Point to think about

[Acmemfg]

Talking with a guy last night about firearms in general. Conversation flew around many topics. One came up that I found most interesting:
The fellow with whom I was conversing has a HUGE firearms inventory, all types, calibers, shapes and sizes. From a Gamo air rifle to Barrett .50 BMG and everything in between he has it covered.
Talk shifted to EDC ordnance. His carry sidearm of choice is a 9mm Taurus something or other. A $200 or so handgun. Begs the question…why that? His rationale was that if, God forbid, he ever was in a situation where the pistol has to be used in a lawful way, it would still be gathered up and kept as evidence for who knows how long. I for one don’t want my Hi-Power or Python sitting a locker having to anxiously await
its return for months, years…or longer, hence I see his point, clearly.
Surely something to keep in mind when choosing an EDC sidearm.

 

[Lightcs1776]

Interesting thought and I can see his point. However, I would choose a regular carry firearm for my ability to use it effectively and the reliability of it rather than the value. Perhaps in his case he feels he can use this one just as effectively as his others.

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[Black Adder]

The fellow with whom I was conversing has a HUGE firearms inventory, all types, calibers, shapes and sizes. From a Gamo air rifle to Barrett .50 BMG and everything in between he has it covered.

Surely something to keep in mind when choosing an EDC sidearm.

Perhaps. I don't know why a person with such a huge inventory of firearms would be worried about his everyday carry being taken away from him, either short term or long term. He makes it sound like the legal system will simply take the gun in question away from him, allowing him to ride off into the sunset and carry on with his life.

What I think is missing here is what effect the act of seriously injuring or taking the life of another human being will have on your life. Thankfully, I've never been put in this position, and I think the vast majority of folks here can say the same thing. You can train all you want, maybe convince yourself that you'll have no trouble making the right decision when the time comes, but, are you REALLY ready? The difference between you, a law abiding citizen, and a criminal who has no problem pulling that trigger because HE feels disrespected or he didn't get what he wanted is that YOU do have a basic respect for human life. I think this is inherent in almost everyone, and something I think should be the basic part of anyone who decides to carry a firearm.

A defensive shooting, I think, will change your life FOREVER. I hope I never have to go through it, and I hope none of you will, either. I think the legal system will have a pretty firm grip on you for quite some time, and even if you are eventually allowed to walk away and get your firearm back, cheap or not, you will NEVER be the same. I can't even imagine the full spectrum of emotions a person feels after shooting another person, even if justified.

The cost of your everyday carry firearm in case it's seized is a non-issue. You may not be allowed to carry during any investigation.
After all is said and done, you may not want to carry ever again. Food for thought.

 

[Ad Astra]

Still think you get style points for carrying a Luger, a Tok or most especially, a Broomhandle Mauser.


AA

 

[Acmemfg]

I tread lightly here……
I doubt the psychological repercussions which follow a shooting are going to differ depending on what make, model, caliber or value of the weapon used was. Results would be the same regardless; level of stress and mental discomfort I think would be the same
Attempting to realize the burdens inherent after any tragic, life ending incident (not just a shooting…car crash, or any of many accidents, by negligence or not) is not really something another should try to empathize. Will it change your life forever? Maybe. Will you never be the same again? Perhaps. ONLY the person involved can adequately answer those types of questions. And those people seldom if ever want to discuss it.
@Ad Astra…yep, the Mauser has a ton of class.
@Lightcs1776…total agreement. But I can shoot just as well from 20 yards with my Glock 43X (about $375) as I can with my Browning Hi-Power (far too expensive). I carry the Glock a LOT more than the Browning.

 

[simon1]

Still think you get style points for carrying a Luger, a Tok or most especially, a Broomhandle Mauser.


AA

Is it plus or minus points for these old things?

 

[razorboi]

Is it plus or minus points for these old things?

View attachment 1304286

It's definitely a "plus" in every way...except when it gets nicked by the Old Bill!

 

[ColtRevolver]

I mostly carry collector kinda guns. If I have to use it and potentially lose it, so be it. As long as I live another day, I can replace the gun.

 

[nortac]

Of course there is the school of thought that you should have an exact duplicate of your carry gun for just this scenario. I can't remember who I first heard propose this, perhaps Massad Ayoob?

 

[Acmemfg]

@nortac
Advantage to carrying a Glock in this neck of the woods. Smyrna is only about 100 miles from here. Glock pistols are for the most part like chanterelle mushrooms…they’re all over the place. I think I could replace most (if not all) of my Glocks in less than a week if I had to.

 

[dojpros]

The turn key solution for that is a Glock or some flavor of Smith & Wesson MP or even the SDVE

If 200.00 was all he could afford, then it might be different but clearly that is not the case here.

It sounds like a case of stepping over dollars to pick up pennies.

 

[Acmemfg]

I’m not at all a Taurus fan. But…..
there are quite a few people who like them a LOT. The Taurus Lifetime Warranty seems to be a big selling point (It was with my Taurus-toting buddy). I realize there are a number of other manufacturers who offer a great warranty and excellent service. Me, however…I know what I like and don’t like. For that matter, Ruger’s warranty is simply the best. Bar none. Were I buying a firearm and a warranty were a big issue, I may not look any further than a Ruger.

 

[ylekot]

Your friend is absolutely correct. Same goes for anything used to defend your household. Go ahead and use that 25 hundred plus dollar tricked out AR or whatever. Here in NY just brandishing it could get it confiscated, and if you actually discharge it odds are you will never see it again. And I speak from experience when I say evidence lockers are not kind to firearms, nor are the custodians thereof. Buy used, buy cheap, burn lots of ammo to get proficient and satisfy yourself that it will function adequately. Pretty guns and heirlooms are for showing off at the range, work guns are a whole different game.

 

[ylekot]

Perhaps. I don't know why a person with such a huge inventory of firearms would be worried about his everyday carry being taken away from him, either short term or long term. He makes it sound like the legal system will simply take the gun in question away from him, allowing him to ride off into the sunset and carry on with his life.

What I think is missing here is what effect the act of seriously injuring or taking the life of another human being will have on your life. Thankfully, I've never been put in this position, and I think the vast majority of folks here can say the same thing. You can train all you want, maybe convince yourself that you'll have no trouble making the right decision when the time comes, but, are you REALLY ready? The difference between you, a law abiding citizen, and a criminal who has no problem pulling that trigger because HE feels disrespected or he didn't get what he wanted is that YOU do have a basic respect for human life. I think this is inherent in almost everyone, and something I think should be the basic part of anyone who decides to carry a firearm.

A defensive shooting, I think, will change your life FOREVER. I hope I never have to go through it, and I hope none of you will, either. I think the legal system will have a pretty firm grip on you for quite some time, and even if you are eventually allowed to walk away and get your firearm back, cheap or not, you will NEVER be the same. I can't even imagine the full spectrum of emotions a person feels after shooting another person, even if justified.

The cost of your everyday carry firearm in case it's seized is a non-issue. You may not be allowed to carry during any investigation.
After all is said and done, you may not want to carry ever again. Food for thought.

Some folks have shot and killed more than one person in defense of their life or the lives of their compatriots. You see them most every day and have no idea. Many of them continue to carry. No one WANTS to, but some are much more capable than others of taking a human life. For some it is as easy as swatting a fly. As for not being able to carry or possess during the investigation, what the government doesn't know won't hurt them. Many times people who get jammed up in defensive shootings become victims of home invasion because the criminals are now pretty sure the victim is unarmed. NEVER BE UNARMED!

 

[Lightcs1776]

Your friend is absolutely correct. Same goes for anything used to defend your household. Go ahead and use that 25 hundred plus dollar tricked out AR or whatever. Here in NY just brandishing it could get it confiscated, and if you actually discharge it odds are you will never see it again. And I speak from experience when I say evidence lockers are not kind to firearms, nor are the custodians thereof. Buy used, buy cheap, burn lots of ammo to get proficient and satisfy yourself that it will function adequately. Pretty guns and heirlooms are for showing off at the range, work guns are a whole different game.

Being in NY myself, you are absolutely correct. My decision was to ensure that I had a reliable firearm first and foremost. Anything that fits that requirement is worth consideration.

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[ylekot]

Being in NY myself, you are absolutely correct. My decision was to ensure that I had a reliable firearm first and foremost. Anything that fits that requirement is worth consideration.

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Reliability does not have to be expensive, it has to be tested and possibly tweaked but I have not found a firearm yet that could not be made to function properly with a little work.

 

[Lightcs1776]

Reliability does not have to be expensive, it has to be tested and possibly tweaked but I have not found a firearm yet that could not be made to function properly with a little work.

Agreed. I have a relatively inexpensive S&W that does great as long as I use decent ammo.

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[ylekot]

I’m not at all a Taurus fan. But…..
there are quite a few people who like them a LOT. The Taurus Lifetime Warranty seems to be a big selling point (It was with my Taurus-toting buddy). I realize there are a number of other manufacturers who offer a great warranty and excellent service. Me, however…I know what I like and don’t like. For that matter, Ruger’s warranty is simply the best. Bar none. Were I buying a firearm and a warranty were a big issue, I may not look any further than a Ruger.

Ruger firearms are excellent. Smith and Wesson (my brand of choice) are also fine pieces. The problem with warranty work is you are without your gun while it is being serviced and so is not real useful to me. Not all have the financial wherewithal to spend that kind of money. I have owned and fired several "cheap" guns. Taurus, Hi-point etc. All of them could be made to function reliably for hundreds or rounds after a little polishing and tweaking. Most of the polishing would be completed after a few hundred rounds of break in or just a few hours of working the action while watching some TV. Obviously with an unloaded weapon, don't be a dolt.

 

[OkieStubble]

Still think you get style points for carrying a Luger, a Tok or most especially, a Broomhandle Mauser.


AA

I love the brevity thru humor, you always bring to the forum. And I wouldn't want to be shot with a broom handle. I also wouldn't want my Broom Handle locked up in a LE property room anywhere from 6 months to 2 1/2 years, depending on the legal aspects of the situation. Know this. If the incident was clearly an open and shut self defense case of shooting some scum bag, the case will be moved down an all ready full court docket, for other cases that need more expediency.

Your firearm can/could be in limbo/storage for quite some time. This is a great thread. Every post has been and point made has been valid. Especially the points made about the psychological and emotional dynamics of a post shooting/self defense incident.

Tim's post, @Acmemfg where he mentioned the guy using a Taurus, should not be misconstrued, that he was saying, replace your high quality EDC firearms for cheap quality firearms. He wasn't meaning that at all. He wasn't saying everyone should go get a $200 EDC.

He most likely, doesn't even own a $200 pistol himself. What he was suggesting and attempting to bring to light, was only if you have options of carry, whatever, brand or price they may be. Just be aware, before you strap on that $2000 pistol, you might not see it for a very long time if used in a shooting.

The points he made are accurate and make sense to me. The great, awesome points made of the various mental dynamics and post psycho-analysis of a self defense shooting are accurate and also make sense to me. However, the transition in conversation from Tim's original post and the psychological aftermath of a shooting be more important?

I have no clue.

 

[OkieStubble]

I’m not at all a Taurus fan. But…..
there are quite a few people who like them a LOT. The Taurus Lifetime Warranty seems to be a big selling point (It was with my Taurus-toting buddy). I realize there are a number of other manufacturers who offer a great warranty and excellent service. Me, however…I know what I like and don’t like. For that matter, Ruger’s warranty is simply the best. Bar none. Were I buying a firearm and a warranty were a big issue, I may not look any further than a Ruger.

We don't have to be Taurus fans to recognize, that Taurus has come light years in the decades preceeding their American built factory and the bad reputation of their past imports from Brazil. Their revolvers actions and triggers are not S&W slick, but neither are Rugers out of the box. Their semi's may have some tooling marks and small gaps in some grip panels.

But they are they only manufacturer I know of, that backs their firearms with an 'unlimited' lifetime warranty? I could be wrong, but 'limited warranty' means, if due to manufacturer error? 'Unlimited Warranty' means, "If you break our gun, send it back and we will fix it or replace it for you?"