YAGT: OMG I love guns

[adairusmc]

This has been an expensive week for me, thanks to r/gundeals. In addition to all of my Ar10 build parts and the M1 garand, I had to pick up a half dozen of those 460rd 7.62 NATO surplus ammo cans from SGAmmo, and a couple of cases of S&B 30-06 M2 ball for the garand. Also got a couple of radian raptor charging handles thanks to Primary Arms's sale.

That 6.5 creedmoor upper that PSA announced last week is awfully tempting as well, but then I would have to figure out an optic for it and that is just not in the budget with everything else.

 

[clamum]

I've thought about getting a pistol to put in a bug out/get home bag, something quite cheap since the likelihood of having to use it is extremely low, but on the other hand I want the thing to be pretty reliable because if I did have to use it, you are frickin right I don't want it to crap the bed on me.

So a recent Military Arms Channel video of the Star BM 9mm made me almost get that from J&G Sales for this reason. I've known about the Taurus PT 111 Millennium G2 but reading enough comments about its reliability kind of turned me off to it. Do you guys think it's good to go though, as far as reliability?

Would you guys get an old milsurp pistol or something like a Taurus for a bug out/get home bag? Thanks for any advice.

 

[adairusmc]

I've thought about getting a pistol to put in a bug out/get home bag, something quite cheap since the likelihood of having to use it is extremely low, but on the other hand I want the thing to be pretty reliable because if I did have to use it, you are frickin right I don't want it to crap the bed on me.

So a recent Military Arms Channel video of the Star BM 9mm made me almost get that from J&G Sales for this reason. I've known about the Taurus PT 111 Millennium G2 but reading enough comments about its reliability kind of turned me off to it. Do you guys think it's good to go though, as far as reliability?

Would you guys get an old milsurp pistol or something like a Taurus for a bug out/get home bag? Thanks for any advice.

I would say that if you are looking for reliability and "cheap" for a bug out bag pistol, I would look at a police trade in glock19 or sig or something like that. Aim surplus has several models available, from a glock 22 police trade in at around $300 to a Sig P229r in 9mm for under $500 (which may be a bit much as far as budget for a bug out bag gun, but would certainly fit the bill).

 

[jcwagers]

What is the top limit of your budget? I know the Taurus PT111 Millennium G2 is around $200 give or take...but is that the upper end you want to spend or would you go higher? In the $200 or less, you're probably looking at HiPoint, SCCY, or the Taurus as the main ones in 9mm and maybe a Ruger LCP line in .380 , unless you go used.....and it's hard to tell what you're getting used sometimes unless you know the person or are very good at inspecting firearms.

If you go $200-300, there are several that you can check out. The Walther Creed, S&W SD9 VE, S&W Shield, EAA Witness, Kel-Tec P11(most Kel-Tecs have a looong trigger pull so beware of that), and Ruger SR9E. I'm sure there are more as well but that might be just a few that you can look at. If you're comfortable with it, let us know what you pick. Good luck and happy shopping!

 

[clamum]

Thanks for the replies.

I'd say my budget is $300, maybe $350 at the most if something happens to be a high value.

Police trade-ins are a great idea, I think. The prices you mentioned are a bit high for my like but maybe there is something available here in my price range.

Any comments on the Taurus PT111? Or milsurp guns for bug out bag usage? One thing Tim mentioned in the Star BM 9mm video was that spare parts are very hard to come by for that pistol which is also kind of another knock against it for bug out type use.

 

[Paladin3]

Taurus PT111 Millennium G2 review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MH3tJrK2ma4

The G2 is a great pistol for the money. It has a reputation for reliability along with 12+1 rounds of 9mm in a compact frame. The grip is excellent, the deepish trigger break is easy to get used to, accuracy on mine is great, comes with a second magazine standard, all for around $200 shipped online. I've had mine for over two years and never a single malfunction.

Avoid buying the older first generation of the Millennium because it had problems, included not passing the drop test.

Price search: https://gun.deals/search/apachesolr_search/taurus+pt111

 

[clamum]

Taurus PT111 Millennium G2 review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MH3tJrK2ma4

The G2 is a great pistol for the money. It has a reputation for reliability along with 12+1 rounds of 9mm in a compact frame. The grip is excellent, the deepish trigger break is easy to get used to, accuracy on mine is great, comes with a second magazine standard, all for around $200 shipped online. I've had mine for over two years and never a single malfunction.

Avoid buying the older first generation of the Millennium because it had problems, included not passing the drop test.

Price search: https://gun.deals/search/apachesolr_search/taurus+pt111

Nice, thanks for the reply! I do like that it's a double stack as opposed to a lot of these single stack or low capacity milsurp pistols (though my CCW is a single stack PPS, more rounds ain't a bad thing) and it's such a cheap price. Maybe I will go with the PT 111 then. I think I'll look up a torture test to see if anyone has beaten the crap out of it. There's such a low probability of having to use the thing if it's in a bug out bag but it's hard for me to just pick any old pistol and call it good. Thanks again for your comments man!

 

[kinev]

Nice, thanks for the reply! I do like that it's a double stack as opposed to a lot of these single stack or low capacity milsurp pistols (though my CCW is a single stack PPS, more rounds ain't a bad thing) and it's such a cheap price. Maybe I will go with the PT 111 then. I think I'll look up a torture test to see if anyone has beaten the crap out of it. There's such a low probability of having to use the thing if it's in a bug out bag but it's hard for me to just pick any old pistol and call it good. Thanks again for your comments man!

NutnFancy reviewed it and had it out in below freezing temps and thrown around in the ice/snow and part of the trigger safety broke off. He didn't recommend it because of that.

I've had one for about 3 years and it's not my favorite handgun; mostly because I'm not accurate with it. I'm not a marksman by any means, but I shoot my Xd's so much better than the Taurus. Probably due to the super long trigger pull on the first shot. But, it has been super reliable with only a handful of malfunctions due to the ammo in 1000+ rounds.

 

[Paladin3]

Torture tests??? I love Hickok45's comment from the review I posted: "Some people shoot their guns four or five hundred times without ever cleaning them to just to see if they'll work and operate when they are that dirty. I just don't ever do that with any of my guns because I'm not going to carry it when it's that dirty."

It's one thing to make sure your gun is reliable but any gun will eventually fail if enough abuse is applied. I'm not going to allow any gun I own to be subjected to that much abuse, let alone one I might have to rely on to save my life in an emergency. If you leave your gun in your truck or some kind of bug-out-bag where it's subjected to torture test conditions you've already failed. I live in North Idaho so I make sure to shoot my guns in the cold to ensure their reliability at low temps, but that's about it. I don't dunk them in the mud or pour sand inside to see if they'll still shoot.

IMHO, most of those extreme youtube torture tests on guns, while fun to watch, are done by idiots looking for attention.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

There is more to this for some folks than what meets his eyes, though. My Sig P2340 isn't going to resell for anything. Beyond the fact that it was stopped because some people had issues with the non-metal frame (hot loaders), and the fact that other models were much more popular, and the fact that I do not resell firearms, I figured I could perform this kind of test regardless of what others thought. We all know a clean gun will work, duh. But my 2340 hasn't been cleaned in nearly a decade and is probably the one handgun I am most comfortable with and the most skilled with.

 

[adairusmc]

The new cmp m1 garand will be here on Monday, looks like it is a Harrington and Richardson from 1954. Can’t wait to see it.

 

[gill77]

The new cmp m1 garand will be here on Monday, looks like it is a Harrington and Richardson from 1954. Can’t wait to see it.

I did the cmp thing many years ago. Most folks will never understand. Please post pics.

 

[adairusmc]

Pics of the new m1, which arrived today -

I will get some better pics of it when I get her cleaned up, but it looks fantastic (and everything matches)

 

[Paladin3]

Pics of the new m1, which arrived today -

I will get some better pics of it when I get her cleaned up, but it looks fantastic (and everything matches)

Absolutely beautiful! I hope you shoot it with pride for many years then pass it on to your kids.

 

[gill77]

Pics of the new m1, which arrived today -

I will get some better pics of it when I get her cleaned up, but it looks fantastic (and everything matches)

It does look fantastic. Thanks for the pics. I doubt there is any way you are not excited about this purchase. Did the case come with it?

They are a joy to shoot (not to carry) in part due to the weight I imagine. There is also something about the "ping" you hear when the empty clip ejects. Avoid the M1 thumb of course.

 

[gill77]

You are in good company.

 

[adairusmc]

It does look fantastic. Thanks for the pics. I doubt there is any way you are not excited about this purchase. Did the case come with it?

They are a joy to shoot (not to carry) in part due to the weight I imagine. There is also something about the "ping" you hear when the empty clip ejects. Avoid the M1 thumb of course.

Yes, the case comes with the rifles from the cmp, and it is really nice.

I stripped it down last night and started cleaning cosmoline, and cleaning the stock. Going to start applying coats of boiled linseed oil to the stock all week. Cleaning it really brought some of the beauty out of the wood, it was just sticky with cosmoline out of the box. Pretty happy with it, considering everything matches on it. Looking forward to getting it put back together and shooting it.

 

[gill77]

Yes, the case comes with the rifles from the cmp, and it is really nice.

I stripped it down last night and started cleaning cosmoline, and cleaning the stock. Going to start applying coats of boiled linseed oil to the stock all week. Cleaning it really brought some of the beauty out of the wood, it was just sticky with cosmoline out of the box. Pretty happy with it, considering everything matches on it. Looking forward to getting it put back together and shooting it.

They say rifles are all about barrels so that would be my first focus of attention. Some of the lower grade garands would ship out with throw away barrels that were shot out. Unlikely that is the case with yours.

My father-in-law used one in WWII and showed me a quick way to get a decent look at your barrel. Get in some decent light with your thumbnail at the breach end of the barrel and look down the end of the barrel. The thumbnail will reflect the light up the barrel. I was amazed at how well it worked.

 

[adairusmc]

They say rifles are all about barrels so that would be my first focus of attention. Some of the lower grade garands would ship out with throw away barrels that were shot out. Unlikely that is the case with yours.

My father-in-law used one in WWII and showed me a quick way to get a decent look at your barrel. Get in some decent light with your thumbnail at the breach end of the barrel and look down the end of the barrel. The thumbnail will reflect the light up the barrel. I was amazed at how well it worked.

Yeah, this is a service grade so the barrel is pretty good. It is the original HRA barrel, and according to the tag the throat reading was 3 and the muzzle reading was 2. To be a service grade, the throat erosion reading needs to be less than 5 and the muzzle reading less than 3.

Thank you for the tip on getting a look down the barrel. I also have a light for looking down bores that I can use, but I will probably get to detail cleaning all of the metal parts when I get close to getting the coats of BLO on the wood done and get ready to re-assemble.

 

[gill77]

Yeah, this is a service grade so the barrel is pretty good. It is the original HRA barrel, and according to the tag the throat reading was 3 and the muzzle reading was 2. To be a service grade, the throat erosion reading needs to be less than 5 and the muzzle reading less than 3.

Thank you for the tip on getting a look down the barrel. I also have a light for looking down bores that I can use, but I will probably get to detail cleaning all of the metal parts when I get close to getting the coats of BLO on the wood done and get ready to re-assemble.

So you figure this is post Korean War vintage? Great purchase.

 

[adairusmc]

So you figure this is post Korean War vintage? Great purchase.

yes, it is stamped May of 1954 on the rifle, so it was made after the war. However, there is the possibility that it was used elsewhere, such as Vietnam -

 

[adairusmc]

Picked up a new lower this evening, the snowflake -

 

[madoka]

Picked up a new lower this evening, the snowflake -

That is a thing of beauty!!!

 

[Svnla]

I will put this here, especially for the newbies - https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2016/3/11/8-checks-to-run-before-firing-your-new-gun/

 

[BarkingGhostar]

I did the cmp thing many years ago. Most folks will never understand. Please post pics.

But a lot of it may have to do with ignorance and not disinterest. For instance, in my state (Georgia) we just pull triggers and do not care about hitting a target. Joking, of course, but that's what it seems like. I live in the second largest county by population and there ain't a single outdoor range. <tears>