The Official Firearms Thread

Batmobile_Engage

Squirrel Meat Aficionado.
Staff member
Leather cheek riser came in today. I really like it, but it still doesn't raise the cheek weld enough for this reflex sight.

Oh well, I'm not sending it back. I guess I'll try to form fit a piece of foam underneath it. It's not like it's unshootable, just not ideal. I guess I'll have to put a few rounds through it before I can make a final judgement.

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Batmobile_Engage

Squirrel Meat Aficionado.
Staff member
I ordered a custom clock for the wall in the armory. Now everyone will be aware of what time it is...

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Batmobile_Engage

Squirrel Meat Aficionado.
Staff member
Just a heads up... In case anyone ever comes across an aftermarket solution for mounting a bayonet lug on a 580-series Mini-14 Tactical, please let me know.
 

Batmobile_Engage

Squirrel Meat Aficionado.
Staff member
Getting my new Leatherwood Hi-Lux 4-16X44 scope sighted in on the coyote slayer.

It needs another couple hundred rounds through the barrel before it'll start grouping shots more consistently, but it's getting better already.

Eventually, it will be putting 3 rounds under a nickel at 100 yards.

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Batmobile_Engage

Squirrel Meat Aficionado.
Staff member
I've kind of impressed that my camera phone took a decent picture looking through the scope. :lol:
 

Batmobile_Engage

Squirrel Meat Aficionado.
Staff member
Okay everybody, I could use a little assistance if you don't mind. I have removed the free floating handguard, pistol grip and butt stock
from my rifle. I plan to paint them, likely a solid color, as I don't particularly care for the look of homemade camo patterns on nice
rifles. (I have done a homemade camo pattern in the past on a different rifle stock, but that's because I have multiples of that stock and
they are cheap.)

I was thinking something like a dark forest green, various shades of brown or maybe a burnt bronze color. Any ideas are greatly appreciated!

 

Batmobile_Engage

Squirrel Meat Aficionado.
Staff member
Also thinking about getting the whole gun done with Cerakote (ceramic coating). It's $200 for the entire gun. I feel like that is a reasonable price. Have any of you ever had anything Cerakote'd before?
 

Batmobile_Engage

Squirrel Meat Aficionado.
Staff member
I could use some help. Are any of you ballistics savvy?

I've been having an accuracy/consistency problem with my AR. This is the second scope I've had mounted on this rifle, so that should be ruled out. Also, the mount has been torqued and re-torqued for good measure. This rifle has a 24" bull (target grade) barrel with a 1:8 rifling twist and a 5.56x45mm NATO chamber.

- So far, I've only shot .223 REM 55 gr. FMJ out of it. I know that can produce some accuracy shortcomings with a 5.56 chamber.

- I've been shooting 3-5 round groups at 100 yards. I can generally put 2 rounds in nearly the same hole (expected) but then the 3rd ends up a few inches from the first too. Something about that isn't right. When I should be grouping all rounds under a quarter and that distance, the groups are more like baseball sized. Not good.

- I am hand feeding every round into the chamber with no magazine inserted, removing the possibility that magazine spring pressure is pushing up on the underside of the bolt and causing accuracy issues.

- The chamber and barrel are clean, so there should be no bolt face seating issues. However, to eliminate that possibility, I am slamming the bolt closed and hitting the forward assist plunger 3 times before each shot, to ensure consistent seating.

- A 1:8 twist *should* be just fine for 55 gr. bullets, but that assumption is usually made with 16-20" barrels. Should a 24" barrel with the same twist rate change that much?

- I ordered a bunch of different 5.56x45mm NATO cartridges with different bullet weights to try at the range. I'm going to be using a Caldwell Lead Sled shooting rest from a bench (as pictured above) at 100 yards. This is a very stable shooting platform, from which I can literally fire the gun with one finger, allowing for very precise experimentation. I will also choose a wind-less day, though wind should not be much of a factor at 100 yards.

- Bullet selection is as follows:
Federal Ammunition 5.56x45mm NATO, 55 gr. XM193 Ball FMJ
Federal Ammunition 5.56x45mm NATO, 62 gr. XM855 Ball FMJ w/ steel penetrator
Barnes VOR-TX Ammunition 5.56x45mm NATO, 70 gr. Triple-Shock X lead free Hollow Point
IMI Ammunition 5.56x45mm NATO, 77 gr. Sierra Match King, Open Tip Match
Barnes Precision Match Ammunition 5.56x45mm NATO, 85 gr. Open Tip Match

- So that gives me 55, 62, 70, 77 and 85 grain bullets to try out. 85 is probably a little excessive for this rifling twist rate, but I was tempted to give it a try.

What bullet(s) do you expect to group best and why?
Is there anything else I should be doing that you can think of, to not only produce tighter groups but also perform the most scientific experiment possible?
 

HeubergerSubaru

On Vacation
300 win mag.jpgguns 1.jpgbed frame closed.jpgbed frame open.jpg So, it wont let me upload my other guns. But heres what I got
The Savage .300 Win Mag will be here on my B-day (all this hard work, I had to treat myself) the shot-guns a Wal-Mart special Tristar 12ga O/U (cheap bird gun). I know what you must be thinking, whats with the wood looking thingy.... its been a work in progress for a bit now and im so close to finishing it, anyways its a recycled pallet wood headboard. I am building it to hold and hide a few guns :)

Now the guns that I cant upload, I have a Daniel Defense AR-15 M4A1 v2. HK full size USP .40 and for my compact I have a S&W shield .40
 
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IGOTASTi

System Operator
Staff member
View attachment 7475View attachment 7476View attachment 7477View attachment 7478 So, it wont let me upload my other guns. But heres what I got
The Savage .300 Win Mag will be here on my B-day (all this hard work, I had to treat myself) the shot-guns a Wal-Mart special Tristar 12ga O/U (cheap bird gun). I know what you must be thinking, whats with the wood looking thingy.... its been a work in progress for a bit now and im so close to finishing it, anyways its a recycled pallet wood headboard. I am building it to hold and hide a few guns :)

Now the guns that I cant upload, I have a Daniel Defense AR-15 M4A1 v2. HK full size UPS .40 and for my compact I have a S&W shield .40
Awesome!

*Get exclusive benefits by signing up as Lifetime Platinum Member today*
 

Batmobile_Engage

Squirrel Meat Aficionado.
Staff member
That .300 Win Mag is gonna be sweeeeet!!! The Tristar looks pretty nice for being a Walmart special. There are a lot of great shooting guns out there that don't have to break the bank. No need to spend thousands.

One day I'd like to build/modify some furniture to hide guns in. Let me know how it turns out!

Sidebar...the ammo I ordered will be on the front porch when I get home from work today, so I will definitely be at the range tomorrow morning to run my experiment on the different bullet weights. :)
 

Batmobile_Engage

Squirrel Meat Aficionado.
Staff member
So, strangely enough...this barrel does NOT like any 55 gr. ammunition. The military grade M193 rounds are just as terrible as the cheap range ammo.

62 grain is considerably better, but leaves much to be desired.

70, 77 and 85 grain all grouped about the same, though the heavier I go, the further to the lower right that the group moves. So I ended up tweaking the scope for best performance of the 70 grain Barnes Triple Shock X, because that is the fastest cartridge of the three good shooting ones.

I can hardly believe there was that much of a difference with this 1:8 twist barrel, but I'm glad I finally have it figured out.

Learn something new everyday I guess.

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HeubergerSubaru

On Vacation
That .300 Win Mag is gonna be sweeeeet!!! The Tristar looks pretty nice for being a Walmart special. There are a lot of great shooting guns out there that don't have to break the bank. No need to spend thousands.

it finally arrived! picked it up over the weekend and have been drooling on it it ever since. The Wal-mart special still has yet to be shot, i've been crazy busy with a B-day and the end of a month in the car business. (but the build seems about 8/10, def not the fit n finish of the $1k O/U's)

One day I'd like to build/modify some furniture to hide guns in. Let me know how it turns out!
Oh I will, i keep adding new ideas that are pushing out the finished product. maybe next weekend i'll finish it.
1.jpg (got a good upload of all my pew pew's)
 

Batmobile_Engage

Squirrel Meat Aficionado.
Staff member
Theoretically, in the event of an impending gun ban, what firearms would be on your list to BUY RIGHT NOW?

I'm curious to see what everyone has on their list.
 
Theoretically, in the event of an impending gun ban, what firearms would be on your list to BUY RIGHT NOW?

I'm curious to see what everyone has on their list.
The Ruger AR-556 since it shoots both .223 and 5.56. I figure it would be snart to have a rifle that shoots 2 different rounds tthat I already don't have the ability to use in case ammo collecting becomes necessary.

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Batmobile_Engage

Squirrel Meat Aficionado.
Staff member
I already have two semi-automatic rifles that fire either cartridge. But I like the way you're thinking.
 
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