What’s something you learned about owning a firearm that surprised you?
Posted by ThomasMiller2552@reddit | Firearms | View on Reddit | 47 comments
Posted by ThomasMiller2552@reddit | Firearms | View on Reddit | 47 comments
MJM_Ranch@reddit
How many more I would buy. Lol
Ancient-Bat8274@reddit
You have to constantly clean it and that part sucks
Unlucky_Fly_2103@reddit
My 15 year old Ruger 10/22 with thousands of rounds through it has yet to be cleaned. Shoots great.
Low-Landscape-4609@reddit
This is going to be long but you did ask.
I grew up shooting. Got my first shotgun when I was 8 years old and I got my first 22 when I was probably 12. My dad will take me and my brother ski shooting every sunday.
Ended up joining the military and learned how to shoot properly. Never knew the fundamentals of marksmanship or anything like that when I was a kid.
What really surprised me the most was probably how effective dry fire is. Until I started shooting competitively and trying to get really good, I didn't understand the importance of it. I became a decent pistol shot without dry fire so I didn't think it was necessary but man, it helped me out a whole lot.
I also believe that anybody can become a good shot as long as they put in the work. I don't think it's magic. I just think most people don't take enough time and effort to get good at shooting.
Successful_Link4541@reddit
Higher tier guns have all the perks, and are a joy to shoot. Help you become more accurate because they are. You have NO excuses for shooting poorly!
Matt3855@reddit
Then why does a Tikka T3X outshoot anything from Christensen?
Successful_Link4541@reddit
chris never named in my post...............but I know what you mean.
Matt3855@reddit
The thing I don’t like is you can’t get the “nice”, boujee rifles like Seekins in legacy calibers beyond like .308, 7Mag and .300 Win Mag.
I want a rifle like that in .270 Winchester but nooooooo
Successful_Link4541@reddit
270 great caliber, beats many of the new calibers. But left out in today's world.
HeloRising@reddit
Shooting indoors, like in a house, sucks ass.
I had an opportunity a few years back to do some shooting at place that replicated the layout of a traditional home and even with doubled up ear pro the shock of even firing a pistol was a lot. I think part of that is I don't hardly ever shoot indoors to begin with and I also don't shoot all the time.
And it is something you get used to but man those first couple of shots. I had a chance to try a 12 gauge and it honestly stunned me for a second or two.
After that experience I exchanged the shotgun I had been keeping for home defense and swapped in a PCC.
Matt3855@reddit
Yeah i was a shotgun for HD guy at one point. Now i think id rather do a semi auto PCC with a can, a little revolver caliber lever rifle like a Marlin 1894SBL with a can, or if my girlfriend and I get hitched, throw a can on her FN .45 and use that.
Redrum_71@reddit
The constant stream of bullshit regulations and vilification from the state in which I live.
greenyadadamean@reddit
Uhg, I feel that. Washington has gone downhill..
skornd713@reddit
They don't kill as many people as the media makes it out to be. At least mine haven't.
rabiddonky2020@reddit
Pinch points hurt
KIMJONGB00M@reddit
How stupid people can’t act with a firearm. It’s not a new toy.
LHGunslinger@reddit
How much the shooting community is willing to help and share knowledge with other shooters. Both new and old.
BreakerSoultaker@reddit
Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.
DrunkensAndDragons@reddit
.40 cal will reliably shoot out of some 10 mm pistols. My hi point doesn’t care. Havent tried it in my glock.
Jungian_Archetype@reddit
I bought a 10mm partially because it can shoot .40 in a pinch especially if there's ammo shortages.
disturbed286@reddit
Granted I don't have a 10mm (yet) or a .40, but I only learned that very recently.
false-moderate@reddit
Dumb thing to do considering they are entirely different loads. Only similar thing about them is that they load into the chamber….
DrunkensAndDragons@reddit
Ones the parent case of the other. They couldnt be more similar. Its Like shooting a .38 out of a .357 rated gun. A 10mm pistol is rated for higher chamber pressure than any .40 cal ammo.
false-moderate@reddit
lol yeah? 6.5cm is a necked down .308..a 50 bmg will fit and fire from a 12 gauge... You can blow up a .223 bolt gun with 5.56. There is a guy farther down in the comments that explains it for the smooth brains but generally firing ammo out of a gun that isn’t designed to be firing that ammo is dumb. .38 special in a .357 and .223 in a 5.56 work are some of the few examples where they are designed with that use case in mind. .40 was never meant to be fired in 10mm handguns although it happens to work. You do you man. But it is nothing like shooting .38 out of a .357…
Kyrottimus@reddit
Except semiautomatic pistols generally fire rounds with rebated case rims, unlike revolvers which are designed to headspace off their cartridge case rims (or moon clips if chambered in an autoloader caliber). So, in straight-walled autoloader rounds (like 10mm and .40S&W), they are designed to headspace off of the case mouth.
By sticking a .40 in a 10mm chamber, it is headspacing off the extractor, since it's not long enough to reach the 10mm chamber's jump, and you're likely to make a fouling ring at the chamber jump if shooting it too much .40 in a 10mm, which will cause problems if going back to 10mm Auto without thoroughly cleaning it first.
In short, it's not a good idea, unless you like replacing extractors early and don't mind risking losing digits when going back to 10mm if you forget to clean it properly.
poodinthepunchbowl@reddit
Got 1000 rounds of 40 through my m&P and it was good malf training. Never knew if I’d get a few rounds before a jam or a whole mag through it.
Uzi_Jesus_@reddit
I learned I really really enjoy this sport/hobby and Im Im too poor to do it regularly so a lot of snap caps and dry firing. Really need to get a mantis.
Stevarooni@reddit
A Mantis is good. It will refine things. You can use the "dime drill" to work on your trigger control until then. It doesn't have the same diagnostics, but it will help you focus more.
Uzi_Jesus_@reddit
Ive played with a few and have been looking at them regularly, i use a spent casing for that one since thats what the old guy who showed me it did (dime drill)
GFEIsaac@reddit
A LOT of people who own guns aren't really that interested in them.
disturbed286@reddit
I had a coworker who owned a shotgun that he adamantly refused to ever load. "Because I know guns kill."
His belief, he said, was that the sound of pump shotgun being racked would be effective enough on its own. So he had no interest in actually being able to use it if not.
Ruthless4u@reddit
How addicted I am to buying more but never having time to shoot them all.
blzzardhater@reddit
Forearms multiply far quicker than expected
DashMcGee@reddit
Mine have brainwashed me into recruiting other members into the cult.
ZeroPointSpecter@reddit
How quickly a safe fills up.
Ow_you_shot_me@reddit
How dirty a bedside gun gets... Clean that fucker regularly.
Tommygun1921@reddit
If someone steals you gun its your fault. Dont victim shame me!
cowboy3gunisfun@reddit
How much more interested in politics I would get.
ArsePucker@reddit
Pre-owning.. An ex-gf knew I liked shooting but I didn’t actually own a gun. I was also a desert guy (dirt bikes / quads) , shot my buddy’s guns out there regularly, didn’t really have an interest in ownership.
I was going out for a trip but was going a couple of days early and before the others arrived. She gave me her 357 to take, “just in case”. But as she gave it to me, she uttered the words, “once you take this out there, you’ll be buying one, then you’ll keep buying them.. then you’ll have more than you know what to do with!” 13 years later… 2 safes!!
Unenthusiasticly@reddit
How much ammo quality impacts your point of impact and group size.
namek0@reddit
How much ammo can make your accuracy vary
BreakerDSX@reddit
The smallest change in grip position, grip strength and shoulder positioning can change recoil impulse by a lot.
Monk-E_321@reddit
Ditto for repeatable accuracy
Frankly_Thali_115@reddit
That each and every trigger has a personality of its own.
retromullet@reddit
Not saying I’m special, but I grew up with guns and both my parents shot and taught. I’ve invested a lot in my own training and practice, and continue to do so.
I’m always shocked at how bad people are at shooting and how reckless they are with a device that can easily kill you or someone else. It’s weird to me you invest money in a gun and ammo and then have the skill and gun handling akin to a dementia patient driving a Cadillac in a Costco parking lot. Why I don’t go to public ranges.
PapaBobcat@reddit
How expensive consistent training can be in terms of time and money.
pedalsandpowder@reddit
Same. Got serious about gun ownership about 5 years ago. At first I was really nervous handling my first gun (Walther PPQ), jittery and basically afraid of it. But then I started dry firing regularly, going to the range, taking the firearm apart to get a basic understanding of how it works, watching knowledgeable folks on YouTube (Paul Harrell), and it helped to demystify the allure around guns.