Gun Talk

[HossHarris]

How do you carry, STS? Just got my CCW and I'm still trying to figure out what works.

IWB (Inside the Waistband) with a CompTac holster.

A good belt is the key. You cannot buy a good belt at the mall.

A 1.5" STIFF bullhide belt will do wonders for carry and fit most all of your existing clothes.

Check out The Beltman and CompTac

Both have quality gear and a healthy mil discount

(Edit for Linky goodness)

Edited April 2, 2010 by HossHarris

[JarheadBoom]

JarheadBoom

Depends, what weapons do you already have, and do you have a carry permit? Excuse me if I should know this, but I am getting old and forgetful!

I'd still go for a 1911 over an AR, but it all depends on what you've got!

I've got an XD45 Service, a Garand, an '03A3, and a 10/22; PA LTCF is on the way.

[OPINION]

I'm mildly concerned about the future of EBRs, now that the "health"care deal has been jammed through the Congress despite... ehhhh, let's just stop there and not open that can of worms.

I know I still need a shotgun to round out the "well-armed home" (plus something for the wife) , but I don't see shotguns as big on the 2A hater's radar as semiauto pistols, ARs, AKs, and the like.

[/OPINION]

[AlphaMikeFoxtrot]

Just saw this on the news. Not a whole lot up for auction but there maybe something of interest to you.

[Timbonez]

Just saw this on the news. Not a whole lot up for auction but there maybe something of interest to you.

12% buyer's fee and state tax regardless of origin? You're better off at Gun Broker or Guns America.

[M2]

Picked this Savage 64FXP .22LR up last night for $100, it's for my 12-yr-old son...

For a .22 it is actually quite nice. I looked at several at the gun show yesterday and not only was this a much better price, but it felt more like a "real" rifle in comparison.

The scope is a POS Simmons 4x15 and made in China, I plan to replace it with something a little less crappy. Otherwise, I picked up 333 rounds of Winchester .22LR for $9.95 at Walmart (the only box they had) and my son is ecstatic about the rifle. He wanted a BB gun but next expected a real rifle. I figured he is less likely to get in trouble with the .22, as it will be locked up with the rest of my arsenal and he won't have access to it unless I am with him.

Cheers! M2

[Timbonez]

Picked this Savage 64FXP .22LR up last night for $100, it's for my 12-yr-old son...

For a .22 it is actually quite nice. I looked at several at the gun show yesterday and not only was this a much better price, but it felt more like a "real" rifle in comparison.

The scope is a POS Simmons 4x15 and made in China, I plan to replace it with something a little less crappy. Otherwise, I picked up 333 rounds of Winchester .22LR for $9.95 at Walmart (the only box they had) and my son is ecstatic about the rifle. He wanted a BB gun but next expected a real rifle. I figured he is less likely to get in trouble with the .22, as it will be locked up with the rest of my arsenal and he won't have access to it unless I am with him.

Cheers! M2

What a great gift for your son. Speaking of gifts, I'm currently looking for a pistol for the wife. I was thinking a SIG P225, as it's a 9mm and it's a single stack (girl hands). If she could handle the .45 ACP more consistently I'd get her a 1911, but I don't see that happening. Maybe a revolver; she shot my S&W Model 19 w/2.5" bbl pretty well.

[Guest CharlieDontSurf]

https://www.ptr91.com/

Considering a PTR 91....any advice? Anyone own one or heard things about it? The internets said they bought the blueprints from H&K and built it to specs...sounds pretty awesome.

BTW they also produce a PTR 44 Sturmgewher replica.

[SocialD]

Looking for some info on Brush guns. I want to pick up a good gun to carry (fishing, possible hunting) in AK that is NOT a handgun. I was thinking of the Marlin 1895SBL 45-70, have also read about .44/.35/.458 etc...anyone have experience with these types of guns?

Edited April 6, 2010 by SocialD

[nunya]

Looking for some info on Brush guns. I want to pick up a good gun to carry (fishing, possible hunting) in AK that is NOT a handgun. I was thinking of the Marlin 1895SBL 45-70, have also read about .44/.35/.458 etc...anyone have experience with these types of guns?

Anything you've listed is a solid backpack rifle. But don't overlook an 18" 870 with Brenneke slugs.

edit: Plus with a 12ga, you can load everything from dove shot to 3" slugs.

Edited April 6, 2010 by nunya

[Breckey]

Looking at getting a ye olde school holster for my new 1911. I am racked between getting an M3 or a M1916 holster. Do any of the esteemed assembly have an opinion between the two?

Also what manufacturers do you suggest? I saw the stuff that El Paso Saddelry had but that seems a little out of my price range at the moment.

[Timbonez]

https://www.ptr91.com/

Considering a PTR 91....any advice? Anyone own one or heard things about it? The internets said they bought the blueprints from H&K and built it to specs...sounds pretty awesome.

BTW they also produce a PTR 44 Sturmgewher replica.

They look like a newer company, and the PTR 91 is a HK G3/41/91 clone. I have no experience with the rifle, but there are a few things to note based on the info on their website:

1. Barrels are not chrome lined. Chrome lining will increase the life of your barrel and it is easier to clean; the downside is you give up a little accuracy. Reference our M4s and M16s, they're all chrome lined.

2. There is no mention of what kind of steel is used in the barrel. They may have the original HK tooling, but companies can espouse mil-spec this and mil-spec that without it meeting those standards. I'm not saying they aren't using quality steel, but it's definitely something to research.

3. They don't recommend using most of the milsurp ammunition available. That's huge (sts) because that is going to be your least expensive ammo, and battle rifles like the G3 were designed for that. Their website says that military surplus ammo isn't made to exact specifications (no shit), but fail to note that there are certain controls that have to be met by military surplus ammo, especially NATO stuff. If they say that milsurp ammo isn't recommended for their rifles, then the rifle is not worth it.

4. 1 year warranty. Granted a lot of firearm manufacturers only offer 1-3 year warranties, but the ones worth your time will offer a lifetime warranty. If they won't put a lifetime warranty on their own product, why even make it? It's like you're saying you don't trust it.

5. One of the owners has extensive experience (50 years) in medical and aircraft components, but there is no mention of firearm experience. He could be a mechanical genius, but that doesn't necessarily translate into firearm know how.

Some reviews of the PTR-91:

https://www.thehighroad.org/archive/index.php/t-156716.html

https://www.hkpro.com/forum/showthread.php?110771-PTR-91-Inc.-PTR-91-vs.-JLD-Enterprises-PTR-91-vs.-Heckler-amp-Koch-HK-91

If it were me, I'd stay away from it because of it's inability to work correctly with surplus ammo.

EDIT: Look at the CETME and HK91s.

Edited April 6, 2010 by Timbonez

[Timbonez]

Two posts in the row, but oh well. M2, how do you like your SA GI .45? I was thinking about getting a simple, no frills 1911 like that, and I like what it has to offer.

[M2]

T-bonez

It was my first 1911, and half of the reason I bought it was because I had just finished watching Saving Private Ryan (again) and this scene always made a strong impression on me...

It is a fun, basic 1911 that pays tribute to the pistol that won WWII. I don't think I'd conceal carry it; but I love shooting it. Sure, my more expensive 1911s are more accurate, but this gun pays homage to the history of the 1911 and that was justification enough for me!

Of course, like many firearms, sometimes you can't own just one...here's the family photo I love to show!

Cheers! M2

[Timbonez]

M2, that's pretty much exactly why I was looking at the GI .45; the fact that it is so similar to a WWII M1911A1. The closest thing I have to that right now is my Colt Series 70 repro (my favorite production 1911). When the Series 70 first came out, one of the biggest "improvements" that Colt added was a collet bushing. It basically gripped the barrel, and since the bushing is attached to the slide the pistol would theoretically be more accurate. The problem with the collet bushing was that it was weak and therefore prone to breakage. When Colt started making the Series 70 repro a few years ago, they decided to forgo the collet bushing for a traditional one.

Technically the Series 70 repros have more in common with commercial pre-Series 70 1911s because they don't have the firing pin safety like the Series 80 (or any of the other iterations that current popular manufacturers use), they don't use the collet bushing, it has an arched mainspring housing, it has a non-lowered/flared ejection port, and the controls are the same as your standard M1911A1 from WWII. The major differences would be that it's polished blue, they don't use the low profile military sights, it uses wood diamond grips instead of the brown plastic ones, and the barrel is throated for reliable feeding of HPs.

I like the idea of the SA GI .45 because it's parkerized and it also has the low profile military sights. I can live without the actual rollmarks. I know the GI .45 barrels are throated as well, which isn't period correct, but I prefer it that way for the HPs. I'd have no problem carrying a GI .45 concealed. I also like that it doesn't have the firing pin safety. I know it has that goofy internal lock, much like Taurus and Smith & Wesson, but I can live with that.

Saving Private Ryan is such an excellent movie, and the whole sequence of them defending Ramelle is pretty epic. As for CAPT Miller with the M1911A1, he's staring down the barrel of a Tiger tank with a pistol in hand and blows a tank up (yes I know it's the P-51). It also shows how great the 1911 is, and proves the old adage "they all fall to hardball," including Tiger tanks.

I'm still up in the air about it. My Series 70 is awesome, and I carry it from time to time, but the GI .45 is relatively inexpensive that it would be worth it to add another 1911 to the stable.

EDIT: To add this random thought...

For those of you that don't know what a throated barrel is, it's adding bevels to the rear of the chamber to allow HPs to feed more smoothly. Before HPs became commonplace, the chamber would only be beveled from approximately the 5-7 o'clock region. Throating extends this from about the 3-9 region. I have one 1911, a combat commander, that doesn't have a throated barrel but I've never had an issue with it feeding HP ammo... go figure.

The two on the right are throated.

EDIT 2: I'll have to get a new family photo up once my Talon II and Enforcer come in.

Edited April 9, 2010 by Timbonez

[Guest palmettopilot]

This is for the milsurp fans.

Here is my small collection

[cragspider]

On a different gun note. I found out the other day while researching the carry laws for Tn, that if your active military and your not stationed in Tn your carry permit is good till you separate. You don't even need to take the class if you have prof that you have completed at least a 4 hour military gun class. Now only if Tx would do something like this then I wouldn't have to get two permits.

Edited April 10, 2010 by cragspider

[Timbonez]

Palmetto, that's a nice 1911 and I like your M1 Garand. Who is the manufacturer? I have a Harrington & Richardson M1 Garand that was produced during the Korean War.

Crag, as long as your TN conceal carry permit is still valid, TX will honor it.

[Guest CharlieDontSurf]

They look like a newer company, and the PTR 91 is a HK G3/41/91 clone. I have no experience with the rifle, but there are a few things to note based on the info on their website:

1. Barrels are not chrome lined. Chrome lining will increase the life of your barrel and it is easier to clean; the downside is you give up a little accuracy. Reference our M4s and M16s, they're all chrome lined.

2. There is no mention of what kind of steel is used in the barrel. They may have the original HK tooling, but companies can espouse mil-spec this and mil-spec that without it meeting those standards. I'm not saying they aren't using quality steel, but it's definitely something to research.

3. They don't recommend using most of the milsurp ammunition available. That's huge (sts) because that is going to be your least expensive ammo, and battle rifles like the G3 were designed for that. Their website says that military surplus ammo isn't made to exact specifications (no shit), but fail to note that there are certain controls that have to be met by military surplus ammo, especially NATO stuff. If they say that milsurp ammo isn't recommended for their rifles, then the rifle is not worth it.

4. 1 year warranty. Granted a lot of firearm manufacturers only offer 1-3 year warranties, but the ones worth your time will offer a lifetime warranty. If they won't put a lifetime warranty on their own product, why even make it? It's like you're saying you don't trust it.

5. One of the owners has extensive experience (50 years) in medical and aircraft components, but there is no mention of firearm experience. He could be a mechanical genius, but that doesn't necessarily translate into firearm know how.

Some reviews of the PTR-91:

https://www.thehighroad.org/archive/index.php/t-156716.html

https://www.hkpro.com/forum/showthread.php?110771-PTR-91-Inc.-PTR-91-vs.-JLD-Enterprises-PTR-91-vs.-Heckler-amp-Koch-HK-91

If it were me, I'd stay away from it because of it's inability to work correctly with surplus ammo.

EDIT: Look at the CETME and HK91s.

great post thanks for the links/advise!

[Guest palmettopilot]

Palmetto, that's a nice 1911 and I like your M1 Garand. Who is the manufacturer? I have a Harrington & Richardson M1 Garand that was produced during the Korean War.

Crag, as long as your TN conceal carry permit is still valid, TX will honor it.

Its a Springfield Armory M1 Garand with a 2000XXX S/M which makes it a October 1943 manufacture. The M1903 is a 1918 RIA

[JarheadBoom]

Palmetto: nice Garand. GI stock or replacement?

----------

Any of our resident AR-15 gurus have anything to say (good, bad, or otherwise) about Aero Precision lower or upper receivers?

From what I've been able to find in 5 minutes of Google-ing, they actually do a lot of work for other "manufacturers"...

edit for format

Edited April 10, 2010 by JarheadBoom

[Guest palmettopilot]

Palmetto: nice Garand. GI stock or replacement?

----------

Any of our resident AR-15 gurus have anything to say (good, bad, or otherwise) about Aero Precision lower or upper receivers?

From what I've been able to find in 5 minutes of Google-ing, they actually do a lot of work for other "manufacturers"...

edit for format

stock is USGI walunt with the correct WW2 proofs. I've heard good things about Aero Precesion lowers, but then again you cant really screw up a lower.

Edited April 10, 2010 by palmettopilot

[Timbonez]

Jarhead, it's really hard to screw up buying just a stripped upper or lower. As long as they are forged (or billet) using 7075-T6 aluminum, they use the proper Type III hard anodizing, and they are known to make them to spec (dimensions, holes drilled, etc.) then there shouldn't be a problem. I have no personal experience with Aero Precision, but I hear their uppers and lowers are very good pieces for making personal builds.

EDIT: Palmetto, thanks for the M1 Garand specs. Yours is a very nice rifle. The stock on mine is not original and is newly manufactured but beautiful. That doesn't bother me much as it's more of a shooter than just a straight up collector's piece.

Edited April 10, 2010 by Timbonez

[BigFreddie]

Anything you've listed is a solid backpack rifle. But don't overlook an 18" 870 with Brenneke slugs.

edit: Plus with a 12ga, you can load everything from dove shot to 3" slugs.

Shotguns work well and end up being much cheaper than the .45-70 types. That version from Marlin is fairly new and somewhat hard to find at this point. And a standard version works well but you give up a little capacity and don't get the speed lever either. I've had my eye on that model because it incorporates a lot of the custom upgrades you see some companies do. To see fully "tricked-out" brush guns, look at Wild West Guns in Anchorage, AK and Brockman Rifles. Big Horn Armory makes a neat new lever action in .500 S&W that might be worth looking at if you have deep pockets...

BF

ETA:

Local gunshop had Smith and Wesson Days this weekend. S&W rep with a good selection of their range guns to try. For $7 you got to shoot any gun they had - they gave you 5 rounds to shoot unsupervised. I shot the mid-size M&P .45 - very nice gun, fits my hand well with the mid-sized frame. Then I shot the

386 Night Guard in .357 Mag - there is absolutely no mistaking the fact you are shooting a .357 with flame, recoil and tons of noise. Great sights on it and I would buy on in a second if they offered a 4" version.

Then I shot a 686SSR with .38 Specials - definitely a step down in the blast and recoil category. Very nice trigger on this one.

I next shot a Walther PPK with Crimson Trace grips - very cool. The PPK was alright but I really liked the grips. I would think they could make a person a better shooter by practicing with them - you can definitely tell when you jerk the trigger and even how you push the trigger and therefore how you move the gun while shooting.

I topped it all off with shooting one of their .460s. Holy blast Batman! That thing was amazing how it created a huge blast - the salesman gave me a 5 minute run down of where not to put your hand to ensure you didn't lose a finger or palm to the blast! There was definitely a concussion to the thing but overall it really wasn't that bad. It is a huge pistol with a compensator so it soaks up a lot of the recoil. I would love to get one and pair it with a rifle that shoots the same round - something along the lines of the Marlin mentioned above...

Edited April 11, 2010 by BigFreddie

[Guest palmettopilot]

Jarhead, it's really hard to screw up buying just a stripped upper or lower. As long as they are forged (or billet) using 7075-T6 aluminum, they use the proper Type III hard anodizing, and they are known to make them to spec (dimensions, holes drilled, etc.) then there shouldn't be a problem. I have no personal experience with Aero Precision, but I hear their uppers and lowers are very good pieces for making personal builds.

EDIT: Palmetto, thanks for the M1 Garand specs. Yours is a very nice rifle. The stock on mine is not original and is newly manufactured but beautiful. That doesn't bother me much as it's more of a shooter than just a straight up collector's piece.

Thanks man! I really just got lucky both the Garand and the Springfield are CMP service grade rifles, I just got really good ones. I love shooping the Garand, more than my AR15 it just costs a lot more to shoot.

[M2]

My son and I took the new Savage 64FXP .22 rifle out on Saturday. First and foremost, for those in or visiting San Antonio, the Bullethole is off my range list. We experienced yet another care of pure buffoonery there that was the last straw. Instead, we went to Blackhawk Range, less than 10 miles south towards Atascosa, and it was extremely better to shoot there. Go to the Bullethole at your own risk, but my fat self won't be seen there again.

Anyhow, the Savage was fun and the Simmons 3-9x40 scope really worked well. About the only problems we had was one shell extractor failure and several failure to feeds. Several rounds were actually bent at the bullet from the bolt trying to load it. I accept blame because the seller told me it was ready to shoot, and I didn't clean it. My mistake. Still, we got the scope dialed in and easily has 2-3" and less groups at 50 yards. Considering this was using a bench but no rests, we were very happy with the results. The entire morning was a blast, and you can't beat a day out with your 12-yr-old son shooting!

However, I did get bad news that the Army has prohibited any calibers larger than .223/5.45 at Camp Bullis, so I can no longer take my Mosins, SKS or AKs out there. The gents at Outdoor Rec are trying to get that rule changed back, but for the time being it looks like the 100 yard range at Blackhawk is going to be my rifle range (except for the Savage). We can still shoot pistols at Bullis, but the 300 meter Sportsmans' range will be missed.

Oh, and the annual family pass at Blackhawk is half of what it is at the Bullethole, so there's another good reason to pass on that death trap of a range!

Cheers! M2