Handgun Questions

[BeeSharp]

I know, way off topic but I'm think about getting a smal pistol and CCW for travel on the Valkyrie. I know very little about hand guns and have read some here from the knowledgeable Valkyrie folks.

I have a Ruger GP100 Stainless .357 revolver with the 6" full lug target barrel. It's in great shape and I still have the original box and paperwork. I might have fired a box of shells through it. I haven't shot it in years. I think I bought it after watching a Dirty Harry marathon. 

I'm thinking about selling it or trading it for a small, easy to carry semi-auto pistol.
Is there a market value on a piece like that and on the flip side are there any recommendations for a decent small semi-auto pistol in approximately that same price range?

Thanks
Jim

[Chrisj CMA]

NEVER SELL A GUN

[Kaiser]

NEVER SELL A GUN

Consider his advise - this coming from a man that packs a Howitzer.

[Sludge]

You might go to www.gunbroker.com to check for what that model is going for used to give you a ball park on what you can expect to get if for instance you consign it through a gun store etc.  As for the carry piece, there is a lot of personal preference involved there.  Are you more comfortable with a revolver?  If so then perhaps the Ruger LCR in .38spl may be in order



Or a S&W 638



Those two as well as the offerings from Tauris work well in a Galco pocket holster IMHO.



If your into autos, then, with a in the waist band holster, you can carry anything from a 5" 1911 all the way down to a sub compact Glock or Springfield XD comfortably.

I dont know your level of proficiency nor your tastes, but in the summer because of clothing limitations, I carry alot with my S&W 638 in a galco pocket holster.

In cooler temps I switch up to an in the waist band holster such as a Milt Sparks Watch 6 and carry full sized handguns.  



I prefer to carry no less than a 9mm or a .38spl.  Anything smaller I just dont think has the man stopping capability that a defensive handgun should have.

[Serk]

That Ruger has negative value, it's worth than worthless, but seeing how you're a fellow Valkyrie rider, I'd be willing to take it off your hands and dispose of it for you. Heck, since you're just across the metromess from me, I'd even be willing to come pick it up for you!

From a quick glance at Gunbroker, looks like a value for that gun brand new would be about $500, guesstimating yours would be worth around $400 or so, maybe a little more depending on the buyer.

What exactly are you looking for in a carry gun? Tiny size above all? Or middle of the road with enough power to get the job done? Revolvers only, or would you be comfortable with a semiautomatic?

There are a lot of variables there...

For myself, I carry a Springfield Armory XD40 Sub Compact. It's small, reliable, accurate, and has enough energy to get your point across...

[flcjr]

I would have to some what disagree on "never sell a gun" I have owned some that i thought were just horrible and sold or traded them to get something more my liking and that i would use.

Now for a carry gun i perfer a small revolver in 38 or 357 I think there the best for use in stressfull enviroments and they almost never fail to work. semi auto are great but you must practice alot more and be ready to fix jams in a split second not something for the gun novice to try to do when his life is on the line or his familys'. I feel i am very good with all types of guns but just for this reason i choose revolvers for ccw and home protection. there are lots of small revlvers out there  i would go and handle them all find one that fits you and your wallet. if you can test fire even better all will shoot different and have different triggers.I do agree with nothing smaller than 38spl. but on the other hand the best gun to save my life is the one in my hand when i need it. I have slaughtered steers and all we use to kill them is a .22 rimfire placed in the perfect spot and they never move another muscle.

[SANDMAN5]

I'm far from being an expert, my carry choices are a 38 Special and a 9mm.
Bought the 38 revolver for the Mrs to carry but it feels great to me also.
I traded my 357 Mag for the 38. Didn't want to get rid of it, but it served
no purpose. Too big to carry comfortably and we have several other home
defense options in place (dog with an attitude, shotgun) Keep the magnum
if you can, but don't sweat getting rid of it. When I buy another revolver it
will be a 44 Special (not Magnum). My next semi will be a 45. Whatever you get,
practice with it!! YMMV

[Pete]

OK never sell a good gun!!!!!

When ask why he carried a 45, the reply was because they do not make a 46.

Carry what you are proficient with, and practice.
Semi autos require somewhat more commitment to master than a good revolver.

Anything smaller than a 38 Special is insufficient for personal protection.

[Jess Tolbirt]

I once read where someone said, "
Anything smaller than a 38 Special is insufficient for personal protection." to which i would reply,,,would you care to stand in front of the business end of my 32?
I carry a 32 auto Kel-Tec because it fits in my back pocket un-noticed,,, if needed i will be no more than 30 feet or so from the perp.. restraunt or wal mart or what have you...i have 7 shots if needed and use the rmpc ammo..if i dont get the situation in hand resolved with 7 shots then i will probably be the one they will shoot first thus giving the others around me a chance to run...
or something like that anyway...

[Sludge]

Now I get to tell my .32ACP story!!!! and why it SUCKS.   

Sorry, I didnt mean to piss ya off or anything with that comment Jess. 

At any rate, my cousin carried at the time a .32ACP Just like you mentioned.  In his pocket (use a holster plz).  He ask if he could take his dog and go walking on my farm looking for a good place for his deer stand.  It turns out that a wounded 8 point buck was laying where he and his dog were going.  Long story short, it attacked his dog.  My cousin, realizing that he was armed, drew his .32 and fired the whole 10 round clip into the lung area of the deer.  He was trying to stay away from the head because of the dog.  The deer didnt slow down one bit.  He had another clip in his pocket and he ended up firing 6 more shots into the deer, but this time in the neck area.  It finally broke contact with the dog, stumbled off into the brush, and died.  When we skinned it out later that morning, we found and examined all of the lung shots he had attempted.  NONE went past a rib.  All entered, opened up nicely and stopped short of passing the ribs.  Now the take away for me was that had I shot a man in the chest, I might hurt him, but it would not likely be fatal given that a man has clothes, muscle and fat to pass through then the ribs, to get to the good stuff. 

Now, I dont want to stand in front of the business end of your .32.  However, if I had to stand in front of it or say a 9mm.  I would choose the .32 and feel like I had a decent chance of survival. 

[BeeSharp]

What exactly are you looking for in a carry gun? Tiny size above all? Or middle of the road with enough power to get the job done? Revolvers only, or would you be comfortable with a semiautomatic?

I try to make some Metromess events, but they always seem to get scheduled on days that the kiddos have something planned. If we can make 1 or 2 a year we're doing good. We are planning on making the Kerrville gathering next month.

Middle of the road size, I'm guessing accuracy and stopping power would be a little better with a little more size, while still fairly easy to carry and semi-automatic.

Appreciate all the information!
Jim

[KerryNolan]

I have 4 guns that I use for CCW, each have there strengths and weaknesses.
My number 1 favorite shooter,  is my Kimber Ultra Raptor. It's a compact .45. Great knock down power, and shoots like a dream, and I can hit anything with it. (downside, must carry cocked and locked, and not as comfortable to carry as smaller guns)
My 2nd choice is my Kahr PM40 .40S&W, also very good power, but a little harsh due to its light weight frame, and powerful rounds, but very concealable, and comfortable to carry. (upside, DAO trigger, with no safety, long enough trigger travel to be a safe carry "go/no go gun"
My last two CCW guns, are both .380's, the Ruger LCP (with Crimson Laser sight) is VERY compact, however, because of its DAO trigger and no safety, the trigger has an excessively long travel, and if you have large hands (like me), it can prove very difficult to shoot accurately.

The cream of the crop of .380's, is my new Sig Sauer P238. It is SAO built just like a miniature 1911 (without grip safety), Because it's single action only, I have no issues with large fingers in tiny trigger guards , with the excessive  trigger travel of the smaller double action guns) This Sig P238 is absolutely the best .380 I've ever used. It fits in your hand perfectly, and isn't plastic like most guns of this size. It also has actual functional sights (tritium that  glow in the dark), so it's not simply a rib gun.
My vote is for the new Sig P238 I got the titanium rainbow finish, don't ask me why...It was just different  


Kerry

[Gear Jammer]

Kel Tec also makes a small .380 P3AT, and several 9mm SA pistols which will fit into your jeans pocket unobtrusively.  If I'm really serious, I carry my Judge Defender .45/410  5 shot revolver.

[Chrisj CMA]

I would have to some what disagree on "never sell a gun" I have owned some that i thought were just horrible and sold or traded them to get something more my liking and that i would use.

Now for a carry gun i perfer a small revolver in 38 or 357 I think there the best for use in stressfull enviroments and they almost never fail to work. semi auto are great but you must practice alot more and be ready to fix jams in a split second not something for the gun novice to try to do when his life is on the line or his familys'. I feel i am very good with all types of guns but just for this reason i choose revolvers for ccw and home protection. there are lots of small revlvers out there  i would go and handle them all find one that fits you and your wallet. if you can test fire even better all will shoot different and have different triggers.I do agree with nothing smaller than 38spl. but on the other hand the best gun to save my life is the one in my hand when i need it. I have slaughtered steers and all we use to kill them is a .22 rimfire placed in the perfect spot and they never move another muscle.

I was assuming the gun in question wasnt a horrible specimine...........that didnt seem to be the case in the original post.  More times than not I have heard people say I should never have gotten rid of that gun.....this philosophy goes for most motorcycles too.....ok now m/c related

[Jess from VA]

BeeSharp, I would not sell your GP Ruger... unless you cannot afford the carry piece without selling.   A 4 or 6 inch .357 is a great all purpose weapon; you should keep it if you can.

Because you are a general firearms novice, I would not recommend a smaller semiauto pistol for carry.  You have trained with a revolver and I recommend you stick with one for your carry piece.  An auto pistol takes about five times the amount of training and practice to master as a revolver, and there are many more things that can go wrong with an auto than a revolver (fail to feed, fail to eject, failed magazine).  Most good quality revolvers are nearly foolproof.

Since you already have a Ruger, I recommend the Ruger Sp101 all-steel .38Spl with 2.25bbl.


You will be able to shoot all .38 Special ammo in your larger Ruger GP for practice.

My personal favorite for snub revolvers is Smith & Wesson, but their prices have gone thru the roof.  If you can find a reasonably priced used Chief's Special, or better yet an Airweight or Agent, that would be a good choice.



I do not like hammerless revolvers, but the model 38 agent has a shrouded hammer that will not snag on a pocket but can be thumb cocked for better accuracy if time permits.  And they come in aluminum airweight frames.



Finally Taurus makes very fine revolvers for much cheaper than S & W.

http://www.taurususa.com/gun-selector-results.cfm?series=CC2&toggle=tr

http://www.taurususa.com/product-details.cfm?id=298&category=Revolver&toggle=&breadcrumbseries=

[Pete]

I once read where someone said, "
Anything smaller than a 38 Special is insufficient for personal protection." to which i would reply,,,would you care to stand in front of the business end of my 32?
I carry a 32 auto Kel-Tec because it fits in my back pocket un-noticed,,, if needed i will be no more than 30 feet or so from the perp.. restraunt or wal mart or what have you...i have 7 shots if needed and use the rmpc ammo..if i dont get the situation in hand resolved with 7 shots then i will probably be the one they will shoot first thus giving the others around me a chance to run...
or something like that anyway...

Your opinion and you are welcome to it. He ask for my opinion and I gave it.
Your .32 is better than the .46 left at home, but not better that a 38 Special or larger in hand.
I wish you well with it and I pray you never have to use it. Look at some basic ballistics.

The only .32 that might be acceptable to me is the .32 Super Mag (avail revolver only).
 

[rockrat]

Sometimes I carry a 38sp Taurus, but most of the time I carry, it is a Beretta 21A in 22LR.  You can't tell its in my pocket.

[big turkey]

Baretta 22lr in the Front Pocket.

Bersa CC 380 in Uncle Mikes waist band Holster.

Taurus PT-111 Pro in the small of back or jacket pocket and that is just to carry

going to Church.

Don't want one of those church hatin terrorists making it past the front door with a bomb strapped on.

Getem first is my plan.

Al

[Michael K (Az.)]

Kel Tec also makes a small .380 P3AT, and several 9mm SA pistols which will fit into your jeans pocket unobtrusively.  If I'm really serious, I carry my Judge Defender .45/410  5 shot revolver.

Here's a pic of my Kel-Tec .380 with an Armalaser


With holster, sits quite nicely in R. Front.


How do ya carry that Judge? Wheelbarrow?

[Skinhead]

Baretta 22lr in the Front Pocket.

Bersa CC 380 in Uncle Mikes waist band Holster.

Taurus PT-111 Pro in the small of back or jacket pocket and that is just to carry

going to Church.

Don't want one of those church hatin terrorists making it past the front door with a bomb strapped on.

Getem first is my plan.

Al

+1

[Varmintmist]

I have a Ruger GP100 Stainless .357 revolver with the 6" full lug target barrel. It's in great shape and I still have the original box and paperwork. I might have fired a box of shells through it. I haven't shot it in years.

You want a revolver.
1st, you don't shoot enough to run a auto. They are a different animal.

2nd, all autos have a basic learning curve and you have to learn to clear jams and re-seat magazines in case something doesn't work. Even the "no think" ones that have become popular.

3rd, a decent 357 snubnose can be had for a reasonable amount. You already have a 357, you can shoot the same ammo in both, though you will probably like 125gr loads in the snub a lot more.

4th, a 357 can shoot 38's through it so you can practice a little cheaper. YOU MUST CLEAN THE CHAMBERS before going back to 357. 38 is a bit shorter and can and will build up a ring where the 357 will have to be forced in and out to the point of getting stuck.

5th, a decent 38 in SA/DA (single action, rooster hammer, pull trigger/DA double action, squeeze through turning the cylinder while pulling)  is not expensive.

I have a friend who has a Taurus model 85 that was a lot more accurate than it should have been. It is not a great revolver in that I think you would have problems running a few thousand full house loads through it every month, but to throw 5 in and shoot it 3 times a year? Great revolver.
My warm weather is a Ruger SP101 in 357. It is surprisingly heavy for its size in a Bianci IWB holster, not fun to run 158gr heavy loads through but it handles 125's like a house on fire.
Winter and when I can, it is a 1911 in a Safariland IWB holster or Bianci shoulder set up.

[Sludge]

Oh yea and playing on part of what Varmintmist just said.  Carrying weight of a heavy gun can be done but you dont want to use a belt from Walmart or Belks etc.  Buy a real gun belt. A stiff, thick gun belt can distribute the weight much better and make carry of a IWB (in the waist band) holster etc ... much easier and less tiring or uncomfortable.  I have actually forgotten full sized guns were on me when you have a good holster and a good belt.

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

I agree with most that's been said here.

1. if you don't have to sell a gun to buy another then don't sell it. Firearms and land are the only two things I can think of that your great-grand-children will be able to pass on to their kids if they're taken care of.

2. I carry a KelTec .380 in a left boot holster when I'm riding. But, if your not a "gun person" a small revolver like the Ruger would probably make a better and safer carry gun. With most semi-autos the slide has be racked to load and unload the gun and therein lies a chance for embarrassing, loud and dangerous blunders. Also, it's generally easier to tell if a revolver is loaded than it is with a semi-auto.

3. Whatever carry gun you chose, learn to shoot it. Get a membership at a range if you don't have a place to shoot and shoot it, a lot. In particular, with a semi-auto which will occasionally jam, you need practice and more practice.

4. Because of #3 above, get a gun that's fun to shoot. Small, lightweight magnums are generally not much for to shoot because they sting your hand.

[X Ring]

As one of a handful of Firearms Instructors on the board, I agree with the consensus of those recommending you stick with a revolver.  You don't have the experience to use a semi auto.  Shooting is a perishable skill and requires practice to maintian it.  Shooting a semi auto requires more practice to be able to perform malfunction clearance drills under pressure. 

Where I differ is what I'm going to recommend to you.  I recommend you buy a Ruger small frame .38/.357 revolver.  Either the SP 101 or the LCR.  The reason I recommend them is they operate the same way as your GP 100 so you will have commonality of use and training.

Marty

[Jack]

I stay away from Magnums.  I have a 38 Special, a 44 Special, a S&W 9mm.  They all are easy to shoot and make a nice large hole in a target.

[BeeSharp]

Appreciate the great advice, I'll think long and hard about keeping the the GP and looking at small revolvers.

Thanks
Jim

[fudgie]

I sold my Beretta .22 for what I paid for it 10 yrs ago. I should have kept it. 

I carry a Bersa Thunder .380 plus. $250. 15 round clip and 1 in the pipe. Its really light and easy to shoot. Neg thing is that you need a clip in it to shoot. I got some good rounds that blows out holes the size of your fist in pumpkins at 30'. I wanted a gun with a hammer. Not into the hammerless handguns.

[solo1]

I have been a NRA instructor for many years.  I've always recommended a revolver for beginning shooters for the same reasons as mentioned here.  A decent revolver is reliable.

I personally wouldn't reccomend a .357 in a 'snubbie' except using .38 SPL ammo as the barrel is too short to maximise the energy but the muzzleblast is intimidating for some.

I have a number of handguns for carry but for smallness, convemience, and adequate power, the Smith 'J' frames like the Chief's special, Centennial, etc in .38 SPL Or for cheaper but reliable the Ruger in Sp101, .38 SpL or .357.  .38 Special ammo can be used in .357 revolvers for decrease on blast and 'kick'
Although I carry semi auto's too, the revolver is by far the better choice for beginning concealed carrying imho.

[Chrisj CMA]

There is a lot of great advise here.........Just my .02 on revolver vs semi-auto.  I have never owned a semi auto but I probably have fired twice the number of rounds through semi auto handguns than all my revolvers combined.  I was in Special Ops in the military and was issued a match grade 1911 .45.  Fired hundreds of rounds in all kinds of shooting situations.  I was very good with that weapon but I did not enjoy the feel or get the satisfaction from shooting it enough to buy one.

I enjoyed shooting the Beretta 9mm I was issued much more.  If I had any faith in that round I may have bought one, but I just could go there, didnt like the size and power vs the .357.

My long time weapon of choice, which I carried concealled many many times in a shoulder holster is a model 19 S&W .357 with a 4" barrel.  Probably the biggest revolver I can realistically conceal. 

I prefer that gun simply for the feel that it is part of me when I fire it.  The only semi that came close to that comfort was the Baretta.

Its all about what you are comfortable with, what you will get good with.  practice practice practice............you will not perform at the peak of your capability in the middle of the night when surprized, so 50-80% of your ability sure better be enough

[Jess from VA]

I carry a Bersa Thunder .380 plus. $250. Neg thing is that you need a clip in it to shoot.

Fudgie, The magazine disconnect in your Bersa pistol can be easily removed.  See the link below (copy to documents and print)**,  I removed the magazine disconnects on my Browning Hi Powers.  Not only do you get rid of a stupid "safety" you should get a much better & smoother trigger pull as well.  

The argument in favor of a mag disconnect is if you are struggling with someone for your pistol and she is about to win, you can hit the mag release and drop the mag and disable the gun from her shooting you with the last round in the pistol.  But by the same token, if for some reason you loose your mag in the fight or dark, you cannot fire your weapon single shot, or at all.  Mag disconnect safeties are principally suited for law enforcement uniformed carry, not for civilian carry.

Also, there are those who argue that modifying a pistol in any way, arguably making it less safe, like by removing the mag disconnect, can be used against you by the state prosecutor in your trial for manslaughter or aggravated assault, or in the civil suit against you for wrongful death or injuries.... on the theory that only a crazed maniac would alter his gun to make it less safe.  

I say bullsh!t!!   First of all the chances that a removed mag disconnect actually causes an injury is remote to nonexistant (unless you leave the gun out for children to shoot themselves with...loaded with no mag in it).  Second, if you only shoot someone with good cause in defense of self or others in an immediate lethal threat, the fact that the mag disconnect has been removed is simply irrelevant.  

If you do this (you should), try not to lose any of the little parts.    

Read the whole thread.  Find a schematic, and remove the mag safety (Part 42) and the C-shaped spring (part 43).

** http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=257077

Even better, a video:

Bersa Thunder 380 Magazine Clip Safety removal Modification	powered by Aeva

[fudgie]

I carry a Bersa Thunder .380 plus. $250. Neg thing is that you need a clip in it to shoot.

Fudgie, The magazine disconnect in your Bersa pistol can be easily removed.  See the link below (copy to documents and print)**,  I removed the magazine disconnects on my Browning Hi Powers.  Not only do you get rid of a stupid "safety" you should get a much better & smoother trigger pull as well.  

The argument in favor of a mag disconnect is if you are struggling with someone for your pistol and she is about to win, you can hit the mag release and drop the mag and disable the gun from her shooting you with the last round in the pistol.  But by the same token, if for some reason you loose your mag in the fight or dark, you cannot fire your weapon single shot, or at all.  Mag disconnect safeties are principally suited for law enforcement uniformed carry, not for civilian carry.

Also, there are those who argue that modifying a pistol in any way, arguably making it less safe, like by removing the mag disconnect, can be used against you by the state prosecutor in your trial for manslaughter or aggravated assault, or in the civil suit against you for wrongful death or injuries.... on the theory that only a crazed maniac would alter his gun to make it less safe.  

I say bullsh!t!!   First of all the chances that a removed mag disconnect actually causes an injury is remote to nonexistant (unless you leave the gun out for children to shoot themselves with...loaded with no mag in it).  Second, if you only shoot someone with good cause in defense of self or others in an immediate lethal threat, the fact that the mag disconnect has been removed is simply irrelevant.  

If you do this (you should), try not to lose any of the little parts.    

Read the whole thread.  Find a schematic, and remove the mag safety (Part 42) and the C-shaped spring (part 43).

** http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=257077

Even better, a video:
Bersa Thunder 380 Magazine Clip Safety removal Modification

Wow thx!  Cant open it here at work, dang firewall! When I bought it it fired well. Later on I noticed I had to push up on the clip to get it to fire. Drove me nuts till I looked inside and saw a piece of metal up there. Got a screw driver and pryed it out a little to catch the magizine and has worked fine ever since.

[hubcapsc]

I once read where someone said, "
Anything smaller than a 38 Special is insufficient for personal protection." to which i would reply,,,would you care to stand in front of the business end of my 32?
I carry a 32 auto Kel-Tec because it fits in my back pocket un-noticed,,, if needed i will be no more than 30 feet or so from the perp.. restraunt or wal mart or what have you...i have 7 shots if needed and use the rmpc ammo..if i dont get the situation in hand resolved with 7 shots then i will probably be the one they will shoot first thus giving the others around me a chance to run...
or something like that anyway...

I think people say that because some guns, especially ones whose caliber starts with a four, will knock back/knock down even a big mean angry guy hopped up on
crank with one shot just because of the physics of the thing, whereas he might flop around some and maybe still hurt you after being shot a few times with your
dinky Kel-Tec...

But, no thanks, please don't shoot me with it 

-Mike

[Wewaman]

you can also go to www.auctionarms.com   same as gunbroker.com  also you can you tube places like nutnfancy he does gun reviews and such also sootch00 does some too.  like sootch said when talking about his beretta 25 " if i put 9  25 rounds into someone I think I can kick his a..  good luck on your quest.  check out the Para Lda 45 very nice shooting semi small enough to carry everyday and has the knock down power of a 45. (you get what you pay for)

[X Ring]

Mag disconnect safeties are principally suited for law enforcement uniformed carry, not for civilian carry.

Also, there are those who argue that modifying a pistol in any way, arguably making it less safe, like by removing the mag disconnect, can be used against you by the state prosecutor in your trial for manslaughter or aggravated assault, or in the civil suit against you for wrongful death or injuries.... on the theory that only a crazed maniac would alter his gun to make it less safe.  

Actually a lot of agencies that ordered Smith semi autos had the magazine safety deleted at the factory.

That being said, I HIGHLY recommend that you do not disable any safety devices on any firearm you use for self defense.  There are documented cases of Prosecutors bringing to trial individuals that had done that and used the firearm for self defense.  Then you have unscrupulous attorneys that represent the person or person's family that you shot.  It will be brought up that you modified a firearm and eliminated one of its safety devices.  They will insinuate that you in fact made the weapon less safe and only someone with a willful disregard for other persons safety would do that.  In a civil trial guilty beyond a reasonable doubt is not required.  A preponderance of evidence is all that is required to find you liable.  Don't set yourself up for this.  Leave self defense firearms alone internally.  If you want to change sights or grips, go for it.  Those are external changes and do not alter the internal mechanism.  If you don't like the magazine safety, trade the weapon in on another one without the feature.

Marty

[Smitty W.S.]

Gun?  What's a gun?

Seriously, with few exceptions only the criminals and the cops have guns up here in Canada.  If Cleveland, Ohio decided they wanted Canada it would be real easy for them. (ok, not so serious there)

[Chrisj CMA]

Gun?  What's a gun?

Seriously, with few exceptions only the criminals and the cops have guns up here in Canada.  If Cleveland, Ohio decided they wanted Canada it would be real easy for them. (ok, not so serious there)

There are those that seem to want to disarm America.........it aint gonna happen

[Jess from VA]

That being said, I HIGHLY recommend that you do not disable any safety devices on any firearm you use for self defense.  There are documented cases of Prosecutors bringing to trial individuals that had done that and used the firearm for self defense.  Then you have unscrupulous attorneys that represent the person or person's family that you shot.  It will be brought up that you modified a firearm and eliminated one of its safety devices.  They will insinuate that you in fact made the weapon less safe and only someone with a willful disregard for other persons safety would do that.

I respectfully disagree Marty.  I mean, I take your reasoning, which I included in my post as well.  And I've been an attorney since 1980, and am well aware of what my scumbag brethren have done and will do.  Nonetheless, I would make any change to my firearm I felt made it better suited to it's purpose, especially including deleting mag disconnect safeties.  I did it on my Hi Powers mainly for the significantly improved trigger pull, moreso than the actual mag disconnect function delete.

It is a risk in court, but I don't see it as large, so long as you only shoot people who have it coming.... meaning you scrupulously follow the self-defense rules of using lethal force only in response to a lethal threat.

Additionally, I would never admit to removing the mag disconnect; whether the gun was purchased new or not......"I don't know what you are talking about" would be my answer.... in or out of court.  Let them prove you deleted it..... if they can, and that its removal somehow caused the damage or injury.    Remove the thing, and don't ever talk about it thereafter.

[Smitty W.S.]

Nonetheless, I would make any change to my firearm I felt made it better suited to it's purpose, especially including deleting mag disconnect safeties.  I did it on my Hi Powers mainly for the significantly improved trigger pull, moreso than the actual mag disconnect function delete.

Additionally, I would never admit to removing the mag disconnect; whether the gun was purchased new or not......"I don't know what you are talking about" would be my answer.... in or out of court.  Let them prove you deleted it..... if they can, and that its removal somehow caused the damage or injury.    Remove the thing, and don't ever talk about it thereafter.

Like on a searchable public forum? 

[Master Blaster]

I am of the Elmer Kieth pursuasion, bigger is always better.  I like my Desert Eagle BFR in 45-70 just fine, but concealed carry might be a problem.  I also have a couple of very small North American Arms, 1 in 22LR and 1 in 22 Mag, no problem to carry like pocket change.  I have a couple of 45 autos, and the original 1911 is probably my favorite.  The other one is a Llama compact with a double stack mag that holds 10 rounds, and I usually keep it in the vehicle.  I never had a 9MM untill I got a M11 to play with and then just to have something else to use the same round got a Ruger SR9.  add several Ruger revolvers 357&44 Mag a couple of 22 autos, and a judge pretty much rounds out the handgun inventory.  I like to have a variety of calibers just in case ammo becomes a problem.  I believe an armed society is a polite society.

[Jess from VA]

WidowsSon:  Like on a searchable public forum?  2funny

Partner, I've spent a lifetime spitting in the face of political correctness, and never been sorry once.  Truth may not be an absolute defense, but it goes a long way toward righteousness.  I have happily preached and recommended technically unlawful behavior in the pursuit of what is right.  I will not change.