Tag: Guns and such

My favorite toy

ULD Update Part I

The Gun Thing

The Boomershoot Ultra-Long Distance Rifle project continues apace.  From what I can see of the entry numbers so far, I should be able to spend about a grand on the rifle, and about the same on the scope, which will have a maximum magnification of 20x, and 25x preferably.  (I’ll talk more about the scope when I’ve made a decision on the rifle, but I have a short list of about a half-dozen.)

Here’s what I’ve decided so far:

1) Caliber: I’ve looked at quite a few, both in terms of field performance, cost and so on.  Joe Huffman recommends a .3x cartridge, based on his observations over the years.  I’ve shot several of those, and a few lighter ones like the 6.5x55mm Swede and .243 Win, and the .3x is definitely a better choice.  So I’ve decided on either:

  • .308 Win — endless choices of types, weights, manufacturers and so on, also cheap to shoot
  • .300 Win Mag — more expensive to shoot, but handles wind a lot better than the .308 (and the wind always blows at Boomershoot).

I’m very comfortable with both cartridges, although with the .300 Win Mag I think a heavy rifle is mandatory — shooting a couple/three rounds at a deer on a hunt is one thing, shooting a few dozen a day at exploding targets is another thing altogether.  Which leads us to the choice of

2) Rifle: Today I’ll look at the .300 Win Mag offerings first, because that’s the direction I’m leaning.  Here are the guns I think will work best, under the budget constraints.  All fall into the $900 – $1,100 range.  The pics are not to the same scale.

For what it’s worth, I think I could pretty much play “spin the bottle” with these bad boys, and be very comfortable with whichever one the bottle pointed towards.  (As an aside, the reviews made by reputable distance shooters on all these guns recommend a heavier bullet — such as 180-200gr — which makes for more recoil punishment, but much greater placement consistency.  I’ll test that hypothesis for myself, assuming I choose the .300 Win Mag.)  Also, if the rifles don’t come with a muzzle brake (like the Savage and Ruger do), I’ll get one.  Muzzle brakes attenuate recoil almost as well as moderators, but I’m not going to do the latter because Gummint.

There is another aspect to the choice facing me, however.  All the above rifles are pretty much “bench” guns, obviously.  But the .300 Win Mag is a fantastic hunting  cartridge too, so just to make my life more difficult, I’ve shortlisted two “hunting’ rifles in the same price bracket as well.  (Note: they are also on the heavy side, but their stocks make them more convenient to carry.)

Just know that once you’ve added a Harris bipod to these guns, their weight will be very close to the bench guns.  (I am not  interested in shooting a lightweight gun like the Tikka T3 or Winchester Mod 70 in this chambering.  BTDT on several occasions before, and all you’re doing is wasting ammo and putting an owie on yer shoulder.)  The only thing that might pull me towards one of these two is if there’s an unbeatable price deal involved, and even then… probably not.

All comments are welcome, of course;  but please  don’t suggest some kind of custom-built thing, or even extensive modifications like Shilen barrels and Timney triggers.  I’ve looked at it, it’s too expensive, and I don’t have the time to do it anyway.  One of the deciding factors in my choice is how well the gun shoots out of the box, after a brief shooting-in session.  According to many shooters’ ratings, all four of the bench guns are exceptional choices, which was a major factor in them making the cut.

For what it’s worth, I’m leading towards the Savage 110FCP (because adjustable AccuTrigger), if  I decide on the .300 Win Mag.

Next up:  the .308 rifles.

Friday Night Movie

Friday Feature, Movies, The Gun Thing

Loyal Readers may remember that a couple-three months ago I talked about fine shotguns, and my takeaway was that even if the Lottery Gods were to smile upon my choice of numbers, I’d be unlikely to buy a matched pair of Purdeys.

So what makes one of Purdey’s bespoke guns so exclusive, and yes, so expensive?

This evening, gather about ye a quart or so of your favorite beverage (Scotch, gin, coffee etc.) and spend the following hour and a half walking through the Purdey process — all of it — to see everything that goes into making one of these:

All that said:  even with all the money in the world (so to speak), I don’t know if I’d ever buy myself a Purdey (let alone a matched pair) — but I would seriously  consider buying one, or a pair, for the Son&Heir under those circumstances.  (He’s a better shot than I am, and  he’d have longer to enjoy shooting it than I would.  Plus, it’s a good investment.)

And one final warning:  do not go and browse around Steve Barnett’s website;  it is a Very Bad Place, and will cause you to think Unworthy Thoughts.

Losing Yer Gun

Gummint, Marxists, The Gun Thing

I note this development in Virginia with interest:

Virginia lawmakers on Monday rejected another gun control bill that was proposed by Democrat Gov. Ralph Northam. The Senate Judiciary Committee rejected Northam’s bill that would make it a felony to “recklessly leave a loaded, unsecured firearm” in a way that endangers a minor.
“This bill will keep children safe from loaded, unsecured firearms. Like Gov. Northam’s other commonsense gun safety measures, it is something that everyone — including responsible gun owners — should support,” said Northam’s spokesman, Alena Yarmosky.

Of course, having that law in place would mean that assholes like this guy would get thrown in jail, yes?

Man found gun left by David Cameron’s bodyguard and the former PM’s passport in plane toilet

Of course, the “asshole” I’m referring to is not the guy who found the gun, but the so-called “bodyguard” who left the thing in the toilet.  (And by the way, for “making a fuss”, the finder  was almost tossed off the plane when it should have been the gormless bodyguard tossed out at 25,000 feet, as any fule kno.)

Makes me wonder, though:  the flight was going from NYFC to London.  I’m wondering what I would have done if I’d been on the flight and found a random Glock and Tony “Oily Heap of Shit” Blair’s passport in the bog when I went in.

Well, the second one’s easy:  I’d have flushed Blair’s passport down the toilet, just for spite.  The next dilemma is not so easy:  would I have just kept the gun hidden in my backpack until the flight landed, then handed it in?  With the passport gone, they’d never have found out who had the gun, or even if the Glock had been left in the bathroom.  OR (fun thought) I could have unloaded and cleared the Glock, then flushed the gun and the mag as well as  the passport?  Cat, meet pigeons.

Discuss in Comments.

Oh, and bravo to the VA Senate.  Keep it up.

Rebuilding From Scratch

Gratuitous Gun Pics, The Gun Thing

(I wrote about this very topic many years ago, but I can’t find the original article.  So I’m going to start from scratch.)

A Reader once wrote to me, telling me that he was moving out of NYFC and back into the United States.  He’d been a gun owner before, but had sold all his guns prior to moving to Manhattan.  Now, smelling the taste of freedom, he wanted to buy some guns again.  He had $5,000 set aside for the purpose, and wanted my ideas on what I would suggest he look at.

I don’t remember what I recommended, nor can I access the original post;  but it’s a fun mind game to play on a Saturday.  Before I get going, though, let me say that the guns I’d choose would not only be “serious” guns — self-defense and so on — but because I consider shooting to be fun (what a concept), some of the guns I pick would have to cover that part as well.

The categories of firearm, therefore, are:  self-defense (carry), plinking, home defense (however you define it), sporting and all-round utility.

Here, then, is my list of new “starter” guns I’d either buy or consider buying, with a budget of $5,000 (granted, five grand won’t buy you as much as it did back in 2005 or whenever, but that just adds to the challenge).  They’re not necessarily my favored choices, but they are the best choices in terms of utility and price.

And on the latter topic:  I’m mostly going to use Bud’s Gun Shop for pricing and pics, because his prices seem to be reasonable on most guns and I don’t want to spend hours and hours looking around the various gun shop websites just to save $5 on, say, a plinker.  I’m also going to ignore accessories like spare mags and such — this is about guns, and they’re listed in the order that I would buy them.

 1) Carry piece
This the very first gun I’d buy because it’s the one I’d most likely need the soonest, all things being equal:  the Springfield Armory 1911 Defender  Mil-Spec .45 ACP 5″ ($510) — it’s the cheapest Springfield 1911 on the market, and while there are lots of cheaper .45s (and 1911s) out there, the Springfield is the one I’ve used and trusted for twenty-odd years, and for me this is no area to compromise on.

2) Semi-auto rimfire rifle (.22LR)
It’s a commodity item, like a kitchen knife.  I’d choose the Marlin 795 .22 LR 18″  ($170) — I’ve shot one before, and for the money, it’s fantastic value.

3) Do-it-all rifle (.30-30)
What’s the best centerfire rifle you could get that, in a pinch, could do everything, from home defense to hunting?  My choice would be the Marlin 336C .30-30 Win 20″ ($565) —  it’s been doing it all for well over a century, and who am I to argue with tradition and heritage?  With practice, the lever action can be worked almost as fast as a semi-auto.

4) Bedside gun / backup carry (.357 Mag)
This is the gun you buy when you absolutely, positively have to depend on it to work, every time.  I’d get the inexpensive but reliable S&W LE Mod 66 .357 Mag 4.25″ ($650) — I’d love it to be a Model 65, but they’re unavailable nowadays, and forget about a Colt Python.  (A close second would be the Ruger GP100 for just a few dollars less, but the Mod 66 just seems to fit my grip better, and has a better trigger withal.)

5) Shotgun (20ga)
Here I’m going to ignore the pump-action type and go for a double-barrel instead, because I prefer to use a shotgun for sport, not home defense (sporting clays being one of my favorite fun sports, of course).  There’s really only one choice in the inexpensive-but-quality category:  the CZ Bobwhite SxS 28″ — ($695).  It has all the things I want in a shotgun:  double trigger, long barrels, “English” (not a pistol) grip and splinter forearm.

6) SHTF rifle
You all know my feelings on this topic.  As the man said, “When civilization falls, the gun you want in your hands is an AK.”  Hence the semi-auto AK-47 7.62x39mm — ($650)

7) Long-range scoped rifle
Everyone should have a “reach out and touch” rifle, capable of consistently hitting a target at 500 yards.  Given the budget constraints, I’m going with the Savage 110 Tactical .308 Win — ($630) Still the best value for money.  The nearest competitor is the CZ 557 Heavy Barrel — and that’s nearly $900, which would leave little money for a scope.  And speaking of which:
Minox 3-15×56 ZX5 30mm — ($680) I love this scope (it’s the one I have mounted on my Mauser M12).  For what is really a “mid-priced” optic, the clarity is outstanding, the light-gathering stupendous, and it’s as rugged as hell.  If the money was there, I’d spend an extra $150 on the illuminated reticle, but such is life under budgetary constraints.

8) .22LR Pistol
Every home should have one (or two, or three) of these… and I’m going with the gun I know, with the best trigger:  Browning Buck Mark Plus Stainless 5″ ($500).

…and that, in covering all my bases, takes it to $4,950.

Note that in working with so small a budget on “must-have” guns, I was not able to indulge my passion for old military surplus rifles… and man, does it hurt.

Feel free to take issue with me on my choices, in Comments.  Obviously, everyone’s going to have different likes / dislikes / preferences, but if you keep my categories in mind as you suggest others, I don’t think you’ll go wrong.

Good And (Maybe) Better?

The Gun Thing

I have waxed lyrical before about pistol-caliber semi-automatic carbines, and I remain fond of them, for all sorts of reasons.  However, a couple of recent articles are making me rethink my fondness — not towards total rejection of the concept, but perhaps towards a better option.

I speak firstly of this article, about the TNW Aero Survival Rifle LTE – 9mm:

There’s a lot to like about this:  it uses Glock mags, it has an AR-15 clone action, you can get it in multiple barrel lengths, it breaks down easily for storage, and so on.  (Of course, as it shoots the plentiful 9mm Europellet, practice is cheap too.)

My antipathy towards said cartridge is well known, however, and I would far rather have such a carbine chambered for the .45 ACP — but from what I’ve read about the Aero, it’s going to be offered solely in 9mm.  Fine.  But then we come to the retail price of $650 (street), and about a hundred more for the short-barreled “pistol”.  That makes me wonder whether one couldn’t do better, cartridge-wise, for about the same money.

And right on cue came this article, suggesting that it may be time to reconsider the venerable Ruger Ranch Rifle (Mini-14 or Mini-Thirty):

Now my own experience with the Mini-14 has been dismal — it couldn’t hold zero, the hot barrel whipped like a cooked noodle, and the larger magazines (aftermarket, because Bill Ruger thought that nobody should ever need more than 5 rounds) were Jammin’ Central.

But apparently, Ruger has fixed all that — even unto offering 20-round factory magazines — and they’re apparently now manufactured as they should have been made in the first place.

What I’ve always liked about the Ranch Rifles is that they’re not threatening to the gun confiscators, appearance-wise anyway.  (That doesn’t mean that the bastards wouldn’t go after them with similar fervor to the hated AR-15, but there’s less justification for doing so — at least, in the public’s eye.  Yes I know it’s all bullshit — the AR and Mini-14 are functionally identical — but these are the times we live in.)

The Mini-14 retails for just over $800 right now — and given that you’re shooting the 5.56mm poodleshooter instead of the 9mm Europellet, the price difference might be justified.  (You know where I’m going with this, right?  Yup, the Mini Thirty in 7.62x39mm Commie is the one I’d pick, if I was going in this direction.)

All the above assumes that the boys at Ruger have fixed all the old problems with the Ranch Rifle, of course.

If anyone near north Texas has recently bought one of the latest generation of the Ruger Mini (with the 20-round mag) in either caliber, I’d love to give it a little impromptu range test.  I’ll supply the ammo.

Comments, as always, are welcome.

Dept. Of Righteous Shootings

Righteous Shootings

Oh yeah, baby.

A Michigan woman caught on surveillance footage fatally shooting her 43-year-old partner at an indoor trampoline park won’t be charged after prosecutors determined she had reason to fear he would kill her 14-year-old son.

Here’s a profile of the corpus delicti:

Genesee County prosecutors said on Monday that Hodges has a violent criminal history dating back to 1993.
Nine different people have alleged they were the victims of domestic violence at the hands of Hodges, WJRT-TV is reporting.
Hodges’ criminal history includes a 13-year prison stint for child abuse.
According to MLive.com, Hodges was charged in 1995 with assaulting his 16-month-old daughter, leaving her with brain damage, deafness, and vision impairment.
He was eventually released in August 2008.
Hodges also has a history of choking women.

No wonder Our Heroine isn’t going to be charged.  She should get a damn medal.

You can all start applauding, now.