planeflyer21

Howdy from Arizona, Chris! I'm waiting on my first AR15 lower now...got almost all the parts, just need furniture. Went factory with RRA for the .308ARs. Jon

I've no experience with the FAL but have had 2 M1As, both gone and replaced with two RRA LAR-8s. For me the 308AR platform is better. It boils down to the lack of the op-rod on the Garand-style M1A action. Loads must be within certain parameters or you risk damaging/bending that op-rod. Quality M1A and FAL parts are harder to come by. With the M1A the holy grails are certain mil-spec parts that are getting harder and harder to find. A few makers are stepping up (finally) but a person will pay dearly for those parts (surplus parts too). Fulton Armory has a good reputation, with LRB making receivers from the original data sheets. The ridicularity of BATF import restrictions have really hurt the M14/M1A market. Our Canadian brothers can purchase Norinco M14s for $800 or so, banned in the USA by the stroke of a pen. Polytech (I think) also imported some in the past. If those were allowed to be imported Springfield would be forced to up their quality control if they wanted to keep charging the same prices. I seriously looked at the DS Arms FAL offerings, as a friend was hot and heavy about them. Also looked at the various other offerings. To me they seem like the 1970s Harley Davidson's of the battle rifle world: more wrenching, less shooting. I was torn between Armalite and Rock River Arms for the 308AR offering. The AR-10 has a certain cool factor, even though Armalite is as much Armalite as Springfield Armory is Springfield Armory. What sold me on the RRA was the ability to use the world-wide readily available FAL inch or metric magazines, for when the borders collapse completely and myself with my squad of do-gooder soldiers of fortune travel the earth, in our Osprey tilt-rotor insertion vehicles. At the time I was ignorant of the Pmags for the DPMS-style rifles, with Armalite now making rifles that take Pmags. They are very affordable and there is a bigger aftermarket for the DPMS-style rifles. But I LOVE my RRAs! Jon

Metal thieves here in Arizona are going stupid. Not that they were in anyway smart to begin with. Cutting lines to street lamps and doing pulls for a few hundred feet of copper, stealing brass firehose fittings, and the catalytic converters too. Someone recently got a couple of the dipped pure copper plates from a train car. Really? "Yeah...my dad just had these 500# copper plates laying around the yard." Gumpoids. A few years back they passed a law that nobody could sell scrap w/o photo ID. Now they are passing a law that scrap yards may not pay in cash, it must be a check-only payment. Jon

I wore a no-name shoulder holster for a couple of years. I'm surprised they aren't more popular. The big caveats are WATCH YOUR MUZZLE when drawing and reholstering and (IMO) they work best when there is enough weight of extra mags/speedloaders to counterbalance the pistol. Jon

I have a friend/student that got reeled in hook, line, and sinker into the "Just get a Dillon 650, as that is what you'll end up with in the long run anyway." It didn't take him long to realize that he was in WELL over his head and WAY beyond his need for reloading capacity. All because he wanted to take the word of self-agrandizing "experts" instead of taking the time to learn first. Start with a single-stage press or if you insist on being thick-headed, get a manual progressive. Guys that know their stuff and get their routines down can load a LOT of ammo on a single-stage. Another guy I know has a documented 700,000+ rounds on a Lee Progressive press. Start out with the least expensive you can afford to learn with. Lee offers the Challenger Breech-Lock Starter Kit for around $100, dies and gauges will run you a bit more. That is 1/3 to 1/4 the cost of the RCBS, Hornady, or Lyman starter kits, and the ammunition made on all four still fits in the same gauges, same chambers, and still hits the same targets. Ammo loaded on a Lee press and Lee dies was the first to be shot and break the smaller-than-10" 1,000 yard group in competition. The key is learning from someone with experience. Once you learn, PAY ATTENTION to what you are doing when reloading!!!!!! Jon

Spectrascott, welcome from Arizona! Jon

The dog does this thing where, when she wants to see what a human is doing, she walks like Godzilla. <laughs> Kid didn't have a clue..."Cute puppy!" Probably remembered the breakfast sandwich an hour later. <lmao> Jon

Welcome from AZ BenH! As to Boston's Gun Bible I can't even tell you why now, but whenever they are quoted on any subject I receive it with a sort of dismissive interest. Something along the lines of opinionated hyperbole, even if a lot is good for reference. I'd just rather get information from sources that offer solutions to any problem...if there is even a problem. Jon

Well I went to Sportsman's Warehouse a couple of years ago on Black Friday. There were maybe 15 people there. So this morning, after consuming a pot of coffee, I said to myself "It was pretty mild a couple of years ago. I'll leave in time to get to Sportsman's right before they open." Pulling into a nearly full parking lot, we (the dog went with me) parked by the street and commenced the joy-hike to the still closed front doors. A line of people 3 and 5 people wide appeared to stretch for about 75 yards along the north side of the store and into the unlit parking lot on the side of the building. The doors opened and the rush flowed into the store. The dog and I hung out, waiting for the line to finish...which was a while, as the line that extended into the darkness kept coming and coming. My guess is it was actually about 150 yards long when the doors opened. Before half of it was in the store, the first customer to make a purchase...a petite dirty blond lady with long hair...came out pushing a cart with a smoker in it. Someone scored! Going inside, Ducks Unlimited had their raffle set up right inside, so we stopped to talk to Frank, who is also the shooting coordinator with the Boy Scouts. He had already set up the next event with our organization SAFE, so into the jaws of the beast we went! With the main aisles crowded and the registers already PACKED, we darted into camping able to avoid the bumrush right up to the back of the group IN CAMPING, waiting to get a turn at the wholly unaccessable Gun Counter! Jetting back out to the main aisle on this side, and forcing against the tide of customers with only one or two rifle cases in their arms I began to wonder why none of them had Voodoo cases. Crappola if they were out already! Then...rising from the sea of people, in the center of the main aisle...a cage FILLED with nothing but black-only and FDE-only Voodoo Double Rifle cases! Alas, only the 42" but still $30 off! Grab two, check...straps are there, check. Back up to the front! Going back to the front was like surfing, ride the wave of people, rifle cases in one hand, dog in the other! No lines at customer service, bypass the 15-people lines at each of the 8 registers, and wait behind the one party each at each of the two registers there. "Anything else besides the rifle cases?" Why yes, now that you mention it, I need my 2013 hunt/fish license. That didn't endear me to the angry mobs forming behind me. While we were filling out the license, I'm pretty sure the dog stole this toddler's breakfast out of his hands. He didn't seem to care but the mom was giving me dirty looks. So Tom has a FDE double rifle case by Voodoo, if he is willing to settle for the 42"...but he owes me another lunch anyway at La Casita! Jon

With all the different gear, we've been shuffling rifle cases and rifles around quite a bit. Still got the Voodoo loaded for bear. After getting the PRS onto the Freedom Machine I started wondering if it would fit into the King Case, which I bought 20 years ago for my first M1A. Was supposed to be a "scoped rifle case, which floats". Never had the chance to check the floating. But the Freedom Machine fits! Easily! With the monstrous Vortex PST on top! A mag for each wonderfully oversized mag-pouch, a few more in the zippered compartment. I don't know if King Cases are still around but if you find one GET IT! If you have one, don't let it go! Jon

Welcome J.D.Sly from AZ! Plenty of rifle for that range. Check out the Vortex, Nikon, and Redfields in that price range...should be plenty to choose from there. Jon

Ah, yes...been there and done that. Looks to me like ARFdotcom but without restrictions on dumb. Jon

What?! What local board?! You've been letting me pay shipping?!? Jon

Welcome dixiedawg! Glad to hear you got it...but unless there is photos, we don't believe you! <laughs> Jon

Don't you mean "Sandy...more Sandy that you can possibly imagine!"? <laughs> Jon

Welcome hitman! Just a guess but probably 147gr. Jon

This is America! No lefties allowed! Oh wait...you mean left handed, not commie. Yeah, that is a bummer brother Rene. For you!! <lmao> I'll get one but not real soon. Jon

We always spend it with my inlaws. I feel Thanksgiving is every day, so on the holiday one year I cooked what I was thankful for...enchiladas and tacos! For some reason I don't have to cook anymore. Unless it is my famous pies. Jon

Trap with wings AND they eat them! Shooters get charged like $15 a bird or more. This dude I worked with used to trap flying rats around the city, then keep them at home until he had like 3,000 or more. He'd then take them to a live-shoot club in California and get $2-$3 a bird. Jon

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Flying-Camera-From-Animal-Rights-Group-Shot-Down-at-Pigeon-Shoot-Cops-179983451.html?dr I wish I'd been there! Jon

With the production delays and crappy reviews, it won't be routine. Just another novelty footnote in the book of "Guns That May Have Been". This one has stomp-ass all over the Kel-Tec: http://www.utas-usa.com/index.html Selectable mag tubes, which load on top and have windows to view capacity. They also are set up for chokes and barrel extensions. So far the reviews have been stellar...none of the "We'd like to keep testing this KSG but the action bars came loose from the pump and now it's worthless." Jon

Sweet! No wonder your truck looks so dirty. A person never, NEVER gets all the sand out. <laughs> Explains why you walk that way too. <lmao> That place is hopping on any given weekend, I'd imagine more so on Thanksgiving weekend. When you pulling through up here? Jon

Don't know. But welcome to the forum 1Asterisk! Jon

Got a link blue? Jon

Well, we loaded up the magpul Pmags yesterday evening with the M855 stuff we had ordered. The ammo came on strippers, in cans, with a stripper-clip charging guide. The guides fit quite well onto the Pmags, there being small grooves in the plastic body at the rear of the mags for the guides. I'd never noticed if these were on metal AR15 mags. Stripper clips on the other hand, are another story. I've used clips on SKSs and M1903s before. Very straight forward...place the clip in the guide on the front of the bolt, press near the case heads and zzziiiiiip!, down they all go into the magazine. Different story on the 5.56x45 10-round clips, at least with the Pmags. There is maybe five out of fifty of these just went zip like those for other rifles. Seems to be a wobbability factor between the three pieces...mag, guide, clip. The amount of force to get it started is exponential compared to the SKS or M1903 clips too. I finally used my folded mult-tool for enough leverage to zip them down. Not to mention, even on stripper clips the stuff was pretty dirty. Next time we're getting loose bulk pack. Jon