I have some X-mas money burning a hole in my pocket, it needs spending, I’ve narrowed my options to two very opposite items;
Option 1; Kindle Paperwhite
I’ve wanted to add a kindle to my e-book arsenal for a while, but I already have a Nook Simple Touch (older model, no glow light) and the iBooks, kindle and nook apps on my iPhone and iPad
I just like E-ink readers better than backlit color LCD devices
Option 2; Ruger American Rimfire .22LR bolt action rifle
I already have better rifles (CZ 452 bolt guns, and Marlin 39a levergun), but they’re too nice sometimes, I only take them out in dry weather, and treat them with care to avoid dinging up the blued steel or nice hardwood stocks
The RAR has a weatherproof polymer stock, it’s still blued steel though, the best features of the RAR though, are an absolutely brilliant adjustable trigger, and the fact that it uses Ruger 10/22 magazines, including the BX-25 family of mags, there’s just something inherently cool about a bolt action that can take a 25 round magazine…
I received the Kindle Paperwhite for Chanukah as an upgrade to my current, now obsolete Kindle 2. After a short period of adjustment to the new features, I like it very much.
Based on the fact that I don’t know anything about firearms and don’t own any, I voted for the Kindle. What exactly would you be doing with the Ruger? Do you hunt, or would you be using it solely for some kind of target shooting?
Seems to me that the rifle is filling more of an open niche than the Kindle, though from your description it sounds like both are somewhat unnecessary. Anyway, .22 rifles are fun. Pew-pew!
A little of everything, mainly target shooting/plinking, but also for varmint/vermin control
We have 50 acres of land and I have a small 25 yard backyard range, and a membership at the local gun range with 200 yard rifle range, 50 yard handgun, and two trap fields
I’m voting Kindle. It’s the kind of thing I would use every single day. Even the most rabid rifle enthusiast is only going to use the rifle a couple of times a week, and some people would be more like a couple of times a year.
Can’t argue with this reasoning. Plus I’m sure it’s a lot easier to get last-generation electronics for next to nothing than it is for guns. My sister got some variant of Kindle for around $20 off Craigslist when people were dumping their old models after last Christmas.
1; the rifle will last far longer than a piece of consumer electronics, can you see any e- reader lasting 50 to 100 years? The rifle can be passed down through the generations and become an heirloom, yes, even an inexpensive plinking rifle, I treasure Dad’s old Ruger Single Six revolver, even though its a mass produced generic single action blued steel revolver with factory walnut grips, it’s worth more to me than the fanciest, most desirable revolver on the market, because it’s a piece of the family, and Dad is with me in spirit whenever I handle it…
Can an E-reader ever be a heirloom?
2; the rifle will retain value better, consumer electronics are designed to go obsolete, most firearms, if taken care of, will lose far less value, some may even increase in value, how much is a first gen Kindle worth today?
3; no batteries to wear out, no screen to get scratched or break
4; the RAR is made in America, by Ruger craftsmen, the Kindle is made in China, in a factory by the grillions
Then again, to be fair, it’s hard to read anything on the RAR, and carrying it in public can scare those unfamiliar with firearms;)
It could, but only in the sense of “Grampa, I’ve been thinking at this thing all afternoon and it still hasn’t initiated a neural connection. Oh, no neural connection? Wow, that really is old tech. Where’s the holographic projector, then?”
Still leaning towards rifle, my Nook is perfectly cromulent (hmm, my iPhone auto recognizes “cromulent” ) and the only reason I was considering a kindle was to hedge my bets if B&N did something stupid like go out of business, or shutter the Nook division (then again, the Nook ST does support ePub and has a micro SD slot)
Apparently the next Paperwhite is due to have an e-ink screen that has 300DPI resolution, laser printer quality text, I’ll wait for that one, it’ll be a dramatic increase over the 215-ish DPI of current devices
Kindle cool features;
Stores lots of books
E-ink is the best reading display
Long battery life
Easy to take with you
Ruger cool features;
Adjustable trigger goes as light as 3 lbs of pull, yet will only fire when safety blade inside trigger is fully back, as safe as a heavy trigger, but not as horrible as a heavy trigger
Fully bedded action (increases accuracy due to no flex in the stock)
Fully floated barrel (increases accuracy as the stock fore end does not press against the barrel
Optional Interchangeable buttplates (youth length iron sights, youth length scope riser, adult irons, adult scope riser)
Takes the Ruger 10/22 magazines (yes, a bolt action with an available 25 round magazine)
My only issue with the rifle is that .22LR ammo is damn near impossible to get where I am. As soon as a store gets a shipment, it’s gone. And the price has gone up on it so much that I’m not sure I’d buy it at that price anyway. I understand that in some areas of the country it’s not hard to get, so that’s just me.
Well, seeing as I have roughly 10,000 rounds of .22 in my backstock/stash (my nephew loves to plink, so we use a bit), I don’t think I’ll have a problem
And before the “HOARDER!!!” accusations start, I DO use it, I don’t sit on my stash of ammo going all Gollum-like (or would that be Smauglike)
Although, I HAVE been spending more trigger time behind my Benjamin 392 .22 pellet rifle…
I love my paperwhite; but I voted for the .22 rifle. I have an a lot of fun shooting my .22. SpoilerVigin; a .22 is not something you would generally go hunting with. It’s good for target practice; and also a good beginner firearms for kids learning to shoot. They don’t kick; and ammunition is cheap compared to anything else.
Spoilervirgin, if you’re interested, here’s a thread I started on the wonderful little .22 Rimfire cartridge…
I’ve traded some guns in, swapped a few different calibers (now handload ing 5.56/.223 and .357/.38 instead of .30-06 and .45 ACP/Colt) but will always have .22 rimfires, especially since I can just go to my backyard range whenever the whim takes me
This gets my vote! I have a Ruger 10/22 and I love it. Just bought my son a Marlin 795 for Christmas. Of course those are both semi-auto, but if I was in the market for a new bolt action, I would definitely be looking at the Ruger American Rimfire. I might actually be looking for one soon as my old Marlin model 81 is not feeding properly and I cannot figure out why.
<sarcasm> good thing too! after all, we all know how SCARY a small polymer box with a constant-force spring in it is, thankfully TPTB, in their infinite wisdom, have chosen to protect Californians from small scary inanimate objects!*** </sarcasm>
I think the next mag I may pick up for the RAR (yes, I did get it after all) will be a BX-25x2, it’s TWICE as scary, holds a staggering FIFTY rounds of ammo…
Oh, and I plan to pick up a KPW in a few months anyway, so the correct answer is “rifle now, kindle later”, a.k.a. “Buy both”
***I’m tempted to start a thread called “The Adventures of Mr. Magpul”, in which I place a loaded 30 round Magpul magazine on my desk and document his daily “misdeeds” and other “evildoings”…
