luvmyberetta

I'm stuck between supporting the local gun shop & paying twice as much or going to Walmart and dealing with idiots! It's hard to support the local gun shop when they charge $5-10 more for the same box of Remington, CCI, or Winchester ammo. I'm all for supporting local business, but I'm not made of money. The local shop is where I buy my HP ammo like Hornady & Gold Dot, but I have to buy where the price is better when I can. Example: I needed a sight hood for my Marlin and the local gun shop wanted to charge me $35...FOR A SIGHT HOOD!! I ordered it online and got it for $6 brand new from the factory. Example 2: I needed a new stock bolt for my Mossberg 500. $18.00 at local gunshop....found one for .95 CENTS down the road.

I've used Golden Sabers in my 9mm and 45 ACP and they both perform very well. Everybody has ammo preferences, but these are a good choice for self defense & will deffinetely do the job. I've used Golden Sabers as well as PMC Starfires and Gold Dot...all will tear the ass end out of a phone book. LOL. The sales clerk just wanted to make a big sale and sound brighter than he really was. You came in to buy ammo, so this goober tried to sell you a higher caliber pistol instead. He must have trained at Wally World before his big break at BPS.

I asked for some 9mm at our local Walmart and they were out of stock of the Remington and Winchester that day, but the salesman handed me a box of Tulammo. I had never heard of this brand and asked about it. He told me they were made in the same factory as Remington and Winchester. HELLO...black box with giant red letters that say "MADE IN RUSSIA"!! He tried to cover his butt by telling me his brother used to work at the Winchester plant and they were the same exact thing with different packaging. Who trains these clowns at Wally World?!?

Hornady SST and Remington Solid Copper are the most accurate, but a little pricey for range time. The Remingtons are slightly heavier and a little more expensive, but both work well & are very accurate. I've only been to the range twice since I bought my rifled shotgun barrel and can hit stationary clay targets at 125 yrds with both. Walmart sells Winchester sabots cheap...good for the range, but they're not quite as accurate and they feel like a sledge hammer on your shoulder when you pull the trigger! I use a Mossberg 500AT w/24" Slugger barrel & Williams Fire Sights.

Ballistol is the best I've ever used. I had a solid brass, black powder pistol that the previous owner abused and the thick layer of carbon just liquified when the Ballistol hit it. I use it on all my guns...stainless, brass, iron, polymer, including the wood stocks.

Thanks for the input.

I've been wanting an XD for a while now, but I'm glad I didn't buy this one. I came home and went online to find out as much as I could, but all the internet info seems to be several years old (which is probably a good clue that GAP is a no show). I appreciate all the input guys.

Today, I was in a local shop and they had a used Springfield XD LE .45 GAP for $340. I almost bought it, but I had never heard of GAP ammo until today. Does anybody have experience using this ammo and how hard is it to find? It sounded like a good price on the pistol, but not if the ammo is impossible to find.

Dude, I'm glad no harm was done! I think I would've pissed myself. LOL. Maybe I've always been over cautious. but I always put the safety on before I holster or sit my pistol or shotgun on the bench at the range...just in case. Even the safest person can have accidents. Maybe I should pack some adult diapers with me next time I go to the range...just in case. LOL. Thanks for the post. It really does brings things into focus.

Yeah. Sorry, I forgot to specify I was looking for the aluminum. Thanks. Aluminum is $18 for 9mm & $25 for .45 where I live.

I decided to remove the mag disconnect on mine today & I'm glad I did. When I pulled everything apart, there were some metal flakes & grit in the striker housing left from assembly (shame on Ruger). I took some Q-Tips, (the best gun cleaners ever invented) & oil and cleaned everything out & then polished all the metal parts that make contact. Pull weight feels the same, but the trigger is smoother than ever...I don't know if the polishing did it or removing the mag disconnect or combo of both.

I try to get to the range 2-3 times a month & usually go through 50-100 rounds with my Cougar 8045F & about 100-150 rounds with my SR9. I love my SR9 for carry because the magazine holds a bucket of ammo, but I still keep going back to the Beretta Cougar. The SR9 usually goes in a shoulder holster for concealment & when I carry the Cougar, it goes on a regular hip holster. I strip the pistols down and fully clean & oil them after every range visit & after thousands of rounds I've never had to change a spring. In fact, most gun companies will tell you that most good factory mags NEVER have to have a spring replacement because of the high quality steel used. Of course there may be some exeptions, but I've heard of people leaving ammo in magazines for years at a time and never lose tension. The ones you usually hear of having spring problems is on some of the cheaper aftermarket mags and some very old surplus mags.

I used to buy CCI Blazer .45 and it was good range ammo. It shoots clean and is consistent, but our local Walmart quit selling it. I used to get .45 ACP for about $18/box of 50, but the only place to buy it locally now is the ONLY gun store in the area and they jacked the price up to $25 a box when Wally World quit selling it. I travel to Knoxville a couple times a month and could pick up a bunch, but it's getting hard to find on shelves.

I live way out in BFE and Federal 9mm ammo is $13.47 for a box of 50 at our local Wally World!!

My wife is a manager at our local Walmart and said they are considering doing away with ALL handgun ammo...at least at our local store (which sucks)! Not company wide, just at stores where handgun ammo sales are down. Right now about all you can buy at our store is rifle and shotgun ammo. They ask because you have to be 21 to buy handgun ammo and 18 to buy rifle & shotgun ammo. Company computers count number of handgun to long gun ammo sales and corperate decides how to adjust store inventories. I guess money talks. I think it's rediculous!

If you're looking to add another toy to your SR9, check out the Viridian green lasers. I bought an olive drab SR9 and Viridian was offering a half price deal on a laser so I grabbed one in matching olive drab. It looks great on the gun (kind of futuristic) & they are a lot of fun & are super bright at night and during the day. I can see it on my targets at 75 yrds very clearly, even in bright sunlight. It feels very solid on the pistol, doesn't add much weight, and can really take a beating.

Thanks. I'll be sure to call them tomorrow for more info. I wonder if they ship because I live over 3hours away from Goodlettsville. That's the bad thing about where I live. There is only one place to buy new guns...I checked & SR40's are almost $500 locally.

I bought a new SR9 back in March and have put well over 1,000 rounds through it, including FMJ, HP, +P and have never had a problem of any kind. These are excellent quality pistols!

I love my SR9 & hope to try out one of the new SR40's soon. Ruger's got a good thing with their new series of pistols (not that they didn't before) & competitive prices. I agree, though...I'd like to see a .45 version too.

Hope it's as good as the SR9. A lot of people seem to be against the SR series due to early trigger design worries, but I've got a SR9 produced after the original recall and have put over 1,000 rounds through it & never had a problem of any kind. I've shot almost every brand of FMJ, hollow points, +P, and it has performed perfectly. Never had a problem with the magazines or trigger & they are extremely accurate. I can't wait to try one out. The SR9's are by far one of the best pistols you can buy, especially in this price range & I can't wait to see how the SR40 performs! I bought my SR9 and threw my Glock away! They retail for $525, but you can probably find them in the $450-$475 range.

Try different pistols and see what you like. There are a lot of ranges that will rent a gun cheap for practice and you may just stumble on your favorite pistol. I can't tell you what the best choice will be for you, but my personal favorite in a 9mm is my Ruger SR9. It is only slightly over 1" wide, holds 17+1, has an adjustable grip, and is dead on accurate and reliable. They usually sell for around $450-$500 depending on the model & where you buy. It may be a good one for you to consider when shopping around.

I prefer the Mosin Nagant, but it depends on the model. I have had both the Russian and the Finnish models and the Finnish models are far more accurate and have smoother action. Nagants have a REAL stout safety that some people don't like, (and even more don't even know how to use) but I don't use the safety anyway since I usually use it at the range. The Russian models Mosin Nagants sell for about $100-$150, but a good Finnish Mosin Nagant model will sell for anywhere from $300-$500 depending on condition and year of production. Hope this helps.

Carry the gun that works best for you. I know lots of people that carry tiny easy hid guns, but couldn't hit a barn when they use it. If you are using it for self defense, it makes sense to carry the one that you are most comfortable with and most accurate with. I only carry one of two guns...either a Beretta Cougar .45, or a Ruger SR9, 9mm. I like the power of the Cougar, but the SR9 holds 18 rounds vs. 9 for the Cougar. I prefer a side holster for the Cougar and a shoulder holster for the SR9. Try different guns if you can with different styles of holsters and see what is right for you. Good luck.

Here are a couple of my extra homemade holsters for a 1911. I always keep unused extras for shows & flea markets.