Firearms Friday: Backyard Family Fun!

 

These days I rarely have time to head out to the range and practice. This is not something I like to admit but it is simply the fact of the matter. However, there have been a few rare occasions when I have found myself looking down the sights at a small target. One of these instances, at the very beginning of last month, kind of surprised me. Not at first… it was a rather ugly beginning… but I was content with the results at the end of the day.

While my wife and I were visiting my sister’s family (only about 90 minutes away from us) my brother-in-law, who enjoys the same relaxing hobby, invited me to take an older single shot rifle in the back yard for some plinking. I was completely unfamiliar with this 22 rifle (it fires 22LR, 22 Long, and 22 Short) and so the initial results were less than pleasing. After about 20-30 rounds, I had walked in the shots and was fairly satisfied with the results. 22 short at 25 yard off hand hitting a quarter size target… not a bad way to spend part of the afternoon.

It really came down to a remembering the fundamentals. The sights were poor on this particular rifle with little adjustment possible. After all, it wasn’t my rifle and we were trading shots every ten rounds (between a right and left handed shooter). Also, I don’t shoot a lot of 22 short. All of these are minor things if you just step back and keep the basics in mind.

The first ten shots were really just fun rounds and the results (or lack thereof) showed that fact quite clearly. After that I went through my range routine a little more deliberately than usual. Getting a solid, locked, and quiet stance, lining up and stabilizing the sights, controlling my breathing, and slowly pulling the trigger straight back. After that, with little ability to actually zero the rifle, it was a matter of tracking the shot, watching for the impact, and adjusting the hold accordingly on the follow up.

It is with this extra focus and routine that I was back to relaxing at the makeshift firing line. After all, most of the time it really isn’t about what you are shooting but on the shooting itself. When you focus on that the results will follow. After all, that is what many of us look for when we seek relaxation at the range.

Firearms Friday: Sometimes You Just Need A Rifle

When on the range you sometimes get the weirdest songs stuck in your head playing against the staccato of rounds being sent toward dozens of targets. It is the sound of this muffled music when we sometimes think of our favorite things as it is common to look around and voice your own internal opinion of some of the firearms with which people are practicing. While I usually pay more attention to the handguns that I pass, this week I am going to focus on the rifles that I have enjoyed over the years.

Keep in mind, I have never been much of a rifle shooter as my preference has always been and still remains in handguns. However, there are exceptions to every rule and there are a few rifles that I enjoy taking to the range whenever I get a chance. Some old, some new. Some ready to go out of the box, some with modifications, and other built from the ground up. Here are some of the long guns that I particularly enjoy taking to the range.

Some people prefer the AK platform while others prefer the AR platform. While I have nothing against the former I am firmly falling in the latter with regard to my own personal enjoyment. In addition to the functionality and ability to personalize the firearm, it is a great feeling when you can build something from parts, customize it, and take it to the range as a fully functional and comfortable firearm. While there may be other similar builds on the range, you have something that was built for you. And, if you see something you like on someone else’s AR, you can easily change your own rifle.

The AR is something that you can shoot all day at the range given the minimal recoil but sometimes you just need to be kicked in the shoulder. However, I want to still maintain some semblance of a budget. This is where the Nosin Nagant comes in. This Russian military surplus rifle is an inexpensive way to get kicked at the range. While there are some people out there who do modify these rifles, I enjoy the simplicity of the platform (rough edges and all).

Finally, sometimes you just want to shoot all day and not have a big dent in your wallet. The Ruger 10/22 provides a great balance of training and just good old fun on the range. 22LR is still inexpensive and the Ruger provides a reliable semi-automatic platform that will just keep going. However, while the rounds are more expensive I prefer the 17HMR so this could be replaced on my list if I am ever able to test out the Savage A17.   

Obviously, nothing groundbreaking and no surprises but it is sometimes fun to think about what you enjoy taking to the range and why you enjoy looking down the sights. With that said, next week’s handgun post on the same topic is something I really have to think about… so many choices with such limited space. For now, what are your favorite rifles to take to the range?

Firearms Friday: The Long And Short Of It

These will NOT be mall ninja builds! RIP Barry.

It has been a while since I ventured into the basement, pulled out my tools, and worked on a few projects at my work bench. Even though I have had my own space for the last eight months with all that has happened and all the changes that we have been through, I haven’t been able to find the time to work on the various build projects that I have been looking forward to. However, with a few minutes here and there over the last couple of weeks, I have at least been able to pull all of the parts together for two rifle builds. While they may still be a few weeks away from completion, I wanted to offer a brief glimpse into the plans.

The last few years have seen countless carbine builds so this time around I wanted to change things up a bit. Those interested in budget carbine builds should read through my previous post on the subject which can be found here. The only thing that has changed since that post are the prices listed… I have been able to find many of the parts on other sites at greater discounts from the prices listed. That was, and continues to be, fun but, this time around, I am changing things up quite a lot with the parts that I have assembled. They are still on the budget side but not nearly as price conscious.

The first build addresses the desire for portability. As you might have guessed, this isn’t a rifle build but rather a pistol. This will be my second pistol build but this time I am taking things a step further. While I am not going to go into the details of the build (that is a post for another day) I will say that 7.5” should look pretty good with parts from FAB Defense, Phase 5 Tactical, Law Tactical, and Huntertown Arms. It should make for a nice portable firearm to keep in the bottom of a backpack.

The second build is the complete opposite of the first but, at the same time, it should be a rather nice compliment to the pistol. While not as interesting with regard to the parts used, this 24” rifle should be an interesting one to take to the range to test my abilities. I will start with a simple Brunton optic with plans to upgrade in the future. I am about half way through this particular build at the moment.

The two things that both of these builds have in common are the fact that they are starting with Seekins Precision forged lowers and both have some pretty nice triggers. I am particularly interested in how the latter will perform. While I have used a CMC trigger in the past, this will be my first experience with HiperFire. I also have a POF trigger at my disposal which I am tempted to swap in and try as well.

So those are the build plans for now. Everything is ready to go with parts and tools set aside. Now I just have to find the time to pull everything together and test them on the range. Now that you have read a little bit about my plans, what parts do you recommend using in an AR build (I am well aware of Geissele and hope to enjoy one of those triggers soon)? Who knows, maybe I already have some of them in my plans… you will just have to wait and see.

Firearms Friday: Lower Receivers

Over the year I have come across a variety of lower receivers. Some of them have been high quality while others have been more along the lines of a basic lower. However, in my experience, I can’t say that I have ever had a bad receiver. Doesn’t mean that they don’t exist but maybe, based on the experiences of others, I have just been lucky.

Today, if you go online or walk into a local gun shop, you can usually find a wide variety of receivers to choose from. Just in my area, there are at least a couple of dozen different brands that I can chose from by visiting just a handful of stores. And they vary greatly in price ranging from around $40 all the way up to around $250. This is just for the stripped lower and nothing else.

Of course, this is in stark contrast to the environment that we faced a couple of years ago. For those of you unfamiliar, with the legislative battle raging in Washington, all of the lower receivers dried up and the prices (at most but not all places) on the ones that you could find went through the roof. Basically, you were lucky if you could find one at three times the current price.

But that ebb had given way to flow and there are countless options on the market. However, these movements are cyclical which is why I recommend going to the local shop now and picking up at least one. $40 plus transfer/pics is a heck of a lot better than $120-200 during a panic. If you can, pick up a bunch of them. Not only is it a good item to get while you can but it is a heck of a lot of fun to build a rifle.

The first thing you need to do is get a stripped lower. While you can find polymer ATI lowers for around $40 and Tennessee Arms hybrid lowers for around the same price it is well worth the extra $5 to pick up either an Anderson or Palmetto State Armory forged lower. Polymer and hybrid lowers have their place in light weight builds and sometimes there is some money to be saved during sales but for general builds, especially the first few times around, forged is the better way to go.

Anderson and PSA are quality manufacturers that provide the no frills lowers that just work. The same can pretty much be said for those made by DPMS and Spikes Tactical… which are slightly higher quality but are about double the price. While there many billet lowers on the market I don’t have any direct experience with them so any opinion would be useless. However, given the quality and precision machining of the billet class I would reserve them for higher end builds and those looking to but tens of thousands of rounds through their AR annually. Forged would suffice but billet is made for these roles.

I have heard and read countless opinions from a variety of sources of one company being better than another but, honestly, for the enthusiast there aren’t enough differences to justify the price jump. Polymer has its place and billet lowers have their place, for everything else a basic forged lower will do just fine. No matter what you decide, enjoy the process of building, of creating something with your own hands, and learn from the process. There is no better way to learn about a platform than building a rifle from the ground up. And while you’re at it, pick up a few extra lowers and put them aside for later.

Firearms Friday: Green Is The New Black

When it comes to firearms the federal government is very concerned with color. It seems as though they are obsessed with how something looks rather than taking a closer look at what it actually is. The most prevalent obsession is about black rifles in which they clump together all kinds of firearms, attribute fantastical powers to them, and don’t bother looking at the actual functionality of the various semi-automatic platforms. This is an ongoing problem that continues to bother many of us as the claims made are false and the solution that these “lawmakers” have is to strip away the rights from everyone.

Now many politicians are focusing on a different color… green. And I am not referring to environmental issues. They are determined to prohibit the sale of green tip ammunition which, not so coincidentally, is used primarily in the AR15 (“black rifle”) platform. The increased popularity of the AR pistol platform seems to have provided the impetus for the ATF’s proposed ban just as it did for the recent opinion released by the ATF that the Sig Brace can no longer be shouldered. In reality, anyone who thinks that an AR pistol can be concealed as a handgun has never bothered to consider the facts in that scenario. However, there is huge hole in the ‘logic’ behind this proposal as was outlined by Robert Farago on TheTruthAboutGuns.org:

“Mark Glaze [Executive Director of Every Town For Gun Safety] wants American gun owners to use ammunition that doesn’t pierce the “bulletproof” vests of police officers, but the fact of the matter is that any commercially available 5.56 ammunition will do that same job. The vests worn by cops simply aren’t designed to stop rifle rounds… Nor is there any ammunition in the intermediate or large rifle caliber range that will fail to penetrate a Level IIA vest. .308 Winchester? .30-06 Springfield? 7.62×39? All of these calibers will pass straight through a “bulletproof” vest, no matter what kind of projectile is used — “armor piercing” or not.”

Yes, this is the same Mark Glaze that made the following confession last year to The Wall Street Journal shortly after resigning as the executive director of former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Mayors Against Illegal Guns: “Mr. Glaze said the movement hasn’t solved one of its signature problems: Many mass shootings wouldn’t have been stopped by tighter regulations proposed by gun-control advocates, even if they might have prevented other gun crimes.”

The ATF’s proposal really isn’t about the banning of a popular surplus ammunition, this is the back end work that continues to happen in order to limit the availability of ammunition for this platform. While it may be seen as a leap in logic for some to see this as an affront to our rights, when looking at the larger picture the common motivation is quite clear... they are trying out flank the banning of the AR platform since their direct assault failed. And, as Glaze has previously admitted, any legislation that does pass will not satiate the emotional fervor that they, and other similar groups, have instilled in many people. These types of policies just don’t work!

Firearms Friday: SNAFU

When Sig Sauer originally started producing the Sig Brace they insisted that reviewers, especially those on YouTube, not shoulder the brace so that the ATF wouldn’t get their feelings hurt. The brace was designed with a specific purpose at its inception in that it would assist those unable to shoulder an AR-15 by allowing them to put the brace on a pistol length platform and wrap the brace around their forearm allowing for one handed operation. Since the ATF was fine with people shouldering an unaltered pistol, the brace was frequently being employed as a means to circumvent NFA requirements and making AR pistols function similarly to the highly regulated short barrel rifle.

The Sig Brace even came with (and probably still does) a letter from the ATF securing the legality of the brace and the multiple purposes that it serves. Everything was fine for a while but as soon as the first video was posted of the brace being shouldered, the letters to the ATF came pouring in. The astounding thing is that these correspondences were not from the registration and regulation happy crowd, they were from law abiding gun owners basically asking the federal agency if they were really really sure that shouldering was okay.

Well finally the ATF had enough and like most people in politics they decided to flip flop and declare that the shouldering of the brace was no longer allowed. That’s right, we had a good thing going and we are the ones that screwed it all up. So now we are going to have to wait and see if Sig Sauer decides to fight the ruling and eventually we will find out if the ATF will reverse their decision again.

But, for the time being, here are four simple words for some of the gun owners out there: “Shut The Heck Up!”

Of course, there are many of us that see the Bureau of Always Totally Fudged more as a waste of money rather than an effective means of regulation. After all, who are they really regulating anyway? That’s right, it is the law abiding gun owner (some obviously a little too overzealous in their caution) not the ones that would use any of the NFA items in a nefarious way. The $200 tax stamp, extra paper work, and additional background checks are only ensuring that they know where all the legal firearms are and doing nothing to remove them from the hands of criminals. 

Heck, maybe the ones who need to be controlled are the hoplophobes who like to randomly tackle citizens legally carrying a firearm into a Florida Walmart. Those people are nuts… and fortunately now they’re going to jail. Who’s the real criminal here?

A Fitting Topic For The 556th Post

Given that this is the 556^th post I thought it appropriate to dedicate this time writing about the AR15 (chambered in 5.56mm NATO) again. I was first exposed to this platform and round when I was 20 years old and on the firing line at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. I had started shooting only a couple of years prior during my year in Vermont when I would take my 7mm Magnum bolt action Savage up on an old ski hill and aim for small targets we would set up in the slope. Given the kick that I had become accustom to, the M4 (military version of the AR15) was a bit surprising when I first pulled the trigger.

The light recoil and surprisingly simple design of the AR15 has made the rifle (and sometimes pistol) hugely popular in the civilian market. Additionally, the ability to customize the firearm has encouraged a confidence in shooters to adjust the rifle to fit both their needs and their personal ergonomics. This platform has given birth to a varied accessory industry which includes companies like Magpul, Mako (FAB Defense), Geissele, and countless others. All offering something a little different and appealing to different people. Of course, the low recoil cartridge also affords one the flexibility to change a lot of things too.  

When you take your AR to the range it is not just about the performance of the firearm or how good of a shot you are. Many times the discussion revolves around the accessories you are using and customization that you have done to your rifle. This is why many debates are started not about who is the better shot but rather what the best parts and accessories to put on your AR. However, there are also many of us that use a variety of parts from numerous companies to create the best possible fit and performance in our hands.

While I think he would be amused by these kinds of conversations, I don’t think this is what Eugene Stoner envisioned when he created the AR and the 5.56mm NATO cartridge. At the same time, he was trying to make the best rifle possible and all we are doing is customizing his ingenious design. After all, the only thing that we are working on is aesthetics and basic functionality improvements… the heart of the rifle, the means by which it operates, remains the same. The ease by which this can be accomplished may be the most brilliant aspect of Stoner’s design.

And You Thought Wal-Mart Was Crowded!

There were a lot of 4473's filled out on Friday
which means we will soon be accused of killing trees. 

Black Friday Facebook posts seemed to be the norm this past week especially for the local shops in the area that don’t put the money into fancy commercials or newspaper inserts. This was especially true for the small shops around the region. Even the local gun shops took to Facebook to promote the discounts that they were offering this weekend (Tanner’s Sports Center is a perfect example of this). And, as it turns out, my local mom and pop shops were not the only ones cutting prices.

While I kept reading about the lines at various retailers across the country, it didn’t quite click that the same thing would be happening at the local gun shops and big chain stores. Just like last year, I didn’t have the need to go wait in those lines and none of those stores are along my usual commute so I was fairly oblivious to the rampant sales that were happening across the nation. Those thoughts were soon chipped away when I started reading through some of the comments left on the Facebook sale posts.

These demonstrated that there was a higher than normal pace to the sales but the volume was still something that I didn’t fully grasp until additional posts were made by a few of these stores. As it turns out, the PICS system was completely overloaded (no back door gun control theories here just the pointing out of a crappy antiquated system). Something that I cannot remember happening for some time and not this bad since the first few months of 2013. That is when I really began to wonder how many firearms were being sold on Black (Rifle) Friday.

And then I came across a CNN article (via The Blaze) that summarized the mass buying that was taking place across the country and why the system was unable to handle the load. Here is a little bit from the article:

The busiest shopping day of the year also saw a major boom for gun sales, with the federal background check system setting a record of more than 175,000 background checks Friday, according to the FBI.

The staggering number of checks -- an average of almost three per second, nearly three times the daily average -- falls on the shoulders of 600 FBI and contract call center employees who will endure 17-hour workdays in an attempt to complete the background reviews in three business days, as required by law, FBI spokesman Stephen Fischer said.

"Traditionally, Black Friday is one of our busiest days for transaction volume," Fischer said.

Indeed, Friday saw the highest number of background checks ever for a Black Friday, and second in history. The highest day on record was December 21, 2012, with more than 177,000 background checks.

Without any major controversies or political maneuvering currently being considered, it really came down to price this year. While there may not have been great Black Friday deals to be had overall, it seems as though the firearms industry is doing well and the real deals were in the gun shops. Like it or not, firearms are part of our culture and the ownership thereof is our right. Thankfully, there are many people out there who choose to exercise that right and Black Friday was there opportunity to embrace that right… and at a discount.