boo

I noticed Groupon has had other firearm related deals as well. Maybe a month ago or so, I saw a deal for a rifle range session out in Long Island.

Haven't actually bought from them, but I noticed CDNN will have good deals, e.g. M&P 40 police trade-ins in the low 300s in the last week or so. I noticed you can also sometimes find interesting deals on twitter by doing a search for a particular gun name. Lots of mom & pop type shops running on twitter/facebook that can't afford full websites or search engine optimization, e.g. S&W Shield for $340 (not sure what fees or shipping charges also apply)

So far no one's picking up the phone at NJSP FIU. Called ATF NJ Field Office for the heck of it. They aren't aware of the requirement, but of course say NJSP is the one to talk to.

I found this post discussing the phasing out of "assault rifle" items, but it's almost a year old: http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2013/02/13/amazon-removing-gun-products-from-store-worse-than-ebay/ I just bought a sling a few weeks ago from them and still have other Magpul stuff in my shopping cart.

If you like the feeling of a 2x4 in your hands, go with Glock. But if you like ergonomics combined with a trigger that's gritty and has a really long reset, plus hate when additional magazines are easy to locate, then I recommend an M&P9

Has anyone tried presenting a photo of your FID saved in your phone to buy ammo? I'll have to try that sometime.

I'm definitely no belt expert, but I tried three different leather jean style belts and I found that they kept stretching on me. I finally picked up a 5.11 trainer belt and it's worked great. Also, it isn't so wide at 1.5" so it could also be used as a jean belt itself. My only nitpick is that the buckle is heavy. While it's great that it's rated for 6,000 pounds, I don't plan on towing any cars with it. I could have sworn seeing a similar belt with a polymer buckle, but I was in a hurry and just went with this one.

My Springfield XD9 developed failure to extract issues using 115 grain new RN, but I wonder if it's just my gun being sensitive to this ammo while having a dirty extractor (which is a pain to properly clean). This is while having no issues with other brands, e.g. PMC, Remington, Federal, Speer. I finally fashioned a tool to remove the extractor and properly clean it out so hopefully it won't have any more issues.

Here's the link: http://gunforhire.com/classes/gun-for-hire-urban-pistol-1/ The stated prerequisite for the class is having taken First Steps pistol or the equivalent. I'd just suggest being at the point where you don't need your "hand held", so to speak. This would include being able to clear malfunctions on your own (you don't want to be holding up the class while one of the instructors stops to clear your gun) and to be comfortable in your knowledge of the basics (grip, sight picture, trigger pull, etc.) as they won't be going over it with you in detail. The gear requirement is listed on the link. The only additional item I'd suggest is a proper holster belt. I did Low Light 1 with a regular belt and I swear I got an arm workout from having to pull up my pants the whole time. If you're nearby, there's a tactical store just like mile south of GFH on McBride Ave, but I forget the name. I also strongly suggest electronic hearing protection so that it will be easy to hear commands. I don't see the cleaning kit as necessary. Also, feel free to bring more than one gun, though you'll want to have an appropriate holster/mag pouch for each. There was one guy wearing a chest rig, while another brought a medical pack. Neither are required, but feel to add items as you wish. Just one thing I'd add for fellow newer shooters Please follow instructions on safe gun handling - Do not uncase your gun unless told to do so - Do not load your gun unless told to do so and only unload your gun with a round chambered at the specified area. Don't be whipping your gun out at the loading area to check if you still have a round in the chamber because you lost track. Change magazines while your gun remains holstered, and you'll be given the opportunity to load a round in the chamber later, or as they say "load and make ready". Only unload a chambered round at the end of the range facing the targets and notify an instructor first. - Do not unholster your gun, unloaded or not unless told to do so. This is especially true if you're waiting your turn to shoot and standing behind another firing line! I just thought I'd emphasize that last line because there was one guy who was unholstering his gun and fiddling around with it while in one of the waiting firing lines that the instructors didn't see, and I regret not calling him out on it. If at any point you aren't sure whether something is permitted, or are unsure on the proper safety procedure just ask!

Class was $225, minus a 10% membership discount. I know there also discounts available from memberships in certain organizations. Class was about 4.5 hours. Scheduled for 5:30pm start, but it didn't get going until almost 6pm. We left around 10:30 pm.

Thought I'd write up my experience taking Gun for Hire Urban Pistol 1 last night. My background: I've been shooting for just under 6 months, but have a certain comfort level with handguns given a 3,000+ round count so far. Previous training includes a 4hr Intro NRA course, private instruction with Jimmy at GFH, and also Low Light 1 at GFH. I really wanted to take Urban Pistol 1 back in October, but my FID/permits hadn't come in yet and they had to adhere to their policy of no rental guns during the class. I've also dabbled in a couple action pistol type events, though none formal, and both firing only while stationary. I'd add that those events helped a lot to increase comfort with holster drawing and having range safety procedures ingrained. If you're interested in this class, I suggest you check their site regularly and not wait for it to be announced in their e-mails. It fills up and reaches capacity fairly fast. I noticed the instructors, Bill and John, haven't been mentioned in past reviews, but it's my understanding that both are now largely responsible for firearms training classes. Both are experienced with long list of credentials, including firearms training, of course. Bill comes from NJSP, while John is with Woodland Park PD. Topics covered during the class included: 1. proper stance 2. holster drawing technique, shooting from the holster 3. scanning, assessment, and movement 4. reloading in your "workspace", combat vs tactical reloads 5. hip shooting to a target an armslength in front of you (there's a name for this, but I forget) 6. firing from kneeling positions 7. one handed shooting and one arm reloads, both strong and weakhand 8. moving with a loaded gun (position "sul") 9. turning 90/180 degrees and shooting 10. shooting on the move I think that about covers it. The usefulness of dry firing was discussed, and a couple drills were suggested. The course description mentions shooting from cover and room clearing, but those weren't addressed in detail. Not sure if it's been moved to a later class, or if they just didn't get to it. In addition, there was a lot of discussion of the mindset needed for a gun owner. It sounds dumb for me to want to point out, but Bill comes across as very pro self defense compared to what I'd expect from an active duty LEO. I guess it speaks to how much I've been brainwashed living in NJ. He discussed the importance of being a "sheepdog" versus a "sheep", and things were a bit sobering when he discussed the consequences of using a gun for self defense in NJ and that your family should be warned ahead of time, i.e., you will be led out in handcuffs, you will be demonized by the press, you will spend an @ss load of money on legal fees, and your life will never be the same. But at least you and your family will be safe. There were 12 people in the class, with two firing lines being used. The round count was much lower than I had expected. Previous reviewers reported shooting 300+ rounds, but I only shot 140 (including about 45 rounds in what was basically an ammo dump toward the end...a great chance to test out my short-reset trigger!). Not only were those with different instructors, but I think it's also because of the use of two firing lines whereas reviews I read involved smaller classes with just a single firing line. It was also my same experience in Low Light 1 (also taught by Bill) where the actual round count was less than half of that recommended on the course description. Drills are set up around having 3 mags, the vast majority of the time loaded with 5 rounds each. This was to provide more opportunities to practice reloads, and I believe to be mindful of a student with what I believe was a lower capacity single stack 1911. On just a few occassions, we loaded up with 7 or more rounds. Most of my shooting has been with a Springfield XD9, but I figured I'd use the class as an opportunity to get more acquainted with a Sig Sauer P229 9mm that hasn't seen much range time. My biggest adjustment, besides having to get acquainted with initial double action pull, is that the decocker on the Sig is placed similarly to the slide lever on the XD9. When trying to lock the slide back to show clear, I kept working the decocker instead of the slide lever, making me wonder if my gun was broken :embarrassed: Another minor issue is that I was using a Galco IWB holster over a tucked in shirt, and because of the slick surface of the back of the holster, my shirt would keep riding up and over the holster, and I've to adjust myself after each drill. Bill warned that these classes are a good time to assess your gear, as he'd rather you find out that a holster isn't working for you there as opposed to the middle of a home invasion. I think I'm going to go with a holster with a textured back surface, like the suede on a Hidden Hybrid. Of course, going OWB would make life easier, but I really want to get comfortable with IWB. Given my Utah CCW, it seems more likely that if I end up using a firearm during a high-stress situation from a holster (knock on wood...), I'll be drawing from IWB. One thing that surprised me about the class was the lack of emphasis on certain shooting fundamentals, such as trigger control or sight picture. I noticed prior reviews mentioned dot drills, but we were shooting entirely for centermass and head. I hope I'm not just putting words in Bill's mouth, but i think his viewpoint is that likely confrontations will occur at short range, and it's more important to get a bullet on a bad guy as fast as possible, rather than standing there taking your sweet time confirming your sight picture and timing your breath control. For the most part, shooting was done at 5 yards and in. I wonder if fundamentals would be addressed in greater detail in later classes. Bill does stress "no absolutes, only options", i.e., no one has the best single answer for anything, and he encourage students to work with other instructors (shhh, don't tell Anthony) to get a feel for other styles and implement what works best for them. Overall, I thought the class was great. I think someone with maybe 1,000 rounds of experience and comfort dealing with malfunctions would do fine. Some practice ahead of time on holster drawing and reloads from youtube would be extremely beneficial. I'm already signed up for Urban Pistol 2 and can't wait!

I suspect a lot of the mall kiosk cracked screen repair people are literally trained off youtube videos. I know someone who brought in an ipad with a cracked screen to the kiosk in Willowbrook Mall in Wayne, and it stopped working after they replaced the screen. But they had him exchange it at the Apple store under warranty, and he ended up with a brand new one (so make sure you back up your device before having any repair attempted).

I'm a relatively new member so I don't know what's occurred in the past, but I can tell you that outreach toward women and minorities were specific topics during a recent membership committee call that I participated in.

Congrats on the new gun! Speaking of silver/black, I love silver slides combined with silver pins/controls such as the following:

Congrats on the new gun I especially like the look of a silver slide combined with silver pins and other controls. Even though I already have a Springfield XD9, I plan on picking up a bi-tone one to create the following look

Now this is downright silly. Comparable to Pascrell's 1000000% tax on guns and ammo bill.

as long as the "but not limited to" language stays, I would think it allows for flexibility.

Ok, I think I understand the concern now. To clarify, when I say I'm working with Frank, the extent of his involvement is advice and guidance as exchanged in a few e-mails. I conceived the project on my own, am doing all of the work on my own, and NJ2AS resources are not going into this. I agree that NJ2AS has bigger fish to fry, and I'm just trying to do what little I can to try and create more gun-friendly climate in this f-ing state.

Really? I'm absolutely stunned. I fully understand if you aren't inspired to lift me up on your shoulders and parade me down the street, but I definitely wasn't expecting the hostility to the idea. I know the "businesses can do what they want" line isn't the real concern. Is it the potential for longer lines? I can't think of any other issue that an otherwise pro-2A person would have with the idea. Or is it just that you had to wait X number of months before being able to touch a gun at an LGS, then so should everyone else? I genuinely don't get it. If the project bothers you so much, why don't you push for some "common-sense" legislation specifically restricting non-FID holders from handling guns. I'm sure you could approach MDA or some other organization and they'd happily take up that cause.

Yes, total waste of money, don't bother. Now where did you see this?

I'm curious what effect this would have on P2P requests. I'm assuming it goes on his "record"? Even though he's acquitted, I'm thinking Jersey City PD (or any other NJ PD) can still deny at their discretion and he'd have to go to court to fight it?

In that case, a flimsy yellow piece of cardboard really isn't sufficient proof to establish eligibility. Maybe it should be an endorsement on your drivers license that needs to be renewed every few years. And while we're at it, FTF long gun transactions should require an FFL transfer so a NICS can be run. Maybe you should write to your state senator about that... Again, my point is not to tell NJ FFLs how to run their business. If they choose to implement polices that are contrary to those of all the other states, then it's their business and they can do as they wish. I understand the practice has been going for some time, and they aren't going to be receptive to change just like that. My target are the FFLs that are bending over backwards to comply with non-existent laws, and the letter will include contacts at the NJSP and BATF where they can confirm for themselves. If the FFLs tell me to go f- myself and mind my own business, then so be it. I just know that the frustration is still fresh in my mind, and I've rewarded FFLs that didn't have the policy with repeat business (RTSP especially comes to mind). I realize this isn't the preeminent issue facing gun owners in NJ, but I can't do anything about P2P delays or CCW, so I'm just trying to do what little contribution I can.

I don't have a specific answer on blackpowder, but when I asked if they have any specific restrictions (e.g. minimum barrel length or pistol grips), they told me they didn't care as long as it was in safe operating condition and compliant with NJ firearm laws.

All I can do is ask. Also, I followed your lead on removing store names. I also don't want to be seen as bashing them. In fact, I'm going to be picking up an M&P Shield from one of them shortly! This might call for another an entire LGS communcation piece on addressing common misperceptions. Something to keep in mind, thanks.

I can understand if it's just a matter of store policy, it's their business and they're of course free to run it as they see fit. But I have a feeling this store policy is the result of a misunderstanding of state law. I encountered a number of stores while waiting for my FID where the person behind the counter had no problem spending time with me and would have gladly shown me a gun except for their understanding that state law prohibited it. Not only is practice an inconvenience to FID holders that don't want to risk losing it by carrying it everywhere, but I think it discourages new gun owners and reinforces a "taboo" perception of guns. If anything is going to change in NJ it's going to be from increased gun ownership. While I don't have any control over making the process "easier", I want to help make firearms more approachable by the general public. I was visiting California in December and wandered into an LGS and asked about a rifle. I wasn't really interested in holding it, bu the guy behind the counter practically forced it into hand without my even asking! While I have no illusion that it's going to change the gun landscape in NJ overight, I think that kind of attitude among gun stores might help make a subtle shift towards increased gun ownership. And as far as Dicks, while I'd at least like to try and send them a letter, I'm not going to hold my breath on them.