gun control

the shooting in colorado brought up gun control again, and here are some articles that i think are worth reading...

http://www.salon.com/2012/07/22/jason_alexanders_amazing_gun_rant/

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/26/opinion/armed-but-not-so-safe.html?_r=1

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/07/28/guns-ownership-around-the-world-graphic/

only 2 years old

and she knows her AR's...2 years old is too young, but no surprise that they can pick it up so quickly...not only do they not have the manual dexterity or the finger strength to really work with the gun, but they don't understand the implications of handling a firearm...even an unloaded one

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2011/11/21/two-year-old-girl-field-strips-ar-15/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheFirearmBlog+%28The+Firearm+Blog%29

gadaffi

this is gadaffi's gun...true to crazy dictator fashion, it is gold plated and gaudy looking, but at least his side arm of choice is a good one - the browning hi-power...those are really crappy wood grips though...for a guy who was worth an estimated 200 billion dollars (ridiculous how much money and assets he squirreled away), you would think he could get better looking grips...the browning hi-power is one of the best guns ever made in my opinion...i was considering getting one, but it was too expensive...usually $900-$1000...that's why i got a cz-75b...the closest i could get to a gun that felt like a hi-power without having to pay as much...i'll probably end up getting one eventually though

firearms

there are many reasons people might own guns...self defense, hobby, and occupation are probably the main reasons...i own them, because i enjoy shooting...defense is secondary and just against the zombie variety...i don't know why, but i always gravitated towards guns...most kids' interest in guns don't go beyond toy guns, but my dad saw that i liked them and took me shooting when i was about 9 or 10...ever since then, i knew that i would eventually be a gun owner and have shooting as a hobby...most of my learning came from reading gun magazines...before the internet, i had 3 main magazine subscriptions...car and driver, guns and ammo, and popular mechanics...i also got time and autoweek, but i think those were free subscriptions through some mail in program like columbia house (i remembered to send in the post card to not have them ship me cd's after the initial free ones, so i didn't get jacked)...i learned the basics about guns from those magazines and got practical experience at the range...eventually, i would like to learn to reload (make my own ammo) and even build custom guns...for now, here are the fundamentals of firearms

firearms have the same basic mechanism...some type of hammer is engaged with the pull of the trigger...it impacts the primer, which sets off the propellant that pushes a bullet out of the barrel

http://science.howstuffworks.com/revolver2.htm

for the most part, modern firearms can be broken down into 3 categories:

1. rifles
2. shotguns
3. handguns

rifles and shotguns differ mainly on the type of ammunition they fire..rifles fire cartridges refer to the entire package of shell, bullet, primer, and propellant...shotguns shoot shells...shells consist of plastic tube with shot shells(pellets) or a slug...rifles also have grooves or rifling in the barrel that impart a spin to the bullet as it exits the barrel to improve flight through the air...shotguns usually don't have grooves but some that are designed to shoot slugs also have grooves

12 guage birdshot shotgun shell

transparent shotgun shell

shotgun slug

various cartridges

handguns are similar to rifles in that they also shoot cartridges and have rifling but are smaller and can be used with one hand (gangsta side holding is poor form...probably why they always end up hitting innocent bystanders instead of other gang members)

the next way to distinguish a gun is by the action...the action refers to the moving aspects of the gun...how it loads the next round, fires, and ejects the left over casing

handguns breakdown into 3 groups...revolvers, semi-automatic, and automatic...revolvers are the dirty harry type guns...in a double action revolver, the trigger causes the hammer to cock back and hit the primer while rotating the wheel to the next round...in a single action revolver, the hammer has to be cocked manually...like in the old cowboy western movies...you see them pulling back the hammer back manually before shooting...semi-automatics are the more modern looking guns...each trigger pull fires the round, ejects the case, and loads the next round...one trigger pull equals one shot...there are single and double action semi-autos and that refers to whether the hammer is cocked after the shot, but i don't want to go into that level of detail...automatic handguns are less common, and illegal in california (all automatic firearms are illegal in california)...automatic means that the gun will continue to fire as long as the trigger is pressed

rifles break down into semi-auto and auto as well...one trigger pull equals one shot or fire as long as the trigger is pressed and there is ammo...you also have lever-action and bolt action rifles, where the shooter has to manually eject and load the next round after firing...below is a bolt action and lever action...you can see the bolt jut out to the side...you have to pull that out and in after each shot...a lever action has a lever on the bottom like you see in westerns

bolt action

lever-action

shotguns can also be semi and auto...they also come in pump or lever...everyone is familiar with pump action shotguns, so i won't post anything...lever action shotgun is like the one aaahhhnold had in terminator 2

the next area to cover is the caliber...for handguns and rifles, the caliber measures the diameter of the bore...usually in fractions of an inch or in metric...for example, a .44magnum has a bore that is 44ths of an inch wide...however, width isn't the only thing...even within same calibers, they can be customized to have more gun powder, different weight bullets, etc...all of that would alter the characteristics of the round, but that is too much detail for this post

also, the number is sometimes more for distinguishing the cartridge than the actual measurement...a 357magnum is really .38in, and that is why i can shoot .38 special in my .357magnum lever rifle

shotguns are measured in gauge...it's a round about way to measure the diameter of the barrel as you can see below

http://science.howstuffworks.com/shotgun3.htm

that covers what i think are the basics...i might add more posts that go into more detail, but this seems like a decent primer

now that you know the various types of guns, you might be able to see that there is a method to the way i choose the guns i buy...my goal is to get at least one of each of the following...one semiautomatic handgun (i have 3 and there are other reasons as to why i chose these), one shotgun (got one recently and interested in getting a semi-auto one too), one lever action (have one), one bolt action (don't have one yet), semi-auto rifle (don't have one yet, and i want 3...one in each of the popular calibers...7.62x51mm nato/308winchester/, 5.56x45mm nato/.223 remington, and 7.62x39mm nato), and one revolver (don't have one yet...probably a .357magnum to go with my lever gun)...guns are like cars...different guns have different uses...i have other reasons for choosing the guns above, but the main reason is that variety means more fun at the range :)

long range

trailer about a training dvd set about long range shooting...makes me want to get a rifle...the problem again is that there aren't a lot of places to shoot rifles...especially long range

range report

i was able to get in about an hour of shooting at the range this evening, but it was a poor outing...first gun i shot was my used marlin lever gun...was excited to shoot it, but it was a disappointment...the action kept jamming, and i couldn't figure out if it was because of the reload ammo or if there is something wrong with the gun...next time, i'll take new factory ammo and try it...also, i was shooting 38special and not 357magnum, although that shouldn't matter...there was one jam that was so bad that i had to ask the range guys for some tools to pry out the round that was stuck in the magazine tube...if it still has problems with new ammo, then i'll take it back...the one good thing was that the gun was pretty accurate when it did fire...i only had an hour until closing, and i wasted so much time clearing the jam that i only got to shoot about 20-30 rounds....i still had to test my other reload ammo in the remaining time

first i shot 9mm with my cz75b...no real issues...i had about 30 minutes left, so i only shot 50 rounds...next was 45acp with my rock island armory 1911...i experienced several failure to feeds...also 2 rounds wouldn't chamber at all...they were shorter than a normal 45acp, but i couldn't tell if they were shorter because of a defect or if the failure to feed pushed the bullet back into the casing...the lever gun did the same thing the with the 38special...2 bad rounds out of 50 plus several failure to feeds...no es bueno...i'll have to go through the case and hand check the rounds...if i had to grade my time at the range, it would be a D

ammo prices are hard to stomach, and i'll have to cut back on my shooting after this year's range membership or ammo runs out...whichever happens first...no way i can keep shooting as much as i have been...i might even switch to archery as my main hobby...i went to the archery store next to the gun store that i usually frequent, and the prices for starter bows were decent...about $100 (classic wooden style bows and not the hi-tech ones)...the best part is that you can reuse arrows...they even had 4 or 5 lanes near the back of the store for shooting

i'll probably take a couple of my guns to the store to see what i can get for them...selling is usually just 50% but trade in should be a little better...if their trade in offer is decent, i'll get the revolver that i have been eyeing...a ruger gp100...i like the look and feel of the smith and wesson 686, but it is too expensive...if their offer is too low, then i'll have to post them somewhere and do a private sale...i should be able to get about 85 to 90% back on a private sale...i can get more money if i sell them myself, but i don't want to deal with the chance of the buyer being some shady character

gun show

i went to the crossroads of the west gun show at the oc fair grounds...wasn't as crowded as the last time i went, and i remembered to take my hand cart....they raised the price of admission to $14...i think it was 11 or 12 bucks before

you'll see about 5 types of folk at the gun show...

1.  tea partiers/baggers...the george dubya group...they have confederate flags, obama hating shirts, and usually speak with a twang
2. gang banger looking kids...background checks?
3. mall ninjas...they buy everything that is labeled as "tactical"
4. just curious...people who might be thinking about getting into shooting or just curious to see what a gun show is like
5. non-sequitur...these folk are akin to the cosplayers of comic-con...they dress up in military/war/law enforcement costumes...i saw a couple dressed up as a soldier and a nurse from WWII...another was a sheriff from the wild wild west

most of the stuff at the show is at retail price or higher...not very many deals in my opinion...what it is good for is to find older used guns and somewhat cheaper reload ammo....usually a little cheaper than walmart, but since they're reloads, there is a little more risk with them not firing properly...buying ammo online might be a little cheaper, but i am not comfortable with having ammo shipped to me...the only way to reduce the cost of ammo is to start reloading...however, i don't have enough room to use as a reloading area, and i would have to spend a decent amount of money to get the equipment and supplies...there is also the risk of blowing myself up

i got some cases of 9mm, .45acp, and 38special...also, picked up a couple boxes of 12ga slugs and 00 buckshot...i hope there are no issues with these reloads...last time i had to return the case of 9mm that i got, because they had a batch that was made with a broken die...the ammo wouldn't fire or cycle properly

i was hoping to find some cheap magazines for my marlin papoose, but they were 20 bucks each...i can probably find them cheaper online...no good deals on pistol and rifle cases either...they had laker and doyer ammo cans, but they were almost 30 bucks each...not worth getting...maybe if it were a firefly ammo can

lever

picked up my marlin 1894 lever gun...was really looking forward to shooting it, but i took off the scope that it came with and checked the sights...the rear sight is way misaligned to the left...the store i bought it from has a 90 day warranty for problems with the gun, but i don't think they'll take it back for misaligned sights...i'll have to try to take it back and see what happens...what is worse is that they had a newer winchester 1894 model in the same caliber...i should have had them take off the scope before i bought it...so annoying to have crooked sights...if i can't return it, i might have to get a red dot sight

**update on my lever gun...i took it back to the store, and they were able to center the rear sight...i still haven't been able to shoot it though...the range was too crowded, and i didn't want to wait

gun manufacturers

interesting article about major gun manufacturers being wooed to move their jobs to gun friendly states...surprising to see that california employs the most firearms industry workers

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/10/us/10guns.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

splurge

i got some new guns...mossberg 590a1, which i posted about before and a used marlin 1894 lever-action carbine in 357 magnum

mossberg 590a1

marlin 1894

the marlin i got is pretty old...almost 30 years old, so i have to make sure that i test it out before the 90 day warranty period is over...mine comes with a scope, but i might take it off...the reason i chose the 357mag caliber was mainly because of cost and ability to shoot it at indoor ranges...357mag is pretty expensive, but i can shoot 38 special, which is a little cheaper...about the same as shooting .45acp...still pricey, but not as bad as the more powerful calibers...also, most indoor gun ranges max out at 44mag...they even make lever guns in 500mag, which i think would be awesome to shoot...however, i think only one company makes a lever gun in that round, and it is too expensive for me (http://www.bighornarmory.com/products/)...i am thinking about trading/selling my neos and cz75b to get a smith and wesson 686 to go with the carbine...i would like to get pistol/rifle combos in all the pistol calibers that i have

if i trade in my neos, i would have to get another .22 to go with my marlin papoose...i would want one that is like a glock and another that is like a 1911...this would allow me to practice in a cheaper caliber and still retain the same feel of my glock and 1911...like these two

http://mkschiappa.com/MKS_Chiappa_semiautomatics/Chiappa_1911_22.html

http://mkschiappa.com/MKS_Chiappa_semiautomatics/Chiappa_1911_22.html

a carbine to go with my glock 17 would be the kel-tec sub2000, which i already posted about...the advantage with this one is that it can use the same magazine as the glock...a carbine to go with my 1911 would be the marlin camp carbine in .45acp, but it is no longer made and is difficult to find used...i'll definitely get it if i come across one at a gun store...the advantage, like the kel-tec, is that it can share magazines with my 1911

kel-tec

camp carbine

there are so many other guns that i would like to get...i would like to get one bolt-action rifle in 308win and a few semi-auto rifles if they get rid of that stupid magazine lock requirement for california...the only problem is that is that i don't think there are many ranges nearby that allow them

marlin papoose

a good video review of the marlin papoose...i'm also looking to add a decent and inexpensive scope to mine...fun little rifle that is cheap to shoot

chocolate glock?

for gun and chocolate fans...gotta be awkward to eat

http://www.chocolateweapons.com/chocolate-guns/chocolate-gun-solid.html

open carry

old la times article about open carrying of guns

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-opencarry7-2008jun07,0,849912.story

open carry is allowed in california as long as the weapon is unloaded...i wonder how long before someone calls the police if one sees someone walking around with a gun

the problem with gun control in the US is that it is not a complete ban of guns...it limits types of guns and is based mostly on aesthetic qualities of the gun...the only way it will work is if all guns are banned, which will never happen in this country...my preference is to have either a full ban or no restrictions at all instead of something in between...living in california, i can't have the fun guns like in other states with less restrictions...partly the reason why i do not have a semi-automatic rifle yet

pistol caliber carbines

http://www.shootingillustrated.com/6626/pistol-caliber-carbines/

very good article comparing some pistol caliber carbines...i've been looking for a good carbine in either 9mm or .45acp...if i ever get a .357 or .44 magnum, then those can be an option as well...kel tec sub2000 might be a good one

http://www.keltecweapons.com/our-guns/rifles/sub-2000/

folded

kel tec makes some interesting stuff, but i don't know how reliable they are...i am interested in the sub 2000, rfb, and ksg...all seem like fun guns...

http://www.keltecweapons.com/ (bullpup shotgun)

rfb

westerns

hailee steinfeld acted the best and was the main character but didn't even get her name in the poster heading...should have left josh brolin out...he had the smallest role out of all and was a crappy character

recently, i watched and read True Grit (watched the movie then read the book) but never saw the first adaptation of the book with john wayne...the movie was cast very well, and i think i enjoyed the book more, because i watched the movie first...most might enjoy the movie more by reading the book first, but in this case, i think the opposite is true...there is quite a bit of humor in this western, and humor is sometimes are hard to do with the written word, because tone and sarcasm can get lost...remembering how the actors from the movie delivered the lines while reading the book made it funnier...there was some background information that was left out from the movie and some of the story was altered to keep the pace up and increase the suspense/tension...overall, i thought the movie was a good adaptation...

westerns have lost their popularity, but you a get a few good ones from time to time like Unforgiven and Tombstone...other ones that i like are the old clint eastwood ones...A Fistful of Dollars, Hang 'Em High, Pale Rider,The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, and The Outlaw Josey Wales...partly why i like them is because cowboys are like a western samurai...films like fistful of dollars and The Magnificent Seven are remakes of Yojimbo and Seven Samurai...in reality, they were more likely to be opportunistic gun/sword for hires, and their skill and legend were greatly exaggerated, but still fun to watch as movies...i'll write a post about samurai films as well...

i wouldn't want to go up against these guys in a duel...i guess you can make a living doing anything if you're good enough...the red shirt guy's secret to his quick draw is steaks...steaks for every meal...and steak juice as his beverage...

beretta

went to the gun store, and they had a beretta 92fs inox...very nice looking gun...i was thinking about getting a beretta 92 a few months back but got a glock instead...the one at the store was in 40 s&w...the only thing stopping me from getting it (other than feeling bad about spending so much on guns) is that i don't want to start stocking ammo for another caliber...if it were in 9mm, i probably would have gotten it...

shoots well, reliable, and easy to take down for cleaning and maintenance...felt much lighter than i expected...maybe because the last guns i shot were a ria 1911 and a s&w 629, which are pretty heavy...the beretta 92, browning hi power, and 1911 designs seem to feel best for me...

Investing in guns

article from Time magazine about how rich folk are starting to invest in expensive guns, because the economy is so volatile.

http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,2048229,00.html

can't imagine spending $100k plus for a shotgun unless i had bill gates type money...and here I am thinking that $500 for a Mossberg 590a1 that I want is too expensive.

http://www.mossberg.com/products/default.asp?id=26

I wouldn't mind shooting one of these though to see why they're so prized...

http://www.hollandandholland.com/

http://www.purdey.com/