How many guns are enough? Well I own many firearms and some may say I’m a collector. I don’t see myself as a traditional collector. In my mind that is someone that buys a very specific make/model of gun that is by nature rare and expensive. I have seen people post a quote that you should beware of the man that owns only one gun as he probably knows how to use it. I guess I’m somewhere in between. Right now I have 7 rifles and 7 handguns. I want a lot more guns. The boundary of my collection  is limited by my funds, I might be a collector of WW2 Lugers but I don’t have the money for that. I try to use my limited funds to buy what I need and to make sure I’m spending my money wisely I classify my guns (have or want).

First category is self defence handgun. The first handgun I got for SD was the Ruger GP-100. I bought this gun 20 years ago. The advice I got from gun store folk and the gun magazines said to get a 38/357 6” revolver as it was so good at many things. Target shooting, home defense, and well….I don’t know what else. Also was told I had to have as it was reliable unlike autoloaders. So my GP-100 has sat in my safe next to 2 speed loaders of hollow point 357 ammo protecting my home from harm for years. Would it do in a SD/HD situation? Sure will, but It’s retired to a range gun and training gun now. I aquired a Glock 22 for HD next. I liked it but the cost of ammo was too high and wife and sister shoot the Glock 19 so I have sold the 22 and am picking up my 19 as soon as my permits come in. I wish to focus on just one handgun for SD/HD. As of now it will be the 19 but if I feel that there is something better I will sell the 19. So for SD/HD handguns its. Buy GP-100 > change category to range/training > buy Glock 22 > sell 22 > buy 19. I am thinking of a BUG (Back-Up Gun), but still not sure of what I want.

Next is self defence shotgun. Going back 20+ years ago the thinking was remington 870 / mossberg 500 pump for HD. So I bought a Rem 870 express 12G with a 28 in barrel. Sold it. Too long of a barrel. Will go with semi-auto for HD. Thinking of Beretta Tx4, Benelli M2, or FNH SLP. I’m not in a rush to get the shotgun as I think it will be limited in HD. Most likely will have easy access to my handgun before my shotgun.

Hunting is next. I don’t have any handguns I would hunt with and not really looking to handgun hunt so I don’t see any guns being bought to meet this need. Rifles and shotguns rule here. I sold my Rem 870 because It just did not not fit any hunting gun role without me buying a new barrel ( it cost almost the same as replacing the gun anyway) or staying with a pump action. I  got a Rem 870 deer gun (21 in. fully rifled barrel with rifle sights). This is for deer, bear, and boar. For birds I want a Rem 11-87 12g. I’m still looking for the right shotgun for turkey hunting, For long range hunting (100-400 yards) I’m thinking of a Ruger Gunsite rifle in 308. I don’t see myself hunting longer than that. For small game it will be the Ruger 77/22 bolt I want to buy.

Survival / SHTF guns is one of my favorite categories. I have a AR-7 Henry Survival rifle for storing in a backpack, but this might be replaced with a Ruger 10/22 Takedown. My wife has one and it’s great but it doesn’t float. I guess I will have to have both. For SHTF handguns its the Glock 19 for me. Rifles will be the AR-15 and the SA M1A for the wife. I may add a Kel- Tec – SU 16 and SUB 2000 in 9mm Glock mags. I really want to see the new Flex system from Mossberg. I would love to have a stainless 12g that fits into a backpack.  So own > AR-7, AR-15, M1A, and Glock 19. Need / want Flex shotgun, Ruger 10/22 takedown, SU-16 and SUB 2000.

Training guns. I have become a NRA Certified Instructor so I can help new people learn the Knowledge, Skills and Attitude to be safe gun owners. When I take someone to the range I want them to try a wide variety of different firearms. For pistols I have a S&W 63 22lr revolver and a Ruger SR22 on the way. I will be getting a Ruger single six/ten and a 22lr single action auto (not sure what one yet but I like the Colt one so far). I will also use the Ruger GP-100 and Glock 19 so they can try some centerfire as well. Rifles will be the Lever action 22lr Henry and Ruger 10/22 I own. But want to add the Ruger 77/22 bolt and a H&R single shot 22lr. I was thinking of the Rem 572 BDL 22 Pump action and a Savage 30 22LR falling block too. I’m not much of a wingshooter so I don’t know how much shotgun training I will be doing.

Competition or Game guns. I have never shot any competitions but I want to. I have a Ruger MK III for conventional bullseye shooting. If I enter any high power rifle it will be my M1A. I would like to shoot steel with both handgun (Glock 19) and rifle (Beretta Cx4 storm. I just sold my 40 S&W and I’m going to get it in 9mm due to ammo costs). I would like to shoot trap and skeet and 5 stand and want to get a nice double barrel for that. Ruger Red Label if I could afford it.

The “other” category. Some guns that I own or want to own are guns that I find interesting or cool looking, fun at the range, or my ownership of them will piss off an anti-gunner. This will include an AK clone, Barrett M82 .50 cal, Kel-Tec PMR 30, Mossberg 590A1 SPX with Bayonet, S&W 500 with 4” barrel, and many Rugers such as Redhawk 4”, LCR, Gunsite Rifle, No 1, Bearcat, Single Ten, SP-101 22lr

Real winners are guns that can cross categories.  Like the Ruger 10/22 Takedown. Survival, training, small game hunting and cool.

Got my wife the new Ruger 10/22 Takedown. Took it to cherry Ridge and put 325 rounds downrange. No problems of any kind. Got to get one for myself.

What idiot thinks that a “No guns allowed” sign is going to stop crime. Do they think if my wife wears a shirt that says “don’t rape me” that this will stop an attacker? I don’t think a sign will stop him but center mass hits from a Glock 19 will make him rethink his career choice.

I’ve been shooting guns for almost 25 years and when it comes to cleaning I’ve followed the traditional method.  I’d buy the typical rifle or pistol gun cleaning kits that would contain the rods, patches and some type of cleaning fluid in them.  I knew how to clean my guns using these kits but I didn’t understand the science behind it.  I asked myself, “Is there a better way to clean my guns?”, and I think I found it.

Last October, at the Essex County Friends of the NRA dinner, I first heard about Mill-Comm products. They make the official NRA cleaning kit.  To me this was just another set of chemicals and my gun would be cleaned the traditional way.  I purchased the kit a few months later and did more research on their website.  I learned why the chemicals, which includes , the cleaner, grease and oil, were different.  They have a video on their website that shows how to properly clean firearms using their products.

Last Thursday night we went shooting at the RTSP range and dirtied up some guns, so today I decided it was time for a good cleaning using the Mil-Comm chemicals. I followed the methods in their videos and I cleaned my wife’s Glock 19 and my Smith & Wesson model 63.  One of the things I liked was that the cleaner, grease and oil did not have a strong odor.  I didn’t need to open a window or do my cleaning outdoors.  It seemed to clean the guns quite effectively.  I just have to see now if the next cleaning is easier, as they claim.  I think this will be the new way I will clean my guns.  I am happy with the chemicals from Mill-Comm and now I just need to see if they sell them in 6 gallon pails.

After a recent Facebook post, me and 2 other NJ2AS members decided to go for a night of shooting at RTSP.  I decided to bring my Henry US Survival Rifle, mainly because it had sat in my safe for over a year and I decided it would be a good opportunity to test its abilities.  I have always wanted to purchase a Henry US Survival Rifle but I had already owned a Marlin Model 70 Papoose and I felt the two .22 take down rifles were redundant.  I had heard great things about the Henry US Repeating Arms company and took a look at their website and after spotting the same rifle in the store for under $200, I made an impulse buy.

For some history and background on the AR-7 (Henry U.S. Survival Rifle) Click here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AR-7

Having but an hour, we had a limited time to shoot the rifle itself because the other members had also brought their guns to shoot that night.  The range was busy and we all had to share the same port.  I set up bulls-eye targets at 15 yards and I was using CCI mini mags.  I had bought the CCI mini mags because they have a reputation for quality and knowing most semi-auto’s are finicky it would have the best shot at giving me reliable performance.

Good:

My first and immediate like was this gun’s amazing accuracy.  All shooters were impressed with its accuracy.

It was lightweight.

The cool take-down factor.

I had no failures of any kind.*

The sights were good even thought the front sight is made of plastic.

Bad:

Is very plasticy.  The gun has a plastic feel to it since the barrel is plastic as well as the front sight.  Given this guns price point and its claim to be able to float these should not be seen as necessarily bad points.

Needs more space in stock.  Would be nice to have more room to store extra ammo, magazines, multi-tool/knife or survival kit.

Ugly:

The bolt charging stud (handle).  The handle doesn’t lock into the outward position and it was difficult for me to pull to charge the bolts.

The plastic end cap on the stock was difficult to remove at first.  I would have liked some sort of tab or notch to get a better grip on it for opening.  It might just be tight because it’s a new gun and possibly will get easier with use.

If you are looking for a take-down .22 this is the rifle to get.  You will not be disappointed with either its accuracy or its function.  I will see how it will perform using other ammunition.  I plan on feeding it a variety of ammunition to see its overall reliability.  I feel confident that this rifle will give me years of service backed by Henry Repeating Arm’s company reputation for standing behind their products.

*This rifle was tested using only CCI mini mags and less than 100 rounds.

Why do I carry a .45? Cause they don’t make a .46.

The fight is on here in New Jersey for our rights to own and use firearms. Many people have stepped up to the challenge to change the laws and attitude here in “gun owner’s hell”. Groups such as ANJRPC and the NJ2AS and the SAF are fighting the good fight and need EVERY gun owners support.

When I spoke with some gun owners, both here in NJ and outside the state, they stated that it was not worth the fight as NJ is too anti-gun, too liberal, and too corrupt. I’m not buying it. “When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.” -Edmund Burke. We must stand up for our rights no matter how strong the other side appears to be.

Some people say I live in Texas, or Pennsylvania or Utah, so the problems of NJ don’t matter to me. But it does matter. This fight is not just about NJ it’s about freedom; it’s about NJ respecting our Constitution. If you believe in your rights to own and use firearms, if you care about our Constitution them you must join this fight. When the NJ Attorney General argues that the Second Amendment right to bear arms does not apply outside the home and that the public needs to be protected From those legally carrying we cannot let that go unanswered. If we let NJ use this argument to destroy our rights it will be used in other states too. If we continue to allow states like NJ, California and Massachusetts to use made up facts, if we allow them to disregard the Constitution, this plague will spread to other states. The denial of our rights here in NJ gives aid and comfort to our enemies.

“We must hang together, gentlemen…else, we shall most assuredly hang separately.”
— Benjamin Franklin