Sixtytwo327

I went looking for an 1894 about a year ago. Several shops and vendors told me they stopped carrying new production Marlins guns because of quality issues. Normally I agree it's NJ's fault, but this one I put on the Freedom Group, who is running Marlin into the ground for an eventual bankruptcy / fire sale liquidation.

Good choice.

Great show.

I'm in with a friend who just got his FID and is looking to try a few shotguns - an advance thank you to anyone who can help.

FWIW I vote Sako, expensive magazines and all.

Relax, I'm not insulting the FNX. Yes, it is less common, and by all accounts, excellent. I'm referring to guns like the Benelli R1 or MP95: they're not bad, but most people don't have them. The main reason is, most people can accomplish the same thing for less money (excluding, for example, competitors). The other reason is accessories and aftermarket parts: expensive, if even available. I saw Sako Quad 22 magazines for $45 at Midway USA - maybe they can be found cheaper, but you get the point. You said cost is an issue, so I'm keeping that in mind. As said, I've made these mistakes. Also, I'm all for unique firearms - but what I consider rare is something more like an original Sig P210: hard to find, even if you have money.

Word of caution from someone who has been there: when you go looking for things other people don't have, sometimes there is a reason other people don't have them. For the rifles, Sako is top-notch, but not "easy on the wallet." Both CZ and Savage are near competition ready out-of-the-box and heirloom-quality. CZ is the less common (IMHO) but that can vary by club or discipline. I have a Savage MKII BTV and with a Nikon 3-9x40; with concentration, it's capable of exceptional accuracy. I don't have any firsthand experience with the others.

Hard to believe, but the book was darker than the movie, and the ending was more open to interpretation. Cormac McCarthy also wrote Blood Meridian and No Country for Old Men; pretty much everything with his name on it is excellent.

You need an XBOX Live subscription, but it works. I do this for both Prime and Netflix - have not had cable since 2005. Some TVs have built-in apps, where you plug an Ethernet cable into the back of the TV; some friends have these, with mixed results. I used to run an HDMI cable and audio from my desktop; I ended up watching a lot of YouTube this way - but I got too lazy switching audio inputs, so I just run everything through the XBOX now.

I want one to shoot clays.

Yes, I know the robberies don't happen like that scene in the movie Heat - my point is, the money is insured by the FDIC or some other kind of insurance, depending on what is stolen. It doesn't hurt the bottom line at all. Banks charge us premiums to cover operating costs, which includes insurance.

I'll bite - I'm not a fan of EAA, because I don't like the re-seller-importer business model. When it breaks (all firearms will, eventually), I'm not confident I'll be able to find parts or a gunsmith. This happened to me with a "best value for the money" import shotgun. If I had bought the one I wanted - the one I own now - well, I learned my lesson. I chimed in because OP is using the same key words we all use to talk ourselves into being cheap: first and only, range toy, not gonna shoot it a lot, just need something reliable, budget revolver, on and on... There is a specific make and model you want; buy it the first time and be done with it. "The poor man always pays twice."

I agree bank executives are some of the worst criminals - but the teller who gets a gun shoved in his or her face is not making a six figure bonus and did not cause the financial crisis. This isn't "sticking it" to anyone. It's just the poor robbing the slightly-less poor.

Taurus over EAA - but for my money, a used Ruger over both.

This. I'm against it for many reasons, but one is directly applicable to this forum. As most of us agree, "gun-free zones" and anti-gun legislation do nothing to stop crime. The people who decided to commit crimes do not care about the consequences. The exact same logic applies to the death penalty: people who have already decided to rob, rape, and kill do not think about incarceration or execution. The answer is, neither gun control laws nor the death penalty deter crime. Do some criminals deserve it? Perhaps, but I don't trust the government to make that decision, and the government should not ever have that right. Do we desperately need prison reform? Yes. However, those are different topics with their own problems. Execution creates martyrs. They should have been kept alive, safe and well cared for, as guests of the society they tried to destroy. That's the best punishment.

His points: 1) AR-22s and 22 conversion kits got very popular. 2) Opportunity buyers: we're all paranoid we'll run out of ammo, so whenever we see it for sale, we buy it, even if we don't need it. 3) Hoarding / Prepping. Of note, "Prepping" became very popular, and many have started stockpiling .22 because the Internet says it is the "ultimate survival round." 4) Price Gougers: Line up at Wal Mart, sell it on Gun Broker, etc. 5) Local gun shops: Buying ammo and not putting it on the shelf; instead, they're using their industry supply contracts and selling it online, then telling their customers the manufacturers are not shipping it - perpetuating the supply myth. All sounds valid. One more I'd add: the Internet created the illusion that the supply of .22 was much larger than it was. We all assumed we could order anything at any time, and we all did. The panic will not subside until manufacturers begin charging what the market will bear - $40-$50 a brick. Once they undercut the online reselling market, we'll see a new norm of $0.10 to $0.15 a round. Just speculation.

SureFire X300 on Amazon for $200. Streamlights are in the $100 range. Any cheaper, you get what you pay for.

Hat tip for Googling it first; I've gotten that email a bunch of times, and I always reply with this press release from the NRA-ILA which addresses the closing: "Lead usage in ammunition makes up only about three percent of lead consumption in the United States.... the bottom line for consumers is that ammunition producers do not expect the smelter's closure to lead to any imminent impact on the price or availability of lead ammunition components." OP was right, though - now is the time to buy - 9mm, that is. Everyone has forgotten bout that crisis.

Steel case is fine. Its the powder Wolf uses... its nasty.

Here's two clips of the Benelli stitched together. It's no Phantom, but still entertaining. I had a few settings wrong; I'll try again at the next meetup, and should get much better results (resolution, crop, color, etc.) - thanks to RF for the help.

Thanks Nick, great action shots! Beautiful weather, and it was fun to meet some new people and catch up with the rest.

Have an XDs, but I could have also gone Shield. Or even Nano or LC9. The 938 was my favorite for a range toy (it's a micro 1911). Many, many choices; it's hard to pick a decisive "best."

Plans got canceled at the last minute - I'm in.

Worried it's a "me too" gun, though I'd still like to take one apart and see if "softcoil" is marketing hype or fancy engineering. Walther is making interesting things these days.

There is always a weapon ban coming, whether it has been announced or not.