The Firearm Blog

Introduced in Italy in 2004, the Beretta U22 Neos Carbine Kit has finally made its way stateside.

The kit includes a 16" barrel (1:16 twist), forend, stock (which replaces pistol grip), weaver rail, adjustable aperture rear sight and TruGlo front sight. No gunsmithing is needed to install it.

The Kit will retail for about $280. Not cheap!

What is in the box

The forward assist on the AR-15 has always been controversial. Stoner did not want to add it but was made to by the military. Many say that if a round cannot be chambered, and especially if it cannot be pushed in using the bolt carrier thumb groove, it should be ejected and not jammed into the gun.

There is an interesting discussion at ARFCOM discussing the use of a forward assist if low temperatures freeze the gun's lubricant.

I was upstate this weekend, temp was 0-6 in the am when I was shooting. My colt 6400 was lightly lubed and I used the fa about 4 times in the process of shooting 120 rounds. I was using federal 55gr ammo. The stops occured after shooting a mag going to check out the target. The lube was a little clumpy, kind of grainy. I know if I used rem oil this problem would of never happened but I didn't and the fa helped. The lube froze up in the upper, combined with the possible metal contraction caused the bolt not to fully close.

For the record, I tried pushing the bolt forward using my thumb and it worked but the fa was so much easier.

Forward assist on Ruger SR-556. Photo © Gregory

( and on a side note: Alternative Small Arms Lubricants : Using Motor Oil in Extreme Temperature )

[ Many thanks to jdun1911 for emailing me the link. ]

A company is selling speed loaders for the .500 S&W! These monsters are machined out of aluminum billet and hold 5 rounds.

I can't help but think that a better solution than a .500 S&W speedloader is simply to keep far away from lion prides, rhino herds and dinosaur parks.

Veeshir said to me in an email ..

The prices are decent, the .500 at $25 are kinda high dollar but they make the only ones I've ever seen and it is a lot of aluminum, the rest are $15, or only $5 more than Cheaper than Dirt, plastic ones.

They'll make whatever you want too, if you click their links you can see they're CNC machines, they'll do one offs for people.

I got two for the .500 and they look good out of the box. Nice machining, no rough edges or burrs or anything, and they worked fine the few times I tried. Nice and smooth. I just got them today, but so far they look really good.

Veeshir wrote a review here.

[ Many thanks to Veeshir for the info. ]

I recently exchanged a few emails with a Japanese guy who makes blank firing replica guns. Apparently building replicas is a popular hobby over there. Their guns are pretty amazing.

Someone needs to give these guys a greencard, machine shop and a gun range. I am sure they would be able to cook up some interesting weapons if they lived in a country where it was legal to do so.

[ Many thanks to KEI for the info. ]

One of the major product launches at SHOT Show was the launch of the S&W Bodyguard Series.

Smith & Wesson have applied the Bodyguard name to a variety of lightweight wheel guns over the past 50 or 60 years. The latest iteration of the Bodyguard brand again includes a light weight revolver but also, cleverly, a light weight pistol (offering something for everyone).

The Bodyguard 380 pistol and Bodyguard 38 Revolver were both designed with similar objectives in mind. Both are lightweight compacts, both are chambered in low-powered .38 caliber cartridges, both have a similar black finish and, notably, both come standard with a built-in laser sight.

The laser sight is a feature S&W will be marketing heavily. The INSIGHT manufactured lasers feature ambi control, constant and pulse modes, windage and elevation adjustment and three hour continuous operation.

The booth was lit up with red lights (emphasizing the laser capability)

S&W Bodyguard 380 Pistol

This pistol is a brand new design. It is lightweight at 11.85 ounces, although not quite as light as the Kel-Tec P-3AT which weights in at just 8.3 oz. Its polymer frame with integral laser has a cool futurist look to it.

It is double action, has an external safety and can hold 6+1 rounds of .380 ACP ammunition.

S&W Bodyguard 380 Revolver

The Bodyguard 380 is a lightweight J-Frame with aluminum/polymer frame and steel cylinder. While less exciting than the above autoloader, it is a decent compact revolver. It features an ambidextrous cylinder release on top and fully enclosed hammer for snag-free drawing. The laser is mounted on the left side (laser switch is mounted on top for ambidextrous use).

[ Y-Man, our resident Nigerian shotgunner, continues his series of guest articles about his quest to build the perfect shotgun. Being one of the lucky few in Africa to legally own a gun, he has to fabricate many parts and ammunition himself because supplies of gun parts are so limited. For the first time, we have videos of Y-Man in person! ]

He listened to the advice and made the following modifications to his shotgun. You can read the previous article in The Saga of the Nigerian Shotgun series here. This is a guest post was written by Y-Man. ]

Guys, thanks for all your advice and encouragement, I went shooting again 20 DEC 2009, and I seem to have got my accuracy "mojo" back! It was obviously the sights or lack of causing this accuracy problem. I cannot discount also that different guns might respond to the same ammunition in different ways: especially smooth-bore 12-ga shotguns firing "smaller than bore-size home-made slugs. If you guys remember from previous posts: after my Turkish semi-auto shotgun "died" an unnatural death, I got me a sweet, solid Mossberg 500A, 18.5"Bbl, No choke, No vent rib, tactical heat-shield, 6+1, bead sight, PGO. It was almost new, had never been fired, but had been cleaned and oiled. As usual with me: I wasn’t satisfied with just the bead sight or the PGO, so I have been doing quite a lot of fabrication to get me some GOOD stuff done!

Sights

First, I did some shooting with the factory bead: POOR results even at 30 meters with my slugs. Then I removed the factory bead, and tested using an old Tri-Viz Turkey sight I had: accuracy was still POOR. Then I did something crazy (Temporary, but crazy!) I fastened a simple aluminum tube (From an old, discarded Flashlight) to the barrel: using two clips (The type used for rubber hoses.). I aligned it to the barrel by eye, and off to the range I went! I began getting hit after hit on 1' x 1' steel plate at 40 meters! A few NEAR misses, but if it had been a man-sized target: that would have been DRT!

Of course: the aluminum tube was just a field-expedient "poor man's scope": no reticules (Just center your target within the circle of the tube!) No magnification... But it gave me my confidence back! I also fired a few rounds from 100metres: of course: no hits! I just did it for the fun of it. The slugs going downrange had a lovely "wheeee!" sound to them...

I later improved further on my sights fabrication just today: I got a washer welded onto a hose-clip and welded a bit of steel bolt into the circle to create/ fabricate a "Y-Man Peep sight!" It’s getting better! I will test soon and let you guys know...

See photos of Y-Man peep sights: http://www.flickr.com/photos/44877118@N04/sets/72157623050200929/ A friend and colleague who just went back to Louisiana on Christmas vacation popped into the Bass Pro shop in Baton Rouge, and he has picked up a Bushnell Shotgun scope and a B-Square saddle mount for me...

I fixed the B-Square Shotgun rail mount/ saddle, and the Bushnell Banner Shotgun scope to my shotgun. Everything went on my Mossberg 500A Pump Action Shotgun fine.

But anyone with a sharp eye can see that the scope points UP, and is NOT aligned with the angle of the barrel. I thought nothing of it until I went testing.

I fired 20 slugs, some from as close as 20 feet: NOT A SINGLE HIT! All this on a 1 foot square target!

All the rounds were going below point of aim.

You can see the reason why here:

In addition to this: after a few shots: the B-Square mounting rings got loose. One of the clamps had thrown the thread before: and I had used a simple nut and bolt to hold it tight to the rail. That one held through all the firing. But the one that was factory: broke after 5 shots!

I went home disappointed!

I even gave up completely about the scope, and started doing my usual"out of the box" thinking to set up a "proper" ghost ring sight system for my shotgun.

Then I got some "crazy" ideas. (As usual!): I got rid of the mounting rings, drilled holes in the B-square mount, and used hose clips to hold the scope securely to the mount! I used a little bit of aluminum to raise the back part of the scope to align it properly by putting it between the scope and the rail before tightening.

The fitting is tight and strong. It looks and feels like it could take quite a pounding and not shift nor shake.

To be sure, before going to do any testing (Using up ammo) I did a "poor man’s bore-sighting" first... No laser available: so I used a strong flashlight that has a diameter of 18mm. I switched that on, slotted it into the muzzle: and sighted in with the scope. At different distances: the reticules of the scope centered perfectly on the projected circle of light!

I went testing and accuracy is GOOD! I got a wonderful cheek-weld, and was getting hit after hit on a target (about 11"x 8") placed about 70 yards distant: 70 YARDS! Video Number 3...

Stock

I have finally fabricated a good stock that works. Made originally out of Chrome-Vanadium quality steel rod, it is more of a skeleton stock: fastened at both the top of the pistol grip, and at the bottom of the grip. It works very well. I first padded the steel rod all along the length of it with thick felt, then covered it professionally with strong but soft goat-skin leather (A professional leather-worker did some tight, quality stitching of the leather all round. I also fixed a felt "recoil pad" and worked out a sling... It all works quite well...

Photos of Stock before and after padding

(See stock AFTER padding in the video above)

I have made some videos showing shooting tests that I did with these modifications for which I would appreciate your comments and opinions: both here and on Youtube. Also: there’s a video of my process of converting Birdshot into slugs, using basic tools. (The new key thing is that I have now created a mold out of a piece of barrel from an old shotgun. Since it is from a piece of shotgun barrel without chokes: it turns out a perfect 0.729" slug.)

Check photos here.

Cheers, and happy New Year; y’all!

By now you have probably heard about the news that the IRS is buying Remington 870 shotguns. Why? Who knows. I have never heard of a government tax collection agency arming themselves. Regardless of the social issues associated with arming tax collectors, you must give those accountants some credit: they know how to choose a decent gun. The IRS Shotgun (as it shall know be known on TFB) is pimped-out 14" short barreled Remington 870. It is similar to the Remington MCS Tactical Entry/CQB Shotgun (pictured below).

Remington 870 Modular Combat Shotgun in the Tactical Entry/CQB Weapon configuration (14" barrel)

When cutting down the barrel length of a shotgun, or tube magazine fed rifle, you lose magazine capacity as you shorten it. The 14" length is a good compromise length and in an 870 can accommodate 5+1 capacity.

The IRS Shotty specifications also calls for a Wilson Combat Ghost Ring rear sight, XS4 Contour Bead front sight, Knoxx Reduced Recoil Adjustable Stock and and Speedfeed ribbed black forend.

The Knoxx stock features a spring system which slows down recoil

[ Many thanks to all the readers who for emailed me the link. ]

This Bushmaster ACR was on display at Magpul's SHOT Show booth. Bushmaster will almost certainly introduce an ACR finished in the A-TACS Camo scheme, although they have not announced anything yet.

This graph shows the price (MSRP) of 5.56mm rifles that were launched over the past year (and the HK556 which has not yet been launched). Looking at this chart, it seems unlikely that the ACR would have ever been launched at under $2000.

Prepare to be disappointed ... the MSRP of the HK416 / MR556 / HK556 / MR556-A5 is $2995. This price is similar to the FN SCAR 16S and the Bushmaster ACR. This price is for the 16" barreled model.

[ Many thanks to ST for emailing me the link. ]