San Antonio gun show

SWMBO approved $800 for a weekend of festivities for me while she does "baby shower stuff". This will include a day at the gun show (tomorrow) and a follow up day at "the range".

Now, my "Automotive ADD" is only second to my "Firearm ADD" and as such my brain can't stay focused to save my life. I was thinking something in the WW2 or Eastern Bloc department would be cool, but I also dig revolvers and lever guns...

If you had $800 to play with: What would you buy?

(Or would you just buy something cheap and save the $$$ for your car?)

Good 1911 style pistol, Taurus Judge, Walther P99 .40 S&W, maybe a Saiga 12 shotgun, decent AR15/10, M14, something unique and cool looking.

MN with enough surplus ammo to take over a small country would take half of the $800.

For plinking fun, I like to stick to .22lr, so anything in that cal. is fair game. Lever is top of my list there.

Deals on eastern block guns can be good, but I would probably stick to things chambered in 7.62x39 over the obscure tokarev/makarov guns.

Hungary Bill wrote: ... but I also dig revolvers and lever guns...

One could combine the two ...

You going Sat or Sun?

slantvaliant wrote:

Hungary Bill wrote: ... but I also dig revolvers and lever guns...

One could combine the two ...

What is THAT!?! thats stinking cool!

Mrff3w: gun show on sat, Bullet hole on Sunday :) wanna go?

I gotta go to PnP sat.

I would definitely buy an Interarms AK74 from Atlantic Firearms. $599 with plenty of cash left over for food.

Hungary Bill wrote:

slantvaliant wrote:

Hungary Bill wrote: ... but I also dig revolvers and lever guns...

One could combine the two ...

What is THAT!?! thats stinking cool! Mrff3w: gun show on sat, Bullet hole on Sunday :) wanna go?

That's the Taurus (Rossi) Circuit Judge Carbine, also available in a revolver. Shoots .410/.45 shells/rounds.

More here:

http://www.gunblast.com/Taurus-CircuitJudge.htm

I'd need to know what you already have to make a recommendation. Nebbermind.

Ruger SR22 - for plinking ~$300 -reliable with bulk ammo
Mosin-Nagant - for range ~$100 -just search Youtube
Polish P64 - one of those "obscure guns" ~$250 -all steel ex-military/police sidearm

Loads of cash left over for ammo. The Makarov round (9x18) is widely available. Cabela's even sells it.

Rossi Ranch Hand mare's leg pistol in .357 Mag. And lots of ammo for it.

Stroker:

well... I have a 1911, Ar-15, Mauser K98, M1 garand, a handful of .22's, a couple hunting rifles, scatter gun, sks, etc etc etc.

Will: I like the .357 but I was thinking a GP100... or maybe SP101?

rmarkc: I've really wanted a Nagant for a while, I'd like to get one before they go up in price.

Maybe combinations? Makarov and a Nagant? Shoot, I might even be able to squeeze theat Ak-74 in there if I can get a good deal ( I couldnt buy from atlantic though. By the time it ships, I'll be back in Hungary)

Hungary Bill wrote: Will: I like the .357 but I was thinking a GP100... or maybe SP101?

Nothing wrong with those choices, but I'm still going to link to the Ranch Hand because of pure awesomeness.

Yes, that's legally a pistol. It's not really practical for anything, but I want one bad as a range toy.

I dont mean to sound weird or nuthin, but this kind of caught my eye too....

Hungary Bill wrote: Stroker: well... I have a 1911, Ar-15, Mauser K98, M1 garand, a handful of .22's, a couple hunting rifles, scatter gun, sks, etc etc etc. Will: I like the .357 but I was thinking a GP100... or maybe SP101? rmarkc: I've really wanted a Nagant for a while, I'd like to get one before they go up in price. Maybe combinations? Makarov and a Nagant? Shoot, I might even be able to squeeze theat Ak-74 in there if I can get a good deal ( I couldnt buy from atlantic though. By the time it ships, I'll be back in Hungary)

Okay, you already seem to be on the right track with your response to Will. I notice a lack of wheelguns in your list. Depending on if you're planning to carry or hunt or not, I'd recommend a 357 as your first choice. Personally, adjustable sights on carry revolvers drive me nuts. I'd recommend a S&W 65 (357 K-frame stainless) or a S&W 581/681 (357 L-frame blue/stainless) as an excellent "collection balancer". You should be able to find one of those easily within your budget. I've been scanning Gunbroker for a long, long time for them so I've got a pretty good idea of the current price, but gunshows seem to have their own "dynamic". Of course, if you find a good 44 N-frame or Redhawk for that money that would be a great option, too.

If you've already got a 1911 you're good for a semi, although a Hi-Power would be nice. You should be able to find an Argentine Hi-Power for that money. I notice you don't say anything about any tactical tupperware. A Glock might be a candidate, too, depending on your stance on polymer-framed pistols.

You've got a poodle puncher so you might keep an eye out for an upper in one of the more recent chamberings of interest (I like the Grendel best ballistically, but 5.45x39 is a possible). The Mauser and the "hunting rifles" have you set for bolt actions. That you have a Garand shows excellent taste, but you won't find a decent M1A for that money. There are rumors the Russians are going to unload something like 15 million AK's so I think the price on those has the potential to drop significantly. I'd wait on one. A Mosin Nagant is a great gun for the money but I don't see what it does for you that your other rifles don't already do. One last thought on that subject--if you can find a unmolested Swedish Mauser 96 chambered in 6.5 Swede (last imported in significant numbers about 20 years ago) you might think about one of them as a partner for your '98.

If you want something funky, you could look for one of those new Kel-Tec bullpup shotguns with the dual-tube magazines. I haven't had any customer feedback on them yet and I have no idea what they cost, though.

Edit: by "hunting rifles" do you have a lever action 30-30 yet? If not, you should consider one.

Edit #2: what about 22's? Got a 10/22 yet?

Get a small something to carry

And the Taurus/ Rossi is 410/45 LONG COLT

NOt acp

Hungary Bill wrote: If you had $800 to play with: What would you buy?

All used, package deal: Ruger 10/22, SP101 in .357mag, SR40C, and a Mosin Nagant.

Individuals under $800: used Smith 629s(3" and 5"), new Ruger M77 bolt carbine in .308, any number of older Smith revolvers in .22 and .357, CZ 75B .40, CZ 97B .45acp, any number of 1911s in .45, misc short 12 gauges, I could go on and on.

maybe one of these?

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&sugexp=frgbld&gs_nf=1&pq=taurus+judge&cp=7&gs_id=2a&xhr=t&q=1911+a1&rlz=1R2RNTN_enUS354&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1269&bih=609&wrapid=tljp1332641137694222&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=15294540104769363630&sa=X&ei=fX1uT52REcnn0QGY-8XqBg&sqi=2&ved=0CE0Q8wIwAQ#

BARNCA wrote: maybe one of these? http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&sugexp=frgbld&gs_nf=1&pq=taurus+judge&cp=7&gs_id=2a&xhr=t&q=1911+a1&rlz=1R2RNTN_enUS354&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1269&bih=609&wrapid=tljp1332641137694222&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=15294540104769363630&sa=X&ei=fX1uT52REcnn0QGY-8XqBg&sqi=2&ved=0CE0Q8wIwAQ#

He's already got one. Not that he can't use two, but it sounded like he wanted something different...

wheel gun it is!

I do have a 10/22 (well the wife does, because when I brought it home my answer to "what is THAT!?" was "oh that? thats yours!") and I LOVE the entire glock line (I was really interested in finding a lock 19) polymer or not: I cant hate a reliable, functional firearm. I do not have a 30-30 yet, but that is definitely on my list... (my current "hunting rifles" are bolt guns chambered in .270)

so the decision? I traded $500 for a Smith and Wesson model 28 (I also bought 250 rounds of .38 special, 50 rounds of .357, and 2 speed loaders). I've got two beers in me right now so I wont be taking any pictures of it tonight, but I'm very excited to take it out to the range tomorrow. (pictures also promised tomorrow)

For those interested, I wrote a list as I went through the show (I have the memory of a goldfish) and these were the other contestants:

Springfield Trapdoor (.45-70) $429.-

Smith Model 28 (.357) $595.-

Smith Model 29 (.44 mag) $750.-

Mossin-Nagant 91-30 (7.62X54) $99.-

Smith Model 36 (chiefs special .38) $395.-

Springfield Trapdoor $625.-

CETME (.308 with 2x 40rnd mags) $564.-

Springfield '03-A3 (.30-06) $560.-

Smith Model 19 (.357) $500.-

I was a bit bummed that I only saw ONE Marlin guide gun (short .45-70 lever action) and it was nickle finished (I prefer the blued finish) and the lever guns I found in .45lc were a bit over priced. Also I saw a few m1 carbines that were over $1k (that cant be the serious going rate can it?) Oh well.

On a lighter note, I did wear my "Russian Power" Lada T-shirt (didn't really think about it till I paid my admission) to the gun show... that got some weird looks

Good score. N-frame 357 kicks like a pellet gun with the right 38 special load. Not much of a carry gun to me, but good for plinking and home defense. How long is the barrel?

as promised:

Looks like she sports a 4" barrel.

I actually didn't know that the Model 28 even existed before today (sorry, I live in a bit of a cave) and I'm pretty happy with it so far. She's a bit of a heavy girl though, but I assume the extra weight will keep the recoil down and let me (or the wife) enjoy shooting it. I don't think it's going to see an CCW time, as I'm a pretty small guy and gravity is a bit of a you-know-what. We'll see how she shoots today around 2:30. I have a range day with the father-in-law scheduled while my wife does her baby shower stuff.

good times, now I just have to think of a name...

In reply to Hungary Bill:

How about "Bertha"?

Great choice. I've owned 2 .357's in my days, a GP 100 and an SP 101 (Both stainless, I have a thing for shiny Rugers). I miss the GP 100, the SP 101, not so much. The GP was accurate and fun to shoot. The SP was only mediocre as to accuracy, flat out punishing to shoot and absolutely earsplitting, even with ear protection. Large frame wheelguns rock. As for a name, I know its not a .44, but I'd go with "Clint" personally.