Sixtytwo327

Springfield Mil-Spec or Range Officer work well, are affordable, and are often built into high-end guns that are user in competition at the state and national level. The Ruger SR1911 is an OK first 1911. I had one; typical mass-produced 1911, but a good shooter. Not familiar with Tisas, but skeptical based on price. S&W and Sig make quality guns, but in some models use proprietary and non-standard components; if you don't plan to upgrade, not a problem. I do like the different finish options Sig offers. Also, the STI Spartan line is good for a budget. I'd choose them over RIA. Both have frames made by Armscor, but the Spartans are finished in Texas by STI. Brands recommended to me, for an out of the box shooter worth being built into a competition gun down the road: Colt, Kimber, Para, Springfield, some S&W models, and STI. YMMV.

Yes, great show.

As a web marketing consultant, Aitken is message savvy. I read the excerpt, and his fundraiser campaign page. He doesn't mention guns, the Second Amendment, or any work to repeal NJ's awful laws. But he does trash his ex-wife (classy move). And he is raising money "to take his custody battle tot he supreme court." Nothing about guns. It seems like he's downplaying the firearms angle to sell his story to a wider audience. Just my perspective. I could be mistaken.

Three years in, and after about 5,000 rounds of CCI HV, my new 795 fell apart. The magazine disconnect broke, then bar that holds the trigger spring snapped. The receiver group is held together by e-clips, and contains cheap, stamped parts; lots of plastic everywhere. I scrapped it. The new Marlin rifle did not stand up, in my experience. Yours may vary. I'm not saying don't get one; just be aware, it's a budget gun, and budget guns are built to a price point. I have two older Marlins, a 60 and a bolt gun, which I'll keep. Other thoughts? I like Savage, and I'd take a chance on the CZ. And while the "everything tactical" movement makes me cringe, but I had a range session with an M&P 15-22, and it was a lot of fun.

Don't recommend race guns for a collection - I love them, but you never get back what you put in. Also, their value is too subject to industry whims and trends. +1 on the S&W Model 41. Great collector's item - a hand-fitted, American original competition pistol capable of winning at the highest level. If you decide to get serious and compete one day - it will hold its value and perform. If you can find a modern performance center version, all the better (just do not shoot high-velocity ammo in it). If you're serious about the collecting and retaining value, a WWII era Colt 1911 is probably the coolest thing you can own. Also, German Luger - you can get a parts mis-matched "shooter" Luger for a thousand or so. You have the best kind of problem to have, so make sure you post pictures.

Yes moon clips. And that's kind of cool... feels like revolvers in 9mm and 45 are going to be the next big thing.

Read this page, then read the rest of the FAQ: http://www.fulton-armory.com/faqs/AR-FAQs/ARTwists.html

Actually, this is a true statement.

OP, didn't meant to sound harsh. One inch is an arbitrary measurement; don’t get hung up on calipers. My point was shooting consistent small groups is difficult, even with good equipment, and it requires practice. If you set up on a bench at a range, treat it like a practice session. Log book? Bullet weight and type? Barrel twist rate? Temperature, range conditions? What is your shot process? (Do you have one?) Everything, even little things like, “where is your finger on the trigger?” does affect your accuracy. After a couple of sessions like this, you have a baseline, and once you have that, start changing things to see if you get better. Otherwise, you’re just throwing around money. I tried to get into High Power rifle years ago and I didn't have the money (or maturity or patience) to do well – but I did learn a lot. Good luck with it.

If you don't approach the shooting sports as a competition, you can't expect competitive results. Also, shooting a 1 inch 10-shot group at 100 yards, even on a calm day, even with optics, is very, very difficult.

Once you've read all the pros and cons of both designs, if you still can't decide, the answer is no.

hear that. It's also a question of motivation and personality. If you're a driven competitive type - you join a club or league and shoot ten rounds every weekend rain or shine, get a 686. If you're a casual competitor, and being outside is half the fun, or you shoot once a month or so with friends, the 870 or a similar used pump gun is a great choice and is more than capable. A third option is wait. Rent a 686 (or other guns) when you have a free weekend, finish up your degree, then see where you are in 6 months. If the Beretta is still the one you want, get it. If not, you saved a chunk of money.

Why? An O/U shotgun is better than the one you have right now. My vote is, get the 686. You will not regret buying an heirloom-quality O.U.

A "Red Jacket" AR with generic parts, a 16" barrel and MagPul furniture lists on their site for $1,300. That qualifies as abuse.

Both Ramsay and Meltzers are awful. I walked into both stores with cash and a permit in hand, and I then walked out. I was new to NJ, so didn't know any better. Since found many great vendors through NJGF - who are politically involved, know the laws, and care about their customers - no reason to waste time or money with either of those businesses.

I have the 22/45 target and added the Volquartsen Competition Kit with MKII internals. The kit eliminates the mag disconnect and you get an adjustable, greatly improved trigger. Improves both reliability and accuracy, and simplifies the take down process - if you feel the need to upgrade, start there.

100% agree. They have a good support network; they don't need Internet white knights.

Glock 20. Someone had to say it.

When everything is free (stolen) nothing has value. Years ago my car was stolen and then recovered. The people who stole it actually swapped my factory wheels for these awful aftermarket chrome rims and put in a new radio - all stolen of course. They used it to do God knows what, then dumped it after a few days. Turns out this is common practice.

I have the Wheeler F.A.T.; it's nice enough for the price. The driver is a quality twist-adjust handle. The bits are sizes common for rings and bases; Wheeler includes a few useful ones like that wide flat bit. I like to acquire tools, though if OS is kind enough to let you borrow one - can't beat free.

Private sellers certainly have; perhaps some light: my 12 month+ back-orders for match grade 22 were recently filled at $350 a case by a major retailer. That same ammo is now listed at $450 to $500 a case and sold out - this is still short of the $60 a brick this ammo goes for on Gunbroker, but it's a much more narrow gap. For the record, all of my .22 is for competition; I don't sell any of it, but do the math and see why a lot of people do. I agree with what others have said. Until manufacturers remove the profit margins for the scalpers, the shortage will continue.

Discussed here back in March (among many places) and nothing has changed: http://njgunforums.com/forum/index.php/topic/67489-5-reasons-you-cant-find-22lr/ On your list, #1, Armscor is made in the Philippines, but the shortage was in effect long before. They have expanded their US-made production capability significantly (read about it here and here). The best 22 is manufactured in the US (CCI) and Mexico (Aguila). There's also the more expensive target brands, which cost $9 - $15 per 100, and still go for about that.

Good choice; just saw this thread and was going to recommend the Speed Beez. I have two for my 617 plus the loading block and case. Maintenance? Not that I'm aware of - oil can trap dirt, so sparingly if at all - I leave mine alone.

I pretty much agree - which is why this case is interesting. Either Ventura is a scumbag.... possible. Or, he was genuinely wronged, but he believes dropping the lawsuit will be interpreted as an admission of guilt... also possible. Neither is good. As the old wisdom goes: "Protect your friends, but don't pick sides in a barfight."