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So, I finally got to the range and shot off 75 rounds. It was 9 years since I last pulled a trigger, so I wasn't expecting a whole lot.

I did have a friendly bet with one of my co-workers that I would be able to hit the bulls-eye on a target placed at 7 yards away with my first 3 shots. The bet was a 6 pack of shiner bock. The left target is obviously the one I shot at first. When the first round fired I looked at the target and saw that it was in the bulls-eye. 7 yards is not a huge distance, but I was pretty pleased. I posted the picture you see here on facebook and tagged him, so he is aware. I will see him tomorrow, at which point I will tell him to pay his dues. He'll probably say "I wasn't there" and "nonsense". But I do not inflate my own capabilities. That is just not me.

I went to Bullet Trap in Plano. It was raining last Friday, so I had no choice but to go there. Pricy as a non-member (18.99) but not too bad considering I would have paid more in gas if I went to elm fork as I originally intended. They where helpful, and placed me in the #18 lane. It was the far right one, and one of 5 lanes. Must be the premium booth or something. I am thinking about becoming a member once I shoot more. In order to make it worth my while I will have to go once a month. And that isn't happening for a while yet.

I shot 3 distances;

7 yards (picture above) 15rnds
10 meters (all but 4 in the red) 30rnds
15 yards (15 yards had 4 missed, but all still on the paper. Interestingly it was my last 15rnd clip. The first 15 where all good, 10 in the red, 5 out. I guess my arms where getting tired the last 15) 30rnds

The funny thing was there was a guy next to me shooting silhouette, and upped his range to 10 meters to match mine and he was all over the place. As in, he actually missed the silhouette completely and was in the white paper quite a few times. Shooting to the right, with a Glock... It was loud though, much louder than my 9mm. When I looked over I noticed 357 boxes. There was a shock-wave every time he fired. I have noticed most of my rounds tend to go to the left, which is in line with "jerking" the trigger. The few times I actually made an effort to still my breathing and squeeze lightly till the glock fired it was pretty dead on.

I loved every minute of it, and I was happy I picked my old friend the Glock 17. And even happier the 2nd amendment is there, even for greencard holders such as myself! God bless America!

I am going to be able to shoot the CHL requirement with being out of practice for 9 years. And they just give those first 100 points away at 3 yards. You could qualify for that blindfolded. That is pretty scary... CHL class should be on the 19th (next Saturday). I was going to cancel if I was rubbish, but I am good. Going for 200 points on the 3 and 7, and then I am not having to worry about where my shots land on the 15. Wish me luck!

Well... guess what... If everything goes as planned I will be having my CHL class together with one of my buddies at work May 19th. It will be a small one day class with people he knows. Don't know all the details, but it is pretty certain this is going to happen.

03Lightningrocks wrote:Be sure and give us the range report. For some darned reason, some of us tend to shoot our groups to the left of center with Glocks. I put more of my finger on the trigger and the problem corrected itself. Maybe I am weird...LOL.

Willdo, might take a week or two before I go though. And left center is pretty much a given if you jerk the trigger somewhat. I was thought that only the first digit should be used to pull the trigger for accurate shot placement. But everyone has their own technique.

AFCop wrote:Justice,

Give the wife time.... Way back when (2005) when I got married the wife was opposed to guns in the house. (We were a ready made family with her having 2 and me 1 previously). After several months of talking we decided 1 in the house would be ok and as long as it wasn't on my person, there was never one in the chamber. We started out with a Taurus PT111 because it had an external safety then when I liked the Beretta 9000S or 8000S or something (its been forever) in a .40 caliber, with the 1 gun rule.... I sold the Taurus and bought the Beretta but it was big and bulky and hard for the wife to shoot (she was coming around to the idea of guns at this point and liked going to the range together). So one day, at Outdoor Sportsman I saw and fell in love with a Springfield XD9SC (2006) and bought it... of course the one gun rule was still in effect so the beretta went away. Shortly after buying the XD (and our "conversations" about the lack of an external safety) I had an ND, totally my fault and I am thankful no one was hurt (I followed rule 1 but not rule 2). Well fast forward to 2012 and now I have my XD9SC, an XDm .40 and my wife has a Taurus PT 111 (Pink polymer frame) and a Taurus .22 (Hot Pink - her description, not mine) plus we are talking about me getting a Glock when I get back (Not sure which one but most likely a .40 of some design). BTW, the XDm was a birthday gift from the wife, so hope is not lost!

We actually introduced a second gun in the home in 2010 (She went and bought me a LCP while I was deployed and we traded that for the Taurus)... Good luck and happy shooting!

Those are indeed rules to live by. Although I feel that the #1 rule of gun ownership would be assume it's loaded, even if you know it's not. You really do not want to know how many times I checked it. I never had an ND and am not planning on one ever. The wife says she is uncomfortable, but she did tell me she'll go to the range with me in the future. Which is a start. I am quite sure I can convince her to handle the weapon at home, and when she knows and lives by the basics, shoot at the range as well.

I actually showed the weapon to my inlaws and brother in law today. I triple checked the weapon to make sure it was empty after dropping the mag. Guess where all their fingers went? Inside the trigger guard. I grabbed their fingers and put it on the body of the weapon. "no touchie the trigger unless you want to destroy what is in front of you" is what I replied. My brother in law never even held any type of firearm before and was amazed by the weight. I said that the Glock is one of the lightest full duty firearms, and it did not even have a magazine in it loaded with ammunition. Racking the slide was another adventure for him. "Damn, in the movies it looks all so easy," to which I replied "The movies are _______, besides, how many times do you see people in movies have their fingers on the trigger 24-7? A lot of times, and it annoys the _______ out of me,"

It was a basic gun safety training almost, and I'll take them to the range whenever I have found out the good ones, and have shot a few times. I got to get the rust off my gun skills myself when it comes to shooting!

And to see if I could pull a Glock 17 off concealed I literally put it in my waistband at various positions. I can tell you it is possible. I am 5'11 and 180 pounds, so about average. I was surprised, I thought it would stick out like a sore thumb. At winter time there is no issues. But that is for when I get my CHL. And even then I doubt I would walk everywhere with it in my free time.

One final thing, does anyone have any recommendations on hearing and eye protection for a reasonable price? I like the idea of being able to change lenses (clear / yellow / smoke). I used to have a "cheap" pair back in my MP days, but those are long gone / still in the mother country. And hearing muffs come in many shapes and sizes, but I am sure some of you bought some that sucked, and I would like to be spared from such a thing if possible.

Well, I can officially call myself an armed legal resident alien. They called the next day just before I had to go to work to tell me everything came back OK. I shall refrain from posting any pictures, as everyone knows what a Glock 17 looks like.

I also picked up a case of 20 federal hydro-shocks and 100 rounds of remington 9mm plinking ammo. I'll most likely take it to the range in the near future, after I clean it thoroughly. It is currently up-stairs, with a loop lock trough the barrel. One mag is loaded with the hydroshocks, and sits in my gun case. The wife feels awkward, and to some extent I do as well. But it'll pass. I know I will have lots of fun with it. And hopefully those hydro-shocks will never need to be used. $650 out the door for the lot. Quite a lot of dough. But I only have to do that once. (until I go for a Baretta M9 or 1911)

Hahaha! Yes, I bumped an ancient thread. But it was mine, and it almost seems to become sort of a story from start to finish.

Long time no post... But a bit of an update;

I was in Cabella's not too long ago talking about what I needed to do to purchase a gun. As others stated in this thread a long while back was the green card, drivers licence and 90 days worth of utility bills in name and address. I tried both the Gen 3 and Gen 4, and decided to go ahead and purchase a 3rd Gen Glock 17. I really dislike the Gen 4's grip texture. And after watching videos on the net it seems the Gen 4's don't eject their rounds with purpose, increasing stovepiping. I never had any failures to eject with my duty glock, and since that was a Gen 3 it is a no-brainer.

After the paperwork I was, as I already expected, delayed. They'll know tomorrow most likely, and if they don't hear anything the 31st will be the first day I am officially a armed legal resident alien. In my house... for now. The reason why it all happened now is I've been talking gun with guys I work with, and they kept saying; "Get one, so we can go shoot together,". I will be going to do my CHL with them as well come May, using the glock to qualify.

I haven't shot one in nearly a decade. And I wagered a 6 pack of shiner that I would be able to shoot a round in the bulls-eye at 5 yards within 3 shots. Not impossible, and in my heyday it was simple. I'll know if glocking is like bicycling soon enough. Weaver, Breathe in, breathe out 3/2ds and hold, target fuzzy, sights sharp... gently squeeze the trigger and see your intended target hit.

That is... if I don't get denied for some weird reason...

I'll keep you updated.

Jup, still lingering. I never got that Glock 17. Too much crap going on, and I actually have a little baby girl now!

I actually "forgot" about this place, and the desire to have a firearm was diminished greatly. Until a guy across the street had a home invasion in broad daylight. It supposedly went down like this:

He heard a loud banging on the door, and the door bell was rang intermittently for quite a while. Since he thought that was odd he did not open the door. Then he heard a loud noise downstairs, he decides to investigate and finds a bad guy standing below his staircase with gun drawn. He panics as soon as he realizes he is staring down a barrel and races back upstairs, the perp then allegedly ran to his buddies waiting for him and they sped off. The perps where late teens, early 20's, and obviously idiots. Simple breaking and entering isn't much of a sentence, bring a gun in the mix and it becomes a whole other story. They never caught them though, nothing to go on.

While I was talking to him I asked if he owned a handgun. He said no. The cops told him he should always answer the door (as in, shout asking them who is there). The reason why one came in is because there was no answer, and they thought the house was clear.

Then a week ago my brother gives me a surprise visit from the Netherlands. It was awesome, save for the fact he rang the doorbell at night. There was a relief when I heard a familiar Dutch voice telling me to open the door. He joked about me standing behind the door with a gun in my hand. I said it would have been the case if I had one.

I am actually awaiting a small bonus from the company I work for. Should be around 500 bucks or so. More than enough to finance 2/3rds of the purchase price if I have to believe the prices I see on the net. I got to get my paperwork in order (collect 3 months worth of waterbills) because I am still a green-card holder. I just can't justify becoming a citizen in Today's America.. I'll apply as soon as we loose the current (insert word of choice) for a proper republican president.

I also did some research. Turns out the sidearm I had in the dutch army was a 3rd gen Glock 17. They are currently on the 4th gen, are there any advantages / disadvantages any of you Glock owners can think of?

It was marriage based!

I just have to see if I have the cash to go ahead and apply when I am eligible. I want to badly... there is a certain loon in office that I just have to vote off the island.

Long time no post. A little status update from my end;

I got my 10 year green card, so there is nothing conditional about my residency anymore! Now sometime 2010 I should be able to apply for citizenship, which I am going to look into. We also are in our new house, the first energy statement already in our names. We'll be getting the "Obama" cash when we do the taxes next year, and that is when I will buy my first handgun. As for my wife... well... We where at friends, and her parents are pro gun owners. Somehow the home defense came on after I held one of their rapiers and saying one could slice and dice any intruder with that. They said they had something better for that, and every household should have a gun or two. After hearing that my wife started to get more receptive to the idea.

2010 Glock + Citizenship here I come!

I think putting a Glock in a holster would eliminate any problems you might have when it comes to accidental discharge. I honestly do not see a glock go off, unless you have some real back luck. The trigger safety and the trigger itself being pulled at the same time. Honestly, that little plastic thing behind the trigger can be replaced with just not having one in the chamber. Pulling the slide back and release is pretty darn quick.

But I am not going for the CHL anyway. At least, not just yet. And the glock is Open Carry only in my opinion. Yes, you can put it in a case of some sort, but that sucker is bulky. And I am 5'11" 170lbs, so on a fella that is lean it'll stick out like a sore... glock?

@suthdj -> K1 visa yeah. Everything has been going ok, and I should be able to apply mid 2010 for citizenship. Hopefully I'll get it all done so I can vote in the next presidential election. No offense to those who voted Obama, but If i was into bumperstickers the one on my car would be saying NObama '12...

@Fangs -> I'll just have to go by a gunstore and ask I guess.

@zbordas -> I am in uncharted waters with the glock already, I don't want to get my wife breathing harder down my neck than she already is. +1 on the lockable storage. I don't want to get snuffed with my own weapon when coming home. I personally think the Glock is pretty good when it comes to safety, I've never had a unwanted discharge in the army, an no one else in my "class" did either. NRA - TSRA have to wait till I know what my disposable income is. I know I have some, but with Dutch blood running in my vains I am likely to save most of it.

@Gyrogearhead: Because the two houses that fell trough had white painted brick. That and it indeed is ugly. Who in their right mind paints their outside brick? You just added another thing to keep up with! I don't have the place yet though... But thanks for the congratulations, much appreciated!

@Kevinf2349: Guess I am going to have to wait 3 months after getting the house before I can buy one. Currently we are "sheltering" in the inlaws house, so none of the utilities are in our name. Bummer... but oh well. Guess I'll have to rely on the good ol Louisville slugger for the time being.

I dug up my old thread, because I really don't see the need to start a new one.

I check my mailbox today, and I got my 10 year unconditional green card. On top of that me and my wife made a bid on a 3rd house that is not a foreclosure or short sale, and does not have painted white bricks. And trust me, I have 2 solid reasons each approximately worth a Glock 17 why I don't like painted white brick houses. It is 99% sure it's in the bag, so we got ourselves a nice house with upstairs bedrooms. I like that since it gives me a sense of security somehow.

Once we are in it I am going to get the Glock. The wife still opposes, I just can't talk sense into her at all. But, I reckon she'll just have to deal with it. I really wonder if there are other guys out there that had the same problem I am having. And how they dealt with it. This is also the opportunity to steer me in a good Glock dealer around the Plano Area. I already know about Bullit Trap, so I would like other suggestions if there are any.

I have to agree on you, the Glock 17 won't win any beauty contests, that's for sure! But it is light, even when fully loaded. Point and shoot, and if you have any concept of how to aim it'll deliver very good accuracy.

As for starting out with a full size, I did, (with the glock) and I had no problems with it. It's also a gun that makes the shooter handle it well. "gansta" style shooting will result in feeding errors. In my experience it's also a gun that likes to stay clean. I've heard a story when I was in the army about an semi-automatic "full-auto" glock 17. The firing pin got stuck due to bad cleaning, and the shooter did not expect to unload his 17 rounds all at once. No one got hurt, but it was a hairy situation.

As for my wife, I really don't think she'll get into it. If she does, I'll still start her on 9mm. It is not an excessive round at all. If a 100 pound, five foot Polish girl can handle it, I am sure my wife can.

@Carrots ->
Well, I had my biometrics taken today, so they have all my current fingerprints and picture. Now I wonder how long it is going to take for me to get:
A -> Summoned for an interview (hope not, like I previously stated, it's a PITA)
B -> Get my Full Blown 10 year Green Card
I did notice that my green card's effective date was far beyond my initial admittance in the US. I came here on 9th of October 2006, and the effective date on the greencard (or "Resident Since") was the 14th of June 2007. But I recon that date will be present on my new green card. It would be stupid to change my "resident since" date now would it?

@Gyrogearhead -> Beyond Glock I have no experience whatsoever. And I am sticking to what I know. Now that doesn't mean I am not open to other fireams...
There are a million guns I'd want just for the sake of owning one, here are a few;
-1911 (an Icon)
- Walther P5 (dutch police gun)
- Luger P08 (german WOII pistol)
- Walther P38 (german WOII pistol)
- Wildey magnum (Death Wish anyone?)
- Desert Eagle (over the top and stupid, like a hummer H1, both are still extremely nice to look at, and look is all you do because I doubt there is any place that will let you shoot .50 AE or the .44-.475 the Wildey has)
As for rifles:
- KAR98 rifle
- M1
- M14

Funny you start talking about safeties and such. I remember as part of the military training we went to a special branch called the BSB. They had an MP5 sitting on a desk for us to "play" with. I grabbed it, unloaded it, grabbed the mag, put it back in, and loaded it again in one fluent motion. The officer behind the weapon asked me where I got the training. And I simply replied "Years of Counter Strike," I knew the Glock and MP5 way before I even went into military training. Guns are very easy to figure out, and nowadays kids 8 years old are playing games with guns. 1+1=2.

I'll let ya'll know what happens when it happens.