The Gun Owner’s thread

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4976]

Was previously cheap ammo to practice with. That changed a week or two ago.

[Reagan1k 3024]

31 minutes ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

Was previously cheap ammo to practice with. That changed a week or two ago.

Point well taken, and maybe no longer "cheap", but still certainly "cheaper" than comparable CF rifle rounds.

[BabaYaga 15290]

7 hours ago, Reagan1k said:

Yep- it’s the Soviet 30-30 and the 30-30 has killed, oh I don’t know- eleventy billion whitetail.  Soft shooting round in a bolt gun- cheap Ammo to practice with. Great truck gun combo or perfect for a new, small framed shooter to learn and hunt with.  I’d love to have that CZ either with open sights or a LPVO.  

It’s funny.  It’s what the .300blk wants to be.  Look on paper.  It outperforms it in almost every category.  Great round when paired with modern hunting ammo and modern bolt-gun manufacturing quality like CZ.  

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4976]

300 BLK has the advantage in that it is designed to fully burn its powder in like nine inches of barrel or so, and is optimized to run both supersonic and subsonic on the same a platform, a platform with lots of available parts that all work with it as long as you have a barrel chambered for it. Heck, you can even chamber it in your cousin's M-4 that he smuggled back from Afghanistan. Maybe just once, but you can do it. 7.62 x 39 may have a slight ballistic  and price advantage, but the first is slight and the second is rapidly slipping away.

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4976]

On 9/6/2021 at 10:51 AM, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

So we went out Saturday to get some stuff ready for the season and shot my Norinco made 1873 Winchester a bit afterwards. I took it out yesterday morning and the side plates had a fine layer of rust on the color case hardening. CLP or Rem Oil and paper towels (all I had on hand) didn't remove it. It's like a layer of rust browning, except fingerprints are clearly visible and it ruins the beauty of the color case hardening. Any recs on a product to restore the original finish?

 

On 9/6/2021 at 12:31 PM, Reagan1k said:

Liberal amounts of Ballistol.  Find a way to let it soak or saturate and then use a soft cloth to brush it off.  It that won't take it off, repeat and then gently use the some very fine bronze wool soaked in Ballistol.  Should pull surface rusting right off.

 

On 9/6/2021 at 12:34 PM, 686 said:

 

Reagan beat met to it; I’ve had success with steel wool, but bronze wool sounds like a better idea.
Really fine steel wool (I think 0000) and Corrosion X has worked for me on blued guns with some light rust. Go very slow and very light pressure. Might soak it in Corrosion C for a day or two prior to hitting it with the steel wool.

Also as a PSA: Corrosion X For Guns is a great product that I think is better than Rem Oil as a lubricant and has some of the rust protection of Corrosion X.

http:// https://www.corrosionx.com/collections/corrosion-prevention-control/products/corrosionx-ultimate-clp-cleaner-lubricant-and-protectant-for-firearms?variant=32078265548896

 

So this is what it looked like less than 24 hours after shooting on a hot summer day. It's also what it looks like after scrubbing with CLP, Rem Oil, Ballistol, and brass wool.

 

All that brown stuff was previously pretty blues and reds and stuff. And there definitely weren't fingerprints. It would be a nice finish if I were making an American Longrifle, but I'm not. Is this something I should be trying to get Winchester to fix, or should I just accept that their color case hardening goes to shit in less than half the time than their italian clones do?

[Johnny Chimpo 478]

Damn that looks fucked up!!

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4976]

This is what it looked like just a few months ago when it was fresh out of the box.

[Horn Draoi 255]

It was “case colored,” a very superficial chemical coloring, not “case hardened,” which goes much deeper for softer steel to increase wear resistance.  Most likely can’t be redone by anybody-it’s a pretty toxic chemical mix applied under very controlled conditions.  Sorry-pretty rifle.  May as well get out the steel wool and cold blue and go for the antique look.

[Horn Draoi 255]

After further review, it appears that Brownell’s sells a couple of possible brews/kits for coloring-might work OK for the sideplates, but it won’t come close to matching the rest of the receiver.  As a long-time hobbyist gunsmith/CAS shooter, I’ve “aged” quite a few replicas with steel wool, ScotchBrite pads, and a ring of keys for smacking the wood.  Go slow and gentle and use a lubricant (that’s what she said, right?).

[Handcruser 2805]

This is what it looked like just a few months ago when it was fresh out of the box.

Dumb question in 3,2,1….

Can you sandblast and refinish or cerakote?

[Shoxthemonkey 1977]

14 hours ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

This is what it looked like just a few months ago when it was fresh out of the box.

I think @Horn Draoi is correct. That doesn't look like case hardened steel. I used to have a jar of bone fragments and such from Brownells for color case hardening small parts and it was pretty easy to do. Looks to me like Winchester should be asked to make it right. Make sure to tell them to be sure to keep the portrait of Jesus by the sideplate.

[Horn Draoi 255]

You could Cerakote it-kind of an odd choice for that gun, but it already gave up most of its value with rust damage.

[Reagan1k 3024]

The fingerprints floor me.  I can't help but think something wasn't right with that finish.  It shouldn't be so fragile that a little humidity and fingerprints leave permanent damage.  The fact that some cleaners didn't wipe those away at a minimum is incredible.

[crimsonlonghorn 2306]

That's bullshit. Looks like a fake watch one might buy in a border town after wearing it one time. You just rubbed off the finish and whatever was left somehow etched in your fingerprints. What the fuck? Were your hands black after you shot? 

They had better make it right. I'd raise some hell. 

[crimsonlonghorn 2306]

Also, picked this up for Mrs CL today. She had mentioned that she wanted something to keep in her nightstand for when I am traveling but she didn't want a "scary gun" like the 9mm in my fingerprint safe. 

She said she liked the 22LR 682 revolver at the farm so I remembered back to this thread and figured a hammerless .38 would be perfect.

She likes it so far and can pull the trigger pretty easily. We are going to go shoot it for real later this week. 

[Horn Draoi 255]

12 hours ago, Handcruser said:

Dumb question in 3,2,1….

Can you sandblast and refinish or cerakote?

I can’t find where Norinco ever made lever gun replicas. I’d bet that’s Italian. If you got it from Cimarron (perhaps a Uberti?) start with Cimarron, then Uberti. Good luck with all that.  If it’s a Miroku/Winchester you may have better luck.

 

[BabaYaga 15290]

Yeah, that's horse shit.  Definitely NOT case hardened.  I'd come off the porch for sure.  No doubt.  Good call by @Horn Draoi that it's an 'eye-talion' replica.  Second the suggestion to sand/bead blast it or use steel wool and go for the blued steel look.  

*and as we know, nothing beats "blue steel"

[BabaYaga 15290]

12 hours ago, crimsonlonghorn said:

Also, picked this up for Mrs CL today. She had mentioned that she wanted something to keep in her nightstand for when I am traveling but she didn't want a "scary gun" like the 9mm in my fingerprint safe. 

She said she liked the 22LR 682 revolver at the farm so I remembered back to this thread and figured a hammerless .38 would be perfect.

She likes it so far and can pull the trigger pretty easily. We are going to go shoot it for real later this week. 

Awesome

Every shooter that I have had fire the M&P .380 Shield has loved it.  The slide is so easy to pull back.  It's light, "toyish" almost and has multiple safety options for those that want them.  If you ever want to upgrade to a semi, these are fun.  

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4976]

12 hours ago, Horn Draoi said:

I can’t find where Norinco ever made lever gun replicas. I’d bet that’s Italian. If you got it from Cimarron (perhaps a Uberti?) start with Cimarron, then Uberti. Good luck with all that.  If it’s a Miroku/Winchester you may have better luck.

 

It's a Miroku made Winchester. My italian made replica revolvers seem to have more durable finishes.

[Horn Draoi 255]

1 hour ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

It's a Miroku made Winchester. My italian made replica revolvers seem to have more durable finishes.

My experience over the years, too; I think there may be some, ah, “loopholes” in Italian environmental regulations that can be exploited for some finishing processes.  In other words, I drink wine in Italy, not the water.

[Armybrat 40833]

Sad to see the finish discombobulation.

the J-Frame S&W .38 Special is a great choice for a beginner. Bought a Model 36 for my late MIL 35 years ago.

My little Colt Government .380 is easy to shoot: 
 

 

Edited September 14, 2021 by Armybrat

[Horn_Spanker 524]

Got a .38 revolver for the wife. Took her out shooting and when she got her group within the size of a soccer ball at 20 feet I felt my job was done.  At home I loaded it with hollow point +P rounds and explained to her the difference.  Her response, why do we have to do that?  WTF?

[Speedtrucker 2071]

Let my son pick out his sling and brace strap on his 300blk hog hunter.

He decided on midnight glam to go with my Caribbean twilight Galil.

[Horn Draoi 255]

3 hours ago, Horn_Spanker said:

Got a .38 revolver for the wife. Took her out shooting and when she got her group within the size of a soccer ball at 20 feet I felt my job was done.  At home I loaded it with hollow point +P rounds and explained to her the difference.  Her response, why do we have to do that?  WTF?

You might try telling her that 5 or 6 Speer 135gr (short barrel load) hollow points is the adult equivalent to hollering “STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!” To a 4 year old……just for big bad guys.  I have always found that female shooters are very apt pupils early on in training-evidently most are not descendants of Dan’l Boone and actually pay attention to things like front sight and trigger control………

[Johnny Sack 8397]

21 hours ago, Horn Draoi said:

You might try telling her that 5 or 6 Speer 135gr (short barrel load) hollow points is the adult equivalent to hollering “STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!” To a 4 year old……just for big bad guys.  I have always found that female shooters are very apt pupils early on in training-evidently most are not descendants of Dan’l Boone and actually pay attention to things like front sight and trigger control………

Agree with this.  Although not pistol shooting, I have taught all sorts of first timers how to shoot a rifle at our ranch range.  Women typically are easier.  They will pay attention. Same with teaching someone how to cast a fly rod.  Women are easier to teach.

[Handcruser 2805]

I got a shadow systems dr920 today. It’s pretty dope.

[Bozo_Casanova 26447]

On 9/15/2021 at 4:55 PM, Johnny Sack said:

Agree with this.  Although not pistol shooting, I have taught all sorts of first timers how to shoot a rifle at our ranch range.  Women typically are easier.  They will pay attention. Same with teaching someone how to cast a fly rod.  Women are easier to teach.

Interestingly I’ve had exactly the same experience teaching women the basics of boxing back in the day- jabbing accurately, footwork, stance, putting the kinetic chain of a hook together, they typically get it in about 1/3 less time.

[crimsonlonghorn 2306]

Yeah well, I took her to the range yesterday and she literally shot it 10 times (2 x 5) and declared she had had enough noise and "weird air" and asked to leave. 

I know she can shoot it and I know she can hit the target inside of 10 feet, so I guess that's a victory for when I'm out of town. But she's not winning any marksmanship trophies anytime soon, either. 

Oh well. 

[Handcruser 2805]

Went out to Lone Star Range in Florence again today. If you’re not going here to shoot, you’re doing it wrong.

On the pistol range, they have the bench set up behind the shooters. So you load etc on the bench, then walk out on to the range to shoot. The RSO’s are always out there with you, working with you on stance, trigger, grip, etc. They’ll stand there with you until you’re better. It’s really cool and has helped me a ton.

$15 for all day.

[williemackgarza 1826]

Kinda sounds annoying as fuck but they prolly got to to keep the idiots safe and keep them from accidentally shooting someone

[Fat Bastard 600]

Picked up a “The Fix” by Q yesterday. Wanted a bolt action 6.5 CM that was lightweight. After lugging around my HK 556 I’ve been leaning more and more towards lightweight rifles/SBR’s. Still haven’t pulled the trigger on a scope yet. Have a Vortex Viper PST Gen II that’s 1-6 but looking for something in the 4-16X range. 
 

What do y’all recommend? Not averse to dropping nearly 2k on a Razor but if anyone has any good recs, I’d appreciate it. And, my LPVO I referenced above is SFP. Would it be better to get a FFP for the 6.5 CM scope?

[Handcruser 2805]

Picked up a “The Fix” by Q yesterday. Wanted a bolt action 6.5 CM that was lightweight. After lugging around my HK 556 I’ve been leaning more and more towards lightweight rifles/SBR’s. Still haven’t pulled the trigger on a scope yet. Have a Vortex Viper PST Gen II that’s 1-6 but looking for something in the 4-16X range. 
 
What do y’all recommend? Not averse to dropping nearly 2k on a Razor but if anyone has any good recs, I’d appreciate it. And, my LPVO I referenced above is SFP. Would it be better to get a FFP for the 6.5 CM scope?

Ive got a ffp vortex on my 6.5C.

Razors are sweet. Lifetime warranty.

[Shoxthemonkey 1977]

I tried to find a mounting block for the Parker-Hale front sight that I am using on my Martini build. My smith is wanting to get the barreled action polished and any of the parts that need to be stuck to the barrel silver soldered in place. Rather than wait til I found the correct block, I whittled a couple of these this weekend and sent one of them out to Colorado this afternoon. Good thing that I made two because this one had one of the dovetail angles messed up. I left the riser tall so that he can cut it to the correct height after he gets the receiver peep mounted.

[686 3448]

Picked up a “The Fix” by Q yesterday. Wanted a bolt action 6.5 CM that was lightweight. After lugging around my HK 556 I’ve been leaning more and more towards lightweight rifles/SBR’s. Still haven’t pulled the trigger on a scope yet. Have a Vortex Viper PST Gen II that’s 1-6 but looking for something in the 4-16X range. 
 
What do y’all recommend? Not averse to dropping nearly 2k on a Razor but if anyone has any good recs, I’d appreciate it. And, my LPVO I referenced above is SFP. Would it be better to get a FFP for the 6.5 CM scope?

How long range do you want to go with it and do you want to manually turn turrets or use holdover/electronics? And stay lightweight I’m assuming?

[Fat Bastard 600]

5 hours ago, 686 said:

How long range do you want to go with it and do you want to manually turn turrets or use holdover/electronics? And stay lightweight I’m assuming?

If I’m being honest, probably no more than 500 yards. Have no real issue in manually turning turrets. Lightweight would be great

[BabaYaga 15290]

9 hours ago, Fat Bastard said:

If I’m being honest, probably no more than 500 yards. Have no real issue in manually turning turrets. Lightweight would be great

With that shorter barrel, that seems the perfect range distance.  Always heard to stretch the 6.5's legs, you need at least a 22in barrel to maximize the efficiency of the round....but that is also at much greater distances.

[686 3448]

If I’m being honest, probably no more than 500 yards. Have no real issue in manually turning turrets. Lightweight would be great

I’m a Sig fanboy so here’s a few options from them:

http:// https://www.eurooptic.com/Sig-Sauer-BDX-Combo-Kit-Kilo1600BDX-LRF-and-Sierra3BDX-Rifle-Scope-45-14x50mm-SO.aspx

http:// https://www.eurooptic.com/Sig-Sauer-TANGO4-Scope-4-16x44mm-30mm-FFP-MOA-Illum-Reticle-Side-Focus-025-MOA-A.aspx

Both in the 25oz weight range

[686 3448]

Zeiss Conquest V4 is fairly popular in this application as well, but it’s second focal plane.

http:// https://www.eurooptic.com/Zeiss-CONQUEST-V4-4-16x50-ZMOAi-1-Illum-Reticle-93-Ext-Elevation-Turret-Ballisti.aspx

[686 3448]

Vortex Razor LHT might be a good fit

http:// https://www.eurooptic.com/Vortex-Razor-HD-LHT-3-15x42-HSR-5i-MOA-Riflescope-RZR-31501.aspx

19oz

[Fat Bastard 600]

Thx for the recs! Most of the scopes I’ve seen are FFP. For this distance is that preferred over SFP?

[Speedtrucker 2071]

Really here’s been my go-by….

SFP
Low light shooting
Brush shooting
Hunting at short to mid distances
Untimed distance shooting

FFP
Competition
Timed competitions
Long range shooting
Putting your Horus reticles to proper use

But these are just my own opinions…

[686 3448]

Thx for the recs! Most of the scopes I’ve seen are FFP. For this distance is that preferred over SFP?

I’d say it depends on what you’re going to do most with the gun - hunting, plinking? precision shooting? Do you use a rangefinder or just guesstimate? Will you use a ballistic calculator on your phone or not really want to mess with it and just shoot?

[Speedtrucker 2071]

I’d say it depends on what you’re going to do most with the gun - hunting, plinking? precision shooting? Do you use a rangefinder or just guesstimate? Will you use a ballistic calculator on your phone or not really want to mess with it and just shoot?

Oh yeah forgot about that.

Spotter calling values
Kestrel meter
Etc all lend themselves more to long range serious shooting and a FFP is more likely your good stuff.

[Handcruser 2805]

Pistol wise - down to this. Sold some things and added some things.

Glock 19
CZ P10 S
Shadow Dr920 Elite
Shadow Mr920 combat

I’ll probably add a p10m at some point and an mr920 elite.

Really liking the shadows.

[Speedtrucker 2071]

I want a Shadow. Not a glock guy but always felt I needed something that took G19 mags.

Figured I’d do an ar9 but that shadow with the 1911 grip angle I hear is a smooth beast.

[Handcruser 2805]

I want a Shadow. Not a glock guy but always felt I needed something that took G19 mags.

Figured I’d do an ar9 but that shadow with the 1911 grip angle I hear is a smooth beast.

They’re nice.

Dr920 elite is the fucking tits.

The mag thing is one reason I consolidated. Saves me a bunch of money and hassle and mitigates mistakes.

There will always be a CZ in my stable though. Fuck they’re all so good.

[Johnny Sack 8397]

On 9/20/2021 at 10:16 PM, Fat Bastard said:

If I’m being honest, probably no more than 500 yards. Have no real issue in manually turning turrets. Lightweight would be great

I don't shoot targets past 500 (it's all we have).  And 400 is about my limit for animals.  It's why I like my Weatherby Mags.  At 400 I can hold the crosshairs on my 270 weatherby mag, which is zeroed in two inches high at 100 yards, at the very tip top of the shoulder.  And it will be right on.  No need to mess with the turrets.

[Carl Spackler 3481]

On 9/12/2021 at 9:50 PM, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

This is what it looked like just a few months ago when it was fresh out of the box.

Is that Jesus I see on the receiver just above and to the right of the loading port?

[BabaYaga 15290]

On 9/19/2021 at 1:29 PM, Fat Bastard said:

Picked up a “The Fix” by Q yesterday. Wanted a bolt action 6.5 CM that was lightweight. After lugging around my HK 556 I’ve been leaning more and more towards lightweight rifles/SBR’s. Still haven’t pulled the trigger on a scope yet. Have a Vortex Viper PST Gen II that’s 1-6 but looking for something in the 4-16X range. 
 

What do y’all recommend? Not averse to dropping nearly 2k on a Razor but if anyone has any good recs, I’d appreciate it. And, my LPVO I referenced above is SFP. Would it be better to get a FFP for the 6.5 CM scope?

[williemackgarza 1826]

Dove hunted early, knocked down 10 with the benelli sbe3 (birds mot as plentiful as opening day, time to go south), got out the 300 bo with suppressed subsonic and played awhile. Drank micheladas as the game started.
Was a great day