# Is there a gun review website?



## Honey Berry (Oct 22, 2005)

We are considering purchasing a couple of guns. DH and I don't really know a lot about what we need or what we should spend the money on. There are so many variables, I know.

Is there a website out there based on user reviews that can help us narrow down our search?


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## zant (Dec 1, 2005)

The best I have found is Gun Tests......they just walk into a store and buy what they're going to test-test it and report on it.....Some of the major gun magazines out there have never seen a gun that had flaws....


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

The following three magazines have done many hundreds of reviews over the years. By going to their websites and entering a firearm model into the search box, you can find a review on just about any gun. At the Guns and Ammo website, you can use a set of filters to find specific reviews. 

American Rifleman - An Official Journal of the NRA

Shooting Times - Magazine Dedicated to Shooters, Hunters and Reloaders

Reviews - Guns & Ammo

Doing your research is half the fun of selecting a new firearm. Once you've boiled down your research to a few models, do what Zant suggested and try before you buy.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

I prefer to use google, and search forums for what people have to say about the guns they own... 

A magazine or company will have an allegiance to the manufacturers that advertise with them. Real people with real guns will tell you exactly what they think about them.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

There are dozens of reviewers , why not tell us what your looking to shoot and we can help you also and point you in the right direction 

depending on who you ask they will suggest every ultra super something or another , we tend to be a bit more down to earth here

remember magazines and manufacturers are trying to sell something new , some times there was nothing wrong with the older design something few magazines will tell you

what are you looking to shoot 

some one here is in just about every shooting game you can think of 

I am a basic rifle , basic pistol and muzzle loader instructor , others here are long range rifle competitors, defensive pistol competitors , cops , military , or historic collectors.


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## Old John (May 27, 2004)

zant said:


> The best I have found is Gun Tests......they just walk into a store and buy what they're going to test-test it and report on it.....Some of the major gun magazines out there have never seen a gun that had flaws....


Yeah, Gun Tests Magazine has Reviews, actually Comparisons of 2 or 3 Guns, similar models and Caliber from 3 different Manufaturers... in every issue. 
They do Not take Advertisments for any guns, period.
It's mostly a plain Black & white magazine with black & white pictures of the gons in their reviews. It's the Best! And the Most Honest!
I've been subscribing for about a dozen years or so. I always Renew my subscription.


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## Owldancer (Jun 24, 2010)

How about advise on a 22. Bolt and semi along with what is the best brand of ammo or which ones to stay away from.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Each gun is going to have it's favorite ammo.

I just picked up a really nice Stevens model 87A. I've not fired this one, but I had a friend that had one, and I shot it quite a bit and was very impressed with it, so when I was looking recently, I picked one up.

I like the very simple bolt, very accurate, can shoot shot, long, or long rifle, and it's a tube feed.

I know a lot of people like the 10/22, but I'm not a big fan of their magazines. I prefer a tube feed.

Every one has their preferences, but those are why I went with what I bought.. and it didn't hurt it a was a closet queen, with a new scope someone mounted on it, and that it was a very fair price.


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## WoodTick (Oct 16, 2012)

Owldancer said:


> How about advise on a 22. Bolt and semi along with what is the best brand of ammo or which ones to stay away from.


I have never owned a bolt action .22lr but my Ruger 10/22 semi-auto is 35 years old, has seen thousands of rounds fired through it, and still works great. The secret? Keep it clean.

My favorite .22lr is my Henry lever action rifle. It is very accurate and crazy fun to shoot. It looks like the old west rifle that John Wayne used to use in his cowbpy movies. Heck it hold 15 .22lr's too!

I use the Remington Golden Bullet brass plated 36 grain hollow points. They are accurate enough for me and they have had no problems dropping the few raccoons or possums terrorizing my dogs or barn cats.


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## WoodTick (Oct 16, 2012)

Honey Berry said:


> We are considering purchasing a couple of guns. DH and I don't really know a lot about what we need or what we should spend the money on. There are so many variables, I know.
> 
> Is there a website out there based on user reviews that can help us narrow down our search?


My first question to you would be, What do you want the guns for? Primarily for hunting, self defense, both?

I tend to believe if the gun will be used for hunting AND self defense a pump shotgun is a great choice. With different loads you can take squirrels, rabbits, pheasants, ducks, geese and deer. For self defense not much beats 00 buck shot as well as the sound of you racking the slide. You can even size the shotgun to the shooter 12 gauge for your hubby and perhaps you, but if that is too much for you you could go all the way down to a .410.. 

Pistols are very opinion based, some will say 9mm, .40s&w, or .45acp. My opinion is a little more radical. If this is your first pistol by a good .22lr pistol, whether semi-auto or a revolver, and learn how to shoot. It is far cheaper to learn technique for handgun shooting with .22lr than any of the centerfire pistol calibers. Then step up to the centerfire pistol of your choice and shoot enough with that to become confident and skilled with it.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

Owldancer said:


> How about advise on a 22. Bolt and semi along with what is the best brand of ammo or which ones to stay away from.


there are lots of good bolt action 22 rifles , some favorites are the Savage Mark II line , we use the savage mark II FVT for our juniors program, they are good for accuracy 

older used guns , i like the mossberg 44us , 42 442 , these were very good guns and a 44us still sells for about 250.00 in good condition 

other older guns the Remington range master bolt was also a good gun 


as for bolt 22s i see the kids bring in many different older guns most are good they tend to be as accurate as needed. the issues i do see are magazines do they fit securely and lock in place and release well , simplicity /complexity of break down and most commonly poor factory iron sights are the points of weakness i sometimes see. 


as for autos , the ruger 10/22 and marlin 795 are favorites of the Appleseed program

the marlin model 60 the tube feed version of the 795 has also worked well , but the stock sights on some of the marlins are not so good , upgrade to tech sights or scope 

get a 30 mm objective scope or larger even for a 22 , the small tube scopes are harder to use less light , and have poor eye relief. good eye relief is important with any scope so that you can make shots from different positions without having to have your head in that exact distance form the scope 

ammo obviously the bolts are much less picky about ammo to cycle , prefered ammo are CCI and Federal , wincester has also been good , about the only thing i try to avoid is Remington thunder bolts , for the dirty factor , i have had some that would cause cycle issues in semi autos in fewer rounds that other brands but worked fine in the bolt 

in my testing the cci gave groups consistent with higher grade target ammo and cycled well in most guns including most autos 

with any 22 you should sit down at a bench and determine the one your gun likes the best but the cci or fedral are very good starting points actually cci and federal are really the same company the federal's web page even has a link to CCI

aside for some times cci standard velocity and Federal champion target i don't get into expensive target competition ammo


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## zant (Dec 1, 2005)

.22-Ruger 10/22 or a tube fed .22 are great choicies,Ruger .22 pistol-I like the 22/45

Whatever you buy for a full size handgun-see if you can buy a .22 conversion kit.


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

GREENCOUNTYPETE said:


> ...older used guns , i like the mossberg 44us , 42 442 , these were very good guns and a 44us still sells for about 250.00 in good condition...


I agree with this recommendation. My Mossburg 44US is way more accurate than I am. Many of the M44US rifles were used as trainers for the military. The only drawback is their weight. I would not carry it all day hunting squirrels and rabbits. But for target practice and plinking, it's ideal!


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

CABIN , you are approaching squirrel hunting all wrong the fat ones are all up by the house any way , you sit on the porch and relax with a good rest on the rail then you practice your long range 75 yard squirrel sniping , remember only head shots no need to waste meat, Brunswick stew for dinner.

just because you happen to have a bird feeder at 50 and 75 yards , that the birds spill some from and the squirrel fatten up on doesn't make it cheating.

don't worry more move in as you thin them out it may take a few weeks, let them come to you


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

GCP, you're scarin' me. It's like you've been here and scoped our place out!


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

nope have not been there , but you post enough pictures of wood piles , out houses , cabins , target range , well pump , bear print on the window and such over the years, that i have some idea , and great minds think alike.

i take care of the squirrel that frequent the feeders for my aunt from time to time , she had a black squirrel one time , that i was not to shoot , sounded like a kill order being given for the rest , but with orders not to let my uncle her brother see me shooting them as he likes squirrel alive , she likes them in a pan with gravy.


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

GREENCOUNTYPETE said:


> ... she had a black squirrel one time , that i was not to shoot....


Seem like most of our "gray" squirrels around the area are now black. Never saw a black one when i was a kid, but the black-colored gray squirres are what I see most of nowadays.


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## Honey Berry (Oct 22, 2005)

Thank you for the many replies. I'll have to show this to DH when he gets home. 

We are looking for something for each of us for self defense. We are not very familiar with hand guns, but DH just got his CCW permit and I am scheduled to take the class soon. From there, we plan to get trained up and proficient in using guns.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

you plan on getting a carry license , how do you see yourself carrying ?
part time carry , daily carry , carry only in woods or rural areas , only in a vehicle


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

On a .22 bolt, I agree with GCPete. I love my Savage Mark II bolt. It's a great fit for my female body frame.


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## Honey Berry (Oct 22, 2005)

GREENCOUNTYPETE said:


> you plan on getting a carry license , how do you see yourself carrying ?
> part time carry , daily carry , carry only in woods or rural areas , only in a vehicle


I took the class and am waiting on the permit. I think I would carry occasionally; mainly when DH is away and I feel I need to carry. 

I have young children and I'm concerned about protecting them from bad guys and from our weapons. We've started looking at safes - any recommendations?


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

it depends what your looking for in a safe 

some are looking for a fire resistant safe others just looking to make it take a while for a burger , others just keeping the kids out 

it depends on the level of protection your looking for 

the 4 levels would be 
just keeping the kids out and make theft not easy Cabela's: Stack-On Eight-Gun Ready-to-Assemble Cabinet

significantly slow down a theft but no fire protection Cabela's: Sentry 10-Gun Digital Gun Safe

provide fire and theft protection protecting a significant investment , these are rated by number of minutes at X degrees Cabela's: Cabela's Woodsman Series Gun Safe by Liberty

fast and accessible but keeps the kids out and makes more difficult to steal 
Cabela's: GunVault 1000 and 2000

a friend of mine has one of these , as his kids have friends over and his wife used to do in home day care so all his guns had to be locked up , this was his answer to fast and accessible but also locked up 

I don't use a small bed side safe i carry my carry gun all day then put it bed side at night , it comes down to what your situation is 

for theft protection the most important thing with any safe is to bolt it down to floor and or wall , it isn't much good if it can be carried or rolled out on a hand truck


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

I should add that i in no way endorse any particular brand , i just used these as examples of the types and levels of protection , nor is cabelas necessarily the best place for you to get a safe , just that it was a convenient place for me to find one of each type to link to 

as for digital vs dial , call me old fashion I prefer a dial with a mechanism , both can break , but the dial has worked for over a hundred years and is time tested


in looking at safes , if your going with more than just a locking metal cabinet , you will find some names in safes have been a round a long time , I would start by looking at these brands.

but honestly if your goal is to keep the kids out , the stack on or similar locking metal cabinet bolted to a floor or wall is a very good start for a few guns 

remember always buy bigger than what you need by at least 2x 
another way would be to figure if every member of your house hold had a 22 a shot gun a rifle a carbine and 2 hand guns how much space would you need 

first getting the actual number of guns advertised in a safe or cabinet is always a trick , second because it is easier to have purchased more room up front than have to buy another safe later


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