Sig MCX

I will admit, it kind of makes my pants tight.

(The gun, not the guy.)

RECOIL has a nice breakdown of it with plenty of pictures of the insides.

Folding stock, easily swapped barrels (5.56 to .300BLK and back again sounds fun,) and replaceable wear point on the upper. I'm hoping the removable forward assist assembly also means there'll be an option to just slap a plate on there and get rid of it.

Want.

Limited Edition H.C.A.R. pre-sale package...

I still think it's one of the cooler "new" things coming out lately.

Cheap Steel

TacStrike recently had an inventory reduction sale (actually it's still going!) and part of that includes some of their Flat Rate Shipping targets.  One of the downsides of steel targets is that they're heavy, and weight equals higher shipping.  TacStrike decided to work the system, and developed a set of targets that fit in a couple sizes of the USPS Flat Rate shipping boxes to make it easier to get your hands on some durable targets.  These also have a bracket on the back to hang them from a standard steel garden fence post.

I snagged a SFRT, which showed up a couple days ago.  It's a pretty substantial little guy, 8.5"x5.5", and is a good little challenge at 100 yards.  I never seem to remember that black is not the best color with how wooded the berm is at the range I tend to shoot at...

Once they got done mowing, I set up at the 100 yard line and got to work. It seemed like a good day to get back to basics, and I have been itching to try out the RRA two-stage trigger I dropped in my A2.  On a side note, this is still probably my favorite setup for good relaxed shooting.

As I mentioned, at 100 yards, the small target is a bit of a challenge, but aim small, miss small.  The little thing doesn't as much 'ring' like you'd expect from a steel target, but when you do hit it, you get a good solid 'smack.'  55gr FMJ pretty much disintegrates, with minimal dimpling, so long as you're not too close to the edge.

(I may have gotten the wrong fence post...)

You will knock out some chunks if you're on the edge though.

Like I said earlier, the .223 rounds just about completely splatter, but 9mm leaves little lead flowers.

Next time I just need to remember some cheap spray paint in an easier to see color, but other than that, these are well worth the price, and it's a great time to pick some up.

Want

For silly reasons, namely semi-auto 30-06.





Originally announced at SHOT in 2013 (I think) they're saying it should be in production this year.

A Swedish Rifle in Egypt

 

Guest post by Cro

Ever since I came back from Iraq in 2005 I have been interested in middle eastern history. My post war college education was History with an emphasis on middle east. I learned that the history of that region is full of so many fascinating stories. Some of them being the Egyptian military rifles. Egypt went through many rifles after WW2, and prior to adopting the AK, some examples are the Hakim, the FN 49, and the Rasheed. The Hakim is a 8mm version of the Swedish AG-42 Ljungman The swede was originally 6.5 mm which must have been a sweet shooting package. The Hakim fires a big 8mm Mauser cartrage.

Prior to taking my Hakim to the range I gave her a good cleaning to inspect everything and make sure it does not have any major issues.  The Hakim is a DI system with an adjustable gas block and familiar looking gas tube.

 

Bolt disassembly was a bit tricky as it is spring loaded once you take it off the rifle,  I was not holding the bolt in the carrier when I depressed the lever and launched my bolt across the room. 

My rifle came with 3 spare mags and a bayonet.  I only tested out one of the mags during the range trip.  The rifle has a muzzle brake.. That’s right muzzle brake standard on a military rifle.

The ammo I used was some 1970’s steel cased Romanian that has served my 8mm rifles well, and some 1960’s brass cased that came with strippers.  This was the first time I opened the crate of the brass cased stuff and I fell in love with it right away. The stripper clip guide on the top of the receiver cover is designed to place the loaded clips in with the bullets facing up, and then you rotate the clip down to line up with the magazine.  It takes a bit of practice compared to the normal use of clips.  But once you get the hang it makes sense because of the way  the bolt works.

 

The manual of arms for loading the hakim is a bit different than other semi auto rifles.  Instead of pulling back and letting the bolt fall foreword, you actually push the receiver cover foreword, and then pull it back.

So I fired the rifle at 100 m to see where it was going with the ammo.  I was impressed, the thing was nearly on the black right off the bat.  I decided to leave the sights where they were and fired a group to check accuracy.  The steel cased stuff did ok with a 4 inch group average.  The Brass cased surprised me.  I was able to squeak out a 2.5 inch 5 shot group .  I was impressed and surprised.

Recoil was low.. Very low in fact.  The muzzle brake works extremely well, and the length and weight of the rifle works to make it a rifle I could shoot all day long.  I even was able to ring the 16inch gong at 200 while standing  about 7-10 of the shots.

So what's my final take on Al Hakim?  I will call it Excelent, or ممتازًا

The rifle is accurate, fast follow up shots, and sends a full power round down range.  I don’t like the sights, but what can you expect from a Garand guy??  For what I paid for the rifle it was an excellent value, and cheap 8mm is still easily available.. Don’t believe me?  Go to southern Ohio Gun.  That’s where I got the brass cased stuff.  As of my last check they still have it.    I plan on taking this rifle to the range more often than my other C&Rs.

The Smell of Cordite

Guest post by Cro

Back in my high school literature days  I remember reading about “the smell of cordite”  and wondering what is cordite?  The main character in the Dayof the Jackal book even ate a piece of cordite to make himself seem older and sick when getting through security.  I had been reloading pistol back then and could not think of any piece from a cartridge that you could eat.  I always imagined all metallic cartridges as having powder inside.  I happened to pick up an excellent No4 Mk 2 Fazakerly.  That’s right I said Mk2.  It’s a 1950 example of the final refinement of the Enfield rifle. 

This particular example is in very good condition with very little wear on the metal and wood.  Those familiar with the Enfield No 1 Mk 3 can see that the major difference is the rear sight is moved to the rear of the receiver.  The particular rear sight on this model has a large aperture battle sight and a flip up ladder sight for long range. 

The particular rear sight has a smaller aperture for the long range, and a screw adjusted ladder that is regulated by audible clicks.  In my opinion this is far superior to sights like the 1903 that has no means to measure your rear sight height except by eyeballing it.  Granted the NM 1903 competitors often had a micrometer to adjust their rear sight height, but I have a hard enough time remembering my range gear as it is.  I guess I am just spoiled by being used to click sights like the M1.  My Savage Enfield has a simple flip sight with only a 300, or a 600 meter option.  Not exactly the best sight for marksmanship, but a great sight to mass produce for a weapon starved Britain.  The front sight is a simple drift adjustment.

The rifle did away with the Enfield knife bayonet and went with a spike/blade bayonet that did not have a handle.  Kind of a useless bayo in my opinion as I follow old Teddy Roosevelt’s opinion that the bayonet should double as a knife.  I would personally hate to carry an extra piece of kit that could only serve a second purpose as a tent peg. 

I had 3 types of 303 on hand.  Privi, Wolf, and Surplus 1952 Kynoch.

The Wolf is packaged the same as the Prvi, and even has Prvi head stamp on the rounds. So I guess it’s an example of buying brand name.  The Prvi was 174Gr FMJBT, and the Wolf was 150Gr Soft Point.  

But on to the Cordite.  The Kynoch is an old surplus round I picked up a few years ago on the cheap.  I pulled the pullets and dug the cordite out of the case to find it filled with 36.2 grains of the spaghetti like propellant.  The sticks are packed very tight inside the case and would only come out after much persuasion.  I wonder how they measured and loaded the stuff in the brass case.  It seems like it would be much more difficult than standard powder shaped propellant.    The bullet is a flat based FMJ projectile of 175gr.  The neck sealant was a black tar like sealant that did not want to let the bullet go.

So on to the Range Report.  I took the ole’ Brit to my local range to see how this piece shoots.  The 200 and 300 yd ranges were closed for maintenance that day so I was relegated to the 100yd test.  I started with the Brit surplus.  All the rounds went bang, although not always right away.  Some of the rounds had slight hang-fires, not terrible, but I could feel the firing pin strike and then feel the discharge as a separate action.  This was not the norm.  I was actually surprised by the accuracy of the surplus rounds.  The best 5 shot group I got was 3.5 “  not great, but not bad considering my rest was not the most stable.  The Privi and Wolf had the same accuracy.

This is not the best group, but typical of what I saw that day.  One thing I liked about this rifle was that all the ammo was zeroed with at least 2 clicks up on the rear sight.  Its often annoying when your Mil Surp shoots 7 inches high at the lowest setting.

Overall I Liked this rifle.  The bolt is easy to operate, but the trigger has a bit to be desired. It had some creep and did not break clean.  I was happy with the accuracy, and I think with the proper loads this rifle has good potential.  Of all my Enfields I would pick this one as my favorite.  

On a side note I stopped at a local gun show on my way to the range and found a gem of a rifle for a price that would be silly to pass up.  Stay tuned for that review, but here is a teaser.  

(Don't give away the surprise if you know what it is!  I'll be "out of the office" for a while, but rest assured, there'll be new content when I get back!  And thanks again to Cro for sharing some of his cool stuff with us.)

Want

Break-down 7.62x51 MOA Semi-auto rifle... that fits in a laptop case.  Sweetness.

Army Wants New Squad Marksman Rifle

Namely, a short version of the M110 SASS to replace the improved M14 system currently in use.  Sounds neat, I'd love to play with one.

Want, Even Though I Have No Real Use For

Ruger 10/22 Takedown.  Really simple too.  Would be good to put some Tech-Sights on it and stash it in the car for impromptu range trips I guess.

Korean M1s

To quote Uncle:

It looks like the .gov has unfucked itself and they will be imported 

Tavor by end of 2012?

I didn't even know Charles Daly was operating again... Anybody know more?

Mossberg HerpDerp SPX

I mean levergun SPX...

Let's put it this way; I like the handguard, I can see the usefulness of rails on any rifle.  Personally, I don't want them on my lever rifles, but hey.  On the other hand, the rest of your gun looks like you drug it through the Tapco booth with a shit magnet on the ass-end.  Stop it.

I saw these up on an Arfcom GD thread last week, and the massive cry was "Photoshop!! Can't be real!!" followed by wailing, gnashing of teeth, and the souls of many crying out to put and end to all this asshatery in the marketing and R&D departments at Mossberg.  I give it two weeks after they're released (if they actually go through with it...) until somebody puts the chainsaw grip on one and the entire mall-ninja population fully explodes. (wait... that might not be a bad thing...)

I may just have to fall asleep tonight cuddling my beloved Win94 and assuring the ol' girl everything will be all right...

Egyptian Contract FN-49

G&C contributor, range buddy, and all around cool guy Cro picked up an Egyptian Contract FN-49 and was kind enough to trust me with it for a week or so to take some photos.

It really is a gorgeous looking gun.

The FN-49 began life just prior to WWII, and the designer, Dieudonne Saive, fled to England when the Nazis invaded Belgium.  Saive took the plans with him to prevent them from falling into the Germans' hands, and finished the project after Belgium was liberated and FN got back on its feet.

The rifle is a gas-operated semi-auto battle rifle, with a long operating rod and the system is adjustable to compensate for varying loads.  The rifle was originally chambered in 7x57 Mauser, and was eventually produced in 30-06, 7.65x53 Argentine, and 8mm Mauser (as pictured in this article.)

Take-down is pretty simple, and the rifle can be field stripped without the use of tools (a small screwdriver is required to remove the handguard as shown below.)


The fit and finish on this example are quite good, with some wear on the bluing present, however no rust or pitting that I noticed.

The safety is interesting, at least to Cro and myself, as it slides in a machined groove in the side of the trigger itself.














The magazine is a 10 round fixed box magazine, and the feed lips are machined into the receiver rather than the magazine. 

This being an Egyptian Contract rifle, many of the markings are in Arabic, including the serial number and range markings on the rear sight assembly.

On the range, the rifle handles well.  It balances where a rifle should, and looks good doing it.

Recoil is not as bad as I'd expected, no doubt due to the long operating rod and the system being adjusted for the particular ammunition we were shooting (Romanian surplus.)  It was a bit hazy out, and the smoke was lingering.

I fired a few groups from the bench to get a feel for accuracy...

...but we quickly realized we needed to back off to 50 yards to figure out where the rounds were going.  After moving to the shorter range, we found the rifle to be shooting about a foot low at 50 yards on it's lowest setting, and a bit left.  We adjusted a little for windage, and brought the rear up a few notches and moved back over to 100.



 Not the prettiest group, and one still managed to slip between the two sheets, but pretty typical of what we were getting most of the day.  I'm certain the gun is capable of much better groups if you had the right ammo, a better zero, and better range conditions.  I think next time some warmup time on the 10/22 and a little less coffee (heresy!!!) may be in order.

All in all, I'd say it's a pretty nice addition to Cro's collection.

Bang-Bang-Bang-Bang-CLACK!

That's how my turn at the Krag sounded yesterday.  We also discovered the primers Cro is using have enough push to get the bullet into the throat, but not stuck particularly hard, when the powder fails to ignite for unknown reasons (thankfully a tap on a cleaning rod popped it out easily enough, and the gun was back to shooting in less than a minute.)

Thankfully for Cro (the owner of the rifle) and myself (shooter of said rifle,) this was a "best case scenario" for a squib load.  Last round in the mag, and had it not been, we doubt another one would have fed into the chamber (that's how far the bullet didn't go.)  Also, although the Krag is a "soft" shooting rifle, the round in question had zero recoil, and with earplugs in, all I heard was the "CLACK" of the striker hitting the primer.  So, wait a couple beats in case of a hang-fire, open the bolt... and no bullet in the cartridge? And unburned powder pushed all the way to the front of the case?  Huh. "Hey Cro, I'm sorry, but I seem to have lodged a bullet in your barrel."

We're not too sure what the issue was, theory is some oil from lubing the case made its way inside and dampened the powder, preventing it from igniting.  The more important lesson, however, is when something weird happens when you're shooting, stop and evaluate the problem.  It could save your rifle and your face.

Krag

MD - Art of the Precision Rifle

Full trailer has been released.




Looks pretty good.

I love the shot of the bullet trace at about the 20 second mark too... quite sweet.

Not sure on price, but it's a 5 disc set.  If you're doing any precision long range shooting it's probably going to be well worth thinking about.

Blaser WTF?... er R8 Professional Tracker...

It may be because I'm a year older today, and that much more senile, but what would somebody want a rifle with a stupidly short sight radius and magazine disconnect "safety" for?  Oh yeah, and you have to cock it by hand.  It doesn't say that there's a decocker or anything, so I'm assuming you have to work the bolt, and cock it in a separate action.

300 BLK Barrels

In 9" and 16" AR and 16" Remington 700 flavors.

Tiny Sniper Rifle

is Tiny.

It's popped up in a few places around the blogosphere this morning, but it's too cool not to mention.  I mainly like it because my Dark Heresy character has the 40k equivalent.  (Started with a "Roth Pattern Lasgun," which is a bullpup, and payed the Thrones to have it upgraded to a Long-las.  Yes, I'm a geek.)

Mosin Nagant KB

Looks to be a fault in the metallurgy in the receiver.  Shooter's fine.