The Guns and Weapons Thread

[raptor9k]

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[Deacon]

Question for the gun collectors here. My husband wants to buy a shotgun for his son for Christmas. He is looking for something to be used for home defense. I know he was talking about a Mossberg but they are pricey. He is looking to find something in the $300 range and compact design/easily handled. Suggestions?

If you can find anything for that price, go for it. It’ll probably be fine, and it’ll almost certainly be pump action instead of semi auto. Go ahead and make sure it’s 12-ga. For home defense you’ll want a short barrel, which means at or just over 18”. Ideally it would already have an extended tube magazine, but aftermarket parts generally exist for that and aren’t difficult to add. Just a few things to keep in mind as you come across options in your budget.

Since there’s rarely a single right answer, I prefer to try to understand what I’m looking for and why, so I can feel like I’m making an informed decision. This is a decent article: https://www.outdoorlife.com/story/guns/ ... e-defense/

[Martin Blank]

A former LAPD Chief once said, "There's no more terrifying sound than a shotgun racking in the dark."

I tend to believe that, making a pump-action more effective for home defense than a semi-auto. A shot never fired is a shot never wasted.

[raptor9k]

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[Deacon]

The warning was the lock on the door to someone else’s home. It’s a decision everyone needs to consider and make long before such a scenario might be encountered. Not just firearms owners but those with access to any weapon like a bat or a knife or even less lethal options like taser guns.

[raptor9k]

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[Deacon]

The only handgun I’d like to get ahold of is a Glock 19.

I just want CMMG to send me my damn Banshee already!

[Seir]

Just reminded me that I've always wanted a Springfield XD .40 cal #lifegoals

[Deacon]

I have decided I like 9mm more than .40 for basically everything. I still have a Glock 22, but I need to sell it for a Glock 19 instead.

By the way, my Banshee is finally out together, and I should get it before Christmas. Hooray! I picked up a spare 33-round Glock mag from Gun Mag Warehouse so I’ll have at least two mags available for use right away. I’m excited to run it

[raptor9k]

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[Deacon]

As an FYI, I picked up several of the 33rnd SGM Tactical glock mags after watching one of the IraqVeterean8888 meltdown videos. They run pretty great at $20/ea.

Nice! Way better than $40 each.

[raptor9k]

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[Jamie Bond]

I bought a cheap air rifle this summer for target practice. I can shoot a can from 80 feet or so (The range is longer, but I need practice on my aim)

[Deacon]

Well, now that you got your banshee it's looking like you'll get to register it as an sbr... Sigh.

Hopefully not. Now to get a suppressor for 9mm and for 7.62mm

I bought a cheap air rifle this summer for target practice. I can shoot a can from 80 feet or so (The range is longer, but I need practice on my aim)

Well cheap isn’t generally an indicator of quality. Lots of things affect how well you shoot. The shooter (you) is certainly an important part and often the weakest link. It usually is with me! But a lack of quality can lead to a lack of repeatable results.

If I were you, I’d suggest printing out some targets and figure out a way to hold them up. A discarded piece of cardboard and some clothes pins? Make a little stand out of stuff lying around? Whatever it is, standard size copy paper should be plenty large at your stated range of ~25 yards. This page has a lot of fun and interesting targets, but at first I would start with the “sight-in grid” one: https://nssf.wpengine.com/shooting/targets/

Aim for the exact same spot every time, no matter where the holes are punched for each shot. Try it a good 5 to 10 times, and see what the pattern looks like. Are they all fairly tightly grouped, just low and left or high and center or whatever it is? If so, time to adjust your sights accordingly and try it over again with a fresh sheet. But if they’re all over the map, then you need to figure out if it’s you or the rifle.

Lots of info out there to help beginners get down the basics of rifle shooting, but it shouldn’t be difficult to get fairly repeatable results within 25 yards like that even if the rifle isn’t great. Small things can start to have an impact like what part of your finger you’re using to pull the trigger and how you’re pulling it. For example, don’t pull the trigger. Instead, use the meaty pad of your finger (right about the middle of your fingerprint) to squeeze the trigger until it fires. It should surprise you when it goes off. Don’t jerk it or use the crook of your finger like I do, etc.

Just remember any spread between rounds you can multiply times 4 at 100 yards