I'm a little different than most people...... I do things differently and my re-entry into the firearms world has followed that pattern.
Most people start out with something like this. A bolt action rifle/carbine chambered in the venerable .22 long rifle cartridge. They are accurate, slows the shooter down so they can master the fundamentals of shooting. However, I really started shooting by qualifying "small bore" while in ROTC at Texas A&M, so I really didn't need to go that route.
So, the first thing I bought was a sell-defense/service weapon. Specifically the HK VP9 which got traded around till I got the Walther PPQ that I have now. So, the whole scenario progressed via the self/home-defense path going through, a 12ga pump shotgun, and the AR world until I finally got to where I am now...... which is just plain "fun-to-shoot", range/practice firearms.
So, I started with one of these, essentially a full-sized replica of my regular PPQ, except in .22LR vs. 9mm. This gives me the ability to spend a lot of trigger time at a few cents per round. Then came this.....
The Ruger 10//22 in Stainless Takedown version which I promptly put into a Magpul X22 "Backpacker" stock. It also got an inexpensive Bushnell TRS-25 reddot on the Magpul barrel mount. Let me just say, I'm HOOKED!
On Sunday afternoon, I spent an hour and a half at the range with 4 guns. My new to me, Magnum Research MR9 (long-slide version), and also new to me Just Right Carbine (Glock 9mm version), the Walther PPQ/22LR and Ruger 10/22 Takedown. I spent twice as much time shooting the 22s! There were some extenuating circumstances, but I was just having a ton of fun shooting those 22s! Most of that time, I spent with the 10/22. Both of these guns ate up both types of bulk ammo (Federal & Winchester) I used without issue. I'll leave you with this: I can completely see why people say that folks who buy one of them, end up with multiples.
When you read the title, in all probability, an image like the one above pops into your head. If that's the case, you'd be partially correct if you think that's the topic of this post. That's because, in the last couple of weeks, I've been operating on this side of the "tracks" of the gun world.... kinda of..... We'll start here.
A few months ago, I read an article about what would happen in the case of a perfectly legal shooting. One of the points that was made, is that in all likelihood, the gun used would be confiscated for evidence and that there would be a strong possibility that you'd never see it again. And therefore, you should look at carrying and/or using an inexpensive firearm that you'd be OK to give up. After giving it some though, I decided to look into what is available out there in the sub (or around) $200 category. I started with the Taurus, because, I had previously owned one when I first looked into conceal carry. At that time, I ended up with the PT-111 G2 because it fit virtually all the criteria (on paper) of a candidate for something to carry around regularly, and it was inexpensive. Actually, it came about as a result of a trade for a Smith & Wesson SD9 VE that I had picked up for about $150. I played with it and really didn't like the trigger much and ended up flipping it as part of getting a Kel-tec Sub2000 because I really wanted a pistol caliber carbine. The whole situation turned out well and I still have and fully intend on keeping that carbine for a very long time. Anyway, back to my story. In the end, I didn't hate it, but just wanted something else more at that time. Subsequently, my every (not school) day carry ended up being a Walther PPS/M1 which I love!
So, what happened? Well..... due to the article, I decided to look into having another 9mm that would fulfill the role of the sacrificial gun, and whether there was anything cheap out there that was worth having. And once again, the trail led me back to Taurus. But by now, they had revamped the old PT111 G2 into the new G2C. Pretty much it's exactly the same as the old gun but they removed the slide-mounted gun lock. Fine by me! Supposedly, the trigger's been improved, but not that I can tell! The capper was that I was able to snag one for about $150. I figured; at that price, I couldn't pass it up. Case closed!
.....and then this happened......
....but that's an AR.... isn't it? Well yes, yes it is.... an AR pistol upper that is.
You might remember that I had built an AR, but then I bought another Aero Precision lower which got built as a "pistol" lower, meaning that it has never been registered as a rifle, so it can be legally built into anything. I found a KAK buffer tube, and Shockwave Blade for a good price and started building my pistol out. Along the way, I caught one of the many Palmetto State Armory (PSA) sales on a Nickel Boron coating trigger group, and threw that in there as well. I feels great. I'm hard-pressed to tell the difference between it and the pricier ALG one in my carbine.
I found a Bushnell TRS-25 locally for $50 and it even co-witnesses with some fold-down backup irons which were another $20 or so. The other random lower parts are just leftovers from my parts drawer. When combined with the special on the pistol upper kit for $110, this whole thing got done for a total closer to $300 than $400! It's amazingly handy to carry around and has really helped me to understand what all the hub-bub on the AR pistols is all about. My CMMG 22LR conversion bolt lives in this thing most of the time, and this short little pistol is just flat-out fun to shoot!
