YAGT: OMG I love guns

[RampantAndroid]

$2900. I got it for %15 off, but that still makes it $2465, so not cheap. Then you start adding in all the other stuff (scope, bipod, etc.) and you are pushing $4000. And you haven't even bought Ammo yet

It was a post deployment gift to myself with some of the money I saved.

Yeah, 17s are NOT cheap. If you want a cheap, accurate 308win gun, a M1A is a good pick - can upgrade it with a sage EBR if you want to bring it into this century. $1400 or so for the M1A + 700 for the EBR stock. And it's a gun that when pulled out at the range, everyone just stares in awe. (top gun in this picture.)

 

[glenn1]

In my hands, they feel awful. A nice 1911 with wood grips feels lightyears better, and no plastic gun will match that. No plastic gun to date matches a well tuned 1911 trigger pull.

Again, there's no accounting for preferences. Personally I think you're spending a lot of extra money on aesthetics rather than function. There's probably more models of polymer frames out there than there are 1911 variant models, and to say in blanket fashion "they feel awful" means you've probably had your mind made up already before you picked it up.

 

[boomhower]

In my hands, they feel awful. A nice 1911 with wood grips feels lightyears better, and no plastic gun will match that. No plastic gun to date matches a well tuned 1911 trigger pull.

1911's and plastic guns are completely different animals. Most poly guns are striker fired so no the trigger is going to be no where near as nice as a tuned SA 1911 trigger. But on the same token no 1911 is going to be as reliable and easy to maintain as a $500-$600 Glock/M&P. 1911's can be made dead nuts reliable but your going to be spending a good bit more and the up keep is considerably more involved.

Either gun can be a fine defensive weapon but they are considerable different animals. Your 1911 is better suited to an experienced gun owner. A plastic fantastic is a great way for someone to get introduced to firearms at a low price with a reliable and easy to maintain weapon.

 

[datalink7]

Yeah, 17s are NOT cheap. If you want a cheap, accurate 308win gun, a M1A is a good pick - can upgrade it with a sage EBR if you want to bring it into this century. $1400 or so for the M1A + 700 for the EBR stock. And it's a gun that when pulled out at the range, everyone just stares in awe. (top gun in this picture.)

Well, at this point it's a little too late to be looking for a cheaper alternative , though that is a nice looking rifle.

I'm kind of just starting my collection. Right now I have:

SCAR 17S
M1 Garand (love it)
Kimber 1911

At some point I'll pick up an AR15, but I get to play around with them enough at work that I haven't felt the need to rush out and get one. Will get one at some point just because it is the weapon I'm most familiar with.

Not sure what is next as I'm still kitting out the SCAR so a new purchase really won't be for months. I do want a .357 revolver at some point.

 

[RampantAndroid]

Again, there's no accounting for preferences. Personally I think you're spending a lot of extra money on aesthetics rather than function. There's probably more models of polymer frames out there than there are 1911 variant models, and to say in blanket fashion "they feel awful" means you've probably had your mind made up already before you picked it up.

No. I owned a glock. I handled an FN 5.7 and .45. I've handled the H&K USP and HK45 (and the 5.7, which is more of a novelty to me), M&P and all felt yucky in my hands. I far prefer the feel of metal and wood in my hands. But I have massive paws, given I'm 6'4". Go look at the photo I uploaded: 2 revolvers, steel, wood grips; 1 1911, aluminum, wood grips. M1 Garand with a wood stock, 1903A3 wood stock, and a M1A in an aluminum sage stock. I think to me the FN SCAR feels chintzy; I'd sooner own a LMT .308 or something. The recurring theme is metal and wood, not plastic.

1911's and plastic guns are completely different animals. Most poly guns are striker fired so no the trigger is going to be no where near as nice as a tuned SA 1911 trigger. But on the same token no 1911 is going to be as reliable and easy to maintain as a $500-$600 Glock/M&P. 1911's can be made dead nuts reliable but your going to be spending a good bit more and the up keep is considerably more involved.

Either gun can be a fine defensive weapon but they are considerable different animals. Your 1911 is better suited to an experienced gun owner. A plastic fantastic is a great way for someone to get introduced to firearms at a low price with a reliable and easy to maintain weapon.

My 1911 is easy to maintain; pop spring, pull bushing, pull slide stop, slide off, drop barrel.

My glock was: pull slide & pull down latch, pull trigger (ehhh...), slide off, pull spring out, drop barrel. A little simpler since you lack the bushing, but not THAT much of a difference. I'm not sure I agree that the CCO is for experienced, other than in cost. Again though: my Glock 21 was my first gun. It was cheap.

Well, at this point it's a little too late to be looking for a cheaper alternative , though that is a nice looking rifle.

I'm kind of just starting my collection. Right now I have:

SCAR 17S
M1 Garand (love it)
Kimber 1911

At some point I'll pick up an AR15, but I get to play around with them enough at work that I haven't felt the need to rush out and get one. Will get one at some point just because it is the weapon I'm most familiar with.

Not sure what is next as I'm still kitting out the SCAR so a new purchase really won't be for months. I do want a .357 revolver at some point.

My advice: try .41 magnum. It makes .44 and .357 seem pointless.

 

[irishScott]

Again, there's no accounting for preferences. Personally I think you're spending a lot of extra money on aesthetics rather than function. There's probably more models of polymer frames out there than there are 1911 variant models, and to say in blanket fashion "they feel awful" means you've probably had your mind made up already before you picked it up.

http://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/rock-river-arms-polymer-1911/

 

[OverVolt]

Doesn't plastic degrade with time? Like if a glock frame was left out in the sun, would it crumble?

 

[boomhower]

Doesn't plastic degrade with time? Like if a glock frame was left out in the sun, would it crumble?

No. Check out some youtube vids on Glock durability/reliability. Unless you do it on purpose it's pretty damn hard to destroy a Glock outside of an ammo malfunction. Leave in the sun, toss it in the pool, drag it behind your truck, bury it in the back or whatever else you can think of and chances are it will keep on ticking. I'm not a Glock lover by any stretch but I do trust my life to one everyday. For a combat gun it's hard to do better.

 

[IGemini]

Glocks will outlast the human body in the sun. The frame is made of Nylon 6 mixed with something else.

http://www.glockfaq.com/content.aspx?ckey=Glock_FAQ_General_Glock_Info#polymer

This is the problem with the reference to plastic guns, which people immediately start thinking about consumer plastics when they hear the term. Whatever your preference to steel or polymer frames, you're not shooting a Super Soaker.

 

[shortylickens]

Doesn't plastic degrade with time? Like if a glock frame was left out in the sun, would it crumble?

EVERYTHING degrades over time. But Glocks will last for decades even if abused.

 

[QuantumPion]

Just picked up this bad boy:

On order for it:

Trijicon ACOG 3.5x35 Dual Ill Riflescope (TA11H-308G)
Harris Bipod BRM-S and LT706 QD Swivel Mount
LaRue Tactical ACOG Mount QD LT100

For Future Purchase (was straining the savings with the above):

Magpul SCAR selector switches
Magpul AFG2 Angled Fore Grip
Magpul Rail Covers
PWS SRX Rail extension

Holy balls. Do want!

 

[pontifex]

Yeah, 17s are NOT cheap. If you want a cheap, accurate 308win gun, a M1A is a good pick - can upgrade it with a sage EBR if you want to bring it into this century. $1400 or so for the M1A + 700 for the EBR stock. And it's a gun that when pulled out at the range, everyone just stares in awe. (top gun in this picture.)

lol, i like how you say 2100 is cheap, only 300 less than the gun you are saying is expensive.

lots of .308 rifles out there for a lot less than that.

 

[shortylickens]

lol, i like how you say 2100 is cheap, only 300 less than the gun you are saying is expensive.

lots of .308 rifles out there for a lot less than that.

Not nearly as good.

And forget the fancy stock. Just go to your local gun shows. At least one guy always has a basic Springfield M1A for 1100 or so. Always.

 

[ManBearPig]

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[pontifex]

Not nearly as good.

And forget the fancy stock. Just go to your local gun shows. At least one guy always has a basic Springfield M1A for 1100 or so. Always.

dunno about that. i;ve heard lots of complaints about the springfield m1as

 

[IGemini]

.308Win is expensive relative to pistol rounds, but pretty cheap among large-caliber rifle rounds by virtue that it's NATO-issue and therefore significantly produced. For it's size, I think only Russian 7.62x54R is cheaper (not counting intermediates like .223 or 7.62x39). A far cry from "insanely" expensive especially if one is willing to shoot steel or surplus ammo. That's reserved for designer/specialty rounds like .338 Lapua, which goes for $3-6/round. My brother uses a rifle chambered in 7mm-08 (a .308 derivative) which is frequently $1+/round, and he has started making his own handloads.

 

[ManBearPig]

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[gorcorps]

Ah, thanks. Some guy at Walmart was telling me they cost $1/round. That's the last time I listen to a guy a Walmart.

It is

At least that's the standard store price for buying 20 per box. You can find better deals but 308 is roughly $1 per round at places like Walmart. And yes... That's considered a cheaper round for large caliber.

 

[shortylickens]

dunno about that. i;ve heard lots of complaints about the springfield m1as

I promise you they are all from people who dont know how to handle the weapon. Too many suburban commandos out there buying hardware they cant figure out.
I used a friends M1A for a whole week on a hunting trip. Not one issue. He took good care of it and showed me how to properly operate the thing. No problems.

 

[IGemini]

Yeah, $1/round for .308 in Walmart sounds right, since they usually carry Winchester or Remington that commands a higher price. Like I said, there's steel/surplus ammo that can be found for half that, as long as one doesn't have any qualms about using it.

This is why AKs and ARs are popular, because they balance between cost and power for ammo (if you want something stronger than .22). .223/5.56mm, 7.62x39mm and the lesser-known 5.45x39mm can all be found for 20-40c/round.

 

[RampantAndroid]

I promise you they are all from people who dont know how to handle the weapon. Too many suburban commandos out there buying hardware they cant figure out.
I used a friends M1A for a whole week on a hunting trip. Not one issue. He took good care of it and showed me how to properly operate the thing. No problems.

It's as reliable as the M1 Garand, which is to say, I've had zero issues with mine.

dunno about that. i;ve heard lots of complaints about the springfield m1as

Such as? My M1A is flawless.

Not nearly as good.

And forget the fancy stock. Just go to your local gun shows. At least one guy always has a basic Springfield M1A for 1100 or so. Always.

Don't forget the stock, the stock is half the fun

The gun with stock is relatively cheap, for a MODERN .308 gun, when a SCAR 17 will go for roughly 1000 more.

 

[irishScott]

It is

At least that's the standard store price for buying 20 per box. You can find better deals but 308 is roughly $1 per round at places like Walmart. And yes... That's considered a cheaper round for large caliber.

Yep. Like all things, buying in bulk is better. Here's some steel cased for 39 cents / round and brass case for 67 cents /round.
http://www.luckygunner.com/rifle/308-ammo?dir=asc&order=cost_per_round

 

[ManBearPig]

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[irishScott]

So for handguns, is it generally not advisable to use steel ammo at ranges?

Steel-core: Never, as it damages backstops. Most ranges will kick you out for this.

Steel-cased: Depends on the range. Some stipulate brass-cased only for any number of reasons, and will actually open any ammo boxes you bring in to make sure. Others are more flexible. If you're going to a new range I'd call and ask first.

 

[glenn1]

So for handguns, is it generally not advisable to use steel ammo at ranges?

Many won't allow it. The cited reasons range from steel casings causing sparks when hitting the ground, to difficulty sorting the spent steel casings from the other brass casings (complicating recycling), to simply wanting to sell you ammunition from their inventories instead of your own (and since brass cased is more expensive, that's what they want to sell).