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#1751
7th December 2019, 02:20 PM
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Took the M1 Carbine out for the first time today. It's a National Postal Meter manufactured in early 1944. I just got it back from the fine folks at Fulton Armory getting it refurbished with new springs, extractor, etc... . Today was a cool sunny day, upper 30s.
Put about 100 rounds through it at 50 yards. The action cycled pretty much flawlessly with Winchester (brass, made to old mil spec) and Prvi ammo (steel cased). It shot really comfortably; not nearly as powerful as the Garand or even the AR-15. I could shoot it all day. Light kick, easy sights, light short weapon that's easy to handle. There were problems with the magazines however. I have 3. Each one had a misfeed or a jam at some point. Also, Had to toss a couple of rounds that ended up with bent cases from misfeeds. It was pretty darn accurate from the shop! It shot high at 50 yards, so I just aimed low and fired away. It's probably on at 100 yards; will see next trip. Shot right in the middle of the target, with groups scattered vertically. Very happy with it's accuracy and looking forward to testing it at 100. It does shoot a lighter round, the .30 carbine. It is nowhere near as powerful as the .30-06 of the Garand, but it still is the equivalent of a .357 magnum from a lever action rifle. And that'll mess you up plenty, just at 200 yards or less. 
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#1752
15th February 2020, 06:32 PM
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Competition today was a medium difficulty level month. It was indoor because nobody wanted to stomp around in over a foot of snow. Shot clean on one stage and had a bunch of misses on the other, I kept hitting just outside of the C zone. Part of the issue was shooting from a kneeling position behind a barricade while having to shoot under some hostage targets. You could only see a bit of the bad guy targets and a lot of that was D zone.
I spent a big chunk of the match range officering, as the match director had to go deal with something. Spent the rest of it being big brother to a new shooter. He had a bad jam, but we got it cleared and when he re-shot the stage, he did it clean. One of my ideas at setup worked pretty well. There was a pipe that is part of the backstop that we didn't want anyone to hit. There was a package of balloons sitting around, so I grabbed one and clipped it over the pipe and declared it a hostage's head. Only two people hit the balloon and they both missed the pipe, so mission accomplished.
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#1753
9th April 2020, 12:16 PM
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I got to practice social isolation at the range today. When I got there I was the only person there. After a while another car showed up and took the other pistol range. I figured that 25 yards and a dirt berm between us should be adequate.
I used the .22 with the red dot sight and worked the plate rack for about 200 rounds. Using a red dot you see how wobbly your hands really are. Practiced double taps for a bit as the plate took a while to fall over and the second hit still made the ping noise as it hit the plate. As I was tearing down, some of my buddies from the competition showed up and wanted to use the plate rack. We yelled at each other across the empty space for a bit before I headed home. The April competition isn't going to happen, but we're hoping we can have an outdoor one in May.
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#1754
30th April 2020, 03:05 PM
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I again went to the range to practice social isolation. There were a few more people this time, but we were still able to spread out with 30 feet or so between groups. I brought the AR this time and worked out on the 100 yard range. First few shots were not going where I wanted them to and I was wondering what was up when I noticed that the sight has noticeable play from side to side. Like about 4 feet at 100 yards.
I then discovered that the set screw that controlled lock up on the rail had loosened. Fortunately I had the metric hex wrench set in my shooting bag and was able to tighten it. To the scope's credit, once it was firmly on the rail, it went back to being on. I had to tweak the drop by about two inches, but at that point I was getting some of the best groups I get. Some of the holes were touching.
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#1755
18th May 2020, 05:32 AM
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I used to really be in to target shooting. For whatever reason I have done very little of it over the past 4 or 5 years.
And I really don't have a legit excuse, as I have a shooting range in the backyard. I think one reason is that I don't like to do it alone. Shooting is much more fun with someone else. On that note, I think my 17 year old son is now old enough to handle the AR-15 and (possibly) the FAL. I also think he's also old enough to learn how to disassemble and clean them. So my plan is to get a lot more range time in this summer. 
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#1757
18th May 2020, 06:42 AM
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Seventeen with some supervision is plenty old enough to shoot. The AR has almost no recoil, so that should be no big deal.
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#1758
20th May 2020, 03:35 PM
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Agreed on the AR platform. It's simple, low recoil and easy to learn. I taught both my kids (boy and girl) how to shoot with one in an afternoon.
I Gave them basic operations and safety show and tell. Let them handle an empty weapon, practice dry fire operations. Get comfortable with it before they go to the range. Then get them out on the range and let them have some well supervised fun. Finally, introduced them to the joys of disassembly, cleaning, assembly and functions testing! It's not all fun and games at the end. Good luck, be safe and have fun! I hope you have a great time with it.
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#1759
20th May 2020, 06:54 PM
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In basic training with an M-16A1 they had us lay prone in pairs at 90° to each other. Then take turns balancing a dime on the flash hider. So the other guy could dry fire. We removed the firing pin for this exercise. You had to fire without dropping the dime three times in a row to get a go.
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#1760
5th June 2020, 03:07 PM
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Looking for early suggestions as I'm not going to be able to go through with this until, 1) We pay off the house and have a bit more disposable income, 2) I pass the safety class, and 3), gun sales are allowed again in NY state...
The first is happening in October, the second I'm not worried about at all, I grew up on a farm shooting, took my first shooting class in Cub Scouts (I was one of those Boy Scout types), and I spent a good time in the late '80's until '98 target shooting until we moved to NY...and 3), not up to me...not sure when that will be lifted...you can buy alcohol, but not guns...no comment... At the time, I had six handguns, a shotgun and a Ruger 10/22. I really did not want to bring MD legal guns to NY without doing the legal thing - but for six handguns, that meant about $300 per gun in transfer fees, having to take the safety class and apply for a permit with no guarantee I'd get one...now, I would have, I'm a law-abiding citizen, but the permit requires four local references, and time, and money, and we had small kids...and were buying a new house...Mrs. White had a say in their disposition, i.e., we needed the money... S&W Model 29 .44 magnum - sold to my then-BIL. I loved that gun, it was the Dirty Harry gun, 8 3/8" barrel, my buddy and I would make light target loads for it and shoot it at 25 feet - you could see the bullet leave the barrel. With a full load, it was an impressive weapon; S&W Model 686 .357/.38 Special - sold under consignment. Good gun, but frankly, if I was going to shoot a revolver, I was shooting the Model 29. Not sure why I bought it - I think it was a newer model in the early '90's and I probably got it on sale; Ruger 9 mm - gave it to my sister. She still shoots it - I don't remember the model, but it was a newer model when I bought it in '91 - '92, and I really did not like it as it jammed all the time. She likes it, easy gun to shoot and it doesn't jam on her for some reason; Beretta small frame 9 mm - great little gun, accurate, reliable, very smooth and easy to shoot. Sold on consignment; Norinco 1911A1 45 ACP - OK, I know what you are thinking, what, a cheap Chinese piece of crap? I loved that gun, full-length guide rod, Pachmayr grips, that gun was just a dream to shoot and I think I paid less than $200 new at the time. Never jammed. (Also had an SKS that I gave to my shooting buddy, but that's another story). Sold on consignment; Colt 1911A1 45 ACP - I had to get a Colt after I got the Norinco, I got that one at a gun show back in the days where people would walk around selling the guns as a private sale, as long as they had the paperwork, you could go to any one of 50 gun dealers, they'd process the paperwork, you paid the guy, and you had a new-to-you 1911A1...it was a little rough, I got a great price ($375 in '93ish), cleaned it up, my shooting buddy did some trigger work on it, new grips, full-length guide rod and it was a great gun. Sold at consignment as well - I got $600 less 15% consignment for that one. The first one I get will be a 1911 model 45 ACP, I just love that style, and it's looking like a decent one starts at the $700 mark. I am not going to spend >$1200, I'm not shooting competition, but I do want a quality gun. I don't know anything about Charles Daly, but they start ~$900, I've shot Taurus before but never owned one, and they start around $580 for the base model. Cimarron is a brand I recognize, but know nothing about. Sig Sauer is in the ~$1000 range and certainly have a good reputation. Although I loved my Ruger 10/22 (and miss it - sold it to a buddy's son years ago when he turned 16), I have a likely irrational dislike of Ruger semi-automatic handguns based on my single point of experience, so I would shy away unless told differently. Any thoughts/suggestions/experiences would be great - I've got plenty of time to kick the tires on this one...
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#1761
5th June 2020, 03:29 PM
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Back in the days before they were all tragically lost in a boating accident:
S&W Model 28 (.38/.357) - Pachmayr grips, trigger job. This is the one I kept sequentially loaded in the bedside table. (.38 wadcutter X2, .38 +P SJHP X2, 128 grain .357 SJHP X2) Taurus Model 431 .44 Special - Loaded with Glazers. Argentinian Hi Power 9mm Star Firestar .40 S&W Taurus .45 ACP AMT Longslide .45 ACP Stainless(Go, Arnold!) AMT Hardballer .45 ACP Stainless AMT Automag III Stainless (.30 Carbine) A couple of Makarovs in 9x18mm A really crappy French .32 ACP A couple of derringers (.32 ACP, .22) High Standard .22 target pistol I inherited from my father, with multiple barrels Buck Mark .22 Target pistol All now, alas, stolen by gypsies. Note that above in no way conflicts with my belief that no civilian or cop should possess an AR/AK of any sort for any reason. (Insert extended liberal rant about penis size and toilet training here. YMMV.)
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#1762
5th June 2020, 03:53 PM
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A boating accident? That list would be enough to make me take up scuba diving.
I don't know why people rag on the Colt .45. Sure its a low velocity round with a lot of bullet drop But any half decent ammo is repeatable as hell and the recoil is downright cushy. From a bench rest it will hit a paper plate at 100 yards. As usual its not the gun, its the shooter. But a lot of folks just don't like them for some reason.
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#1765
5th June 2020, 05:06 PM
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Quote:
I like heavy, stable handguns and the 1911 is just the embodiment of a stable gun, IMHO, be it the Norinco or the Colt, both were great, and maybe someone of higher caliber (no pun intended) marksmanship could tell the difference, but I couldn't and I was a pretty good shot, Lord knows, I put enough rounds through them to get good. The Model 29 was another heavy, stable gun, with a full load, I found that I could just drop the barrel down a little bit and slowly squeeze off a shot accurately. That was a tough one for me to be accurate with quick shots - I could do that with the 1911's as they are, as you put it, a cushy recoil and easy to re-aim. selinus mentioned a Firestar, my shooting buddy was the type to trade/buy/sell constantly as he was always looking for something different, he got a small frame Firestar 45 ACP that was a bitch to shoot, I felt like I had nothing to hold on to and it was like a firecracker going off in your hand every time I pulled the trigger. Not a fan of that one, but it could have been just the model. EDT: That Longslide is exactly what I'm talking about, what kind of price point? EDT2: Used, it looks like they are in the $700 - 850 range, so I like that. Last edited by Oxirane; 5th June 2020 at 05:13 PM.
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#1766
5th June 2020, 05:54 PM
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1911's are a joy to shoot. I've read that you have to be careful about which model Norinco you get, some of the early ones lack the various safety features and you could snag the hammer and get an accidental discharge. (The victim of one of these had the nickname "Buttshot Bob" afterwards.)
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#1767
5th June 2020, 06:28 PM
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That Norinco is long gone, I sold that back in 1998, it was one of the early models as the Chinese were dumping guns on the American market in the early to mid-90's and I got it as soon as they introduced them.
My buddy Marvin and I went to a gun show one time, we always had something to sell/trade, and unbeknownst to our wives, about $200 cash each...we walked out with a Norinco SKS ($109) and a Norinco AK ($129) and 1000 rounds of 7.62...crazy times...I thought Mrs. White was going to beat me senseless with that SKS when I exclaimed how happy I was with our purchases, she does not like guns, would not shoot one, but use one as a tool to beat her superfluous husband with three young boys at home? Not a problem... Wolf, Jag, selinus I'm curious as to your opinions, so from my note above: I don't know anything about Charles Daly, but they start ~$900, I've shot Taurus before but never owned one, and they start around $580 for the base model. Cimarron is a brand I recognize, but know nothing about. Sig Sauer is in the ~$1000 range and certainly have a good reputation. Although I loved my Ruger 10/22 (and miss it - sold it to a buddy's son years ago when he turned 16), I have a likely irrational dislike of Ruger semi-automatic handguns based on my single point of experience, so I would shy away unless told differently.
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#1768
5th June 2020, 07:31 PM
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Quote:
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#1769
5th June 2020, 07:44 PM
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I'm not highly knowledgeable about 1911 manufacturers. I've shot Taurus but never owned one. So I can't add much light to the discussion.
I've had two Ruger pistols over the years and they both worked very well, but they were also in .22, so not sure how applicable to .45 my experience is. (But my Mk IV lite with the red dot on the top rail is the bee's knees and has enough spank to work the plate rack.)
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#1770
5th June 2020, 08:25 PM
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Wow, those things are light...look really cool...I think to your comment earlier in this thread about how one does not think about how much ones hands shake until one is trying to center a red laser dot is very apropos, I'm not sure I could keep that steady without a lot of practice...
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#1772
6th June 2020, 05:48 AM
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In a competition my heart rate is about 120 or more because the adrenaline is really pumping. Just had to get used to shaky hands and hard to see targets.
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#1773
6th June 2020, 05:50 AM
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Quote:
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#1774
6th June 2020, 06:30 PM
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#1775
14th July 2020, 05:06 PM
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Took two friends to the range today. We had the 25 yard range to ourselves and shot the .22 Ruger, the 9mm Beretta and Jon brought his brand new .22 Henry lever action. (More on that anon) After using the plate rack and some splatter targets we went up to the 100 yard range which was also empty.
Hung some regular targets and got out the spotting scope and used the AR and the Henry. My guests turned out to be quite creditable shots and we tried standing, sitting and prone strings. It rained on us a bit, but the 100 has a nice roofed area, so we stayed pretty dry. The Henry Golden Boy is a reproduction of a classic fire arm, the 1860 Henry repeating rifle. I'd never shot one before. It is a beautifully made gun and very solid. The lever action worked smoothly and the sights were dead on. The trigger is crisp and the thing is quality throughout. Getting on paper at 100 yards with iron sights was no problem whatsoever. With a scope on it, it would be a tack driver.
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#1776
21st July 2020, 07:37 PM
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So I was watching the final scene of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly on youtube and realized something I'd never picked up on before. The final duel takes place at quite long range. Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef are about 100 feet apart. Eli Wallach looks to be about the same distance from Eastwood and almost 200 feet from Van Cleef. Frankly the chances that anybody would hit anybody at that distance without some pretty careful aiming is very low. Especially with a hip shot from the draw.
It's a genuinely brilliant scene and the Morricone score is amazing, but the shooting is strictly from the movies.
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#1777
6th August 2020, 03:42 PM
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#1778
6th August 2020, 04:24 PM
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I had owned the steel framed model before, but the butt-plate killed my shoulder. I'd love to try the .22.
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#1779
29th August 2020, 08:09 PM
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Just bought a Ruger American Rimfire 17 HMR, yeah, it was a little impetuous, but I've been thinking about a rifle to teach youngest son and Mrs. White to shoot, I'd been looking at a model 8374, which is the 'Go Wild' camo with the "Cerakote" barrel. Very nice looking gun, I'm not thrilled about the stock, but I really like the balance. And when I visited today, I pulled the proverbial trigger.
The issue (for me) is the rifle is set up with a scope mount and no sights. No problem, (ha!), I wanted that. But, I haven't shot a scoped rifle in years and never set one up. I know I need 1" scope rings, and the specs say the mount is a Weaver #12, which I see is a dovetail mount. (Bushnell Banner 3 - 9 X 40mm) I've read the Talley 1" mounts are the best as they screw directly into the receiver, and the dovetail (Weaver?) mounts are easier to install. But, the latter are prone to side-to-side inconsistencies and require more stringent sighting. I have no idea. I really want an easy gun to introduce Mrs. White to long rifle shooting, as well as having a fun gun for me to get back into target shooting. I've been told the 17 HMR is a fun round to shoot, certainly more uumpth than a 22LR, so for hunting, it has some limited possibilites.
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#1780
30th August 2020, 05:52 AM
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Question for the group: Can anyone recommend a good, custom leather company for holsters? I've got a couple of older models I'd like a nice holster for (camping, hiking, etc.), and the market trend seems to force "Kydex" when you search for "custom."
Tripler Thanks!
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#1781
30th August 2020, 11:41 AM
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Quote:
Last edited by Wolf Larsen; 30th August 2020 at 11:59 AM.
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#1782
16th September 2020, 05:03 PM
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Yes, it's turned out to be a fun gun, I put on a Bushnell Banner 3-9 x 40 mm scope, a basic scope but one with great reviews, I was able to sight it in quickly. I was a little worried about some extraction issues with earlier models, but no problem with this one whatsoever. Ruger implemented the Ruger 10-22 mag design into this rifle, so very smooth.
Completed the NYS pistol safety class, application in process, one of the requirements is to put a deposit down on a handgun as part of the application process, and I'm a little conflicted as to what to purchase. I'm looking for something that Mrs. White may be comfortable shooting, so while I will get a 5" 1911 .45 ACP at some point, it won't be now. We took her shooting this weekend, and while I had high hopes for the Glock 27 being something she'd like, it was not something she was comfortable shooting. It's a small gun, comfortable in the hand, but the .40 S&W is a lively round, she was not impressed. Any suggestions? I feel we're destined to a 9 mm, she shot a Beretta compact that she liked it, it was easy and fit her hand. I liked the style, nice looking gun, but it's a double-single action and she struggled with the first pull. A striker is likely the first purchase, but, damn, what I've seen are just ugly guns. Should I be looking at other makes/models?
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#1783
16th September 2020, 06:09 PM
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You might look at the SIG P365. It's striker fired and a little smaller so it might fit her hand better. There is a tradeoff in that large pistols eat up the recoil better, but may not fit her hand. I don't like Glocks either. The grips on them always feel klunky to me. You might also look at the Springfield XD-M.
I shot a Taurus in .40 S&W when I was first pistol shopping and liked the gun, but hated the round. It was just too whippy to be fun to shoot. Ended up getting the Beretta 92FS in 9mm and have run at least 10,000 rounds through it very happily.
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#1785
27th September 2020, 03:25 PM
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Did my first shift today as an official club range officer. Other than being on my feet for eight hours it went well. Now I'm pooped, but gonna take some Ibuprofen with dinner.
People were friendly and were careful about safety, so that was very good. One guy had a brand new rifle and one of the RO's is an accuracy fanatic and worked with the guy and by the end he had really good groups. Like overlapping holes good. Another guy had a 6.5 Creedmor rifle that was just freaking magical. His friend's teenage was shooting for the first time and had some really tight groups with it after a bit of practice. Not a round I'm especially interested in, but it was cool to see it being shot.
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#1786
27th September 2020, 05:34 PM
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Quote:
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#1787
27th September 2020, 08:01 PM
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It has amazing ballistics and is still over 2000 ft/sec at 500 yards.
Last edited by Wolf Larsen; 28th September 2020 at 07:18 AM.
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#1788
16th October 2020, 04:12 PM
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Got to shoot a new (to me) rifle today. Went to the range to help set up for the competition tomorrow. After we had the targets in place, the arms dealer pulled a Lee-Enfield No 5 Mk 1 (the jungle carbine) out and we cranked out a few rounds. It's chambered in .303 British. A storied gun in a storied caliber that I've never handled before. Recoil is pretty strong and I have no idea how the sights work. The plan is to use it on water jugs tomorrow, which make a huge explosion with that powerful a round.
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#1789
17th October 2020, 11:14 AM
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Competition was two stages outside. People were good about masks and social distance, so conversations ended up being people yelling at each other at a distance. Got to check in with a bunch of friends and people seem to be getting through it okay so far.
I shot like shit, but am sorta rusty. Tried shooting one part with my left hand and I was jerking it, need to work on that. But glad to get out and shoot even if my shooting was poor.
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#1790
17th October 2020, 02:18 PM
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I just got all my pellet guns sighted in for probably the last time this season, and I've finally regained enough strength to cock my Gamo Swarm Magnum .22 without having to stand up and lean all my weight into it. I could do it while still sitting down at the shooting bench.
 When I had it dialed in, I was putting pellets into the same freakin' hole! Of course, that was at 10 meters, so not all that impressive, since each hit widened the hole a bit (so the shots are hitting within about a 10th of an inch, so about 1 MOA, and that may be my limit, instead of the rifle's), but it's still got great accuracy. In one of the review videos I saw of it before I decided to 'pull the trigger' (heh) and buy it (which I can't find, now), the guy was reliably popping prairie dog targets in the kill-zone at 100 yds.
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#1791
22nd October 2020, 03:10 PM
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that sounds like a nice air rifle. I picked up a .22 Hatsan 135 last year but have only shot it twice. Really would like to get it out and see what it can do.
Damn it is pretty, but heavy as a gunpowder firearm!
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#1792
22nd October 2020, 04:40 PM
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you can probably get the idea that i really love to shoot pellet guns.... i also shoot heavy rifles, but those pellet guns are what i rrreeeelllly love. light bit. tap 'em with something they'll barely feel. that's the way to tap the bastard!!! Last edited by C2H5OH; 22nd October 2020 at 04:57 PM.
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#1794
6th November 2020, 02:11 PM
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Ammo has been in mighty short supply recently. But I got some shotgun shells today. I was at Walmart picking up a prescription and wandered back to sporting goods to find that they had bricks of #8 for $22. I grabbed one and will use it next time I go shoot trap.
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#1796
6th November 2020, 05:49 PM
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Glad to see we are all still persevering through the 'Rona. I took the opportunity to get certified as a NRA Range Safety Officer.
Also, I am volunteering a lot more at my local range. Feels good to have the time to give back.
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#1797
6th November 2020, 05:53 PM
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#1798
7th November 2020, 03:19 PM
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Got jealous
I did not buy the air gun, tempted as I was.
I did pick up one of these: https://www.tcarms.com/firearms/muzz.../pro-hunter-fx I want to get certified as a muzzle loading instructor so I need to enter the 21st century. Any advice on in-lines would be appreciated.
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#1799
8th November 2020, 01:20 PM
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Dang that black powder rifle is decidedly hi tech. Way out of my league. Are you going to put in time as an RSO at the AGC Range?? If so let me know when, would love to meet in person finally.
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#1800
8th November 2020, 02:27 PM
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Linear Mode
