Carrying a Gun

TBULL

TBULL

Member # 010
GCC Member
Location (City)
House Springs
First Name
Dan
Last Name
Turnbull
This was sent to me from a friend..

old grandpa said to me, "Son, there comes a time in every man's life when he stops bustin' knuckles and starts bustin' caps and usually it's when he becomes too old to take an ass whoopin'." I don't carry a gun to kill people. I carry a gun to keep from being killed. I don't carry a gun to scare people. I carry a gun because sometimes this world can be a scary place. I don't carry a gun because I'm paranoid. I carry a gun because there are real threats in the world I don't carry a gun because I'm evil. I carry a gun because I have lived long enough to see the evil in the world. I don't carry a gun because I hate the government. I carry a gun because I understand the limitations of government. I don't carry a gun because I'm angry. I carry a gun so that I don't have to spend the rest of my life hating myself for failing to be prepared. I don't carry a gun because I want to shoot someone. I carry a gun because I want to die at a ripe old age in my bed, and not on a sidewalk somewhere tomorrow afternoon. I don't carry a gun because I'm a cowboy. I carry a gun because, when I die and go to Heaven, I want to be a cowboy. I don't carry a gun to make me feel like a man. I carry a gun because men know how to take care of themselves and the ones they love. I don't carry a gun because I feel inadequate. I carry a gun because unarmed and facing three armed thugs, I am inadequate. I don't carry a gun because I love it. I carry a gun because I love life and the people who make it meaningful to me. "Police Protection" is an oxymoron. Free citizens must protect themselves. Police do not protect you from crime; they usually just investigate the crime after it happens and then call someone in to clean up the mess. Personally, I carry a gun because I'm too young to die and too old to take an ass whoopin'. ..author unknown (but obviously brilliant) Remember the average response time to a 911 call is over 4 minutes. The average response time of a 357 magnum is 1400 feet per second.....
 
Lucky people living in Misery (sorry, Missouri)

We will never get a concealed carry law, as long as Chicago is part of our state.
 
Sorry to hear that! I'm not really surprised though. Illinios even wants me to have the gun in the trunk with the clip in the glove box.

I'm thinking of trading in two of my guns to get a nice EMP .40 for CC all the time. It would be a little lighter than the Commander size .45 ACP :D:rolleyes:
 
A Suggestion...

Bull,

For deep concealed carry EVERYWHERE you go...consider the Polymer Kel-Tec PF-9 in 9mm.
Only 12.7 oz unloaded, 8 rounds and only .88" thick. Plus...they are not expensive at about $300 new. Put a Crimson Trace laser on it and learn to shoot it under all light conditions and all possible positions... including flat on your back. Buy a 9mm snap cap for it and practice dry firing with the laser while your watching TV until you have a feel for the trigger travel and it's break point. Then practice with it regularly. The added advantage is that it is the smallest lightest 9mm on the market which means it is an effective caliber that you can carry every day. Over time, a larger/ bulkier/ heavier weapon becomes less likely to be carried when you need it. It's the best life insurance for you and your loved ones you will ever buy. More and more law enforcement officers are carrying them as an off duty gun or a back up gun to their service weapon. The only problem is that very early 2005 /2006 production guns received a bad reputation due to early production flaws. Current guns with a metal magazine release have all the design updates and are reliable after a 200 rd break in period. The only remaining problem...is finding one as they are so popular with CCW license holders and LEO.

If know you are headed into a bad environment and you have the ability to carry something larger under a jacket or in the car... the Glock 17 with 17 rounds of 9mm is my personal choice. Effective, extremely reliable, accurate with excellent ergonomics and built in safety features. Also the added magazine capacity over a 1911 or similar full sized ..40S&W or 45 ACP remains an advantage as long as your using Corbon DPX ammo.

Again... with a quality Crimson Trace or Laser Max laser attached. Do not discount the importance of a laser for self defense, especially for someone who does not carry a weapon in their daily job. Plus...there are MANY documented cases where the presence of a laser dot on an aggressor's chest has prevented a bad situation from escalating into an actual shooting. And avoidance of the need to shoot is ALWAYS preferable over the life altering choice of being forced to shoot another human being.

Don't overlook four important considerations:

1. Don't underestimate the performance of current 9mm bullet technology. Corbon copper DPX round are dramatically improved over past 9mm offerings with terminal performance that exceeds that of past .45 ACP projectile performance.

2. Don't forget that the larger the caliber... the fewer rounds will be available in the weapon, all else being the same. There are many potential confrontations, especially with multiple adversaries where having 2-8 extra rounds without making a tactical magazine reload can make a life saving difference.

3. Don't overlook that bullet selection and firearm selection are NOT as important as training. Putting accurate effective smaller caliber rounds on target quickly will always be more effective in stopping a threat than an inexperienced shooter carrying a large caliber .45...who can't stop an aggressor because of lack of training and unfamiliarity with his weapon. Become intimately familiar with your pistol and PRACTICE...PRACTICE... PRACTICE..!

4. You will be more inclined to practice if the cost of your practice ammo is inexpensive. This is a real disadvantage for rounds like the 10mm, 40 S&W, .357 SIG and other relatively new pistol rounds. By contrast...9mm and .45 are relatively cheap and available as surplus FMJ at much more reasonable prices. Of the two... 9mm is about 40% cheaper than .45 ACP. This means you will be more likely to practice REGULARLY...(SEE #3 above)

HTH

Kerry
 
True. I don't practice with my .44 mag. deer pistol, until late summer as ammo is very expensive.
 
My caliber of choice is 45 ACP. I have a Dillon progressive reloader and reload for about .10 - .12 apiece depending on the cost of bullets. I know it's a personal choice, but I don't like a lot of 9's. I am looking at an EMP 40. My neighbor has dies for the 40 as well, so reloading and practicing in all situations isn't a problem. We think it's fun to try new firing positions. That's one of the advantages of our club, there isn't any 5 second rule between shots or anything like that. I agree if you're going to carry it, then be well experienced with both the caliber and gun of choice. Phil and I have gone through about 3K-5K rounds per year for awhile now. Last year was probably the least at about 2K in the last 8 years. My brother just joined the gun club too and now we'll be competing, so the practice sessions are going to start again.
 
I use a Dillon for reloading as well, great equipment. My S&W 3913 is a single stack and only holds 8+1 but it's a very comfortable carry gun. Reloads for practice, Hydra-shocks for carry. I have dies for 9mm, .38/.357 & 45 and really enjoy experimenting with different loads. My EA Witness won't shoot a 4" group at 15 yards with factory ammo but will shoot 1.5" with 200 grain SWC's over 5.5 grains of bulls eye that I build.
 
My brother talked me out of my Witness. I never should have sold that gun. It's very comfortable to shoot and you can change to multiple calibers by simply changing the upper slide assembly and new clips. A pretty heavy gun though for CCW unless in a shoulder holster. I'm thick enough, (read that heavy :D) to hide a large gun. I used to practice with the 200 SWC and loved the round with almost that exact load. Funny. When I picked up the XD though, becuase of the way it cycles, the spent casing was stovepiping on the shoulder of the SWC. I moved to a roundnose flat point 200 grn bullet for all my 45 autos and now no feed jams. I've found that Bullseye tends to build up a lot of spent powder residue and other dirt after a little workout, so I clean everything immediately after each session. Of course a session is about 2 -300 rounds. :) Has anyone tried the 357 SIG round. Real snappy.
 
You are right about Bullseye for sure, I clean everything immediately when I get home. SWC's feed fine in the Witness but sometimes stovepipe in the 1911 so I jus feed it 230 hardball. I have 100 rounds of 357 SIG in my office, 125 grain FMJ Winchester free to a good home if anyone has a pistol chambered for them. Next door neighbor bought them by mistake and figured I would have a better chance of finding someone who could use them.
 
Bring them to the meeting. I'll have a temporary home for them. :) that is until I split them up. Bullet one way, casings another.:D
 
TBULL said:
My caliber of choice is 45 ACP. I have a Dillon progressive reloader and reload for about .10 - .12 apiece depending on the cost of bullets.
Click to expand...

I need to have you reload for me at those prices... I can't match that with a jacketed bullet.

I have a Hornady Lock-N-Load Progressive and two single stage presses.

Kathy and I make about three trips a year to Sierra to their outlet store to buy "cosmetic second" bullets by the pound. We usually come back with 40 -70 lbs per trip.

Even at that... the cheapest .45 ACP in FMJ or JHP is between $0.15 and $0.16 per round. Add $0.02 for a primer and its already costing me over $0.17 / round...not counting powder.

Are you just loading wadcutters that you pour yourself out of wheel weights?

Kerry
 
Those are primarily my practice bullets. Since I shoot steel plates at some closer ranges for cowboy action shooting and such, I shoot a lot of Shooters Choice lead bullets. Since my neightbor and I buy in bulk when we can, we get between 4k-6k bullets, so we get a little price break. Figure about 5 to 7 cents per round I shoot around 5.5 gr of Bullseye. At 7000 gr per pound, that's a little over 1250 rounds a pound or a cost of around 1.7 to 2 cents a round. I get the primer at about the same cost as you so .02 for an outside total of around 11 cents a round. It used to be about .09 but prices went up. :( If I'm shooting JHP or Hardball, then yes the price goes up. I don't shoot as much of it for general practice because of that. I still load some up or buy manufactured rounds though and pratice with what I'll be carrying so I know the difference. There's not much as far as bullet placement. My primary loading time, like most of you probably, is January and February. I have most of my rifle rounds done except for .223, but we're trying to find a new source for bullets since the two main stores aren't carrying much of the Shooters Choice now. Looks like we're going to make a road trip.
 
TBULL said:
Looks like we're going to make a road trip.
Click to expand...

Call before you go as a LOT of other people have the same idea. On my last trip I emptied their barrel for .277" 110 g Pro Hunters that I use in the 6.8 SPC. They said they likely would have only a "handful" more as they only run these rounds 3 times a year.
Be sure you call 888-223-3006 first and ask for the "outlet" dept.

BTW I have a current price list of all their seconds if your looking for something specific.

If you decide to make a trip...maybe we can go up as a group and make it a day. Tom, You, Me and anyone else that reloads.

For that matter perhaps we can do a group buy on primers and powder to save the hazmat fees. I have about 26K of large and small rifle primers but need to buy some pistol primers. Be advised that Wideners and Powder Valley have the Wolf primers in stock and they are EXCELLENT...but about $8-12 / K cheaper than any other brand.

Reloading components are drying up as fast as surplus ammunition...

Kerry
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top