The Hobbit Hole XXXVIII - There and Back Again!

[300winmag]

IMO Full .44 Mag loads in a 3” barrel are only useful if you want to set the bad guy on fire as well as perforate him, especially if they’re stoked up with something like H110 or W296.

If I have to light up some obnoxious critter, I want to do it literally and figuratively. :)

[osagebowman]

Nice trade Win-Mag. Surprised to see it was de-horned though. Those three inchers are all the rage now, at least according to smithwessonforum. A nice tooled El-Paso Tom ThreePersons or Border Patrol holster would set you up for a nice bar-b-que rig. Seriously, the .44 Special loading of the .44 Magnum makes for a much nicer range session, aka leaving the icy-hot in the medicine cabinet. My 66 2in really lights up the range when I got my 296 loads in it. I would bet the 3 inch with full bore loads would do the same. OB

[300winmag]

My 66 2in really lights up the range when I got my 296 loads in it. I would bet the 3 inch with full bore loads would do the same.

I know it does. I plan on getting my revenge on those folks who shoot full-house .357s on the indoor range. Nastiest flash and noise on the firing line. The guys who shoot 12ga slugs are a close second. My DPMS .308 is well-behaved compare to that. The PWI flash hider/brake disperses flash and bang, and recoil, to something just a bit more than something in 5.56mm.

Of course, I never complained too much even about the M14, having started out on bolt-action rifles in that league. It was a bit of an eyeopener to troops that went through M16-only Basic, and later an M14 familiarization course. The only thing that left a welt on my shoulder was firing 500gr cast bullets in my Winchester 1886 with the recoil-enhancing crescent buttplate.

[osagebowman]

Yep it is and I only did it once. :-) I wanted to see how they worked.

My pet peave is the fellas that think practice is ripping off a high cap mag each and every time, ‘I shot four boxes off in a half hour’ sheesh. Hope they got a progressive reloader at home or that’s real series money.

The only rifles allowed on our indoor range are .22 and those rifles that shoot a pistol cartridge. It’s only a 25 yard range so I get the point. There is a lot of other cartridges banned, I don’t recall what all they are.

The outdoor (private) with plates, gongs and swingers is more to my liking, just don’t want to go too often and wear out the welcome. Need to do it again, like real soon.

[300winmag]

I love old S&W’s. I panic when I see one being sold or traded....:o)

I'm doing a complete teardown on Little Smith right now. OMG, every part is either investment cast, or sintered metal!!!!! Yeah, there's still a lot of machining inside, but so much of the internals are redesigned, and take advantage of some sort of short cut.

The operating principles are still the same, except for the damn hammer lock, but the change over the last 30 years is hugh. True, most of the manufacturing used today was just a lab curiosity back then, and the finished product probably works just as well, but it's not quite the same weapon.

It's just as well that I'm pretty well revolvered-out, because I doubt any dealer would let me remove the side plate to check out the quality of construction. The modest skills my father imparted to me can sometimes cause results similar to learning there is no Santa Claus.

[300winmag]

Tonight's Saturday Night Gun Pron looks at some of the testing I got done at my last range session. First, some quality trigger time with "Little Smith".

I quit after 18 rounds because I felt a sprained wrist coming on. I'm glad I put on the bigger Hogue grips before firing it, because not only do they look nice, but there was no chance of losing my grip, despite the awful recoil. At least I know I can either hit the target, or set it on fire with the muzzle blast. The "gunsmith's" 7-pound trigger pull was waaay too light for my peace of mind, so I replaced the trigger rebound spring with a stiffer version, and brought the pull up to a more sensible nine pounds.

I then switched to my Glock 21 in .45ACP. What a creampuff, compared to the .44Mag! I know this is heresy, but I feel the Glock design is even more comfortable to shoot than a M1911. Maybe it has something to do with the locking system, and the flex that's inherent in a plastic frame.

Anyway, I wanted to see how the new Bar-Sto semi-drop-in barrel would perform. Its dimensions, internally and externally, are more stringent than the loosey-goosey Glock factory barrel. The Glock feed ramp and chamber specs are vey generous, which is probably why a Glock can digest almost anything. The new barrel corresponds to "middle SAAMI" chamber specs, which is one step above minimum safe specs for a match barrel. The base of the cartridge is also supported much more completely with the new barrel.

I fired three mags with the new barrel first, them three more with the original barrel put back in. I was rather sloppy with my own shooting discipline, although I started to remember about all my shortcomings as I was finishing up with the factory barrel. My own vey unscientific estimate is that I was shooting at least 25% tighter groups with the new barrel, without changing anything else in the equation.

If I'm still this satisfied after a couple hundred more rounds, including different kinds of defensive ammo, I'll think about a barrel upgrade for my Glock 36. I may never carry either one concealed, but it's nice to know that I've improved a weapon's performance with a couple hundred bucks, and a couple hours of my labor. As a shooter, I know I can never be perfect. But that doesn't stop me from working towards perfection with my firearms. I'll do any little, or big, trick to shade the odds in my favor. If I would obsess over anything, this is it.

[Squantos]

Dead on about the after market glock barrels. I have bar sto and kkm etc barrels on some working guns as the supported chambers allow me my self defense ammo of plus p sorts at times. I altered my Glock 35 practical tactical from 40SW to 357SIG as that is what is issued in the form of a glock 31 and SIG 229’s locally for commonality of ammo but I wanted to carry my Glock 35.

The G35 in 357SIG is IMO one of the best compromises for high capacity, stopping power, penetration, and reliability I have seen. Add that to the combat tupperware design of the carry everyday everywhere, all the time, hot, cold, sweat, humidity and wear and tear. As well as it already being “dehorned” .....I carry a Glock 35 for work and as my CCW rig.

You want a come to jesus moment ..... just shoot some full house 44 mag loads in a 329PD scandium Smith. Ouch !

[Squantos]

Dead on about the after market glock barrels. I have bar sto and kkm etc barrels on some working guns as the supported chambers allow me my self defense ammo of plus p sorts at times. I altered my Glock 35 practical tactical from 40SW to 357SIG as that is what is issued in the form of a glock 31 and SIG 229’s locally for commonality of ammo but I wanted to carry my Glock 35.

The G35 in 357SIG is IMO one of the best compromises for high capacity, stopping power, penetration, and reliability I have seen. Add that to the combat tupperware design of the carry everyday everywhere, all the time, hot, cold, sweat, humidity and wear and tear. As well as it already being “dehorned” .....I carry a Glock 35 for work and as my CCW rig.

You want a come to jesus moment ..... just shoot some full house 44 mag loads in a 329PD scandium Smith. Ouch !

[300winmag]

You want a come to jesus moment ..... just shoot some full house 44 mag loads in a 329PD scandium Smith. Ouch !

I can imagine, and I'll leave it to my imagination. The recoil on Little Smith was bad enough that my watch on my left hand (of course, I was shooting two-handed) tried to flip over 180 degrees while still strapped to my wrist. The edge of the watch case was digging into my wrist.

That was the other reason I said "enough", when I noticed I was bleeding.

My previous encounter with a .44Mag was with Big Smith almost thirty years ago. I had it Magnaported before shooting (handy when Magnaport is only 20 minutes away), and it had nowhere near the muzzle flip. However, after 50 rounds I noticed blood on my right hand, and on the grip. The recoil rubbed my index and middle finger together so hard it rubbed the skin off.

That didn't happen this time, and I attribute part of my success to the vastly improved shape of the Hogue grips. The factory "magna" grips from that era now seem incredibly clunky and user-unfriendly.

[Squantos]

Dang.... thats no fun when yer loads are that hot.

I have some of garretts hammerheads that are pretty much the choice of dying from excessive recoil or the critter above ya on the food chain yer shooting at.

I got stupid in the 90’s an had a Ruger stainless Bisley converted to 500 Linebaugh. It was my fly fishing rig I carried in a tanker holster while fishing. Now that guns recoil is not as aggressive as a hot 44 mag IMO. Not sure why but the recoil is tolerable and manageable.

I like bigger handguns, thus my .50GI Glock conversion. My 460 Weatherby Mag build on a tropical ruger no 1 that was .458 Win mag originally . All fun to shoot and teach recoil management to novice shooters here in Texas.

When I tell em that a 30-06 has 16 pounds of felt recoil and the .460 Wthby Mag has 116 pounds of felt recoil you can see the “oh crap” wheel start to turn..... I give em three rounds and usually get a fired piece of brass back and two unfired rounds and lots of slanderous action verbs back..........:o)

All good safe fun......

Look at smooth grips for heavy recoil versus checkered or rubber. Lets the recoil roll in the hand versus take it with it.

Just what I do ..... Hope yer well !

[300winmag]

Look at smooth grips for heavy recoil versus checkered or rubber. Lets the recoil roll in the hand versus take it with it.

Oddly, the checking on the .44 didn't hurt a bit. I think because it was wood, and had rather fine diamonds. I had some G10 grips on a M1911, and it felt like it would tear my skin off. I switched back to more normal checkered grips and there was no problem at all.

I like smooth grips on my carry pieces because they are less likely to "print" compared to checkered, or rubber. Michigan law makes you vey paranoid about that.

[300winmag]

The Labor Day gun marathon continues with the wrap-up of my "Little Panther" .308 project. The rifle is already accurate, but a method of consistently clamping the upper and lower receivers together would increase accuracy further. I use the Demon Tactical expanding pin as a replacement for the regular rear pin. It works great, but they don't make a longer version for the wider .308 lowers. (I'll have to look into some sort of modifications.)

However, J&P Enterprises makes a sliding-wedge-type pin in both sizes. I ordered two, and gave them a try.

The two halves screw together, and expand to lock things together, in theory. In actuality, after needing four hands to screw the two halves together, and wrestle a 20-pound rifle, they didn't work nearly as well as I hoped. The recoil forces and vibrations tend to loosen the screw, and the two halves lose their tight fit. I noticed this as I was tearing Lil' Panther down for cleaning. Nothing fell apart, but it loosened enough to no longer lock things together.

Still, while it worked, it improved accuracy as I was hoping.

I got sloppy, and rushed my shooting, otherwise I could have probably kept all the shots in the X-ring at 50 yards. As it was, I was using my "half-ass offhand" position in the firing booth. Elbows resting on sandbags on the tiny table, my left shoulder and butt leaning against the partition wall. A bit more accurate than offhand, but not by much. That's 17 rounds in the black, and three near the left edge of the paper, where I tried those "instant" offset backup sights.

You can also see the new Blackhawk bipod I decided to try out with this rifle. Empty, Lil' Panther, with its medium-heavy barrel weighs only about a pound more than a generic M-faux in 5.56mm. But since it's intended for longer shots, I figured a bipod can't hurt, and it was on sale, always an important factor when I try out new gear.

The base used up all of the tiny bit of rail I put on the carbon fiber handguard, something that was not supposed to be possible, at all. So I lost the front sling swivel I had on before the bipod showed up.

I sat around, and thought to myself, "self, what can I do to get some sort of sling swivel hung on the bipod, which wasn't designed for one?" After pondering for about ten minutes, I removed the 1/4x20 cap screw that holds the major pieces together. Then I widened the tapped hole in a Magpul swivel fitting to allow the bolt to pass through, and buttoned it up again. I ground off a bit of the base of the QD swivel to make allowances for the slightly less room inside the fitting, and buttoned everything back up.

It isn't as elegant as I would have liked, but it was quick and dirty, and it works. And I have a front sling swivel again. Take that, Blackhawk!

I put the pin back with a big glob of red Loctite, and will try again soon. I'll also work on sighting in the iron backup sights. Being on a 45 degree angle, both up/down and left/right move the impact horizontally and vertically. I just have to remember what the square root of 1/2 MOA is at 50 yards.

All in all, a really accurate rifle after my mods, and very easy to pop off a hundred rounds without any discomfort. Try that with a M14. I'd say it was a tribute the the ergonomics that Gene Stoner designed into the original AR15, which is why the M16 family has become such a long-lasting success. Except for the standard pistol grip, which is sheer torture for me. Thank you, Magpul, for coming to the rescue of my hand.

[ExGeeEye]

Dumb question of the day:

In this state we have open carry, and with an infringing "permit", concealed carry.

If you have the "permit", is "printing" really an issue? "Oops, my concealed pistol just transitioned to open!"

[300winmag]

If you have the "permit", is "printing" really an issue?

Yes, it was stressed repeatedly in the class I took. The license card itself is mainly to save your legal ass if a POlice officer stops you. The first words out of your mouth MUST be "I have a CPL, and am carrying a (insert name of weapon) (where you are carrying it)." If you don't print, the POlice don't have a reason to stop you. If you don't print, Joe Civilian can't complain about what he can't see.

"Open carry" brings the risk of someone in the POlice department that he'll hassle you with a "creating a public nuisance" if he wants. OTOH, a valid CCW also allows you the luxury of carrying any loaded weapon of your choice on your car seat next to you, among other benefits. With "open carry", you still have to unload and lock up your weapon before you move your car.

I'm not looking for any hassle from the local POlice, because I may need the blessings of the chief in the near future. The Michigan attorney general released a "finding" on the state web site last Saturday saying Michigan law says what it means, and the state will no longer veto any inquiries from BATFE about granting someone a federal tax stamp for silencers. Reliable sources say that other NFA items (full auto, SBR, etc.) will also be unopposed. That last hurdle will be your local CLEO. And I'm hoping a NFA trust will keep him out of the picture, totally.

I'll know more in a few weeks. Either this has slipped in below the radar screen of the liberals and RINOs, or they're working on a campaign of mass hysteria to launch when the time is right. They had multiple cows when "shall issue" passed, and they'd consider legal automatic weapons to be even more series.

My first item would be to convert my Sig P556 into a legal SBR. I figure $100 for common M4-type stock, $200 for the tax stamp, and $500 for a Class 2 manufacturer to do the 10 minute re-assembly and engrave his name and new serial number on the lower.

[Squantos]

Good points all but folks need to be aware that each state is different. TX an NM laws are very different. Check state laws your in an or traveling to or through if your riding the reciprocity rail..... The individuals responsibility that has a CHL, ccw, or cpl etc... Or open carries or has such in their vehicle. Brandishing or printing is also dfferent in each state.

If I reach for something high on a store shelf an show / brandish my holstered sidearm an cause panic with the stupid people its a crime. But the first question asked of a witness by the Leo is what color was the weapon. Most guess black or stainless .... I know folks that have their own sidearms recoated in neon colors etc .

Albeit a functional grip there is a company that makes a grip that has a cell phone key pad laser engraved in / on it.

Casual glance ....its a side mounted cell phone.

Some ideas I just wanted to add....

Stay Sage an Safe....

[ExGeeEye]

Thanks, 300WM and I are both Michiganders, good tips nonetheless. I’d be interested in vendor info on that disguise grip.

[300winmag]

I’d be interested in vendor info on that disguise grip.

That gave me some ideas. There are plenty of candy dispensers that look like cell phones already. One may work as a grip slab. I have several old cell phones that could donate a keypad, or flip cover. Or maybe laminate a color photo of a cell phone to a slab-sided grip?

I love it when ideas just start rolling in.

[Squantos]

I saw that at a gun show an couldn’t say where its made.... I will search for it an bump ya with the info...

....I didn’t purchase one.

My bad.....

[Overtaxed]

Okay....I’m a wuss. I just turned on the furnace.

It’s that or drink hot tea all night.

[ExGeeEye]

You lasted longer than us. Ours went on for the first time two weeks ago and has been running for the past four days.