Suburban's Domain

Anti-gun Hypocrite Pulls Gun on Burglary Suspect

2012-01-07T21:12:00.001-05:00

On December 20th, Mobile, Alabama major Sam Jones returned from the grocery store, and found a strange man in his garage. The mayor had his .38 revolver, confronted the man, told him he was armed, and held him there until police arrived. The twist to the story: Mayor Jones is a member of New York Mayor Bloomberg's Mayors Against Illegal Guns organization.

Mayors Against Illegal Guns opposes the rights of ordinary Americans to carry handguns, purchase "assault weapons" and "high-capacity magazines," make private gun sales without involving licensed dealers, gun shows in general, and other gun rights.

When on city business, Jones has a Mobile police officer acting as his bodyguard, but on that day in December, he was just making a run to the store. It is unclear whether the Mobile mayor has a concealed carry permit, or if he had a handgun in his vehicle or on his person illegally. Jones wouldn't reveal if he has a permit to carry or not to the press. An NRA-backed law passed in 2009, blocking the public access to the list of Alabama concealed carry permit holders.

Does the Mayor of Mobile oppose the rights that he exercises himself? It sure looks like that don't it? Obviously, I don't have any problem with Mayor Jones carrying a firearm. I don't blame him for keeping quiet about whether he's got a permit either, as I wouldn't go about broadcasting that to the general public either.. For him to be a part of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, and oppose the gun rights of the "little people" at the same time is hypocritical though. Give up your guns, or drop out of Mayors Against Illegal Guns Mr. Jones.

al.com article on the Mayor Jones burglary
Hat Tip to CCRKBA for bringing up the story in their newsletter

KSL Utah Open Carry Law Poll

2011-12-31T16:49:00.001-05:00

Link to KSL Utah open carry article with poll. Poll is about 1/3 of the way down.

Should a law be passed to avoid criminal charges for lawful carrying?

Boy Defends Mom With BB Gun

2011-12-24T19:56:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas, everyone!

A Cristmas Story is going to start playing in about 10 minutes, and I'm sure Home Alone is on one channel or another soon too. I'm just not sure which is more relevant.

Boy defends mom from intruder with BB gun.

Tuning 5.45mm AR-15 Mags

2011-12-11T15:44:00.003-05:00

So far, every C Products and ASC 5.45mm magazine has caused jams, straight out of the packaging. Every one. Things are okay if I don’t load more than about a dozen rounds, but when I load 20 or 25, I’ll get plenty of stoppages. Whenever I remember to check, the stoppages have all come when feeding from the right side of the magazine.

This is the typical 5.45mm feed jam. Looks like bolt-over-base.

If you load 5 or 6 rounds (look at both feed lips), you’ll see that the feed lips are holding the case along the full length. When you get to around 20 rounds in the magazine, you’ll start to see that the lips of the magazine are really only holding the case near the rim. The left-side feed lips are usually pretty good, but the right-side feed lips have all left the front end of the cases of the rounds without much support. There seemed to be a logical connection.

You need to be prepared to finish manufacturing the magazine tubes. In a somewhat rare fashion, I decided that this particular job was better to handle with some finesse, rather than brute force. Another Spike’s 5.45mm upper owner said he fixed the magazines with a hammer. I decided to make another magazine lip tool, and I bend the feedlips, carefully. At first, I was just bending the lips to hold the cases of the rounds better when loaded to capacity. This resulted in about a 50% success rate. Some of the newly tuned magazines ran fine. Some still jammed as if I hadn’t done anything. Some of the magazines would feed up until the 2nd to last round, and then jam.

The problem seems to be related to the angle that the bullets were presented. With the magazines that worked, the tips of the bullets were only a few millimeters above the front edge of the magazine. The ones that continued to jam, as if I hadn’t done anything, had the bullets sitting higher. The ones that didn’t jam until the 2nd to last round, I had bent the feed lips too far, and the tip of the bullet was almost even with the front edge of the magazine.

The angle of the top round seems to be the critical factor.

New strategy. Take one of the magazines that works, and fix the others to match it. This seems to be working well. I think maybe I got this figured out.

Low-Power Variable Scope vs. Red Dot

2011-12-06T22:16:00.002-05:00

Living Room Carpet Photo. Sorry. At least you can't see my Crocs in the bottom edge. ;)

The Millet DMS-1 is a pretty good scope, however, a low-power variable scope will never be quite as fast as a red dot at less than 25 yards. I don’t think it’s a function of the quality of the lenses. The DMS-1 seems to be really clear to me. It’s just the nature of telescopic devices.

When you’re looking through the eyepiece, the image that you see is the image that the objective lens “sees” more than a foot out in front of your eye. The image is translated through the lenses, and then through the couple inches that make up the eye relief.

With a red dot, except for maybe a little bit of tinting because of lens coatings, and a little bit of color in the glass, you can actually see the same image through both eyes. This is very intuitive. With a low-power variable scope, even if the scope isn’t magnifying the target, you’re still not seeing the same image with both eyes.

When you’re looking through the low-power scope, and one eye is seeing. . . what it usually sees, and the other eye is seeing an image that’s actually more than a foot in front of your face it’s disorienting. It’s really disorienting if you’re moving, or tracking a moving target.

I was actually a little bit surprised to find that it’s a little easier to hit index cards out to 25 yards with a red dot with no magnification. I’d have thought that there’d be enough precision required that magnification would help. Nope. Put dot on target, squeeze trigger is all you need to do. Even I can do that offhand.

Now, those index cards get harder to hit when you get out to 50 yards. With a steady position, or some support, I can still hit the cards consistently at 50. A 4 MOA dot covers 2 inches at 50 yards. It’s getting hard just to put the dot on the card. With the DMS, I can encircle the card with the reticle and I can zoom in a bit, and still get hits from a sitting position without too much difficulty.

At 75 yards that dot is about the same width as the card, and I pretty much need a bench rest to hit that sucker with a 4 MOA red dot. Turning the DMS up to 4X, I can still nail the card pretty much all the time from a sitting position. From prone or a good supported position the index cards don’t stand a chance with the DMS on 4X.

At 100 yards, I can hit paper plates almost 100% from various offhand positions at 100 yards, with the red dot, but I can’t hardly see the index card (20/40 vision), and the dot would almost completely cover the whole index card. Maybe half the rounds will hit an index card taped in the middle of the paper plate. I can’t do much better with a benchrest, maybe 75% hit the index card.

At 100 yards though, I’ve shot 10-round groups approaching 1” with the DMS at 4X. The scope is definitely better for real precision.

Why am I going to so much trouble to hit those damn cards? They’re cheap, and are a pretty good representation of the brain of someone who’s looking, and shooting, at you. If your opposition is smart, then all you’ll be able to see of them is the top half of their head. The head of a USPSA target is about 6” square, with a brain box about 2 x 4”. The head of the IDPA target is just a 6” square. An index card is a pretty good ½ size approximation of the “A Zone” of the USPSA target (6 x 10”).

There is an alternative to a low-power variable scope. You can run a red dot sight with a magnifier. Most of the magnifiers are 3X, but I’ve also seen 4X and 5X magnifiers. With a detachable magnifier mount or ring that allows you to flip the magnifier over to the side, you get the close-range speed of a red dot with most of the precision of a low-power scope.

The drawback of running a red dot and a magnifier is cost. A half-decent low-power variable scope with a quick detach mount will run maybe $350-400. The Aimpoint Pro package of a red dot sight and basic mount runs $400, and I’m not sure if you can fit a magnifier mount in between that Aimpoint mount and a back-up-iron-sight (BUIS). The less expensive but still decent quality magnifiers run $150-200, and only come with screw-clamp rings. The Larue Pivot mount is the only one I can really recommend, aside from the one that comes with the $500 EOTECH magnifier package, and the Larue mount runs $150. To fit an Aimpoint-type red dot, magnifier, and BUIS all on a flat-top AR-15 upper, I think you kind of need a cantilever mount for the red dot. The Larue QD cantilever that I have my Aimpoint M2 in runs $165, but you can get by with the Primary Arms cantilever mount for $25.

I would have thought that the red dot/magnifier combo would weigh more than a low-power variable scope, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. I weighed up some stuff, expecting the scope to come out lighter.

DMS-1 in American Defense Recon-X 30mm mount – 1 pound 9.6 oz.
Aimpoint M2 in Larue LT129 cantilever mount – 11.3 oz.
Vortex 3X magnifier in Larue LT649 Pivot mount – 12.2 oz.
Aimpoint, Vortex 3x, and Larue mounts all together – 1 pound 7.5 oz.

If you are running something other than an AR-15, SCAR, or ACR, you’re going to have some trouble running a red dot and a magnifier. I haven’t seen any low-mount flip-to-side magnifier mounts, and the AR-15 mounts will be sort of silly high on an AK variant, HK, M1A, or FAL. You can still use the AR mounts, but you’ll have to add a cheekpiece to your stock in order to get any kind of cheekweld.

I prefer to run a red dot/magnifier combination for an all-round carbine. I can’t quite get the same long-range accuracy this way, because the 4 MOA dots of my Aimpoints cover more of the target than the small dot or crosshairs of a scope. If I ever needed to do any fighting around here, it would mostly be inside of 100 yards though. If I really needed to shed some weight, I could remove the magnifier from the rifle, and just put it back on as needed.

Millet DMS-1 Scope Review

2011-12-06T22:02:00.001-05:00

I’ve been surprised by the accuracy I’ve gotten out of the DMS-1. With handloads, I’ve gotten a bunch of 1 1/8” ten-shot groups from a free-floated LMT M4 16”, even with the 6 pound stock trigger. It may actually do better, but the barrel might not be able to do any better than that. I wouldn’t have thought that you could do even that at 100 yards with just 4X.

Does the 1 MOA dot hold back bullseye accuracy? Maybe not.

At least to my eye, the glass is very clear, without much distortion. I was a little bit afraid that the scope would not be too bright, with the small objective lens, but it is actually very bright. It holds a zero well too. Compared to the red dot magnifiers, the eye relief is pretty good – I don’t get bumped in the glasses as much. The spare battery compartment in the turret cap is a nice touch. The reticle is useful without being as cluttered as some ranging reticles.

At least in daylight, the scope works fine without battery power. The reticle is quite visible without illumination until dusk really sets in. With the illumination, you can stretch your shooting out even after it gets dark. . . as long as you can still make out the target. The illumination knob goes all the way around, so you can go straight from 0 to 11. Yes, the DMS-1 actually goes up to 11!

A spare battery is stored in one of the adjustment knob caps. 1 click of the knob moves P.O.I. 1/2" at 100 yards.

Negative points? At 18 ounces, it’s heavier than some comparable scopes - the Trijicon Accupoint 1-4x24 30mm scope only weighs 14.4 ounces. If you want a bright reticle, like a red dot sight, in bright daylight, you will be disappointed, because the reticle will still just appear to be black. The lens covers that came with the scope fell apart quickly (although the Butler Creek lens covers didn’t make it much longer). With the magnification ring set at 1X, the scope actually seems to make objects appear smaller than with the naked eye – I seem to get true 1x with the magnification ring set at about 1.25X. Makes me wonder what 4X really is.

I like the scope. . . for what it is. Certainly, for the price, it is fantastic. I’d just rather have an Aimpoint and a 3x magnifier. You can read about the why of that in this article.

DSG Arms Thanksgiving Sale

2011-11-22T19:27:00.000-05:00

Use promotion code "NOVMAGPUL" to get 5% off Magpul products.

Free shipping on orders over $25. No promotion code required.

Offers good until midnight on Cyber Monday.

Updates On Some Things

2011-11-20T17:08:00.002-05:00

I've updated, and edited my AR-15 Magazines Article.

I'm pretty much done with shooting matches until spring, so I've been enjoying shooting without the sole purpose of preparing for a match, which is nice. It's always fun to go shooting, but now it's entirely for leisure, which is a little bit different.

I've also been restocking the ammo cans.

The primer trays piling up in my living room trash can

I think I've pretty much figured out how to get the 5.45mm AR-15 magazines running properly. I may still have a few stubborn magazines, but at least I've gotten a few to work properly several times, and I think I've found solutions to the two distinctly different issues. None of them worked properly when I got them. I'll post a 5.45mm AR magazine FAQ when I get the text typed up, and maybe add a few pictures or illustrations.

The 1911 is doing well. I've only had the one stoppage, that was almost certainly due to using a standard recoil spring with a wimpy load. Although I never did get the tension on the coil-spring powered Aftec extractor tuned to the book spec, I can't complain about the performance. Mostly I use 8 and 10-round Power Mags, but I mix in a 7-round Colt magazine, and an 8 round Wolff magazine occasionally.

My Kahr PM9 is still going strong. Great little 9mm pocket pistol. I've just got the one bad magazine, but the other 3 are fine.

My Gen.3 Glock 19 has been having stove-pipe jams with everything but defense ammo. I've changed out a couple springs, and I'll see what happens on Monday. The Gen.3 G17 is a little bit picky about the power factor of ammo, but isn't as picky as the 19.

I pretty much ran out my supply of .38 Special factory ammo, so I got set up to reload the wheelguns, and I've been working up loads. Although reloading can sometimes be a bit of a chore, more often than not I do enjoy it. I've actually shot more thirty-eights in the last few months than I've fired over the last couple years, probably.

Midway Coupon Codes From GlockTalk

2011-11-18T22:37:00.001-05:00

From GlockTalk for Midway:

To receive your Savings:
1. Add regular price, in-stock products to your cart totaling:
    $100 or more - Use Promotion Code 11331177
    $200 or more - Use Promotion Code 21331177
    $300 or more - Use Promotion Code 31331177
    $500 or more - Use Promotion Code 51331177

2. Enter the promotion code into the box titled, "Promotion Code" on the shopping cart page.
3. See the discount applied on the Confirmation page near the end of the checkout.

Offer expires at 11:59 p.m. CT on November 21, 2011. Hurry!

Special Reminders & Exclusions:
• Each code can only be used once. One code per order.
• Sale, clearance, out-of-stock, Nightforce and FNH products do not count towards the total.
• Gift certificates do not count towards the total.
• Can only be used on midwayusa.com. No phone, fax or mail orders please.
• Cannot be used with any other promotion code, or combined with Dealer, Birthday or Special pricing.

Online Poll: Concealed Carry

2011-11-02T23:18:00.001-04:00

Here's an article called Time For Citizens To Arm Themselves, about Sheriff Chuck Wright of Spartanburg County S.C.. Part way through the article is a poll.

How do you feel about concealed weapons?
I already carry one

I am going to get a CWP

I wouldn't carry a weapon

The good sheriff really isn't pulling any punches. I guess he ended the "on record" interview with, "I think I better stop before I get sanctioned."

I wonder if he'd consider moving up to Delaware County, PA. I'd probably vote for him.

Holder Knew About Fast and Furious in March?

2011-10-15T14:13:00.002-04:00

In what Rush Limbaugh called a random act of journalism, John King of CNN discovered, and reported, that not only did Holder get memos about Fast And Furious in October 2010, he must have been asked, by Obama, whether he knew about it back in March.

You can find the video here, on RealClearPolitics.

So, let me work out the timeline here:

March 2010 - On CNN Espanol, Obama states:

Eric Holder has -- the attorney general has been very clear that he knew nothing about this. We had assigned an I.G., inspector general, to investigate it.

October 2010 - Lanny Breuer, Holder's deputy, chief of the Criminal Division, sends Holder a memo stating that prosecutors are ready to issue indictments for the Fast and Furious operation.

July 2010 - Director of the National Drug Intelligence Center, Michael Walther, sends Holder a memo that the straw buyers observed during the Fast And Furious program:

. . . are responsible for the purchase of 1,500 firearms that were then supplied to the Mexican drug trafficking cartels.

May 3, 2011 - When asked by Congressman Issa, in front of the House Judiciary Committee, Holder claims that he:

. . . probably heard about Fast And Furious for the first time over the last few weeks.

Earlier this week, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa (R-California) subpoenaed the Justice Department to supply all documents and communications between Holder, his deputies, and the White House, regarding the Fast And Furious gun-running operation.

Although I tend to be pessimistic, I'm thinking that, in light of recent events, the chances of Obama getting re-elected are getting pretty slim. If it comes out that the administration and the BATFE deliberately supplied firearms to the Mexican cartels, then NOBODY'S going to be happy about that.

Holder and the Fast And Furious Memos

2011-10-04T23:16:00.000-04:00

I was hearing earlier today that U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder was sent memos about the ATF's Fast And Furious program back in July 2010. I've just heard a little while ago, from CNN (on in the break room), that the Fast And Furious memos to Holder started back in October 2010. This isn't looking good for Holder, given that when he told the House Judiciary Committee, in early May, that he had, "probably heard about Fast And Furious for the first time over the last few weeks."

Glocks - Unsupported Chambers - 9mm and .45ACP vs. .40S&W

2011-10-02T01:57:00.001-04:00

I want to address this, because there are misconceptions, and it keeps coming up on forums, at gunshop counters, in the aisles at gun shows, and at shooting matches.

It's widely known that the chambers of Glock .40S&W barrels are not fully supported, and that part of the cartridge case will bulge where it's not supported by the barrel. This is actually true. Depending on who you ask, this could be a problem for reloaders. Not all reloaders agree that .40S&W Glocked brass is the problem that so many claim it is though. I don't have a .40 Glock, or any other .40 for that matter, so I can't tell you from experience.

The Glock .45ACP barrels also have chambers that aren't fully supported. I do see some bulging, but the Lee dies iron that right out. I've fired Glocked-brass reloads through a Kart Match barrel and a Kimber barrel without a problem, and they all drop in and fall out of the EGW gage block. I know I've got .45ACP brass that I've fired through my Glock 21 at least 6 times, and I've never had a .45ACP case fail yet.

I can tell you for sure that the chambers of 9mm Glock pistols are as supported as you're ever going to get for a 9mm autoloader. No bulged brass, no problems. I run Glocked 9mm brass through Lee dies, and then run the ammo through Kahr, KKM Match, RRA, Smith & Wesson, or Beretta barrels. I don't even use the Lee Factory Crimp Dies for pistol rounds that re-resize rounds. I've probably got brass that's been fired through my factory-stock Glock nines 6 times, and I may reload this brass a few more times before I lose it. The only brass I've ever cracked was nickel plated Federal, and that let go after 2 or 3 loadings.

If you're still concerned, and you've got any Glocked-brass that you want to sell dirt cheap, let me know.

Attero Arms AK Mount - $75, Co-Witness with Micro Red Dot

2011-09-18T20:24:00.001-04:00

Picture "borrowed" from Attero Website - Hey, it's free advertising.

Hey, this is kind of neat. For about $75, you get new iron sights with white dots, and a mount to fit a micro red dot.

Direct link to Attero Arms & Accessories products page.

There's two models. The one pictured above is the "Alpha" model, and it fits the Burris Fastfire sights, Trijicon RMR, and other sights with the Doctor pattern mounting holes. The Bravo model fits Aimpoint Micros and the Primary Arms Micro Dot.

Looking forward to hearing some range reports.

Aimpoint Micro T-1s Under $500

2011-08-30T12:45:00.000-04:00

Midway is running a sale on the Aimpoint Micro T-1. $499.99 without any mount, which won't be a problem for those that are going to buy a high mount for an AR anyway. Use coupon code "182011" to get the sale price.

SWFA is running almost the same deal @ $498.95.

VLTOR AK Stock Tubes Available

2011-08-20T17:19:00.001-04:00

I see that Midway and Carolina Shooter Supply have the VLTOR AR collapsible stock adapters for stamped AK rifles in stock. These have been sold out everywhere pretty much since 2008. Just thought that's I'd let everyone know.

I've gone for ACE stock adapters, because I want to add folder hinges at some point when I find the money.

Brownells Free Shipping Coupon Code

2011-08-14T19:06:00.000-04:00

Use coupon code "DGM" at Brownells.com to get free ground shipping on orders over $150, "for a limited time."

Just a note, in case you haven't heard: Brownells now sells ammo.

Archangel Sparta - Ruger Mini Stock

2011-08-09T01:03:00.005-04:00

Screenshot from Archangel Video

Archangel Sparta Promotional Video

I think this is kind of cool, except for the now-superfluous Ruger front sight sitting out there on the barrel. A Bushmaster ACR-type stock for Ruger Mini rifles. Seems the stocks fit both Mini-14s and Mini-30s. Has a one-size-fits-some grip - like the ACRs. Has a cheekpiece adjustable for height - like the ACRs. The stocks have integrated sling QD swivel sockets, like an enhanced ACR (the basic models don't have sockets forward of the magwell). The length of pull is adjustable, like most AR carbine stocks. The stock does not fold.

I'm told that the scope rail is aluminum, not polymer. The flip-up sights will probably be included, and I'd bet money that they're ProMag sights, because Archangel is a division of ProMag.

The Sparta stocks have not been released for sale yet. Rumor has it, that they're working on getting the stocks to be a universal fit, but Ruger has changed the design of the Minis over the last few decades, and that's causing some issues.

On a somewhat related note; the Archangel Marauder stocks that convert Ruger 10/22s into a G36 look-alike have started shipping, but they seem to be sold out everywhere. The Midway price is $160 or $170, and I'm sort of thinking of buying one before HK sues and issues a cease and desist order. A little bit cheesy, and the stock probably ruins the accuracy of the rifle a bit, because the scope rail on the stock isn't bolted directly to the top of the receiver or the barrel. It is, however, cheaper than an airsoft G36, and I've already got a 10/22 to drop into it. Hmm.

S&W Model 329 Safety Recall

2011-07-24T20:40:00.001-04:00

Performance Center Model 329 Revolvers Safety Recall Information

This safety recall notice applies to the limited edition model 329 revolver manufactured at the Smith & Wesson performance center. This safety recall notice applies to 270 revolvers manufactured at the performance center bearing serial numbers - ranging from BVA0004 to BVA0210 and DEW0001 to DEW0099.

It has been determined that damage to the frame may have occurred during assembly of the single piece barrel. As a result, there exists the possibility that the revolver may rupture during firing, causing a failure of the firearm and creating a risk of personal injury.

You should immediately stop using the revolver and return it to Smith & Wesson. Upon return Smith & Wesson will issue a refund or a credit towards the purchase of a replacement firearm.To determine if your revolver is subject to this safety recall notice, please check the serial number. The serial number is displayed on the frame of the revolver and is visible with the cylinder open. See the diagram below:

Please note that this safety recall notice does not apply to the model 329 PD. The model 329 PD is designed with a two-piece barrel. Because of this and other design, manufacture and assembly differences that exist between the model 329 PD and the limited edition model 329 manufactured at the performance center, the safety and performance concerns that led to this recall do not affect the model 329 PD. You should return your revolver only if it is a model 329 with a serial number in the range specified above.

Please contact Smith & Wesson directly at 1-800-331-0852 to arrange for the return of your firearm.

Again, the above was copied from the official S&W Website. Specifically from the Model 329 Recall Page.

S&W Performance Center 460 Safety Recall

2011-07-24T20:08:00.002-04:00

SAFETY RECALL NOTICE

PRODUCT: Smith & Wesson's Performance Center Model 460 Revolvers

DESCRIPTION OF THE HAZARD: Smith & Wesson has received four (4) reports of barrel failures involving its Performance Center Model 460 revolvers. These barrels were manufactured by an outside supplier. Our investigation has revealed that the quality of steel in some of these barrels did not meet the performance requirements for these firearms and may have contributed to failure of the barrel.

You should stop using the revolver and return it immediately to Smith & Wesson so that your barrel can be inspected and replaced, if necessary.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRODUCT INVOLVED: This recall applies to Performance Center Model 460 revolvers shipped by the Smith & Wesson Performance Center prior to September 18, 2006. This recall does NOT apply to Smith & Wesson standard production Model 460 revolvers. The affected revolvers can be identified by the following Serial Number Range:

EBD0001 - EBD0524
EBF0002 - EBF0251
LHZ0000 - LHZ0511
LLL0000 - LLL0702
LRR0001 - LRR0552
MMM0001 - MMM1809
XMC0001 - XMC0109

To determine if your firearm is part of this recall, please check your serial number which can be found on the yoke of your firearm as indicated below. Each Performance Center Model 460 will have the words "Performance Center" engraved on the barrel as indicated below:

REMEDY/ACTION TO BE TAKEN: When the revolver is returned to Smith & Wesson, we will inspect and test each barrel to verify that it meets specification. If the barrel fails to meet specification, a new one will be provided and installed for you free of charge.

We have already begun the corrective action process on Performance Center Model 460 revolvers. To determine whether your revolver has been inspected, please do the following:
Keep the firearm pointed in a safe direction;
Open the cylinder and verify that the firearm is unloaded; and
Look for a "punch dot" in the yoke opening, just above the serial number, as shown below.

CONSUMER CONTACT: Please contact Smith & Wesson directly at 1-800-331-0852 ext. 2905, or through our web site at www.smith-wesson.com to arrange for the return of your revolver. All work will be done free of charge.

The above was copied from the offical S&W website, specifically the Performance Center 460 recall page.

EAA Witness Pistol Safety Recall

2011-07-24T19:34:00.002-04:00

The following is a cut and paste from the EAA Corp. News page.

If you own an EAA Witness style semi-automatic pistol bearing a serial number between AE00000 to AE70000, please read this Notice.

Owners of the above designated Witness pistols should immediately field strip the pistol and send the slide assembly to European American Armory Corp., 411 Hawk Street, Rockledge, Florida 32955. Upon receipt, European American Armory Corp. will replace the original firing pin with an upgraded firing pin for your pistol.

Please follow the instructions and warnings in the Owners’ Manual and do not disassemble your pistol beyond a field strip. Any disassembly beyond a field strip should only be performed by a qualified gunsmith. In particular, the firing pin should never be removed by you. If the firing pin is removed, it must be re-installed correctly by a qualified gunsmith or the EAA Corp. service center. If the firing pin is installed incorrectly in an upside down position, it may adversely affect the operation of your pistol and its safeties. If your pistol is not operating properly, discontinue using it and take it to a qualified gunsmith or send it to the European American Armory Corp. service center immediately.

Thank you for your attention to this Notice. Please call European American Armory Corp. at (800) 536-4442 if you have any questions regarding this Notice.

There's also a link to an online feedback form.

The Good and Bad of the Last Few Months

2011-07-18T00:57:00.004-04:00

GOOD: I was able to snag a Spike's Tactical 5.45x39mm AR upper from AIM Surplus.
BAD: There's only one company making 5.45mm AR mags, and they're not too good at it. All the C Products mags that I've tried, right out of the bag, don't work very well.
GOOD: A little Teflon dry-lube goes a long way toward making the mags work. Tweaking the feedlips to actually hold the rounds in the magazine seems to help a lot too. I got 3 mags to work all the way through, with 25 rounds. The one that was causing a stoppage every 2 or 3 rounds, all the way through the magazine, didn't give me any more trouble. Things are looking better now.
BAD: The 4th, and last, magazine that I had with me caused another trademark bolt-over-base malfunction. I cleared the jam, reinserted the round, and it did the same thing again. Like a flyer opening up a nice tight group, there's always gotta be one that screws things up.
GOOD: From a decent, supported position (not bench rest), and practical sights, the upper will keep the shots on an index card at 100 yards with cheap Russian surplus and Silver Bear commercial ammo. This is on par with M193 from my free-floated M4 upper, and the Spikes 5.45mm still has the plastic handguards and the delta ring and all.

BAD: Last time I took the Bushmaster ACR out to the indoor range, I fired a shot, and immediately knew that something wasn't right. I grabbed the charging handle, and pulled it, and the empty shell flipped out. I discovered that I didn't have the gas plug in the rifle.
GOOD: I brought the Tantal along, with the new scope mount, and I had enough loaded mags to keep me busy for an hour.
GOOD: I found the gas plug for the ACR sitting on the bench at home. Yeah, I'm a dumbass. Go ahead and laugh, I deserve it.

BAD: When I took my folding stock 10/22 out to the rifle range last weekend, I was getting a lot of stove-pipe and failure-to-eject malfunctions. That was weird. I've had my 10/22s squared away for a while. When I looked it over today, I discovered that the hook had broken off the extractor. Yeah, that'll do it.
GOOD: Surprisingly, about half of the shells popped out under the power of the burning powder, so I still got some shooting done.
GOOD: New 10/22 extractors cost all of $2.50, and I have the tools and knowledge to tune them. I can borrow one from the other 10/22 anyway.
GOOD: The 10/22 seems to feed the blunt-nose Winchester 555 hollow points okay, and it shoots 'em good enough to hit the plates, so at least I've got one rimfire that'll work with the damn things.

BAD: When I went to run some drills with my airsoft Glock, I tried to fill the magazine with gas, and the gas leaked right back out through the bottom of the mag.
GOOD: Fortunately, the engineers at Marui in Tokyo did a decent job of creating a simple magazine, that's fairly easy to understand and work on. I took the bottom off the mag, smeared some silicone oil on the seal and o-ring, put it back together, and tightened the gas valve a fraction of a turn. The magazine started holding gas again, so I was able to work on drawing from a holster, and shooting on the move.

That's more good that bad. I think I'll count that as an overall win, eh?

AIM Surplus - 10% Off Coupon Code

2011-07-04T02:01:00.000-04:00

Coupon Code: july4th
Gets you 10% off accessories and magazines. Expires July 4th, today. Sorry, better late than never, eh?

"New" PA Governor Signs "Castle Doctrine" Bill Into Law

2011-07-03T12:24:00.001-04:00

Many of you in other states are probably thinking, "Welcome to the 21st century," but this has been a long fight for gun owners in PA, against previous governor "Fast Eddie" Rendell and embedded democrat state politicians. The bill was stalled for months by a state congressman who wouldn't bring it up for a vote, and some other political horseplay. Once finally brought to a vote, it didn't meet very much opposition. PA voted in a lot of Republicans in 2010, including Governor Corbett. The bill was passed to Corbett on the 22nd, after passing through PA Senate, and he signed on the 28th.

For PA residents, "Castle Doctrine" law goes into effect on August 27, 2011.

TWS Gen.II AK Scope Mount

2011-06-26T01:04:00.012-04:00

I finally got the Gen. II TWS scope mount and peep sight that I ordered from Dallas Shooting Supplies a few days after Christmas. Harummph!! It came in about the 20th of May. I'm not exactly sure, because I wasn't home and they didn't supply a tracking number. I believe that I got the latest version with the "spacer" for the .308 Saiga rifles. My intention was to mount it on my Interarms Tantal (Polish AK-74, more or less, with some unique differences).

How Does It Work?
The TWS Gen. II scope mount is a railed dust cover. Wait a minute, don't start groaning just yet, this one's pretty clever, and seems to work really well!

The cover is held in place in front by a hinge pin that passes through the front of the mount, and the holes where the pin for the rear sight used to reside. That pin fits tight too. The tab that the hinge pin goes through is attached to the dust cover with two socket head screws. The overall length of the TWS mount, from rear sight bracket to stock trunnion, can be adjusted with these two screws in order to help make the mount fit individual rifles.

A tab, bent in on the right side of the cover works as a spring to maintain the lateral alignment of the rail.

Top: Right, rear corner of TWS dust cover mount. Bottom: Inside, rear of railed TWS dust cover.

An angled surface on the bottom edge of the take-down button supplied with the rail interacts with the cover, like a wedge, to hold the cover tight against the stock trunnion. Recoil only helps to snug the mount down tighter.

Crude attempt to show the angle of the button on the TWS guide rod.

The TWS dust cover mount is held tight to the receiver every which way. The barrel is press-fit and pinned into the barrel trunnion, which is firmly riveted to the receiver. The rear sight and optic mounted on TWS mount should stay aligned with the barrel.

Compatibility

The TWS mount will fit most stamped and milled 5.45mm, 7.62x39mm, 7.62x51mm (Saiga), and .223Rem AK variants. It will not fit Yugo's, because their dust covers are half an inch shorter than most AKs. It will not fit Saiga shotguns, because the shotguns have different barrel trunnions and rear sights.

It doesn't attach to the tang of stock trunnion, so it will work with AK pistols, underfolders, and rifles with side-folding stocks.

I believe there are plans for a Yugo version.

Return-To-Zero
The TWS mount is supposed to hold a zero, and return to zero even after you flip it up and lock it back down, through the simple machine elements described above. For the most part, it does. After sighting in, I flipped the mount/dust cover up, and unseated the take-down button/recoil spring guide, and then I buttoned everything back up again and vigorously racked the bolt carrier a few times. I did this return-to-zero test a couple of times. The first 2 or three shots would go a little bit to the right before the recoiling bolt carrier fully seated the take-down button/recoil spring guide against the rear of the dust cover/mount. After those first few rounds, the bullets would start going through into 10-ring again. At 12 paces the difference was maybe half an inch for the 1st round. I can live with that.

This testing was done without fitting the recoil spring guide to the stock trunnion. Return-to-zero may be better now that it’s fitted -- more on this when I get to installation.

First Impressions
Initial inspection was very positive. I was happy to see that the font size of the engraving was not as large as on some of the prototype and beta-test mounts. I also was a little surprised at how nice the mount looked. I wasn't sure exactly what I'd get from a small company. The mount looks very nice, and there's no machining marks on the outside of the unit. Every other slot in the rail has a number machined (maybe laser engraved?) on it. I'm very pleased.

Please note that my Interarms Tantal has a grey finish. Keep that in mind as you look at the picture of the mount on my rifle. The grey rifle finish is the oddball, not the finish on the TWS mount. I actually really like the grey/black two-tone look. . . I just need Duracoat the silver Aimpoint.

Installation
The mount didn't come with any instructions. Having read through the ak47.net forum thread, and seen a YouTube video on how to remove an AK rear sight, I knew what I had to do. That TWS Gen. II Scope Mount thread currently stands at 69 pages, and it's still going. The mount should come with an instruction sheet, it's not a simple drop-in/bolt-on installation. I was able to get the mount installed in 25-30 minutes, with a lot of that time spent fighting to get the hinge pin installed against the sight spring pressure. Like I said, the pin fits tightly, and forcing everything into place took some real effort. Removing the rear sight from my rifle was not as easy as shown in the video either, so that took maybe 3-5 minutes, instead of about 2 seconds as shown. Getting the recoil spring removed from the Tantal take-down button/recoil spring guide, and reinstalled on the button/guide supplied with the mount was easier than I had expected, but remember, there were no instructions included, and I was working on prior knowledge from reading 50+ pages of forum posts. Without knowing what to do, it would have taken a whole lot longer.

I did get the mount installed on the Tantal without cutting or filing anything. It should be noted however, that fitting the TWS recoil spring guide may be necessary or even required in some cases. The Gen.II mount worked pretty well on my rifle with no modification, but I don’t think stoning/filing the bottom of the TWS recoil spring guide hurts anything, and I’ll feel better knowing that there’s nothing to keep the mount from locking down snug.

Stock TWS spring guide. Note that both screws are showing.

Romanian Spring Guide. See how far back it goes?

TWS spring guide with the bottom filed/stoned down some. Note only one screw fully exposed now.

Co-Witness
The rail sits very low, allowing some micro red dot sights to co-witness with the iron sights if you get the TWS peep sight. With a real Aimpoint Micro, the iron sights show in the lower 1/4 of the tube. Heights of the tubes of the Aimpoint micro clones often sit higher up and may not allow co-witnessing with the iron sights. By all accounts the Bushnell TRS-25 micro red dot sight will co-witness, and runs $75-90 some places. The Primary Arms Gen.7 Red Dot, with the non-removable mount, may also co-witness, but the TRS-25 seems to be more common on the TWS Gen.II Mount. The Primary Arms Micros that I have, have the detachable mounts, and the bottom of the tube and dot emitter block the iron sights.

Putting the rail on top of the dust cover gets the rail very nearly as low as on an Ultimak Scout Mount. It is lower than the other Beryl-type rails made by Kreb's ($300!?!?), DPH Arms, UTG, or Red Star Arms.

Balance
The TWS rail doesn't add any more weight up front, like a 3 or 4 rail handguard. Think about it. Almost all the weight of an AK is forward of the pistol grip. There's a lot of steel hanging out there already.

Atxjax on the Glocktalk forum weighed everything, and found that the TWS mount only adds 1.04 ounces over the weight of standard steel rear sight and dust cover, 3.46 ounces with an Aimpoint R1.

Cleaning/Clearing Stoppages
The mount/dust cover flips up, hinged off of what used to be the rear sight block, the rear sight now being mounted on the rail on top of the TWS dust cover. No tools are required to release the cover, and lift it up, although the bullet tip of a cartridge, a pen, or a similar object can be used to push in the button of the recoil spring guide. If junk gets in behind the bolt carrier, you just push in the take-down button on the guide rod, and flip up the rail. The mount doesn't hinder cleaning or maintenance as much as a side-mount, except the taller ones. You can still remove the gas tube for cleaning, and remove the handguard, unlike the Ultimak scout mount, which clamps onto the barrel and blocks the lever that releases the lower handguard.

Live Fire
I got the Tantal out to sight in. The first trip to the range was mostly uneventful. I had to move the front sight a bit to the right to align with the TWS peep sight, but that's fine with me, because the front sight had been most of the way to the left, over toward the protecting wing of the front sight base. Elevation was almost spot on. The tip of the front sight is nearly at the top of the protective wings of the front sight base for a 100 yard zero, but I was able to get the sights lined up for both 25 and 100 yard zeros (only one at a time, obviously, with just one aperture).

For the 2nd outing, I took my Polish AK-74 up north to indoor range for some rapid fire. Everything was fine, up until the last round of the last magazine I had with me. The bolt carrier stayed to the rear, which is weird, because AKs don’t normally have anything to hold them open after the last round. I didn't really think too much of it at the time. I tapped the charging handle, the bolt carrier slammed home, I dropped the hammer, and cased the rifle and cleaned up.

When I popped the cover open to clean the rifle at home, I found the “spacer” laying loose in behind the trigger. Half of the pin that was holding the spacer onto the recoil spring guide was rattling around in the receiver. I’m not sure where the other half of the pin went. Fell out, I guess. The top of the spacer had made some contact with the inside of the dust cover, removing some finish, but I don’t think any structural damage was done. If you scroll up, and look at the picture of the inside of the dust cover, you'll see two silver marks just forward of the square slot in the rear of the cover. Those silver marks were made by the tabs at the top of the spacer.

Oops! That's not supposed to happen.

I tried to get the spacer back onto the recoil spring guide, to show you what it's supposed to look like. However, the spacer must have been bent out of shape after getting beaten by the bolt carrier, and it no longer fits. You can see pictures of the assembled spring guide and the Saiga .308 spacer and guide rod on page 63 of the AK47.net thread, as posted by Rafaga (Nelson of TWS).

I wasn’t crazy about the idea of a metal spacer in there anyway. I pulled the Blackjack recoil buffer out of my WASR-10, which didn’t need it anyway, and put it on the TWS guide rod. The buffer is that blue thing you see in the picture with the cover flipped up. Nelson of TWS is offering to send out solid recoil spring guides without the spacer. I think I’ll take him up on that offer. I’m afraid the whole spacer thing is giving him a bit of a headache.

There is another small matter of peening at the rear of the ejection port. I'm told that it's from ejecting casings hitting the dust cover on the way out, and I guess this must be true. I don't think it'll be an issue, but it's something I'm going to keep an eye on. Nelson at TWS says that that part of the dust cover work hardens, and the peening stops after a certain round count.

Sorry, I couldn't get a better picture. Camera doesn't do close-ups very well.

Heat Transfer
I put 5 magazines through my Tantal with the TWS mount over the course of an hour. Although there was some heat transfer into the mount through the rear sight block, very little of the heat transferred into the Aimpoint through the rear sight block. I had a glove on my support hand, afraid of getting burnt by the metal up front, but the red dot sight stayed more or less at room temperature.

I did the same thing with my WASR with the Ultimak Scout mount, and after five magazines, the mount of the Primary Arms red dot was starting to get quite warm. The Primary Arms sight held up to the heat, but I when I went to clean the rifle, I noticed that the sight was loose on the mount. I think the heat from the gas tube mount melted the threadlocker I put on the screw that holds it on the rail.
'
Conclusion
A little too early for me to say yet, but the TWS Gen. II mount definitely shows great promise. I'm looking forward to putting more rounds though the "new" Tantal, and really shaking down the new TWS mount. I like my "new" modernized Tantal.

EDIT, 11/19/11: I e-mailed TWS, and they said to send in the recoil spring guide rod and spacer, and they'd send me the standard no-spacer model. So that's what I did. I haven't gotten to shoot with it yet though.

UPDATE, 12/10/11: All is well. I didn't even have to adjust the sights.

How To Make a Magazine Lip Tool

2011-06-09T00:42:00.004-04:00

I wanted a 5.45x39mm AR upper, to shoot some of thatinexpensive Russian surplus ammo. Scoreda Spike's mid-length 5.45mm upper from AIM Surplus when they had some in stock. I've come to find out though, that many ofthe C Products 5.45mm AR mags are crap. Most of them work all right, if you load them half way. However, if I load them with more than 20rounds, and I got lots of feed failures.

Without getting too deep into the issues with the 5.45mmmags, I'll tell you that the feed lips were part of the problem. I've been down this road before.

I guess it was back when the only pistol I had was aRuger Mk.II, that a bullseye shooter told me how to make a mag lip tool from acarriage bolt to keep the Mk.II from jamming bullets into the bottom of thefeedramp.

Brownell's sells a tool to adjust AR magazine feedlipsfor about $13, but a carriage bolt only costs about 60 cents. It's just a matter of shaping the bolt into atool.

I'm 90% certain that I made the tool for the Ruger Mk.IItool from a 1/4" bolt. For the ARmagazine tool, I bought a 5/16" bolt. I could have gone a couple sizes larger, but it gets the job done. I you have access to key stock, use that, andsave yourself a few steps, but the carriage bolts you can pick up at mosthardware stores for less than a buck.

5/16" Carriage Bolt, with the head annealed

You've got to cut the flange off the bolt, leaving you with the square. . . lug, at the head of the bolt. Then you cut a notch in the "lug" to slip over the offending magazine lip and bend into the right shape. That's about it, really. If you've got a torch available, annealing and case hardening are optional extra steps. The annealing helps keep you from chewing up your cutting tools. Case hardening will help make the tool last longer.

Carriage bolt with the flange hacked off, and the "lug" filed square(ish)

"lug" notched to make the tool

Large one for AR-15, small one for .22 Pistol

Tool used for bending feedlips into shape

Zombie Defense Bug Out Gun?

2011-05-28T01:44:00.000-04:00

Found an . . . interesting/funny article on the American Rifleman website. The official title is, "Bug Out Bag: Your One Survival Gun." Basically, it's about picking a weapon for a zombie apocalypse. Although I don't really have such a firearm (though I'd only have to swap a barrel), I can't really argue the logic put forth.

It's kind of a shame they don't print this kind of thing in the magazine. There's no hard and fast rule that we can't have a sense of humor.

I need to go watch Zombieland again now. Talk to you later.

AR15 Lube Points

2011-04-20T12:40:00.000-04:00

Been a while, eh? I've been busy moving, and then doing taxes.

Anyway, I've come upon this thread on the weaponevolution.com forum with some handy graphics showing the points to lubricate the parts of AR-15/M-16 pattern rifles. The information is available in the M-16 field manuals, which are available for free download from several websites, but the information is displayed very simply in the graphics in the thread, and you don't have to read several pages of dry field manual text to get the same information.

MP5-Look Parts Kit For GSG-522

2011-04-03T12:34:00.000-04:00

A German Sports Guns spokesman talked about these kits shortly after the HK lawsuit, but this is the first time I've seen these parts for sale. CDNN Investments has the parts available to make your GSG-522 look like an HK MP5. At $19.99, I think the price is really reasonable.

Direct link to the GSG-522 to GSG-5 parts kit @ CDNN.

Although I think some of the changes made to create the GSG-522 were genuine improvements, there's no reason you couldn't mix and match parts.

Winchester Ranger .223Rem Ammo Recall

2011-03-27T21:41:00.000-04:00

It would seem that some Winchester Ranger ammo blew up some AR patrol rifles at a carbine class, which kicked off the recall.

Link To Recall Info At The Official Winchester Website

3/1/2011

Olin Corporation, through its Winchester Division, is recalling six (6) lots of its RANGER® 223 Remington 64 Grain Power-Point® (PP) centerfire rifle ammunition (Symbol Number RA223R2).

Lot Numbers (last four characters): DK01, DK11, DK21, DK31, DK41, and DK51

Through extensive evaluation Winchester has determined the above lots of RANGER® Law Enforcement ammunition may contain incorrect propellant. Incorrect propellant in this ammunition may cause firearm damage, rendering the firearm inoperable, and subject the shooter or bystanders to a risk of serious personal injury when fired.

DO NOT USE WINCHESTER® RANGER® 223 REMINGTON 64 GRAIN POWER-POINT® AMMUNITION THAT HAS A LOT NUMBER ENDING IN DK01, DK11, DK21, DK31, DK41 or DK51. The ammunition Lot Number is ink stamped inside the right tuck flap of the 20-round carton, as indicated here:

To determine if your ammunition is subject to this notice, review the Lot Number. If the last four characters of the Lot Number are DK01, DK11, DK21, DK31, DK41 or DK51 immediately discontinue use and contact Winchester toll-free at 866-423-5224 to arrange for replacement ammunition and free UPS pick-up of the recalled ammunition.

This notice applies only to RANGER® 223 Remington 64 Grain Power-Point® centerfire rifle ammunition with lot numbers ending in DK01, DK11, DK21, DK31, DK41, and DK51. Other Symbol Numbers or Lot Numbers are not subject to this recall.

If you have any questions concerning this RANGER® Law Enforcement ammunition recall please call toll-free 866-423-5224, write to Winchester (600 Powder Mill Road, East Alton, IL 62024 Attn: RA223R2 Recall), or visit our website at www.winchester.com.

Letter To A Mugger on Craig's List

2011-03-26T12:58:00.002-04:00

I got this in my e-mail. Not sure if it's entirely real, but it's an interesting story anyway.

-------------------------------------

This my friend is what the 2nd amendment is all about.......bmpr

AN ACTUAL CRAIG'S LIST PERSONALS AD

To the Guy Who Tried to Mug Me in Downtown Savannah night before last. Date: 2009-05-27, 1 :43 am. E.S.T. I was the guy wearing the black Burberry jacket that you demanded that I hand over, shortly after you pulled the knife on me and my girlfriend, threatening our lives. You also asked for my girlfriend's purse and earrings. I can only hope that you somehow come across this rather important message.

First, I'd like to apologize for your embarrassment; I didn't expect you to actually crap in your pants when I drew my pistol after you took my jacket.. The evening was not that cold, and I was wearing the jacket for a reason.. My girlfriend had just bought me that Kimber Model 1911 .45 ACP pistol for my birthday, and we had picked up a shoulder holster for it that very evening. Obviously you agree that it is a very intimidating weapon when pointed at your head ... Isn't it?!

I know it probably wasn't fun walking back to wherever you'd come from with that brown sludge in your pants. I'm sure it was even worse walking bare-footed since I made you leave your shoes, cell phone, and wallet with me. [That prevented you from calling or running to your buddies to come help mug us again]. After I called your mother or "Momma" as you had her listed in your cell, I explained the entire episode of what you'd done. Then I went and filled up my gas tank as well as those of four other people in the gas station, -- on your credit card. The guy with the big motor home took 150 gallons and was extremely grateful!

I gave your shoes to a homeless guy outside Vinnie Van Go Go's, along with all the cash in your wallet. [That made his day!] I then threw your wallet into the big pink "pimp mobile" that was parked at the curb .... After I broke the windshield and side window and keyed the entire driver's side of the car Later, I called a bunch of phone sex numbers from your cell phone. Ma Bell just now shut down the line, although I only used the phone for a little over a day now, so what 's going on with that?

Earlier, I managed to get in two threatening phone calls to the DA's office and one to the FBI, while mentioning President Obama as my possible target. The FBI guy seemed really intense and we had a nice long chat (I guess while he traced your number etc.). ;In a way, perhaps I should apologize for not killing you ... But I feel this type of retribution is a far more appropriate punishment for your threatened crime. I wish you well as you try to sort through some of these rather immediate pressing issues, and can only hope that you have the opportunity to reflect upon, and perhaps reconsider, the career path you've chosen to pursue in life.. Remember, next time you might not be so lucky.

Have a good day!
Thoughtfully yours,
evin C

Great Jeff Cooper Quote: "The Rifle Is A Weapon"

2011-03-15T01:42:00.001-04:00

In doing a little research on gun registration (you'll find out why shortly, I still need to dot some t's and cross some eyes), I found this quote from Jeff Cooper. Although I didn't always agree with Mr. Cooper, I find this very eloquent.

The rifle is a weapon. Let there be no mistake about that. It is a toolof power, and thus dependent completely upon the moral stature of itsuser. It is equally useful in securing meat for the table, destroyinggroup enemies on the battlefield, and resisting tyranny. In fact, it isthe only means of resisting tyranny, since a citizenry armed withrifles simply cannot be tyrannized

Crosman MAR177 AR-15 PCP Pellet Rifle

2011-03-08T02:12:00.000-05:00

I had actually meant to do a short article on the Anshutz AR-type air rifle, but just never got around to it.

Word has just gotten to me that Crosman was showing a new AR-type PCP air rifle at the SHOT show. They've dubbed it MAR177; the MAR bit standing for Modular Adaptive Rifle, and the 177 obviously refers to the caliber. It's actually not a complete rifle, but an upper to fit to your AR-15 lower. For the sake of simplicity, I will refer to the MAR177 + your lower as an air rifle.

The Crosman MAR177 is a Pre-Charged Pneumatic (PCP) air rifle, like my Marauder, and appears to use a similar magazine (but 8-shot, rather than 10-shot like the Marauder). You'd fill the air cylinder with a high-pressure hand pump or SCUBA tank. You can see the pellet magazine above what would be the ejection port.

I can see these being bought by CMP/DCM shooters looking to practice indoors, or maybe just looking to shoot cheaper ammo. The upper can be placed on your match lower, so that you get the same trigger pull. Not sure yet if you can put like a modified A2/A4 handguard on it yet. They are saying that it will put 10 rounds into a 9mm circle at 10 meters. The barrel is made by Lothar Walther, the same barrel they use for their Challenger PCP rifles, actually. The MAR177 meets the requirements for use in National Match Air Rifle competitions.

The velocity figure stated in the press release is 600 feet per second. I would imagine that is with match pellets that weight less than 8gr. Whether you can tune the rifle to shoot faster, is currently unknown, but the Crosman Challenger match rifle requires gunsmithing to get to magnum air rifle velocities. The air cylinder can be filled to pressures up to 3000psi, and should get 120 shots per fill at 600fps.

I'm almost certain that the upper is some kind of single-shot bolt action. I'll try to find out a little more from people who actually fondled it at the SHOT show.

Retail price is expected to be in the $800-900 range, and they are shooting (no pun intended) for a release date sometime this summer.

Crosman MAR177 Press Release

Help Counter Bloomberg's Gun Control Truck

2011-02-27T16:13:00.002-05:00

New York mayor Bloomberg and his gun ban group Mayors Against Illegal Guns (all guns really, not just illegal ones) are funding a truck billboard with a clock to track the number of deaths due to gun violence since the Arizona shooting. Naturally, there's no mention of deaths prevented by firearms.

Over the next 2 months, the Bloomberg/MAIG truck is traveling across the country, stopping in major cities.

Bloomberg and MAIG are pushing for:

NYC type gun laws requiring a background check for gun purchases that can take more than 6 months
A ban on most semi-automatics
Implement laws that will make gun shows too cumbersome and invasive to be profitable

An anti-gun campaign has compiled a online petition, with over 250,000 signatures to try to urge Obama and congress to impose these laws on the country.

The 2nd Amendment Foundation and Citizens for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) have teamed up to counter the Bloomberg billboard truck with their own billboard truck.

The SAF/CCRKBA truck will follow the Bloomberg/MAIG truck, and try to counter the lies of the gun-ban lobby. They do need help funding the truck and the traveling, however.

Normally, I wouldn't bother you all with fundraising missions, but I truly believe that this one is worth it. Please help SAF and CCRKA fund this important counter-attack!! I think this is one of the better ideas to come out of the gun rights lobby in a long time.

CCRKBA article about the billboard truck

US News & World Report Hi-Cap Mag Poll

2011-02-22T01:27:00.000-05:00

http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2011/02/11/Should-congress-ban-high-capacity-ammo-clips

Should Congress Ban High-Capacity Ammo Clips?

Yes or no question

Once again, they've phrased the question in such a way that it makes them sound like imbiciles.

Tapco Maybe Interested in Making 5.45x39mm AR Mags

2011-02-10T12:49:00.000-05:00

A Tapco rep on AR15.com is saying they may be interested in making 5.45mm Russian magazines for the AR-15 platform if there's enough interest. Drop an e-mail to customerservice@tapco.com to show your support, if you're interested.

Link To Thread on AR15.com

CProducts is the only company currently making 5.45x39mm AR mags, and there's a rumor that they are in trouble. There's been a lot of complaints about the CProducts magazines not always working so well anyway. Magpul apparently not too interested in 5.45mm mags, and Lancer has said no.

Alex Robinson Comments Re: The XCR Rifles and Customer Service

2011-01-30T14:22:00.001-05:00

I was reading The Firearm Blog post on the 7.62x51NATO XCR, and there was a comment left with a link to this post on the XCR Forum from Alex Robinson, the man behind Robinson Armament Company.

"The fact is that almost every 'new' rifle out there is based on someone else's work. The XCR is not. It is truly unique. Yes, it borrows some concepts from other rifles, but each part had to be designed without copying anything else to get the result we wanted. In short, Robinson Armament dared to challenge the establishment with a very different rifle.

Robinson Armament's efforts should have been embraced. However, from the beginning, we have (sic, sentence structure) nothing but crap on the internet. I distinctly remember posts on AR-15.com shortly after I announced the XCR. The post (sic) were that it was "Vaporware". Other posts exclaimed that it would never be built or never work as promised. Such posts made it very difficult to get the XCR off the ground and made people very skeptical of the new XCR.

Other posts exclaimed that we were going out of business. It seem (sic) that the whole rifle world was against us. I have often wondered why so much negativity for a new weapon platforms (sic)? It is as though people really don't want any new platforms. Thee (sic) people claim to want the best but all they do is whine. It is no wonder to me that others don't venture out with new designs - they are shot down before they begin."

"First, when you call for service, be polite. If you are not polite to my staff, I guaranty you will have a pleasant experience. Remember the old saying, 'You can attract more files (sic) with honey that (sic) with vinegar.' If you call with an attitude, my staff has been instructed to put you on the back burner. If you are nice and polite, you will get quicker service."

"Second, please read the manual carefully. I know it's boring but there's important information there. Many people do not understand that you need to set the gas correctly for function and durability. It's really quite simple - put it on the setting that throws the brass 8 to 15 feet from the rifle for any given ammo. Do not just leave the gas system on the highest setting, If you do, for some ammo it will kick like hell, throw your brass 40 feet, give you trigger slap, and damage your recoil buffer (a cheap part).

Third, please send us the following information:

Name, Address, Email and Cell number;
Serial Number;
Signed Copy of your warranty Registration found in the last pages of the Operator's Manual; and
A complete description of the problem, BE BRIEF. If you write and essay about your vast knowledge of firearms base (sic) on your long time relationship with your AR-15, we won't read it.

We will authorize the return to us of part or all of your firearm. WE DO NOT PAY FOR SHIPPING TO US.

Fourth, if you post a bunch of whiny petty negative stuff here or anywhere, I guaranty very slow service. I have made that a policy. Yes, we've made lots of mistakes with service but that is behind us."

"We appreciate those who stand by and support us. They are true patriots. We have to question the motives of those who continue to tear us down on this forum. They cannot stop us. Their petty feeble minds are easily exposed. The XCR will gain momentum until it covers the whole earth. There is no other platform like it and it is the best."

Yikes!!!

Although I think the Robinson XCR is a great design, I had serious concerns about parts availability, and customer service. I decided that buying an XCR was a risk that I didn't want to take. I had no idea that the customer service situation was as bad as this.

Tapco AK G2 Trigger Recall

2011-01-30T00:23:00.002-05:00

I just found out about this recently. Most of the bad parts may have been scrapped by now, but for safety's sake. . .

TAPCO, Inc. G2 TRIGGER GROUP PRODUCT SAFETY WARNING

We have determined that during the period between October 1, 2008 and December 31, 2008, G2 trigger groups may have contained disconnectors that have a disconnector spring hole that is too deep. Use of these could result in a rifle malfunction and should be checked immediately.

The correct depth of the hole is between .383 to .420. Any disconnector with a depth of .421 or more should be returned for exchange.

NOTE: The spring hole has a conical point and the measurement should be made from the shoulder where the spring will rest, not the point of the hole.

Returns should be sent to:

TAPCO G2 Return/Exchange
3615 Kennesaw N. Ind. Pkwy.
Kennesaw, GA 30144

Or, contact your Sales Account Manager for additional information

Thank you,

TAPCO, Inc.

I guess I should take apart my WASR-10 (now sporting a G2 single-hook trigger), and my Interarms Tantal (which came with a G2 double-hook trigger). Not looking forward to taking apart Sid The Saiga-12 though. The Bolt-Hold-Open lever and spring make reassembling the Saiga lower a huge pain in the rear.

Michigan Concealed Carry Poll

2011-01-26T12:44:00.001-05:00

LINK TO POLL

Should concealed weapons be allowed in churches, arenas and bars?
Yes
No
Other

'Yes' is winning by a pretty narrow margin.

NYDailyNews Gun Poll

2011-01-18T12:44:00.000-05:00

Link To Poll

This one is not going well, please hit it.

Obama must man up on guns -- take the political heat and fight for sane limits to firearm sales.

What do you think of current gun laws in the United States?

Current laws are too strict. Any infringement upon gun owners' rights is an infringement upon the 2nd amendment.

Current laws are not strict enough. We need to regulate access to deadly weapons.

Not sure

What's a 31-bullet clip? Some kind of reloading tool, I guess? :P

Lone Wolf Glock Frame Available. . . Finally

2011-01-18T01:41:00.001-05:00

Lone Wolf Timberwolf Frame

A while back, a couple years ago maybe, I reported that Lone Wolf Distributors was working on an aftermarket frame for Glock pistols, having already made a variety of slides for Glocks. Well they've finally released the frame for sale, which they call the Timberwolf. The frame is a serialized part, and needs to be transferred by a licensed dealer, like any firearm bought online, obviously. Lone Wolf has posted information on what you need to do to order and pick up the frame on the website (EDIT: Actually, I wasn't able to open the PDF file linked).

The Timberwolf frame features:

Two interchangable backstraps
Rounded trigger guard
Extended "beavertail"
Round magazine catch button
"Improved" checkering and "rail system"
"Higher grip angle," which I imagine means that you can get the web of your shooting hand up higher on the grip

Included with the Timberwolf frame:

Round mag catch
SF trigger housing
Two grip backstraps

The frame fits 3rd Gen. large frame 9mm/.40S&W/.357SIG Glocks, i.e. models 17, 17L, 22, 24, 31, 34, 35, and 37.

They have it listed at $199.99, which I don't think is too bad really, considering that Glock will not sell you just a frame, without the side and barrel and all the rest of the pistol. May be something to look into if you like Glocks, but your hands are too small for the Glock grip frame. From the thread on GlockTalk, it sounds like they will be releasing compact frames, and large 10mm/.45ACP frames sometime in the future.

Archangel G36 Conversion Kit For Ruger 10/22

2011-01-17T01:40:00.001-05:00

Marauder Stock Ad From Guns Magazine

The ProMag/Archangel guys have another interesting Ruger 10/22 stock. Obviously, it converts a 10/22 action into an HK G36 look-alike.

I don't know a whole lot about this yet. The ad was in the new issues of Guns and American Handgunner magazine that I just got in the mail a few days ago. There's no links to the kit on the Archangel website, although it is listed at $200 on the ProMag website (no pictures or info). I haven't been able to find much information on the kit, and only one SHOT show picture.

The stock kit is listed at $155.97 on the Sportsman's Depot webstore, but the kits haven't been released yet.

A few handy enthusiasts have been cramming 10/22 actions into the plastic bodies of airsoft G36s for a few years. I remember a YouTube video showing how it's done. Someone's finally stepped up to produce a drop-in stock to do the same thing. I hope that the G36 pattern magazine is high-capacity, single-column magazine to feed the 10/22 action, and not just a huge prosthetic to cover a 10-round Ruger rotary mag. I also hope that the scope mount on the kit stock is somehow firmly attached to the 10/22 receiver inside, so these things have a chance at being resonably accurate.

ACR Review, Part 3

2011-01-16T16:18:00.003-05:00

Previous Entries
Some Bushmaster ACR Observations (Part 1)
Bushmaster ACR Observations, Part 2

(I updated them, so that you can blow the photos up to fill the screen with a click. PITA, because Blogger still isn't user friendly when you try to post photos with captions. The line-spacing goes all wonky.)

Rapid Fire Testing
I've had the ACR out for a couple of rapid fire sessions. The rifle continues to impress me.

The first session, I had the ACR out along with my WASR (7.62x39mm Romanian AK). The ACR definitely has less recoil than the 7.62mm AK, even though the AK has a recoil buffer and muzzle brake. The second session, I had the ACR out along with my LMT M4, with both rifles having essentially the same barrel profile and flash hider. I still don't think that the recoil of ACR is different enough to even be noticeable when compared to a similarly equipped AR.

The heat-shielded polymer handguards seem to do a really good job. After a 3 magazines, the gas block was HOT, but I could only feel a little warmth coming through the handguards. There is a Magpul MVG mounted on the handguard of the rifle I'm testing, as well as a Magpul MOE short rail for mounting a weapon light. I still think the handguard is a bit short, but it's significantly better than a 7" AR handguard.

The Recall
The rifle did double on me, once. I was shooting Wolf steel-casedammo, and this particular ACR hasn't been sent in for the recallservice yet. I have noticed that the primers aren't seated as deeplyin the steel cases as they usually are in brass cases, which I believeis part of the problem. I've put several hundred rounds of brass-casedammo through the ACR without any issues whatsoever.

I had said that the issue that caused the recall was likely not due to the firing pin. As it turns out, I was wrong. Return spring or not, for whatever reason, the firing pin seems to be the issue. There were several reports of Acres slam-firing in the days prior to the recall. The original firing pin/return spring combo will leave a fairly significant dent in the primer after chambering a round; even more of a dent than a AR-15/M-16 will leave. I guess I was wrong about the Lancer Magazines, and I was wrong about the ACR firing pin.

Magazines
Although I have primarily used PMags, I've run a couple more D&H brand G.I. aluminum mags (with Magpul followers), and the ACR continues to run just fine. I even loaded the G.I. magazines to the full 30-round capacity, and was able to get the magazine locked in, and the bolt stripped the top round with zero hesitation, both of which are sometimes an issue with AR rifles. The magazine well is fairly loose and everything is dropping free.

Ergonomics
I still think the stock and pistol grip feel a bit small, but when I actually shoot the rifle, I don't notice it. I have the same issue with the finger grooves on the Glock 19; just holding it, it feels a bit off, but I don't notice it when actually using the pistol. I'm going to call this a non-issue, on both cases.

Price and Model Availability Update
Pricewise, there have been some new developments. Bushmaster has lowered the retail prices for the ACRs, and I'm hearing that you can find the basic model for as low as $1500 if you look around. The price from Cheaper Than Dirt is somewhere around $1800, if memory serves.

Not sure if the ACR is available yet with the basic polymer handguard and folding/collapsing stock yet, but this configuration is shown in the new Bushmaster catalog. Bushmaster reps are telling people that 10.5", 14.5", and 18" barrels should be available by the end of the year, along with 1 turn in 7" twist barrels also.

What's Next
Next up for my ACR testing is some 100 yard accuracy tests, but that will take a little while. I'll try out some 75 and 77 grain bullets to see how the 1 in 9" twist barrel will do with those.

Kel-Tec SU-16/SU-22 Pistol Grip and AR Stock Adapter

2011-01-08T14:05:00.001-05:00

I guess I'm a couple or few years late on this, but I didn't find out until recently. The Kel-Tec rifles don't get a whole lot of attention.

Kel-Tec is selling pistol grip lowers and AR-15 stock adapters for SU-16 and SU-22 rifles. Link to pistol grip lower and AR stock adapter in Kel-Tec store - currently $94.40. Also available with collapsible CAR-15/XM177 stock for $129. The pistol grip compromises the ability of the rifles to fold into a compact little package, but it makes the rifles a little more egonomic, and a little less goofy looking.

Why do I even care? The SU-16 rifles are quite lightweight (about 5 pounds with the origional stock), and have a long-stroke piston operating system (sort of similar to an SKS or AK-47). With the right ACE stock adapters (they seem to be having website problems at the moment), you could put a side-folding stock on, which you can't do with 99% of AR-15 rifles. The SU-16 rifles are also relatively inexpensive. I can definately see how this might be an attractive solution to some people looking for an "evil black rifle."

You can find some more information on the pistol grip/stock conversion kit in this KTOG.org forum thread where I got the picture I posted above. I'm sure if you did a search on the forum, you could find more threads.

World.guns.ru SU-16 information - in case you want to brush up on the Kel-Tec rifles

Lubricants for Firearms?

2011-01-01T13:34:00.001-05:00

There has been a bit of a debate over gun oil and grease in the Black Rifle Forum on GlockTalk. One post has a link to this lubricants article by Grant Cunningham, which I found to be very interesting.

What about greases - do we even need them? You bet! I use theGeneral Rule of Lubrication: oil for rotating parts, grease forsliding parts that carry a load. In firearms, grease is mostappropriate for any part interaction that has a scraping (aka"shear") type of action, and will be subjected to pressure orshock. What kinds of parts are we talking about? Slide rails, boltcarriers, and sears - especially double-action sears.

One product that scores pretty well in corrosion testing is alsothe readily available and dirt cheap. It also has good migration, agood boundary lubrication package, is the right weight (thickness)for general firearms use, doesn't oxidize over long periods ofstorage, and is compatible with a wide range of metals andplastics. In addition, it is recommended by at least one realdegreed firearms engineer! Just what is this miracle elixir??

Dexron-type Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF). That's right, plainol' ATF.

For such things as autoloader slides and rifle bolts, Lubriplate"SFL" NLGI #0 grease is my choice. In my testing it's proven itselfsuperior as a general lubricant. It is white, aluminum-based, lowodor, has superb boundary lubricants, and is designed specificallyfor use in environments that encounter a huge temperature range.It's also resistant to water washout and acid/alkali environments,has great shear resistance, and doesn't oxidize like lithiumgreases will. As an all-around grease I've found nothing better.It's available from www.lubriplate.com, in their online store. Itcomes in a 14oz can which will last you for years - no matter howmany guns you have!

If there's benzene in motor oil, you really shouldn't get that on your hands. I'll have to remember to put on some gloves next time I do an oil change.

As I said in my cleaning article, I've pretty much given up on "miracle gun lube." Although I'm sure that Slip 2000 and TW-25 work very well, they are very expensive, if you break everything down to a dollars per ounce figure.

Midway: Aimpoint Micro R-1 Sale - $299.99

2010-12-30T02:47:00.001-05:00

UPDATE 1/1/10: R-1s are sold out and discontinued. They were in the January sales flier, and I think that finished them off.

Midway is blowing out Aimpoint Micro R-1s for $299.99

Midway: Aimpoint R-1

The R-1 model is the same as the Micro H-1, but in silver. It is not waterproof as deep as the T-1 model (5 meters vs. 80 feet), and does not have settings to use with night vision goggles. The normal price from Midway is $564. The sale lasts until then end of January, but the word has spread on the gun forums, and I don't know how much longer they'll have them in stock.

Ultimak AK Gas Tube Scope Mount

2010-12-28T00:48:00.000-05:00

I didn't die or anything, I just haven't really found anything interesting to post lately. Sometimes it pours, sometimes you get a drought. Right now, there seems to be more of a drought. Guess it's a good time to knock out some reviews.

Primary Arms Micro onUltimak Gas Tube Scope Rail Mounted on my WASR-10

Ultimak's gas tube scope mount is pretty popular among the AK connoisseurs, particularly when used with a Micro red dot scope. I ordered mine from Primary Arms, along with their Gen.3 Micro Red Dot sight (which is discontinued, I think, replaced by Gen.7 model) at a reduced price. The Gen.3 sight doesn't really co-witness, unless I set the rear sight to 800 meters; good enough to get the windage ball-parked. The Gen.6 and Gen.7 sights are supposed to co-witness properly on the Ultimak mount, but I can't personally confirm this.

The Ultimak mount gives a nice low mount, just be aware that after a few magazines, it will get hot enough to burn your fingertips if you're not careful, and not wearing gloves. I wonder if cheaper optics will be able to take that kind of heat for long. The Primary Arms sight is holding up so far, but I noticed that the heat was transferring to the Picatinny mount screwed to the bottom of the sight after a few magazines. By all accounts, the Aimpoint H-1 and T-1 sights take the heat just fine, but then the Aimpoints cost more than a lot of AK rifles.

The Ultimak gas tube mount clamps onto the barrel, which means it's not easily removable for cleaning, which may be a problem if you shoot corrosive ammo, and a lot of the surplus ammo is at least mildly corrosive. The mount/tube is aluminum, but when it's clamped onto the barrel, you really can't get at the gas block. I didn't have any trouble installing the mount on the WASR-10 with the K-Var plastic handguard with heat-shield, but the wood handguard that came with the rifle would have to be chiseled out to clear the straps.

The Ultimak mount is way better than most of the dust cover scope mounts, most of which don't hold a zero (stay tuned over the next few months, I want to get the new TWS mount for a 5.45x39mm AK). It's not as tall as many of the AK side-rail mounts, and it won't interfere with side-folding stocks. It's a good, solid, low mount for AK type rifles, just be aware that there are some trade-offs.

Ultimak Home Page
The mount reviewed here is the M1-B model, Scout Mount without side ports. Ultimak makes mounts to fit many of the AK variants. Check the Ultimak site for more information.

Midway Coupon Code from Glocktalk: Expires 12/31/10

2010-12-13T14:15:00.001-05:00

Here's the latest Midway coupon code from GlockTalk.

To receive your $10 Savings:

   1. Add at least $50 of regular price, in-stock products to your cart.
   2. Enter 5051210 into the box titled, "Promotion Code" on the shopping cart page.
   3. See the discount applied on the Confirmation page near the end of the checkout.

Offer expires at 11:59 p.m. CT on December 31, 2010. Hurry! Special Reminders & Exclusions:

    * Can only be used once.
    * Sale, clearance, out-of-stock and Nightforce products do not count towards the $50 total.
    * Gift certificates do not count towards the $50 total.
    * Can only be used on midwayusa.com. No phone, fax or mail orders please.
    * Cannot be used with any other promotion code, or combined with Dealer, Birthday or Special pricing.

Random Silliness: Designer Guns

2010-11-30T19:43:00.001-05:00

I did a photo search for "XM-25," and, for some reason, it turned up the photo of the Gucci SKS.

You can see more photos in the Geekologie 'Designer Guns Great for Gaudy Tramps' Post.

I don't even know what to say.

Be sure to read comment #10 of the Geekologie post.

Maxpedition 5% Off Coupon

2010-11-26T21:27:00.000-05:00

If you've picked up a gun magazine in the last 5 years, I'm sure you'll have seen the Maxpedition ads. They make the tactical nylon "man purses," gun cases, and some other nylon gear.

The ad in the January/February issue of American Handgunner had a coupon code that will get you 5% off.

The coupon code is: 5AH2011

Official Maxpedition Home Page

Pistol and "Bullet" Shaped Ice Cube Trays?

2010-11-21T18:36:00.001-05:00

I was surfing through the Amazon.com gift guide when I found this in the "Someone With Everything" category, along with cookie cutters that make it look like someone's taken a bite already, and a coffee mug with brass knuckles as the handle.

Just thought it was interesting, with images of firearms are showing up in fashion and other pop culture items.

If you're really interested in buying, here's the link to the pistol-shaped ice trays on Amazon.

EDIT: You can also get ice trays to make ice ammo.

They appear to be modeled after 7.62x39mm rounds, and the ad for the ice trays says "AK Bullet."

Obama's Appointee for BATFE Director IMPORTANT

2010-11-21T00:19:00.000-05:00

This is the latest Second Amendment Foundation e-mail newsletter. It is pretty important:

BELLEVUE, WA – The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and BearArms today is announcing its opposition to the nomination, by PresidentObama, of Andrew Traver as director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,Firearms and Explosives

Traver is currentlyspecial agent in charge of Chicago’s BATFE field division, where he hasa history of working with gun prohibitionists. He served as an advisorto the International Association for Chiefs of Police on that group’s2007 “Gun Violence Reduction Project,” in cooperation with theanti-gun-rights Joyce Foundation. This project involved several highprofile anti-gun-rights advocates, but there was not a singlerepresentative from the firearms community on the advisory panel.

“The nomination of Andrew Traver is more proof that Barack Obama hascomplete disregard for the Second Amendment and the rights of firearmsowners,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. “We have serious concernsthat the agency, under his leadership, will maintain any semblance ofcooperation with the firearms industry, over which BATFE exercisesconsiderable control.”

Traver helped develop the IACP/Joyce Foundation report, whichrecommended banning an array of modern sport-utility rifles and.50-caliber rifles used in long-range competition. The report alsoencouraged Congress to repeal the Tiahrt Amendment that protectssensitive trace data used by law enforcement in criminal investigationsfrom being misued in frivolous municipal lawsuits that haveconsistently lost in court, and urged the adoption of restrictive gunshow regulations that would effectively force them to close.

“Mr. Traver appears to be joined at the hip to various gun control andgun ban efforts,” Gottlieb observed. “The Citizens Committee, itsmembers and supporters across the country oppose this nominationbecause Traver’s history clear shows that he is not the right man forsuch an important job.”

CCRKBA (Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms) is a sister organization to the Second Amendment Foundation. The article can also be found online at CCRKBA.org.

Brownells Annual Black (Rifle) Friday Sale

2010-11-20T00:27:00.000-05:00

Save on your gun related Christmas shopping starting at 12:00 AM, Friday, November 26! Go to http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/bapid=34/ClientPage/Black_Rifle_Friday at 12:00 AM to get the special coupon code, or be a friend on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/BrownellsInc,and get early access to the coupon code, and a head start on savings.Entering the coupon code will save you 10% off any order over $150! Theexclusive savings run through midnight, on "Cyber-Monday", November 29,so make out your wish list for Santa and get ready to save! And,selected items have special, reduced prices, available all weekend;AND, the 10% offer is good there, too!

Galco's KingTuk IWB Holster

2010-11-18T00:49:00.001-05:00

There's one more holster-maker doing a variation on the Tucker Answer/Crossbreed Super-Tuck IWB holster type. Galco calls their holster the KingTuk. You can read more about the Galco KingTuk on the Galco website.

Direct Link to KingTuk holster page

The KingTuk is available for many popular handguns (Glock, 1911, Sig, XD, Kahr, S&W wheelies and M&P), and oddly Charter Arms and Taurus revolvers.

Personally, I'm using the Crossbreed Super-Tuck, however I'm on my 2nd one, and this one is cracked too. If I were going to buy one today, I would order a Minotaur Spartan. However, the Galco should be available to fondle, and possibly try out at gun shops and gun shows, whereas the Tucker, Crossbreed, and Minotaur holsters you'd most likely have to mail order. There's definately something to be said for instant gratification, and getting to hold the product in your hands before you buy.

Poll: Should Citizens be Allowed to Vote Armed?

2010-11-03T00:02:00.000-04:00

http://www.bangordailynews.com/story/Greater-Bangor/Bangor-police-officer-denied-right-to-vote-after-refusing-to-surrender-weapon,157603

Question is:

Should citizens be allowed to vote while armed?

Yes or no question.

Book Review: Green Eyes and Black Rifles

2010-11-01T02:00:00.000-04:00

I kind of promised this review back in January. I wanted to read it a second time, and try a bunch of it before sitting down in front of the computer to write the review, so it's taken me a while.

The book is written by Kyle Lamb, who wrote based on experiences in combat in sandy places in the middle east, as well as from carbine classes and competition. To quote Lamb's introduction, "[t]his book, however, is not for the competetion minded; this book is for the shooter who hopes to use ballistic tools to eliminate a threat if the need arises." Although Viking Tactics is more that just Lamb, you might know him as "the Viking Tactics guy."

The book centers around the AR-15 platform ("America's Black Rifle"), although a lot of the information can be applied to some other carbines and battle rifles. There really isn't anything specifically AK-47 related.

The book covers weapon selection, including barrel specifications, buttstocks, handguards, triggers, tactical slings, and sights, optics and mounts. I like what Pat Rogers has to say about modern weapon selection and maintenance more than Lamb, but that's not to say that Lamb is wrong. You can read what Rogers has to say in his Keep It Running article hosted by AR15.com, and he was the expert in the What Parts Break In A Carbine Course thread in the forums of the same website.

I would say that Lamb's area of expertise in the book is more his coverage of shooting positions, particularly the more unorthodox offhand positions, shooting drills, and other tactical type topics.

Some of the topics covered are:

Loading, reloading, unloading
Speed and tactical reloads
Malfunction clearance
Proper use of tactical slings (sounds more obvious than it really is)
Fundamentals of marksmanship (sight alignment, trigger control, etc.)
Selecting the proper zero for your intended use, and ballistics (ballistic charts included)
Shooting positions, including head and arm positioning
Recoil control
Dealing with being right-hand-dominant and left-eye-dominant, or vice versa
Transitioning from left to right hand, and carbine to pistol
Shooting on the move, including safe and efficient ways to turn with the carbine
Night and low-light shooting, including the use of weapon lights and lasers
Use of rimfire and 9mm uppers, paintguns, airsoft, and dummy guns for training

I think pretty highly of the book, as a tactical tool. I've had it in my range bag, so that I can use it as a reference when I'm out shooting. I also got myself a Viking Tactics 2-Point sling because it seemed to be well thought out (It is. It works well.).

Although it looks weird, and sounds even more bizarre, I like the "brokeback prone" position shown and explained in the book. "If it sounds stupid, but it works, then it isn't stupid." I can use it to make some fairly well-supported shots around right-hand corners, and still be able to duck back behind cover pretty quickly, in addition to using it for shooting under things or though low ports.

Hoppe's No. 9 Air Freshener

2010-10-24T22:36:00.001-04:00

It's been joked about by gun writers long enough that's it has become real.

Hoppe's recently rolled out a new air freshener that smells like their No. 9 solvent.

I'm not creative enough to make this up folks. This is for real.

Now, how much longer do I have to wait for cologne with the WD40 scent?

U.N. Gun Treaty Poll

2010-10-20T01:44:00.000-04:00

KeepAndBearArms.com Home Page

Poll is a little way down on the left-hand column.

Do you support or oppose the Obama Administration's plan for a U.N. Arms Trade Treaty?

Bushmaster ACR Recall

2010-10-17T15:34:00.002-04:00

Bushmaster is realling all ACR rifles. Some problem with doubling or firing multiple rounds with a single trigger pull, which is something that the BATFE does't like one bit.

Link to PDF file with details on the recall. It is a smallish file.

Bushmaster Firearms Intentional, LLC has become aware of a possiblefirearms performance issue that may develop with a small number of ACRrifles and we are requesting you discontinue the use of this rifleimmediately, and contact us at your earliest convenience so that we canmake the necessary arrangements to have the rifle returned to us forinspection and update if necessary.

All Bushmaster produced ACR rifles are impacted by this notification.

Since the ACR has a firing pin return-spring, I don't think this is a slam-fire issue. I imagine it is a trigger group issue. The lower being an unserialized part, unlike an AR-15 lower, this would make things a little easier.

UPDATE: It should make things easier, but they still want the whole rifle returned for the recall service.

Midway Coupon Codes from Glocktalk: Expire 10/24/10

2010-10-12T01:00:00.001-04:00

New Midway coupon codes from Glocktalk:

To receive your Savings:
1.

Place regularly priced in-stock products in your shopping cart totaling:
$100 or more - Use Promotion Code 131010
$200 or more - Use Promotion Code 231010
$300 or more - Use Promotion Code 331010
Enter the promotion code in the box entitled "Promotion Code" on the shopping cart page.
2.

You will see the discount on the Confirmation page before placing your order.
3.
Remember, this promotion code is valid for orders placed on MidwayUSA.com.
4.

Limited to one per Customer and one promotion code per retail order.
5. Offer cannot be combined with Birthday, Special or Dealer Pricing.
6. Offer not valid on MidwayUSA Gift Certificates, Nightforce, Sale and Clearance products.
7. Offer valid on regularly pricedproducts only.
8.

Hurry, offer ends at 11:59 PM CT October 24, 2010.

Bushmaster ACR Observations, Part 2

2010-10-10T13:44:00.003-04:00

Other ACR Entries:
Some Bushmaster ACR Observations (Part 1)
ACR Review, Part 3

I had the ACR out for some more live fire. I discovered that the Bushmaster-branded Flambeau case that the rifle comes in is big enough to hold the ACR with a Millet DMS scope mounted, and a WASR-10 with a Primary Arms Micro red dot sight mounted on an Ultimak gas tube.

I noticed it the first time, but confirmed it this week; there’s no change in sound when the bolt locks open on an empty magazine.

Speaking of magazines, I’ve still not had any form of malfunction. I was switching off between one of the windowed PMags that my AR-15s don’t like, and a D&H brand aluminum G.I. magazine with an orange (Gen 1? Gen 2?) Magpul follower. The bolt has locked back every time when the magazines are empty. The bolt catch seem to be breaking in a bit, and is not quite as hard to release as it used to be.

I even tried some odds-and-ends reloads, some pretty soft-shooting ammo, and still couldn’t get the rifle to choke or short-stroke.

Trigger
I pulled out the Lyman digital trigger gauge to check the trigger pull. In the center of the trigger, I get about eight pounds. At the tip of the trigger, it takes about six and a half. The pull is pretty smooth, and there is minimal overtravel, but definitely some creep and slack. For a service rifle trigger, it’s not too bad, but it’s not a target trigger by any stretch of the imagination.

Grip
I moaned when I found out that the ACR was being released with a one-size-fits-some integral pistol grip. I have Magpul MIAD modular grips on my ARs and I like them, and I find it odd that the Magpul rifle has no modular grip. I guess it would have made the mold for the lower more complicated, but I would have liked to have the ACR lower compatible with MIAD interchangeable backstraps.

CR123A Battery Core, Batteries Not Included

That said, I guess I can live with the lower as is. I wear a man’s size large glove. With a good grip, my index finger hits the trigger just past the first joint, the “power crease.”

Stock
I guess most of you have little interest in the fixed stock of the Basic model, but this may be of some interest to those of you in states with “assault weapon” bans. I measure the length of pull, the distance between the center of the trigger and the center of the butt pad, to be 12 3/8”. I would have probably adjusted it longer if I could have, but I never had the rear sight smack me in the face under recoil or anything, so I guess I can live with that too. I’ve read several places that there are spacers available to increase the length of pull of the fixed stock, but I tried to find them on the Bushmaster and Magpul websites, and came up with nothing.

Basic Stock Details, Sling Mounting Points

The Basic stock has sling loops on the top and bottom. For single point slings, there is a rectangular ring on the left side of the stock, just behind the receiver. It looks like the single point sling loop could be moved to the right side for lefties.

There is a single QD sling swivel socket in the top rear of the left side of the stock, which can be moved to the left side, if desired. I’m pretty sure that the ambi socket kit for the Magpul UBR could also be used to put a second QD socket on the other side. The Magpul and ACR swivels do not have any stops to prevent the swivel from rotating all the way around and tangling up your sling.

The cheekpiece is easy to adjust. Just pull it back to unlock it, and then you can lift the front end and push it forward again to lock it in place. I have it adjusted all the way up for use with the MBus sights and the DMS scope on an AR-15 mount.

There is no place to store anything in the Basic stock.

Grip
The pistol grip is textured on the sides, but not on the front or back, or on the bottom of the trigger guard. The grip is compatible with MIAD grip cores, and comes with a core made to hold two CR123A batteries.

Handguard
I actually like the plastic Basic handguard better than the Enhanced quad-rail handguard. I’d still like the polymer handguard to be a few inches longer, but it is a couple inches longer than the Enhanced handguard. The Basic handguard is compatible with the rails and other accessories available to fit the Magpul MOE AR-15 handguards. The Enhanced handguard has a forward sling swivel, but the Basic handguard does not.

Top/Inside View of Basic Polymer Handguard

I'd prefer one of the longer polymer handguard seen on the ACR designated rifleman prototype rifles.

Room For Improvement
I’d like to see magazine funnels available in a couple different sizes, a medium size for defense/duty use, and a larger one for 3-gun competition. An ACR equivalent of the AR-15 ASAP plate, an ambidextrous single point sling loop would be an obvious accessory. It looks like Remington is offering their ACR with an aluminum lower that accepts AR-15 pistol grips, which may add some to the already fairly heavy weight of the ACR but would allow tailoring the length of pull of the pistol grip. I like the 12” handguards on a couple of my AR-15 uppers, and I consider both of the Bushmaster handguards currently available to be too short. The QD sling swivel sockets should have stops to keep slings from getting tangled.

A lot of this stuff are things that Magpul has already offered for AR-type rifles. Sort of aggravating that a $2000 Magpul rifle still needs some improvement.

Some Bushmaster ACR Observations

2010-10-04T02:04:00.010-04:00

Other ACR Entries

Bushmaster ACR Obervations, Part 2
ACR Review, Part 3

ACR Basic, Photo Borrowed From Bushmaster ACR Manual

I’ve been fiddling with, and doing a little shooting of a Bushmaster Basic ACR. Here are some of the things that I haven’t seen mentioned in other reviews:

The Bushmaster is a modern rifle of unique design, borrowing some aspects of designs that proceeded it.

The bolt is much like an AR-15 bolt, and the trigger group is mostly AR-15 compatible, but other than that, there’s not that much in common with an AR-15. The upper and lower receivers are held together with AR-15 type captive pins; okay that’s one more thing in common.

Geissele SSA and JP AR-15 triggers have been successfully installed into ACR trigger packs.

The ACR bolt carrier rides on rails, sort of like the bolt carrier of a Kalashnikov variant rifle. The gas piston system is more like a FAL.

The ACR’s stock and handguards can be removed by pushing their own take-down pins. Unlike a HK G3 or MP5-type firearm, the pins are captive.

Even the plastic handguard of the ACR basic model leaves the barrel free-floating. Unlike an AK or FAL, there’s really no contact at all between the barrel and upper receivers, except where the two parts are coupled at the trunnion. The gas piston of the ACR is shrouded by the upper receiver, but they don’t seem to touch. The gas piston is not otherwise housed in a tube or anything.

ACR Barrel/Gas Piston Assembly (Borrowed From Bushmaster ACR Manual

Front End Details

The barrel is pretty tightly fitted to the trunnion. The barrel nut is pretty easy to remove with the attached lever, but actually getting the barrel out of the upper takes a little bit of wiggling. The manual says to depress the barrel plunger, but doesn't show or tell you what that is. See picture above.

The gas piston is a little hard to remove. When you remove the gas plug, it doesn’t pop out, and there’s nothing to grab hold of. Removing the handguard doesn’t help. The piston has to be pushed out of the upper with a cleaning rod from the breech end. That, or you could remove the whole barrel assembly from the upper.

The ACR’s charging handle is an odd duck. To be honest, I haven’t figured out how it works yet. When the charging handle is locked forward, it is disconnected from the bolt carrier, and that’s what makes it non-reciprocating. If you pull back on that charging handle, it connects with the bolt carrier. If you pull back that charging handle, when trying to field strip the rifle, you won’t be able to remove the bolt carrier. The two parts are connected, and you’ll have to lock the handle forward, and hook the carrier with your finger from the bottom of the upper, and then pull it out.

ACR Bolt Group

The new-production ACR that I’ve been fondling has a solid steel pin retaining the firing pin and firing pin return spring. The ACR’s firing pin retainer is held in place with an o-ring.

The bolt cam pin is an ACR specific part that is fitted into the left side of the bolt carrier. The cam only goes into the bolt one way, so you can’t install the bolt into the carrier the wrong way accidentally. The cam pin does not quite pass all the way through the bolt.

Bolt Comparison

The head of the ACR bolt is almost identical to an AR-15 bolt. I didn’t leave the AR-15 bolt to make any kind of point, I just haven’t gotten around to cleaning it yet.

Currently, ACRs are only available with a rifling twist of 1 turn in 9 inches. “Common knowledge” says that a 1:9” twist will not stabilize 75 and 77 grain bullets, however I’ve heard from several ACR owners that these heavier bullets print decent groups. Jeff Quinn got a sub-MOA group from Buffalo Bore 77 grain Sniper HP ammo with the ACR he tested for GunBlast. I intend to find out myself, but haven’t gotten that far yet.

There have been some complaints that ACRs won’t lock back after the last round with certain types of magazines. I’ve tried a D&H aluminum GI mag, a Lancer L5 30-round magazine, one of those Israeli countdown mags, and a 20-round PMag. I even tried a new-revision PMag with windows that won’t reliably lock back the bolt carrier of either of my AR-15s. I tried the stubborn PMag two or three times. I’ve not yet had any problems at all, although the round count is still pretty low.

The safety (selector) easily snicks on and off. The bolt catch however, gives no leverage assist, and is still stiff on the new rifle I’ve been working with.

There have been complaints that the support-side safety (selector) lever hits the trigger finger of some users when switching the safety off. It really doesn’t bother me that much. I trimmed the support-side lever of the ambi safety on my AR (not shown in picture linked below), but the ACR safety I would leave alone. The ACR safety levers are pretty small, and made of plastic, and I’m not sure how much you can do with them anyway. I’ve seen military ACRs with no safety lever on the right-side. I expect there to be a cap or smaller lever available to replace the right-side lever available from Bushmaster or Magpul at some time in the future.

There’s been some comments on the relative recoil of the ACR. I went from shooting my LMT/Stag AR-15 to the Basic ACR. My AR has a 16” M4 barrel with carbine length gas system, standard M-16 bolt carrier, an A2 flash hider, and an H buffer. I can’t say that I noticed any significant difference in recoil. I do know that a 7.62x39mm AK has more recoil that my AR, and a 5.45x39mm AK has less recoil, but there’s just not that much difference between my AR and the ACR. I expected the piston-op ACR to have a little more recoil, but that doesn’t seem to be.

Official Bushmaster ACR Home Page

YHM Lightweight Railed Float Tube Review

2010-09-25T16:32:00.003-04:00

YHM Rifle-Length Lightweight Tube on my RRA 16" 9mm Upper w/YHM wrench

Lots of holes, and the rails are milled out to cut weight.

I wanted another rifle-length quad-rail free-float tube to install on my 9mm upper, so that I could use the 9mm upper as a stand-in for training purposes. I wasn’t entirely satisfied with the Midwest Industries T-12 tube, because the rails didn’t seem to be true Picatinny-spec. I have to use a piece of a soda can as a shim to get the Vltor light mount to work with the MI handguard. I was told that YHM handguards are better in this respect, so I bought a YHM rifle-length tube to try out.

I tried the Vltor light mount on the YHM handguard, and it does indeed work properly without the silly shim. Everything else seems to fit fine on the YHM also.

I was afraid that the indexing/recoil lug on Larue mounts would not work with the milled-out rails, but the lug does still engage some of the rails on the lightweight tube. In .233Rem/5.56mm, there’s not enough recoil for the lug of the Larue mounts to really be necessary as a recoil lug.

Larue mount lugs just barely engages the milled-out rails

Along with the handguard, I ordered the YHM wrench. The YHM wrench has a spanner for the lock-ring at one end, and a barrel wrench at the other end. I would not count on using the YHM wrench to disassemble your upper, as you can’t apply much torque with it, although it may be enough to install the new barrel nut. I broke pins off my PRI barrel wrench trying to get the RRA upper apart (related post). When I got a new wrench back from PRI, it took a 3 foot length of pipe over my breaker bar before I finally got the barrel nut to come loose with a crack. The Model 1 Sales upper that I had taken apart before was almost as difficult to disassemble. The torque-spec for the barrel nut is more that 30 foot-pounds, but not more than 80 foot-pounds in order to get the hole or notch to line up properly with the hole in the upper for the gas tube. The RRA and Model 1 barrel nuts were likely overtorqued, the RRA in particular grossly overtorqued.

The YHM tool can not be used with a torque wrench.

The YHM wrench works fine on the Midwest Industries lock-ring also, by the way.

Once I got the barrel nut/delta ring assembly, and front sight tower off the RRA upper, installing the new handguard was simple. It installs just like the MI handguard, except that it has two indexing screws, at 3 and 9 o’clock, instead of just one at 6 o’clock like the MI handguard. The barrel nuts of the YHM lightweight and MI T-Series handguards are nearly identical. The indexing screws for the YHM are slotted, where the MI handguard has allen-head socket screws. There were no tools or threadlocker included with the YHM handguard. The rail covers shown in some of my pictures were not included either.

The only minor issue I had was aligning the barrel nut so that the top rail of the handguard matched up with the rail on the upper. The 9mm upper is blow-back operated, and had no gas tube hole to use to align with the hole the barrel nut. If you are picky, it may take 2 or 3 tries to get the rails to line up just right, but the same is really true of most railed handguards.

The lightweight YHM does not give the full-length top rail effect. Although, as you can see in the photo below, the MI T-Series handguards don’t have a slot over the lockring anyway, so it really doesn’t make that much difference.

YHM Lightweight on Top, MI T-12 on Bottom

You may also note that the slots in the rails on the YHM lightweight tube are not marked ("T-Markings"). The center of the rails are milled out to save weight. This may be a problem for some.

The YHM lightweight handguards have holes at the front end for screwing in YHM’s sling mount. These holes are NOT QD sling swivel sockets for the swivels that release with a push-button. I believe that the top and bottom holes are for the YHM endcaps, and the holes on either side are for the sling mounts, but don’t use either an endcap or a sling mount, so I’m not really sure. Sling mounts and endcaps are sold separately.

I’m quite happy with the YHM Lightweight handguard. Depending on how the Spike’s Tactical slim handguard turns out, there’s a good chance that I may buy another YHM lightweight for my LMT 10.5” upper. I have no plans to buy another MI handguard until they start cutting the rails to proper Picatinny specifications.

Related Links:
Yankee Hill Machine Home Page

Admiral Massad Ayoob?

2010-09-16T01:08:00.001-04:00

Yeah, really.

Read the post on his blog. It's pretty funny.

Beretta Neos Recall

2010-09-15T12:16:00.000-04:00

Beretta U.S.A. Corp. has discovered a potential condition with Beretta .22 caliber NEOS semiautomatic pistols in which the pistol will fire even if the safety is activated and, in some cases, the pistols may fire if the safety is moved from the OFF to the ON position. Chances of either of these situations occurring is extremely remote and no injuries have occurred because of this condition, however, because of safety concerns relating to this situation, Beretta U.S.A. Corp. is immediately implementing a recall of Beretta .22 caliber NEOS semiautomatic pistols. For more information, download a pdf copy of the Recall Notice.

Emphasis Beretta's

Link to Beretta Neos Recall page. Check to see if your Neos may be effected.

Bulkammo.com Grand Opening Coupon

2010-09-11T14:35:00.001-04:00

If you're like me, the idea of buying ammo 20 or 50, or even 100 at a time is pretty laughable. When I buy ammo, it usually 500 or more rounds at a time.

Well, there's a new bulk ammo website, and they have some decent prices, and they are running a grand opening coupon promotion.

The website is bulkammo.com.

Use coupon code "GrandOpening" to get $25 off your first order over $200.

The have some decent prices on buckshot, slugs, Tula and Federal .223, and they Winchester Ranger hollowpoints in .40S&W and 9mm (115gr). There may be some other good deals, but those are just some of the items I've priced recently. They even have some oddball stuff like 158gr 9mm Subsonic, and lead-free ammo. If you want to try out a single box, you can do that too, it's not all 500 and 1000 round cases.

I'm seriously considering putting in an order for buckshot, slugs, and some .38Spl FMJ reloads. And maybe some Tula .223 to put away, and .22s, and . . .

Movie Review: El Mariachi

2010-09-06T15:51:00.004-04:00

Since Robert Rodriguez' Machette just opened (I think), and I just rewatched his first feature length film, I guess this is a good time to post a review of this movie that few have even heard of.

El Mariachi is the first film in the Rodriguez Mariachi trilogy, with Desperado being the 2nd, and Once Upon A Time In Mexico the third. It doesn't look like there's a Mariachi character in Machette, though I haven't seen it yet. The Wikipedia entry says El Mariachi was intended for the Mexican video market (it was filmed in Spanish), and never shown in theaters in the U.S., as far as I can tell.

El Mariachi was filmed in Mexico, with unknown actors, for only $7000, which I didn't know until doing a little research for the review. There's not a lot in the way of special effects, aside from some blank guns and the singing scenes being overdubbed, but I didn't notice any bad acting from the cast. I would not have guessed that the movie only cost $7000 to make.

Summary

The mariachi (who's never named) walks into town with nothing more than the clothes on his back and a guitar. He stops into a bar, looking for work, and orders a soda, but this bar already has a musician. The bar's musician is dozing in the corner. With a whistle from the bartender, the house musician quickly sets up a synthesizer and plays for El Mariachi, flashes a smug look at the wandering musician, and then just as quickly goes back to dozing.

Our mariachi pays for his soda and moves on to the next bar in town.

The man, who you see at the very beginning of the move breaking out of jail, walks into the bar just as the mariachi is walking out. He asks if the men sitting around in the bar are Moco’s men, which they are, and proceeds to wipe out everyone in the bar, except for the bartender.

The movie cuts back to out mariachi sitting down at bar #2, and he orders another soda. The bartender, a woman, gives him a hard time about ordering a soft drink. The mariachi explains that he’s a singer and that he doesn’t want to harm his voice, and tells her that he’s looking for work. She explains that she can’t afford to pay him, and he more or less storms out, depressed and upset, having struck out again.

The mariachi continues on to a cheap motel. The hotel manager tips off the local drug dealer (Maurice, a.k.a. Moco), that a man dressed in black, carrying a guitar case has just checked it. The man Moco is looking for is Azul, the one who broke out of jail and killed 6 of his men in the bar.

The mariachi, caught up in a case of mistaken identity, runs out of the motel, into the streets of town, and manages to evade the hit squad, and kills four of them in the process. I'm not sure how the musician learned how to handle a MAC-10 so well, but whatever.

Not knowing where else to go, I suppose, not knowing anyone else in town, he ducks into bar #2, and explains what just happened. The bartender, who identifies herself as Domino, takes pity on him, and has him hide out in her room upstairs. It’s not long before one of Moco’s men comes in and asks about a man in black, with a guitar case full of weapons. Domino tells the man that she doesn’t know anything about the guy in black, and he leaves. So then, she goes upstairs and gets the mariachi by the balls, literally, until she discovers that what he has in the guitar case is. . . really a guitar.

Domino explains to the mariachi that the bar was a given to her by Moco. Moco’s been trying to buy her love for quite a while.

So now everybody’s on the same page. . . except for Moco’s men, who don’t really know what Azul looks like. Only Moco himself has seen Azul. Between the 6 men killed by Azul in the bar shooting, and the 4 that the mariachi killed in self-defense in the streets of town, Moco is now down 10 men. Moco doesn't know know the mariachi is in town, and assumes that it's Azul who killed all 10.

There’s another run in, between Moco’s men and the mariachi in the town. Azul grabs Domino, who the mariachi has fallen in love with, and takes her at gunpoint to Moco’s hacienda, trying to get the money he’s owed. I’m not going to spoil the movie for you and spell out the 2nd half of the plot.

Desperado and Once Upon A Time In Mexico do refer back to parts of El Mariachi.

Conclusion

If you like super-happy fairy tale endings, you will be disappointed. Personally, I like the ending.

So, for a very-low-budget made-for-video movie, it's definitely not bad. If you really liked Desperado and/or Once Upon A Time In Mexcio, this movie will give you the backstory on the main character.

The action is mostly limited to a couple of scenes, and they're not anything like the lobby scenes of The Matrix or Terminator 2. It's a lot more like No Country For Old Men.

There are a few sort of silly moments. The hotel manager and the synthesizer musician move in fast-motion for comic effect, sort of like a scene out of a episode of The Three Stooges.

With the exception of the musician's uncanny knack for self-defense, it's a good movie and worth picking up. The version I watched was dubbed in English, but the ones I see for sale now are only in Spanish with English subtitles, which I know some will argue is actually better. Either way, if you can find a copy of the movie on DVD for less than $10 (there's many showing in Amazon's Marketplace), I'd say it's worth buying. You can also buy the Mariachi trilogy as a set.

Thank You Precision Reflex, Inc. (PRI)

2010-08-28T13:20:00.000-04:00

A couple weekends ago I broke a couple pins off the PRI AR-15 barrel nut wrench I was using. It's about as tough a tool as the application allows, but the barrel nut of the 9mm RRA upper was being really stubborn.I used the e-mail form on the PRI website, asking for a couple replacement pins, and the next day I had an e-mail from Tony Holdren at PRI. I sent him a few pictures of the broken wrench and he said to send it in, and they'd replace it. So I sent it Priority Mail last Tuesday, and had a new one back via UPS this Wednesday.I've had the barrel nut soaking with Kroil for a while. Wish me luck.

Novel Review: Steven Hunter’s Point Of Impact

2010-08-21T01:19:00.002-04:00

Okay, so I’m a bit late to the Steven Hunter party. It looks like Point Of Impact was first published in 1993. I realize now that I’ve got some catching up to do.

You may have seen the movie Shooter (2007). Mark Wahlberg (a.k.a. Marky Mark, I’m sure he’d love the reference) is a sniper who gets framed for taking a shot at the U.S. president. I had seen the movie, but pretty much had forgotten all about it.

The high point of the movie, I vaguely remember. The main character, Bob Lee Swagger, the sniper, cuts down the man who really took the shot at the president, and then mows down a squad of shooters sent by the organization that framed him, aided somewhat by the FBI agent that believes he’s innocent. It’s maybe 12 minutes of shoot-em-up without much in the way of catch-phrases or billion dollar special effects, and it wasn’t enough to make a big impact at the box office. I don’t want to say that this is a minor part of the book, but the kicker in the novel is the surprise ending, which they did put into the movie. In the movie it only fizzles, and falls flat.

Let’s not get hung up on the mediocre movie though.

The novel starts out with Bob Lee waiting for a monster buck, near his home in the Oichita mountains in Arkansas. Bob Lee lives alone in the woods with his dozen or so rifles, a 1911, and a few thousand rounds of ammo, and has very little contact with anyone. He goes into town to pick up his mail, and to buy food now and then, but for the most part he just keeps to himself up in the mountains with his dog.

A few chapters in, you’re introduced to the villain, Col. William A. Bruce (retired), a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, who is played by Danny Glover in the movie. Col. Bruce needs a shooter, a real killer. He kicks some names around with his cronies. He rejects the suggestion of Carl Hitchcock (an obvious reference to Carlos Hathcock), because he’s made too much money selling books, and giving speeches at Soldier of Fortune conventions and whatever. Bruce wants “Bob the Nailer.” Bob Lee racked up 80-something confirmed kills as a Marine Sniper in Vietnam, with a few dozen more that couldn’t be confirmed. Pardon me, make that “The ‘Nam.”

Bruce goes up the Bob Lee’s place, along with Jack “Payne-O” Payne. Payne does the dirty work for Bruce, and he comes along to Bob’s place as a bodyguard. . . with a short barreled shotgun under his coat.

Bruce gets Bob Lee to come out to Maryland to do some shooting. He’s conviced Bob that he’s representing an ammo brand called Accutech. He gives some cock-and-bull story about using lasers to make the world’s best rifle ammo. Really what they are doing is laying the framework of a frame-up. They boost Bob’s ego, and then reveal that they’re tied up with Secret Service, and they have information that the Russian that shot Bob in the hip, and killed his spotter, has been hired by terrorists, and is planning on taking a shot at the President of the United States.

So Bob scouts some of the locations that the President will be visiting, and it seems that there is only one obvious choice. Col. Bruce talks Bob into sitting behind a spotting scope the day of the President’s speech, the day that the assassination is to take place. The trap is sprung, and Bob gets shot a couple times, but escapes. They set it up like Bob took the shot, and was shot by a police officer as he was making his escape. As Bob crashes out of the house, he practically lands on Nick Memphis, FBI agent, working with Secret Service. Bob takes Nick's Smith & Wesson 1076 10mm, and his government-owned car.

Nick had been in charge of going through the “Charlies,” random whackos, people who wrote letters to the government with too many exclamation points, people who just barely made it onto the radar of the Secret Service. Allegedly, Bob Lee had sent such a letter, and made it into the “Charlies.” Having been a former FBI sniper, Nick knew of “Bob the Nailer,” and didn’t consider him a real threat, and decided not to bump him up into the “Bravo” or “Alpha” groups.

So now it looks like Bob took a shot at the President, and took Nick’s service piece and car in the process. Nick is in hell, career-wise.

I may have gotten some of the details a little wrong, but that's mostly how it goes. If I tell you the rest, it will spoil the book for you, so I’m going to end the summary there.

I highly recommend this book. I wasn’t real sure if I would enjoy it at the start. I guess I’m kind of out of my “sniper phase,” but there is a lot of “gun culture” written into the book, besides the sniper stuff. After the shooting, you get to read the newspaper articles as Bob Lee reads them. I got a kick out the inane comments about the “telescopic-powered assault rifle.” Real pro-gun-ban newspaper articles are sometimes that bad.

The book is about 500 pages, and they’re pretty long pages too, but I never thought, “oh, just get on with it already, dammit.” Although I guess I really knew how it would end about half way through, you don’t find out how it happens until like the last 30 pages. There’s a big hint near the beginning, but after a few hundred pages I had pretty much forgotten about it.

If you’re a reader, and you have the time, pick up a copy. I don’t think you’ll regret it.

Making Kydex Holsters

2010-08-08T14:38:00.006-04:00

This is my first posting to come out of a request.

This is a follow-up on the Custom Pocket Holster post.

I guess the first thing I should do is start with a disclaimer. If you are going to be forming a holster around an actual firearm, check to make sure it's unloaded three times before you start doing anything. Be really really sure it's unloaded, and periodically check to make sure it's still unloaded. We don't want anyone getting shot by an allegedly unloaded pistol.

If you have a blue gun, or a red gun, a resin movie prop gun, or a metal stand-in of the type typically used for making holsters, obviously use that instead of a real firearm. However, I expect that most who read this, are just normal shooters, who aren't going to go and spend $50 for a solid plastic gun to make one or two holsters. In case I haven't made it perfectly clear yet, if you are going to be using a real firearm to form a holster around, make sure it's completely unloaded first.

Kydex is a pretty forgiving material to work with. If you make a mistake, you can heat it back up and reshape it. One of the only ways you can really go wrong is to cut a piece too small, although you may be able to use that piece later for something else. If you get too agressive with a heat gun you might manage to scorch or really melt the material.

Kydex is also a very inexpensive material. At present, you can get a 12x24” sheet of black Kydex for about $15 shipped, which should be enough to make two dropped and offset race holsters for full-size pistols, possibly 3, 4, or maybe even more concealment holsters, depending on the design.

I bought my Kydex and Concealex from Knifekits.com. They have expanded their line of sheath and holster supplies to include metal belt clips, snaps and setting tools, a wider selection of rivets and setting tools, leather material and supplies, new colors and camo pattern Kydex, and a whole bunch of other stuff.

.060” thick Kydex is easier to shape, but Kydex is pretty brittle, and all the holsters and belt loops I’ve ever had, made of .06” Kydex have broken or cracked. The pocket holster for the Kahr is made of .09” thick sheet, and has been beaten pretty badly, but it's still intact. I made belt loops for the SuperTuck from .09” sheet folded over, and they’ve been hanging in for a couple years now. I don't have any experience with .08" Concealex or Kydex, or .125" Kydex. The 1/8" Kydex might do the trick for belt loops, but wasn't available when I ordered material.

There are a few different ways to form Kydex. I just use a heat gun to soften the sheet, and then I bend and form it as necessary. You may have seen vacuum forming on Mythbusters, that works with Kydex too, but I haven't bothered with making a vacuum forming set-up myself. I've heard of people using the oven, or a toaster oven to warm up the Kydex, and then they quickly try to form it before it cools down and sets. I have not tried the oven method yet, but I can see how it might have some advantages.

If you use the heat gun or oven methods, you'll need some kind of "Kydex press." You can order a nice, photo-friendly press from knifekits.com or elsewhere for about $85, but I made mine from some MDF I had left over from another project, and a couple layers of foam cut from a sleeping pad.

The top layer of foam is a little scorched, and the cut of the MDF isn't pretty, but it gets the job done.

You may have no choice but to hand-form sometimes. The Kydex press doesn't really do curves, unless you make some kind of buck to insert into the press with the hot material.

You'll need something to use as a heat sheild to just work small areas of your holster. I used a piece of aluminum flashing, but a scrap of plywood or something would work too.

I think I had cut the notch in the heat shield to rework the channel necessary for the slide lock lever.

I have used popsicle sticks taped to the pistol to form slots in the Kydex for the slide lock lever, and other controls. If you don't have any handy, you can find them labeled as craft sticks at Michael's or maybe WalMart. The wood slats, purchased from the hobby section of WalMart, I cut to make a stand-in belt to make belt loops. It's not pictured here, because I threw it away, but I once use the handle of a plastic spoon at one point for forming Kydex. Use your imagination.

Here is some hardware used to make the tension adjustment on the pocket holster for the Kahr. On top is a tee-nut (may alse be called a t-nut). On the bottom is a finish washer. On the right is a rubber bushing, which goes between the layers of the holster. On the left is a flathead Phillips 8-32 machine screw.

Except for the rubber bushing, this is the same type of hardware used to secure the belt loops to a Crossbreed SuperTuck holster. Crossbreed seems to have used a rubber washer cut from rubber sheeting to use as a spacer between the leather backing, and the belt loop.

The finish washers I was able to find at Home Depot. The tee-nuts and screws I ordered from MSC Direct, but they may be cheaper from McMaster Carr, although, if you need a heat gun, it's probably cheaper at MSC. If you are buying a heat gun, try to get one with the attachments for focusing the flow of hot air. It you can't get a heat gun with the attachments for a resonable price, you can get them from WalMart in the paint section for under $25 probably, or maybe from PepBoys.

More Holster-Making Links, in no particular order:
FreeIdaho - Scroll down the index on the left until you get to "Holster 1".
Engnath.com Sheath Page - It's about making knife and sword sheaths, but there's some useful information that can be applied to making holsters.
F1Design.us, Vacuum Forming an IWB Holster - Alternate method of making Kydex Holsters.

Update, 8/1/2010

2010-08-01T16:15:00.002-04:00

I found the website for the self-defense shows on Spike. So I updated that post. I also added descriptions of the shows.

Uploaded pictures of Heinie sights and LPA adjustable sights for Glock, and added them to my update post from July 18th.

August free shipping (for orders over $199) promotion code for DSG Arms = AUGSHIP

Custom Pocket Holster

2010-08-01T15:13:00.001-04:00

I had been carrying my Kahr PM9 in an Uncle Mike's pocket holster with an old Blue Cross card epoxied on at the bottom to give it some ridgity. Well the card broke into several pieces and the holster returned to a floppy, and now very ugly mess. So I made my own Kydex pocket holster from Kydex. Here it is:

I made it so that the Kydex covers the mag release, sights, and, of course, the trigger. The muzzle end is folded over, to try to protect the pistol from pocket lint as much as possible.

I sized it specifically to fit Wrangler jeans pockets, but it seems to fit in most anything else. Some pocket holsters are made too small, and the pistol ends up sideways, or eventually upside down. I didn't leave it any room to rotate.

I've been using this holster for a few months and it's working out well. It took a few tries to get it just right, but the Kydex can be reshaped without any negative effects, and it wasn't that hard. All in, with the heat gun, materials, foam and MDF to make the Kydex press, I still have less money in the holster than what it would have cost me to have someone else make it.

.223 Remington to .22 Pellet Conversion

2010-07-28T12:32:00.000-04:00

Here's something I haven't seen before. The Sportsman's Guide has a .223 Remington to .22 pellet conversion shell. It looks like a brass shell casing, but you put a 209 shotshell primer in one end, and a .22 pellet in the other, turning your .223 Remington rifle into a pellet gun.

Pretty neat.

Midway Coupon Codes From AR-15.com

2010-07-20T01:23:00.000-04:00

From AR15.com e-mail newsletter

To receive your Savings:
Place in-stock products in your shopping cart totaling:
$50 for $10 off - Use Promotion Code 171510
$500 for $50 off - Use Promotion Code 271510
$1000 for $100 off - Use Promotion Code 371510
Enter the promotion code in the box entitled "Promotion Code" on the shopping cart page.
You will see the discount on the Confirmation page before placing your order.
Remember, this promotion code is valid for orders placed on MidwayUSA.com.
Limited to in-stock products, one per Customer and one promotion code per retail order.
Excludes Gift Certificates and Nightforce products, Sale priced products and Clearance products.
Offer valid for retail Customers only.
Offer cannot be combined with Birthday or Special Pricing.
Hurry, offer starts at 12:00 AM CT July 15, 2010
and ends at 11:59 PM CT July 31, 2010.

What I've Been Up To

2010-07-18T17:19:00.008-04:00

I got some sights in from Richard Heinie on, er, Wednesday or Thursday, I think. I got a tall front sight for my Glock 21, which was shooting high. I also ordered a Ledge rear sight with tritium for the Glock 19, which I bought a couple years ago, but have mostly ignored, except for shooting 1200 odd rounds through it. The old front sight from the 21 went onto the 19. The 21 is now shooting to point of aim, and I'm ready to carry the 19. The 19 will also likely go along for a carbine training class at some point in the future.

I also ordered a tritium sight set for the Kahr PM9, hoping it would fix my problem of hitting high with that pistol. It didn't. The pistol still shot 9 inches high (!) at 50 feet. I can bring it down a bit by filing the rear sight, but probably not enough.

Heinie night sights for Kahr pistols

My Kahr With New Heinie Sights, and Custom Pocket Holster

I shot a Ruger Rimfire Match earlier today at Delaware County Field & Stream. Although I didn't shoot all that well with the AA Glock conversion pistol, I did pretty good with the 10/22, and it was fun. The same range is running rimfire pistol plate shoots on Wednesday nights, but I work nights and haven't been able to go. I now have a legitimate purpose for the 10/22 that I've used to burn through 25-round mags of cheap bulk ammo. See. . . I can shoot a rifle offhand. . . I just need 40 M.O.A. targets! :-P

UPDATE, 8/1/2010: Looks like I took second in unlimited class somehow, placing just behind the gentleman who set up the shoot. Don't quite know how that happened.

Oh, and my AA Glock conversion upper is now sporting LPA adjustable sights. The rear sight holds a zero pretty well. Although the front sight is much taller than the Glock front sight, and may cause holster clearance issues, I like these a lot better than the plastic Glock sights. I can now see light between the edges of the rear notch and the sides of the front sight now. Another issue may be the hinge pin of the rear sight, which is a cheap roll pin. I've heard several stories of broken hinge pins in Bomar-type sights, and I don't imagine that roll pin will hold up to very many major .40S&W loads. I'll post more on these sometime later.

LPA adjustable Glock sight set

AA Rimfire Slide with LPA Sights

LPA Adjustable Glock Sight

UPDATE, 11/20/11: The LPA sights are still doing well. I don't recall ever adjusting the sights, after the initial adjustment just after installing them. I'm quite impressed, and would buy another set in a heartbeat, if I needed them.

A quick shopping note: DSG Arms is selling 5 PMags with 150 rounds of Fiocchi 62gr ammo for $109. I've got lots of AR mags, and I'm reloading .223. If not for that, I'd probably jump on this deal. Scroll a bit down this page for a free shipping code I posted recently if you're buying.

I updated the Spike Network shooting/self-defense show post.

Tapco U.S.-Made SKS Bolt

2010-07-18T16:20:00.000-04:00

I just discovered this item in the Midway Gunsmithing catalog. Tapco is making, or at least contracting, replacement SKS bolts. The bolts are cut so that detachable magazines can be removed with the bolt in battery, which you can't do with origional equipment bolts. The bolt also has a spring-loaded firing pin to prevent slam fires. Even better, the bolt is made in the U.S., and counts as a compliance part if you need that, due to a "non-sporting" configuration.

Although my Chinese SKS is a pre-ban, I'd like to get one for use with the detachable Tapco mags, and for the spring-loaded firing pin. I'll probably pick one up from Midway at some point in the future. Cutting away the ridges for removing magazines isn't that hard, but I don't want to modify the Chinese bolt, because the rifle is worth decent money in ulaltered condition. New communist bolts are nearly as expensive from Numrich.

EDIT: Er, on second thought, the reviews on the Midway product page are not completely good. The price of a Chinese SKS bolt seems to have gone down significantly since the last time I checked also.

PMag Coupler = 50 or 60 Round AR-15 Magazine

2010-07-18T15:40:00.001-04:00

California Competition Works has developed a PMag coupler. It's made of anodized 6061 aluminum. You remove the baseplates and lockplates from your two Magpul AR-15 magazine and connect them together with the coupler, using the 30-coil magazine spring included with the coupler. You can use two 30-round magazines (which would be bloody long), or you can use a 30-round magazine and a 20-round magazine.

Although a little on the expensive side, it would definately make for a fun outing with an AR, and it would probably be good for 3-Gun matches.

EDIT, 7/20/2010: I've just remembered that 11 round magazines aren't legal in California, much less 50 or 60 round mags. I wonder how they do their engineering and T&E. Drive to Nevada?

also edittedd for speelng

Shooting/RKBA Shows on Spike Next Saturday

2010-07-12T00:22:00.006-04:00

I was checking out what's on next week, and I happened to notice some new shows on the Spike network next week.

Sat, July 17th, 10 a.m. EST
Practical Tactical

Sat, July 17th, 10 a.m. EST
Conceal + Carry = Survive

Before those is Because Lives Depend On It, at 9:30 a.m., but the name of the show and the description given by the Comcast Cable DVR is vague, and I'm not really sure what it's about. I can't find anything about these shows on the Spike network Website.

UPDATE, 7/18/2010: Conceal + Carry = Survive now called Concealed & Carry School. Because Lives Depend On It is a self-defense show, and, so far, is the only one to feature a significant amount of shooting. Although the shows are pretty short, I like the content so far. I think they are showing shooters, and those concerned with self-defense in a positive way.

UPDATE, 8/1/2010: Found the website. http://www.dontbeavictimtv.com/

Because Lives Depend On It is a tactics show. This weekend they had Larry Vickers on to show how to work with a pistol and weapon-mounted or hand-held flashlight. Last week they did drills with 9mm, .45ACP, and .40S&W pistols, and discussed the pros and cons of these calibers for defense. This show seems to have the most shooting.

Practical Tactical seems to revolve mostly around home defense. Last weekend they focused on a hi-tech home with a lot of panic room features. This week they brought in K-9 professionals to talk about the use of a dog for home defense.

Concealed & Carry School is about what it sounds like. Mostly it is interviews with people that are going to the school. Why they went, how they felt about it, what they are getting out of it.

UPDATE, 8/21/2010: Another show added last week, I think. It's called What If. Last week it covered the shooting at the Holocost Museum in Washington, D.C.. This week it was a shooting at a restaurant in San Francisco's Chinatown. The show suggests things you might do if you mind yourself in these kinds of situations.

"CRANE" Extractor O-rings for AR-15/M-16 - $9/100

2010-07-11T15:45:00.001-04:00

I was recently reading an article about direct gas impingement AR-15s and reliability. The author was stressing the need for good springs, and a proper buffer. It reminded me that I should post about extractor o-rings.

You might have noticed the D-Fender extractor inserts or "CRANE" extractor o-ring upgrades available for AR-15 rifles in Brownells catalogs or wherever. You can use a pretty ordinary o-ring and get the same effect.

What you want, specifically is:

Viton AS568A Aerospace Standard ID Number: 006 Inside Diameter: 0.125 In. Thickness: 1/16 Outside Diameter: 0.250 In.

That's that description from MSC Direct*, where I bought mine for $8.48 (in November 2009) for a bag of a 100. The part number from MSC is 09265067. McMaster Carr has them even cheaper, part number 9464k11, but I needed a 1 1/2" die stock, and MSC had those a lot cheaper.

The D-Fender and "CRANE" o-rings will probably cost you $3 or more each from a gun shop.

Installing the o-ring is pretty simple:

Remove the bolt from the bolt carrier.
If the bolt isn't clean, then clean it. :-)
There are two pins in the bolt, one is solid, the other is a hollow roll pin. The solid one is the one that holds in the extractor. Push in on the extractor, and push out the solid pin. It should not resist too much, and no hammer should be required. The roll pin holds in the ejector and spring, leave that one alone, it is harder to remove and replace, and if you're not careful when removing the punch from the bolt, the ejector and spring may fly across the room, and you may never find them again.
The extractor spring should be captured in a hole in the extractor. In the middle of the spring there should be a little rubber insert. If the spring is broken, get another one. If the insert is missing, or crumbled, get a new one. All you need to do to install the o-ring is to roll it over the extractor spring, and seat it up against the extractor.
Reassemble the rifle and test fire. Make sure it still works. Just in case.

You're supposed to remove, clean, and inspect the extractor each time you clean an AR-15 type rifle, but I've noticed that some of the instruction manuals have this step out from the cleaning procedure.

On a somewhat related note, I'm also told that a #41 O-Ring over the front takedown lug of the upper receiver will help keep your upper and lower receivers from rattling together if there is a sloppy fit.

* - MSC runs a lot of coupon deals, check retailmenot.com for coupon codes if you're going to order.

DSG Arms Free Shipping Coupon Code

2010-07-04T17:23:00.000-04:00

DSG Arms is offering Free UPS Ground Shipping on all orders over $99 for the month of July. Use promotional code FREEUPS99. Apply this promo code in your shopping cart as you check out at dsgarms.com

They've got Fiocchi .223Rem for $339/1000 rounds.

Sorry folks, that's kinda all I got for now.

Happy Independence Day!

Some Glock Mags Cheap

2010-06-30T00:51:00.000-04:00

New "Law Enforcement Only" Glock 17 mags from CDNN Investments for $14.99. Direct Link to LE Glock 17 Mags. These are, of course, completely legal for those in free states with no magazine limits. Good deal, but I already have, well I don't know exactly, but more than 20 of 'em.

CDNN also has new Glock 22 mags for $18.99 each. IIRC, you can get them from Natchez Shooters Supply for about the same price. AIM Surplus has used G22 mags for $14.95.

I don't think I've mentioned it yet, but the cheaper Korean Glock mags don't always drop free, and they jam up with hollowpoints if they are loaded on the long side. The same hollowpoint ammo runs just fine through factory Glock, Kahr, Berretta, and S&W M&P mags. I have a bunch, but won't buy any more.

$1.75 Solution to a 9mm AR-15 Problem

2010-06-28T01:57:00.001-04:00

I was just about to order a Spike's 9mm buffer, but did a quick search first. It would seem that someone on the AR15.com message boards discovered that 7 quarters dropped into the buffer tube, before installing the recoil spring and buffer, make a perfect buffer spacer.

I have an RRA 9mm buffer, but it is standard 5.56mm length. The 9mm bolts don't need to travel as far back as a .223Rem/5.56mm bolt carrier, and they're heavier. What happens is the 9mm bolt gets a good running start at the bolt catch. The bolt catches take a beating. I had a Model 1 bolt catch in the lower I first ran the 9mm upper on, and the catch quickly got bent to the point that I had to replace it.

You can get longer 9mm buffers from Spike's, Hahn, or Slash, but they aren't cheap. Spike's also makes a buffer spacer, for people like me who already have an acceptable short buffer, but it's still nearly $30 shipped, for a small piece of machined aluminum who's sole purpose is to take up a little space in the buffer tube.

Sure enough, the American 25¢ piece fit right in both Commercial and Mil-Spec carbine buffer tubes. Although I haven't tried the quarter trick live-fire yet, it should work just like the Spike's 9mm Buffer spacer. The quarters won't fit inside the coils of a buffer spring, so I have no reason to doubt those who swear it works very well, and there's really nothing to lose.

UPDATE, 9/12/2010: Tried it out. Seems to work well. Put 4 30-Round mags, and a 20-Round mag through my RRA 9mm upper, with Hahn mag block and RRA 9mm buffer, without any issues. I have, on a couple occasions, had stovepipe jams with this set-up without the quarters, but no problems today. I was running hollowpoints too.

It seems like I could get another quarter or maybe two more into the buffer tube, and still be able to lock the bolt to the rear.

Minisniping

2010-06-21T02:03:00.000-04:00

Minisniping started as a game for air rifles, but there's no reason you can't do it with rimfires, or even centerfire rifles. The way it's done in the article, you sit a 9mm shell casing on a lump of clay 35 yards out from your shooting bench, and pick them off with your adult airgun of choice.

The price of ammo has gone up a lot since 1984, when the article was printed in Guns & Ammo, and even 9mm brass gets sold, so I wouldn't use 9mm brass, but you may be able to come up with steel 9x18 casings or something else entirely to use as targets.

Many of the newer centerfire rifles will shoot 1 inch groups at a hundred yards. Try putting some low-brass 12 gauge shells out, and try picking those off.

Maybe something like the Rimfire Tactical Precision Match is more your cup of tea. Put some steel targets out far enough for it to be a real challenge. Make up some terrorist/hostage targets (if your range rules allow). There are some more fun targets on the 6mmBR website to play with.

It summer, get out there and shoot. Make it fun. Dust off your imagination.

Man Uses Pistol For Protection in National Park

2010-06-12T15:27:00.000-04:00

John R. Lott post on the Denali National Park shooting
LA Times Blog post on the shooting

You may have heard that a law passed this year allowing those allowing those permitted by state law, to carry firearms in national parks and wildlife refuges. It didn't take very long before the law paid off, not that I'm not surprised. . .

A backpacker hiking in Denali National Park in Alaska drew a .45caliber pistol, and fired "about 9 rounds," at a bear that charged the woman he was hiking with. The bear retreated, and was later found, dead.

Shooting Rampage in England. Bobbies Unarmed and Helpless To Stop It!!!

2010-06-12T14:40:00.001-04:00

John R. Lott on shooting
BBC news story on Derrick Bird shootings in Cumbria

An unarmed police officer hears shots, and goes to investigate. He got into a passing car and followed the suspect, who had gotten into a taxi. The first Bobby was joined by two other unarmed officers, who joined chase in a police van.

The suspect, Derrick Bird, killed 12 and wounded 11, on a shooting spree in Cumbria, before finally eating a bullet. The police, not having any firearms, couldn't do much more than watch, and try to give aid to the victims. It's not their fault. It's the ridiculous idea that's spread through the U.K., that there's something wrong with self-defense, or the defense of others, particularly with a firearm. That they haven't figured out that it's not working, is rather sickening. We need to be sure not to let this happen here.

Benjamin Marauder Pre-Charged Pneumatic Air Rifle, Part 2

2010-06-06T22:32:00.008-04:00

Marauder Review Part 1 - Now With Pictures!

Accuracy
I was able to eliminate JSB Exact, and JSB Exact Heavy pellets just from 10 yard testing. The Heavies shot ½ inch groups at 10 yards. The regular JSB Exacts were strung out about two and a half inches across the target. Crosman Premier Hollow Points shot pretty well, mostly, but one spun off to the left about six inches, and one went almost a foot high, and missed the pellet trap entirely!

It looks like my factory tuned Marauder does not really like any of the lighter pellets. Although the Beeman FTS and JSB Exact Express pellets showed promise at 10 yards, the 25 yard groups were both over two inches. I believe both pellets are around 8 grains, and the Crosman Hollow Points are 7.9 grains.

I had reported on the MarauderAirRifle forum that my rifle preferred Beeman Kodiac Pellets (10.6 grains) over the Crosman Premier Ultra Magnum pellets (10.5 grains). I had done most of the testing with these two pellets at 10 yards, with the barrel band in place. At 25 yards, without the barrel band, the groups showed something else.

25 Yard Groups - Kodiac Match Pellets - 0.868" and 0.74" center-to-center

Crosman Premier Ultra Magnum Pellets - 0.445" and .430" center-to-center

50 Yard Group, different day, Crosman UltraMag - 0.9" C.T.C.

Those are 10-shot groups. I feel 10-shot groups give a more realistic picture of how a gun will shoot than lucky 3-shot or 5-shot groups. I knew I had made a mistake in calling the Kodiacs the favorite when I shot the first 5 heavy Premiers at 25 yards. They all went into one tiny bughole. The next 5 opened up the group a little, but the end results are still pretty good. My American dime measures just a little under 0.7” in diameter, and it will easily cover both of the 10-shot, 25 yard groups shot with the heavy Premier domes.

I feel less dumb for having bought two tins of the Premiers, and only one of the Kodiacs. I did spend a good bit of time washing, and swabbing bits of lead flakes out of the Premiers though. The Kodiacs didn’t really need the cleaning, and although I’ve inspected more of the Kodiacs, while goofing around the field target course, I’ve found much fewer with imperfections and none with any lead flashing.

Pressurizing the Marauder

The protective cap is removed to show the Foster male quick-disconnect coupler. The manual is very specific about using the Foster #12FS female coupler to charge the rifle. This is the same type of coupler used to charge late-model Daystate and BAM pre-charged air rifles, among others.

The Marauder can be charged with compressed air or CO2. Out-of-the-box the Marauder is set up or a 2500psi charge of compressed air. To get it to run on CO2, you would need to purge any compressed air in the tube, by using the (included) depressurizing tool. To charge with CO2 also requires a fill adapter to use with a paintball tank. Using CO2 also requires a 2000psi pressure tune.

The Marauder is one of few PCP airguns that can be set up to run on a charge pressure from 2000 to 3000 psi. There are adjustments for hammer stroke length, and hammer spring preload. The velocity can be adjusted by turning the valve metering screw, which is on the right side of rifle, above the trigger group, and hidden below the top edge of the stock.

Shooting at 50 yards, I noticed that the rifle gets really sensitive to fill pressure. You can see from this group that the group strung out vertically, and strangely, to the left, as the pressure went down.

I guess I really only get about 20 good shots from a full 2500 psi charge. The gauge built into the rifle just about matches the gauge on my Hill pump. Recharging after 20 shots takes about 45 strokes of the pump, and the pump really doesn't get very warm. If you aren't shooting at longer distances, you can squeeze out 10 more shots, and then it takes about 80 pump-strokes to refill, and you should probably stop after 60 strokes to let the pump cool off a little bit.

Trigger (Continued)

I degassed the rifle, and finished tuning the trigger. I backed out the return spring screw again, and turned it back in until it just barely reset the trigger. Then I adjusted the 2nd stage, to remove most of the creep.

The trigger pull was very light, but I would sometimes miss the 2nd stage, and the gun would go off before I was really ready for it. Turning in the return spring screw maybe a sixth of a turn more fixed it.

You want to know what the trigger pull weight is? Hold onto your hats folks. The first-stage pull is right around 3 ounces, and the second-stage trips at 3.5-3.7. Ray, of the A-Team had reported that his trigger, “is set at 2.4 ounces for the first stage and breaks at 3.3 ounces.” I figured some gunsmith at Crosman had slicked up the trigger for him, or worked some other magic, but now I’m thinking it may just be a matter of personal preferences in setting the trigger, or maybe it’s just a minor difference in trigger pull gauges.

And on that bombshell. . .

TI25 10/22 Mags Down To $17.99

2010-05-27T01:19:00.001-04:00

Tactical Innovations has reduced the price of their adjustable polycarbonate 25-round magazines to $17.99. They might have been up as high as $40 soon after the elections. The one I've been testing has been flawless.

If you're interested in color-anodized 10/22 trigger housings, triggers, and mag releases, they've got those too.

They are also offering free shipping on orders over $150.

FREE SHIPPING TERMS
Free shipping offer applies to online orders with combined products totaling $150 or more excluding shipping and taxes. Free shipping offer does not apply to FFL restricted items (firearms) as well as heavy or oversize items which would require additional freight charges. Free shipping carrier and service will be selected by Tactical Innovations based on package weight, package size and shipping distance. Customer reserves the right to designate carrier and service at customer's expense.

DSG Arms New Website Sale

2010-05-27T00:58:00.000-04:00

To promote their new website, DSG Arms is offering a $10 credit if you update your account, by creating a new password. Here is the link to create a new password for your existing account.

Get $10 off on any merchandise order of $150 or more between now and 6/30/2010 for trying our new site. Use the discount code: 20100524 when you checkout. Watch for the 'Add a Promotional Code' box after choosing your address and shipping. Enter the code 20100524 and click the right arrow icon to apply your discount before completing your order..

The coupon code may work, even for new customers. The e-mail they sent me doesn't really say.

Crime Rate Still On The Decline - CCRKBA.ORG

2010-05-27T00:50:00.003-04:00

Although the gun ban lobby is still crying that guns cause crime, and we need more gun laws, the FBI numbers are out from 2009. Violent crime rates fell again, despite the continuation of high rates of gun sales and concealed carry permit applications, following the 2008 elections.

Alan Gottleib of CCRKBA.ORG reports that:

. . . the murder rate fell last year 7.2 percent in larger cities. Robbery declined more than 8 percent and forcible rape was down 3.1 percent. It might just be that criminals are less likely to attack someone out of fear their intended victim is armed. Robbers might be discouraged by the growing potential that the clerk behind the counter is willing to fight back. Maybe would-be rapists are deterred by the possibility that they might get shot.

For many years, anti-gunners made all kinds of wild predictions that higher rates of gun ownership and the expansion of shall-issue carry permits would leave neighborhoods awash in blood. The data proves otherwise. America should turn its back on the gun prohibition lobby and their insidious policy of victim disarmament.

You can read the rest of the article here.

Benjamin Marauder Pre-Charged Pneumatic Air Rifle

2010-05-24T12:21:00.010-04:00

My Marauder (without barrel band, which I'll explain), Hill Pump, and a selection on pellets it likes.

I think I should start with the box the rifle comes in. The box is glossy, and pretty classy, with pictures and a list of the rifle’s features. They stapled the damn thing closed, which I could have lived without, and this lead to me ripping the box trying to get at the rifle. I don’t have plans on selling mine though.

The rifle was held in the box with open cell foam blocks. There was an instruction manual, degassing too and instructions, magazine and instructions in the box also, but I have them stashed in another location. Sorry!

Bottom of the box shows the rifle's features, and Crosman accessories for their PCP airguns.

The Marauder weighs about 8 pounds, and felt a bit light to me, at least until I put the heavy 10-40x scope on top. Walking the field target course, it starts to feel pretty heavy. It does hang pretty steady on the target though. Still not as bad as the B21 springer (Chinese RWS side-lever clone), that weighed about 9 and a half pounds without a scope.

The Stock
I could live without the cheekrest on the right side of the stock, but otherwise, I don’t think the stock is as bad as some have opined. It’s got a matte finish, which I can see offending those who like their stocks mirror polished, but I don’t mind it at all. I found a few small. . . lumps, in the finish, and a dent in the top rear of the cheekpiece that’s about a quarter inch in diameter and about an eighth inch deep.

The stock fits me (6 foot, 2 inches), pretty well. It’s a half inch, maybe an inch, too short, but not short enough to be uncomfortable. The rifle is meant to be scoped so the cheekrest is appropriately high, though somehow sort of uncomfortable. The cheekrest feels like it’s too far to the left, for this right-handed shooter.

The ventilated buttpad is at about the right height I’ve heard complaints about the grip being too large, but it places the pad of my index finger on trigger, where I feel that it should be, so I’m not complaining. Although I’d prefer an adjustable buttstock and cheekrest, and a vertical grip or AR-15 pistol grip, I find the rifle to be much more ergonomic that I had expected. They seem to have put some effort into getting the ergonomics right, at least for a tallish American.

I was hoping that it wouldn’t be like the Crosman 2289 Backpacker (discontinued; basically a 2250, but a pumper rather than CO2 powered). The buttpad of the 2289 was several inches too high, and what would be the cheekpiece was more than an inch too low for use with a scope.

The stock comes with sling swivel studs. The studs only cost a couple dollars each, retail price, but are usually not included with factory rifles or aftermarket stocks. So the end user ends up paying a gunsmith $20 or so to get them installed, or pays about $30 to purchase a kit for installing swivel studs. No worries with the Marauder though.

The Magazine
The Marauder is a repeater. I didn’t think I really needed a magazine-fed air rifle, but when I started shooting in the basement, I remembered that it’s rather difficult to load a rifle when I’m sitting on the stairs. I could put the pellet tin to my left, on the next higher step, but I’m right-handed, so that really doesn’t work well. With the magazine, I can just rack the bolt, and keep shooting.

The magazine is pretty simple, but surprisingly difficult to load without first reading the instructions. With a little practice, it’s not hard to do though, and after you get the first pellet loaded, you no longer have to fight the magazine spring, which is nice.

To load the magazine, involves three steps.

With the clear cover facing you, rotate the cover about 15 degrees short of a full turn clockwise. This preloads the magazine spring.
While still holding the cover in position, insert a pellet into the 1st position through the slot in the cover, while holding a finger over the hole in the back, or perhaps I should say front end of the magazine. Once the first pellet is in place, you can release your hold on the clear cover. The spring tension of the rotor will hold the 1st pellet in place against the body of the magazine.
You can now rotate the clear magazine cover counterclockwise and place pellets in positions 10 through 2 in the rotor through the slot in the cover, and then snap the cover back into position.

It’s fairly simple, but fairly unconventional for someone used to loading box magazines for a firearm from the top. I had to follow the instructions a two or three time before I caught on.

The magazine will stop you from closing the bolt when there are no more pellets left. This is to keep you from dry firing when you really want to put a hole in something.

I’m told the Marauder magazine is very similar to the Theoben magazines. The price of spare Benjamin magazines runs from $9.95-$20 depending on the source. You can also get a single-shot tray that fits in place of the magazine, and the price is about the same as what the magazines go for.

The Trigger
Out of the box, my Marauder had a first stage of about 1 pound, and a second stage of about a pound and a half. The first stage was fairly long. The second stage had a little creep, although the sear engagement appeared to be pretty small.

The trigger reach is somewhat adjustable, by turning the screw at the rear of the trigger housing. Adjusting the trigger reach with the adjustment screw, you can change the sear engagement, so be careful. As I said while discussing the stock, I found the trigger reach pretty good right out of the box.

The screw at the front on the trigger housing adjusts the trigger return spring. Inside the trigger housing, is another spring that serves the same purpose, and it’s not adjustable. If you leave that internal spring in place, you really don’t need the screw and spring at the front of the trigger housing. You cannot really use the rifle without either of these trigger return springs though, because the trigger will remain to the rear, and not reset, and the rifle won’t cock again without pushing the trigger forward manually. I found this out accidentally, having tried the trigger as is, making an adjustment, and then removing the non-adjustable “lawyer spring.” Without some tension on the front trigger return spring, and no internal return spring, the trigger pull was really too light to be even remotely predictable anyway.

Avv604's Trigger Lightening Post on Meandering Blog - Details on removing the "Lawyer Spring."

The trigger housing, by the way, is not sealed, and I was able to remove the cover without any prying. There are no tamper-resistant screws involved. All the adjustment screws have Allen sockets, as do the screws that hold the trigger group onto the rifle action, and the screws that hold the trigger group together.

The trigger group is a tight unit with machined steel parts. There is very little "slop" in the fit of any of the parts.

I did a little tuning, without the lawyer spring, and I think I got the trigger down to a safe 2nd stage weight of less than 10 ounces, with very little creep. I have a trigger gage, but I’m not going to bother measuring it until I’m finished tuning. I think I can get it a little bit lighter, and reduce the creep a little bit more.

I wish that I could get something similar to the Marauder trigger for an AR-15 target rifle.

Cleaning the Barrel
At first, I thought the flyers I was getting with the heavy Premier pellets was from less than stellar shooting (ahem), or a sitting position on the basement stairs that wasn’t so stable. Those might have been part of it, but I figured that I should try cleaning the bore. Reading some of the forums, I was finding reports of dirty barrels on Marauders that just came out of the box. Sure enough, I put about 20 patches through the bore before I got a patch to come out clean. The first few patches had smudges that were nearly black. I had only fired about 180 rounds at that point, probably less, and the bore should not have been that dirty.

But here is where the story gets a bit. . . interesting. To clean the bore, you sort of have to take the rifle apart. To get a pull-through rod into the bore I had to remove the bolt. There’s an Allen-head screw that holds the bolt in the breech. That’s pretty easy to remove; there’s a slot in the side of the breech where you can access this screw when the bolt’s closed. I had been warned (those forums again) that you can damage the bolt it you don’t back out the screw that’s on the top rear of the breech. That screw controls the spring pressure on the ball detent that holds the bolt closed. To get at that screw, I had to remove the scope, and move the B-Square Weaver adapter forward.

Bore was probably quite dirty before I even shot anything.

But wait, there’s more. If you try to push or pull a patch through the bore without removing the shroud or the baffles, the patches will get hung up on the baffles. So I removed the whole shroud, just to see what was going on in there. You could also unscrew the muzzle end cap and pull out the baffles, just make sure to take note of the order of the baffles and the o-ring. You could also try putting a drinking straw through the baffles from the muzzle end of the shroud.

Having to do all that, just to clean the bore, sucked. It’s almost like having to remove all the suspension from a car to unbolt wheels from the backside, if you need to change or rotate tires. Cleaning the barrel should be a pretty regular maintenance task, and it shouldn’t be so complicated.

The Barrel Shroud
The shroud is surprisingly effective. The report from the muzzle end is pretty much non-existent. Pretty much all you hear when shooting is the PING of the hammer hitting the valve, and maybe the smack of the pellet hitting the target.

The shroud on my Marauder was touching the bottom of the barrel band, which probably isn’t really good, although it still shot pretty well. Tim McMurray at Mac1Airguns has reported on one of the airgun forums that Crosman is now shipping all Marauders with the slightly larger band that they were putting on the .25cal models. I learned that the barrel probably does touch the inside of the shroud from taking the shroud off to clean the barrel, which means that as the pressure changes in the air chamber as I shoot, it may have some impact on where the muzzle is pointing in relation to the scope. There is a pretty simple solution to the problem, which is just to remove the barrel band altogether.

Overall Impression
I am really impressed with this pre-charged adult airgun that you can get for about $413 shipped at the moment, maybe less if you can catch them in stock at Midway, and find a coupon at RetailMeNot. The Benjamin PCP rifles are competing with European models that cost nearly twice as much, and in some cases are matching the performance of rifles that cost more than double.

The trigger, without the lawyer spring, is NIIIIICE, after a little adjustment of the 2nd stage screw. The stock is much better engineered than I had expected, and the sling swivel studs are a nice touch.

If you are used to Crosman's cheaper air rifles, this rifle is really nothing like that. Except for the magazine, the baffles in the shroud, and the polymer bushings in the trigger group, there's really no plastic to be found. For the most part, everything fits together very well.

The shroud touching the barrel band is a bit of a disappointment, although I might be able to talk Crosman into sending me one of the ones they were using on the .25cal models. Having to take the scope off, remove a screw and bushing, and loosen another screw to clean the barrel will continue to make cleaning the bore rather tedious.

I’ll write some more about the Marauder at a later date after I get to spend some more time with it. I’ve still got 3 different types of JSB pellets, and the Beeman field target pellets to test yet. Eventually, I’ll get my Pact timer returned, and have it working with the sky screens as a chronograph, and I’ll be able to say how fast it shoots with various pellets, and how many useful shots it will get from a charge, and I might try adjusting fill pressure and velocity.

Airguns of Arizona - Looks like they have Marauders in stock for $399.00.
Crosman Airguns Official Website - .177 Marauder Page
Greg Davis Forum - Probably the #1 tuner of Marauder air rifles right now. Check link for information on tuning, along with some things you can do yourself.
MarauderAirRifle.com - Some good information in the forum.

Hawaii Passed Gun Owner Protection Laws?

2010-05-15T18:12:00.000-04:00

Got an e-mail from the Second Amendment Foundation that Hawaii passed two laws to protect gun owners recently. One prohibits siezure of firearms in the event of a disaster; a law that came about after the mess in New Orleans after the hurricane. The other is a "Castle Doctrine" law.

I'm a bit shocked, as Hawaii certainly isn't the most gun friendly state in the country, with discretionary carry permits, and, IIRC, a state "assault weapon" ban.

It would be nice if Sam Rohrer would get elected as governor in Pennsylvania, and my state could get some of these laws along with one that would make it illegal for an employer to fire an employee with a legal firearm locked inside their car on company property. We are presently ruled over by "Fast Eddie" Rendel, who ranks up there with NYC Major Bloomberg in the list of anti-gun politicians.

3-Gun TV Show Coming to VS Network

2010-05-12T00:50:00.001-04:00

FNH USA (Fabrique National. You know. The PS90, SCAR, FiveseveN people) are sponsoring a show to air on the Versus TV Network. It's a 3-Gun competition show. The show is scheduled to begin in July of this year.

From what I'm reading in America's First Freedom, the show sounds a lot like the Front Sight Challenge show that aired on Versus a few years ago, but at least it will bring a shooting TV show to those (like me) who can't get The Outdoor Channel.

UPDATE, 8/7/10: Don't know what happened, but the show is on The Sportsman's Channel, or something like that, not Versus.

Brownells to Help American Cancer Society

2010-05-03T12:42:00.000-04:00

For every Shoot Like A Girl gun case product sold though Brownells, they are donating 10% of the purchase price to the American Cancer Society to help fight breast cancer.

The Shoot Like A Girl cases are made in the USA from pink 1000-denier Cordura nylon, and there are cases available for pistols, scoped rifles, and M4 carbines.

Maybe not a bad idea for a Mother's day gift, if you've managed to get your mom or the mother of your child out to the range.

Brownells Shoot Like A Girl line

Cheaper Than Dirt! Buy-A-Gun Feature

2010-05-02T16:33:00.000-04:00

Many of you may know of Cheaper Than Dirt! from their firearm accessory catalogs, or at least their magazine ads. The CTD website has a new Buy-A-Gun feature to help people find guns that may be hard to find. If you click the "FFL Dealers" link on the right side of the page, you'll be prompted to enter you zip code, and then the website will generate a map of your area, showing the locations of nearby dealers, with addresses and phone numbers.

Also in the links along the right side of the page are links to databases of gunshows, gunsmiths, firearms training classes, shooting ranges, hunting guides, and a link to "Blue Book of Gun Values." A few other websites have hosted this type of information, but sadly a lot of them have folded. Hopefully CTD won't do anything stupid and go out of business.

Direct Link to Cheaper Than Dirt! Buy-A-Gun Page.

Bar-Sto is Moving Out of Commifornia

2010-04-23T15:25:00.000-04:00

Bar-Sto Precision Machine, is a company in California that makes pistol barrels, and does gunsmithing work on 1911/2011 pistols, 870 shotguns, Glocks, Springfield XDs, and AR rifles. It looks like they are also making a metal memory-groove type grip safety for Springfield XD pistols.

Irv Stone, current owner of Bar-Sto credits the tax situation in California as the motivation for the move. There's no mention of the gun laws in Cali, but I imagine that's a part of it too.

According to the "Views and Reviews" column in the June 2010 issue of American Rifleman, the move is scheduled to take place sometime in the first half of 2010.

Concealed Carry Poll - Connecticut Courant

2010-04-20T00:51:00.000-04:00

Link to Connecticut Courant poll on concealed carry.

Should Connecticut Allow Open Carrying Of Guns?
Should Connecticut continue to allow people to carry permitted handguns openly?
Yes. We allow people to own guns after going through a screening process, so why not let them have their holstered guns in plain sight?
No. When a private citizen walks into a public place with a handgun visible for all to see, it can create a sense of fear or intimidation -- or something worse.
Not sure

http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-poll-open-carry-handguns-0417,0,5186935,post.poll

April 19th, Day of "The Shot Heard 'Round The World"

2010-04-19T01:46:00.002-04:00

I just turned April 19th, here on the east coast, about an hour ago. April 19th is the anniversary of "The Shot Heard 'Round The World," the event usually credited with starting the American Revolution.

The British Army were ordered to collect and destroy firearms and other supplies stored by the militia in Concord, Mass. Long story short, the Militia fought back, and defeated three companies of British Army regulars at Concord, and then some.

The "Shot Heard 'Round the World," was fired in Lexington, though the exact story is unknown, with both sides having coming up with different version of what happened.

Most would agree that when the British regulars came into Lexington, on the morning of April 19, 1775, Lexington militiamen, who had been warned of what the Brits were coming to do, came out of a local tavern into the common to watch the regulars, along with a few dozen other locals.

The leader of the militia was Captain John Parker. Below is what he swore to after the fight:

I ... ordered our Militia to meet on the Common in said Lexington to consult what to do, and concluded not to be discovered, nor meddle or make with said Regular Troops (if they should approach) unless they should insult or molest us; and, upon their sudden Approach, I immediately ordered our Militia to disperse, and not to fire:—Immediately said Troops made their appearance and rushed furiously, fired upon, and killed eight of our Party without receiving any Provocation therefor from us.

The leader of the British regulars was Lieutenant William Sutherland. Sutherland reportedly called out, "lay down your arms, you damned rebels!"

Well, they certainly didn't, and someone fired a shot, and all hell broke loose.

Wikipedia - "The Shot Heard 'Round The World"
Wikipedia - The Battles of Lexington and Concord

"Odd Angry Shot: Pause and Remember the 19th of April, 1775," Guns Magazine, April 2010, by John Connor.

Connor writes:

Historians tell us only about 3 percent of colonials actively fought as patriots in the Revolution, supported by about 1/3 of the population. One-third sat it out, remaining neutral. Another 1/3 were British loyalists, and in fact, toward the end of the war, more loyalists were fighting for King George and revolutionaries were fighting for their new nation. Against all odds, the 3-percenters prevailed.
Sometimes great deeds are done by the few, the committed. This 19th of April, let us remember those few, those brave, those 3-percenters.

Not All AR Parts ARe Created Equal

2010-04-12T00:55:00.002-04:00

They look pretty much the same don't they? I didn't think there was a difference. I haven't used my Model 1 upper in a few years, I guess. Not fully trusting the charging handle, I put it in the Kuehl rimfire upper, and used the charging handle I got from the rimfire upper with a 5.56mm LMT upper.

The Kuehl uppers use a Jonathan Arthur Ceiner rimfire conversion kit with the chamber adapter milled off, and a custom made rimfire barrel. Just by the way.

If you look a little closer, you can see that the channel on the underside, for the gas key, is shorter on the Model 1 charging handle. The rimfire conversion kit ran through two 27-round mags with the Model 1 charging handle before the rimfire bolt raised enough of a burr to stop the bolt from cycling.

Upon closer inspection, the locking tab is also bent. Not sure when that happened, or if it came that way.

Closer, side-view, of the burr that brought my shooting session with the rimfire upper to a screeching halt.

Bushmaster ACR Review on AR15.com

2010-04-05T00:09:00.003-04:00

Link to thread, ACR Observations.

Some new information and detail photos. Interesting.

Another thread, by Ghetto. Link is to page 5, where he actually gets the rifle, the first 5 pages are pretty worthless.

This is Post #250!!

UPDATE, 9/18/2010: ShooterReview comparison tests of Bushmaser ACR Basic, Robinson Arms XCR, and an Rock River Arms M4

Virtual Arsenal on Mythbusters

2010-04-02T01:17:00.001-04:00

This week's episode of Mythbusters features a pretty wide assortment of firearms as they test the myth of bulletproofing a car with phonebooks. It's worth checking the TV listings for repeats of this episode, I'm sure it'll be on a few times this weekend, and maybe next Wednesday. They pretty much go all out to finally stop the SUV, and deflate the blow-up dolls (yes, really) on the inside.

They also use more explosives to test the movie myth that diving underwater will save you from being injured by an explosion.

Oh, and Kari's back (and still cute after having her baby)! I believe this is the episode that the photo of Kari with a .50BMG rifle came from, which you may remember if you follow The Firearm Blog.

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