Friday, September 9, 2016

Sig P320 post the third: The summerizing

So after 475 rounds, four shooters, three grips I have to say I am impressed. The trigger got gritty as one box of ammo was Tula steel case crap but the gun kept running. As an end, I shot two more 15 rounds at 15 yards in 15 seconds. One batch with Sig 115Gr FMJ and one with Freedom 124Gr JHP.
Overall, I like it enough that I looked up the Sig Instructor program to see how much it is going to cost me to get one.

Saturday, August 27, 2016

Sig P320 Part Duex:The Grippening

One of the unique features of the Sig P320 is that the trigger group is the registered part and the grip is an unrestricted hunk of plastic. Allowing Sig to provide to the end user an assortment of grips without having to purchase another gun. The grips come in three sizes, Large, Medium, and Small in each of the different sized of guns from compact to full size.
Here is the Carry version, full size grip with 4" barrel, in L, M, and S from left to right. In testing this gun out, we were a group of four shooters needing all three grip sizes. One lefty and experience from a person who has been out to the range a sum total of less than a dozen times to competitive shooter/instructor. Our newest shooter walked right through the grip change in about a minute and a half. I got a video of me swapping from large to small and I have done the change once before after having been shown by my friend once. That's how easy it is.
In addition, something I discovered is if you are like me and have monster monkey hands with large fat fingers and you use a good high two handed grip, there is the distinct possibility that the gun will not lock open after the last round as your thumb rides the slide stop. Well, Sig knows about that and has already addressed it with a new grip design with a protected slide stop. While I was provided one, I did not swap out to it as that would require taking the trigger group apart to install the new slide stop and time and propriety just didn't let me get to it.
Interesting observation during shooting was one shooter had slidelock malfunctions with the Large grip but the gun ran flawlessly for him with the Medium  grip. Also, while I usually lean towards the largest grips I can get my hands around, the medium grip worked well for me. The ability to change grips to find what worked best for who made it very easy to shoot well with this gun.

Sig P320 Part the first

Last Thursday evening while grocery shopping we ran into a really good friend that we haven't seen in many moons. He works for Sig. Conversation went from how ya doin to shooting. As it always does. One thing led to another and now I have a P320 Carry (4"bbl w/full length grip) to T&E. Along with a few boxes of Sig ammo.

 For initial thoughts, as a gun nerd and overall mechanical geek, this is a thing of beauty in design. The idea that in about 30 seconds you can do what is essentially a field strip and have the entire fire control group out of the gun swapped into a different size grip and slide on any caliber top end you wish and still only "own" one gun. Seeing as the FCG is the registered part you can have as many grips and top ends as you want. There will be a video of grip change in the next post because they have done so much more.

For my initial test, I went to my old standby; 15 rounds at 15 yards in 15 seconds. Think extended Bill Drill.  For that test I used the Sig ammo provided 115Gr FMJ, Independence 115Gr FMJ, Freedom Munitions 124Gr JHP, American Eagle 115Gr FMJ, Remington 124Gr Golden Sabre +P, and just for fun Tula 115Gr FMJ.

So today I wandered out to the range (we have a 25ydsX25yds three sided berm pushed up in our north pasture) and tossed up a target and started shooting. Interestingly the ejected brass all ended up in a pile about 6 feet to my right, except the nickel plated brass of the +P. That stuff ended up about 3 feet behind my right shoulder.

OK, I know I suck and don't practice enough, especially considering the proximity of the range. This target is all 90 rounds fired from the very first round, that first 15 included the low left three. I'm still consistently a tad left even after I settled in.  I will be going out and shooting more tomorrow in between rain storms and at some point I'll swap grips the the Mrs can go shoot it some herself and give her opinion. Then some friends are coming over to give it a whirl and see what they think.

Next up, grips and what Sig has done with them.

Sunday, July 10, 2016

They do still exist

Caught these two traveling in convoy down the highway during our trip. Grew up with one in the family. Complete with the rear and middle seats facing each other.

Saturday, July 9, 2016

NASA Visit

As I was leaving for the day a NASA T-38 was making touch and go's and finally landed. I managed to get my camera out in time for the landing. Showboat!

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

T-6 Texan2 flyby

Experimenting making an animated GIF of a collection of pictures from a couple of Air Force T2's that were shooting touch and go's.

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

K Frames and NICS checks and Transfers, Oh MY!

Well, the latest addition to the GunGeeks stable is a S&W K-17 .22LR double action revolver. While it is not a K-22 Combat Masterpiece, it will do as a very nice addition to the collection. It goes well with my K-19 .357 Magnum.
After a few rounds to sight it in, I shot a target that I'll scan at some other date. 30 rnds at 25 yds off of a bag on the bench. Less than 1" vertical with an interesting horizontal spread that is all me. Gun shoots tight and when I found it, based on the underside of the top strap where the cylinder gap is, it could not have had more than a box shot through it. Did I mention it was in the used counter at a decently discounted price? A new set of Jerry Miculek grips for the K-17 are inbound as it needs to match the K-19.

And now for the rant in Gun Geek Rants. Why in the hell could I not carry it out of the shop after I bought it? For a moment, let's ignore that I have a Texas LTC Instructors rating and have to get FBI fingerprint based background checks every other year and that the Texas LTC qualifies to wave the NICS check when purchasing a firearm.

John Q Public (Citizen of the Great State of Texas) walks into a gun store in Bugscuffle Texas and finds a gun that he likes. He informs the countermonkey of this and they agree on a price which he pays. He fills out an ATF Form 4473 and the countermonkey goes to his phone and calls the NICS hotline and gets an approval for the sale. John Q. walks out the door, proudly carrying his newly purchased firearm. At the same time, his cousin, John P. Public Jr. (Citizen of Big Sky Country) walks into a gun store in Podunk Montana. Sees the same gun model and genetics being what they are goes "OOOooooooOOOooooo." The local countermonkey negotiates a price with John P. and after some haggling, they come to terms. John P. fills out a 4473 of his own, Podunk countermonkey calls NICS and gets a proceed message and John P. walks out the door with his new purchase. Then proceeds to call his cousin to brag about his new gun. With me so far? Here's where it gets difficult. Now, if John Q. is on vacation visiting his cousin John P. and walks into the Podunk GunWerks with his cousin and sees a gun he likes he can most certainly buy it. BUT, he doesn't fill out a 4473, the local countermonkey doesn't call THE EXACT SAME NICS HOTLINE THAT THE TEXAS COUNTERMONKEY DOES AND GET THE EXACT SAME PROCEED, and he doesn't get to take the gun with him. Instead, John Q. pays not only for the gun, but also shipping and gives the Podunk gun store contact information for his local gun store back in Bugscuffle, Texas. The Podunk, MT Gun Store then confirms the validity of the Bugscuffle, TX gun stores FFL and then packs up the gun that John Q. just paid for and ships it to the dealer in Bugscuffle, TX. Now, when John Q. has finished his vacation, he wanders into his local FFL there in Bugscuffle, TX and sees his new gun again, this time with his name already on the package with a  PAID sticker on it. He then fills out an ATF 4473 and the countermonkey there in Bugscuffle, TX CALLS THE SAME DAMN NICS HOTLINE THAT THE DEALER IN PODUNK, MT WOULD HAVE CALLED AND GETS THE SAME PROCEED RESPONSE. John Q. then pays his local store there in Bugscuffle for their trouble (transfer fee) and walks out the door with his new gun. That he purchased over a week ago. In another state.

So answer me this, with the current reporting requirements and check requirements that everyone goes through the same 4473 and NICS check from the same FBI office no matter where they are, Why the hell does the transfer have to happen by common carrier to the other state and other local FFL before John Q can get his new gun? There is no local notification of the Sheriff of Bugscuffle County Texas just as there is no local notification of the Sheriff of Podunk County Montana. Only difference is that the paper 4473 with John Q.'s name and the Serial Number of the gun are located in the back room of the FFL in Bugscuffle and not in the cellar of the FFL in Podunk. If the gun is stolen of used in a crime and some LOE does a trace on it, the manufacturer, the distributor get trace requests that send them to the FFL in MT and they get an answer. Or now, the FFL in MT responds with the information on the FFL in TX who then gets a trace request and digs up the file and responds with the information. There is no difference except the soil on which the buyer is standing.

Sunday, June 26, 2016

Daisy Daisy..........

That would be a 1963 Daisy Model 107. Only 1 year younger than me. An excellent addition to the collection here at Casa K-. There's another addition but that will be its own post as I am going to go off on the NICS check and interstate transfer laws. For now, I just need some time when the weather isn't something resembling the surface of the sun and when I am feeling halfway human to take this outside and do some shooting. Not like I can shoot this into my Airsoft trap at the end of the hall. I could probably make something that would work but that would require energy that I just don't have this weekend.

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Small Town Festivals

So while we were on vacation, there was a Clancy Days complete with parade. After poking around at all the vendors, buying a radio (Another Post) and a Yard Moose (Another Post), we settled in for the parade. I love small town parades.




























Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Serious Shooters

One way to tell that the shooter in whose house you are staying is serious about it.
When they have a ballistic table on the side of the stock. With both elevation and wind-age for two very different loads. Of .22LR! One standard load and one is CCI Quiet. That right there is a Gopher Gitter. That whole "aim small miss small" thing takes on a whole new meaning when you are trying to shoot Gophers. Smaller than Prairie Dogs but not quite as skittish. You can usually get within 50-100 yards of them but have to be accurate doing it. I managed to bag 6 on the folks place with my 10/22 while we were up there. Went with a family friend out to a ranch on the other side of the valley and in the course of an hour shot another 50 or so. That field was unusable for livestock and horses because there were so many gopher holes in the pasture.

Friday, June 17, 2016

2016:The Vacationing



3946 Miles were driven. (in four days!)
Too many dollars were spent. (we budgeted for the trip but found things ...)
Many smiles were shared. (with family and friends.)
A new radio was purchased. (new to me but older than me!)
Lots of ammo was expended. (a  50 cal ammo cans worth and then some.).
A new (To me) gun was purchased. (purchased but not in my possession yet.)
Many meals were shared. (and it rained every time I grilled!)
A few pounds were gained. (we won't talk about that.)
Much stress was relieved. (the computer was ignored more than I have on ANY prior vacation.)
Much wildlife was watched. (and captured on film.)
A small town festival was attended. (Clancy Day!)
And a parade was watched. (marching band had maybe a dozen kids.)

More posts to follow with pictures, vintage radios, new guns, whacked gophers and maybe if y'all are very nice maybe a picture of our new yard moose (not pictured above, that's a bull elk taken from the kitchen window of the folks house). Definitely some rants in there about traffic and vehicle issues as well as the outdatedness of the Interstate Firearms Transfer laws.

Of all that mileage, we were just outside of 50 miles from home before we ran into the only car crash of the trip. Rollover on I-45 that was already in the cleanup stages when we finally got up to it. The passenger cab of the car looked fairly intact so we are hoping that the occupants were protected by seatbelts and airbags.

I'm back!

In more ways than one. We are back form vacation and I am back to this blog. Been too long and I have a few gun geekery posts up my sleeve.