Nightcrawler
Member
Well, folks, I only have a hundred and...eight, I think, days left before I return to the US. So close to the end of my contract, I've stopped looking for a new job and am focusing on just going back to college and trying to pick up my life where I left it off.
Anyway, I've been contemplating my gun collection at home. Soon I will transition from money-to-spare defense contractor to broke-@$$ college student again, and will have to make my choices wisely.
I have a love of firearms of nearly all types. However, I must be careful in what I acquire. I don't want "redundant" copies of weapons (say, two identical rifles differing only in barrel length), as I won't shoot boh of them enough to justify having both of them.
I have four handguns, a shotgun, and a rifle now. (I don't count the Boomstick, as it was so inexpensive to begin with that it doesn't matter).
My FAL rifle, my DSA STG58A 21", I'm going to either convert or trade in for a DSA 16" carbine. 16" is enough ballistics for what I'm likely to use my rifle for, and will certainly be handier (43" long and 10 pounds is a little unweildy at times). Plus, I can use all of the FAL magazines and accessories I've already acquired.
That leaves a gap for something longer ranged and more accurate. I'd prefer an autoloader for this, hence my interest in the Molot Super Vepr .308. The DPMS .308 Panther would suffice, too, though I'm not overly fond of the AR system (it is accurate as all get out, though).
Bolt guns would be okay, too, but nobody makes the bolt gun I'd want (left handed, 5/10 round detachable mags, picatinny sight base).
Shotguns...my Norinco 870 clone is alright, but I'm not particularly attached to it. I'm tempted to just keep is, as I'm not much of a shotgunner, but after spending a year over here I'm equally tempted to treat myself to something nicer. I'd like to keep the overall length as short as is reasonable (thinking 18" barrel and short stock), as a short 38" long rifle and a long, 41" shotgun make no sense to me. I'm open to recommendations on the shotgun front. The Benelli Nova is out as the controls are lefty-unfriendly.
Handguns...this is where it gets tricky. Whereas I'm happy with rugged, utilitarian rifles, like the FAL and the AK, in handguns I prefer guns with style, class, and soul. Revolvers, Colt autoloaders, and CZs.
I shoot my Government Model more than my CZ-97B, but I like the Czech pistol too much to part with. (I do have to remember to lock-tite that screw in, though, lest the thing fly apart on me.) The Government model needs only an Ambi safety (meusch...munch...what was that good non-extended one folks were recommending?).
My revolvers....a 6" S&W Model 25 and a 5" 625, in .45 Colt and .45ACP respectively. I want to change the sights on the 625 to something more functional. (Maybe those fixed sights I was looking at.) This pistol, despite the longer-than-4"-barrel, is a working gun for me and is the one that I will use to hone my revolver shooting skills.
The Model 25...I dunno. I've thought of selling it, giving it to someone that will give it a better home than me, as with the acquisition of my 625 I probably won't shoot it too much. With a refinish and some nice grips, it'd make an excellent barbecue gun, but I have no use for one of those, really.
On the other hand, it won't cost me anything to keep it, and I do have ammo and speedloaders for it. I just don't like having guns that I don't shoot.
I wonder if I shouldn't have gotten a 4" .357 instead of a 625. I admit, I've been repeatedly tempted by a working .357, and a lot of people insist that if you're only going to have one revolver, it ought to be a .357.
Still, though, the big bores have always enamored me, even if the .45ACP 625 is technically less powerful than a .357 Magnum.
On the other other hand, a Colt Government Model .45 and a S&W 686 .357 would make a nice two hanguns, if you were going to only have two.
Well, basically, to have such a nice, neat handgun collection, I'd have to sell three of the guns I have and start over. What a waste of money! Screw that, I can handle three or four handgun cartidges, even if I don't shoot them as much.
Trying too hard to be utilitarian, I think.
Sorry for the long post. I'm mostly thinking out loud and am just musing. This is the first day off I've had in a while and with the bombing the other day, things are going to get colorful here...
Anyway, I've been contemplating my gun collection at home. Soon I will transition from money-to-spare defense contractor to broke-@$$ college student again, and will have to make my choices wisely.
I have a love of firearms of nearly all types. However, I must be careful in what I acquire. I don't want "redundant" copies of weapons (say, two identical rifles differing only in barrel length), as I won't shoot boh of them enough to justify having both of them.
I have four handguns, a shotgun, and a rifle now. (I don't count the Boomstick, as it was so inexpensive to begin with that it doesn't matter).
My FAL rifle, my DSA STG58A 21", I'm going to either convert or trade in for a DSA 16" carbine. 16" is enough ballistics for what I'm likely to use my rifle for, and will certainly be handier (43" long and 10 pounds is a little unweildy at times). Plus, I can use all of the FAL magazines and accessories I've already acquired.
That leaves a gap for something longer ranged and more accurate. I'd prefer an autoloader for this, hence my interest in the Molot Super Vepr .308. The DPMS .308 Panther would suffice, too, though I'm not overly fond of the AR system (it is accurate as all get out, though).
Bolt guns would be okay, too, but nobody makes the bolt gun I'd want (left handed, 5/10 round detachable mags, picatinny sight base).
Shotguns...my Norinco 870 clone is alright, but I'm not particularly attached to it. I'm tempted to just keep is, as I'm not much of a shotgunner, but after spending a year over here I'm equally tempted to treat myself to something nicer. I'd like to keep the overall length as short as is reasonable (thinking 18" barrel and short stock), as a short 38" long rifle and a long, 41" shotgun make no sense to me. I'm open to recommendations on the shotgun front. The Benelli Nova is out as the controls are lefty-unfriendly.
Handguns...this is where it gets tricky. Whereas I'm happy with rugged, utilitarian rifles, like the FAL and the AK, in handguns I prefer guns with style, class, and soul. Revolvers, Colt autoloaders, and CZs.
I shoot my Government Model more than my CZ-97B, but I like the Czech pistol too much to part with. (I do have to remember to lock-tite that screw in, though, lest the thing fly apart on me.) The Government model needs only an Ambi safety (meusch...munch...what was that good non-extended one folks were recommending?).
My revolvers....a 6" S&W Model 25 and a 5" 625, in .45 Colt and .45ACP respectively. I want to change the sights on the 625 to something more functional. (Maybe those fixed sights I was looking at.) This pistol, despite the longer-than-4"-barrel, is a working gun for me and is the one that I will use to hone my revolver shooting skills.
The Model 25...I dunno. I've thought of selling it, giving it to someone that will give it a better home than me, as with the acquisition of my 625 I probably won't shoot it too much. With a refinish and some nice grips, it'd make an excellent barbecue gun, but I have no use for one of those, really.
On the other hand, it won't cost me anything to keep it, and I do have ammo and speedloaders for it. I just don't like having guns that I don't shoot.
I wonder if I shouldn't have gotten a 4" .357 instead of a 625. I admit, I've been repeatedly tempted by a working .357, and a lot of people insist that if you're only going to have one revolver, it ought to be a .357.
Still, though, the big bores have always enamored me, even if the .45ACP 625 is technically less powerful than a .357 Magnum.
On the other other hand, a Colt Government Model .45 and a S&W 686 .357 would make a nice two hanguns, if you were going to only have two.
Well, basically, to have such a nice, neat handgun collection, I'd have to sell three of the guns I have and start over. What a waste of money! Screw that, I can handle three or four handgun cartidges, even if I don't shoot them as much.
Trying too hard to be utilitarian, I think.
Sorry for the long post. I'm mostly thinking out loud and am just musing. This is the first day off I've had in a while and with the bombing the other day, things are going to get colorful here...
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