Want to try a full auto while in Texas
Posted by Geek_X@reddit | Firearms | View on Reddit | 71 comments
Rentals and ammo are expensive so I’m trying to get the best experience with only one rental. My first instinct was to try something modern that you’d see in a game or movie to know what they really feel like but then I saw the tommy. I’m leaning towards the tommy right now because I can probably find the others in the future.
Lower-Ad-1300@reddit
We spent $350 each with a M-4. Fucking awesome . Do again in a min
kimodezno@reddit
It’s a Tommy gun! If they have the drum mag, screw everyone else. Go 1920’s gangsta and let it rip!!! LOL
Sure-Interview-782@reddit
They don’t have any drum mags atm, only stick ones. I asked last time I went.
kimodezno@reddit
Too bad
Boonaki@reddit
I always wanted a Tommy gun, until I shot one, fun but extremely impractical. Would rather have an MP5 or P90.
UseACoasterJeez@reddit
Shoot the Thompson so you can live out the fantasy, you're there to have fun!
Then once you have learned what hot garbage they are & if you can scrape up some more money, try a Grease Gun and be shocked by the far better controllability and accuracy of a much lighter, smaller, stamped steel gun firing exactly the same ammo (and that cost 10% as much to manufacture).
sabrefencer9@reddit
The drum mags are dogshit. They look cool but if you actually want to mag dump you should use a straight mag.
grifkiller64@reddit
Yeah OP, don't listen to any of the factual reasons presented by the userbase. You should listen to the ramblings of a person who types and thinks like a 13 year old circa 2006 instead.
kimodezno@reddit
Don’t you know how to take a joke? Lighten up.
grifkiller64@reddit
Aren't jokes supposed to be funny or something?
Daqpanda@reddit
Not everyone has the sense of humor of a pebble, like yourself.
ImCaffeinated_Chris@reddit
Tommy gun was my choice as well. I'm there for the experience, not to lol tacticool.
Sure-Interview-782@reddit
I know Athena Gun Club when I see it.
Icy-Medicine-495@reddit
Is that Texas Gun Experience?
I went there once and dropped a lot of money renting all their WWII full autos. They had a really nice selection and reasonable prices. Only disappointing part was their MG42 didn't work when I tried. It jammed every round. They where cool and let me shoot their BAR instead.
Most fun full autos where the grease gun and MP-40 for ease of control.
Geek_X@reddit (OP)
Athena gun club in houston
soysauze@reddit
Aw man sorry the 42 didn't work. I was able to send 100 rounds downrange when I went and it was amazing.
Parma_Shawn@reddit
Wait you guys would pay money to shoot full autos????? Sheeeeyyyaatttt wanna come over?
LilFuniAZNBoi@reddit
Looks like Athena in Houston.
BBBB2622@reddit
Yeah the logo matches
UseACoasterJeez@reddit
Of all the WWII SMGs I've fired, I agree the MP40 & Grease Gun are the best. Most disappointing was the PPS43, since it gets talked up a lot as the best SMG of the war.
I hate gambling, but my job requires I travel to Vegas a couple times a year. So instead of blowing a few hundred bucks in the casinos, I go to various ranges to shoot SMGs & machineguns. Despite also looking like it was made out of spare pipes, the S&W 76 is also great. Those are one of my highest recommendations. It's interesting to compare to an MP5 & see how incremental the improvements really were over decades of SMG development.
Icy-Medicine-495@reddit
PPS-43 was ok but not great. Most disappointing for me was the Thompson. It was hyped up but I did not like how the stock was when holding it. Felt very awkward out of the 15ish full autos I have shot.
Sten was hot garbage for comfort and accuracy but that was expected.
I also don't gamble but would like to rent a couple machine guns if I had out to Vegas.
UseACoasterJeez@reddit
The Thompson really is the worst, I didn't mention it since I did in another post, so that's on me for not being clear. It's proof that even a compensator & weighing 12 pounds can't overcome poor design when it comes to felt recoil & accuracy.
And you're right, the Stens are terrible in every way. Some countries can build cheap, stamped SMGs, and some can't. They were better than throwing rocks at the Germans, but not by much! 😂
Honest_Living5765@reddit
I dont think so. Guns on the wall look different. Dont believe they have pistols or shotguns on their full-auto wall
Icy-Medicine-495@reddit
Well then I need to go back to Texas and try out this place and see if they got anything unique that I haven't shot yet.
Honest_Living5765@reddit
Luckily im half an hour from there. I go at least a couple times a month
Geek_X@reddit (OP)
Thanks for the input everyone! I went ahead and did the tommy gun. It jammed a lot because it’s a genuine 1928 model but it was a lot of fun! I also shot a cv shadow 2 and a 44 magnum revolver which had a ton of kick
onetwentytwo_1-8@reddit
HK all day
artefishall@reddit
The other two can be ran with SS, Tommy all day if they have straight mags for it
GullibleRisk2837@reddit
MP5. Less recoil than the 45, plus, has modern setup you described
Geek_X@reddit (OP)
Isn’t the recoil part of the fun? Part of why I liked skeet shooting was the kick of the shotgun
GullibleRisk2837@reddit
Yes, recoil is fun. Just didnt know what you were looking for. I wanna shoot a 4 bore so bad lol
Geek_X@reddit (OP)
Oh my god that looks awesome
GullibleRisk2837@reddit
I swear, bro. I just love guns of all kinds
perturbed_rutabaga@reddit
hellion
shoot the hellion that i might live vicariously through you
EliWhitney2010@reddit
Fairly certain that’s Athena, I can faintly make out a logo on the name plates and I recognize the yellow ladder that seems to always be there.
Geek_X@reddit (OP)
You would be correct
SacaeGaming@reddit
Holy crap does your range have Staccato rentals???
Man I thought MY local range was cool.
BBBB2622@reddit
They have them at Range USA?
sonicsculptor@reddit
Yeah my range USA has one as a rental. Living my best John Wick. Actually don't own a pistol, but that thing is smooth
BBBB2622@reddit
You only got long guns? And yeah it’s pretty smooth but for the price tag I don’t think the smoothness is justified
SacaeGaming@reddit
The closest one of those to me is like 2-3 states away, I live in Utah.
Any-Can-6776@reddit
I wanna do a p90 and a m60
irierider@reddit
Assuming the green three are FA. Id do mp5
SplashingChicken@reddit
HK G36 if they have one.
pewenjoyer6743@reddit
Me personally I love the Kuna! Hard to go wrong with roller delayed as a first choice.
Zorfax@reddit
I'll take the H&K and be on my way thanks :-)
1320Fastback@reddit
Did the same in Las Vegas. I really liked the Uzi. Was much smoother than I'd imagined.
Quw10@reddit
Uzi was my first full auto, I shot a standard size one first with a wood stock and it was definitely smoother and more controllable then expected. Shot a mini uzi a year or 2 ago and despite the dude upping the rate of fire and it having the folding stock it was easier to control then my AR9 with an FRT.
GhostC10_Deleted@reddit
I've shot an FA mp5 that was an absolute joy. Highly controllable.
Comfortable_Guide622@reddit
Not counting the army, I've shot a MP5, a Thompson, a Reising and I think thats it. All are cool, but the Thompson was the best.
1BAVET@reddit
But I can shoot full auto right here in Kansass
JoshuaLChaimberlin@reddit
The MP5, hands down. I’ve shot a decent amount of full auto and nothing (on that wall) will be as much fun as the MP5. It just kind of shakes while it dumps the entire magazine into your target with minimal recoil. So much fun.
netsurf916@reddit
If the games you're playing don't have Tommy guns, you should rethink some of your life choices.
SpaceGuy1968@reddit
The BAR and Tommy gun are my favorites
thedudeintx82@reddit
Full auto's I've shot: WWII confirmed Tommy Gun, HK416, & MP5SD. Tommy Gun was a blast. HK416 will take your breath away. The MP5SD is probably my favorite. That gun is so dang smooth.
Abuck59@reddit
Thompson or go home ! 🤣
marksman1023@reddit
MP5 is king and 9mm is cheap. That Tommy ain't a bad idea.
BlueOrb07@reddit
I’d steer away from full auto M4s. They’re very flat shooting and you see that platform everywhere. Go with either a pistol caliber or battle rifle caliber for real fun. It’ll have more recoil and blast. I hear the Tommy gun is a classic but isn’t very ergonomic and many would prefer shooting something else. I’d lean towards the MP5 if your only options are what’s in the picture. That said, if they’ve got an MP40, Swedish K (M45 I think), M3 grease gun, PPS43 or PPSH41, anything Suomi, Uzi (full size), VZ61 Skorpian, AKM, G3, FAL, M14, M60, M240, M249, MG42 or MG3, PKM, Bren (magazine on top), Lewis gun, DP27/DP28, or anything of that nature you’re bound to have a fun time. You can shoot 22LR for days without much cost of ammo, but I still think the loud boom and recoil is part of the fun full auto experience. And yes, the STEN gun is an option too, but it’s not as controllable, so you can’t go full blast like some of the others on the list as easily.
grifkiller64@reddit
The Tommy is not a full-auto that's suitable for a novice. The combination of a larger cartridge, inefficient operating system, and dropleg stock leads to a massive increase in muzzle climb and recoil.
Go with the MP5, that's another absolute icon of a gun but it's very smooth shooting thanks to the inline stock, roller-delayed blowback gas system, and operating from a closed bolt.
iroll20s@reddit
I did a mp5 when I did it. It was the most 'iconic' one that the shop I went to had. However I'd ask if any of the guns are having feed issues before you choose one. There are a lot of old and very well used guns and its annoying to have feed issues when you're trying to mag dump.
Current_Current_9517@reddit
Athena!!!!
Queefer_the_Griefer@reddit
Not sure if the Tommy will be full auto. Pretty sure auto ordnance makes semi versions.
Diligent-Parfait-236@reddit
The tags are obviously color coded with green being machine guns.
Stevarooni@reddit
Most likely it is, if it's on a "rental" wall.
LilJonny2cookies@reddit
I shot the Thompson with some Feds. They were confiscated back in the roaring 20s or whenever they were really popular with the mob.
They were still in packing crates. It was fun for historical reasons but if you are trying to introduce yourself to FA trying something more controllable and modern.
Fun and cool but probably not the greatest newb gun.
sadoproject@reddit
The MP5 is one of the best SMG's ever made. If you've never run any FA at all, I highly recommend that one as a starter. If there was something belt-fed and/or electric driven in those pictures, I would certainly reconsider.
Mountain_Man_88@reddit
Assuming that everything here that can be full auto is full auto, I'd say the Tommy Gun would be the most fun, the MP5 would be easiest to shoot well, and the VHS2/Hellion would be the most unique.
turdwranglers@reddit
Tommy guns are cool but they’re kind of awful as actual guns, even on auto. I’d go with something else unless it’s just you wanting to shoot a Thompson. Ergos are terrible and it’s just kind of clunky.
Substantial_Two_8615@reddit
The Tommy gun is a .45 which will be more recoil than a 9mm sub machine gun. Ammo is also more expensive (though the range might not charge more)
No right answer. Have fun!
Salsalito_Turkey@reddit
The most fun thing on that wall for an indoor range would probably be the Springfield Kuna.
Broke_Bak_Jak@reddit
If you like the Thompson go with that, the mp5 would be another excellent choice.