Gun owners?
 

Curious how many of the members here own firearms.....

Chinese SKS with folding stock. One of them thar "Assault" rifles, although it's never assaulted anyone that I know of. :D

If the NRA really wanted everyone to own a gun they should do summat about the prices, can't get anything decent for under $400.

Check gun shows and buy used from individuals.

There used to be some excellent deals on Italian knock offs of some great guns in that price range.

Depends on what you want. You can still get a Ruger 10-22 or a Mossberg 12 ga pump for under $400 new. Buddy of mine bought a Rock Island .45 ACP (1911 clone) for under 4 new. Pretty decent weapon. Lots of good deals used.

But the prices of guns are going up. The values of my Python and Diamondback have more than doubled, and my MAK 90 has tripled or quadrupled.

Chas

But I get it!!!

Besides, the NRA doesn't care if everyone owns a gun. They just want every law abiding citizen to be able to own one, since they already have the right under the 2nd Amendment.

And the NRA would be the first to tell anyone who is uncomfortable with a firearm, or is not willing to invest the time to become competent with it, that they would be better off without one. They are very big on gun safety.

Chas

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

Nowhere does the second say that every law abiding citizen has the right ......

The NRA only cares about the profits made from gun sales and rallies the support of gun enthusiasts in any manner they can to this end.

"The NRA only cares about the profits made from gun sales and rallies the support of gun enthusiasts in any manner they can to this end."

So, you are a spokesman for the NRA? ;)

Whaddya want, Rob ? Bet I could put you in somethin' pretty cheap...

I have a loaded gun in every room of the house. The one by the bed is a sawed off double barrel Stevens 300. One side has #6, the other a slug. My philosophy on guns is, I'd rather have it and not need it, rather than need it and not have it.:)

If you read various things written by the Founding Fathers, it is apparent how they felt on this matter. And there wasn't any national regulation until the machine gun ban in app 1936. Before that, you could buy a Thompson, sawed off shotgun, cannon, explosives, whatever your heart desired. Which sets a certain amount of precedence. About 160 years worth.

So, for app 160 years, everyone took the right to own a firearm as a constitutional right. Now, they didn't want you to sell them to the Indians, at least the hostiles, or to carry them while you were drunk in places like Dodge City, but this was pretty much localized. They even passed a law against concealed carry here in Missouri, somehow thinking that the James's and Younger's would abide by it. Or maybe, they would have the grounds to arrest them. Or perhaps people like them. But it was, and still is, legal to carry an iron on your hip in the Jackass State if you so desire. As long as it isn't concealed, or you have a permit to do so.

When Frank James surrendered, he walked into the State Capitol armed, and personally handed his weapon to the Missouri Governor. The debate wasn't about the 2nd Amendment at this time.

And by the way, the "National Republican Associatian" does not make a profit from the sale of firearms. Their only interest is in supporting the 2nd Amendment...they endorse Republicans and Democrats alike, based on this criteria only. While they do hold fundraisers, they are supported by their membership only. I believe they still sell surplus firearms that they receive from the DCM, a throwback to the days when the Government felt is was in their best interest to have the population already trained in the use of firearms before they were inducted into the military. They still hold training for the police, and I believe the military, and pony up something like 10K for the survivors of a policeman killed in the line of duty...no questions asked.

Have you ever seen the photograph of the poor Jew holding a small suitcase, followed by an endless line of Jews, sitting on the edge of a pit full of bodies, with a Nazi Officer holding a handgun to the back of his head, preparing to shoot him, along with the rest of the Jews, and push their cadavers into the pit? If it can happen there, it can happen here.

Believe it or not, the NRA, and their members, are your friend.

Chas

Amen Brother, Amen. The second amendment makes all the others possible.

Well, I'm not too much into having a bunch of loaded guns lying around anymore.

About all I keep stuffed is a Chief's Special and a GP100 in the bedroom, and a Buckmark and a "Wonder Nine" in my desk drawer, and my crummy H&K 91 knockoff with a 20 rnd mag in the closet. Sometimes I've a 30 round mag in the MAK, but not generally.

I'm not crazy like some of you gun nuts.

Chas

Do I NEED 125-150 guns ? No. Do I NEED a fully-automatic Uzi ? Again, no. But it sure is fun, & I have enjoyed it immensely over the 22 years or so I've had it, as have a lot of other people.

Always admired a man who doesn't know how many guns he owns.

Chas

PS: How's your guns doing compared to your 401K?

It is sort of a pita whenever we have company because I have to go around and unload them. Of course, I don't get much company.:D

I hear ya, brother, they all think I'm nuts.

But whenever there's a problem, from a backed up toilet, car won't start, computer's screwed up, to a weirdo hanging around...guess who they call.

Chas

Exactly.

The funny thing is that I would rather have a tazer but they are illegal for private ownership, guess they would rather have me kill an intruder.

I was looking at maybe a .38 or even a .22 long rifle automatic that lookes like a .45 - $500. It needs to be something that would not knock my wife on her fanny if she needs to use it.


It has gotten to be an outdoor sport around these parts to break in on older people and rough them up.


BTW if you were to read Madison's Notes on the Philadelphia Convention you might conclude that "A well regulated militia" was in reference to the fact that because they did not want a standing army, the federal government was to take over the militias. The states did not really want this, but the problem was that they all used different arms and in a time of need they might find that they had the wrong size shot, etc.

This sort of became moot after 1812 when Madison foolishly got involved in a war he need not have and it was an Irish regiment that burned the White House. I used to pass the historic house in Brookevville, MD where Madison brought the government during that event, on my daily commute. That was when they discovered that a militia was no match for regulars.

Rob,

I found that a .32 mag was the perfect home defense weapon for either my exwife and I. It was very easy to teach her to to shoot using .32 longs which pack little recoil and loading it with 95 to 100 grain hollow points for self defense. Problem was the guns themselves can be hard to find and so is the ammo.

Sorry to help hijack this thread :)

If I were you, I'd look at a Ruger GP100 with a 4" barrel. You can load it with .38's or .357's, with the best defense round being a 125 gr JHP in .357. You can't wear out a Ruger, so a used gun would be fine. The recoil isn't bad, but the muzzle blast and flash is horrific. Might be a little much for your wife.

My wife has a S&W M60 Chief's Special, loaded with Remington P+ Golden Sabres, with Hogue grips. Your wife might like something like this better, the GP100 is a large handgun. A Ruger SP101 is about the same size as the Chiefs Special, and is chambered in .357 to boot. This might be the ideal weapon for you.

Never have been a fan of .22 automatics for defense. Some women have trouble retracting the slide, and leaving one with a round chambered is kind of dangerous...as far as I'm concerned. And if your magazine is a little deformed they will jamb.

A good DA wheel gun is best for someone who isn't going to spend a lot of time on the range.

Chas

"A good DA wheel gun is best for someone who isn't going to spend a lot of time on the range. "

QFT

Ayup. A 38/357 revolver loaded w/Glaser Safety Slugs is about "Das Ultimat" in stopping Mr Bad Guy, only equalled by a .45 ACP loaded w/"Flying Ashtrays"...But autos are hard for most people to master, a good quality revolver is almost foolproof...

Probably, the ol' "squaw gun" in 12 ga with a open choke is the best...but a little slow in confined spaces.

Handguns have their place. And one of the best things a feller can do is get some snap caps and do a considerable amount of dry firing. You'll immediately pick up on your bad habits, dropping the muzzle, closing your eyes, etc. You need some range time with live ammo, but dry firing may be about as good. Least with a revolver.

Chas

Forgot to mention the .32 mag I suggested was a Ruger Single six. They stopped production and can be a bit hard to find but well worth looking. Should fall easily in your price range and last yours, your kids and their kids lifetimes.

Got to admit, the Single Six is one fine firearm. I've got one in .22/.22 mag, and it is probably the most accurate handgun I own. Had to do a major trigger job on it, now it breaks 13-15 ozs. When I first bought it, when you pulled the trigger, it cammed the hammer back.

Buddy of mine just bought a new one, 4 5/8" barrel in stainless. Has a good trigger out of the box. Ruger finally started putting a decent trigger on their products.

I'm a big Ruger fan. Even my old model R77V in .243 will shoot 3/4 MOA at 200 yds, using my bargain basement reloads. It's my dog gun (prairie dog, know I"ve just opened up a bad can of worms). And the stock has bedding problems. I've even got a few 1.5 inch groups @ 200 with my old model R77 in .25-06.

And you can't hardly wear a Ruger out. And they're relatively cheap.

Chas

Single-actions are GREAT "Fun guns"....I managed to locate a stainless Bearcat during the 6 weeks they made 'em...But the one I shoot is the 1973 vintage "blued" one. I'd load 'er up w/ CB caps, & "fan" the sumbich like crazy. Can't really hit anything that way, but it sure makes a lot of racket, & is great, cheesy fun.

Shows you how much I remember about guns, last time I fired one was nearly 60 years ago. So, what is the difference between an automatic with a round chambered with the safety on and a revolver with the safety on. Take the safety off and won't both be capable of firing?

BTW we definitely plan on some firing range time should we go this route.

Typically, revolvers DON'T have safeties-You pick one up, it's ready for business. That's why you should ALWAYS check any gun to see if it's loaded-they ALWAYS are until YOU have proven to yrself otherwise...

And then you handle it like it was.

Absolutely. I HAVE had a couple of "ADs" over the years, luckily, they were just VERY embarrassing.

Most modern revolvers are safe with all cylinders loaded, they incorporate some type of firing pin disconnector. The old style revolvers had a fixed firing pin on the hammer, which rested on the primer of the cartridge, if you drop one of those and the hammer hits the ground, it will fire. The newer ones will not fire unless the trigger is pulled to the rear.

With a SA revolver, you need to cock the hammer and then pull the trigger. A DA revolver can be fired in this manner, or by simply pulling the trigger, which cocks and fires it. A DAO is one which can be fired by pulling the trigger only, you can not manually cock it first.

There are a lot of automatics which are safe to carry with a round in the chamber, like a DA Browning High Power, or a DAO Glock. I was talking about .22 automatics, like my Browning Buckmark. It has an internal firing pin, when you chamber a round, it is cocked. And the only means to uncock it is to fire it. So you have to set the safety or carry it without a round in the chamber. My Buckmark has a very light trigger pull, and I think the safety blocks the trigger, which means if it were dropped, there is a chance that the hammer will slip off of the sear and fire. That's why it makes me nervous. And I think most .22 autos are like it.

If it had a hammer block safety, like a Mauser 98, which locks the firing pin, I would be more comfortable with it.

Things get even more involved than this, depending on which firearm you are using. That's why I like the DA revolver, simple to use, and very dependable.

Chas

Another thing about shooting that is almost never mentioned is that some of us love to do it...I was as athletic as yr basic dishrag growing up, had a defect that kept me from being able to run very fast, was uncoordinated as hell, & just generally had zero interest in sports...But I could shoot pretty good, & I enjoyed the hell outta that...Plus,men & women, boys & girls are all more or less evenly matched when it comes to shooting, its something the whole kit 'n' kaboodle can enjoy doing together....And at 52, I can still shoot about as good as I did when I was 32...I never got into competitive shooting, but I was good enuff to satisfy ME...And that's what counts.

Just came back from visiting my old buddy, Deputy Dawg. Drank a couple of cold ones, cooked some steaks, and tugged a few triggers...not necessarily in that order.

9MM day. He produced his Berretta 92, a Kel-Tec, and I supplied my crummy P9R.

Hate to say it, but his Beretta was chocking on his reloads, my P9R ate 'em up, along with all kinds of slop...even Wolf steel cased ball. Kel-Tec goes bang every time, too.

Then he brought out his Rock Island Tactical .45, which has felt the touch of a hone. Pulled my 1st shot, wasn't ready for a slick trigger after shooting them wonder nines, after that couldn't miss.

For an inexpensive .45 auto, those RIA's are pretty nice.

Chas

I've got a S&W Model 41 that I can chase a tin can all over a field with...Much fun. And a S&W Model 52 that I can about do the same with. I'd HIGHLY recommend to anyone to grab either one of those guns if they ever have the opportunity to do so-They are simply marvelous. I have a Colt Gold Cup National Match Stainless that's never had a thing done to it, but I'm not as good w/it as I am w/the 52. A 45 just doesn't "work" for me quite as well as other guns do...And its the caliber, I have a Colt Service Model ACE that shoots just dandily...

The NRA is all about money and power and I certainly don't need their unregulated lobby to keep and bear arms.

Preconceived notion.

I can only assume that your are NOT a member of the NRA. About all the NRA does is to allow you to keep and bear arms LEGALLY.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again...the NRA is your friend.

Chas

Damn, Sandy, we're just a couple of poor boys down here in Dogpatch.

Them's some high dollar shootin' irons you're talkin' about.

No doubt that you're a very particular collector. Got a drilling? And don't tell me it's a cased Sauer with Nazi proofmarks.

I'll cry,

Chas

No, but I DO have a High Power w/Wermacht proof marks...An' a 1914 DWM P.08 that shoots very well...Plus the 41 rimfire Colt Derringer my grandad shot a bad guy with...