Anybody here own a firearm?

[General Mayhem]

I just use 'noccers. I'll get a spotting scope if I ever find it being a limiting factor in my hunting, but for now I'm cool with my Vortex Diamonbacks 10x42. I use em on a tripod for glassing and they are great. I use all Vortex optics. Vortex glass on both my rifles as well.

I picked up a pair of diamondback 10x42s on ebay for less than $200 earlier this year and have been very happy with them. Also love knowing that their warranty is rock solid.

Mounting them on a tripod changes the game. So nice to have steady glass to look through.

On a related note, a good bino harness is good to have. I have a custom Alaska Guide Creations harness that holds all of my most important shit; phone, keys, licenses, skinning knife with spare blades, wallet, wind checker, and also my rangefinder. Great to have for spot and stalk or even hunting whitetails.

 

[General Stalin]

Yeah I got a Vortex harness too. Sounds like your rig has a ton of space. Is it bulky? I almost picked up one of the Badlands harnesses as they are just so well layed out with that magnet top and have lots of space while remaining compact but man I'll be fucked if I'm spending $100+ for a damn binocular holder. The Vortex harness was like $50 and works great and holds a few extra small items on the sides.

 

[Tail Gunner]

The U.S. Army is seriously considering replacing the 5.56 mm with a 6.8 mm round. About friggin' time. The .223 is so anemic that many states will not allow hunters to use it to hunt deer. A .270 would be far more suitable for combat.

http://www.nationaldefensemagazine....army-serious-about-fielding-6-8-caliber-round

When I read "Black Hawk Down" (before a movie was ever planned), I recall how the young Army Rangers were ribbing a Delta Force operator for carrying a heavy M-14 (Delta Force operators can select whichever weapon they wish to use). During the battle, however, it became very evident that the Samalies hit by the .308 went down and stayed down, while the scrawny Samalies hit by a .223 would often pop up again later during the fighting.

 

[General Stalin]

Striking that fine balance between recoil control and stopping power in combat scenarios is a tough task. Given it's strong 60 year service record, I think the 5.56 NATO has proved itself more than effective. As ammunition and firearm technology improves we could certainly see changes in the standard issue hardware though. They likely can make a larger caliber with a lighter recoil, or conversely can make a smaller caliber that is more lethal. Hell, in somewhat recent years the .270 WIN has become a suitable cartridge for large game when in the past it was not considered powerful enough.

 

[CaptainChardonnay]

I thought it was the 6.5 Creedmore the army was looking at (nope, it's the 6.8 Remington). It has a better ballistic coefficient meaning it will shoot straighter than 5.56.

The problem with 7.62 or a bigger, heavier bullet is that you'll be carrying less ammunition on your body and in the rifle. With 5.56 its 30 round mags compared to 7.62 20 round mags. What they're trying to do is make a bigger hitting bullet with the weight and size of a 5.56.

 

[Tail Gunner]

Given it's strong 60 year service record, I think the 5.56 NATO has proved itself more than effective.

That has not been proven at all, for the reasons -- and the real life experiences -- cited in "Black Hawk Down." The .223 was used by the military for exactly the reason cited by CaptainChardonnay, i.e., so soldiers could carry more ammunition (to wound the maximum number of enemy soldiers).

Using a small projectile can work well in a war of attrition, because it only takes a few enemy soldiers to handle a corpse but it can take up to 8-10 enemy personnel to care for a wounded soldier. In other words, rifles chambered in .223 were designed to wound, not to kill, to deplete the enemy's resources.

We have once again reached the point in the evolution of war where it is more important to kill the enemy than merely wounding them to wear away at enemy resources in a war of attrition. Thus, the return to truly lethal combat rifles.

 

[Leonard D Neubache]

When the enemy is no longer a valuable soldier of a nation state but an illiterate goat-herder in a mountain somewhere then it changes the dynamic of the situation. When you're an occupation force and your opponent's strategy is to fight to the death and breed fast enough to replace the dead then utilizing a cartridge designed to merely wound someone is not productive.

The Russian 5.45×39mm has developed a pretty nasty reputation as the "poison bullet" because despite its design being in accordance with the rules of war it's still extremely lethal.

You can see that it begins to tumble immediately on impact and create two distinct wound channels. I don't know what rounds were being used by the troops in Somalia but if they were FMJs then it makes perfect sense that they leaving pinholes in the locals rather than serious wounds. In that case the difference between a 22 caliber FMJ and a 30 caliber FMJ would not be highly relevant. Bullet design and situational suitability trumps caliber (within reason). The same round that was ineffective against malnourished Africans and Afghans could be highly effective against well-fed Russians purely because they're a thick enough target for the bullet to do its work properly, but based on the picture above you can note that the new Russian round is effective regardless.

 

[Tail Gunner]

Interesting article about the civilian hero who took on the mass murderer in Sutherland Springs, Texas with his custom-built AR-15, including the aftermath.

https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/stephen-willeford-sutherland-springs-mass-murder/

 

[General Mayhem]

Yeah I got a Vortex harness too. Sounds like your rig has a ton of space. Is it bulky? I almost picked up one of the Badlands harnesses as they are just so well layed out with that magnet top and have lots of space while remaining compact but man I'll be fucked if I'm spending $100+ for a damn binocular holder. The Vortex harness was like $50 and works great and holds a few extra small items on the sides.

I don't think it's bulky at all. The harness I got retails for around $100 new but I buy almost everything used. If you look around during the off season you can find stuff cheap. The Vortex harness you got is plenty good though.

 

[sterling_archer]

He really is John Wick.

 

[CaptainChardonnay]

Apparently the 19x is the most commercially successful Glock so far. I suggest you guys give this guy a follow, his videos are good and he knows what hes talking about.

 

[bootyhuntah]

I got myself a Sig Sauer P229 in 9MM Luger. Pretty badass gun - I can shoot tight groupings with that thing all day. Not the best concealed carry gun but does the trick with the right holster.

 

[TravelerKai]

I got myself a Sig Sauer P229 in 9MM Luger. Pretty badass gun - I can shoot tight groupings with that thing all day. Not the best concealed carry gun but does the trick with the right holster.

I miss having the Sig accuracy. Don't get me wrong, I am a very good shot, but my Sigs gave me good accuracy and helped me learn how to shoot pistols. I cannot wait to get one of the new ones next year.

 

[General Stalin]

Sig p320 9mm owner here. It's my first handgun and I hated the stock frame so I bought an X-frame for it. Haven't fired it with the new grip yet but I'm looking forward to trying it out. My accuracy is god fucking awful with that gun so far. I'm learning the basics of grip and trigger technique to get my grouping better (and faster).

 

[TravelerKai]

Sig p320 9mm owner here. It's my first handgun and I hated the stock frame so I bought an X-frame for it. Haven't fired it with the new grip yet but I'm looking forward to trying it out. My accuracy is god fucking awful with that gun so far. I'm learning the basics of grip and trigger technique to get my grouping better (and faster).

Once I learned better footwork techniques and driving into my shots, mine got much better than when I was just eyeballing the sway and relying on my wrists.

 

[tomzestatlu]

Do you guys only shoot at shooting range or train tactics, survival etc?

 

[sterling_archer]

I got myself a Sig Sauer P229 in 9MM Luger. Pretty badass gun - I can shoot tight groupings with that thing all day. Not the best concealed carry gun but does the trick with the right holster.

Is that a good first gun, provided of course one is not concerned too much with price?

 

[CaptainChardonnay]

I've shot the P226 before which is basically a bigger P229. It felt nice in my hands and I could get good groups with it.

If you really don't know what you get you could also first decide on what kind of action you want and then from there go on to which one feels good in your hand. It would be best to go to a range and try it out before buying.

 

[sterling_archer]

Prices here:

P229: 1670$
P226 Legion: 2187$

Ridiculous prices but I wouldn't have much problem paying for the first gun in monthly rates. When we consider prices my main choices would be are CZ75 and Glock 17 or 19. Good quality and affordable guns.

Btw, what does Legion edition mean?

 

[CaptainChardonnay]

The Legion is a upgraded version. If you're going to compare then comparing base models would make more sense.

P226 Legion

Stock P226 Legion, showing medallion grips
In 2015, SIG Sauer announced the Legion Series of firearms, including the P226 Legion (available in 9mm, .357 SIG, and .40 S&W)[24] and P226 SAO Legion (available in 9mm).[25] The P226 Legion included a number of modifications from the original West German P226, including upgraded sights, reduced decocker and slide release, grey PVD coating, custom grips, reduced beavertail, solid steel guide rod, and custom trigger.[26]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIG_Sauer_P226#P226_Legion

I would personally go with a striker fire pistol first and then look into getting a 1911 or a P226 after. It really depends on what you will be using it for.

EDC, the consensus seems to be striker fire. Simple, reliable, concealable. People love Glocks because they work.

Duty, the P226 is popular along with striker fire guns. Bigger full sized, full featured gun. Basically a EDC gun where you don't need the concealability.

Competition, 1911, Glock, CZ, anything you are comfortable with really. Jerry Miculek even runs a revolver.

I'm waiting for a store where I am to carry the Glock 45 so that I can pick one up for really cheap. Basically a 19x in black.