m1tch311

hey guys sry if this is off topic but im looking for a "fun gun" to do target practice. Im thinking price range $425 thats fun to shoot and has cheap ammo. I like AKs b/c they look cool and cheap ammo but its hard to find nice one (milled/accurate) cheap. I have also considered Mausers but im no expert (some of you are!). SKS is also being considered.

Thanks!

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gunnut

A Russian SKS made before 1954 (I believe) with laminated wood stock is excellent for plinking. Although the price of 7.62x39 ammo is getting rather expensive.

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omon

for $425, pbly sks. if you wanna go center fire that is.

but imo the best fun gun is ruger 10\22.

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cadpipe

The .30 caliber carbine is a fun gun to shoot, not a lot of recoil, gives good practice on getting a good sight picture, same iron sight type as the M1 Garande, M1A. Any .22 rifle or pistol is fun to shoot too, if fun is the main criteria, heck, it has always been fun to shoot spent shot shells with a pellet or BB gun. If you are talking a fun gun that could be used as a home defence gun too, that is something different. I don't lean toward Communist block weapons myself, but SKS is probably still cheap, uses the AK round. Some of the new lever guns in pistol calibers would be fun as well and probably not too expensive, like the Henry's. Not a lot of inexpensive guns anymore that are worth a crap. I guess you are talking rifle only? All center fire ammo is going up, better make that all ammo is going up, Copper is being used for so many things it shouldn't be, like potable water lines in chem plants, they should use Stainless steel and leave the copper for jacketed bullets! Other than that, I got nothing.

m1tch311

yeah thanks for help. it would double as a home defence and not be a pistol, got wanna those... So you guys are leaning against eastern block kk. Still if anyones got any info, i would like to know about mausers, bolts fascinate me.

Ironduke

$15-20 for 40 rounds last time I was at the gun store.

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gunnut

Holy ....

I saw a box of 20 at my local store for $6 and I think that's outrageous.

I remember the days when there were sales of Wolf ammo for $2 a box of 20. Guess who didn't buy enough?

gunnut

How about a lever gun in 357 mag?

I have a Winchester model 94 in 357 mag and it's THE funnest gun to shoot. An added benefit is that it will also take 38 special round...any 38 special round. Doesn't matter if it's +P or +P+ since any 357 mag generates far higher chamber pressure than the most powerful 38 special.

Winchester doesn't make lever guns any more, but Marlin still does.

Marlin Firearms: Model 1894 Centerfire Rifles : 1894C

You should be able to find one of these for less than $500.

I do not think a bolt gun chambered with full power rifle cartridge makes a good home defense weapon. The penetration is far too great.

toemag

If you don't mind the .22 being a little on the weak side for home defence, I'd say have a look at the GSG5, it's a H&K MP5 clone in .22, hey and if the BG's see you rocking out with an MP5 they will start to query their own decision making, they come in two barrel lengths, one of which is longer and has a barrel shroud that is a sound moderator imitation, which means more accurate and more impact power. Then there is the original barrel length that has a muzzle break, from what I hear, their is the possibility to fit an air rifle sound moderator that really works, BTW., you can't use subsonic ammo if you want it to function in semi, as it eats H(igh) V(elocity) only. You will need to check the legality of sound moderators in your country/state. Google it, some people were not happy with this weapon for a lot of reason's.

The lever action .357 is a great idea, I used to have one of the cheap made in Brazilian one's, with some home loads we got it grouping at 150meters which was phenomenal, well it was in my humble opinion.

Please let us know what you get, with range report and pic's

Tony

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maximusslade

My question is why do you want a full sized rifle for a plinker/home defence weapon? I own a WASR and it is great for target shooting and as an all around bush gun, but as a home defense weapon any rifle IMHO is a very very poor choice. Reason being is you run the extreme risk, even if you hit your intruder, of punching holes in the wall that penetrate and exit the walls and may even exit your structure and hit your neighbors. Here is a real life example....

Target shooting in the back of my house many moons ago. I am shooting my WASR using Wolf 125gr, soft tip rounds. My target is an old door that I have propped up on a tree. I got bored shooting at the taped up target so I took a few shots at the door knob. When I walked up to the door to see how I did, I found that the rounds had completely gone through the door knob and gone out the back of the 5 inch thick pine tree it was propped up on. BTW my range was 50 yards.... Now just think what that same rifle and round would do if you were shooting at a man type target and you missed. I just hope there wouldn't be someone in the next room.

Now, since you have already stated you have a pistol, for your home defense weapon, I would wholeheartedly recommend a shotgun, specifically a Mossberg 500 or a Remmington 870. A 12ga. shotgun as ample short range power to subdue any intruder but if you use a fine enough shot (perhaps a 4 shot) you wont have to worry too much about raining lead in on your neighbors. 4 shot is as heavy as I would go though, any heavier you run the risk of blowing through your dry wall. I hope this helps you out in your decision making.

P.S. IMHO again I also want to say that a .357 Mag load is also a bit heavy for the bedroom. If a .357 Mag can do nasty things to an engine block, just think what it will do to your wall.

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maximusslade

Furthermore, Mausers make a fine rifle. Having some experience with them they are a great way to go if you leave them mil spec or if you custom sporterize it. If you do go the custom route I would recommend an 8MM Mauser of the Turkish variety. They are really well made and there are lots of em out there, they are also less expensive since everyone goes after the German made ones.I dont think you would want to chop up a collector's item.

GraniteForge

Of course the WASR isn't a "full sized rifle," but rather is a relatively short rifle (almost a carbine) firing an intermediate sized cartridge. They may or may not be appropriate for "home defense," depending on which of the two popular definitions of that term you have in mind.

If you're talking about stopping a couple of bad guys who broke in during the night, a handgun is probably your best first choice. If you're talking about defending your home during a time of civil unrest, then you really want a rifle.

I agree with getting a shotgun and using #4 Buck, but it should supplement, not replace, your handgun. If you have a live-in SO/family, its important to give them the shotgun while you move forward with the handgun (assuming you can't just all hunker down together and wait for the police to arrive in response to your call). That way, if the bad guys get past you, your loved ones still have an edge.

I've not seen that .357 mag "can do nasty things to an engine block," but I've only shot them using carry-sized revolvers. What gun/ammo/barrel length were you using? What penetration did you achieve?

maximusslade

Well, I have never had the chance to shoot at an engine block. It is a little bit of urban legend I decided to use. I was merely trying to illustrate that the .357Mag is a very powerful pistol cartridge.

As to your definitions of home defense, I agree, the two different situations dictate you need two different weapons. LOL but not all of us live in southern California.

cadpipe

I have a tape "Deadly Weapons" made by the Second Chance body armor guy, and they shoot an engine block with .357, .357 KTW, .44 Mag, and all it does is knock some rust off. You need something more if you want to damage an engine block!

maximusslade

OK, so a 357 doesnt bust an engine block. It will still mess up a wall.