Buying a Gun

[Oz]

Plenty of places have the Hammerli. However you need to be a LEO or have a special license to obtain one. They aren't classified as assault weapons, but they have never been submitted for the CA "drop test" to be certified as a "civilian safe" gun. Therefore, no badge, no hammerli.

hmmm..unless the law has changed recently.

 

[openhelix]

Here is the list of approved guns. If it's not on the list, it's not approved. http://justice.hdcdojnet.state.ca.us/safeguns/safeguns_new.taf I'd say you got lucky Oz, and I wouldn't advertise it.

 

[lizard]

Recent events have left me unsettled and I feel the need to expand my arsenal.

Was it something I said?

 

[jimmywanger]

Get a nice 1911.

Or a S&W 686.

Or if you want to get something that's rare and kicks ass, look for a used Thompson Center contender - it's a single shot weapon that's interchangable between pistol, rifle, and carbine with interchangeable calibers as well. How you like them apples?

For best prices and service, you can't beat Trader's in the east bay.

And re:drop test, that only applies to NEW handguns being sold. If you can find somebody in california with a handgun you want, you're golden. Now if I can just find that thompson contender....

 

[Ratters]

I have a Trailside and though I like it alot, it doesn't really have much more to offer than your Ruger.

I'd recommend getting a Kimber in whichever flavor you choose. Accurate and reliable, I love both of mine.

Check out Trader's and Reed's ads for sales. Both places kinda suck to walk in cold, but both have awesome advertised sales.

One other recommendation is the Sig Pro. Reeds often has them for $399. My friend has one and it's trigger is better than the one on my 229.

 

[Whodat]

9mm is cheap to practice with. $10.96 a hundred at wallyworld.

 

[Climber]

Whatever you do, don't buy one of these:

 

[brichter]

I'm not sure these days, it's been years since I've gone to one....hey, if Michael Moore was able to do it in "Bowling..." I don't see why we can't.

mmmmm, BV...perhaps hit the veeneries after the show.

Geez. I wish you guys would do your homework before you start posting stuff about MMs supposed "documentaries". Even he has the integrity not to call them that!
The picking up of the rifle in "Bowling" was staged. He actually took possession of the firearm at the local gun shop, after the background check, then the scene you saw in the movie was filmed at the bank so he could bend the truth (lie) as is his style.
But, hey, it's Hollywood! We all know it's fiction, right?
Right?

 

[lizard]

Or a S&W 686.

I love my Smith 686, I paid $286 for it - brand new, like a dumbass I told the shop owner it was priced incorrectly and like a dumberass, he didn't do shit so I bought it

 

[brichter]

I love my Smith 686, I paid $286 for it - brand new, like a dumbass I told the shop owner it was priced incorrectly and like a dumberass, he didn't do shit so I bought it

Hey, you weren't a dumbass, you were honest. And, you still got the killer deal. See, honesty does pay sometimes. Pat yourself on the back and go pop off a few hundred rounds on the money you saved!

 

[budbandit]

That must have been a rough day. Fate would have forced my hand towards a 686 in the same situation as well.

I love my Smith 686, I paid $286 for it - brand new, like a dumbass I told the shop owner it was priced incorrectly and like a dumberass, he didn't do shit so I bought it

 

[fawndog]

I'm going to be biased Jason

Don't buy too much gun.
Don't buy the latest/greatest.

Buy once. A few of my friends who shoot competively have done it, I've done it, and we all come to Glock sooner or later.

We all want something different, but there is no room for a "trailer queen" in my gun safe.

Get a 9mm Glock, holster and 4 mags, Then we'll shoot a 3 gun or IPSC. (muscle memory)

 

[Dragon]

I'm going to be biased Jason

Don't buy too much gun.
Don't buy the latest/greatest.

Buy once. A few of my friends who shoot competively have done it, I've done it, and we all come to Glock sooner or later.

We all want something different, but there is no room for a "trailer queen" in my gun safe.

Get a 9mm Glock, holster and 4 mags, Then we'll shoot a 3 gun or IPSC. (muscle memory)

I got my Glock 23 (.40) after feeling that they have been shown to be a "proven" firearm... (eg. no longer the latest/greatest being one factor)

The 9mm doesn't give you the same "oooomphhh..."

 

[Dragon]

I got my Glock 23 (.40) after feeling that they have been shown to be a "proven" firearm... (eg. no longer the latest/greatest being one factor)

The 9mm doesn't give you the same "oooomphhh..."

Unless you can get a Glock 18

 

[fawndog]

I got my Glock 23 (.40) after feeling that they have been shown to be a "proven" firearm... (eg. no longer the latest/greatest being one factor)

The 9mm doesn't give you the same "oooomphhh..."

Better to have control and accuracy, the 9mm ball is very lethal with better penetration (not to mention cheap), "oooomphhh" is no substitute for shot placement.

I suppose "as big as you can handle proficiently" is a good idea, 9 / .40 / .45
are all fine choices.

 

[budbandit]

Thanks, I appreciate the advice. I think that not buying too much gun or the latest and greatest are both good ideas. Glocks seem to generate strong opinions, either strong like or dislike. I think that what I will have to do is rent a bunch of different guns, including some Glocks. I guess if a range gun still feels good then that is probably a pretty good firearm....

I'm going to be biased Jason

Don't buy too much gun.
Don't buy the latest/greatest.

Buy once. A few of my friends who shoot competively have done it, I've done it, and we all come to Glock sooner or later.

We all want something different, but there is no room for a "trailer queen" in my gun safe.

Get a 9mm Glock, holster and 4 mags, Then we'll shoot a 3 gun or IPSC. (muscle memory)

 

[Dragon]

Better to have control and accuracy, the 9mm ball is very lethal with better penetration (not to mention cheap), "oooomphhh" is no substitute for shot placement.

I suppose "as big as you can handle proficiently" is a good idea, 9 / .40 / .45
are all fine choices.

I used the term "ooomph" cos I didn't want to get into a ballistics discussion...

IMHO (and that's just what it is ) I'll take 40 over a 9 for duty or PDW...

 

[Eisernkreuz]

I used the term "ooomph" cos I didn't want to get into a ballistics discussion...

IMHO (and that's just what it is ) I'll take 40 over a 9 for duty or PDW...

.40 Slow & Weak?

 

[Dragon]

.40 Slow & Weak?

That's why I still have a .357- depends on the occasion...

And for those of you who desire both penetration and stopping power:

 

[brichter]

.40 Slow & Weak?

The FBI decided the 9mm was the premier choice for their needs (stopping perps) in the '80s. After a few disatrous results, they decided it was not.

They then ran tests on several other rounds, one of which was the 10mm. The issue with the 10 was too much penetration. That's right, too much. If you shoot someone and the projectile goes through the perp, you've not imparted the full energy into the target. This is inefficient, not to mention dangerous. the FBI found that they could use a 10 to shoot a bad guy, and the round would do a couple of hundred bucks wirth of damage to the wall behind the bad guy, and then have great expansion characteristics in the body of the innocent bystander on the other side of the wall.

Smith & Wesson developed the .40 based on those results, and the fact that the 10 was considered to be the largest
"controllable" round thasy would consider. They have a lot of female agents and smaller men, and apparently didn't want to soend a lot of time training them how to control big-bore handguns, so the .45 was nixed from their studies.
The .40 combines the higher bullet weight of the 10mm with the reduced recoil and muzzle blast of the 9mm. I've yet to find anyone who can't control my .40 at the range, no matter how small or female they are. For their purposes (stopping bad guys without having months of acclimatization training for their agents.

That's a joke, ladies, no flames please. There's a lot of high female percentage males here in the Bay Area, and some of the best shooters I've seen are female. There was an Indian lady in my group, she was 5' tall, weighed a buck even, and her weapon of choice was a Ruger Redhawk .44 mag, and no .44 Special loads for her please! She wanted the "Full Pull" magnum loads, the hotter the better!