Tapco AK G2 Trigger Recall

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

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

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

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

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

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-cased ammo, and this particular ACR hasn't been sent in for the recall service yet.  I have noticed that the primers aren't seated as deeply in the steel cases as they usually are in brass cases, which I believe is part of the problem.  I've put several hundred rounds of brass-cased ammo 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

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?

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 the General Rule of Lubrication: oil for rotating parts, grease for sliding parts that carry a load. In firearms, grease is most appropriate for any part interaction that has a scraping (aka "shear") type of action, and will be subjected to pressure or shock. What kinds of parts are we talking about? Slide rails, bolt carriers, and sears - especially double-action sears.

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

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

 

For such things as autoloader slides and rifle bolts, Lubriplate "SFL" NLGI #0 grease is my choice. In my testing it's proven itself superior as a general lubricant. It is white, aluminum-based, low odor, has superb boundary lubricants, and is designed specifically for 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 lithium greases will. As an all-around grease I've found nothing better. It's available from www.lubriplate.com, in their online store. It comes in a 14oz can which will last you for years - no matter how many 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

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

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

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

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

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?

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*

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 Bear Arms today is announcing its opposition to the nomination, by President Obama, of Andrew Traver as director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Traver is currently special agent in charge of Chicago’s BATFE field division, where he has a history of working with gun prohibitionists. He served as an advisor to the International Association for Chiefs of Police on that group’s 2007 “Gun Violence Reduction Project,” in cooperation with the anti-gun-rights Joyce Foundation. This project involved several high profile anti-gun-rights advocates, but there was not a single representative from the firearms community on the advisory panel.

“The nomination of Andrew Traver is more proof that Barack Obama has complete disregard for the Second Amendment and the rights of firearms owners,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. “We have serious concerns that the agency, under his leadership, will maintain any semblance of cooperation with the firearms industry, over which BATFE exercises considerable control.”

Traver helped develop the IACP/Joyce Foundation report, which recommended banning an array of modern sport-utility rifles and .50-caliber rifles used in long-range competition. The report also encouraged Congress to repeal the Tiahrt Amendment that protects sensitive trace data used by law enforcement in criminal investigations from being misued in frivolous municipal lawsuits that have consistently lost in court, and urged the adoption of restrictive gun show regulations that would effectively force them to close.

“Mr. Traver appears to be joined at the hip to various gun control and gun ban efforts,” Gottlieb observed. “The Citizens Committee, its members and supporters across the country oppose this nomination because Traver’s history clear shows that he is not the right man for such 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

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! The exclusive 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

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?

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

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

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?