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I shoot alone at the range all the time. I find it much more useful practice and much safer - there is no one else there to accidentally (or intentionally) shoot me. Oh and since I am an RO/SO/RSO I have all three of them with me

When you go to Range with friends. And shoot all of their handguns better than your own.. Beatiful sig 229 elite stainless with rich mahogany...... paperweight even better with..... a glock.

Tell someone when you are going and approximately when.you will be done. Text them to let them know your are done, safe and leaving AFTER fully unloading firearms and putting them away. Enjoy.

I was talking to my dad just today, telling him how excited I was to have recently joined a private range (SCFGPA). He was asking me questions and I explained the keycard system and that the place will probably be empty when I go (I plan to hit daytime hours). He immediately (quite sweetly, I thought!) looked concerned and said, "Oh... but isn't that dangerous?" I explained that if I was a brand new shooter I wouldn't do it... I wouldn't even have done it after 20-30 hours of shooting, but I now that I have have about 100 hours, I feel comfortable and confident. I explained that I'll continue to be compulsive about the safety rules - and I even explained them to him in detail. Then I gave him the example of driving a car... after all, I take road trips alone... sometimes on fairly empty roads. (I've seen plenty of deer dash across the road... pretty sure one won't run across the indoor range though, lol). He was completely satisfied with the logic. More importantly, I'm satisfied with that logic. It did make me wonder this though: Is there anything you do DIFFERENTLY when you're shooting by yourself as opposed to when you're with other shooters? For example, I wouldn't personally shoot a straight-outta-the-box new gun for the first time when alone. I probably wouldn't even shoot a gun I hadn't shot at least 5-6 times before. For those rare situations, I'd prefer to meet up with another shooter or, heck, even use a commercial range. I'm not suggesting that for everyone, mind you... I'm just saying what my own comfort level dictates. Other than that... I'm really looking forward to shooting solo. Don't laugh... but it almost feels like a "graduation" to a next level. And I fully expect it will be more quiet, less distracting, less smoky, and certainly more easily woven into my busy schedule. But if there's some unique safety considerations I should be thinking about... I'd like to get a handle on that now, pls. Your thoughts/suggestions?

Did I st-st-st-stuuuu-ter maggot?! You heard me right. Now get down and start kissing the ground Marine! Show mother Earth how much you lover her and the United States Marine Corps!!!

There are female K9s. My little bro is a K9 handler and has a side business as a breeder/trainer out in Missouri. Say hello to Dax.

Regardless of how you felt about the man, somebody died. It isn’t about you. That you had to “ignore” someone for the first time ever is irrelevant.

Just about any non-functioning firearm that can be repaired has a lot more value than what a gun buy back will pay. A good 1911 frame by itself is worth at least $100 all day long. I don't know if anyone ever made a genuine firearm with the word "replica" on it. It doesn't make any difference what it says on the gun. It's either a firearm or a non-firing replica. If you can't tell the difference you need to find someone who can tell. Having a PA address and having a PA residence are two different things. Under Federal law the only guidance is you establish a home in amother state. States may have requirements to consider you a resident. A state may have different requirements for residency for voting, getting a driver's license, getting a resident fishing license and other things none of which are required to establish a residence under Federal law when it comes to buying guns. If you want to establish a PA residence (you already have a place) you need to sort this out. Owning property in a state and being a part time resident are two different things. If I own 10 houses and 1000 acres of property in FL I don't qualify as a resident unless I established a residence. A FFL is exercising caution when they ask for multiple IDs. They are also within their rights to deny a sale solely on the basis they don't feel comfortable with it no matter how many IDs you have. You can go to one FFL who denies you with the ID you have and go to another that sells you the gun with the same ID. Both of them are within their rights. I'm well aware of how easily one can purchase a firearm from a private party at a flea market in most states. If you're not a resident of that state it's a Federal felony. Yes, your chances of being caught are low and you may do it 100 times and never get in trobule. That's a criminal mentality. There are a lot of things you can get away with numerous times and not get caught. Many of them are victimless crimes but crimes none the less. You say if you buy a gun at a flea market they can't really prove where you got it. Well it may be hard but not impossible. Criminals dont commit crimes with thoughts of getting caught. How many felonies do you feel comfortable committing? You say a dealer in PA asked you for ID once and that was for ammo. Recording ammo sales is only a requirement by a few states. Has he ever sold you a gun? If he did without getting ID and filling out a 4473 he's committed a crime. If he's an unlicensed dealer he's committing a crime. I know plenty of places I can go in NJ and buy a handgun without "anyone knowing where it came from". Never did it because I don't want to go to jail. I'll start off by saying a assault weapons ban in any state is stupid and doesp nothing to deter crime. If you're in that state you need to abide by those stupid laws to stay out of jail. Simple fact. You assure a gun is NJ legal by doing two things: 1. Check to see if it's banned by name. An otherwise compliant AR is banned if it says AR15 on the receiver. 2. A semi auto rifle with the ability to accept a magazine over 15 rds and more than one evil feature. Most legal ARS in NJ are sold with the evil feature of a pistol grip. Add another evil feature and it's an assault weapon. For example if you have a SKS with a fixed magazine 15 rds or less you can have a folding stock, pistol grip, bayonet stud and whatever you want. The AWB doesn't apply. There are stickies on this forum to help you determine whats legal in NJ. The list in NJ bans certain guns by name OR as substantially identical. A firearm doesn't have to have evil features to be banned by name. M1 carbines are banned by name. It's pretty clear all semiautomatics are not banned in NJ. AWB does not apply to pump action guns. You can have anything on a pump, bolt, or even a semiautomatic as long as the magazine is 15 rds or less. You have homework to do.

Well Dave, as they say times change. Five years ago when I got this crazy idea I might want to get a gun I didn't know jack shit about guns. Some might say that is still true today, but that is neither here nor there Anyhow I did not know anyone that had a gun or shot a gun and I did not know this forum or any forum on this topic existed. I did not know you existed or would guide my way. I grew up in Manhattan and guns were things bad people and cops had. So I went to the oracle of all knowledge, YouTube, and watched a video on how to shoot a gun. Actually I probably watched 10 hours of them. I then went to the indoor facility about 10 minutes from my house and nervously walked around looking at the hundreds of implements of death they had in the show cases. A nice woman behind one of these counters asked if she could help me and I did not even know the questions to ask. She explained that I could rent a gun and try it out. Wow, I thought that would be great to be able to try something and see if I really wanted to do it before buying. So, I did just that. No forms to fill out, no special ID, no nothing. So that is how I got to where I am today. Had that not existed I probably would not be here, would not own "a" gun nor have perused things further. Had I had to find a friend to shoot with I don't know where I would have started because I did not know of anyone that had a gun. Wait I actually had a boss a while back that hunted and I thought he was a crazy nut job as he talked about a safe he had with like a dozen hunting rifles. Back then I thought that was crazy, why would anyone "need" 12 guns. Bottom line this policy is bad for the future of bringing new people into gun ownership in the culture that is the socialist people's republic of New Jermany.

https://gunforhire.com/blog/2017/11/05/gun-hire-radio-broadcast-episode-336/

I can understand why shooting alone could bother someone to degree. I think a more common issue than injury is if your gun malfunctions and you don't know how to fix it or make it safe to transport home. There are some things I prefer to do alone. Load development, testing, and zeroing are some of them. The difference in safety is I only have to be concerned for my own. Not that much changes but if I'm the only one on the range I don't have to wait to see if the line is clear. If I'm clear the line is clear. Shooting with others takes twi different forms. Shooting on a range with other people you don't know. Maybe a place where you should be extra cognizant of what's going on around you. If it's an organized competition there are usually more safety rules and eyeballs watching. Shooting with people you know you. You can be more comfortable here. Even if you have reservations about someone in the group you know where to focus your attention. You need to address your own comfort levels. As you gain experience you will be more comfortable with different situations.

I drive my car, go fishing in a boat, and go to the range by my self all the time. Follow the same safety rules when you're alone or with others and you'll be fine.

This is all very interesting input, thanks. It doesn't dissuade me at all... but I realize there's some things I can do that would further amp up my comfort level and decrease that small risk even further... some can be immediate, some done over time... but I'll at least start getting them all rolling: I can get even more familiar with my Ruger --- really know it inside and out so I'm more adept at safely troubleshooting any problems. Exactly how to do that I need to figure out next. I've been really good about basic safety rules, but I intend to be even more compulsive and "ritualistic" about safety... I'll just get an exacting "routine" down that I follow each and every time at a relaxed pace. (After all, that's good whether you're alone or not!) I'll keep my phone charged (great suggestion), but also test it in that building to make sure there's good coverage AND get a phone holster so I have my phone clipped to me.... not across the room buried in my bottomless purse. I'll definitely look into first aid training (another great suggestion)... and I'll immediately familiarize myself with what they have right there at the range (I'm sure they have first aid supplies - I need to know exactly what and where, so I know what I might need to get). And for my own comfort level (don't mock me now!), I plan to arrive and leave in daylight. Short middle-aged lady carrying a range bag in a dark, desolate parking lot...?... ummm, no thanks! I realize it's nice, lovely Bridgewater, but still.... Basically, I have a pretty serious and cautious nature...it's nice to think through the risks, and plan to reduce them as much as possible...but ultimately, I think it's important to trust myself too. I mean, you gotta live your life fully, right?

Watched it last night for the first time .......pretty cool show

A charged cell phone, and some training to go along with that trauma kit.

One thing I need to add to my range bag is a trauma based first aid kit. Tourniquet, quick clot, compression bandages. Peel, your prolly safest alone. It’s everyone else that can be a problem.

thought so. i'm in love with her. good looking, and tough as nails.

“ if you think like that, you’ve never used a hammer to open a lock” - Mipafox, njgf

There ya go. Today i took the pic. This was on my way to the "frozen nuts" match at sjsc. Just gotta say thank you to the jr Aducat for doing this. Maybe some Guadagno billboards put up real fast??? Go fund me page. God bless America and our 2nd amendment gun rights.

I gave you a "like" - despite the fact that I think you might have just called me Maggot!

There's a reason Marines learn to field strip guns while blindfolded. It's not just a macho thing, but it is pretty macho, I guess. I have a habit of "fondling" a new firearm for days, sometimes weeks. First, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, but secondly (and more importantly) I become intimately familiar with every aspect of it. The feel, the weight, the balance, the mechanics. Snap caps are a great training aid too. Now drop and gimme 20 maggot! The more you handle your firearm, the more you shoot it, the more you train and become familiar with it, the more natural it will feel when you are handling or shooting it.That will build self confidence, confidence leads to trust.

Bam!

RIP, I really enjoyed his posts. The banter usually didn't get that heated and he always had something to say. I'll miss having him around.

I really enjoy (1) taking new shooters to the range and (2) shooting alone. I don't enjoy shooting with others (except for new shooters) quite as much. I've had fun a hundred times shooting with others but there are lots of times that I'm in the mood to go it alone. Taking someone, especially a new shooter, to the range is fun. The first time is always exciting and I like to be part of that. I have never taken anyone shooting for their first time who didn't leave with a big stupid grin. That's fun. But, spending time breaking clays or punching paper when I can relax, take my time, nobody else is chatting with me, I don't have to take turns, I don't have to explain anything - that's a lot of fun too.

I’d settle for any time to get to the range.

Damn. I was afraid of this when he was offline for so long. RIP bro

Oh please. Just because I said that after he passed it makes a difference? If I posted that before he was gone i probably would have gotten 5 likes. If anybody is connecting what I wrote as being like “happy” someone is deceased you’re crazy. everyone is chiming in here what they thought about him. I put him in ignore. It’s like he just loved causing abrasion. If people like conflict then fine. It was just my choice to want to read this board without it.

... or an excuse to get more guns!

I'm pretty sure all of Mipa's guns were real and worked.

I hate going to the range alone because there's nobody around to see how awesome I am. I'm kidding, I don't hate gong to the range alone. I'd say it's about 50/50. When I'm dialing in a new scope, shooting for precision and need to concentrate, or just need some "me" time, I usually go alone. But, I also love sharing my love for the sport and try to get people to come with me. Shooting is both social and personal. I used to hunt waterfowl alone too. I actually preferred it, though I did hunt with others occasionally. I hunted on a river that I have known my whole life, I could paddle to my favorite spots blindfolded. The quiet, the serenity, the singular interaction with nature was (for me) an almost spiritual experience. This was long before cell phones so I brought a CB walkie with me and I was also close enough to other hunters and civilization that people could hear the universal distress signal of three consecutive shots spaced a few seconds apart. As far as safety is concerned. Shooting is no different than any other activity. Driving, cleaning gutters, trimming tree limbs, walking down a flight of stairs. As long as you are not stupid, your chances of survival are pretty good.

WMA is ok but BEWARE. A year ago some Dude was shooting his 9 at Colliers Mill. To him no problem - just a gun, just a range... We had to explain to him that he might land in jail.

Just means you have an excuse for more range trips

Isn’t everything? Which one are you getting?

It’s on Saturday also, same time.

He was only like 45/46 yrs old. RIP mipafox.

You ain’t the only one

Wait, are you getting MIPA's guns?!?!

Interesting. Like Ray I’ve only shot at ranges where there is at least a RO/SO around so my comments are purely academic. What risk do you think goes up if you’re alone at a range? Based on the post it seems your concerned about an accident due to malfunction or unfamiliarity. If that’s the case you are in the best position to mitigate that risk regardless of range by maintaining and becoming familiar in the operation of the Firearms well before you get to the range. There is something to be said for reaction time after an accident. That’s true of a lot of scenarios. Swimming in your own pool, driving a lonely road, posting on the Internet, etc. as for trauma kit. Having the gear does nothing without Training. Especially for trauma. It’s not just slapping a big bandaid on a deep red hole. There is a reason the NJ EMT class is 200+ hours and the trauma refresher is 12-16 (I forget).

He joined me for a stogie cigar international a while back. Good guy with a bit of flair. Walked in open carrying a big ass chrome wheel gun. Told me the chicks at the super market love it lol. RIP Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

Somebody at Mossberg is making BANK. Here is how the conversation went at the development table. One dude or lady: Hey, you know if we use a longer pistol grip on a shotgun we can shorten the barrel and it wouldn't need a tax stamp. Everyone else: No! Nobody likes pistol griped shotguns! They are painful, uncontrollable and can't be aimed. Too many people are getting their teeth knocked out and converting them to standard shotguns. With that new grip, it cannot be converted and the used market will be aplenty. We won't make any money. One dude or lady: Let's just try it out. Everyone else: Fine, but don't say we didn't warn you. 6 months later and that one dude or lady is now in charge of research and development and everyone else works for that one dude or lady. True story

So, I just picked up mine. The barrel is very thick walled, seems like it can take some abuse. The slide is a little sticky, hopefully that will smooth out with some use. If not, I'll have to break out the Dremel and see what contact surfaces can be polished. The slide release is alien to me as I'm an 870 guy. I keep pressing where there is no slide release. duur... AT least the trigger is in the right place.

he had his good & bad points just like some of us but a strong 2A advocate, thats what we're all here for. RIP Mipa.

Well, at least we can all be comforted in the knowledge that your conscience is no longer tortured over that decision. Condolences to his friends and family, wherever they may be.

Godspeed Mipa

Next time I fire up the PBC (which will probably be for my thanksgiving turkey), I will start a ‘Displaced Texans’ smoked meats’ thread. Good bbq brisket starts with a good brisket. I’ve had my share of less than optimal results, and mostly, it comes down to a decent quality piece of meat to start with. I use a dry rub on most all my bbq. I recently gave Zeke my ‘secret’ bbq rub recipes...they came from a Southern Living cookbook. Not really so top secret, lol. I modify them a little to suit my own tastes, but below are the recipes. I don’t care for heavily smoked meats. The wood should not overpower the meat. If smoke is all you smell when you serve the meat, it’s over smoked, IMHO. I did a couple of pork tenderloins a few weeks ago over hickory, and they turned out amazing. Light smoke. Tender, juicy, but the full flavor of the pork stood out over the smoke. The PBC really shines, if you follow the instructions, and use only a handful of wood chips. You’ll taste the meat with a hint of smoky goodness. Mesquite is a strongly flavored smoke. I only use it with brisket, and even then, only a bit. Hickory is the next strongest I use...only with pork and ribs. I use apple, or cherry for chicken. Thanksgiving will be my first experience smoking a turkey, but if it goes as well as chicken, it will be amazing (I hope). Feel free to ask away on bbq. I’m happy to share what I have learned over the years. PM me, and I’ll give you my number, if you like. Meanwhile, back to our regularly scheduled argument about Yankee ham/pork roll product..

OP, do what GRIZ says. He's a retired federal LEO. W2MC posted all the links you need 'cept for one: http://www.cnjfo.com Please consider joining the fight to keep your gun rights AND that nice collection! If I can be of any help, just call or write. Or friend me on Facebook. Dave "Rosey" Rosenthal, VP Coalition of New Jersey Firearm Owners

Yes the charge is unlawful possession. No one has been arrested for it when they stopped to eat, get gas, use the bathroom, get a pack of cigarettes, or close on their new house.

I suffer that with consistency

I just picked up the sp01 with the safety instead of the de-cocker ( that the only difference between the standard and tactical models) and one of the guys in my bullseye league did a group of three at 25 yards one handed bullseye style. 2-x’s and 1-9 so a 1.5” group !!! Even I was able to do 3 inch groups of 3 at 25 yards (2 handed though , I am still a bullseye noob ) This is no mods out of the box, crazy accurate gun! I am afraid to see how accurate one of their race guns is or what CGW or CZCustom can do with one... -Jim

CZ 75 SP-01 Tactical!! An unbelievable shooter and not hard to find for under $600. I just got one and absolutely love. I loved it so much I got a second CZ shortly after!