Tag Archives: guns

Thoughts on the PTR

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People throw the phrase ‘battle rifle’ or ‘battle carbine’ around and it always sounds a little…weird…to me. I suppose you may want to differentiate between youre hunting rifle that you knock down deer with and your ‘just in case’ FAL thats sitting in the closet, but ‘battle rifle’ always sounds kinda hokey. But..what else do you call it? Your ‘social rifle’? I usually just call it a ‘rifle’ and, maybe, depending on the context, ‘defensive rifle’. Anyway, Friend Of The Blog, Ryan at TSLRF, has been mulling a .308 defensive rifle. I threw my two cents in and suggested the PTR.

The PTR is a fairly accurate copy of the HK91. There are several copies of HK rifles out there, and there are a few ‘niche’ or ’boutique’ makers who make a very nice (and very expensive) product, but in terms of mass-market stuff its either Century or PTR. My feelings on Century is that it is the ballistic equivalent of treasure hunting at the sight of old outhouses….you might find a jewel once in a while, but most of the time what you find is crap. (Not withstanding their new milled AK which I may have to get two or three of.)

Personally, I rather like the FAL. But economically, if you’re wanting a .308 semiauto for the day the wheels fly of civilization, and you’re on a budget, you would be hard pressed to find a better value.

Eliminating the exotic stuff, here’s the rundown of whats available in .308 these days that fits the bill and isn’t some super-rare oddball thing (like a .308 Galil or Valmet): AR-10, FAL, PTR, M1A and maybe one of the AK-pattern .308s. I’m limiting this discussion to stuff based on platforms that have been around a while…the AR-10 being the newest. Stuff like the KelTec RFB or other gunny-come-lately need to be around for a while so we can see if they have legs or not.

Whats your budget for the gun and it’s necessary gear? Well, let’s say, mmmm, $1250. Let’s also not cheap out and go with the absolute cheapest [rifle/mag/etc] we can find. We want what works. So, while the Century FrankenFAL may be 1/2 the price of a DSA, it is not a contender because it’s simply a crapshoot in terms of its manufacture. LWRC and SIG don’t have anything for less than $1250 at the moment. S&W has some ‘bargain’ AR-10 rifles but nothing on Gunbroker is less than $1250, and while Remington makes one as well I’m holding off on any of their new stuff until they get their act together in terms of QC.

A basic rifle suitable for defensive use, not a target, match or hunting gun:

Magazines? You’ll need a few. Assuming OEM or similar quality..no Tapco, no USA, no Korean/Chinese. Magpul is ok.

So, working within our arbitrary $1250 budget, and not counting mags that came with the gun, we get:

A Springfield Armory M1A with no extra mags
A PTR-91 with 116 extra mags
An AR-10 with 8~ mags
An FAL with 9~ mags

Or, to work it from another angle, a rifle and 30 mags would be:

M1A – $1700
PTR – $990
AR-10 – $1682
FAL – $1575

So, from a ‘bang for your buck’ standpoint the PTR seems to be at the top. But, that isn’t everything when it comes to these matters. What about reliability, ergonomics, modularity, etc, etc? The AR-10 platform is the newest and thus doesnt have the track record of the others, but it seems to be as reliable as most other piston designs. The PTR, while based on a design that has been extremely reliable, suffered a bit with the early guns. Newer PTR rifles (within the last couple years, and all “GI” models) have corrected the fault that caused rifles to choke on tar-sealed surplus ammo. So, assuming you have one of the rfiles made in the last couple years, it should be as reliable as any HK.

Ergonomics suck but, for me, theyre no more awkward than an AK. If you really wanna go nuts, you can have the receiver sent out for the paddle mag conversion to make it ‘true’ to a G3 but I find that the magazine release isn’t a big deal. The AR-10 wins, hands down, on ergonomics, by the way.

The PTR, with a railed handguard, is about as modular as any other gun. There are provisions for folding, tele, and regular stocks. New guns can be had with railed receivers, making optics much easier to mount, and the rifles are accurate enough that a scope really is worth the investment….the guns are capable of very fine accuracy.

Do they eat the brass? Not to the point you can’t reload it. Someday I’ll take the gun, one cartridge, and a loading press to the range and fire/reload the same case several times to prove it. Until the, though, believe me…you can reload the cases just fine.

So, Im not saying the PTR is the best rifle for anyone. For me, who wanted a .308 in a proven platform without breaking the bank, the PTR fit the bill nicely. From a logistics standpoint, it is at the top of the list with cheap mags and spare parts availability (for now). Some folks prefer the AR-10, some folks (including myself) prefer the FAL, but for the guy who wants a quality, reliable, semi-auto and it’s accessories at a reasonable price…well, its pretty hard to beat.

 

 

Panic buying

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It occurred to me, as I was talking to someone about the still-present situation regarding .22 ammo, that any lulls that we’ve experienced in the panic buying over the last year or so are going to be pretty much wiped out by the fact that next year is an election year.

The Clintons, Slick Willy or/and Hillary, are hardly friends of gun rights. They aren’t even friends of friends of gun rights. And as you hear Clintons name bandied about more and more as the nomination process approaches you’re going to see more and more panic buying going on.

Then, once the nomination process is on, it’ll continue as the election comes closer closer. Finally, depending on who is elected, it might start to calm down around March or April of 2017.

This stuff is actually highly predictable. The four stages of gun panics, as far as elections go, are:

  • Right before the election
  • Right after the election
  • Right before the inauguration
  • Right after the inauguration

Don’t take my word for it, your own life experiences should confirm what I’m telling you.

thNow, I’m not nearly as stupid as I look (I couldn’t possibly be), but even I learned a long time ago to buy what I needed as soon as possible, as much as possible, so I could ignore this sort of thing.

“But, Zero”, I hear you cry, “I am a survivalist of limited resources. I can’t possibly get all my guns, ammo, and magazines before the election. I need both those kidneys!”

Well, that’s true. It’s a pretty intimidating list. That’s why you need to prioritize that mofo like no one’s business. Let’s look at it from a historical and hysterical standpoint – in the last, oh, say thirty years, what’s been regulated out of the realm of ownership by us simple peons? Chinese guns, Chinese ammo, steel core 5.54×39, steel core 7.62×39, imported rifle barrels for ‘assault weapons’, magazines that hold more than 10 rounds*, pistol grip stocks on semi-auto rifles*, bayonet lugs*, etc.

What else could come down the pike from the twisted gnomes in Washington? Well, almost certainly a magazine ban, assault weapons ban, and some restrictions on ammo. That whole wrist brace issue is living on borrowed time, IMHO. I expect there’ll be some fundamental changes to the DIY/80% receiver market and possibly some restrictions on mail ordering the other parts you need to complete your AR. (And before you say that ATF can’t regulate gun parts that aren’t serialized receivers, go try to import some AK barrels and let me know what happens.) And I fully expect there to be some restrictions on body armour coming along as well.

So, man of limited resources, where do you put your money to get the most bang for your buck in a world where political expediency directly challenges your ability to own thundertoys? Guns, mags, ammo, in that order. Since it is reasonable to expect that as we slide further and further down the timeline prices will go up and availability will go down, it would seem to make the most sense to purchase the most expensive and least available items first. Actual guns are outnumbered by magazines and ammo, so get the guns first. After that, get the magazines. After that, ammo. For every AR, there are probably hundred of AR mags, and thousands of rounds of .223….so get the guns first.

Stripped lowers? Sure, if you can’t afford the actual complete gun I’d grab as many stripped lowers as I can. I suspect that at some point the upper receivers and what not will be regulated as well but until that time you’ll at least have the serial numbered part sitting away waiting for you to complete it…or use it as trade for other stuff.

Magazines are simply a buy-as-many-as-you-can item. For those of us who remember the ’94-’04 ban, we can tell you youngsters stories about $750 BetaMags, $100 Glock mags, and $30 AR mags. It was a time of great chaos, and great(!) profit making. Even if you don’t have the gun, get the mags.

Unless you’re on fire or swimming, you can’t have too much ammo. Any surplus ammo still coming into the country, as well as the Russian stuff, is probably first in the crosshairs of those who would do evil to us. While we all have a magic number in our head about how much ammo is the recommended amount per gun, the truth is that you really can’t go wrong with buying as much as you can afford. If you don’t think so, look at the the folks who are sitting on thousands and thousands of rounds of .22LR right now. Or cases of old Chinese 7.62×39 when it was nine cents per round.

At this point I’m sure there is some genius hitting the comment button about to say something deeply profound like “It’s because of idiots like you encouraging all this hoarding that I can’t find .22LR ammo, and when I can find it it’s at ten cents a round!” Actually, it’s not because of me..it’s because of basic economics, laws of scarcity and demand, and federal asshattery. (How many ‘t’s in asshattery, anyway?)

Having been to this dance before, I’m pretty much immune to a bunch of it. I already have a goodly amount of guns and mags stashed away, and ammo is always on the shopping list anyway. But it is my opinion that if you’ve been waiting for prices to ‘return to normal’ or for ‘availability to return to normal’ you’re going to be left with a full wallet and empty shopping cart. As the political season heats up prices are going to go up, availability will go down, and today is going to be looked back upon as the day you’ll wish you had started shopping.

* = yes, that law sunset and we can now enjoy normal-capacity magazines and ‘evil features’. But do you really think they’re gonna make that mistake again?

Uzi vs. Evo

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I rather like my Uzi. It’s a proven, battle-tested design with a decent supply of spare parts and magazines on the market. The drawbacks are that finding another one is usually a $1100-1500 project, and its a bit heavy at almost 8# unloaded. Additionally, while I’ve been wanting an Uzi for the wife, I figured she’d be better served with the Mini-Uzi which is a bit smaller and lighter but still would give us magazine commonality. Problem there is that they are even more expensive at around $1400-1900 each.

Although there is some debate about the merits of the pistol caliber carbine, I believe they have a utility that segues into my anticipated needs. As of late, there are two newcomers on the market that may prove to be more economical – the SIG MPX and the CZ Evo. The Evo’s are 3# lighter than the Uzi, already have rails, better sights, and CZ is saying theyre going to bring in folding stocks for folks that want to SBR them. Best part is that dealer price on them is $700~…which means for the price of one Mini-Uzi I could get two of these things. However….it is a somewhat new platform without the long track record of the Uzi, magazines are pretty proprietary, spare parts aren’t as readily available, etc, etc.

CZ14_Scorpion_EVO3_S1-L-e1416840329704-500x269

CZ Evo….time to sell the Uzi and get a pair of these?

But….for the price of one Mini-Uzi I could get the Evo, SBR it, have several hundred dollars worth of mags, and still be below the price of a newish Mini-Uzi. Decisions, decisions.

cz-usa-cz-scorpion-evo3-a1-500x333

Other than that lovely full-auto selector, SBR’ing the Evo would gimme this little jewel.

I’ve got enough stuff in the gun safe that I could probably sell off a few things and get a couple of these, but I’d like to wait and see some feedback from real-world users. On the other hand, my big concerns are a) a change to importabliity putting this thing into the same sort of no-more-allowed-in category as my Uzi and b) logistics (mag/parts availability).

Sure looks sweet  though and the pricing seems reasonable.

Guns – Non-NFA 14″ bbl. shotgun?

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So I ran across this the other day. It is, if the owner is to be believed, a clever attempt to stick to the letter of the law. As you and I know, a shotgun has to have a barrel of at least 18″ or its considered a short-barreled shotgun and subject to NFA stupidity. But, according to ATF, if the shotgun left the factory with a pistol grip stock then it is not considered a shotgun (because ATF defines a shotgun as having had (or been designed to have) a shoulder stock) and since it isnt a shotgun it doesn’t have a barrel length restriction. Nor does it count as a handgun, by the way. It’s simply “other”….but it has to fit ATF’s 26” envelope for overall length or it becomes ‘readily concealable’ and is then subject to federal buffoonery.

So, in theory, if you want a short little stubby shotgun without a shoulder stock you could do it without the paperwork as long as its built up on a gun that came from the factory with a pistol grip.

Here’s the sellers statement about it.

I admit, this thing looks wildly impractical but fun.

Turning a .45 into a 9mm

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Well, it took three months, but I turned this:

20150105_203119into this:

20150306_125613Thats the G21 with one magazine I purchased aobut three months ago. I maneuvered an arrangement where I got rid of it and wound up with a G34, box, docs, and three mags. Oh, and one of those “I-Just-Shot-Myself” Blackhawk holsters. (Yes, I know you’ve been using a Serpa holster for years and that its just a matter of trigger finger control, etc, but I’m gonna stick to something less ‘learning curve’-y.)

So….9mm logistics train back on its tracks, and the orphan .45 Glock is in someone elses hands. Win-win.

And then it just lowballed from there….

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Years ago,I accidentally bought a HiPower. How, you may ask, does one ‘accidentally’ buy a gun? Simple.

Me: Just outta curiosity, whaddya want for the HiPower?
Gun Show Vendor: Make me an offer!
Me: Oh, man, I don’t have any money. Im cheap. I don’t wanna offend you with a lowball offer.
GSV: Hey, you won’t offend me. Make me an offer.

Now, at this point, I just want to get out of this conversation gracefully. So, I figure I’ll throw out a stupid offer, he’ll make a comment about me being insane, I’ll laugh along with him and make a self-deprecating remark about me being a cheapskate, and that’ll be it.

Me: Three hundred bucks?
GSV: Sold!
Me: …..

And then I had to do a hell of a shuffle to come up with $300.

Soooooooo….cut to today……

Me: Whats in the ammo can?
Vendor: Thousand rounds of .223 tracer ammo. You want it.
Me: Whaddya want for it?
Vendor: Make me an offer.
Me: Oh no. I ever tell you about the HiPower I accidentally bought?
Vendor: Come on, make me an offer.

<dejavu>Now, at this point, I just want to get out of this conversation gracefully. So, I figure I’ll throw out a stupid offer, he’ll make a comment about me being insane, I’ll laugh along with him and make a self-deprecating remark about me being a cheapskate, and that’ll be it.</dejavu>

Me: Two hundred bucks?
Vendor: Sold!
Me: Dammit!

20150224_214442

Well, I guess twenty cents for tracer ammo isn’t bad when regular ball is going for twice that.

I gotta learn that when I try to lowball someone I gotta put some more low on that ball.

P95 musings

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The freakishly nice weather here in  Montana prompted me to take a trip to the range. I had to function test another ‘expendable’ handgun before I packed it away for Deep Storage. The gun in question was a Ruger P95 I picked up for $200.  It’s part of my small(ish) collection of Guns That I Dont Care What Happens To ( or maybe its Guns I Dont Care What Happens To Them. English. Go figure.) Anyway, its a stash of guns that I keep for those times when I need something that goes bang but I don’t want to tie up a more expensive and valuabel gun (like a Glock). Loaner for a friend? Comes outta the stash. Gun to bounce under the seat of the truck on a fishing trip? Outta the stash. Gun to leave in an outbuilding or shop? Stash.

Anyway. took it out to the range and … perfect. Ate everything with no problems, and hit where I pointed it. Cleaned it up and am packing it away. I gotta say, Ruger’s first entry with the P85 was pretty weak. The modified P89 was good, and I have several, but they were big, military-style, service-pistol size (albeit nigh-indestructible) but Ruger really nailed it with the P95…If they’d made it striker-fired instead of DA/SA they really might have done something there.

Anyway, they made a couple jillion of these things and they aren’t regarded as anything special by collectors so you can get into them relatively cheaply. I’ve got..uh…a bunch…of them here and I dont think I paid more than $215 for any of them. There are, of course, cheaper handguns out there….the HiPoint jumps to mind…but I have far more faith in the Ruger than in any HiPoint/Jimenez/Lorcin/Astra that ever lived. Snobbish? I guess. I know there are plenty of folks around there who swear their HiPoint has never bobbled a round and that they trust the gun with their lives. Great, more power to you. I, however, will stick with something a little higher up the food pyramid.

Article – BATFE To Ban Common AR-15 Ammo

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Those idiots are at it again.

I see this as direct blowback from the ‘wrist brace’ issue. The ruling on the wrist brace suddenly put AR ‘pistols’ at the forefront of the AR marketplace for a while. As a result, more ‘pistols’ in .223 were out there than ever before. And, as we learned from the Olympic/Chinese-ammo debacle , it doesn’t take many handguns in a rifle caliber to get ATFE to start swinging the banhammer.

In a move clearly intended by the Obama Administration to suppress the acquisition, ownership and use of AR-15s and other .223 caliber general purpose rifles, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives unexpectedly announced today that it intends to ban commonplace M855 ball ammunition as “armor piercing ammunition.” The decision continues Obama’s use of his executive authority to impose gun control restrictions and bypass Congress.

It isn’t even the third week of February, and the BATFE has already taken three major executive actions on gun control. First, it was a major change to what activities constitute regulated “manufacturing” of firearms. Next, BATFE reversed a less than year old position on firing a shouldered “pistol.” Now, BATFE has released a “Framework for Determining Whether Certain Projectiles are ‘Primarily Intended for Sporting Purposes’ Within the Meaning of 18 U.S.C. 921(a)(17)(c)”, which would eliminate M855’s exemption to the armor piercing ammunition prohibition and make future exemptions nearly impossible.

Obviously the commercial market will handle the ammo needs if M855 is verboten. But M855 is available in quantity and usually at slightly better prices because when you’re tooled up to run off tens of millions of rounds of the stuff in one go, you can bring economies of scale into play. In other words, when you’re tooled up to make a couple million rounds a day its very easy to pull some off the production line and sell it out the back door.

This absurdity may get nipped in the bud or it may not, but it might be worth swinging by Cabela’s or Bass Pro and picking up one of those .30 cal cans full of ammo while you still can.

Link – Silencerco offering NFA trusts

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There’s a line of thinking that says an ‘NFA Trust’ is a good way to go when purchasing your expensive (and tightly regulated) supercool toys like suppressors and full-autos.

Several places on the internet sell kits to let you set up your own trust. I caught this over at Jerking The Trigger:

I am automatically skeptical of most of the NFA trusts that are sold online. A trust is a legal document/entity that, while not rocket surgery to build, is going to be the legal means of holding some of your most highly regulated and expensive possessions. I want to know its going to be right. Thankfully, Silencerco has stepping into the fray with their NFA EasyTrust offering.

The EasyTrust is a properly prepared gun trust offered by Silencerco, a company who knows a thing our two about NFA items. “It enables the use of NFA-regulated firearms and accessories among trustees, protects against potential future regulatory restrictions, and provides for the orderly transition of ownership upon death. It also tends to speed up the process for obtaining NFA items, eliminating the need for a Chief Law Enforcement Officer’s signature, fingerprints cards, etc. ”

The EasyTrust is 50-state legal and costs $129.99 which is more than some DIY trust options but less expensive than going to a lawyer who knows something about firearm specific trusts. It is quite affordable and very easy.

One major appeal of this, to me, is that by having the silencers in a trust, and me and the missus being in that trust, then we can use each others silencers without the other person having to be around. As I understand it, if I wanna pull her Evolution-9 outta the safe and take it somewhere, I can’t do that without her being there. Ditto if she wants to take my Sparrow to the range to play with.

This, of course, opens up a whole other question: do you want to get your name on ‘the list’ by purchasing such items to begin with. Honestly, I figure my name has been on ‘the list’ for so long I may as well give up hope of being overlooked and just start buying all the high-profile toys I can afford while I still can.