The Gun Owner’s thread

[RMac5 1,551]

I have a Sig 10mm with the 5” barrel, it’s a bunch of gun. 

[Armybrat 40,851]

That’s a handful of hell for some critter on the receiving end.

[RMac5 1,551]

Yeah no doubt Brat. As far as kick, I don’t notice any difference in it and the .45, both are heavy af when loaded up.

[mooseoutfront 3,643]

3 hours ago, RMac5 said:

I have a Sig 10mm with the 5” barrel, it’s a bunch of gun. 

I liked the Sig a lot, but the mags are rumored to have feeding problems being fully loaded with the 220 grain loads

The Springfield was a great deal. It was on sale for $529 and came with six mags. It was basically a wash between it and the Glock for me so the SA was the winner. 
 

Looking forward to shooting it. 

[General Specific 3,262]

So, after looking through the last couple of posts, I checked out Buffalo Bore for my SA .40 4.5 inch. Sure enough, they make some. Thanks Surly.

However, the question I have is this, which one would be the best choice for large varmints, like brown bear and mountain lion. FMJ or the jacketed hollow point?

[mooseoutfront 3,643]

6 minutes ago, General Specific said:

So, after looking through the last couple of posts, I checked out Buffalo Bore for my SA .40 4.5 inch. Sure enough, they make some. Thanks Surly.

However, the question I have is this, which one would be the best choice for large varmints, like brown bear and mountain lion. FMJ or the jacketed hollow point?

For large critters you want bullet penetration to the vitals more than anything else. Never use hollow points or bullets designed to come apart.

The .40 loaded with the Buffalo Bore would probably be ok for lion or maybe black bear, but imo it’s not enough for a brown bear. The 10mm is the lightest caliber recommended for brown bear, and there are a ton of people who think it’s too light and recommend nothing but the big magnums…44 and up. 

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4,976]

This might be relevant.

https://www.ammoland.com/2022/04/update-of-pistol-defenses-against-bears-123-cases-98-effective/#axzz7zkA3Gago

[mooseoutfront 3,643]

 

The pause was momentary; not a full stop of the charge. The lead hunter was able to start shooting from a range of six feet. The grizzly grabbed the lead hunter by the left thigh and the hunter went down with the bear on top of him.

As the bear closed with the lead hunter, the middle and last hunters had seen the bear, dropped their bows, and drew their pistols, a .44 magnum and a 9mm. They started shooting.

With the lead hunter down and the bear in his lap, he put the .45 against its head and shot his last rounds. The bear went limp. The lead hunter was able to crawl out from under the big bear.

Shortly afterward, the bear was seen to move, and the hunters fired two more rounds into the chest cavity from the side. The hunters estimated they had fired 19 cartridges at the bear; 8 rounds of .45, 6 rounds of .44 magnum, and about 4 rounds of 9mm.

 

Nightmare Fuel

Brown bears are tough SOBs.  Got get them in the vitals to stop them

[Jkwellborn 6,709]

Defensive handgun rounds suck ass for shooting humans, definitely a bad idea with pissed off bears.

[deft 6,857]

I usually carry in the basin at big bend. Every single black bear I’ve seen there looks anemic and scared and runs away when given it’s space.

[BabaYaga 15,301]

8 hours ago, deft said:

I usually carry in the basin at big bend. Every single black bear I’ve seen there looks anemic and scared and runs away when given it’s space.

Always carry at the ranch or hiking, etc.  It's the one time I'll either open carry or at the very least break out the fanny pack.  

[ChickenSandwich 9,843]

[BabaYaga 15,301]

6 minutes ago, ChickenSandwich said:

Don't hate on the fanny.....I have like four of various sizes.  My first was for .22lr ammo.  As a kid walking around the ranch I'd dump a brick in it and rock and roll.  

[mooseoutfront 3,643]

11 hours ago, deft said:

I usually carry in the basin at big bend. Every single black bear I’ve seen there looks anemic and scared and runs away when given it’s space.

I would guess that 95% of the bears I've encountered up here were running away from me before I even knew they were there.  I usually only get a glimpse of their ass end when I finally do see them.  Moose are by far more dangerous than bears.  In fact, most predators avoid humans at all costs.  The situation that you practice for is surprising one, especially a sow with cubs.  Cubs scare me more than a 10 foot male grizzly because I know mom is around somewhere and mom will attack in an instant.  I've had one very close call with a grizzly and I wasn't armed at the time.  The last thing I want to do is shoot a bear.  They are beautiful creatures.

Grizzlies have a bad reputation, but black bears are actually more dangerous.  A black bear is more timid and will scare off very easily.  Grizzlies tend to hold their ground and assess the situation for a moment before they take off.  Grizzlies will bluff charge you to see how big of stones you have.  If you hold your ground they'll pull up about 10 feet from you and turn and walk away.  If a grizzly engages you play dead and they will most likely stop fucking with you.  If a black bear engages you you fight for your life.  A black bear will not stop mauling you until you are dead or you kill it.

[Bozo_Casanova 26,492]

37 minutes ago, mooseoutfront said:

I would guess that 95% of the bears I've encountered up here were running away from me before I even knew they were there.  I usually only get a glimpse of their ass end when I finally do see them.  Moose are by far more dangerous than bears.  In fact, most predators avoid humans at all costs.  The situation that you practice for is surprising one, especially a sow with cubs.  Cubs scare me more than a 10 foot male grizzly because I know mom is around somewhere and mom will attack in an instant.  I've had one very close call with a grizzly and I wasn't armed at the time.  The last thing I want to do is shoot a bear.  They are beautiful creatures.

Grizzlies have a bad reputation, but black bears are actually more dangerous.  A black bear is more timid and will scare off very easily.  Grizzlies tend to hold their ground and assess the situation for a moment before they take off.  Grizzlies will bluff charge you to see how big of stones you have.  If you hold your ground they'll pull up about 10 feet from you and turn and walk away.  If a grizzly engages you play dead and they will most likely stop fucking with you.  If a black bear engages you you fight for your life.  A black bear will not stop mauling you until you are dead or you kill it.

username checks out

[Armybrat 40,851]

2 hours ago, ChickenSandwich said:

I carry mine over my shoulder like a hipster “man bag” when out of the car on road trips. 
Too bad I don’t have enough hair for a man bun to compliment it. 
(.357 Ruger SP101 with two speed loaders)

 

[deft 6,857]

I would guess that 95% of the bears I've encountered up here were running away from me before I even knew they were there.  I usually only get a glimpse of their ass end when I finally do see them.  Moose are by far more dangerous than bears.  In fact, most predators avoid humans at all costs.  The situation that you practice for is surprising one, especially a sow with cubs.  Cubs scare me more than a 10 foot male grizzly because I know mom is around somewhere and mom will attack in an instant.  I've had one very close call with a grizzly and I wasn't armed at the time.  The last thing I want to do is shoot a bear.  They are beautiful creatures.
Grizzlies have a bad reputation, but black bears are actually more dangerous.  A black bear is more timid and will scare off very easily.  Grizzlies tend to hold their ground and assess the situation for a moment before they take off.  Grizzlies will bluff charge you to see how big of stones you have.  If you hold your ground they'll pull up about 10 feet from you and turn and walk away.  If a grizzly engages you play dead and they will most likely stop fucking with you.  If a black bear engages you you fight for your life.  A black bear will not stop mauling you until you are dead or you kill it.

I haven’t run into a lot of moose or grizzly in Texas.

My sister did get a nasti møøse bite though.

[Gladeite 375]

I live in the much more civilized NF in Colorado.  My experiences with black bears and mountain lions is the same our Alaskan resident.  By the time I see/hear them they are running across the next valley.  We have a lot of both, and they just do not have any interest in human contact.  I have seen lots of cubs, but never been between one and the mother.  Mountain lions kill fawns in our yard in the summer, but don't mess with the dog.  Moose is by far our most dangerous neighbor. They are unpredictable, can be ornery and are so big, a casual assault can be deadly.  I carry every day on hikes.  Almost always a .45 with Lehigh Defense ammo.  

[Lat22 4,015]

If there was a Grizzly in Texas, I'd use it as an excuse to buy all sorts of cool guns.

[mooseoutfront 3,643]

14 hours ago, deft said:

I haven’t run into a lot of moose or grizzly in Texas.

I guess that was my old man long winded way of saying be careful with black bears, they be mo' dangerous than you might think 

 

14 hours ago, deft said:

My sister did get a nasti møøse bite though.

Seems to happen to a lot of sisters ; )

[mooseoutfront 3,643]

1 hour ago, Lat22 said:

If there was a Grizzly in Texas, I'd use it as an excuse to buy all sorts of cool guns.

The 10mm up thread is a blast to shoot.  Powerful, but controllable.  17 rounds of what is basically a hot .357 magnum.  I can see why a lot of people up here are going the 10mm route over the big magnums.  The biggest advantage I see is being able to practice with it without killing your hands and wrists.  The magnum bear loads are brutal. 

[Buzzrock 14,922]

Finally took the 13 year old out to the sporting clays range to break in his new Weatherby. After a little bit of instruction he was breaking clays left and right, with his new gun and my old Remington.

The spot was gorgeous. There were even prom pics being taken.

[Armybrat 40,851]

Speaking of expensive places, my oldest son just spent $1,125 on this meal for two last night in downtown Austin. 
I told him he could have bought a new Colt 1911 .45, or this Colt Government .380 that I just got through cleaning for the first time in several years. 
Paid $240 for it new in 1986, but now they are fetching $900-$1,100 with original box & papers in this like new condition. 
IIRC, it has had only 24 rounds through the pipe.

 

 

[DalTxHornFan 3,106]

7 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

Speaking of expensive places, my oldest son just spent $1,125 on this meal for two last night in downtown Austin. 
I told him he could have bought a new Colt 1911 .45, or this Colt Government .380 that I just got through cleaning for the first time in several years. 
Paid $240 for it new in 1986, but now they are fetching $900-$1,100 with original box & papers in this like new condition. 
IIRC, it has had only 24 rounds through the pipe.

 

 

That is nucking futs.  You used to be able to get a couple of hookers and a ton of blow for that kind of money in East Austin! (Allegedly.)

Edited April 29, 2023 by DalTxHornFan

[Armybrat 40,851]

Well, it’s his wife’s 49th birthday.

But yeah, pretty crazy.

[Parliament 14,261]

1 hour ago, DalTxHornFan said:

That is nucking futs.  You used to be able to get a couple of hookers and a ton of blow for that kind of money in East Austin! (Allegedly.)

Or a Colt Government .380 and a handy from South Austin's mom! (Allegedly.)

[Armybrat 40,851]

BTW - that .380 was made during the Colt strike year. Looks like a scab applied the roll mark below the ejection port on the slide.

Factory QC was at its lowest ebb mid-decade in those years. Otherwise the rest of the pistol is very well fitted & finished.

Edited May 1, 2023 by Armybrat

[Bozo_Casanova 26,492]

On 4/29/2023 at 6:10 PM, Armybrat said:

they are fetching $900-$1,100

why though?

[Armybrat 40,851]

21 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

why though?

Beats me, but seems that most gun aficionados regard older production to be higher quality, particularly for S&W, Colt, Ruger, et al. so they bid up the prices on those to sometimes crazy amounts. 
Plus supply & demand for some out of production models.

 

[4th and 5 4,914]

he could have bought like a dozen Rugers for that night on the town

[Armybrat 40,851]

3 minutes ago, 4th and 5 said:

he could have bought like a dozen Rugers for that night on the town

Maybe from a white van in an alley off Dirty 6th.

[TexEx15 17,543]

Anyone have a good gun safe recommendation? I’m interested in the Vaultek RS series but am open to other ideas.

I like the idea of multiple entry options and the tech is nice since I have kids. It would be nice to monitor if someone is messing with the safe.
 

https://vaulteksafe.com/products/vaultek-rs-series/

[Armybrat 40,851]

Looks like that is more of a glorified gun locker and not a safe. 
No fire rating?  
But I’ve never heard of that brand, can’t really say. 
Fort Knox safes are a respected brand, but getting pricey. 
Below are top of the line (but expensive) safes:

https://graffundersafes.com

Edited May 1, 2023 by Armybrat

[TexEx15 17,543]

17 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

Looks like that is more of a glorified gun locker and not a safe. 
No fire rating?  
But I’ve never heard of that brand, can’t really say. 
Fort Knox safes are a respected brand, but getting pricey. 
Below are top of the line (but expensive) safes:

https://graffundersafes.com

Thanks. Fire rating is not something that is super important and there will not be anything of immense value in the safe. More about child safety.

[Armybrat 40,851]

Most of the popular residential gun safes are not rated as safes by the insurance industry, but something like a Liberty, Browning, etc…. are sufficient for the average gun owner living in a decent area. They will deter the usual smash & grab burglar who is in a hurry, but a pro, with time & tools can peel one faster than you think. 
The Graffunders are a whole other level.

My own is a smaller size Sun Welding product out of California and runs about the same price as the one you post, but is a lot more heavy duty in comparison. It is bolted to the slab. 
I prefer the combination mechanical SG lock.

Here’s a thread discussion about residential gun safes:

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/gun-safes.847789/

Edited May 1, 2023 by Armybrat

[Armybrat 40,851]

3 minutes ago, TexEx15 said:

Thanks. Fire rating is not something that is super important and there will not be anything of immense value in the safe. More about child safety.

Then what you are looking at is probably all you need as long as your kids don’t discover the combination. 
But I highly recommend it be bolted to the floor or wall so a burglar doesn’t haul it off on a dolly.

 

[Crapinon 2,257]

There are tons of YouTube videos showing how easy it is to break into most "safes". Some as easy as drilling a hole through the door,  pulling the wires out and hooking up a 12v battery to open the lock. Many can be cut open by simply using a fire ax and others a San Angelo bar. If you keep looking uou can sometimes find real safes on Craigslist eelatively cheap. 

[Crapinon 2,257]

These are pretty good too. Modular safe you can put together. They claim to be as secure as welded safes but are movable. 1/4" plate makes them difficult to cut quickly. You want to bolt them to the floor because they are portable. 

 

https://www.snapsafe.com/

[deft 6,857]

Thanks. Fire rating is not something that is super important and there will not be anything of immense value in the safe. More about child safety.

Then why overpay for all the silly Wi-Fi enabled features? You just need a residential security container and there’s a dozen of em for sale marketed as “gun safes” at academy but for less money. Still will keep our kids.

[Buzzrock 14,922]

Beats me, but seems that most gun aficionados regard older production to be higher quality, particularly for S&W, Colt, Ruger, et al. so they bid up the prices on those to sometimes crazy amounts. 
Plus supply & demand for some out of production models.
 

Don’t know if related, but the guy showing us the ropes at the range last week grabbed my old mid-80s Remington 1100 and said “there are a lot of guys here who would pay you a lot of money for that.”

[Armybrat 40,851]

Yep. The quality of some brands & models were better then, or at least are perceived to have been by a lot of olds.

 

[Handcruser 2,805]

Yep. The quality of some brands & models were better then, or at least are perceived to have been by a lot of olds.
 

Older guns had bob and Ted doing quality control, not Ricky the robot. The tooling also led to a sometimes better product alone.

Give me an old 1100 over a new one anyway. I see them all the time - I would t buy a new one.

Safes - buy a bigger safe. Fuck all that tech.

[deadshank 24,653]

13 hours ago, TexEx15 said:

Anyone have a good gun safe recommendation? I’m interested in the Vaultek RS series but am open to other ideas.

I like the idea of multiple entry options and the tech is nice since I have kids. It would be nice to monitor if someone is messing with the safe.
 

https://vaulteksafe.com/products/vaultek-rs-series/

Keep it simple.  Straight mechanical combo safe.  No electronics.  This safe is 20 years in.   Need another.   

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4,976]

I've never met a farmer who wished they had built a smaller barn. Same thing goes for safes.

[davidg 4,038]

Put your safe in a corner where the non hinge side is along a wall. Bolt it down to the slab. These two things will prevent it from being laid down on its back and opened with a pry bar. It’s hard to get enough leverage with it still standing upright. What the safe guys tested down one else’s brand. First thing they do is get it in its back to use body weight to increase leverage.

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4,976]

Also, the bigger your safe is and the more guns and ammo you have in it, the harder it is for them to lay it down. 

[Handcruser 2,805]

Also, the bigger your safe is and the more guns and ammo you have in it, the harder it is for them to lay it down. 

Are you pre-med? You sound like you’re pre-med.

[Speedtrucker 2,071]

Yeah I went from a gun locker keeping my young children out of it, to a 20 gun safe that is 30min 1400F fire rated.

It’s not the best but it’s the last line of defense after house alarm and security cameras. It’s wedged in a closet, against my wife’s wishes, so between the deterrents and the police it should do the job.

[RMac5 1,551]

13 hours ago, deadshank said:

Keep it simple.  Straight mechanical combo safe.  No electronics.  This safe is 20 years in.   Need another.   

I have a Champion as well and love it. Yes it is burnt orange!

[BabaYaga 15,301]

Just understand the actual vs. stated capacity of every safe, regardless of maker.  If they say it's a 24 gun safe, it's really closer to 12, etc.  

Mine is from Costco BTW.  Nothing fancy, but it is fire rated