Posted on 06/17/2007 9:17:16 AM PDT by Silly
There is a “Consumer Reports” for guns.
It’s called “Free Republic”.
Fire away!
By the way, I am happy to hear about your favorite brands, models, and recommendations. Right now I’m interested in handguns rather than rifles.
And I have no preference for country of manufacture. The very little I have read about the Beretta brand impresses me; I also like the look of their handguns.
Ideally, I would like to one a couple handguns and (eventually) one or two rifles, that’s all. Don’t plan to start a collection (famous last words), so what I purchase I want to be versatile. I intend to learn how to properly care for them in such a way that they hold their value.
So I will also consider a gun’s ability to hold its value over the years. I am impressed with how people can own and care for a firearm over a long period, then sell it for a good price.
gun-tests.com
Start with Boston’s Gun Bible.
The absolutely most useful starting point for someone new to guns.
And Freepmail me any time you have specific questions.
www.thehighroad.org
www.thefiringline.com
Note that most of the gun mags will “rah-rah” for just about anything.
Which is OK, because pretty much everything out there is pretty darn good, if you are buying the right gun for the right use.
Glock 23C in the nightstand - Glock 26 for carry.
If you want a versatile handgun, get a Ruger GP-100 with the 4” barrel in stainless steel (Catalog # KGP-141).
There is a reason they are so popular.
http://ruger-firearms.com/Firearms/FAProdView?model=1705&return=Y
Who does?
Doubtless, this thread will balloon to a couple of hundred posts in a very short period...
I like
AR15.com and
Glocktalk.com
and
thefiringline.com
Here's the free advice part: go down to your local indoor range and rent a bunch of different ones -- revolvers, semi-autos, big ones, small ones etc. Of course, do this after you've taken the NRA pistol class, or something similar. While you're doing this, ask yourself what you're going to buy the gun for -- home defense, target shooting, plinking, CCW etc. You'll narrow down the list pretty quick based on your own experience, which is surely the best guide. IMHO, the most important thing is reliability, followed by getting a pistola with a good trigger. Everything else you can work with...
GUN TESTS 1-800-829-9084 I believe it’s only available by subscription. They accept no advertising. I’ve found their reviews unbiased and very useful.
Most of the rags fell out of favor years ago because the writers are pimp scumbags. There are some exceptions with Varmint Hunter being about the best.
Websites replaced the need for gunrags years ago. Depending on what you are looking for these are pretty good.
Rifles - http://www.24hourcampfire.com/
Handguns - http://www.thefiringline.com/
Rimfire stuff - http://www.rimfirecentral.com/
The other is Gun Tests (no advertising, supported by subscription only) P.O. Box 420189, Palm Coast, FL 32142-9947 They evaluate guns in a professional manner without the ra-ra found in a lot of other sources such as American Rifleman and Guns and Ammo. They will flat out tell you not to buy something.
The best source is a good gun store.
Perhaps, but that hasn’t been my experience. Their criticisms tend to be very specific.
Trust me. You don't plan on it. It just sort of happens.
(Lurker said as he's thumbing through catalogs for a second gun safe.)
Here's my recommendations.
1st handgun: .357 Revolver. Brands: Taurus, S & W, Colt.
2nd handgun: .22 Semi-Auto. Brands: Ruger, Browning.
1st rifle: .308 Bolt Action. Brands: Remington, Winchester, Savage, Ruger.
2nd Rifle: AR-15 clone. Brands: Rock River, Bushmanster, Colt.
3rd Rifle (It will happen): .22 semi-auto. Brands: Ruger, Marlin, Remington, Winchester. That'll get you started.
Have fun my friend.
L
That Ruger looks like a nice, simple gun — no nonsense design.
However, for some reason I want to avoid revolvers. Can’t tell you why, exactly — probably (in part) because of the look. I realize that’s not necessarily logical, but there you go.
Something about the magazine-loaded handguns appeals to me. Seems more modern and efficient, I guess (though again, I don’t have enough knowledge to be sure).
I’ll probably get a compact and a sub-compact handgun. Beretta has some nice choices. Anyone have opinions about that brand?
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