The (old) Official Gun Thread.

[ret]

Completed the "First Steps Pistol" Course and I'm good to get my Concealed Carry permit in VA, hopefully I'll have that in a few weeks. Noticed something though. Turns out I can't aim a gun to save my life if I keep both eyes open. I blame this in part due to my paintball past where I would aim primarily with the barrel and adjust based on where the first paintball ended up. I'm right handed, left eye.... occasionaly dominant? My dominate eye alternates. I don't know if it's based on distance, side I'm looking towards, or what.

Anyways, when I'm looking down the gun, I guess I end up lining the sites up cross eyed so in say, my left eye I'll see the back sights and in my right eye I'll see the front sight, trick my mind into thinking they're lined up perfectly and end up shooting way right. I don't know if I'm trying to focus too hard or what, any thoughts? Or should I just schedule an appointment with the eye doctor?

An alternative that the range owner suggested was to just keep my left eye closed, but I HATE doing that, and feel that if I were ever presented with a situation where I needed to use my gun for self defense, it'd benefit me more to figure out aiming with both eyes open.

 

[Supracentral]

An alternative that the range owner suggested was to just keep my left eye closed, but I HATE doing that, and feel that if I were ever presented with a situation where I needed to use my gun for self defense, it'd benefit me more to figure out aiming with both eyes open.

Agreed. I shoot (both rifle and pistol, open sights and scopes) with both eyes open. You can in my experience, train your eyes to accept this. Just like getting to Carnegie Hall, all it takes is practice, practice, practice...

 

[Cz.]

Try using a blind on one eye for a while so you get used to focusing with one eye, once you've done that for a while you should be able to take it off and still have the eye that wasn't covered as the dominant one.
Are you sure you don't have a single dominant eye? You should be able to figure it out if you do one of the dominant eye tests.

When I shoot now, I tend to have my non-dominant eye half closed.

 

[lewis15498]

Thinking back to when I took my gun safety class, I had no idea what the instructor was talking about when he told us to figure out what our dominant eye was by pointing at something. Being primarily left handed I shoot with my left eye.

I saw this and looked up how to test. I tried pointing at something like 20ft away with both eyes open. When I close my right eye my finger is now off, pointing to the right. When I close my left eye my finger is off too the left by the same amount. So I printed out the test where you cut out a square in the paper, look at something through the square while holding the paper out, and then move the paper closer to your face. I tried it like 5 times and each time I ended up with the hole centered over my nose.

I assume this means I do not have a dominant eye. This could explain why my shots are often grouped to the right and why I can shoot almost as well with my right hand/right eye. Does anyone have any advice for me as a shooter?

 

[DreamerTheresa]

Yeah. I'm left-handed, but right-eyed.

 

[ret]

Are you sure you don't have a single dominant eye? You should be able to figure it out if you do one of the dominant eye tests.

We did both the tests lewis mentioned in my gun class, each one yielded opposite results. Then for the shooting portion of the course I would sit down, line up my sites and shoot fine, blink, then the sites are no where near lined up, without me having moved my head or the gun at all. It's the weirdest thing ever, but my eyes do switch which one holds the focus.

I've been doing the point test a few times at work and it's been the same way - I'll focus on my finger, line it up with where the pillar meets the ceiling as if I were lining up my sites to shoot a target. Close my right eye and it's off. A few seconds later I'll do the same thing and my left eye will be off.

I'll try using a patch when I go to the range. At least if anyone asks I can just tell them I'm a pirate.

I assume this means I do not have a dominant eye. This could explain why my shots are often grouped to the right and why I can shoot almost as well with my right hand/right eye. Does anyone have any advice for me as a shooter?

That's how I was shooting the first couple times before I realized what I'm doing. My only advice is try closing your left eye when you shoot and see if that helps. If it does, you're in my boat and we can row together til we find a more reasonable solution.

 

[Cz.]

The test I used and have had others use is one where you extend your arms, palms out. Make a triangle, with your two thumbs as the base and the rest of your fingers as the sides. Push your hands together so that the opening is pretty small and then focus on a small object further away that fills the space, with both eyes open. From there close one eye and then the other, the one that still sees the object is your dominant one. This has worked for everyone I know.
The other option is to just get a red dot sight, you'll be able to shoot with both eyes open no problem.

 

[lewis15498]

So I tried some more tests today. I'm now pretty sure I'm right eye dominant. I think I was messing up the test because I had myself convinced that I was left dominant. I'll have to go shooting soon and see what changes.

 

[foreverpsycotic]

Just started my long drawn out procedure for aquiring a ccw in CT. Got my class/test next Saturday, then I need to get fingerprinted and pay the local/state police. Total length of process 2-7 months to get the card.

 

[Supracentral]

Ridiculous. Took 7 days here in GA for both me and Theresa. $35, no classes, etc...

 

[lewis15498]

Here in MA it's $100 for the class, then $100 to apply. The process usually takes 1-3 months from when you apply. I got mine in about 5 weeks. My buddy doesn't even have a speeding ticket on his record, and it took him 3 tries. He was denied, then offered a class B (you can possess but not carry), and finally was issued his class A with a hunting/target restriction for the first year (can only carry when hunting or going to the range). All because the chief of police in his town felt like being a dickhead. It took him about 2 years to get it and now he has to wait another year to be able to carry. Such bull shit.

 

[ret]

The test I used and have had others use is one where you extend your arms, palms out. Make a triangle, with your two thumbs as the base and the rest of your fingers as the sides. Push your hands together so that the opening is pretty small and then focus on a small object further away that fills the space, with both eyes open. From there close one eye and then the other, the one that still sees the object is your dominant one. This has worked for everyone I know.
The other option is to just get a red dot sight, you'll be able to shoot with both eyes open no problem.

That's the other test we did. First time it ended up being right, next few times left, then it switched back.

Ridiculous. Took 7 days here in GA for both me and Theresa. $35, no classes, etc...

That's about how it is in PA I believe. Down here in VA, though, you have to take some form of a firearms safety class (I ended up taking what was essentially a 2 hour classroom plus 2 hour range equivalent of the NRA First Steps Pistol class), then go the the Sheriff's office for fingerprinting/background check, fill out the application then pay the district clerk up to as much as $50 to process it.

In my district, I ended up paying $65 for the class, and my clerk charges $40.44. The $0.44 is because they mail it to you now.

I actually got pulled over on my way to the sheriff's office yesterday, and it was late afternoon so by the time I got there they were closed. :3d_frown:

 

[labrat469]

I realize that I am a firearm addict. Instead of buying something for my supra I bought a Ruger P89 for 250 which retails around 500.

 

[jdub]

Just finished my AR-10 "Recce" rifle:

Specs:
- Noveske 16" stainless steel barrel, polyangle rifled, 1-10 twist, 7.62 match chamber w/ Vortex flash hider
- Daniel Defense Lite Rail forestock - rifle length
- MagPul UBR stock w/ CAR 10 XH buffer and MIAD grip
- Bolt carrier, bolt, and hammer boron nitrite coated
- Tactical trigger group tuned to a 4.5# pull
- Upper, lower, flash hider, and all controls coated with Cerekote H series. Controls, flash hider, and upper receiver rail is black to match the forestock - remaining parts of upper/lower are sniper grey.
- PRI hooded front sight, ARMS #40L-P rear sight

Plan is to install a Trijicon ACOG TA11 w/horseshoe reticle calibrated for .308 - now I just need to get to the range and shoot it

Building a couple more of this type rife in a SPR configuration w/ a 20" custom Lothar Walther barrel for my friends.

 

[DreamerTheresa]

Ridiculous. Took 7 days here in GA for both me and Theresa. $35, no classes, etc...

Actually, lovemuffin, the total for you was $50, and, unfortunately, they upped the fee before I got mine to $60.







Anyhoo...

I'll be trading my .17 rifle tomorrow for a Ruger 10-22.

I wanted something a little bigger, with ammo that's far more readily available (and trade-able, if need be).

 

[Supracentral]

Thanks for the correction tacopocket. It's still pocket change and getting the permit to your door in a week really kicks the ass of most places. Especially compared to that bullshit lewis15498 describes above. Down here you'd have a right to sue the Chief of Police for pulling that bullshit.

 

[MDCmotorsports]

Just got my Utah CCW license this week....

 

[Supracentral]

Just got my Utah CCW license this week....

Congrats!

Today we added a pair of inexpensive and practical guns to our collection.

A Ruger 10-22 for Theresa:

And a Mossberg 88 Security 12 GA for me:

 

[pparrigo]

I just moved out of the frozen North (aka. western New York) to Charleston, SC for the start of my naval career. Got to talking with one of my friends and I mentioned that I was getting ready to do the application process for the CWP down here. Then he mentions that I could purchase a handgun down here without a permit, permit being needed only for carry. I had known this, but how I forgot is a mystery to me. I had been getting dicked around for 18 months by my county in NY getting my permit, which I just gave up on since I was moving anyway. So, the 3rd day I was down here, I made a trip to one of the gun stores down here and picked up a little something:

SIG 1911 XO, .45ACP

From what I can tell through my experience with it, it's an extremely well-made pistol. Holsters will be a little difficult to find for it since it doesn't have a traditional 1911 slide profile, but we'll see.

 

[DreamerTheresa]

:: fans self ::