Time To Shoot

 

So what kind of LSP are you, and by the way we doubt that's your real name, if you don't even shoot? Good question, punters. To set the record straight I headed for the range this morning.

There it was, hot as an oven under the Texan sky, and I was on a mission. Viz. Zero in a new and specially crafted AR15. But at what range? There's plenty of pros and cons to the 25, 36, 50 and 100 yard zero, and beyond, but I went for 36 because that's where the shooting bench had been moved respective to the nearest available target. 

 

After a quick bore sight, the weapon was on paper in the 9 ring and I dialed up twice to hit the X on the third shot. Awesome, rifle and optic worked, except that wasn't quite true. Sure, the gun was on but it wasn't cycling. Why? Because the cunning armorer who'd put the beast together hadn't installed its gas block correctly, it wasn't aligned with the barrel's gas port, turning the DAR (Deadly Assault Rifle) into a one shot wonder.

Huh. After a few shots on a steel turkey I moved over to .22 plinking with a Ruger American. A heavy metal bird took a beating along with a small spinner, and then it was time to head for home and a serious meeting with Block, Tube, Pin, Barrel & Co.

You see, the builder of this gun somehow forgot, perhaps he was distracted, that he was working with a 16" barrel. He thought he was assembling an 18" setup and labored accordingly. This meant the gas tube was too long and when fitted to its block didn't align with the barrel's gas port. No hot gas working that famous impingement system, you see, and thus no BCG cycle. What to do?

Utterly Wrong

Stare in slack-jawed, NRA consternation at the offending article and the sheer, brazen, literal incompetence of it all? Take it to a shop and ask them to fix it? Or do it yourself. I chose the latter route. It's not hard. Remove the hand guard, tap out the gas tube's retaining pin with a cleverly small hammer and roll pin punch, then loosen the gas block, slide it forward to the awesome Surefire SOCOM muzzle brake, which demands a suppressor, and remove the gas tube.

Right? Let's See

Well done, you're nearly there. Next step, produce a gas tube for a 16" barrel, clean it, mine was dirty, and press the tube into the gas block. Make sure the retaining pin holes on tube and block align, then tap the retaining pin back in. Replace hand guard. Done.

At least that's the hope. It looks right, but I'll test the offending article out tomorrow on another range at a church shoot. It'd better work or there'll be trouble, and then some.

#2A,

LSP

Shoot The Glock

So you get up, shower, say your prayers, walk the dog and buy a coffee from the local pick 'n steal, then you visit the sick; congratulations, you're on task, but what next?  Get out in the field and shoot, obviously.

I chose a Glock 21 because I like it, you might favor another weapon, like a .357 Magnum and that's fine. There's no rule. 

Targets were simple. A steel turkey at around 50 yards, steel plates at 25 and a Gatorade bottle wherever I felt like putting it. Fine, but did I still know how to shoot? Good question.

In the end, yes, but it took about half a box of cheap Federal .45 ACP to get back in the swing of things. BOOM. Tink. Down goes the turkey and BOOM, take that, Gatorade bottle as you fly through the air. The steel plates met their match too, once I'd warmed up. Boom, tink, swing.

Satisfying and, for me at least, exciting. There's something about the explosive power of a handgun that gets the adrenaline up, big fun. Still, if you plan on hitting your target you'd better practice. I reminded myself of that today.

Of course all this is banned in England, but not to worry, Brits. Nanny State will protect you.

Gun rights,

LSP

Wheel Guns at the Range

Grilled hamburgers make you a better shot, especially with magnum wheel guns. At least that's the theory, but is it true? We took LL's Smith & Wesson .460 Magnum and Colt Python .357 Magnum to the range to find out.

It seemed to make sense to start with the mighty .460, that fires a bullet with the kind of kenetic explosive power you'd expect from a freight train roaring out of a tunnel. Mighty ballistics hi-power. After that, the Colt Python seemed a gentle gun, firing a round that was only designed to go through engine blocks. 

LL Considers The Range

But was our marksmanship improved by last night's burgers? Yes, it was. A green silhouette was taking rounds in the X Ring and before long LL suggested we move on to shooting hotel key cards. "As a training exercise," he said.

Key Cards Down

Well, you can't train too much and LL made short work of the key card opposition, proving that deadly accuracy is achievable with the significant .357 Magnum. Then it was my turn and I started shooting just low right of the "Elite" card. "Calm down, breathe," said my maritime ally, and I did. Key card down. They took a beating.

Python

So did a kettle, a steel turkey and a couple of plates, but that's a different story. Still, what's the verdict?

Big wheel guns are powerful medicine and, if you want to improve your magnum skills, be sure to grill up some burgers the night before. Thanks, LL, for the revolver opportunity. 

Gun Rights,

LSP

Shoot The Turkey

It's a sad fact of life that in this vale of tears we have enemies. My enemy is an ancient steel turkey and I took some time off from visiting the sick to take care of unfinished business.

We faced off at 100 yards, just me, the metal bird and a Ruger American .22. To be honest, I had an ulterior motive. Viz. To improve the recent abysmal standard of my off-hand shooting. So I shot away and while my marksmanship was nothing to write home about, it wasn't too bad either. Take that, turkey.

After a string of satisfying plinks as the .22 rounds hit the bird, I shifted to clays at 50, 75 and 100 yards. A bit more of a challenge than the turk and it's neat to see them shatter when you hit them. A couple of aggressive tin cans found themselves in trouble too. Breath, squeeze the trigger and watch the can fly up in the air. Neat.

Shoot over, I headed back to the Compound and the prospect of large steaks for dinner. There's nothing quite like doing your best to break personal stereotypes, I always think.

Your Old Pal,

LSP