I'm an Addict. . .

Today, we are going to loosen our ties, take off the tin foil hats, and discuss a more light-hearted topic: Firearm Addiction.


I'm an addict.  Just about everyone reading this is an addict.  According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, addiction is "to devote or surrender (oneself) to something habitually or obsessively."  I tend to agree that I have surrendered myself to firearms habitually. . . I bring new ones home on a regular basis, I spend money on guns and ammunition that probably would be better served elsewhere, and there's just something about them that gives me that "warm and fuzzy" feeling.  Yeah, I'm an addict.


For some reason, I impulsively stop at the gun shop on the way home from work just about every Friday, and I compulsively spend more money on guns I don't need.  By my estimates, I've spent around $5,000 at my local gun shop in the past 18 months.  I'm currently in the process of paying off a pair of brand new Glock pistols, and I have a list of what's next. . . I see no end in sight.  I can try to avoid it, but there's always going to be that "slip" that dumps me right back into the vicious cycle.

But hey, I'm stimulating my local economy, right?  Yeah, that's true, I'm doing my part to help the locals out of this economic "slump."  Or at least that's how I manage to convince myself that "just one more" is okay.


So, I want to hear from you!  You've looked through the articles, you've seen the pictures of my collection, and you know I'm in too deep to just "give it up".  If you're on Facebook, you've seen more photos of my "hobby" (if you can even call it that).  I want to hear what you think, I want to know if you're as addicted as I am, and if you know of any cure.  I'm tired of being broke!  


Post your comments in the box below, join us on Facebook, or send us an email at thelowready@gmail.com .  


As always, thanks for checking in, and stay tuned, there are several more exciting articles in the works, including a sneak peek at a brand new segment about the new AR15 cartridge that's getting all the raves, .300AAC Blackout!

First Look: Remington 870 Express 12-Gauge Shotgun

The Remington 870 is perhaps one of the most popular shotguns the past couple decades.  It is a simple, yet effective, design.  Remington offers the 870 in a variety of styles, which means there's an 870 for everyone.  The model being reviewed here is the 870 "Express" model, with black synthetic furniture, and a single front "bead sight".  It's simple, functional, and honestly, it's not something I'm terribly worried about scratching or damaging.

First impressions when I pulled it out of the box were positive.  The original Remington box was solid, although it was cardboard, and the shotgun was held in place quite well through the use of a few styrofoam cutouts.  Included in the box were very few items, basically just the shotgun itself, a trigger lock, and an owner's manual.  Since this box wasn't sufficient for transporting the shotgun to/from the range, and it was large and bulky, I removed the contents and dropped it in the recycle bin.  If it doesn't serve a purpose, it doesn't have a place in my home.  Besides, it's an excuse to go spend more of my hard-earned money on a hard case for the Remington, which allows for a case review for The Low Ready, which directly benefits you, so I'm glad I tossed the box.

The shotgun itself is very well made, all of the parts fit together quite well.  There isn't a whole lot of "slop" between the parts, so it doesn't have the same rattling noise that the Mossberg 500/590 tend to have.  As with most people I know, my first instinct is to take the thing apart and figure out how it works. The design is similar to the Mossberg shotguns, disassembly is about a 2 on a 1-10 scale, while re-assembly is a 3.  Overall, it's well-designed, and it's simplicity is likely the reason for the reliability this platform is known for.

At the range, I spent some time behind the trigger, shooting a variety of loads through the 870.  To start off, I shot some 2 3/4" birdshot shells, then moved up to 2 3/4" 00 Buckshot, and finally ending with a few 3" Slugs.  The Remington fired all rounds with no issues, and accuracy was as expected, right on target.  I can't attest to long-range accuracy, however, since I was only shooting out to about 50 yards. 

The Remington 870 was purchased to fill a void in my personal collection, it is my first (and currently my only) shotgun.  When it's not at the range, it spends it's time doubling as a home defense weapon, which is out of sight and out of reach of children, yet easily accessible in the event that it is needed.

Stay tuned for disassembly videos, which will be uploaded to our YouTube page and embedded here within the next few months.  As always, we want to hear your input!  Leave us a comment here, on our Facebook page, or in an email.  

First Look: Mossberg 590 12-Gauge Shotgun

With the first gun I ever fired being a single shot 12 gauge without a padded butt stock, I knew I would have to eventually find one to fit my needs and personality. I had been drooling over a Benelli Nova for quite some time. However, the Benellis were right next to the Remington shotguns, which put me into an even greater predicament. It wasn’t until I found a used Mossberg 590 with the collapsible ATI top-folding stock that I found the one, or at least the ideal model I was searching for.

About a week later I picked up a brand new Mossberg 590, bolted over to Cabela’s to get the ATI top-folding stock, and made my way over to my friends shooting range. I first fired off a few rounds of Wal-Mart Birdshot and then some 3” Mag Buckshot and slugs. The rubber padding on the butt stock absorbed the sharp recoil from the powerful loads well, not as well as an AR absorbs recoil, but enough that it wasn’t unpleasant to fire off a few powerful rounds. At fifty yards nailing a 4X4 beam standing up with the slug rounds was a breeze with open sights, and a great deal easier than I expected it to be. From there, I put on my vicious-looking ATI stock and started with the bird shot again. Although I cannot say the ATI stock was the most comfortable thing to shoot I can say that it did not affect the firearm very much and still shot wonderfully. Although the stock does cause slight harm to one’s shoulder and cheek when being used for long range shooting, rather than close quarters tactical shooting, I kept the stock on the weapon as I intended to use it as my home defense gun.

Complete disassembly is a breeze and requires only a flat head screw driver, or an allen wrench for the ATI stock, and something to tap out one of the pins in the receiver and you’re good to go. The item breaks down easily, cleans fast, and goes back together in a breeze. My model, but a few years old, did have a problem with a part of the safety notch keeping one of the parts from being inserted into the gun, but I have learned from cleaning my friend’s newer 590 that Mossberg corrected this issue. I would also like to throw in that his model was stamped with the A1 designation. I’m not really sure how much of a difference that makes with the internals, but I figured it was worth throwing in there.

This gun has a great finish, as its lack of scratches can attest to. Being my home defense weapon this thing has seen a great deal of tight spaces and a whole lot of range time. Even though I am a person who babies some of my weapons, this is one of the few that I am not afraid of getting a little dirty. It has seen its fair share of bumps, but does not have the marks to show it. To this day it looks fresh off the gun rack, and I can’t give you a round count for this weapon.

Since I have owned this gun it has been a reliable shooter with zero problems and, in my opinion, it provides some of the best accuracy one can ask for in a smooth bore shotgun. This gun has functioned so perfectly it would surely be in my arsenal for a SHTF situation, and on a side note its accuracy makes it a great hunting shotgun when the Zombies/Nazi/Vampire/Robots are not your priority. From my experience with this weapon, there are not enough good things to say about it. It is a firearm that I trust with my life and love to shoot. You can’t go wrong with a Mossberg 590.