mcbethr

Hammer fired offers two advantages: Your first shot can be in single-action. Meaning that you penis the hammer manually, which results in a lighter trigger pull. This is great when on the range because it makes your first shot much more accurate. I'll admit that this is probably not that important in a pocket gun because if you are using a pocket gun, odds are you are going to be so scared that a heavy double-action trigger pull won't be on your mind, The second advantage is that you have a second strike capability. If your first shot does not fire the gun - meaning you had a bad primer - you can pull the trigger a second time. If the second strike fails, you have the rest of your life to rack the slide and get the bullet out of that gun. A striker fired gun has a different system. Think of it as sort of a spring-loaded firing pin, like an epi-pen that someone might carry for allergies. When you pull the trigger, the spring is released, and the striker hits the primer and the gun fires. The recoil of the gun pushes the slide back and resets the striker. If the striker does not fire the primer, you can pull the trigger all day and that gun will never fire a second time until you rack the slide. Many striker fired guns (like the Glock) require that you pull the trigger to disassemble the weapon. I personally don't like this one bit, although if you make darn sure the gun is clear before you disassemble it, it won't be a problem. The advantage of the striker fired gun is that you get a slightly more compact design and you don't have a hammer that can catch on your clothes as you draw. Hope this helps. If .38 special is an option for you, forget about semi-autos and take a good look at the Ruger LCR. Not to hijack the thread, but a revolver may be just what you need.

I think the advantage of the Beretta comes from a number of avenues: #1. It's striker fired, but you can disassemble without pulling the trigger (this is a big thing for some people) #2. You can adjust or remove/replace the sights #3. Modular - you can replace the internals with a module of theoretically anything in the future ... .40? .380? .22? #4. You get the Beretta name, which I do tend to trust more than some other companies. I will be the first to admit that I do not like pocket guns, but I'm not too big on self defense. When I go to the range, I want to have fun, not punish my hands for an hour. I can also conceal a PX4 Compact just fine in everyday clothes and I'm nothing special - 5'8", 190 Lbs. If I lived in a free state and wanted to carry, I would probably do it with my PX4, or just buy an LCR and call it a day. I'm a big Beretta fan - I own 3 of their guns. And I've owned or shot just about everything from the major manufactures at one time or another. But I've never resold a Beretta - there has to be a reason for that. Beretta is an odd bird, and I just can't put my finger on it. They make some excellent products and nobody knows about them. The CX4 is probably the finest Pistol Caliber Carbine on the planet. The PX4 is an incredible DA/SA pistol. The only thing I can think of is that Beretta is resting on its government contract laurels and pumping out M9s by the crate for the U.S. Army. Maybe the civilian pistol market for them is just cream to the steak and potatoes of the military? Maybe their advertising budget just isn't as big? Maybe they just aren't as hungry as a company like Ruger or Kel Tek? Or maybe they are trying to get the Nano out by word of mouth? Don't know, but I would give the Nano a shot if I was a pocket pistol guy.

Took my development team out to Don Paublos's... Some kind of Chicken and rice.

Like I said: you can't argue with "For all lawful purposes." Cherry Hill required Notarization since a new chief was sworn in. I spoke with him about it. Basically he said that he wasn't going to sign anything unless he was 100% sure that person and their references were legitimate. Personally, I think it is just another way to reduce the volume of applications. It's another pain to go through. Like I said, is it wrong? Yes. Will NJ2AS get to them eventually? Yes.

Hey, brother. Good to see you again! I didn't make it to Firing Line tonight. Is it normal for those questions to be asked? No. Is it normal for Cherry Hill? Yes. Is it wrong? Yes. Do it anyway and NJ2AS will get around to Cherry Hill eventually. Answer this for why you want to purchase firearms: "For all lawful purposes." Answer this for being in your presence: "No." Or take your friend to Firing Line and have him say "Yes." And yes, it must me Notarized. TD Bank will do it for free if you are one of their customers. Or give me a call if you still have my number. My wife is a Notary, she will do it for free. All the best, man.

Congratulations on purchasing the finest DA/SA polymer pistol on the planet. Get a big safe... they tend to multiply.

I've been to Rayco a couple of times, although the only thing I've bought there was a 1911 magazine. Their selection of handguns isn't very large, but it's a very small store and from what I understand, they are selling guns so fast that they can't keep anything in stock anyway. They are a good alternative to Hague's. Smaller, friendlier. Way less of a "Cop Vibe" than Hagues and the new Lawman store nearby. Gary and Ray are good guys. I would go more often if their business hours were later (they close at 5 on weekdays).

PM Sent...

IMHO, you can't go wrong with either. Both have .22 LR conversion kits. Beretta magazines are a little cheaper from Government surplus vendors. You can customize it with nice looking grips if that is your thing. The Beretta is prettier and recoils a bit less due to the all metal construction. I would go with the Beretta, but there is a reason why the G19 is the most popular handgun in America. Before you buy it, and I will say it again, look at the PX4 Compact.

Maybe It's just me, but I've never heard any gun owner say "packing heat" before. It sounds like something someone who doesn't own a gun would say. I've heard "Carry" or "CCW," but never "pack heat."

Totally legal. It's just a piece of metal with a hole. Nothing exotic. I own the 12 Gauge to .22 adapter for my shotgun. It's not super accurate, but it will hit a coffee can at 25 yards. It can't be much more accurate than any 2" snub nose .22 revolver. It's more of a neat thing to have. You will need a small dowel or a piece of coat hanger to pop out the spent .22 shell casing.

Considering I'm in the middle of tax season, working 18 hour days, and eating bad takeout every night because I can't make it home for dinner, I will freely admit that the weight on my current Pistol Permit is no longer correct and probably won't be for the forseeable future.

I seem to recall that That's a tough one. I could see logging the FROM and TO of every phone call - that is done automatically by the phone companies for billing. I also know that phone companies keep a record of every text message for at least a few days. But the problem is that a system that kept this information in some soft of government database would be incredibly large. I'm going to have to break out Excel here and light another cigar. Let's just look at text messages. About 2.5 Billion text messages are sent per day in the US. Let's assume every message has an average of 80 characters. That works out to storing roughly 71 gigabytes of information per year. Okay, that could comfortably fit on a single hard drive. But 900 billion cell phone calls are made every year. The average person makes 8 cell phone calls per day. I don't have any data on the number of words said in an average phone call, but storage is cheap like I've proved above. It's the real time rendering and of that much information that makes the scenario of the government using text to speech for every phone call impossible. Plus, add in the fact that you are really playing fast and loose with the Fourth Amendment. I wouldn't be surprised if the government had analysis that look over some internet forums, that's just common sense. But if the government was really watching every move you made online at the level you describe, online gambling and certain types of horrendous pornography would be a thing of the past - they would be able to find and shut down those sites and users immediately. But back to the fliers. I suppose the fliers serve a purpose. Don't forget that the Fort Dix Six were ultimately found and stopped by a clerk at Circuit City who was making copies of their training videos and thought that the FBI may be interested. Another gun store clerk stopped a recent Army deserter from buying black powder. So there is some benefit to individual vigilance, although I don't need a flyer to tell me that..

I don't see how anybody has the money for more than one gun a month, but the problem with the law always seemed like it manufactured criminals out of people who miscounted by a day. I can easily see why somebody would buy two guns during a store visit: especially when they want to buy the .22 version of a gun alongside the full size version. I can also see somebody coming in to a store to buy one gun, and then seeing the Colt Python they always wanted and putting it on the credit card. The law was a solution in search of a problem.

The email notifications on legal issues are worth the membership. But I think the real advantage comes in the size of the organization. Numbers mean something to politicians. NJ2AS started with a handful of members. Just two days ago, they managed to get A588 tabled. That would not have happened if thy still only had 10 members.

"Fun" and "snub nose" do not go together. IMHO, the only reason for a snub nose .38/.357 revolver is for carry. I've never enjoyed shooting the LCR, although I would consider carrying one. I know about the Charter Pit Bull, and I heard rumors that it was coming out in 9mm. I could see how that would be a useful gun for someone who wants to carry a revolver, but doesn't want to purchase another caliber. I would be interested in one myself.

You can't go wrong with the Glock 19, Sig P226 or Beretta 92. I also firmly believe that the Beretta PX4 Compact is the best polymer DS/SA gun I've ever handled. That being said, it depends on what you mean by "relatively inexpensive." I make a very good living and I usually shoot 150 rounds of 9mm every Tuesday. At $12.00 per box, I'm spending $1872 per year on ammunition. Note that I haven't even mentioned the expense of the .45ACP yet. I usually do 1 box of .45 ACP per session. Sometimes half a box. Shooting is only expensive if you go to the range a lot and shoot in calibers above .22. If you think you might go once every three months or so, buy a 9mm. So then you are dropping $36 every few months on ammo - that's dinner at TGI Fridays with your girlfriend. Nothing too expensive. But if you want something strictly for target practice, you can't beat a .22 pistol. I have an affinity for the Beretta NEOS.

I have to admit that my 8 year old's .22 Cricket is probably the best gun I own. Only $109 and made in America. The prices have probably increased and I think Dicks stopped selling them, but the website shows adult models that you can order.

Try the Remora Holsters. I have one and love it. Here is a review: The website is here: http://remoraholsters.com/Home_Page.html

It's the same height as the Glock 19 and it seems just a tiny bit wider, but it doesn't feel like you are holding a brick. Of course maybe Die Glock ist die Perfektion, deine hand ist das problem.

I've always considered myself to be pretty much firearm-agnostic. Off the top of my head, I've shot or owned 1911's, the Ruger LCR, GP100, Beretta 92FS, Glock 19, 22, and 26, Sig P226, S&W M&P9, 686, Springfield XD, Ruger SR9, Browning HiPower and many, many others over the years. I've often said that you can't go wrong with a Beretta 92FS, Glock 19, or Sig P226. Then one day I rented and shot a PX4. Wow. It's a beautiful looking gun and has barely any recoil due to the rotating barrel. I wanted to buy one, but I didn't like the fact that the PX4s in New Jersey came with 10 round magazines (although I know you can buy aftermarket 15 rounders). So I waited. The PX4 Compact came out about a year ago and I started saving my pennies. The stars finally aligned about a month ago: I had a permit on hand, and someone was selling one for a good price. So here is what you get: Two 15-round New Jersey legal magazines, plastic case, 3 sizes of backstraps (I use the small one), a Beretta manual, lock, and cleaning brush and that plastic Beretta cookie cutter/shot glass/parts cup. The gun is totally ambidextrous. The safety/decocker is on both sides. The magazine release can be switched from one side to the other. The gun has a rail for a laser or light if you wish to install one. The gun has a very smart finger memory detent along both sides of the frame so that your finger has a natural resting place when it is not on the trigger. The gun also has two slide releases, one on each side, as you can see in the picture below. But here is what really shocked me: This gun barely has any recoil. I thought I was being fooled, or maybe I wanted to believe that I had some super gun after dropping $500 on a piece of Italian plastic. But you really have to shoot something else first to understand. I last fired this gun Thursday night with my friend at Philadelphia Archery and Gun. When I was there, I also shot my 1911, his full size M&P9 and a rented Glock 26. There is no comparison. The PX4 Compact recoils like a cream puff. A Glock 26 is punishing in comparison. Even the full size S&W M&P had more recoil and the PX4 Compact is a smaller gun! The PX4's rotating barrel really does the job of bleeding off the recoil. Now here is what is equally amazing. Beretta took this gun and brought it down to the gold standard for a compact pistol : it's about the size of a Glock 19, but feels far better in my hand. It conceals up perfectly under casual dress in a Remora #5 IWB clipless holster. But here's the real question: do you hit what you are aiming at? At seven yards, yes: Most of the shots were a little low and to the left, but I am attributing that to the rotating barrel. Ignore the shots that were off the paper, this is a recycled target board from a previous shooter. If I'm shooting for self defense practice, I shoot at 7 yards and go for 6" circle combat accuracy. The picture above was taken at Ft. Dix a few weeks ago. These shots all hit where I was pointing. Am I satisfied with the accuracy of the gun? Absolutely. Is it a tack driver? No. But it's a combat and self defense pistol, not an Olympic pistol. Now there are some disadvantages: * The springs were a little tight when I first bought the PX4 Compact. I had some pretty bad feeding and ejecting problems until the springs loosened up a bit. After about 200 rounds, the gun ran flawlessly. * The safety/decocker is on the slide of the gun. This is a disadvantage if you are coming from a Glock, XD or M&P. It will feel strange to have the safety under your fingers if you rack the slide, but It's an advantage if you are transitioning from a 92FS. I've heard people say that they accidentally flick the safety on when racking the slide while reloading with the Beretta 92FS. I've never had that problem with the 92FS and I don't have it with the PX4. * The magazines are a little expensive. I can get a military surplus 92FS magazine for about $15.00 or a Glock 19 magazine for about $20. PX4 magazines retail for about $40 when you buy them from Beretta. I attribute this to the fact that the Glock and 92FS have been on the market for over 20 years, so you are paying for being an early adopter. But these are minor disadvantages and the Beretta quality really shines through. I am shocked that more people don't own this gun. If you are in the market for a polymer pistol look at the XD, Glock & M&P, but seriously take a look at the PX4 Compact. It has full size capacity in a compact frame. It shoots where you point it, recoils lighter than any 9mm I've ever shot, and looks beautiful. If you don't believe me, PM me. You are welcome to shoot mine at Firing Line in Philadelphia. I go there every Tuesday night.

You can't go wrong with a 92FS. Get a .22LR conversion kit and plink all day.

My first handgun was a Glock 22. Looking back, I should have gotten a Beretta 92FS or a Glock 19. I later ditched the Glock and bought a Beretta. IMHO, .40 caliber is fantastic if you are a police officer and you get free ammo from the town. Else, you are getting 10% more energy and recoil for 20% more money. For it just doesn't make sense for civilians unless you reload. I've often said to people that there is a darn good reason why the Glock 19 is the most popular handgun in the US. You can't go wrong with it.

If you don't mind IWB, take a look at the Remora Hosters. I have one myself for my PX4 Compact and I love it.

You can't go wrong with the Beretta 92FS/M9, Sig P226 or Glock 19. All of them are good guns. They all have .22 LR conversion kits. Your preference depends on if you want to be John McClain, Jack Bauer, or Mike Lowery. I'm more of a John McClain kind of guy The PX4 Compact is worth a look as well. I don't know why this gun hasn't blown other competitors out of the water. $525 price tag. Small enough to carry but big enough to shoot comfortable. 15 round Jersey legal magazines and virtually no recoil due to the rotating barrel. What is not to love? Probably the lightest recoiling non .22 gun I've ever shot. The M&P9 is everything that Glock should have been and worth a look if the Glock grip angle is not to your liking. No conversion kit but you can get an M&P .22 that looks just like it.