Which pistols can I buy with a PAL?
- Thread starter Nelson84
- Start date
Antiques are an option but a VERY expensive one... For example single actions in 45lc can go upwards of 2k for a shooter. For a modern copy you can get one for ~400 dollars.. A lot of 32 rimfires come around for a decent price but some have indexing issues, loose lockups and best of all 32 rimfire is not exactly common.. Just get your rpal and get a cheaper gun
With only a PAL, you can only buy deactivated or antique pistols (neither of which require a license anyway). Youll need a restricted PAL to get into most handguns. You won't be able to get 12.6 handguns unless you are grandfathered ( which I assume you aren't).
Yes, an antique is an option but you had better do your research first. Antique firearms are very different from their modern counterparts and cannot be treated the same.
If you want something shootable then I hope you reload. Most antiques are in calibers that are no longer commercially available which means you have to make your own. They use soft lead bullets and not modern jacketed bullets so you will be casting your own bullets or buying them from someone who casts. Brass is often difficult or non-existent but in some examples can be crafted from other existing calibers.
Antiques tend to be delicate. The science of metallurgy wasn't nearly as advanced 120 years ago as it is today. Most antiques were designed for black powder loads and as a result they aren't nearly as powerful as modern firearms. This has to be kept in mind when reloading so as to not turn your antique into a hand grenade. It is possible to reload for antique cartridge guns with modern smokeless powder but care has to be taken here as well since the load needs to be weak enough to be safe and the pressure curve should match black powder as much as possible.
You may see antique firearms for sale that have been converted to a modern caliber. This does NOT mean you can shoot modern ammunition through them. To do so is to invite disaster. All it means is that brass will be readily available. You will still have to reload them with soft lead and reduced charges for much lower pressures. The trade-off for the easy to find brass is that you now have an antique that is not in the original caliber so the collector value is lost.
In my opinion, antique guns that have had their calibers modified for modern ammunition are to be avoided. If someone was desperate enough to modify the caliber who knows how well the work was done or what ammunition has been put through it. Many guns will fire some modern rounds before failing. Once the damage is done however it will continue to weaken with even proper black powder loads and there may be no obvious visible sign of damage until it finally fails.
If you do the proper research and take the proper precautions then antique firearms can be a very rewarding hobby.
If you merely want to be able to shoot a handgun then I would suggest you get your RPAL and find a suitable modern handgun as that will be much safer for yourself and others.
If you want something shootable then I hope you reload. Most antiques are in calibers that are no longer commercially available which means you have to make your own. They use soft lead bullets and not modern jacketed bullets so you will be casting your own bullets or buying them from someone who casts. Brass is often difficult or non-existent but in some examples can be crafted from other existing calibers.
Antiques tend to be delicate. The science of metallurgy wasn't nearly as advanced 120 years ago as it is today. Most antiques were designed for black powder loads and as a result they aren't nearly as powerful as modern firearms. This has to be kept in mind when reloading so as to not turn your antique into a hand grenade. It is possible to reload for antique cartridge guns with modern smokeless powder but care has to be taken here as well since the load needs to be weak enough to be safe and the pressure curve should match black powder as much as possible.
You may see antique firearms for sale that have been converted to a modern caliber. This does NOT mean you can shoot modern ammunition through them. To do so is to invite disaster. All it means is that brass will be readily available. You will still have to reload them with soft lead and reduced charges for much lower pressures. The trade-off for the easy to find brass is that you now have an antique that is not in the original caliber so the collector value is lost.
In my opinion, antique guns that have had their calibers modified for modern ammunition are to be avoided. If someone was desperate enough to modify the caliber who knows how well the work was done or what ammunition has been put through it. Many guns will fire some modern rounds before failing. Once the damage is done however it will continue to weaken with even proper black powder loads and there may be no obvious visible sign of damage until it finally fails.
If you do the proper research and take the proper precautions then antique firearms can be a very rewarding hobby.
If you merely want to be able to shoot a handgun then I would suggest you get your RPAL and find a suitable modern handgun as that will be much safer for yourself and others.
The answer to that is yes and no. It depends on the caliber.
Due to the poor fashion our laws are written there are a few modern calibers that will allow an antique to retain its status if converted.
My previous post was intended to speak in general terms. This is the sort of research I was referring to.
The most common exception you will find is probably .45acp. One gun that is commonly converted to this caliber is the 1873 St. Etienne revolver. These guns have been known to digest a number of modern hardball .45acp rounds before failure. The problem is that no 2 antique 1873's are alike and there is no way to know if it will fail on round #1 or round #100. Also, there is no way to know how many rounds or of what type has been put through the gun before. Even if the gun appears sound and only soft lead and low pressure charges are to be used there is no way to know if the top strap (the part that usually fails) has already been stressed past its tensile limit by the use of modern ammo or improper loads. If it has it may appear fine but will continue to degrade even with low pressure rounds and soft lead projectiles.
Despite the fact that our laws are written poorly and there may be some perceived loopholes, Darwin is still accounted for in the equation. Those that don't do their homework and act in a responsible manner are likely to be injured or worse.
