Mega Rad Gun Thread

  • Want to keep track of this thread?
    Accounts can bookmark posts, watch threads for updates, and jump back to where you stopped reading.
    Create account
Anyone know of good gun(s) to get for a first time owner? I know some people talked about it in the old riot thread, but I don't feel like diving into that.
An AR of your preference. Ruger/Springfield/Diamondback etc.

A 9mm handgun. Unlike others, I don't recommend a Glock these days, instead I recommend a Canik TP9.

A .22 rimfire. Ruger/Remington/Marlin

A 12g or 20g shotgun. Maverick 88 or a Stevens Savage.

All of these, depending on your needs, would be good for a first time owner. Of course, the best option is always what you are most comfortable with, so don't just buy the gun. Buy ammo and practice. Never let yourself be in a situation where you end up wising you had practiced more.

The best time to become a competent shooter was yesterday. The second best time is right now.
 
The basics; an AR-15 and any Glock or S&W in 9mm flavor. Once you're proficient with them, start branching out into less bland stuff if you choose to.

However, an AR and a 9mm sidearm is the very least that everyone should own.
Not a bad setup, personally I prefer builds but if you see a good deal go for it. I sprung for a .45 as my first pistol because it was more common in my area ammo wise. Still no 9mm here. But I built a big 9 and a little 9 so I can use the cartridges I already have.

Good luck finding 5.56 in your area. Ironically it's 7.62x39 and .308 I can obtain more easily locally. Your mileage may vary. Another advantage of .308 over 9mm and 5.56 is the existence of hunting loads if you want to take a deer or something. Or need to put down a large man on serious fucking drugs.

Ironically I don't have a .22, I started out with a Mosin Nagant 7.62x54R back when they were practically giving it away. Everyone who shoots my guns LOVES IT!
 
one rifle not mentioned is the CZ 452. it is a magazine fed bolt-action rifle legal in all 50 states that is well made, easily to clean and service, reliable, and accurate. with inexpensive .22LR you can try target shooting, competitive shooting, small game, or just plinking for fun. it holds value for a long time and should retail under $500 right now. since it's manual action, it can use pretty much any .22LR without much trouble. it is also easily to modify for children if you have a child in the future that you want to pass on a youth rifle to.

if you're looking specifically for something more on the defense side of the fence, an inexpensive used S&W revolver (like a Model 15) in .38 special or .357 magnum (which you can also use with .38 special ammunition) would have minimal accessories to deal with, generally more forgiving of malfunctions that an inexperienced shooter might induce, and in your area the ammunition is popular enough to be readily available, although maybe a bit overpriced right now. it, too, is often legal in almost all jurisdictions. be sure to consult your local laws for compliance with local restrictions.

don't feel you have to buy immediately - try seeing if you can rent a gun at a range to try out under supervision, or tag along with a friend. consider the usability of the gun - if you're right or left eye dominant or handed, do you understand the control intuitively and maybe could reach them with a thumb easily, et c. few gun purchases are decided by features alone.
 
Last edited:
instead I recommend a Canik TP9.
Nani the fugg is this hipster shit?
don't feel you have to buy immediately - try seeing if you can rent a gun at a range to try out under supervision, or tag along with a friend.
This. The only one who can decide what is best for you is you.
 
Well I looked into buying a Hogue stock for my takedown but it looks like that it might not get delivered so will probably settle for the magpul takedown stock

I also been looking into buying a plain cheap lower like a Ruger AR-556 and built it into a 20 inch barrel rifle with a picatinny rail and rifle length stock.
 
Stevens is made by ChiComs
depends on the 320. some are China and are fairly well made with QA and QM done in the US. others are made in Turkey with QA done in the US. both types have QC done at the factory in the respective country and from the few dozen i've handled, for a sub $300 shotgun, they're quite adequate. if you're comparing them to a Mossberg 88, then the Mossberg is the "better buy" but aren't readily available in all areas.
 
oh, here's something useful as well: if you're wanting a "made in USA" cheap shotgun, or a shotgun that hasn't been tainted by Cerberus/Freedom Group:

1. pre-2005 Remington 870, or pre 2006 1100 series, most others were also made in USA for all serial numbers other than some specific export versions (Spain made the Remington Defense Marine Magnum for the European market, and Fabarm and Beretta was contracted for many parts over the years. Howa in Japan also made parts and some receivers).
2. Mossberg pump shotguns are made in Texas, the Maverick 88 is made in either Mexico or assembled in Texas from parts made in Mexico (don't confuse Mexico with China for substandard manufacturing, Mexico generally makes good quality goods from cars to guns to textiles). Mossberg manual actions (double, single barrels) are made by Kahn International in Turkey. Mossberg automatic shotguns are made in Connecticut mostly with a few made in Texas.
3. Ithaca Model 37 Featherlights of all serial numbers are made in USA, as well as some hunting shotguns like the Deerslayer.
4. H&R Pardner Pump (Synthetic, Classic, and Youth) all have current production in Massachusetts but also have production in China. look at the markings on the receivers if they are "imported" or "made".

there are many others, but the short list will cover most you find out in the wild. generally if a shotgun is made prior to the early-90's it's likely made in USA if it's a USA brand with the exception of known importers like Charles Daly (EAA) or S&W (Howa).
 
Not trying to shill, but SGAmmo has 9mm FMJ last time I checked. Just be ready to cough up some dough.
 
Seconding the "get a 22LR for training" part. For a semi get a Ruger 10/22 or for a bolt action something like a Savage Mk. II with a bull barrel. You'll be able to shoot 300-400 rounds a day and barely pay anything. All the skills you'll learn with a 22 will translate to larger calibers. Same thing for handguns.
 
Seconding the "get a 22LR for training" part. For a semi get a Ruger 10/22 or for a bolt action something like a Savage Mk. II with a bull barrel. You'll be able to shoot 300-400 rounds a day and barely pay anything. All the skills you'll learn with a 22 will translate to larger calibers. Same thing for handguns.
If you buy a 10-22, buy it new. I once bought a used one with a folding stock, thinking I had a deal, and it was a piece of shit. I couldn't zero it to save my life, it was a pain in the ass to field-strip without a manual, and I couldn't find anyone to buy it.

I surrendered it to my local police station. Yes, I hated that damn thing THAT much.

Handgun wise, I recommend a Ruger Wrangler. It's a cheap, easy-to-use single-action revolver. I had a Mark IV, but I frequently got jams and light strikes with it (IMO, .22LR can be tricky in autoloaders because it's a rimmed cartridge).
 
Anyone know of good gun(s) to get for a first time owner? I know some people talked about it in the old riot thread, but I don't feel like diving into that.
You've already got some pretty decent suggestions, but I'll throw in one I haven't seen yet: the CZ P01 9mm. It's a compact all-metal pistol designed for very rough use by military and police, so it's a brick shithouse as far as durability. It also features a decocker, which enables you to carry it with the hammer down and a round chambered, relying on the double action trigger pull to keep it from easily firing by accident. I own most of the "wonder 9's" and the CZ is by far my favorite. It would be a pretty great platform to learn on too, I think, since it's accurate and easy to maintain.

As with any of these suggestions, getting ahold of something specific can be difficult right now, so try and sign up for back in stock notifications on websites like Buds or Kygunco. You can get them to ship to a local FFL (if you don't mind paying more for the purchase, that is). Otherwise hunt around at stores near you and hope for the best.
 
Seconding the "get a 22LR for training" part. For a semi get a Ruger 10/22 or for a bolt action something like a Savage Mk. II with a bull barrel. You'll be able to shoot 300-400 rounds a day and barely pay anything. All the skills you'll learn with a 22 will translate to larger calibers. Same thing for handguns.
I will say from personal experience though, that AR 15 comes with quite a big bang and more smell than a 22 lol.

Though it took me a while to understand how the charging handle and that bolt lock on the side works and is somewhat way easier to use to lock or unlock the bolt compared to the 22 bolt lock.

On a final note, what is the forward assist for?
 
what is the forward assist for?
the forward assist is a spring-loaded lever that interacts with notches cut into the side of the bolt carrier to force the bolt carrier group forward. this was a feature added for the M16A1 to allow seating a dirty cartridge from a magazine that has been dropped or otherwise lightly contaminated. further rounds deeper in the magazine are generally alright, but the 1st one may have too much dirt or some mild surface corrosion from salt water or something on them to seat easily, or you short stroked the charging handle or a damaged magazine feed lip is hanging onto the round a bit too tightly.

if the bolt cannot be seated completely even with using the forward assist, do not use a hammer on the assist, instead sharply pull back the charging handle to eject the cartridge and discard it (the forward assist will force the extractor over the extractor rim of the cartridge).

the forward assist is not intended to be used on obviously damaged ammunition. it is unlikely that the feature is useful to most people other than a force of habit for clearing a malfunction (SPORTS), or if you ease the charging handle forward and use it to (relatively) quietly seat the bolt and lock it forward.
 
Last edited:
Yep, the forward assist was a military requirement. From what I've seen it doesn't get much use nowadays, some AR variants have gotten rid of it altogether.

Nothing wrong with a Mosin as your first gun if you got it for cheap, good for learning basic gunsmithing skills. SKS too, those things are very simple and it's not nerve-wracking to take a dremel to it.
 
Anyone know of good gun(s) to get for a first time owner? I know some people talked about it in the old riot thread, but I don't feel like diving into that.
All depends on your local laws and what you want to do with them.

As the others have said getting your basics is what I would also recommend. A carry handgun, an AR, while some may disagree with me I think a pump action shotgun is very useful to have, and a full size handgun if you want.

For a carry gun you have many options to choose from. Glock, HK, Smith & Wesson, CZ, ect. For an AR you have even more companies to choose from Areo, BCM, and Smith & Wesson to name a few. For a pump action shotgun you have three choices: Beneli, Mossbergs, and older 870's. It also depends on how much you want to spend on the shotgun. If money is tight I would say get the 20 inch Mossberg Maverick 88. 7+1 rounds of 12 gauge will solve a lot of problems. I will caution you on keeping a pump action loaded that they are not drop safe. If you have a shell in the chamber and it falls over there is a good chance that it will go off. Don't do that. Keep it loaded "cruiser ready" hammer down on an empty chamber or snap cap if you are paranoid about dry firing you firearms. Most new firearms can be dry fired with no issues. Read the manual. A full size handgun may be redundant if you have a carry gun.

No matter what guns you choose be sure to train with them and know where your carry/ duty ammo will hit at different ranges. If you get an AR I highly recommend getting a 22LR bolt carrier conversion so you can train with you AR and not blow 50 cents a shot. CMMG sells the bolt and mags.
 
Back
Top Bottom