Quote:
On 2/27/2019 at 2:41 AM, Ramseys said:
I guess this should be a warning!
Factory ammo can SUCK.
I was out shooting my Python. Firing .38 specials. WINCHESTER white box, just clanging some steel.
After several cylinders full I had reloaded for about the 5th time.
Round number 4 went 'thud'.
I held the gun in a safe direction for a good '30' count and then opened the cylinder and dumped out 4 empty and 2 un-fired.
Well I thought I'd just have a look down the bore. And about a 1/32' from the muzzle was a shinny copper bullet stuck in the rifling.
A wooden dowel and lots of beating, I got the sucker backed out.
So all you trigger jockeys out there that like to rapid fire, stay very very vigilant for squib loads.
Or you could have a bulged or blown out barrel.
Amazing. In all the tens of thousands of rounds I've fired, I've never had a squib in centerfire ammo. Only had one in .22. And I had a habit of buying cheap ammo, too. Once I took my Ruger GP100 for a practice session at a range and they said no outside ammo allowed; I had to buy theirs. So I got a bag--not a box--of 200 .38 special reloads, unjacketed. Filthy stuff; by the time I was done my arms were black up to the elbow, and I think my face was pretty dirty too. It all went bang, though, along with all the Brown Bear .223 I've shot.
I'd stay away from Winchester ammo; last I was paying attention to such stuff, there were a lot of reports on gun forums about them selling crap. That's been a few years ago; looks like they're still at it.
Quote:
On 2/23/2019 at 11:01 AM, LycanTheory said:
I just sold a rather large chunk of my collection to pay for a house but...
Currently just finished a 6.5 Grendel AR15 build, still working the bugs out. Norenco "paratrooper" SKS (16" barrel) because they're simple, rugged, dependable and effective. Hi Point 995 carbine because cheap, ugly, good shooter and reliable. Swiss K31, scoped with a modernized stock. Various shotguns. Glock 22 that I finished not long ago - used G22C slide, LWD barrel, TFX sights (well worth the money). Still have my Smith and Wesson .38 as my daily carry and my Taurus Raging Bull .454
I've been considering building an AR "pistol" in 300 Blackout and a 10 in 6.5 Creed.
While most of my gun collecting and shooting is more of a fun hobby than anything else, the basis of my belief regarding gun ownership is that I'd rather have my life and the lives of those I love in hands that I can trust, mine. I'd be just fine in a society where there were no false pretenses or facades of government protection and everyone understood that they were on their own. If someone wants to harm you, no law is going to stop them and with all the hate I've seen pointed at us zoos, I think that it's practical and sensible for us to own, train with and carry the means to defend ourselves although I respect the wishes of those who choose not to.
Lyc
Keep a close eye on that Hi Point. I had one and loved how it felt and handled--mostly ... the trigger ... well, you know. Anyhow, I'd run maybe a couple thousand rounds through it and it started misfeeding. Instead of chambering, the cartridge would get stuck bullet-end-upwards. It wasn't consistent, but began getting worse. I checked my magazines and they were okay. I thought I'd at least clean it. And when I took it apart, I noticed the feed ramp was beginning to have a divot in it. Turns out the damn feed ramp is cast zinc, like the slide. The bullets (or more likely the casings) were eroding it a tiny bit every time it cycled.
I was able to fix the problem. I straightened out the contour of the feed ramp with a needle file--oh, so delicately--and it fed consistently then, but I quit shooting it and sold it.
Great lot of fun to shoot, and what it did to the groundhogs was just hilarious. Just not reliable long-term.
Quote:
4 hours ago, threelegs said:
Great lot of fun to shoot, and what it did to the groundhogs was just hilarious. Just not reliable long-term.
I at one time worked in a camera store. A real camera store, not some big box place.
Took pride in our knowledge of all things photographic.
But this was back in the 80's and 90's. The big four camera companies all had good reliable equipment.
Then someone figured out that a good 80% of camera buyers, shot maybe 30 to 40 rolls of film through 'em in their lifetime.
So why make a camera that can take the pounding a photojournalist would give. 30 to 40 rolls a week.
So why build a gun that can take the same usage a cop might give a gun, for everyone.
A pot-metal gun can shoot a box of ammo and then be put in a nightstand for the rest of it's life. Is just fine.
Just don't expect it to stand up to weekly range visits.
In both guns and cameras, you more or less get what you pay for.
Yea sure there's some name premium, but for the most part the big name stuff is pretty good.
And with both, the used market, as long as you know what you are looking for, can be a good place to find great deals.
Diecast zinc has one advantage. It's the only metal that doesn't shrink as it goes from liquid to solid. So no post-molding machining required. It's great for complicated shapes like carburetor bodies and gas control valves. Manufacturers love it.
BUT. The advantages end at the manufacturer, it's lousy for the consumer. Heavier than iron, softer and weaker, the same iron part made in zinc has to be thicker for strength so much heavier. Galls and scores if not completely clean and lubricated. Readily corrodes. Deforms under pressure.
I can see some disadvantages to "annealed polymer" gun parts (some advantages as well), but diecast zinc? A gun is a tool your life depends on. Why don't you get a zinc Crescent wrench, see how that goes?
Quote:
17 hours ago, threelegs said:
Keep a close eye on that Hi Point. I had one and loved how it felt and handled--mostly ... the trigger ... well, you know. Anyhow, I'd run maybe a couple thousand rounds through it and it started misfeeding. Instead of chambering, the cartridge would get stuck bullet-end-upwards. It wasn't consistent, but began getting worse. I checked my magazines and they were okay. I thought I'd at least clean it. And when I took it apart, I noticed the feed ramp was beginning to have a divot in it. Turns out the damn feed ramp is cast zinc, like the slide. The bullets (or more likely the casings) were eroding it a tiny bit every time it cycled.
I was able to fix the problem. I straightened out the contour of the feed ramp with a needle file--oh, so delicately--and it fed consistently then, but I quit shooting it and sold it.
Great lot of fun to shoot, and what it did to the groundhogs was just hilarious. Just not reliable long-term.
Thanks for the tip! I'll keep my eye on it. AFAIK, Hi Point still honors their warranty for the lifetime of the gun so if it becomes an issue, I'll look into getting it repaired.
Quote:
2 hours ago, heavyhorse said:
Diecast zinc has one advantage. It's the only metal that doesn't shrink as it goes from liquid to solid. So no post-molding machining required. It's great for complicated shapes like carburetor bodies and gas control valves. Manufacturers love it.
BUT. The advantages end at the manufacturer, it's lousy for the consumer. Heavier than iron, softer and weaker, the same iron part made in zinc has to be thicker for strength so much heavier. Galls and scores if not completely clean and lubricated. Readily corrodes. Deforms under pressure.
I can see some disadvantages to "annealed polymer" gun parts (some advantages as well), but diecast zinc? A gun is a tool your life depends on. Why don't you get a zinc Crescent wrench, see how that goes?
I wouldn't necessarily bet my life on a Hi Point. They're economical, decent shooters and kinda unique in their own way. I like them for what they are but I'm aware of what they aren't.
I suppose for someone who was limited to that or nothing though, it'd be a different story.
Lyc
Ramseys wrote:
"A pot-metal gun can shoot a box of ammo and then be put in a nightstand for the rest of it's life. Is just fine.
Just don't expect it to stand up to weekly range visits."
That's an excellent perspective on this case. Unfortunately for me, I never bought a firearm with that anticipation; to me it's important to learn exactly how it behaves and practice with it a lot, because I want its use to be reflexive. When a person needs a gun, they're unlikely to have the luxury of trying to remember which way to push the safety, or what its POI is compared with its POA. The only thinking needed should be whether to pull the trigger or not, which is quite enough.
Thing is, I didn't find any bargains in used. I read the reviews, most were stuff that had bullets beat out of the barrel with a philips screwdriver, wouldn't eject even after 3 returns to factory, other stuff abandoned after the owner moved on to something better. And priced at a premium because they weren't background checking. I found brand new Ruger P-95's for under $200 (though I coughed up the extra $15 for metal parts in stainless so it won't rust when wet). Other than a stupid-stiff slide spring it's great for my purposes (climbing through brush, fences, ravines, dust, mud, and working every time in an emergency). Added a laser/flashlight and it's good for night critters too. But being limited income compared to many and not having a collection "to buy a house", getting something with good reviews that will hold up for a lifetime seems better choice than buying other people's castoffs.
And of course my "background" is clean, nothing comes up about being a sheep-shagger. So I can buy from a dealer. [img]<fileStore.core_Emoticons>/emoticons/ph34r.png[/img]/emoticons/ [email protected] 2x" title=":ph34r:" width="20" />
Quote:
12 hours ago, threelegs said:
Ramseys wrote:
"A pot-metal gun can shoot a box of ammo and then be put in a nightstand for the rest of it's life. Is just fine.
Just don't expect it to stand up to weekly range visits."
That's an excellent perspective on this case. Unfortunately for me, I never bought a firearm with that anticipation; to me it's important to learn exactly how it behaves and practice with it a lot, because I want its use to be reflexive. When a person needs a gun, they're unlikely to have the luxury of trying to remember which way to push the safety, or what its POI is compared with its POA. The only thinking needed should be whether to pull the trigger or not, which is quite enough.
This is honestly one of the reasons I've always tended to favor wheel guns for carry.
They're simple, easy/quick/convenient to maintain, most of the good ones hold consistent accuracy and unless something abnormal happens, they're far less likely to wear, tear up or fail than an autoloader.
Not saying there aren't some good autoloaders out there because there are but all things considered, it's hard to beat a .38 or .357
They do tend to have a little bit more "chub" to them than most compact semi-autos when carrying concealed but in my mind, it's a small price to pay and one that can be easily overcome with the right holster and clothes.
Lyc
I've gotten some sweet guns used and some real junk, too. One of the more memorable ones was a 9mm Browning Hi-Power that Bubba had done a "trigger-job" on with blunt instruments. It looked pretty on the outside and the bore was nice, but every third shot or so the hammer would ride the slide forward and touch off a second shot. As in "BANG-BANG!" Downright scary.
I've also had a couple of brand-new guns that turned out to be lemons. Had a brand-new Ruger P-89 stainless with a burr inside the slide that cut a nasty groove into the top of the locking block after one range session. Sent it back to them and they basically told me, "Don't worry about it, it doesn't affect the operation of the pistol." (Growl!) And a Taurus PT101 (.40 S&W Beretta clone) with a tendency to fire not quite into battery. This caused the cases to bulge at the base and sometimes the bullet would hit a foot or more high at 25 yards. Got me kicked out of an indoor range.
BTW, heat treatable stainless steels WILL rust, found that out the hard way. If they get wet, dry 'em off and oil 'em up ASAP.
I don't much favor revolvers.
1) The chamber isn't in the barrel. All things being equal (load, barrel length, etc.) the velocity is less because part of the gas leaks out between the cylinder and the barrel (and you'd better keep your fingers clear; poor hold not rewarded!)
2) They are more prone to accidental firing if dropped, snagged going through a fence (or in your belt-- does anyone actually carry stuffed in your pants?!?) Notwithstanding that some of the compact non-revolvers aren't guilty of the same of course. But the NATO-pattern guns meet some decent standards for safety and reliability. So yeah, I don't have any tiny guns, it's worth the extra inch and ounce for the full-size. Besides, the Game & Fish Dep't guy said you're just going to piss off the bigger critters like bears and boars and such with the ACP rounds.....
|
