Wish List: Ruger 10/22

This one is a no-brainer. I should buy two of these. One for me and another for my girlfriend. It's a good rifle and one that should be at the top of my wish list.

Wish List: Rohrbaugh R-9

This little baby is incredible! I read about it in American Handgunner and I was very impressed. Made for concealed carry and experienced users, this 9mm pistol is super compact yet packs a punch using any standard ammo. I'd love to pick up a sighted version. The worksmanship is impressive and I read that this sucker is amazingly accurate if you can shoot it well. I'd have to arrange an FFL transfer since there aren't any dealers in the Green Mountain State. Very cool!

I believe I'll be choosing the PM9 for easier availability and the ability to shoot high velocity loads if I choose to.

Wish list: Mossberg SP 590 12 ga

I can't deny the overwhelming advice to pick up a 12 ga for home defense. I don't think I'll get a chance to fire one before I buy, but I should be able to learn to handle a 12 ga. I just hope my girlfriend can learn too. The 12 ga sounds more attractive for the larger selection of rounds and it seems to be the most abdundant of the shotgun shells. A light and a SideSaddle shell holder should be the perfect mates to round out the package.

Parros has a 590 for $409. The unfortunate thing about their website is you can never quite tell what they have in stock. I've tried emailing them, but Henry doesn't write back. I'm paranoid that he's a little elitist, but he has a great shop and great prices.

My Glock 27

I went through some considerable trouble to buy this "little" baby. I was unaware that it is against federal regulations to buy more than one handgun a week without filling out additional paperwork. I was on a tight time schedule to meet friends and so I had to leave and come back. I made an extra 300+ mile trip just to buy this gun. I don't regret it for a second although I've found that I can barely handle the .40 caliber.
I have pretty small wrists and my hand/arm strength isn't what it used to be when I was more physically active. I found that the pistol kicked pretty hard and that I'd limp wrist near the end of the clip which yielded occasional jams. Not good. I've always dreamed of owning a .45 caliber, but looks like I'll have to hold off on that for a little while until I can improve my pistol handling. True, there's a lot less purchase when gripping a G27, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm not ready to shoot this pistol defensively. A extender off the mag might help, but I don't plan on relying on one. Until then, my next pistol will be a Glock 17 in 9mm.

My Browning Buckmark

This was my very first firearm purchase. I bought this when I was home for the summer. I immediately fell in love with it, though I fear I might have damaged the edge of the inner barrel when I was cleaning it. I'm new to this and I might have hit it with the edge of my cleaning rod. It's a joy to fire.

Gun Politics and where I stand

This is from an article about the different aspects to the issues of gun ownership. I have included my own personal agreement and dissention from these popular stances.

In summary, those who support greater restrictions on firearm ownership believe some subset of:

1. (I disagree) that there is no fundamental right to own firearms
2. (I disagree) that gun control legislation may reduce violent crime
3. (I agree) that guns are more dangerous to the owners than intended targets because most gun related deaths are a result of domestic violence, accidents and suicides
4. (I disagree) that guns are often of little use as self defense for the typical owner because in the incidents where a hostile encounter with an armed criminal occurs, the criminal is usually more experienced and skilled with his/her weapon
5. (I agree) that even against unarmed criminals, the presence of a gun serves most often simply to escalate the likelihood and/or severity of violence
6. (I disagree) that citizens have no need to own guns to protect themselves against crime, since this is the task of the government
7. (I disagree) that citizens of First World countries today have no need to protect themselves against their governments if they are vigilant enough to confront government wrongdoing before violence is necessary, or that even if such a need should arise, it would be hopeless anyway to take up individual small arms against the sort of modern military technology that a government could bring to bear.

Those who favor maintaining or extending the private ownership of firearms believe some subset of:

1. (I agree) that owning firearms is a fundamental right
2. (I agree, however how can anyone know another person's intentions?) that the government has no right to interfere with an individual's right to own firearms as long as the individual is not harming or intimidating fellow citizens
3. (I don't necessarily agree, changes in crime rates are multi-variable and I have yet to hear of conclusive evidence of this fact, though there is a limited intuitive truth to this statement) that guns in the hands of the populace decrease crime
4. (I agree) that citizens have a right to self-protection
5. (I don't necessarily agree, see above) that an armed populace decreases the overall risk of violent crime, because it provides a deterrent effect for criminals who cannot know whether their next prospective victim, or someone nearby, will turn out to be armed
6. (I agree) that law-abiding citizens have a responsibility to provide their own protection because governments cannot be held civilly or criminally responsible for failing to provide such protection
7. (I disagree) That carrying firearms properly makes one safer, not less safe; for the same reason that police forces carry firearms
8. (I disagree) that gun ownership protects citizens from the excesses of government
9. (I agree that guns provide) the possibility of revolution, if necessary

So, where does that leave me? I suppose I'm generally a supporter of gun ownership with some restrictions (basically those defined by Class 3 firearms). I don't see much use in anti-assault weapon laws like those of NJ.

Defining a Liberal

I suppose this is a good place to start out. I consider myself a liberal through the common definitions:

• I embrace multiculturalism, human rights, civil liberties, freedom of speech and the press, free market and trade, a constitutional government, a limited degree of governmental intervention in the economy, an open mind to ethical issues, financial aid.
• I am a child of a capitalist society, however I am vexed by the class-based system in that it is not fully democratic or participatory.
• I find the concept of a truely open society very interesting, where the politics and laws continually evolve to meet the needs of the people.

I know this leaves a lot to be described. Keep in mind, this is only a beginning point for me.

Can I store an AR-15 in New Jersey?

I think I'm going to have to call a lawyer in New Jersey about the legality of storing an AR-15 at my folks place in NJ. I know there's a law against ownership of this kind of gun in the state of NJ, but technically my parents aren't the owners, users, or would even be aware of the firearm.

It is unlawful to knowingly possess any handgun, including any antique handgun, without first having obtained a Permit to Carry. It is unlawful to knowingly possess any rifle or shotgun without having first obtained a Firearms Purchaser Identification Card (FID).
Exceptions. No Permit to Carry or FID is required:
To keep or carry any firearm about a person's place of business, residence, premises, or other land owned or possessed by him; a place of business shall be deemed a fixed location.

New Jersey law restricts the ownership of certain semi-automatic and other firearms based upon their military appearance.

High Capacity Magazines or Feeding Devices.
New Jersey prohibits the manufacture, transport, shipment, sale or disposal of large capacity ammunition magazines, unless the magazine is intended to be used for authorized military or law enforcement purposes. N.J. Rev. Stat § 2C:39-9h. New Jersey law defines “large capacity ammunition magazine” as a box, drum, tube or other container which is capable of holding more than 15 rounds of ammunition to be fed continuously and directly into a semi-automatic firearm. Section 2C:39-1y.

My question is how can I own and M4 with hi-capacity magazines while I'm out of the country?

Wish List: My dream firearm...

Ever since I was just a young teenager, I always dreamt of owning an AR-15/M4. If all goes well this summer, I will be able to buy this carbine. I don't know if I can even shoot it for some time, but it doesn't matter. I'd just love to have one.