Puma 92 First Impressions

I took possession of my Puma 92 carbine on the 24th of February, and have spent the past few days getting it ready for a good breaking in. First of all, I ordered from Bud's Gun Shop on the 16th of the month. My rifle is chambered in .45 Colt ("Long Colt") with a 16" round barrel (the new ones all have octagon barrels), standard lever loop, and 8 round tube magazine. It ran me $425 shipped with insurance. The transfer cost me another $25, so in total $450. I had my heart set on a comparable Marlin 92, but the cheapest one of the "cowboy" line costs $675. After looking for reviews online, I found out that the Puma 92 has less fit and finish, but for $225 less, I'll take it.

This thing came COVERED in what appeared to be cosmoline--I mean real, soviet bloc cosmoline. I was able to remove it with a rag and some CLP, and it left the signature rust-brown residue on the rag and a number of paper towels. Upon inspection, the action appears to have lots of tool marks all over it. It actually works pretty smooth since I loaded the action with lithium grease. The wood on the gun looks like walnut, it might not be, but it looks like it and feels very solid. The bluing on the outside of the reciever and barrel is very deep and looks fantastic. The Puma 92 has a thumb safety on top of the bolt near the locking lugs. It simply blocks the free floating firing pin from moving. The jury is still out on whether or not this is a useful feature since the hammer still has a safety notch that has been a proven mechanism for 117 years. And while I'm on the mechanical function, the trigger is nice. It has no creep or over travel and breaks at what my finger says is 4 or 5 pounds.

The most impressive feature of this carbine is its size. This thing is about the size of a Red Rider BB gun. It is positively tiny. It shoulders very well and is lightweight (6lbs) and balanced very well--which makes it seem even lighter. The listed over-all length is 34 3/8", which is just shorter than an M4 with the stock fully extended. This thing could be a very handy truck gun.

It still hasn't been to the range yet, so keep your eyes peeled for a review next week. I promise I'll put pictures in the review, not just a video of Clint Eastwood.

Just Shoot Me....

Picture stolen from: keepshooting.com

Last October I bought a surplus German flak vest from Cheaper Than Dirt for about $50 + shipping. I got it to wear under my tac vest that I wear for service in the Guard so I could practice shooting with all that bulk on (like I will be in the real world). It isn't very heavy, and it is surprisingly comfortable to wear.

So I was at my friend's range the other day with all my gear on and pondered whether or not this vest still had any protective value at all. All the kevlar panels are marked "1987", and back then this vest carried an NIJ Class IIA rating. That means it will stop most pistol rounds, most shotgun rounds, and NO rifle ammunition. It is mainly meant to keep shrapnel out of your torso, but would concievably have some protective value against firearms. Cheaper Than Dirt remarks that this vest should not be treated as bulletproof, and I agree. But After a quick (highly un-scientific) "test" I would be quick to point out that it does offer some protection.

I TOOK THE VEST OFF and put it on an old tree stump for testing. Do I really have to tell you not to wear this thing while you test it by firing live rounds at it? I will anyway. DO NOT SHOOT YOURSELF OR HAVE SOMEONE ELSE SHOOT YOU WITH THIS VEST ON!!! EVER!!!!

Okay, so James shot the vest with his Steyr M9A1 9mm pistol using 115gr FMJ ammunition from about six feet away. The round DID NOT penetrate the kevlar, but it did tear the inside flap of nylon and boogered up the stump. It stopped, but boy would it have hurt! I'm guessing you may have cracked or broken ribs after this, but you would not have a hole through you. Better than the alternative I guess.

I then stepped back to about six feet and fired one Federal Bulk .22lr copper plated hollow point from my 1911A1 conversion. It DID NOT penetrate, and left no mark except the hole through the front. This probably would have hurt as well, but would likely just be a nasty bruise.

James then let me fire a 12ga 2 3/4" 12 pellet buckshot from about 10 yards (enough to get a pattern going). 10 of 12 pellets hit in a roughly 8" circle centered below where my right pectoral muscle would be. Though they did not rip the inside nylon, they did remove bark from the tree. This would certainly be broken bones and severe bruising. You would likely require urgent medical attention, but again you would have a very high chance of survival with a full recovery.

I did not test any rifle rounds, but this vest was never intended to stop rifle rounds. That and I didn't have any centerfire rifles with me at the time, but they would have shredded it without a problem.

ONCE AGAIN, DO NOT SHOOT THIS VEST WITH SOMEONE WEARING IT!!! THAT IS JUST PLAIN STUPID!!!!!

Cheaper Than Dirt no longer carries this vest, but gunnyssurplus.com and keepshooting.com both carry it. It goes for $70-100 depending on availability and condition. It is no longer considered a bullet proof vest, and should indeed not be used as such. Kevlar degrades over time. Hard use and improper care also reduce the protective qualities of kevlar. These vests are old, and they're surplus. Don't count on one to save your life.

However, I do think they are cheap insurance. If you shoot steel targets, one of these would probably save you from any splatter that might come back. Also, if you wear a vest for work, and need practice shooting in one, this isn't a bad way to go. It's a bit expensive for a training aid, but it does have some protective value. If you can afford a class IV A vest with plates, by all means buy one and use it. For those of you without $2000 to drop, this isn't a terrible option.

EDIT: Cheaper Than Dirt now has some surplus Czech Class IV vests with plates for $700 + shipping. Not a bad deal if they're legit and you can spare the cash.

CMMG+Black Dog Machine= Awesome

M&P 15 with CMMG .22 LR kit installed; Black Dog Machine 26rd magazine holds the bolt open on empty.

I purchased a CMMG .22LR conversion kit from Black Dog Machine about two weeks ago, and got it four days later. The day it came in, I took it out to the range and I proceeded to run about 500 rounds of various kinds of hi-velocity ammunition through it. My friend and I went to remove the kit so we could put it in his DPMS Sportical for a bit. But it wouldn't budge. I've used these kits before, and never had a hard time removing them. Well, a broken Bic pen and some sore fingers later, James noticed that the chamber sleeve was cracked all the way from the "case mouth" to the actual .22lr chamber. After a thorough cleaning, it was evident that no harm was done to my M&P, and the rest of the .22lr kit was in perfect working order. In fact, we really couldn't tell anything had gone wrong at the range. After some Google-fu, I found out that early CMMG kits had this problem. I also found out that CMMG was exceedingly good about replacing broken parts.

The CMMG kit. The front bit that looks like an empty .223 case was the bit that cracked. The new one has worked fine so far.

That night I emailed CMMG about the problem, and promptly got a reply saying replacement parts were on the way. Another couple of days and my replacement part was in, and installed in a matter of seconds. The next day James and I ventured back to the range.

Over the course of the day, I fed my CMMG kit about 1100 rounds of Federal .22lr. The first 500 were Federal Champion hi-velocity 40 grain lead round nose. There were about 120 rounds of American Eagle (Federal) 36 grain hi-velocity plated hollow point. Then another 550 rounds of Federal bulk pack (the cheap stuff). I had two failures to extract, and both occurred after several hundred rounds were fired.

I shot ten rounds for a group at just under 50 yards, standing unsupported. I put all ten into a two inch square. They lined up pretty well horizontally, but I strung them out vertically--mostly thanks to my fading eyesight and lack of breath control. I'll try to post a target later. And I'll try to shoot a decent group. I was able to pick off empty shotgun shells at 35 yards or so once I got warmed up.

My CMMG kit is fed by two Black Dog Machine full-size magazines which hold 26 rounds. Black Dog also sells a skinny body magazine. The full size one fits AR15 mag pouches, so I opted for those. The full body magazine costs $35 and the skinny body one is $30. Midwayusa.com sells the full size ones for $29.99. Both of my magazines were hard to load the first time. However, I loaded them and let them sit overnight. After that, they load nice and smooth, and function quite reliably. I haven't had any trouble out of either of them, and don't anticipate any. Kudos to Black Dog Machine.

Long story short, if you want a great way to train without breaking the bank, this is a great way to go. The kit itself comes with a 26rd BDM magazine if you live in a free state. Otherwise you get a 10rd version. I bought my kit for about $200 after shipping costs. I got the second magazine from Midwayusa.com. Consider that right now, 1000rds of Wolf steel case ammo is more than $240. The same amount of Federal Bulk .22LR costs about $27. If you shoot an AR at all, this kit will save you money in the long run.

Because this kit occupies the body of your AR15, training with .22LR is 99% the same as training with the much more expensive 5.56x45 or .223 ammunition. The ONLY control that doesn't function with this kit is the bolt release. Though the bolt does lock open on empty, it holds open on the magazine follower itself. Also, my zero with .223 was different than that of the .22LR. That's fine because I use my Millett DMS-1 for .223 and my irons for .22LR. Keep that in mind if you plan to train with your current optics. Another option is to just write down the difference in zero so you can quickly adjust from one round to the other.

As ammunition prices continue to rise, the CMMG conversion kit is a great way to keep shooting.

Go JOE!

They better do it right! No namby pamby NATO/U.N. forces crap.

Cool Plane, Cool Song

Kudos to my co-workers in the sky.

The Utility of a Shotgun

When it comes to self-defense or law enforcement, the shotgun is probably the most versatile tool we have available. The most common bore sizes are the 410, 28, 20, 16, and 12 gauge--and you might still find a 10 gauge here and there. Today, I'm just concerned with the 12 gauge which is probably the most common of all for law enforcement, military, defense, and sporting uses.

There is virtually no end to the types of rounds a 12 ga shotgun can fire. Here's a short list: Birdshot, buckshot, slug, flechette, fin-stabilized HE grenade, tear gas, rubber baton, TASER, and flashbang. That's just scratching the surface. Basically, if it has a diameter of .729" or less, it can be fired successfully from a 12ga shotgun. I've even wondered about weaponizing the caps from Pabst Blue Ribbon bottle caps (I have a lot of time on my hands).

The shotgun can handle a lot of different loads, but what makes them special is the "pattern" they shoot. By launching several (or several hundred) small projectiles in a pattern, you increase your likelihood of making a hit. This is cool when you break clay pigeons, or shoot ducks on the wing. This is a decisive advantage when fighting for your life.

While we're on the subject of defense, lets look at some common 12 ga ammunition. You should be able to find most of this stuff at your local Wal Mart.

First of all, birdshot (seen above). Birdshot is a collection of several hundred small lead or steel pellets. The size of shot is expressed numerically. The smaller the number, the larger the shot. Light loads, like #8 and # 7 1/2 are for shooting clay pigeons--they fire very small pellets over a light powder charge, which saves your shoulder. These light loads are not recommended for defense, but are plenty good for practice or breaking clays. The most common others are #7, #6, #4, and#2. Buckshot starts at #4 and works its way to #000. I prefer #00 buckshot (below) because the ball is of decent size ( .33") and you get up to 15 pellets in a 3" magnum shell. Apartment dwellers or people worried about over-penetration could probably drop back to a #6 Magnum (a common turkey hunting load) or a #4 buckshot and still pack a considerable punch.

Those who seek the ultimate in 12ga firepower need look no further than the slug (below). These are a solid .729" projectile that usually weighs in at 1oz. and travels between 1400 and 1600 feet per second. They can be accurately fired out to 100 yards by an average shooter (they drop like a stone after about 75 yards), but are abusive on the shoulder and are not as accurate as a proper rifle. If you need a measure of precision from your shotgun, simply shove a few of these in it. Suddenly your scattergun can be capable of pretty reasonable CQB-range accuracy, and with a hell of a punch.

Other "hybrid" loads are available. Below is one of my favorite odd rounds that is sort of affordable.

The above load is a .65" ball surrounded by six .33" pellets. I suppose this could be a pretty good defense round. Especially if all seven rounds hit home. I mainly bought them for fun.

Now for the nuts and bolts. A shotgun is an incredibly versatile tool to have for sport or for defense, as we see from some examples of ammo above. Remember when I said that shooting a pattern of shot was a decisive advantage? Well here's why: when fighting for your life, even if you're a highly trained individual, you will probably not be able to think- OR SHOOT straight. A shotgun helps you out if your sights weren't perfectly centered on your target, or if your trigger pull sucked. If your target is running from cover to cover, simply put the barrel on him and pull the trigger. It's important to remember that no firearm is a "death ray". Just because you make a hit doesn't mean you've ended the fight. However, making hits easier, and unleashing more projectiles with each pull of the trigger is a massive advantage.

Before I retire for the day, let me paint you a picture. An M4 modified to full auto (as opposed to "burst" mode like the military has) can fire about 750 rounds per minute. That's 12 per second. Suppose you pull the trigger like a normal person, you'll shoot probably three to five rounds. I'll call it five. So with every pull of the trigger, you get five rounds of .224" bullets. A magazine holds 30 rounds, so you effectively get six pulls of the trigger before a reload. If you're a civilian, and you don't want or can't have (thanks to anti-2nd amendment laws) the license to get a fully automatic AR-15/M4, then you get a measly, lonely, single round with each pull of the trigger.

With a 12ga shotgun and 3" magnum 00 Buckshot, you release FIFTEEN projectiles measuring .33" across. My shotgun will hold six of these rounds, and can be continuously topped off.

Now suppose you're fighting bad guys at ranges from seven to 100 yards. Which one would you prefer?

Now I admit that an M4 has the shotgun beat for ammo capacity (on semi-auto, which is what about 99.9% of civilians have thanks to restrictive gun laws and the high cost of getting licensed, provided your state allows it), accuracy, and range. But the situation above is something to think about. Cops and law-abiding civilians rarely defend themselves at any kind of distance. It's usually across the room or a couple of car-lengths from the good guy to the bad guy. Given those distances, I'd take the shotgun every time. The shotgun provides a better chance of a hit, and is likely to do rather a lot of damage. And considering that a good pump-action shotgun starts at about $350 (and goes up into the thousands, but there are many fantastic mid-level tactical shotguns for $500-ish), and an entry level AR-15 costs about $1000, well...you make the choice.

Ruger's New Blackhawk: Fun Incarnate

I picked up my Blackhawk last week. It's got a 7 1/2" barrel and is chambered for the ancient .45 Colt (aka .45 Long Colt). I loaded up 100 rounds of .45 colt in Starline nickel plated brass(seen above) and topped 50 with Magtech 250 grain LRNFP's and the other 50 with Speer 200gr SWC--both cast lead bullets. I used WW231 powder (I don't publish my load data for CYA reasons, sorry) and CCI Large Pistol primers. I loaded my own ammo because .45 Colt ammo off the store shelf is absurdly expensive. Twenty rounds of plain old plinking ammo will run you about $17.50. I loaded all 100 of my rounds for about $40. Re-using my brass, the next 100 will cost about $18--about the same as 100 rounds of 9mm bulk ammo. If you're going to shoot .45 Colt and you aren't made of money, a reloading press may serve you well.

I took the old smokewagon out to my dad's farm for a thorough workout. I shot a bad-guy silhouette and didn't keep careful track of my groups. I will sit down and do a serious accuracy workout before I head back to college (I hope). I could make head shots from 35 yards when resting over the hood of my truck. From 25 yards or less and using a one-handed hold, the torso was an easy target. I shot a good number of "X"s once I got my grip figured out. I managed to pick off an unlucky sparrow from about 20 yards using a two-hand hold. I apologise again for not getting solid group sizes or doing any serious testing. It took about three cylinders of ammo to figure out that this gun requires a firm grip to keep the muzzle from diving when that massive hammer comes crashing down on the firing pin. Also, the trigger was a bit heavy. Very clean and crisp, but heavy. The revolver itself points very naturally and I think it is better used with a one-hand grip inside 25 yards. Provided you aren't trying to kill sparrows, that is.

The sights are big and blocky, which is nice because this revolver is capable of pretty amazing accuracy. My only complaint is that the front blade disappears in the glare of the sun. I'm heading out to the hobby shop to pick up some burnt orange paint for it. That should cure the glare and give me a clearer sight picture.

The trigger could use a little work, but is very capable right out of the box. I ordered a Wilson Combat reduced power spring kit to reduce the hammer's "nose dive" effect. Also, the checkering on the grips is a bit rough on your bare hands when it's cold out. With gloves on, the deep checkering really gives you some purchase on the grip. With bare hands and a 30mph crosswind on a 25 degree day, it is painful. No problem because I'm going to dress it up with some black pearlite grips from MidwayUSA.

On the tangible side of things, the Blackhawk is rugged, simple, accurate, and darn near cheap. I was out the door for $422 and change. Rugers are notorious for being overbuilt and tough. The Blackhawk takes that to the extreme. As proof, check out this article by the legendary John Linebaugh. I would feel perfectly comfortable with the Blackhawk at my side as a woods companion. Double action revolvers are faster to shoot, unload and reload. Semi-auto pistols are faster yet. However, as a hunting piece or an insurance policy while checking the back forty, a single action revolver chambered for a powerful cartridge will do just fine. It's also quite a bit of fun on the range.

Now for the intangibles. I love this revolver. It is slow to fire. It is slow to load. It is even slower to unload. But I don't care. It is just a hoot to fire. It has enough recoil to be fun, but without beating on you. It's easy to shoot accurately, and almost impossible for me to put down. I brought my M&P15 and three magazines with me to the range, but I just couldn't put the old single action revolver down! I fired off 48 rounds before I realized it. I was trying to pace myself and try to objectively measure the difference in recoil between the 200 grain SWCs and the 250 grain LRNFPs. I can't tell you because I was too busy enjoying myself while firing bullets the size of ashtrays into the forehead of my bad-guy silhouette. For a few minutes, I was the man who shot Liberty Valance. I was Rooster Cogburn. I was the Man with No Name. I was the Flatland Gun Nut, enjoying myself immensely.