Tools

The Nova Viking Drill Press – I really Like It

Ok, in August 2024, I realized my old Harbor Freight (HF) 38142 13″ bench top drill press was having real issues. I always thought the switch would die or maybe the motor but it was actually the bearings in the spindle. It could no longer drill an accurate hole – runout was horrible and the whole spinde would deflect on angled work pieces.

Now, I need to be fair – the HF drill press lasted me from some time around 1998 all the way to late Summer 2024. Thousands of Ronin’s Grips AK and Galil grips had been drilled there and and it takes three drilling operations per grip so that is a ton of drilling. I can’t even begin to guess what all else I have drilled over the years – gun parts, car parts, stuff for the house … Yeah, I’m not going to bash the Harbor Freight press. The challenge was that I needed a new press, wanted something that was relatively accurate and had to do some digging. I ruled out a lot of cheap stuff right away due to a number of factors.

I knew I wanted another bench top drill press – they just fit into my shop easier that way and that’s another story. One thing I needed was a tall drill press to accommodate my jigs for the grips including an X-Y table for precision adjustments. I also wanted one that was accurate, had some power to it and … didn’t have belts. It may sound silly but I hate changing pulleys.

In case you are new to drills, the material you are drilling, size of bit, and type of bit all affect the RPM you should be drilling at and how fast you push the bit into the material. Traditionally, a drill press has the electric motor at the rear and two or three stepped pulleys that let you adjust the RPM. The adjustment is done by opening the top, loosening the motor (usually by pulling a lever) and then moving the one or two belts on the top to the combination of pulleys you want to get the approximate speed you want. It drives me nuts. I guess everyone has things that bug them and this is one of mine. I’d usually run an average speed and adjust my feed speed accordingly which meant I was almost always drilling slower than what I could have been. Also, old belts slipping would introduce another level of joy as the drill bit would bog down and even stop at times. At any rate, it was a pet peeve and I really didn’t want belts so let’s move on.

Because the HF drill press had a 13″ swing (the largest diameter object that can be drilled to its center), I knew I at least wanted that. So, I dug and dug and finally got it down to either a Jet or a Nova Viking model 83700 by Teknatool. After even more digging, I got it down to the Viking. You know what? I’m very happy with it almost two full months in.

The Viking is not cheap at almost $1300. I decided to get it off Amazon vs. paying anywhere from $100-200 freight for a large heavy box.

“Ok, so why the Viking?” you ask:

  • Variable frequency 1 horsepower 120 volt motor (no more belts)
  • Very good accuracy – they tell you how to test the runout
  • Variable Speed: 150 – 3,000 RPM (programmable to 6,000 RPM)
  • Swing: 16”
  • Stroke: 4.5”
  • Spindle to table: 12-2/3″ (320mm)
  • Spindle to base: 22-2/3″ (575mm)
  • Drill Chuck: 5/8” (1-16mm)
  • Spindle Taper: 2MT
  • Quill:4.5” of quill travel
  • Weight: 154 pounds … it was definitely not light.

Now, I need to point out that spindle to table measure of 12-2/3″. That actually was too short if I set my XY table and jobs on it. The HF unit had a far bigger maximum spindle to table distance because the base and table collars were far smaller / less beefy than what the Viking has. The way I worked around this was to mount my XY table on the base and not the table and I had to make some of my jigs taller. This actually worked out really well because I can swing the table out of the way and use the XY table for my grips where I need adjustable precision. When I want to drill something ad hoc, I remove the jig from the XY table, and swing the drill’s own table back into position,

The Arrival

Honestly, it arrived in great shape via UPS. I saw the UPS truck pull in and I directed him where to drop it off and helped him. I knew it was going to way a ton and didn’t want him to either drop it or get hurt.

Moving Heavy and Awkward Drill Presses

The first thing I needed to do was to remove the old HF drill press. It weighed in around 100 pounds back and in the day and with my back as screwed up as it is, I needed some way to get it out and whatever I used had to fit in a tight area.

I’d done some research and ordered a Pit Posse PP2551S Motorcycle ATV Scissor Floor Jack Lift Table … Amazon descriptions are often a mile long to squeeze in keywords for searching but bottom line this is a nice small lift. It’s area is about 20″ x 18.5″ and it can go up about 36″ with 300 pounds. I read guys used this to move different stuff besides motorcycles and it worked great. I used it both to remove the old HF and wheel the much heavier Viking into position.

I bought the Pit Posse lift of Amazon and really like it. I do find it odd that the hydraulic bleed valve knob hits the foot pedal just a bit but it wasn’t a big deal. That has been my only “nit” about it. The counter is about 33″ off the ground so you have an idea.
I was able to easily slide the drill on all by myself. Like any bottle jack. just barely open the bleed valve and the load will slowly go down. By the way, it has a set of locking casters to once I locked them, the unit didn’t move as I walked the press onto the lift table. Once I unlocked the casters, I was able to easlily move the old drill out the of shop.

Unboxing and Assembling the Viking Drill Press

This is the first tool I’ve bought where they require you to install a large surge protector. I’ve always thought it was a good practice to do it, but here they require one that is rated for at least 2900 joules to protect the DVR motor’s electronics. I bought a Tripplite TLP18TTUSBB 12 outlet model to protect it. I worked in IT for many years and Tripplite units never failed us. It is rated for 4,320 joules and has its own insurance for $150,000 of equipment protected. Click here for it on Amazon. Note, if you are installing the drill on a GFI protected circuit, they mention it needs a leak current threshold rating of 300 mA / 0.03 amps so the DVR doesn’t trip it I guess so check your ratings. I don’t have the drill on a GFI circuit so I did not need to worry about that.

With the old drill press out of the way, it was time to unbox and assemble the Viking. Let me tell you, it’s super easy. You basically bolt the upright portion to the bottom table. Now it was big and awkward so I used the foam packaging to help me lever the assembled until up onto the Pit Posse table.

I had already removed the top layer of foam with the base. Everything was packed very well. You really have minimal assembly to do.
I laid a 2×4 across and propped up the column so I could bolt on the base.
I then pivoted the whole assembly up onto the Pit Posse lift table. Note, I did put a piece of plywood on top the Pit Posse first so the base would be fully supported. I could then easily wheel the unit into the shop and placed it on the bench. Note, I did not install the table until the unit was in place.
It’s a tall unit with the motor installed like that. I bolted it down to the table to make sure it wouldn’t move. Because the bottom mount of the column was so beefy and the collar for the table, the distance from spindle to table was far less than the HF drill that was actually shorter overall. Yes, I did clean up the area when I was done.
Remove the decal and ensure the E-Stop button is disengaged before you turn on the unit or you will wonder why you have an error message right off the bat.

Testing

Okay, I installed the chuck, inserted a bit and expected magic. Instead, I watched a bit turning in an orbit. In other words, so much runout I could see it and I had a serious WTF? moment. I then followed Teknatool’s guidance and measured runout at various points and everything was within spec except for the chuck. Teknatool has you insert a precision ground rod, and measure runout at 100mm below the chuck.

I did some digging at that point and somehow I had missed comments that it was a great drill press with a marginal chuck. I had bought their keyless chuck also so I installed it and still wasn’t impressed. I literally tried five chucks before I settled on the one I am using now. Let’s go through each and the measured runout measured at 100mm below the chuck using a precision ground 1/2″ rod. To be in spec, the target was to be 0.18mm:

ChuckRunoutNotes
Original ChuckAwful – didn’t record it. I could see the bit turning in an orbit that is how bad it was.
Nova Keyless Chuck0.279mmStill not happy and am not going to recommend it.
Jacobs Model 33 Chuck
(I have heard not so good comments about current Jacobs chuck quality so I am not going to link to them)		0.006mmI bought this in 2016 and has an integral taper. It’s decent in terms of runout but you must use a key with it and I really wanted keyless. $60 back in the day.
Precision Matthews Ultra Precision Chuck (Click here to see PM chucks on eBay – must have an MT2 taper for the Viking)0.0635mmWOW. I would have used this but it would have required I used the spanner constantly as the Viking doesn’t have enough resistance when off to hold the spindle in place when you turn the chuck. At $119.99, it’s hard to beat the price.
Llambrich JK-130-MT2
(I bought mine off eBay. Pricing can vary tremendously but make sure you are buying from a reputable seller – click here for current listings.)		0.0655mmWell, I decided this was good enough at $280. It is a true keyless chuck and you can hold it in position with one hand while adjusting the collar with the other — which is what I wanted. The next step up would have been an Albrecht for even more money. Here’s a link to eBay for new and used Albrecht chucks if you want to go that route. They are supposed to be the best.
The Nova Viking has a #2 Morse Taper. That is sometimes written as 2MT or MT2. Any chuck you get will need to fit that taper. In general, chucks with an integral shank are more accurate than similar two piece models where the chuck and shank are separate parts. There are always exceptions to that and someone who knows how to mount the chuck on the shank and true up the combination can create an assembly with pretty decent results but is usually not that way out of the box.

So, I am currently using the Llambrich because of the big price jump up to the Albrecht. I’ve had guys tell me to buy a used Albrecht but I didn’t want to inherit someone else’s problems. Maybe I’ll give a used Albrecht model a try some day where I can return it if it doesn’t test appropriately but I have other things to spend money on at this point.

Some photos from setting up and early use

This was the Nova keyless chuck that I can’t recommend given the runout I measured. By the way, runout is measured by looking at the min and max values when turning the spindle. It. Note, the drill’s table has a 6″ drill vise on it and is swung out of the way. The base for the dial indicator is actually sitting on the XY table.
That is the Jacobs up top with the integral shank. It did surprisingly well but requires a key. The lower unit is the Precision Matthews Ultra Precision Chuck. Note there is no knurled top part to grab. It you had a mill or something with a spindle that will not turn when it is off, this would work great for you. On my Nova Viking, the spindle turns easily when the motor is off which means you have to try and grab part of the spindle to undo it. I wish I could have used it because of the amazing accuracy but it just wasn’t an option for me.
And here’s the Llambrich JK-130-MT2. It’s pricey but you do get a pretty nice chuck for the money and it’s what I am actually using. If you notice the off-white rectangle on the far left of the photo opposite of the chuck, it is one of two LED worklights I installed. I bought the same for my mini-mill and they make a world of difference in terms of lighting up work pieces you are working on. They connect with rare earth magnets and plug into AC power so super easy to install. Click here to see them on Amazon.
You can see how I can swing the drill’s own table around. When I built the wood table way back when, it was levelled. I ensured the base was level when I bolted it to the wood table. I then bolted the XY table and ensured it was level. This is my original XY table that I bought from Enco if I recall correctly. For folks new to machining, Enco was a discount supplier who was eventually purchased by MSC. Oh – the plastic cups are what I use for mixing plastic just in case you are wondering why they are there. My plastic mixing area is off to the right.

My Thoughts After Two Months Of Real Use

I honestly can tell you the Nova Viking drill press is one of the best tool purchases I have made. I’ve drilled probably 50-100 grips since I got it plus other parts also – composites and steel mostly.

Why do I like it?

  • It’s surprisingly quiet. For whatever reason that was the first thing that popped in my head as I started writing the list of reasons.
  • I like being able to turn a dial and adjust the RPM for the drill bit and material I am working with. The Viking has a variable frequency drive so you still have a ton of torque at slower speeds. The speed is changed by adjusting the frequency of the power curve and not by simply starving the motor of power.
  • The motor is a beast. My old HF drill would bog down – this one just eats material. It’s actually stunning how powerful it is. I’ve not bogged it down yet. I also watched it snap a piece of composite in a way I had not thought possible with all of that power.
  • So, combine all that power and easy-to-set RPM and I am able to drill holes a lot faster. I’d say my time spent drilling almost was cut by almost 30% and that’s just a best guess. I can tell you I know I am getting drilling work done a lot faster overall.
  • I really like the auto-start feature. When enabled, the motor turns off when the spindle is returned to the top. The motor turns on as you bring the spindle down. No more spinning bits while changing workpieces so safety increased.
  • The spindle and bearings are rock solid – zero play when drilling at angles or at least I sure don’t notice it. When I measure where and test where the bit will hit the surface, that is where the bit hits the surface and then it doesn’t move during the plunge.
  • I’ve used the depth indicator a few times when I’ve needed to know when to stop on repetitive pieces. It wasn’t a big reason why I bought the press but it is handy.

I should also point out you can buy all of the parts from Teknatool if something goes wrong plus you can buy a warranty. I’ve always thought warranties tell you a bit about the quality. The shorter the warranty then the more likely things are to break. The longer the warranty then the less likely things are going to break during that duration. Out of the box, the Viking has a decent warranty:

2 Year Full Replacement motor and controller
5 Year Full Replacement mechanical

I went ahead and bought the extended warranty direct from Teknatool just in case plus I felt it was affordably priced.

The Emergency Stop button turned out to be broken during testing and Teknatool replaced it right away along with decent instructions about how to do so. Stuff happens so for a vendor to respond quickly to make things right, I value that. They had no idea who I was or that a blog was going to be written – they just made it right.

Teknatool also has a lot of documentation online if you want to read more about the unit. I sure did and click here for the product page with links to the docs,

Summary

I really like the Nova Viking drill press by Teknatool. Buying it off Amazon meant I saved $100-200 on shipping plus I figured I had Amazon’s customer service if something went wrong. Click here to see the listing on Amazon. Other than a busted E-Stop button, and they sent me a replacement and instructions on how to replace it right away, I have had zero problems. Quality and productivity have both increased with this new drill press as explained above.

If you are looking for a drill press, I’d recommend any of the Teknatool units. I’ve heard nothing but good things about the other models and I would absolutely buy my Nova Viking again.

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.

Tools

Need to lift stuff? Check out the SuperHandy Material Lift Winch

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.

So, I dug around on Amazon and discovered the “SuperHandy Material Lift Winch Stacker, Pallet Truck Dolly. Lift Table, Fork Lift 330 Lbs. 40″ Max Lift w/8″ Wheels, Swivel Casters“. To be honest, I nearly skipped it with such a ridiculous title but part of the crazy titles has to do with Amazon sellers trying to optimize their product(s) ranking high in search results. What caught my eye was the customer review score – 4.6 with 203 reviews. This was better than the competitors I had also looked at.

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.

It arrived very well packed with zero damage. I appreciated the careful use of cardboard to secure the majority of the componets vs. styrofoam that is a hassle to deal with and clean up after.

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.

Clear instructions and easy assembly. The parts actually fit and no beating or bending during assembly was required.
The fitment of the parts and the quality of the finish are remarkable. Honestly, they were surprisingly good – I’m used to having to force parts together or ignore scufff marks, etc. Here, you can see part of the forks.
All of the welds are nicely done and there is good attention to details. Notice that the braking pin is knurled to better hold the tire in place vs. a smooth pin that would have been cheaper but less effective.
You can see the welds and the finish but there is another attention to detail element here – the handle bars join the unit as a female sleeve that fits over a smaller diameter tube. The screws just keep them together – the acual tubes deal with the stress and not the screws. That’s a smart idea.
The actual lifting is done via a hand cranked winch that uses synthetic rpe and not wire. To prevent binding, the designers incorporated rollers like you see on the left and right to guid the load up and down the vertical tubes. The unit has a 320 pound weight limit. I’ve lfted close to 200 pounds and it was a very easy lift. Note the black work patform/table over the forks.
The crank handle is keyed and the nut just holds it in place. The assembly with the black knob to the right is a lock. When you release it, you move the handle to where the locking pin can engage and then the load is secured.
The parking brake is easily engaged and disengaged via a foot pedal.

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.

These captain’s chairs weigh quite a bit and are bulky. I could slide the runners of the lift under the van, set brake and then moved the chair onto the table. Once it was secured, I released the brake, backed up and lowered the chair. By the way, the black “table” top folds back out of the way if it’s not needed.
Moving the chair didn’t quite go the way I had hoped. With the chair strapped to the unit so it couldn’t shift, I tried to move the load up some concrete stairs. The parking brake pedal stuck out too far and hit the step vs. the whole unit rolling up and over the stairs as I had hoped. Instead, I had to unload the chair, put it on a dolly and then rolled that up the stairs. You can just barely see it in this photo, I scraped the paint off the parking pedal’s back edge by trying to get it up over the steps shown. From a design perspectivem they could avoid this by either making the brake lever shorter or the wheels slightly larger … or a combination.
That’s a 125 pound drill press. No problem lifting it up into a F250.

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.

POF, PTR, Roller Locks - HK, Zenith

We Now Have Contour, Navy SEF and Magpul SL Grips For HK MP5K Weapons and Clones

It’s taken a while to work out the processes and tooling but now we have a variety of grips converted for HK MP5K weapons and their clones including:

  • Century / MKE AP5-P and AP5-M pistols
  • 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:

  1. It must be an MP5K pattern weapon and not an MP5 or other variety of roller lock.
  2. It must have an HK MP5K patterned top rear hole.
  3. 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.

This is a used HK G3/91 Navy SEF grip. The core black polymer shape is the same size as what we need for an MP5K.

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.

This is a new HK 91/G3 Navy SEF grip with the tail cut off. I use a bandsaw to cut them with a fine tooth blade.

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.

Measure from the front of this plate (the surface facing you in this photo) back to the center of the hole.

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.

Milling the 10mm countersink. My mill has a Digital Read Out (DRO) so I know how deep to go.

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.

That slightly offset circle is exposed when you do the countersink. A drill bit will cut open the circle and then the grip will want to ridge the bit up.

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.

Here is a batch of converted “good condition” real HK Navy SEF grips getting ready to go to their new owners. We do repair any minor gouges and apply a restorative finish to make them look good. That’s the original HK paint by the way. Click here if you are interested.

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.

Sunsets

View at Dusk From the St. Joseph, MI, Piers – August 5, 2024

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.

Shooting in General, Sniper / Precision Rifles

Plano All Weather Rifle and Pistol Hard Cases Are Good To Go

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.

To fit the Bergara with plenty of room on both ends, I bought a 52″ Plano All Weather case for $157.99 + tax off Amazon. They have other sizes available on that Amazon page also.

It’s a big case for sure. ID is 51.5x14x5.5 inches. OD is 53.5x17x7 inches.
The pluckable foam makes customization easy and there are keys for the locking latches.
I lay my rifles on the foam and then pluck out the sections until I get the fit I want.
Once I get the rifle situated, I’ll then do whatever other “pockets” I need for magazines, ammo, etc. In general, I like to keep the weapon away from the edges as much as I can to ensure protection. Once everything is done, I spray the bottom of the pluckable foam layer (it is removable) and then spray it with 3M Super 77 spray adhesive to lock it in place.
Savage Stealth Evolution .338 Lapua in an All Weather case. This one fell out of the back of a UTV as my friend Scott decided to fly up a hill. It protected the rifle and optic no problem.
This is a Sabatti Urban Sniper in .308 in an older first generation All Weather case. One thing they changed with the new models was to get rid of the annoying end snaps – especially the one under the handle to the right.

Summary

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.

Various sizes of All Weather rifle and pistol cases plus replacement foam inserts are on Amazon – click here to see them.

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.

Sunsets

Sunset In Saint Joseph, MI – View From The Pier On August 7th, 2024

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.

AR & Related Rifles and Pistols, Factory Tour, Rifles, Sniper / Precision Rifles

Two Bergara Factory Tour Videos – Watch Barrels, Receivers, and B14 Rifles Being Built

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.

They show their process for making B14 barrels. Here, they are getting ready to do button rifling.
Here’s a screen shot of the CNC milling of a B14 receiver body.
In addition to the manufacturing, you can see them assembling receivers.
Here, the gentleman is assembling a B14 Wilderness.
All rifles are proof tested. The person on the left is a rerpesentative of the Spanish proof house – he’s inspecting a casing.
The tested rifles are packaged and then stored in the warehouse to await loading into containers.

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.

Sniper / Precision Rifles

Customizing My Bergara B14 HMR

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.

I really like the Hypertap brakes.
The Hypertap has the big rear-angled exhaust ports to push the rifle forward and offset the recoil. The integral locking collar on the right allows you to time (rotate) the brake you want and secure it by tightening down that rear nut. The “dimples” you see on the body are locations you could drill additional gas ports to customize the venting of gasses to offset vertical forces.

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.

You could install a bipod that mounts on the sling swivels if you wanted. In my case, I prefer having a rail on the bottom so I used an Atlas BT17 4″ rail adapter that uses the sling swivels. The rear slot gives you some “wiggle room” to allow for different distances between the first and second sling studs.

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.

I was working on the Aero Solus and Bergara B14 HMR back-to-back and bought the scopes and rings at the same time. The Bergara needed a mount and I bought a Seekins 1-piece 0-MOA Picatinny rail base. Vortex gave me a pleasant surprise in the box – a bag of their own Columbian Supreme coffee – it was surprisingly good.
My current go-to bit set is from Dewalt. I used a Wheeler for a while and slowly the most used hex head bits started rounding over so I bought this kit. It’s very nicely done plus I can use the bits in my Vortex torquing screwdriver.
Installing the scope mount. I applied blue loctite to the screws before installation. The longer screws go to the back – check that the bolt moves freely before you call it done.
I used a Vortex torquing screw driver (they refer to it as a wrench) to finish installation. It’s served me well for years and I always return the torque to zero to unload the spring in the driver. There are a ton of look-alike knock offs on Amazon. You have no guarantee of their accuracy or how they will hold up over time.
I really like Vortex Precision Rings. You can really dial in the height you want to get the scope close to the bore but also allow the bolt handle to clear the scope. By the way, a huge difference you will see witth quality rings is that they will give you torque specs because the material can handle it. Cheap rings and the marvel mystery metal they are made from are a “best guess” in terms of torque and often strip out. Quality rings also are true with the tube to correctly hold the scope.
To this day, I always enjoy opening a new scope and seeing it. This is a Vortex Strike Eagle 5-25x56mm Front Focal Plane (FFP) scope with 34mm tube. The images are bright and crisp and it has a cool MRAD reticle.
I use a Wheeler Scope Level tool kit to make sure the scope and reticle are perpinduclar to the bore. The Wheeler unit is the easiest model I have found. There are cheap knock offs out there but I have no idea of their quality. I’d recommend sticking with the Wheeler unit.
I like using a Wheeler professional laser bore sight. I have one with a green laser but you may find the red laser model available at a very decent price. It attaches via a magnet to the muzzle and while it is quick to attach, the end of the muzzle must be cut perpendicular to the bore. I’ve found it doesn’t work well on barrels that have the muzzle sloppily cut or muzzle devices that aren’t true to the bore or unevenly machined as well.

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.

To fit the Bergara with plenty of room on both ends, I bought a 52″ Plano All Weather case for $157.99 + tax off Amazon. They have other sizes available on that Amazon page also.

It’s a big case for sure. ID is 51.5x14x5.5 inches. OD is 53.5x17x7 inches.
The pluckable foam makes customization easy and there are keys for the locking latches.
I lay my rifles on the foam and then pluck out the sections until I get the fit I want.
Once I get the rifle situated, I’ll then do whatever other “pockets” I need for magazines, ammo, etc. In general, I like to keep the weapon away from the edges as much as I can to ensure protection. Once everything is done, I spray the bottom of the pluckable foam layer (it is removable) and then spray it with 3M Super 77 spray adhesive to lock it in place.

Result

Here’s the rifle with the muzzle brake, bipod rail adapter, and Vortex scope. Note the three spacers to the left of the recoil pad and the adjustable cheek piece is raised up just a tad.
A tad closer view of the scope.
Here’s the rifle laying in the other direction.
I find the brake design intriguing with it’s big ports and the ability to fine tune.

Summary

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.

When Strength and Quality Matter Most