The Firearm Blog

This is a very funny diet Mountain Dew commercial

Hat Tip: Kaiservontexas

Mad Ogre thinks so:

We just got in our latest order of rifles from Marlin. Everyone of them has extremely shoddy wood on them. The fitting of wood to metal and even just the finish on the wood is something I’d expect on a Puma. Overlaps, gaps, uneven and unfinished cuts, pitting, and splintering. This is a huge departure from what I am used to seeing from Marlin. The wood its self is also disappointing. but I can deal with less than steller lumber.

More here.

UDPATE: Jovian Thunderbolt has more on the topic

Hat Tip: Freedom Sight

The blackpowder cannon enthusiasts over at the Graybeard forums came up with some amazing pieces of artillery.

CU_Cannon built the “Nano-mortar”. It fires .177″ BBs. The bed it sits on is 1″ long.

Click to expand the images.

The Nano-mortar

Here is a video of it in action

Blueprints

Cal.45 built a 3mm mortar called the “Pico “Mortar”

The “Pico Mortar”

The pico mortar was build solely with a drill-press, some files and emery paper. It fires 3mm shot pellets (0.118 inch diameter) and has a maximum load of 0.2 grains of blackpowder. It has a barrel length of 8mm (0.315″) and can fire 6 meters (20 feet)

Anyways. I started with a load of about 0.2gr Swiss #2 but this did just a sizzling sound, so from the next shots on I used Swiss #1 (which is even finer in granulation: about 0.011 to 0.015 inch) which produced a nice snapping. Cheesy.

The touch hole is 0.5 millimeters = close to 0.02 inch (that makes it about 16% of the bore diameter (if one may still call it so).

Priming was done by filling the touch hole granule by granule; sweaty hands help maneuvering these tiny particlesin place.

First I wanted to enlarge the touch hole to fuse diameter and keep the rest at the smaller diameter (to keep some pressure) but the wall thickness is that small, that this wasnot possible.

Ignition with a lighter proofed to be better than trying to do it with a match: the flame produces soot but therefore does not function (kept them as size reference on the photo though).

Whatever. At first I thought that the shot would barely leve the muzzle: wrong!

Firing from the kitchen table I shot dimples into the door! This was 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) away! By the trajectory (angle of the mortar and height of impact) this means an estimated firing distance of 6 meters (about 20 feet): I would never have guessed this to be possible with a piece that has a barrel length of just 8 millimeters (0.315 inch).

The “Pico Mortar” being fired

“Pico Mortar” blueprints

Rickk built the “Nano Cannon”

The “Nano Cannon”

Now I know what only the others who have made one know… what the tremendous roar they make sounds like Grin

Bore is 3/16 (.186), so it will take a BB. Fuse is 5/64, so it will takes 1/16 fuse.

Trunions, as well as cascable, are 3/16 inch steel rod pressed into shallow 3/16 holes and then brazed in place.

All the work was done on my drill press, with some help from an angle grinder and a file for shaping.

It needs a pit more polishing, but I just couldn’t wait to fire it ! Total time into is so far is about 2 hours.

The “Nano Cannon” with carriage

I found the smoldering paper towel pieces about 15 feet away, and the gun recoils back about 6 inches!

BTW, for BB caliber, Q-tips make excellent cleaning rods.

Terry C. built the the very first micro-gonne. A hand gonne is a hand held cannon. It fires #4 buckshot.

the micro-gonne

The micro hand gonne being fired. Note the wooden rod attached.

Victor build a bigger scale hand gonne:

Available soon from Firebox for £14.95. I want one
Hat Tip: Toyology via Gizmodo

This company sell camo paint stencils for painting firearms. They also have lots of tips on using stencils, which are just as applicable to home made stencils.

Please don’t do this to your firearm.

Zak has written a very interesting article on “Fighting Optics for the AR-15″. He focuses on M4 type rifles and SBRs (Short barreled rifles).

Now that optics have come of age on fighting rifles, one of the most compelling reasons to have a longer barrel has been removed. With iron sights such as those on the M16A2, practical accuracy depends on sight radius; it is easier to shoot accurately with more distance between the front and rear sight. Optical sights have no sight radius; barrel or weapon length is now separated from the ability to obtain a precise sight picture. This change allows a 14.5-inch M4 to have the same sighting precision as a 20-inch M16A2 or even sniper rifle.

M4 with Trijicon ACOG 4x

Read it here.

James analyses the cool looking guns used in the move “Big Jake” (1971). Well worth a read.

More here.

I just really like the design. Simple and functional. It looks like it should fire something more powerful than the 7.62×25mm Tokarev.

SinoDefense:

The Type 79 submachine gun is more or less patterned after the Type 56 (AK-47) assault rifle. It uses gas-operated, rotary bolt action with short stroke gas piston located above barrel. The bolt group and fire mode/safety switch are similar to those of the Type 56 rifle. The barrel, receiver, pistol grip, magazine and shoulder stock are all made from stamped steel. The weapon fires 7.62 X 25mm pistol cartridge in either single or fully automatic mode. Ammunitions are fed from a straight box magazine that holds 20 rounds. Shoulder stock folds up and forward when not in use.

Hat Tip: MP.net

Mini 14 rifles are infamous for their poor accuracy. Even the target model only offers 1 MOA with a barrel tuner. Accuracy Systems sell custom mini 14 rifles that shoot sub MOA.

This of course comes at a price. The “Ultra Match Premium Air Gauged Barrel (Stainless steel) Complete Package” costs $799.95. And you need to supply the rifle! On the positive side it appears you can choose a caliber:

1. 416 Stainless steel air gauged barrel
2. Barrel diameters- 1″ Bull, .875″ Varmint, .750″ medium and .625″
3. Length from 16″ to 24″
4. Twist rate to be determined by us depending on the weight & caliber of bullet. Finish on barrel satin matte or brushed.
5. 3 point steel bedding pillars
6. New operating rod where needed or upgrade yours
7. True bolt & action if needed
8. 3.5# match trigger with set and over travel if needed.
9. New over sized hand guard to fit thicker barrel
10. New gas block, sling swivel, gas pipe and operating rod cup bushing
11. Sub MOA accuracy guarantee ( 1.040″ is a MOA) Selected Ammo
12. Calibers available @ this price. .223 Rem., .222 Rem, .204 Ruger, 6mm X .223, .17 Rem. Others call for pricing.

Here are some of their other products

Guaranteed 1 MOA or better @ 100 yards. Price: $2199.95

1/2″ MOA or better @ 100 yards. Price: $1939.95

ASI Bull Pup Carbine Standard Model. Price: $1617.00

ASI Accurized Mini 14 Urban Brawler.

Here is a video showing the recoil reduction system (muzzle break):

Hat Tip: Tech, Guns, and Food

I am is back!

I am still loaded with more work that I can handle, so posting is going to be restricted to one post / day, for the next couple of week.

Winchester has launched a reduced recoil .260 S&W for hunting. They claim it has 50% less recoil than a regular .460 S&W cartridge. The reduce recoil comes at a cost of approx. 34% less muzzle energy.

The press release:

For 2008, Winchester Ammunition offers a reduced recoil load for the .460 S&W Magnum, allowing shooters more pleasurable target sessions and hunting options. A proven big bore hunting caliber, the .460 S&W provides excellent energy transfer and deep penetration. The new Winchester Super-X® .460 S&W Reduced Recoil round features a 250-grain jacketed hollow point bullet, a muzzle velocity of 1,450 feet per second (fps) and an impressive 1,517 foot-pounds of muzzle energy.

Engineered to offer nearly 50-percent reduction in recoil compared to full power loads, while still retaining enough energy for hunting at normal handgun distances, the new .460 S&W Reduced Recoil load is an ideal choice for deer-sized game, predators and target shooting. The more manageable recoil also allows hunters the benefit of quicker follow-up shots.

The reduced load still has significantly more muzzle energy than the .44 Magnum.

Left to right: .460 S&W Magnum, .454 Casull,
.44 Magnum, .45ACP, .22LR

I am under a lot of pressure at work. Blogging will be sparse for the next couple of days

I cam across this interesting M14 made by Harrington & Richardson on gunbroker. It features a folding stock and a lightened receiver. The rifle was made in 1961 for military trials into a folding stock rifle for use by paratroopers, vehicle drivers, and tank crews.

The price: $29,995.00 (it is a class III)

Click to expand the photos.

Over the past 10 years the Swiss conscript army have had 4300 firearms lost or stolen from their homes (the army issues firearms to citizens to keep at home). Although it should be pointed out that an estimated 1.5 million army firearms are in circulation.

In that year 82 rifles were stolen from an army depot in Marly in French-speaking Switzerland, bringing the 2006 total to 84 rifles plus 15 pistols.

Endrich told the Swiss news agency that the army did not keep statistics that made a distinction between lost or stolen weapons. Those that simply disappear are categorised as lost, he said.

Under Swiss law, all able-bodied men aged 20-30 are conscripted for about three months and are issued with a rifle. They are required to do up to four weeks of army service a year until they have served 260 days or are aged 34.

Throughout this time they keep the rifles – but no ammunition - at home. According to some estimates there could be as many as 1.5 million army weapons in circulation.

SIG SG 550: Swiss standard service rifle

More here.