My continuing Journey Update: Range, Ammo, 9mms

[doddg]

What a whirlwind weekend.
I found the joys of buying ammo from recommendations here and bought 1000 rounds of 22s (7 cents each/CCI) and 1000 rounds of9mm from Palmeto State Armory (20 cents each). No shipping or tax.
I bought 2000 rounds of 9mm from a guy on Armslist (Perfecta: 20 cents each) and 700 rounds of 22 ammo: CCI and Federal AutoMatch for 5 cents each.

The big thing is I finally made it to the range to shoot my Walther PPS and myS/W 10-8 38 police special.
The police special I loved shooting: accurate after shooting with the small 9mms.
I even put the target at the end of the range and was able to hit the center of each of the 5 figures on my target: I was thrilled, but at 48 cents/ea.: too expensive for my tastes ($24/box). I know you can get it online for about 30 cents/ea.
I'm supposed to buy 300 rounds for $75 (24 cents/ea.) off a guy in Plainfield this coming Tuesday, and had a guy willing to sell for 32 cents/ea. who was at the Muncie gun show, but I wasn't willing to travel that far for 32 cents/ea.
I've got to find a cheaper way to get 38 ammo.
When people recommend some online place, when I go there I can't find it.
I went to get some 22s online and had it in my cart, but before I could check out I was informed that it was unavailable!

Now, for the blockbuster: I shot the Walther and loved it: accurate also.
But, the trigger guard was digging in my middle finger when shot: the Walther PPS doesn't fit my hand, oh no!
I guess this means I have to sell it and get something else.
I really wanted it to be my "larger" 9mm for the range and sometimes pocket carry, but it won't do for the range: it really hurt after running magazines through of each of the 6, 7 and 8 round mags, about 4 magazines of each.
Then I ran a couple more magazines through after shooting the other guns just to make sure: sell the Walther PPS.

Didn't someone try to tell me to shoot range guns first? Duh!
Oh well, live and learn.

It's actually cheaper for me to buy a gun and try it out and sell it than rent it at the range since I only buy guns in the under $300 range since I don't know what I'm doing and I won't pay too much.
I did pay $600 for a Ruger GP100 22, but I knew 22s since in my former life 3 decades ago when I owned dozens of different 22s.
I was going to buy the S/W 22 revolver but none was available when I was looking used or otherwise in any good brand, so I just bought a new $600 Ruger.
Since then, I have seen about 4 come through I could have bought, but I was impatient.
I have almost bought them anyway, but since I have the "best" I try to contain myself since I'm buying more than 22s now.


While at the range I tried aSig Sauer 938, nice and small, but it beat up my hand badly firing it: hated it.
Strange, since my Ruger LC9 or my Taurus 709 Slim don't bother me.

I rented (again) the Glock 43 and thought it was going to be fine, but it started to be hard to hold as I put more rounds through it ( just a few magazines worth).

But, guess what was sweet, another gun I'd rented before:The S/W Shield, loved it.

Someone had suggested a certain Baretta for me, wasn't the Nano, there were negatives about it, but there was another smaller one the PX4 Storm or the PX4 Storm subcompact?

 

[gregkl]

If you are looking for .38 Special, Freedom Munitions is selling a few different varieties for around that $0.23/round mark. You might check them out.

And I have a Shield. I've had it for a few years and really like it a lot. Never a malfunction, shoots well.

That said, I am thinking of selling it and buying a S&W 642 for my carry gun. I bought the Shield when I have a FS M&P so the manual of arms would be similar. I have since sold the M&P.

 

[doddg]

If you are looking for .38 Special, Freedom Munitions is selling a few different varieties for around that $0.23/round mark. You might check them out.

And I have a Shield. I've had it for a few years and really like it a lot. Never a malfunction, shoots well.

That said, I am thinking of selling it and buying a S&W 642 for my carry gun. I bought the Shield when I havea FS M&P so the manual of arms would be similar. I have since sold the M&P.

1. Just got off the Freedom Munitions site; I had to spend $150 to get free shipping and when I did (!49.87) they still wanted to charge me $17 shipping during checkout after telling me I qualified for free shipping (as someone on INGO had told me), so I left the site and will look elsewhere for now (I have trust issues ).

I would buy a Shield, but with people getting them for $225-$250, I refuse to pay the prices for used ones that they are asking ($300-$400) since I know what they paid for them new.
I could have bought one with 3 holsters and 3 mags in Westfield from Marksman Shooting Sports for $280: should have done it.

 

[gregkl]

1. Just got off the Freedom Munitions site; I had to spend $150 to get free shipping and when I did (!49.87) they still wanted to charge me $17 shipping during checkout after telling me I qualified for free shipping (as someone on INGO had told me), so I left the site and will look elsewhere for now (I have trust issues ).

I would buy a Shield, but with people getting them for $225-$250, I refuse to pay the prices for used ones that they are asking ($300-$400) since I know what they paid for them new.
I could have bought one with 3 holsters and 3 mags in Westfield from Marksman Shooting Sports for $280: should have done it.

Wait until they have free shipping period or $99 free shipping. They have not done me wrong yet but they are a little regimental. I asked once if they would honor an expired free ship promo if I bought a bunch of 9mm a couple days after the promo ended. Their reply was "our current special is $99 free ship. I waited and a week later they offer the free ship deal.

Oh, and the computer won't kick in the free shipping at $149.99. The trigger is that $150 mark.

I will have to sell my Shield at a loss since I bought it in 2014 when they were selling for $400. I usually do okay on gun sales but I'll have to accept that I got to use it for 3 years and consider the price difference as "rent".

 

[doddg]

Wait until they have free shipping period or $99 free shipping. They have not done me wrong yet but they are a little regimental. I asked once if they would honor an expired free ship promo if I bought a bunch of 9mm a couple days after the promo ended. Their reply was "our current special is $99 free ship. I waited and a week later they offer the free ship deal.

1. I will keep that in mind.

Oh, and the computer won't kick in the free shipping at $149.99. The trigger is that $150 mark.

2. But, at the top of the page it said I qualified for the free shipping with my $149.87!!!!! I protest, but you are obviously correct.

I will have to sell my Shield at a loss since I bought it in 2014 when they were selling for $400. I usually do okay on gun sales but I'll have to accept that I got to use it for 3 years and consider the price difference as "rent".

3. I feel for you: that hurts!
4. I will buy one when they aren't so expensive since I think they should be selling for the $225-$250 that people paid for them new, but perhaps they will always be worth more, but I've seen them for $280 with holsters and extra mags!!!

 

[IndyTom]

You mean, "no taxes until I report them on my state tax forms next year," right?

If you're willing to buy in quantity, TargetSportsUSA.com never has shipping on case orders (1000 rounds of 9mm @ $.19 for S&B, 5k of .22 @ $.05 for Aguila (which I've had no problems with, myself)).

 

[doddg]

You mean, "no taxes until I report them on my state tax forms next year," right?

If you're willing to buy in quantity, TargetSportsUSA.com never has shipping on case orders (1000 rounds of 9mm @ $.19 for S&B, 5k of .22 @ $.05 for Aguila (which I've had no problems with, myself)).

1. Someone had suggested them; I'll have to check on it.

 

[KMaC]

1. Just got off the Freedom Munitions site; I had to spend $150 to get free shipping and when I did (!49.87) they still wanted to charge me $17 shipping during checkout after telling me I qualified for free shipping (as someone on INGO had told me), so I left the site and will look elsewhere for now (I have trust issues ).

I would buy a Shield, but with people getting them for $225-$250, I refuse to pay the prices for used ones that they are asking ($300-$400) since I know what they paid for them new.
I could have bought one with 3 holsters and 3 mags in Westfield from Marksman Shooting Sports for $280: should have done it.

You have to check the "free shipping " box at checkout. Did you apply some discount code that reduced your charges below $150 causing the free shipping eligibility to go away?

 

[derrickgoins]

Sign up for email specials from Freedom Munitons and Target Sports. I've used both for bulk ammo and never had an issue. Their pricing is pretty good but the specials make the prices even better.

 

[Ggreen]

149.87 is not 150. buy something cheaper to kick your cart over 150 and you'll get free shipping. I trust freedom munitions much more than armslist ammo sellers. I've ran across more than one trying to pass off stolen ammo at a good price, but stolen is stolen and a good deal isn't worth a receiving stolen goods charge. freedom munitions is a solid vendor with great prices and decent ammo. I don't understand your trust issues, 149.87 is not 150.

 

[doddg]

149.87 is not 150. buy something cheaper to kick your cart over 150 and you'll get free shipping. I trust freedom munitions much more than armslist ammo sellers. I've ran across more than one trying to pass off stolen ammo at a good price, but stolen is stolen and a good deal isn't worth a receiving stolen goods charge. freedom munitions is a solid vendor ith great prices and decent ammo. I don't understand your trust issues, 149.87 is not 150.

1. My trust issues are what I already wrote.
I was 13 cents short of $150 and at the top of the page it said I qualified for the free shipping, so it had to round up.
But, as I was about to check out, it then had a charge of $17 for shipping.
At that point I had trust issues; it irritated me, so I moved on to buy ammo elsewhere.

3. If you say they are a fine company, I'll give them another chance, but I'll wait until they have the $99 purchase with free shipping, as I was advised.
4. Now on the subject of stolen ammo, that does give me pause."
5. The sense I got from the guy I bought the Perfecta 9mm and the 22 CCI was a great story line, and he was an EMT, but, I suppose the con artists have a good spiel.
6. The prices I was paying did not raise any alarms: it was a fair price, not a fire sale price, like someone who had paid for it and needed their money back for other things now or had even sold a particular gun.
7. Thanks for the heads-up.

 

[gmcttr]

https://www.targetsportsusa.com/38-special-ammo-c-56.aspx ... get a 1000 rd case of one of the Federal American Eagle .38 Specials...use the Federal Handgun ammo 25% mail in rebate and it works out to about $0.25/rd.

Or, since the rebate maxes out at $50, you can order 14 boxes (700 rds), pay the shipping and it still works out to $0.25/rd.

 

[Ggreen]

1. My trust issues are what I already wrote.
I was 13 cents short of $150 and at the top of the page it said I qualified for the free shipping, so it had to round up.
But, as I was about to check out, it then had a charge of $17 for shipping.
At that point I had trust issues; it irritated me, so I moved on to buy ammo elsewhere.

3. If you say they are a fine company, I'll give them another chance, but I'll wait until they have the $99 purchase with free shipping, as I was advised.
4. Now on the subject of stolen ammo, that does give me pause."
5. The sense I got from the guy I bought the Perfecta 9mm and the 22 CCI was a great story line, and he was an EMT, but, I suppose the con artists have a good spiel.
6. The prices I was paying did not raise any alarms: it was a fair price, not a fire sale price, like someone who had paid for it and needed their money back for other things now or had even sold a particular gun.
7. Thanks for the heads-up.

Not all armslist ammo deals will be stolen goods. It is just something to keep an eye out for. There are quite a few people snatching boxes of ammo from rk and dunhams in my local area. Mostly the common calibers 9mm, 22, and 223 as these are all the calibers that rural king likes to set out on a tables or other displays. I have seen people legitimately selling out of a caliber but not generally 9mm or 22, and most of these sales give me pause. You will find a lot of 40 and 357sig bulk deals, while you can't be 100 percent sure they are legit it makes a lot more sense for someone to be exiting one of those calibers than 9 or 22.

 

[doddg]

Thanks for the input!

 

[doddg]

I read somewhere (couldn't find it here in this thread) where it was mentioned about using the "Ruby" firing method.
I looked it up and the Ruby method was firing with your middle finger instead of your index finger and "pointing" with your index finger, meaning in this case, putting it parallel and under the slide.
I tried it, and it should work fine since the middle finger would not be pushed up between the curved up between the trigger guard and the magazine anymore.
When I handled my Ruger, I saw why it didn't bother me, because it is a straight line from where the trigger guard connects to the magazine instead of like the Walther where there is a curve going up the magazine just enough to cause an edge of the middle finger to get "pinched" by the recoil.
At least it did with my hand. Strange.
I don't understand the design since it seems like everyone would be affected by such, perhaps I just hold the gun "too high?"

Well, at least I will try it out on the range to see if I can keep my Walther that I love. (3 mags of all different sizes: 6, 7, and 8)
That will put the onus on me about selling the Taurus 709 Slim or the Ruger LC9, or both, since my S/W 642 is my CC and if I need a smaller CC, I've always got my Colt Mustang 380, and if I can carry a larger gun, the Walther will do fine.

On another note, I saw on Armslist, a 38 S/W 38 special (model 64-6, 7 or 8), 4-inch barrel, SS, for $400 and as a lover of SS, I wanted it bad.
But, I'd already bought a police 38 special, model 10-8, that I paid $275 for, but I really wanted the SS, if it would have been a 3 inch barrel that I might have even carried occasionally, it might have put me over the edge.
With a little encouragement, I'd inquire tonight if they still have it and maybe sell the police 38 and get this newer SS one.
I'll probably be told that the older police one is a better-made shooter.

 

[croy]

Lots of stories on other gun forums of Freedom Munitions blowing up guns . Buyer beware

 

[doddg]

Lots of stories on other gun forums of Freedom Munitions blowing up guns . Buyer beware

Thank you, for your input!

 

[IndyTom]

I've got a couple handguns that have only had issues with FM new loads or reloads. They go bang, but don't necessarily eject fully. Guns that ran like clockwork suddenly having a stovepipe or two (or three) per magazine.

 

[doddg]

I have them on my "Beware" list.

 

[doddg]

Picked up my 4000 rounds of 22 ammo tonight from the guy I bought the 9mm from.
He had sold his 22 rifle and didn't need it anymore.
4000 rounds, all packed in their boxes (6 boxes of Federal in bulk boxes and 10 CCI boxes) and in an ammo case, which I got free!!!!