Posted on 05/14/2009 9:50:17 AM PDT by Atlas Sneezed
NEWTOWN, Conn. -- The upward trend in firearms sales continued in April, marking the sixth consecutive month of significant increases.
Data released by the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) reported 1,225,980 checks in April 2009. This figure is a 30.3 percent increase from the 940,961 reported in April 2008.
FBI background checks are required under federal law for all individuals purchasing either new or used firearms from federally licensed retailers. The checks serve as a gauge of actual sales but do not reflect the actual number of firearms sold, since, following a background check, a customer may decide not to purchase a firearm or may purchase more than one firearm.
The April increase follows a 29.2 percent gain in March and rises of 23 percent in February, 28 percent in January, 24 percent in December and 42 percent in November when a record 1,529,635 background checks were performed.
The increase in NICS checks coincides with a rise in excise taxes reported by firearms manufacturers, another indicator of firearm sales.
Thank you, Lee.
>> Budget?
Not the primary concern, although like everyone else these days I’m looking for value. (but not fashion.) And, as with all purchases, there’s the question of cost of the firearm, and also the question of “cost of ownership”. As in, it’s great to pay only a little for the gun, but can you afford to supply it with ammo down the road? Can you even FIND ammo for it down the road? And the road could be rough.
>> Take a class
Yes, that’s good advice, and I have my eye on a local gun shop for that. I already have too many irons in the fire, but I realize this whole “gun thing” is important too.
Thanks again.
You can practice cheaply with the .38 special rounds, and use .357 for defense.
My personal preference is for .45 ACP, either the 1911A1 or the Sig-Sauer, but I strongly recommend that you NOT purchase a semi-auto for your first handgun. There are too many things to keep track of and too many things to go wrong (stovepipes, jams, clearing drill, magazine problems, etc.) The revolver will go bang when you pull the trigger, so long as you keep it clean and oiled.
Rifles, I don't think you can do better than a Ruger M-77 in .308. I have two of them - a heavy barrel and a light barrel - and the light barrel version is my deer hunting rifle. Handy, convenient to carry in the woods, extremely accurate, easy to clean and reliable. I stuck a Leopold 4x scope on it. I think .30'06 is a lot of recoil for a first rifle, and it would probably put you off shooting. .308 is more than adequate for deer and other small game, I think it's legal for anything you can hunt here. I might like something with a little more oomph myself for a black bear or a feral hog, but it's legal and a well placed shot will do the trick.
As a first time buyer it would be my recommendation that you take the slight financial bath necessary to buy from a gun shop, and start cultivating a good relationship with the staff.
When we first started shooting seriously, years ago, we found a small gun shop in our neck of the woods and developed a very good relationship with the owner. We were just married and not flush with cash, but he knew a couple of potential gun nuts when he saw them and he took good care of us. Kept his eye out for trade-in bargains for us, and over the years we justified his kindness -- by the time he retired and closed the store I'm sure he'd made a pretty penny selling us stuff . . . . but it was worth it.
Thanks for the thoughtful advice (both replies), American Mom!
I’ll second on the price/availability of calibers here (9mm or .40 S&W or .45ACP), as well as #35 where the poster suggested ammo-matching both the long gun and the handgun. Common calibers between police and military too.
Rifle-length mandatory, or is carbine acceptable? If you prefer semi-auto, you can share ammo AND magazines between certain Beretta pistols and certain models of their CX4 carbine, which, incidentally, are available in those 3 calibers. That’s what I did in .40 S&W, only I didn’t know ahead of time to match the magazine fittings and had to order separately from Beretta.
(Once/if you’re in the market for hi-cap pistol mags, I recommend midwayusa.com, or if they’re out of stock, tjgeneralstore.com. You might find cheaper on-sale elsewhere, but no better consistently and with better service. Er, not to start a war with other FReepers who have their own favorites, heh.)
Darned if they aren’t just like potato chips! Somehow my collection wasn’t complete without a wheel gun ... bought a S&W 610, which shoots 10mm as defense rounds, but fires the cheaper .40 S&W for target practice. Not exactly an inexpensive weapon, tho. Or one for floppy wrists.
Yeah - extra holsters - there’s also a world of slings beyond a single store’s inventory, LOL. And for shopping around, particularly if worried about recoil, a range that rents out weapons so you can try before you buy.
>> Rifle-length mandatory, or is carbine acceptable?
Carbine would be fine. Like I said, if I hunt, it’ll be out of hunger, not sport. And if I snipe, I guess maybe someone will have to loan me a longer barrel. :-)
Thanks for the insight. By the way, LOL at the nick. It took a few seconds to get it.
Lever action Marlin in the .357mag (will also shoot .38 cal) and complement it with a .357mag revolver (will also shoot .38 cal). You now have a carbine and pistol that shoots a common bullet, and no magazines to fuss with. If you want it for defense, buy several of the same. People keep collecting different types of rifles/handguns. Tough to train people how to use it (assuming people band together for the tough times ahead). Stick to buying several firearms of the same type, so if you had to fight together as a group, the logistics and training becomes much simplier. Lever action rifles, pump shotgun and revolvers are simple to use and clear. Charter Arms is coming out with a revolver that uses 9mm, 40 SW and .45 ACP semi auto ammo with no need for moon clips. That might not be a bad backup revolver when you scavenge ammo from the dead perps and poor dead cops/fed troops who are over run and killed by criminals/rioting mobs.
Taurus Judge is good if you plan to use only .410 shotgun rounds. Not accurate when using .45 LC rounds. Reason, the bullet must travel in the revolver cylinder chamber and jump into the barrel before exiting down range. The jump between the cylinder and barrel is enough to interrupt the bullet’s spin and it will affect its accuracy.
Not the primary concern, although like everyone else these days I’m looking for value. (but not fashion.) And, as with all purchases, there’s the question of cost of the firearm, and also the question of “cost of ownership”. As in, it’s great to pay only a little for the gun, but can you afford to supply it with ammo down the road? Can you even FIND ammo for it down the road? And the road could be rough.
You've given me an idea.
Cost is an overriding concern for me personally, my chief constraint.
Cheap Shooter Blog, a blatant attempt to get press credentials for SHOT show. It would consist, when I'm not ranting, of writeups and comments on getting equipped, trained and practiced, on a shoestring. 'Cause that's how I have to do it.
I've got an reloading article or two, out in InterWebz land, in a long defunct ezine, that I could prime it with.
I'm sure you have more knowledge than me on the cylinder gap issues with Judge. But depending on distance to the target, I wouldn't have any doubt about getting a center mass hit in a typical personal defense zone with the .45 LC. Although I agree the real beauty of the Judge is the .410 capability. Sure beats snake loads or rat shot.
If you use large slug .410 shotgun rounds (I think it has five balls), it will do damage. Judge was invented for people to use in cars against carjackers. Should see the youtube video showing the front passenger door window after the driver shoots at it against a masked carjacker.
I think you should go for it!
Nothin' there yet.
I admire any lady who packs a S&W 357! You know your firearms well and are giving the other Freeper sage advice. I have a S&W Model 27 Classic with a 4” barrel and it is as you say an excellent gun. The massive N-Frame and 4” barrel make it a stable firing platform. The Magnum rounds from it hit like a truck. I just ordered a 44 Magnum Model 29 Classic last week with a 6.5” barrel.
What do you think of the Remington 700?
FYI: The 2nd Amendment is SELF-incorporated to all government entities at every level. It is MORE ABSOLUTE than the 1st Amendment, or any of the others, because the wording forbids not only CONGRESS, but ANYONE from infringing on it. The 1st says “Congress shall make no law...”. The 2nd say “shall NOT be infringed!” Period! End of debate!
I was speaking with an old Army buddy of mine yesterday. He claimed that ammo companies had cut production because people were hoarding ammo. Tin foil hat alert? I don’t know.
If you go with the .38, don’t make the same mistake I did and think one of those cute little S&W Airweights would be “small and light to carry,” or for your wife to handle. Fortunately, I rented one before buying. It really bruised up my hand. (I have scar tissue on the back of my right hand from an old injury and the kick from just 30 rounds with the Airweight caused my hand to swell up and turn blue.) My father bought a really nice used .38 with a 4-inch barrel and he let me shoot it... it’s a really nice gun, and what a difference from the Airweight! Wuz jes’ like butter...
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/browse/pistol-ammunition.aspx?c=95&stk=1
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/browse/web-ammo-rifle.aspx?c=96&stk=1
If they don’t have it get on their back order lists, you will soon have what you need.
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