Gun Owning Smokers

[BigMacFU]

Ok, so I've pretty much decided on purchasing a 30.06 rifle. I have a Remington .22, and a Remington 870 Express, and have shot and really liked the Remington Vantage air rifle and a Remington 7600. I've also shot a few different Mossbergs, and a really pretty Benelli shotgun. I'm going to shoot a few other rifles tomorrow with some friends. Right now, I'm leaning towards getting another Remington rifle, just because I've really liked those. I was wondering if anyone could recommend another rifle that I maybe haven't thought about yet.

Right now, the front-runner is the Remington 700 ADL model. Several reviews have all spoken highly of it, in regards to quality and stability and availability of after-market parts. But the searches have also been returning a strong disdain for the Remington 770 model rifle, and I wanted to get some outside opinion to see if the 700 was favored only because the 770 wasn't very good to begin with. I'm also open to other models as well.

Thanks for reading.

Used might be a way to go if you have a reliable and trustworthy shop in the area with a good gunsmith.

[BigMacFU]

Well, added to the family collection are now 2 shotguns and 4 of my Papa's (grandfather's) guns.

Winchester 1892 (made in 1906):


Winchester 52 (made in 1936):


Remington Model 30 Express (.25 Remington cal, date unsure): Need to post my own pics for it (mint condition, like it's never been shot...it has)

Springfield 1898 sporterized (date unsure, but around 1900):


Winchester 101 Over/Under:


Winchester Model 12 (1960, shot 20 times):


Pretty awesome stuff. My Dad is excited about his 101, and we're both very excited about the personal historical value of our Papa's pieces. The Springfield was my Papa's best friend's (died in the 3rd wave on Iwojima) and was given to my Papa by his family. My father was named after this hero.

[mrtr33]

Winchester 1892 (made in 1906):


Winchester 52 (made in 1936):

What are these barreled in?

That 101 is damn pretty gun, my friend.

Are you going to shoot any of them?

[bigwhiteash]

As a teenager, I qualified NRA Expert with a Winchester 52, completely custom thumbhole stock, with a 14 lb bull barrel.


That thing held it's own with kids shooting $3,000 Anschutz rifles

[Big Sarge]

I'd stay away from the Remington 770. I don't like the action. I shoot a Remington 700 and I'm pleased with it. The best out of the box accuracy I have had with any rifle was the Savage 110. You might want to consider an 111. Have you thought about the Marlin XL7 or the Stevens? These are great entry level rifles. The Marlin is going for $250 and you can use the money you save on quality optics.

Speaking of optics, buy a quality scope. Too often I have seen guys buy a top notch rifle & complain they can't hit anything with it. closer examination usually reveals a $30 scope on a $1,000 rifle. A blurry scope or one that doesn't hold its zero (very common) is worthless

[mrtr33]

The best out of the box accuracy I have had with any rifle was the Savage 110. You might want to consider an 111.

Funny you should mention that. I'm going to pick up a Savage 111 tomorrow. Comes with a scope, which probably wouldn't be my first choice, but the package deal I'm getting is about $120 off MSRP. I may upgrade before next season to a Nikon Buckmaster. Really like the reticle in those.

Thanks for the input! I'll post pics once I've got it. I use the Break Free clp, but I thought I remembered reading somewhere I should use something different for the bolt - any suggestions? A guy I work with says he uses a product that's almost like a light wax.

Now, the next question: 150, 165, or 180 gr? I'm thinking Hornady in a 30.06.

[MarineOne]

Now, the next question: 150, 165, or 180 gr? I'm thinking Hornady in a 30.06.

Start with the 150's since they'll have more of a flat trajectory out at distance compared to the heavier ones.


-K

[BigMacFU]

What are these barreled in?

That 101 is damn pretty gun, my friend.

Are you going to shoot any of them?

The winchester 1892 is a 44-40 WCF Cowboy Load
The 52 is a 22LR

All guns are in perfect shooting condition which is just remarkable when you think about it...So yes, we will shoot them!

[Eville]

The M44's finish was looking pretty rough and I needed something to do during my spring break, so I decided to refinish it and add a scope. I ordered the scope and mount kit last week and started sanding Friday night. The scope is a Simmons Prohunter 4x. The mount is from S&K, very sturdy. For the finish I used a spar urethane.
Before I started


Disassembled


Beat up original finish.



Sanded


First coat


Finished

[Smoked!]

Nice job on the rifle refurbish. I think it looks much better with the new optics. Now, what are you going to do with that pea shooter?

[Smoked!]

I'm not sure about the need for open carry. There may be a few instances when it makes sense, but by and large, we can get by with lawful conceased carry. Does this make sense in urban settings? If I recall my "wild west" history, didn't towns have laws requiring individuals to check their guns at the city gates?

Here's a WSJ article from 03/04/10. Dow Jones owns the copy and the rights.

Stores Land in Gun-Control Crossfire
By VANESSA O'CONNELL And JULIE JARGON

Starbucks Corp. and some other chain stores in the U.S. are finding themselves caught in the middle of a firearms debate, as gun-control advocates go up against a burgeoning campaign by gun owners to carry holstered pistols in public places.

The "open carry" movement, in which gun owners carry unconcealed handguns as they go about their everyday business, is loosely organized around the country but has been gaining traction in recent months. Gun-control advocates have been pushing to quash the movement, including by petitioning the Starbucks coffee chain to ban guns on its premises.

Anti-gun activists gathered at the original Starbucks in Seattle to push retailers like the coffee chain to ban customers from openly carrying guns, WSJ's Nick Wingfield reports.

Businesses have the final say on their property. But the ones that don't opt to ban guns—such as Starbucks—have become parade grounds of sorts for open-carry advocates.

Starbucks on Wednesday, while bemoaning being thrust into the debate, defended its long-standing policy of complying with state open-carry weapons laws, in part by stating that its baristas, or "partners," could be harmed if the stores were to ban guns. The chain said that in the 43 states where open carry is legal, it has about 4,970 company-operated stores.

The company added: "The political, policy and legal debates around these issues belong in the legislatures and courts, not in our stores."

In 29 states, it's legal to openly carry a loaded handgun, without any form of government permission. Another 13 allow an unconcealed loaded handgun with a carry permit, according to opencarry.org, which is a loosely organized Web forum for the movement.

In California, where it's legal to carry a gun openly without a license in most places as long as it's unloaded, growing numbers of armed people have been turning up at Starbucks, restaurants, and retailers, with handguns holstered to their belts to protest what they contend are unfair limits on permits to carry a concealed weapon.

The open-carry movement began spreading in 2004 after some pro-gun advocates in Virginia began researching state laws and discovered that many states don't have laws to prevent unconcealed carry of handguns.

"The concealed carry movement has been successful but open carry is coming up," in popularity, said Mike Stollenwerk, a retired Army lieutenant colonel and co-founder of the opencarry.org site.

"I feel other people have the right to carry firearms into a business if it's okay with the business," said William Moore, a carpenter from Lynwood, Wash., and an open-carry advocate who says he doesn't carry firearms into Starbucks coffee shops.

A group called Protest Easy Guns plans on Saturday to protest Starbucks's policy of allowing customers in open carry weapons states to carry guns inside the coffee shops. The group of women said on Thursday that it plans to demonstrate outside an Alexandria, Va., Starbucks.

Supporters are spreading in Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, and other areas. Some are making lists of "OC-friendly" locales, and encouraging boycotts of businesses with no-weapons signs. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Home Depot Inc., Best Buy Co. and Barnes & Noble Inc., are designated as "open-carry" friendly in some online forums or say they abide by existing laws. "Our practice is to comply with local and state laws," said Best Buy spokeswoman Sue Busch Nehring.

Open-carry proponents are also taking advantage of some momentum in state legislatures to expand gun rights, although most new and pending measures don't specifically address unconcealed handguns.

Should people be allowed to carry guns into places like Starbucks? The company says it'll abide by local laws, but customers in San Francisco tell Rex Crum they really don't relish handguns with their lattes.

Open carry hasn't been part of the official focus of the pro-gun lobbying group, the National Rifle Association, which has 4 million members.

In the past 20 years, the NRA has focused on expanding the ability of U.S. gun owners to carry a handgun in a concealed manner.

Today, 38 states have a "shall issue" permit process. Two states don't require a license to conceal carry. Eight states have "may issue" concealed carry laws, meaning permits will be given with the discretion of a local politician or police officer.

"We support the self-defense rights of law-abiding Americans in accordance with local, state and federal laws," says Andrew Arulanandam, an NRA spokesman, who declined further comment on open-carry activity.

Some chains have banned guns from their restaurants, even in open-carry states, because of the impact it could have on non-gun-carrying customers.

"We are concerned that the open display of firearms would be particularly disturbing to children and their parents," said a spokesperson for the California Pizza Kitchen restaurant chain.

A Peet's Coffee & Tea spokesperson said that while the firm "respects and values all individuals' rights...our policy is not to allow customers carrying firearms in our stores or on our outdoor seating premises unless they are uniformed or identified law enforcement officers."

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, which partnered with Credo Action, an activist group that uses mobile phones to effect social change, says it has collected more than 28,000 signatures on a petition to get Starbucks to change its policy.

Pro-gun advocates have taken to openly carrying guns to Starbucks as a way of testing corporations' stances on state weapons laws, William Spain reports.

Allowing customers who are armed with unconcealed guns on the premises "can't be good for business—it galvanizes people, and some of them won't patronize Starbucks after this," said Joshua Horwitz, executive director of the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence, a gun-control organization in Washington, D.C.

Indeed, not all baristas agree that the Starbucks policy protects them. "I think the policy shows complete disregard for the safety and sentiments of their workers. The only thing worse than a yuppie upset with how their frappuccino turned out is a yuppie with a gun who's unhappy with how their frappuccino turned out," says Erik Forman, a Starbucks barista and union member in Minneapolis.

The IWW Starbucks Workers Union on Wednesday issued a statement, saying "We appreciate the vigorous debate taking place by principled individuals on both sides of this issue. However, to date we are not aware of any efforts by Starbucks to widely engage its workers who are directly affected by open-carry gun laws. We believe an appropriate solution cannot be reached without doing so."

—Nick Wingfield and Jess Bravin contributed to this article

[Eville]

Nice job on the rifle refurbish. I think it looks much better with the new optics. Now, what are you going to do with that pea shooter?

Taking it to the range this week and shooting peas of course!

As for open carry, Indiana allows it but I never do. People freak out way to easily to be walking around with a loaded pistol on my hip. The only time I carry openly is at the range.

Kenyth, It is definitely time to start keeping the Glock unloaded if you are going to have it out. As someone who was recently 5 himself, I can assure you that as long as he has 1 working arm and 1 working leg, just being out of his reach isn't going to stop him from getting to it if he wants to. 5 may be a little too young for him to understand gun safety, but it never hurts to try While you're at it, take the wife out too. Let her shoot a bit with a .22 or something small and she should come around eventually.