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Ouze wrote: I'm going to post something that some of you, maybe most of you, already know, but maybe a handful might not.
When I first got my AR pistol, I shot cheap, steel cased ammo because my first rifle was an AK and that was my habit. This ammo worked in terms of operation. It wasn't super accurate, but it wasn't terrible. After reading about how hard this ammo was on your AR components, I switched over to brass only. Again I feel like I should reiterate it fed and operated just fine.
Flash forward to about 2 weeks ago, I had a shell get stuck in my chamber, or so I thought. I didn't have the tools on me to pop it out, so I waited to get home and used a cleaning rod. The shell was a little dirty, so I just assumed it was bad cleaning... although I am actually pretty good about cleaning.
I scrubbed the chamber thoroughly.
The other day I went out, and a misfeed immediately. I cleared it, and it misfed on the second round. The third round stuck in the chamber, again.
when I got home, I popped the shell out with a cleaning rod, and it was clean as a whistle. I examined my bolt, and sure enough - the extractor was 100% worn away. There was no hook on it at all anymore. I think I only shot about 800-1000 rounds of steel-cased before switching to brass.
The moral of the story is, you can save some money by shooting steel-cased ammo, but it does have some costs: it is very hard on your extractor, it's very hard on your barrel, and it's not particularly accurate. If it's just a screwing around gun, then you can still save money even with occasional barrel and extractor replacements added in, but I really can't recommend it outside of an emergency with how brass ammo is pretty cheap now, too.
Interesting. As far as I was aware, steel cases would cause increased wear, but shouldn't result in an extractor wearing *that* fast, that's insane. was it all the same type of steel cased or was it some Tula, some Wolf, some Brown Bear, etc?
Steel 7.62x39 for an AK is 100% fine, thats what they were intentionally designed around using. The only reason to use brass in an AK really is if you are reloading for fun or are at a range that does not allow steel ammo.
Sheesh, that extractor has not enjoyed life , the fact that it is broken in multiple places complicates the question as to what exactly went wrong, but it could be any one of a number of things. Just glad it didnt fail at a really critical moment.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/06/07 08:50:52
cuda1179 wrote: There is a local tradition in the neighboring town that I'm glad I DON'T attend.
It's a competition involving target shooting and binge drinking. Get wasted, see if you can still hit the target. This is a town sponsored event mind you. The winner has the dubious honor of catering next year's event.
Why would anyone think this is a good idea?
Glad you're not getting entangled in that sort of madness
Frazzled wrote: Yesterday I stumbled into SO'ing a squad of newbs in IDPA even though I am not an SO and no one got shot, especially me!!!
Always a plus
On another note, I happened to luck into this guy for free. Winchester 1894 NRA Centennial Musket. Not in the greatest shape, it's got some rust spots on the tang and a couple tiny rust blips on the receiver, and the side of the receiver was drilled for a rear sight, so it's collectible factor is basically nil, but for a fun (and free) range toy it's perfectly functional.
A half completed AR-15 SBR project that will eventually look something like this but is waiting on a tax stamp and a whole lot of parts (some of which are requisite on said tax stamp).
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/06/13 02:03:48
cuda1179 wrote: What are your thoughts on de-milled wall-hangers? I have the option to purchase a very good condition (and totally complete) bazooka. Obviously it is nonfunctional. Silly man-toy, or cool nostalgia?
Go for it, I almost went in on a demilled RPG7
Things can be both silly mantoys and cool nostalgia, nothing wrong with either as long as you acknowledge and accept that for what it is.
Yeah, a weird state of affairs. Id picked it up Sunday because it was the model that had the folding stock that you could make functional after making it 922r compliant and was at a good price for that version, and then the treasury departments reclassification hit while it was en route to the FFL.
That said, the thing weighs more than any other shotgun Ive held and is on par with my milled receiver AK. It feels monster solid and the safety is ludicrously tight. One could probably beat a pachyderm to death with it and not break a thing. The trigger curiously is the best of any AK I've ever tried, its a little gritty but breaks very clean and with very little pressure. The mag release is weird, operating the catch and pulling a mag out with my right hand works just fine, requires some intent but works, however that same manipulation from the left hand (while retaining the fire control with the right hand) is much more difficult, not sure why, its not like there is a mechanical difference, but I think the angle at which you pull the mag out matters a lot.
Wrong. The genes have already been passed on, the young lady is pregnant with his kid.
Let us hope the genes in question fare better then...
Automatically Appended Next Post:
cuda1179 wrote: Saw a deal that I'm very intrigued about. It's a Cheetah Ch12HF. Basically this is a renaming of the DDI 12.
It's a 12 gauge semi-auto with detachable box magazine based loosely on parts of a Saiga, AK47, and AR15. It uses Saiga compatible magazines and foregrips. AK pistol Grips, and AR stocks. It's receiver is very AK-like, although it has and AR styled safety selector. Threaded barrel.
Deal I found comes with 4 SGM 10-round mags, factory 5 round mag, SGM tactical fore grip, and and SGM muzzle brake. $599, free shipping.
Reviews on this weapon look good, and I'm tempted.
I havent heard anything on these. I know some DDI shotguns developed something of a poor reputation, but they made/imported several different types so I dont remember which ones. If it's a decently built Saiga clone it'll probably be just fine, though may require a bit of work to get functional with a very wide array of shells.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/06/30 15:20:59
godardc wrote: Quick questions for you american friends: is a non american allowed to practice shooting in a stand /allowed to buy/own a gun in the USA ?
Or is it a State by State regulation ?
I'm in the French Army, may this be a problem for all things related to guns ?
Thanks !
If coming in as a tourist/student/eyc you are allowed to shoot a gun in the US, but basically the legal owner needs to be there close by, like you can shoot your American friend's gun if they are in your immediate presence (this gets somewhat murky with the definition of "possession", if they're right next to you, no problem, if the take off for half an hour to go drive somewhere and come back, that may get someone in trouble). Gun tourist places will typically have an employee on the lane the whole time with you in arms reach if you try out one of those places.
If you obtain a hunting license or similar permit (usually done at the state level, requirements may vary here) you can rent a gun and take it out hunting or whatnot. You can bring your own as well under such circumstances but this requires filling out some paperwork and getting cleared first.
You can buy one if you are a legal resident, or if a noninmigrant resident who buys from a FFL (licensed shop) that arranges to have the weapon directly exported (so you never take possession in the US).
Being in the French Army shouldn't pose any problems as far as I'm aware.
cuda1179 wrote: What are your thoughts on de-milled wall-hangers? I have the option to purchase a very good condition (and totally complete) bazooka. Obviously it is nonfunctional. Silly man-toy, or cool nostalgia?
Am I the only one who cries a little when they demill a weapon? I mean, have you seen what they do to a tank in EU when it gets demilled? It's a sacrilege...
it does hurt...but often these things would otherwise be entirely destroyed and there's no other way to own them in many cases :(
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/06/30 19:48:42
Slapped the factory made railed handguard on there with a VFG, got some US made 10 shell mags and a 12 capacity mag...but the 12 looks really goofy. The US made ones don't feel anywhere near as reliable as the original Molot magazines, but I haven't been able to really test them much to have any confidence in that statement and they were $25 each. Apparently there are US made steel mags but they are apparently not going to have new stock available for months, and they're $65. Molot magazines have, of course, run straight into the ludicrous realm of pricing with GB trying to get $125-$200 for 8 and 10 capacity Molot factory-made mags. Bending out the safety ever so slightly made it work buttery smooth, allowing you to very naturally slide the safety off with a knuckle movement while shouldering it, but it was near impossible to move before. The bolt release is still ridiculously tight and barely functional, though I know that it'll stay no matter how hard it gets dropped
Next plan is to slap a red dot and some sort of muzzle device on there. Some of the common muzzle devices for these things start to look absurd, apparently the popular competition one for this guy is, no joke, a triple baffle muzzle brake from Russia. I don't think I can quite bring myself to go that route.
Ouze wrote:I like the cheek rest. My AK originally came with a wire stock, and I abandoned it because it had no cheek rest at all.
Yeah those wire stocks suck, never understood why places like Germany and Poland were particularly enamored with them (cost I guess?)
cuda1179 wrote:Vaktathi,
I bit the bullet and purchased that DDI-12 shotgun I mentioned earlier,
Very cool
and it looks like I will be making some of the decisions you are facing. For super quick follow-up shots a muzzle brake is great, but which to choose?
I know from experience that Witt Machine muzzle brakes are wonderful. About a 65% decrease in recoil. I put one on a pistol grip 12 gauge and I can comfortably one-hand fire it. They can look goofy though. Not quite as bad as that 3-baffle you linked to, but still a tad goofy.
That looks neat, and would be cool if you already own a high point, I can see the draw, but if you don't, you can get a Beretta CX4 for less than the total package price of the HP carbine and bullpup kit. I like the look though for sure.
I...I accidentally spent 4 hours and $160 worth of ammo at the range today.
I learned I have no idea how to properly shoot 12ga slugs at 50 yards. Kept it on the target stand...but not all on paper. I think a red dot will help.
I also found that Century Hotshot ammo works pretty well for budget 9mm and 223 ammo, some odd ejection but no failures in about 400 rounds.
I was playing around with the vepr12, smoothbore. Was running some Herter's rifled slugs. Alas when it comes to chokes I an woefully undereducated, but I may need to look into that.
I think a big issue is that the sights are RPK machinegun sights that sit real low, and it is hard to actually get low enough to line up with a good cheek weld if the cheek rest is positioned (or have to deal without it), hoping a red dot will make that issue moot, we shall see...
As long as the cylinder cycles when you actuate the trigger, I would think it's fine, may just need some cleaning and lube, but I've never gotten to play with one so I couldn't tell you for sure.
Yeah, the process isn't terribly easy to understand
But as far as I'm aware the fingerprint requirement is identical between Trusts and Individuals, except Trusts have to get *everyone* who is listed on the trust as a "responsible person" (i.e. who could legally possess the weapon) fingerprinted and photographed.
Ouze wrote: I filled out the paperwork for my Recce 7 Mod 4 today.
Spoiler:
So now we play the waiting game. At some point in July 2018, I will finally be able to finish my long running project of converting my Blackout AR into a suppressed SBR.
That's the worst part about the NFA, I can deal with the paperwork...but the transfer times....
complex57 wrote: Made an account with Imgur, thank you for the suggestion.
Here is my newest revolver - a 4 inch blued Manurhin MR73. I am very pleased to note that all my K frame speed loaders fit just fine. Now all I need is a holster and to start stockpiling .357 Magnum.
Ouze wrote: Well, my suppressor has arrived at my dealer. While it remains in NFA jail until.... (gag) July 2018, probably, my dealer did allow for a conjugal visit on his property.
I didn't want to blow through a lot of ammo, so i just fired a couple of rounds of unsupressed, a few with the suppressor, just to get a feel for it. I ran though a single 30 round mag.
When cleaning it, I discovered something I think I tangentially knew about but had forgotten: the gun was as dirty as if I had fired 250+ rounds through it.
1.) Due to the increased backpressure of the suppressor, I can expect this as normal operation, right?
Aye.
2.) When my other stamp comes in and I reduce it to a 10.5" barrel, I can look forward to more... or less fouling? It's 300BLK so going to be a pistol length gas system both ways.
on a 300 blackout with a pistol length gas system, probably about the same.
3.) Do you guys have any suggestions for cleaning the star chamber? I struggle with it. I've tried little star shaped foam bits (too expensive), Q-tips on long sticks (too ineffective), and I need something that makes it really easy. Is there such a thing/
Otis makes a special star chamber wire brush, works well, their AR15 cleaning kit is awesome. But yeah, in general those are a PITA to clean.
I'm thinking about getting into reloading. I understand you won't really save money, but you'll shoot more - I can't find 220gr 300BLK almost anywhere, and when I can, it's like $1.50 a round for low-end commercial stuff. Meanwhile, match grade bullets are like 35 cents apiece. I've been saving my brass in anticipation of doing this, someday... maybe. But I have some questions I bet you guys can answer.
How safe is it? Like, how easy is it to accidentally load more powder (or too little and make a squib) and explode your gun, your hand, and your face? I have decent attention to detail but I don't know if there is a step in the process to prevent this... I've never done it.
How safe are the supplies? Should I be worried about keeping a bunch of powder in my house?
For people that are familiar with the process and know what they're doing and are careful, it's as safe as anything else. Take your time, don't rush anything, and don't skip any steps. Check over your materials, clean your recycled brass and inspect it, always be careful with powder fill and you'll be fine.
Powder usually comes in pretty resilient plastic containers, unless you leave the container on an open flame, you're fine.
I took a class on it a few years back, don't have the space or tools at my place to do it, but the biggest thing seemed like the time investment, reloading can take a while
There are ways to have mounts attached to the handle, they work but have a *very* high bore offset, or, alternatively, have the optic rather far forward. They work, but are a bit awkward.
, the fact that it is broken in multiple places complicates the question as to what exactly went wrong, but it could be any one of a number of things. Just glad it didnt fail at a really critical moment.
