SgtToadette

I'm probably going to get roasted for just saying this, but what exactly is the problem people have with Obamacare?

There's an excerpt from one of Dave Grossman's books that your comment reminded me of: "There was research conducted a few years ago with individuals convicted of violent crimes. These cons were in prison for serious, predatory crimes of violence: assaults, murders and killing law enforcement officers. The vast majority said that they specifically targeted victims by body language: Slumped walk, passive behavior and lack of awareness. They chose their victims like big cats do in Africa, when they select one out of the herd that is least able to protect itself."

I do like myself some nice cans. I'm generally left-leaning so the hippies won't bother me too too much. My jury is still out on that whole cold thing.

In my internet escapades I came across this link to the FBI's website with the breakdown of murders by weapon on a state to state basis. I found Vermont to be particularly interesting. I'll let you guys look at the stat but WOW! A quick look on Wikipedia tell me that Vermont has no permit necessary carry laws, open or concealed. I think I found heaven on earth. Anyone here care to shatter that dream and bring me back to reality or is that state really just that friggin' awesome?

The PPQ has a redesigned trigger assembly and doesn't have a decocker. video explains it much better than I can.

Well howdoyoudo, sir!

I'll second the PPQ suggestion. That's what I ended up going with and I have no regrets.

I did look at that holster briefly, however I don't believe they offer it in a left handed configuration. I have a BladeTech holster on order now. It'll take a couple more weeks for me to get it, but I'll be sure to report on it when I receive it. Thanks for the info, though!

There's a lot of garbage shirts out there, however this is very tasteful. Awesome gift!

I'll have to get on that holster ASAP then!

I wasn't really sure whether or not I'd post about it, but I figured some people might enjoy some pictures and thoughts about it. As a disclaimer, this is my first gun. Consequently I can't really report on the accuracy as I currently suck. Nor can I compare it to anything besides a Glock 19 that I shot very briefly at a Gun For Hire FIRST Steps course. I'll try my best to cover all the other departments, though. I'd first like to give a shout-out to TJs Sporting Arms in Bayville. It was a bit of a hike for me, but was well worth it. Tony is a great guy and easy to deal with. Highly recommend him. I got the pistol for $600.00 including NICS and tax. A very fair price. For my first gun I was either between this or the HK P30L. I went with the PPQ for a number of reasons, including but not limited to the trigger, ergonomics, and price. I don't consider myself a cheap person and I would have gladly spent the extra $300-$400 extra on the P30, but I couldn't justify doing so. The P30's trigger isn't that good, especially in comparison with the PPQ (more on that later), and it didn't come with night sights from the factory. Simply put, on a feature to feature basis the Walther wins IMHO. Now this is my first attempt to post a picture so bear with me if I didn't link it correctly: Once I had my PPQ in hand I went to the range (RTSP, very nice place btw) about a week later and put 200 rounds of some cheap Remmington UMC 115 grain FMJ through it. Despite being a blatantly dirty ammo, the PPQ had no malfunctions of any kind. I said this before and it's worth saying again; the gun is MUCH better than I am. I have a series of issues that I need to work on including a flinch and working my grip. I can't comment on the accuracy as a result. My fault, not the gun's. The trigger is much more to my liking than the Glock 19 I fired. The factory measures it to be about 5.5lbs, which felt about right in use. The take-up is light, and the break is clear and crisp. Once cycled, the reset is incredibly short, audible, and tactile. Since RTSP has a no rapid fire policy I didn't get a chance to take full advantage of the reset, but once I eventually get my butt out to a match of some sort I'm sure I'll be able to report in more detail. One of the criticisms I've come across from many of the reviews of the PPQ is that the loaded chamber indicator is not easily visible. From the picture I posted above, that is certainly not true for my PPQ. Although certainly not a necessary feature, it's nice to have. One of the criticisms I do have is the availability and price of accessories. I purchased a factory mag branded for the PPQ itself for about $53 bucks plus shipping. I'm sure I could have found a better deal elsewhere, but the mags can be rather hard to come by. From what I've read later generation P99 magazines will work with the PPQ as will Magnum Research Baby Desert Eagle mags, though I don't have any personal experience with them. I hope in coming years there will be a plethora of options for night sights, magazines, etc. as this is apparently a rather popular pistol. I'm going to give BladeTech a call sometime in the near future and order a holster for the PPQ. I'll report on that if there's enough interest when I get it. Any questions are welcomed and I'll try to answer them best I can. Thanks for reading! Hope I didn't bore too many of you.

I'm new to the firearms world and one of the things I was most anxious about was the gun shop experience. I'm glad stuff like this post is available to new people such as myself as there really isn't a comprehensive guide as to the dos and don'ts of gun shop etiquette. I generally support the idea that there are certain techniques you can employ that generate a good experience when shopping for anything. Number one has to be manners. Be polite! That means covering your bases by asking important questions. I know I garner a lot more respect when I state the fact that I'm new, but demonstrate that I've done research. So instead of asking, for example: "What caliber is this PPQ?" I'll instead ask "Is this PPQ chambered in 9mm or .40S&W?" In this day and age where so much information is freely available from the internet, I can sympathize with gun store sales clerks who have to answer questions that can regularly be answered in 45 seconds with the phone most people have in their pocket as they ask. Plus, the 4 rules are pretty much everywhere.

Great to see everyone there! Always great to put a face to the username. If we did want to attempt and schedule a group trip (big or small) to a range just give me two weeks notice and I should be able to make it. -Zack B.

I've considered getting a Garand. What do I need to look out for when buying one?

Consider me there. I'll shoot for 6:00 but may be a bit late. See you all there!

Any fans of 5.11 products will be glad to hear that 5.11 just added a bunch of new closeouts to their website. I just grabbed some of their socks, two T-shirts, a new range bag, and a backpack. This is top quality stuff! Grab 'em while you can! EDIT: These closeouts appear to have been largely bought out as of 6/13/12. There may still be some residuals.

I think in NJ there's a certain sense of commradery by default because firearms interest in this state is not nearly as normalized as other areas of the country. I don't like to use the phrase "an enemy of my enemy is my friend" but we all have a fairly common experience in dealing with the state and residents of NJ who don't particularly tolerate our hobby. At least that's one possible side of it.

Just picked mine up as my first a few weeks ago. Great news!

I've been looking over at Walther Forums at their dedicated thread but didn't find the information particularly helpful. A lot of the information in that thread seems to be dedicated to concealment holsters. I'm looking for an OWB type holster I could use for IDPA should I so choose. Are there any PPQ owners here who have a recommended holster they own or know of?

I'm a bit late to the party here, but I've worn 5.11 XPRT boots for what's probably getting close to a year now. I don't own any other footwear as I do not need them. They have gone on short hikes through nature trails, preformed well in that hurricane we had last year, provide great traction, and remain clean. I haven't had any significant, toe-endangering situations that put the polymer kick-toe to the test, but I have the utmost confidence in it. I highly recommend them. They run around 180 a pair, but if you look around I'm sure you can save yourself a few bucks. I really don't understand why kids will buy several pairs of $100+ sneakers when they could buy just one pair of quality boots that will last them 3 years of everyday wear. That's my $.02.

Just went to the range today. Ran 200 rounds through it with no problems whatsoever. I used some cheap but dirty Remington UMC FMJs. The PPQ is certainly better than I am. Trigger is good. Easy take-up with a clean break. Unless you look for it, the reset is so short it's undetectable (in my novice hands at least). Only shitty thing I've experienced so far is availability of holsters and magazines. I just got an extra mag for around 62 bucks, shipping included. I'd take pictures of my targets but they're too scattered to show anything helpful.

I laughed, +1! I don't think there are any ranges near the area that would be open by the time we get there, so I don't think it's logistically possible.

On a related note, some good did come from my Facebook post. Turns out a relative is looking into getting a gun soon, which I did not know previously. I was considering deleting the Album but I think I'll keep it up. I don't like to delete things off Facebook for integrity reasons anyway.

I make it a point to myself to be mild-mannered about most things, especially guns because I know it leaves impressions.

Since I'm new, I don't feel experienced enough to take others to the range. After a few visits I certainly will, though. A few have expressed an interest and I plan to take them up on it when I feel I'm in a position to foster a safe and educational experience.