Trigger Happy

The Wall Street Journal ^ | Wednesday, October 15, 2003 | MARK YOST

[TexasCowboy]

I just happen to know where Grapevine, Texas, is located.
I started to buy some land there one time - nice country.

I'll just make a run up there and talk to him.
Thanks, archy!

[TexasCowboy]

Well, I've got to get set up to reload the .50s, anyway.
As much as I like to shoot the Barrett, I can't afford the ammo, even at $2.00 a round off the Internet, and I sure can't afford match ammo at $4.50 a round!
I figure I can reload for less than a buck a round and make shooting a lot easier on the pocketbook.
That's the reason I was thinking about a .50 caliber belt fed.
I can probably stretch my budget to 15k if I see something I really like.

[Shooter 2.5]

What area are we talking about?

In the Dallas area for 1000 yard ranges their Tac-Pro and for subguns like I said there's my lease. That's it so far. I have to wait until the next gun show to start asking unless I try to call this one gun shop tomorrow. They might know of a place.

I'll see what I can do.

[TexasCowboy]

I would think any place no further from Houston than Dallas would be okay.
The Bullet Hole Range in San Antonio has a machine gun range, but it's really small.
They really have no place of sufficient range to fire the .50 caliber. The round of the .50 doesn't even stabilize at 100 yards so I can't really tell what I'm doing.
Don't go to a lot of trouble, but whatever you can find out would be appreciated.

[humblegunner]

Hey, thanks!
I can't think of a better reason to travel and shoot
short of filling my freezer with venison.

Which happens in 17 days. ;-)

[humblegunner]

The Bullet Hole Range in San Antonio has a machine gun range, but it's really small.

I'll attest to that, it's more like a pistol range.
But still a hell of a lot of fun all around.
When're we shooting again?

[Shooter 2.5]

If you want to go to Dallas, come on.

Pick any day of the week and I can take you to the lease. We can back up to 500. If you come on a Sunday, you can watch the machine gunners go nuts. Last Sunday they had a:

50 Barrel semi
supressed MP5
supressed 10/22
supressed 77/22
M-14 on auto
an auto 22 of some sort
MG42
AK on auto

Sunday is usually the big day for a lot of people. Fiveshooter and his monster revolvers is usually there on Sundays.

Sunday someone also brought a couple of those semi Brownings. I think they were in .30-06.

[TexasCowboy]

"When're we shooting again?"

That's what I'm working on.
I thought I'd be on the rig by now, but it's flooded in South Texas and we can't move.
Maybe I can get us a shoot lined up before I go back to work.

Would Dallas be too far for everyone?

[humblegunner]

Would Dallas be too far for everyone?

I think not and I need to go to Dallas anyway.

You call 'em, I'll haul 'em.

[archy]

Hey, thanks!
I can't think of a better reason to travel and shoot short of filling my freezer with venison.

Which happens in 17 days. ;-)

Good on ya! I've enjoyed getting out with a rifle for my last half-dozen years here in Tennessee, rather than the shotgun-only hunts I got used to after two decades in Indiana. But I'd *fill my freezer* about every other year there, and I've done no better nor worse here, so I'm certainly not complaining.

Any excuse to get away from offices and cell phones work for me, and I believe I'd go out even if I knew for certain in advance that I wouldn't be bringing any meat back.

-archy-/-

[TexasCowboy]

Shooter, if we could get a shoot lined up for Saturday, would that be possible for you?

[Shooter 2.5]

This Saturday I have an IDPA match. Can you make it for the next one? If it has to be this Saturday, I won't go to the match.

[archy]

Well, I've got to get set up to reload the .50s, anyway. As much as I like to shoot the Barrett, I can't afford the ammo, even at $2.00 a round off the Internet, and I sure can't afford match ammo at $4.50 a round!
I figure I can reload for less than a buck a round and make shooting a lot easier on the pocketbook.
That's the reason I was thinking about a .50 caliber belt fed.
I can probably stretch my budget to 15k if I see something I really like.

Well, there IS an alternative to the .50 Browning. Ammo runs around $2/shot, but it too can be reloaded, or the guns can be converted to take the .50x99mm M2 Browning round....

Let me know if you're interested...there's an on-line gathering place for those so inclined.

[TexasCowboy]

Let me get some feed back, Shooter.
I'll let you know. Thanks!

[TexasCowboy]

What in the Sam Hell is that??
Yes, I'm interested!

cob1@addr.com

[Shooter 2.5]

OK, Just remember the bathroom facilities are the nearest tree.

It's a nice place otherwise. It's a hot range and there's a lot of freedom as to what you can do. We still try to be safe. The only problem is everyone there has the same privilages as I do so no one or everyone is a range officer. There has to be a lot of tolerance and co-operation. That doesn't mean that when I leave things don't get shot up. Some people take the time to build and it takes one individual to tear it up in seconds.

[archy]

What in the Sam Hell is that??
Yes, I'm interested!

The first Soviet heavy-caliber machine gun was designed on official request for dedicated Anti-aircraft weapon. Request was issued to designer Degtyarev (who already designed an DP-27 LMG) in 1929. First prototype of the 12.7mm machine gun, named DK (Degtyarev, Krupnocalibernyj = Degtyarev, Large caliber) was built in 1930. This gun was officialy adopted, and DK was manufactured in small numbers during period of 1933 - 1935. It was a gas operated weapon, firing powerful 12.7mm carttridge, but with magazine feeding. Drum magazine held only 30 rounds and was bulky and heavy, and practical rate of fire was unsatisfactory low. In the late 1930s another famous Soviet arms designer, Shpagin, designed an add-on belt feed module, that could be easily installed on the DK instead of the magazine. This modification appeared in 1938, and in 1939 it was officially adopted by Red Army as an "12.7mm Krupnocalibernyj Pulemet Degtyareva-Shpagina, DShK" (Degtyarev-Shpagin, large caliber). DShK was used through WW2 as an anti-aircraft weapon, and also as an heavy infantry support gun. It also had been used on some heavy soviet tanks as a roof-mounted AA-gun. After the war some care had been taken to improve DShK - a rotary belt fed unit was replaced by more conventional slide-operated one, some other improvements also were made. New gun was adopted as a DShK-M, or DShK Modernised, and also is known as DShKM-38/46. It also was used as a heavy infantry support/AA-gun, and mounted on some tanks and armour vehicles (T-55, T-62, BTR-155). In the late 1960s and 1970s DShKM was gradually replaced in Soviet Army service by the more modern NSV / NSVT machine gun. DShKM was widely exported to Soviet-friendly nations and regimes. It was also manufactured in other countries, such as China, Iran, Yugoslavia and Pakistan. It was widely used in numerous "local wars", including Afghan campaigns.

DSchKM was one of the most sucessful designs of its time. 12.7mm (.50) AP bullets fired from that MG, could pierce 15mm armor plate at 500m.

DSchK is the belt-fed, air-cooled, gas operated weapon that fires only in full-auto. Gas system has the 3 positions gas regulator. Bolt is locked in the receiver via two horisontally pivoted locking flaps, attached to the bolt. The overall system is quite similar to one found in DP-27 light machine gun, but scaled up and with addition of the bolt and bolt carrier buffer assemblies in the receiver backplate. The original belt feed module, designed by Shpagin, used a non-desintegrating belt with open pockets. To delink the cartridges prior to chamber it, Shpagin used a rotary drum, that feed the belt and pulled the cartridges out of their belt pockets simulateneously. The drum was operated via the oscillating arm, that, in turn, was operated by the charging handle, rigidly attached to the bolt carrier. Belt was inserted at the top of the feed module, and cartridges were cought by the bolt and chambered at the bottom of the feed. Belt was fed from the left side of the gun. 50 rounds belts were used. DShK featured non quick-detachable, heavy barrel with radial fins to improve cooling and a large and effective muzzle brake.

DShK was used on wheeled universal mount, which was fitted with removable steel shield. This mount allowed vor Anti-aircraft usage - for AA role wheels were removed and a mount "tail" was separated and formed a folding tripod. Special shoulder stock and AA sight were also attached for Air Defence role. Some DShK were used on pintle mounts on small ships (like torpedo-boats).

DShKM was more or less the same weapon, with most distinctive change being the different belt feed, distinguished by much flatter, and square-outlined appearance. This feed module also used an oscillating arm linked to the charging handle to operate feed.

DShK and DShKM were quite adequate weapons for the time period they appeared in, but these guns were too heavy, too complicated to manufacture, and reliability in severe conditions was slightly less than desired, so they were replaced by much better designs (unlike the old Brownings M2HB, which are not less outdated today than DShK, but are still held in service).

$650 will get you a very good healthy start in the Dash-ka world, check here for details, or more DShK pics *here*.

And more info *here*. CONSIDERABLY more! Fyi, I'm known there as *rattlegunner*.

Anyway, there are more possibilities for a belt-fed .50 than just the good ol' MaDos, just as there are lower-cost ways of getting into the .50 rifle mischief than buying a M82A1 Barrett for six grand or so.

-archy-/-

[RippleFire]

bump

[TexasCowboy]

Mucho gracias, archy!!

That gives me something to chew on that might allow me to eat and shoot at the same time!

I can see I'm going to need a bigger gun safe.

[archy]

Mucho gracias, archy!!

That gives me something to chew on that might allow me to eat and shoot at the same time!

I can see I'm going to need a bigger gun safe.

My own plan is to build one up as a single-shot rifle. It's pretty hard to get into the single-shot .50 world for $650 or so [I can think of a couple of other ways] and at $2.00 or more per shot, until I get set up to reload 12,7x108 I don't really need full-aut just yet. And it might be possible to arrange something semiauto once the 80% receiver kits planned become available.

Yep you can go the gun safe route. But I'm thinking about a mount using a Russian sidecar motorbike. Kinda hard to fit in a safe!