Guns ´n´ stuff

[GODSPEED]

4 hours ago, Hendrix said:

@GODSPEED Hey man!

The news site I use wrote about the new gun laws being implemented in Canada. Any comments?

According to them they implemented the new laws because of the incriese in shootings among criminal gangs. Although as far as I understood the new laws will only effect leagal gun owners?

Sounds alot like the discussion ocer here aswell sadly. ☹

I don't even know what to say honestly.

As much as I appreciate living in what I consider a safe place on this planet, sometimes I wonder how much time, money and effort is wasted in different parties simply posing for election purposes.. or just to look good in front of their audience.

Look, I'm not some gun activist or anything, I understand restrictions and limitations, and while I agree with SOME of the ones we already have in place... these new laws are ridiculous! They seem to be made to appease the "mindless" and ignorant part of our citizens. The ones who can't think for two minutes that putting money into EDUCATION would have greater chances to reduce gun crime (by unmarked or black market firearms anyways) compared to banning handgun purchases by those who actually have a head on their shoulders.


This tells the "general" populace: Handguns are evil, Handguns kill innocent lives, we need to ban handguns. And sometimes you have some ignorant news person who talks about the firearm used with all the wrong words and focus put o the wrong place. Instead of talking about why or what went on, who committed what type of crime and making it clear that it wasn't some law-abiding citizen, but some gangster with unregistered black market firearms... nope. Here "apparently the gunman would have used an assault style weapon" because the gun was black or something.. and then they go on with something like "which brings the question; would stricter firearms laws have saved these innocent lives?".

Seriously?!?!? You just want to throw your tv out the window!

Here, in the province of Quebec, the VAST majority of gun owners are hunters. We have such vast wilderness and even many city dwellers go out during hunting season.

The handgun licence has extra security measures that don't apply to hunting/sporting rifles/shotguns. One must be part of a club to legally own and HAVE a handgun, proof needs to be provided, rules are very strict. Most are for sporting/fun... and even if we can't say it out loud, even for those who practice as for self-defence in case of some extreme case, in 99.9% of cases, those aren't stupid people or criminals. Those are legally owned, registered firearms.


Anyways, you know all that too. Although I did pass my handgun license and could have it, I never gave my request, just because I find it complicated and extremely expensive (when I already have normal rifle/shotgun). So while this new law doesn't necessarily affect me personally, it just makes me feel I live around a mindless population that isn't able to see such basic political power play to win over members.


I just shake my head and roll my eyes. 🙄

[Hendrix]

@GODSPEED

Yupp, exactly the same arguments are used over here aswell. They continuously fail to see that criminals do not care about leagal guns and what laws apply. There's a continuous stream of black market AK's and pistols coming in from the Balkans (border security is almost non existing whit in the EU).

Although this year, so far, the anti gun discussions has been very quiet. Probably because it is an election year and the anti gun politicians knows that there's a large part of the voters who hunts and/or practise competition shooting.

Also the recent removal of a specific permit requirement for a suppressors was a very popular change. So as long as you have a gun that the suppressors will fit, you can freely purchase a suppressor whitout a problem, much the same as ammunition. I find it to be a reasonable level since you can not buy one whitout showing the store atleast a gun permit.

Besides the criminals don't want suppressors because they want their guns to sound scary. Also most suppressors are very expensive (300 USD or more) compared to "oil filters" bought from Chinese online stores.

[Biff]

I'm in England, the land where most people never see a real gun.

Here you can't even have pepper spray or a taser, they're considered illegal firearms. Even carrying simple tools or sports equipment like a hammer or baseball bat can get you into trouble if you don't have a good reason for it. You can't carry any knife bigger than 3 inches and it must be non-locking...so pretty much only Swiss Army knives allowed, and even then most people see it as a bit weird to carry one.

I think pocket sand is still legal here...

 

So... enjoy your guns while you can and be glad you don't live here 😛

[Snowy]

On 8/8/2022 at 5:01 AM, Biff said:

I'm in England, the land where most people never see a real gun.

Here you can't even have pepper spray or a taser, they're considered illegal firearms. Even carrying simple tools or sports equipment like a hammer or baseball bat can get you into trouble if you don't have a good reason for it. You can't carry any knife bigger than 3 inches and it must be non-locking...so pretty much only Swiss Army knives allowed, and even then most people see it as a bit weird to carry one.

I think pocket sand is still legal here...

 

So... enjoy your guns while you can and be glad you don't live here 😛

Well, I'm in Australia and we have reasonably strict gun laws. Still the mass shooting (3 killed, 1 injured) in Bogie (yes I know) Queensland just a few days ago still shocks us.

The shooter was denied a gun 10 years ago but appealed and had his gun ban overturned in the courts... it's inconsequential but interesting nonetheless.

There are also a flood (a trickle, I suspect, compared to the US) of illegal firearms, but it remains in the domain of gang wars and retributions. The large majority of farm gun owners are law abiding citizens.

Still, you don't need an AR-15 to shoot foxes or rabbits. Then again we don't have bears/wolves, etc. (the snakes and spiders kill you first)

Anyway, maybe this illegal gun culture thing is an American thing - but it would seem like most mass shootings are done with legal firearms (as in the case in Bogie), so I'm not sure if it's a real strong argument.

Yeah illegal guns are a problem (there was one case where an innocent person got killed by a stray bullet years ago), but I can only go by my experience here. Even with guns, legal and illegal, tougher gun laws do seem to reduce mass shootings of innocent people.

[Biff]

Interesting. I saw no mention of the Bogie shootings in the UK news, which is odd considering it shows US shootings almost every other day.

 

I think it makes sense that most shootings are caused by legal firearms, because in some places firearms are just so easy to get. Why bother trying to find a shady hoodlum to sell you a gun when you can just pick one up at Walmart on your beer run. 

 

It takes months to own a basic shotgun in the UK. You first need a doctor to confirm you're not crazy, you also need the police to visit your home to see if it's safe enough to keep a gun, and on top of that you need a valid reason like being a farmer or a member of a shooting club. Self defense or hunting are not valid reasons.

 

------------------------------

"Eight states — California, Hawaii, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland and New Jersey — have the strictest gun laws and the lowest rates of gun violence.

Thirteen states — Kansas, Alaska, Kentucky, Missouri, New Hampshire, Arizona, Oklahoma, Wyoming, South Dakota, Arkansas, Montana, Idaho and Mississippi — are categorized as national failures for having the weakest gun laws along and highest rates of gun violence."

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/these-states-have-the-highest-rates-of-gun-violence-and-deaths#How-gun-laws-contribute-to-firearm-death-rates

 

[GODSPEED]

@Hendrix

Is hunting season near for you? Or have you started thinking about hunting anytime soon?


As the weather here is still too damned hot and humid, I'm anxious for autumn (fall, or whatever you call that season).

Last weekend we had a wave of cool weather, so I went up for a walk in the mountains with my brother and my dear camera. Thought maybe you'd appreciate some basic shots. Maybe you are someone who enjoys the wild. I sure am anxious to get out of the city every time I can.

At one point, I came upon a lake and there was a dead tree log that was on the tiny 1 foot "beach", I just sat there for 15-20 minutes, no one else around, no noise, just surrounded by trees, lake and mountains. I could have slept there.


Flickr - Mont-Tremblant National Park, QC - Hiking Day


 

[Flowable]

doesn't nature always provides inspiration, thanks for sharing.

[Hendrix]

@GODSPEED, first things first, Awesome pictures! What camera do you use? I've been thinking about getting a camera to get better pictures than my 4 year old phone is capable of!

 

16 hours ago, GODSPEED said:

Is hunting season near for you? Or have you started thinking about hunting anytime soon?

YES! Where I live the moose hunting season begins from 1 September and lasts until 31 jan (with a break between 26 of Sep until 9 of October for the Moose mating season). The group I hunt with always start on a Saturday so we begin on the 3 Sep this year. Red Deer season has already started (16 Aug) however you are not allowed to hunt Bucks or use dogs until after the red deer mating season (8th of October).

What I look forward to the most is what we call "top bird hunting", hunting for black grouse and capercaillie when the birds seeks nourishment in the tree tops.

Picture from last season when me and one of my best friends were out hunting. Didn't get any birds but it sure was quality time!

 

 

17 hours ago, GODSPEED said:

Thought maybe you'd appreciate some basic shots. Maybe you are someone who enjoys the wild.

Absolutely! Nothing else fives me as much energy as spending time in the wild.

 

17 hours ago, GODSPEED said:

I just sat there for 15-20 minutes, no one else around, no noise, just surrounded by trees, lake and mountains.

Awesome! Me and the wife made a week long trip too an area called Ljung-dalen (Heather valley). One of the days we made a short hike to a lake and spend the day fishing. Really relaxing, and the view of Helags mountains (1797 meters above sea level) were fantastic. It was a bit windy so the picture does not show how clear the water was.

 

[GODSPEED]

Those are stunning photos you captured! Absolutely breathtaking when you see vast spaces and then some mountains; I find that the sheer size and beauty of nature really makes us humble.

It's nice to just be there and not feel the need to display or compare wealth, there is no need to be a cool person, you don't care that you have the latest gadgets (don't get me wrong, I love gadgets and things).. it doesn't matter if one is poor, if one is rich, in nature everything just feels right.

Anyways, sorry, getting carried away.. haha! 😂

 

On 8/22/2022 at 5:14 AM, Hendrix said:

@GODSPEED, first things first, Awesome pictures! What camera do you use? I've been thinking about getting a camera to get better pictures than my 4 year old phone is capable of!

 

I use a Pentax K-70 camera with a couple lenses. Slowly adding to that small collection, to eventually cover the different types of photography I want to cover.

Pentax? What's a Pentax? 🤣

https://www.focusnordic.se/produkter/foto/systemkameror/pentax-k-70-18-135-wr-black/

Yeah, it isn't a big brand like Canon or Nikon. It's kind of an underdog brand, like Olympus or Sigma.. but for my needs and my budget, they offer way more than the other major brands offer.

For example, one of the most basic features I NEED my camera to be, is: Weather Sealed and Rugged. I don't beat my things up, but I often do photography around water, I don't mind to be in the rain, or take it out in the snow. Or lay in down in the morning dew in the grass. Or on a beach with wind blowing.

MANY MANY Pentax lenses are weather sealed as well, meaning you can take them out in very adventure-like scenarios and not worry. That is under a $1000. For equivalent weather-sealing to the level of Pentax, you can expect to double (probably more) that amount in Canon or Nikon, and then, they don't have that many weather-sealed lenses either.

Pentax also make more compact DSLR's compared to other brands.

What is the downside? Why is Pentax not visible in the camera market? Poor marketing. They almost exclusively make cameras and they have poor (comparatively) video performance (not as high spec as others) and aren't oriented towards fast-action sports, like car racing and that type of thing.

On the other hand, they have a track record of not making you buy new things every few years. Their cameras being released now (since 1975) all 100% compatible with all lenses made for the K-mount since 1975. No adapters or funky tweaks needed. Plug and play.

I still occasionally use one of the lenses that was on the Pentax ME Super (1979-1984). That was a camera my dad bought before I was born, he used on every family trip and that he handed to me back in the late 90's/early 00's. I learned photography with that same manual focus lens. ...and still use it now.

Anyways, here is an idea of what Pentax offers without breaking the bank.

 

[GODSPEED]

Was too late to edit..
 

 

[Hendrix]

11 hours ago, GODSPEED said:

That is under a $1000.

Hell, I really need to win that lottery soon, so I can buy all the stuff I wha... NEED! 😂

Thanks for the info, it sure looks like a nice camera! 

[GODSPEED]

16 hours ago, Hendrix said:

Hell, I really need to win that lottery soon, so I can buy all the stuff I wha... NEED! 😂

Thanks for the info, it sure looks like a nice camera! 

I hear you. I never bought a complete camera kit in one shot. I had my previous model for 9 years and passed it on to my dad.

It's like anything though, you can easily buy VERY good and VERY usable used but like-new cameras on ebay for peanuts (very cheap).

All brands have great camera, and you don't need to spend a 1000 on a camera. I wouldn't. I bought my cameras second hand and always kept them for nearly 10 years until my "feel to try out new tech" overwhelms my reason. 🤣


Pentax K-5 on ebay

Pentax K-5 on ebay

Nikon D3400 on ebay

Olympus OM-D E-M5 on ebay

 

You look for a kit that has all the accessories, like transfer cables, software...


Haha.. anyways, you've got a head on your shoulders, I'm pretty sure you could work those things out. But yeah 300$, used second hand product with the lens. You'd have alot of fun!

You don't need 1000 megapixels to have something good. My previous camera was a 14 megapixel old camera from 2009, and I can EASILY print letter size 8.5"x11"  photos without it even being close to stretch the image.. it could be twice that and look perfect.

[Hendrix]

@GODSPEED

Hey! Did you ever get around to buy that Browning Buck Mark Sporter you were looking at?

[GODSPEED]

On 9/15/2022 at 5:34 AM, Hendrix said:

@GODSPEED

Hey! Did you ever get around to buy that Browning Buck Mark Sporter you were looking at?

*Facepalm* *headshake* *sigh*

 

On 8/25/2022 at 5:31 AM, Hendrix said:

Hell, I really need to win that lottery soon, so I can buy all the stuff I wha... NEED! 😂

...yeeeaaahh. NOPE!


Honestly, I've just been more focused on my photography gear (as you noticed, expensive crap!). So yeah, recently go myself a good lens, and I still have 2-3 to really round out my photography options.


That Browning sporter .22 is really on my radar when I feel I'll get back into firearms focus.

Not being a hunter means I'm kind of on/off shooting and firearms as a hobby. It's an expensive hobby (that I manage to keep cheap; SKS + 7.62mm is cheap to shoot. 12Gauge as well).. it's, fortunately for me, not one I need to be as constant at.

I've been pushing my savings and all to be able to get a good lens for the fall season that is right around the door. Planning on some fall camping and few trips around my province for some colourful leaves and landscapes. I've also been fishing and hiking more, so other expenses.

But thank you for reminding me that I'm poor and can't even afford a "crappy" .22 sporting rifle!

😅

[Hendrix]

On 9/18/2022 at 10:05 PM, GODSPEED said:

But thank you for reminding me that I'm poor...

Happy to share my own pain buddy! 😂

I have a list of stuff, close to $30k of worth, I would like to get for myself. Guns, accessories, gear, equipment, tools, etc. Helps me to keep a clear head on what things I should prioritise and not. Also, it is not a list of stuff that I think would be "cool to have", it is a list of stuff I see a need or use of.

I use what stuff I do got and I do not want to own a bunch of stuff I don't use. I am not really a tech or gadget kind of guy.

Right now though and for the foreseeable future, every penny/cent I have left after mortgage, bills, food and gas, goes into savings. Interest rates, inflation and increased prices in everything has really become noticeable for my wallet.

[GODSPEED]

On 9/22/2022 at 8:10 AM, Hendrix said:

I use what stuff I do got and I do not want to own a bunch of stuff I don't use. I am not really a tech or gadget kind of guy.

That's good.

Tech just goes by so fast, what's the point? Things are marketed to make us feel like we will REALLY miss out on things if we don't upgrade.

I'm happy when I have something that has lasted me a long time and I feel no need to update or change. I even get more and more attached to something if I've had it a long time, because I know how well I maintained it, cleaned it, cared for it.. and I've not wasted money running after new specs.


I absolutely love firearms, shooting and everything related. But to me, it's a money pit. I don't need to practice like a hunter would you know. It doesn't serve me any purpose to shoot rifles (apart from fun, cause that's what it is to me), other than the cool feeling of ejecting wasted ammu.... money. 😅

Every shot now is like... 2$ 2$ 2$ 2$ 2$ 2$... ah man crap.. I'm dead broke now! 😒

-PS- Not like I'm leaving the firearms world.. just focusing.


And so I put that on hold for a moment so I can focus on things that are maybe more "important" to me. Photography was always something I enjoyed, but I often took long pauses or wasted money on other things that kept me from having a lens that would really open doors in terms of the photos I could take. So that's where my focus is.

...and as you mentioned; the current financial situation of the region I live in (and I believe that of many other countries as well), means I'm being a little more careful with what and where my money goes.


I have a list of Steam games I want to try out.. and honestly, haven't been buying games. The mix of feeling let down by so many games in the past decade has made me really look 50x before I decide to purchase. I'm just waiting for a very few select titles instead of buying games every month.

Edited September 23, 2022 by GODSPEED

[Hendrix]

Got some giftcards for my birthday so I used that to change my Ruger a bit.

I removed the original sights (in my opinion they are not good enough for ranges past 25 meters any way). Instead I put a picatinny rail where the rear sight is normally located and moved the red dot sight to the new rail. Should make it more "accurate" because of the take-down model. I also put a light/torch on the gun, since I use the gun for "pest control" in low light conditions.

Also looking to get a different charging handle because I think the original is slightly small. I will also get a bufferplate for better shock absorption. The gun has a strange and harsh-like recoil. I belive this to be because of the bolt slamming into the butt plate. There's a few other small parts that I will switch out aswell to better quality ones.