Father’s Day is June 20, 2010. Â Looking for a gift idea for your gun-enthusiast father? Â Here are a few ideas…
$25 or Less
Para-Cord Survival Bracelet –  The survival bracelets enable you to carry several feet of Para-Cord that can be used in an emergency for countless survival applications. Basically, every inch of your wrist diameter equals approximately one foot of Para-Cord.  The bracelets use 5/8†curved side release buckles for maximum comfort, convenience and strength.  With over 40 different Para-Cord colors and over 1,500 possible color combinations, you are sure to find a color combination to suit your liking.  Price?  Only $14.95.
The Gun Digest Book of Combat Handgunnery by Massad Ayoob - This book is loaded with essential information to help you survive a violent encounter with a hardened criminal.  Ayoob is the foremost legal expert on the use of arms for self defense in the US.  This book is a great read, and a must have by anyone who carries a gun for protection.  This book is $16.49 through Amazon.
Get a new gun for Christmas? Congratulations! Owning a firearm is a very positive thing, but it comes with the very serious responsibility of safe handling, storage and use.
Handling
A firearm will never discharge without human intervention. This means a loaded gun laying on the table is no threat to anyone, unless a person walks over and begins to handle it. So, the firearms community developed a set of four rules to follow when handling a firearm.
All firearms are always loaded – Always treat a firearm as if is loaded. Even if you just checked it, always assume it is loaded. There are many cases where someone thought the gun was unloaded, and tragedy struck because it was not.
Never point the gun at anything you are not willing to destroy – Don’t point a gun at your friends, wife, husband, dog, TV or anything else that would be hurt, killed or destroyed by a bullet. If you accidentally discharge a firearm that is pointed in a ‘safe’ direction, no one is killed. If you are pointing the gun at a loved one…
Crimson Trace announces the latest addition to the Taurus revolver line-up is now available. The new Model LG-375 fits both the Taurus Judge and Tracker models and offers an ergonomic and comfortable grip designed with the advantage of an ergonomically located laser with the proven performance you’ve come to expect from Crimson Trace.
The LG-375 offers a rubber overmolded construction for comfort during extended shooting sessions and the instinctive activation that is synonymous with Crimson Trace.
The new LG-375 features an integrated two-piece design for easy installation, snap-in battery retainers, and generous relief in the side panels to facilitate speed loaders along with a master power switch. The Lasergrips are sighted in for 50 feet at the factory but can be zeroed in at different distances by using the windage and elevation adjustments.
For the past couple of years, gun and ammunition prices have been creeping upward. Since the 2008 elections, the prices on some firearms have skyrocketed. If you are in the market for a firearm, don’t be afraid: good deals can still be had. You just have to be patient, and be ready to deal with cash when you find something you want.
For example, a friend of mine at work had a nice NYPD Smith and Wesson model 64-1 revolver. This was one of the last revolver models approved by the NYPD for carrying. My friend, a retired NYPD cop, was keeping his full-sized duty gun but was trying to get rid of this one, a 2″ barrel K-frame with a bobbed hammer. He only wanted $100 for it. I was willing to buy it sight unseen at that price, and cash quickly exchanged hands. As a Smith and Wesson revolver guy, I can’t resist picking up a pre-lock gun that has some history behind it.
In another example, my father called me just a little while ago. One of his friends has some pistols he is looking to sell for some extra money. For $150, my dad picked up an unfired FEG P9R with two magazines, holster, and ammo. Looking around at some of the auction sites, the same gun starts at $295 and goes up from there.
Recently, a local police academy was liquidating some of their unused inventory. Back in a corner of their firearms vault were more than a dozen Ruger Mini-14’s. Most of the rifles were unfired, and none had ever been issued for use on the street. In fact, most of them had merely sat in the vault for about a decade, completely unmolested. The price? $250 each. I missed out on that deal but would have bought every one of them if I could have.
The point I am trying to make is this: unless you must purchase a specific firearm today, be patient. Ask around at work, at church, and at other gatherings. There is always someone who has a gun but would rather have some money. Once people know you are in the market for something, word of mouth will bring the deals to you. You just have to know what you want and be willing to pay cash immediately.
Most ammunition can be purchased for less than $20/box. For a single box, your local dealer is probably the best vendor. For a larger quantity or for harder to find calibers, an online vendor like Natchez Shooters Supply, AmmoMan, or Midway USA is the best bet.
Speaking of ammunition, quality AR-15 magazines can still be had for less than $20. My favorites are the Bownells with the Magpul anti-tilt followers, but I also like the Magpul PMAG polymer magazines. Brownells is shipping as quickly as they come in, so if you order ASAP, they will likely be shipped before Christmas.
A NRA membership is perhaps the most important gun-related gift anyone can give this year. $25 includes a magazine of your choice plus all of the standard benefits such as firearms insurance, life insurance, legislative updates, and much more.
Handgun magazines are a useful gift. (The metal/polymer kind, not the paper mailed to you monthly kind.) With the run on all-things-gun, certain magazines, such as the Glock, have gotten more expensive ($25-30 typically), but almost all common handgun magazines can be had for $35 or less.
More Than $50
A high intensity flashlight such as the inexpensive SureFire G2 Defender or the ultra-powerful Streamlight ProTac HL 3 are excellent choices for tactical lighting.
If your someone special owns a J-frame Smith and Wesson revolver, the Crimson Trace LG-405 Grips are an excellent purchase! Trust me, you surprise your significant other with a set of these, things are very good on Christmas morning!
While an AR-15 is certainly more sexy, the ubiquitous .22 rimfire rifle is a fun rifle to shoot plus it is inexpensive to purchase and keep fed with rimfire ammo. Nearly every rifle maker has at least one .22 rimfire in their line. Ruger’s 10-22 is pretty much the gold standard, but I really like the inexpensive, tube fed Marlin 60, which can be had for less than $150 at your local dealer or even WalMart.
Crimson Trace announces the latest addition to the Taurus revolver line-up is now available. The new Model LG-375 fits both the Taurus Judge and Tracker models and offers an ergonomic and comfortable grip designed with the advantage of an ergonomically located laser with the proven performance you’ve come to expect from Crimson Trace.
