Posted on 03/27/2010 9:58:15 AM PDT by Travis McGee
Bought a Hi-Point 995TS and a KelTec SUB2000 this past weekend at the gunshow. Shot both today and right out of the box, no cleaning, nothing, the SUB2000 shot 4inch groups at 25 Yards! Had issues witht he mags for the Hi-Point, but when it cycled it was dead on. Need new 15 round mags for the Hi-Point. I obtained three thirty+ round Glock mags before hitting the range with the SUB2000, so capacity is not an issue with the fold-away sub carbine. It is a lot lighter than the Hi-Point, too.
What rifle you choose will depend on what you want to use it for and the maximum distance you envision engaging targets at.
ruger makes the Mini in 7.62x39, the AK caliber, and in 6.8 SPC, which is an excellent but mostly overlooked self defense caliber. I read recently that Ruger just began to offer 30 round Mini 30 mags, which makes the rifle a much more viable self defense proposition.
I have an SKS and an Olympic Car-15 personally for for engaging goblins.
I have an overlooked (pretty much) handgun, the Walther P-99. Ive carried mine off and on for about 3 years and since I collected numerous expensive mags, have started carrying it.
I just noticed that IMI(Israeli Military Industries) has just started offering a new Baby Eagle, which looks just like a P-99. Might want to take a look at it.
If you haven't bought one yet, you can get a Mossberg 500A (12 Gauge) at Walmart for around $210 (wood stock and forearm). Mossberg offers a composite stock and forearm for this gun that will run you about $60-$70 combined. An 18.5" barrel is about $80. You can also pick up a pistol grip for about $15. So, for about $400, you can have a gun for hunting/target shooting with your choice of wood or composite stock/forearm or a gun for home defense with 18.5" barrel and a pistol grip. Barrel changes on the 500 are quick and it takes only a couple of minutes to change out the stock (forearm takes a little longer).
Can you teach this old dog some new tricks???
Beats me!
ping for later read
So I am a Jedi! ;-)
OK. It's time to confess my absoluite ignorance and seek instruction from those wiser than I.
What's the difference (cost vs benefit) between the wood and the composite?
I see a need for about 4 guns:
A home defense/hunting shotgun. I assume that different barrels would be required for shot vs slugs?.
A home defense rifle of some sort (semi-auto maybe?)
A hunting rifle. (What caliber is best for whitetail and smaller? Or do you need a big game rifle and a small game rifle?)
A hand gun.
Other than the mossberg (Which I'm told is a suitable first shotgun) I'm clueless about what else I should be looking for. Any lessons?
Also, the Girl (my 9 year old daughter), wants a gun. I'm so proud of her. Of course she wants a pink one but hey, she's a girl. Does NRA still do the Eddie Eagle gun safety courses? What would be a good first gun for her (She's petite. 4'2" maybe 60 lbs)
Thanks everyone for your help.
Took a reciprocating saw to the stock to slice through stock and the bolt. Came off real easy, then.
The aftermarket folding stock (with pistol grip) is okay, but the forearm can catch on the stock if you leave it folded.
The best deal on the Mossberg 500a sub-model 50120 was from my local Walmart at $209 last year.
It came with wood stock and forearm. I wanted to make a handy home-defense gun out of it, and ordered a kit from Cheaper Than Dirt. The stock fit well, but the forearm was designed for the 500 defense pumps, not the sporting versions. So, I called Mossberg and ordered a new stock and forearm (I think it was the 56436 sub-model, but the tech can help you) for about $60 plus shipping.
Mossberg also has a pistol grip for the 500a for about $15 or so.
So, you could have a gun with several looks (wood w/18.5" or 28" barrel, black synthetic w/18.5" or 28" barrel, black w/folding stock or pistol grip w/18.5" barrel) for about $400. You can't buy two shotguns for that amount. Barrel changes are quick (less than a minute), stocks change in less than 5 minutes and the forearm takes about 10-15 minutes (some disassembly of the gun is required).
Now, as to must-haves: many folks here talk of a shotgun (12-guage); a varmint gun (small caliber like .22LR - Ruger 10/22 is good); a more powerful rifle for hunting (you can go cheap with a Mosin-Nagant), check you local hunting regs for minimum/maximum caliber, and magazine capacity; and a handgun for carry purposes. Find what works for you.
I'd recommend taking your daughter to a range that rents guns - you didn't specify type (rifle/handgun), so I'm going to assume rifle. Remington currently has a recall on the .17 caliber version of their 597 (I traded my .22LR 597 on a Ruger 10/22). I got the Ruger through Gallery of Guns using their Gun Genie (they show local FFL dealers and total cost), you have to order on line to get the best deal. My 10/22 took three days to get to the dealer and cost me about $245 (less with what the dealer gave me in trade for the Remington). You can likely get the most basic version for about $220.
1/2 socket = 1/2” socket.
BTTT
This essay is more important now than ever.
Just put 50 rounds through my new(1954) CZ52. What a sweet shooting gun! The range manager asked to fire a few rounds and was impressed. Accuracy is spot on and he loved the trigger.
Just don’t trust the decocking function, and get a couple of spare firing pins. I don’t leave a round chambered at all, safety or not. It is so easy to work the slide that I just leave it empty. And get some Serbian “Golden Bear” hollow points. They expanded in my basic “shoot into sand” tests to the same .50 cal diameter as my 9mm hps.
PS: Look for good original milsurp mags, with the slotted sides. They function much better than the aftermarket ones. Some of the aftermarket mags cause rounds to bind up, especially the hollowpoints, due to their length and the geometry of the bullet ogive. Make sure of your mags and ammo, and you are good to go. Also, if you like the pistol, get some nice tropical wood grips from Hogue. The commie plastic grips are ugly, and the striped tulipwood or other wood grips make the pistol pretty, and feel better. They are worth the $50 or so bucks, IMHO, strictly from a cosmetic POV. The metal grip retaining clips can also break, you might pick up a spare.
Rem 870 or Mossberg 500 are the standards for a pump shotgun.
Ammo is a little scarce right now, but I ferret some out. I can’t believe what a great gun I got for a mere pittance.
Hi-Point 9mm are available used for $125 at the local bang store. Cheap, ugly, and reliable, with a lifetime warranty. I know of several people that have one in each room.
9mm is my favorite flavor.
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