Real Guns

[Xavier2342]

Anybody go to the range today or come across something new? Also, do any of you have any experience with the Kriss Vector?

 

[Brett]

My only experience with the Kriss Vector is video games and watching videos of it on YouTube.

 

[Obelisk]

Anybody go to the range today or come across something new? Also, do any of you have any experience with the Kriss Vector?

A little. Shot one in summer/fall 2018. It was kind of disappointing to me for some reason.

 

[Brett]

A little. Shot one in summer/fall 2018. It was kind of disappointing to me for some reason.

On one their InRange videos, Karl and Ian have commented that the Vector in semi-auto only does not really serve a purpose and it fails to shine in that role. It is only with full auto fire that the Vector really makes some sense. Or they said something to that extent. It is been a while since I have seen the video and that is just my paraphrasing of what I remember from it.

 

[Xavier2342]

I got this scope in the mail late Saturday night and was looking forward to taking it to the range this Wednesday. I took the scope to Cabela's to purchase scope rings and get the scope mounted. Everything went well but when I got home and paid closer attention I noticed something odd.

Spoiler: This is what the reticle should look like.

Spoiler: This is what the reticle on my scope looks like

Spoiler: Here is a description of all the markings

I hope I can the replacement delivered by Monday [Fingers crossed]. I've never had any problems with Primary Arms. It just sucks that this one slipped through quality care.

 

[Xavier2342]

@Brett can you please post a pic of how you have your Vickers sling attached to your buttstock? I have a Kicklite buttstock (pic below) for my Saiga and haven't had any luck finding sling swivels large enough to fit a Magpul RS1 sling.

Edit: Please disregard, I found a way to connect secure my sling to my buttstock. Please disregard, it looks like I might be able to route it downward and not worry about the sling interfering with the lever to adjust the buttstock length.

 

[Michael88]

Well, guess what, I have an AR now.
A friend of mine approached me and asked if I wanted his 400 round-old AR in exchange for my Howa 1500 .308 bolt rifle. I said yes and the rest is history as they say.

Manufacturer is Schmeisser, thats a German high-end firearms manufacturer, mine has a heavy .223 20'' barrel and keymod foreend. I installed a Vortex 30mm mount and got me a 3-18x44 Vortex Strike Eagle with illuminated MOA reticle. Trigger is very good. I also put some canted open sights on it - if the need for open sights arise, I still have them on the gun .

Since its a pretty heavy gun and it has a long heavy match barrel I decided to make it my new 300-400 meter precision rifle / DMR. (I've always liked the Mk12 Mod 1)

Things I still need to install: keymod-bipod and DPMS sniper grip with palm rest

 

[Brett]

@Brett can you please post a pic of how you have your Vickers sling attached to your buttstock? I have a Kicklite buttstock (pic below) for my Saiga and haven't had any luck finding sling swivels large enough to fit a Magpul RS1 sling.

View attachment 879636

Edit: Please disregard, I found a way to connect secure my sling to my buttstock. Please disregard, it looks like I might be able to route it downward and not worry about the sling interfering with the lever to adjust the buttstock length.

View attachment 879639

The one I ordered has not even shipped yet as far as I know. I have another one, but have only attached it to stuff with QD swivels. However, I could attach it directly, similar to the picture you posted.

EDIT: I would probably look to install it on the opposite side. Two videos I vaguely remember watching in the past:

 

[Xavier2342]

@Michael88 man you come across some very sweet deals over the past few days. Congrats on the new acquisition. I think that scope is going to be fun to use because you have 120 MOA of elevation amd windage travel. You practically have double the amount of travel that the Viper PST Gen 1 and Gen 2 come equipped with. This should be a pretty fun DMR combo. Congrats again.

@Brett thanks for sharing those videos. Ironically I watched the first video prior to seeing your post. But I will be watching the second video later on today.

 

[a6m5]

Wow. Congratulations on your new AR @Michael88 This is the second AR after that pump action one that didn't work out, right? I wish I had canted backup sights. Sometimes optics takes up much of the picatinny real estate on AR-15s. I went back a page & saw that you bought a AK, too. Congrats again. 👍

@Michael88 I think a Hogue grip what you're looking for. This picture is a several months old but I really like my Hogue grips. The grip itself is very comfortable and I like the texture. I don't necessarily dislike the finger grooves, but I wouldn't miss them if they weren't there. The only gripe I have about the Hogue grip itself is the open bottom. I wish they came with some sort of plug, but the structural integrity is just fine without one.

View attachment 878054

I thought I was looking at a AR. This is a AK on the right? What's on the left?

P.S. Awesome posts on the long distance session. Great job. Looks like so much fun in the desert. 👍

 

[Xavier2342]

Wow. Congratulations on your new AR @Michael88 This is the second AR after that pump action one that didn't work out, right? I wish I had canted backup sights. Sometimes optics takes up much of the picatinny real estate on AR-15s. I went back a page & saw that you bought a AK, too. Congrats again. 👍

I thought I was looking at a AR. This is a AK on the right? What's on the left?

P.S. Awesome posts on the long distance session. Great job. Looks like so much fun in the desert. 👍

Thanks man, I'm itching to shoot at that distance again some time soon.Both firearms in that picture are AK variants with some aftermarket parts. The one on the left is a Zastava M85 pistol and the one on the right is a Vepr 7.62x39.

Guys if you're thinking about getting something for your spouse to shoot, check out the video below. I got was able to rent the Shield EZ9 a few weeks ago and I think Smith & Wesson did a damn good job with this gun.

 

[a6m5]

Both firearms in that picture are AK variants with some aftermarket parts. The one on the left is a Zastava M85 pistol and the one on the right is a Vepr 7.62x39.

I love AK's with Western/AR style parts on them. Looks so good.

Guys if you're thinking about getting something for your spouse to shoot, check out the video below. I got was able to rent the Shield EZ9 a few weeks ago and I think Smith & Wesson did a damn good job with this gun.

I'm surprised I don't have M&P pistol yet. They look great, reviews seems to be decent & OMG, their price point is so reasonable. Like with my AR-15($499).

 

[Michael88]

Wow. Congratulations on your new AR @Michael88 This is the second AR after that pump action one that didn't work out, right? I wish I had canted backup sights. Sometimes optics takes up much of the picatinny real estate on AR-15s. I went back a page & saw that you bought a AK, too. Congrats again. 👍

Thank you. it was time to get some self loading stuff. What really surprises me is how small the AK actually is, it really looks like a normal sized rifle in TV and games but boy, when I first held it I realized that its like a 2/3rd sized rifle, kinda. And with 6'1'' I'm not a giant.

And after watching this video I immediately ordered a traditional standard AK muzzle brake:
It reduces recoil to absolutely nothing.

 

[Xavier2342]

I love AK's with Western/AR style parts on them. Looks so good.

It's considered taboo to some enthusiast but I like it as well.

I'm surprised I don't have M&P pistol yet. They look great, reviews seems to be decent & OMG, their price point is so reasonable. Like with my AR-15($499).

For the money you can't go wrong with a M&P. A friend of mine owns a M&P15 as well and loves it. The only thing he wishes he would have done differently is order one with a dust cover. Other than that he has no complaints.

Thank you. it was time to get some self loading stuff. What really surprises me is how small the AK actually is, it really looks like a normal sized rifle in TV and games but boy, when I first held it I realized that its like a 2/3rd sized rifle, kinda. And with 6'1'' I'm not a giant.

And after watching this video I immediately ordered a traditional standard AK muzzle brake:
It reduces recoil to absolutely nothing.

Mine is a little heavier because of the all the stuff I have on it. But I'm always surprised about just how light AKs are in traditional configuration. Also, it's crazy how much of a difference those muzzle devices make, especially considering how old of a design they are. Gotta give Mikhail Kalashnikov some additional due respect.

 

[a6m5]

Thank you. it was time to get some self loading stuff. What really surprises me is how small the AK actually is, it really looks like a normal sized rifle in TV and games but boy, when I first held it I realized that its like a 2/3rd sized rifle, kinda. And with 6'1'' I'm not a giant.

I've never held a AK, so I never noticed it either. Crazy though. Law change allows you to have semi-auto now, right? Within like couple of pages, it's East meets West in your military style rifle arsenal already. :tup:

It's considered taboo to some enthusiast but I like it as well.

Looks so modern. Probably the AR-fanboy in me. 👍

For the money you can't go wrong with a M&P. A friend of mine owns a M&P15 as well and loves it. The only thing he wishes he would have done differently is order one with a dust cover. Other than that he has no complaints.

I've coveted AR's for long time, so I remember the first "Sport" without the dust cover. Back then, I want to say it had street pricing of $700~$800 & was considered very affordable. I ended up paying $1100~$1200 for the Bushmaster .308(Magpul vers.). Dumb move in hindsight, but it is what it is. Last year or two, M&P Sport II & Ruger's base AR's been going for $500~$550-ish on sale. Wonderful deals. I only got one person to actually buy one(DPMS $550), but I've been telling people now's the time to buy!

 

[Xavier2342]

@a6m5 brother don't be too hard on yourself about paying that much for your Bushmaster. Back in the day AR's were generally more expensive than what they currently are. Around 2012-2013 a co-worker of mine paid that much for a Bushmaster AR15 due to jump in prices from all the panic buying. Prior to then a good AR was still expensive like you mentioned, which is why at that time I chose to piece together an upper and lower assembly. You're definitely right about now being the right time to purchase an AR because an imminent gun ban will easily double the price.

 

[Michael88]

I love AK's with Western/AR style parts on them. Looks so good.

Tricked out AK's can look really good.

 

[Michael88]

Got my keymod bipod legs delivered!

Need to change a few more things before I'm completely happy with my DMR build.

 

[Brett]

The one I ordered has not even shipped yet as far as I know. I have another one, but have only attached it to stuff with QD swivels. However, I could attach it directly, similar to the picture you posted.

EDIT: I would probably look to install it on the opposite side. Two videos I vaguely remember watching in the past:

According to the tracking information, the sling is supposed to arrive today.

 

[Brett]

According to the tracking information, the sling is supposed to arrive today.

The sling did indeed come in today. I messed with it for a bit to get it attached to one of my rifles and was not able to (I also did not try very hard). Trying to slide the flap into one of the sling slots on the stock was not as easy as it looks. I gave up on it because dinner was about to be ready and I am no hurry to get it attached to a rifle at the moment. The other attachment is going to be tight too depending on how I thread it on the handguard.

 

[Xavier2342]

@Michael88 what else do you plan on changing? Also, is that a UTG bipod? What do you think about it so far?

 

[Michael88]

@Michael88 what else do you plan on changing? Also, is that a UTG bipod? What do you think about it so far?

I'm gonna get me a grip with a palm rest, I had one of those grips on all my precision rifles and it makes a significant difference. Also I will swap the stock with a magpul with adjustable pull and cheek riser. And I will change the gasblock with a sleek rifle block so I no longer have that tall permanent front sight. The bipod is from UTG and I like it, its very solid yet lightweight.

Just found this pic, the rifle has the stock, grip and gasblock I want to install on my rifle.

 

[Michael88]

That's why I love lever actions!

 

[Rallywagon]

So the wife and I have been looking at purchasing some guns. While some rifles are planned in the future, we are currently looking to get some handguns.
I was wondering if any of you have experience with the Taurus mod 627 firing 357 rem rounds. I've been looking at long barrel revolvers for their versatility. I'd like a smaller weapon for home defense, but something I can kit out a bit to use for small game hunting and sport shooting.
Sadly Colt .44s and 45s are just a bit out of my price range, by a couple thousand dollars at that. But the Taurus Model has a nice price to it and has a decent list of mods that includes a rail system so I can add a scope. But, not having experience in guns beyond all the systems I got to use in the Army, I am not sure if the gun itself or the brand is prone to any sorts of issues.

 

[Xavier2342]

@Rallywagon the experience I have with Taurus revolvers is with their older model 607 in .357 Mag and 6" barrel. I really liked this gun and the capacity considering that it is a revolver. Oddly enough my wife also enjoyed shooting this gun as opposed to shooting a 9mm Smith & Wesson M&P Shield. Keeping into consideration what you're looking for, I think you consider the Taurus Raging Hunter. Seven rounds of .357 Mag and a rail for you mount a pistol optic onto.

I have not checked anywhere else online yet, but NGOA Buyers Club currently has this gun on sale for $646.99 not including the cost of shipping or trial membership.

https://gun.deals/product/taurus-tau-rhunter-357-rev-675-bs-64699

 

[Michael88]

I can only second Xaviers recommendation, the raging hunter is just an excellent revolver.

Only drawback with this gun is that it is ported, meaning it has little holes in the barrel to vent the gas upwards, which reduces recoil - drawback because at night or in low light conditions the flash can be quite blinding for the shooter. I'm not a huge fan of ported weapons for self defense.
But this depends a lot on the ammo as well.
Maybe you can try out out at an indoor range, those are usually quite dark and the flash becomes visible.

 

[Michael88]

Today I got my TAPCO classic AK Muzzle Brake, I quickly screwed it onto the barrel and it looked really nice, the only problem was that correctly clocked the muzzle brake was a 3/4 turn shy of touching the front sight socket. It can be fired that way for sure as a spring loaded pin in the front sight socket goes into a notch in the brake which properly clocks it and prevents it from turning under recoil - and I bet most AK's that were outfitted with this brake were left that way.

But my AK is not ''most AKs'' as it is MINE! With a handfile I removed material until the brake was properly propped against the front sight base AND was properly clocked with the spring pin. Then I polished it where I removed the metal and re-blued it. Now its solid as a rock. And it looks cool too.

Now with that huge brake my AK makes:



Also, I did a mod on my Schmeisser M4 AR-15. I always hated that fat fixed A2 front sight on the gasblock, it stole some light from my scope. So I took an angle grinder and cut it off, I polished it, rounded the edges and re-blued it. SOOOOOO much better now.

It might look a bit rough, but the whole gasblock looks like its cast and looks rough, so what the heck.

 

[Brett]

@Brett can you please post a pic of how you have your Vickers sling attached to your buttstock? I have a Kicklite buttstock (pic below) for my Saiga and haven't had any luck finding sling swivels large enough to fit a Magpul RS1 sling.

View attachment 879636

Edit: Please disregard, I found a way to connect secure my sling to my buttstock. Please disregard, it looks like I might be able to route it downward and not worry about the sling interfering with the lever to adjust the buttstock length.

View attachment 879639

The sling did indeed come in today. I messed with it for a bit to get it attached to one of my rifles and was not able to (I also did not try very hard). Trying to slide the flap into one of the sling slots on the stock was not as easy as it looks. I gave up on it because dinner was about to be ready and I am no hurry to get it attached to a rifle at the moment. The other attachment is going to be tight too depending on how I thread it on the handguard.

I took the time earlier to attach the sling. I had to use pliers to pull the tag through the stock sling slot.

 

[Omnis]

POF-USA just ruined my bank account. Gonna have to get into 308 now...

 

[Xavier2342]

@Michael88 I like your style and I don't necessarily blame you for cutting that front sight.

@Brett congrats on finally feeding that sling through.

@Omnis welcome to the club.

This past weekend I competed in my very first multi-gun match. I chose to competed in 2-gun instead of 3-gun because I did not have anything to properly secure my shotgun shells.

We shot 5 stages with a variety of steel targets and paper targets. For most stages the targets were within 20 yards. There was a stage that required engaging 3 smaller steel popper targets and two ~10" steel gongs at 80 yards. The poppers were a little difficult for me (fixed 3x scope) but the gongs were easy to engage. One of the other stages had Texas Star steel target to shoot, which was actually fun to shoot with a handgun. Another stage had the Propeller Texas Star which could have been engaged with a shotgun but unfortunately for me, it had to be engaged with a handgun.

Overall I had a great time and now I'm hooked. I'm a little disappointed that I won't be able to compete in the next match due to my work schedule. So I'm patiently waiting for information about the match in March to be posted.

If any of you guys have ever considered competing in a multi-gun match, I strongly recommend that you give it a try. Below is a list of the equipment I used. Please bear in mind that all of these items weren't purchased at the same time. With the exception of the belt, all of the other items were either purchased or given to me as a Christmas gift several years ago.

-Tuff Surefit Competition Belt Set
-Blackhawk Double Magazine Pouch
-Blade-Tech Double AR15 Magazine Pouch
-Safariland ALS Holster (Can't remember the model number)

Overall I am very happy with how well everything held up. If there was one thing I could have done differently equipment wise, I would have purchased a mag pouch that can hold different types of magazines i.e. AK47, HK91, M14, etc. Something else to consider if you're in the market for new equipment is a battle belt with a compatible holster and mag pouches. This way, you have something that can be used in competition, training, camping or battle (worst case scenario).

By no means do I consider myself a pro, but here is some advice I'd like to share with you guys from my experience.

-Don't be afraid to ask questions while at the match. Just like the gun range, people are generally nice and willing to help.

-Bring double the amount of ammo recommended for the match. When I ran out of pistol ammo, two competitors willingly gave me enough ammo to finish the last stage of the match. I offered to give them some cash in return for the ammo and they both declined.

-Know the point of aim and point of impact for your rifle at distances less than 25 yards/22.86 meters. I sighted-in my AR at 100 yards several years and never shot it at anything less than 100 yards (rookie mistake).

-Don't break the 180°, safety takes precedence over everything. I watched a guy get disqualified from the entire match for what may have been a temporarily lapse in judgement. But at the end of the day, we aren't "playing" with toys.

-You won't become the next Jerry Miculek in one day. Take your time, do your best and have fun.

-Go to Practiscore.com create an account and use this site to search for clubs and register for matches.