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We have smoke alarms and fire extinguishers in the house.  We don't expect a fire.  But the consequences of NOT having them when they would be needed could be extremely bad.  The same is true of firearms.

Anyone who says that you don't 'need' a particular sort of weapon is not thinking about YOUR best interests!   I view any politician who is in favor of gun control as someone who is afraid of their own constituents.  And probably has reason to be!

Typical Chinese-purchase C96 Mauser pistol from the batch that Century Arms, imported into the US from China in the late 1980's.  The stamp under the barrel is interpreted as "Century Arms International (CAI), St Albans, Vermont, Caliber 7.63 German". Condition is typical of that batch.  If you intend to shoot it, buy a new set of springs from Wolff Springs and make sure that you buy ammo for the Mauser pistol (7.63x25mm Mauser), NOT for the Tokarev (7.62x25mm Tokarev).  The specifications are identical except that Tokarev ammo is loaded much hotter.  That makes bad things happen in 100 year old pistols.   I don't know what you mean by the 'Broomstick' which would add value.  The pistols are called 'Broomhandles for the shape of the grip, which is round and wooden, resembling a broom handle.   Reproduction holsters are available if you keep an eye out on eBay and Gunbroker.  They are legal to use, having been exempted from Short-Barreled Rifle status.  Normally, a firearm with a stock, designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel of less than 16" requires a $200 tax to be legal.  You don't need to worry about that with a 1896 Mauser pistol as they are exempt, provided that you use an original or replica holster-stock.

Everything is relative.  Personally, the idea of running a $15,000 engine close to destruction in order to see how fast you can go 1/4 mile isn't my bag.  But, I do like shooting my Sterling and M10/45.  A $250 case of 9mm lasts a lot longer than a 1/4 mile run!!!   The sad thing about renting a machine gun is that the cost is counter-productive to giving you any experience other than just hosing off a magazine.  For me, learning to engage multiple targets in line, column, and echelon is what full-auto is all about.    Shooting real belt-feds is a dying art.  Modern militaries don't really teach how to most effectively use a ground-mounted belt-fed machine gun.  And not many places teach proper control of a shoulder-fired automatic weapon either.   Still, I'd encourage you to go and have fun.

It seems to me that the whole problem is caused by the two-tier pricing structure.  What that tells me is that Glock is accepting minimal profits on LE sales and sticking it to the civilian market.  I can certainly understand volume discounts.  But why should a police department be able to buy 500 Glock 19s at a lower price than a distributor?  That's what caused the problem here.  Glock is upset that the profit differential went in someone else's pockets.

Get your own modem.  They are not expensive.  If Comcast is willing to allow the public to access your home wifi network, what else are they playing with?

The whole 'nuclear bomb' question is a straw argument.  Yes, you can theoretically own a bomb.  There are no Federal laws prohibiting the ownership of a nuclear bomb per se.  As I mentioned in my previous post, legally acquiring the plutonium is the issue.  And that has NOTHING to do with the 2nd Amendment.   The only kind of weapon specifically prohibited from ownership by an American citizen is a machine gun made after 5/19/1986.  Anything else is legal to own under Federal law.  And I challenge anyone to give a logical argument as to why that one prohibition is Constitutional!

"I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue!" Barry Goldwater, 1964   "A free people [claim] their rights, as derived from the laws of nature, and not as the gift of their chief magistrate." Thomas Jefferson   Let's face it, anyone telling you that you can't have any kind of weapon you want is not interested in what's best for YOU!

Keep in mind that any newer imports will have the breech trashed on the guns.  Breech blocks will be destroyed, barrels will have a large hole drilled across the bore, and a steel rod welded across the chamber to make sure that you can't even pretend to chamber a cartridge.   Ain't freedom wonderful? :squint:   If you are taller than 5'8", you can forget about driving a Soviet tank.  Even the latest Russian tank designs are designed around small men to keep the silhouette low.

The Supreme Court has only ruled ONCE about what is covered by the 2nd amendment as 'arms'.  That was as part of US v Miller in 1939.  The ruling of the court was that 'arms' included ALL weapons currently useful for military service.  Nobody bothered to show the Supreme Court how a short-barreled shotgun was used by military forces, so it was ruled to be subject to a $200 transfer tax.  Lower courts had three times ruled the National Firearms Act unconstitutional, but the Justice Department kept sending it back up to SCOTUS until the final time when the defense didn't show up.   Since then, especially after the travesty of the Commerce Clause in Wickard v Filburn, the Supreme Court has consistently ruled that the Feds can regulate firearms pretty much however they want.   Lately, they have tried very hard to avoid having to rule on what type of 'arms' are covered by the 2nd.   It is still legal for private citizens in this country to own almost any variety of weapon you can imagine.  Theoretically, you could own a nuclear bomb, IF you could find someone to legally transfer the plutonium and you had a safe facility to assemble it.   There is a reason why the government is so hot to totally trash any modern aircraft, armored vehicles, and other stuff that is taken out of service.  They do not want you to have it.  If they destroy it, you have to make it yourself.  And it will be very difficult to make a 120mm tank gun, much less the rest of an M1A2 Abrams!  The same is true of ammunition for such weapons.  Current suppliers sign contracts NOT to sell it to civilians, and you can't import the stuff, either.  Before 1968, you could buy anti-tank cannons and ammunition via mail-order.  Amazing how there weren't any problems caused by that.  The only folks I can think of in the US that have been assaulted by tanks and cannon are American citizens being assaulted by the government!

There is no more versatile handgun than the .357 revolver with a 4" or 6" barrel.  A Lee handloader and a bullet mold will allow you to shoot virtually forever.   Light .38Spl loads can be very quiet (much quieter than a .22lr) and will put bunnies and squirrels in your pot. Heavier .357 loads will take any critter in TN except an elk (if you are at close range, even an elk is doable). A revolver will shoot any load you can put in it without worrying about whether it will cycle the action.   As mentioned above, a .357 carbine is an excellent companion piece.  The hot loads will generate almost twice the kinetic energy in a rifle, while a light .38Spl is in airgun territory for noise out of the longer barrel.   If you have cases, reloading for the .357 or .38 with a handloader and mold is easier than almost anything else.  Primers can be recycled with a bit of knowledge, and powder can be made with a bit of practice.  Lead can be scrounged from many sources.

Good!  Maybe more liberals will avoid moving here!   I agree that using a college degree as a measure of intelligence is unrealistic.  All that means is that a person managed to get into a college and persevere for four years (or more) to get awarded a degree.   I've know some folks with really low intelligence with degrees.  And I've seen some colleges with incredibly low standards for graduation.   I find it more interesting that TN had higher average SAT scores than eight of the others in the bottom 10.  While that is not an intelligence test, it is a more accurate indicator than college degrees.

I load to NATO spec.  I use 124gr bullets at 1200fps.  Everything I shoot will cycle that reliably.  I don't see any point to training with powder puff loads and only have full-power for self-defense.  When reloading, the cost difference is minimal.  If I loaded 115gr at down to 1050fps like the cheap Remington factory ammo, then I'd have reliability issues.  My Sterling has runaway problems when using those wimpy loads.   Of course, such light loads will extend your brass life.   I also take no chances with my reloads.  The first time I see a case split, the entire batch of brass goes in the recycle bucket.  It's too easy to miss a crack starting inside the case that would give problems.  And when you buy in case lots, each batch of brass starts at 1000rds.  Sorting by batches is pretty easy.  I'm pretty good at recovering most of my brass, so even after 6-7 reloads, the batch will still be over 800rds.   Everyone makes their own decisions about when brass is worn out.  I'm very conservative about it. 

Like the folks whining about .22 prices at gun shows; the argument boils down to 'how badly do you want it?'   If you want it enough RIGHT NOW to pay a high price for an item in short supply, then you will pay it.  Your other choices are to find another one at a lower price, wait for supply to catch up with demand, or do without.  For my part, I have notification requests at several wholesalers for my favorite .22 loads.  When it comes in, I buy it.  Problem solved.   Back before Obama got re-elected, I sold two AR lowers I'd had squirrelled away for a while for a huge profit.  Do I feel bad about it?  No way!  The buyer got something that was very difficult to find at ANY price at a time when the supply was threatened to be permanently ended.  And I sold something that was possibly irreplaceable.    The moral of the story is that if you don't plan ahead, you will end up paying more.  Or, if you have to have it NOW, chances are you won't get a bargain.  School kids used to be taught the meaning of the phrase 'caveat emptor' and to have savings accounts.  Now, they aren't taught that, and believe that profit is bad.  It just goes to prove that government schools are the most common form of child abuse.

asdgfghkllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll   Cat was on the keyboard.

For all guns EXCEPT machine guns, the receiver is the gun.  Other parts are irrelevant.  The Federal definition of machine guns includes other parts, though.

The Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) is the huge medieval/renaissance organization.  They are typically very welcoming of prospective new members.  You might want to start here: http://welcome.sca.org/

NO!  NO!  NO!!!!! Even low-pressure pistol loads like .38 S&W wear out before that.  With 9mm, by the sixth or seventh reloads, I'm starting to see split necks in a batch of brass.  I can usually get 10 reloads from good .45 brass.  That is why seeing the description 'once-fired' is important if you are buying brass.  Semi-auto pistols are usually rougher on brass than revolvers.  Glocks are positively brutal on brass.  I don't believe I've gotten more than four reloads from 9mm used in Glocks.  The case will bulge near the base where it's unsupported.   Once I see  a split neck in a batch of brass, the entire batch goes in the recycle bucket.  It's not worth taking the risk of a case failure damaging your firearm.   At the range, I only reload brass that I know has been fired once.  I'll pick up the other brass (even .22), but it goes in the recycle bucket.  A 5-gal bucket weighs 40-50lbs.  At today's prices for brass, that's about $70.

There simply is not a more versatile handgun made than a good-quality 4" barrel .357 revolver.  It is pretty much capable of performing any task you could ask a handgun to do. Cheap Plinking - inexpensive .38spl reloads can make destroying cans as cheap as the current cost of .22lr. Self Defense - Most sources agree that the 125gr .357 HP rounds are about the most effective handgun rounds available. Concealed Carry - A bit on the largish size, but most folks can carry a 4" .357 pretty well. Hunting - Everything from squirrel to deer depending on the cartridge used. Target Shooting - A well-made .357 revolver is among the most accurate handguns available. Training - New shooters learn easily with light .38spl loads.  The same pistol can then be used for all the above purposes with appropriate ammo.   As mentioned above, quality revolvers keep their value well.  And the better ones are appreciating nicely.  The used Colt Trooper III I bought 10years ago for $250 will now sell for close to $750.  And if I do my part, it will work just as well for generations to come.

Take a look here: http://www.gunpartscorp.com/Manufacturers/Winchester-33573/Rifles-42602/94Series-40353/94Post64Series-34345/94Post64TopEject64ARifle-34338.htm   Did you call the Winchester Parts Department, though? 1-800-322-4626

  The process doesn't require a 'ban' to slow or stop imports.  Import permits are only good for a specific period and exact description and quantity.  I'm hearing that approving new permits from the State Department are taking as long as Form4 approvals from ATF (9-12 months).  Increasing the quantity or changing the exact item requires a new permit.  ie; you originally wanted to import 10,000 cases of Russian lacquer-coated steel case 7.62x39 ammo.  The factory in Russia tells you it's all polymer coating now.  New permit required.

There needs to be a book written about the French handguns of the 1900's.  It's a complicated and interesting subject.   The French were really leaders in small arms design prior to WWI.  They ignored semi-auto pistols, though.  In WWI, they ended up buying many thousands of Spanish-designed .32 automatics that are generically called 'Ruby' .32s.  Some were actually made by Ruby, but there were many other small manufacturers as well.  Quality is all over the map. After WWI, the French company 'Unique' continued to manufacture improved versions of these pistols, and theirs are very high quality.  These went by a number pf names including '9 Coups', Corsair, etc.   Also after WWI, the French decided to do something about not having a decent semi-auto pistol.  They were impressed by the cartridge used by the US Pedersen Device (another story all by itself!), and adopted it as the 7.65mm Longue.  It took them another ten years to come up with pistols to use it.  And then, they couldn't make the first choice (called the M1935A) quickly enough when WWII was looming.  So they also made their 2nd choice (called the M1935S).   The M1935A is the fore-runner of the Swiss P210, using the same Petter design but smaller and much lighter.  Both the 1935A and 1935S are excellent pistols, well-made and reliable.  The problem is the cartridge is wimpy by US standards.  It uses an 85gr bullet at 1120fps, for 240 foot pounds of muzzle energy (ME).  For comparison, the .32acp is 71gr at 905fps for 129ME.  The .380acp is 95gr at 955 fps for 192ME.  So, it's about 25% more powerful than a .380acp.   The MAB company also made a small .32acp pistol of their own design called the model 'D' that French police used in large numbers. As mentioned above, after WWII, Manurhin also made Walther PPk and PP .32 automatics.   So, as you can see, a French .32 could likely mean a Ruby, Unique, M1935A or M1935S, MAB 'D' or a Walther PP or PPk.   Show us a picture and we'll know more. 

NFA trumps.  An antique Maxim from before 1898 is currently still a machine gun, subject to Form 4, $200, etc.

Actually, the definition would be modified to 'firearms over 100 years old'.  So each year, more firearms would meet the definition of 'antique'. As yet, the bill has not yet been submitted.  Expect this one to go absolutely nowhere, though.  But, it can't hurt to contact your congresscritter and ask them to support it once we have a bill number.

Higher prices reduce hoarding and large sales.  This allows supplies to build up to the point where prices will decrease due to market competition.  Demand for ALL ammunition is till very high.  The problem has been increased by the lack of imports.  Some imported ammo is starting to trickle in.  But permits go through the State Department.  You can imagine how high a priority that is for that crowd! :waiting: