[cbmyers2007]

Well, I'm in the market for a beginners handgun and I was wondering what you guys thought of this one. I made a thread over on the buy/sell/trade handguns board and I got a PM from a guy in texas telling me he'd sell me one of these for $119 + shipping . I only have one concern. I'm 18. I live in georgia and I know I can purchase FTF, but I don't know how I could buy it FTF if he lives in TX, w/o actully going to TX or him coming here. Could he ship it? Oh and does anyone have any pictures of this gun? I can't seem to find any. Thanks.

[cbmyers2007]

Bump

[Gord]

No, you'd have to go through an FFL if it's shipped. That's why they call it "face to face". I'm not sure if you're eligible to purchase a gun from a private party through an FFL, so hopefully someone will be able to answer that one for you, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

[The Lone Haranguer]

I'm not going to address the legalities, of which I have little knowledge. I also know little of "Cobra" firearms, but do feel qualified to comment based on life experience. I think you will be far better served and happier in the long run if you buy a quality firearm to start with, even if it costs you 3-6 times as much. The price and caliber are a dead giveaway as to the nature of them. These cheap guns (and others of the same ilk) do fill a niche, which is "$119 is all I've got and no more, or I can't feed my kids next month, and it's better than nothing." It might surprise you and actually get through a box or two of cartridges without a malfunction or breakage, but chances are it won't.

[cbmyers2007]

Thanks for the input. What would you reccomend I try to find? I have a little bit of handgun experience, but not much and its been awhile. I'd like to keep it under $400, if possible.

[cbmyers2007]

Why?

[Tom Servo]

I don't think there's a legal way to have the gun shipped to you at your age, since it MUST be shipped to an FFL to be transferred.

That said, avoid the Cobra. It's a zinc Ring of Fire (http://lonelymachines.org/2006/11/19/the-ring-of-fire-lives-on/) gun, and a few weeks ago, I had the misfortune of having to tell someone at the range he'd wasted his money on one.

As is typical of these guns, it was poorly constructed, would not feed more than three rounds without a malfunction (in this case, double feeds), and it was so inaccurate as to be morbidly funny. You would, quite literally, be throwing your money away.

http://www.gundirectory.com/guns/20053-1.jpg