Attention Indy gun collectors: this is for you.

A friend works in the area and found out about a big auction hitting the block on Dec 1, 2013.

It's...well...impressive.  Go take a look.

Maryland HQL license requirements (and other stuff).

I took a Utah CCW class through Mid Atlantic Firearms Training, and they added me to their mailing list.  Fortunately they're not spammy so I tend to pay attention when I get something from them.

Earlier in the week, they sent this out to customers.  I've asked permission to reprint it in its entirety here:

Mid-Atlantic Firearms Training  October 6, 2012

Folks, We are sending out this email as a courtesy to those of you who may have some questions regarding the new firearms laws that have gone into effect in Maryland on October 1, 2013.  This is known as the Firearm Safety Act 2013 aka SB281. Like many of you, I did everything I could to protest, discourage and stop this bill from being signed into law.  However, that did eventually happen and here we are 1 week later.  At this point, it is no longer theory or "what if", rather it is a reality and now we deal with it's implementation. We have been quite silent in sending out too many announcements as it became clear the law would go through as it seemed everything was in a state of flux and in reality, things are still in a state of flux.  However, we do now have some more concrete info we can share that will hopefully help you understand how this law may/may not affect you and if you will need to acquire further training under it's provisions.

Handgun Qualification License and Training Requirements I am going to outline the requirements for the Handgun Qualification License hereby referred to as HQL and the training requirements. Under the Firearms Safety Act 2013 also known as SB281, all new handgun purchasers must apply for and receive a Handgun Qualification License (HQL) before purchase.  This HQL must be presented to the FFL or gun shop.   There are certain individuals who exempt from the handgun qualification license: A Licensed Firearms Manufacturer. Active law enforcement officer or a person retired in good standing from a law enforcement agency of the United States, the State, or a local law enforcement agency of the State. A member or retired member of the armed forces of the United States or National Guard.  (This may apply to quite a few of you.) A person purchasing, renting or receiving an antique, curio or relic as defined in federal law or in determinations published by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  (For those of you who deal with C&R firearms) The above listed individuals or entities must provide acceptable documentation to the dealer or FFL prior to purchasing a regulated firearm.  Do your self a favor, save a trip and bring it with you. There are certain individuals who will need an HQL but are exempt from a further training requirement:    Have completed a Maryland State Police (MSP) approved certified firearms safety course Have completed a course of instruction and been issued a certificate of competency in firearms and hunter safety from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Is currently a qualified handgun instructor Is an honorably discharged member of the armed forces of the United States or National Guard. Is an employee of an armored car company who has a valid Wear and Carry Permit issued by MSP. Lawfully owns a regulated firearm.  If you own a regulated firearm prior to October 1, 2013, you are not required to complete the training and may apply for the Handgun Qualification License. Pay particular attention to the last bullet point as that will affect many of you.  In other words, if you already own a handgun you will NOT be required to take the HQL training course, BUT you will need to apply for the HQL if you want to purchase any future handguns. Soooo, the question is:  What if I need HQL Training?? If you are in the category of individuals who will need to take the HQL training course, we certainly have you covered as well as your other firearms training needs.  The course will be a 4 hour course mandated by law that includes the following main topics: State Firearms Laws Home Firearms Safety Handgun Operation and Mechanisms Live Fire Component (obviously we provide the gun and ammunition) For a more detailed course description please visit the HQL page on our site at: Handgun Qualification License Training As usual, we will provide a COMPLETE course including help with the application if needed and discounts on LiveScan Fingerprinting services(required by MSP).

I hope you have found this information helpful and if you need our assistance please know we are there to help you through this confusing maze of new laws as well as provide the quality training you expect and we demand of ourselves.  We ask that you share this email with family and friends who may be thinking of purchasing a handgun for the first time.  I can tell you there are "Instructors" coming out of the woodwork looking to capitalize on this "opportunity".  Please let your family and friends know of your positive experience with us and send them our way.    Sincerely,    Bryan Fletcher Mid-Atlantic Firearms Training

Went to the range last night with my cousin, took the newest pistol, have questions.

Last night my cousin and I went to the range for a mutual birthday paper-killing event. He brought his Glock and his stainless (ooh, shiny) Springfield 1911, I brought my PX4 subcompact 9.

Observations:
We're both incredibly rusty. It took him a couple of mags to get decently small groups. It took me less time, but I'm also not quite used to the pistol, so I was trying to compensate for that.

The Springfield is a very nice pistol. Cousin agrees - he finds he likes it more than the Glock. This guy LOVED the Glock when he bought it. I guess it's that first gun bliss. Not that I can blame him - the 1911 he owns is a much nicer gun. Doesn't rattle, doesn't show any wear, doesn't malf as long as the mags are Wilson.

The Beretta...frustrates me. Since my first trip to the range with it, I get problems near the end of a mag (and occasionally midway through the mag, if I load it all the way). It's had maybe 200 rounds through it since purchase. I know the feed issues midway through the mag are likely related to user error, but I can't quite understand why it won't feed properly.

Now, I don't claim to be an expert in malfunctions, so bear with me:
1 - Fire a round. Fires fine.
2 - Fire a round. Casing ejects, gun strips new round out of the mag, slide doesn't return to proper firing position.
3 - Pull slide back and lock open. Unfired round falls out.
4 - Goto 1.

This happened VERY frequently the first 2 times I took it to the range. Frustrated, I would pack it back up instead of working through the issue. Chris has NOT had this issue when he's put a box through it. I'm thinking some of my issue may come from having shot only metal firearms until this point, but I'd like the input of the masses. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

I'm going to try to go to the range with Chris, and have him take video of me firing it so I can get a better idea of what I'm doing wrong.

Some folks seem to be questioning why Maryland SB281 is so problematic for people who are legal gun owners or want to be a legal gun owner in Maryland.

So here are some key parts of the bill that's headed to the governor to be signed into law.

The parts of the bill that dealt with punishments for those who break the law have been gutted, so this isn't even useful legislation. Governor O'Malley and his cronies DO NOT want us here. I hope they're ready to lose a crap-ton in tax revenue from Beretta, because it's likely they're packing up their stuff and moving elsewhere. Way to go.

Speculation: building a 300 Blackout SBR.

I'm starting to research putting together an upper. Not sure if I'm going to go through with it - I'm in the brainstorming stage. Chris suggested I look at going for 300 Blackout, since I've also entertained getting a suppressor.

The problem I'm encountering right now: what in the world is the deal with buffer weights? I don't care quite as much about the tube length - I'm still getting an adjustable rifle stock for it. Lead the blind, will ya? Do I need a lighter weight buffer, or can I stick with the standard weight?

I'm still doing my research, but dang there's a lot of conflicting information out there. My brain hurts. :)

Oh, does anyone know anything about this item?


Expect more questions as I attempt to navigate through planning this build. I'm an idiot when it comes to this sort of thing, and I suspect I'll come across more mental roadblocks.

So SB281 went to the House.

And the final testimony was heard at almost 4AM on Saturday morning.

Here's one gem from the day:



More later.

REMINDER: BP firearms for sale (plus two .22 rifles)

Two of the firearms have sold, but there's still a bunch left. Go look!

Black powder guns for sale!

Posting this list for a friend of mine. All listed prices are negotiable. She will be watching this post, so please feel free to ask questions. If you prefer a more direct line of communication, please email me and I'll get you in touch with her. My email is falnfenix AT gmail DOT com.

Anyway, on with the list!

CVS, Kentucky, Flintlock .45 -- $200
Euroarms Brescia, Kentucky, Percussion .45 -- $380
Ranson Italia, Zouave, Percussion .58 -- $380 - SOLD
Pistol, Tower, Flintlock .58 -- $138 - SOLD
Thompson/Center, Hawkin, Percussion .45 -- $260

She's also selling two .22 bolt action rifles:

Winchester, 67 -- $170
Springfield, 82 - $155

Pictures and serial numbers are available upon request. All are located in Maryland.







*Since the legality of this has come into question by the resident blog troll, whose name I won't bother mentioning, these are legal to sell. Black powder firearms are legal to purchase online without a background check, and in Maryland, the personal sale of long arms without a background check is perfectly legal. My friend would not deliberately break the law, and neither would I.

Our ARs finally work!

Or: Why I can't recommend Del-Ton to anyone.

To recap -
I ordered two AR15 uppers from Del-Ton on 1/31/09. This date is important, so keep it in mind.
Between February and the end of November, I made the following posts about it:
Sigh, backorders
Great googly moogly!
Yet another Del-Ton delay
Good news, better news, and bad news
Good news, everyone!

Chris's upper showed up in September, and mine showed up the first week of December of that year. I neglected to post about the upper showing up due to my grandfather's passing, but it did show up that first week in December. By the time mine showed up I was just thrilled to see anything. So: Ordered everything at the end of January, and the second upper showed up almost a YEAR later. In that time, I received absolutely no information from Del-Ton - I had to waste my time and call THEM to get the same answer over and over and over. I don't care how busy a company is, a form email does NOT take much time to write and send out to customers. Thanks to the beauty of technology, said email could have been drafted while someone dropped the kids off at the pool. Anyway, moving on...

We did not get any opportunity to test either upper until 7/4/10, and on that range trip both rifles had consistent issues. I posted about the problems we had here. We did not get another chance to really test anything until last month, when Chris's friend helped him diagnose the problem. After swapping bolts, uppers, lowers, and magazines they were able to determine there was an issue with the gas system in both uppers. Please note, I was quite angry...I expected better of Del-Ton. I suppose I should have used the lack of communication from them as a sign regarding their build quality.

By now, it's well past any warranty would be in effect, so this weekend we took the uppers to Dan over at Gun Connection. Dan was able to diagnose and repair both uppers while we waited. What he found, though, was a bit distressing...both because Del-Ton sent defective parts and because neither Chris nor I knew what we were doing with these rifles. I spent much of Saturday fuming at Del-Ton's shoddy build quality and my own stupidity, and I have since learned my lesson.

So, the problems: On Chris's upper, the gas block was so screwed up there's no way he'd actually get anything to cycle properly. If you take a close look at the photo, you'll see where the hole inside it was poorly drilled...it almost looks like the person who worked on the part used a small explosive to get that hole in there.

That's pretty freaking bad. It also wasn't on properly, as we could jiggle it without loosening anything. No wonder there was an issue with the gas system!

Dan replaced the gas block with one from Daniel Defense and put everything back together. On my upper, the gas tube was off by about 15 degrees and it was clogged (user error - it wasn't properly cleaned before we took it out the first time). He reseated everything and did a particularly thorough cleaning for me. A little over a hundred dollars in parts and labor later and we left with two functioning rifles, though we were charged with testing both over the weekend to make sure everything worked.

Yesterday, during a break in the nasty weather, we took them out...and they worked beautifully. Chris had some difficulty with his optic, but that's user error and will be rectified once he reacquaints himself with the instructions. I, on the other hand, landed almost every shot where I wanted it once I figured out how to use my scope. Overall, I'm glad this ordeal is over, and I'm especially glad we now have two functioning rifles that are quite a bit of fun to shoot.

To sum up:
boo Del-Ton
yay Gun Connection
thoroughly educate yourself about a firearm if it's known to be finicky
thoroughly educate yourself on a retailer before spending a significant amount of money.


The final result of two mags through my rifle (while also learning the particulars of my optics - the low shots were the first few i took, and i aimed for each box at least once to see how well i could do):

...Yeah. I'm happy now.

Another Freestate visit...I'm getting a lot of practice lately...

Yesterday I met up with an old friend, who I finally met in person for the first time. Thanks to the powers of the internet J and I have known each other for quite a few years and finally got our schedules coordinated enough to meet up for a shooty evening.

I brought the Bersa and the Rock Island, he brought a PX4 Storm in .40, a Buckmark (with a suppressor), and two SIGs (with a suppressor on one of them). Neither of us are newbs, so this wasn't like my normal range visit.

First, I'd like to make a confession: I made my first Really Dumb Mistake at the range. Somehow I forgot to put on my shooting glasses before walking into the range, and J had to remind me. Apparently my mind was elsewhere. Thankfully, my stupid mistake was corrected without incident and we continued on our evening of killing paper.

Anyway, my impressions:
1 - The Buckmark. I like this a hell of a lot better with the can OFF the front, though it was neat as hell to shoot a .22 with literally no recoil and almost no sound. The backpressure from the suppressor was distracting, however, so I took it off after the first magazine. Overall, it's a nice little .22, and that might end up on the short list.
2 - The Beretta. I asked J to bring this since I'm in the market for a PX4 Storm in 9mm. I wanted a feel for the real thing, rather than the testers they had set up at the NRA convention. My overall impression is good, but I can see why people truly hate this gun in .40 - my trigger finger went numb after two magazines. Apparently this is a common complaint of the .40 PX4. Controls are where they need to be, the slide release isn't too much of a pain in the ass, and the rotating barrel definitely helps with recoil. This was the first .40 I've had the opportunity to shoot, and while I don't see myself buying a .40, I don't really understand why people hate it. It's alright. Definitely liked the pistol, though.
3 - The SIGs. At least one of them was in .45, and this was the suppressed gun. Again, I have no love for the suppressor. I'm told they're more pleasant to shoot outdoors, and maybe he'll give me an opportunity to test this at a later date. Right now, though, do not like.

He seemed to like the Bersa despite his big bearpaw hands, and I think he's got 1911 envy. :D Thanks, J, for hoofing it all the way up to my range. Next time I'll head down your direction.

"How did you become gunnies?"

Jennifer asked and lots of people are answering, so I figured I'd toss in my little story.

I remember, as a child, not being allowed guns.  The boys in the neighborhood had these neat guns that actually went bang, and I was insanely jealous...but terrified.  Y'see, my parents always appeared to be incredibly anti-gun.  They didn't like me having squirt guns, cap guns were a no-no, and BB guns?  Yeah, they didn't exist in my little world.  Heck, even snap-caps were absolutely verboten.  At the time, I though it was because my parents never wanted me to have any fun EVER because they were the MEANEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD.*

This got long, so hit the jump for the rest!

Sigh.

Want.

Fun At the NRA Convention

Wow Pittsburgh sucks. It's mostly just the lack of preparedness for over 70k people descending on the city like a swarm of locusts. I think they haven't prepared for this at all. Traffic routing is terrible. I think the city government needs to read more prepper blogs. At least call the last city and ask them what happened there last year.

The Convention is great! I haven't sniffed a whiff of con-funk, but I lost count of the safari/tactical vests around 638.

The people have been very nice. Howdy's and excuse me's all around. Say what you will about the NRA members, at least we're polite.

I know it's early, but I'll hand it to the booth workers. I haven't even been kicked out of a single one even after my. incessant questioning like a 5 yr old.

Last night I met many strange and wonderful internet denizens. Although the names fly by so fast I cant remember them all. A good bunch. (psst. they like to drink)

I had 2 hot, famous, blogger chicks in my room last night. How's you're convention going?

So far mines a blast. :)

Range Report: Rock Island Armory Match

I'm finally getting around to posting this...I figured today's as good a day as any, considering it's been 100 years since the pistol was given a "home" with our military.

Chris, my cousin V, and I took the pistol out to the range last Wednesday (and by "last Wednesday" I mean a month and some change ago)...and, well, I'm pleased.  This was an excellent choice for a "big kid" gun - until now my only pistol was my Bersa, and it's incredibly different from the 1911. 

So, my opinions...

The trigger is nice and light.  There is almost no effort involved, especially compared to my little Bersa.  This surprised me - I expected the trigger to be much heavier, even knowing it's a 3.5lb trigger.

The sights are nice.  I like the large black rear sight, as it helps to make the front sight seem a bit more visible than the three-dot setup on the Bersa.  The pistol is really accurate out of the box thanks to the upgraded sights, and any accuracy issues I had were entirely operator-related.

So far, there are no reliability issues.  The three of us put 100 rounds downrange - I know, it's not enough to really test it, but it was enough to make me happy.  We had one malf, and that was due to the cheap extra mags I brought along.  With the original mag, it ate all the cheap Remington I put through it.  Next visit will involve other brands - we've got Winchester and UMC in the box at home, and I look forward to seeing how it handles those.

The grips are alright, but I intend to swap them out sometime soon.  I'm just not a fan of the checkered look (or feel - my hands is delicate!), so I'll pick up a set soon.  If Wilson ever gets the set I've been eyeing back in stock, that is.

And now, here's what you've all been waiting for (click to embiggenize):

And now I realize I need to oil it up...DANG that rear sight got rusty quick!

Range visit tonight with the cousin.

Expect a full write-up of the RIA, possibly from both of us.

For new gun owners...

In honor of a good friend who recently attained citizenship here in the US (woo, conga rats!), I wanted to share two books worth checking out.

Dirtcrashr has more California-specific info, as well.

1911 - I haz it.

So this followed me home today...

It's a Rock Island Armory Match in .45...yes, I know t needs a good cleaning.  Range report will be up next week - meeting with family on Wednesday to give her a bit of abuse.



Woooooooooooooooooooooo.

What are you talking about Noob?

Much like the world of FPS(First Person Shooter) gaming, a gun noob is greeted in similar unfriendly fashion. Name your forum; the first post goes something like this.

Noob: “Hi I was thinking about getting a “blank” and I don’t know much about them. Can you tell me “this, that. and the other?”

This post is usually answered by the various stereotypes we encounter as gun enthusiasts, some make me cringe, some make me scratch my head, and some I just laugh. Could the Noob soften this first encounter by doing more research? Yes. Should he or she have to? Not really. The forum members could just point this Noob to a previous thread or give a basic answer, but they’ve all got to chime in.

Internet expert: “Use the search button noob, it’s at the top.”

Fudd: “what do you want that for? You can’t hunt anything with it. This is a much better choice and it has a wood stock or camo.” (you’ll notice there’s no questions about what does noob want it to do, or why did he or she pick that one.)

Mall Ninja: “I don’t think that’s an HK. Only HK’s will do that. Get this HK and make sure it’s got this laundry list of too totally tacti-cool stuff on it (This one speaks for itself, is usually amusing, but not really helpful.)

Resident curmudgeon NRA lifer: “You’d better get one quick, they’re going to ban those soon. Did you know they are taking your right to own that away. Buy it quick they are coming for it.” (Again the noob must be scratching his or her head at this, wondering what this person is talking about.)

Good old boy, gun know it all: “Yea I had one of those it’s a piece of crap. Buy a S&W instead. Those other companies just make junk. “ (ok sort of helpful, but not really. This person could help but will not volunteer anything and will need to be interrogated to get useful information.)

Ex-mil guy: Does that have an ACOG on it? or an Eotech? We always used those. The other ones are crappy knock offs and the sand gets in em. (ok here I’m just not sure. Could he help? Probably. Will he pay attention and actually answer the question asked? Probably not.

Survival Dude/Prepper: “You can’t carry enough ammo for that in your BOB(Bug Out Bag). It’s not my first choice, well maybe it would be, if you did this to it. Make sure you get some paracord to make a sling for it. Wait I think I heard someone at the door” (this guy is usually a fountain of knowledge. You’ll have to wade through what he or she knows to get what you want though. )

Elitist Sporter: Why would you want that? An over under is what you need, like this one (links to $15k shotgun) At least get a Benelli. ( This guy is not going to understand you unless you are interested in the one thing he’s interested in. Even then you probably can’t afford or are looking for what he suggests)

And our newest stereotype to add to the gang…

Zombie Fighter: “Can you put a chainsaw bayonet on it?” (this guy’s in it for fun, he’ll probably have a lot of geeky knowledge you can access, but he’ll usually be sarcastic and take himself way too seriously.)

These are most but, probably not all the usual stereotypes of gun owners we’ll run into. I think they’re easier to pick out online and stereotype than in person, and shame on you if you do it in real life. You may see yourself in one, or more than one of them or see nothing at all. I certainly fit in multiple categories depending on how geeky I’m feeling that day. The difference between this greeting and the online FPS world is that said Noob will eventually get better at playing the game, and will garner some respect from the other players. There will be pwnage on occasion. In the forum environment; however, that respect will never really be given, and the Noob will probably move on. It’s a “good ole boy club”. Just when we need some fresh meat they’re chasing them away, like this noob is part of the Scooby Kids trying to crack their secret club. I ask after reading this you look at your behavior. Do you do the above? Could you be more helpful? Would it really be hard to do so? Could you cut noobs more slack? Try and inject some fun, be an ambassador and point them in the right direction, or will you shake your proverbial fist and tell them to get off your lawn? I’m not one to be positive all the time. I’m a smart ass not a cheerleader, but I’m going to try and help those noobs, that is, after I get this last headshot.

I hate this part.

A week ago, I ordered a new pistol. Got a call Thursday saying it's in and the paperwork has been submitted.

I have another week 'till I can pick it up. I hate waiting. (And no, I'm not telling anyone what it is yet...neener neener neener!)

Where's the fun?

As I cruise the tubes looking for information on various firearms and gun related activities I have noticed that there is a severe lack of fun being presented in relation to this topic. Discussions are always tangled with politics. Politics are very important to gun owners and shooting sports enthusiasts, but we need to stop and think where gun talk should stop and politics talk should start. They can be separated. I’m not advocating stopping politics talk, but if we are going to get more people interested in gun related activities we need to make it less imposing and realize when the two things need to be separate and when we should talk about them together. We forget that sometimes the guns themselves are imposing enough to new shooters and that some existing shooters get tired of the same old discussions. I’ll go into this more as I think about it, but I really think that fun needs to be emphasized in order for gun related activities to move forward. Thoughts on this are welcome as I’m still hammering out my own.