Old Glock guy

I'm not too concerned about being caught transporting guns if I'm pulled over for a routine traffic stop. For one thing, I've never had a police officer ask about firearms or check my trunk; and secondly, unless you're far from the beaten path, you could always say you were headed toward or returning from the range. So I don't see a problem there. The scenario that troubles me is that if one were to make a stop (not that we would do that, but for the sake of discussion), and your car was broken into and a gun stolen, how would you explain it? Certainly, you would have a legal obligation to report a stolen gun, but how would you explain the circumstances?

Called my local PD this morning to be sure they had all the necessary documentation. I was told that it's on the chief's desk, along with a bunch of others, and he will get to it before too long. In the meantime, I've contented myself with purchasing lots of ammo. So far, I have about 2500 rounds, 1500 of which is 9mm. Since I don't even own a 9mm handgun yet, if for some reason my P2P is denied, I'll have a lot of useless (to me) ammo on my hands.

I was thinking of getting one or the other after my P2P's arrive, and then 30 days after I get a Glock 19, so I have some time. Can anyone else comment on the relative merits of the FS vs. the A1?

I live alone. I keep my lone handgun in my nightstand with a loaded mag in it. Is that bad?

Another welcome from north Jersey. What exit are you?

I never knew teh difference between knitting and crocheting. Come to think of it, I still don't.

And if so, for what purpose or purposes?

Good suggestion. As I close in on four weeks, I rush to the mailbox every day to check to see if my notice arrived, then walk away disappointed when I find it's not there. In the meantime, at least I have my Glock 23 to entertain me.

Wouldn't the maneuverability of a handgun capable of shooting buckshot be an advantage over a shotgun in the potentially close quarters of a HD situation? I saw a discussion of whether or not an 18" barrel is an advantage over a 20" for HD, so wouldn't a HG that could do the same thing be even better? Just askin'.

That's a nice, little summary. Thanks for posting it.

Holy crap, some scary stories there! Some of them gave me chills. Thankfully, in my brief involvement, no close calls yet. With good care and good luck, I hope there will never be any.

I would be interested as well.

I didn't want to start a new thread on this subject, so I'll try posting it here. I'm thinking that either a shotgun or one of these handguns would be a useful addition for HD or a SHTF scenario, and I'm not sure which way to go. On the one hand, I'm now getting to be fairly comfortable with handguns, and one of these would be effective at close range. On the other hand, something like a Mossberg 500 might be more effective, and I would not have to waste a P2P permit on it. Plus, it's about half the price. Your thoughts?

I thought of this thread when I returned from a trip to Meltzer's yesterday, where I was drooling (figuratively, I hope!) over what I was going to acquire with the three P2P's that I have pending. I got a look at the Glock 19, which I think will be next for me; and got to hold a Beretta 92A1, which I believe will be next. Still uncertain about what to get with the third one, but I'm sure I'll figure it out. Also, got to hold a Mossberg 500, which looks like it would be useful for HD or worse scenarios, although so far I am only familiar with handguns. I'll need to determine how easy it is to learn to use something like that. I'll post a query on another thread, but if anyone wants to give advice here, that would be fine too.

I want to once again thank those of you who offered advice on this. I got over to the Bullet Hole yesterday, and focused on some of your suggestions. I couldn't believe the difference! From about 5 yards, the target looked like Shoot Out the Star. With about 10-15 rounds, I punched out a hole right next to the center of the target. (OK, I'll admit it was still just left of center, but only about an inch or so.) From the back wall (23 yards), I hit the silhouette target 10 times in a row (one was just touching the line; does that count?), whereas last time out I could barely hit it at all. The two big differences were that I was taking a firmer grip, and trying to focus on a slow, steady squeeze of the trigger. I believe I was previously anticipating the shot. With the stronger grip, I noticed that I also didn't get much of the thumb bruising that I complained about in another thread. So my mantra for now is, "Grip tighter, squeeze lighter." Much appreciation. OGG

Welcome, from another fairly new North Jersey guy.

If any new ranges opened, I would be happy to know, but I believe we are SOL.

I should mention that you guys (and gals) have been a bad influence on me. I was perfectly content with my Glock 23 for almost a year. Now that I'm hanging out here, I have a P2P app in for three more permits, and I'm wishing I had made it for five! I plan to get a Glock 19, then perhaps a Beretta. (I love the look of it in another thread, and the comments were overwhelmingly favorable.) Not sure what I'll do with the other one, but I might splurge for a S&W 1911.

I would love to attend that meeting, but a quick check on Mapquest shows that it's two and a half hours from me. Do you guys ever meet up here in North Jersey?

First off, I don't do any hang gliding. I've been going to the range about once a week or so for the last several weeks. I purchased a HG for HD, and did a training session with an instructor when I first got it; but then it sat in my nightstand for almost a year without being fired. When I finally got around to taking a trip over to the Bullet Hole, I found that I really enjoy target shooting. It kind of reminds me of how I started running (many years ago) to get in shape, and then quickly discovered that I loved running and competing at it. Can't say I plan to be enter shooting competitions anytime soon, but given my nature, I wouldn't rule it out. A number of posters have mentioned the expense of this pastime. While it can be considerable, it seems to me that it's a lot less than golf, which was my other passion for many years. A decent handgun costs about the same as a new, high-tech driver. The cost of ammo is roughly comparable to the price of good golf balls. The cost to use a range for an hour is a lot less than the cost of greens fees, and a private range membership of around $200 is A LOT less than dues at a golf club.

Interesting that employers (business owners) can legally defend themselves in the workplace, while employees cannot. What's the logic in that? So since I own a business, it sounds like I can bring my gun to work with me if I'm planning a trip to the range afterward, which would save me a trip home. Realizing that we are just expressing opinions, and not providing legal advice, would you guess that I'm OK leaving it in the car while I'm in the office, or would I need to bring it inside with me?

+2 Hardly anyone knows about the one gun that I currently own. (I hope to acquire a few more in the near future.) Seems like there is a stigma attached to being a gun owner, at least in North Jersey, so I don't like to talk about it much. That's why I have you guys.

Interesting how the process varies so much by towns. In Wayne, it was my responsibility to send letters to my two references for them to return to the PD. I can only hope that they were returned in a timely manner. (Or I suppose I could ask my references if they sent them back.) I'm currently waiting for a P2P.