jersey_emt

Yup, that's it. Except that mine has a semi-gloss finish on the receiver. Is yours parkerized? Mine looks blued.

I picked my new shotgun today. Pics will have to wait, because I just discovered that my point & shoot digital camera is broken. It was working fine last week, and must have been damaged on the return flight (stuffed in my carry-on). My DSLR's battery is charging, so I will post pics tomorrow if I get a chance. The shotgun looks great, with only minor wear. It cycled a bunch of empty (fired) shell hulls I picked up from my last visit to the range, just trimmed off the exposed crimp. I need to pick up some snap caps, but I took one fired shell, knocked out the primer with a hammer and punch, and shoved a pencil eraser into the primer pocket. Everything looks to be working fine, and hopefully I'll be able to make it to the range on Sunday to test it out. Interestingly, the bolt is engraved with a scalloped pattern. A quick search found that this was done on some older Mossberg 500 models. The stock looks to be actual walnut, and not walnut-stained birch, as well (although I am no expert at identifying wood types). All this means is that the gun is probably a bit older than I thought -- 20 years or so, perhaps 25 years old. But that doesn't matter to me; I know these guns will last forever if properly maintained. And this one definitely looks like it was treated well. The scalloped bolt and walnut stock are nice touches anyways.

BTW, does anyone know of any restrictions on type of shells at Ready Aim Fire in Bristol, PA? I'm a member there, and a while back, someone let me shoot their shotgun with birdshot, so I would guess that birdshot is OK. But what about buckshot or slugs?

I have no problems with police guns. My SIG P6 was a West German police-issue, and other than some holster wear it was perfect. This LVPD shotgun looks to be in near-mint state, and I'm buying it locally/FTF, so no shipping fees, no FFL fees, and I can inspect the gun before I pay. I'll probably eventually get an adjustable stock with pistol grip (just because I *can*, since it's a pump-action shotgun), but I like having the wood stock/forend too. I'm picking up the gun on Thursday; will post pics afterwards. Thanks for all the help.

LOL fixed, yes 2', not 2" of snow.

I'm going with a (very lightly) used Mossberg 500, it was initially bought by the Las Vegas PD, and then sold to a private party. 18.5" barrel (inscribed "POLICE GUN"), wood stock, 5-shot mag tube. Approximately 15 years old, but the photos look almost brand new. I hope to be picking it up by Wednesday -- still waiting for the plows to come by my street, we got almost 2 feet of snow here.

You don't consider Mossberg a "name brand"?

Thanks everyone. I think I'm starting to lean towards getting a shotgun. I didn't realize how cheap 12-gauge shells can be -- I figured they would be quite a bit more expensive than 9x19mm ammunition. But I am now seeing that a 25-round box of target loads (#8 shot or similar) can be had for around $6, about the same per round as the 9mm WWB stuff I get at Wal*Mart in Pennsylvania. Is there anything I need to know about legality of a pump shotgun in NJ? If I'm reading things right, there is no limit on ammunition capacity (except of course the 15-round maximum, but no pump shotgun comes anywhere close to that anyways), nor is there any limitations on "evil features". So a pump shotgun with an adjustable stock AND a pistol grip is perfectly fine? And I could purchase a shotgun (or a 9mm rifle) in Pennsylvania? No matter which way I decide to go, I'd like to buy my first long gun at my PA range as long as their price is competitive with buying from a larger chain, or buying online plus shipping and FFL transfer fees. I know Dicks sells long guns, but do they carry shorter-barreled (18.5") shotguns, or just the longer ones for hunting?

I decided it's time to add a long gun to the collection. I currently own a SIG Sauer P6, a S&W 59, and a Ruger MKII. I'd like to keep things at around the $300-$350 price range. I have a membership at Ready Aim Fire in Bristol, PA, a 25-yard indoor range. Shotguns, .22 LR rifles, and pistol-caliber rifles are all that are allowed as far as long guns. So I figure the top choices would be: Kel-Tec SUB-2000 in 9mm Hi-Point 995TS carbine Mossberg 500 Remington 870 The Kel-Tec SUB-2000 looks to be a good choice. It can take S&W 59 magazines (14+1), which makes sense since I own a S&W 59. I would also consider the model that takes Glock 19 mags, since my girlfriend applied for her FID and will be purchasing a Glock 19 in the coming months. The Hi-Point 995TS is cheaper than the Kel-Tec, and people seem to love it. While neither is pretty, I do prefer the looks of the Kel-Tec, and the fact that it folds for storage is pretty cool. Or I could get a 12-gauge pump shotgun. The Mossberg 500 and the Remington 870 seem to be the popular options here. I would be looking at a short-barreled (18.5") version with a shoulder stock -- no pistol-grip-only versions please. Then there is the Maverick 88, which costs so little that I could probably get that AND a Hi-Point carbine without stretching my budget too far. The primary use would be range shooting, home defense would be a secondary use. Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated.

The Trentonian is utter trash. They printed this a while back after a fire at Trenton Psych (in a building with no patients, BTW):

Sure, sorry about the delay in responding, I didn't catch your reply until I re-discovered this thread during a search. It's a replica of the M1911A1, and is made in Taiwan by KJ Works (also known as KJW). The size and weight are almost identical to the real Colt, but the weight balance is a bit off, because the slide is a very light weight metal, and there are lead weights behind each grip panel to bring the weight up. The barrel also protrudes slightly from the frame because of the required orange tip. It functions identical to a real 1911 -- there is even a half-cock position, and the thumb safety can only be applied when the hammer is fully cocked. It can run on either standard 12-gram CO2 cartridges (like most CO2-powered BB and pellet guns), or airsoft "green gas", which is propane mixed with silicon oil. You can switch between the 2 sources by using a different magazine -- the CO2 magazines have a space for the CO2 cartridge, while the "green gas" magazines have an internal reservoir with a fill valve on the bottom. Magazine capacity is 25 rounds of 6mm plastic BB's, which of course is unrealistic, but you can just load 7 or 8 in each for more realistic training. Most of the only real differences in operation and feel are those that are necessitated by physics -- the slide and recoil spring are extremely light, and recoil is practically nonexistent. Felt recoil is less than that of a .22 LR pistol, and there is little to no muzzle flip. But it's worlds better than dry fire training, and you can shoot it in your garage or basement with no hearing protection needed (eye protection is still required, as ricochets can cause eye injuries). I found a video of someone using an airsoft gun for USPSA training: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUvbNDpcjfM

I'm definitely in the "nothing to it" crowd. I was of course concerned about the disassembly/reassembly procedure when I bought my Ruger MKII. But I just took my time, closely followed the instructions in the manual, and had no problems. Now, I can break down and reassemble my MKII in less than a minute. The MKIII is a bit more complicated because of the magazine disconnect safety -- which requires you to insert and remove the magazine several times during the procedure. I could definitely understand wanting to try the "speed strip" product for a MKIII. For a MKII, I would recommend just taking your time and learn the procedure properly using the manual. If you are having trouble even after practicing it a few times, then go and get the "speed strip". This site is also very helpful. It also includes great detail strip instructions.

True, airsoft guns can get quite expensive. But the beauty of airsoft is the super-cheap cost of firing -- less than 1 cent a round -- that makes even .22 LR look expensive! Even better is the fact that you can set up a mini range in your basement, garage, or back yard (depending on how far away your nearest neighbors are as well as your relationship and friendliness to them). I just picked up an airsoft 1911. It uses CO2 cartridges and fires 6mm plastic balls at around 400 fps. It will pierce both sides of a soda can. It is a gas blowback, and full metal, and functions just like a real 1911. Insert loaded magazine (with CO2 cartridge inside) into gun. Rack the slide to chamber the first round. After each shot fired, the slide is pushed back by the extra gas, cocking the hammer and stripping the next round into the chamber. On the last shot, the slide will lock open. The thumb safety and grip safety are fully functional. Recoil feels like a .22 LR. Accuracy out to 25 yards is amazing considering it is just an air gun. Five-shot groups of 3" @ 25 yards is doable and repeatable. It wasn't cheap -- I spent $200 total, but that is with enough ammo and CO2 for several thousand rounds. I can now practice trigger control, sight alignment, recoil recovery (yes, it's very low recoil, but it still is enough to throw your sights off the target) at my home. I can shoot 1 CO2 canister (about 60-70 shots) every day for less than $1.

The links to the news stories were broken with the forum upgrade. Here are the fixed links: Original story posted first in this thread: http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2010/09/07/long-island-man-arrested-for-defending-home-with-ak-47/ Fox News report posted later in this thread: http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/good_day_ny/Man-Fires-At-Gang-On-His-Lawn-Uniondale-20100909

I agree -- 9mm is the better choice IMO.

How does a small war fought over 200 years ago have any bearing on a mosque being built in New York today? By this logic, we should still consider England, Germany, Italy, and Japan as enemies and wage war against them because of the Revolutionary War and the two World Wars. Mecca is the Muslim holy land; this is not even a valid argument, because Manhattan is an American city where all inalienable rights and freedoms should be recognized. This is completely contrary to the idea of a free nation. It tears at the very fabric of our society. I am astounded that you consider yourself an American. With this mindset, you are against one of the most important elements of American freedoms. These ideas and beliefs are altogether anti-American. You are striving to forcibly eradicate an entire religion from this country and seek to end the lives of anyone who chooses to practice that religion. It isn't a stretch to label these ideas as those of terrorism. Truly being an American means being tolerant of other races, cultures, and religions. We cannot vilify the entire religion of Islam because of the perverted interpretations of the Koran by extremists. Terrorist attacks have been made on American soil in the name of Christianity by extremists who twist the words of the Bible into something completely different. Should we eradicate all Christians from this country because of it? This is your logic, not mine.

Yup, everyone is right -- on the vast majority of handguns, the frame is the serialized part that is considered the "firearm" and requires a permit to purchase. Other parts, like the slide, barrel, trigger, etc. do not require permits even if there is a serial number on them (like a Glock pistol). There are a few exceptions, one of which is the Ruger .22 LR pistols, where the upper assembly (the barrel and receiver) is the serialized part and not the grip frame. Another oddball is the SIG Sauer P250, where the "fire control assembly" is the serialized part, allowing you to switch both caliber and frame size without the need for additional permits.

First off, the mosque is not being built "at Ground Zero", it is being built "near Ground Zero". It will be located well over 1,000 feet (almost 1/4 mile) from the footprint of WTC1 (the North Tower, and the tower that was closer to the proposed mosque's location). Second, I find it a bit disturbing that people who are supposedly pro-Constitution (Second Amendment supporters), are seemingly ignoring the First Amendment. We complain when the gun control lobby misinterprets the Second Amendment and likes to turn a blind eye to the whole "right of the people....shall not be infringed" thing. Yet so many people here are willingly disregarding the only "right of the people" that our forefathers felt important enough to be written before the right to keep and bear arms. We shouldn't be trying to "do everything we legally can to make going there unpleasant".

I've put 500 rounds of this ammo through my Sig P6 and S&W 59 over the past few months with no issues. I think I had 2 or 3 FTE's total. Very reliable stuff. Accuracy and consistency is good too. I don't think you can reload 9mm for much less than 20 cents per round.

I've ran this ammo through my Ruger Mk II with no real issues. Out of 1,050 rounds I think there were about 10 duds. Just as reliable as some much more expensive .22 LR ammo.

My girlfriend and I went to the range on Valentine's Day and we put 500 rounds through my Ruger Mark II, 100 rounds through my Sig Sauer P6, and 50 rounds through the Glock 19 we rented, most of it at 7 yards. About half-way through, I loaded a full magazine (8 rounds) into my Sig P6 and shot semi-rapid fire -- about 1 shot every 2 seconds. I brought the target back and was pleasantly surprised to see 1 large ragged hole, about 2 inches high and 1 inch wide. 2 of the rounds were just barely touching the hole, but it was still 1 hole! Ammo was Federal 115 grain FMJ. My girlfriend also did good that day, with a 5-shot group from my Ruger Mark II at 7 yards, also semi-rapid fire. 2 holes were touching, and all 5 were in a circle a bit smaller than 2 inches across. This was with super-cheap Remington "22 Thunderbolt" ammo which we picked up for $1.47 / 50 rounds at Wal-Mart. It was the best we've ever done since we started shooting last summer. We left the range with huge smiles on our faces and then thoroughly enjoyed our Valentine's Day dinner at the Lambertville Station restaurant in Lambertville, NJ. It couldn't have been a more perfect Valentine's Day -- spent some time shooting, doing the best we've ever done, followed by a great meal at a nice restaurant.

Yup, me too. Just days after receiving my initial FID and handgun permits, I bought 2 pistols. So my very first firearms purchase I had that form filled out on me LOL! :-P

From the NRA-ILA...

Also a bit of a ride, but Ready Aim Fire in Bristol, PA has a decent rental selection.

Kind of weird that both targets have the same overall layout -- 4 pretty closely spaced shots more or less in a vertical line, and one flyer off to the left. Overall, I've gotten a lot better over the past couple of months. I just started shooting about 6 months ago, and bought my first gun about 4 months ago. As little as 3 months ago, I was lucky if I could get 5 shots in the 7 ring on a standard man-size target at even 5 yards. My goal is to be able to get 5 shots in the 8 ring at 25 yards by September (1 year after buying my first gun).