A friend sent me a meme “I never thought getting old would happen so fast.” It was one of those memes where I couldn’t help but laugh because it was true. A second one is “The number one cause of injury to old men is thinking they are young men.” Well, combine the two and here I am with back problems caused by years of wear and tear – basically my L1-L5 discs are all having issues. But…. the work still needs to get done and I am learning more and more about how to use mechanical aids.
Back when I was young, I bench pressed somewhere close to 300 pounds and squated over 300. Now, I pay the price when I bend over and pick up 40-50 pounds the wrong way. So, I can’t just use brute force any longer and needed something to help me lift. I couldn’t afford a fork truck nor did I have room to store it. Something like a cross between a forklift and a work table was a possibility. My Esteem Grinder sits on a hydraulic lift work table for example.
It had a few features I really wanted – first and foremost it could lift330 pounds up to 40″. It was relatively compact and could be collapsed when not in use plus the lifting surface could either be a solid table or a pair of forks. I could also get it with ree shipping which can save a ton on heavy objects (always shop around though because sometimes the “free” shipping is included in the jacked up price). At any rate, I ordered it.
The Unboxing
It literally arrived the next day via an Amazon truck and, not surprisingly, it’s a BIG box. Now, I have to give the company some kudos – some easy assembly is required and all of the components are incredibly well packed. Sometimes, I honestly hate packaging engineers or whoever told them to do it as cheaply as possible. In this case, they used a lot of well thought out cardboard to securely pack everything vs. a ton of messy styrofoam.
Assembly was quick and easy – I didn’t carefully watch the time but I bet it was less than 15 minutes. The instructions are nice and clear and it went together with very good fitment.
Actually Using It
The unit rolled easily and I had no problem lifting loads up to 200 pounds. I did find that it is best on level surfaces because the brake pedal hits steps vs. rolling up or down them.
Summary
The SuperHandy brand lift is affordable on Amazon and actually does what it claims to do. I’ve now moved some stuff around that there was just no way that I could have done it by myself. Sure, I wish it could lift heavier and higher but this lift will do what I need the majority of the time.
Would I buy it again? Yes. Would I recommend it? Yes, definitely – it’s well made and has a nice finish.
I hope this helps you out.
Note, I have to buy all of my parts – nothing here was paid for by sponsors, etc. I do make a small amount if you click on an ad and buy something but that is it. You’re getting my real opinion on stuff.
If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.
HK MP5K, SP5K – for the SP5K, slight trimming of the front locking plate on the grip will be required
POF 5PK
PTR 9KT
Zenith ZF5-P, ZF5-T, and ZF5-K
There are three required features for these to fit:
It must be an MP5K pattern weapon and not an MP5 or other variety of roller lock.
It must have an HK MP5K patterned top rear hole.
It must have a front shelf that the grip’s front locking plate rests on.
Technically, our Contract Contour and Navy SEF grips do support the front lower pin that some MP5Ks use. However, our converted Magpul SL grip does not have a front lower pin and does not need it because it is pushed forward against the weapon’s shelf and can’t slide out of position.
How They Are Made
Interestingly enough HK33, HK91/G3, HK93, HK94, MP5, and MP5K grips all have the same size polymer core grip albeit with different metal “tails” sticking out of the rear to accomodate whatever weapon they are meant for. Now there may be other models out there as well – but those are the ones that I know of so far.
The first step if you have one of these model grips is to removed the “tail” so the length will be correct for a MP5K, I would recommend cutting off the tail and then deburring it. Do not remove any polymer so you can get a firm fit when you install whatever stock, brace or end cap you plan to use.
Measure the Existing Rear Hole Centers and Countersink Depths
To cut the rear holes is a bit more involved. First, you need to locate the centers of your existing MP5K grip’s rear holes. I’d recommend using quality calipers but you can do whatever you are comfortable with as long as the method is relatively accurate.
I would also recommend you measure from the front of the steel plate inside the front of the grip back to the center of the hole on your existing grip. That gives you the horizontal distance. To get the vertical distance, measure down from the top.
You should measure this on both sides of the grip. You may find they are not exactly the same. Regardless, double and triple check the horizontal and vertical measures on both sides.
The other measurement you need to find out is how deep to drill the countersink hole – the recession in the grip where the head sits on the left side (looking down) and the end with the wire retainer protrudes on the right. You may well find that the two measures are different again.
What you need to ensure is that the rear takedown pin’s working distance can span from the left side to the right side. The working distance of a takedown pin is the measured length from just under the head to just before the retaining wire comes out of it. The pin that sticks out of the other end of your calpers is for measuring depth. There are also far more accurate tools purpose-built for measuring depth also.
When you do you plan your countersinks, you need the distance the pin spans to look something like this:
Minimum depth of countersink = outside grip dimension – takedown pin working length
Now how you make that happen is up to you. For example, if you need to remove 3mm and want to split it to 1.5-1.6mm per side – that’s fine. Ideally, you want the pin to stick out far enough on the right side so the wire retainer can pop up and help hold the pin in place.
Milling the Countersink & Pin Holes
These operations require end mills that can make plunge cuts – meaning the end mil has cutting surfaces at the bottom and not just the sides. These are sometimes called “center cutting” end mills also. I would also recommend four flutes for a smooth finish.
The actual countersink diameter is 9.5mm but if you don’t have access to that, a 10mm end mill will work also. The takedown pin hole is 6mm. How much you want to spend on the quality of the mills is up to you. The polymer will not wear the 9.5-10mm bit much but the 6mm bit will need to keep its edge long enought to cut through the steel reinforcement on both sides. I’d recommend the6mm be either cobalt or carbide and not just high speed steel – or at least not cheap high speed steel.
If you are wondering why not use a 6mm drill bit, it is because you will likely encounter a hole in the reinforcing plate that was cast into the grip during injection molding. A drill bit will hit that hole and want to yank the workpiece upwards as the edge of the opened hole rides up the flute and makes a mess. An end mill doing a plunge cut will not have this problem as it will cut off the open circle’s ends.
So, yes, you can use a drill press but what is incredibly important is that you have the workpiece held firmly so you need to clamp it down.
Make a wood or plastic insert that you can put in the top of the grip to keep it from deforming when clamped and then milledd/drilled. If the grip moves at all, your new grip will be ruined.
Honestly, 99% of my challenge was figuring out how to securely hold the grips so they wouldn’t move and also not introduce angles/canting, etc. I’m still working on improving this as the overwhelming amount of my defects are caused by unintended workpiece movement.
You need to locate your new hole centers and then set up your milling machine or drill press to do the cuts. You need to figure out what works best for you. If you have digital read outs (DROs) then you probably didn’t need to read this blog post. If you are new to this, locate the hole center and mark the hole with a very fine point then use either a small drill bit or hole finder to center your machine on the hole.
To get the depth you need on the countersink, either use the features of your machine if it has some form of depth indicator or wrap a piece of tape at whatever limit you need and stop when you reach it.
I would highly recommend you do the countersink cut and then the hole cut on each side before you move on to the next. In other words, do a side at a time before you move the workpiece.
If you are wondering why I am not mentioning how to locate and cut the front pin holes, it’s because you don’t really need them if your weapon uses a shelf, which most current HK grips do. For example, the Magpul SL grip does not have the front holes. The way the polymer is formed, you would likely need a longer pin and it’s not going to give you a better connection. The front plate of the grip is shoved against the shelf by whatever you have on the end of the weapon and the top rear pin keeps the grip from swinging down – that’s really all that you need.
Summary
You can do the conversion or buy our ready to go grips. You may need to do some final fitting but we’ve done the hard parts. If you’re interested, click here to go to our HK Grips page.
I hope this helps you out,
If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.
My wife and I were walking on the South Pier in Saint Joseph, MI. It was a quiet evening with clouds and everything had a soft hue. As we were walking out, there was a sailboat bobbing about under way and made for some nice shots.
The following is a tiled gallery – click on the photo you wish to see and you can navigate from there.
I hope you enjoyed the photos
If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.
I’m a happy user of Plano All Weather rifle and pistol hard cases. Plano Molding harks from Plano,
I’m a fan of Plano’s All Weather hard cases. Maybe you haven’t encountered them but they are solid, waterproof, and have pluckable foam so you can easily custom fit whatever firearm(s) you want to store.
If you are looking for a very decent hard case for your rifle or pistol, check out the Plano All Weather cases. I’ve been using them for years and can honestly say I’ve never had a weapon damaged in their care.
Note, I have to buy all of my parts – nothing here was paid for by sponsors, etc. I do make a small amount if you click on an ad and buy something but that is it. You’re getting my real opinion on stuff.
If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.
My wife and I like going for evening walks. One of our places is the pier on the St. Joseph side of the Saint Joseph River. On August 7th, 2024, we were treated to a spectacular sunset starting with yellows, shifting to reds, then purples and finally night. It was a perfect time to snap some photos.
The following photos are thumbnails, click on whichever you want to start with and then you can navigate around once the photo is open:
We’ve lived in Saint Joseph for over 33 years now and watched some beautiful sunsets. They are all uniquely in their own way – the colors, clouds, what’s going on in the lake, etc. This side of Michigan is known as the “Sunset Coast” for good reason.
I hope you enjoyed the photos!
If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.
During the course of my researching Begara, the history of the brand and the parent company – Dikar S Coop, I encountered this very interesting tour of the Dikar S Coop factory in Bergara, Spain. It was conducted in 2019 and is a chance for you to see some of their barrel, bolt and receiver making plus assembly and testing.
In both videos, you can see in that they have invested in modern CNC manufacturing and have quality control steps integrated with manufacturing including visual inspections, go-no jigs and testing for run out.
Now, watch the video!
This first video was produced by Bergara and was the source for the above photos:
Please note, all photos are screenshots from the video and remain the property of their respective owners. They are used solely to highlight the video.
A Second Video From 2022
This second video was produced by Pedro Ampuero in 2022 and is also very cool. I’d recommend watching it as well for further insights. It is just over 20 minutes long so he could get into more detail.
Summary
I hope you enjoy these videos as much as I did. I’ve learned a great deal about Bergara over the past year and the fine barrels and rifles they make and wanted to share these.
If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.
After going over my new Bergara B14 HMR, I realized there was actually nothing I needed to change in the base package itself. You need to understand, it is very rare that I don’t fiddle with a firearm and change things. The B14 HMR is a hidden gem in my opinion. A shooter wanting sub-MOA accuracy can buy one of these and then add the muzzle brake, bipod (if they want one) and a scope of their choice.
You’ll notice the brake and scope mirror what I added to my Aero Solus – I wanted to be able to compare the two rifles side by side. I always want a bipod option and that required a different tact with the B14 HMR than the Solus given the different chassis designs.
To do the work, I mainly used my Tipton Ultra Standing Gun Vise. If you need a free standing rifle vise, the Tipton is solid.
Muzzle Brake
I went with a Precision Armament Hypertap. It can cut felt recoil by up to 88% with little to no impacts on accuracy. Click here to visit their site.
Bipod
I like Picatinny rail mounts for bipods and the Bergara stock did not have one. I installed an Atlas BT17 4″ rail adapter that goes under the existing dual sling swivel studs to create a solid mounting point. This then enabled me to use an Atlas bipod.
I haven’t settled on which exact bipod to use yet but it will be one of my Atlas units – either a BT65 or BT46 with an American Defense Manufacturing (ADM) clamp.
Base, Rings & Scope
The Bergara is drilled and tapped for a scope mount and uses the same pattern as a Remington 700 short action receiver. I installed a Seekins 0-MOA aluminum rail segment to accomodate Vortex Precision Rings and a Vortex Strike Eagle Scope.
Plano All Weather Hard Case
I’m a fan of Plano’s All Weather hard cases. Maybe you haven’t encountered them but they are solid, waterproof, and have pluckable foam so you can easily custom fit whatever firearm(s) you want to store.
The base Bergara B14 HMR is a solid rifle to then do the final touches on. I added the things I like – the brake, bipod adapter and scope. With that done, it was ready for the range.
I hope this helps you out.
Note, I have to buy all of my parts – nothing here was paid for by sponsors, etc. I do make a small amount if you click on an ad and buy something but that is it. You’re getting my real opinion on stuff.
If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.
In a recent post, I gave some background on Bergara and as mentioned, after learning more, I did go back to Michigan Gun Exchange and buy the Bergara B14 HMR.
The B14 HMR is made in Spain in a modern factory with CNC machines and careful quality control. This results in consistent parts with fairly tight tolerances – certainly better than years ago when parts still required a great deal of hand fitting.
With the Bergara B14, you are getting a receiver that has the same footprint as Remington 700 short action receivers. Bergara makes their own by the way plus one of their high quality button rifled barrels.
Bergara’s Performance Trigger is quite nice. It is set at 2.8 pounds at the factory and is adjustable from 2.8-4.4 pounds via an adjustment screw. I have run really light triggers in the past but 2.8 pounds is in my sweet spot and it breaks nicely when pulled.
The HMR stock has an aluminum chassis that stock is then formed around. This means the receiver has a solid platform that is not going to flex or warp.
One of the things I like about the stock is that it can be adjusted to fit the shooter and the “bottom metal” meaning the floor plate area, supports the use of an AICS-style magazine. This magazine design started with Accuracy International in their Chassis System ( hence “AICS”) and now a number of makers produce that pattern inclduing Magpul.
The base rifle comes in at 9.5 pounds and is 40 inches overall – bear in mind there are spacers in the recoil pad so between that and if you install a muzzle device, that overall length can vary.
What does it look like out of the box?
Not to be funny but what you get is a base bolt action platform that you then customize. Now you are getting a jump start in terms of having a really good stock and pretty decent trigger right out of the box.
Let’s look at some photos:
Summary
I’m going to wrap this post up at this point. The base Bergara B14 HMR is a very nice rifle – sub MOA guarantee, good barrel, action was pretty smooth, decent trigger and a very slick stock. It definitely gave me a starting platform to build on and a rifle I wholeheartedly recommend. In the next post, I’ll tell you about what I added.
I hope this helps you out.
Note, I have to buy all of my parts – nothing here was paid for by sponsors, etc. I do make a small amount if you click on an ad and buy something but that is it. You’re getting my real opinion on stuff.
If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.