Free Republic

If I ever get gainful employment again, I plan to buy a rifle. I don't consider a 5.56mm to be a proper battle rifle, call me a doofus but I want a .30 caliber firearm with a shortish barrel. No AKs, that might come later. I have all the handguns I need, as far as She Who Must Be Obeyed knows anyway. Might pick up another or two along the way, but I want a long gun. Don't know squat about semi-auto rifles, but I am a good learner.

I know this probably sounds really stupid, but I want to be sure -- I've googled "how to mount a scope" and get all sorts of dandy directions, but -- I assume you mount the right/left adjustment on the top and the up/down adjustment on the side.....

This is the shocking picture of a fully loaded assault rifle left unattended on the trunk of patrol car in a busy Seattle street. The bungling officers were nowhere to be seen after leaving the AR-15 on the trunk of their patrol car outside a busy hotel and shopping street on Monday night. Shockingly, after the officers returned, they failed to notice the menacing rifle and drove off. It was only after a woman chased the car as it drove away, that the officers realised their mistake. Passer-by Nick Gonzales, who photographed the shocking scene above, also alerted two bike...

So I'm back in the market for a hunting rifle for deer / antelope / elk. Would love to be able to afford a $1,000+ rig but that is just not in the works at this time. I've been looking at the Remmington 770 combo in either 30-06 or in .308.

Seattle police are looking into the "very embarrassing" circumstances that led to a semi-automatic assault rifle being left on the trunk lid of an unattended patrol vehicle in public.Everybody's done it. You place an item on top of a car only to remember later — after you or someone else has driven off. But when the forgetful individual is a Seattle police officer and the item is a semi-automatic rifle, it's more than a little embarrassing. It's also the focus of an internal investigation. Seattle police spokesman Sgt. Sean Whitcomb conceded Tuesday it was "very embarrassing" that a semi-automatic rifle...

Hey all, I'm looking into getting an AR15, but am totally overwhelmed by all the choices. What I want is something that's reliable, and has a rifle length barrel. Cheaper is better. I am not looking into getting a crazy customizable hyper-accurate super gun. Just a plinker. I've seen the Olympic Arms plinker, looked kinda rough.

This fall, we are moving from the city to the country, and I've been told by all my new neighbors that coyotes are a problem.What I want to do is bring them down quickly when they are in the house and yard area (about 7 acres). I'm not going out to the far reaches of my 100+ acres of woodlands to look for them, and I really don't care about messing up the pelts :-).Other considerationsThis will be my first long gun. I've strictly been a handgun range shooter up till now.I don't need to go to the cheaper side...

Copy the text of the email below or rewrite it in your own words and email it to: oira_submission@omb.eop.gov The comment period for the ATF’s proposed “temporary,” emergency regulation requiring firearms dealers to file reports every time someone purchases more than one semi-auto long gun was reopened, but that comment period closes this Tuesday, May 31. During the last comment period on this gun owners were outnumbered by the prohibitionists. That should NEVER happen! We outnumber them 10 to one and our response to outrageous proposals like this should reflect that numbers advantage. The ATF claims the reporting is necessary...

Colt on the Outs as Defense Department Opens Bids for Combat Rifles Published May 25, 2011 | Associated Press WASHINGTON -- For nearly a decade, Colt Defense went without a lobbyist. The legendary gun maker based in West Hartford, Conn., had an exclusive deal to provide combat rifles to the U.S. military and didn't need a hired gun looking out for the company's interests in Washington. Times have changed. After buying more than 700,000 Colt M4 carbines, the Defense Department has started a search for the rifle's successor, giving Colt's competitors the long-awaited chance to break the company's grip on...

I've been wanting to get a AK pattern rifle for quite awhile. Got a generous tax return and am looking at the Saiga 7.62X39 that JG Sales is offering right now for $349.00.

Yesterday, the Louisiana Senate unanimously passed NRA-backed Senate Bill 39. Sponsored by state Senators Eric LaFleur (D-28) and Neil Riser (R-32), this bill would clarify that Louisianans may purchase a long gun in any state, and allow a citizen of any other state to purchase a long gun in Louisiana, so long as both states allow such purchases. SB 39 has been assigned to the House Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.

Some of the most rare and valuable rifles in the world will be on exhibit Tuesday at Robbins Town Hall. Popularly known as Kentucky Rifles, these long guns are considered to be among the most beautiful examples of early American art as well. A new coffee-table book published last fall by Asheboro attorney William W. Ivey tells the history of North Carolina long rifles in 332 pages, with more than 1,000 color illustrations. He will be on hand for the 6 p.m. event to talk about the first school of Carolina gunsmithing, the “Bear Creek” school that began not a...

You guys didn't do your job the first time. The proposal will be published in the government's Federal Register on Friday seeking comments for 30 days, according to a copy obtained by Reuters on Thursday. It was first published in December and had a 60-day comment period that garnered almost 13,000 responses. About 30 percent opposed the reporting requirement and 70 percent favored it, ATF said. The second round of comment is typical for new regulations, according to ATF, and no substantive changes were made. After reviewing the new comments submitted, the proposal could be implemented or altered. C'mon guys,...

I know what you’re thinking: what were they thinking? Who needs a lever action single action revolver on a stick with a Picatinny rail? As Kentucky Packrat points out below, what does the Rossi Circuit Judge do that a lever rifle can’t—other than complicate matters and shoot 3″ .410 shotshells? The temptation here is to launch impeachment proceedings against the new Rossi Circuit Judge, or at least file an appeal against Taurus’ decision to build it to a higher court. But there is no higher court than than the court of public opinion. Either Rossi’s rifle revolver sells or dies....

The M14 Enhanced Battle Rifle The changing nature of the war in Afghanistan led to the re-issue of the 7.62x51 mm NATO M14 rifle. By Maj. John Plaster, U.S. Army (Ret.) Not long after U.S. forces invaded Afghanistan, al-Qaeda and its Taliban allies came to realize that America’s 5.56x45 mm NATO infantry rifles lost most of their lethality beyond 500 meters. Demonstrating their adaptability, the insurgents exploited Afghanistan’s sprawling valleys and distant mountainsides to seek engagements beyond the M16’s and M4’s effective ranges. This is borne out by U.S. Army data, which reveals that more than half of the war’s...

I've been intrigued by the Appleseed Project and I would like to take part in some of their shooting events, as well as other recreational shooting events. Most events require 400-500 rounds for weekend participation. The ammo for my current rifles would cost nearly a dollar per round. I've done some checking at Cheaper than Dirt and ammo for .223 rifles would be only $250 or so, a much more manageable cost. I would like to get FReeper recommendations for fun-to-shoot rifles in the .223/5.56 that would be suitable for the Appleseed Project and practical for training purposes. Also, does...

BROWNSVILLE — A “suspicious object protruding from the brush” in Starr County led Border Patrol agents to a weapons cache that included an AK-47, three M4-style assault rifles, hand grenades, military-style uniforms and other related items, Customs and Border Protection said Monday. The seizure occurred Friday on the banks of the Rio Grande near Fronton, a small community about five miles west of Roma. Agents reported finding the four rifles, two hand grenades, a ballistic vest, two ammunition-carrying vests, three two-way radios, two uniforms, and 16 fully-loaded 30-round magazines. All weapons except the grenades were turned over to Immigration and...

As a presence in several evolving conflicts around the world, Marines must remain up-to-date on the newest technology in order to defeat the enemy and complete the mission at hand. For the sniper community, that title belongs to the Model 110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System. "What (Marines) were finding as we got into Iraq and Afghanistan is that the bolt-action M40 sniper rifle we had was not able to rapidly engage targets in a built-up environment," said Capt. Carlos Cuevas, precision weapons team lead, program manager, Product Group 13 (infantry weapons), Marine Corps Systems Command, Headquarters Marine Corps in Quantico, Va....

More than 100,000 new state-of-the-art lightweight SA80 rifle magazines have arrived in Afghanistan to be used by troops fighting on the front line. The 30-round Magpul EMAG magazine is around half the weight of a standard metal magazine and helps reduce the weight that soldiers have to carry in their kit. Made from a polymer, the EMAG weighs 130g compared to its metal equivalent of 249g. Troops carry up to 12 magazines, so this change means each carries around one kilogramme less weight in total than before. Although it is lighter than others, the EMAG is robust; it's durability is...

Big Five has these on sale for $79.95 (the one I looked at today was a carbine). I'm looking for an inexpensive knockabout rifle to keep in the truck (but still capable of taking out a wild pig), and this looks like it will fit the bill. Do any of you have one of these, or have experience with it? Does anyone know of a reasonable source of ammo? Here's the wikipedia link concerning these rifles- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steyr-Mannlicher_M1895