Archive for the 'Firearms' Category

For the record, I don’t think the DOJ/ATF was trying to clarify anything.  I think they intended to muddy the waters and use fear as a tactic.  Also for the record, I don’t think fear is going to work as a tactic.

Paul answers his critics.  I dream of an America where pests don’t badger Paul with idiotic comments and make him spend time addressing stupid things.  But his breakdown of Biden’s shotgun advice is priceless.

Then there is this from Mountain Guerrilla.

“Since it evokes commentary in every class I do……I lubricate my rifles with copious amounts of whatever motor oil happens to be on sale at the gas station when I’m enroute to the class, and I’m pretty sure I haven’t cleaned any of our primary rifles in at least five months…..somewhere in the vicinity of 7000-8000 rounds per weapon….and they still run flawlessly……motor oil is designed to do what? Protect and lubricate high-velocity, reciprocating pistons in a machine (your car)….what is your bolt carrier group? A high-velocity, reciprocating piston …”

I knew most of this already.  The main points are that you never get something for nothing.  A long barrel causes the .357 magnum to shine.  That round beats the .38 Spl by a non-trivial margin.  It does so in both the short barrel wheelgun and the long barrel (although more so with the longer barrel).

However, splits to followup shots, ability to control recoil, gun weight, concealability, etc., are all factors in making a decision on what to carry, and when.

Outdoor Life.

These are some nice rifles, and they all shoot < 1 MOA out of the box.  I especially like the Tikka T3X Lite and the Savage 110 Hunter.

Of course, you could go with the Savage 110 Ultralite with its carbon fiber wrapped barrel, and get an even lighter rifle (< 6 pounds).  But then you’d be spending twice what you’d pay for the Savage 110 Hunter to reduce rifle weight by one pound.  And get a prettier looking gun.

Prior:

First Focal Plane Versus Second Focal Plane

The Importance Of Setting Your Parallax

Shooting Illustrated.

Proofing—as the term pertains to firearms—refers to the test of a fully assembled firearm or component of a firearm with a high-pressure cartridge, or series of cartridges in the case of a revolver, that can be as much as 30-percent higher pressure than the recommended industry safety standard for a given round.

It is essentially a stress test on a firearm or component of a firearm by firing one or more “proof cartridges” to ensure the structural integrity of the gun or part being tested. Once the proof cartridge or cartridges are fired, the gun is inspected to verify no damage to any of the parts of the gun has incurred. If none was sustained from the proofing procedure, the firearm is deemed mechanically sound and ready to enter the distribution chain.

Depending on the manufacturer and/or country of origin, the frame, barrel and slide of a pistol may be stamped with a mark signifying successful completion of the test procedure. Other firearms may have proofmarks stamped into the frame and/or the barrel by itself.

In some cases, only the barrel is tested since it is the primary component containing the pressure of the ammunition. This is usually done in product designs that have a history of durability and reliability as a cost-saving method of manufacturing.

In addition, barrels that have quick-change or drop-in capability in multiple frames are usually proofed individually and are stamped in a conspicuous location as verification that they have been tested.

When proofing a complete firearm, the whole gun must be placed in an enclosed fixture and triggered remotely for safety purposes in case of a failure during the discharge of the high-pressure ammunition.

Proofing a barrel individually is much simpler, even though it, too, must be tested in an enclosed fixture for safety in the unlikely event of failure.

The time it takes to proof a barrel by itself as opposed to a whole firearm is significantly less. From an economic perspective, this is the best option for manufacturers to take without compromising safety.

Generally speaking, once a firearm has been proofed, it is proofed for the life of the gun unless some major changes have occurred to the parts managing the pressure of a cartridge when fired. A gunsmith restoring or rebuilding a gun may have the occasion to re-proof a firearm, but for the average gun owner it should not be a particular concern.

Added to that, proof ammunition is highly regulated and generally unavailable to those who do not either manufacture or remanufacture firearms.

While not dangerous in highly specialized, extremely limited use, prolonged firing of proof ammunition would be harmful to the gun and therefore detrimental to both shooter safety and his or her investment.

It’s called proof of principle, and the principle is engineering design margin.  Manufacturers who do not do this should be shunned.

I actually didn’t know that proof ammunition is “highly regulated.”  It shouldn’t be.  If I want to purchase it, I should be able to purchase it.

I see proof ammunition as similar to 450 SMC (or 460 Rowland), which I should only be shooting in .45 ACP guns that have been inspected and modified with a stiffer spring.  Most manufacturers will tell you that, for example, our gun will shoot +P ammunition, but “We don’t recommend feeding the gun a steady diet of +P ammunition.”

How I run my gun is up to me, but I’m an engineer and I think hard about these things.