For those with knowledge of guns...

[Melvin]

The M-1A is a great gun, however, they are very expensive to shoot from what I understand. I own a Garand and can barely afford to shoot it more than once or twice a year.

If you're looking for a gun that you can use to get familiar with the sport, why not consider a .22? I've got a Ruger 10/22 that I absolutely love. Can go blasting all day with it for relatively little money. (Shooting marshmallows out of a pond is great fun.)

Another suggestion would be any of the rifles chambered for 7.62x39. I have a cheap Norinco SKS that I call my "utility" gun. I love to take this baby out and fire it at all types of targets. Unfortunately, with my particular model, I've run into a few issues with what appears to be "slamfiring". What I mean is that I'll fire of a round downrange, only to have it followed up by 1 or 2 more rounds that went off unintentionally. Buy sloppy Chinese junk, and get sloppy Chinese results I guess. (It is still a rather cheap gun to shoot, and this type of behavior is rare. Still, I can't let anyone that doesn't know the rifle's quirks handle it EVER.) Come to think of it, this was my first rifle purchase. Got it at a local bait shop for $90 when I turned 18.

Foremost above all though, is to be safe. (I know, I know.) Invest in good eye and ear protection.

And have fun.

<S> Melvin

[Maverick]

Melvin, you should get that sks fixed asap and not shoot it until it is fixed.

BTW it's cheaper to get a CMP M1 Garand and simply get a new barrel put on it (assuming the rest of the gun checks out good too) than it is to buy a basic model M1A. You can also get it converted to shoot .308 at the same time for really no additional cost, say about $225 altogether plush shipping. That would be about half of the cost of the M1A.


I would also second the idea of a 22 for a first gun, especially if funds are tight. You can shoot a whole lot more with a .22 lr than any centerfire rifle for the cost of a box of 20 centerfire rifle rounds.

[Melvin]

Not to hijack the thread but perhaps i could get a question answered as well.

I've owned that SKS for approximately 16 yrs, and have fired countless (thousands maybe) rounds through it. I've only had the slamfire issue happen 2 or 3 times in that span. I seem to recall that the issue would spring up toward the end of my shooting day. This leads me to believe that the culprit may be dirt or powder fouling in the bolt mechanism. (Cheap Russian rounds are VERY dirty and corrosive.)

Does anybody else have an opinion on this matter? Including any possible diagnosis and solutions to the problem.

Serenity, if your intent is to use the M1 for long range shooting, remember all of the extra gear that will be required. Spotting scope, dope books, shooting pad, etc. If money isn't an issue, I've seen some real nice heavy barrel AR's that would fit the bill nicely.

<S> Melvin

[Serenity]

Well, I hate to admit it, but I would probably spend more time admiring the weapon than shooting it, because the nearest range is NOT conveniently located, and my range-time with the battalion is on Government Issue weapons, so I'm not TOO concerned with the price of ammo.

A lot of you have suggested AR-15s, but in all honesty, I'm just not as fond of them.

[redman555]

I would get a shotgun first and do trap/skeet....trap/skeet shells are like $5.50 for a box of 25 here in cali....rifles are like 20 bucks for 20 30-06....

-BigBOBCH

[ROX]

If you can get your hands on one...M1 Garand.

There are tons of fancy (read: expensive) deer rifles out there but if I only could have one rifle, that would be it.

If you are more of a duck/partridge/phesant kind of guy go with a 10 or 12 gauge.  Your local pawn shop will be filled to overflowing with far cheaper than gunshop retail prices and the guns will most likely be in great shape.  Gun owners tend to take better care of their guns than they do cars.

WHATEVER YOU DO:  take a gun safety course!!!!!!  It can be the difference between life and death.  Once a tragedy happens...you can't take tragedy back.

Good Luck!

ROX

[Serenity]

If you can get your hands on one...M1 Garand.

There are tons of fancy (read: expensive) deer rifles out there but if I only could have one rifle, that would be it.

If you are more of a duck/partridge/phesant kind of guy go with a 10 or 12 gauge.  Your local pawn shop will be filled to overflowing with far cheaper than gunshop retail prices and the guns will most likely be in great shape.  Gun owners tend to take better care of their guns than they do cars.

WHATEVER YOU DO:  take a gun safety course!!!!!!  It can be the difference between life and death.  Once a tragedy happens...you can't take tragedy back.

Good Luck!

ROX

I'm not a hunter at all, never done it, don't expect I will anytime soon. Would a supplementary civilian course be necessary in addition to the standard military deal?

[Spikes]

I'd first ask what you want a gun for...a gun to have fun and shoot? A HD gun?  One to look at?
Shotgun ammo is inexpensive like Redman said around 5 or 6 bucks for 25 rds...rifle ammo gets expensive...most around a buck a shot.

Shotguns are fun to shoot and double as a HD weapon. Plus they come in many different configurations. You can go classic and get a wood stock or go tacticool and get synthetic stocks with PG's and LED fore-ends.

A fun gun next on my list would be some sort of rifle but chambered in .22LR...also very cheap to shoot (but not worth much for any sort of hunting).

Keep in mind a gun is one of those things in life where if you take care of it, it'll never lose it's value and only gain value as time goes on.

[Nefarious]

Not to hijack the thread but perhaps i could get a question answered as well.

I've owned that SKS for approximately 16 yrs, and have fired countless (thousands maybe) rounds through it. I've only had the slamfire issue happen 2 or 3 times in that span. I seem to recall that the issue would spring up toward the end of my shooting day. This leads me to believe that the culprit may be dirt or powder fouling in the bolt mechanism. (Cheap Russian rounds are VERY dirty and corrosive.)

Does anybody else have an opinion on this matter? Including any possible diagnosis and solutions to the problem.

<S> Melvin

The firing pin in a Chinese SKS "floats" inside the carrier. Slamfires are usually caused by the Firing Pin being stuck in the forward, firing position. Causing each round to be fired off as they are chambered.

Take the Bolt Carrier Out and hold next to your ear and shake it. An SKS firing pin should move freely and rattle in the carrier when you shake it. If it hangs up when you shake it or doesn't move at all You need to take apart the carrier and examine the Pin. It is most likely just some Cosmoline stuck in there. Search for Bolt Carrier instructions on Youtube.

Hope that helps. I collect Mil-Surp and own 9 SKS rifles.

[Shuffler]

The transfer must go through an FFL unless it's a C&R (Curios & Relic)...

Make sure you follow the transfer guidelines and rules.

It is illegal to simply hand a private citizen cash and get a firearm as adequate consideration...

Your transfer agent will know the rules and inform you as to what you 'can and cannot' do...

Interstate transfers will require two FFL's as the shipping of firearms across state lines is illegal when it comes to disinterested and non-qualifying parties such as two strangers exchanging mutual agreed considerations...if a firearm is a component of compensation or consideration...

Intra-familial exchanges are a special case however...the government views the gifting or transfer of firearms between family members differently...

Out

Oneway

Show me where it says I can't buy a handgun face to face in Texas.


Just finished reading the thread.... nevermind

[Melvin]

The firing pin in a Chinese SKS "floats" inside the carrier. Slamfires are usually caused by the Firing Pin being stuck in the forward, firing position. Causing each round to be fired off as they are chambered.

Take the Bolt Carrier Out and hold next to your ear and shake it. An SKS firing pin should move freely and rattle in the carrier when you shake it. If it hangs up when you shake it or doesn't move at all You need to take apart the carrier and examine the Pin. It is most likely just some Cosmoline stuck in there. Search for Bolt Carrier instructions on Youtube.

Hope that helps. I collect Mil-Surp and own 9 SKS rifles.

Thanks for the response Nefarious.

Over the years I've torn that rifle down numerous times and often find a lot of buildup in the bolt carrier after a day of shooting. Like I said, I tend to use lower quality ammo when I'm out blasting things. From what I have heard this low quality ammo tends to burn very dirty, which would explain the rapid buildup of powder deposits.

I think that the next time I go shooting, I'll stop after every few stripper clips and pull the assembly for a quick inspection. (As you know, it only takes a few seconds.)

I remember the first time it happened. My buddy was shooting at the time.... BAM! BAM! He nearly pooped!

<S> and thanks again... Melvin

Edit: For Serenity. I would recommend further instruction on any weapon you buy. When I went through BRM during basic training, I found the course only covered very rudimentary aspects of weapon handling. They taught us enough to be semi-safe and hit the target some of the time. I'm not saying it was useless, but those of us that shot expert had quite a bit of previous firearms experience. (I think we were a bit more comfortable.)

Actually, now that I think of it, it was rather amazing that the DI's could teach some of those kids to hit anything.
Drill Instructors are quite the capable bunch.

[FLS]

Serenity you should join a local gun club that participates in state and national match shooting. Everything else you need will follow from that.

[Stoney]

Would a supplementary civilian course be necessary in addition to the standard military deal?

No.  If you have received the standard Marine Corps safety classes from your AMOI, you will be good to go.  I don't know where you're going to school, but if you're at A&M, you're going to have access to resources not readily available to most civilians.  4 basic safety rules...Go ahead and memorize them now, because you'll need them at OCS and TBS, thankfully regardless of MOS.

1. Treat every weapon as if it were loaded.

2. Never point a weapon at anything you do not intend to shoot.

3. Keep your weapon on safe until you are ready to fire.

4. Keep your finger straight and off the trigger until you intend to fire.

My roommates and I used to keep condition one weapons in the house without incident, and we were comfortable with it, as long as no guests were in the home.  As soon as the guests showed up, we briefed them and made sure we didn't leave them unsupervised in the rooms that contained the weapons...

Safe weapons handling is a perishable skill though.  The more time you carry and fire your weapon, the safer you will become, as you develop muscle memory.  If you have long periods between the times you handle your weapon, you will forget basic things.  The safest and most proficient I ever was was when I was carrying a weapon every day, 24/7.  You won't be able to do that at school, but make the most of the opportunities you do have, and look to create opportunities when you can.

[Serenity]

No.  If you have received the standard Marine Corps safety classes from your AMOI, you will be good to go.  I don't know where you're going to school, but if you're at A&M, you're going to have access to resources not readily available to most civilians.  4 basic safety rules...Go ahead and memorize them now, because you'll need them at OCS and TBS, thankfully regardless of MOS.

1. Treat every weapon as if it were loaded.

2. Never point a weapon at anything you do not intend to shoot.

3. Keep your weapon on safe until you are ready to fire.

4. Keep your finger straight and off the trigger until you intend to fire.

My roommates and I used to keep condition one weapons in the house without incident, and we were comfortable with it, as long as no guests were in the home.  As soon as the guests showed up, we briefed them and made sure we didn't leave them unsupervised in the rooms that contained the weapons...

Safe weapons handling is a perishable skill though.  The more time you carry and fire your weapon, the safer you will become, as you develop muscle memory.  If you have long periods between the times you handle your weapon, you will forget basic things.  The safest and most proficient I ever was was when I was carrying a weapon every day, 24/7.  You won't be able to do that at school, but make the most of the opportunities you do have, and look to create opportunities when you can.

Thanks Stoney, great info as always! I'm at UT Austin, with depressingly limited resources.

[Stoney]

I'm at UT Austin, with depressingly limited resources.

But lots of better looking women, which in collegiate math = pure win!