Caliber Carpenter - Member

Reply to: Gun cleaning and spare part kits included in bug out bags Posted January 5, 2024

This is one of the reasons why I quit posting gun advice on this forum. You asked about kit, multiple people give you a similar answer, and you give a snark remark. Don’t know what to tell you. I shoot anywhere between 2,000-4,000 rounds a year. Higher than that pre covid. The majority of my rifle shooting now is done suppressed. The majority of my crew all shoots suppressed and shoots just as much or more than me. I have seen rifle after rifle and hangun after handgun go hundreds and even thousands of rounds deep without requiring intense cleaning. One of my guys is on a mission to see how long one if his glocks will go without cleaning. Currently he’s at around 3k. Buy quality guns and you can stake your life on them even if they’re dirty. All I have to say about it.

Reply to: Gun cleaning and spare part kits included in bug out bags Posted December 28, 2023

I really don’t know what to tell you then lol. Even my dirt cheap PSA build I use as a loaner rifle has gone hundreds of rounds between cleanings with no issues. My advice from above still stands, I carry something very similar to the kit I linked above and usually have a spare BCG. Throw in an oops kit of springs and that should have all your bases covered of repairs you could realistically make in the field.

Reply to: Gun cleaning and spare part kits included in bug out bags Posted December 27, 2023

Honestly, if you’re running a modern and high quality firearm like an AR from a reputable manufacturer (BCM, DD, SOLGW, ADM, etc) you really don’t need to be worried about cleaning your weapon from your bug out bag. You likely wouldn’t carry enough ammo on you to shoot it enough to NEED cleaning. And if you do then you are either having a really bad or really good time. I’d just throw a spare BCG and a trigger in and call it done. If you wanted a pre packaged and easy cleaning kit though This one is pretty nice. For reference I’m saying this having gone hundreds and even thousands of rounds deep on ARs with no cleaning, just oil and go. Even suppressed if you just oil it and wipe down the BCG it’ll keep on running.

Reply to: New gun owners with questions? Posted September 17, 2023

Snapcaps can be useful for malfunction practice during your dry fire, but for just learning your trigger press and reset you can simply dry fire the gun empty. Glock triggers become much smoother the more you dry fire them, so go at it. It’s one of the best things you can do to help refine the muscle memory of your trigger press.

Reply to: New gun owners with questions? Posted May 15, 2023

Red dots are an absolute game changer on handguns, especially if you’re cross eye dominant like me. They really shine when it comes to target transitions and shooting on the move, as you only have to track a dot instead of aligning 2 sights. More and more handguns are coming optic ready from the factory now, in fact all of the major players (Glock, Sig, S&W, HK FN, Walther, CZ) are offering their flagship hanguns in optics ready models, which shows you just how prevalent they’ve become.

Reply to: New gun owners with questions? Posted May 8, 2023

I’m sorry I’m still confused, what kind of subscription are you looking for? Like for deals on magazines? Or an actual monthly subscription for magazines? Because I’ve never heard of anyone doing the latter, at least not for magazines. They are certain sites you can buy a subscription to in order to gain a discount, like a Costco membership for gun stuff. I have one to Sportsman’s guide and if saves me a few bucks on things.

Reply to: Recommendations on .308 Bolt Gun Posted May 8, 2023

If you want a project gun then definitely stick with one of the 3 you named. All of those models have tremendous aftermarket support, especially the 700. I have a Ruger American in .17hmr and it’s an absolute tack driver. Need a Suppressor for it too honestly….

Reply to: Recommendations on .308 Bolt Gun Posted May 8, 2023

They just announced them at shot show this year is probably why you haven’t seen them yet. They’re supposed to be more of an already upgraded out of the box package, while not getting into stupid money territory for a bolt gun. I should also mention the Bergara B-14 series as another contender for a strong entry rifle.

Reply to: Recommendations on .308 Bolt Gun Posted May 7, 2023

The 3 models you named are some of the best entry models on the market, I would also throw the Tikka T3X and the new Aero Precision Solus into the mix too. To elaborate on what Redneck said about suppressors, the point of them on high velocity rounds isn’t so much how quiet they are, as to how they change the tone and sound of the shot, as well as negating muzzle flash. The combination of those 2 things make it much more difficult to locate where an incoming shot originated from.

Reply to: New gun owners with questions? Posted May 7, 2023

Hi Steve, sorry for the delayed response, I didn’t get an email notification about new posts on this thread for some reason. You have a lot of questions so I’ll try to answer them in order and hopefully not miss anything. So first off I don’t usually recommend Springfield Armory as their XD series of guns are made in Croatia and even their US made stuff tends to have issues. My buddy just got one of their DS Prodigy 2011s, it’s a $1400 gun and his has already gone down hard in barely 300 rounds. Was having failure to extracts every single time and he’s had to send it in to Springfield for warranty work. That being said if it’s what you have it’s what you have, train with it and learn the gun, don’t run to go sell a gun because someone on the internet tells you it’s bad, they’re just not my preference. Anyway on to your questions…. 1. For a range bag I’d recommend something like a Primary Arms Range Bag they go on sale for around $30 fairly regularly. The first thing you should buy for it is a Maglula Loader; this will save your thumbs and lots of time at the range loading mags I’d also recommend picking up some electronic ear pro, such as the Walkers Razor slim or the Howard Leight Sports, either can be had for roughly $40 but will make your range time much more enjoyable Besides that, I usually keep a water bottle, stapler, targets, extra batteries, oil, gloves, cleaning rag, and eye pro in my range bag. 2. Shot timers are an excellent tool for training, however they are somewhat expensive and are not a necessity to learn how to shoot well. Master the basics before trying to add speed to your shooting. 3. Snapcaps are nice, but not necessary for training, just dryfire the weapon. 4. You can never have too much ammo but to start out with I’d try to pick up at least 500 rounds of training ammo and at least 50 rounds of SD ammo. I recommend Sig V crowns, Speer Gold Dot, Hornady Crit Duty, or Federal HST. 9mm Prices are stable right now, and much lower than they had been, so I’d recommend stocking up while you can, ammo prices always jump during an election year, and I’m sure 2024 will be no exception. 5. If you’d like land to shoot on in the woods look for local BLM (Burea of Land Management) Land plots. Lots of BLM areas have public ranges on them or just common areas that people use for shooting. 6. I cannot recommend a flashlight and an optic enough for a handgun. You can’t shoot what you can’t see, and not being able to properly identify your target can lead to some very bad situations. I recommend a streamlight TLR-1 for a handgun light, stay away from OLight. Optics are an absolute game changer on handguns, especially for older eyes. They take all of the complexity out of sighting a handgun. See dot, pull trigger. They also allow you to shoot with both eyes open much easier, which is a massive advantage. I’d recommend a Holosun 407C or Trijicon RMR if you have the budget, if not there are more affordable, although not as durable options on the market such as this Primary Arms Red Dot. The suppressor height sights on the handgun are made so that you can cowitness them through the optic. I’ll post the usual video I recommend for anyone new to handguns, it’s called How to Shoot a Pistol in 10 Minutes If you have any further questions please just let me know, I’m glad to answer what I can and provide resources to help guide you.

Reply to: New gun owners with questions? Posted May 5, 2023

I’m confused by your question, are you simply asking for the best place to order magazines from? Or specifically where to find mags for that weapon in particular?

Reply to: New gun owners with questions? Posted January 25, 2023

Emcee makes a good point on the holster availability, I don’t know of any of the big holster companies that make one off the top of my head. If you can find someone local who does custom kydex work that might be your best bet. Also interesting article from lucky gunner on .22 ammo, I’ve seen CCI Stingers do some absolutely nasty things to squirrels but then again that was out of a rifle barrel. Like I said, I’d recommend training for headshots. 22 just doesn’t have the penetration needed to hit deep into vitals and the CNS, which is what ultimately stops threats quickly.

Reply to: New gun owners with questions? Posted January 25, 2023

With AAC starting up production of 5.7 ammo this year I’ll be interested to see what the prices do. If 5.7 gets down to 50cpr or lower I’ll probably buy one of the PSA Rocks just to mess around with. The round itself tends to be a little overhyped in general but there’s no denying it definitely has some benefits over 9mm, namely the fantastic magazine capacity. It’s good to see so many big manufacturers jumping on board with making handguns chambered in the round though, for so long your only option on the market has been the overpriced FN FiveSeven.

Reply to: New gun owners with questions? Posted January 22, 2023

As usual great advice from Redneck here. I’ve actually been encouraging a lot of newer shooters to get a TX-22 or a P322 if they can, as they make excellent training weapons for a fraction of the cost. The TX-22 is definitely not too large to carry, it’s about the same size as a Glock 19 actually. As for reliability, my buddy has one and we’ve run hundreds of rounds of all kinds of .22 loads through it and no issues. Same with my P322. If you must carry a .22 for self defense just be aware of the limitations of the round. .22 doesn’t have the power to penetrate through bone and tissue like higher calibers, although it can make for very deadly headshots. My advice would be to train for headshots if you intend to carry it in a serious manner, the low recoil of it makes it very easy to stack rounds inside a headbox. 9mm against ballistic dummy .22 Vs Human Head These 2 videos are a great example of what I’m talking about, .22 can be quite deadly if it punctures the skull and bounces around inside. As for ammo, I’d recommend carrying CCI Stingers as your defense load, they’re a very hot load with some pretty nasty ballistics for the caliber. But like Redneck said, use the cheap ammo to build up those valuable skills until you can afford something better for carrying. Slight bias here as I own one, but if you can spare the extra change to go for the Sig P322 (they’ve gone for as cheap as $360 in my area) then I would recommend it as it has several upgrades over the TX-22 and is a better shooter imho. But like I said I own one and it’s one of my favorite guns I own so heavy bias there. Was actually shooting it earlier today in the rain.

Reply to: New gun owners with questions? Posted January 16, 2023

Thanks for the kind words Trace. You make a great comparison there, firearms are not something you can just pick up and expect to use well. Firearm proficiency is a skill that will quickly degrade if not honed and maintained regularly. And unlike a shovel or an axe, you can’t afford to not be competent with it should the need arise. Also great choice with the P365, it’s my backup/lighter clothes gun. Can’t beat it for capacity and size. I’ve shot all the other micro compacts made to compete with it and none shoot quite as well as it does imho.

Reply to: New gun owners with questions? Posted January 15, 2023

Nice Boker, those are great knives for the money

Reply to: New gun owners with questions? Posted January 10, 2023

So there’s been a lot of discussion on here about revolvers vs automatics and the best first gun for beginners. I’d like to take a second to clearly lay out my argument here as to why revolvers are not the best choice for someone new to firearms and looking to get a gun to prep with, as our lat conversation got off into the weeds a bit, and I’d like folks to have clear information on the subject. I’ll preface this by saying that anytime I refer to automatic handguns, I am referring to a modern, duty grade, striker fired automatic handgun, such as a Glock 19/17, Sig P320, Smith M&P 2.0, HK VP9, etc. 1. Revolvers are no safer than automatics. In fact, they can often be less safe if they have an exposed hammer or are single action. (Such as the Alec Baldwin case) an external hammer can catch on clothing or other obstructions and cause an ND (Negligent Discharge) This is not an issue with an internal hammer gun, however it’s not an issue with an automatic either. Both guns will go off when the trigger is pulled, and they won’t when it isn’t. It really is that simple. You can punt a glock across a concrete floor and it will not go off. Same thing with a revolver. The four basic rules of gun safety are what keep people safe, having a revolver or an automatic makes no difference. (One of the only major exceptions to this are the first generation P320s, before Sig made the trigger adjustment. If you have a first Gen 320 Sig will upgrade your trigger for free.) 2. Revolvers do not shoot as smoothly as automatics. And by smoothly, I mean in terms of recoil control. Revolvers by nature have a high bore axis, which means the axis along which the recoil of the gun travels sits higher above the shooters hand than it does with an automatic. This means there is more recoil leverage against the shooter. Automatics also have recoil springs thay re designed to absorb some of the recoil of the gun, part of how an automatic pistol functions. Revolvers also often have much heavier and unpredictable triggers than automatics, at least when shot in a double action configuration (which is what all internal hammer revolvers are) Revolvers in a single action configuration can have a much smoother trigger, but this requires an external hammer and for that hammer to be manually cocked. 3. Revolvers are no more reliable than reputable automatics. They are more reliable in some areas, and less reliable in others. For example, a revolver has the benefit of being able to just pull the trigger again and move on to a new round if the first round is a fail to fire, where as an automatic requires you to rack the slide to chamber a new round if you have a fail to fire. Not a hard procedure to do and it should be trained for, as things do happen with ammo, but it is an advantage to revolvers. However, the open nature of a revolver means that it is easier for dirt, mud, and other debris to get into the cylinder, under the hammer (on external hammers) and onto the rounds themselves. In a normal daily carry scenario this isn’t really an issue, but in a scenario where you may have to have your firearm on you at absolutely all times in any and all conditions for days, weeks, or months at a time, (Such as what many of us are prepping for) this can absolutely be an issue. The closed action nature of automatics is what makes them less susceptible to elements and debris. (Glocks can use a modified barrel and shoot underwater. People have actually fished with them before) Revolvers can be stopped in a gun retention battle just like automatics can. What I mean by this is that if someone grabs the slide on an automatic handgun, you will be able to get off one shot before needing to manually rack the slide to reset the weapon, or possibly not be able to shoot at all if they are applying enough rearward pressure to the slide. The same thing can happen to a revolver. For a revolver operating in a double action mode, (the trigger pull both rotates the cylinder and cocks the hammer) someone grabbing the cylinder and preventing it from rotating will prevent the weapon from firing. For a revolver operating in single action mode (hammer is already cocked, the trigger just releases the hammer) then if an assailant gets a finger beneath the hammer the gun will not be able to fire. 3. Revolvers do not concealed carry on body as easily. Even the widest automatics are more narrow than a revolver, and some of the newer microcompacts, such as the P365, are barely an inch wide. The translates to less room in the waistband for IWB carry, especially appendix, and less printing OWB, such as if carried beneath a shirt or jacket. While many people may like a revolver for pocket carry, I have spoken at length on here before about why I do not recommend pocket carry at all if you can avoid it. It is the easiest method to ND yourself by far. 4. Capacity and capability matter. You’re on defense until you’re not. The recent Indiana mall shooting is a perfect example of this. For those who don’t know about that shooting, a gunman walked out of a bathroom with an AR-15 and began shooting up a busy food court in the mall. He got off 24 rounds before a 22 year old named Eli Dickens stepped up with a Glock 19 and put 8 out of 10 rounds fired in the shooter from 40 yards in under 15 seconds. His shooting under pressure was so exemplary that many people have created a drill named “The Dicken Drill” in honor of him. A 6 shot revolver may be fine if it’s just you and one assailant at point blank range, but what happens if you’re in a scenario like this and need to engage at distance where it’s likely going to take more rounds? Or what if there’s more than one assailant like we’ve begun to see more commonly in home invasions? Having a higher amount of rounds at your disposal and being able to reload those rounds quickly matters when you look at things besides your classic mugging defense scenario. If you want to truly be prepared, you need to be prepared for scenarios that are not in your favor, and will require capacity and capability to overcome. 5. And last but most certainly not least, training absolutely matters. More than anything else really. And it is most certainly easier to train with an automatic. On average, ammo is cheaper for automatics. I’m using the comparison of 9mm vs .38 special here, which is what I recommend people buy. (There’s no reason to use a .40 or .45, but that’s an entirely different debate) It’s also much easier to shoot more rounds with an automatic in a training session, thanks to magazines. You can shoot a lot more rounds in a session with 15 round magazines than you can loading 6 individual rounds at a time, and this matters when people may only have an hour or two to dedicate to range time. You can also buy gas powered airsoft guns that are near exact replicas for most of your major gun brands. These are an excellent training tool and although they may require a bit of an initial investment, they can absolutely help you build very high levels of skill for much cheaper than actual ammo. The video below is an excellent example of this. Can Airsoft Translate to Real Firearm Skill? If you made it all the way to the end thank you for taking the time to read my ramblings, and please feel free to respond with any questions or comments, I’ll try to get to them as quickly as I can. My entire goal in being in this forum is to help people get accurate firearms information and to be more prepared to defend innocent life with firearms should the need arise.

Reply to: New gun owners with questions? Posted January 10, 2023

I don’t disagree at all that revolvers can have a place in prepping, especially like if in your scenario where you’re required to run a common revolver cartridge in a rifle anyway. Our argument is over the best gun for beginners, which I’ll make a separate comment elaborating on in a minute.

Reply to: New gun owners with questions? Posted January 9, 2023

If the term grandma offends you, then I really don’t know what to tell you….. Your point doesn’t make much sense anyway as automatics have less recoil for caliber than a revolver, so you’re less likely to be unable to control it. But the great thing about the internet is we can disagree and go on with our lives. Have a good one.

Reply to: Games that teach survival skills Posted January 9, 2023

I play this game a lot and it is the most realistic hunting game I’ve ever played. If you don’t hit the vitals on an animal with a large enough caliber for that animal, they’re not going down quickly, and won’t leave a very good blood trail. The use of blood trails, prints, scat, and other tracking methods is excellent. Wind is also a huge factor in the game as it is in real life. Animals with a strong nose will wind you easily if you don’t pay attention to the wind direction and use scent cover. The DLCs are excellent too, it gives the opportunity to hunt in many diverse locations across the globe.

Low round count drills for measuring your shooting proficiency

“Grey Man” vs “Hard Target”

New gun owners with questions?

Skills >> Gucci Gear