Posted on 09/23/2009 6:19:16 AM PDT by HairOfTheDog
Welcome to The Hobbit Hole!
I interrupt the Gunprom to bring news of ‘The Hobbit’:
” http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2727402/posts “ The Official HOBBIT Titles And Release Dates!
You may now return to weapons research.
Where is this picture of which you speak?
It should be back at post 3416.
That is a superb example. Kudos. OB
I'm still waiting for a .308 buffer and spring for LP, and another 30mm set of rings for BP. With luck, I'll have a chance to shoot both next week, although it's kinda rough carrying both at the same time.
Interesting, when I was viewing this at work, the pictures don’t show up. Here at home they do. hmmmmmmm
I have a carbon fiber free float tube for LP, but I'm still studying how to proceed. The current tube can be removed, after taking off the flash hider and gas block, by using a strap wrench on the tube, which unscrews it from the base, which in turn is screwed into the upper receiver. I have all the wrenches, and it should not be a big deal, as long as nobody has used lots of Loctite.
The carbon fiber tube also has an aluminum end cap, which screws in to the upper. The carbon fiber tube itself, however, is then epoxied to the base. This sounds very permanent to me, so I have only one chance to get it right. Along the way, I have to make sure than any rail sections are mounted perfectly before setting everything into epoxy. All of this whispers, go slow!.
I finally tested my SiG P220 with the standard 20 pound recoil spring, and a 22 pound spring. Since I'll probably never find any affordable .45 ammo under 230 grains to shoot, I thought a heavier spring rate might reduce perceived recoil. I was right.
The change did not affect my accuracy, but the sensation of recoil changed from "near-smack" to "big push". Oh, and I achieved one brag-worthy target out of the testing.
That shooting session also included something I haven't done for at least 20 years. I shot two of my revolvers!. I think I've learned enough about handguns in general that I did much better this time around than I did in 1991. My old S&W Model 66 and Model 60-NY are now collector items because they're no longer available as standard products, at least in these versions. I was moderately surprised that I could pick them up again, and shoot this well, right out of the range bag. I think the last year's practice is starting to pay off.
My main weakness continues to be trigger pull, but otherwise I found both revolvers to shoot well, and comfortable, with the new 125gr TMJ practice ammo. It looks like no factories are making pure lead bullets any more, due to concern about lead dust.
The triggers had been "tuned" with Nanolube before firing, so the DA trigger pull was smooth and consistent, and just about invited double-taps.
I found these revolvers provided six (or five) easy, flawless, shots, followed by about 30 seconds of near-panic as I had to consciously eject, reload, and return to firing position. It's amazing how rapid magazine changes, even under tactical situations, now seems like second nature, and a no-brainer.
While I won't carry a revolver, except for open carry of my .44 if I ever go big-game hunting, these two will go into my "reserve" armory. I now realize that the factory grips on the M66 are a bit too fat for me to handle easily, so I'll buy some exotic wood grips from Hogue, and put the originals away just to keep things complete. Of course, the original boxes were lost or pitched years ago.
This week, with luck, I'll take BP and LP out for more evaluations, although I may have to put wheels on Big Panther because he weighs about twice as much as his little brother.
Same here. I think the firewall at work is blowing away anything from the site he hosts the pictures on.
Instead, here is a picture of my first holsters for the H&K P7. On the left is a Minotaur Leather IWB holster of kydex and leather. On the right is a Galco IWB holster intended for the Kimber Solo. Yes, holsters and extra mags are starting to appear out there. Actual shipments to customers is apparently going slowly, because they are still filling backorders.
I found that the Solo is so tiny that there is almost no grip to grab to get it out of the holster. So I wet the holster, stuffed my "blue gun" P7 into it, and let things dry. The modified holster seems to work well, and I've been carrying the P7 most of the week. The Solo, itself, may work better with a Galco pocket holster, instead.
After discovering last week that revolver grips have evolved since last shooting a revolver 20-30 years ago, I bought some Ahrend cocobolo grips. Here they are on the S&W Model 66, with the original goncalva alves grips next to them.
Cocobolo is a dark wood with contrasting lighter streaks in it. The "gonc" grips can range from very dark (like these), looking almost like walnut, to a light yellow-tan color. And everything in between. Both sets of grips are exceptional specimens.
Here's another view, with some photoshop tweaks to show the differences in grain, and the difference in width. The new grips have a flat front and backstrap, which makes the revolver almost feel like a semi-auto. This is good for me, because the flat edges remind me how I should be gripping the gun.
Finally, a profile shot. The new grips are a hugh improvement over the old style, being both thinner and longer.
If I was going to shoot the revolver much, I would probably carve away some of the curve behind the trigger guard, so I could get a higher handhold on it. The old grips are better in that one respect, so I'd try to copy that. And if I felt artistic, I might try my hand at some stippling, since I have the metal punches for that.
That will have to wait until I complete my "trivial" upgrade on Little Panther.
Team that won the DOE/NNSA security competition was using P7’s this time ......not sure witch site they were from but I was impressed with their use of those staplers......:0)
You aware of any IWB leather “thumbreak” holsters for the glock ?
Looking for a IWB thumbreak someone has experience with made from leather. Been using a Galco FLETCH that rides high yet requires a jacket or baggy shirt for concealment. Maybe Mitch Rosen has something....gonna go peek at that site.
If ya have time !!
Not off the top of my head, but considering how common Glocks are, it should be out there. For the P7, everything is rare and hard to find, so this modified Galco holster might be the best thing for me without spending a pile of money with Mitch Rosen. It's not fast, but it conceals the weapon well, and seems vey secure.
I spent most of today learning more than I ever wanted to know about tubular free-float handguards. I learned that many items don't identify themselves as being specific to an AR10 or AR15. I learned that the carbon fiber tube I got from Brownells is made by DPMS, is sized for an AR15, and they don't fit the .308 series, and Brownells doesn't carry the .308 version. But DMPS does.
I also learned how to remove the existing tubular guard by using a strap wrench (tough), and a modified .223 barrel wrench and breaker bar (really tough). Right now, I'm waiting for a the proper .308 wrench to reassemble, since I knew I was pushing my luck.
After a fairly quick 80 rounds expended at my last session, I found that the free-float tube was starting to get warm, and everything else from the tube end cap to gas block to muzzle brake was red hot. Of course, I've never fired that much .308 that fast before. Carbon fiber is the way to go, I hope.
The .223 is not as thermally challenging as a .308, but I have found that the DPMS "glacier guards" work well. Rather than heat shields, there are solid aluminum heat sinks inside the handguard that are pressed against the barrel when the guards are clamped on. Quad rail aluminum free-float handguards with lots of plastic rail covers stay cool, too, but cost more.
Ahrend’s makes a great selection of grips. I tend to use Pacs on mine but the finger groove combat for round frames intrigues me. Got to try one out first before I trip the trigger so to speak. The grip guys may be at July GS here, if so I’ll check em out. OB
I’ve been following the news on The One Ring website! So excited about the movies!
Aware an own many of what you describe an grateful for your time an comments. Just looking for something iwb with a thumbreak made from leather vs synthetics...
Stay Safe....
Bilbo doesn’t look a bit like Dr. Watson does he? :-)
Reference is to the new Sherlock Holmes series on Mystery Masterpiece. Four episodes, very well done, bringing Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson up to present day times. OB
Yes, saw it on Netflix (streaming).
And Sherlock will apparantly portray the Necromancer (Sauron) and the voice of Smaug.
For me, Matin Freeman is still Arthur Dent...
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