Help me buy my first gun

[M249Gunner]

.22 pistol is a great idea because of cheap ammo.

I thought I heard there was a shortage of .22 ammo at the moment.

Just buy one out of the paper or at a gun show.

I really don't want to wait for a gun show. There was one in town a couple of months ago, but I missed it.

hmmm...

Go down to Wally World and buy .22 ammo for about 13 bucks for a box of 550. Then sit at home and come up with more excuses why you can't buy a gun because you're really just to uncomfortable to do it.

You won't find .22 shells in the Wal Mart around here. You can still find it some places, but the price has doubled (the local hardwar store) or tripled (the K-mart in Draper. I think Cabellas had some right after Christmas. The .22 lr at the gun show a couple of weeks ago sold out in the morning. (Except for the extreemly pricey target shells))

OK, don't do that last part.

The newspaper has all kinds of people selling firearms no matter where you are. Tough economic times makes for people who need money so they sell for decent prices sometimes. Also when you buy from a private party in "most" states there is no licensing, background check garbage.

It almost appears to me that although there are still firearms for sale in papers, etc.. there seem to be fewer of them. People are wisely holding on to them. There were a lot of empty pegs on the pistol wall at the Provo Sportsman's Warehouse the last time I was there.

I have a co worker that recently spent ~3 or 400 dollars for a Yugo SKS. Wow, they used to be ~$100! He did tell me a friend of his is selling him a Springfield .45 1911 for a very reasonable sum. There are still deals if you look, I suppose.

[M249Gunner]

With hollow points, it has a whole lot more knock down power than a .22, and I've heard (from the law enforcement officer that taught our CCP course) that a 22 mag with hollow point actually has more knock-down than a .32, which is what many people, including law enforcement officers often use for concealed carry. That is interesting.

If (unlike many) you actually make the time and effort to shoot it, use it, get to know it, and become competent with it, there's a good chance that it won't be the last gun you ever buy. You can always upgrade, trade around and/or buy another, better, or different gun later. Heh, heh, that's right. Or pick up another off of the battlefield. Just kidding.

Bottom Line: Just Do It! Get Something. I would not want to be completely unarmed in this day and age. Hear, hear!

Good luck.

[HoneyBee]

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[M249Gunner]

Look at the ammo Prices. These 2 guns shoot the 7.62x54. They will take down a moose.

http://www.jgsales.com/product_info.php ... 0640c67a92

http://www.jgsales.com/product_info.php ... ts_id/2392
7.62 ammo

http://www.jgsales.com/product_info.php ... ts_id/1789


The ammo on this is cheap and more accurate than an AK-47.

Polish Ak-74 (good gun)

http://www.jgsales.com/product_info.php ... ts_id/1648

Ak-74 ammo

http://www.jgsales.com/product_info.php ... ts_id/2940

Handguns.

Rock island 1911 (serviceable gun). Ammo is high though.

http://www.centerfiresystems.com/AC-RI1911.aspx

Look up The CZ-52. It is a good gun and the ammo is cheap.

Look up Hi-point. O.K guns for the price. Romanian AKs are good too. The ammo on the 47 are high now.

You can't beat a good ar-15. Once again the ammo is high.

http://jtdistributing.net/store/kits_all.html

What do you want from your firearm? If you are looking for an all around cheap gun/ammo then consider the Romanian PSL (second link). If it is all about price then consider some of the other links. I have not dealt with J&G. I was just showing you some examples.

Hope that helps.

I now own a few much nicer weapons, however I still really enjoy my Nagants. My bores are a bit oversized, however. They slug out to ~.314. I sometimes cast lead bullets out of wheel weights for them and shoot squib loads that are a lot of fun and even fairly accurate.

Ammo can be hard to find for 8 MM Mauser, however it is also a very good cartridge and there are some good 8 MMs out there for fairly cheep at Big 5s (Yugo Mausers). You can make your own 8 MM casings out of 30-06 if you need to. I have made ~ 100 of them before I came across plenty of regular 8 MM casings. It is somewhat time consuming, but very doable.

[M249Gunner]

In consideration that your wife or another family member might have to use the gun for protection of life and/or property, a small or medium frame revolver in .38 S&W Special might be the easiest for all possible users to handle. And as ShawnC suggested, try to buy one out of the paper or at a gun show so as to avoid registation. If possible, avoid any permits or other kinds of paper trail, unless you expect to carry it regularly concealed on your person.

.38 or .357 is a good idea. I saw tons of reloadable nickle plated brass for those calibers for very, very cheap at the gun show at the Center St. Brass tables. (at least compared to brass 7.62x51).

[Blip]

It will all be gone soon. 22 is still a great idea. Think about the 10/22. 25 round mags!

[M249Gunner]

Believe me guys, I have been the rounds (no pun intended) with the gun situation in this country. Go to a gunshow and or paper and buy a .357 revolver because
1. Will shoot both .357 and .38
2. You can find one that will be just fine for what you need for about 300 bucks. Very good advice.

If you want a pistol, I say 9mm because the .40 ammo is almost twice as much right now, and a 9mm will do what you need if you ever need it. Plus you can get one for about 250 to 300 bucks that will do the job just fine. You can buy a Hi-Point for well under 200 bucks. I have a Hi-Point 9mm that works great. In fact I shoot cleaner and more accurately everytime with that thing than my cop brother in law and his fancy gun snob glock. You are probably just a better shot than your brother in law. Just because he is a cop doesn't mean he is a great shot. I have heard and read very good things about Hi Points. I have heard they have very good customer service. I hometaught a guy who owned a couple and loved them. I would have one, except I suppose, in your words, I became a gun snob and bought a Glock. Just kidding, I'm not really a gun snob. I really like old beater surplus rifles.


Shawn

[M249Gunner]

I have a Hi-Point 9mm that works great.

My cz-52 is better than your hi-point. And the round is better too. That means that I am better. Nahnah..nahnahnah..nah.

Just don't buy a Chinese Tokorev like I did ~18 years ago. It isn't that great and I am now considering trading it for some ammo now that I have something much better. Mine is a 9mm though I also bought a 7.62x25 conversion for it. I have only fired the conversion ~50 times. I must say, that 7.62x25 cartridge impressed me. I felt much more concussion from those shots than I did the 9mm. I really don't know much about its ballistics though. I bet it is a decent round. Maybe the Chicoms will bring a bunch with them when they come.

[M249Gunner]

9mm in a pistol and .357 (also holds .38 rounds) in a revolver. .22 pistol is a great idea because of cheap ammo. Also, screw the "required permit". Just buy one out of the paper or at a gun show.

This guy had some good advice.

Yes, do like Rosa Parks! Sometimes a little civil disobedience is a very good thing and can really benefit society.

[M249Gunner]

The best gun is whatever gun you can get your hands on. They are getting hard to get.

Hi-point compact 9mm, makorav, tokoravs, cz-52s, cz-82s, .38 specials (don't like them), any eastern block types are usually compact and around 200 $s. All of these are around 200. There are a bunch of revolvers that can be purchased for cheap. Avoid the nagant revolver, because of the ammo. Good luck not leaveing a paper trail. Gun owners are asking for all the info on the people they sell to now. From what I HEARD.

Remember that you can also hunt with a shotgun. From birds to large game.Just make sure you match your ammo to the game. Number 6 shot won't take down a deer unless you are quite close. Have some slug or buckshot ammo on hand. If you cast your own and reload, this can be relatively cheap. Otherwise buckshot/slug ammo costs a bit more than bird shot cartridges.

If I didn't have much I would seriously consider a hi-point 9mm and a pump shotgun. Dalton is right. Just the sound of that pump action is enough to scare people off.

[Blip]

Maybe the Chicoms will bring a bunch with them when they come.

I have had 3 dreams in the past year that I was killing Chicoms on the coast (chinese invasion).

I never thought about it much before the dreams, but I guess it is possible for the chinese to invade the west coast. I hope this does not happen.

[M249Gunner]

Idaho is nothing but mountains, huh. Good place to be. The Snake River Plain is pretty flat, though you can see the mountains in the distance. The potato fields seem to be in flat places generally.

-The one with the lable that says....wait for it...IDAHO!

Could you explain this in more detail?

[M249Gunner]

Now that I believe. Moose are violent creatures. I bet you wish you would have had a CZ-52 to protect her. They are almost as bad as those baby seals that the Canadians have to club for self defence purposes.

Do baby seals taste like chicken?

[M249Gunner]

Yes I have. Great little guns. I think they do make it in 9mm, but mine was 9x18. The 9x18 is not as good as the 9mm, but close. 2 thumbs down for the .380 (opinion)My opinion also. Also, don't even consider a .25 auto. .22lr is less expensive and more effective down range if I remember correctly. Not that the .22lr is an ideal defensive round. My pistol marksmanship has greatly improved by shooting my Ruger MKIII. That marksmanship has carried over to my other pistols. Those Rugers are great for training. Anyone can shoot that Ruger MKIII with the bull barrel accurately.

I am telling you guys to look at something like this if you are short on change.

Gun

http://www.jgsales.com/product_info.php ... 02abadec0a

Ammo

http://www.jgsales.com/product_info.php ... ts_id/3145

This is a screaming round. Way better than the 9mm. Look at the price. My CZ-52 fires it. It is a has some serious punch. It is an impressive little .30 cal. If I remember correctly, it is one of the first necked pistol cartridges developed. Do you know if that is true?

We might have a problem getting imports, but from the way it looks, we may have a problem with domestic.

Get a few thousand rounds for it, while it is still cheap.

http://www.jgsales.com/index.php/ammo-f ... Path/25_28

[Blip]

Don't know, but I do know it is tougher than it looks. It is a nasty little round.

I wonder what those seals taste like too. It would be a waste if they just took their skin.

[ShawnC]

It will all be gone soon. 22 is still a great idea. Think about the 10/22. 25 round mags!

Agreed!

[Stumpjumper]

All this gun talk is making me uncomfortable. 8) Just kidding.


Fri.-Sun., Febr. 13-15, Cabela's Gun Show & Sale LEHI, UT

Buy, Sell or Trade Your Firearms
Come to our Gun Show February 13-15. You'll find hundreds of used guns as well as hundreds of new guns at fantastic prices! Also, bring in your used firearms for FREE on-site appraisals. Buy, Sell, or Trade at Cabela's Gun Show.

[Oldemandalton]

I love you guys.
My M-1 Carbine was converted over to the .45 Win Mag. The 30 rd clip holds 13 of the suckers! 260 grains 1,345 Ft/sec

OMD

[Stumpjumper]

260 grains....

Does that .45 round make it louder?

[M249Gunner]

Now that I believe. Moose are violent creatures. I bet you wish you would have had a CZ-52 to protect her. They are almost as bad as those baby seals that the Canadians have to club for self defence purposes.

Do baby seals taste like chicken?

What would Bob Henstra call them? Sea Chickens?? Or would that be tuna fish?

[M249Gunner]

All this gun talk is making me uncomfortable. 8) Just kidding.


Fri.-Sun., Febr. 13-15, Cabela's Gun Show & Sale LEHI, UT

Buy, Sell or Trade Your Firearms
Come to our Gun Show February 13-15. You'll find hundreds of used guns as well as hundreds of new guns at fantastic prices! Also, bring in your used firearms for FREE on-site appraisals. Buy, Sell, or Trade at Cabela's Gun Show.

Will it be a real gun show or is this just their way of marketing what they already have? I am kind of disappointed at how expensive their stuff is and how little they have compared to what is in their catalogs. They have very little bullet casting stuff. I guess they have a lot of overhead to pay for with all the wildlife displays and the nifty little Piper Cub hanging from the ceiling.

When they first opened, they sent me a $10 or $15 gift certificate a couple of times. I guess that stopped when they caught on that I was buying a brick of .22lr and walking out with change left over, heh, heh. Maybe they have the high prices to try to earn back all the money they sent out in gift certificates.

I think I prefer Sportsman's if I am actually going to purchase something. Except Sportsman's was out of .22lr and running low on pistols the last time I was there.

I love you guys too. You're great people!

[lamanite]

All this gun talk is actually timely for me. I'm having a heck of a time trying to pick up an AR right now...
Actually there are plenty of folks selling registered AR-15s but they are wanting me to do transfer paperwork. I tell them I'm looking strictly for a non-papered sale but they had better find someone to get that thing out of their name...
Maybe it's only going on in my state.

[Blip]

lamanite, .223 ammo is getting really scarce. I mean almost gone kind of scarce and it is down right pricey.

Get a stripped lower (any kind) and a kit. You can order the kit (550 $), but you have to get the lower reciever (115$) through an ffl dealer.

[Blip]

Mullinite has a thread up for building a lower.

[lamanite]

lamanite, .223 ammo is getting really scarce. I mean almost gone kind of scarce and it is down right pricey.

Get a stripped lower (any kind) and a kit. You can order the kit (550 $), but you have to get the lower reciever (115$) through an ffl dealer.

found someone with a an assembled stock and lower today that will do private sale. Hopefully this deal goes thru. I steer clear of ffl's so my avenues are limited. Ammo is hard to find and I'll tackle that one next. I know of a few shops around that have a little 223 but I'll also be looking for 5.56. I figure 2 things can happen:
-when the ban comes down these things will go up in value and I can trade it or sell it privately if I really want to
or:
-when the economy tanks, people will be looking for any way they can to make ends meet and a bunch of these things will hit the market. who knows...