Quote :

"Popular in parts of Europe as a women's purse gun."

I would hope not, as they weigh quite a bit. All stainless. Those women must like purses that weigh a ton.

7/16/2008 11:30:33 AM

9mm vs. .40 vs. 357 SIG

Discuss

7/18/2008 2:34:53 PM

9mm - More than adequate for killing people. Too much penetration with FMJ.

40S&W - More than adequate for killing people. Good balance of bullet diameter, weight and velocity. Too much recoil for some.

357Sig - More than adequate for killing people. More velocity and noise than needed. Too much recoil for some. IMO it's not a well balanced cartridge. The faster you push a bullet the more the bullet's design and construction comes into play. If you push it fast, it needs to have a wider frontal area or needs to expand predictably. You can't have a bullet expand with very high consistency, so I'd rather bank on a constant factor, bullet meplat size. People like to compare the 357Sig to the 357Mag, but 357Mag bullets always have a bigger meplat because they don't have to be designed to run through a semiauto action.

[Edited on July 18, 2008 at 2:55 PM. Reason : In the end the caliber doesn't matter to me nearly as much as the ability to shoot it]

7/18/2008 2:53:52 PM

357sig, good for penetration. if you need to get to a bad guy through a car window or door, that's your bullet.

7/18/2008 4:17:11 PM

9mm = the most inexpensive, therefore you will practice more therefore you will hit your target more.

If you need serious penetration, get a rifle or maybe 7.62x25 Tokarev.

40S&W tries to fix a problem that doesn't exist. 9mm and .45acp are both adequate pistol rounds there is no need for something in between, go all out and use 10mm instead!

[Edited on July 18, 2008 at 8:26 PM. Reason : ]

7/18/2008 8:21:55 PM

P7s are pretty slick and the M13 holds more than 7 or 8 rounds

7/18/2008 8:32:23 PM

it holds 13, its a double stack vs. the single stack of the m8. they made some in .40 which would be a sweet carry gun. they are pricey.

7/18/2008 11:18:05 PM

i love my p7, but it's not for everyone.

Quote :

"40S&W tries to fix a problem that doesn't exist."

it's just another caliber. 10mm is unsupported except for glock and a handful of other manuf., it'd be silly to buy right now. there is nothing wrong with any of the three calibers.

i prefer more rounds and a bit more power, so that pretty much why i chose the .40 s&w.

7/19/2008 12:57:20 AM

Need a little help with a Colt Python a friend purchased this week. It is a 4" with nickle plating and gold trigger,hammer and cylinder release. I cant seem to find a picture of one with the gold accents anywhere. My question is did it come from Colt like this (perhaps out of the custom shop) or was it added afterwards. The S/N is E 81XX so if I am reading the chart correct is was manufactured in '70. Thanks in advance for your help.

1955 — 1
1956 — 300
1957 — 1650
1958 — 5550
1959 — 7050
1960 — 9100
1961 — 13100
1962 — 18800
1963 — 24800
1964 — 30800
1965 — 41400
1966 — 50500
1967 — 61000
1968 — 73800
1969 — 90000-99999
1969 — E1001
1970 — E6301
1971 — E21201
1972 — E38001
1973 — E53501
1974 — E61001
1975 — E83701-E99999
1975 — 01001E-15000E
1976 — 15001E-48300E
1977 — 48301E-86200E
1978 — 86201E-99999E
1978 — 01001N
1978 — V01001
1979 — V36737
1980 — V88374 to V99999, AL0101 to AL9999, LA0101 to LA9999, VA1001 to VA9256
1981 — K16266
1982 — K75748
1983 — K99999. T01001 to ????
1984 — T27541
1985 — T34453

[Edited on July 19, 2008 at 12:15 PM. Reason : j]

7/19/2008 12:15:22 PM

7/21/2008 11:23:17 AM

Any of you guys have some Linseed Oil I can use? I'm trying to preserve the stock on a freshly unboxed and cleaned 1953 Enfield, and I want to keep the natural wood finish. Home Depot has the stuff for 22 bucks a gallon, but I don't need *nearly* that much. I'd just need enough to give the stock a couple good coats to seal the grain.

The rifle is a Lee Enfield No4 Mk2, from Ireland, and is brand-spanking new, never fired or even out of the cosmoline until a couple weeks ago. Even came with the original bayonet and scabbard.

Also, obligatory pics of this gorgeous rifle

7/29/2008 11:35:22 PM

how much was it?

7/30/2008 12:50:41 AM

Honestly, I have no idea. My dad bought it probably a good 10 years ago, and it's sat in the box ever since. We pulled it out a few weeks ago and I decided I'd clean it up and get it usable. It probably wasn't more than $100 back then, one of several he bought at Rose's department store.

7/30/2008 1:32:00 AM

^ In excellent condition the no4mk2 will fetch 300-400, some of the unwrapped ones go for 500+.

It is by far the best shooting enfield, post WWII production quality, and the improved trigger. I take it yours is an Irish Contract (they were all made in Fazerkerley)?

7/30/2008 2:51:38 AM

Quote :

"one of several he bought at Rose's department store."

whoa, if i had only known.

7/30/2008 8:24:57 AM

^^According to the serial number, yes it is. It begins an PF333, which is part of the contract batch from what I can tell.

7/30/2008 3:05:27 PM

Quote :

"Any of you guys have some Linseed Oil I can use?"

I think that the woodworking shop on Capital across from Cook Out sells small bottles.

7/30/2008 3:27:23 PM

Awesome. I haven't looked anywhere else yet, but I was going to go out again tonight and look at some other hardware/woodworking places.

The other question now is Linseed vs Tung oil. There's folks that say one is better than the other, and some that say it's all the same. Anyone have any particular experience with either one?




[Edited on July 30, 2008 at 3:36 PM. Reason : oil]

7/30/2008 3:32:02 PM

You can buy smaller than 1 gal at Lowe's. If you can't find it then ask a sales person.

As far as linseed vs tung...
Linseed
It's almost always sold as "boiled linseed oil," which cures much faster than regular linseed oil. Notice I said cure. The oil reacts with oxygen in the air and cures rather than dries like many other finishes. If you use rags to apply it then those rags can build up enough heat to combust.
Linseed oil never actually solidifies 100%. If you finish something with linseed oil then the oil will eventually leech out over time.
People use linseed oil mainly as a preservative or to enhance the color and figure of wood. It will penetrate wood, but will not produce a nice surface finish.
It does little to protect the wood from water and wear.

Tung
Tung oil is very different from linseed. It doesn't penetrate the wood as deeply but it does dry to produce a nice top coat that will protect from water and scratches. It's also easy to fix scratches, just put more tung oil on.
What I don't like is it's too labor intensive and messy to get a good thick finish. It's much easier to buy a can of spar urethane and spray it on for a more durable and nicer looking finish.
I also don't like tung oil because it tends to turn the wood yellowish. More sunlight will also make it even more yellow. That's not a problem on dark woods, but can be a problem on maples and such.
Tung oil's appeal to a lot of people is the old traditional look of the finish. They also like the fact that they spent shitloads of time rubbing it in, sanding it down, and doing that for tons of coats just so it can look shitty. I'd prefer more modern finishes.
That's just my view having worked on guns and furniture...

My all time favorite finish for durability is two really good soakings with boiled linseed oil.
Wipe off the excess and let the linseed oil cure for two weeks.
Finish with a few coats of spar urethane. It doesn't get much more durable than that.

7/31/2008 10:34:06 AM

Thanks. I'd come across much of the same after I dug around a bit, so I'm just going to give it a good Linseed finish. I'd like to keep the gun as absolutely original as possible, and it seems Linseed oil was the typical preservative of the day.

7/31/2008 12:37:19 PM

There's nothing wrong with wanting the original look.
It'd look best if you did two coats. Let the first coat cure for a while, at least a week.
If you do only one coat or don't let the first coat cure long enough then the finish may be splotchy.

Good luck on your project.

7/31/2008 3:12:32 PM

First coat of BLO went on today - it looks amazing. I can't wait to see it after another coat or two.

Before


After

7/31/2008 5:00:40 PM

Looks good but I would still consider

Quote :

"Finish with a few coats of spar urethane"

[Edited on July 31, 2008 at 10:05 PM. Reason : ghj]

7/31/2008 10:05:04 PM

^ I wouldn't use spar urethane. rifles of this era had oil finishes and you could feel the grain through them. the urethane will be like a plastic coating. if it was a beater it would be fine, spar urethane is tough as hell. it would also be glossy, which would not be appropriate.

7/31/2008 11:14:12 PM

Yeah, this one is going to be a collector-grade piece, so I'm sticking with a period finish. The other Enfields are more "beater" rifles, so I might would consider something like that on one of those.

Something I did see that was interesting was using a combo of beeswax, linseed oil, and turpentine to give a waterproofed, hand-rubbed finish that wasn't fake or plastic looking like a urethane. That seems like a good option but I can't find anything that would document that as a "period" finish for this gun, which is circa 1954.

I'm still probably going to stick to a regimen of linseed oil for a while, but it would be interesting to know if that finish would be appropriate.

Edit: Apparently the recipe was tossed around Camp Perry in the 50's, so it might be OK for a Springfield, but I don't see it as a proper finish for a UK-born piece.

[Edited on July 31, 2008 at 11:35 PM. Reason : .]

7/31/2008 11:30:35 PM

I gonna say, I had my first problems with PDHSC in the 3 years I have been doing business with them. Let me explain the sisutation.

Three years ago, my family purchased a family membership (5 people). We have had that for the past 3 years. During year two, my brother and I bought a house and changed our addresses. Mike Tilley said that this wasn't a problem because we were all immeadiate family. At the end of year three, when it was time to renew, they said if we wanted to renew it was no problem, but the prices had gone up. Well, that was no big deal for us so we paid for another year membership.

Well, my brother and I went in today with our Gold Passes. When one of the guys took our IDs he said "How do you have a family membership with different addresses?" I explained what Mike (owner had told us in the past). He made a big deal about it and decided to call Mike out of his office to "deal" with us.

Mike told me and my brother that he had recently changed the policy at PDHSC (due to people taking advantages of the membership) and that he would not honor our membership any longer. He told me that he would rather refund my membership (pro-rated of course) than let us finish out the year. He took our memberships (before we shot today) and told me that if I wanted to shoot I would have to purchase a day pass.

I am just dissapointed with Mike and PDHSC. They have lost my business. I would rather shoot outside than pay them a dime.

8/2/2008 4:45:52 PM

Quote :

"He told me that he would rather refund my membership (pro-rated of course) than let us finish out the year. He took our memberships (before we shot today) and told me that if I wanted to shoot I would have to purchase a day pass. "

That seems very un-Mike like. Seem the right thing to do would be to let you finish this year and ask you to go to a single membership come renewal time. It is bad business to change the membership policy midterm. I could see where that would piss you off.

8/2/2008 5:12:30 PM

Concealed Carry Friendly Laundromat in Charlotte.

Sign reads.

Quote :

"This Establishment Encourages persons with CCW Licenses- Studies have shown that where people are allowed to carry LICENSED concealed Weapons That The crime rates drop "

I'll shop there.

Too bad there aren't more business' like that. I'd read about a liquor store that offers 10% off to CCH permit holders.

Quote :

"I am just dissapointed with Mike and PDHSC. They have lost my business."

Their customer service has slowly been going down. I don't know if it's from increased competition from the internet or other stores like Lawmen's, but I stopped doing business there a while ago. I have no idea what happened in this instance, but I guess doing the right thing is wrong for them.

[Edited on August 2, 2008 at 6:04 PM. Reason : eh]

8/2/2008 6:00:57 PM

^ sucks to hear that. I just bought a Gold membership for myself because I've started going there so often.

As for my latest escapade, I have learned the incredible art of painting Rollmarks on an AR lower.

This is my first go at it, using Testors modeling enamel and a super-fine brush. It's a humongous PITA to clean up all the overflow without smearing it or ruiningthe lettering.

Altogether it was worth it, since this new lower looks pretty sick, but I'm debating whether to do this to my bushy lower as well, since it's massively time consuming.

8/2/2008 10:12:04 PM

Dixie gun show this weekend - who's going?

I'm all spent for guns this year, but I'll be restocking some reloading components and maybe a little ammo.

8/6/2008 1:19:11 PM

I want to but I need to start saving money

I just got a MEGA stripped AR lower and I am very tempted to start building it but I think I will just wait for Christmas

8/6/2008 1:24:40 PM

Quote :

"Concealed Carry Friendly Laundromat in Charlotte."

where?

8/6/2008 1:40:41 PM

Speaking of CC places, I didn't realize until yesterday that the Bojangles on Western is a no-go. That sucks too, because I was about ready for a Bo's fix.

8/6/2008 2:22:39 PM

conceal well, shut up and eat.

8/6/2008 5:57:14 PM

You forgot the part about being perma-banned and having your CCP revoked.

8/6/2008 6:16:16 PM

judged by 12 > carried by 6

that being said, for the record, i dont advocate carrying anywhere that prohibits...even though i'd rather have my concealed permit revoked while saving a life than get killed

8/6/2008 6:41:30 PM

Quote :

"Speaking of CC places, I didn't realize until yesterday that the Bojangles on Western is a no-go. That sucks too, because I was about ready for a Bo's fix. "

why is that, they have a no guns sign?

and would going through the drive thru count, since technically you are in your own car and not in the premesis?

8/6/2008 6:45:32 PM

Yes, I think almost all of the Bojangles around Raleigh have a no firearms sign posted. Drive through does not count. You are not inside the store/restaurant (therefore you did not pass the sign) so you can have as many guns on you as you'd like.

8/6/2008 8:12:00 PM

Only the japanese would showcase nice weapons and put them to cheesy miami vice music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yxe-XYjWCZQ FN .50 cal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOxntuXpfdM FN FAL (where can i get one for cheap).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4ebtj1jR7c&feature=related AA-12 I WANT ONE

8/6/2008 9:11:07 PM

Note that the sign says no concealed weapons.

8/6/2008 9:19:23 PM

Quote :

"and would going through the drive thru count, since technically you are in your own car and not in the premesis?"

No, it wouldn't count (the sign, that is) in that circumstance.

[Edited on August 6, 2008 at 9:36 PM. Reason : .]

8/6/2008 9:35:42 PM

^, ^^^

Well that solves the dilemma

if you want Bo's use the drive through

8/8/2008 11:29:25 AM

anybody going to the dixie show tomorrow?

8/8/2008 11:25:23 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBhOjWHbD6M&feature=related

is your gun safe?

8/15/2008 11:01:58 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L3kMuN8sjk

Criminals for gun control.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krq34URvk6s

Carjackers for a safer work environment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_YTM_eAWnQ

20/20 John Stossel actually saying something worth listening to? WOW.

8/16/2008 10:20:10 PM

^^ I am not doubting that those safes arent that great but if I am going to have one in a house it is going to be in a place that you can't just flip it over not to mention it would be bolted down.

8/16/2008 10:52:52 PM

you don't need to knock it over to pop it, it just helps for speed.

of the people i know with gun safes, they block off the sides or create a narrow space that you won't be able to get leverage without moving a few walls.

8/16/2008 11:44:30 PM

Im interested in learning how to shoot (handguns and small rifles right now). What steps do you guys recommend before purchasing a gun? Thanks

8/17/2008 9:53:32 AM

You should first go to a range with someone who's an experienced shooter and learn basic handling techniques. Probably a couple times, just to get used to the feel of it, if you've never shot before at all. Once you can properly handle whatever kind of gun you're interested in, rent or borrow as many different ones as you can so that you learn what fits your body/hands and shooting style. Borrowing from a good friend or going with them being the preferred method, since ranges require you to buy their crappy overpriced ammo for rental guns.

8/17/2008 10:02:32 AM

^Exactly.

If you just buy a gun you may find out very quickly that it's too powerful for you, it doesn't fit your hand right, you don't like it, etc.

Go to the range and try out a lot of different guns in the standard popular calibers with someone you know. If you can't find anyone, rent some guns and use the cheapest ammo they have (They require you to use their ammo in their guns). I recommend the 9mm simply due to cost. Target ammo is much cheaper than .40S&W or .45ACP (At Walmart, 100rds of WWB will cost you $10 less for 9mm compared with .45ACP), so for me I can shoot more often. Defensive ammo is also cheaper for 9mm when you buy it at the right places. In a store it's going to be INCREDIBLY expensive though, so watch out for that. When it comes to defensive ammo, all of those calibers are plenty adequate if you can hit your target. I am a huge 9mm fan, don't let the 9mm haters talk you out of it either. With quality defensive ammo, the 9mm can expand to over .7" and penetrate 12"+, which is plenty and will easily kill someone if you can hit a target.

I use the lightest bullet that is reasonable within a caliber when using standard length handguns. In the summer, with my Glock 17 I prefer to use 115gr +P (Or "+P+") JHP's. This is because most people don't wear many layers of clothing during the summer and lightweight high energy bullets tend to hit harder. They decelerate faster (Force = Mass x Acceleration) and carry more energy. I have talked with some gun magazine writers and LEO's, all of whom had studied thousands of real world shootings. They all agreed that the research seems to indicate that lighter/faster bullets tend to stop threats faster (They aren't necessarily more deadly, they just tend to stop the person more quickly). In the winter, with the Glock 17, I go to 124gr +P JHP's because I want to ensure that the bullet retains sufficient energy after passing through thick winter clothing.

With my Glock 26, which has a short barrel and develops less velocity, I prefer to go one step up in weight. So in the summer I use 124gr +P JHP's and in the winter I use 147gr +P JHP's. This is because with the reduced velocity I prefer to ensure adequate penetration rather than maximum energy being deposited to the target. This is just my preference, you may have totally different preferences. I believe that any of them will get the job done in 9mm as long as the round penetrates sufficiently and you can hit the target.

I recommend Double Tap ammunition in any of those calibers for self defense. They load Speer Gold Dot bullets (In some calibers they offer other bullets as well, such as Remington's Golden Saber and a few others) to higher velocities than Speer does and at half the price.

For instance, their 9mm 115gr Gold Dot reaches 1415fps and 511ft.lb. out of a Glock 17 (4.5" barrel) and costs $28/50rds. Local stores sell 20 Speer Gold Dots for the same price, so it's literally half the cost of Speer's Gold Dot while offering significantly higher performance. They use Starline cases and low flash powder too, so the overall package is incredible for the price.

People never believe me when I tell them that a factory 9mm load can exceed 500ft.lb. for some reason. But anyway, their .40S&W loads are similarly nasty, I can't find anyone else besides Buffalo Bore that can match their performance honestly. Plus, even Buffalo Bore can't match the prices.

They also offer an unbelievable .38 Special +P load for any of you snubby owners. It's loaded with a 125gr Low Velocity Gold Dot and reaches 1100fps and 336ft.lb. out of a 1.875" barrel (S&W 642)!! It's the highest power .38 Special load I've ever seen actually. Everyone I've talked to that has tried the ammo has agreed that it's excellent stuff and everyone that's chronographed it has found that it's either dead on or even under rated.

http://www.doubletapammo.com/php/catalog/index.php


Here's the .38 Special round I was talking about:

http://www.doubletapammo.com/php/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21_57&products_id=215


Here's the 115gr 9mm round I was talking about:

http://www.doubletapammo.com/php/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21_37&products_id=119


Other self defense rounds that I recommend off the top of my head in 9mm are:

Federal's 9BPLE (1300fps, $15/50rds, proven man stopper in many real world shootings)
Federal's HST (Any weight, +P)
Federal's Hydrashok (Get the 124gr +P+, note that it has significant muzzle flash)
Winchester's 115gr +P+ Ranger (1335fps and $20/50rds)
Speer's Gold Dot (Any weight, +P)
Remington's Golden Saber (Any weight, +P)
Extreme Shock's Enhanced Penetration Round

Again note that the best weight for you will depend upon your handgun, the time of year and other factors such as accuracy and feed reliability with a particular load. Reliability wont be a problem with any good handgun though, my Glocks have never once failed to feed, fire or eject with any round I've fed them actually.

[Edited on August 17, 2008 at 10:46 AM. Reason : ]

8/17/2008 10:26:04 AM