Mega Rad Gun Thread

[WASR96]

Why is there an office chair in his bathroom? The counter is covered in as much shit as I'd expect from someone like this.

I love how he got a B5 stock but then he apparently ran out of money for a decent optic, replacing the A2 style handguards, and getting a PMAG (or is this what those shitty coompliant unremovable mags look like?)

 

[Agares]

Alright so I've finally figured out what I want for my minimalist collection. My Glock 19 is for home defense and my Smith and Wesson 637 is for personal defense. But I realized that I also want something with a bit more range and accuracy. HOWEVER, I also don't want something that needs a ton of magazines and other accessories because those take up space that I don't have to spare. Not really interested in shotguns either because of the ammo bulk.

I'm still not sure about getting the Ruger PC Carbine. Other options I'm considering are a Rossi or Henry lever action .357 but no local stores sell them and I don't want to do the online order song and dance again. Shipping to my area is really slow for some reason but if it's the best option, I'll do it.

The pawn shop near me also had a couple of interesting rifles. They have a Yugo SKS for $750 IIRC and an Ishapore L2 (basically a 7.62 Indian Lee-Enfield) for $700.

 

[The Dude]

Last time I saw a Spas go for that cheap was because it had the old style of safety that wouldn't work if the slide wasn't in the correct position can't remember if that's the crossbolt or swinging lever but this one wasn't recalled and the seller made you sign something agreeing that you knew what you were getting. And also don't Spas' have rubber buffers inside them that are like an absolute must to replace seeing as they'd be 30-40 years old?

IIRC the lever style safety was the original and the push button was the newer version. And yeah, the SPAS has a rubber buffer internally that ends up drying out and crumbling. They're a bitch to replace since Franchi doesn't make them anymore and I'm sure they have long run out of NOS parts.

 

[Agares]

This is like choosing a flavor of ice cream from the world's largest ice cream shop. A local store has an online exclusive offer for a Rossi R92 in stainless for $679 and in store pickup. Stainless is perfect for my local climate too.

I just might...

 

[WhoBusTank69]

But I realized that I also want something with a bit more range and accuracy. HOWEVER, I also don't want something that needs a ton of magazines and other accessories because those take up space that I don't have to spare. Not really interested in shotguns either because of the ammo bulk.

You'll have to be more specific on your needs and hypothetical situations. A basic bitch AR in A2/A4 configuration will do all of that and more. Three mags will serve you well enough.

Ruger PC Carbine

Nothing wrong with it aside from being ugly as fuck. Magazine compatibility is its strong suit and aftermarket is there if you hate what you have and feel like picking things up as time goes on.

Rossi or Henry lever action .357

They work. Many people recommend having work done because both of them have rough internals.

Yugo SKS for $750 IIRC and an Ishapore L2 (basically a 7.62 Indian Lee-Enfield) for $700

Both overpriced, and a poor value if you aren't collecting or LARPing.
The Ishapores being in 7.62x51 / .308 Win attracts all sorts of bad shooting habits, you don't know what the previous owner put it through or if it can hit the broad side of a barn from the inside with commercial ammunition or if you need to reload to land it within the same zipcode of your target.
As far as the SKS goes, you do not want it as a practical rifle when any flavor of AR or AK gets you a bigger bang for your buck. Stripper clips suck and the SKS has no inherent advantage in accuracy over the AK.

 

[Agares]

You'll have to be more specific on your needs and hypothetical situations. A basic bitch AR in A2/A4 configuration will do all of that and more. Three mags will serve you well enough.

A local pawn shop has a Ruger Ar 556 for under $600. Doesn't get more basic bitch AR than that and Ruger's stuff is pretty solid for the price. I'm not excited about the prospect of spending 47 cents per round on .223/5.56 though

Nothing wrong with it aside from being ugly as fuck. Magazine compatibility is its strong suit and aftermarket is there if you hate what you have and feel like picking things up as time goes on.

This is an option but I have my apprehensions. I have a fuckload of 9mm but I also want a long gun that's a bit more powerful than a 9mm PCC. Which is why I'm looking at .357/.38 leverguns.

Both overpriced, and a poor value if you aren't collecting or LARPing.
The Ishapores being in 7.62x51 / .308 Win attracts all sorts of bad shooting habits, you don't know what the previous owner put it through or if it can hit the broad side of a barn from the inside with commercial ammunition or if you need to reload to land it within the same zipcode of your target.
As far as the SKS goes, you do not want it as a practical rifle when any flavor of AR or AK gets you a bigger bang for your buck. Stripper clips suck and the SKS has no inherent advantage in accuracy over the AK.

I actually like being able to load the individual rounds and not have to worry about mags. Maybe it's just me but it's easier at the range. But you're right about surplus being impractical in the current year.

 

[DocAwe]

Unless it's just the "surplus" thing that attracts you to the Ishapore they are kinda meh.
A 1916 Spanish Mauser is way cheaper and performs about the same. (And looks better doing it)
In truth any modern bolt action rifle in .308 will kick the shit out of any milsurp.
Check out a Savage Axis or Ruger American.
The SKS has risen to WTF money and no longer worth it unless you're collecting at this point.
You could take that same amount of money you would spend on that SKS+ Ishapore and go buy a Galil ACE in .308 or an AR-10 type.

 

[74164978231]

Armslist still any good? Had great success with it selling stuff before it went pay 2 post but after 2-3 years ive accumulated a lot of stuff i want to get rid of.

 

[WhoBusTank69]

I'm not excited about the prospect of spending 47 cents per round on .223/5.56 though

And you think .357 Magnum is a sensible alternative?

 

[Agares]

And you think .357 Magnum is a sensible alternative?

Kind of. It has more range than 9mm plus a .357 magnum can also shoot .38 so there's more ammo options.

Unless it's just the "surplus" thing that attracts you to the Ishapore they are kinda meh.
A 1916 Spanish Mauser is way cheaper and performs about the same. (And looks better doing it)
In truth any modern bolt action rifle in .308 will kick the shit out of any milsurp.
Check out a Savage Axis or Ruger American.
The SKS has risen to WTF money and no longer worth it unless you're collecting at this point.
You could take that same amount of money you would spend on that SKS+ Ishapore and go buy a Galil ACE in .308 or an AR-10 type.

I'd prefer a rifle with decent iron sights though. I don't really have the time or patience to zero in an optic. Also, I forgot about the different Spanish Mauser variants. Haven't seen any M1916's for sale online in years though. And FR-8's for that matter. I would not mind one of those either.

 

[The Dude]

If I were going to get a lever rifle I'd save up just a bit more and get either a Winchester, Marlin, or one of the higher end Italian models from Taylor's & Co. or Chiappa. I've heard great things about the new Ruger made Marlins. You get what you pay for, especially when it comes to firearms and related items. Then again, I am a total gun snob and believe in quality over quantity, so take my advice with a grain of salt.

But I do absolutely love lever guns. My first "big" gun was a Winchester 94 in .30-30 WCF. After modern tactical guns and military weapons of the WWII and early Cold War era, the firearms of the late 1800s, especially lever actions, are my favorites.

 

[Agares]

If I were going to get a lever rifle I'd save up just a bit more and get either a Winchester, Marlin, or one of the higher end Italian models from Taylor's & Co. or Chiappa. I've heard great things about the new Ruger made Marlins. You get what you pay for, especially when it comes to firearms and related items. Then again, I am a total gun snob and believe in quality over quantity, so take my advice with a grain of salt.

But I do absolutely love lever guns. My first "big" gun was a Winchester 94 in .30-30 WCF. After modern tactical guns and military weapons of the WWII and early Cold War era, the firearms of the late 1800s, especially lever actions, are my favorites.

Wait, Ruger bought Marlin? This is news to me. It's nice seeing the old brands Freedom Group ruined getting a second chance. And your opinion is being taken with a full sprinkling of salt. I don't bother with true junk guns like Hi Points or KelTecs, but I can't justify getting a top of the line rifle with my salary. I tend to stick to mid tier brands that just work.

 

[Mikoyan]

Wait, Ruger bought Marlin? This is news to me. It's nice seeing the old brands Freedom Group ruined getting a second chance. And your opinion is being taken with a full sprinkling of salt. I don't bother with true junk guns like Hi Points or KelTecs, but I can't justify getting a top of the line rifle with my salary. I tend to stick to mid tier brands that just work.

They got it in the Remington fire sale. Their press releases and updates all but literally said 'we know you'll hate us if we fuck this up', and so far it looks like they haven't.

I think the then-coming onslaught of new Marlins was one of the reasons just about everyone's put out a lever gat all of a sudden.

 

[WhoBusTank69]

I can't justify getting a top of the line rifle with my salary. I tend to stick to mid tier brands that just work.

Passing on multiple subpar gun purchases will afford you one good gun. Practice restraint, more guns is not ideal especially in a shitty economy.
If I could go back, I would absolutely have limited myself to primary, secondary and shotgun, and spent the rest on ammunition to practice rather than hoard a bunch of driftwood and plumbing pipe contraptions I got for "cheap".

 

[Agares]

Passing on multiple subpar gun purchases will afford you one good gun. Practice restraint, more guns is not ideal especially in a shitty economy.
If I could go back, I would absolutely have limited myself to primary, secondary and shotgun, and spent the rest on ammunition to practice rather than hoard a bunch of driftwood and plumbing pipe contraptions I got for "cheap".

This is why I invested a few hundred extra in my Glock 19. It's not gucci by any means but I have the right trigger, backstrap and night sights/flashlight to make it a solid defensive weapon that works for me. I suppose I could get a fancy RMR slide/optic and a threaded barrel but I don't feel the need to get something like that right now.

Do you really think it would be worth spending extra on a high end .357 levergun?

 

[BallsMcLongDong]

This is why I invested a few hundred extra in my Glock 19. It's not gucci by any means but I have the right trigger, backstrap and night sights/flashlight to make it a solid defensive weapon that works for me. I suppose I could get a fancy RMR slide/optic and a threaded barrel but I don't feel the need to get something like that right now.

Do you really think it would be worth spending extra on a high end .357 levergun?

Long term, yes. .357 gets memed on, but it is a stout round. And it is capable of beating the shit out of subpar guns. In fact, a lot of the manuals for even 357 revolvers say that they recommend shooting only 38 for fun and carrying 357 for self defense. I could go on a shpiel about how I've heard the 357 we have now (discounting purpose built and hot loads) is actually a downloaded variant because SW and Colt wanted to rush and capture the market for this new fucking crazy hotness round, so they took the frames from their 38s and only beefed them up slightly. This resulted in them getting beat to piss and getting fixed on the manufacturers dime, so the load was downloaded to help keep them from losing a shitton of money having to warranty fix their guns till they redid designs to keep up with the round.
Besides, I am of the opinion you should try to cheap out as infrequently as possible. Especially when it comes to guns. They save your life and put food on the table. When you buy something like that, you aren't buying for you. You're buying for the next guy. And the next guy after him.

 

[Agares]

Long term, yes. .357 gets memed on, but it is a stout round. And it is capable of beating the shit out of subpar guns. In fact, a lot of the manuals for even 357 revolvers say that they recommend shooting only 38 for fun and carrying 357 for self defense. I could go on a shpiel about how I've heard the 357 we have now (discounting purpose built and hot loads) is actually a downloaded variant because SW and Colt wanted to rush and capture the market for this new fucking crazy hotness round, so they took the frames from their 38s and only beefed them up slightly. This resulted in them getting beat to piss and getting fixed on the manufacturers dime, so the load was downloaded to help keep them from losing a shitton of money having to warranty fix their guns till they redid designs to keep up with the round.
Besides, I am of the opinion you should try to cheap out as infrequently as possible. Especially when it comes to guns. They save your life and put food on the table. When you buy something like that, you aren't buying for you. You're buying for the next guy. And the next guy after him.

You make a good case. Would you consider Henrys decent enough?

 

[Romulus augustulus]

Long term, yes. .357 gets memed on, but it is a stout round. And it is capable of beating the shit out of subpar guns. In fact, a lot of the manuals for even 357 revolvers say that they recommend shooting only 38 for fun and carrying 357 for self defense. I could go on a shpiel about how I've heard the 357 we have now (discounting purpose built and hot loads) is actually a downloaded variant because SW and Colt wanted to rush and capture the market for this new fucking crazy hotness round, so they took the frames from their 38s and only beefed them up slightly. This resulted in them getting beat to piss and getting fixed on the manufacturers dime, so the load was downloaded to help keep them from losing a shitton of money having to warranty fix their guns till they redid designs to keep up with the round.
Besides, I am of the opinion you should try to cheap out as infrequently as possible. Especially when it comes to guns. They save your life and put food on the table. When you buy something like that, you aren't buying for you. You're buying for the next guy. And the next guy after him.

That was largely true of the first .357s (and the original python*) but the L-frame sized guns (M686, GP100, new python) can all sustain regular use of magnum loads. New Snubs (~1990 to present) will do fine too provided you can stand the recoil. Modern K-frames with the updated locking features and forcing cone can take it too. .357 hasn't been downloaded much at all. most of the defensive offerings were developed for law enforcement use and are the real deal.

originally (back in the 20s/30s) they were loading .38 special to .357 magnum levels to penetrate cars (all steel bodys back then) and that was destroying guns. frame stretching, cylinder failure, timing issues you name it. this was before SAAMI (1926) was the standard for cartridge specs in the US. it could only be used in .38s built on .44 sized frames (S&W N Frame or Colt new service). this cartridge was called the .38/44 heavy duty. When the industry decided to actually make a round with this performance they lengthened the case for liability reasons.

*the orignial python was a very nice gun but was not cut out for a steady diet of magnum loads. it was essentially a revolver action from 1899 with a body kit. the new python is a truly modern gun with a magnum proof action. the frame is thicker and made of a super hard stainless steel. early on they had a problem with side plates loosening causing the gun to stop working. Apparently what was happening was that their screws were of the same alloy as the frames and this somehow was causing them to loosen more or something. it was very technical and I'm not a engineer.

 

[Dean Pentel]

A local pawn shop has a Ruger Ar 556 for under $600. Doesn't get more basic bitch AR than that and Ruger's stuff is pretty solid for the price. I'm not excited about the prospect of spending 47 cents per round on .223/5.56 though

You're not wrong. I bought an 8529 for a friend's housewarming gift. I was surprised by how nice the barrel and the receivers are on those. They have some basic bitch furniture but that's easy enough to change.

For CPR of 5.56, do keep in mind it will continue to rise and be harder to find in stock cases/bulk of it as we get closer to the election. So yes, $.47/round is still fucking insulting but it's not getting better anytime soon. Stock up while you can if you can.

 

[WhatInTheActualFuck]

Alright so I've finally figured out what I want for my minimalist collection. My Glock 19 is for home defense and my Smith and Wesson 637 is for personal defense. But I realized that I also want something with a bit more range and accuracy. HOWEVER, I also don't want something that needs a ton of magazines and other accessories because those take up space that I don't have to spare. Not really interested in shotguns either because of the ammo bulk.

I'm still not sure about getting the Ruger PC Carbine. Other options I'm considering are a Rossi or Henry lever action .357 but no local stores sell them and I don't want to do the online order song and dance again. Shipping to my area is really slow for some reason but if it's the best option, I'll do it.

The pawn shop near me also had a couple of interesting rifles. They have a Yugo SKS for $750 IIRC and an Ishapore L2 (basically a 7.62 Indian Lee-Enfield) for $700.

Just do a cheap AR build. I have less than $600 in my most recent one (I admit that having some of the parts at hand because I'm a serial builder helped here). That Ruger at your local shop would also probably not be a bad call. The aftermarket exists to tune it to your particular needs and nothing has an aftermarket like the AR platform.