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Health & Fitness

Daughter in Law Questions Part 2 -

4.    Is that a machine gun?

This usually refers to an AR-15 or an AK 47/74/AKM etc. clone.  These are semi-automatic military styled rifles (one trigger pull = one shot) that confuse some people and others use that confusion and (small “I”) ignorance to push for gun bans. 

What used to be “Military Style” rifles also include the classic lever action cowboy guns like a Winchester ’94 that deer hunters have used since 1895, the old bolt action Springfield ’03 (as in 1903 design) “sniper rifles” in the classic 30.06 caliber, accurate to several hundred yards for deer and elk, the Semi Auto 8 round clip fed rifles, like the M1 Garand that for hunting can only carry 3 to 5 rounds, depending on the state. So most of our guns today were "Military" styles guns at some point.

Remember, just because it looks like an “Army Rifle" or "Machine gun” doesn’t make it any more a machine gun than those pin stripes and chrome wheels on the neighbor kid’s used Dodge Neon or Ford Focus make it a “real” NASCAR racer.

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5.    How much does it cost?

That’s like asking how long is a piece of string?  How much do you want to spend? and what’s it for?, should be the first questions.  Is it to learn on and for fun on the occasional weekend?  Do you want something that either of you can use to protect your home in case of a break in? 

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Or are you looking for something you can stake your life on and carry when you head to less than ideal areas or take a road trip?

Here are a few ideas to help give this some perspective.

For a basic semi automatic .22 Ruger Mk III or a Browning Buckmark in .22 Long Rifle to learn on (both are excellent starter guns for practice), for target shooting and “plinking” = shooting cans and targets just for the fun of it, you can drop $300 + or - $50 or so.  Ammunition for .22’s is cheap at $18 to $20 for a bulk pack of 400 to 500 rounds. But …. a .22 is not really the best choice for home defense or concealed carry.

An old fashioned .38 special snub nose can be a great choice for concealed carry and with .38 +P higher powered rounds is as good as it ever was for self defense and home protection.  If you look long enough you might find a used Smith & Wesson J-Frame, 5 shot “snubbie” for $300 to $400.  Or … buy a new Taurus version of the same 5 shot gun in .357 magnum for $425 and practice with less expensive 38 special rounds in the same gun.  A box of 38 Special +P cartridges sells for around $38 for 50 rounds now.  But … a little 2-inch barrel probably isn’t going to win you any prizes on a target range.

An updated version of John M. Browning’s Model of 1911 .45 ultra-reliable semi-auto military pistol is still winning target matches all over the world and is a top rated gun for personal or home defense.  Our military relied on it from 1911 all the way through both world wars, Korea, Vietnam and Marine Recon units still carry it today in the Middle East, so yeah, it works. 

Used ones start at $600+ and new ones, with shortened barrels, allow frames to reduce weight and laser grips run to $1500 … and more with all the bells and whistles.  Great for target work, holds 7 to 10 rounds and with the right barrel and slide, best in class for home and personal defense for most folks. But … it weighs in at a hefty 2+ pounds loaded and is going to make your pants sag around your rear if you want to use it for concealed carry!

So there are always a lot of trade offs for any choice of guns, and you need some real trigger time before you make a major $$$ decision like this.

Part 3 tomorrow


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