Oh, that's a whole 'nother thread.
Posted on 09/27/2005 5:35:15 AM PDT by beaureguard
Thanks for your following letter, Matt, which I received this afternoon:
Do you think at some point you could write a column on some of the basics of getting into the world of firearms? Specifically, I'm looking for tips on acquiring weapons for home defense and hunting. While I'm not a survivalist weirdo, I have no intention of waiting for any level of government to ride to the rescue, should bad times come along.
Since I have been hit with numerous requests (mostly post-Katrina) from people looking for that first firearm, I am pleased to respond with a column on the topic. Since you used the word “weapons” (plural) and spoke of “getting into the world of firearms” (again plural) I have a number of recommendations for you. And here they are:
Marlin .22 Magnum, Model 25 MN. We are going to start you off with an inexpensive gun you can easily pick up at WalMart. I bought my Model 25 five years ago for just $150, although they cost about $170 now. Take your new .22 magnum out to the country and fire a few shots at a paper plate taped on the side of a tree stump. Start out at 25 yards. When you get confident, you can put an inexpensive Simmons scope on it for those 50-yard raccoon shots. I have a big back yard and, for me, a part of home defense is getting rid of those raccoons that tear up everything in sight. Your varmint problems will soon be a thing of the past with this little bolt action rifle. It will also teach you patience and shot discipline better than a .22 semi-automatic. Remember, Matt, every shot counts so don’t waste ammo. In fact, make sure that you always buy more than you just shot after a day at the range. Some people call that stockpiling. I call it an investment in your future.
Smith and Wesson .357 Magnum, Model 686. I usually recommend a four-inch barrel but I want you to get a six-inch stainless model. This will help you in the realm of hunting and self-defense. For example, a 145-grain Winchester silver tip will stop that coyote you run into while deer hunting. It will also help stop any intruder (it will even stop his pit bull, for that matter). Keep this gun under your bed and loaded at all times.
Also, this is a great revolver for your wife (assuming you are married, which is another choice I recommend) to get used to shooting. Put some light 110-grain .38 Special rounds in it and see how she likes it. With a big six-inch barrel, it will be easy to handle with hardly any recoil.
Benelli Nova 12-gauge. I have a couple of Remington 870 pump shotguns. But, recently, I bought a 24-inch barrel Nova with Advantage Timber camouflage. I will use mine – a super magnum that takes 3 ½-inch loads – to hunt a turkey this Thanksgiving. You can use yours for varmint hunting, quail hunting, and a number of other purposes with the right 2 3/4 –inch load. Some light buckshot will also make this a good home defense weapon, provided you are in an open space (the barrel is a little long for this particular function).
Stoeger Double-barreled 20-gauge Supreme Coach Gun. If you really want your wife to get into this (to make it a family affair), she needs her own shotgun. I recommend the nickel-plated version because it’s so darned pretty. Let her keep it under her side of the bed and, please, stay on her good side. For more details, see this link: http://www.stoegerindustries.com/firearms/coach-supreme.tpl.
Ruger Mini-14 Ranch Rifle. A lot of people who saw what recently happened in New Orleans have concluded that every man needs an assault rifle. I came to that conclusion years ago. Go to WalMart and get this nice .223 semi-automatic for around $500 (I got mine when they were $375). Then get a scope (the rings are included with this model). I would also recommend several 30-round magazines by Thurmold. I have fired hundreds of rounds through mine without a single jam – even when firing as rapidly as possible. You might also want a flash suppressor, which will keep the muzzle low while you fire away. This is a fun gun that helps explain why I never picked up golf.
Browning A-bolt .270. And, of course, you will need a long-range bolt action rifle when you start bagging deer. My 30.06 Browning A-Bolt Medallion is probably my favorite weapon. Deer, black bear, and boar like it much less. I recommend the .270 to the novice because it has less recoil and will still get the job done. Winchester Power Point rounds (130-grain bullets) are very cheap and more than adequate. Mail me later for venison recipes.
Ruger Super Redhawk .454 Casull. I have no business recommending this gun to you, Matt. Nonetheless, buy it anyway. This gun takes Colt 45 rounds that are great for home defense. When, somewhere down the road, you feel like handling a very powerful handgun, this will provide some great entertainment with the .454 Casull rounds. Get the model with the 9 ½-inch barrel and kill a wild boar. Then kill a black bear. Then put a scope on it (the scope rings are included) and kill a deer at 100 yards. After you are done with your assignments, call me and let me know whether I have given you good advice.
Thanks for writing, Matt. And welcome to my world.
I don't know anything about it, other than what I've read. It sounds pretty nice, with the possibility of building a pistol with a more compact grip for people with smaller hands.
Mark
I bought it years ago, the first time the CCW law was floated here in MO. It is tiny, compared to anything else I owned. It's about the size of a Colt Mustang .380! But it's all steel, and heavy! And that's a good thing, too. The recoil on it is rather brutal, and it is not a particularly fun gun to shoot. My only regret is that I had to run out and buy it as soon as I read about it... Shortly thereafter, Star came out with a .45 version of the Firestar... Nothing against the .40, but I didn't (and still don't) have reloading dies for it. As it is, I've got too many tool-heads for my Dillon 550, and hardly enough room for them! Besides, I don't shoot the Firestar all that often. It is a nice gun, but it's very much a "working gun."
Mark
If you know the exact number you have, you don't have enough.
I had to revise my list 3 times before I gave up and went downstairs to open up the gunsafe and take a head count! lol
Mark
Ten?
You set your standards awfully low.
No small consideration when every shot is suppose to count.
Oh, that's a whole 'nother thread.
Personnally my SHTF rifle is a Sprinfield M1A. The .308 NATO round is my favorite in a long gun.
Kind of like a fountain of youth, or gold at the end of the rainbow. Or Bigfoot.
I've heard of them, but never seen one. You are indeed fortunate!
I've been very lucky too. Actually, I've found a number of excellent gunsmiths that I recommend highly... There's Bill Laughridge (sp?) up in Nebraska, who owns Cylinder and Slide. I have it on good authority that he's one of the very best (if not THE best) at working on Colt Pythons and Browning High Powers. While they're best known for those, believe me, they do excellent work on anything you can send them. He did some terrific work for me some years ago, with an action job on a competition .38 revolver, as well as an action job (and spring kit) in my Taurus PT-99. And then there's Leonard Beatty (I hope I got that right... It's been years). He was in North Carolina, and he did an amazing job on a 1911 "Race Gun" for me. I would estimate that I've put over 60,000 rounds through it, and it's NEVER malfunctioned, and the trigger pull, while extremely light (just a hair over 25 oz), is perfectly safe.
I've also got two friends who are both master tool and die makers, and they got into gunsmithing as a hobby, and have become excellent gunsmiths. One even built his own custom chambered revolver, sort of based on the .44 Automag, using full moon clips, and the cut down cases of a .308. I don't think that they'd want me mentioning their names.
And I was extremely luck to have been introduced to Ron Power, one of the finest gunsmiths around today. Not only is he a master craftsman, but he happens to be an extremely nice gentleman, and he's a lot of fun to be around. He had already retired to the Ozarks, but a friend introduced us, and my friends convinced Ron to do a bit of work on one of my revolvers.
Mark
Talk to your gunsmith about one of those mercury filled recoil surpressors. It fits in the stock. If you don't mind the extra weight, and it doesn't upset the balance, you'll be amazed at what it does to the recoil.
Mark
One of the judges in that Fifth Circuit case on the 2nd Amendment remarked during oral argument that he and one of the other judges on the panel "had between them more firearms than most Latin American countries." We're working on it . . .
That is a great little rifle.A good friend of mine who is a gun junkie has several and every time we get together we shoot several hundred rounds through them.
My 22 is an old Remington FieldMaster 572 pump.It will drive tacks at 25yrds with open sights.
My husband is negotiating with the father of one of my daughter's friends for a Rem 870 in 12 ga. for me. Gotta get a pump because the poppers and primers we use in hunting retriever tests won't cycle the action on a semi auto.
My daddy occasionally lets me shoot his 16 ga. Parker if I'm really good, but I think he wants to be buried with it < sniff >
He scored expert in the army with the Garand which is not surprising. I remember when we were really little, he would take his Remington Scoremaster model 513 and literally drive a series of nails into boards with it.
He would take large acorns or hickory nuts, throw them in the air and plug them with the .22. He seldom missed. Oddly enough, he had to throw them himself. If someone else threw them he was likely to miss. My Brother has that rifle now and it is just as sweet a shooter as ever.
Oh, they're out there, but I'm talking about the one you can get to in 30 minutes.
I have no trouble finding competent gunsmiths, I have trouble finding competent gunsmiths when I need help right now - the upshot is I've learned enough gunsmithing to be dangerous.
There aren't any really good ones right around here. When we lived in Western Kansas, had a great one, tho I can't even remember his name now.
I test-drove my BIL's Glock and Beretta at the range. It drove me nuts every time I picked up the Beretta for the first shot. It seemed like I was pulling forever to get that first shot off (yeah, I know I could have cocked it first). That was the day I decided to go Glock.
He just retired in August and none of us know WHAT we're going to do - especially about the Studebaker (know anybody that wants a cherry red '62 Lark convertible complete with shop manuals? It runs fine but needs body and interior work.)
Daddy tried it out for a day and we discovered the clutch was slipping. The dealer would fix it but not for the same price so we passed on it.
My dad was a great shot with a rifle.I never saw him drive nails into a board,and I never thought about asking him how he rated in the army in 1950.He was assigned a machine gun which you had to be a good shot to get one.
Excellent choices and good advice. Maybe you should be writing the advice column.
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