Anyone play with weapons other than fencing weapons?

[melensdad]

Just curious, anyone here play around with guns?

My daughter is a freshman saber fencer, with about 3 years of fencing experience but took an interest in shooting sports long before she heard about the sport of fencing. By the time she reached age 12 she had her first AR15 and has since transitioned onto pistol shooting. She currently has 3 rifles (one is a little 22lr, the other 2 are AR15s) and 2 pistols (both 9mm).

I've been a shooter for 20+ years, rifle building was a hobby that turned to a semi-profession for me and have built dozens of AR15 rifles from tactical military "entry" guns to long range sniper/target types. Many of the guns I've built are very colorful, breaking the mold of traditional guns. Pink, Yellow, Blue, Purple and Green are some of my favorite gun colors. Oddly enough when I put a bright pink AR15 next to an all black AR15 lots of "anti-gun" folks comment on the evils of the black gun but many actually gush on how cute the pink gun is . . . despite the fact that the parts are fully interchangeable.

My personal rifles often favor long range rounds and I have several AR15s in odd calibers that will keep a bullet supersonic out to 1100 yards. My wife is ROTC trained in both handgun and rifle. Both she and I competed in "TRAP" competitions many years ago at a couple of the local TRAP and SKEET ranges.

Anyone here a gun collector? Competition shooter? 3 gun match shooter? S.A.S.S. member/shooter/competitor?

[I_luv_saber]

There are quite a few fond of the firearm on here. You may find some pretty interesting gun conversations using the search function.

(Not trying to say you shouldn't have created this thread - just that in addition to conversations here, there was some really interesting conversations before that you might look into.)

[melensdad]

There are quite a few fond of the firearm on here. You may find some pretty interesting gun conversations using the search function.

Thanks. Actually I did search and found some, which is why I figured there might be some interest in a new thread on the topic. Its been a little while since we've had one here.

BTW, I also collect original Seattle Detonics Combat Masters . . . and have them in nearly every factory variation in every caliber as well as a couple factory custom variants that were not catalogued.

And you? Do you fancy any particular type? Engraved BBQ guns, classic blue with elephant tusk grips perhaps, maybe old SA Colts?

[DavidX]

I was an expert on the M16, M9 and M249.

I shot my initials into a 249 target when I was downrange.

I want a sniper rifle.

[Empty Wallet]

I used to be a very competitive pistol shooter in the Olympic-related disciplines -- free pistol, centre fire, standard, air. Awful at rapid fire.

I had a variety FWB-80 air pistol. A clunky Russian free pistol.

I loved my Walther GSP. This could convert between a 22lr and 32 SW for centre fire. Change over the barrel, trigger and magazine. Beautiful gun.

Several of us would get together to re-fill our centre fire rounds. I had the powder at such a low level that I could have a stable flight to the front target with a perfect ronud hole, but would bounce off the check target 1 metre behind (used to determine people shooting at the wrong target or putting bullets through the same hole in major competitions).

Too many moves between countries and extremely tightened gun laws meant I never got back to it.



.

[I_luv_saber]

And you? Do you fancy any particular type? Engraved BBQ guns, classic blue with elephant tusk grips perhaps, maybe old SA Colts?

Myself, I've never shot a gun in my life. That said, I find WWII weaponry very interesting - especially differences in field rifles and the weapons that were at the time cutting edge (such as the German STG).

[erooMynohtnA]

I shot my initials into a 249 target when I was downrange.

Fair enough, but they're like 15 meters away.

I shot expert on the M9, M249, M203, all the first time ever firing them. And not because I'm a good shot. I'm not. It's easy.

[DavidX]

Fair enough, but they're like 15 meters away.

I shot expert on the M9, M249, M203, all the first time ever firing them. And not because I'm a good shot. I'm not. It's easy.

shhhhhhhhhh

[JacoKierkegaard]

I haven't done much shooting these days, but I used to be really into shotgun sports. I did a lot of trap and skeet because those were cheaper, but sporting clays was my favorite.

[Nolano]

I enjoy shooting very much. I own a Taurus PT1911, a Mosin nagant 91/30, and a Remington 597 .22 rifle.
Haven't done any sport shooting, but not ruling it out. i need to be more consistent first.

[Inquartata]

No, no...I don't "play around" with firearms. Deadly serious about 'em.

[parrythis]

My wife and I have a .22 rifle that I use to go out and shoot targets and the occasional varmint. Late last year my wife woke me up early and I shot a rabid skunk in my pajamas. (What he was doing in my pajamas, I'll never know!)

Seriously... I take it out and practice enough that I know I can pull the trigger when I have to and I will hit what I'm aiming at.

[fencerchica]

Got a Marlin 60 but haven't had time to do much with it yet.

[melensdad]

I haven't done much shooting these days, but I used to be really into shotgun sports. I did a lot of trap and skeet because those were cheaper, but sporting clays was my favorite.

My wife and I used to shoot a lot of TRAP. That was back in the day when the trap clubs would line up on the Lake Michigan shoreline and launch the clays over the lake and you'd bust the targets over the breaking waves. We had one club in Whiting, IN that had the Chicago skyline as the backdrop. Evenings busting clays there were always enjoyable.

We too switched to SPORTING CLAYS and that is a riot to shoot. There was a club here just a few minutes from our land that got us hooked. It was a run by a farmer turned hunting preserve owner who then set up a 100 round clays course. Not sure if he still does it as our interests moved away from shotgun.

I used to fly to Atlanta on business, occasionally took a shotgun or two with me. There are plenty of great shooting opportunities in the Atlanta area. For those who don't know, it is easy to fly with guns as long as your read the airline policy on transport.

Got a Marlin 60 but haven't had time to do much with it yet.

The Marlin 60 is a great little gun!

I like small bore and big bore guns. My latest build is a 458 Socom. It will throw a full ounce of lead fast enough to stop a brown bear. Recoil is pretty stout, but nothing more than a 12 gauge shotgun with a deer slug.

I also have built up several 6.5 Grendel rifles and currently own two AR15s chambered for that round. What a sweet little centerfire round!!! The same length as a simple 223, but with the ability to throw a bullet that is twice as heavy with ballistic coefficients that exceed .5xx, so the round stays supersonic out past 1000 yards. For target shooters it is a dream as it drops and drifts less than the 7.62NATO but has only 1/2 the recoil energy while retaining more velocity and more energy at long ranges.

[Tomas N]

My other weapon at this time of the year is a snow shovel.

[melensdad]

My other weapon at this time of the year is a snow shovel.

Mine has tracks, can be equipped with a WOMBAT anti-tank weapon, machine guns, etc and was formally used by the British Royal Commandos to patrol the mountain borders of the USSR under NATO during the cold war

Here it is parked in my yard:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75...rbie1-2007.jpg

[Inquartata]

My other weapon at this time of the year is a snow shovel.

He is....The Shoveler!

Is Telk Mr. Furious?

[fencerchica]

Mine has tracks, can be equipped with a WOMBAT anti-tank weapon, machine guns, etc and was formally used by the British Royal Commandos to patrol the mountain borders of the USSR under NATO during the cold war

Here it is parked in my yard:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75...rbie1-2007.jpg

Cool! That reminds me of the awesome exhibit they have in the Native American Museum of how modified Bombardiers that run out on the ice are apparently just a mainstay of Native life in areas like Manitoba.

[melensdad]

Bombardiers are very interesting machines, very fast on frozen lakes and fields. They were used as school buses, police cars, and ambulances in Canada in addition to a host of civilian uses. They had limited capability in rough terrain.

Snow Tracs were developed in Sweden and were quickly adopted by many several military forces, including the USA by the USAF, but most prominently the Royal Commandos from the UK. Mine is obviously painted in civilian guise. Its lots of fun. When I imported it from England I brought it over as "farm machinery" so I can drive it on the roads as long as I follow the farm equipment/tractor road laws. Snow Tracs are light enough that they were transportable by helicopter to remote mountain regions for military patrols. They are capable of easily climbing slopes that are difficult to hike and they seat 7 people when outfitted with the full cabin (like mine). The cabins come off pretty easily and the units can be reconfigured to allow for open top, pick-up bed, etc. Weapons modules, rescue configurations and ambulance bodies can be configured.

[migopod]

He is....The Shoveler!

Is Telk Mr. Furious?

But who is The Spleen?