We have them both available here in Oz.
50 bmg is off limits in QLD, so is anything defined as an "Anti Tank Rifle" (Might be a loophole here for an "Anti Material Rifle" though).
Most states require a reason for having such a rifle.
Yep. Complete ban on 0.50cal rifles up here. .338 Lapua however (if your wallet is large enough...)
There's something about the .338 Lapua that makes me want to get back into long arms (although I was thinking more a Sako 85 Black Bear in .308 realistically)... must cost a mountain but I'd love to give a good 1000 metre range a go with a .338. However I don't think the missus would care for me footing that bill purely for a firearm (she is by no means a shooter and regards my enthusiasm with some measure of confusion - I think I can swing her though on clay target shooting, once she does that for the first time I'm convinced she'll get into it).Yep. Complete ban on 0.50cal rifles up here. .338 Lapua however (if your wallet is large enough...)
Actually just had an introductory helicopter flight the other day - magnificent feeling it was!
Usedguns.com.au have a couple of 338 Lapua's smaller (case capacity) brothers the 338 Winchester Magnum:
We have a handgun hunting season for White Tail deer here in Illinois, and I have taken a few with a 44 mag and 357mag with iron sites, as you might imagine it is a 10-75 yard or so affair, with irons, although scopes are permited as well. I don't really enjoy beating up my weapons, ears, etc, so I often practice, plink, etc with 38s or 44 specials, often from 40 to 100 yds, what has surprised me is how accurate small rimfires can be. My wife has a small Smith and Wesson revolver, and I have an older Beretta 70s, which is a single action, with adjustable sights. They are both far more accurate than I am capable of, especially as I am approaching 60. All of these weapons are concealable under a jacket, and downloaded with an appropriate defensive load, very accurate, and comforting. Illinois has just passed conceal and carry, and several of my friends, both over fifty have earned theirs, although there is a requirement for 16 hrs of classroom and shooting instruction.
)Yeah, makes me flinch just thinking about it, but then my few rifles are a Husqvarna 30-06, and FN Win 270, both lovely Mausers from the the 50s. I am quite intimidated by the .50 BMG even though my wifes little sister, who is a reporter has fired one, some of the recoil reducing stocks are really amazing, but don't lend themselves to the look of those old Mausers.Ah, rifle talk, something someone from the UK can get involved in (you can own .50 cal rifles here
Fired a .338 LapMag AWSM once a couple of years ago, that AICS was incredibly comfortable after spending a day firing an Enfield chambered in .308 most of the day (1000 yds)
Each of those are outstanding choices, the 38 Super is sometimes problematic finding ammo, where the .357 and the .308 should be fairly easy to find ammo for. Even during our recent supply crisis due to panic buying, my old 30-06, and . 270 were still available, although .38 special and .357 were few and far between. One of my nice handguns is a Colt Super 38 Guvment, enough healthier than the 9mm to make it interesting, and as you have observed a very nice fit on the 1911 platform, although I must also confess a fondness for the Browning HP in 9mm. In fact, though I stay away from double stacked mags, the High Power fits my hand in such a pleasing way, and 13 rounds of 9mm. Shame you're not close, I would love to have somebody to shoot with, even with my small collection, I'm sure you could find something that you liked.
Yeah, the HP is a beautiful gun, that single action keeps it nice and slim compared to a lot of the more modern high-capacity nines... choosing the .38 Super is essentially due to certain handgun restrictions we Australians have to live with - it's less hassle getting something in .38/9mm than it is with a larger calibre. The 1911 frame also neatly ties up the length and capacity restrictions too, so it's a solid choice, only problem might possibly be cost.
I bet, that makes me smile just thinking about it, I just love helicopters, I took a tour with two of my children nearly 20 years ago in the Smokies, that jet-ranger is really a nice bird, it was very hot, but it came right off and performed well on the. short flight to the mountains. Those two really enjoyed it, my daughter loved to fly, tells me yet today things we did back when I had a medical and an airplane. I have flight sim X and the Xcelleration pack on my desktop, I do better with the Jet Ranger, than with the Robinson???? not quite like the real thing, lots of fun anyway.
I'm thinking of getting back into IPSC as well. Civilian long arms have never really interested me, but I love pistol shooting.
Nicest pistol I've fired would be the SIG 226 but the Tanfoglio XL4 came a pretty close second which is why I bought one when I was shooting. Never done IPSC but would like to give it a go if I get back into pistols. Wouldn't mind getting something classic as well, a SIG 210 and a Mauser C96 are top of my list in addition to whatever production 9mm, .38 Super, or .357 SIG semi auto I get for target / IPSC.
Oddly enough I've never owned/fired a Glock, although the looks have grown on me, I have shot several Springfield Armory SDs-SDMs 9mm and .40 S&W, and strangely do rather well, I recently shot a Smith and Wesson M&P 9 and just loved it, though with the friends reloads, I did have to smack a few out of the chamber, that wouldn't go into battery, but those same reloads blew through my S&W 3913 like so much hot butter. As you may have guessed I like "pretty guns" and yes I know that's dumb, and "expensive", anyway like you I have found many double stacks to be to large, and in fact have gone back to diamond magna's on my few N Frame Smith and Wessons.