I Built It Myself!

So, this has been getting some notice over on the work page...

Build Your Own AR-15

I built* my own AR from the ground-up. Lower, upper, everything but the bolt carrier group was assembled from individual AR-15 molecules. Not only did it work, it worked pretty darn well if I may say so myself - this is easily a sub-MOA rifle. That I built*

*There's a debate raging over whether it should be called "building" or "assembling." There are those that feel that since all of the parts were pre-made, it's not really building but just putting together. Since I didn't mill the receiver or cut the barrel from bar-stock, it shouldn't be called "building" is the thinking from this camp.

*Shrug*

Whatever. I took a stripped lower receiver, a stripper upper receiver and a boatload of parts and turned them into a functioning rifle. I'm pretty darn excited about it, and very pleased with how it turned out. It's quite the shooter, and I'm hoping to put a hurting on the local coyote population (and distant prairie dog population) with it in the near future.


Not bad for a first attempt, if I do say so myself...

That is all.

BAG Day Gun, Revealed...

I'm allowed personal gun posts. Here's one...

This is my BAG Day gun:

Beretta M9. Standard issue to our Soldiers. 15 rounds of 9 mm goodness (or, in the case of our fighting men and women, standard ball crap, but that's another rant...). This and the SIG P226 (okay, and the Smith & Wesson 3rd Gen. And the CZ clones. And...) pretty much define the SA/DA genre. Star of "Diehard." And "Lethal Weapon."

So, you ask, why this? Why now? 


Well, that's a story for another time (actually, it's a story I need to get posted for the work site), but I'll just leave it that I won this M9. In competition, no less; not just luck-of-the-draw. As it turns out, I'm apparently handier with a carbine than I give myself credit for, let me just leave it at that.

You want to hear the funniest thing about this M9? It shipped with two magazines. Two TEN ROUND magazines. Thanks Maryland! Looks like I'll have to pick up a couple of the 15 rounders. Heck,  a couple 20 rounders too. Because I can...

So, say hello to the first Beretta in the G. armory...

That is all.

Very Cool Gear...

Man, I don't know why I haven't put this up sooner...

The guys over at Magpul have just been crushing it out of the park lately. From a 60-round AR-15 magazine to a new 10/22 stock, they're expanding their product line far beyond the standard AR-15 furniture and 30-round magazines. There's a modular stock for the Remington 700, as well as box mags for 700s so equipped.

Lost in the flurry of new gear, though, was this:

Magpul Zhukov-S Folding AK-47 Stock

It's a folding, adjustable stock for the AK-47 series of rifles. If your AK came from Romanian, Yugoslavia, or even a pile of parts like mine did, you can swap out the ergonomic-as-a-2X4 commie stock for something *functional*. Even the folding stocks left something to be desired, though, coming in the ungainly and stamped-metal underfolder variant, mostly. And adjustable? I guess with a bench grinder...

Now there's a better option available, in a multitude of colors. The stock has five positions and is set up to accept an optional QD sling mount. Matching pistol grips and handguards are also available, and I'll be putting together a web piece for the work site on how hard it is to swap stuff out (hint: It's not hard at all. Heck, *I* can do it) and with before and after shots. So stay tuned for more gunnie goodness, of a variety.

Is AK-47! Is good rifle!

That is all.

They Say It's Your Birthday...

Actually, it's mine. It's a numerically significant one - but only because it ties in with a grail gun. I've made 44 revolutions around the sun as of today, so in that vein, I'm looking to acquire my .44 Magnum grail gun this year: a Smith & Wesson model 29.

But not just any model 29, no. See, that would be easy. What I want is the final piece of the Smith & Wesson target trifecta. I've got the model 17 (.22LR). I've got the model 27 (.357 Magnum). I need the 8 3/8" barrel, target hammer, target trigger, diamond grips version of the model 29.

I've got a year to find it. I may break down and buy the Dirty Harry model (6.5" barrel) if I can't find the 8 3/8" version for a reasonable price ($2K+??? It ain't a Python, folks!). I'd also be amenable to the 10" barrel version for the .44 Magnum.

Keep your eyes peeled and let me know if you come across one, thanks!

That is all.

Asleep at the Switch

Hunter messaged me to remind me that today is Buy A Gun Day. In looking up the link for BAG Day, I realized that it started in 2003 - that's a good dozen years (it's as old as my Harley!). Twelve years. I wonder how many guns have been purchased as a result of BAG Day? Or, more precisely, how many gun purchases have been justified to CFOs (the Mrs. or Mr.) as the "Buy A Gun Day" gun?

My purchase won't be in today, but I sent off the paperwork to secure it. I'll post it when I receive it (personal gun pr0n has been approved on a limited basis, and if you're smart and follow Shooting Illustrated's Instagram feed you'll get advanced warning), but I'll hint that it is a very common firearm. I've been too busy learning about ARs and the many different options and parts thereof to worry too much about new guns... :)

So, anyone want to guess what I'm getting? 

That is all.

In Long-Awaited News...

Glock has (inadvertently) released news of its new, single-stack 9 mm subcompact, the G43.

I haven't had a chance to try the G43 out yet, but I'm sure it will do well. When Glock introduced the G42 last year, the single biggest comment,  bar none, was that it should have been a 9 mm. Interestingly enough, now that they *have* released a slim, subcompact single-stack 9 mm, all anyone can say is "too little too late" and point to S&W/Ruger/Springfield Armory/etc. as already having a slim, subcompact single-stack 9 mm.

From the standpoint of having shot the G42, I'm willing to wager the G43 will be fairly similar. It's blocky, but it works; and where it's a  Glock, it's more than likely going to keep on working for as long as you treat it properly. The G42 is slightly larger than the norm for a pocket 380; since the G43 is larger still, it's most likely again a little bigger than other small 9 mm pistols out there. Another interesting comment revolves around the capacity, with a growing refrain putting down the 6-round limit in the G43.

Honestly, what did you expect? The G26, with a double-stack frame, only has a 10-round capacity in the flush floorplate magazine. Glock doesn't have a machine capable of suspending physics; they can't produce a single-stack magazine with the same height as a double stack and the same capacity; it plain doesn't work that way. It's a tradeoff, and it's the reason the Springfield Armory XD-S in .45 ACP and the Kahr PM45 have a whopping 5-round capacity. You want small, it's gotta come from somewhere.

In any case, go read my colleague's write-up; it's pretty darn good and he was there for the unveiling.

That is all.

Two, Two, Two Days Away!

Brad_in_MA reminded me that this coming Wednesday is National Ammo Day.

National Ammo Day, started by former blogger Kim du Toit, will see its fourteenth year on Wednesday. If you've participated every year, that means Ammo Day has been responsible for adding 1,400 rounds of ammunition to your armory. Some of us, naturally, have added more: for a while, back when you could get .22LR, I made a point to get two bulk boxes (> 1,000 rounds) as a matter-of-course for ammo day. I, like Kim, believe that .22LR is a commodity, not a specialized bit of ammunition.

For the uninitiated, the deal is that on November 19th the dutiful gunnie is to go out and purchase at least 100 rounds of ammunition, ideally centerfire ammo but rimfire if money's tight (although these days, with the price of .22LR what it is, that's not as much of an issue any more). Ideally pick up 100 rounds of rifle ammo, or at least defensive pistol ammunition. Something more than plinking or casual range fodder would be great (although, really, anything is better than nothing).

Let the retailers know that we are still here, and add to the armory while you're at it!

That is all.

A Weighty Matter

So, folks that know me on the Book of Faces saw my tribulations this past weekend. I was overdue for some re-organization on the ammo front, having accumulated enough .223 Rem. that I needed to upsize the storage box. I have a bit of an OCD problem, and keep ammo separated by caliber in different storage containers.

What? It helps keep it organized!

So, basically, I have eight 5-gallon totes and four 10-gallon totes for ammo. Calibers are sorted accordingly, with several "miscellaneous" ammo cans for the more obscure calibers (8mm, 30-30, etc.). All "main" calibers have their own tote, with the more-popular calibers (9mm, .45 ACP, etc.) in the 10-gallon buckets.

I had to replace the .45 ACP tote because, despite being labeled as "unbreakable," I had managed to break the carrying handle. Who knew, a 10-gallon tote filled with .45 ACP would be heavy? I also upsized the .223 Rem. bucket from 5- to 10- gallons thanks to some online sales (which, I feel the need to point out, can now be delivered to my home without worrying about the AG. It is *SO* nice to *NOT* see my state listed in the "cannot ship to" legalese...).

So, with two new 10-gallon totes I set out to re-organize the ammo stash. Transferring the .45 ACP was easy, but had to be done carefully to avoid breaking the new tote (the old tote was grafted into service for holding AR mags, as the empties are lighter than ammo so the busted handed wasn't a problem). Once I located all of my .223 Rem. from the various hiding spots, getting it all in one place was a good thing.

I also took a look at my "miscellaneous" ammo can, the can filled with ammo inherited from my grandfather that I hadn't sorted out:

There's .32 S&W, .38 S&W, .38-40, .44-40, .30-06 (in a Garand clip, no less; sadly there was no Garand to go with it) alongside the more common .45 ACP, .32 ACP, etc. There's a hodgepodge of various .22-caliber ammo, .22 Short, .22 Long, even some blanks.

This is one of the things I love about being a gunnie. This is my grandfather's ammo, accumulated in the decades after he settled here in the US and became immersed in the gun culture. While I'd be reluctant to shoot most of this (I might run the .380 through my Makarov, but other than that, well, I don't have a .38-40 anyways...), I have most of the guns he possessed, and I can bring them to the range pretty much whenever I want. Even though he's been gone more than 20 years, I can still hear his voice instructing me how to load a tubular magazine.

Miss you, Grampy.

That is all.

You Never Forget Your First...

...build, that is.

I detailed the parts that went into my first AR-15 lower build over on the official work blog. The lower might look familiar; if it does it's because I got it well over two years ago. The "Fill Your Hands" lower that was going to be Freedom Rifle, then was shelved, then got turned into a different kind of Freedom rifle once I actually escaped the Volksrepublik. It turned into this:

I decided to go with an M4gery of sorts, at least, as close as I could get it with parts on hand. The Bravo Company upper was an unexpected find; for well under five bills, shipped, it came complete except for the charging handle and handguard. Fortunately, I had the original guards off the Bushmaster kicking around, and between those, the DPMS carry handle, and the completed lower, I figured that gave me a decent jump on an M4gery.

Plus, it's got all the eeeevil features I couldn't have in MA: Adjustable stock, bayonet lug, flash hider, and a new 30-round magazine. Such is life in free America; I even bought a 40-round PMag at the gun show the weekend before last. Because I could...

The build was decidedly uninteresting except for the safety selector. When I got it installed, it wouldn't rotate, and I didn't know what to do. I followed the Brownells videos for AR lower assembly, and at first I thought I must have missed a step. Went back, watched again, took the hammer and trigger out and started over, and still no rotation. At that point I watched the rest of the video and realized I had to wait and finish putting it together, and sure enough, everything worked.

At this point, the lower has a couple hundred rounds through it and has even starred in a soon-to-be-released video. The upper has been to a bloggershoot as well and probably has 400 rounds through it, all functioning flawlessly. Very happy with this build. While I do like the M4gery, I suspect that this platform will see several different iterations as time progresses.

And yes, there is another build in the works for the new lower I have coming in...

That is all.

On Grail Guns...

Over at my blogson's, ASM826 is blogging about grail guns. Naturally, this got me thinking (for the record, his is also mine; albeit strictly in the "if I won the lottery" sense)...

Right now, I have a couple grail guns extant; one is attainable, the other not-so-attainable. The attainable one is a Smith & Wesson model 29 (.44 Magnum) with 8 3/8" barrel, target hammer, target trigger, and target grips. I have the Model 17 (.22 LR) and 27 (.357 Magnum) already, I'd like the .44 Mag. to complete the set. The not-so-attainable one is a 6" barrel, blued Colt Python.

I went to The Nation's Gun Show this past weekend and found both grail guns. Only saw one model 29 in the proper configuration; the seller wanted $1,200. I've seen them for considerably less, so that was easy to pass on. The Python, though, is much harder. There were several at the show in the configuration I desire, ranging in price from $2200 to $4K. I suspect, although I'm not sure, that the less-expensive one is probably a later-run version, when the quality was, shall we say, a mere shadow of the former glory.

Of course, I can't help but remark about "the one that got away" - the 6" barrel, blued steel Python that a friend offered me when he was in a tight spot financially and needed to convert some firearms into cash. The price he wanted was ridiculously cheap for a Python, but still well above what I could afford at the time. Looking back, I certainly wish I'd gotten rid of a couple other guns to buy it...

So I started thinking about the Python for $2200 at the show. I've got a Colt Lawman that I picked up a few years ago hoping it would scratch the Python itch, but no luck - partially because it has a 2" barrel. Looking on GunBroker/GunsAmerica the Lawman with 2" barrel looks to be running about $750 for a good example. That's a third of the way there...

I also have a Colt Detective Special with a 3" barrel, in excellent shape, that's been sitting in my "never use" gun safe (doesn't everyone have one of those?) for the better part of 10 years. Looking for pricing on that one is harder - for example, on GunBroker there are 194 hits for "Colt Detective Special." Adding in [3"] to the search box narrows that field to 6 (only four guns) with a spread from $525 to $1,600.

The place with the Python does take guns in trade. They specialize in rare, out-of-production guns, so the two Colts I have would be right up their alley. I don't know that I could make an even trade for the Python, but I could certainly get close enough - if they low-balled the Lawman and the Detective Special it's easy to walk. So, is it worth two guns I never shoot to get one I might shoot on rare occasions? That's the rub...

Especially because of the S&W model 27. That gun shoots better than I ever will, no doubt about it. I have run a steel gong at 100 yards with that gun - 10 out of 12 shots, even. Is it worth divesting of two rare pistols to get something that *might* shoot a little bit better? Or am I trying to talk myself out of it knowing that I truly want one?

So, what's your grail gun, and would you get rid of two pretty darn nice guns to get it?

That is all.

Being Careful...

So, over this past weekend we took the kids to the amusement park. I've mentioned this before. I put this picture up on Facebook earlier, when I came across it, but wanted to mention it again for emphasis:

That's a single .22 LR round, placed next to the medicine bag in which it was found. No, I have no idea how it got in there. The medicine bag here is the giant, "all-family, all-week" bag - this is the one we take when we're all going away for more than a couple days. It's not the single bag I take when I'm flying on business or the medium bag I bring when TheBoy and I go camping.

Point is, this isn't a bag that might have ended up inside a range bag, or inside a large bag that also had a range bag in it. This is a stand alone bag, one that's kept ready and rotating in an area nowhere near ammunition storage. I could understand if the small bag had a round in it; that one has made several trips for blogshoots and such.

I can't stress the importance of checking your gear whenever traveling for just this reason. I have no reason whatsoever to expect that there would be a loose round of ammunition in this medicine bag, yet here it was. Had I been flying, this could have gotten quite ugly. Heck, had I stopped in New Jersey, New York, or Massachusetts, where a permit is required to possess ammunition, it could have resulted in charges.

If you're a gunnie, check your gear, then check it again...

That is all.

Open Thread: Whatdja Get?

So, for those who remembered, today is National Buy A Gun Day. The idea is that, to celebrate finishing our taxes for the year, we go out and spend some of that money on a new heater. Stimulate the economy, get more arms in private hands, that sort of thing. For me, well, I've got two guns on order. Neither are in yet, despite one having been ordered nearly a month ago.

Neither are on the MA Approved Firearms Roster. One, in fact, is from a company that has not even submitted to be on the list. One is a "high capacity" handgun, the other is not. Since they're not here, but ordered, I'll open the thread with one:

Glock 19. Not mine, but, well, Glock.

Yeah, I went for the easy one, the Glock 19. A hair more concealable than the 17, can take the same magazines (although, really, for 2 rounds not that big of a deal), and is about as ubiquitous as they come. Lots of aftermarket parts, lots of accessories, and, honestly, no hard feelings if--G-d forbid--I ever have to use it and it winds up in an evidence locker somewhere.

So, what did you get today?

That is all.

Are You Ready?

Half a month from now is Buy A Gun Day. Are you ready?

(pic from link above)

I've got my purchase in the works - what are you planning to get?

That is all.

Friday Gun Pr0n #341

Today's gun is an odd duck, brought to us courtesy of Matt P., who graciously shared her at the Sixth Annual Northeast Bloggershoot:

Yes, that really is a Wildey in .45 Winchester Magnum. This particular model has the 5" barrel, but barrel lengths up through 14" are available. .45 WinMag is a handful, but the gun weighs four pounds, so it's not terribly arduous to shoot. Of course, that's if you don't consider that the ammo runs about $1 a round.

That's one of the things I love the most about the bloggershoots. No matter how extensive your gun collection may be, no matter what your collecting *thing* is, chances are pretty good that someone else will have something that you've never shot before. And chances are equally good that they'll offer it up with a full magazine or cylinder just so you can say you've done it.

Thanks for sharing her with us, Matt!

That is all.

With A Little Help From My Friends...

So, last night we had a little get-together to celebrate my last week as a full-blown MAhole. Mr. and Mrs. SCI-FI, Doubletrouble and Mrs. Doubletrouble, Major Caudill Marko, The Senator, Wally and A., and LWJ all came out to see me off (I'm not sure if they were wishing well or just making sure I actually left...). TheBoy came along, partly out of curiosity, partly because he saw a chance to get a meal out...

As is always the case with blogger dinners, I didn't have nearly enough time to talk to everyone and the evening ended far too quickly. Part of it was because we had to pull things together quickly; another part was that it was mid-week, so a good number of folks that would have come simply couldn't get the time out. There was still a good crowd, and I still didn't have enough time to talk to everyone.

Before the night was over, though, I had gifts bestowed upon me:

The box I was told by Wally that I was not allowed to open until I got to VA. Okay then! The SOG spear was from Marko - man, does he know me! It can be used as a stand-alone knife or attached to a stick or broom handle. I like that. The pen is from A. - it's a handmade bolt-action pen (really!) with a bullet for a tip. LOVE IT. And the "gun" is a USB drive, courtesy of my sister-in-law (who was not at the dinner, but I wanted to give a shout-out for the cool gift anyways.

Thanks to everyone for coming out, and for the awesome schwag!

That is all.

Not The Only Game In Town...

While I was having a blast (ha! Gun puns!) learning all about flintlocks on Saturday (and go read #1 blogdaughter's AAR while you're at it), Brad_in_MA was also at the range...

Jay,

I was mistaken. The garden gnome wasn't . . . . but it was an uber-cute, sappy ceramic Christmas Teddy Bear.

Attached are three pics . . . you need to make 'em into a blog post.

Alan took the first shot on the bear with the BREN. Decapitated the little guy. Blew his head "clean off." Let me tell you . . . . that BREN just gobbles up ammo like nobody's business. It wouldn't take too much to blow through a couple hundred bucks of ammo in one afternoon.

Alan again commented that the report from my M44 is God-awful shaggin' loud. Yup. They way Ivan intended. ;->

The Bren in question was covered here. Here's the Christmas Teddy bear gnome before Alan blew his head off:

Yeah, I tend to agree with Brad. He needed killin'...

And after:

And here's how you say "good day" in Russian:

I think it's funny that both Brad and I spent our Saturdays shooting loud, smokey rifles with lots of kick and stabbies on the end...

That is all.

Moar PIRATEHAWK! News!

Commenter and Squirrel Report regular Bradley attended the black powder shoot this past weekend, and not only was it a pleasure to meet him, but he was nice enough to share a couple videos from the weekend with us:



This is a video of Stretch firing the blunderbuss one-handed. Notice how that gigantic firearm barely even moves in Stretch's hand. Like I said, I'm glad he's on our side...

There's another point encapsulated in Stretch's video that I want to expound upon. Notice that when he pulls the trigger, the hammer falls and there is a noticeable lag between the *click* of the hammer falling and the ignition of the powder. This has to do with the amount of powder in the frizzen pan as well as how the powder is positioned. And it stone-cold messed me the hell up - I was CONSTANTLY shooting VERY low, because I would pull the trigger and already be lowering the firearm as it went off...

Like in this video:



I do like how I'm using the classic bullseye shooter stance for one handed shooting, even though I haven't the faintest idea where the round is going to go... Shooting black powder is such a radically different experience than shooting modern firearms that it's really difficult to adequately convey just how different the two are. Shooting a modern firearm is boring, almost mechanical after the delicate ballet involved in loading and firing a black powder weapon. Add powder. Add ball (or shot). Compact shot and powder to ensure ignition. Put powder in pan to ignite the powder in the firearm. Wipe down the flint and the frizzen. Hope it's not too wet out. Fire (Maybe).

Again, mad thanks to Dr. Mike for the guns, ammo, and instruction!

That is all.

PIRATEHAWK!

Quick recap of this weekend's festivities; will post more (including video) once I get home and can access a real computer (I'm composing this on my iPhone right now).

Here's a few shots from the shoot:



I finally found something that matches the Snubbie from Hell in sheer output. Black powder is very different from smokeless, that's all I'm going to say about that. Dr. Mike says, and I quote, "the hell you say"...


Yes, we did get Stretch to fire the blunderbuss one-handed. I am REALLY glad he is on our side, even if he can't pronounce prosciutto...


#1 Blogdaughter firing the blunderbuss, which was hands-down the runaway hit of the shoot. We're still trying to pinpoint exactly what it was about the blunderbuss that so appealed to everyone. Dr. Mike had a great point - even in the world of black powder firearms, the blunderbuss is an oddity...


Nancy's Sweet Daughter firing the blunderbuss. She handled the blunderbuss with aplomb befitting a kitten overlord...


Your humble host firing the Jaeger rifle. You really don't expect a black powder firearm to be that accurate - but they certainly can.

Big thanks to my red-headed blog stepchild Michael W. for bringing the fine firearms for the shoot, supplying the powder, shot, and instruction, and for his fine tutelage on the firing line. I think we all gained a new appreciation for the wonders of smokeless powder after an afternoon with black powder!

I hear there's a Civil War shoot planned in the spring...

That is all.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Sunday Morning...

Will have a full AAR of the black powder shoot shortly. I didn't bring the camera, so I'm relying on camera phone pictures and e-mailed pictures from others. There are other pictures forthcoming, the paying off of debts and such (and Nancy's Sweet Daughter is enjoying the concept FAR too much...)

Big thanks to my red-headed blog step-child Michael W. for putting on an awesome demonstration of black powder weaponry. We started off with my handgonne (thanks again to Joe Speer) for a discussion of primitive weaponry, then progressed to muskets, blunderbusses, rifles, and handguns.

One of the interesting things you don't realize from reading about black powder is just how weather-dependent it is. We had a light rain, and even though we were loading under a canopy, we saw a number of misfires and other weather-related issues from the water. While it was a nice learning experience for us, it demonstrated what an amazing advance something like a percussion cap must have been for soldiers.

And, not for nothing, we have pictures of Stretch firing a blunderbuss - with one hand...

That is all.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Friday Gun Pr0n #340

Today's picture comes to us courtesy of Stretch:

You know who designed that gun? That's right - John Moses Browning (PBUH). I've always loved the Woodsman, and eventually I will see to one working its way into the G. armory. Figure it'll keep the Hi-Standard company.

There's a lot to be said for modern firearms - my Ruger 22/45 runs great on bulk .22LR ammo and is all kinds of crazy accurate (6/10 hits on a 10" steel plate at 100 yards? Yeah, I'll take that!) - but I do so love the history behind an older gun. My Hi-Standard is more finicky than the Ruger, the magazines are a zillion times harder to find (and don't often fit right), but if the house were on fire and I could only save one, well, I'd feel awful about the 22/45...

Thanks for sharing her with us, Stretch!

That is all.