10 Good Things About Guns and Shooting Right Now

[P. Plainsman]

10. Golden Tiger 7.62x39 ball.   My rifle likes this stuff!  Uniform, pretty accurate, pretty clean.  I definitely prefer it to Wolf.  Still available for under $0.25 / round shipped, which ain't like the old days, but have you priced, say, .308 Win. lately?

9. CZ light rifles.  I handled one of the compact CZ-527 Americans in .223 lately and that was the cutest, handiest rifle I've seen in months.  Nice wood, nice stock feel, gorgeously crisp set trigger.  I now have a crush on the iron-sighted 527 Carbine version in 7.62x39: http://www.gunblast.com/Paco_CZ527.htm

8. Prvi Partizan 5.56 mm ball.  This is new M193 spec 55 gr ammo from Serbia for under $0.40 / round shipped.  Again, not like bygone days, but it's excellent, reloadable ammo, and have you priced domestic .223 like American Eagle lately?    

7. U.S. Firearms single action revolvers.  What might be the best traditional production SAA ever is being made in America right now, in a shimmering variety of finishes, calibers and styles.  I finally got the chance to shoot one of these, in .45 Colt, and was just as impressed as I'd hoped.  Make mine a 5.5" Pre-War .44 Special with one piece walnut grips, please. 

6. Michael Bane buying a Barrett .50 BMG rifle.   See his blog!  I can't follow his lead (lack the $$$ and a place to shoot), but I like the idea of more big .50s being in the hands of responsible private citizens.  Stock up on ammo.

5. The Ruger LCP.   I'm waiting a few months for the teething problems to work out before I buy one.  That doesn't change the cultural significance of this pistol intro.  I've said it before: America's most conservative (some would say "congenitally PC") handgun maker introduces a lightweight, enormously concealable, semi-auto pocket pistol that Sanetti acknowledges is intended for private CCW.  That's big. 

4. Gun shows.   Love 'em now while you can.  McCain would actually be OK on most RKBA issues, but the supposed "gun show loophole" is the big exception.  As for Obama or Hillary?  Nuff said.

3. Mass market tactical long guns.   Mossberg shotguns have broken out with tactical option packages in a big way; Remington is doing it too.  Add to that dozens of commercial .223 self-loading carbines in the last four years, from big boys like SIG and S&W, down to upstarts like Microtech bringing you a new, U.S.-legal Steyr AUG clone!  And that's partly a result of:

2. The expiration of the 1994 federal AWB.   It's been almost four years now.  Americans have been making big use of this historic episode of federal gun de-control.  Millions of new full-featured semi-auto rifles, pistols, and magazines, in private hands.  This changes and evolves understandings of what counts as an "ordinary gun." 

1. D.C. v. Heller.   Nothing -- nothing -- is in the bag until the actual decision comes down in June.  But the signs were encouraging.  I think and hope that the case will prove a net positive.  If so, it will also open up many new battles to fight.  This is high-level history in the making.

EDIT TO ADD: What do y'all think belongs on the list?  Concrete or general.  The S&W M&P pistol?  A favorite training class?  The prospect of National Park carry reform?  Etc., etc.

[tombogan03884]

11) TV and internet programs like Downrange and Guntalk, Getting good information out to the masses, (like me !)

[Dougdubya]

And internet forums... like this one. 

[mosbear]

I'll say, current production S&W M&P.
Wide range of options from just plain functional to lawyered-up (internal lock, mag disconnect, etc). I am impressed by how they designed and implemented trigger group and controls internally.
Basically the gun is three major peaces:
1. Plastic frame with metal rails, trigger group and controls.
2. Slide with striker group and barrel, locked in by guide rod / recoil spring assembly.
3. High capacity metal magazine.
Takedown sequence is logical enough, no tools required when you learn how the trigger group works. Mag falls out easy, due to the little push from the inner part of the slide stop lever.
Feels good in hand, points well. One hand or two hands grip, sites are lined up like on the fitted shotgun. Good balance. Nothing sticks out.
Can't say anything about accuracy and the trigger, didn’t have a chance to shoot yet.

[pioneer]

11) TV and internet programs like Downrange and Guntalk, Getting good information out to the masses, (like me !)

On the Outdoor Channel (cable/satellite) http://www.outdoorchannel.com/

Personal Defense TV
Guns & Ammo TV
Shooting USA
Sighting In With Shooting USA
Shooting Gallery
American Rifleman TV

Plus a bunch of hunting and fishing programs. 

[Sponsor]

[DDMac]

10. Golden Tiger 7.62x39 ball.   My rifle likes this stuff!  Uniform, pretty accurate, pretty clean.  I definitely prefer it to Wolf.  Still available for under $0.25 / round shipped, which ain't like the old days, but have you priced, say, .308 Win. lately?

Plainsman, what is your source for the 7.62x39?
Thanks, Mac,

[P. Plainsman]

The one and only Ammoman. 

http://www.ammoman.com

I see the stuff has crept up to $199 / 1000 shipped.  Still a good buy.

In fact, my math was too conservative in my original post -- that's actually less than $0.20 / round.

[uhpretired]

5. The Ruger LCP.   I'm waiting a few months for the teething problems to work out before I buy one.  That doesn't change the cultural significance of this pistol intro.  I've said it before: America's most conservative (some would say "congenitally PC") handgun maker introduces a lightweight, enormously concealable, semi-auto pocket pistol that Sanetti acknowledges is intended for private CCW.  That's big. 

Amen to #5, and to add a little to it.  The current trend towards adopting concealed carry laws, even with the opposition; no state which has adopted a "shall-issue" concealed law (where, if the requirements for a permit are met, the permit must be issued without discretion) has reversed its decision. 

[twyacht]

I'll say, current production S&W M&P.
Wide range of options from just plain functional to lawyered-up (internal lock, mag disconnect, etc). I am impressed by how they designed and implemented trigger group and controls internally.
Basically the gun is three major peaces:
1. Plastic frame with metal rails, trigger group and controls.
2. Slide with striker group and barrel, locked in by guide rod / recoil spring assembly.
3. High capacity metal magazine.
Takedown sequence is logical enough, no tools required when you learn how the trigger group works. Mag falls out easy, due to the little push from the inner part of the slide stop lever.
Feels good in hand, points well. One hand or two hands grip, sites are lined up like on the fitted shotgun. Good balance. Nothing sticks out.
Can't say anything about accuracy and the trigger, didn’t have a chance to shoot yet.

Have owned my M+P .40 since Jan. LOVE IT. Switching the mag release to left handed (me), took less than a minute. Very shooter friendly, comes with small, med, and large grips.Also take less than a minute to install.

Recoil is very manageable in double and triple shot strings. Groups as good as the shooter can shoot right out of the box. Never had a FTE or FTF once. Trigger is crisp. Oh and I LOVE IT.

Hawkfish will want a Glock insert, so I'll just stop now.

[Ron J]

Sung to the tune, "My Favorite Things" (with sincere apologies to Rogers and Hammerstein)

The grip of my SIG and pressing the trigger
Sensation of recoil and smell of bore cleaner
Tight groups on targets with no failures to feed
These are a few of my favorite things

When the wife nags
When the range closes
When I’m feeling sad
I simply remember my SIG in my hand
And then I don’t feel so bad