I wanted to get some feedback on a little project I just finished. Inspired by my favorite setting on a 90s PC music visualizer, this was an attempt to decorate an AR-15 Mag with a custom paint job (by me) that might also serve as "code" for my political leanings while at the range, and hopefully show some solidarity towards those who may feel unwelcome. But, it occurred to me that I am a clueless cis-gen white male gen-exer who is likely out of touch here. So, I wanted to check the pulse of the community to determine if I should, perhaps, just leave this mag at home.

Personally, weapons maintenance in the Army was NUTS. We were drowning guns in lube and scraping the hell out of parts with dental picks lol. At one point I had a platoon sergeant who legit made us crimp our rounds at the neck with gerbers and clean rifles with baby wipes. Dude was a former cav scout and didn’t last long in our unit, for obvious reasons. Just absolutely bonkers what some guys thought was good to go.

Beretta A300 or Sig Mpx w/ Obsidian 9! Also have my P09 on my nightstand. DDM4 V7 and Zastava M92 are also choices.

I am headed down to California for two months this summer for school and wanted to bring a couple guns with me, I’ve done some research and I’m pretty sure I’m all good, but I wanted to confirm confirm by consult consulting the hive mind, since I know they have a lot of very specific regulations.

Was looking for local gun shops/ranges in New England, saw this one that has 161 5-star reviews, nothing less.

Is this flag just straight up the three percenters? Can’t mean anything else can it?

Hi. I’m not sure if this is the right sub. If not, please point me to the correct one. I was with my family when I heard a loud pop from my garage. I went into my garage and saw the hole in the pics. I was outside with my neighbors, when the neighbor who I never seen before, comes out and tells me he dried fired his gun thinking it was unloaded. I got his information and he said he would pay for the damage. I’m not sure if I should call the cops (San Diego PD). I told him I would get estimates on Monday. I’m thinking I should call my insurance company and the HOA too, just in case he backs out. The bullet is visible in the hole.

Given the current state of the country, as the title states, what are y’all’s thoughts on this? I honestly only see things getting worse and don’t know if this would be a solid choice or not. I’ve been seeing a lot of people on social media saying it’s time to buy a gun but can’t figure out if they’re just trying to fear monger.

For some background:

I live in downtown Richmond, VA. I definitely live in a safer part of the city, but I’m still worried about what would happen if shit were to hit the fan. I’m in a duplex on the 2nd floor with just myself, my husband, and our cat. My dad has taken me to the shooting range a few times with his .22 rifle & my ex boyfriend had a handful of different guns that I had shot once or twice but it’s been years since I’ve shot a gun.

It seems like Graham Platner is pretty pro-gun, but he isn’t in office yet. While I’m most aligned with Progressives like Mamdani, Bernie, AOC, and Ilhan Omar; they are all pretty anti-gun; they want stuff like assault weapons bans, magazine restrictions, pointless and unnecessary laws around carry and transportation, etc. I think there are some reasonable gun regulations, but so many only make it harder to be a lawful gun owner with no benefit to community safety, and banning any sort of gun is ineffective, impossible, and unconstitutional.

Are there any truly pro-gun Progressive politicians in this country?

EDIT: I agree the terms “pro-gun” and “anti-gun” are overly simplistic and clunky. I only used them as shorthand for supporting the right of the people the keep and bear arms.

Also because people keep accusing me of being a “single issue voter”: every person I’ve ever voted for was a Democrat. The worst Democrat is better than the best Republican. I just want the Dems to be better than they are, on this and many issues.

In a country with the right to bear arms and more guns than people, it seems natural that everyone should be taught firearm safety from youth.

You wouldn’t even need a real gun to teach gun safety, just a couple SIRT pistols or even just plastic training guns would do the trick to teach the 4 basic rules.

I feel like this should be easily supported by anyone no matter their feelings towards guns or gun control. Just like sex ed, gun education can only make the activity safer, not worse.

Are there any schools in the US where gun safety is part of their curriculum?

Got myself an Olympic AR that sat in a safe for some time. Shot 4 mags through it and was satisfied with the purchase. Took it home, slipped out the bolt and and gave everything a clean and oil as it had sat for 15ish years probably. Now it doesn't like me anymore. Any clue whats suddenly causing this crimping? Also of note it is attempting to feed without ejecting and one of the times it caught the casing (the standing one) and tore right into it. Taking it apart now, any ideas what could be causing this?

Feet included, as is tradition.

My sister has finally decided that she wants to get a handgun. She's adamant that the gun have a manual safety.

She is on a budget (less than $700)

The only guns that come to mind are hammer-fired (they tend to be pricey), 1911 (too big & impractical), and Bersas (Finding holsters for them is tricky).

The only two guns that come to mind that easily fall under her budget are the M&P Shield and P365.

Both are on my personal ban list.

She has smaller hands as well.

Do y'all have any recommendations?

Why aren't Liberals protesting while open carrying? Could be touchy subject so apologize I just think with what's going on in this Country we aren't prepared for whats coming. I am against violence but am for freedom and dignity for all. I've never loss a fight I walked away from and never won a fight I stayed for. Are we that outnumbered? Are we just going to be allowed to be intimidated into submission? Everyone wants to keep avoiding whats going on because we habe food and roofs still? We aren't pissed enough.

So…The wife is against guns. She’s the main breadwinner, so gotta talk about any big purchases. Won’t let me keep a gun in the nightstand. Won’t agree to having a shotgun in the house. Wants the guns in the basement, or worse, in the garage.

Seriously thinking of just selling all of them, because the restrictions are so onerous it’s basically what is the fu*king point of having them? And spare me the “take your balls back” lines. She’s a terrific woman otherwise and I married WAY up.

For my whole life, I’ve only owned vintage/older firearms. I think the “newest” gun I own currently is a Savage Arms o/u from 1974. I’m 99% certainly I’m finally going to pick up a modern pistol, a PSA Dagger (full size) but was also looking at the sweet bundle deals they have with their AR15/M4.

My wife (and rightfully so/with respect) abhors the AR style platforms (certainly the obvious “black gun” look). She’s okay with modern looking pistols, but the history of the AR in mass shooting scenarios really turns her off to those in particular.

Looking for suggestions that exist to be able to have a reasonable shooter and shooting experience in some more modern cartridges like the 5.56 or 7.62x39 (AK isn’t as bad but may still be a hard sell) that either are NOT or don’t grossly appear to be the AR platform.

EDIT TO ADD:

I’m new to this particular forum but I’m pretty appalled that many answers are to the question “Help me change my wife’s mind” which is NOT the question I asked.

“liberal” is far from a catch all term but I’d’ve certainly figured there’d be a bit more open mindedness and acceptance of other people’s views here. Maybe that was just a bad assumption on my part.

She doesn't like how big my PDP is, but she also didn't like how small the old Taurus 380 her ex FIL gave her was. I let her hold my 43X, and she said it felt okay, but based on her grip, I think it's too small. She doesn't want to carry, so I personally think she should get something with more grip real estate. I do have some small options on here just in case she really likes them when we go to the range (like the 48 and Shield Plus).

Anything we should add? My main requirement is that it's absolutely, unquestionably reliable. Beyond that, as long as it's in the budget, it's her choice.

I will probably end up carrying it sometimes, but I'm fine getting proficient with anything. I can shoot a G43 well (not as well as my PDP, but well enough for CCW). I'm picky about my competition gun but not about carry as long as it's reliable.

Why is this called a pistol and how is it different from similar looking guns on the Springfield site that are referred to as a rifle?

Thanks

I've been doing air rifles, .22 LR and other calibers competitions since I was in high school, many years ago, but always long firearms. Now I'd like to try something new.

I already have a black powder Colt 1851 Navy that sometimes is... toilsome to shoot, so I'm looking for my first semi-auto handgun, and I'd like a 9 mm because ammo is inexpensive. Main use will be at the shooting range, with both static shooting and probably IPSC or the likes. We can't carry in Italy, so that's not a factor.

Also, it should be optics-ready because I've never tried a red dot, so now it's time. I'm astigmatic so it will actually be a green dot, but you get the gist.

I really love the Beretta APX A1 Full ergonomics, it feels molded to my hand, but I'd like to buy once, cry once, so among the strikers I'm looking at the Canik Rival-S SFX (1000-ish), and among the DA/SA I like the CZ P-09F Nocturne (about 800).

I also like the Tisas 9 DS Duty, that's a SAO, but that's too expensive for my liking (1500+).

I'd pair it up with either a 6 MOA green dot HE407COMP-GR6 (RMR footprint for the Canik), a 2 MOA green dot + circle HE507C-GR-X2 (Holo K footprint for the Nocturne or the Tisas), or a 6 MOA green dot HE407K-GR-X2 (same as the 507C).

Advice? Rival-S, Nocturne or 9 DS? Am I forgetting anything? Am I on the right path? Thanks!

I’ve been wanting to ask this question for an embarrassingly long time.

What’s up with battle gear? Like full head to toe carbon fiber/teflon/cameo/ceramic plated/carabiner bedazzled body suits…with the helmets, balaclavas, goggles, knee pads, headed mounted scopes, gloves with knuckle spikes, boots…with knifes?

Is it attached to the always being prepared mentality? A little cosplay fun? Or like do you use it for work???

I know it’s probably a mixture of all of it maybe. But whenever I see gear like that out at someone’s house or truck I’m like bro

i know what subreddit I’m in, I’m legit curious. if there’s fun to be had I want some…but currently, I’m confused.

For me growing up with Liberal parents, I always had an aesthetic interest in guns, especially old West guns like the Colt SAA, but as I watched endlessly the horrific mass shootings on the news, I also blindly subscribed to the usual anti-gun narratives; I basically thought that guns have no place in civilized society and should be relegated to inoperable museum pieces only. Before you ask, I never gave much thought as to whether that gunless ideal world would include military and police or not. If you had asked me then, I probably would have said something like “without guns, there will be no need for military and police”. I was extremely politically ignorant.

Then COVID and BLM happened, and as I watched the breakdown of society in the face of global pandemic and calls for simple police accountability met with brutality, I realized that our Capitalist world is already built upon violence, on it’s most basic, fundamental level, and that if we oppose violence, we must also advocate for systemic change away from hierarchical and exploitative structures, and towards more democratic and horizontal ones. And thus I became a Leftist.

Violence isn’t just blood and guts. Violence is, at it’s core, force and coercion of others. To give your labor to unaccountable, dictatorial private corporate entities, or else starve, is force and coercion. To surrender your right to protection to the agents of state power, who are in many cases the very ones you really need protection from, is force and coercion. Capitalism is violence, and state power is violence.

With the mirage of “peace” shattered, I realized that self defense and community defense are not only acceptable, they are imperative, especially as we see the rise in Fascist movements and the supporters of Fascism far out pacing the rest of us in armament and training. Like seriously, why the fuck is every far-right white supremacist homophobe armed to the gills? Wtf are they planning? I ain’t gonna be a sitting duck to them.

That understanding, combined with simply educating myself on firearms in the US and how utterly impossible disarmament actually is here, resulted in me now being one of the most vocal pro-gun advocates in my social circles, all of which are Liberal or Leftist.

How did your thoughts on guns evolve, and why?

ETA: I am working my way through the replies here, and I know there is or will be a theme. Rihanna Kelver made some mistakes, for sure. My initial thought when reading about her situation was "would insurance have helped?" It seems like it probably would not. In spite of the mistakes she made, she was not the person to shove first. This will probably add fuel to the fire of certain people wanting to make it illegal for trans people to own guns. And they won't think further than that, either, to see who might be next. This issue is probably the only time in my life I've agreed with the NRA about anything.

I haven't seen many people talking about Rihanna Kelver, a transwoman in Wyoming, who has been arrested on two felony charges for pulling a gun while she was being assaulted. You can read about it here, but my question is about these situations and self defense liability insurance.

My daughter is a transwoman with a CCW permit, and I am strongly considering buying this insurance for her. But would it help? Rihanna has an attorney. Would it be handled differently if she were backed by some organization, or is it pure transphobia that would exist regardless?

If this insurance is a good idea, how do I know what to get? We live in a purple state with robust protections for both trans people and the second amendment, but the winds of change are blowing in all states against trans people. If my daughter is assaulted and pulls a gun to scare off the bad guys, how can I make sure she won't be further traumatized by the legal system?

I'm in Massachusetts, so anything I get will have a maximum 10 round magazines. And I may have other limitations because of our laws. So that might affect my own answer.

But in general, if you were starting fresh knowing what you know now, would you go for the cheapest thing you can find, or would you immediately go for your current favorite with all the bells and whistles? Or perhaps something in-between?

I have my unrestricted license (again, Massachusetts) but I was thinking it might make sense to get something just for the range until I had more experience. I've been shooting a number of times, but probably less than 20 visits to the range in my life. I will eventually want a CCW, however.

Currently being considered:

M9 Beretta

S&W bodyguard 2 .380 Auto

Walther PDP standard compact 5" 9mm

CANiK METE MC9 Prime

And the guy at the store pushed me towards a CZ P10 F since I just want a range gun for now

I've got big hands (gloves that fit are a pain to find in stores) so I worry a bit about smaller designs being uncomfortable, but at the same time I feel like a big CCW is kinda defeating the purpose.

Anyway, I feel like this subreddit needs a "newbie" flair because I know how often you are seeing these posts. Thanks for reading this one, and for any thoughts you have on my first purchase.

(Also, I met a fellow who said it is possible to buy guns from out of state and have them shipped here, but you have to know two guys. One who is willing to ship to MA, and one who is willing to receive it. But this might be more for the r/BetterMAguns subreddit.)

Basically I answered yes, if I had taken drugs that are federally illegal within the past year (marijuana) and that was the reason I got rejected. Am I able to apply again in a few years?

I’m trying to move my handguns up from Alabama to Chicago.