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Reply With QuoteAgreed. Years before the so-called "panic buying" began, I stocked up on cases of 5.56 and 9mm. I'm glad I did, because the price has doubled due to the current run on ammo. I've still got 90% from that big bulk buy.Originally Posted by SnowLeopard
That rather depends on where you are. I understand I can be arrested down in Mexico if they find a 9mm round on me, because down there, that is considered a military round. Of course, it's quite common in the US.
Further, there was a panic the other month when for two days, it looked like DRMO was going to define demil'd used brass as total slag. That is, before civilians could buy it, it had to be totally reduced from being a casing. Letter writing to Congress changed that and the buying of brass continued as before.
How accurate is the story? I don't know but if one thinks that the price of ammo is high now, just watch it go out of sight if manufacturers can't pull on DRMO casings. Ie, it's very related to military actions.
Finally, a lot of the .308 I shoot is NATO stamped.
You know, I get a bitter laugh out of this when people are critical about buying ammo in bulk. Why shouldn't one? Are we not encouraged in this country to buy things in bulk? Do we buy a single bottle of beer or do we buy a 12 pack? One egg or a dozen? One ballpoint or a dozen? How does the office buy paper, by the single sheet, a ream, or a box? One buys a thousand vitamins, not one.
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("I'd love some Milk Duds."--George Wade
"We don't have any, I could send out for one."--Sister in law Helen Wade
"Oh, no, don't be ridiculous. If you're going to send out, get a whole box.", (w,stte), "Two Weeks Notice")
Last edited by SnowLeopard; 23 May 09, at 11:45.
Agreed. Years before the so-called "panic buying" began, I stocked up on cases of 5.56 and 9mm. I'm glad I did, because the price has doubled due to the current run on ammo. I've still got 90% from that big bulk buy.
I'm not for buying in bulk, more than about 6,000 rounds and storage becomes a hassle. I don't see the police often at my homes but each time one of the first things they always seem to ask "Is there any guns or ammo in the house." For some screwy reason whenever I tell them that I've got an ar 15, 2 ak 47 varients, an sks a couple of handguns and about 12,000 rounds they freak out. Its like they think I'm planning on arming the SLA or something. The storage also takes up alot of space. You also have a hard time getting organizational buy prices for fewer than 10,000 rounds and they really don't like it when you only order every 2 or 3 years when you are at the lower end of their organization prices.
7.62x39 is also related to military actions, specifically Wolf.
"The right man in the wrong place can make all the difference in the world. So wake up, Mr. Freeman. Wake up and smell the ashes." G-Man
It's one of those things that unless you are in it, one is not likely to know and further, one is likely to think otherwise, perhaps because of exposure.
I was at an emergency management seminar where the topic was the LA Shootout. The host was surprised that you can buy ammo in bulk, that there is a legitimate reason why to do so. I give my figure of 1000 pistol/400 rifle a month despite the fact I rarely achieve that training standard and am not going to even attempt now in this atmosphere.
Why are people surprised? I suspect it is because of exposure. Years ago during a psychology study, my primary piece of background material was an article that stated that when people see a character type a lot on tv that they don't meet much in reality, they form the opinion of what that kind of person is like. When they meet a reality example, the opinion is not changed but rather blended. What they don't know of the reality person is filled in by the tv impression.
The article was for the medical doctor (and I was studying a different occupation). Essentially, they expect a woman doctor to be young, beautiful, and to sleep around a lot.
The article was just about one study but I tend to think it was an accurate assessment. Given how people react to professional shooters, it seems that that mental state could apply across the board.
Now, one other thing, on a point I brought up during an investigation lesson. There are at least two circumstances in life though I suspect there are many more where the methods used in standard operations could also be used to cover one's tracks. The example I used in investigations was defragging a computer drive. It can be used at a low level to hide erased data because it rewrites the FAT...........but it is also a standard house keeping procedure. So did he defrag the drive because he was trying to hide something or because he was maintaining his computer? In our witch hunt world, there are those who could easily assume the previous.
A lot of shooting can change the characteristics of the barrel.
If you are in this world, you know, should know, that marksman skills can rapidly decline without practice. That it is recommended that frequent bouts of short time span practice is more beneficial than infrequent long time span sessions. That one needs to have an infrastructure in place.
A range membership tends to cost me dearly. It's a gasper when I put out $300-400 for the year in that moment. There have been years that I've eaten part of it because I didn't get to the range enough to make it pay off. But........those times when it does all fall into place, it's beautiful. Two sites to practice at, fire a bout (right and left) if I am just passing thru the area, or if I have a research question come up, I can stop in and test it out without having to wait days or weeks.
Guns, ammo stocks, range time. It's an expensive aspect to my life style, but it's what I do to be professional.
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("It took him several months to die but with the amount that the counter terrorism squad put into him on that day, he shouldn't have been able to move at all due to the weight."--Operative "Jeremy" to V.H. Adderly, (w,stte), Adderly "Blood Feud")
I spend a lot of my time on ranges shooting any and everything that I can, but I wouldn't for a minute call myself a professional shooter, What would constitute a professional shooter in your opinion????
The Question has many points, are our LEO's, armed forces etc Professional shooter's or is it the Olympic shooter be it in whatever discipline????
Tony
Yet another ex-tankie of 1 RTR origin.
Two plus 1 qualifiers. First of all, I am not expected to miss or if I am missing, I am expected to train to correct those errors. If I am on a job, it is expected that if I am there, people will stay alive.
Secondly, because of my training, because of who I am, if I ever find myself in court, I should expect that I will be judged more harshly.
And then there is the 1. It is unlikely that I will be ever be hired for a job to be a sniper or such, but I do use the qualities of my licensing as a part of my professional qualifications. I have been in and out, in various aspects of "security forces" for most of my adult life. When I apply for a security job, my marksmanship skills are there on the application. I've been a marksmanship instructor. Somewhere out there are my various military medals. I am hardly a talented amateur.
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("Captain, what Fats is billards, Naomi is Israel's answer to marksmanship."--Major Ben-David introducing his sniper, (w,stte), "Prisoner in the Middle")
SL. It was more of a general question to all of the board users, I'm more than aware that those who wear a uniform or even plain clothes public servants who protect us 24/7 should be at 100% with their tools, even if their respective departments budgets can't afford to pay for it.
Any one else care to comment, 7th, I know you'll have an opinion on this one.
Tony
Yet another ex-tankie of 1 RTR origin.
I used to be what I would consider a professional shooter. Now all my shooting is purely recreational, regardless of the target.Any one else care to comment, 7th, I know you'll have an opinion on this one
Tonybut I am still an expert shot, perhaps better than when I did it for a living, but I do not consider myself at least, a professional anymore.
but anyway, I wouldn't put most cops or soldiers in the category of professional shooter. I would say people like Todd Jarret, Jerry Miculek and Bob Munden. They make a living shooting, hence that constitutes a profession, IMO. They must achieve and maintain such skill that it consumes all thier time.
I would also put in there some members of Spec ops teams and certain contractors. If your job is more than 50 or 60% or so trigger puller, you had better be a super shot.
Military shooting teams who compete and sniper teams who compete I would say as well. Competition is a key component here because it forces one to rise above thier peers and serves as motivation to sharpen skills and be top of thier game.
I guess I just associate the word professional with a "profession" which would say to me you make a living at it. There are a lot of expert marksmen who do not make a living shooting or even working in a field that requires the use of a gun.
So theres my 2 cents worth..........
I would also say that police officers are not proffesional shooters save for perhaps a few large department swat team snipers, and even that is debatable but I'll choose to give them that. Some game hunters and guides I'd consider proffesional shooters though they also have other skills that come into play.
I'd say that if your primary means of income depends on mainly your skill with a gun, then you are a proffesional shooter. By this statement your average infantryman wouldn't be a proffesional shooter though argueably the squad designated markmen would be. (I'm not liking that simplicity though)
Another weird thing in my mind is that in the US, untill fairly recently exibition shooters were popular media figures. This isn't true any longer This is because the % of the population that are familiar with accuracy with a firearm has decreased dramatically. I'd also say though that based on what I've seen is that people who are familiar enough with weapons appriciate that accuracy acheived more because on the whole they are better shots. It seems almost an all or nothing thing. Either people have never/fired once or twice in their life a gun, or are familiar and pretty good shots. I think though that with all the people who are in the never fired or only once or twice that alot of people who would potentially be very good are missed.
That's a good point, I have taken some of my co-workers to the range who had never shot before, after a quick introduction and explanation they were doing really well and enjoying themselves. They were impressed with their achievements and wanted to go again. I explained that the club has its own lend guns and all they'd need to do was pay for the range and insurance and any ammo they used, but they never went on their own.... Maybe my weapons are all to well adjusted, and with the right ammo a monkey could get some good results with them, or the co-workers just didn't really have enough motivation to follow it up. Either way it's sad, our average age at the club is mid 30's to late 40's, the younger generations tend to be put off by all of the hoops they'd have to jump through. But that's Germany for you.
Tony
Yet another ex-tankie of 1 RTR origin.
I just shoot for fun. Very casual.
-dale
This, but I know that if my life depended on it I could defend myself if necessary.
"The right man in the wrong place can make all the difference in the world. So wake up, Mr. Freeman. Wake up and smell the ashes." G-Man
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