Okay so while on my hiking/family trip my group shared many thorough discussions of things firearms, and on saturday we took turns putting a pile of guns, including my "fun guns" through their paces. Included a full day in the field, and round counts up to 1500 for each. You may recall some threads regarding some of these guns... my opinions have probably changed.
Rossi Ranch Hand- .45lc : Purchased as a "fun gun" , aka the Mares Leg. I love steve mcqueen, bullitt mustangs, and wanted the gun when I saw it.
The Rossi got ~100 rounds through it and Ill say that up close and personal, its a joy to shoot. It has a huge boom and just feels "awesome". Everyone that shot it grinned ear to ear on the first trigger pull. Fun factor: 8/10. We had an absolute blast shooting melons and 2 liter coke bottles hickok style. The problem is that because of its awkward design, it is difficult to aim and fire with any expected accuracy. It's slow to reload, uses expensive bullets, and had 2 FTE's at rounds ~60 and ~80.
This gun currently sits in my safe as a conversation piece. The best thing this gun does is look awesome coming out of the safe, and for that I love it. Everyone needs a "just 'cause" gun, and for me this is that gun. For any use as a truck/brush gun (as some advocate online) I'd personally rather have any functional pistol on my hip, and I do mean any.
Taurus Judge- .45/410: I did not purchase this gun. I Received in a 3 for 1 trade at a gun show, and I consider it to have been acquired for "free". After ~200 rounds, I have nothing positive to say about this gun. My problem with this gun is that it just doesn't do anything well. Shooting 410 from it was pointless beyond 7 yards or so, so I consider that aspect of the gun a marketing gimmick. To its credit the gun didn't malfunction - hey, something positive afterall. I'd rather have any revolver or any shotgun than this pistol that pretends to be both. Our resident knife expert said for the functional range of the Judge, he'd rather have his blade- and no one smirked when he said it. The fact that this wasn't even perceived as a joke should weigh how poor this firearm truly is. This gun was traded and I'm glad that its gone.
HI Point Carbine- 9mm : Purchased TWO of this firearm. This is still a sore subject for me, so let me start by saying it is the strongest love/hate relationship I've ever had with a gun. The love: Ah, my favorite cheap-o truck gun. It shares ammo with both of my edc guns, is cheap enough to not be concerned with it getting scratched up, and is pretty fun to shoot. Our first ~200 rounds were fantastic. It is easy to shoot well (read: accurate) and multiple shooters had tennis-ball sized groups at 40 yards. It has very low recoil and is incredibly good fun to shoot. The hate: after 200 rounds (almost exactly) it refused to function entirely. Repeated FTF's on every other shot. We set it aside for an hour to let it cool, and when we picked it up it worked like the first 200 rounds did. After 50 shots, it waved its white flag again. It just hates hard work I guess. I contacted Hi Point this morning and was told that they'd exchange it for an identical model, new. I was impressed, but that doesn't settle my issue with the gun. He said the only issue they've seen is with aftermarket mags, which I can vouch for. It did have issues with the promags, but had them with the factory mags as well once it started acting up. Until now I've never had an issue with these guns, but its the first time they got that much abuse all at once. I'll be sending this one in to hi point and the other (the FDE one) will be listed for sale eventually. PM if interested. http://www.bayoushooter.com/forums/showthread.php?125178-Painting-your-guns-my-project-pics
Extar EXP-556 : My $500.00 AR Pistol. The sound is harsh, but the muzzle flash is absurd- it literally barks an 8" fireball after every round. This was so much fun to shoot that we had to hit 2000 rounds through the day. It never hiccuped once, and taking it down to clean I was quite impressed at the simplicity. Sub-50 yards the groupings were impressively small, and at 100 yards it rang the plate every time. I don't know how potent it'd be at that range, but I wouldn't hunt anything with it unless I had to. Short range, I think it'd drop medium game with ease. The pros: 30 round mags, 5.56/.223, and despite only weighing a couple pounds there is absolutely zero recoil. Without the mag inserted it'd fit in a briefcase or backpack easily. I'm not a ballistics scientist, so I can't say that its more/less firepower than the other guns tested- but it certainly seems like it. My only concern is the longevity of a polymer pistol firing .223, but so far so good. As far as use, I'd never opt for this in lieu of a rifle if I had the choice, but for what it is its a great little gun. With the brace (stock? lol) it's awesome good fun.
Kel-tec Sub2k : This thing, again, is a pistol caliber carbine that markets itself as an ideal backpack/trunk gun. The folding for ease of storage and the fact that it shares my edc mags, not just the caliber, are by far its highest selling points. This gun gets my overall "meh" opinion. It wasn't a joy to shoot, but it wasn't the poorest performer either. It did have occasional random issues, but nothing major like some of the others. Total round count for the day was probably ~700, and for "accuracy" i'll say it was in the middle of the pack for ease of use. I don't know the math on 9mm pcc vs .223 pistol, but I'd be happy with either. Notably, the sub2k and EXP were the only two that'd fit in a briefcase or small backpack with ease. The S2k is a great plinking gun, and if it was all I had in my trunk when the zombies invaded- I'd happily slide the mag out of my g19 and pop it into the sub2k. I wouldn't necessarily rush out to buy a sub2k specifically for this purpose, but I do see some value in managing weight and carrying a carbine/pistol combo that accept the same magazines. It is much preferred to just sharing the same caliber.
After a day of shooting, deliberating, and considering it over a scotch by the fireplace, my final opinions are:
Pistol Caliber Carbines: If I'm making the special effort to get to my trunk or dive into my backpack, it's because I need more firepower than the 9mm on my hip. It seems silly, imo, to reach for a bigger 9mm. Ultimate use for range fun or plinking, I'd say 10/10.
If I had to purchase just 1 gun on this list, it'd be a coin flip between the sub2k and the exp556. Notable difference being sharing mags with my g19 vs firing 5.56 over 9mm.
Also fired, but not reviewed: a handful of ruger/colt revolvers and 1911's, some SBR's, two AK's, a VZ, and some other stuff. It was a good day!
Rossi Ranch Hand- .45lc : Purchased as a "fun gun" , aka the Mares Leg. I love steve mcqueen, bullitt mustangs, and wanted the gun when I saw it.
The Rossi got ~100 rounds through it and Ill say that up close and personal, its a joy to shoot. It has a huge boom and just feels "awesome". Everyone that shot it grinned ear to ear on the first trigger pull. Fun factor: 8/10. We had an absolute blast shooting melons and 2 liter coke bottles hickok style. The problem is that because of its awkward design, it is difficult to aim and fire with any expected accuracy. It's slow to reload, uses expensive bullets, and had 2 FTE's at rounds ~60 and ~80.
This gun currently sits in my safe as a conversation piece. The best thing this gun does is look awesome coming out of the safe, and for that I love it. Everyone needs a "just 'cause" gun, and for me this is that gun. For any use as a truck/brush gun (as some advocate online) I'd personally rather have any functional pistol on my hip, and I do mean any.
Taurus Judge- .45/410: I did not purchase this gun. I Received in a 3 for 1 trade at a gun show, and I consider it to have been acquired for "free". After ~200 rounds, I have nothing positive to say about this gun. My problem with this gun is that it just doesn't do anything well. Shooting 410 from it was pointless beyond 7 yards or so, so I consider that aspect of the gun a marketing gimmick. To its credit the gun didn't malfunction - hey, something positive afterall. I'd rather have any revolver or any shotgun than this pistol that pretends to be both. Our resident knife expert said for the functional range of the Judge, he'd rather have his blade- and no one smirked when he said it. The fact that this wasn't even perceived as a joke should weigh how poor this firearm truly is. This gun was traded and I'm glad that its gone.
HI Point Carbine- 9mm : Purchased TWO of this firearm. This is still a sore subject for me, so let me start by saying it is the strongest love/hate relationship I've ever had with a gun. The love: Ah, my favorite cheap-o truck gun. It shares ammo with both of my edc guns, is cheap enough to not be concerned with it getting scratched up, and is pretty fun to shoot. Our first ~200 rounds were fantastic. It is easy to shoot well (read: accurate) and multiple shooters had tennis-ball sized groups at 40 yards. It has very low recoil and is incredibly good fun to shoot. The hate: after 200 rounds (almost exactly) it refused to function entirely. Repeated FTF's on every other shot. We set it aside for an hour to let it cool, and when we picked it up it worked like the first 200 rounds did. After 50 shots, it waved its white flag again. It just hates hard work I guess. I contacted Hi Point this morning and was told that they'd exchange it for an identical model, new. I was impressed, but that doesn't settle my issue with the gun. He said the only issue they've seen is with aftermarket mags, which I can vouch for. It did have issues with the promags, but had them with the factory mags as well once it started acting up. Until now I've never had an issue with these guns, but its the first time they got that much abuse all at once. I'll be sending this one in to hi point and the other (the FDE one) will be listed for sale eventually. PM if interested. http://www.bayoushooter.com/forums/showthread.php?125178-Painting-your-guns-my-project-pics
Extar EXP-556 : My $500.00 AR Pistol. The sound is harsh, but the muzzle flash is absurd- it literally barks an 8" fireball after every round. This was so much fun to shoot that we had to hit 2000 rounds through the day. It never hiccuped once, and taking it down to clean I was quite impressed at the simplicity. Sub-50 yards the groupings were impressively small, and at 100 yards it rang the plate every time. I don't know how potent it'd be at that range, but I wouldn't hunt anything with it unless I had to. Short range, I think it'd drop medium game with ease. The pros: 30 round mags, 5.56/.223, and despite only weighing a couple pounds there is absolutely zero recoil. Without the mag inserted it'd fit in a briefcase or backpack easily. I'm not a ballistics scientist, so I can't say that its more/less firepower than the other guns tested- but it certainly seems like it. My only concern is the longevity of a polymer pistol firing .223, but so far so good. As far as use, I'd never opt for this in lieu of a rifle if I had the choice, but for what it is its a great little gun. With the brace (stock? lol) it's awesome good fun.
Kel-tec Sub2k : This thing, again, is a pistol caliber carbine that markets itself as an ideal backpack/trunk gun. The folding for ease of storage and the fact that it shares my edc mags, not just the caliber, are by far its highest selling points. This gun gets my overall "meh" opinion. It wasn't a joy to shoot, but it wasn't the poorest performer either. It did have occasional random issues, but nothing major like some of the others. Total round count for the day was probably ~700, and for "accuracy" i'll say it was in the middle of the pack for ease of use. I don't know the math on 9mm pcc vs .223 pistol, but I'd be happy with either. Notably, the sub2k and EXP were the only two that'd fit in a briefcase or small backpack with ease. The S2k is a great plinking gun, and if it was all I had in my trunk when the zombies invaded- I'd happily slide the mag out of my g19 and pop it into the sub2k. I wouldn't necessarily rush out to buy a sub2k specifically for this purpose, but I do see some value in managing weight and carrying a carbine/pistol combo that accept the same magazines. It is much preferred to just sharing the same caliber.
After a day of shooting, deliberating, and considering it over a scotch by the fireplace, my final opinions are:
Pistol Caliber Carbines: If I'm making the special effort to get to my trunk or dive into my backpack, it's because I need more firepower than the 9mm on my hip. It seems silly, imo, to reach for a bigger 9mm. Ultimate use for range fun or plinking, I'd say 10/10.
If I had to purchase just 1 gun on this list, it'd be a coin flip between the sub2k and the exp556. Notable difference being sharing mags with my g19 vs firing 5.56 over 9mm.
Also fired, but not reviewed: a handful of ruger/colt revolvers and 1911's, some SBR's, two AK's, a VZ, and some other stuff. It was a good day!
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