Posted on 02/27/2011 2:26:27 PM PST by JerseyDvl
I always find the process of purchasing a weapon interesting since it is a right guaranteed to all citizens assuming they are not felons, drug addicts, illegal aliens, domestic abusers, or mentally unstable....supposedly.
My experience this time around, which was my 5th, seemed to be different in a few ways and I wantd to share it and solicit opinions from my favorite 2nd ammendment defenders.
For the first time, I was wait-listed and it took me a week to get approved when it had never taken more than 20 minutes in the past. But aside from the annoyance, I exercised pateience and picked my firearm up after a brief wait.
I like the gun and although it as not as smooth as my Beretta 92fs(which is a 9), I like it, especially for the price. Not to mention, it makes bigger hole and will be the first thing I reach for if anyone choose to invade my humble abode.
The thing that intrigued me was the existence of a small envelope in the box with the shell of a bullet that was test fired. It was not something included with the Beretta which I believe was manufactured in Italy. It has all the gun and inspector information as well as a line that reads:
RIFLING CHARACTERISTICS: 5 RH
Can someone tell me if this is done to register our firearms to a database that will identify the unique rifling of each bullet fired?
If so, has it helped in the war on crime and do you believe it is a good practice?
I always appreciate the feedback of FR's extensive collection of Constitutional scholars. Thanks in advance for any and all replies.
-JD
It sounds like they’re building a DB. Didn’t know Texas did that. And did not think it was a national requirement. But then again, I haven’t purchased a firearm in some time. I might end up losing it in a tragic boating accident like all the others.
I bought my first striker fired pistol, also a Sigma .40, a couple years ago. Except for the trigger—price was nice—I liked it so much I got the Ruger SR9 last December.
It came with a fired cartridge. Some states require that, believe Ruger does it for all its pistols now.
Btw, the trigger on the S&W gets better with use.
I think this is done in Kalifornia...and I thought there was an extra ‘charge’ to have this test fire done.
My assumption was that there is indeed a database of test fires for all weapons legally sold in Kalifornia.
You'll get huge waves of hate on this website by starting a gun thread. You'll be sorry.
I just crack me up. Seriously - I believe I've heard someone else on this website say that some manufacturers are including a fired casing with the gun for those states that require it. If your state doesn't, toss it, or keep it and reload it. As far as the indication about rifling and twist, every ballistics lab in the world has that information about pretty much every gun ever made, especially the new ones, so I'm not sure why they would have included it. It's kind of redundant.
BTW, I accidentally bought three boxes of .22WRF thinking they were .22mag. It seems they're not. Ok, so, will they shoot in my .22mag Marlin semi-auto or Ok in my Winchester bolt action .22?
Thanks in advance.
That is my understanding, too. Certain states may require the collection of a fired case.
I picked up a new Heritage Arms revolver on Friday and there was a fired case inside the packaging.
I believe most of my guns had it on the paperwork someplace with a name like “check round.” It never occured to me that it might be for a balistics profile. But, if it is, it has to be an unbelievable paperwork and physical evidence nightmare. Also, I belive that the balistics profile changes as you fire more and more rounds. How different can each new gun be from the guns turned out on the same machines?
I bought a Sigma .40 two years ago and yes, mine also had the envelope with the fired casing as well. I live in Wisconsin and as far as I know, there’s no state requirement. I just assumed that it’s S&W standard practice and thought nothing of it.
From what I understand, .22 WRF ammo WILL fit in a .22 Magnum chamber, but NOT the other way around. Hopefully, someone else here can confirm, as I am not 100% certain on this.
<< The thing that intrigued me was the existence of a small envelope in the box with the shell of a bullet that was test fired. >>
A few of the states require it, so all (I’m not aware of any exceptions) gun manufacturers automatically include it on all the guns they sell. I believe that in the states that require it, the casing must be sent to some state agency at the time of purchase. Otherwise you are the only one who has it.
Change out your firing pin and extractor and the “fingerprint” on the casing is useless. Fire a few hundred rounds and the firing pin and extractor will start altering the marks that are left. it’s a big joke, but it’s designed to make life more difficult for the law-abiding gun owner.
I got a few guns over 20 yrs old that a fired case came with them so not new I dont think maybe for some brands. Astra 9mm was the first I got with a fired case I guess to show firing pin strike and how the case looked after firing that the chamber was in spec and stuff. By the way Astra went out of business 20 some odd years ago lol
As for the rifle you seek, I think the only slide-action .22 Magnum on the market at this time is made by Henry.
Yep, that's exactly what was done.
Obviously the firearm has been mistreated and should be serviced by an expert gunsmith. I recommend a full barrel polish using a microfine diamond hone. It will remove flaws in the rifling and increase accuracy and muzzle velocity. Additionally, fitting and polishing the moving parts (like extractor, ejector and bolt face, among others) will enhance function and reliability. Have at it!
The 5 RH Is five groves right handed twist (I assume)
The packet with the expended shell is in lots of firearms these days when they are sold new as many states require them.
Thankfully the state I live in (Nevada) does not so I just toss them out.
Buy ALL your guns from private individuals.
Even at gun shows if you purchase from a citizen you need not tell the gubmint.
Look in your local penny saver or wherever but if the gub mint knows then they always will know.
Most manual action .22 magnums will work OK with the WRF. It has been a long time but if memory serves there is a tiny difference in diameter and the magnum case is longer but I know I have fired WRF in magnum rifles with no problem
Of course the WRF will not have enough power to operate a semi-auto.
As to the .22mag gun, I'm looking for a pistol. I have a .22mag rifle by Marlin. Nice shooter.
A .22 mag is both too large and too long to fit into a .22LR chamber.
There are some .22 revolvers which have a cylinder for each. The tiny difference in the bullets diameter does not seem to hurt accuracy too much.
In short if you have a Ruger Single Six with both cylinders, the WRF and Magnum will both work in the same cylinder. Neither will fit the .22LR cylinder.
I am not basing this on theory. I have fired lots of WRF in magnum chambers.
A number of states (MD and NY come to mind) require a fired case to be submitted for every new handgun sold. It is not a national requirement, but some manufacturers include it in all guns. I know Smith does.
NM doesn’t require it, and I drop it down the access pipe to my septic tank. If they want it, they can go fish.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.