The (old) Official Gun Thread.
- Thread starter outofstep
- Start date
- Status
I own one of these:
(Mine has a stainless finish though - couldn't find a picture of one right off hand)
BUT, what I wish I would have gotten is one of these....
^ That is an amazing .45 for carry! ^
As for your post though Mike - that is an awesome looking rifle - hopefully one day soon I will be able to afford something similar.
(Mine has a stainless finish though - couldn't find a picture of one right off hand)
BUT, what I wish I would have gotten is one of these....
^ That is an amazing .45 for carry! ^
As for your post though Mike - that is an awesome looking rifle - hopefully one day soon I will be able to afford something similar.
Supracentral;1541693 said:Sexy:
It's a Hero Gear 223 rifle, Nightforce 3.5-15x scope, night vision of unknown make.
Not quite the same, but performs the same purpose for night vision:
http://www.atncorp.com/units/nightvision/daynight
pparrigo;1539436 said:So I went to the gun show this weekend (stories that start like this never end well for the bank accounts involved...):
Franchi SPAS-12 (Sporting Purpose/Special Purpose Automatic Shotgun). They were made from 1976-2000, and were banned from import into the US in the mid-80s (because they looked scary. literally), It's a dual-mode 12 guage- pump action for lighter loads with the option of semi-automatic fire for full-power loads. Stocks are nearly impossible to find for it now, so I think I'm going to have to fab one.
Can't pass up anything banned, rare, and reasonably priced...
How much did it cost you?
Be aware that it has the older "lever style" safety (which is why you may have gotten it for a good deal). The safety can fail which will result in the gun firing when you switch it to "fire", if I remember correctly. You should also look into getting a replacement receiver buffer if the one in it hasn't been changed already.
It was about average for a SPAS in decent shape-1300. May have been a bit too much considering there was no stock with it, but I'm not going to complain. And yeah, I do know about the issues with the lever safeties (and knew beforehand)- this one is still functioning properly- but really, anyone who follows the basic safety rules shouldn't be pointing it anywhere unintended even when safing it... Field stripped it the last time I was at the range, receiver buffer looks to be present and in shape. I do plan on replacing it, but the urgency isn't there yet. Still have to get a better look at it (difficult when I'm at school), but there aren't little bits of plastic coming out on the rare occasion I flip it to semi.
Last edited:
Well regardless, nobody is expecting the gun to go off when you flip the safety so better to be sure.
When it was still in the reciever, the buffer in mine looked solid, but in the process of pulling it out it went to pieces.
When it was still in the reciever, the buffer in mine looked solid, but in the process of pulling it out it went to pieces.
Got a question and figured there's no better place to turn than here, so here goes!
I finally got my tax check and have wanted an XD45 forever and a day. I know several people with these and they are pleased with the performance (online, the general opinion is good too). I went to the shop today and found a decent deal on a 4" XD45, but the magazine release was extremely hard to work with my left hand and some with my right. I'd like to use my thumb to release but cannot drop the magazine without taking my index finger to the release. In addition, the slide release was next to impossible to release with my thumb. I was told this would smooth out after firing several hundred rounds.
On the way out, I spotted a used H&K USP for a great price. Apparently it was a police officer's pistol with ±200 rounds through it before they switched to Glocks. I loved the way the magazine release felt and the rest of the gun felt great too. It was chambered in .40 S&W, came with three magazines and was about $100 more than the XD.
I'm leaning towards the USP because of comfort and above all function. What's everyone's opinion on this, and should the .40 vs .45 argument affect my choice?
I finally got my tax check and have wanted an XD45 forever and a day. I know several people with these and they are pleased with the performance (online, the general opinion is good too). I went to the shop today and found a decent deal on a 4" XD45, but the magazine release was extremely hard to work with my left hand and some with my right. I'd like to use my thumb to release but cannot drop the magazine without taking my index finger to the release. In addition, the slide release was next to impossible to release with my thumb. I was told this would smooth out after firing several hundred rounds.
On the way out, I spotted a used H&K USP for a great price. Apparently it was a police officer's pistol with ±200 rounds through it before they switched to Glocks. I loved the way the magazine release felt and the rest of the gun felt great too. It was chambered in .40 S&W, came with three magazines and was about $100 more than the XD.
I'm leaning towards the USP because of comfort and above all function. What's everyone's opinion on this, and should the .40 vs .45 argument affect my choice?
Clip;1552196 said:
A firearm that you are comfortable with, can operate consistently, comfortably and accurately is far more important than caliber.
And in all honesty, the differences between .40 S&W and .45 ACP aren't that large.
My daily carry 230 gr .45 ACP rounds run at 950 ft/sec and 461 ft/lbs.
The equivalent 180 gr .40 S&W round runs at 950 ft/sec and 361 ft/lbs.
That's not a tremendous difference, yes less energy transfer with the .40 than the .45, but either is a pretty devastating hit to a man sized target . Both are more than large enough to do the job and for a defensive pistol, you're not going to really see that much of a difference in terminal ballistics when it comes down to it.
Get the gun that works for you, practice, practice, practice. I chose .45 ACP years ago as a daily defensive carry round for two reasons; because it's slow (less chance of overpenetration) and it develops a fairly massive wound cavity. I have very large hands, so a large frame .45 feels good to me. I'm not really concerned about large capacity mags because quite honestly, I don't miss that often.
(People on this site who have gone shooting with me can tell you this isn't an idle boast, I've worked very hard to become more than "good" with a pistol)I've fired several .40 S&W guns, and I like them quite a bit. Don't get bogged down in some preconceived notion about a specific caliber. Try different guns, find one that works for you. Provided you're talking about anything larger than .380 auto, you've got plenty of "power" to get the job done.
Well placed shots delivered with accuracy and consistency are worth a lot more than a big bore that you can't operate or can't hit anything with. If you're fumbling with slide controls and safeties and aren't comfortable with the gun, you're more likely to not be able to get the shot off accurately when you need it most.
Here's something that's fun to do. Go to an outdoor range. Run around outside of the shooting area for a good 2-3 minutes. Then step up to the shooting area and fire - that's a pretty good simulation of the kind of condition your body will be in if you're ever faced with a defensive shooting situation; hot, sweaty, full of adrenaline and out of breath. If you can handle a gun, and fire it accurately under those conditions, you're ready to be a defensive shooter. You're never going to get there if you aren't comfortable with the gun you're using.
If you are thinking about a full size USP 40/45, I hope you have decent sized hands. It isn't the easiest gun to conceal either, but I make it happen. Mike has seen my .45Tac - it is quite a large gun. Those are the only negative things about the gun [for me].
If you are buying a used USP, especially if you KNOW it is from law enforcement, FIND OUT WHICH VARIANT! I would not have a LE variant; a V1 [V2 if you are lefty] is my preference. The V1 is the DA/SA variant with safety and decocking lever.
I'm not sure exactly how much I have shot, but I know that I have put well over 500 rounds through mine. Aside from one or two [yes, it was that rare] feed problems when the gun was first being broken in, the only FTF problems I had came from one 50 round box of one brand of ammunition [Independence 230gr - I absolutely will not use that brand again, as my accuracy SUCKED with it, and the gun FTF every other round]. Most of what I use is Winchester "white box" 230gr. The gun is very accurate, even for someone with such limited pistol experience. I have medium sized hands, and my wife has very small hands. She and I both had no problem managing recoil, and the bullet struck center, first shot.
DA trigger pull is not bad at all, and SA trigger pull is VERY light and nice, but the Tac model has a different [adjustable] trigger than standard USPs, to which I have no experience for comparison.
I am considering something else for concealed carry, but for open carry or a SHTF full-time sidearm, my USP is -THE- gun for me.
Just more info and another opinion to help you make a decision.
If you are buying a used USP, especially if you KNOW it is from law enforcement, FIND OUT WHICH VARIANT! I would not have a LE variant; a V1 [V2 if you are lefty] is my preference. The V1 is the DA/SA variant with safety and decocking lever.
I'm not sure exactly how much I have shot, but I know that I have put well over 500 rounds through mine. Aside from one or two [yes, it was that rare] feed problems when the gun was first being broken in, the only FTF problems I had came from one 50 round box of one brand of ammunition [Independence 230gr - I absolutely will not use that brand again, as my accuracy SUCKED with it, and the gun FTF every other round]. Most of what I use is Winchester "white box" 230gr. The gun is very accurate, even for someone with such limited pistol experience. I have medium sized hands, and my wife has very small hands. She and I both had no problem managing recoil, and the bullet struck center, first shot.
DA trigger pull is not bad at all, and SA trigger pull is VERY light and nice, but the Tac model has a different [adjustable] trigger than standard USPs, to which I have no experience for comparison.
I am considering something else for concealed carry, but for open carry or a SHTF full-time sidearm, my USP is -THE- gun for me.
Just more info and another opinion to help you make a decision.
drunk_medic;1552664 said:
Bring your gun over this weekend and we'll take some side by side photos of it next to my PT-945. That USP is huge. Not so much of a big deal here in GA as we don't have to conceal, but it is a consideration.
thanks for the advice, I picked it up this afternoon. Should have some pictures tomorrow. I couldn't pass up the deal I got even though it is a LE variant 3, but I'd like to switch to v2 or ambidextrous. Also have three magazines that are labeled LE/govt use only. As for the large hands, mine barely fit on the grip with the magazine in, with about 1/4 my pinky hanging off if the magazine is out.
I've read most everywhere that an HK certified armorer has to change the variants, but I can also find the parts online and found a few websites walking through it. I'm not comfortable yet having no safety, so we'll see how things go at the range this weekend. The internals look to be in great shape, I might polish the feed ramp slightly when I break it down to clean it before I hit the range. Got some cheap Federal American Eagle 165gr that I'll put through it, probably get quite a bit more federal fmj next time the buy goes through, I'll see how this does.
As for concealed carry, I was leaning towards the compact XD but now that I found this, I might look for something different to EDC. Any recommendations?
I've read most everywhere that an HK certified armorer has to change the variants, but I can also find the parts online and found a few websites walking through it. I'm not comfortable yet having no safety, so we'll see how things go at the range this weekend. The internals look to be in great shape, I might polish the feed ramp slightly when I break it down to clean it before I hit the range. Got some cheap Federal American Eagle 165gr that I'll put through it, probably get quite a bit more federal fmj next time the buy goes through, I'll see how this does.
As for concealed carry, I was leaning towards the compact XD but now that I found this, I might look for something different to EDC. Any recommendations?
Clip;1552903 said:
It is a weird feeling. I had all of the safety devices removed, including the mag disconnect. You'll get used to it though. And it shouldn't be an issue as long as you follow the 4 basic safety rules.
Your mitts make that look almost like a USP Compact looks in my hand. When gripping my fullsize, my pinky is almost flush with where the magazine floorplate meets the mag well, and my fingers do not cover any of the letters.
My safety lever is marked with a white "S" and red "F". The downward position is to fire, and pushing it farther down [it is springy] will decock the hammer. The first time I did that, it freaked me out even after reading the manual and knowing that is was safe, because
A. There is a bullet in the chamber
B. The safety lever appears to be in the "Fire" position when you decock, and
C. This sends the hammer forward just as if you were firing.
My mags came with floorplate extenders, which you may want to look into getting if you feel like you are "hanging off" the bottom.
The torture testing that the USPs endured [even the "standard" USPs, not just the SOCOM and Tac models] is really confidence inspiring, but is probably part of the reason why most H&K stuff seems so damn expensive.
My safety lever is marked with a white "S" and red "F". The downward position is to fire, and pushing it farther down [it is springy] will decock the hammer. The first time I did that, it freaked me out even after reading the manual and knowing that is was safe, because
A. There is a bullet in the chamber
B. The safety lever appears to be in the "Fire" position when you decock, and
C. This sends the hammer forward just as if you were firing.
My mags came with floorplate extenders, which you may want to look into getting if you feel like you are "hanging off" the bottom.
The torture testing that the USPs endured [even the "standard" USPs, not just the SOCOM and Tac models] is really confidence inspiring, but is probably part of the reason why most H&K stuff seems so damn expensive.
During field stripping and cleaning I found that my detent was marked for variants 3 and 4. The first time I decocked it it made me uneasy even though I hadn't even opened the ammunition yet. At the range yesterday I did load it up, chambered one and decocked to see what would happen (I still winced the first time ).
Range yesterday went well, ran 110 rounds through it with no hiccups whatsoever. Accuracy was impressive for the amount of experience I have, and can't wait to work on it. As for the fit/finish and action of everything, HK did a damn good job with the USP. I'll probably buy another HK given the chance.
).Range yesterday went well, ran 110 rounds through it with no hiccups whatsoever. Accuracy was impressive for the amount of experience I have, and can't wait to work on it. As for the fit/finish and action of everything, HK did a damn good job with the USP. I'll probably buy another HK given the chance.
H&K stuff is expensive because there's a lot of fanboys, the USP is a nice gun, but it's not worth hundreds of dollars more than an older Sig or FN .45.
- Status