ammunition

You have to see this to believe it.

Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) is feeling the heat from gun advocates after offering a confusing argument for a federal ban on high-capacity magazines that she has twicesponsored.

Speaking at a Denver Post forum on gun control Tuesday, DeGette pushed forlegislation that would prohibit the future sale of ammunition-loading devices that hold more than 10 bullets. Noting that Colorado had recently passed a ban on magazines capable of holding more than 15 rounds, DeGette suggested existing devices that are grandfathered into the laws would lose functionality after being used.

“I will tell you these are ammunition, they’re bullets, so the people who have those now they’re going to shoot them, so if you ban them in the future, the number of these high-capacity magazines is going to decrease dramatically over time because the bullets will have been shot and there won’t be any more available,” she said, according to the Denver Post.  Read more »

The liberal left wants to control access to guns…unfortunately for them it is a forlorn hope, technology is advancing significantly.

That is a video of 600 rounds being fired through a 3D printed AR15. Just a few months ago their first attempt failed after 6 rounds. Kelsey Atherton at PopSci explains:

The agents provocateur at Defense Distributed welcomed Congress back from recess by releasing a video of a brand new 3-D printed AR-15 receiver being used to fire multiple 100-round magazines. … The last time we saw Defense Distributed test a 3-D printed lower receiver, it broke after 6 shots. The latest video shows that it can survive a whopping 600 shots. This suggests that Defense Distributed has made significant progress toward its goal of building a working 3-D printed gun.

This is why gun control will fail…just 10 years ago it was unthinkable that you could print something simple let alone something as complex as a gun.  Read more »

Obama has sold more guns than almost anyone ever before and his decision yesterday has caused runaway sales yet again:

The Obama administration announcement that they are supporting a new Assault Weapon Ban, and a ban on high capacity magazines, has sent shockwaves through the industry. All day consumers have been buying guns, ammunition and magazines.

Brownells is fast running out of stock of 5.56mm NATO and magazines. They still have 20 and 30 round aluminum magazines in stock but they are have run out of 30 round Magpul magazines and 5.56mm ammunition. They still have some premium .223 Remington ammunition in stock, but it won’t last long.

Ammunition retailer Luckygunner.com is out of stock of both .223 Remington and 5.56mm NATO.

To deal with the buying frenzy gun retailer Cheaper Than Dirt has bumped up magazine prices. They doubled the price of a Magpul PMAG from $30 to $60. This did not stop people buying them. The Magpul magazine went out of stock a couple of hours ago. The laws of supply and demand dictate that prices will increase. I suspect many online retailers would have liked to bump up prices but were swamped with orders before they were able to react to the situation.

While sales are increasing Obama’s decisions are destroying share prices in American companies:

Ruger (RGR) and Smith & Wesson’s (SWHC) share price has continued to take a hit. According to the WSJ, investors are worried that legislation will harm sales.

The fact remains that Obama is the greatest gun salesman of all time.

via the Firearm Blog

Check out this – The 700 WTF, a custom rifle and custom round.

The cartridge, named the .700 WTF (“What The F…”) and is made by fire forming a .50 BMG brass case, trimming it to 3″ in length and then sizing it. The round is loaded with a 1132 grain paper patched .700 lead cast bullet.

The rifle, with just a 16.25″ barrel, can push the 1132 grain of lead up to 2300 fps. Thats 13,000 ft/lbs of energy, right up there with the .50 BMG and far exceeding the .700 Nitro Express.

from Wiipedia – Sabot

A sabot ( /ˈseɪboʊ/ say-boh or /ˈsæboʊ/ sab-oh) is a device used in a firearm or cannon to fire a projectile, such as a bullet, that is smaller than the bore diameter, or which must be held in a precise position. The term is also applied to a battery stub case, a device used similarly to make a small electrical battery usable in a device designed to employ a larger battery; see list of battery sizes. The name “sabot” comes from a French word for wooden shoes traditionally worn in some European countries, also called clogs.

Sabot

Hornady have just released some new anti-Zombie ammunition:

Be PREPARED – supply yourself for the Zombie Apocalypse with Zombie Max™ ammunition from Hornady®! Loaded with PROVEN Z-Max™ bullets… yes PROVEN Z-Max™ bullets (have you seen a Zombie?). Make sure your “bug out bag” is ready with nothing but the best!

On my drive back from Palmerston North I stopped off in Taupo to go to the NZDA range so I could finish off sighting in my new Tikka T3 Lite Stainless rifle from Hamills Manukau.

I had previously blogged asking readers for a choice of calibre. I had pretty much decided on a Tikka T3 for a number of reasons, but still needed to choose the calibre. I selected .308 because I decided that this was to be a bush hunting rifle with the ability should I need it to reach out to 600m. Mostly though it will be used in the bush and not for longe range.

I decided in Tikka for a couple of reasons. Firstly because they offered a left-hand version. Remington did too in .308 but their offering has a varmint stock with a heavy barrel and it just didn’t shoulder right for the way I hold a rifle. The Tikka snaps up cleanly to the shoulder and straight into position. I just feels right and that is one of the most important factors is fast accurate shooting.

The Tikka weighs in at a light and handy 2.8kgs. The technical specifications explain the rifle like this:

The TIKKA T3 LITE STAINLESS is based on a two locking lug T3 all-weather action. Bolt features spring loaded plunger ejector and it can be easily stripped down for maintenance. Bolt and receiver are made of stainless steel.The single-column detachable clip MAGAZINE holds 3-4 cartridges. Single-column 4-6-shot (depending on caliber)magazine is available as accessory (not in Short Mag calibers).The single-stage TRIGGER pull is adjustable from 1 kg to 2 kg (2 to 4 lbs). Safety is two stage type and locks the trigger and the bolt handle when engaged. All models are available with a single-set trigger as option.The STOCK is made of glass-fiber reinforced copolymer polypropylene and has a butt plate system where the length of pull is adjustable by means of spacers. Straight stock features ambidextrous palm swell.TIKKA T3 LITE STAINLESS is supplied without OPEN SIGHTS. Integral rails for the scope mounts are on the top ofthe receiver. Receiver is also tapped to receive standard (Weaver) scope mount bases.The free-floating, stainless steel BARREL is cold hammer-forged. Non Magnum models available also with short barrel with thread (calibers 338 Federal, 8x57IS and 9.3×62 M15x1, other calibers M14x1) at the muzzle for muzzle brake or suppressor assembling.

My barrel wasn’t threaded for a suppressor but I was so impressed with the work done by GunWorks Canterbury on my 17HMR that I sent this away for a suppressors to be fitted as well. I chose a full over-barrel suppressor but didn’t opt to shorten the barrel. Again the work done is superb with a nice screw cap at the muzzle for when I won’t be using the suppressor.

While I am talking about the suppressor, I have to rave on a bit about just how effective these are. Now I am no sook when it comes to shooting. I have fired everything from a .22 to a .50cal and I am not one to moan about recoil or noise. You certainly don’t get to complain about noise hanging onto an M2 or a L7A1 or a C9 when you let strip with a belt. SLRs aren’t any quieter and don’t get me started on bullpup weapons like the Steyr AUG.

However this suppressor rocks. I reckon it gives a 50-70% reduction in perceived sound. The .308 now doesn’t even roar, it sounds like a .22 Magnum and only barely. I swear my 17HMR without the suppressor is louder. The guy on the range beside me couldn’t believe it and he knew all about muzzle blast and noise firing his .25-06 Sako A7.

Not only does the suppressor take away noise but it makes the felt recoil a whole lot less too. Gunworks reckons felt recoil is reduced by 50%, I believe them.The Sako guy was definitely off to book his rifle in for s suppressor after he fired my rifle.

When I got the rifle from the team at Hamills, Zee adjusted the trigger to a nice crisp break. This trigger breaks like glass and catches you by surprise as it does, every time. I love it. I also got the new set trigger T3 that is available and this is something special. You just push the trigger forward till it clicks and the trigger is set. Then it just snaps and fires perfectly every time.

I previously blogged about the Zeiss Conquest 3.5-10×44 MC with a Rapid-Z 600 ret­i­cle I put on the rifle. This scope rocks. The light gathering ability makes a huge difference. As I said earlier there was a guy with a Sako A7 .25-06. He had just bought the rifle and was sighting it in. Sako make beautiful rifles. They charge accordingly for their beautiful rifles. Ironically Tikka rifles are made in the same factory from the same barrel blanks, however their rifles are more than $1000 cheaper.

We got chatting, as you do while you are waiting for barrels to cool and he asked about my rifle and scope. He asked what they were worth and made choking sounds. He then told me about the hot deal that he had scored from the chaps at Hunting and Fishing. His rifle came with a Burris scope. As we got chatting though it became clear that he was frustrated with seeing the target and as a consequence was also spraying his shots. He couldn’t believe anyone would spend more on a scope than what he had. In the end seeing is believing and so I handed him a mag and said go find out. He took up the offer for a couple of reasons…to try out the suppressor, to check out the scope, and well, free ammo offered by a complete stranger is always a good score.

Well I nearly had to fight him for my rifle back. He was now convinced on all counts, the suppressor, and having sat next to him while he blasted away with the .25-06 I certainly know why, and also on the scope. He just couldn’t believe the clarity and the light-ness through the scope. He exclaimed that he could see all his shots on the target. I just grinned. This was why I get my gear from Hamills in Manukau. They know their stuff, they know their gear and more importantly they take the time to learn, listen and understand the needs of their customer. The Sako guy isn’t happy, he now doesn’t trust Hunting and Fishing advice and more importantly he probably won’t go back there. None of that is my fault, I just gave the guy my rifle to shoot.

Anyway I digress, but the next part links to the Sako part of the story. As I mentioned Sako rifles are superb, but they do cost a lot more than their cousins from Tikka. Sako tout the A7 as a guaranteed 1MOA rifle.

Sometimes, a firearm’s accuracy will be measured in MOA. This simply means that under ideal conditions, the gun with certain ammunition is capable of producing a group of shots whose center points (center-to-center) fit into a circle, the average diameter of circles in several groups can be subtended by that amount of arc. For example, a 1 MOA rifle should be capable, under ideal conditions, of shooting an average 1-inch groups at 100 yards, a 2 MOA rifle an average 2-inch groups at 100 yards, etc.

In laymans terms if is accurate. Tikka simply states that they state:

just incredible out-of- the-box accuracy, silky smooth operation and uncompromising reliability with Sako’s beautiful finish and rigorous attention to detail as standard. With the Tikka T3, you hit one of the most difficult targets in the shooting world: true value.

Now this is where I get hard. This rifle is accurate. Bloody accurate. In fact after sighting in I was able to shoot several sub-MOA groups, off a Harris bipod. Paul at Hamills can’t believe it, but the proof is in the targets. We are going to work up some custom loads now and shoot off a sandbag and see how close we can get the group. At Taupo I was using Federal Power Shok 150gr factory ammo. I was very impressed. Tikka certainly does have incredible out-of-the-box accuracy. It might not be guaranteed but when you are saving over $500 over an A7 you can put that in your scope, and that brings me back to Sako guy. Sure he got a theoretically better rifle, but by sticking a stink scope on it he diminished the capabilities of the rifle. However I think his biggest problem was that he was just a tits shooter. After I plugged the group shown here I gave him a magazine and he sprayed it all over the target. The problem was his rifle/scope combination or even mine, the problem was him, and given his flinching with the awful .25-06 I can understand why.

The Tikka T3 can’t really be beaten at the price point that it is. So far I can’t fault the rifle, the scope or the suppressor. Now it is time to take it off the range and go knock over some deer, goats or other varmint that readers need me to come take care of.

I have learned a couple of things too. Not all gun stores are equal, nor is their advice. I highly recommend the folk at Hamills Manukau for the best of advice. Any time you go in there they are chatting with loads of happy customers. The other I have learned is that value for money is hard to find and you certainly get it with a Tikka T3, add on a quality scope and your smile will be from ear to ear.

I will blog later on the benefits of getting out in the field with a good gun or rifle in hand and enjoying oneself again. Boy I have missed shooting and it is a real pleasure to once again enjoy the sport. It is made even more pleasurable with great toys and great mates.

Now all I need is some nice spots to control the pests that abound. Let me know through the tipline if you have anything that needs dispatching. With a 17HMR , a .308 and a 12ga Beretta there isn’t anything I can’t sort out for you.

via The Firearm Blog

I read The Firearm Blog everyday, today I found this awesome game. Be warned it is very addictive and also hard.

AccurateShooter.com discovered a fun web-based flash game based on the New Zealand Army’s marksmanship training.

 

from Free Range International

Crickets as in “I hear nothing but crickets” is the word of the day for Regimental Combat Team 1 (RCT 1) based in Camp Dwyer and controlling the southern districts of Helmand Province.  I needed to do a little district level coordination last weekend and was able to catch a ride to Marjah with my good friend Col Dave Furness USMC, the CO of RCT 1.  He was heading there to host a CODEL (congressional delegation) and agreed to let me tag along if I promised to not talk to talk to any congressmen.  That’s an easy promise to keep so once again I got to ride with the Marines across the Dasht-i-Margo (desert of death) and into the fertile Helmand Valley River town of Marjah.  The chances of us getting attacked while en-route?  Zero.  Chances of hitting an IED?  Just about zero.  Crickets – the Taliban have taken the winter off and their stay behind IED teams who are supposed to keep the pressure on with morale and Marine killing IED’s are failing miserably.  Know why?  Because the Marines when faced with tactical problems have turned to tactical solutions.

How cool is this? The M32 40mm grenade launcher – finally something to replace the M203 which was a dog. Imagine being a young infantry Marine living the dream at the pointy end of the spear and able to walk around with a super high speed low drag weapon. And this is one lethal piece of kit which can shoot 6 well aimed 40mm grenades in 2 seconds. The Taliban learned very quickly not to let Marine infantry get too close to them (which they routinely do anyway) and now when Marine infantry gets within 150 meters they have to contend with dedicated grenadiers who will soon have HELLHOUND and DRACO thermobaric rounds.

From Wikipedia

The MGL is a multiple-shot weapon, intended to significantly increase a small squad’s firepower when compared to traditional single-shot grenade launchers like the M203. The MGL is designed to be simple, rugged, and reliable. It uses the well-proven revolver principle to achieve a high rate of accurate fire which can be rapidly brought to bear on a target. A variety of rounds such as HE, HEAT, anti-riot baton, irritant, and pyrotechnic can be loaded and fired as fast as the trigger can be pulled; the cylinder can be loaded or unloaded rapidly to maintain a high rate of fire. Although intended primarily for offensive and defensive use with high-explosive rounds, with appropriate ammunition the launcher is suitable for anti-riot and other security operations. A newly patented modification allows the MGL to fire less lethal (very low pressure) rounds.

The .577 Tyrannosaur or .577 T-rex is a type of cartridge developed by A-Square in 1993 for big game hunting in Africa. The .577 contains a .585-inch (14.9 mm) diameter 750-grain (49 g) Monolithic Solid Projectile which when fired moves at 2,460 ft/s (750 m/s) producing 10,180 foot-pounds force (13,800 J) of muzzle energy. The production model from A-square is based on their Hannibal rifle platform.