F05

It's on CNBC tonight regarding safety concerns with the Reming-700. I haven't seen it yet, but I'm curious what people think.

So I hate to be one of those "sissies" who's concerned about recoil, but I'm about to buy my first 1911 and I don't want to be cursing myself if I get the Commander and find out it's a pain in the butt to shoot (and there are no gun rental places where I live, so I can't try one out). So my question is, is there a noticeable difference in recoil between the 4 1/4" Commander and the 5" Government? I'd like the commander because I plan on carrying it occasionally, however, I also want to shoot it a lot, and I don't want to have a sore hand after every trip to the range.

Can anyone give me any insight into this gun? I've heard Colt 1911's can be hit or miss. Any truth to this?

Link:

http://www.coltsmfg.com/products-c5-q99-COLT_PISTO...

My parents are moving to South Carolina next month and are getting their CCW before they go. I took them gun shopping the other day, and my mom loved the feel of the LCR, so as a surprise I bought it for her (I haven't given it to her yet). Well I just took it to the range to try out, and it has a much harsher recoil than I was expecting. It's not unmanageable, just unpleasant. I'm sure my mom could handle a few dozen rounds through it without issue, but I'm afraid that too much more than that (for training purposes, for example) would be pretty rough on her.

So my question is, do any females on here own one, or do any guys know of females who own one? If so, what do you/they think of it?

P.S.

Yes, I know I should have tried it out before I bought it, but there's no place in Alaska that rents guns, so that wasn't an option, unfortunately.

Obviously the answer is yes, but just incase you disagree, let's hear what your favorite is...

I plan on doing one to test out some different 9mm self defense ammo (I'd like to test both penetration and expansion), but I'm not sure the best way to go about doing it. I was going to buy some cheap plastic storage boxes from Wal-Mart and fill them up with water, however, this won't allow me to measure penetration. So now I'm thinking about using milk jugs to see how many each projectile will penetrate before stopping, however, it's taking me way too long to collect enough milk jugs (I need at least 50). I've also thought about making a homemade ballistics gel, however it requires refrigeration, and I don't have a refrigerator large enough to fit the containers I would need to use. And yes, I know that actual ballistics gel would work best, but it's incredibly expensive and I simply can't afford it.

So let's hear some ways you guys have done ballistics tests in the past?

I'm out of town and I'm flying back home tomorrow. I purchased three 20 round boxed of 9mm Hornady Critical Defense while I was here (I only have ammo, no guns). I'm reading the TSA website and it says...

"You must securely pack any ammunition in fiber (such as cardboard), wood or metal boxes or other packaging that is specifically designed to carry small amounts of ammunition."

But it also says... "You may carry the ammunition in the same hard-sided case as the firearm, as long as you pack it as described above." (When it says "as described above," it's referring to packing guns in a hard case lock box).

Will the original cardboard boxes that the ammo came in be a sufficient storage device, or should I buy a plastic lock box to put them in? I know that TSA doesn't always follow their own rules posted on the website, so I'm concerned that if I just bring them in carboard boxes they're going to give me $h!t. I'd appreciate help from anyone who has flown with ammo recently. Thanks in advance.

I'm in the market for my first 1911. I'm fully aware of what the good brands are, etc., so if your only advice is to "buy a Kimber" or "buy a Springfield," please ignore this post. For those of you who DO HAVE 1911 EXPERIENCE, what are some things to look for when checking the quality of a used one?

I have a new Sony Cybershot (DSC-W330) 14.1 mega pixel camera, and so far it sucks. It's pictures are much more grainy than my cheap 7.1 mega pixel Olympus. I'm trying to take some up close still photos (specifically of a 9mm handgun cartridge), however, I might as well be using my cell phone camera, because the image quality is atrocious. Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong? What settings should I be using?

Thanks for your help.

I'm looking for something for my girlfriend (who wants something pink), so I was taking a look at the Pink Lady by Charter Arms. I'm not much of a revolver guy, so I'm looking for someone with experience to tell me if these are worth a damn. I was looking at one today for $399, and I liked the way it felt and how light it was, however I wasn't terribly impressed with the front sight (but that's not a show stopper). I know it's not a S&W quality gun, but is it something that's going to go t!ts up after a few years? Keep in mind, she most likely isn't going to be putting hundreds of rounds through it each month like a lot of us do.

Both classics that have a cult following. Which would you rather have, and why?

I've seen them around my house recently (I'm in Alaska), but it's mostly dumb luck running into them. Is there a way to bait and/or call them? Any suggestions would be great. Thanks.

I know that if you had to defend yourself against a grizzly bear with a 9mm, you'd probably be screwed, but if it's all you had, would you rather have 115 grain FMJ, or 124 grain +P JHP? I guess what I should really be asking is which one gets better penetration? I know that you generally want to steer clear from JHP when your up against large wildlife, but would the +P give a round enough power to penetrate further than a standard FMJ?

I can't figure out how to keep my Mac Book screen turned on even when I'm not using it for long periods of time. I'm trying to upload something that's taking a few hours, and every time my screen goes into sleep mode, it interrupts it and I have to start all over. I can't figure out which setting I need to adjust (I have my screen saver turned off, but I can't seem to find the "sleep mode" settings). Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Both are .380 ACP subcompact pistols with a 6+1 capacity. Which would you rather have, and why?

Specifically for a SIG P238?

Supposedly .380 hollow points have difficulty penetrating thick clothing (or so I've read). So assuming +P ammo isn't available, would you rather have FMJ or JHP loaded in your pocket gun?

It's my understanding that Alaska is one of two states that does not require a permit for concealed carry (the other being Vermont). I've been able to find a dozen legal related websites that confirm this, however, I cannot find it listed on an official .gov website for me to be positive. Can anyone help?

I took my brand new P226 out to the range today at lunch for the first time (it's literally brand new, right out of the box). I put 60 rounds through it (four 15-round mags) and the slide would not lock back after the mags emptied. My thumb was not on the slide release lever, and I wasn't limp-wristing. The slide stays back just fine when I do it manually. I suppose I may need to change the spring, but if that's the case than I might have to change my opinion about the quality of SIG's. I'll clean and lube it tonight and try it again tomorrow to see if that helps, but in the event that it does not, are there any suggestions? Preferably, from people who are familiar with SIG's. I've been looking online, and it looks like I'm not the only person who has experienced this problem.

P.S.

I was shooting 9MM 115 grain American Eagle FMJ (cheap ammo, I know, but I would think that it shouldn't be a problem for a quality gun like a SIG).

It's ridiculously cheap ($499 here in AK), but I don't know much about it. I noticed it doesn't have a takedown lever like most SIG's, and that the hammer is sort of difficult to pull back. Does anyone have any experience with this particular model, or any of the SIG Pro series? Is there a reason it's so cheap?