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• Upgrading the Big Rock’s Sights With Help From Scott Igert of Modern Antique Firearms July 21, 2017
  The Rock Island Armory Model 52000 Pro Match Ultra 6″ – 10mm pistol is affectionately known as the “Big Rock” to folks who own one.  When I got mine, one of the few things I wanted to improve were the sights. The front fiber optic segment was a dim red and the back white dots ...
• Dan Wesson Bruin First Look – A 6″ 10mm Refined Power House July 20, 2017
  As part of my foray into 10mm pistols, I picked up a Dan Wesson Bruin with the help of Scott Igert of Modern Antique Firearms.  The Bruin intriqued me based on reviews and that this was a Dan Wesson pistol!  I have liked Dan Wessons since the days they made the revolvers with exchangeable barrels. ...
• Rock Island 52000 10mm 6″ High Cap Pro Match Pistol – First Impressions of the Big Rock July 19, 2017
  I must admit I have a fascination with the 10mm auto cartridge.  First, it has cool ballistics. Second, it can be found in a number of semiauto pistol platforms including my favorite 1911/2011 platform.  Third, I’ve wanted one since Miami Vice in the 1980s 🙂  Honestly, it is the first two reasons – the ballistics ...
• Review: TEKTON Gunsmithing 18-Piece Punch Set #66564 is Pretty Nice July 19, 2017
  I have a lot of fun experimenting with stuff.  I tend to need punches fairly regularly and what I had was a mishmash of sizes and models from Craftsman, Astro, Harbor Freight and who knows what else.  I was working the other day and had stuff laying everywhere and thought to myself that there must ...
• Simple Life Hack – How to Combine Candles And/Or Add a Candle Wick July 17, 2017
  My dad raised honey bees when I was growing up so we had a lot of wax.  One year, my mom and dad bought some molds and we cast candles.  For wicks, we used heavy cotton string.  When you put string in hot liquid wax, capillary action occurs and the wax is “wicked” into the ...
• Assembling an AR Lower – Step 11 of 11: Other Resources To Leverage & Learn From July 14, 2017
  The cool thing about ARs is that there are a ton of them out there and people are sharing ideas on how to build, use and maintain them every day.  This series of blog posts I just wrote shows my current take on how to assemble lowers.  I will continue to improve my techniques over ...
• Assembling an AR Lower – Step 10 of 11: Installing the Upper Receiver Assembly July 12, 2017
  We’re in the home stretch.  You can buy completed AR uppers from many sources.  I’ve had very good luck with Palmetto State Armory (PSA), Ghost Rifles, White Oak Armory (for precision uppers), Del-Ton, and Rock River Arms.  I bought a few Hardened Arms uppers with bolts and simply was not impressed – they seemed gritty ...
• Assembling an AR Lower – Step 9 of 11: Installing the Buffer Tube and Arm Brace July 10, 2017
  There are three types of buffer tubes for ARs and the one you pick depends on what you are building.  There is the traditional long A2 fixed stock style buffer tube, the 6 position M4-style telescoping stock tube and lastly the pistol buffer tube. Since I am building a pistol, that will be our focus. ...
• Assembling an AR Lower – Step 8 of 11: Installing the Pistol Grip, Selector Spring and Detent July 7, 2017
  In this step we will install the selector spring  and detent along with the pistol grip.  As you can imagine, I am a grip snob.  I do not like the Mil-Spec grip much at all but do like the MagPul MOE and MIAD grip.  For me, the lower-cost MOE grip is just fine – it ...
• Assembling an AR Lower – Step 7 of 11: Installing the Selector Assembly July 5, 2017
  The selector assembly is what allows a regular AR to either be on “Safe” by blocking the trigger’s movement or “Fire” my allowing the trigger to pass.  It’s actually a very straight forward design and I like those.  Now I like ambidextrous selectors and they are just like a normal one but have a small ...
• Assembling an AR Lower – Step 6 of 11: Installing the Hammer Assembly July 3, 2017
  The hammer assembly includes the pin, spring and hammer itself.  In the next photo, the hammer group is to the right.  This is an enhanced trigger group from Palmetto State Armory (PSA) that I really like and recommend for people wanting a decent low-cost trigger for a basic build. It’s straight forward to install with one ...
• Check Out Neal’s Two AKs with our Bulgy SAW Grips June 30, 2017
  Here are Neal’s two rifles with our grips! On the left is a RAS47. K-VAR upper handguard Magpul cheek riser Ronin’s Bulgarian SAW grip in Dark Russian Plum On the right is an AK74 NODAK SPUD. Ronin’s Bulgarian SAW grip in Dark US Plum (Similar to the color of KVAR’s US plum furniture) Russian mag and upper handguard.  
• Assembling an AR Lower – Step 5 of 11: Installing the Trigger Assembly June 30, 2017
  An AR trigger assembly is four parts not including the pin that holds the assembly in the receiver.  I like Palmetto State Armory’s Enhanced Trigger Group that has a polished nickel boron finish for my basic AR builds.  My favorite trigger manufacturer is Geissele and have used a number of their models over the years ...
• Cold Dead Hands Ambidextrous Charging Handle Left Me Cold – Don’t Buy It June 28, 2017
  Folks, I saw the Cold Dead Hands (CDH) ambidextrous charging handle ad on Facebook and figured for $34.94 delivered I might as well give it a try so I ordered it on 6/22/17.  The first thing I noticed after I placed my order was that it was shipping from China but was hopeful that wasn’t ...
• Assembling an AR Lower – Step 4 of 11: Installing the Pivot Pin Assembly June 28, 2017
  The AR is a modular rifle system wherein the upper half connects to the lower half via two pins.  The front pin is known as the “pivot pin” because when the rear pin is opened, the upper half can pivot up allowing for maintenance or to allow the operator to open the pivot pin also ...
• Remembering My Dad – Carroll Spafford & The M1 Garand Story June 27, 2017
  Well folks, yesterday was my dad’s birthday and he would have been 91 years old.  I owe him a lot and often think of him.   The pain of losing him is less but I miss him.  He started me shooting when I was so little that he had to hold the .22 rifles and ...
• Assembling an AR Lower – Step 3 of 11: Installing the Bolt Catch Assembly June 26, 2017
  In this step, I’ll install the bolt catch.  This is the part that catches the bolt when the magazine is empty or the operator wants to lock the weapon open.  In terms of risk, this step has probably caused more blemished receivers than any other.  What I hope to show you is a method to ...
• Assembling an AR Lower – Step 2 of 11: Installing the Trigger Guard Assembly June 24, 2017
  The second step is to install the trigger guard.  Now I do not use the kind with a detent that allows you to open the trigger guard.  I prefer aluminum trigger guards from either Magpul or Brownells.  The one you see here is from Brownells and is made from billet 7075 aluminum.  I like how ...
• Assembling an AR Lower – Step 1 of 11: Installing the Magazine Catch Assembly June 22, 2017
  Just a quick note – when you get a bare receiver, you are literally getting a chunk of aluminum with nothing installed.  I really like Palmetto State Armory (PSA) lower build kits and they sell them with different types of components such as just the basics for rifles, for pistols, Magpul furniture, etc.  What I ...
• News: Vepr rifles now on the banned list – June 20, 2017 June 20, 2017
  Well, this sucks – Molot, the maker of Vepr rifles and shotguns has been added to the treasury’s list of people and organizations US businesses can’t engage in commerce with. Here’s the website source:  https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20170620.aspx MOLOT-ORUZHIE, OOO (a.k.a. OBSHCHESTVO S OGRANICHENNOI OTVETSTVENNOSTYU ‘MOLOT-ORUZHIE’; f.k.a. OBSHCHESTVO S OGRANICHENNOI OTVETSTVENNOSTYU PROIZVODSTVENNO INSTRUMENT KACHESTVO), 135 ul. Lenina, Vyatskie Polyany, Kirov ...

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