If you are stocking up and are new to the shooting community since the Ban on Guns That Look Kinda Like Assault Rifles made the go-aways back in 9/04, here's some advice:
Those rifles you're snatching up right now? Make sure they take AR, AK, G3, or FAL mags. You don't want to be stuck with some exotic that takes un-importable mags. I had a Beretta AR70 for a while. They were imported in small numbers right before the '89 Bush Ban on Imported Guns That Look Kinda Like Assault Rifles, and magazines weren't common. When you could find them, they went for $150 and more...
Ideally, your pistol should take Beretta 92 mags. Between '94 and '04, every gun shop seemed to have a fairly healthy supply of lightly-used Beretta 92 mags. Especially gun shops located within five or ten miles of the front gates of a military post. If you drill a hole in the right place on a Beretta 92 mag, it works just fine in a Springfield XD-9.
I have to say I am against any gun ban or a new AWB. . . that being said here in MA we are under our own AWB and I still got my hands on post ban AR and an AK. We also have pre ban mags in the 20 and 30 round range available.
ReplyDeleteI would hate to see the rest of the country have to deal with this but the ban is more on cosmetic stuff not the actual guns. . . makes no sense but that is the way it is. My AR with a compensator looks almost the same as a pre ban, I just don't have a bayonet lug or collapsible stock. . .
And what of M1A mags? What will I see on them? Am I humped?
ReplyDeleteGreat advice Tam.. I was looking at a Gail (clone) and found that the have an adapter that allows it to take standard AR mags. Other wise it takes a proprietary mag that has an AK type release, but in my understanding is not used on vary many other rifles
ReplyDeleteNJT,
ReplyDelete"And what of M1A mags? What will I see on them? Am I humped?"
Well, they cost like imported sin during the last ban, and while commercial production did ramp up over the last four years, it's not like there are containerloads of the things lying around surplussed like there are for the Big 4.
Beretta 92 mag and Springfield XD-9, there use to be a PDF on the Springfield site with info on how to adapt this. there is a slight gap but it works fine
ReplyDelete+1. People, to Tam you listen.
ReplyDeleteRecall the days of $10 plastic 30-round 10/22 magazines selling for $120 on eBay.
If you have a gun, and only 2 mags, then get some. Without them (and ammo) you have a) an oversized paperweight or b) a non-aerodynamic war club.
Besides, supply/demand kicks in, oh, right about, NOW. Let the price gouging begin...76 days and counting until you-know-who gets the executive order pen ready.
I think Glock mags are a pretty solid bet, especially 40 S&W.
ReplyDeleteIndeed. I've been snapping up a few mags today myself. Right now you can still find them online at decent prices. I should probably go order 2 or 3 more mags for my XD45 while I'm thinking about it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip, I guess I gotta get me a modern sidearm like the military Beretta... Sheesh.
ReplyDeleteSame thing with the Taurus PT-92. A little work with a file, and Beretta mags fit.
ReplyDelete(I know this from experience, making a 30 rounder fit my P-92.
Which I traded for a CZ-75, because the M9-style grips?
Not so good for my hands.)
@jd
ReplyDeletedo a little digging jd, hb 1022 is not going to go away,
I ordered half a dozen or so AR mags from Brownells just prior to the election being called, and I'll be damned if they weren't backordered already.
ReplyDeleteI went order a couple of Mini-14 factory 20-rounders today from Cheaper Than Dirt. The catalog that arrived last week had them at $59.97. The price on the website today was $79.97!
ReplyDeleteScrew that. I'm not paying a 33% Obama tax one day after the freaking election. I called CDNN and got them for $54.99 each.
*cough* su-16 *cough*
ReplyDeleteGlock mags are probably a good idea, too. The Kel-Tec SUB-2000 carbines are made to take, depending on which version you get, Beretta 92 and Glock mags.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I fully expect the PLR-16 and any folding-stock versions of the SU-16 to fall under any new AWB.
Probably P-3ATs, too, as they're so small (and black and plastic).
This is a good time to work on revolver proficiency and to legally get unpapered firearms while you still can.
I only own 2 mags for my P228, 3 for my P229R, and 1 for my .22 pistol. All but the .22 are high cap and likely to be banned. The P228 mags will also work in the P229 provided I have a 9mm barrel.
ReplyDeleteI guess I need to buy at least a couple mags.
tbeck:
ReplyDelete"I called CDNN and got them for $54.99 each."
Have you seen this?
http://www.ruger-firearms.com/News/2008-11-04.jsp?P=F
(Hat tip to Say Uncle.)
Also, I'd appreciate any recommendations anyone cares to offer on who makes the best M1A/M14 magazines.
Timely, timely advice.
ReplyDeletePeople, please listen to this very smart person.
Buy something that takes common magazines. Trust me on this.
I own a .308 VEPR. Apparently the magazines are made out of unicorn horn...
Today, I bought an AR lower, 1000 rounds of various ammo and ordered 5 30 round AR mags. every 2 weeks until the next ban, I will be ordering mags, flash hiders, uppers, folding stocks, bayonet lugs, for-grips and anything else I can think of that will get banned. It is coming and can't be avoided at this point. Don't forget to stock up on ammo cause it will get taxed heavily. If you ever wanted an M1 Garand, M1 carbine or even a Ruger 10/22 get them now as they are going to be banned as well.
ReplyDelete-Diamondback
"Also, I'd appreciate any recommendations anyone cares to offer on who makes the best M1A/M14 magazines."
ReplyDeleteStainles, go to 44mag.com, they offer C.M.I. 20 rounders that are milspec and work. Do NOT waste your money on anything out of sportsman's guide or cheaper than dirt, they are junk. I can vouch for this, having thrown away 15 knockoff mags that you could not even load 20 rounds in. Get your order in now, they are already back ordered.
M1 Garand...
ReplyDeleteLeverguns...
1911's...
Revolvers...
I reckon I'll be OK as I am.
Really should consider anything over 6 rounds, as the asshats called for limiting mags to 6 rounds so now they may get drunk with the power they have, they could ban even 7 rd 1911 mags, time to stock up on everything.
ReplyDeleteTwo more 92 mags added to the armory last night...they've been scarce in my area since '94. Damned expensive too, even now.
ReplyDeleteDamnit, I may swing by tonight and get two more.
G3 mags are still good and cheap. Probably need to get another 20 or so of those.
Try finding a spare mag for an AG-42!
ReplyDeleteLast I looked they were about $100, and they've never been affected by an AWB or hi-cap ban.
The Swedes just never made all that many of them...
On the plus side, they're not easy to remove and they're not really meant to be removed in use anyway, what with the chargers and all that.
I noticed that about the Beretta mags in the XD. Oh wait, I'm in california! I meant to say; I suppose that could work.
ReplyDeletePicked up 2 stripped AR Lowers today along with some tracer ammo. Just because. I have a feeling that in the near future You'll have to at least fill out paperwork to justify any purpose.
ReplyDelete-Diamondback
FYI - This post was semi-quoted (no link, no mention of your blog name) in the Rocky Mountain News editorial about how silly we gun nuts are for believing Obama's record and new promises to ban guns.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Bitter!
ReplyDeleteI should read my back comments more often. :o