic piece for the trigger guard but only for aesthetics.

Absolutely, it's happened to me a couple times ... not enough to be a problem though. I'll ask on ar15.com and see if somebody can jog my memory about what the thing is called.

The gas piston conversion for the AR-15 eliminates the burnt powder being expelled into the receiver area. I wish i had the money for one of them. I think it would make cleaning a lot more easy.

I've been thinking about trying one myself. I think I just saw one today from Ares I think for $349 ... and I have CMMG right up the road too, they make a nice kit.

 

[jonnythan]

I'm going to offer up my advice on this. I recommend starting with a smaller caliber handgun, then after you are comfortable with shooting move up to something larger. The Walther P22 is a fine handgun, it comes with a selection of grips to fit most peoples hands. It is a .22 cal, it is plenty enough to get you started + it doesn't have a lot of recoil and noise. If you have already target practiced with a handgun, you may already know, its hard to hit something if you have any amount of fear of the gun. The smaller calibers is what i started my wife out with and she was able to shoot without getting all worked up over the recoil and loud report of the gun. When you get good with the smaller caliber you can trade it in on something bigger. This is my recommendation based on my experience with handguns. A Lot of people will tell you that anything smaller than a .40 cal is insufficient for self defense. I disagree for this reason, if you are so nervous due to the guns recoil and loud report, that you cant hit the intruder, the larger guns aren't any good at all. I hope this helps. It is only an opinion and there are many others here that are far more qualified (law enforcement) than me.

Peace,
Tommy

That's good advice. I have shot handguns before - .22, .40 S&W, and .38 special. Never had any fear of it. Quite the opposite, really. It was a lot of fun. The .22 was... boring. I think my paintball marker is scarier to shoot..

 

[Spkr_Bldr]

Well, you both have good taste in guns.

I love my P220 and H&K....well H&Ks... and Smith & Wessons... and a 870.... Kimber....Glock...haha, I love guns.

I got my P220 back in like 2004, it was the outgoing model and I think I picked it up for like 400 bucks ... and the new model wasn't even much different other than the mounting surfaces. It was just a "whatever I'll buy it gun" and I ended up really, really liking it. Sig makes a top gun no disagreement there.

The only reason I have more H&Ks than Sigs is because the H&Ks fit my hand a bit better and I like the modularity. Also I think I might just be an H&K snob. Not sure yet. At any rate, there are so many good trustworthy guns out now its like Christmas. Where with speakers I have a small list of companies I recommend, with guns I have a huge list.

Damn you! Now you got me looking at HK's ...

 

[tbergman]

To the guys with AR15's I'm planning on building one sometime here and was wondering if you had any suggestions. Also what components, barrel specs, anything you can think of. Also, where do you get your stuff?

 

[Haoleb]

Haha, good ... just making sure. I don't have and haven't had a Ruger 10/22, so don't know how it worked. But I can easily imagine, sounds like you can to. Just open bolt operation.

The 10/22 is a classic, I know its one of the first guns I was ever exposed to. one of my cousins friends works or used to work at a gunsmithing place and he turned one of them into a full auto that would go through a whole clip like nothing...

The last time I heard about that gun they buried it somewhere so nobody would get caught with it in their house. Not as in buried to hide for a later date, buried as in throw in the dirt and covered over. Personally I would have just put it someplace nobody else would find, not something i would have done but ahh well. Cant be that hard to make one once you take half an hour to look at the mechanism and figure out how to mod it.

 

[Haoleb]

Guess i forgot to mention, I have always had an interst in guns. Seems like now days you tell people that they look at you like some kind of serial killer

Dont have any "real" guns that I own yet, except a pump action .22, italian made i think. thats at my grandparents house in california. Living in hawaii sucks because theres not really alot of places to go shoot. Cant just drive out in the country with a six pack and 50,00 rounds and shoot stuff around here. Once I move i want to get a nice bolt action .22 a shotgun, something with a bit more oomph (like a .50cal ) Pistols dont really interst me. The main attraction to rifles for me is the power and being able to hit, destroy something from hundreds of feet away. Id rather just go out and shoot up an old car or something than go hunting.

But at the moment I try to get my fix with just a pellet gun, Ive owned an RWS model 34 for over 10 years and earlier this year I bought a Gamo hunter extreme because i wanted something more powerful and more like a real gun. I ended up taking it back to the store because it is rather poorly made and peices broke on it in just a couple days and exhanged it for an RWS 460 magnum. So far I really like the rws, its not as powerful as they advertise but it packs quite a whallop with heavy pellets. Craftsmanship is better than that on alot of real guns, as it should be for a $600 pellet gun.

 

[CaliHwyPatrol]

Guess i forgot to mention, I have always had an interst in guns. Seems like now days you tell people that they look at you like some kind of serial killer

Dont have any "real" guns that I own yet, except a pump action .22, italian made i think. thats at my grandparents house in california. Living in hawaii sucks because theres not really alot of places to go shoot. Cant just drive out in the country with a six pack and 50,00 rounds and shoot stuff around here. Once I move i want to get a nice bolt action .22 a shotgun, something with a bit more oomph (like a .50cal ) Pistols dont really interst me. The main attraction to rifles for me is the power and being able to hit, destroy something from hundreds of feet away. Id rather just go out and shoot up an old car or something than go hunting.

But at the moment I try to get my fix with just a pellet gun, Ive owned an RWS model 34 for over 10 years and earlier this year I bought a Gamo hunter extreme because i wanted something more powerful and more like a real gun. I ended up taking it back to the store because it is rather poorly made and peices broke on it in just a couple days and exhanged it for an RWS 460 magnum. So far I really like the rws, its not as powerful as they advertise but it packs quite a whallop with heavy pellets. Craftsmanship is better than that on alot of real guns, as it should be for a $600 pellet gun.

What not a .50 pistol? Plenty of oomph.

 

[MidnightSensi]

I'm well aware of the consequences of being caught with a "machine gun".
I don't want one nor do i want to make one. I'm a mechanic by trade and i love to know how things work, just one of my many flaws i guess.

You can have a full auto in Florida, go see a class III dealer. You just have to put it in a trust.

 

[Rickster71]

Great thread!

I was curious, as to how many posters here are also members of the NRA?
I'm a life member.

Sorry; hope this isn't considered a highjack.

Rick

 

[Spkr_Bldr]

To the guys with AR15's I'm planning on building one sometime here and was wondering if you had any suggestions. Also what components, barrel specs, anything you can think of. Also, where do you get your stuff?

ar15.com Equipment Exchange! Or a local gunshow.

There are a ridiculous number of calibers available for an AR build, personally I love the 6.8SPC. You can deer hunt with it, and it's still relatively low recoil. The standard AR round is .223 of course, and there are countless options if you go that route.

I think 16" is the best all aorund barrel length for an AR. And really everybody makes quality stuff these days, no 'bad' brands that I can think of. Even the cheaper stuff from Model 1 sales is great.

What do you want to do with yours? I can give some suggestions.

 

[Spkr_Bldr]

You can have a full auto in Florida, go see a class III dealer. You just have to put it in a trust.

You can only have a full auto that was registered as a full auto before 1986. I doubt there were any 10/22's registered as full auto in 1986, which would mean there's no legal way to own a full-auto 10/22.

National Firearms Act, or NFA would be the legislation to reference concerning this. It also concerns Silencers, Short Barreled Rifles, Destructive Devices, and some other specifics.

 

[alexsound]

Hey guys, how bout a friendly gun discussion ... that means no politics please. Just keep it about the hardware, or questions on what to buy, reloading advice, etc.

I've been a pretty hardcore shooter for 20 years, but really got into it both as a hobby and some small time competition about 3 years ago. I noticed every gun and all ammo just kept going up in value, and investments were pretty much a crap shoot, so I said why not invest in guns and ammo! Worked well so far. I also put together a great reloading setup, and bought enough gunsmithing tools to keep my stuff running smooth.

I enjoy Bullseye competitions and Hi-power Rifle competition. I've got pretty good with my Fusion 10mm longslide in Bullseye, and the PTR-91 .308 in hi-power. But I haven't done a competitive shoot in probably 6 months, just a lot of silhouette shooting at the 650+ yard range and handgunning out to 50 yards.

To get the ball rolling how about shots of a recent impulse buy, this gorgeous pair of Sig's. Left is P220 Platinum Elite 45ACP, right is P229 Platinum Elite in 9mm. All ammo is my reloads. 2nd picture is my competition PTR-91 in a custom Duracoat camo job I did ... Swamp Thing is it's nickname.

I meant to ask this question when this thread first came out. I do not own a firearm, however, now, of all people, my wife wants to get a gun. . She feels we should have one for protection and is pretty adamant about getting one. She said she would like a Glock or a Magum. Yes, I spelled it the way she said it, MAGUM. Anyways, sounds like you guys know your stuff, so my question to you is this: What would be a good starter gun that a woman who's never shot a gun in her life, could handle?