Guns!
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"Here's what a .500 S&W, suppressed and dead silent, does to a stack of hard drives:"
I can just imagine the warranty claims now...
I can just imagine the warranty claims now...
Just had to tell you guys about this.
Night before last at work, one of the QA guys came into the shop and started talking about guns.
He went out and bought himself a Beretta 92 9mm, a Remington 700 .30-06, and a Mossberg 500 12ga.
He's also bought quite a bit of ammo.
Here's the catch... He's never shot a gun in his life!
He actually asked me which direction the bullets should be facing when loading them into the guns!
Apparently he's had them for several months now, but doesn't know the safety from the trigger.
We told him not to even touch the damn things until we can take him out and devote a whole day to teaching him everything he needs to know!
Now, I'm probably the most pro-gun sumbitch you'll ever meet, but it scares me to think of some of the clueless gun owners out there!
I'm all for new recruits to the gun world as well, but I think it is imperative that newbies do some homework before purchasing!
If you're thinking of getting into the wonderful world of guns for the first time, please either get involved in a good introductory training course, or get with someone who really knows guns (not someone who thinks they do), and let them show you the ropes!
Do a lot of research on the guns you're planning on purchasing, and make sure it's the right one for you!
And above all, safety first!
Night before last at work, one of the QA guys came into the shop and started talking about guns.
He went out and bought himself a Beretta 92 9mm, a Remington 700 .30-06, and a Mossberg 500 12ga.
He's also bought quite a bit of ammo.
Here's the catch... He's never shot a gun in his life!
He actually asked me which direction the bullets should be facing when loading them into the guns!
Apparently he's had them for several months now, but doesn't know the safety from the trigger.
We told him not to even touch the damn things until we can take him out and devote a whole day to teaching him everything he needs to know!
Now, I'm probably the most pro-gun sumbitch you'll ever meet, but it scares me to think of some of the clueless gun owners out there!
I'm all for new recruits to the gun world as well, but I think it is imperative that newbies do some homework before purchasing!
If you're thinking of getting into the wonderful world of guns for the first time, please either get involved in a good introductory training course, or get with someone who really knows guns (not someone who thinks they do), and let them show you the ropes!
Do a lot of research on the guns you're planning on purchasing, and make sure it's the right one for you!
And above all, safety first!
My sister was a missionary in Sierra Leone, and brought back a boy and a dog. My brother-in-law took the boy to the range to shoot for the first time. Not sure how he did it, but he managed to insert the cartidges backwards in a Beretta .22 pistol and broke the damn thing.
We tried taking him to shoot some trap with my single shot 20ga, and never were able to teach him the difference between the hammer and the trigger. He will not be returning to the range.
As pete basically said, owning a gun does not make you a shooter any more than owning a violin makes you a violinist.
As for the hard drives above, if you buy a penetrator core from a 105mm early Abrams tank round from the Army Surplus, and stand in the back of a pickup in the parking lot and drop it on a hard drive, it will go right through and stick upright in the asphalt.
We tried taking him to shoot some trap with my single shot 20ga, and never were able to teach him the difference between the hammer and the trigger. He will not be returning to the range.
As pete basically said, owning a gun does not make you a shooter any more than owning a violin makes you a violinist.
As for the hard drives above, if you buy a penetrator core from a 105mm early Abrams tank round from the Army Surplus, and stand in the back of a pickup in the parking lot and drop it on a hard drive, it will go right through and stick upright in the asphalt.
I'm late to the party here but I'll throw this one out there. If you are looking for a gun, purely as a defensive tool, you can't go wrong with Glock 19 (9mm) or 23 (.40 cal)
Glocks aren't pretty. They aren't collector items. Every gun enthusiast will have a strong opinion of them one way or the other. If you're big in to guns like I am, there are lots of other pistols you'd much rather be seen shooting. Many trash them because of the lack of an external safety (and I agree the "safe action" trigger is bullshit) but ulimately the only safety you can depend on is your finger on the trigger no matter what model pistol you are holding. When reliability matters most, a Glock will go bang every single time. My wife's 23 has over 4k rounds through it. It has reliably fed everything from quality defensive ammunition, +p ammo, to cheap reloads and crap steel cased stuff and never had a single malfunction. That's enough proof for me.
I own or have owned various weapons from S&W, Ruger, Kimber, Springfield, etc. I love my 1911 for it's accuracy, feel, and aesthetics. But the best quote I ever heard was, "A Kimber is a gun you show your friend. A Glock is a gun you show your enemy."
Glocks aren't pretty. They aren't collector items. Every gun enthusiast will have a strong opinion of them one way or the other. If you're big in to guns like I am, there are lots of other pistols you'd much rather be seen shooting. Many trash them because of the lack of an external safety (and I agree the "safe action" trigger is bullshit) but ulimately the only safety you can depend on is your finger on the trigger no matter what model pistol you are holding. When reliability matters most, a Glock will go bang every single time. My wife's 23 has over 4k rounds through it. It has reliably fed everything from quality defensive ammunition, +p ammo, to cheap reloads and crap steel cased stuff and never had a single malfunction. That's enough proof for me.
I own or have owned various weapons from S&W, Ruger, Kimber, Springfield, etc. I love my 1911 for it's accuracy, feel, and aesthetics. But the best quote I ever heard was, "A Kimber is a gun you show your friend. A Glock is a gun you show your enemy."
Not being argumentative, but rather genuinely curious: what about the Glock trigger safety is "bullshit"?
So after talking to a friend he suggested the following:
Get a 9mm as a first gun. I can always move up even if I have to go used per the new law next year.
Get the lightest gun I can find. No one has ever said they wished their gun was heavier. With the recoil of the 9mm weight should not be much of an issue other than fatigue. Less weight= more shooting/fun/time at the range.
Ammo is cheaper and readily available.
It is enough gun for defense.
Don't get a Glock. He is familiar with the new CA laws coming next year and said that Glocks are exempt from the ban for whatever reason. I can always get one later on.
All companies have pro's and con's but most all of the household name brands are good.
Thoughts?
Get a 9mm as a first gun. I can always move up even if I have to go used per the new law next year.
Get the lightest gun I can find. No one has ever said they wished their gun was heavier. With the recoil of the 9mm weight should not be much of an issue other than fatigue. Less weight= more shooting/fun/time at the range.
Ammo is cheaper and readily available.
It is enough gun for defense.
Don't get a Glock. He is familiar with the new CA laws coming next year and said that Glocks are exempt from the ban for whatever reason. I can always get one later on.
All companies have pro's and con's but most all of the household name brands are good.
Thoughts?
@sandoval: Great quote. Another reason not to use your fanciest custom handgun for defense is, if you actually have to use it, the cops will take it and you might not get it back.
I would add these priorities in the selection of a defensive handgun. Sounds like you're going to get an autoloader and not a revolver, so for autos:
1. Reliability. Remember, ammunition is one of the factors of this.
2. Ergonomics. You have to hit under extreme stress. Also, does it need to fit the hand of anyone else in the house?
3. Hammer fired or striker fired.
4. Caliber.
More important than your equipment rank mental awaredness, then preparedness, tactics, skill, and only finally equipment. Oh yeah, and what's legal in California
I would add these priorities in the selection of a defensive handgun. Sounds like you're going to get an autoloader and not a revolver, so for autos:
1. Reliability. Remember, ammunition is one of the factors of this.
2. Ergonomics. You have to hit under extreme stress. Also, does it need to fit the hand of anyone else in the house?
3. Hammer fired or striker fired.
4. Caliber.
More important than your equipment rank mental awaredness, then preparedness, tactics, skill, and only finally equipment. Oh yeah, and what's legal in California
I agree with Simnett's points above. Under #3 I would just add don't get a DA semi-auto. If you are going to do that because you think they are safer then you might as well get a revolver. One of the big advantages of the 1911 is the trigger pull.
Stay with quality. A poorly made pistol will never feed correctly and you will always be unhappy with it. And God forbid should you ever need to use a poorly made pistol for your personal defense.
Stay with quality. A poorly made pistol will never feed correctly and you will always be unhappy with it. And God forbid should you ever need to use a poorly made pistol for your personal defense.
The beauty of the DA for the first round is that no levers must thrown, safeties squeezed, etc. Just get the weapon out, point and shoot, call the shyster and then 911. Eeeezy peeezy mechanically and maybe a bit harder mentally.
Granted, practice, confrontation style, with lots of stress, not target shooting, will help insure that muscle memory, and not having to think about getting the weapon into action, should make the operation of the safety entirely second nature, not thought required. I just like the idea that fewer moves and moving parts, means the weapon is in action sooner. It's simply personal preference. I know guys using 1911's that get unlimbered and firing very fast. It's what you are trained with and comfortable with.
And, I believe weight has been mentioned. If you are shooting the heavier loads, weapon weight has a bit to do with the amount of recoil. You do want a weapon that you can hold on target. Having to reacquire the target for the second and third shot can be fatal. If my old mind is still functioning a bit it was the "Mozambic Exercise" that we taught, double tap the large mass, raise the sights, if you see a head . . . third shot. Sights were not acquired for close encounters. And, as far a I'm concerned, going to a gun fight with a pistol is just plain stupid. If you know in advance, you take the shotgun. The pistol or revolver is for when you make a mistake or get taken by surprise.
Granted, practice, confrontation style, with lots of stress, not target shooting, will help insure that muscle memory, and not having to think about getting the weapon into action, should make the operation of the safety entirely second nature, not thought required. I just like the idea that fewer moves and moving parts, means the weapon is in action sooner. It's simply personal preference. I know guys using 1911's that get unlimbered and firing very fast. It's what you are trained with and comfortable with.
And, I believe weight has been mentioned. If you are shooting the heavier loads, weapon weight has a bit to do with the amount of recoil. You do want a weapon that you can hold on target. Having to reacquire the target for the second and third shot can be fatal. If my old mind is still functioning a bit it was the "Mozambic Exercise" that we taught, double tap the large mass, raise the sights, if you see a head . . . third shot. Sights were not acquired for close encounters. And, as far a I'm concerned, going to a gun fight with a pistol is just plain stupid. If you know in advance, you take the shotgun. The pistol or revolver is for when you make a mistake or get taken by surprise.
@cobguy.
I have tried them, but carrying IWB is just too uncomfortable for me.
I do have several Uncle Mike's OWB and shoulder holsters for some of my bigger guns, the ones that don't get carried as CCW's.
All of my CCW holsters are OWB, and made by either Safariland, Tagua, or Bianchi.
I also have a shoulder rig for my 1911 by Tagua, but I usually only wear it hiking.
I have tried them, but carrying IWB is just too uncomfortable for me.
I do have several Uncle Mike's OWB and shoulder holsters for some of my bigger guns, the ones that don't get carried as CCW's.
All of my CCW holsters are OWB, and made by either Safariland, Tagua, or Bianchi.
I also have a shoulder rig for my 1911 by Tagua, but I usually only wear it hiking.
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