Shoot Your Guns

Some people have ONE gun, others have several, but whatever the case, the song remains the same. If you're going to be any good with firearms you have to actually shoot them, as opposed to staring at them fondly as they stand gleaming in their racks.

Thieves

That was brought home to me a little while ago, after a dismal offhand performance against some steel plates. The expression, "couldn't spot a thieving hippy on the hustle in Austin from 10 paces" totally applied, embarrassingly. So I set out to change that, with a Glock 21, an AR 15 and a Ruger American .22.

After a brisk warm up against an unfortunate silhouette, the plates were swinging at 50 and 75 yards. Well done, Ruger. 

Here's a Handy Chart

I left the rifle zeroed at 50 yards; just dial it up a fraction under 5.5" for 100 yards. And note how the Ruger American takes the ubiquitous 10/22 30 round magazine. Good job, team.

The AR did fine, too, and made handy work of an empty value pack of .223. It has a Primary Arms 1x6 scope on it, which I'm tempted to upgrade. Perhaps with a Vortex Strike Eagle.

Then there's Glock. Some people don't like Glocks and call them "rubbish." Well, the Glock 21 isn't a Colt Python and it can't send the mighty .357 Magnum through your enemy's engine block, but still, I'm not complaining. That pistol is all business.

Shoot over, head for home.

Gun Rights,

LSP

I Went For A Shoot

I took a couple of ARs out for a spin today with one of the team. It was raining, which is Texas' new normal, but that didn't stop us putting rounds down range. It was good to hear the sound of the guns cracking out across the countryside.

So that was a good shoot, unlike the one in Charleston. Some say that the killer is satanic and I think, for what it's worth, that if he isn't he might as well be. The relatives of the victims, on the other hand, are clearly Christian.

It's no small thing to say you forgive the person who killed people you love.

God bless,

LSP

Black Gun May Day Mayhem!

It was a beautiful sunny morning in Texas, crisp and bright, so I thought I'd better make good use of time and head down to the range with a collection of black guns. Don't get me wrong, I like wood and steel, I prefer it even, but these were the guns I wanted to shoot today.

5.56

So I did. The AR's performed flawlessly, which pleased me, because I had a hand in building them. It's always good when something you've worked to create works well. The rifle variant is well-capable of MOA awesomeness, which is exactly what I was hoping for. The Ruger American .17HMR shot well too, producing the best group of the day, 3 rounds in the same hole. Then it was pistol time.

.17 HMR

I'll be honest. I wasn't too pleased with my pistol performance during LL's visit, and I wanted to fix that. "I know," I thought to myself, cleverly, "If I get a Blackhawk Serpa holster, I'll shoot my .45 like a pro." 

Whatever

The Serpa's a good holster, no doubt about it, it holds your sidearm in a vise-like, mechanical grip, and has a smooth trigger finger release. The paddle system hugs your hip too; it isn't going anywhere. Get a Serpa, just be sure to properly index your trigger finger as you draw your weapon from the holster, otherwise you might shoot your foot off. Bad result.

Serpa

But, did the holster make me a better shot? No. It didn't, and I had to shoot off a box of cheap Federal ammo at 25 yards before I got in the swing of things. 

Message to market. Neat kit is no substitute for rounds down range. There's a moral in that, if you care to draw it.

Typical Texas Range Scene

Have a great May Day evening and remember, May is Mary's month.

God bless,

LSP

And Then There Were Two

Once there was only one gas-driven monster in my armory, a lowly CMMG carbine. Now there are two of the little beasts, and I took them both out for a spin today. 

A Lead Sled proved they shot rather better than I do, which was pleasing, and the new AR was a lot of fun to shoot off-hand. Very fast and smooth, and I'm looking forward to trying out its Primary Arms 1x6 scope at distance. 

This has a 1 MOA dot surrounded by a horseshoe, and bullet drop compensation out to 800 yards. The reticle also includes a fairly intuitive ranging system along with holds for wind. It's illuminated (red) but the markings are etched into the glass, so if your battery dies the scope still works. Is it a Trijicon? No, it's not, but the price is right and it works.

The carbine's more of a red dot barker, but that shot well too. At least one reader of this family blog has suggested I make it a truck gun. Maybe I will.

Are these ARs tactical? Yes, very. You can tell that by their pistol grips. Are they deadly assault rifles? I think it's obvious that they are. Do they enrage, terrify and disgust progleft libs, like a pork chop in Ramadan? Yes, they do, and that's a bonus. They're also a lot of fun and if you have to shoot something, they get the job done. So it's benefits all 'round.

Keep squeezing the trigger,

LSP

Deadly Assault Rifle Got More Deadlier #AR 15 Build

This blog is mostly concerned with the life of the mind, so it may not surprise you to know that I've been busy turning one AR 15 into two AR 15s, all thanks to a church person who offered to build me a new upper for my stock CMMG.

While I was waiting on that, I thought I'd teach myself to assemble, or build, these rifles, and started off by installing a new hand guard and gas block on my existing carbine. Then, thinking that the new upper-in-waiting could do with a better lower receiver, I went out and built one. Thanks, Fun Guns, in Waco, and Spike's.

The new upper arrived today after Mass, and I'm pleased. It's made out of parts from Rainier Arms: 18" match grade barrel, 1-8 twist, mid-length gas system w/micro gas block, nickel boron bolt carrier group, compensator, keymod hand guard, and a Hipertouch Enhanced Duty Trigger (4.5 lb, single stage). Hogue grip, Magpul stock, back up sights and magazine(s).

My old carbine can stay as just that, a 2 MOA red dot sight carbine, and I'll swap out the free float tube for a keymod rail system. Why? It'd be lighter, neater, and I think it looks more deadlier. The new rifle gets to have a 1x6 optic, and I'll be shopping around for that.

Kick out the Jams,

LSP