Posted on 09/23/2009 6:19:16 AM PDT by HairOfTheDog
Welcome to The Hobbit Hole!
Things are getting ugly.
‘Peter Jackson Takes the Gloves Off’ “ http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2010/09/26/38803-peter-jackson-takes-the-gloves-off/ “
Jackson says that coming to a deal with the unions would be a crime under New Zealand law. He threatens to close down production in New Zealand, and take the movies to Eastern Europe, delaying it further. In another story on TORN Sir Ian Mckellan and Cate Blanchett are talking about honoring the union position.
I don't own one, but here's a picture of Demon Tactical's Comp Brake on a 10" barrel AR15:
I guess, like unix, it's "user friendly", but is vey choosy who its friends are.
I have a 10" barrel on my P556, and all I saw in a dimly-lit indoor range was a faint puff of gas. And no curses from others on the range.
This is all about who gets how much of residuals and merchandising for how long. Rather than mess with the greatest movies of all times, pick some cheap-ass production by Michael Moore for a last stand. That should put things in perspective.
Major NYT story: Jackson to direct the Hobbit, MGM financial deal about to be announced, movies to be in Avatar style 3-D, Union problems being cleaned up, first picture to be released December, 2012, Hobbiton set ready to go. Green light and Casting announcements to be made in days, filming to start in January.
New York Times: Jackson to direct ‘The Hobbit’
“ http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2600178/posts “
I'm waiting for about $20 of pins and springs that I couldn't find around the basement. I estimate I could populate two more lowers before I started to really run low on parts.
At first, I was intending to make a strictly box-stock M4A1, complete with the iron carry handle. But then I realized I had some elite parts left over, so I'm making it the way I like 'em. Spare Eotech, spare Troy rear sight, spare Smith Enterprises flash hider. Plus some upgrades for internal parts. The trigger mechanism will start out strictly stock, so I can get some baseline measurements. I then will install lighter hammer and trigger springs, and polish the mating surfaces per their instructions.
I looked at this setup, and realized this was the standard "elite" weapon of our special forces when this war started. But any grunt worth his crossed rifles realized it was just the ticket for him too. So for almost ten years now there has been a juggling act going on to get a really "elite" leet weapon for our special forces, while getting this vey practical little cutie into the hands of our regular troops.
Other than the Eotech sight, this could be considered a bare-bones weapon. However, the magical holographic sight turns it into something for both the most skilled orc-hunter, to the greenest Hobbit trying to make sure that the Shire is properly scoured. And, being somewhere in the middle, I could get good service from it, even if it's not as customized with the latest tech that I've taking a liking to. This is basically a 2001 state-of-the-art rifle, and can still do a good job for anyone who wants/needs an M-faux. So I'm spending under $400 to put my spare, already-paid-for parts into another example of "America's Rifle".
While I can't recommend this project for beginners, or when there's no hot deals around, I can suggest that people keep an eye out for close-out deals on all the older versions of the Eotech. L-3 is making the new, stubby Eotech (with the CR123 battery mounted crosswise) as their sole product. All the other models and submodels will be discontinued. There will either be cash rebates on the older models, or dealers may just decide to clear out their inventory. Nothing definite on this, it's just a feeling in my capitalist gut. The Aimpoint and other electronic sights are great, too, but at least for me, nothing beats the Eotech, except a close-out Eotech. Just something to think about.
One other thing to think about are a couple of tweaks I've installed on all my M16-type buffer and spring assemblies.
First is the nylon disk that is stuck on the front of the buffer assembly. I've noticed on my blowback-operated AR57 that the "UP" and arrow on the back of the bolt is faintly imprinted on the white nylon. That tells me there's some metal-to-metal impact that is no longer happening. Not only is that good, but it has the added advantage of making the recoil cycle quieter when you have your ear against the stock.
A new item is the black plastic "Twang Buster", which goes on the other end of the spring. It's a tiny bit larger in diameter than the spring coil itself, so it isolates the rear of the spring, which is thrashing around like an alligator's tail, from contacting the tube itself. Less wear-and-tear, more quiet.
If it was up to me, I'd make this specific configuration the one-and-only standard US military rifle. These would go out as the older M16s and M4s came back in. Those in good shape would be converted to semi-auto-only, and sold at cost to the Americans that make up the unorganized militia. Time to make Yamamoto's "a rifle behind every blade of grass" our national policy. Our elite forces could buy something more exotic, like the H&K G36, or Remington ACR, if they have the money. Otherwise, they'd have to "struggle" along with these M4Ax rifles like everyone else.
A guy can at least dream about this.
Great report again. Good tip on the EoTech. Will keep eyes open.
Some crazy news there on The Hobbit.
Curiously enough... Was on travel all last week, and picked The Hobbit for my Kindle feature for this trip. Didn’t get much chance to read, so didn’t get far. Bilbo and Co. Have just been abducted by goblins during the lightning storm in the Misty Mountains.
Thanks for the tip on the EO-Tech, that will encourage me to pick up one of the ‘old ones’. Now, should I put it on the flint or caplock? :-) OB
The first shot with the trigger gauge was 6 lbs, 5 oz. A dozen other tests were +/- 4 ounces from that.
I'm impressed with the pull (about 3 pounds of slightly-scratchy take-up), but the small(er) variations in pull says this will be an accurate and consistent pull. I tip my hat to J&P for reminding me to use only forged or ground-from-flat-stock parts, rather than the pressed steel MPM parts out there.
Assuming Nanolube will remove about one more pound of pull, I'll have a virtually perfect trigger for anyone who has no experience with true target triggers. All it took was looking for the proper type of parts, and some gentle lapping.
One really interesting aspect to this project is that the front and rear takedown holes in the DPMS lower were about .0005" undersized from the nominal .250. None of my takedown pins would fit, so I took my dad's .250 reamer, and removed some tiny shavings of aluminum from both holes. But when I tried to assemble the upper to the lower, the rear pin still wouldn't fit, even though all three holes had enough clearance now.
It turned out that the rear lug on the upper was not perfectly aligned on the axis of the lower receiver. Out came the reamer again, and this time I was able to run it clear through the entire assembly. Everything now closes up tighter than a drum, even without that expandable rear takedown pin.
I'm not making any predictions until I put at least a hundred rounds through the rifle, but the signs are pointing to some fine accuracy with the use of pick-of-the-litter stock parts.
No Hobbit movie news since my last post. This reminds me of ‘Waiting for Godot’.
Looks like Green light time is coming!
MGM announces “Plan”, names Barber and Birnbaum new CEOs
“ http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2603590/posts?page=1 “
First, I spent two hours tracking down and eliminating some malware that may have come in with "Mafia Wars". Scan your computer for SVRWSC.EXE. My Comodo firewall and anti-virus let it in, but when it tried to run, I got cryptic error messages from Comodo. I think I'll go back to the MS firewall and Symantec antivirus tomorrow.
Then I heard some sort of nasty-sounding animal screaming outside. It must have been several houses away, and sounded like a tiger coughing up a hairball. Sort a combination of a scream and a cough.
It's 4AM, no other houses are lit up, and nobody's yippy little dogs are yipping.
Being an unusual situation, I stuffed my Sig P220 in my belt, and got my flashlight. I walked onto the driveway, and didn't see or hear anything. I lit up under bushes and cars, being careful not to shine a light into anyone's window. Then I shined the light between two houses across the street, and got a really loud scream-and-cough in response.
It seems there were two of these things, several houses apart, screaming back and forth. Neither one changed location, and neither one came into my view (thankfully), but I was still puzzled because no people or dogs were disturbed by all of this. I gave up, and went inside. The "serenade" is still going on. All I can think of is two male somethings trash-talking each other to stake out mating territory. We certainly have deer here, but if this is the start of rutting season, they've always had the decency to take it somewhere else.
I've decided I'm saving my handgun for daylight hours. If I have to investigate at night, I'll take my AR57 with 50 rounds of the 19gr hollowpoints. Devastating on tissue, low barrier penetration. And an Eotech sight, which still beats the tritium sights on the Sig. No handgun I use for defensive purposes will be without Trijicon sights.
With those stories behind us, here is the completion of my M4Economy. Still needs sighting in, but it's now fully kitted out as a low(er) cost but effective weapon.
Aside from the magazine latch and bolt hold-open, I had every last little part on hand, scattered in various places. I decided to "splurge" by using my last remaining Magpul MOE pistol grip rather than the GI torture grip. And one Eotech sight that was replaced by something else. Plus a few luxury items like the backup rear sight, Smith Enterprises flash hider,and front and rear aftermarket sling swivels. Leaving off the luxuries, I would have had a box-stock M-faux for about $20 in small parts.
As it is, I have a leet optical sight, comfy pistol grip, and a crisp six-pound trigger pull that I made myself out of careful honing and polishing.
This would have been state-of-the-art ten years ago, but I'm still vey happy with it. For one thing, I completed a whole weapon out of spare parts, excepting the upper and lower. For another, I now know I don't have enough decent parts to do it again. So at least I made one more very nice user-friendly rifle for myself, rather than letting that treasure trove of small-but-important (and sometimes pricey) parts go unused.
Good story and congrats to you on your ‘spare parts’ M4-E Class. Nice rig. OB
Is that the Demon Tactical Mil Loc replacement WITH finger latch on the economy M-4gery? Nice rifle! :-)
I liked the latch so much I put them on my other AR-15-types. It gives me more precise control over loose fits between upper and lower, especially using those flexible rubber thingies.
The AR57 on top is going to be my "go bump in the night" companion if I have to step outdoors. I realized the Sig P220 I took out with me last night would be great on 2 and 4 legged vermin during the day, but not exactly optimal at night. I just need a tactical sling, and maybe a high-power LED in case I need better target ID.
Actually, the top two rifles were built from stripped lowers, with 95% of the parts already laying around the basement. Both had uppers on great sales when I built them. I guess the rest of my parts are really spares now, which is not a bad thing, either.
Oh, and Eotech has $50 mail-in rebates now, and a lot of dealers are offering significant discounts on the remaining older models. Free enterprise at work.
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