Gun Purchasing Advice

Does PCI have a good rep?

Can't say. Can't recall ever shooting any.

On the Ventura website, there are only a handful of reviews on their products, but those are decent. A little googling indicates they're kindof a mixed bag. I expect it will work fine.

May as well try, 7.7x58 is a bit hard to come by at your local gun shop!

More like impossible to come by. :/ But, that's what I get for collecting guns like this.

Speaking of, I picked this up at the local gun show. I almost didn't get anything. It was this or a 1930s vintage Turkish Mauser for the same price, and I almost went with the Mauser because I already have a VZ-24 that shoots the same ammo (8mm Mauser), but I thought I'd hold out for a WWI vintage one at some point in the future (maybe). I was also looking for a MAS-36, a Swiss K-31, or another SMLE mk III*, which I saw none of this year. Very little surplus this year, and most of what was there was either Garands or M1 carbines (all out of my price range), or other expensive stuff out of my price range (German K98Ks, some other Japanese stuff, and a rather nice Peruvian Mauser).

I'm hoping that this bill passes, which would hopefully bring down the price of those weapons.

It might for a little bit, but honestly a lot of the appalling pricing is due to collectors with more money than sense snatching up as much as they can, which in turn encourages the people who sell the stuff to milk them (and therefore anyone else hoping to buy) as much as possible. I mean, you can't even find Mosin Nagants for under $150 now, and those are the really crappy ones. A good one will be $200 or better now. And the Mosins used to be the go-to cheap surplus rifle.

Really, though, that's beside the point, because at the gun show today, the vast majority was fancy hunting stuff.

All I'd need would be a "little bit".

I won't pay gun show prices for a Garand and now that the CMP rifles have dried up, the South Korean ones are probably the best bet to get one at a reasonable price.

Only thing is, I don't know where to look. I mean, weren't there a bunch of 1911s that were released not that long ago? I don't think I noticed any difference in the prices I saw here at local stores.

Has about the same recoil as an M9 (from what I remember of shooting one back in 2003). Also, I have shit marksmanship with pistols.

Yeah, but they were very old and very worn GI 1911's. I certainly wouldn't bet my life on one. So, outside of collectors, they're worthless.

Moral of the story: Garands aren't being mass produced today. So, the CMP ones are valuable. 1911's are being mass produced today. So, the CMP ones aren't valuable.

I've succumbed to temptation for oddball calibers a couple of times over the years, and I've wound up wishing I'd gone with a different gun or a more conventional caliber. I should've spent the money I put out for the Automag IV .45 Winchester Magnum on a Colt Python. I should've spent the money I put out for a Glock 20 10mm on a Glock 21 .45 ACP.

Now, I'm thinking of getting a Kimber Pro Carry HD2...in .38 Super.

^Nothing wrong with oddball caliber guns, just don't make it an either/or situation. I have something chambered in all the conventional calibers (Save for something in 5.56), so when i built the .50 Beowulf or picked up the Glock 31, I wasn't worried about such things. (And if you really want to get rid of that Automag, message me.)

I know, I know.

Sure, I didn't start out with odd calibers. I've got plenty of guns in popular calibers (.357 Magnum, 9mm, .40S&W, .45ACP, .44 Magnum, .223, .45-70, .308, .30-'06, etc.).

I went with the 10mm because it was "cool," but the .45 version of the same gun would've ultimately been more practical and useful. I still think the 10mm is a great cartridge with a lot of potential, and it seems to be on something of a comeback these days, so we'll see.

I don't yet own anything in .357 SIG or .38 Super, and I'd kinda like to have guns in these calibers, even though I realize they're a bit impractical (the .357 SIG less so than the Super). I also want one of the new .327 Magnums, maybe the Ruger LCR. A modern .32 magnum in a modern gun should be a real game-changer, .357-like power in either a smaller package, or the same package with an extra shot.

I nearly bought a 6.8mm Remington SPC AR several years back. REALLY glad I didn't do that. And I think I'll always be able to hold off the temptation for a .41 Magnum.

I could never part with it (though in retrospect I wish I'd bought the Python). I love the damned thing, though I haven't shot it in about 20 years as .45 Winchester Magnum ammo is a bit hard to come by. My best friend's dad named it "the Hand Slapper," because it's essentially .44 Magnum power in a package that weighs about half what a Desert Eagle does.

I love the 357 sig round. Recoil is light and easy to control. The muzzle flash is noticable, though, I'd like to see something with a longer barrel chamber the round.

The .357 SIG should be a really great cartridge (and, by most accounts, it is). The standard loading pretty much duplicates the old 125 grain .357 Magnum load that has been a very effective stopper.

Having bought one SIG--the P238--and been really impressed with it, I'd like to acquire another one. (Well, maybe two; I definitely have to get a SIG P220.) And I've been thinking about the SIG P239...and in the .357 SIG caliber. I think this would make a nice, compact little blaster.

Why, are you moving to Mexico?

No, I just don't have a pistol in that caliber.

I'll probably get the .45 version.

So I'm curious - what exactly are the legal obstacles that keep me from going to the land of maple syrup and buying an SKS or some other old military surplus rifle for myself?

Good question! What are the rules for buying a rifle up there? Do you have to prove citizenship?

You should be able to switch between .357 and .40 with just a barrel swap. I know it's that way for the P229.

Yeah, I just saw a video on YouTube where the guy does the conversion. Quick and easy. That's the best of both worlds!

The more I look at the .357 SIG, the better it looks. 500-600 ft-lbs of energy on a 125 grain projectile from a 4 inch barrel? That's definitely into .357 Magnum territory. It's too bad it hasn't caught on quite like the .40 S&W has.

(Edit: just did a little Googling, and it looks like the 357 SIG barrel has been discontinued. Couldn't find any places with new stock. )

(Edit part deux: however, the .40 conversion barrel seems to be available. Maybe I can find the gun in .357 SIG and get the .40 barrel, rather than the other way around.)

(Edit part three: it occurs to me that the barrels have to be available SOMEHOW if SIG still makes the gun.)

I'm just not a fan of .40S&W anymore. The ballistics and choice of rounds in 9mm Para have come a long way in the last five years or so. Until recently, the only 9mm Para round I'd be willing to bet my life on was Federal's 115gr +P+. But, that's just not the case anymore and I think .40S&W has joined 10mm in becoming a solution in search of a problem.

I got a Glock 27 a year or so back, and I realize now the 9mm Model 26 would've been the better choice. .40's a little too much in a small gun, and it has little statistical advantage over a 9mm with good defense loads. And you get an extra shot with the 9mm.

I'm going to make amends by getting a 9mm S&W Shield later this year.

I still keep a .45 on hand for any visitors in the middle of the night, but I'm coming back around to the 9mm, too. Once you get into the realm of 90+% one shot stops, it matters little whether the hole is .45 or .36 in diameter.

Unfortunately, California is making it impossible to even possess magazines of over 10 rounds, so the 9mm's biggest advantage--firepower--might be lost.

Oh, I don't own any of them. I simplified a few years ago. I've still got a Ruger MK II Target that I learned to shoot with and will be the gun my son learns to shoot with. But, aside from that and my trusty old P220, I got rid of every semi-auto that wasn't a 1911. Now, I have ended up accumulating several more 1911's, but can you ever really have enough 1911's? I still have a plethora of wheel guns, but I decided to stop hopping calibers on semi-autos.

As of this writing, I only own one 1911--a no-frills Springfield Armory government model--but I intend to get a couple more. I've already mentioned the Kimber Pro Carry HDII I've been looking at. The same shop has an Ed Brown Kobra Carry that just looks awesome, but I'm not sure it's worth the huge outlay. Selection of 1911s is pretty limited in California.

I've really only just started with revolvers, though I've had a Taurus .44 Magnum from way back, and it's a decent-shooting, good-looking gun. Two years ago, I bought the S&W R8 and absolutely loved it. A 629 followed, then a 500, and, most recently, a 686 (Performance Center 7X!). I've got a Freedom Arms Model 83 on layaway now. Don't know what will be next. I'm wanting to try the Chiappa Rhino, even though they're the butt-ugliest revolvers I've ever seen. Or maybe a J-frame.

I picked up a new stainless Kimber TLE several years ago and was massively disappointed in the build quality. While shuffling around pistols in my safe, I noticed that the Kimber was significantly lighter than a similar 5" carbon steel 1911. When I disassembled it I learned, much to my surprise, that many of the internals were made out of base (aka pot) metal. This is the weapon they were selling to Law Enforcement as the greatest thing since sliced bread. When I called the company to verify that I hadn't been duped, second level tech support said it was a cost cutting decision they made to win the FBI and USMC contracts. I sold that can of worms and have never, even for a moment, considered buying or recommending another of their products. Make the store take the slide off before you buy it and look for yourself. If they refuse, don't buy from them. Or, simply hold the Kimber and a similarly equipped 4" barreled model from another company in your other hand and see for yourself. I didn't notice the difference until I held one in each hand, which lead me to strip it all the way down before simply lubricating it before the first function test.

Since you opened the semi-custom market discussion by mentioning Ed Brown, Les Baer has 10 1911's that are CA legal including my daily carry piece. I've also been pleasantly surprised by Nighthawk's quality. Oh, and while they make the absolute best 1911 magazine money can buy (47D), don't buy a Wilson. It's overpriced garbage.

As far as wheel guns go, I'm pretty much a S&W guy. But, if you want a relatively cheap gun that's nostalgic and just plain old fun to shoot, look at a Ruger Super Blackhawk.

Anyone ever hear of FNM of Portugal as an ammo manufacturer? Are they any good?

I've heard of them. For self-defense or hunting rounds? Not a chance. Stick with Hornady, Federal, Winchester, and Remington. But, for cheap stuff to plink with at the range? It's fine. Just be sure you clean the weapon immediately after shooting it because they have some serious issues with corrosion.