The Firearm Blog

Tomorrows (Wednesday) episode of Mythbusters takes a look at movie sound effect myths. They will be investigating if movies silencers sound like the real thing. (Spoiler Alert: They don't!)

[Hat Tip: Snowflakes in Hell]

Sig had many weapons on display at IWA, including several 516s. One was actually Made in Germany and featured a number of differences from the US-market 516s, which I go over in the video. I’m not sure exactly where in Germany it was made, because I saw no signs of AR production at Eckernförde, where Sig pistols are produced. I’m thinking that it was produced and assembled along with the Blaser rifles at that factory, which is in a different part of the country.

I looked at the weapon with a fairly critical eye, but I don’t think I was too hard on it. What do you guys think?

Benelli’s MR1 is a development of their ARGO rifle (sold in the United States as the R1), which is itself related to the excellent Benelli M4 shotgun, in use by the US Marine Corps as the M1014.

While the M4 makes good use of the ARGO gas system and offers a true  - if expensive – improvement over combat shotguns of the past, the MR1 is, in my opinion, a significant step back from current and former automatic and semiautomatic rifles. Most of these issues relate to the ergonomics of turning a tube-fed semi-auto shotgun into a magazine-fed semi-auto rifle. I explain more in the video.

Given the price of the MR1 and its ergonomic shortcomings, I think that the Kalashnikov platform would be a much better choice, and the Czech Vz-58 better still. They offer some of the same features such as a gas piston operating system and a chrome lined, hammer forged barrel, but at a much lower price point and with comparable, if not improved, control locations. From a US perspective, they’re much more available with features that Benelli isn’t willing to import, and are supported by a strong aftermarket presence.

Ruger has just introduced a cheaper model of the SR-556 called the SR-556E. It will retail for $1369, over $600 cheaper than the standard and compact SR-556 models. Other than the price, its most notable point of difference is a cheaper handguard that has only a 12 o'clock rail. Rails can be purchased that will screw into the 3, 6 & 9 o'clock positions.

Ruger is not clear on what the 'E' ('Essential' or maybe 'Economy') version of the SR-556 lacks compared to the standard SR-556 and SR-556C. From what I can make out looking at the photo, it lacks the following ...

• Quad rail & rail covers
• Troy Folding BattleSights
• Barrel and chamber are not chromed
• Bolt carrier, bolt & extactor are not chromed.
• Houge pistol grip.
• Ships with only one P-Mag magazine (the standard model ships with three)

Note, it does ship with the soft case and the gas system is chromed (chrome-lined gas block, chrome-plated piston and regulator).

It weighs a fraction less than the SR-556C and 0.58 lbs less than the standard SR-556. The SR-556 is well known for being heavy.

I am back from my vacation. I enjoyed a refreshing break in a very remote seaside location with no TV and poor mobile reception. I sadly missed the NRA Annual Meeting, but fortunately missed the royal wedding coverage and did a whole lot of fishing.

I hope y'all enjoyed the guest posts from our guest bloggers. I think they did an excellent job and I thoroughly enjoyed reading them.

Many thanks (in no particular oder) to Doug, James, Steve, Thomas Gomez, Charles, Brian, Aaron Spuler, Matt Groom, Nathan, Chris Baker, Andre, Wayne, Jon, savethegun, M.J. Mollenhour, Alex, John and Michael.

A special apology to Wayne Watson who did not get credited as the author of his guest post. This has not been fixed.

Finally a major gun manufacturer has produced a 5.56mm chambered bolt action that uses the AR-15 magazine. This gives the operator a lot of flexibility, allowing them to choose from any number of aftermarket magazines in a variety of capacities from 5 rounds right up to 60 rounds (I don't think a 100 or 150 round C-Mag would fit the rifle).

Mossberg MVP (Mossberg Varmint Predator) Series, as the name suggests, has been designed for varmint & predator hunters and long-range competitive shooters. It features a pillar bedded benchrest / varmint style stock, a fluted medium bull barrel and fluted bolt. It uses the Mossberg LBA user-adjustable trigger.

The MSRP of the standard model us $649. There is another model with includes a bipod and scope installed at the factory, which sells for $796.

Flashbang Bra Holster is an interesting concept. According to the designer, the gun can he unholstered and fired in under 1.5 seconds with very little training.

Would this be a comfortable way to carry? Having never worn a bra, I have no idea. Maybe some of our female readers can share their opinions in the comments.

It is currently only sold on ebay. The holster costs $40 and is available for the Kel-Tec P3AT, S&W J Frame, S&W Bodyguard 38, Ruger LCP and Ruger LCR.

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

Ruger 10/22 fanboys and girls rejoice! Ruger is finally sell a high quality 25 round magazine for the Ruger 10/22.

The magazine feeds rounds at the correct 30-degree angle, has steel feed lips, uses a constant force spring (no speed loader needed) and can be disassembled for cleaning. The MSRP is $30.

Since about the time I started blogged, back in 2007, Ruger has been shedding itself of the legacy of founder Bill Ruger, who famously (or infamously) declared that "No honest man needs more than 10 rounds in any gun." and "I never meant for simple civilians to have my 20 or 30 round magazines or my folding stock.".

In the last few years, Ruger has introduced a AR-15, a high capacity pistol, a high capacity magazine for the Mini-14 and now, the last holdout, a high capacity magazine for the Ruger 10/22.

From the BX-25 press release ...

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE: RGR), announces that owners of America's most popular autoloading rimfire rifle, the Ruger® 10/22®, can enjoy the extended fun offered by the new 25-round BX-25™ magazine. The new, genuine Ruger BX-25 magazine features the same correct angle feed lips that deliver the famous reliability of factory BX-1™ 10-round rotary magazines.

The BX-25 magazine will work in all vintages of Ruger 10/22 and SR-22® rifles, as well as all Ruger Charger™ pistols. The BX-25 magazines have stainless steel feed lips and use a stainless steel "constant force" spring. The anti-tilt follower is injection molded from Celcan - a high lubricity polyacetal. The magazine body halves are injection molded from durable glass-filled nylon.

"These are genuine Ruger factory magazines. We designed them. We didn't license and rebrand someone else's magazines," said Ruger CEO Michael Fifer. "We tested the BX-25 magazines extensively and they work as well as the original Ruger BX-1 rotary magazine, the gold standard for rimfire autoloading reliability," he continued.

[ This guest post was written by John ]

A short article on how to stipple a pistol. If you have ever trained while it was hot or rainy, you may have noticed that your polymer pistol (Glock, XD, M&P) becomes slippery. One remedy for this is to stipple your pistol. Note: Before stippling your pistol properly unload your firearm and remove the slide from the frame.

Tools

Here is a list of tools that you will need:

• Soldering Iron ($20 from a craft store)
• 220 and 400 grit sandpaper ($6 from any home improvement store)
• Tape

How To

First you will need to decide where you want stipple on your pistol i.e. just the sides, just the back strap, or the entire grip. You can stipple anywhere on the frame. To start, I recommend just stippling the left and right sides of the grip; Glocks and XDs give you a nice box already outlined on the frame.

Once you have decided where you will stipple the pistol, cover the rest of the frame with tape to ensure you stay within the lines. Decide which attachment you will use and heat up the soldering iron. I recommend using the flat tip, if you search “stipple a Glock” on youtube.com you can see the pros and cons of each. All you have to do is touch the soldering iron to the pistol and it will make the stipple. The harder you press the deeper the stipple, too hard and you could press through your frame. (Note: In order to press through the frame you would have to stand up and press the iron into the frame with the entire weight of your body.) By going slow you will ensure that the soldering iron remains hot, you will have to pause every so often in order for the iron to heat back up and will have to scrap the polymer off the soldering iron tip. Don’t worry about your pattern; once the stipple area is filled in the pattern will look fine. When using the flat tip, I like to make slanted lines over the entire area then go back over the area with slanted lines in the opposite direction.

The stippling is now complete. Let your pistol cool off then start sanding with the 220 grit sandpaper to smooth the rough edges, moving to the 400 grit sandpaper to finish off the sanding. Ensure there are no rough edges that could give you blisters or put holes in your shirt when carrying concealed.

Conclusion

Stippling is a great way to make your pistol have permanent grip. Remember, once you stipple your pistol you will not be able to change it, if you damage your frame by pressing too hard, the manufacturer will not replace your pistol. That said, I love my stippled pistol and feel that it is a great option for those of us that train very aggressively with our firearms

Questions and comments are welcomed below.

[ This guest post was written by Michael. ]

The Pedersen Automatic, or Remington model 51, found little favor in its life between the Great War and the following depression, though not for its lack of mechanical merit. John Pedersen, also known for the Pedersen device which converted the Springfield 1903 into a semi-automatic .30 carbine whose utility was deprecated after WWI and the development of the M1 carbine; the .276 Pesersen cartridge that the M1 Garand was to be chambered in until logistics of ammunition distribution, unfortunately, cast it aside as well; and his toggle-delayed self-loading rifle requiring lubricated cartridges, which did not pass American army trials against the Garand and was not successfully marketed to the Japanese between the wars.

Remington Model 51

The model 51 was a pocket pistol chambered in .380, and later .32 ACP, but not of the conventional direct-blowback design. It features a momentum block to retard the action from coming out of battery until pressure is lowered. The momentum block is situated inside the slide, and in its locked position, extends below and engages the shoulder on the frame, disallowing pressure on the breech face from further opening the action.

Momentum block assembled inside slide, locked and unlocked.

Upon firing, the recoil moves both the slide and block rearward about 2mm for the slide to gain the necessary initial momentum required for the action, at which point the protruding momentum block comes to a stop against the locking shoulder of the frame, arresting its movement and keeping its face against the chamber, containing the pressures. As the slide continues its rearward travel from the initial impulse, a ramped surface on its interior engages an opposing ramped surface on the momentum block, pulling it upwards and inside the slide, thereby disengaging it form the frame allowing the group to fully recoil and cycle the weapon. The barrel, while fixed, was not pressed into the frame as many of similar design were, but held stationary by the takedown pin, allowing for both the removal of the slide and the captive recoil spring around the barrel.

This atypical system of delay, not fully dependent on the mass of the slide as other designs were, allowed the slide to be more delicate and thinner, making it more comfortably pocketed and shaving a couple ounces off compared to other guns of the same size. Other than the slim profile and weight of the pistol, there were other innovations as well. It features a magazine safety, a grip safety that blocked the sear, and the manual safety locked the grip safety, allowing it to be carried chambered with great confidence. The entire pistol could be detail stripped without the employ of any tools; this of course becomes of great novelty once the operator discovers it instead requires three hands.

In its decline, it was also prototyped in .45ACP and accepted for trials by the navy, but again pushed aside in favor of Remington escalating 1911 production for WWII.

More objectively, the grip shape and angle provide an excellent natural point of aim, followed by a crisp trigger pull, a mild and smooth recoil, and accuracy only limited by the round and the shooter. Though nearly six decades my senior, it still accompanies my 1911 with me when I feel inclined to have a backup.