lookin at guns

[Jason Roehl]

I thought you were Saving Money for college...
;o)

You have to have all the tools for college--which is a dangerous place.

[Jay Maiers]

I can't tell you how much fun my 22/45 has been over the years, and this is from an IPSC shooter that has lots of competition guns.

My favorite is a Browning Buckmark, but my sentiment is the same. If you just want to plink, get a decent .22lr rifile or pistol. Tons of fun and cheap to shoot!
There are a couple of clubs near me that have a .22lr class in their "Action Pistol" competitions (nearly identical to the USPSA events). The competition is pretty stiff, however it's all for fun and everyone has a great time.

If you're thinking about defensive weapons for now or later, start with the AR platform. At $40 for 100 rounds of decent ammo, it's quite a step up from plinking, but a decent AR will last forever and can be modified extensively.


AR 15: Legos for adults

[curtis rosche]

Seems like an AR/M4 platform in .22 is the way to go. Any brand names to stay away from or any better than the other? at the local shop Ive seen smith and wesson, sig, ruger, and a few others around the same price, some used and some new.

[curtis rosche]

You have to have all the tools for college--which is a dangerous place.

gotta protect all that money right?

[Derek Gilmer]

Seems like an AR/M4 platform in .22 is the way to go. Any brand names to stay away from or any better than the other? at the local shop Ive seen smith and wesson, sig, ruger, and a few others around the same price, some used and some new.

M&P15-22 is kind of the gold standard in out of the box m4 patter 22 rifles. You could get a Normal m4 lower and a .22lr upper. Then if you wanted to upgrade to 5.56 you just need a new upper. But that wont be as cheap as the m&p.

Aside from .22 lr the next cheapest rifle to feed will be an ak74 with suprlus ammo. After that 7.62x39 (ak47) and .223/5.56(m4/ar15) are about the same.

[Brian Vaughn]

If you're simply looking for cheap and fun to shoot, go for 10/22. .22 ammo is about $20 for 500 shots. Ar's, AK's, and the Mini-14 all shoot .223, which is more like 25-50 cents per shot on the cheap end. Is there a particular look you're going for? Because there are a ton of body kits for the 10/22 which can make it look like a tactical weapon. Take a look at MidwayUSA.com and see what I mean.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy shooting an AR as much as the next guy, but when you take a look at what you shot that day, and how much you spent on ammo, it hurts a lot less when you realize that you could have shot all day for that $20, versus just a few magazines.

Another option would be a rifle that shoots a pistol caliber, which can be a little cheaper, but for sheer bang for the buck, the 10/22 can't be beat...plus, you can get one at your local wal-mart (Or at least I can...) for less than $300.

[Eddie Watkins]

My SO and I have 9mm pistols. We go to the range a couple of times a month. 9mm ammo costs about $22/100 rounds and we each shoot 100 rounds each time we go. The range charge is $10/per person and targets run s $1 / target. It costs $66 each trip to shoot. I have been told that I could reload my own 9mm ammo for around 8 cents per round. The loader costs $400-600 depending on make and model.

[Jim Rimmer]

If you're going to be working 70 hours a week as you said in another post, when are you going to find time to go to the range?

[curtis rosche]

If you're going to be working 70 hours a week as you said in another post, when are you going to find time to go to the range?

Every fourth Saturday when I have off,,,, also nice to have something smaller than a 12 gauge in the house, putting down the kitten the other week would have been much cleaner with a .22 than with a 12 gauge with no choke,,,,,,,,

[Derek Gilmer]

Ar's, AK's, and the Mini-14 all shoot .223, which is more like 25-50 cents per shot on the cheap end.

Not to be overly picky but
Ruger Mini-30 and Ak47 = 7.62x39 ~ .20/ round
Ar15/M4 and ruger mini-14 = .223/5.56 ~ .22/round
Ak74 = 5.45x39 ~ .14/round (surplus)

[curtis rosche]

I'm looking at Colt, Smith and Wesson, and Sig Sauer. Which brand would you choose? they are all within $100 of each other

[Scott Donley]

Don't leave out CZ, makes a nice firearm also.

I'm looking at Colt, Smith and Wesson, and Sig Sauer. Which brand would you choose? they are all within $100 of each other

[Mike Heidrick]

GSG-5 carbine is the sweetest .22LR I have shot. Its on my list for my next gun. Its super fun. Plink plink and zeor recoil. Fire the 22 rounds in the mag as fast as you can pull the trigger.

[george wilson]

A Ruger mini 14 is not a really accurate rifle. The AK 47 beats it by a mile,though I think all assault style rifles are ugly. The ammo the AK or an SKS shoots (7.62X39) is the cheapest center fire ammo you can get,or at least it used to be. Haven't bought any for a while. It will nearly penetrate 1/2" steel plate at 200 yards,too. At least the old steel core stuff would. Now,it's banned as armor piercing,which it isn't.

[Mike Heidrick]

A gsg-5 with mods - pic found on net.