What guns do you own?

[idleprocess]

Any of the well known brand names will likely be good as someone mentioned there maybe models that were "lemons". So the good would be, in no particular order, Glock, Kahr, Smith, Ruger, Springfield, Walther, Berreta, Sig, H&K, Colt, Kimber, Wilson Combat, Night Hawk, Keltec, Taurus*, and more... I included Taurus an Keltec but some of their earlier stuff left something to be desired.

I hear Taurus has the best warranty in the business ... and you are likely to need it. Sad since I fancy a Beretta 92 and the license Taurus flavor is supposedly a better design.

I gather that 1911's from specialty makes (Kimber, Wilson, Night Hawk) may need tuning and/or gunsmithing out of the box. This just seems to be something that's accepted by the buying public and is more likely with mods that deviate from the standard 1911 design.

I think Kel-Tec's reputation has to do with the fact that their niche is pocket guns, which are notoriously unreliable out-of-the-box without tuning. Other makers of pocket guns - Kahr, Rohrbaugh, North American Arms - all have similar reputations (as do the major manufacturers that do pocket guns). Seems to be due to the nature of pocket guns and is made worse by the low price point that Kel-Tec operates at.

[idleprocess]

Good post idleprocess. My Rem 870 ejects from the right side, not the bottom. My Ithica's did eject from the bottom.

Bill

I don't own one, but now that I think about it in more detail, you're right. What I was really thinking of was the 870 loading gate that remains in the lower position when the bolt is closed rather than in the upper position like the Mossberg 500 and variants, making reloading slightly more involved.

[Mikeg23]

I gather that 1911's from specialty makes (Kimber, Wilson, Night Hawk) may need tuning and/or gunsmithing out of the box. This just seems to be something that's accepted by the buying public and is more likely with mods that deviate from the standard 1911 design.

A Wilson combat, Night hawk, Ed Brown should be golden right out of the box... It's the mass produced guns like Colt, Kimber, Springfield, etc that may or may not need tinkering but they will still be reliable out the box... The inexpensive 1911's that's another story.

[idleprocess]

A Wilson combat, Night hawk, Ed Brown should be golden right out of the box... It's the mass produced guns like Colt, Kimber, Springfield, etc that may or may not need tinkering but they will still be reliable out the box... The inexpensive 1911's that's another story.

I've heard that Springfields are currently the most reliable out of the box (feeding, firing, cycling). I also gather that until recently, it was perfectly normal for custom 1911s to require out-of-the-box attention from gunsmiths. But my information may well be out of date and my intent is not to debate.

The 1911 design isn't a bad one, but it's from an era of fitting that's not amenable to today's lean mass production (where quality is designed in and QC is done on a sample basis to confirm process itself is within tolerance). The looser the overall tolerances, the more reliable it should be without fitting. A truly tuned 1911 that deviates from the baseline design should be fine so long as you operate it within the narrower parameters it works within ... and so long as the manufacturer actually fit and tested it prior to shipment.

I will confess that I hear people speaking of "trigger jobs" and the like and my eyes start to glass over ... the oft-heard 3" groups at 25 yards just isn't what I'm looking for out of a handgun - so long as I can hit a silhouette at 25 yards, I'm satisfied.

[Lee1959]

I have always been a big Glock fan... The different models are all just numbers so yes the difference between a G19 and G21 is just size and caliber.

Any of the well known brand names will likely be good as someone mentioned there maybe models that were "lemons". So the good would be, in no particular order, Glock, Kahr, Smith, Ruger, Springfield, Walther, Berreta, Sig, H&K, Colt, Kimber, Wilson Combat, Night Hawk, Keltec, Taurus*, and more... I included Taurus an Keltec but some of their earlier stuff left something to be desired.

I'd say find something that fits your hand well and go from there.
Stay away from High point, Jennings, brayco, anything that sounds to good to be true.



I would guess your talking about the Kimber Det-1, the civilian version is called the Kimber Warrior. The answer to your original question: in my opinion the only handgun worth spending $1000+ on is the 1911. They are pretty sweet to shoot and very accurate.

No a version of the Colt 1911Railgun is now official issue with the marine special forces.

[Mikeg23]

No a version of the Colt 1911Railgun is now official issue with the marine special forces.

I see well I said "I would guess" haha. I did not realize that about the Colt. Still a Kimber warrior is a great 1911!

[Lee1959]

I see well I said "I would guess" haha. I did not realize that about the Colt. Still a Kimber warrior is a great 1911!

They are certainly one of the very best indeed. Would not hesitate ot buy one.

[Mikeg23]

They are certainly one of the very best indeed. Would not hesitate ot buy one.

I had one but I made the mistake of having a Wilson combat grip safety installed. I soon found out that I don't like the way they feel so I trades it off, but I still have my Caspian with ED Brown grip safety.

[CPFBiology]

Copy of idleprocess's very, very, very long post was removed. No need to do that. Just refer to it for your thanks.

Thanks for this. I will have a look through.

[Illum]

I hear Taurus has the best warranty in the business ... and you are likely to need it. Sad since I fancy a Beretta 92 and the license Taurus flavor is supposedly a better design.

In the US maybe, but how do their international warranties compare I wonder. I almost... almost bought a PT-1911 in 9mm after I shot 50 rounds through a friends gun. Despite winning high marks, I still think 1911s should be reserved for .45ACP


I have to wonder though, is an autoloader a suitable first gun? I am inclined still on bolt actions... they are by far easier to disassemble, and makes you learn conservatively shot placement. Back when .223 prices was low I had more than one occiasion been recommended a savage bolt gun as a starter. Accuracy out of the box, can do target shooting or varmint [from palm sized to 2o pounders ]

[bstrickler]

I personally love my Sig 229 in .40 S&W. The reason I bought this over a 9mm, is because you can buy a .357 Sig barrel and 9mm barrel for ~$250 each, and not require new magazines/slides (although I would get a 9mm magazine if it were for self defense). You can also get a .22 conversion kit for about the same price.

So for $750 on top of the gun price, you can have the ability to shoot 4 different calibers.

Does Canada require a safety to be on the gun? If so, a Sig is not the gun for you (they don't have safety's, only a decocker). I prefer it this way, because there's no need to fumble with a safety, or accidentally engage it while firing.

[idleprocess]

I have to wonder though, is an autoloader a suitable first gun? I am inclined still on bolt actions... they are by far easier to disassemble, and makes you learn conservatively shot placement. Back when .223 prices was low I had more than one occiasion been recommended a savage bolt gun as a starter. Accuracy out of the box, can do target shooting or varmint [from palm sized to 2o pounders ]

The average human being is more than capable of figuring out how to operate and field-strip the average pistol or semi-auto rifle.

I will agree that bolt-action rifles encourage accuracy, pacing yourself, learning fundamentals, and tend to be far cheaper to operate. At the range, you will tend to see the more accurate AR shooters pacing themselves and with 10- or 20-rd magazines.

I will say that there's something to developing a rhythm while shooting - find the natural time to "reset" then pull the trigger as soon as you can ready yourself. Folks that do that - provided all their fundamentals are good - seem to do better than the "egg timer" method. I suppose that the latter teaches you to fully reset your stance, grip, aim, etc.

[Search]

I've heard that Springfields are currently the most reliable out of the box (feeding, firing, cycling).

My Springfield Loaded (Black Parkerized) remains golden. Over 800 rounds and not a single hiccup. Mostly ball but quite a bit of hollow point.

Others include H&K HK45 (my baby), H&K USPc .40, Glock 22, and Glock 26.

Sig 226 (9mm) and Glock 19 are on the way

[idleprocess]

I've seen >10,000 rounds each through a G17 and XD-9 with minimal cleaning (perhaps a dozen times per), no maintenance, and no faults that weren't user or ammunition related. Most exciting thing I've seen was a squib round that had just enough wheaties to separate the bullet from the casing that rendered it inoperative until the bullet was poked out.

[Search]

I've seen >10,000 rounds each through a G17 and XD-9 with minimal cleaning (perhaps a dozen times per), no maintenance, and no faults that weren't user or ammunition related. Most exciting thing I've seen was a squib round that had just enough wheaties to separate the bullet from the casing that rendered it inoperative until the bullet was poked out.

Had this happen with a Rem bolt action shooting a .270 .. It was quite odd to hear.

Worst was shooting reloads through a Glock 22. Guy had shot a round, it ejected the case, and chambered the next round. Right before he fired again the range master yelled out to go cold and he checked it. Enough pressure to send the round just far enough into the chamber next round.

[trigger858]

X2 on the 10/22 Ruger. I got one love it. shoot all day long for less than 25$.
I'm looking at Mark3 next and put a volquartzen barrel on it.

[arvetus]

I've got a few that I use for different purposes: Browning BAR 30.06, great grandpa's Win94 30-30, Win100 .308, AR15 in 7.62x39...etc, but the one I always carry with me is my Smith & Wesson J-frame .357 mag. Small, light, easily concealable.

[HighlanderNorth]

What guns do you own? What do you recommend for a rifle and a handgun?

Good quality and reasonable price. Is it worth it to spend $1000 on a handgun?

Dont need to spend $1000 on a handgun. If you want a great, safe semi-auto, look no farther than the wonderful Springfield XD or XDM series. They can be had for about $450 to start, and if you want the top model XDM, then it'll be about $600 or so, give or take... Safest semi-auto on the market, always gets great reviews from just about everyone, shoots extremely well, very reliable, Feels great in your hand, etc. Its like the next generation of polymer pistols. You can get it in just about any semi auto pistol caliber too.

As far as a great shotgun, you cant go wrong with the tried and true Remington 870 series pump. You can get an 870 Express for about $400 or so, but I have not priced them in a few years, so I may be off a little there.

But for $1000, you can get a Springfield XD9(9mm) for about $450, and a Remington 870 pump 12 gauge for under the $550 you have left, and you would be absolutely assured of having 2 fantastic firearms!

[Search]

Dont need to spend $1000 on a handgun.

You don't need to, but it doesn't hurt

My baby is a H&K HK45, about $1100 now.

Every hand it touches can't seem to ever put it down.

[Glock 22]

I just traded my Glock 22 in for a Springfield Mil-Spec 1911-A1 stainless, and I love it. Now my user name is useless really. Other gun I own just to name a few is a Benelli MD2 Field 12ga, Glock 23 Gen 4, Smith and Wesson model 637 .38 special, Remington 1100 20ga, Remingtion 1187 Premier 20ga, Remingtion 1100 410ga, Smith and Wesson model 622 .22cal, etc.

[Mr.Sun]

Hmmmmmm ....... I'd think the best out of the box handguns for the money would be a Glock, try GunBroker for a good deal. Also, after you buy the Glock get yourself a Ruger .22 with the money left over and ammo's cheap. Burn through a few 500 rd bricks for almost nuth'in .......... Then when it's time to make every shot count with the Glock you'll be experienced. IMHO shooting is a practice, practice, practice sport. Have fun and good luck

Here's one of my carry guns.

[CamoNinja]

Nice

[/QUOTE]

[idleprocess]

On an entirely different tack, I have recently obtained a replica Remington Model 1858, which is extremely entertaining to shoot due to the immense flash and cloud of smoke you get with each shot. Reloading is also a lengthy process that teaches you the value of modern repeating arms (along with their vastly increased ammunition consumption).

[idleprocess]

Here's one of my carry guns.

Delta Elite style inlay on the grips ... 10mm?

[Mr.Sun]

Delta Elite style inlay on the grips ... 10mm?

My favorite 10mm ...... Built buy the head gunsmith at STI, Kart fitted barrel with Briley Spherical Bushings .........The parts list is bank breaking, the most consistent point and shoot handgun I've owned.


I apologize for the hi-jack.

[Jhovorka]

Best thing is to go to a gun shop and try every gun you can, then choose the one that best fits you.

+1 Agreed everyone has different wants/needs in a firearm.

[HaileStorm]

Another +1 on trying out guns prior to purchasing. We all have different built, different hand sizes and moreover, different preferences. Buy what you like and buy what fits you.

Having said that, Glocks are generally safe choices an reliable, but as others have mentioned, they don't feel right in my hand. I really like 1911's (I'd buy STI or Para), Springfield's XDM, HK's USP Tactical, Berretta's 92fs and a few Sigs. That would be a good place to start your search. Make a shortlist of your preferred guns, rent and shoot them and then make YOUR decision. Nobody can tell you which gun and caliber YOU will be comfortable with. Hth.

Sent from my GT-S5830 using Tapatalk 2

[Admiralgrey]

Starting out I always recommend a .22 rifle and handgun to learn the basics. Learning to shoot properly takes a lot of ammunition...

+1

Owning something that you can practice with extensively is your most important first purchase. Even a pellet pistol/rifle will due, so long as you put in your dues. I do not own a center-fire pistol, but I can consistently out-shoot my range buddies with their own weapons. Part of the advantage is in learning to relax and not anticipate recoil. If your learning to shoot, starting out with a bruiser can leave you with some tendencies that will be difficult to loose.

That said, no firearm collection or survival kit is complete without a 22lr and a stash of ammo. Buying 10,000 rounds of anything else is cost prohibitive and will leave your dinner splattered all over the trees instead of in your pot

[ABTOMAT]

My preference in handguns means I have almost no models to chose from: DA/SA, single stack, metal frame. A few Sig and S&W models are nearly it as far as I know.

[Illum]

Hmmmmmm ....... I'd think the best out of the box handguns for the money would be a Glock, try GunBroker for a good deal.

+1
Check with aimsurplus.com labor days sale, if I recall correctly their G19 Gen 3s are marked way below retail. I would recommend handling one first before putting your Franklins on the table. While many manufacturers are reliable, grips are not one size fits all. Check with how your hands feel and see what you are comfortable with.