View Full Version : What I was up to this morning
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iris lilies
9-7-13, 8:13pm
That's interesting. How many hours of training are required before you get a permit for CC? Or do you already have that?
Iris, in IL, 16 hours are required. This is the most in the country. However, if you were in the military, have a hunter safety course, and some other training, you get grandfathered in for 8 hours. I took an NRA Basic Pistol class last year, which does count. Our instructors and their curriculum are just in the process of getting approved. Applications for carry permits won't be available until the beginning of the year. I'll be taking my class before the end of the year. Our class must include a live fire portion.
Today was actually the first time taking out my new pistol. I made contact with a local certified instructor, who also just happens to be in my industry. He was at the range with me today. The above target was my best today. Instructor told me I will have no problem at all with passing the live fire portion of the CCW class.
For those who might be wondering about my pistol itself: it's a Bersa Thunder .380. Made in Argentina. Very affordable (mine was $300 new). Great to shoot, very little recoil.
Finding ammo is a PITA. Due to the presidential election last fall, plus increasing consumer demand, it's difficult to find. I buy mine at Walmart (I check several stores near me) and Cabelas. I've stockpiled 800 rounds, which doesn't include the 100 rounds I shot today.
Tradd,
I must have missed you discussing this before. Was there something that happened that made you decide about buying a gun and getting the training?
Lainey, this has been in progress for two years. I've got a bunch of female friends who shoot. They've been telling me for some years that I should try shooting, as I'd probably find it to be fun. It *is* fun. I took a lot of time doing reading and researching on various online forums. Early last year, I did a one-on-one with an instructor up in WI recommended by several friends. That was a good intro. Then I took my Basic Pistol class to have the "recognized" training. I've been out a couple of other times.
Once I received my raise in June, I decided to finally take the ownership plunge. IL finally passed a CCW bill in July, after pretty much being forced to do so by a federal court order (ban on carry outside the home was unconstitutional).
So, there doesn't have to have been an "incident."
Thanks, and I'm glad there was no personal safety incident that led to this decision. Sounds like you're having fun and being responsible at the same time.
One of these years I may take the plunge, but I'm not there yet.
Tradd - one thought: for shooting for fun/practice, a simple .22LR pistol or rifle ends up being much much cheaper to shoot, and it's generally easier to find the ammunition - I usually recommend to most new shooters that they pick up something along that line, or a quality air pistol, eventually.
Bae, I was thinking about a .22LR. However, I *never* see .22LR ammo anywhere nowadays and haven't for months. I can find the .380 fairly easily at a number of local Walmart stores or Cabelas. My .380 will be my carry pistol, too.
Spartana
10-10-13, 12:49am
Congrats Tradd. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. I also have a .380 (Beretta) amongst others, and they are great. Perfect size for our dainty little hands :-) . I also have trouble finding ammo here in Caif - and target shooting is becoming too expensive for el cheap me - so I just shoot enough to keep my skills up. However, back in the day, I use to do a lot of tactical shooting, as well as the shoot/don't shoot videos, and that's a blast. You might see if there is somethng like that in your area as I think you'd both enjoy and benefit from that skill-wise. Certain,y makes you more confident and comfortable in more real-life type situations then target shooting at a range.
goldensmom
10-10-13, 6:47am
I'm impressed. There were coyotes in the backyard last night so I got the 10/22 (we have chickens) and went outside. My husband reminded me that I can only hit something if he shoots it first, it is dead and laying the ground and I am 12" from it. I have better success at getting them to leave by yelling and chasing them. I have a Beretta PX4 Storm that is fun but can't hit anything with that either. I think I need to do some target practice.
Congrats Tradd. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. I also have a .380 (Beretta) amongst others, and they are great. Perfect size for our dainty little hands :-) . I also have trouble finding ammo here in Caif - and target shooting is becoming too expensive for el cheap me - so I just shoot enough to keep my skills up. However, back in the day, I use to do a lot of tactical shooting, as well as the shoot/don't shoot videos, and that's a blast. You might see if there is somethng like that in your area as I think you'd both enjoy and benefit from that skill-wise. Certain,y makes you more confident and comfortable in more real-life type situations then target shooting at a range.
Thanks, I'll check that out. I'm out to the range tomorrow by myself, and will go out with a friend next week.
A Ruger LCR .38 special revolver is my next buy.
I'm impressed. There were coyotes in the backyard last night so I got the 10/22 (we have chickens) and went outside. My husband reminded me that I can only hit something if he shoots it first, it is dead and laying the ground and I am 12" from it. I have better success at getting them to leave by yelling and chasing them. I have a Beretta PX4 Storm that is fun but can't hit anything with that either. I think I need to do some target practice.
:devil:
Thank you for the laugh!
Thanks, I'll check that out. I'm out to the range tomorrow by myself, and will go out with a friend next week.
A Ruger LCR .38 special revolver is my next buy.of course you can go to Spartan Tactical Training in Chicago. With a name like that how could you go wrong! :-) :-) WWW.teamspartan.com
Concealed carry permit class tomorrow. :)
Kick butt in class Tradd :-)! Thanks again for sending me the photos of your very cute "conceal carry" purse.
Good luck, Tradd!
DH and I took the class together last year. We wanted to go to the local gov't office to complete the application process. (You can do it yourself and mail in, but my dd and her dh did that and both had errors and ultimately had to go in). Our wait for that appointment was 8 months (!). The good news is that three weeks later I had my CCW permit. Of course, DH had to go back TWICE! Once, due to a missing instructor license number on his certificate (mine was identical and not kicked back) and once for "visual verification of id's". He has many background checks for his work, and over the years he has aged / had beards / lost weight / lost hair... they needed to see him and his clearances together...
I have a neat-o carry purse, too!
Thank you, both. Actually my class was this past Sunday. It was a lot of fun. I passed the live fire portion without a problem. :)
IL isn't even making the applications available until the beginning of January. They have 90 days to issue a permit if you meet all the requirements. Add an extra 30 days on that if you don't submit fingerprints. I'm submitting fingerprints. They do have to be electronic. Some people are freaking about submitting their fingerprints to the state police (who are administering CCW license program), but heck, Customs has mine (from when I applied for brokers license), so I'm not worried about that. The application is online only. The state police even said, when there were objections to online only apps, that if people don't have a computer, they can go to the library. And if they don't know how to use the internet, someone will be able to show them. I'm not joking, I'm serious!
lmerullo, this is my carry purse. https://www.guntotenmamas.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=GTM0099
I'm actually using it for my regular bag right now. I just took out the holster from the back compartment (attaches with velcro) and put my Kindle in that spot. It was a great bag for my recent trip since it had a slash proof strap. In my CCW class, we had to practice drawing from concealment (in the classroom with unloaded guns) and my instructor allowed me to use this purse since it's meant for CCW.
I should have my permit sometime in April. However, we will wait and see if there are Obamacare website type problems with the CCW apps. I'm told the state police are terrified of that possibility. Could they have gone to a software vendor that did the CCW app system for another state? Nooo, Illinois is such a special little snowflake that they had to do it from scratch. Something like 300,000-400,000 people are expected to apply the first year.
This should be an interesting experience...
I had fun this morning (200-250 rounds). The range safety officer jokingly told me to give the guys a break. My response? "Tough!" There were a couple of guys there who could definitely use some practice. ;)
I post my targets on Facebook and the comments of two girl friends were: "Well, he's a goner" and "I think he's dead now."
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I went shooting this morning, too. A friend saw my target pics and said I'm "one dangerous lady." I told her I would take that as a compliment! ;)
At 5 & 7 yards
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Simpler at Fifty
1-4-14, 3:47pm
I want you sitting in the same room as me when somebody comes in shooting. I am thankful for people like you Tradd.
Woo Hoo Tradd - you are getting very proficient!! Now it's time to go to an outdoor range (once it's no longer minus 100 out there in Chicagoland :-)!) and try the 1,000 yard targets. (OK just joking - that won't work well with a small handgun :-) - maybe 25 -30 yards) but it's good to try the further distance targets in wind, sun, rain, ...and snow!
Thumbs up to you women who put the time in for the training and learning to protect yourself. Any of you NRA members yet?
I most certainly am, for a few years.
Thumbs up to you women who put the time in for the training and learning to protect yourself. Any of you NRA members yet?I'm a lapsed member as I have some disagreement with many of their policies and am less involved with firearms and "gun-issues" then I was in the past when I worked in a more law enforcement type of situation and carried a firearm(s) on a daily basis. Probably will join up again. I'm not as dedicated as Tradd is to going to the range any more either but still go enough to keep my skills up. Shooting (ammo!) is an expensive hobby so one I don't do as much now that I am a cheapskate frugalista :-)!
new2oregon
1-4-14, 10:38pm
The reason I asked about the NRA is because we live in a crazy world and if you ever had to use your gun for protection the NRA would stand behind you.
The reason I asked about the NRA is because we live in a crazy world and if you ever had to use your gun for protection the NRA would stand behind you.
I don't really worry about that as I figure as long as I abide by the current gun laws in any state I'm in, then those laws would protect me. Of course when I travel I don't always know what the various state laws are so just fall back on Calif (where I live) pretty stringent gun laws on how to carry, transport and own a firearm.
I got my carry permit on Wednesday. I've been carrying everywhere. At work, I'm allowed to keep it in my car (I use a metal lock box witha steel cable wrapped around drivers.seat frame, hidden under seat.
I ended up buying a nice small light 9mm that's my primary carry pistol (Smith & Wesson M&P Shield). I actually carry on my body, found a good holster that is comfortable and conceals well.
Congrats Tradd. I know it was a long training process to go thru but you did it! I'd sure like to see other states have a comprehensive program for a CCW permit as Il. does even though it can be a pain. My county - "The O.C." (Orange County, Ca) - has apparently opened up CCW permits to all residents (non-convicts) now as long as they can pass the background checks and whatever required firearms training the new permits require - which I imagine will be fairly extensive since CA has some of the strictest gun laws in the country. Until now you could only get one if you had a very strong reason to carry such as working in a law enforcement field or transporting large sums of money, jewelry, bank documents, legal narcotics, working with criminals or in high crime areas, etc... Otherwise it was impossible to get them. New sheriff actually pulled back a lot of permits but apparently she was out voted and now they will start issuing them to more people than ever. While I'm a supporter of gun rights as you know (and have a CCW permit myself) I'm a bit leery of just an open door policy. But with required training, etc... I would be more open to it. Again congrats!!
Thanks, Spartana! I was actually one of the first 5K issued, as I applied a few days early in a beta test group. A lot of people who applied still haven't gotten theirs, so my license (they call it a CCL here) has been passed around at work (I work with a few shooters) and church (some shooters there as well), being oohhed and aaahhhed over! ;)
Cali going to shall issue in some counties is something I just can't wrap my brain around, lol! How much training is required? Some in Chicago wanted 40 hours (which is required for LE), but that didn't fly. Frankly, it seems many with a carry permit shoot more than many cops. I just got back from scoring ammo - including a box of the scarce .22. A .22 pistol for fun and plinking is next on my list (Ruger 22LR). Seems .380 is scarce as hen's teeth again, especially since Walmart removed their 3 box limit (except for .22), so I'm hoarding the .380 I have and not shooting much. I'm off to the range on Saturday. I've been shooting at least every other two weeks, if not every week. It's stress relief, too!
This is my Shield
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Tradd - my son bought me my first gun as a Christmas present. I didn't yet have my CCL, and he did. This was a change from the days when he first got licensed as a security guard, but mommy had to buy him bullets... Anyway, he chose the same gun for me.
We shot it twice, and it was hanging up. The range owner said they almost never have problems with S&W, and never with that model - but I got a dud. We had a dickens of a time getting a return authorization to ship it back, took about six weeks for that. Once we sent it back, I had it returned in less than a week.
While my gun was sick, I used one of my son's - sorry, don't know what - I assume one of the Glock family... it's smaller, and for now I have the S&W in my bedroom and still carrying his with me.
of course you can go to Spartan Tactical Training in Chicago. With a name like that how could you go wrong! :-) :-) WWW.teamspartan.com
Actually, I'm taking a force on force class (with Airsoft pistols) tomorrow, co-sponsored by Spartan Security! :D
I am so envious of the american gun laws. Over here it's such a hassle to even get a gun license (and its quite expensive too) not to mention all of the regulations of carrying and keeping weapons.
I am in process of getting the license and saving so that I can afford to get a gun next year but we cannot quite agree on how and where to keep it safe at home. My husband is strongly opposed to weapons for some reason and doesn't feel comfortable with the idea of having a gun anywhere in the appartment, not even safely locked according to all of the laws (he is not antimilitarist by any means ... he is just not skillful manually in general and cannot use weapons. It's absurd, he doesn't even have a clasp knife or any kind of knife at all apart from the kitchen ones and dislikes the fact that I do and carry them around ... until we need them that is. Extremely impractical.)
Anyway, I wanted to ask the gun owners here, where and how secured or how much at hand do you keep the weapons at home?
I have my eyes set on either CZ 75 SP-01 shadow or CZ 75 B (new edit) so nothing extreme.
Meri, in the US, there are small metal lock boxes. Do you have laws that require you to keep the pistol locked up a certain way? I have no children in my home, so the pistol I carry concealed daily (Smith & Wesson M & P Shield 9mm) sits on my nightstand in its holster when I'm in bed. Otherwise, it's either on me at home or next to me at the computer. My other pistol (a Bersa Thunder.380) is in a lock box at home, which is cable locked to a metal fixture in a hidden spot. I have another lock box in my car, cable locked to my drivers seat frame, for times when I can't take my pistol in a business/doctor's office.
What I have in my car:
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shooting/Gun-Storage/Gun-Safes|/pc/104792580/c/104730480/sc/104369580/Bulldog-Car-Vault/1370823.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fgun-safes%2F_%2FN-1100213%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104369580%3FWTz_l%3DSBC%253BMMcat1047 92580%253Bcat104730480&WTz_l=SBC%3BMMcat104792580%3Bcat104730480%3Bcat104 369580
This is what I have at home:
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Gun-Vault-Nano-400-Vault/1701677.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3D searchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProduc ts%26Ntt%3Dnano%2Bvault%26x%3D0%26y%3D0%26WTz_l%3D Header%253BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=nano+vault&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products
Anyway, I wanted to ask the gun owners here, where and how secured or how much at hand do you keep the weapons at home?
Firearms, I keep in the vaults, locked away, unless they are in a holster on my person.
Edged and impact weapons festoon the household though, it looks a bit like a Klingon palace. There are half a dozen rapiers and longswords in the entryway so that Offspring and I can take advantage of wee sunny moments and head outside and spar, for instance. And boar spears placed conveniently for dealing with The Spider Threat.
Thanks, I think I'll need to find some safe place for some secure metal box. The problem with the law here is that if you have two or less weapons you are not required to keep them in any kind of security box defined by law. It just says the weapons need to be 'adequately secured against theft, misuse and loss' ... which pretty much means that anything works until the gun is stolen, lost or misused at which point I guess any measures would have proven to be inadequate.
I have eighteen years old daughter who occasionally hosts couple of her friends and even though I am strongly opposed to that, they tend to consume alcohol. I want to be sure any guns would be secured and cannot be taken by anyone but me.
At the same time I must admit that I would feel much better having my gun at hand rather than locked in two metal boxes hidden under box of seasonal clothes at the bottom of the wardrobe. But I guess I will have to rely on knives when it comes to that.
I am so envious of the american gun laws. Over here it's such a hassle to even get a gun license (and its quite expensive too) not to mention all of the regulations of carrying and keeping weapons.
I am in process of getting the license and saving so that I can afford to get a gun next year but we cannot quite agree on how and where to keep it safe at home. My husband is strongly opposed to weapons for some reason and doesn't feel comfortable with the idea of having a gun anywhere in the appartment, not even safely locked according to all of the laws (he is not antimilitarist by any means ... he is just not skillful manually in general and cannot use weapons. It's absurd, he doesn't even have a clasp knife or any kind of knife at all apart from the kitchen ones and dislikes the fact that I do and carry them around ... until we need them that is. Extremely impractical.)
Anyway, I wanted to ask the gun owners here, where and how secured or how much at hand do you keep the weapons at home?
I have my eyes set on either CZ 75 SP-01 shadow or CZ 75 B (new edit) so nothing extreme.Hi Meri - In the USA gun laws vary widely and are controlled by each state - and even by each county within the states - so it isn't the same for everyone here. Some states are fairly loose with their gun ownership and carry laws, other's are very strict. In my State, Calif., we have fairly tough gun control laws and probably many more restrictions then many other states do. They control not only ownership of firearms, but the type of firearm as well as the type of ammo and magazine capacity, how to transport and carry a firearm, how it has to be secured at home, etc... So basically, for gun laws, it all depends on where you live in the USA. In Calif each separate county will determine who can have a concealed carry weapons permit. My county, Orange County, was very strict but has now allowed people to get a concealed carry permit if they pass certain background and training requirements. The next counties over do not allow CCW permits at all except for in extreme need.
As for how I personally keep and carry firearms - well I'm a single female living alone (my sister lives here part time and she also has firearms) and so don't lock them up but keep them hidden but handy for the most part. I also have a CCW permit so can technically carry a concealed firearm if I want. At least in Calif as it is not transferrable to other states. If you want to carry or own a firearm in a different state, you need to register it in the new state and meet that states gun laws.
I've got another addition to the family on the way - full sized 9mm (S&W M&P 9, the big sis to my 9mm Shield carry pistol), I also picked up a snubbie .38 special revolver (Ruger LCR) over the summer. I've been giving women friends their first taste of shooting, including the wife of a local rookie cop yesterday. Nervous at first, of course, but they all love it once they're used to the recoil and noise, they do very well. I've been told by the guy I took my CCW class from that I should consider becoming an NRA certified instructor as I seem to be good with the women, and they're looking for women instructors. I've put that suggestion to the side for when I'm pulling fewer hours in the office.
iris lilies
8-18-14, 12:05am
I've got another addition to the family on the way - full sized 9mm (S&W M&P 9, the big sis to my 9mm Shield carry pistol), I also picked up a snubbie .38 special revolver (Ruger LCR) over the summer. I've been giving women friends their first taste of shooting, including the wife of a local rookie cop yesterday. Nervous at first, of course, but they all love it once they're used to the recoil and noise, they do very well. I've been told by the guy I took my CCW class from that I should consider becoming an NRA certified instructor as I seem to be good with the women, and they're looking for women instructors. I've put that suggestion to the side for when I'm pulling fewer hours in the office.
That would be great! I can see you doing that.
Me, I couldn't work up any interest in handguns when I went with DH to a recent gun show. I thought that the little ones (are those snubbies?) were cute but if I'm going to get a gun, I'm going to get a real gun.
Decades ago when I was a kid, my dad showed me how to shoot his shotgun and I shot it a couple of times, but couldn't get interested in it.
That's very interesting, Faux er--Iris! Maybe once you become proficient, like Annie Oakley, you can embark on a new career. Go around to redneck get-togethers-- county fairs, Ted Nugent concerts, and such, giving marksmanship demos. Maybe join the French Foreign Legion, which would combine your love of shooting with an interest in traveling to places you'd otherwise have absolutely no reason to visit. Or, transfer to the security department at the lirrrrarry, to keep those thugs from stealing the books. Also, I think you can practice on all those little critters that are looting and pillaging your pea patch--the bushy-tailed squirrels, the cute little bunnies, the chubby groundhogs, even the graceful, affectionate cats that use the area for a litterbox. You can even stock your meat locker with the "catch of the day". What kind of wine goes best with Bunny Stew? Ha. Remember that when you go anywhere in your car, you must plan your route, so that you pass near as many Wally-Marts as is possible. That way, you can stop in, and stock up on ammo--buy your limit at every store, and pretty soon, you'll have quite an arsenal. Hope that helps you some.
I've got another addition to the family on the way - full sized 9mm (S&W M&P 9, the big sis to my 9mm Shield carry pistol), I also picked up a snubbie .38 special revolver (Ruger LCR) over the summer. I've been giving women friends their first taste of shooting, including the wife of a local rookie cop yesterday. Nervous at first, of course, but they all love it once they're used to the recoil and noise, they do very well. I've been told by the guy I took my CCW class from that I should consider becoming an NRA certified instructor as I seem to be good with the women, and they're looking for women instructors. I've put that suggestion to the side for when I'm pulling fewer hours in the office.
Congrats on the new "arrivals" Tradd! Have a Glock 9 pistol and a Rugar Security Six .357 Mag revolver and they are both fun to shoot - bit larger then yours size-wise I think but pretty easy to handle even with my dinky little dainty hands :-)! (use my Beretta .380 as my carry firearm though). You should definitely become a trainer. I think that many women might feel more comfortable with a female firearms instructor then they would with a male. Might be your new post-retirement career someday.
Congrats on the new "arrivals" Tradd! Have a Glock 9 pistol and a Rugar Security Six .357 Mag revolver and they are both fun to shoot - bit larger then yours size-wise I think but pretty easy to handle even with my dinky little dainty hands :-)
I used to have a S&W 360PD, which is a 11.4 oz j frame revolver (comparable to the LCR but the LCR is 17 oz or so) that can shoot .357 mag.
.38 spl + P was about as hot as made sense on a regular basis.
Cool fireball though.
All this reminds me of the time I drove 3 dogs to a place near Fort Riley, Ks. It was a "rescue transport", clear across the country, and I met the next transporter in the parking lot of the place along the interstate hwy where "Atomic Annie" is on permanent display. It is an enormous cannon that was one of several built and deployed in Europe & Korea, during the "Cold War". It was especially designed to shoot an atomic bomb quite a ways, because obviously--you'd want to be a very long(xx) distance from where the nuclear cannonball landed. Well, wouldn't you? Anyway, this thing has enough iron in it to pay off the national debt, if they scrapped the ones that are left, for cash. There's another one at Ft Sill, Ok., and a half-dozen more, here and there. None of them are operational, and none were ever used when they were in Europe. Maybe for testing, but not in warfare. As it turned out, they were just for show--saber rattling & made obsolete by missiles with nukes on them.I guess they were meant to be transported on articulated tractors with huge tires at each end, but they would be quite a load. It would be an imposing sight to have one in your front yard, just to deter intruders.
Cool fireball though. :laff::laff:
My sister was (very heavily armed) security for a big defense contractor for almost 20 years and has all sorts of things that make cool fireballs :-)! They had a huge outdoor range at her work site where we could shoot anything we wanted to and use any kind of ammo we wanted to. Fun times!
Cool fireball though.
:laff:
This pic is from a couple of months ago when I took a friend shooting for her second time (first time had been with her hubby and it was a "meh" experience. She only got one hit on the target). Nice muzzle flash (taken with my phone). Bersa Thunder .380 (notice her NICE hits on the target!)
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-feObFZdpkB0/U5TaUYuEQPI/AAAAAAAAHQg/3CfpAViOfCA/s800/20140608_145831_5.jpg
I used to have a S&W 360PD, which is a 11.4 oz j frame revolver (comparable to the LCR but the LCR is 17 oz or so) that can shoot .357 mag.
.38 spl + P was about as hot as made sense on a regular basis.
My LCR kicks like a mule, even with the Hogue Tamer grip that's standard issue on it. I usually shoot 130gr .38spl rounds through it, but they hurt. My self-defense rounds are Hornady Critical Defense "Lite" 90gr. I usually put no more than 10-20 rounds through the LCR at once. I'll usually shoot my SD rounds as there's less recoil. It really is a close range self defense handgun, not a range queen. I shoot it about once a month to keep in practice on it. I'm pretty decent with it, though.
My advice for folks who've not shot a revolver before is "hang on for dear life!" :0! One cylinder's worth (5 rounds) is enough for most folks.
iris lilies
8-18-14, 11:30pm
... Also, I think you can practice on all those little critters that are looting and pillaging your pea patch--the bushy-tailed squirrels, the cute little bunnies, the chubby groundhogs, even the graceful, affectionate cats that use the area for a litterbox...
You are wrong about this one.
We do not kick neighbor cats out of the yard, in fact. I like having them around. They are nothing if not bunny patrol.
My advice for folks who've not shot a revolver before is "hang on for dear life!" :0! One cylinder's worth (5 rounds) is enough for most folks.Yeah my Rugar .357 Mag is a bit of a beast. Heavy (although I think it's considered a medium frame and maybe lighter then Yossarian's), double-action, 4 inch barrel and holds 6 rounds (currently using .357 mag. 158 grain semi-jacketed H.P.) so it packs a whallop. But I've had the gun for well over 20 year now and have fired it so much over the years that I am now use to weight and the kick. might change my mind about it as I get older.
Also Tradd, if you haven't yet, look into getting a few speed loaders so you can rapid-fire your revolver. Painful to fire a heavy gun thru that many loads but good training and conditioning.
Spartana, I just got a full-size 9mm, an M&P 9, big sib to the Shield I carry. Target from today (2 mags, 32 rounds worth). Best I've ever shot. This pistol is a dream to shoot. I'm going to look into doing IDPA or some sort of women's league that is hosted by my range.
I wish I had someplace outdoor to shoot, but the places within 90 minutes have some ridiculous regs (and are expensive).
I ended up selling my .380.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BHBvdMoUk-E/VAIOqBE4hgI/AAAAAAAAHnU/EkPKsvghiGE/s640/20140830_111053.jpg
iris lilies
8-30-14, 6:51pm
How does one determine a safe outdoor place to shoot? In gun class, do you learn the range of your weapon and how to estimate that for safe practice in outdoor situations?
How does one determine a safe outdoor place to shoot? In gun class, do you learn the range of your weapon and how to estimate that for safe practice in outdoor situations?
It wasn't covered in my classes (I'm in a very suburban/urban area). Don't know if it would be mentioned in more rural areas.
I do know you need a lot of space and ideally, some sort of a backstop/berm. My friend in Louisiana lives in the country and her husband set up a bullet trap to shoot into. It looks like the scoop from a front end loader. It also depends on what you're shooting. Handgun and shotgun rounds traveler shorter distances than those from a rifle.
How does one determine a safe outdoor place to shoot? In gun class, do you learn the range of your weapon and how to estimate that for safe practice in outdoor situations?
Just fasten a target to a tree in your neighborhood, nobody will notice the gunfire if you wait until dark to practice.>8)
iris lilies
8-31-14, 5:49pm
It wasn't covered in my classes (I'm in a very suburban/urban area). Don't know if it would be mentioned in more rural areas.
I do know you need a lot of space and ideally, some sort of a backstop/berm. My friend in Louisiana lives in the country and her husband set up a bullet trap to shoot into. It looks like the scoop from a front end loader. It also depends on what you're shooting. Handgun and shotgun rounds traveler shorter distances than those from a rifle.
Well, I was thinking of my friend's cabin. She has a big hillside behind her, so I suppose that I could shoot safely into the hillside. but this isn't a "suppose" situation. Just musing here.
iris lilies
8-31-14, 5:51pm
Just fasten a target to a tree in your neighborhood, nobody will notice the gunfire if you wait until dark to practice.>8)
haha, hey, it's not nearly as bad here now compared to 20 years ago. Back in those days we used to play "name that caliber" in the nights leading up to New Year's Eve and sometimes during other evenings where "activity" was especially, ummm, active.
We just had a kid playing video games in his home who was hit by stray gunfire. The shooters dont care. In another case, there were holes in the headboard of a woman's bed and she also was not involved in the shooting.
iris lilies
8-31-14, 6:15pm
We just had a kid playing video games in his home who was hit by stray gunfire. The shooters don't care. In another case, there were holes in the headboard of a woman's bed and she also was not involved in the shooting.
Well, some time in June, we don't know when exactly, bullets hit our fence at my tiny house with the giant flower garden. There is evidence of 2 bullets making holes.
Random killings of children here by bullets sprays is common. It's true that will not bring the Rev Al to town, he doesn't come for that stuff.
IL, that kind of stuff happens in Chicago all the time and Jesse Jackson, who lives here, can't really be bothered with it. Not sure where Rev Al lives.
Just signed up to take Massad Ayoob's MAG-20 live fire class. I took the legal portion in the spring. 500+ rounds, plus classroom time, in two days (10 hours each). Someone local is teaching this class. Happy it's a woman as there are female specific things sometimes (such as your chest can get in the way!).
Did pretty well in my class. There's a police-style qualification at the end of the weekend, and I passed with both my "primary" and my "backup" pistols by a comfortable margin.
The class really improved my shooting. I'm going to be going for my NRA instructor credential next year sometime, as well.
This was with my carry pistol this morning.
http://i771.photobucket.com/albums/xx353/theodorae2003/20141115_1029300.jpg (http://s771.photobucket.com/user/theodorae2003/media/20141115_1029300.jpg.html)
iris lilies
11-15-14, 10:06pm
oh you! You are just a credential gathering wonk! haha.
Congrats.
Oh that's nice!
The difference in laws is amazing. In AZ I believe, having no police or criminal mental illness record, all I have to do to obtain a cc permit is send in an application, $60 and a copy of my fingerprints, then wait 2-3 months. And if we want to shoot a weapon (in Bisbee, that is), all we have to do is drive 'round the far side of the hill, about a mile from town. Free. BYO crap and shoot the hell out of it, or make your own target. I once got stopped at the Mex border with targets in the trunk, notable mistake. Some things in the wild wild west really Are different.
I'm not a huge fan of pistol shooting, it's too loud and uncomfortable for me, if I go I like to shoot the .22LR. It's gratifyingly accurate and doesn't kick much. I like a sport without bruising.
My 9mm pistols don't bruise! My revolver did, so I sold it. I'd love a . 22 pistol, but the ammo is very difficult to find. No point in buying one if I can't feed it.
True. It's so weird about .22 ammo, used to be like buying eggs.
Back in another world when I dated a cop, I had a big Glock. Lovely gun that bit me. Caught my hand loading the magazine, bled all over everything and only by grace of God didn't panic and shake it loose and potentially fire a round into my foot. Mean gun, bad gun, gone gun. Took a long time to want to shoot anything else.
Yossarian
1-20-15, 11:14pm
This is my Shield
I gave up waiting on Glock to put out a single stack 9mm so I bought a Shield today. Overall I think the Glock design is better but since they refuse to enter this segment I thought the S&W was a good choice given what is out there. Seems to be accurate out of the box and am looking forward to doing some customization.
Glock's thing about the single stack 9mm is just weird. I know a lot of folks who've gotten a Shield due to the same reasons you gave. The trigger on my M&P 9FS has a mushy reset and I'm going to have the Apex duty kit installed so it has close to the nice reset on my Shield.
I bought a used Ruger SR 22 this weekend. I'm teaching a lot of new folks to shoot, so figured it was time to get one. Got a good deal. A friend d shared some of his large stash of 22 with me for reasonable cost. The lack of recoil compared with my 9mm pistols was surprising.
rodeosweetheart
1-21-15, 6:26pm
Is ammunition expensive?
Is ammunition expensive?
.22LR is the cheapest ammo there is - or used to be. Used to be under $.05/round (or so I've been told) before Sandy Hook, but something happened after Sandy Hook, and it's as scarce as hen's teeth. Has been for 2+ years now.
9mm, the most common handgun caliber, only really became plentiful again last summer. I'm told that before Sandy Hook or even Obama won in 2008, you could get 50 rounds/$10 for good American made ammo. Now, the cheapest I can find is 50 rounds/$13 for foreign made ammo that's dirty shooting. I prefer American made ammo, and that will run 50 rounds/$14 on sale at Cabelas. I'm stockpiling somewhat. I will never be without ammo again.
These prices are just for target (aka "ball" ammo). Self-defense rounds run about $1/round.
rodeosweetheart
1-22-15, 3:57am
That is very interesting. I was just trying to get a handle on what target shooting costs as a hobby. Here is an article on just that you might find interesting
http://www.retiredby40blog.com/2014/07/31/combat-cost-of-target-shooting/
I'm going to have the Apex duty kit installed
They make one for the Shield that I'm going to try. Going to miss the easy DIY on the Glocks but what's a hobby without challenges.
Shooting is not the cheap hobby it once was, unless you've got a firearm that takes 22, a stash of 22, and land of your own to shoot on.
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