!0 Tips for Women buying Handguns

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Handgun Reloading The Bascis

Handgun Reloading  The Bascis

A new E-book just published, detailing in pictures and words the step by step process to manufacturing your own handgun ammunition.
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Hunting in National and State Forests – An opinion

It seems to me that every time a government body announces the opening up of a state or National Forest to hunters there is an outcry of protest from a small but vocal minority of the people. The opposing chants and slogans range from the silly to the downright whacky to personal hate an attack which always seems to happen when emotion gets in the way of good judgement and common sense. Let me point out that common sense in these so called politically correct days is far from common.

Let’s have a look at some of the arguments about hunting in State Forests and try to bring back some common sense into the debate.

 Recently I heard for the first time that somehow killing older animals would allow a population of younger more vigorous animals to flourish. Supposedly this argument was formed on the basis that older animals were slower and therefore easier to kill. Interestingly I saw no evidence being put forward to support this theory. The eradication of the mature population in fact reduces the colony as you are reducing the number of animals which can breed. The argument doesn’t make sense because older animals that have reached maturity have learnt tio survive against any numbers of predators so how does this make them easier to hun in the first place.

The argument by some groups that hunters damage the environment tby their activities. Ok maybe taking 4 wheel drives out into the bush may cause some erosion on dirt tracks. Hunters are not the only groups that take 4 wheels drives into the bush I might add. The real damage done to our forests is through introduced species that decimate local flora and fauna. For the sake of our naturally occurring animal species, most of which are protected by law I might add, these introduced pests and feral animals need to be eradicated. In a lot of cases there are no natural predators to these animals, so how else with their populations be controlled. In fact it is the hunters that are the true environmentalists, not someone from the city welding placards. They make a positive difference for the conservation of our natural forests.

So given that for the good of the environment introduced animals or vermin should be eradicated what it the most humane way of tackling the problem. Is baiting them with poison more humane I think not. The other problem with poison is that it can be non-specific and other animals can take the poison. The same thing can be said for trapping them in that other animals can be take in traps not those that the traps were designed for. So say that hunting is cruelty to animals is just not true and in my opinion more humane than other forms of eradication.

Some people think that hunting is just a free for all. This also is simply not true. All states and territories have regulations and rules about what can be hunted and the way they can be hunted.

Noise from hunters disturbs other groups using the park. To me the perfect solution to that problem would be to allow hunters the use of silencers or perhaps more correctly noise suppressors. At least when you hear the report of a firearm you are immediately aware that someone is shooting in your area and this provides you with some kind of warning.

There also seems to be a view amongst some that by allowing hunting to take place there will be a massacre of innocent people in forests. In this country anyone who owns a firearm has to have done a firearms safety course. They will know that they are ultimately responsible for what happens to every bullet that they shoot. They also know that they have to follow the rules of firearms safe handling practises. Does this mean that accidents don’t occur? Of course not we are all human. One thing that really annoys me is when protesters deliberately try to disrupt legal hunters by putting themselves in harm’s way. They have no right to do this and in fact are breaking the law. The fact remains that legal hunters are taking part in a legal activity. What gives you me or anyone else the right to stop someone who is acting within the law. If you don’t like it then get elected and change the laws.

If people feel the need to support a cause then there are plenty of worthy causes out there such as human trafficking or illegal detention that can always use the support.

Hunting to provide food for your family was man’s first responsibility, and has continued to be a time honoured tradition both in Australia and around the world. There are plenty of hunters who still hunt game to provide for their family. If you prefer to get your food wrapped in plastic from a supermarket that’s fine, that’s your choice but someone else’s choice to hunt for food for their family should also be respected.

Australian Firearms Laws (Brief Overview)

Australian shooters required to hold valid shooting licence for state or territory for the category of firearm they intend to possess. (Handgun licence separate to longarm licence).

Firearms can only be purchased when shooter is in possession of a valid permit to acquire (PTA) through a licensed Gun dealer.

All firearms must be stored unloaded in an approved firearms safe when not in use.

All ammunition to be stored in a lockable container seperate from Firearms.

Ammunition can only be purchased by a license holder.

Transportation of unloaded firearms requirements vary from State to state.

Longarms

Only for Hunting or sports shooting applications only.

No semi or fully automatic rifle or shotguns (can be approved if shooter can show just cause for owning but requires endorsed licence and PTA).

No pump action shotguns

Handguns

For sport shooting application only.

No concealed or open carry (some organisations ie; security guards can if properly endorsed).

Shooter must be a current member of a sports pistol club.

Minimum requirement of attendance at the club to keep license and firearms per year depending on the number of different calibre handguns you own. (Varies state to state)

Maximum calibre .38 unless you shoot metal silhouette and belong to a club that shoots this event.

Revolvers minimum barrel length 100mm

Minimum semi-automatic handgun barrel length 120mm.

No fully automatic handguns.

This is a brief overview the main Firearms laws that Australian shooters will comply with on a day to day basis. There are more detailed requirements of obtaining licenses, PTA’s, gun safes, hunting, importing firearms and parts and transporting firearms and ammunition. Whilst Australian states are fairly uniform in gun laws they can vary markedly in the application and legal requirements so you need to be aware of your local state regulations.

Taurus Tracker 4”.357 Magnum Revolver Review

I am going to say something here it’s a bit radical. There are some good revolvers produced that don’t have S&W stamped on them. Yes I said it there. My experience is that when the topic of Taurus revolvers comes up they are generally much maligned and I believe unfairly so.

I recently got to shoot a Taurus Tracker 4 inch revolver chambered in .357 magnum and wasn’t disappointed. I mean what’s not to like well balanced, accurate, as reliable as the day is long and about half the price of a Smith.

Plus you get the added bonus of shooting 38 special rounds as well from the revolver for more flexibility.

Likes.

Well to start off I liked the gun so much I bought it. I really wasn’t looking for another revolver but it came up at the right price and I can use it to shoot the service match with.

It has compensator ports in the front of the barrel as an anti kick device. I am not really fussed one way or another but it does work so it’s a nice feature of the revolver.

It also has a 7 shot cylinder for higher capacity.

The grip whilst not being oversized for me is just big enough. I don’t like handgun with small grips one of my usual grips with some Ruger revolvers.

The 4 inch barrel seems to me to be as accurate over longer distances as my 689 6 inch so no complaints there.

Adjustable rear sights for different target shooting positions are nice.

The trigger has a reasonably heavy pull weight but is quite crisp and is manageable in double action shooting. I certainly prefer the Trackers trigger to my 689. They look similar but the position and feel is quite different.

Last but least it’s a good looking handgun, it looks solid and unbreakable, well finished.

Dislikes

The only thing I don’t like is the front ramp sight. They seem to always include a red hi visibility square which I feel is not required but that’s me and there are ways of fixing it so it’s no big deal. Also the lack of adjustment in the trigger pull weight, it would be nice to be able the adjust this.

Overall I am quite taken with the tracker it’s not pretentious does what it is supposed to well. It’s a great value for money revolver.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucdzNQjicXI

Noise Suppressors for Firearms an opinion

Noise Suppressors for Firearms an opinion

            It would seem that most countries around the world have very stringent laws when it comes to using noise suppressors for firearms. Notice I didn't use the more commonly used term of Silencers. This is because they don’t actually make shooting silent they just suppress the noise. They can alter noise pitch and volume but they certainly don’t make shooting silent.

           So why are these devices banned or heavily regulated. I believe it is because of public perception due to movies that only assassins have the need to use noise suppressors when shooting. This is certainly not the case. But maybe the laws are more about making the public feel safe rather than having and real benefit.

                                    Hunting

            There can be a good case to argue that Hunters would greatly benefit from being able to use noise suppressors. Firstly a lower volume shot would decrease the possibility of scaring off other game in the vicinity. Secondly shooting on properties would be less likely to upset neighbours & other animals on adjoining properties. Shooting on public land would be more tolerable to other camp and recreational users. Also being able to hunt in privacy is a potential benefit. If you go hunting then everyone around you knows you’re shooting and u may not be comfortable with that. Some may argue that at least if people hear shooting noise then at least they are aware and so perhaps more cautious.

                                    

                                     Shooting Ranges

               For target shooters who shoot at inner suburban ranges it would be a great benefit. Currently my shooting club is restricted in the times it can operate due to noise restrictions. Recently the club received notice from the EPA that these times will be further reduced due to potential noise pollution. If the members could use noise suppressors then the likelihood of upsetting nearby residents would be greatly reduced. Also since a lot of Target shooters shoot frequently, there is the benefit of a reduction in hearing damage done by exposure to excessive noise.

           What about the potential misuse by criminals in banning noise suppressors for firearms? If you’re the type of personal that is prepared to use a gun to commit crime then I don’t think that the fact that their prohibited makes any difference. Banning an item doesn’t stop them being available and in some cases makes the item more desirable. Other than public perception I don’t think having a noise suppressor makes committing a gun crime any easier. So I really don’t see the real benefit in having these items banned. I can however see the potential benefits to making them available to the wider shooting community.

            At odds with the ban on suppressors is the availability of lower noise ammunition. You can achieve this by reducing powder loads when making your own or commercially available ammunition. Yes there is a trade off in this instance with power and force so generally this ammunition is not suitable for hunting. But it really makes you wonder why noise suppressors have such a bad rap. I guess it comes back to movies and public perception really and law makers waving the flag so the public has a false sense of security.

Rock Island Armoury M1911 A1 9mm Review

If you’re in the market for a 1911 and you don’t want to break the bank then you should consider the Rock Island Armoury M1911-A1.

This is a budget no frills 1911 that works but then for a budget price you get what u pay for. It has fixed GI sights, the front blade is small and skinny, and these are not target sights. The good news is that when your budget allows you to you can upgrade the sights, since there are numerous manufacturers of after-market bits for 1911. These will slot straight in.

The mags feel and look tinny but they work. The capacity of the single stack mag is 9, not high capacity so you might want to invest in extra magazines. There again you will find heaps of low cost spare magazines for the Rock. The magazine spring is light and easy to load. A lot lighter than say a Glock magazine spring. I am a bit concerned about the longevity of this spring it feels like a .22 magazine but so far it’s been feeding the 1911 perfectly and they are cheap to replace if need be.

The only feed issues with the 1911 have been on reloads with the odd round not returning the next one fully into the breach. The slide spring will take factory rounds down to loads using 3.0 grains of ADI AS30N powder and 135 grain projectiles. So you can download a bit on the standard spring and still get it to cycle. If the slide doesn’t fully close on loading the next round it has a firing pin safety so you can’t pull the trigger. The Rock also has a back-strap safety and a manual safety cocking lever.

The safety lever, magazine release and slide locking lever are all located on the right side so they aren’t ambidextrous, but remember this is a budget build.

Other than that what you would expect with a 1911 is certainly the case with the Rock, nice grip angle, crisp trigger and that classic 1911 style.

This is not a precision target shooting pistol, but if you want a base model 1911 that you can customise and work on or just have some fun shooting then  it’s a pretty good base to start from.

Overall I would rate this handgun 7 out of 10, the worst points being the sights and magazines. However it does live up to a great value for money 1911.

Specifications

Weight ; 38 Ounces (1.09kg)

Lenght ; 7&3/4 inches (197mm)

Barrel Lenght ; 5 inches (127mm)

Width ; 1.5 inch (38mm)

Height ; 5.45 imches (138mm)

• Ordnance grade 4140 steel construction
• 100% part compatibility with US G.I.
• Flat grooved steel mainspring housing
• Calibers: .45 ACP, .38 Super, 9 mm Luger
• Finishes: blued, Parkerized, nickel
• Grooved trigger
• Approx. 5¼ lbf (23 N) trigger pull
• Non-checkered smooth wooden grips