YAGT: OMG I love guns

[velillen]

Sounds familiar...though most of the range masters are fine. One brought in his M4 shotgun for a friend and I to shoot (I think it was the M4 semi-auto) - but we go often enough that we know a lot of the people that work there. I've never had a real issue other than them being a little rude at times. But whatever, I just ignore it and enjoy the range.

yeah there's been a younger asian guy who is friendly, helpful, and pretty cool. Helped my brother with sighting in his 22 scope and he was the only grabbing brass from other lanes for me. Theres another guy who was the ruder one, white guy, wore a bandana couples tats who was giving off a im the boss and your not type personality. He was questioning everything we did. Had two lanes so i was collecting brass from both and he came up and started challenging me saying i could only collect from 1 lane not both and some other stupid crap.

Still one of the nicer ranges ive been to. bit expensive but worth it when im in the area.

 

[schneiderguy]

I would never recommend someone be subjected to Taurus...

This.

 

[ManBearPig]

deleted

 

[olds]

http://www.nrainstructors.org/searchcourse.aspx

 

[IEC]

Just got one of these recently:
http://www.berettanano.com/techspecs.html

I like it. My new carry piece.

 

[alkemyst]

Think I'm gonna sign up for an NRA safety class. Wonder what that'll be like or how long it will take.

the info is online esp. how long it will take.

 

[ManBearPig]

deleted

 

[velillen]

It's like 8 hours! 9 with breaks. And it starts at 8am. Holy fark.

For which one? And they are worth it. its one of those things that sounds long an dboring but is really not that bad since its something you enjoy.

if its the NRA Basic Pistol Shooting Course youll learn tons. They cover everything from ammo selection, to cleaning, to how to properly shoot. plus all the safety rules.

 

[Merad]

It's like 8 hours! 9 with breaks. And it starts at 8am. Holy fark.

Normal.... My CHL class was nearly 12 hours, including range time and breaks.

 

[RampantAndroid]

IMO, I never saw the point to the safety courses - but I had friends to tell me what not to do, and common sense did the rest. I mean, to me gun safety amounts to:

-Always assume a gun is always loaded. If you see a gun, it's loaded until you check it.
-Keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to fire. Off the target, off the trigger. On the target, on the trigger.
-Never but NEVER point a gun at something you are not willing to kill, or destroy. If you point a gun at a human being, you had better be intending to shoot them in self defense. If you are not about to shoot them in self defense, you do not point a gun at them. Doesn't matter if you checked the gun's chambered and know it's unloaded. You just don't.
-Always be sure of your target and backstop. Even if dry firing, be sure the gun is pointed in a safe direction. If firing in defense, be ready for the round to miss and hit what is behind your target, or go through your target. Every bullet you fire is a potential lawsuit/criminal charge.

 

[RampantAndroid]

yeah there's been a younger asian guy who is friendly, helpful, and pretty cool. Helped my brother with sighting in his 22 scope and he was the only grabbing brass from other lanes for me. Theres another guy who was the ruder one, white guy, wore a bandana couples tats who was giving off a im the boss and your not type personality. He was questioning everything we did. Had two lanes so i was collecting brass from both and he came up and started challenging me saying i could only collect from 1 lane not both and some other stupid crap.

Still one of the nicer ranges ive been to. bit expensive but worth it when im in the area.

I'm terrible with names, but Dre is great to deal with, I've seen the younger asian guy (glasses, right?) who seemed friendly. There's a few people behind the counter of the store I can vouch for as well. Whenever I go in, I usually say hello to a couple of people there, and I'm a lifetime member so they don't seem to feel the need to correct me on things. Like I said, got to fire a range master's Benelli M4 just because he felt like letting us shoot it. I think I let him shoot my Mk14. Wade's compared to West Coast looks a little more run down (they use PVC hangers for targets instead of cardboard like Wades. They don't have the nice electronic setup for the targets. No training bay - though Wade's just got the green light to add a second floor for another range) but it's still a friendly place for me that I'll go to.

Almost universally, people I talk to who are at the range are VERY friendly and outgoing. More than once I've shot someone else's gun, and then let them shoot mine. Sadly I missed out on shooting a .300 win mag.

 

[ManBearPig]

deleted

 

[alkemyst]

IMO, I never saw the point to the safety courses - but I had friends to tell me what not to do, and common sense did the rest. I mean, to me gun safety amounts to:

-Always assume a gun is always loaded. If you see a gun, it's loaded until you check it.
-Keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to fire. Off the target, off the trigger. On the target, on the trigger.
-Never but NEVER point a gun at something you are not willing to kill, or destroy. If you point a gun at a human being, you had better be intending to shoot them in self defense. If you are not about to shoot them in self defense, you do not point a gun at them. Doesn't matter if you checked the gun's chambered and know it's unloaded. You just don't.
-Always be sure of your target and backstop. Even if dry firing, be sure the gun is pointed in a safe direction. If firing in defense, be ready for the round to miss and hit what is behind your target, or go through your target. Every bullet you fire is a potential lawsuit/criminal charge.

One is not 'born with common sense', you learned these 'common' things through experience and as you admitted above from friends.

A gun safety class teaches these things to those that are totally new to firearms.

 

[Merad]

IMO, I never saw the point to the safety courses - but I had friends to tell me what not to do, and common sense did the rest.

Lots of people want to get into guns and don't know anyone who's a shooter. Or at least not someone capable of or willing to play teacher. There are plenty of other benefits to the courses if you're new to guns. Learning proper stance & technique, getting to handle multiple types of guns, etc.

Are you guys NRA members? Is there any benefit for being one?

http://www.nra.org/benefits.aspx

The NRA does some good work with things like training courses but I won't join due to their politics.

 

[irishScott]

Are you guys NRA members? Is there any benefit for being one?

I am, and I mildly donate. I don't agree with their every stance, but they're the largest most effective gun rights organization in the world. Much of what we enjoy today in terms of firearm freedoms is due in significant part to NRA activity.

Also if you join you get a subscription to the "American Rifleman", as well as other more specialized NRA magazines (specialized for hunters, collectors, etc). All are quality publications and fun to read if you're into firearms.

You can also get a small free life insurance policy. And a free hat.

You do get a lot of crap mail hitting you up for money, but I have no issue throwing most of it in the recycling. The NRA email newsletter also does a good job of keeping you up to date on gun-based news that doesn't typically get reported. Every week or so they'll send out a state-by-state rundown of political activity.

 

[RampantAndroid]

Lots of people want to get into guns and don't know anyone who's a shooter. Or at least not someone capable of or willing to play teacher. There are plenty of other benefits to the courses if you're new to guns. Learning proper stance & technique, getting to handle multiple types of guns, etc.

It's a fair point that not everyone is willing to play teacher, but it is a FAR better option. I find most of the types teaching courses teach you their own stance (since you brought this example up) such as isosceles or something and tell you doing anything else is terrible. I find people doing those courses (and many times also being a range master) are type A personalities and aren't THAT helpful.

Further, it's the same issue I have with classes when doing a group snowboarding class and such: the slowest person holds the rest of the people back, and the people who would like a little bit of help but aren't the slowest suffer the most. The one course I took on guns when I bought my Glock 21 was EXACTLY that. I knew how to takedown my glock already. I just wanted basic cleaning tips, and help with my groupings (I was low and to the left - anticipating the shot. I blame the shitty glock trigger. The second I reworked the trigger, I suddenly was dead on every time.) But I got no help with the groupings or such, because there was someone else who was really REALLY not a person who should own a gun as she was afraid of it, and was not able to even rack the slide on her own. She put a hole in the ceiling by the end of the class.

Personally, I'd recommend a short "welcome to gun ownership" type course. I don't see how 8 hours being barraged with info is a good thing. It's overload. A welcome to guns ownership course, plus paying some money for 1 on 1 time with an instructor to help you out some more is a GREAT thing. If you're just looking to try some guns, a "welcome to guns" course which covers the basics then has you fire a bunch of different gun types (revolvers, DA, SA, 1911s, Glocks and such) can give you a good idea of what you'd like, rather than guessing at what you thought would work for you.

I am, and I mildly donate. I don't agree with their every stance, but they're the largest most effective gun rights organization in the world. Much of what we enjoy today in terms of firearm freedoms is due in significant part to NRA activity.

Also if you join you get a subscription to the "American Rifleman", as well as other more specialized NRA magazines (specialized for hunters, collectors, etc). All are quality publications and fun to read if you're into firearms.

You can also get a small free life insurance policy. And a free hat.

You do get a lot of crap mail hitting you up for money, but I have no issue throwing most of it in the recycling. The NRA email newsletter also does a good job of keeping you up to date on gun-based news that doesn't typically get reported. Every week or so they'll send out a state-by-state rundown of political activity.

This is dead on. The magazine can be neat, and giving the NRA some money isn't a terrible thing in my mind. They and the SAF are the only real organizations fighting the plethora of anti-gun laws out there. And yes, the amount of email and snail mail from the NRA is a little overkill. But they mail me less often than my alma mater does...

 

[olds]

I don't agree with everything the NRA does but I am still a member.
Also a CGF member:
http://www.calgunsfoundation.org/

 

[IGemini]

I'm not an NRA member, my brother is. I don't plan on joining until I'm better financially. I also don't care for their finer politics.

One benefit was missed: NRA members get discounts at various places. Mostly firearm stuff, though some offer various other services completely unrelated. You can find out discounts in your state here:
http://www.nrahq.org/givejoinhelp/membership/disclist.asp

 

[RampantAndroid]

Well, since this is a gun thread, I think photos are in order.

Just got this in the mail, a Remington 03A3, circa 1943. Appears to have two arsenal rebuild markings, though one confuses me:

AAG - AA seems to be Augusta Arsenal, the G is the inspector I guess.
SAA - San Antonio Aresenal.

Some parts are clearly NOT the originals, such as the butt plate being a forged piece of smooth metal, despite guns from that time having a checkered stamping. The bolt however is marked 'R' to show it's a Remington bolt, and the barrel is a two groove barrel from 43 as well.

Also has two P approval stamps that I believe show the gun was test fired successfully. Rifling is in GREAT shape, the only real wear is the bluing on the bolt is slightly worn down.

Checked the gun with go/field gauges, as my friend lost his no go gauge - go chambers, the field won't allow the bolt to lock. Firing range, here I come!

Me happy? Yeah. Me happy.

(on a side note, who ever though the scant stock was a good idea? Jeez, the thing has no room for me to rest my firing hand on it.)

 

[IGemini]

Eh, why not? I was gonna post this sooner or later.

My Ruger 10/22. Standard Barska/Simmons 4x scope, three-point sling, Shooter's Ridge mag release, Weaver see-through scope mounts, railed barrel band.
Ironically purchased on the day Ghaddafi was killed, and first fired on October 22nd.

 

[Pia]

It's a fair point that not everyone is willing to play teacher, but it is a FAR better option. I find most of the types teaching courses teach you their own stance (since you brought this example up) such as isosceles or something and tell you doing anything else is terrible. I find people doing those courses (and many times also being a range master) are type A personalities and aren't THAT helpful.

I'm not an American, but I note the above problems are very common not only in gun instruction but in all sorts of self defense instruction. Due to the nature of the material it is hard for students to tell good instruction from bullshit. Therefore a lot of bullshit gets taught.

The good news is, you can avoid most of the bullshit by first seeking sports instruction rather than general or self defense oriented instruction. There's little room for ego or unworkable technique when everyone is compared by objective standards. Also, it's easy even for a complete newbie to distinguish baseline competent instructors from random range masters by demanding the instructor has a competition record (however limited). Even if a new shooter is ultimately not interested in shooting sports, or is interested in some other shooting sport, I would recommend they get qualified for IPSC. This is good both for safe gunhandling under pressure, and developing a wide understanding of shooting performance.

http://www.ipsc.org/ipsc/gettingstarted.php

 

[olds]

 

[ManBearPig]

deleted

 

[jpeyton]

Well, since this is a gun thread, I think photos are in order.

THANK YOU for saving this thread. It was quite boring with page after page of text, and questions that could be answered with a simple Google search.

A couple of mine:

Not pictured (yet), Glock 34 and my GSG-5PK.

 

[pontifex]

Man, congrats on your rifles, those are nice! I'm gonna YouTube videos of them later haha. Let us know your impressions when you've fired it android. Gemini, I constantly hear people talking about that rifle!

How do you guys feel about matte stainless steel? Id have to wait for the polished, and to be honest I want the matte much more. However, Ive heard a few reports that the matte self polishes over time and gets smudged from anything coarser than a microfiber cloth.

omg...buy what you like.

unless the gun is a POS, any finish is going to pretty much be fine. unless you're constantly dropping it on cement or rocks, then it will hold up pretty well. guns are mechanical tools that put metal on metal wear. some sections will wear over time. holstering and re-holstering a gun will wear the finish over time.

wtf are you talking about smudged by anything coarser than a microfiber cloth? it's not a coat of fresh paint...
this is a gun, a tool, not a glass figurine.

edit: wow, i read it as matte black, not matte stainless. thats an even bigger wtf for smudging!
yes, matte stainless will polish up over time.

also, wtf do these people want to wipe their guns with, sandpaper or steel wool? wtf?