OK, since this is an all inclusive thread here.... PSA has their 10.5" pistol kits at $399, and a local shop has stripped lowers for $49. Any reason I shouldn't pressure the wife on this and just build one?
OK, since this is an all inclusive thread here.... PSA has their 10.5" pistol kits at $399, and a local shop has stripped lowers for $49. Any reason I shouldn't pressure the wife on this and just build one?
In reply to bobzilla :
I'm usually the last one to tell someone not to buy a gun, but I put a couple mags through my nephew's similar AR pistol, with a Shockwave style blade. I found it very uncomfortable to shoot. I'm a slightly over wight (according to my BMI) 6' tall 200 lb, fella.
If you want something, and you can find it in stock, don't dally, demand is far surpassing supply for just about everything firearms related.
If you decide you don't like it, you can probably put a few hundred rounds through it, and still make a profit on it on Armslist come late October.
In reply to bigdaddylee82 :
Same height and weight, I dont feel overweight, dont see how that even makes sense. I think the tables are flawed. Especially since i wear 36 waist and that includes room for a doublestack 9mm handgun
bobzilla said:OK, since this is an all inclusive thread here.... PSA has their 10.5" pistol kits at $399, and a local shop has stripped lowers for $49. Any reason I shouldn't pressure the wife on this and just build one?
I can't think of one! I just bought a stripped lower and all the parts to build a carbine chambered in 7.62x39 for my first ar build. Any interest in a build thread?
In reply to bgkast (Forum Supporter) :
AR based 7.62x39? Yes, yes I am interested to know how that works out
In reply to Justjim75 :
Yeah, I don't feel so much over weight either, especially since I've lost a little over 30 lbs since last December, but the APRN I've been seeing at the sleep clinic, mentioned I was over weight. I thought it was odd, so I looked at a BMI calculator, and sure enough, at 6' I need to be 183 lbs to be in the "normal" range. I'm pretty happy where I'm at now though, regardless of what the sleep nurse or a chart says.
Only on GRM would we be talking about BMI and firearms in the same thread. 
In reply to bgkast:
I'm all for it! I've got everything needed to stick a full size Uzi together now and I've had the makings for a Beowulf in the safe for about 3 years, build threads could be motivation to finally do it.
I like having everything here on GRM, a few years ago some of our members had made a firearms/hunting focused forum, several GRMers joined, and a few of us added content, but it died and vanished in less than a year.
In reply to bigdaddylee82 :
This is a pretty cool place. Definitely the best forum I've ever been on, between the civility, inclusion and simply vast knowledge base. I've even seen and spoken with a few on zoom/phone, which is a pretty unique forum experience, at least for me. That's why I asked the question and started this thread. I got genuinely helpful and unbiased advice, which is uncommon for car stuff, and unheard of for something as "contentious" as weapons. I halfway expected it to get locked immediately to prevent any E36 M3show and would have totally understood if that happened.
A friend is a physical therapist, and workout nut. She is built! The BMI chart says she is OBESE!!! Says I should weigh 165 lbs at most. I've been 165 when younger, and I looked like a stick. No thank you.
Now, back to your previously schulded program...
Despite feeling pretty poopy and not having any energy, I made it out to a range today. Shooting these:
standing at the target, q45 as a bench.
Scale:
grouping:
i only shot ten, partly because $.86 a piece, and partly because with 100 paces out and back after each shot it just took forever. I think the sights are as good as can be expected. The orange dot is only 1" and a can hardly even see it that far out. Still, the gun is fun. Thumpy.
Nice. Maybe a pair of binoculars would cut down on the walking?
In reply to ultraclyde (Forum Supporter) :
The walking isn't so bad. I grabbed a handful of brass (mostly .22) on each trip out and back. That goes in the recycle bucket and should be worth $60-70 when it's full. And honestly I can use the exercise.
Also, binoculars powerful enough to see the bullet holes that far away would cost as much as a decent scope... mostly just wanting to get used to the gun and iron sights and maybe put a couple hundred through before installing a scope. As it is, I'd be comfortable shooting at an elk at that distance, at least with a decent rest. I really need to give my .22 a good cleaning and take it out and see what I can do with that at the same distance. For fun.
In reply to barefootskater :
How close are you to having reloading gear?
In reply to matthewmcl (Forum Supporter) :
Not before challenge. If I have money left over from my travel budget I think that's what I plan to buy. Or if the mustang sells soon and I don't bargain too poorly. More likely end of the year. My fun budget is pretty thin on apprentice plumbing wages right now. Such is life.
Not the best backdrop for a target...
In reply to 03Panther :
That pic was just for scale. The target was 100y behind me from the perspective of that photo. The car was my bench/rest.
Besides. The car was free, so other than the hike home it would hardly be a loss.
In reply to barefootskater :
Okay, I am at a bigger screen so I can see your target more clearly. With a little work we can get all of those rounds in the 8 ring.
You have a very straight line on the diagonal. The length of that line is you. The width of that line is what your rifle can do. I am going to assume you are right handed, correct me if I am in error.
Up to the left and down to the right are both trigger issues. I am going to give two things to do at the range, and one to work on at home.
At the range: Breathing and follow through.
Breathing: Your body and mind are not very good at holding half a breath. Your body will be less wiggly, and more able to just sit still, with your breath out. Let your full natural breath out, and check your sight picture, if good, squeeze the trigger. Based on what I am seeing on your target, I think you have this pretty well, but it is important, so I am making sure.
Follow through: It looks like you are coming off of the trigger way too quickly. Jerking your finger off of the trigger will do up and left. When the gun goes bang, hold the trigger back, Breathe in, breathe out, then release the trigger. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.
At home: dry fire practice. I think you have a blend of pulling the trigger a little too quickly and some flinch. Dry fire helps both (and is free).
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE NO AMMO ANYWHERE IN THE ROOM YOU ARE IN. This is just a safety thing to train your brain to. It cuts down the possibility of a negligent discharge and it frees up your brain cells from thinking about it. This second part seems small, but it will help you focus.
With your unloaded rifle (check with both eye and finger; your family is in the building), line up at something small across the room or garage. An outlet is too big, but the ground screw in the middle is good. You are going to practice a slow squeeze og the trigger, slowly building up to the breaking point. As you are first learning this rifle's trigger, this may take a couple of breaths. Squeeze only when the sight picture is correct and your breath is out. If you need to breathe, do so, but hold the trigger with unchanging pressure. Eventually you will get a click. This won't hurt your rifle at all. You can get snap caps (or make some) if you want to practice the manipulation, but your rifle does not need them. Two things are happening. One, you are learning to slowly and smoothly manipulate the trigger. Two, your mind is getting used to that click with nothing happening to your shoulder. As you get used to the rifle with no kick, it is easier to "take it" with no resistance when you are shooting. Let the physics happen, when it is done, then you can react.
There are many other skills to learn, but focus on these bits for now.
For the car tie in, imagine you are trail breaking truly at the limit in a turn. Any quick action is going to upset the car. On the gas too fast, off the gas too fast, off the brake too fast, more brake, steering input, anything
Just being funny. I was scrolling by fast to get up to last read, and had to back up for a double take!
In reply to matthewmcl (Forum Supporter) :
Pretty much settled on going north for an Appleseed shoot at this point. You sir, are too helpful and knowledgeable a resource to pass up.
Right handed, yes. Those shots were made resting the mag on the trunk, chest on the car, left knee on the tire for stability. As stable a position as I can hope for on my feet. That target is really at the limit of my vision peering through the small hole in the rear sight. And I'm sick so a little shakey. That said, first shot was off and low, but I was able to adjust the front sight this time, and dial the rear one better as well. The rest, for me, and iron sights, I'm calling not terrible. Especially with an unfamiliar gun.
I thought the line was an interesting accident, but your explanation rings true. I've heard to fire on exhale, so that's what I was attempting but with the anticipation of recoil I'm sure I was tensing up halfway through. Can't explain shot 7, aside from possibly rushing.
Kids are in bed, and wife may balk at me aiming across the living room, but I'll practice what you said and try to get out and shoot again this week. I quite enjoy the solitude.
In reply to barefootskater :
Take something to rest the forend on, not the magazine. The magazine looks so tempting and convenient and perfect, but it wiggles in weird ways and puts loads inside the gun that do weird things.
In reply to barefootskater :
For cheap targets, us paper plates and make a sharpie/paint dot in the middle as big as you like. Staple it to the box.
matthewmcl (Forum Supporter) said:In reply to barefootskater :
Take something to rest the forend on, not the magazine. The magazine looks so tempting and convenient and perfect, but it wiggles in weird ways and puts loads inside the gun that do weird things.
This seems good enough advice to repeat. FIL has a sighting rest but I can't use it because the mag is in the way. I did find my technique handy though, as I was using a scrap of carpet on the trunk to protect the paint and the mag was leaving very clear witness marks so I could make sure I was in the same position for every shot. Still, I'll probably end up with a collapsing bipod on the front of the gun. Maybe a single leg. Pretty easy getting lost in mods on this platform. Like cheap autozone speed parts. The vents aren't real, but they're worth 2/10ths.
In reply to barefootskater :
Roll up the scrap of carpet and use it like a log.
My father-in-law gave me a Barska 20-60x60 spotting scope for Christmas a few years ago. It's not one I would have bought myself, but it's more than adequate for out to maybe 300 yards, you might be able to see 400 yard shots with those Shoot-N-See splatter targets. It's for sure good enough for 100-150 yard shots, to save you from walking. It's great for having a buddy with you watching shot placement through the spotting scope so you don't have to reposition.
I've had a couple of the Celestron 80mm & 90mm spotting scopes in my wish list for a long time, they're allegedly pretty good budget spotting scopes. I think I'd rather have an angled view finder than the straight through design. We've got a few old smart phones in the junk drawer, I keep telling myself I'm going to get a cheap adapter to stick one of them on my spotting scope. I wear glasses, the view finder on the spotting scope and my glasses don't always gee & haw with one another.
I've got a few of Caldwell's bench rest products, that make me a much better shot.
The Deadshot filled bag is great for a lot of rifles, it's dead simple and affordable. It'd probably work okay with your AR-10 and short 10 round mags, but with 20 round mags in the AR-10, and the typical 30 rounders in most MSRs, it's a little on the short side. I usually have to set it on something for additional mag clearance. Plus it's a little heavy.
I also have The Rock, it provides plenty of mag clearance for MSRs, though I haven't tried it with any of my drum mags. It's a little pricier, but cheaper than a full on sled style bench rest, and more compact and portable than a sled too. I wouldn't use it on the trunk of a car though, without some serious padding between it and the trunk, because the adjustable feet are little spike tips.
I've given a couple different versions of the dense foam shooting rest blocks to folks as gifts in the past too. I learned about them from that Sootch00 fella on YouTube, the version he frequently uses is out of stock, but I sent my nephew a very similar Benchmaster XBlock. They're dense foam, so they're pretty light weight, cheap and you don't have to worry about scratching up your hood or trunk.
I've got a couple of the Caldwell Universal Brass Catchers too. I've had one for years, it's pretty handy for saving brass, unless you're doing mag dumps, then if fills up too fast. Primary Arms had them on sale for $6 back before Christmas, I gave one to all of the shooters in my family.
I've got several sheets of those Shoot-N-See splatter target stickers, so you can make anything a target, and they're easy to see. There's a lot of different folks making splatter targets, Shoot-N-See is just a brand.
All stuff that makes time at the range just a little more pleasant and more efficient.
Maybe I've read one too many Stephen Hunter novels, but I would really like to shoot at a distance greater than 100 yards. I have access to a wonderful range, but 100 yards is as far as I can place a target.
In reply to barefootskater :
When you get tired of poking holes in paper, I recommend these guys: https://shootsteel.com
Gongs are a lot of fun. I've got one of their 3/8" bundles and a one of their 1/2" 8" gongs. They have sales for most holidays, and if you follow them on social media they post deals on blemished items a couple times a year.
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