Shock can occur for a number of different reasons. Trauma, blood loss, severe temperature exposure, burns. Even emotional trauma can cause the body to activate this defense mechanism, but what is shock?
There are a few different types of shock, but basically, it happens when the body isn't getting the amount of oxygen rich blood that it needs to survive. When this happens the body begins to prioritize where the blood that it has left gets sent. It will stop sending blood to areas like the skin and digestive system where its not immediately needed for survival in order to continue sending it to the vital organs. For this reason you will note a pale clammy look to someone's skin if they are beginning to go into shock. You may also note their lips turning a bluish color and their eyes becoming distant or glazed over. They may be in an altered mental status as their brain is not receiving the required amount of oxygen (slurred speech, anxiousness or combativeness). Of course, shock can be treated for before you even see any signs of it. Just by knowing what causes it you are already aware that it is a possibility and should treat for it automatically whenever something serious happens until the victims condition stabilizes.
The most common type of shock you will encounter in a survival setting is hypovolemic shock. This means there is not enough blood for the heart to distribute. Usually caused by severe trauma resulting in massive blood loss. Although shock should be considered in almost any circumstance, it should only be treated after the initial cause. Always check your ABC's (airway, breathing, circulation) first. Treat any broken bones and blood loss but if a spinal injury is suspected do not move the patient. Once the initial treatment is done you can start treating for shock. Make sure the victim is comfortable and laying down. Loosen any restrictive clothing or jewelry. Since the body is no longer regulating its temperature the way it should be, keeping the victim warm is important. Cover them with a blanket. If they are outside in the elements and no spinal injury is suspected try to get another blanket or mat under them as well to keep them dry. Log roll the person gently while supporting the head to do this. If they begin to vomit or choke you can lay them on their side and manage their airway in this manner but otherwise have them lay comfortably on their back. Elevate their feet 8-12 inches to help keep the blood in the torso where its needed most by the vital organs.
Due to the lack of blood volume during this kind of emergency the heart begins to beat faster in an attempt to get more blood distributed. You will notice their pulse and breathing get rapid and weak. Because the heart will be working harder and harder its critical to keep monitoring your ABC's and be ready to perform CPR or rescue breathing procedures should their condition get any worse.
Cardiogenic shock is caused when the heart is no longer working the way it should. The volume isn't the problem here but the blood still isn't getting delivered. The treatment remains the same but keep in mind that you must always treat the cause first. Trying to stabilize someone who is in shock will be useless if they are still bleeding or if their heart is stopped.
People can also go into shock as a result of an allergic reaction. This may be marked by difficulty breathing, itching, swelling, and abdominal pain. Most who have allergies this severe will carry an epi pen, which is an auto injecting syringe that they will need. Many people are able to administer it themselves but if you think this is what is happening ask them where it is. You may need to give it them. Epi pens are usually administered in the thigh.
In any type of situation where it is possible to call for help, do so immediately. Most of the information here is based on a wilderness survival setting or situation where help may not be able to get to you. Basic first aid should always be a priority. Always remember ABC (airway, breathing, circulation), but during any serious injury begin treatment for shock before you see it. It could mean the difference.
Emergency services phone numbers worldwide:
999.....UK
911.....USA/ Canada
191.....Thailand
190.....Brazil
119.....Jamaica
117.....Phillipines
112.....Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Moscow, Romania, Germany, France, Greece, Italy, Spain, South Africa, Columbia
111.....New Zealand
110.....Japan
101.....Argentina
100.....Israel
080.....Mexico
000.....Australia
Monday, December 23, 2013
Friday, December 13, 2013
Emergency first aid kits.
A lot of people are starting to realize that having an emergency bag (bug out bag, 72 hour bag), or whatever you want to call it is a good idea and there have been many articles and videos on just what should go into these emergency kits. While I could go on forever on this subject from what items to have or leave out to what brands are better than others, I have decided to write a brief article narrowing it down to one particular item, the first aid kit.
Now, everyone has a different idea of things that should be included in an emergency first aid kit but most agree on all of the basics. Bandages, gauze, alcohol pads, maybe an ice pack, but there is a huge difference between a first aid kit that you keep at home for your children's many bumps and bruises and a kit that you have in an emergency bug out bag. The key word here being "EMERGENCY".
Your bug out bag is a kit that you have put together to keep you alive in the most life threatening situations you can imagine. Weather you are lost in the woods or stranded in a vehicle off the road in the middle of nowhere, you need to rely on this bag and everything in it to get you home safe.
I have seen a lot of videos on "25 dollar bug out bags" or "budget 72 hour emergency kits". Not everyone has a great deal of money to spend on these things and I understand that but one area you do NOT want to cut corners is your first aid kit. People, please, do not buy a box of assorted band-aides from the dollar store and think you have a first aide kit in your bag. Any injury I end up with that can be taken care of with a band-aide is not an injury I am going to be that worried about. I am not saying you shouldn't have those on hand as well but what is a box of band-aides going to do for a gash that wont stop bleeding, a broken limb, a sucking chest wound. These are injuries that can and will kill you in a survival atmosphere if not taken care of properly. A million dollar store bandages will never take the place of a properly applied pressure dressing.
In an ideal setting, your first aid kit should be as complete and inclusive as the rest of your pack. Realistically, I know that its not possible to carry forty pounds of medical gear on top of the rest of your equipment, but here are a few must have's that I think everyone should consider.
1) Pressure dressings.....If you have a serious wound that has not stopped bleeding after ten minutes or so of applying pressure with gauze or clean cloth you have a problem. Pressure dressings are very cheap and every first aid kit should have a couple of them in it. If you don't have one you can make one a couple different ways. A roll of gauze can be placed (in its rolled up form) on top of the wound and then secured in place with an ace bandage. The roll will apply greater pressure than any bandage and the ace wrap will allow enough flexibility as to not cut off your circulation and essentially turning your dressing into a tourniquet. You can also use a maxi pad, yes you read that right. Maxi pads are super absorbent and designed to stop blood flow. Throw a couple of them in your first aid kit, it will come in a lot more handy than your spiderman band-aides. Here is a picture of what a Pressure dressing basically looks like.
2) Peroxide/alcohol.....I'm not talking about the little prep pads you get in kits that are great for cleaning up jr's skinned knee. I am talking about a bottle of alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. In the woods in a survival setting infection can be your worst enemy. You do not want to run out of this stuff. Dressings on serious wounds should be changed 2-3 times per day and should be cleaned properly each time. A whole box of prep pads wouldn't last 24 hours in this type of situation. You can get a bottle of isopropyl alcohol for a buck. Throw a couple of them in there.
3) Rolled gauze.....Beside the previously mention pressure dressing usage this stuff comes in handy much more often than the pads. Have a few pads in the kit as well for smaller stuff but the rolled gauze does a fantastic job of keeping things tidy.
4) Quickclot.....This stuff goes by different names but it is basically a powder that can be dumped onto a wound that immediately stops the bleeding by a chemical reaction. It wont be the cheapest item in your kit but it could potentially be a life saver.
5) Ace bandages.....You should have several of these in your kit in varying sizes. They are great for keeping a dressing in place without causing too much pressure and cutting off your blood flow to that extremity. They can also be used to hold ice packs in place or even make an emergency sling if you had to.
There are a few other items that don't need as much of an explanation that I feel are must haves such as a pair or two of latex gloves (less chance of infecting a wound you are treating), a pair of trauma sheers to quickly cut clothing away from an injury, finger splints, something you can make into a sling (large square cloth), and a bottle of ibuprofen or aleve (the anti-inflammatory affects help a lot with swelling, reducing pain in injuries like sprains which are very common out in the woods.
There are a million items that you can put in a first aid kit and everyones kit will be a little different. If you have allergies or are on medication of any kind you should obviously pack some of these meds in your kit as well if possible. (asthma inhaler, blood pressure meds, insulin and the like) and any over the counter antibiotics you can get, these items could make the difference between life and death in a survival setting. Other non essential but invaluable items to have may include sun block and poison ivy treatment. Personalize your kit for your own comfort levels but please include some of these essentials and prepare for the more severe side of first aid.
Now, everyone has a different idea of things that should be included in an emergency first aid kit but most agree on all of the basics. Bandages, gauze, alcohol pads, maybe an ice pack, but there is a huge difference between a first aid kit that you keep at home for your children's many bumps and bruises and a kit that you have in an emergency bug out bag. The key word here being "EMERGENCY".
Your bug out bag is a kit that you have put together to keep you alive in the most life threatening situations you can imagine. Weather you are lost in the woods or stranded in a vehicle off the road in the middle of nowhere, you need to rely on this bag and everything in it to get you home safe.
I have seen a lot of videos on "25 dollar bug out bags" or "budget 72 hour emergency kits". Not everyone has a great deal of money to spend on these things and I understand that but one area you do NOT want to cut corners is your first aid kit. People, please, do not buy a box of assorted band-aides from the dollar store and think you have a first aide kit in your bag. Any injury I end up with that can be taken care of with a band-aide is not an injury I am going to be that worried about. I am not saying you shouldn't have those on hand as well but what is a box of band-aides going to do for a gash that wont stop bleeding, a broken limb, a sucking chest wound. These are injuries that can and will kill you in a survival atmosphere if not taken care of properly. A million dollar store bandages will never take the place of a properly applied pressure dressing.
In an ideal setting, your first aid kit should be as complete and inclusive as the rest of your pack. Realistically, I know that its not possible to carry forty pounds of medical gear on top of the rest of your equipment, but here are a few must have's that I think everyone should consider.
1) Pressure dressings.....If you have a serious wound that has not stopped bleeding after ten minutes or so of applying pressure with gauze or clean cloth you have a problem. Pressure dressings are very cheap and every first aid kit should have a couple of them in it. If you don't have one you can make one a couple different ways. A roll of gauze can be placed (in its rolled up form) on top of the wound and then secured in place with an ace bandage. The roll will apply greater pressure than any bandage and the ace wrap will allow enough flexibility as to not cut off your circulation and essentially turning your dressing into a tourniquet. You can also use a maxi pad, yes you read that right. Maxi pads are super absorbent and designed to stop blood flow. Throw a couple of them in your first aid kit, it will come in a lot more handy than your spiderman band-aides. Here is a picture of what a Pressure dressing basically looks like.
2) Peroxide/alcohol.....I'm not talking about the little prep pads you get in kits that are great for cleaning up jr's skinned knee. I am talking about a bottle of alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. In the woods in a survival setting infection can be your worst enemy. You do not want to run out of this stuff. Dressings on serious wounds should be changed 2-3 times per day and should be cleaned properly each time. A whole box of prep pads wouldn't last 24 hours in this type of situation. You can get a bottle of isopropyl alcohol for a buck. Throw a couple of them in there.
3) Rolled gauze.....Beside the previously mention pressure dressing usage this stuff comes in handy much more often than the pads. Have a few pads in the kit as well for smaller stuff but the rolled gauze does a fantastic job of keeping things tidy.
4) Quickclot.....This stuff goes by different names but it is basically a powder that can be dumped onto a wound that immediately stops the bleeding by a chemical reaction. It wont be the cheapest item in your kit but it could potentially be a life saver.
5) Ace bandages.....You should have several of these in your kit in varying sizes. They are great for keeping a dressing in place without causing too much pressure and cutting off your blood flow to that extremity. They can also be used to hold ice packs in place or even make an emergency sling if you had to.
There are a few other items that don't need as much of an explanation that I feel are must haves such as a pair or two of latex gloves (less chance of infecting a wound you are treating), a pair of trauma sheers to quickly cut clothing away from an injury, finger splints, something you can make into a sling (large square cloth), and a bottle of ibuprofen or aleve (the anti-inflammatory affects help a lot with swelling, reducing pain in injuries like sprains which are very common out in the woods.
There are a million items that you can put in a first aid kit and everyones kit will be a little different. If you have allergies or are on medication of any kind you should obviously pack some of these meds in your kit as well if possible. (asthma inhaler, blood pressure meds, insulin and the like) and any over the counter antibiotics you can get, these items could make the difference between life and death in a survival setting. Other non essential but invaluable items to have may include sun block and poison ivy treatment. Personalize your kit for your own comfort levels but please include some of these essentials and prepare for the more severe side of first aid.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
The NFL's broken moral compass.
Recently the NFL denied Daniel Defense the right to air their commercial during the superbowl. Daniel Defense, (for those of you who don't know them) is a company that produces firearms, firearm accessories and parts, and clothing. The NFL stated that they could not allow DD to air their commercial because it violated the NFL policy on advertising guns. The policy states that the NFL will not promote gun companies in their ads but that companies or department stores that sell gun may advertise as long as they don't promote the guns or show them in the commercial.
The Daniel Defense commercial shows a man arriving home to his wife and baby, talking about how life is so much different since he has been back home (a shot as he is walking in his door shows us that he is a United States marine). He then talks about how he loves his family and has a duty to protect them, and that no one can tell him how he can do that. No gun is shown at all in the entire commercial except at the very end when DD's logo appears with the shadow of an AR15. For the record Daniel Defense offered to replace their logo with an American flag and was still denied.
So lets break this down...DD sells clothing and other items besides guns...they did not show any guns in the commercial and even offered to change their logo to please the ever rapidly devolving NFL...and yet they were still told that they could not show their commercial during the biggest sporting event of the year because the NFL feels like they have some kind of moral obligation that prevents them from promoting the defense of ones family? I guess they feel a lot better about promoting all the alcohol companies that make up for a large portion of their advertising dollars, or maybe they are saving that spot for one of the many violent video games or movies they advertise for. The NFL promotes safety by preaching about concussions every week, their millionaire employees need to be kept safe after all, but the defense of our families is too sticky a subject for the commissioner to get involved in. Well Roger Goodell, I would like to borrow a line from a Mark Wahlberg movie here to tell you that "your moral compass is so screwed up I'll be surprised if you can find the parking lot."
Ok, I will get down off my soap box now and just close by saying that when those of you who will be watching the game this year (I wont be) see the newest Grand Theft Auto game being advertised right after a Bud light commercial lets remember that our good friends at Daniel Defense were told our families safety violates NFL policy.
The Daniel Defense commercial shows a man arriving home to his wife and baby, talking about how life is so much different since he has been back home (a shot as he is walking in his door shows us that he is a United States marine). He then talks about how he loves his family and has a duty to protect them, and that no one can tell him how he can do that. No gun is shown at all in the entire commercial except at the very end when DD's logo appears with the shadow of an AR15. For the record Daniel Defense offered to replace their logo with an American flag and was still denied.
So lets break this down...DD sells clothing and other items besides guns...they did not show any guns in the commercial and even offered to change their logo to please the ever rapidly devolving NFL...and yet they were still told that they could not show their commercial during the biggest sporting event of the year because the NFL feels like they have some kind of moral obligation that prevents them from promoting the defense of ones family? I guess they feel a lot better about promoting all the alcohol companies that make up for a large portion of their advertising dollars, or maybe they are saving that spot for one of the many violent video games or movies they advertise for. The NFL promotes safety by preaching about concussions every week, their millionaire employees need to be kept safe after all, but the defense of our families is too sticky a subject for the commissioner to get involved in. Well Roger Goodell, I would like to borrow a line from a Mark Wahlberg movie here to tell you that "your moral compass is so screwed up I'll be surprised if you can find the parking lot."
Ok, I will get down off my soap box now and just close by saying that when those of you who will be watching the game this year (I wont be) see the newest Grand Theft Auto game being advertised right after a Bud light commercial lets remember that our good friends at Daniel Defense were told our families safety violates NFL policy.
Monday, December 2, 2013
Concealed carry tid bits
About six months ago I finally booked an appointment and took a course so that I could obtain my Maine concealed carry permit or CCW. I have been carrying every day since I have been able and thought I would share a few things with those who may be thinking about getting their permits, or maybe already have them and are fairly new to it like I am, so that they can evaluate what works best for them and their every-day lives.
First, I would like to point out that I was completely shocked, although not necessarily disappointed at how easy it was to obtain this permit in my state. Maine is a "shall issue" state, meaning if you don't have a criminal background or any other issues excluding you from being able to own or carry a firearm, they will give you a permit. They do require that you attend and "graduate" from a NRA certified home firearm safety course and complete the application through your local police chief before you may be able to carry a concealed firearm. In Maine the minimum to achieve this is a $65.00/ 8 hr. course with no shooting required. Easy enough right? After graduating the course, which is basically just showing you understand what the instructor is saying and showing you can hold a gun without putting everyone in danger, you must then get an application from your chief of police and pay another $35.00 filing fee. (Why does filing a paper cost $35.00?)
Once you have done this its just a waiting game. It took my permit about six weeks to come in. The town office/police station where I live called me personally when it arrived so I could go sign it in front of them. It was just an ordinary piece of paper stating my name and address and the name and signature of the chief of police. I laminated it myself so I wouldn't have to pay another $5.00 fee to get another one in three months when mine ripped or made a trip through the washing machine.
Now, every state has completely different requirements for this process so before anyone starts leaving me all kinds of nasty comments saying I am full of crap about how easy it is to get this permit, please realize this. (Yes, it has already happened) The info I am providing is for Maine only and it is to acquire a Maine only permit. I was told that thirteen states honor Maines permit but if you want a permit that's good for the entire country you will need to attend a more extensive course for more money.
Ok, now that all the details are out of the way we will get on to my actual experiences carrying. This is something that should be thought out before hand because you will begin to realize very quickly that the way you thought you might want to carry and the gear you dream about carrying every day begins to be a nightmare once you do. Once you make the choice to carry a firearm you should carry it every day, everywhere (within your legal rights of course) This means finding a handgun and holster that will feel comfortable, not just for a few days, but for everyday carry.
The gun/holster combo should be something that works no matter what your doing or how you are sitting. Some methods of carry feel great while you are standing and are horrible when you sit down. When I started out I carried on the small of my back. I found out very quickly that this was completely useless when I was sitting down and could possibly injure me severely if I was pushed onto my back. I have since moved to carrying on my strong side hip in the "4 oclock" position. (If your body was a clock with your belt buckle at 12 oclock. This position allows me to sit and stand without adjusting and even lay down on my back comfortably. The less time you have to adjust or remove your sidearm the better. If you spend a lot of the time on the road driving this may mean a shoulder holster so your weapon is not pinned to you by your seatbelt. The clothing you wear every day will have a lot to do with how you want to carry and you may want to buy certain items of clothing specifically for this. I bought a couple of lightweight open front jackets for this purpose. If your job requires you to wear blazers or sport coats then the shoulder holster may be ideal. Also please check with your local laws because while it is perfectly legal to carry open in Maine, some states do not allow it and if your concealed handgun becomes not so concealed you can get in trouble for it.
If you choose to buy an "inside the waistband" holster be aware that these take time to break in. It may not be very comfortable at all at first but it will eventually conform to your body's angles and contours and soon , if your gun isn't a brick, you should barely know its there. I also recommend carrying a spare mag, flashlight, or whatever other every day items you may carry in the same spot on the other side as to offset the weight on your hips a little. (You would be surprised how much this helps). Depending on how fitted your clothes are to begin with you may want to buy pants a size bigger so you are still comfortable after the thickness of the gun has been taken up.
Try not to carry in spots you may perspire a lot (small of back for men). Wiping down your gun all the time is a pain and unnecessary if you place it right. This is also why many people opt to carry stainless steel guns that don't rust or corrode as easily.
Whatever way you chose to carry, carry that way all the time. Get used to it. Practice unholstering and drawing on target (with an unloaded weapon) so that if and when you ever need to it will be second nature. You may think it would be easy to know where you are carrying but if you carry in different places all the time when the fight or flight response kicks in and you have seconds to react you don't want to draw a blank and reach for your gun to find out its not there today.
Well that's it for now, I will share more things as I learn them and hopefully I can help someone who is just figuring it out for themselves. Please train with your firearm and be safe, there are already way too many people giving us gun owners bad names, lets not help them out.
First, I would like to point out that I was completely shocked, although not necessarily disappointed at how easy it was to obtain this permit in my state. Maine is a "shall issue" state, meaning if you don't have a criminal background or any other issues excluding you from being able to own or carry a firearm, they will give you a permit. They do require that you attend and "graduate" from a NRA certified home firearm safety course and complete the application through your local police chief before you may be able to carry a concealed firearm. In Maine the minimum to achieve this is a $65.00/ 8 hr. course with no shooting required. Easy enough right? After graduating the course, which is basically just showing you understand what the instructor is saying and showing you can hold a gun without putting everyone in danger, you must then get an application from your chief of police and pay another $35.00 filing fee. (Why does filing a paper cost $35.00?)
Once you have done this its just a waiting game. It took my permit about six weeks to come in. The town office/police station where I live called me personally when it arrived so I could go sign it in front of them. It was just an ordinary piece of paper stating my name and address and the name and signature of the chief of police. I laminated it myself so I wouldn't have to pay another $5.00 fee to get another one in three months when mine ripped or made a trip through the washing machine.
Now, every state has completely different requirements for this process so before anyone starts leaving me all kinds of nasty comments saying I am full of crap about how easy it is to get this permit, please realize this. (Yes, it has already happened) The info I am providing is for Maine only and it is to acquire a Maine only permit. I was told that thirteen states honor Maines permit but if you want a permit that's good for the entire country you will need to attend a more extensive course for more money.
Ok, now that all the details are out of the way we will get on to my actual experiences carrying. This is something that should be thought out before hand because you will begin to realize very quickly that the way you thought you might want to carry and the gear you dream about carrying every day begins to be a nightmare once you do. Once you make the choice to carry a firearm you should carry it every day, everywhere (within your legal rights of course) This means finding a handgun and holster that will feel comfortable, not just for a few days, but for everyday carry.
The gun/holster combo should be something that works no matter what your doing or how you are sitting. Some methods of carry feel great while you are standing and are horrible when you sit down. When I started out I carried on the small of my back. I found out very quickly that this was completely useless when I was sitting down and could possibly injure me severely if I was pushed onto my back. I have since moved to carrying on my strong side hip in the "4 oclock" position. (If your body was a clock with your belt buckle at 12 oclock. This position allows me to sit and stand without adjusting and even lay down on my back comfortably. The less time you have to adjust or remove your sidearm the better. If you spend a lot of the time on the road driving this may mean a shoulder holster so your weapon is not pinned to you by your seatbelt. The clothing you wear every day will have a lot to do with how you want to carry and you may want to buy certain items of clothing specifically for this. I bought a couple of lightweight open front jackets for this purpose. If your job requires you to wear blazers or sport coats then the shoulder holster may be ideal. Also please check with your local laws because while it is perfectly legal to carry open in Maine, some states do not allow it and if your concealed handgun becomes not so concealed you can get in trouble for it.
If you choose to buy an "inside the waistband" holster be aware that these take time to break in. It may not be very comfortable at all at first but it will eventually conform to your body's angles and contours and soon , if your gun isn't a brick, you should barely know its there. I also recommend carrying a spare mag, flashlight, or whatever other every day items you may carry in the same spot on the other side as to offset the weight on your hips a little. (You would be surprised how much this helps). Depending on how fitted your clothes are to begin with you may want to buy pants a size bigger so you are still comfortable after the thickness of the gun has been taken up.
Try not to carry in spots you may perspire a lot (small of back for men). Wiping down your gun all the time is a pain and unnecessary if you place it right. This is also why many people opt to carry stainless steel guns that don't rust or corrode as easily.
Whatever way you chose to carry, carry that way all the time. Get used to it. Practice unholstering and drawing on target (with an unloaded weapon) so that if and when you ever need to it will be second nature. You may think it would be easy to know where you are carrying but if you carry in different places all the time when the fight or flight response kicks in and you have seconds to react you don't want to draw a blank and reach for your gun to find out its not there today.
Well that's it for now, I will share more things as I learn them and hopefully I can help someone who is just figuring it out for themselves. Please train with your firearm and be safe, there are already way too many people giving us gun owners bad names, lets not help them out.
Friday, March 8, 2013
Wrap it. Grip it. Shoot it. JBG gun grips
I would like to let all you gun owners know about a great product I tried out recently from JBG gungrips. JBG makes cutom grip panels for just about any firearm you can imagine and they fit perfect! My most recent project was a Mossberg 500a pump shotgun that needed some repair. I bought it for fifty dollars and refinished it in black with a shortened barrel but the clear coat didnt create a great place to grip the stock. It was so smooth that it was almost slippery if your hands and the stock were not completely dry. I looked all over the place for some kind of solution until I found JBG.
They make self adhesive (and these things are adhesive!) grip panels for your firearm which have a sandpaper type feel to them for an amazing grip. They are completely removeable without tearing up your paint or finish and they are one of the most affordable gun accessories on the market. Here is a picture of the shotgun stock with JBG gun grips on it.
I have to admit, I was a little aprehensive at first about how permanant these grips would be but they are made from a type of adhesive that is both extremely sticky and easy to remove if needed, and what a grip! This shotgun stock went from something I was nervous about holding onto if my hands were sweaty to something I dont think I could let go of if I tried. From handguns and assault rifles to special purpose shotguns, JBG has it all and you will not find a better price on any kind of gun grip on the market. I am thinking about ordering a variety of them just to have on hand. If there is something you need that you dont see on their website you can email them, they are great at getting you exactly what you need. Go check them out!
They make self adhesive (and these things are adhesive!) grip panels for your firearm which have a sandpaper type feel to them for an amazing grip. They are completely removeable without tearing up your paint or finish and they are one of the most affordable gun accessories on the market. Here is a picture of the shotgun stock with JBG gun grips on it.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
WASR GP 10/63 project.
I bought a WASR GP 10/63 rifle a while back (luckily before the surge in semi-auto rifles began) and figured I would make it a rainy day project since I can almost never leave anything alone. For anyone who doesn't know what this rifle is, it is an AKM variant modeled after the original AK-47 design. This rifle is made in Romania using surplus parts from actual Romanian military rifles. Originally these weapons were shipped to the United States during the Clinton era "assault weapons" ban, which was from 1994 to 2004. During this time 30 round double stack magazines were banned and so these rifles were made with narrow magazine wells to accept 10 round single stack magazines. Century arms imported them and replaced several parts with american made pieces to comply with the federal regulations. These rifles were known as the 10/63...10 being the magazine size and 63 being the year of the design. The newer versions of this rifle are known as the GP 10/63 for "general purpose" and are not to be confused with the originals which developed a reputation for being cheap weapons. It is true that the price of one of these WASR's is significantly lower than many other brands of AKM, but there are several reasons for this. First, the romanian made AK variants far outnumber any other country's design and are imported much more, obviously driving the price of the rarer models up. Second, the WASR rifles come with the bare minimum in order to keep prices low. This rifle did not come with a strap, extra magazines, or carrying case and the wood parts of the gun are unfinished. This saves the consumer quite a bit of money because it costs the manufacturer less to make it.
I wasn't smart enough to take before pictures so this is a picture of a WASR GP 10/63 I found online. You can see that this person has a strap on thiers but mine came without one and the wood was sanded to about 80 grit.
The first thing I would recommend to anyone who buys one of these is to seal or finish the wood to prevent it from rotting. This isn't very expensive and improves the life of your weapon tremendously. I chose not to use any stain on mine but instead replaced the handguard with an aluminum quad rail and gave the butt stock several layers of spray on Rustoleum clear coat after sanding it down to 400 grit. This spray dries quickly and offers a layer of protection from dropping damage or water. Next I bought a couple cans of ultra flat camo paint and colored the top cover, quad rail, rear sight block, and magazines. I then gave those parts the same clear coat treatment I gave the stock. I also added a muzzle break to the barrel. The rifle came with a barrel nut welded onto the muzzle so I had to break through the weld and clean it up to attatch the new part. Here are a few after pictures.
The rifle itself was 530 dollars (probably more now) and with another 10 dollars in paint and a little sandpaper it now looks like this. The black rubber grip sections you see on the forward and pistol grips are made by Manta-rail and the rail covers which I have in olive drab and black are UTG. As usual , feel free to email or comment any questions and I will be glad to help out.
I wasn't smart enough to take before pictures so this is a picture of a WASR GP 10/63 I found online. You can see that this person has a strap on thiers but mine came without one and the wood was sanded to about 80 grit.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Spikes Tactical ST-T2 Buffer
I recently purchased this product for my Bushmaster xm-15. My rifle is a 16" with a carbine length gas system. While being compact and very easy to move around with, one of the flaws carbine systems have been associated with is a more violent reaction within the upper reciever due to higher gas pressures than that of a full length rifle system. This is because the expanding gases have less distance to travel before reaching the action, thus hitting it with more force. This more violent action sends the bolt carrier back at a higher rate, having more impact on the buffer and causing more stress to the buffer spring. Most companies dont consider this when making their carbines and install the same parts they install in their rifle systems. As a result, these carbines sometimes suffer premature malfunctioning of some of the internal parts. Spikes tactical has solved one of these problems by creating the ST buffer. Instead of solid weights shifting around inside this buffer, Spikes uses high density tungston powder to create a smoother shift in weight. These buffers come in three different weights to completely customise the effect it has on your carbine. The one I purchased was their middle weight, the ST-T2. This buffer is heavier than the standard carbine buffer which makes it harder to throw backwards by the bolt carrier, minimizing the harmful effects. It is also constructed of solid billet aluminum so there is no chance of it falling apart. It functions flawlessly in my carbine after hundreds of rounds and seems to also lighten the felt recoil due to a smoother reaction within the buffer tube. If you are looking for a great product at a reasonable price, try it out. Spikes also combines usefulness with a very cool look (see picture). These can be purchased in many places including Spikes Tactical's website, Ebay, or many other AR-15 parts retailers.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Bridgford ready to eat sandwiches
...In Bridgfords own words, the
"Shelf-Stable Ready-To-Eat Sandwich Line was originally developed for the United States Military as combat feeding rations for the “Troops On-The-Go”. The military required a product that had a three-year shelf-life, and would taste as great on day 1,095 as it did on day 1. The sandwiches were originally tested with the United States Marines during an operation in Fallujah, and they scored exceptionally well, receiving one of the highest acceptance scores ever for a new product. Currently, the product is incorporated into the “First Strike Ration” which is provided to our military’s Special Operations Forces when they carry out missions in a “Hot Zone”. Shelf-Stable Ready-To-Eat Sandwiches that contain meat are produced under USDA inspection, and are also inspected by AMS, FDA, NCDA, VETCOM, and other agencies. All meat and poultry used in producing the sandwiches is USDA inspected. The sandwiches are heated to a minimum internal temperature of 190 degrees F, and are manufactured under the auspices of a HACCP program."
They offer many sandwich varieties, such as beef, chicken, pepperoni, and sausage, as well as sweeter snack and breakfast items like apple turnovers and french toast. The french toast was absolutely delicious by the way! All of their sandwiches can be eaten hot or cold so you don't need to worry if you have no means of cooking food. Throw some in your bug-out, camping, or fishing bag. Put one or two in the glove-box of your car in case you ever break down for extended periods of time or take a long road trip. Wherever you go Bridgfords products can go with you and make sure you never go hungry again. These little gems only weigh a few ounces each so they are nothing to carry. If at all possible I will be bringing a Bridgford sandwich with me on every one of my hikes from now on.
Here is some additional nutritional information...
Pocket Sandwiches
Great for Emergency/Disaster Relief Planning
New Innovative Product
• 3-Year Shelf Life if Stored at 80º F or less; may be stored at
100º for six months.
Taste Great
• No heating required – just tear open and eat.
• Great cold or hot.
• Approved and used by the U.S. Military.
High in Protein and Carbohydrates
• On average, the sandwiches provide 300 calories
and 11 grams of protein per serving.
Compact
• 3.5-oz to 2.5-oz per sandwich.
• 83 to 108 calories- per-ounce.
Inexpensive meal solution
For more information, please call Richard Mueller at: (312) 520-8311,
or email: rmueller@bridgford.com.
ITALIAN STYLE INGREDIENTS:
Ester, Dough Conditioners [Wheat Flour, Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono- and Diglycerides {DATEM}, Soy Oil, L-Cysteine Hydrochloride, Enzyme, Ascorbic Acid, Azodicarbonamide {ADA}], Gum Arabic, Calcium Sulfate, Xanthan Gum, Sorbic Acid),
Bread (Enriched Bleached Flour [Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid], Water, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean and Cottonseed Oil, Glycerol, Yeast, Salt, Sucrose
Tomato Sauce
(Tomato Paste [Tomatoes, Tomato Juice, Salt, Citric Acid], Glycerol, Parmesan/Romano Cheese[Pasteurized Cow’s Milk, Culture, Salt, Enzymes], Olive Oil, Sugar, Garlic Powder, Dried Onions, Spices, Salt), Marinated/Cooked Sausage
(Italian Sausage [Pork, Salt, Water, Dextrose, Spices And Flavorings, Monosodium Glutamate, Sodium Nitrite], Rice Syrup, Glycerol, Water, Salt, Spices),
Oleoresin of Paprika, Sodium Erythorbate, Sodium Nitrite, BHA, BHT),
Pepperoni (Pork, Beef, Salt, Water, Dextrose, Paprika, Spices and Flavorings, Lactic Acid Starter Culture,Mozzarella Cheese Powder (Mozzarella Cheese [Pasteurized Milk, Cultures, Salt, Enzymes], Disodium Phosphate). Calories Per Ounce: 91.
BARBECUED BEEF INGREDIENTS:
Yeast, Salt, Sucrose Ester, Dough Conditioners [Wheat Flour, Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono- and Diglycerides {DATEM}, Soy Oil, L-Cysteine Hydrochloride, Enzyme, Ascorbic Acid, Azodicarbonamide {ADA}], Gum Arabic, Calcium Sulfate,
Xanthan Gum, Sorbic Acid),
Vinegar Flavor [Sodium Diacetate, Citric Acid, Potassium Citrate, Glucona-Delta-Lactone], Worcestershire Sauce [Distilled Vinegar, Molasses, Corn Syrup, Water, Salt, Caramel Coloring, Sugar, Spices, Anchovies, Flavoring, Tamarind], Dried
Onions, Smoke Flavoring, Sodium Phosphate).
Bread (Enriched Bleached Flour [Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid], Water, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean and Cottonseed Oil, Glycerol,Barbecued Beef (Beef, Tomato Paste [Tomato Paste, Salt, Citric Acid], Brown Sugar, Mustard, Glycerol, Honey, Molasses, Spices and Flavorings, Beef Broth, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Salt, Rice Syrup,Calories Per Ounce: 83.
BARBECUED CHICKEN INGREDIENTS:
Yeast, Salt, Sucrose Ester, Dough Conditioners [Wheat Flour, Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono- and Diglycerides {DATEM}, Soy Oil, L-Cysteine Hydrochloride, Enzyme, Ascorbic Acid, Azodicarbonamide {ADA}], Gum Arabic, Calcium Sulfate,
Xanthan Gum, Sorbic Acid),
Rice Syrup, Vinegar Flavor [Sodium Diacetate, Citric Acid, Potassium Citrate, Glucona-Delta-Lactone], Worcestershire Sauce [Distilled Vinegar, Molasses, Corn Syrup, Water, Salt, Caramel Coloring, Sugar, Spices, Anchovies, Flavoring, Tamarind],
Dried Onions, Smoke Flavoring, Sodium Phosphate).
Bread (Enriched Bleached Flour [Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid], Water, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean and Cottonseed Oil, Glycerol,Barbecued Chicken (Chicken, Tomato Paste [Tomato Paste, Salt, Citric Acid], Brown Sugar, Mustard, Glycerol, Honey, Molasses, Spices and Flavorings, Chicken Broth, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Salt,Calories Per Ounce: 83.
PEPPERONI STICK INGREDIENTS:
Salt, Sucrose Ester, Dough Conditioners [Wheat Flour, Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono- and Diglycerides {DATEM}, Soy Oil, L-Cysteine Hydrochloride, Enzyme, Ascorbic Acid, Azodicarbonamide {ADA}], Gum Arabic, Calcium Sulfate, Xanthan
Gum, Glucono-Delta-Lactone, Sorbic Acid),
Bread (Enriched Bleached Flour [Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid], Water, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean and Cottonseed Oil, Glycerol, Yeast,Pepperoni (Pork, Beef, Salt, Water, Dextrose, Paprika, Spices and Flavorings, Lactic Acid Starter Culture, Oleoresin of Paprika, Sodium Erythorbate, Sodium Nitrite, BHA, BHT). Calories Per Ounce: 108.
BACON IN CHEESE-FLAVORED BREAD INGREDIENTS:
Vegetable Oil, Corn Syrup Solids, Wheat Flour, Milk, Maltodextrin, Salt, Lactic Acid, Enzyme Modified Cheese {Milk, Salt, Enzymes}, Natural Flavors, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Carbonate, Disodium Phosphate, Annatto {For Color}], Partially
Hydrogenated Soybean and Cottonseed Oil, Glycerol, Yeast, Salt, Sucrose Ester, Dough Conditioners [Wheat Flour, Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono- and Diglycerides {DATEM}, Soy Oil, L-Cysteine Hydrochloride, Enzyme, Ascorbic Acid,
Azodicarbonamide {ADA}], Gum Arabic, Butter Flavor [Gum Arabic, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Medium Chain Triglycerides], Glucono- Delta-Lactone, Calcium Sulfate, Xanthan Gum, Sorbic Acid),
Smoke Flavor, Sugar, Dextrose, Sodium Erythorbate, Sodium Nitrite).
Bread (Enriched Bleached Flour [Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid], Water, Cheddar Flavored Flakes [HydrolyzedBacon (Cured with Water, Salt, HickoryCalories Per Ounce: 106.
SWEET & SOUR SOY INGREDIENTS: Bread
[Wheat Flour, Monoglycerides, Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono & Diglycerides, Ammonium Sulfate, Enzymes, Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid], Gum Arabic, Calcium Sulfate, Xanthan Gum, Butter Flavor [From Milk], Sorbic Acid),
Soy
Molasses, Soy Lecithin, Citric Acid).
(Enriched Bleached Flour [Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid], Water, Palm Oil, Glycerol, Yeast, Salt, Sucrose Ester, Dough ConditionersSweet & Sour(Soy Protein Concentrate, Sugar, Vinegar, Water, Pineapple, Glycerol, Rice Syrup, Orange Juice, Bell Pepper, Soy Sauce (Water, Wheat, Soy, Salt), Chopped Onions, Canola Oil, Modified Food Starch, Salt, Lemon Juice, Seasonings and Flavorings,Calories Per Ounce: 83.
FILLED FRENCH TOAST INGREDIENTS: Bread
Oil, Maple Flakes [Sugar, Vegetable Oil (Palm Oil, Palm Kernel Oil), Wheat Flour, Maltodextrin, Cellulose, Maple Sugar, Cocoa Powder, Glucose, Natural Flavors, Extractives of Foenugreek, Soy Lecithin, Caramel Color], Cinnamon Flakes [Sugar,
Vegetable Oil (Palm Oil, Palm Kernel Oil), Cinnamon, Soy Lecithin], Glycerol, Yeast, Salt, Sucrose Ester, Gum Arabic, Calcium Sulfate, Xanthan Gum, Sorbic Acid, Food Color [FD&C Yellow #5 Alum Lake]),
Water, Dextrose, Imitation Maple Syrup [Corn Syrup, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Water, Cellulose Gum, Caramel Color, Salt, Sodium Benzoate And Sorbic Acid, Artificial And Natural Flavors, Sodium Phosphate], Corn Syrup, Glycerol, Tapioca Starch,
Corn Starch, Maple Flavor [Natural and Artificial], Locust Bean Gum, Xanthan Gum).
(Enriched Bleached Flour [Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, and Enzyme], Water, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean and CottonseedMaple Filling (High Fructose Corn Syrup,Calories Per Ounce: 100.
CINNAMON BUN INGREDIENTS:
Cinnamon Flakes [Sugar, Vegetable Oil {Palm Oil, Palm Kernel Oil}, Cinnamon, Soy Lecithin], Yeast, Sugar, Salt, Sucrose Ester, Dough Conditioners [Wheat Flour, Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono- and Diglycerides {DATEM}, Soy Oil, LCysteine
Hydrochloride, Enzyme, Ascorbic Acid, Azodicarbonamide {ADA}], Gum Arabic, Calcium Sulfate, Xanthan Gum, Sorbic Acid, Butter Flavor [Gum Arabic, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Medium Chain Triglycerides], Food Color [FD&C
Yellow #5 Alum Lake]),
Bread (Enriched Bleached Flour [Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid], Water, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean and Cottonseed Oil, Glycerol,Cinnamon Filling (High Fructose Corn Syrup, Water, Dextrose, Cinnamon, Corn Syrup, Glycerol, Starch, Vanilla Flavor [Natural and Artificial], Locust Bean Gum, Xanthan Gum). Calories Per Ounce: 94.
APPLE TURNOVER INGREDIENTS: Bread
[Sugar, Vegetable Oil {Palm Oil, Palm Kernel Oil}, Cinnamon, Soy Lecithin], Glycerol, Yeast, Salt, Sucrose Ester, Dough Conditioners [Wheat Flour, Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono- and Diglycerides {DATEM}, Soy Oil, L-Cysteine Hydrochloride,
Enzyme, Ascorbic Acid, Azodicarbonamide {ADA}], Gum Arabic, Calcium Sulfate, Xanthan Gum, Sorbic Acid, Food Color [FD&C Yellow #5 Alum Lake]),
Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid], Apple Concentrate, Dextrose, Glycerol, Starch, Vanilla Flavor [Natural and Artificial], Cinnamon, Locust Bean Gum, Xanthan Gum, Apple Flavor).
(Enriched Bleached Flour [Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid], Water, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean and Cottonseed Oil, Cinnamon FlakesApple Filling (High Fructose Corn Syrup, Water, Dried Apples [Apples, Sugar, Sunflower Oil,Calories Per Ounce: 90.
CHERRY TURNOVER INGREDIENTS: Bread
Strawberry Flakes [Sugar, Vegetable Oil {Palm Oil, Palm Kernel}, Wheat Flour, Malic Acid, Natural & Artificial Flavor, Sodium Citrate, Caramel Color, Red 40 Lake, Soy Lecithin, Blue 2 Lake], Glycerol, Yeast, Salt, Sucrose Ester, Gum Arabic, Calcium
Sulfate, Xanthan Gum, Sorbic Acid, FD&C Yellow #5 Alum Lake),
Sunflower Oil, Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid, Natural Cherry Flavor], Corn Syrup, Apple Concentrate, Cherry Juice Concentrate, Glycerol, Starch, Artificial Cherry Flavor, Xanthan Gum, Locust Bean Gum, Red 40 Lake.
(Enriched Bleached Flour [Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, and Enzyme], Water, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean and Cottonseed Oil,Cherry Filling (High Fructose Corn Syrup, Water, Dried Red Tart Cherries [Cherries, Sugar, Sunflower Oil, Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid], Dextrose, Dried Cranberries [Cranberries, Sugar,Calories Per Ounce: 90.
WHITE FLAT BREAD INGREDIENTS:
Salt, Sucrose Ester, Dough Conditioners (Wheat Flour, Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono- and Diglycerides [DATEM], Soy Oil, L-Cysteine, Enzyme, Ascorbic Acid, Azodicarbonamide [ADA]), Gum Arabic, Butter Flavor (Gum Arabic, Natural
and Artificial Flavors, Medium Chain Triglycerides), Calcium Sulfate, Xanthan Gum, Sorbic Acid.
Enriched Bleached Flour (Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean and Cottonseed Oil, Glycerol, Yeast,Calories Per Ounce: 94.
WHOLE WHEAT FLAT BREAD INGREDIENTS:
Sulfate, Enzymes, Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid), Gum Arabic, Calcium Sulfate, Xanthan Gum, Sorbic Acid, Butter Flavor (From Milk).
Whole Wheat Flour, Water, Palm Oil, Glycerol, Yeast, Honey, Salt, Sucrose Ester, Dough Conditioners (Wheat Flour, Monoglycerides, Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono & Diglycerides, AmmoniumCalories Per Ounce: 103.
48 Count Loose Pack – No Refrigeration Required
Shelf-Stable, Ready to Eat
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Mt. Katahdin
While I am waiting on parts to complete the second half of my AR15 build I thought I would share some pictures from my recent hike of Mt. Katahdin. For those who are not familiar with it by name, Mt. Katahdin is the highest peak in the state of Maine, stretching up one mile into the clouds overlooking Baxter State Park in the states northern wilderness. This years hike ended up being a very long day due to a number of reasons but the pay off was no less amazing than ever. Last year my hiking partner and I took the Saddle Trail to the summit and decided to follow the same path back down after taking in the views from the top. This year the wind was so still and calm at the top we had to try the Knife's Edge. Knife's Edge is the most famous trail of Mt. Katahdin. It starts by the summit and follows the mountain ridge to Pomola Peak where it branches off into several different trails going down the mountain. This trail has the best views by far but it gets as narrow as three to four feet in places with cliff on both sides so you want to photograph carefully. All in all it was a great day. We rested at the summit for lunch and I cooked hotdogs and sausages on my folding camp stove (which I was quite impressed with). Here are some of the views.
This is my hiking partner making his way down the trail. Does it get any better than that?
The two pictures above are the Knife's Edge trail from a ways back. Yes, you basically walk the top of the mountains. How cool is that?
That's a long way down...so long in fact that we found ourselves above the clouds....
It was absolutely beautiful at the top this day, barely any wind, plenty of sun, and lots of people enjoying Mother Nature's glory. The scenary doesn't begin when you get to the top though. The trails are filled with gorgeous brooks, bridges, and wildlife that makes the entire experience very sureal. Below is a random trail picture as we had just started hiking.
Pictured below is probably the hardest part of the Saddle Trail. It is known as the slide. The rocks are very light-weight and can slide under your feet if your not careful. To the left side of the picture, which would be the right side of the trail as you go up, are bigger rocks that can be climbed over to avoid sliding.
At the end of our adventure I was sitting in the parking lot. I was switching my shoes and taking my pack off for a much needed break. I heard something in the woods and walked over a few feet to see what it was. Just as I got a little closer an adult doe stepped out into the parking lot in front of me (and of course my camera was in the car). Luckily she waited for me to go grab it and take her picture. What a way to end a beautiful Maine hike!
Mt. Washington is coming up in a few weeks. I'll be sure to post more pics from there.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
AR15 project part 1
While thinking of what after-market parts I should equip my rifle with, I was first faced with the decision of what I wanted my rifle to do for me. When I bought it , it had a very nice Leupold vari-x iii hunting scope on it. This scope brings close to four-hundred dollars brand new and would definately allow long range shots to be taken with ease, however, this particular rifle is a carbine with a 14.5 inch barrel. If I wanted to take shots from a long distance I would have bought a rifle with a eighteen or twenty inch barrel for increased accuracy. The carbine length barrels were designed for ease of movement. They were primarily made for tactical and self defense purposes. With this is mind I wanted products that would add to the functionability of the rifle. I wanted tasks such as magazine changes and solving weapon malfunctions faster and easier. I want to be able to acquire my target quickly and accurately, and be able to squeeze off multiple rounds on target if need be. I decided the first thing I was going to do was improve the trigger.
I did this by replacing the factory fire control springs (trigger, hammer, and disconnector) with J.P reduced power springs. This definately made the trigger pull much lighter and cleaner, dropping it by approximately three pounds. I then installed a set screw into the lower reciever to take up the "creep" or "pre-travel" (the ammount of space the trigger moves before engaging the disconnector and releasing the hammer). The instructions for this process can be found by running a search for "the 50 cent ar trigger job". When doing this one must use a little common sense in not taking too much creep out. Taking too much out can result in the weapon firing twice with one pull of the trigger or misfiring when bumped, both are very dangerous. If you don't feel like you know how much to take out then DON'T DO IT! This has been your official disclaimer so don't try suing me if you do it wrong.
So now that my trigger pull was smooth, light, and clean it was time to increase my rifles modular capabilities. I changed out the factory handguards with a Magpul M.O.E composite rail interface system (R.I.S). With the addition of the composite rail pieces I was ready to add modular accessories to my weapon. The first of these was a three inch forward vertical grip (F.V.G). This grip allows me to move the rifle around easier in close quarters and also had a hollow compartment in which I keep a few spare internal parts for repairs in the field if necessary. I also purchased a grip sleeve cover from Manta rail. This F.V.G cover has a pocket designed for pressure pads, so if I ever decide to run a light or optic with a pressure pad activation system I can keep the switch right there on the grip for easy access.
I also wanted a light. If this rifle was going to be used for home defense it would make sense that having a light attatched to the weapon would be huge during low visibility situations. The only problem is that most weapon lights that are worth anything are very expensive ($100-$300). As rugged and cool as they may be I just could not see myself spending that kind of money on a flashlight. So, I bought a one inch drop light mount on ebay and went shopping. I found an impact/water resistant Maglite XL50 LED at Walmart for thirty dollars. Maglite has a lifetime warrantee on all their lights and the tail cap switch makes turning it on and off while holding the rifle a snap. Considering the difference in cost I will take my chances and hope I never have to use the light after my gun has been thrown in a pool and run over.
This is the forend of the rifle with the Magpul handguard and rails, FVG, and Maglite. The rails have UTG rail covers over them for a better feel while I am shooting and to protect the rails themselves from damage. This Maglite is very bright! I also bought an accessory pack for it that came with the rubber lens cover you see and colored lenses (red and blue).
The next two item I put on were also tactical upgrades and I stuck with Magpul. I installed the Magpul oversized trigger guard for easier trigger acquisition and winter shooting with a gloved hand. I also installed the Magpul B.A.D (battery assist device) lever. This lever allows me to operate the bolt catch with my trigger finger , so I never have to remove my support hand. I didn't much mind the old way when it came to loading a fresh magazine but I cannot begin to tell you how much faster and easier magazine changes are with this little B.A.D boy. When the last round is fired from a magazine the bolt locks backward. Usually you would change the magazine and then hit the magazine release button with your left hand before having to return it to the handguard to resume firing. With the B.A.D lever as soon as the new magazine is in you can return your support hand to the weapon and simply slide your trigger finger down over the lever, releasing the bolt and loading the first round from the new magazine. It is incredibly smooth. This lever cost me around thirty dollars and is probably the most worth-while investment I have made so far. Magpul got it right with this thing when they say they give shooters an "unfair advantage".
I will post more of the upgrades I made in a few days. As usual if you have any questions on where I got any of the items or how I did anything leave me a comment or send me a message and I will do my best to get back to you as soon as possible. Don't forget about the free emergency fire-starter you could win at the end of this month. Happy shooting!
I did this by replacing the factory fire control springs (trigger, hammer, and disconnector) with J.P reduced power springs. This definately made the trigger pull much lighter and cleaner, dropping it by approximately three pounds. I then installed a set screw into the lower reciever to take up the "creep" or "pre-travel" (the ammount of space the trigger moves before engaging the disconnector and releasing the hammer). The instructions for this process can be found by running a search for "the 50 cent ar trigger job". When doing this one must use a little common sense in not taking too much creep out. Taking too much out can result in the weapon firing twice with one pull of the trigger or misfiring when bumped, both are very dangerous. If you don't feel like you know how much to take out then DON'T DO IT! This has been your official disclaimer so don't try suing me if you do it wrong.
So now that my trigger pull was smooth, light, and clean it was time to increase my rifles modular capabilities. I changed out the factory handguards with a Magpul M.O.E composite rail interface system (R.I.S). With the addition of the composite rail pieces I was ready to add modular accessories to my weapon. The first of these was a three inch forward vertical grip (F.V.G). This grip allows me to move the rifle around easier in close quarters and also had a hollow compartment in which I keep a few spare internal parts for repairs in the field if necessary. I also purchased a grip sleeve cover from Manta rail. This F.V.G cover has a pocket designed for pressure pads, so if I ever decide to run a light or optic with a pressure pad activation system I can keep the switch right there on the grip for easy access.
I also wanted a light. If this rifle was going to be used for home defense it would make sense that having a light attatched to the weapon would be huge during low visibility situations. The only problem is that most weapon lights that are worth anything are very expensive ($100-$300). As rugged and cool as they may be I just could not see myself spending that kind of money on a flashlight. So, I bought a one inch drop light mount on ebay and went shopping. I found an impact/water resistant Maglite XL50 LED at Walmart for thirty dollars. Maglite has a lifetime warrantee on all their lights and the tail cap switch makes turning it on and off while holding the rifle a snap. Considering the difference in cost I will take my chances and hope I never have to use the light after my gun has been thrown in a pool and run over.
The next two item I put on were also tactical upgrades and I stuck with Magpul. I installed the Magpul oversized trigger guard for easier trigger acquisition and winter shooting with a gloved hand. I also installed the Magpul B.A.D (battery assist device) lever. This lever allows me to operate the bolt catch with my trigger finger , so I never have to remove my support hand. I didn't much mind the old way when it came to loading a fresh magazine but I cannot begin to tell you how much faster and easier magazine changes are with this little B.A.D boy. When the last round is fired from a magazine the bolt locks backward. Usually you would change the magazine and then hit the magazine release button with your left hand before having to return it to the handguard to resume firing. With the B.A.D lever as soon as the new magazine is in you can return your support hand to the weapon and simply slide your trigger finger down over the lever, releasing the bolt and loading the first round from the new magazine. It is incredibly smooth. This lever cost me around thirty dollars and is probably the most worth-while investment I have made so far. Magpul got it right with this thing when they say they give shooters an "unfair advantage".
Saturday, May 26, 2012
The Bug-Out Bag (chance for free camp firestarter)
There are different names for them but my favorite is the "bug-out bag" and I think everyone should have one. A bug-out bag is a back-pack or duffle bag filled with all the things you think you will need in an emergency. What kind of emergency? Well I guess that's up to you but personally I like a little of everything. I began making one of these bags a couple years ago. It's a standard sized duffle bag filled to capacity with anything and everything I ever thought would be great to have on hand in a pinch. A well stocked first-aid kit, matches, flashlight, extra batteries, emergency blanket, tarp, rope, knife, duct tape, dry pair of socks...i could go on forever. Once I started building it I thought of more and more things I wanted in it until it became what it is today. A few M.R.E's (meals ready to eat), fishing tackle, a quart of water, water purification tablets, bug spray...every bag is different but they all serve the same basic principle, to be prepared. My bug out bag fits easily into the trunk of the car or can be brought along on camping trips to ensure everything is covered, especially all those items noone thinks about till they need them (first aid, toilet paper, sun protection, bug spray) Even a fully stocked bag without too many fancy items can be made for a couple hundred dollars or less, so what are you waiting for? Start making one and never worry if the power goes out, if you break down on the side of the road, or even if you just want to "bug out". I have a great item to start you off with.
This is an emergency fire starter. If you are at camp or lost in the woods with no way of making fire to stay warm, or if your matches have become wet and your lighter is empty, this is your friend. It is completely water proof so even if it gets soaked it will be able to light yor fire. Just scrape the steel flint along the magnesium alloy fire starter rod and you will creat a 5,000 degree spark. This item lasts about 12,000 strikes. From now until the end of June any new followers to my page will be entered to win this firestarter. Just start following me and write me a comment saying "firestarter" so I know you are interested. I will return all follows and the winner will be announced at the end of June on my page. The winner will recieve this firestarter completly free (shipping too). So follow along and start building your bug out bag now.
Monday, May 21, 2012
AR15: Americas #1 rifle.
I joined the military after high school and though my term of service was but a few years I have many fond, and some not so fond, memories of my experience there. The exercises, the yelling, the non-stop mentality that we all grew familiar with became ingrained in us in such a way that it may never leave completely, even after we are long gone from the job. Your senses have a way of holding your memories closer. Sounds, sights, textures, and smells lock themselves into your mind in ways I never would have imagined. For me, the last of these is the most memorable. The smell of cleaning supplies in the barracks because everything had to be so spotless, the pungent aroma of two-hundred and sixty soldiers sweating during physical training, the scent of breakfast every morning being carried around in the wind, and the smell of gun smoke at the rifle range. To this day, every time I smell spent gunpowder it immediately brings me back to my days in boot camp.
I have used many firearms since I got out of the army but I have always hoped to be able to own one like my service rifle, the m16-a2. Recently I had this opportunity and purchased a Bushmaster “AR15” XM15-E2S carbine. The AR15 platform has been the most popular rifle for both military and civilian markets for quite some time, and with good reason. The 5.56 NATO/.223 cartridges are lightweight, allowing soldiers to carry more. It is universally used in many different weapons all over the world, and the weapon itself is so modular and easy to modify that it offers a practical solution to your needs whether you’re shooting gophers in your garden or storming terrorist strongholds in the Middle East.
Here is a picture of the rifle as it came to me with a few extras. The handgrip has a Samson tool kit insert which houses every tool you would need to perform repairs in the field, including a small container of oil for a one time cleaning. This item goes for about a hundred dollars and I probably would never have bought it on my own but as it came on the weapon I found it an incredible value. I will be adding some things in the near future to make it more tactical and give it a custom look. As I do I will keep everyone updated to my experiences with different manufacturer’s parts and how well they worked out for me. If anyone has any questions feel free to write and I will do my best to answer them.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Getting back at it.
Hello everyone. It seems like it has been forever since I last posted anything on this blog. Between switching in and out of jobs and having a new baby around the house I haven't found as much time for writing as I would like to. Now that spring seems to be peeking around the corner my mind has been racing thinking of all the reasons I love the warmer weather, not that we had much of a winter to deal with this year anyway. Soon there will be hiking, fishing, camping, shooting, sports and anything else I can find to keep from slipping into the bottomless abyss of inactivity, which makes my return to this blog perfectly timed.
I have several hikes and other activities scheduled for this spring and summer and I plan to write here regularly to share my experiences, pictures, and hopefully save anyone else who is planning to do the same things a lot of time and money by pointing out all the little shortcuts and items that make life a lot easier for all of us outdoor nuts. Weather it is the best spots to hike, the best guns to shoot, or the best gear to make it all more fun and affordable I'll have it for you here.
I have several hikes and other activities scheduled for this spring and summer and I plan to write here regularly to share my experiences, pictures, and hopefully save anyone else who is planning to do the same things a lot of time and money by pointing out all the little shortcuts and items that make life a lot easier for all of us outdoor nuts. Weather it is the best spots to hike, the best guns to shoot, or the best gear to make it all more fun and affordable I'll have it for you here.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Kids say the darnedest things...
April 26th we found out our baby is a boy! That will be boy number three for us and at the very least we will rack up some more experience in the field. The two we already have are a handful at times to say the least, but a blessing to be sure. The name of this blog actually came from our two boys, Dominic and Gracin. When i was trying to think of what I would name my page during the inventing stage, they were being so loud playing that I couldnt think so it seemed only right to just name it after them...Dominacin.
Needless to say, they never seem to run out of energy and they are always good for a laugh. Recently I started keeping a brief log of some of the things they have said to me so I could share them with all of you.
So here some of them are in countdown format...
5. "Daddy can you get me a wallet...and put some of your money in it?" The blunt honesty is refreshing.
4. "If I eat good food after I eat bad food I dont have to brush my teeth, because the bad food gets knocked off." I got to admit it has its logic for a 5 year old.
3. "Daddy, when you were little did you have hair on your head?" For the record, yes I did.
2. "I dont actually like Dora, I just watch it so I can know spanish." Riiight...Suuuure
1. "My neck hurts when I dont play video games." Yes he actually thought that would work.
Heres looking forward to a whole new personality in the family with his own excuses and one liners.
Needless to say, they never seem to run out of energy and they are always good for a laugh. Recently I started keeping a brief log of some of the things they have said to me so I could share them with all of you.
So here some of them are in countdown format...
5. "Daddy can you get me a wallet...and put some of your money in it?" The blunt honesty is refreshing.
4. "If I eat good food after I eat bad food I dont have to brush my teeth, because the bad food gets knocked off." I got to admit it has its logic for a 5 year old.
3. "Daddy, when you were little did you have hair on your head?" For the record, yes I did.
2. "I dont actually like Dora, I just watch it so I can know spanish." Riiight...Suuuure
1. "My neck hurts when I dont play video games." Yes he actually thought that would work.
Heres looking forward to a whole new personality in the family with his own excuses and one liners.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Steel Match (Hornady trial 2)
This is the second part of my trial and review of Hornady ammunition. This time I decided to try out an economically pleasing brand they have called “Steel Match”. These bullets are encased in a steel shell as opposed to brass. The down side of this is that they cannot be reloaded, however, if you don’t reload your own ammunition anyway and you’re looking to save some money than this is for you.
I fired nearly forty rounds of these 180 grain steel match hollow points before taking a few moments to evaluate their performance. I found them to be a very smooth shooting round and again, true to Hornady form, pretty accurate for a factory load bullet. I did however encounter one small problem shooting these from one of the guns we had. The Ruger P944 .40 auto seemed to have a little difficulty ejecting some of these cartridges. About one in every five failed to be pulled out with this guns extractor pin. In the interest of fairness we decided to shoot the last of them through a different model .40 caliber handgun and had no problems. This is probably because the Ruger’s extractor is a fairly thick sort of spring steel and just didn’t match up well against the steel cased cartridges. I would definitely recommend this to anyone with a polymer type or lightweight handgun such as Glock, H&K, Sig Sauer, High Point, or the like, but the heavier steel constructed firearms may have a problem cycling this ammo. You can find these bullets at Hornady’s website here.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Winner
We have a winner! Stacy, the owner of the blog Mom in training was the lucky winner of the persnal defense stun gun. Congrats to Stacy and thanks to everyone who entered. I am sure I will do another one at some point since it seemed pretty popular. In the meantime if anyone is interested in buying one of these stun guns they can email me and I will provide the details on how to do that for them.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Last chance!
Friday, April 8, 2011
Hornady Critical Defense
As I shared in my last post I have a firearm for home protection, and since self-defense is kind of the theme this week I thought I’d share some results I had recently with some defense ammunition I was given the opportunity to test out manufactured by Hornady. Hornady’s reputation in self-defense ammunition is second to no one. They have state-of-the-art equipment and high-tech underground testing facilities where the ammo is continuously checked for quality and reliability. They have one of the widest varieties of ammunition consisting of over three hundred different types of bullets and they put a lot of research into what works and what doesn’t so their bullets perform the way they are supposed to every time. The first box I got to try out were the Hornady Critical Defense FTX hollow points pictured below.
These rounds come in boxes of twenty and have a red rubber insert in the cavity of the hollow point to aid with the expansion of the round. This forces the bullet to open quicker and more evenly than many other brands of hollow point ammunition, limiting penetration and maximizing energy deposit. The silver casing ensures high visibility in low light situations and also adds to the already asthetically pleasing round.
One of the biggest problems facing many brands of hollow point bullet is penetration. Either the round opens too quickly and has trouble penetrating thick materials like leather or denim, or they penetrate too much and dont open at all. I found these Hornady FTX bullets to perform very well in this category. I tested the ammunition out on trap targets that had a double layer of denim over the front to simulate this type of obstacle and found that the insert Hornady places in these rounds does a very good job of preventing the cavity of the hollow point from getting clogged with material, thus preventing it from doing its job. Pictured below are three bullets. The first two on the left are a leading brand of hollow point ammunition and the one on the right is a Hornady Critical Defense FTX round. Its easy to see which one did its job better.
The first two rounds got clogged with the denim and were not able to fully open the way they are designed to do. The rubber insert of the Hornady FTX round (which i removed to better demonstrate how well it expanded) prevented this from happening. I also found this ammunition to be incredibly accurate for a factory load bullet, hitting the same spot on the target time after time. I would absolutely recommend the Hornady Critical Defense FTX round to anyone who wants a reliable, accurate self defense ammunition.
One of the biggest problems facing many brands of hollow point bullet is penetration. Either the round opens too quickly and has trouble penetrating thick materials like leather or denim, or they penetrate too much and dont open at all. I found these Hornady FTX bullets to perform very well in this category. I tested the ammunition out on trap targets that had a double layer of denim over the front to simulate this type of obstacle and found that the insert Hornady places in these rounds does a very good job of preventing the cavity of the hollow point from getting clogged with material, thus preventing it from doing its job. Pictured below are three bullets. The first two on the left are a leading brand of hollow point ammunition and the one on the right is a Hornady Critical Defense FTX round. Its easy to see which one did its job better.
The first two rounds got clogged with the denim and were not able to fully open the way they are designed to do. The rubber insert of the Hornady FTX round (which i removed to better demonstrate how well it expanded) prevented this from happening. I also found this ammunition to be incredibly accurate for a factory load bullet, hitting the same spot on the target time after time. I would absolutely recommend the Hornady Critical Defense FTX round to anyone who wants a reliable, accurate self defense ammunition.
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