Guns, guns, and guns. No this isn't a picture thread. I have questions!

So I'm looking to purchase my first semi-auto "assault" rifle. I know everyone loves the AKs, the SKs and the ARs. I just can't swing $1000+ on a gun. I know virtually nothing about guns...sad. So help me out. What is the difference between .223 and .22LR ammo? I really like the Ruger 10/22 Tac and the Mossberg 715T. Both can be had for under $300 and shoot .22LR. Would those make a decent "doomsday" gun? I have a tactical 870 pump and a Walther ppk380. I just need to round off the collection.

Mossberg: http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=360403003#PIC

Ruger: http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=360797725

Huge difference  in .223  and .22 about 1500ft/second difference to  begin with. 
Center fire vs rim fire.


Go for the 10/22 between it and the mossberg.

the RUGER 10/22 is an awesome little rifle...reliable robust over built and been out there for a very long time.  cant say much about the Mossberg..as i dont know...the difference between .22 lr and .223 is night and day ....22 will kill...small.....223 will kill big.  both will actually kill a deer however you gonna chase a deer thats been shot with the .22 further and longer unless its just a great shot...(better be close) the .223 will take down a deer from further away and a good shot will drip it pretty quick.  .223 is basically what the US military uses in their M-16s and M-4s.  the military equivilant is the 5.56mm...for all intents and purposes the same thing.  .22lr is relatively quiet...compared to the .223...

a box of .22lr is relatively cheap and the .223 is not...in my opinion...lol...
The RUGER 10/22 is a very accurate rifle with the .22lr...75yrds is a good shot with it and pretty accurate at that...the .223 is pretty darn accurate too..but out to a lot longer range.  500yds if your a good shooter you can expect12" groups all day long..ive got 2 of the 10/22...and wont trade them or sell them ever...i also wouldnt get rid of my AR...or any of my guns....of course i dont really have any guns and that is what you have just read and should take it to heart...

Ruger 10/22 is hard to beat for a 22 rifle and they have about anything under the sun to customize it as yours. However if you wanted to go with a .223/556 platform Ruger also makes a Mini 14 that is a great rifle also, but does not bring the 1000 dollar price tag. With that being said it is about 600 dollars depending on where you look. My opinion is that a .22 is probably to small for defense with single shots but a benefit to the .22 is you can dump mags and have virtually no recoil which leads to very fast and accurate shot placement on follow up shots. S&W makes a M&P 15-22 which is a 22 on a AR platform which gives you the 25 round mags on a rifle and you have the ar plarform. I think you can also get high capacity mags for the 10/22......30 rounders I believe.

 A great place to look online in Budsgunshop.com. They typically have good prices across the board.

M&P 15-22 has been known to be ammo picky...mine likes CCI Mini Mags the best. Also .22 ammo is much cheaper although it is hard to find now but it will come back at some point.

I am of the opinion that if you are gonna buy an AR platform that you buy a .223./5.56. If you buy an AR IN .22LR amd happen shoot an AR in .223/5.56 you will feel inadequate...lol..the mini 14 is an amazing rifle also for sure..(think The A Team tv show).  Zombies die a second time only when they receive head trauma.  Both calibers will induce plenty of head trauma...

Great info fellas!

I totally agree with Mike...very smart man BTW...
This is the Ruger .22LR we bought a few years ago


This is that same Ruger after the mod bug hit us

Nice!!

I want one!  Need to stock up for my own protection and the next civil war.

definitely working on the build up...but i dont own any weapons...none in this house....

I agree with Mike on wanting a .223/556 in an AR platform but buying one in .22 allows ppl that want a AR platform but not the 1000 dollar tag that comes with them. The .22's are also great trainers for the .223/556 models without have to worry about the .50 to .70 cents a round issue that today has.

I would probably determine the amount of money that you want to spend and then go from there...Realistically that is the major starting point then going from there with your options.

I really like the Ruger 10/22 tactical and think that I will go that route. From what I've read the quality of the Ruger is superior to the Mossberg.

I would def agree. The Ruger 10/22 in my opinion is the best .22 for the money on the market. And has been around for many years to work any bugs out. Also I have dealt with Ruger's "Customer Service" and it is the best I have ever dealt with. True "Customer Service."

They also have mags for the 10/22 (25 rounders) that are called bx-25 I think which makes it a bit more fun.

MCRobertson wrote:

I agree with Mike on wanting a .223/556 in an AR platform but buying one in .22 allows ppl that want a AR platform but not the 1000 dollar tag that comes with them. The .22's are also great trainers for the .223/556 models without have to worry about the .50 to .70 cents a round issue that today has.

I would probably determine the amount of money that you want to spend and then go from there...Realistically that is the major starting point then going from there with your options.

i dont disagree with your statement at all...the 10/22 tactical is a great trainer and fun as all get out to shoot.  cheap to shoot.  $1000 is a lot to spend on a rifle i agree.  If you can do it i would say buy the .223 if not go for the RUGER...they have been around for a very very long time and the design has yet to change since the day it first came out.  The only difference now is you can build the mess out of them.  i would just keep in mind that you will need to clean it every time you shoot.  I have found that the one that i DONT HAVE gets pretty messy after say 100 rounds.  May not be the case for others that actually have them...cause i dont have any guns...

another rifle to possibly look at is the HI-POINT TS Carbine...available in 9mm, 40 and 45....none are great for "long" range shooting but they are seriously fun to shoot.  Being that they are in pistol caliber rounds are easy to get, cheap enough.  Seriously i love them they are a helluva fun rifle to shoot.  and very accurate for what they are...cheap as all get out and you can buy them with all kinds of accessories from the factory...

http://www.hi-pointfirearms.com/carbines/default.html

I completely forgot about the Hi Point. I personally don't like the ergonomics of the gun but I do have a friend that has one. I know he has put thousands of rounds through it without any problems and very few cleanings. If you don't mind a little bit of a bulky gun that would be a fun option!

Mike, How friendly is URE on firearms that you don't have?

as far as what??just carrying? isnt national forest the same as national park?? if so there is no law against it...carrying of a weapon in National Forest is legal...

You know the thing about caryying a weapon anywhere is JUST DONT TELL ANYBODY!! DONT DRAW ATTENTION TO YOURSELF...IM NOT SAYING CARRYING CONCEALED WHILE NOT HAVING A CCW IS A SMART THING..BUT SERIOUSLY JUST DONT LET ANYONE KNOW...i dont carry any weapons on me or in the  truck cuz i dont own any!!

Understood. I don't carry one either....I was just curious about the laws in NC vs VA incase someone wanted to keep protection on them when they were traveling.

If you end up going 22lr, start shopping around for ammo now.  CCI is pretty much universally accepted as the best and is great for break-in at the very least, but it is expensive.  223 is more expensive, but I can go down to any Walmart and pick some up right now.

URE is quite gun friendly, especially since they've had an outdoor range in the past and are finally reopening it soon.  It's being fully reworked with taller berms, better angles and a full time range officer.  Supposed to be $3 a day or $30 annually once opened.  Several grants are paying for the complete rework of the site.  NRA donated a decent portion as well, so it's good to see those dollars going to good use.

Ruger is now a local company.  They're opening a new manufacturing plant 10 miles north of me in Mayodan, NC.  Support local!


edit:  1000 posts!! 

Speedrye wrote:

If you end up going 22lr, start shopping around for ammo now.  CCI is pretty much universally accepted as the best and is great for break-in at the very least, but it is expensive.  223 is more expensive, but I can go down to any Walmart and pick some up right now.

URE is quite gun friendly, especially since they've had an outdoor range in the past and are finally reopening it soon.  It's being fully reworked with taller berms, better angles and a full time range officer.  Supposed to be $3 a day or $30 annually once opened.  Several grants are paying for the complete rework of the site.  NRA donated a decent portion as well, so it's good to see those dollars going to good use.

Ruger is now a local company.  They're opening a new manufacturing plant 10 miles north of me in Mayodan, NC.  Support local!


edit:  1000 posts!! 

A.) That is freakin AWESOME news that URE is going to open a shooting range back up!!!

B.) Congrats on the posts!

Hijacking this thread, because I don't wanna create a new, similar one

So I am in the market for a 1911 .45.  I've been a huge fan of Springfield guns, and have shot the 1911 Range Officer before with much delight.  I've been leaning towards getting the loaded service model for awhile; however, I am also considering the seemingly more popular Sig Sauer Scorpion.  The Scorpion isn't too much more in cost and has a great reputation.  I've done a lot of googling on this, and the only responses people seem to have are biased opinions of their own guns.  If I'm gonna hear that, I at least want it to be from some local FJ bros!  So does anyone have any experience/recommendations?  I'm planning on going to the range and testing out the Sig if I feel it's legit to consider.  But at the same time, I know I enjoyed the Springfield when I've shot it in the past.  Thawts???

Here's the two guns at a local shop, with pretty average pricing.  I'll prolly still attempt to find mine at a gun show though:
Springfield loaded svc model - $850
Sig Sauer Scorpion - $950

I would say you couldn't go wrong with either. I love the scorpion and will own one at some point. However I use my firearms as tools and not show pieces. With that being said I would hate to mess up the finish on that Scorpion. My choice with Springfield would be the TRP, but it is a bit more expensive.