yeah it keeps it from fitting in any of my cheap cases too.

all i got for it is a gunsock.

1/15/2012 9:00:53 PM

hahaha so YOU bought all the Georgia Arms .357 sig.

They were out of boxes by the time I got there, so I just got about 200ish rounds in the bags. They only had a few left when I stopped by.



I found out Lawmens Supply here in Raleigh has good prices on Speer .357 Sig, $17 per box of 50, and 20-something for a 50ct box of gold dots. I may just go there from now on.

1/15/2012 9:23:55 PM

seems like .357 sig would be a good candidate for reloading

1/15/2012 9:32:55 PM

Most .356 bullets don't load well, due to poor neck tension (or so I've heard), so it's a very finicky cartridge to load. I think that's the dissuasive part. Bullet setback is scary shit

1/15/2012 9:59:04 PM

so what's the advantage of .357 sig over other semi-auto options?

willy, be careful if you're storing guns in those gun socks (or any foam/fabric case/bag). sometimes the fabric/foam will actually serve to keep moisture on the surface of the metal and it'll rust with a quickness.

1/15/2012 10:29:26 PM

Finally got our VTAC barricade built, and the backyard range all set up. Shame for you guys that I live in Tennessee .

Here's some video of me shooting the barricade. Don't laugh at my groan when going into the bottom portal, my joints are worn out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txhOoxXtV2Q&feature=youtu.be

1/15/2012 10:38:51 PM

GUN SAFES

I'm looking at a Liberty Franklin model - anyone have one of these?

http://www.libertysafe.com/safe-franklin-safes-ps-6.html

1/15/2012 10:40:46 PM

spend the money and get a Drake. pics of his brochure in a folder in my gallery.

1/15/2012 10:48:20 PM

I have a $400 (parents got it for me for xmas) safe from Dick's. It is big, heavy, and bolted into the corner of a closet.
You don't have to get a really nice safe if you place it properly.
Though always good to get the best you afford, based on what is going into it.

1/15/2012 11:02:37 PM

cheap safes are easily defeated with battery powered grinders and cut-off wheels



[Edited on January 15, 2012 at 11:06 PM. Reason : but "get the best you can afford" is excellent advice]

1/15/2012 11:05:20 PM

i second drakes. I've got a liberty now, once i buy a house i'll upgrade to the drakes.

buy as much as you can afford and my more capacity than you think you will ever need!

1/16/2012 8:40:45 AM

Quote :

"Most .356 bullets don't load well, due to poor neck tension (or so I've heard), so it's a very finicky cartridge to load. I think that's the dissuasive part. Bullet setback is scary shit"

FMJ's are .355, but even then, it's no more of a problem than 40 S&W. It's all in the crimp, which is why a lot of folks swear by the Lee factory crimp die for that caliber. I never had a problem with it, nor did I do anything out of the ordinary, so I think it's more hyped up then reality would support. If you're having setback problems I feel bad for you, son - I got 99 problems, but a crimp ain't one.

1/16/2012 8:55:27 AM

Quote :

"spend the money and get a Drake. pics of his brochure in a folder in my gallery."

What is the metal thickness on sides and top on a Drake?

[Edited on January 16, 2012 at 9:26 AM. Reason : thickness]

1/16/2012 9:05:29 AM

best i can remember it's 1/4" all the way around.

with cheaper safes is essentially formed sheet metal. i've seen vids of safe comparisons and on the lower end safes if they can get to it with a large pry bar they only need 5 mins and the door is off! not so with 1/4" steel all the way around.

1/16/2012 10:09:35 AM

I'm comparing a $2800 Liberty to a Drake, not really anything from Walmart. It looks like the Liberty has 2x sheets of 11 gauge steel on the sides, and 1" of steel on the door

1/16/2012 10:19:36 AM

Drakes have 1/4" steel all the way around

1/16/2012 11:26:02 AM

Quote :

"what range would you go to? I have a pass to the Wake County range, but I don't like going there."

if i go to a range it is usually for a match. if i'm just messing around and shooting for fun i go back to some family farm land.

1/16/2012 1:51:10 PM

you'd be hard-pressed to find a better outdoor range within 1 hr of raleigh:

http://www.encfiringrange.com/index_files/Page266.html

1/16/2012 2:02:21 PM

I'm looking advice on red dot sights for my carbine. I've never owned one and don't know a lot about them other than the obvious. Price points for what seems to be similar features are wildly different. What should I be looking for and how do I evaluate what I see?

1/17/2012 12:27:42 AM

How much are you trying to spend?
In the $1-200 range I highly recommend Primary Arms optics.
I have an Aimpoint Micro on one of my ARs, and a PA micro on another.
There is not much external difference between the two.

1/17/2012 1:17:10 AM

How much do I need to spend? What does spending more money get me? A brighter dot? A sight that maintains aim after 2000 shots instead of 1000?

1/17/2012 1:32:40 AM

Holding zero on rifle calibers
Clearer glass/ coatings
More robust for actual use

A $50 red dot may be fine on a .22, but will rattle apart on a .223.
A $100 dot may work for a while with no problems.
A $2-500 optic will last years of use.

Scopes are a whole different ball game.

More important, what do you plan on using it with/ for?

[Edited on January 17, 2012 at 1:44 AM. Reason : .]

1/17/2012 1:43:33 AM

9mm carbine. Sub-100 yard distances.

I'm looking for quick target acquisition so I was thinking either red dot or holosight.

1/17/2012 1:52:34 AM

Random quick change of topic. Didn't see it posted earlier, but Sig is coming out with a new compact sized gun, p224, that is supposed to be a smaller version of p229. It will even accept newer p229 mags as well.
http://www.sigsauer.com/CatalogProductDetails/p224-sas.aspx

1/17/2012 2:33:15 AM

I too was investigating some concealed carry pistols...but I'll save my basic questions.

I did find this interesting tidbit:

Quote :

"I've been shooting all my life and done a lot of research, etc. and in one magazine I read that professional shooters dry-fire their gun (i use A-Zoom snap caps just to be safe) ~10 times more than they actually fire it with live ammo because it gives you good muscle memory and you dont anticipate the shot and jerk. I've noticed that it has REALLY improved my pistol shooting as i'm more of a rifle guy and just recently in the past few years got into handguns and dry-firing has really helped i HIGHLY recommend getting some snap caps and practice dry-firing, especially with this little LC9!"

Anyone else dry fire their guns? I think I saw somewhere that it can be bad for certain guns

1/17/2012 9:30:54 AM

it's typically a no-no with most rimfires.

it's also typically a bad idea on old surplus military weapons.

i am personally terrified of snapcaps due to a buddy of mine always swapping those and live ammo in and out of his guns. i always treat every gun as loaded and he unfortunately does not.

for that reason i see them as a tool that leads to folks developing bad habits.


now, i own a lot of rugers, and pretty much everyone says in the manual that it can be dry fired without fear of damage. they actually encourage it as a way to become familiar with the firearm.

1/17/2012 10:19:25 AM

Dry firing centerfires can be good practice. Only use for snap caps I see is to have a buddy load mags for you and slip a snap cap in every once in a while. Tells You if you're flinching and lets you practice clearing a malfunction.

1/17/2012 10:46:41 AM

I dry fire with snap caps fairly often. There are some pistols out there that don't want you to dry fire too much unless you have a snap cap in because you might eventually do something to it. I don't know how accurate that is, or how long it would take to cause problems, but I use snap caps just in case.

And as someone else mentioned, they help with learning how to clear jams and stuff too.

The key with dry firing, is to make sure you keep the real ammo in a separate room and always triple check that you don't have live ammo in the gun by accident

1/17/2012 12:48:35 PM

The trick is to not put the gun to your head and pull the trigger to check to see if it is loaded or not, like a recent SEAL did

1/17/2012 1:44:11 PM

The only guns that can be actually damaged by dry-firing are a handful of rimfires. Some designs will allow the firing pin to slam against the chamber face, which really is bad if done repeatedly. In centerfires and virtually every modern rimfire, you can dry fire it a million times and you'll do no more damage than if it was shooting live ammo.

1/17/2012 1:59:32 PM

Quote :

"Finally got our VTAC barricade built, and the backyard range all set up. Shame for you guys that I live in Tennessee . "

Where in TN do you live, hkrock? I'm in Johnson City, and shoot at Unaka Rod & Gun and Shooter's Edge (I'm in city limits and don't have enough land to shoot anyways heh).

Anyone shot a Walther PPQ? I picked one up this past weekend to have something modern and 9mm to shoot, I'm loving it. Really nice trigger/reset from the factory.

1/17/2012 5:24:11 PM

why is there a vehement minority that warn against using the slide release (as normal) on an unloaded glock? is this more misinformed ignorance or are you actually stressing it?

on a tangentially related note, is it worth picking up a stainless guide rod for my g32 or will the polymer one have a reasonable lifetime?

1/17/2012 8:46:09 PM

finally decided on a 16" midlength rock river. 1:9" chrome moly HBAR. upgraded to the RRA aluminum free float tube and a railed gas block.

site says 60-90 day wait

1/17/2012 9:09:00 PM

Using the slide stop lever is fine on a Glock. It is a fine VS gross motor skills debate. Besides, it is a $4 part.

The polymer guide rod is recommended to be replaced every 5k rounds by glock.
I replace mine every 10k.
Never used a stainless guide rod.

1/17/2012 9:50:41 PM

Quote :

"Quote : "Finally got our VTAC barricade built, and the backyard range all set up. Shame for you guys that I live in Tennessee . " Where in TN do you live, hkrock? I'm in Johnson City, and shoot at Unaka Rod & Gun and Shooter's Edge (I'm in city limits and don't have enough land to shoot anyways heh)."

I live in Clarksville, probably about 5 hours from you.

1/17/2012 9:53:04 PM

Quote :

"Using the slide stop lever is fine on a Glock. It is a fine VS gross motor skills debate"

I blame MagPul for this. Instructors and schools are moving away from basic gun instruction, and trying to create shooting 'systems' with theory-based curricula; I think they do this to differentiate themselves in an oversaturated landscape of instruction. Magpul is the highest profile with their (rather genius really) release of the videos which benefitted from stylish production and an entertainment value not seen in other instructional videos. Ergo, armchair shooters on the internet push the motor skills button all the time, when most won't even push themselves to conduct a stress shoot and test their theories.

And slightly off-topic but for a failed package 'system' check out Center-Axis Relock, created for a problem that didn't exist.

1/17/2012 9:58:35 PM

Anyone have more advice regarding my red dot questions?

1/18/2012 1:52:22 AM

It is really up to you.
I had a 9mm rifle that I put a $40 'holographic' sight on, and it worked fine. It was just for a range toy and I didn't care about how great it was.
I have multiple red dot aimpoint knock-offs in the $100-120 range. They were noticeably nicer in build quality, adjust-ability, and usability. I trust them to always work when I want them to, but I don't expect them to take a ton of abuse.
I have one $550 Aimpoint. I believe it will take anything I throw at it.

If you want a cheap toy, NCStar and ebay will be fine.
If you want nicer, then look at Primary Arms.
If you want high end, Eotech and Aimpoint start at about $400.

Maintaining zero is a big selling point. Cheaper products can shift in the base, or the dot/reticle will float around between shots.
The dot/reticle being the advertised size is another selling point.
Lastly, you are less likely to have 'bloom' on the dot if you spend more. That is like seeing headlight glare at night. In nicer dots, you only see the dot; in cheaper dots, you see the dot and a flare or ring.

1/18/2012 2:39:38 AM

I picked up a Primary Arms Micro Dot on sale a while back. I got it as close to spot on as one can at 100m, but I was really just seeing how well I could do at that distance. At 50m it's pretty solid.

1/18/2012 8:14:18 AM

guy i work with is putting this on his AK build. it looks good, but nobody's actually tried shooting with it yet

1/18/2012 9:18:03 AM

Stopped by Young Guns recently. I did not particular care for all the unsolicited advice, which seems to be the norm for most gun shops. The only two down to earth gun shops I know of are North Raleigh Guns and PAWN & GIFTS off Bratton Dr. in Garner.

[Edited on January 18, 2012 at 12:54 PM. Reason : .]

1/18/2012 12:53:27 PM

you want unsolicited advice go to firepower in matthews nc; they will make your damn head spin.

i cant imagine how many thousands of dollars in lost sales it leads to each year.

[Edited on January 18, 2012 at 1:06 PM. Reason : -]

1/18/2012 1:06:18 PM

Only reason I ever went to Young Guns was to buy powder and primers in a pinch. Wasn't that impressed otherwise.

1/18/2012 2:02:04 PM

I completely boycotted Firepower in Matthews because of their 'advice'. I had stepped in on multiple occasions to correct the false information they were giving people. When they raised their range fees, and didn't make any improvements to the crappy range, I left and never went back.

1/18/2012 4:36:01 PM

Quote :

"you'd be hard-pressed to find a better outdoor range within 1 hr of raleigh: http://www.encfiringrange.com/index_files/Page266.html "

damn, according to google maps that's only about 50 min from me. Are they really as anal as their rules make them out to be? I really miss belonging to a gun club where people actually trust you not to be an idiot.

1/18/2012 5:55:58 PM

i mean, they do expect you to follow the rules, but i don't think any of them are excessive. they require that handguns be holstered or bagged/cased up unless you're on the line and the range is hot, but they loan out generic holsters for free. they expect you to pick up your brass, but they provide brooms and dust pans. they make it pretty easy to follow the rules imo. the rules are there for your safety anyway. they loan out spotting scopes, shooting rests, etc and they usually have a cooler of drinks with a donation bucket above it. you can go in the morning, pay the daily fee, leave for lunch, and come back and shoot all afternoon. lots of steel targets, pneumatic auto reset targets (forgot what you call them), nice electric clay thrower. pretty much you just have to show up with your gun and some ammo. just go try it out.

[Edited on January 18, 2012 at 7:45 PM. Reason : dasf]

1/18/2012 7:41:20 PM

Springfield XDS (.45acp sub-compact!)

http://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/springfield-armory-xds/
http://www.youtube.com/user/nutnfancy#p/u/1/kW9p-MRE4pE

Cool gun. One huge downside is capacity and weight as it's 29 ounces and 5+1. It's almost identicle in size to my Glock 27, but I feel the G27 has the advantage in overall firepower due to round capacity. The XDS is going to be a huge competitor against the Glock 36 Slimline .45acp. Overall, the Glock is larger by a fraction of an inch in every dimension, but it is a 6+1 that is still nearly 33% lighter empty (20 ounces vs 29 ounces). Either way, I'd love to see/shoot an XDS one day.

1/18/2012 10:16:42 PM

Could anyone recommend a pistol grip stock for a Mossberg 500? As in one with an actual stock--not just the grip?

Preferably without a tacticool adjustable stock.

1/18/2012 10:49:57 PM

Quick google search came up with this.

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/69463-1.html

Haven't personally used one, and don't know your price range, but a lot of guys use speed feed stocks.

1/18/2012 11:28:55 PM

Quote :

"i mean, they do expect you to follow the rules, but i don't think any of them are excessive."

a lot of those rules are excessive. loading only inside a designated box? no reloading of magazines when the range is cold? can't even touch a weapon when the range is cold, even unloaded or field stripped for cleaning/repair? some range officer is going to inspect all of my weapons before allowing me to fire them? that's the kind of dumb shit that makes me never want to go back to wake county range.

The Dare county range, Sir Walter Gun Club, and SSI are all much more relaxed ranges with similar or better features. The latter two are less than an hour from Raleigh.

1/18/2012 11:35:53 PM