BrianK

Good luck! I don't shoot my Garand often enough but I love the rifle. I'm cheap is why. The bigger the cartridge the more it costs, simple economics. It's an M1D, the real deal from the DCM (or is it the CMP now?). It was arsenal reconditioned on the '60s, so it was essentially new when I got it. In fact I removed it from the arsenal wrap (bag). It came with all the GI items, but they're in storage. I had a mount made that uses the side plate on the barrel, but the 1-6x scout scope mounts forward of the chamber over the barrel and right above and in line with the barrel. That to allow for loading clips (obviously). I did try the Alaskan scope and leather cheek rest and it was interesting for the historical significance, but I like my present arrangement more. The range I'm a member of has long distance shooting, 600 yards, I might shoot it some more.

I don't know if I'll ever need to use it but is shortens the 300BLK AR from just 30 1/2" to just under 24". The 1st measurement is with the blade arm brace fully retracted. Note that the handgun can't be fired in the short configuration. It's for transport or storage only. So what is it? It's a Sylvan Arms folding stock adapter. I'd been looking at other adapters with another build a few years ago and they wanted crazy prices for them so I passed. But Botach had a one day sale on these for just over $100. It consists of the hollow tube adapter/hinge unit, and an extension that fits into the back of the BCG. The entire unit weighs 6 ounces so it adds something less than 6 ounces to the BCG. So far I've tried it with my supersonic 85gr Maker loads and it cycles fine. I haven't tried it with subsonic yet, but I load my own ammo and I'll just build ammo to work with it. I'll know more when the range opens up. It looks rugged enough but I don't intend to crawl through the puckerbrush or butt stroke with it. Folded the upper is more or less open where the castle nut would be and the BCG extension protrudes maybe 1/2". The BCG extension is held in place by the same parts that release the hinge and lock it in place. So unless the button is pushed it remains in place. To return the handgun to useable condition hinge the buffer tube back around, push the button and it locks in place. To diassemble, fold the buffer tube, depress the same button again and hold it. Then the BCG extension can be pulled out and normal disassembly follows. To remove the BCG the extension must be removed or the upper won't hinge open from the lower at the rear. I don't know if I'll ever need to use it to make the handgun smaller, but I've got the option. I wish I had ordered a few more now.

In the early 70s (70-73)we had flanged strange looking ear plugs. Probably made, as all stuff GI is, down to a price. I never got into a fire fight (West Germany) but I can't see how wearing ear pro would be a good survival tactic. Just when one needs his hearing, it gets reduced? Shooting on a range is an entirely different scene. In our armor vehicles we never wore ear pro but I also don't remember lots of noise in it. I was a combat engineer and even when we were lucky enough to use explosives I don't remember ear pro, just open the mouth wide and use fingers in the ears. I can't remember if we used ear pro when on the M79 range. The "cartridge" used was fairly quiet, and I don't remember the sound of the grenade. Heck, it's been >50 years.

Welcome to the forum from central Maine.

britx303, yeah, you are definitely behind enemy lines.

Welcome from central Maine!

I call them human pollution if they stay and vote to eff up the state. We had (have) a gent from S Portland but some land on the hill. Not a bad guy and knows alot about some things, but a dunce in others. Had a huge pile of brush that he wanted to burn. So he got a burning permit and assumed that since they gave it to him it was OK to torch it. That day had very high winds. No one in their right mind would start a huge fire in the middle of the autumn forest will all sorts of dry leaves on the ground, but he did it. We're surrounded by forest what was he thinking!??

Welcome to the forum! Approx' where in Maine? I'm in the Waterville area. I'm not writing a book or anything, I'm merely curious.

Yes, that's my understanding on their history too. I think they're back in Windham, ME.

Retirement was the best thing I ever did at 55, I've been retried for 14 years. But it only has one problem. How did I ever get things done when I was working? There's just not enough time in a day. enjoy your retirement gents!

I saw a letter to the editor years ago complaining about animals being killed for meat instead of people buying it in the packages at the market. Doncha know the meat grown in the packages is much more humane.

Will it save you $? Probably not unless you far different than most. You'll shoot more, and if you're like me you'll be ready for the next real insurrection though, and not that unguided tour of Congress that the dems call an insurrection. What it'll also allow you to do is make stuff that just isn't freely available and tailor it to your firearms. Case in point... My HD firearm is a 300BLK AR handgun. I wanted ammo for it that would deliver a good blow but not over penetrate. So I did some research and came up with the Maker 85 copper bullet. I could drive it faster, but at 2300fps it has 1k ft/lbs and should have 6-8" of penetration. Can't buy that load over the counter. But as a handloader you are able to do stuff like that.

That won't work in rural UK anymore than it will work in rural USA. People like that are so incredibly myopic . How did they survive long enough to rise to their positions of incompetence?

A very happy 2022to all the conservatives who read this, to all the liberal/progressives reading this I wish you nothing but misery and tears from our joy.

Gee, I'd want to live there! (said no one ever!) I am so glad I live where I live!

That was 30 minutes well spent. Thanks! My home is easy to clear, I just hope I never need to do it alone.

I'm guessing 20 years ago I got it from Quality Parts. It was the parts side of Bushmaster. If you look closely the Bushmaster snake can be seen on the mag well.

The first is an evil black rifle whose design goal was probably close to 20 years in the making. I wanted to make the lightest AR I could. I started with a carbon fiber lower and after assembling it I still didn't have the handguards that I wanted. So it sat, usable as my HD rifle, with standard carbine handguards until I found what I wanted. Then it got finished. [url=https://postimages.org/][img]https://i.postimg.cc/zXqMmD9P/AR-w-can-adjusted-small.jpg[/img][/url] For HD it wears the can. Sans can and magazine it weighs 5# 9oz if my memory serves me. 3 years ago we had a cop killer running around in the back few thousand acres. At one point he was 30 yards from where my wife and I lay sleeping. During the 4 days when he was "out there" I quickly figured out that standard long guns sucked for doing chores in small buildings. That started my search for shorter firearms that could still reach out and touch if required. The second is a recent handgun build in 300BLK. I retired the AR above because I wanted a shorter shooter just in case I need to clear my own home (not high on my bucket list). Long guns, grabbed by a perp can easily be levered out of ones grasp. The point of this build was to be short so that I could tuck it under my arm with my left hand out near the muzzle. Anyone grabs it they lose an arm. It takes the place of a 12ga bullpup that is now retired out of the role. To prevent over penetration the load I have in the mag uses a Maker 85 copper bullet @ 2300 fps for maybe 6-8" of penetration and 1k ft/lbs. The handgun always wears either the blast can seen here, or a linear comp to move the blast out from under the carbon fiber handguard. I don't remember what it weighs, but weight was not a consideration with this build. [url=https://postimages.org/][img]https://i.postimg.cc/X7pXzZ8y/DSC00107-adjusted-small.jpg[/img][/url]

Welcome to the forum from central Maine!

Yup. Decades ago when I was MUCH younger and hard up for $ and took any job, I chopped for a gent who logged with horses. That winter saw temps down to -30°F and the job didn't stop just because it was cold. I would dress in layers and remove them as I worked. I would be down to my longjohn top and sweating and steaming just like the horses. When lunch break came I'd have to through all the layers back on to keep from freezing. I would always bring a wide mouth thermos of fortified Ramen soup and I'd dunk my frozen sandwich in it to thaw it a bit. But yes, when you start to sweat you must remove layers. most wet insulation just doesn't insulate very well.

FWIW, I have a friend with one (Fostech?) and he and his son love the thing. Looks like fun but I can run a firearm pretty fast when that's required w/o the binary trigger so I stay old school. Old dog and new tricks don't always work the best.

Welcome to the forum from central Maine! That sux about your AR. I built my last 2 because that way I know it's done right and I use what I want for parts. I have no doubt that you'll get it done correctly.

I'm a huge believer in fleece. I would use wool years ago, until I was hunting in the rain in fleece. It got soaked. But in a lull in the rain I took it off and shook it out and it was insulating me again. Today in the same conditions I would have an outer gore-tex shell. But if the wind is blowing that outer shell is mandatory for fleece. I have a Refrigiwear garment that I used for ice fishing. One day it was really cold with a stiff breeze blowing and the gent I was fishing with commented when I laid down in the snow to cool off. I have no idea if Refrigiwear is still made. But it's not made for hiking. Think of it as a form fitting sleeping bag with legs.

Another welcome from a Maineiac to you MaineMan. I'm in the Waterville area, definitely not downeast.

I have been. It works fine for what it's designed for... to protect us in the designated safe room and tucked under my arm in case I need to clear my own home. But that's really low on my bucket list. All of that is really close in usage. It's just point and shoot with the laser. In fact I liked the idea so much that I bought another Truglo laser/light and put it on a bullpup shotgun. The laser isn't for outdoors though. Why? Here in the USA lasers are limited to 5mw and on a bright day with the target in direct sunlight even a green dot washes out. But indoors day or night it works fine. It might not in a sunroom but I can't test that. FWIW, for longer range use right now I can bring it up and use the MRD, but even there I have tried it outdoors at distances that would be very hard to justify as HD unless it's a time of war, and it works fine tucked under the arm. But in a time of war I wouldn't ask permission I would just drive 6 miles, buy the parts, and SBR it. Then I can use the MRD sight the way nature intended. 98z, the thing that helps those ATF scumbags is that they have endless deep pockets and the money in those pockets comes from us. Then after stealing our money to enslave us, to fight them we only have our remaining $ in our pockets. Fighting them individually would destroy most people and that includes me. They know that and use it. Now if a few thousand fought it together that would work. But fighting them in the courts just means they'll be back. There are other ways to fight them where... And I'll let the reader finish the thought.