Getting a gun for the first time.

[marineimaging]

(I changed topic and subject) If you don't know what kind of gun to get then never order one without putting your hands on it and if at all possible, shoot one like it first. Listen to what other people say with a hefty grain of salt. Guns are like food, everybody likes something different.

 

[thecolorsblend]

In fact, isn't this sort of like "what was once called good will be called bad and what was called bad will be called good."

No.

 

[GeorgeJ]

.....

 

[Southernscotty]

I am in full agreement my brother. To many people let TV and video games babysit and raise their children for them. I cannot stand this because it is causing children to live in animation and not real life.
Kids need to know what life is going to be like, To be prepared and they need a responsible adult to teach them this.
I am really old school and thank God, Because I was raised with old school values that I can survive on. Like hunting, Fishing, Gardening and farming.
Most importantly I learned respect for my elders and until you have sat "quietly" amidst a bunch of elderly men around a pot belly wood stove and really listened to the wisdom that they teach, as they talk to one another and tell stories. You are missing out on the greatest thing ever.
I learnt a lot of good things this way and perhaps only two or three things that was bad. [Like my first chaw of tobacco] :]
I wish all boys could be left at barber shops and dropped off at farms for babysitters instead of cell phone and X boxes. It would truly be a different world. Bless you my brother.

 

[marineimaging]

No.

Let my try this again. Parents are allowing social media to be the teacher to their children rather than teaching their children themselves. As if so called "hacks" are something that the internet just figured out.

 

[marineimaging]

.....and this is in the Firearms forum because......??

It was a mistake. I didn't realize I was starting it in firearms.

 

[Darkhorse]

Having never bought a gun through the internet, I have always seen and held them firsthand. I generally know right away if I will like it a lot, a little, or not at all.

It's more difficult when you buy one for someone else. After loaning guns to my wife for several years, I finally bought her one and gave it to her (before we were married). I had a pretty good idea what she liked, and what would be a good match for her technically. She still carries it almost everywhere, but she may shift over to a 1911 in 45 cal. I'm not sure she will like that as much.

 

[marineimaging]

Many problems with ordering a gun you have not held. 1. The grip where the fingers go is very important. Even if you think you are comfortable with a two finger concealed carry grip, there is one aspect a lot of folks don't pay attention to and that is where the trigger guard rests on the middle finger. I bought a Taurus that was great in every aspect except this one area. The designer had not allowed enough relief so the entire weight of the firearm rested on the middle of my middle finger. I ended up using a file and sand paper to whittle away as much as I could and reshaped it to fit a little better but it is still not quite enough to be 100 percent comfortable. In stark contrast the Springfield XDS with a one finger extended magazine fits perfectly. You can see in the image below. While it doesn't look significant that little bit of plastic makes a big difference in aiming and practice because if the gun is not comfortable for YOU, it won't be taken to the range as often as it should. 2. You can also see the effect that it has on the hand placement. Because the Taurus does not have the same relief I tend to hold it lower on the grip to correct my aim while the Springfield rests lower in the hand grip and reduces flip when I fire. The recoil is enhanced somewhat so that recoil makes the Taurus flip more and almost throws it out of my hand. This is something you cannot determine if you order your firearm blindly over the internet.

 

[MarkRohfrietsch]

I have bought things without handling or shooting, because they are what I want (EG Norinco NP58, wanted a cheap pistol to shoot the 40 cal brass I had been picking up at the range; a Moisin Nagant, private deal (got a really sweet numbers matching one for 200.00); one .22 rife on it's reputation, and it shoots amazing. Bought a M57 Tokarev; had a lot of fun shooting, but never was able to shoot with any accuracy.

Buying a new gun, working with it, tuning it, learning it, working up loads for it are about as much fun as one can have in this sport.

All guns have at least one redeeming quality; not always is it accuracy or comfort LOL.

 

[Inkfingers]

Be grateful that you don't live in Britain, where pistols are illegal (so now only the criminals have them).

 

[Southernscotty]

Anyone with a makarov 7.62.25? Always wanted one and just curious how they perform?

 

[Southernscotty]

Be grateful that you don't live in Britain, where pistols are illegal (so now only the criminals have them).

So sad.. I couldn't stand that, I would move

 

[marineimaging]

I have bought things without handling or shooting, because they are what I want (EG Norinco NP58, wanted a cheap pistol to shoot the 40 cal brass I had been picking up at the range; a Moisin Nagant, private deal (got a really sweet numbers matching one for 200.00); one .22 rife on it's reputation, and it shoots amazing. Bought a M57 Tokarev; had a lot of fun shooting, but never was able to shoot with any accuracy.

Buying a new gun, working with it, tuning it, learning it, working up loads for it are about as much fun as one can have in this sport.

All guns have at least one redeeming quality; not always is it accuracy or comfort LOL.

I was really speaking to newbies. That was long ago. So, yes. You are right. For us it is a hoot to shoot. But I have seen a lot of well intended folks try to send theirs back or park it in a safe because they were not comfortable with it and that was because they were not nuts like us.

 

[Southernscotty]

Anyone with a makarov 7.62.25? Always wanted one and just curious how they perform?

Actually that maybe a Tokarev? I just know it's a 7.62.25 and kinda like a hot 9mm [I think]

 

[MarkRohfrietsch]

I was really speaking to newbies. That was long ago. So, yes. You are right. For us it is a hoot to shoot. But I have seen a lot of well intended folks try to send theirs back or park it in a safe because they were not comfortable with it and that was because they were not nuts like us.

Back in the 70's when I was a noob, I did not have a lot of money so what I bought, I toughed it out and made it work for me; I could not keep swapping for the flavor of the week. This is not a plug and play sport. For those who think it is, they will become jaded with what ever they chose and however they choose it; because they will always be striving for the one perfect gun made of that substance known as unobtainium. LOL.

 

[Southernscotty]

If I only had one brand to choose from. [I would be terribly sad but] I would make it Ruger. They have quality in all areas across the spectrum and I have had really great luck with all of them and not really expensive for the most part.

 

[RDKirk]

Many problems with ordering a gun you have not held. 1. The grip where the fingers go is very important. Even if you think you are comfortable with a two finger concealed carry grip, there is one aspect a lot of folks don't pay attention to and that is where the trigger guard rests on the middle finger. I bought a Taurus that was great in every aspect except this one area. The designer had not allowed enough relief so the entire weight of the firearm rested on the middle of my middle finger. I ended up using a file and sand paper to whittle away as much as I could and reshaped it to fit a little better but it is still not quite enough to be 100 percent comfortable. In stark contrast the Springfield XDS with a one finger extended magazine fits perfectly. You can see in the image below. While it doesn't look significant that little bit of plastic makes a big difference in aiming and practice because if the gun is not comfortable for YOU, it won't be taken to the range as often as it should. 2. You can also see the effect that it has on the hand placement. Because the Taurus does not have the same relief I tend to hold it lower on the grip to correct my aim while the Springfield rests lower in the hand grip and reduces flip when I fire. The recoil is enhanced somewhat so that recoil makes the Taurus flip more and almost throws it out of my hand. This is something you cannot determine if you order your firearm blindly over the internet.

OTOH, I prefer the grip of that Taurus to the Springfield because the grip is fatter (being double-stack), yet the trigger has a very short return. I have size-large palms and size-medium figures, so it fits my hand more perfectly than any other gun.

But to your point, that's something one would only know by personally handling and shooting the pistol. I didn't even initially realize it, until pondering why the Taurus felt so secure after 50 round and single-stack pistols did not.

Although in decades past, I'd always been comfortable with the 1911, which had a hefty grip (.45 ACP) plus the short single-action trigger. It was really the issue combining double-action guns and their longer trigger reset as well as 9mm with narrower single-stack grips. Either one made the gun less comfortable for me.

 

[marineimaging]

OTOH, I prefer the grip of that Taurus to the Springfield because the grip is fatter (being double-stack), yet the trigger has a very short return. I have size-large palms and size-medium figures, so it fits my hand more perfectly than any other gun.

But to your point, that's something one would only know by personally handling and shooting the pistol. I didn't even initially realize it, until pondering why the Taurus felt so secure after 50 round and single-stack pistols did not.

Although in decades past, I'd always been comfortable with the 1911, which had a hefty grip (.45 ACP) plus the short single-action trigger. It was really the issue combining double-action guns and their longer trigger reset as well as 9mm with narrower single-stack grips. Either one made the gun less comfortable for me.

And that is what I mean. You know what you like based on years of shooting and you know that if you don't like it you can do something about it because you know why. Or, can figure it out. I have found a lot of new gunnies who think that all bullets are alike, that all guns are alike, and the naming or sizing nomenclature is identical such as for a car or a toaster. If you tell them that a LOT of bullets we use today were made up by wildcat producers they wouldn't believe you. Some rancher sitting on the tailgate of his truck thinking, "If I put this case and volume of that particular rifle powder with that bullet I wonder if it would shoot flatter and farther?" The put their gun in a vice, ream out a rifle to about what they think might work, trim off the brass and then fill it with gunpowder mixed with cornmeal and fire form a dozen or so cases, trim again and load them up then with it tweaked out to a nice round the send it to their favorite gun company and in a few weeks history is made.

 

[mozo41]

(I changed topic and subject) If you don't know what kind of gun to get then never order one without putting your hands on it and if at all possible, shoot one like it first. Listen to what other people say with a hefty grain of salt. Guns are like food, everybody likes something different.

which would you buy ... as in a 0.25 or a 0.30 caliber of this pellet air rifle as an all rounder in this particular rifle ... Hatsan 135 QE vortex break barrel
i mean the 0.30 has a greater force behind it but the 0.25 has more fps and the smaller pellet will penetrate deeper and keep its projectile further

 

[marineimaging]

Searches for the ammo turned up a lot of mail order options. Although I can get the .22 all day long locally but if you were going to hunt for sustenance and anti snake reasons the .30 is very similar to a CCI .22 caliber 40 grain low noise bullet in terms of speed and weight. Having seen a video with this guy shooting the Hatsan .30 at 16, 25, and 50 yards and holding very decent groups I would have to say I would go with the .30. Regarding the pellets I have the best results in penetration and accuracy with my .177 and .22 using the Gamo Red Fire. The Polymag Predator is the same thing so considering I can penetrate a 1/2 inch pine board with my .22 (whereas the hollow and flats only go in a 1/4in.) I would think the .30 at 800 fps would give you close to .22 caliber rifle penetration and energy.