ZOMG! That's Illegal!

So I got a phone call from the gunsmith yesterday. One of my AR15s is in there for a mod.

The thing is that AR15 is my SBR (post about that soon) and one of the managers saw it on the bench and made a panic call to me, "Sir, do you know it is illegal to build a rifle with a barrel that short without doing a mountain of paperwork getting permission from the ATF as an official Manufacturer?"

"Yes. I know. I showed the smith my approved ATF Form 1 when I dropped it off."

"Ummmm... Let me call you back."

I ended up going back with the form so they could make a copy of the tax stamp to staple to the work order.

Are SBRs so rare that it causes this kind of confusion?

--Anyway, I should get it back this week.

Gunsmithin: Part 1

I have been enjoying the hell out of my new suppressor. What could be the only thing that could make it better? The ability to use it on more that one firearm!

My JR Carbine is also .45 ACP and it even uses Glock 21 magazines! It's only natural for it to share even more with his little brother!

So I took them both into my usual gunsmith to get the barrel threaded. Not as simple as I thought.

 

Threading a barrel for a suppressor is very precise work. Any small deviation will cause an internal impact and the destruction of the can. Threading for a muzzle break can be off a degree or two with no adverse effects. A suppressor threading must be perfect.

Next the Gunsmith has to have special Class III permits to be able to do this kind of work.

A lot of guys that call themselves "Gunsmiths" are in reality "Gun Mechanics". Part replacement guys. Most in fact have very little ability to fabricate parts from scratch or do precision milling or machine work. That's ok for most work. Like replacing my trigger group on my Saiga for 922r compliance, a new mag extension on my shotgun or other simple work.

So... I am now in search of a Gunsmith that has a Class III license and can do precision threading (in metric) on a lathe. 

--I will be talking to another Smith on Monday.

Recoil and Screws

This is my boom stick. There are many like it but this one is mine.

I have been shooting my S&W 629 .44mag a lot lately. As you already know this guy kicks like a mule.

One side effect of all that excellent recoil is that it rattles the hell out of it.

This loosens the screws on the gun.

T-Bolt has the same issue with the Saucy Trollops .44mag as well.

So my range bag always has the correct size screwdriver. The screws get tested after each box of ammo. Maybe get some Locktight.


--Wow. That gun is dirty. Don't click on the pics if dirty guns make you sick!

922r Adventures

My 922r complaint Saiga 12 conversion.

When I bought my Saiga 12 gauge it was configured as an imported hunting shotgun. I wanted to use some 20 round mags in it but in order to be legal it needs to have a quantity of US made parts. Here are before and after pics:

My Saiga 12 configuration right out of the box.

After the conversion for compliance with 922r

Always comply with the law. The Vids below are some examples of the Youtube.com explanations regarding the 922r compliance regulations:




I am still going to do the trigger group for three more parts. That would put me way past what is required. I am OK with that.



--I still have to think of a good name for the Saiga 12. "Shit Storm" is the leading contender.

REM 11 Short

Rem 11 Short

I have a Remington Model 11 that I do not use very often. I am considering having it modified by my friendly neighborhood gunsmith.

This modification would give me an excellent home defense tool or a camping gun. It would have five shots of 00 buck, no pumping required, ass kicking, action.

The smith says that the mods would be about $100 and the ATF stamp is only $5 for this modification. The paperwork takes a while though. 

--What do you think? Sling or thigh holster?

Talking to my Gunsmith

The Biter

My favorite local gunsmith specializes in 1911's. This is the guy that did the excellent custom hammer work for me on The Biter.

It was a slow day in the shop so we were hanging out talking, drinking coffee, petting the cutest pit bull in the known universe.

I was looking for some thin grips and maybe a new trigger. Conversation came around to how he came to specialize in 1911s. His answer surprised me, "1911s are the perfect storm. They are expensive and need a lot of gun smithing to sort out their bugs." He continued, "The design is a hundred years old, we learned a lot in that hundred years. The mag design alone is awful. Even Jeff Cooper would bitch about their capacity and reliability now. What the F&%k, it's been a hundred years."

That was the point when coffee blasted out my nose. But he didn't stop.

Referring to my compact 1911, "People still love em though. This little guy you have will jam at least once every hundred rounds, I'd bet money." He's right. "It weighs a ton. This mechanical design should have a longer slide run. They just made it shorter. No design optimization. They left that to the smiths."

He said, "I Love 1911's,and people that get nostalgic guns that make me a ton of cash.  Average 1911 owner will spend about $2000 on a 1911 between initial cost and smithing. Even then they will still be picky about ammo. Me? I'll carry a gun that can be shot 10,000 times without cleaning, with no modifications."
 
I peeked. He carries an HK 45.

--I still like my 1911. But I only have about $410 into it total so far.