@SandwhichIsles I love my Colt 1911 Series 80… makes me look like I’m a much better shot than I actually am! My Dad’s a big M1 fan; I’ve never been into rifles personally, more of a handgun person.
I have and like both, I assume you’re referring to the M1Garand. I have small hands so the 1911a1 with a short trigger is one of the few service size semi-autos that fit my hands well. The HK m7p8 also does, it’s just the squeeze cocker in front of the grip makes the grip look longer than it is
I am impressed that this forum is able to have this thread with out it spinning out of control in caustic debate
@tboyer yep, everyone keeps pretty civil around here, that’s why I stick around. As for the 1911A1’s I have long slender (pianist’s) hands and love them for the same reason, it just sits well and has just enough weight to let you know it means business without being tiresome to carry on point.
I no longer have the money to purchase firearms, but If I did a Colt Python would be first in line
I feel your pain. I haven’t purchased a firearm in almost 6 years. Hard enough to find money and time to go to the range. It costs as much for 22lr now as I used to pay for 9mm ammo. When I can locate any.
Back in my gun days, my preferred sidearm was the Taurus 9 mm Model PT 92. Since I am an ambidextrous shooter, the biggest appeal was the ambidextrous safety. The Taurus is made in Brazil. This Beretta 92 clone is just as good as the Beretta in every way. Taurus made some good changes to the Beretta design; like putting the safety lever on the frame. My shotgun was a Mossberg 20 gage pump. Then I moved to an apartment building in New York and got rid of them both.
I live in the UK and am a shooting person. I have both a shot gun and fire arms certificate and own several of both. All my shotguns are 12g, I’ve got a Beretta Silver Pigeon, an AYA side by side, an old Franchi lightweight which is earmarked for my son, and a good old Remingon 1100 which I bet most of you USA shooters have used at some point. I love mine. As to rifles I shoot a 22lr, 17hmr and a 223. Next on my list is a 308 or possibly 6.5 55 for larger deer species. As mentioned above, obtaining a shot gun certificate in the UK is reasonably easy as you don’t have a criminal record, however obtaining a license for rifles is a lot more difficult. No normal (excluding muzzle loaders etc) handguns are allowed post-Dunblane, except, oddly enough, in Northern Ireland. I used to shoot clays but now just hunt; pigeons, rabbits, squirrels, game, deer and foxes. All get eaten except the foxes and squirrels, though I plan on trying squirrel soon. There is no such thing as ‘home defence’ in the UK, I don’t mean literally, I mean as a concept. For example it cannot be used as a good reason to obtain a firearm. In fact if you did try to use it, you would probably receive a visit from the police sharpish. Great thread.
and almost impossible to keep one at home unless you are a gamekeeper.
Actually @Justin that’s not the case. I keep mine at home as do almost all FAC holders. You keep them in a cabinet same as with shotguns. The only stipulation is that you have to securely store the rifle ammo separately.
@Thunderbird I feel strangely reassured by that! At least it means people can still keep guns for hunting…
It does indeed, target shooting too, just not handguns.
@Justin @Thunderbird I own rifles too (ever shat yourself what the police turn up una bounced for a spot check?) I used to shoot them competitively at school and uni (I got my blue!). Just a walther .22 rimfire, I was a refular at Bisley back in the day but get out to Altcar from time to time but I don’t shoot as often as I would like. I can still remember shooting my first ton! Now I mainly just shoot clays or game, partridge and pheasant, lately a lot of rough shooting as its a much bigger challenge, and also driven shoots these days are very expensive and are often full of people who shouldn’t be allowed near a firearm!
Taurus Public Defender Polymer .45LC/410 GA. This little hand-cannon holds five shots
With such a short grip on a .45, how can you shoot that thing without spraining your wrist?
@snuffhunter. Is that Taurus completely polymer? That looks like a bad-ass little gun. Bet it kicks like a mule, but sure is deadly at close range. I practice a lot w/ my .22, and am good to about 50 ft. With the 9mm Ruger I’m not so accurate. Its too expensive these days to just blast all my ammo away, so I use my black powder guns, much more economical and it takes a while to load powder, ball and cap, thereby extending my shooting session.
@Justin @Thunderbird I own rifles too (ever shat yourself what the police turn up una bounced for a spot check?) I used to shoot them competitively at school and uni (I got my blue!). Just a walther .22 rimfire, I was a refular at Bisley back in the day but get out to Altcar from time to time but I don’t shoot as often as I would like. I can still remember shooting my first ton! Now I mainly just shoot clays or game, partridge and pheasant, lately a lot of rough shooting as its a much bigger challenge, and also driven shoots these days are very expensive and are often full of people who shouldn’t be allowed near a firearm!
The unannounced visits are a pretty new thing aren’t they? I had an email from BASC about it a few months ago. Have you had one then? Nice to see another British shooter. I live in the Cotswolds and shooting is massive around here but it’s still seen as rather ‘underground’ in the UK. One of the things I always respect about the attitude to shooting in the USA is that (obviously safe) shooting should be fun, shooting here in the UK can be a bit po-faced with a few people who take themselves way too seriously. Incidentally it was interesting to read above about the 22 shortage in the USA, why has that come about?
Living in the UK means i will never get the opportunity to own a lot of these guns. However my grandad has been an avid clay pigeon shooter for years, and I’ve been shooting since I was 11 with him. I was county champion twice running and north of England champion as well
@Thunderbird Whereabouts in the Cotswolds are you? That’s my part of the world originally.
Incidentally it was interesting to read above about the 22 shortage in the USA, why has that come about?
Mainly hoarders and people afraid of government intervention, combined with a huge increase in .22lr chambered AR-15 rifles. 8 years ago I could buy 500 rounds for $10. At that price lots of people thought nothing of going to the range and wasting a few 100 rounds at a go. Even now if you can find it it’s still half the price of centerfire ammo which makes it a better alternative for staying in practice.
That’s interesting @bigmick. 500 rounds for $10? Wow! I pay about £8 ($12?) for 100 CCI 40gn hollow point subs. Because I don’t do dedicated range shooting I don’t buy FMJ. There was some talk a while back of a shortage here but to my knowledge most places still stock it. I have just checked my local shop’s website and they have 99 boxes in stock. To my eternal regret on my one and only visit to the States I didn’t go shooting. It was 2003 and during a period when I had lost interest in the hobby. I bitterly regret that now. @Justin - you have PM.
@howdydave @mrmanos It polymer over a steel subframe. The stock grips help to absorb some recoil energy but it still has a hefty kick, more so while using the 410 rounds. I had a few 100 round range days with no wrist issues. For fun shooting I like my berreta 950 minx Here’s a Video of the public defender in action that gives an idea of the recoil https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ySxdhBtKCnc
I still want a full size Judge.
The stock grips help to absorb some recoil energy but it still has a hefty kick, more so while using the 410 rounds.
That’s an extraordinary piece of equipment. The smallest sawn-off shotgun in the world, with the option of large calibre bullets instead. I can’t imagine it being accurate beyond about 10 feet, but Heaven help anything smaller than a rhinoceros that got any closer…