Grayfox54

Great news! Very happy to hear he won't need grafts. Tell him that scars are good conversation starters. Girls always want to hear the story.

I also recommend starting with a .22. Get the fundamentals down first without recoil causing any bad habits. Cheap to practice with, can be used for self defense if necessary, and just plain fun.

You have my deepest condolences. I have a nasty set of scars where way back in 1984 a piece of slag off a cutting torch set my work shirt on fire. Damned polyester blend material melted to my arm causing full thickness (3rd degree) burns from just above my elbow all the way up into my arm pit. Had to have skin grafts to fix it. The really bad part is preparing the area for the grafts. All the damaged skin and newly forming scar tissue has to be carefully picked and cut away from the damaged area daily for several weeks. It hurts like hell! I sincerely hope your Grandson's burns aren't that bad and the treatment has improved since my time. Tell him to hang in there. It'll be rough for a while, but it will get better.

I also don't recommend a rifle. Rifle bullets tend to go through walls which can lead to all sorts of problems. Plus, I doubt the lady would go through the training. If you feel the need for a home defense weapon, I suggest a 20 gauge shotgun. Considering your description of her, I'd be looking at youth models. I only see a need for one handgun which can serve both in the home and EDC. Normally, I recommend a DA revolver for a newbie. However, a medium frame gun will likely be too heavy for her to EDC and she won't carry it. OTOH, the small revolvers such as the S&W J-frames often have too much recoil for women and they won't practice with it. However, I would suggest she at least try both. I believe in keeping things simple and a revolver is about as simple as it gets. If she likes it and can shoot it, go with that. As far as semi-autos go, again keep it simple. As few controls as possible. No external safeties to forget. Just point and pull the trigger. I do have some concern about her thumb issues you mentioned. Can she load a magazine? Can she rack a slide? I like the idea of the S&W EZ. The 380 is a good choice for a small woman. However, be aware that most .380s are blowback designs and they have very strong recoil springs which make racking the slide difficult. Therefore, I'm gonna suggest one of the compact 9mms which are available today. A locked breach design is much easier to rack. But first and foremost, let her try as many guns as possible and let HER make the choice. I also like the idea of a belly band. Its best to have the gun on your body where its immediately available. And considering her style of dress, that'll work just fine. I've never liked the idea of carrying in a purse. After all, that's what the BG is after anyway.

The .44 Special is one of my favorite cartridges. Generally speaking, any of the 200gr JHP loads are considered best for self defense. My personal favorite is the old Winchester Silver Tip ammo. I've also shot the CCI Blazers with good results.

I have several very large and old trees in my yard. They have lots of dead limbs in them. All of which are right beside the house and garage. It will be a difficult job. Its become quite common that after every storm I have to go out and pick up some large dead limbs that have fallen. I hate to think of what might happen in the event of heavy snow or ice storm this winter. Sever damage to the house or garage is very possible. I'd like to get them trimmed, but I have no idea who to call. I want a good company, bonded, insured, etc. But price is a concern. Can anybody recommend a good tree trimmer in the Memphis area? Some one who you have used and were happy with both the work and price?

Some people have been preaching a second Civil War in this country for a long time. I disagree. I do, however, believe that at some point there will very likely be an uprising. It won't be a Civil War, but rather a second American Revolution. This time the people will rise up and take this country back from our own corrupt government. If this revolution takes place in the ballot box or on the battlefield has yet to be determined.

I like it! A lever action AR! Who'd a thunk it? Yeah, I'm weird. Y'all just now figuring that out?

I readily admit that I don't like the .40. Had one years ago, hated it, dumped it, didn't look back and will never own another. But that's just me. If you like it, I couldn't care less. To each, his own. As far as the claims in that video, all I had to see was the guy making those claims and any credibility it might have had went straight down the toilet. Total BS and a waste of almost 6 minutes.

Contact your state or federal congress critters. Especially if they are pro-2nd. Politicians just love rattling inept government cages if it makes them look good. Lets them show off their power.

For snubbies, I'm a fan of the old 158 gr LSWCHP load aka the "FBI load". It can be found in both standard and +P velocities. Nothing fancy, it just plain works.

I own a S&W 41 and agree that the only thing wrong with these outstanding pistols is the price. These days you can't hardly touch a well worn one for less than a $1000. Honestly, I know the Rugers are good guns, but I just never was comfortable with the feel of them. The grip angle is all wrong for my hand. Plus the older models can be a real PITA to take apart and put back together. No experience with the S&W Victory, but, like you, I've heard they have some issues. However, I'm a huge fan of the Browning Buckmark. IMHO, this is the best standard .22 semi-auto pistol available today. I have two of them. A 4" Camper model with a threaded barrel for use with my suppressor and a very early 5" Buckmark Plus that I bought way back in the early 1990s. With ammo they like, both will hold 1" groups at 25 yards no problem.

Sounds like its not going fully into battery. Possibly a tight / dirty chamber is making it ammo sensitive. Could be it just doesn't get along with that ammo. Also sounds like there may be some extractor issues. The full cleaning should help. Sometimes just a small amount of crud in the wrong place will cause all kinds of problems. As Garufa pointed out, proper lube is important. Try some different ammo. Believe it or not, some guns just need a whole lot of shooting to properly break in. Clean, lube, try different ammo and see what happens. The 1911 is a great gun and very easy to work on. However, it can be downright finicky at some of the slightest things. RIAs are some pretty good guns, but they do sometimes need a little tuning to work right as they aren't always exactly in specs. I have one in .38 Super that was a total jam-o-matic when I got it. Once I figured out the problem, its been totally reliable.

Marlin and Henry both make excellent lever guns. I can't knock either one. However, I've always preferred the feel and handling of Winchesters. Especially the 16" Trapper Models. In .357, I'd highly recommend you look at the Rossi Model 92. Its a clone of the original Winchester Model 1892. Its a bit lighter and trimmer than the Model 94 and Marlins. It was originally designed for pistol caliber cartridges, so its a bit smoother and more reliable than other guns modified to shoot the shorter handgun rounds. These are currently made by Taurus and I've heard good things about them. I own a much older pre-safety Rossi 92 in .357 with a 16" barrel. Nothing fancy to look at as these older guns had somewhat plain finishes and wood. However, Its one of the slickest and fastest handling lever guns I've ever owned. I love it!

I'm late as usual, just saw this. You've made the right decision, keep the 624. .44 Special caliber S&W revolvers are extremely popular, desirable. and no longer made. A 4" 624 in good condition would fall very high on any serious collector's list. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see it sell at $1200 or more. $1000 would be my absolute minimum. Lots of folks just don't get the .44 Special. They seem to prefer the louder .44 magnum. But for those of us who are real .44 Special fans ( yes that includes me) dedicated .44 Special revolvers are highly prized and we are more than willing to pay a premium over going rates for a nice one. Honestly, the price limit is set by just how bad the buyer wants it.

I have several T-grips and do like them. But the company is just barely hanging on. It seems there was a lot of in-fighting when founder Melvin Tyler passed away some years ago. I'm not sure if its been totally resolved yet. They will take your order. But, you can only order by snail mail. No internet orders. If you try to check on your order nobody will answer. The best you can hope for is that a package will arrive somewhere around 6-8 months later. Like I said, I have some and do like them for certain applications. However, I believe the invention of the boot grip has made the T-grip obsolete.

Excellent choice for a first post. Welcome to TGO! I;ve got an older German made P226 from 1990. My favorite DA 9mm.

See if you can find some of the old British .38/200 ammo or at least a good recipe for it. All it is is a 38 S&W with a heavier bullet for a bit extra thump. The British used that load for their military or police revolvers with good results for 50 years or more.

My preference is the Classic Askin's Avenger style with a straight drop. Most holster companies make at least one model of this. Quite comfortable, conceals well and very fast.

There's a bit of a story behind the Raven. I saw a for sale ad several years ago. Guy said it had feed problems and make an offer. I got it for $20. Took it home, turned the firing pin around the way it should be and its worked like a champ ever since. A week or so later my best friend dropped by and I showed it to him. His reaction was "I want this! Sell it to me!" So I let him have it for what I paid. After he passed, his wife and I were going through the gun safes when I ran across it again. I handed his wife $20 and stuck it in my pocket. I doubt I'll ever sell it again.

Yeah, believe it or not, I have a thing for mouse guns. Little .22 & 25 acp pistols that'll fit in your shirt pocket. I don't know why I'm so fond of them. But under certain circumstances where deep concealment is required, I have carried one as my primary.

Back some years ago, when I went to the range it would be an all day affair. I'd get there early and stay till closing. This one day, early in the morning and not many people there yet, I heard a "BOOM!". Wondering what the Hell was that! I wandered down the line to check it out. Found the guy with a nice bolt action. I forget the brand. I asked him about it and he told me it was a .458 Winchester. Said he was sighting it in. We talked for a couple of minutes and I went back to my shooting. The range got busy and so did I. Then late in the afternoon, once again I heard "BOOM!". I looked and sure nuff, that guy was still here. I walked down and the conversation went something like this: "Wow Man! I'm surprised you're still here?" "Yeah, but just about to finish up." "How many rounds have you fired through that thing?" "SIX".

You've done about all you can. Keep walking the area with the other dog. Get it to bark if you can. The lost one is more likely to respond to the other dog than a human.

I don't know much about the area. But I will advise that before you buy you go by and introduce yourself to the neighbors, Ask them about the immediate area. . Most should be nice and friendly. However, crack heads and meth labs do like small towns. More than once I've seen a dream move ruined by bad neighbors. Best to find out before you buy. Wouldn't be a bad idea to talk to local LEOS too.

You say the gun is pointed down? I take it the entire crane assembly falls out? If so, I agree with Dave. The retaining screw is either missing or damaged. Easy fix once you get a new screw.