It's a Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 Magnum with a 7.5" barrel. I'd been looking at them for awhile and a couple weeks ago I saw someone on television bag a deer with the same type of gun (except he added a scope to his), which made me want it even more.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
I talked with a cop today. He says that all of the local gun shops have sold out of AR 15's and such. People are snatching up everything they can before the Feds put a ban into place.
I have no desire to have an assault rifle, but the fact that I might not be able to get one soon makes me sort of want one.
Rifle ammo is too expensive to justify the purchase though.
I was an NRA member (I let my subscription expire and they haven't offered me a significant gift to renew) and they kept whining that if Obama became a lame duck President he would ban assault rifles.
Because of this I have been keeping an eye on AK-47 and AR-15 prices. I have no desire to own an assault rifle, ammo is expensive and they eat a lot of ammo. Plus I want guns that I can use to hunt, and neither is good for hunting more than coyotes. (I guess my tune would chance if the zombie apocalypse comes).
So while I didn't want one, I figured that if I found a deal I could buy it as an investment.
Well, prices have skyrocketed since then. After the school shooting and Obama's speech prices have more than doubled.
Some guy was complaining that guns that sold for $400 are now selling for $1,400. I don't see them selling for quite that much but prices have shot up significantly (maybe $1k for a cheap $400 AK).
Now I wish I bought one.
I heard the chief of police talking the other day and he said that ever AR-15 in KY gun stores has sold.
I wonder if Obama has stock invested in gun manufacturers and sellers.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
I've been getting into reloading ammo. My father-in-law has set up a reloading station and we've been buying stuff.
We're having a hard time getting powder though. Next month we'll make a trip to Lexington to hit a gun show, as they'll have some. The prices will be high, but it's basically the only place to get powder.
Primers that were $15 are now $45, but at least they're available a semi-local store.
I wanted to get my handgun into hunting shape so I removed rosewood handles:
I added the Hogue Tamer grips (that give a much better grip on the gun and reduce the perceived recoil):
Finally, I added rings and an Ultra-Dot, red-dot aiming system:
The sight has no magnification.
I did quite a bit of research and most people who handgun hunt with a scope use 2x magnification, while some use 2.5x. (This is because you hold the gun away from your face, so acquiring your target in the little lens ahead of you is difficult)
The problem is that even the best scopes tend to break when you shoot magnum rounds. Ultra-Dot red-dot sights are a bit tougher. Scopes also have poor visibility in low light situations, whereas the Ultra-Dot is adjustable for bright and dark situations.
Since I probably won't ever take a deer at 100 yards with this thing (realistically I expect shots in the 30-50 yard range) I went with the red-dot.
I sighted in the gun at 20 yards in my back yard this morning with .44 Special ammo and got some pretty tight groups. I leaned the gun against my boat for stability but I should really set up a table to do it right.
I'll be shooting it tomorrow with my father-in-law. I'll probably let him try out the red-dot, but then I think I'll take it off and shoot it with iron sights.
My father-in-law was opposed to anybody owning a handgun but once he started shooting mine he had to have one. Earlier this week he found one he wanted and I went to the sale with him.
Since his rifle shoots .357 magnums he got a S&W 686 so he can shoot that caliber (and of course .38 specials).
I haven't shot his yet, but he's already planning on getting yer another handgun (he wants a .45 1911). Ha ha! I think I got him addicted.
My father-in-law hated the idea of me removing the rosewood grips to put a polymer grip on.
The new grips are fantastic though. I feel like I have a lot more control with the gun.
When I take the Ultra-Dot off I'll shoot some magnums through it. Magnums have quite a kick so I'm really curious to see how much better they make it.
I think that once my father-in-law feels how the polymer grips perform he'll convert to them as well.
His gun came with Hogue grips but he vowed never to use them because he loved the wood grips.
Update: My father-in-law tried the grips and says that he still prefers the wood grips that came with his, but he will install polymer grips on his to see if the difference is as noticeable.
I think the next step is that he'll keep the original grips in a drawer to preserve them.
Rubber grips work a lot better and cost a lot less than wood. They're just not as pretty.
Fun look back through time. My wife being intimidated by big guns is funny now. She wants a Desert Eagle (has fired one and loves it) and a rifle. Her specs "Which ever one has the most kick". She likes big guns.
I GUESS THAT'S WHY SHE MARRIED ME!!!
Beat you to it.
And a reminder about the Obama rifle ban. Buy one now before it's too late and you wish you had. These things WILL be banned eventually. Considering buying that M&P just cause it's so cheap. Next time ban talk comes up, would turn a nice profit.
I'd love to have a .44 Desert Eagle. They just cost too much to justify the purchase.
I've never shot a .50 handgun.
For target shooting I probably like 9mm's the best. The kick is minimal and the ammo is cheaper and easier to find than a lot of other calibers.
.22LR is cheapest but it feels like I'm shooting a cap gun.
If your wife likes a big recoil I'd look into a .357 snub nose. That'll kick, and if it's too much kick she can put .38 specials in it.
If a .357 won't cut it get a .44 magnum revolver. It was good enough for Dirty Harry. A shorter barrel will have more kick. You can always shoot .44 specials if she wants less kick. Those .50 Desert Eagles look like ass kickers.
No, she wants a rifle with a lot of kick. Handgun, not so much. We rented a .50 Desert Eagle and it was REALLY fun. LOUD, holy geez. It's a really heavy gun though. So handling it wasn't too much different than some .45's we shot. There is more kick, but not much because of the weight of the gun. There is no justifying the purchase. Impractical for home defense, inaccurate and not very reliable. But damn, are they hot. And that's why you buy them. They are hot. We will end up with a used one at some point. At about $2/round, not fired that much either. But damn are they hot. Muzzle flash as big as a basketball.
A lot of kick is bad for accuracy.
The recoil makes you lose sight of your target so you don't know what you hit so it's harder to make corrections for your next shot, and you have to find the target again which takes time.
Also, when you anticipate the recoil you tend tense up. Some people close their eyes before the shot, some yank the trigger really quick.
(That being said, I was once told "There is no recoil when you are hunting." I found that to be true. When a deer is in your sights the adrenaline and focus make recoil the farthest thing from your mind. So maybe, when it counts recoil won't be an issue.)
Also, big recoil usually means a bigger round which usually means they cost more and are more difficult to find ion stores. (More so for handguns than for rifles. A .30-06 is easy to find, biggest stuff won't be though.)
Plus, finding a place to shoot a big rifle is more difficult as some ranges (especially indoor ones) won't let you shoot them.
If she wants kick get a shotgun.
They're ideal for home protection.
