Birthday came early!
 

Went to a gun show in a nearby town today and ended up getting my Birthday presents early!
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Brand new Springfield XDM-40 (.40 Smith&Wesson) with 2 magazines, magazine holder, holster, speed loader (more hassle than it's worth IMO), a safety lock, and the replaceable grip pieces to adjust to different hand sizes. Also got 1,000 rounds of .223 for my AR-15 :yipi: Ended up spending almost $900 on ammunition plus $670 for the pistol and picked up a scope and some other goodies.

Yowza. Many targets/birds/neighbour's cats to be shot eh?

Targets yeah but it's against the rules of the "Homeowners association" to discharge a firearm within our neighborhood. Fortunately I've got a BB gun powerful enough to take down a bird and if I really need to take out a cat I can put a milk jug over the muzzle of one of my .22s. Just did inventory and we've got over 10,000 rounds of various calibers stored up. Got one rather large safe completely packed full of just ammo and another a little bigger loaded with guns and some more ammo. We came back to the show 3 times today to haul out everything we bought (poor Saturn :lol:) and we're going back tomorrow for round 4 and hopefully that'll be all (running low on money :no:). I saw a very nice Remington 30-06 with a beautiful wood stock and Leupold scope rings and was stupid and didn't buy it. Going back to see if he has sold it yet or not, if so I'll look for another 30-06 in similar condition. They've got quite a few .50 BMGs and various other large bore rifles but I don't have the money :cry:

War???
 

Are you expecting a war and no one told us about it? Your not planning a high school massacre of some kind are you? Just checking...

I am just wondering why anyone would need that much fire power in their house?? Are you an avid hunter? If none of these applies, then maybe you have some serious issues of paranoia and need psych help of some kind. I can only think of all the R/C gear one could buy with all of that money, when all anyone needs for home protection is a single Glok 9mm. We live on a military base so we don't really worry about such things, but I still do not want any guns in my home, since we have three young kids here.

AND do you know in most states if you discharge a firearm in a public area like a housing development that you can be charged with a felony, unless it was a clear cut case of self defense in your own home. Then you carry a felony criminal record the rest of your life and you loose your right to vote among other things.

It's required by Montana state law to have a minimum 15,000 rounds of ammo, and at least 10 firearms. :rules:

before I got married I had a few Glocks that I really liked, a .40 SW and a 10MM. I felt the .40SW was a nice inexpensive round to shoot. The 10MM I loved the power but rounds were difficult to find and I thought the power kicked ass untill I bought a Desert Eagle .50AE...:gasp:...talk about a powerful round but too expensive back in the 90s it was about $1 a round. I sold the handguns and a HK 91 .308 before I got married ( wife is anti gun)

I loved my Glocks, a very low maintenance gun I have refered to them as the handgun version of a AK47...you can abuse the hell out of them and they will never let you down...I know there are the Glock haters out there ( the traditionlists)

here in Arizona they have some pretty liberal gun laws you can carry a hand firearm in a side holster and not need a CWP as long as its in plain sight

That's interesting, I was looking at a Glock 21 but my dad had a 17 back in the '90s and he said he'd never buy another one after owning his. He said it was the most inaccurate thing he had ever owned but I'm not so sure it was all in the firearm :whip:

Montana gun laws are pretty lax as well, note the almost non-existant violent crime rate. Open carry is completely legal in MOST areas. If it's posted no firearms, a federal building, bank, etc. lock it up and don't take it in. Concealed permits are easy to get, I have already taken the course and just need to go down and fill out the application. The application is 2 pages long, with a long disclaimer and a big section for the military people. There's legislation being voted on on Monday that will allow people with no criminal history (mine is squeaky clean, my only "infraction" was a parking ticket a year ago, which I paid within 3 hours of receiving) to carry concealed without a permit (personally I think you should HAVE to take the class still, it really helps), remove the "flight before fight" rule, and clarify a bunch of other laws. You can have a magazine as big as you want, I see people with handguns with magazines so big it acts like a handle. They had big drum magazines for sale at the gun show and you can buy them off the shelf at a local sporting goods store. Fully automatic weapons are legal with a FFL (not too difficult to get, if you can get a CWP you can get a FFL), armor piercing rounds are legal, tracers are restricted only in high fire danger areas, and there's really no limit to how big of a bore you can have. They do get pretty strict on the concealed/open carry though (they teach the difference in the CWP class). If it's being carried non-concealed it's gotta be in complete view of everyone, if it's concealed you technically can't even have an outline/bulge showing through your jacket.

Naw, you have the right and if you feel like owning a firearm more power to ya. There's no 3 day waiting period or anything, they just call up NCIS and check your background, if it comes back clean you can purchase the firearm and walk out of the store with it the same day. I know some people who have a collection that dwarves my own, but I'm almost done getting what I want. I've got semi-auto and bolt action .22s for cheap plinking and varmint hunting (ground squirrels are everywhere out here, farmers and ranchers are more than happy to let you on their land to exterminate them as it causes some big problems for them). I bought the AR-15 because I wanted one, pure and simple. Now that I have it I absolutely love it, very reliable, very accurate, no recoil, ammo is cheaper than most everything else, it's very easy to pull apart and clean, etc. I've got a Remington Model 700 .243 that I use for hunting. It's not so big that it wastes part of a good animal but it's still powerful enough to humanely bring down most game. It's the most accurate rifle I've ever owned, if you could hold it steady enough it'd put 2 bullets in the same hole at 300 yards. I plan to buy the 30-06 tomorrow because no matter where I go there is always ammo for it. Places that are sold out of .223, 7.62, 9mm, and other popular calibers still have 30-06 left. It's a lot more powerful than the .243 and better suited to a large deer or an elk, or whatever I happen to put downrange at the local range. I'd also like to buy a shotgun because I enjoy shooting trap and skeet. Once I get the 30-06 and a 12 gauge shotgun (still haven't decided between semi-auto and a pump) I'll be done for a while.

No war, no massacre, just stocking up. Myself and a lot of others have doubts about being able to get a hold of firearms and ammo in the future, might as well stock up. Sounds like you're taking this a whole lot more seriously than it really is.

We've been hunting since we moved here in '91, got 2 freezers bigger than the safes stocked full right now and hoping to get another elk before the end of the late season. I'm not a big fan of 9mm, it's great for plinking (where most of my ammo is spent, that and varmint hunting) but not much stopping power for personal defense. I went with the .40 S&W because I've got some Gold Dot Silver-tipped +P rounds that WILL do the job if the dreadful day comes that I need it. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it, I have fire extinguishers in my house and have never had a fire, I've got a first aid kit in my car and never needed it, I've got insurance on my car and house and never had a claim, I've got a good selection of home and personal defense measures and have never needed them other than as a deterrent because we do get drunken wackos coming to our door at 3AM during the college year. Slide the action on the Maverick/Mossberg, act pissed, and tell them to leave and that always does the trick.

That's the difference between public and private. Personally, I'd rather spend some time in jail and possibly lose my right to vote than end up 6 ft under, but maybe that's just me. In the CWP classes they hand out DVDs produced by the NRA which outline several steps. Avoiding a confrontation altogether is the very first one, by not intentionally putting yourself in a situation where you could be in danger. The videos also say to attempt to run if possible (read "flight before fight"). If you cannot run they tell you to lock yourself in a room, call the police, and attempt to wait it out. In the event that you are backed into a corner and not able to escape you've got a sidearm. You're supposed to warn them (with the police on the line so they have a record of it) and if necessary do what you have to do to protect yourself. I personally believe that shots do not need fired, if a situation escalates to the point where you need a firearm, draw it and warn the attackers off because this works most of the time according to people who have been in this situation.

I'm in the process of getting a job with the Post Office right now doing deliveries, if I get the job I will not be bringing the .40 with me. Taking a human life is a terrible thing and should be avoided at all costs, and I think that for Postal work a Tazer is much better suited. They cause no permanent damage and give you plenty of time to run like hell, the idea is to use it, drop it, and run. Send a copy of the Police report to Tazer and they'll send you a brand new one for free, your life is more important to them than a single device.

Anyway, I'm really excited to get it. I've been looking over the owner's manual and they've got some nice features to it. I'm looking forward to taking it to the range and seeing if it's any more accurate than my brother's Sig P250.

GOOD CHOICE. My favorite firearm to fire. I chose this over the glock, cuz it just felt really good in my hand!

It definitely has a great feel to it, and it has replaceable grip pieces to adjust to different hand sizes. Still not as comfortable as my brother's Sig P250 but I really like it.

Wayy back, I was shopping for a handgun and ended up getting a 0.40 Beretta. Loved the way it felt in my hand and was super easy to disassemble for cleaning. I also tried a Glock, but the handle felt too short for my hand. Never felt like I had a good hold of it.

But, as I got older and more intolerant towards people in general, I decided to sell it for safety's (mine and the victim's) sake. I played with it for about a year and sold it for what I paid new to a retired state trooper. Not a bad "investment".

I'd like to get another one again, but I hear getting a concealed weapons permit in Iowa is a PITA.

Nice! They had some Beretta 9* series at the show, but my brother did quite a bit of research into them before buying his Sig and apparently the slides break after a few thousand rounds and a Navy SEAL actually broke his jaw from it. That's why the military is moving away from them, though for some reason my Army brother bought one last year.

IMO you made a good choice, there's a great deal of responsibility involved in carrying and if you feel like you could snap on someone you did a good thing. I haven't gone in for my permit because I am having a hard time wrapping my head around what could go wrong. I've lost 6 friends and a girl I was dating for almost 3 years to drunken driving so I know what death feels like and there's nothing worse. For now I've got something to have some fun with at the range and keep a half-load mag at home for that extra insurance.

It's interesting that Iowa is a tough state to get a permit in, I can imagine that in the more urban areas they want to restrict as much as they can (not like it does any good) but from what I understand a lot of Iowa is pretty rural.

the 17 model is a 9mm I had one once and it was ok...as far as inaccurate I had a CZ handgun which was a 7.62x25 the round was really hot...IIRC was about 1700fps and it didnt matter who shot it it was a dog when it comes to accuracy

a fun shotgun I had a while back was a Remington SP-10 which was rifled to shoot a 10 gauge (75 cal) deer slug...it was really fun shooting watermelonshttp://www.remington.com/products/firearms/shotguns/model_SP-10.asp

:lol: I bet there wasn't much left of the watermelon, I hit one with a .45 colt and it splattered all over. I'd rather stick to 12 gauge though, I've already got a few hundred shells for the Maverick.

Very nice.

What kind of AR do you have?

I'm hoping to get a nice Remington 870, with tax refund money, for home defense.

if you have plans on using it for home defense I highly suggest getting some sort of training. Shooting at a human that breaks into your house is a lot harder than it sounds the stress levels are very high and some people will freeze in the situation and it is not uncommon for the invader to wrestle the weapon from you and than use it against you.

Mine's a Bushmaster XM15-E2S. Not technically a real AR-15 but it's a very good gun.
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I'm not sure that it's the best choice for home defence. I'd be worried about the kind of penetration you'd get with the .223. .223 tumbles when it impacts, but you'd have to be sure to get hollow points or it'll probably go straight through at that range. Not much stopping power, either.

+1, good advice. The very first thing I'd do if I were him would be get a copy of those DVDs from the NRA, they won't teach you what an instructor can but it's got some good tips (including evasion). One thing that is really important is that you call the cops and stay on the line, that way they can hear everything that goes on and every call that goes into 911 is recorded. In one of the videos they show a situation where a lady's house is broken into and she's forced to fire on the intruder and she is arrested but the evidence from the 911 tapes got the case against her thrown out.

IMO the best home defense weapon is a short (18" barrell) shotgun with a pistol grip filled with buckshot. you most likely be shooting within close range and if you do shoot somebody make sure the entry wound is in the front of the body or you will be in lots of trouble if you dont kill them

Shotguns are good, but they've got some serious recoil and with a pistol grip they're harder to handle. It takes some training to be able to fire a pistol grip 12 gauge, your first time shooting it it will rock your world! Exit wounds must always be in their back, if they turn and run you cannot shoot, cannot chase, etc. or it's manslaughter.

OK, my zombie apocalypse plan now includes heading to your place! :lol:

Just say they called you a racial slur and then threated to kill you.

As far as shooting someone in the back, flip them over afterwards and go to town with that 12 gauge. It is hard to tell what happens at close range...

I like the 12 gauge with XX buck. At under 10 feet the pattern is about 4" or less so you are gauranteed a kill. I keep a 9 in the bedside table with 17rds of Winchester STX hollows. And a .45 with some ashtrays for backup. Plus I have a .40 in the desk drawer in case someone tries to get fresh when I am typing on the forum...

Went back and read the rest of the thread...

As far as guns go, buy all you want. I can safely say every gun I own is worth more than when I bought it. Stick that in your 401k pipe and smoke it. Wall street... lets see them make some money now... I bought guns and ammo as a hobby and an investment. Ammo has more than trippled in the last 3 years, and guns never go down in price. I have so much stuff it is not even close to funny, makes my r/c collection look like a joke.

Back to shooting people, well if it is them or me, I choose me. We have 6 billion people on the planet, so the guy who tries to rob me, or rape my wife, or molest my kids will not be missed. As a society we need to stop rolling over and feeling sorry for the people who do not deserve to cohabitate with us. This country was founded on the backs of strong willed men who did not want to take crap from anyone, lets keep it that way. Anything else and we are giving the bird to the men and women who fight and give their lives to keep us free. I suggest we do not make a mockery of their actions.

Disclaimer, if you are a soccer mom or tree humper and you have any issues with what I have said please feel free to write your liberal congressman and complain to him. Cause I am deaf and don't read that good.

I have quite a bit of training.

Nice AR.

+1 to what Linc said.

Loved the whole post.

As far as guns in the house with kids, it's all about how you handle it. I grew up with guns in my house, as did most of my friends, and the rest of my family for generations. If proper precautions are taken and kids are taught from an early age about them, things will be fine. Many people we say use gun locks, which is stupid on a gun for personal protection. Other guns fine, or keep them locked up. If you have a gun for personal protection and someone breaks into your house and is threatening you, do you really think they will just wait while you collect your gun key (wherever it may be) and then nervously proceed to try and unlock the lock on it?

People can believe what they want, I just don't want these people imposing their gun beliefs on me and trying to take away my rights.

Anyway, nice b-day presents and collection unsullied!!

+1 on this. Proper gun education is vital. I did not grow up with guns, but still knew that shooting yourself was a bad idea.

In any case, gun shootings pale in comparison to Doctor malpractice killings. Something like 40,000 people die of malpractice a year, gun related deaths, especially acccidental ones, are way lower than that. I have a feeling car accident deaths are higher too... time to ban cars, and doctors while we are at it. Then we will be all safe and fuzzy with that warm, caring feeling...:wink:

+1 to this entire post.

TexasSP: I agree that things change with children in the house. My Nephew (will be turning 8 in a few days) is over right now, and the safes are locked! I would like to buy a small safe with a number pad or thumb/hand print lock on it for safe storage yet quick removal of the XDM-40, but that's going to have to wait until I've got some more $$$.

I've already stripped the entire thing down, wiped off the cosmoline and re-oiled everything. I do this to every new guy I buy and go even more in depth for the used ones (bought a Ruger 10/22 with over 10,000 rounds through it that had never been cleaned, that thing was a nightmare to get clean). Thanks for the support guys :mdr: