Magpul Dynamics' Magpul Art of the Tactical Carbine, Second Edition is gong to be released in Blu-Ray. The trailer looks beautiful (make sure you watch it in HD 720p).
[ Many thanks to Eric for emailing me the link. ]
When I first read about Hornady's .17 Hornet, a necked down .22 Hornet, I was skeptical. I just assumed it was the classic ammunition marketeers tactic of taking an old cartridge and necking it up or down and then telling the world it was the best cartridge ever designed. I could not have been more wrong
The .17 Hornet loaded with a 20 grain bullet performs significant better than .22 Hornet loaded with a 35 grain or 45 grain bullet. At 300 yards, a 35 grain .22 Hornet bullet will be travelling at about 1126 ft/s, (99 ft/lbs of energy). A 20 grain .17 Hornet bullet at 300 yards will be travelling almost than twice as fast, 2122 ft/s, with more than twice the energy (200 ft/lbs). At 300 yards a 45 grain .22 Hornet performs slightly better at 300 yards (127 ft/lbs of energy), but the .17 Hornet still has it beat by a large margin.
THe .17 Hornet works in the same actions as the .22 Hornet, all that is needed to convert a .22 Hornet gun to .17 Hornet is a barrel change.
The Hornady .17 Hornet is loaded with Superformance powder and a V-Max bullet. MSRP is $25.27/box.
Last night I had a dream where I was at the range (many of my dreams start at the range). A friend asked me if a 9mm Luger load with a heavier bullet would shoot more accuracy. I turned around, unziped my range bag and took out pre-primed cases, bullets of the correct weight and a box of compressed powder pellets. I put the powder pellet into the case, screwed in the bullet and then handed the loaded cartridge to my friend.
The concept my unconscious brain come up hinges on having a polymer case with internal screw threads that will break off when the round is fired. The hard copper threads of the bullet should cleanly strip the polymer case threads.
I like the idea of being able to create a custom load on demand is nifty, but this idea is fraught with numerous problems. The bullet seat depth could not be controlled, the cases would need to be pre-primed, compressed powder does not burn as well as uncompressed powder (and powders would need to be developed), bullets would be more expensive and accuracy would not be as good as a conventional loaded round. Don't expect Steve's Special Supreme Modular Polymer Rounds to appear on the shelf of your local ammo retailer anytime soon.
Earlier this year a company called G.Skill introduced AR-15 inspired PC RAM. Gigabyte has now introduced a motherboard inspired by the Stoner's iconic rifle.
All I want to know is if those picatinny rails are mil-spec.
[ Many thanks to Mirza for emailing me the link. ]
DoubleTapper has reviewed a very nifty Israeli-made PDW-style AR-15 called the Silver Shadow Gilboa APR (Assault Pistol Rifle). This small gun has a forward bolt return spring, eliminating the need for a buffer tube and thus reducing its size.
Travis Haley latest DVD is entitled "Adaptive Handgun".
Panteao Productions is selling pre-orders for the DVD for $50, but you can also watch it with a subscription to their streaming service which costs $17.95/month (definitely the cheaper option if you only plan on watching it once).
The March, 1932 issue of Modern Mechanix described a nighttime gun sight that worked by throwing a very focused beam of light at the target. It was operated just like todays laser gun sights.
From Modern Mechanix ...
A GUN sight for night firing, which may be attached to any revolver or pistol, has recently been patented and will soon be marketed by Ray Helm of Chicago, Ill.
The device, which has been especially designed for night police duty, consists of six small powerful condensers, an electric bulb, a special reflector, and a switch to make contact with small batteries.
When the gun is aimed and the switch pressed by the thumb of the gun hand the light indicates where the bullet will strike. The light carries for 250 feet and reflects on the target a light round spot about the size of a baseball at the point where the bullet will hit.
The sight is accurate up to its full range on large calibre arms, as the point blank range, for which no allowance need be made for gravity, is usually about this distance. On smaller arms it would be necessary to aim the light a few inches above the point for which the bullet is intended.
I was not able to locate the patent for this device. I believe this sight was one of the many snake-oil gun-related inventions published by Modern Mechanix. Even today, with our lithium batteries, high-performance LED lamps and relatively cheap high-quality optics, a device as small as the one pictured in the illustration above would be hard to construct.
[ Many thanks to Sven (Defence and Freedom) for emailing me the the info. ]
Impact Armor Technologies, an Ohio-based manufacturer of ceramic armor, has developed a ballistic armored clipboard for law enforcement officers.
I have never been involved in law enforcement, and don't profess to know a thing about police tactics, but I can't help wondering how useful such a device is in the real world. Its only practical use, that I can see, is protecting the head or, if not wearing a ballistic vest, the chest in a situation where both retreat or returning fire is not an option. On the other hand it does look like quite a decent clipboard with a large rubberized grip.
Current and former peace officers, please tell us what you think in the comments below.
[ Many thanks to Victor for emailing us the link. ]
[Hat Tip: GizMag]
S&W has expanded the recall of Thompson Center Venture Rifles. They are now recalling all Thompson Center Venture rifles manufactured before October 28 2011.
PRODUCT: ALL Thompson Center Venture Rifles manufactured prior to October 28, 2011.
DESCRIPTION OF THE HAZARD: During an internal technical review, Smith & Wesson identified a condition that may exist with the sear supplied with some rifles that would allow the rifle to fire without the trigger being pulled. In the interest of consumer safety, we are initiating this recall to allow for the prompt inspection and, if necessary, the repair of each rifle.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRODUCT INVOLVED: This broadens the recall announced by Smith & Wesson on November 8, 2011. This recall applies to ALL Venture rifles manufactured prior to October 28, 2011. To determine if your rifle is affected, please reference the serial number list located at www.smith-wesson.com/venturerecall or by calling Smith & Wesson directly at 1-800-713-0356. If your serial number does not fall within the list of affected serial numbers, your rifle is not part of this recall.
REMEDY/ACTION TO BE TAKEN: STOP USING YOUR RIFLE. Any unintended discharge of a firearm has the potential to cause injury or death, and we ask that you stop using your rifle until we have an opportunity to inspect the sear to make certain that there is no condition which will allow the rifle to fire without the trigger being pulled. To facilitate the inspection and, if necessary, repair of your rifle, please contact Smith & Wesson’s customer service department to receive instructions and a prepaid return label for the return of your rifle to Smith & Wesson. When you return your rifle to Smith & Wesson, be sure to attach the completed information card received from Smith & Wesson, so that your rifle can be returned to you as quickly and efficiently as possible.
VERIFICATION OF CORRECTIVE ACTION: When your rifle is returned, you should note a punch dot on the trigger assembly. See the photograph below. This punch dot is confirmation that your sear has been inspected and the hazard has not been found or has been corrected. When your rifle sear is returned, you should also note a red checkmark on the label on the outside of your box. See the photograph above. This checkmark is further confirmation that your sear has been inspected and the hazard has not been found or has been corrected.
CONSUMER CONTACT: Please contact Smith & Wesson directly at 1-800-713-0356, or at venturerecall@smith-wesson.com to arrange for the inspection and repair, if necessary, of your rifle.
My good friend and fellow blogger Mike Mollenhour has decreased the Kindle price of his second novel, Amazon Avenger, to just $0.99. If you like Tom Clancy-style thrillers with realistic gun play, then I highly recommend this book.
On a side note, if you have never tried using a Kindle or similar ebook reader, please go into a store and try one. Even when publishers offer to send me free books I instead opt to buy on the Kindle because the reading experience is so much more pleasant.
