I recently had the opportunity to review the GSG-5 from German Sport Guns, because when I saw it, I just had to go out and buy one! The GSG-5 is chambered in .22LR, and looks mistakingly like an MP5. The version we are allowed to have in New York State is the GSG-5 L, which has a 414mm barrel length. Made in Germany, the GSG-5 is imported to the US by American Tactical Imports, based in Rochester, NY. When I first read about these, I called around the area looking for them, and found one at Avon Gun and Hunting Supply, Avon, NY.

A quick glance at the firearm and you notice that it is mostly composite material, contributing to its light weight, but it does not feel cheap at all. In fact, it feels very well made. The GSG-5 comes with a 10 round magazine, a multi-tool, and a trigger lock.

Taken from GSG-5.de:

Although I had some problems with magazine feeding, I believe the firearm shoots very well. It seemed to shoot straight and accurately. I think any issues that I did have was attributed to a dirty magazine, and some poor ammunition.

The obvious major benefit of a firearm like this one is that the expense of shooting is so low. At around $0.03 / round, you can shoot your GSG-5 all day long for under $10. With ammo prices up, and the economy down, the GSG-5 is a good way to plink and hone your shooting skills without breaking the bank. Of course, you could probably do the same with a Ruger 10/22 or a Remington 597, but you lose the cool factor of having a semi-automatic .22LR, styled like an MP5 submachine gun.

As for modifications there are already a great deal of add-ons for the GSG-5. From upper rails and red-dot scopes, to new stocks and lasers, there are all kinds of modifications available. So if you do not think it is cool enough out of the box (We do.), there are plenty of aftermarket options for you!

Overall, I’d have to say I really enjoyed shooting my GSG-5, even if I had some minor issues It has the look and feel of a very sexy submachine gun, with the heart of a plinker. I would definitely recommend purchasing one of these if you enjoy target shooting, plinking, and of course, saving money. At around $600, I’m sure this will pay for itself, instead of shooting my other firearms.

With the boom of the AR-15 in popularity amongst firearms enthusiasts, many people have little to no training in how to use such a firearm in a tactical situation. I have always been interested in tactical training not only because of the cool factor, but it can benefit my shooting, and hone my skills for personal protection.

I stumbled across LMI Inc and their tactical training offerings. Ron Lauinger, owner and instructor at  LMI, was extremely helpful over the phone and quickly made my decision for me to give the class a chance. At around $200, the class is very reasonably priced, especially for an 8 hour training class (Try that in the IT world). However, there is a significant expense in ammo needed for the class. I ended up using 750 rounds of .223 ammo which cost me close to $400. Overall, the expense was well worth it.

The class was held at Canandaigua Sportsman’s Club, where many of Ron’s classes are held. The layout at this range is perfect for classes like this and provides a large amount of room to move and shoot.

After a little practice shooting at different distances, and differing body positions, we started really diving into the tactical situations. We learned responding to malfunction and reloading situations as well as a big emphasis on moving while shooting. The concepts are not hard to grasp, but under pressure, it can be very difficult to remember to do certain things. Additionally, we worked with barricades, multiple threats, and working with a partner for room-clearing techniques.

For anyone interested in enhancing their skills and firearms experience, I encourage you to check out the offerings by LMI, Inc. They have a wide range of classes from pistol and rifle training to close quarters combat training. Also, Ron and LMI have recently become sponsors of this site, and are here to help support all of us. I am glad I was able to participate in this class, and I’m looking forward to taking another with LMI.

Great News for firearms owners and enthusiasts everywhere. The on-going supreme court case of DC vs Heller has come to a close and the DC handgun ban has been declared unconstitutional. This is great news for handgun owners everywhere. Hopefully we’ll see the effects of this up in NY with handgun permits, and maybe the removal of the Assault Weapons Ban (yeah right, I can dream).

Read about it here at High court strikes down gun ban - CNN.com

This past Sunday, I was invited out to Canandaigua Sportsmen’s Club to do some tactical shooting with Ron Lauinger of LMI, Inc. When I arrived there, Ron was already stapling various zombie targets to stands, and he said we would be hunting zombies today! I was already excited.

After chit-chatting with Ron for a while, I already had a good feeling that he knew what he was talking about and I was in for a great learning experience. Once more people started to arrive, and after the range was set up properly, the training began.

I use the term “training” fairly loosely here not because I didn’t think it was an adequate training, but because it was really a bunch of firearms enthusiasts who wanted some extra tactical training. Ron is happy to offer this to fellow enthusiasts on Sundays.

So, I loaded up my Mossberg 500 Tactical with some target loads and head down to the field, where the targets were set up, to meet Ron. At first we talk about some tactical ways to reload, better ways to hold the shotgun, and what to do once the zombies have been shot in the face. We then procede to run through some drills with various scenarios.

What a blast, though. I cannot emphasize enough that within the two hours I spent with Ron and my shotgun, I had learned a great deal both about good ways to handle my firearm, as well as how to manuver tactically with the shotgun.

For anyone in the Rochester, NY or surrounding areas, I would definitely try to contact Ron (who is a current vendor on NY Firearms) and see about coming to his Sunday adventures.

I can’t wait for more tactical firearm training. It is probably one of the best things to learn, especially if you own a firearm for home defense. I will continue to review the various training sessions I go to.

Be safe everyone.

Everyone, I hope, has heard about the Supreme Court case of The District of Columbia v. Heller, where a security guard has stepped up to say that the D.C. gun ban is an unconstitutional infringement on the Second Amendment, his right to bear arms.

The New York Sun has published that if gun enthusiasts are victorious in the supreme court case, laws in New York City may change. Currently in New York City to own a handgun, it would cost almost $1000 in fees and is a very lengthy process.

Unfortunately, Mayor Bloomberg has come about as a definite foe of the gun community, where he has pressed lawsuits against manufactuers and retail establishments across the east coast. Something that the people of NYC should consider when voting next

While sometimes New York City seems like a completely different state when compared to the remainder of New York, the laws and actions regarding firearms in NYC can have a great impact on the rest of the state.

Personally, I think we, as gun enthusiasts, need to support the Second Amendment all across New York State, with hopes that we can fight these ridiculous anti-gun laws.

After Nine’s Gun Ruling, N.Y.’s Gun Laws May Be Next

I know this article is a few weeks old now, but I just ran across it and gave it a good read. Read it and let us know what you think!

Personally, I am for enhancing gun safety and the like, but not if its just another stepping stone in trying to eliminate our Second Amendment rights.

Paterson proposes strengthening New York firearms law | democratandchronicle.com

We’ve just put up a new page with some very important gun safety rules. It describes many of the common rules seen on NRA documents, and other organization’s gun safety rules. Take a look at the page and read over the rules. There could be some rules that you have not read in the past. Let us know what you think!

Gun Safety

Welcome to NY Firearms!

This site has been created in response to a lack of a good discussion forum and site dedicated to firearms in New York State. With seemingly stricter and stricter gun laws in the state, we need to strengthen our community and get together to ensure our 2nd amendment rights are protected.

Go over to our forums and sign up to discuss with your fellow New Yorkers!