Gunblogger Rendezvous

By The Armorer on October 8, 2006 | | Comments (16)

Good times! I'll have more during the week - but let's cut to the chase.

The shooting.

First off - SWWBO shoots her first 5.56mm carbine - Say Uncle's rifle.

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While I don't have a pic of her target - her group at 25 yards would fit inside an Eisenhower silver dollar.

The Armorer got to shoot many rifles yesterday. Smallest Minority's M1 Garand (a 1943 Springfield, Danish return), with which the Armorer was able to keep his groups within the black at 25 meters firing rapid fire, and was pinging a spinning target at 425 yards (iron sights). Okay, that was after two clips to get the feel. Hey, 49 year old eyes, iron sights, at that range - I'm happy.

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This is the Armorer blazing away with Rivrdog's 1945 dated Soviet M44 carbine - shooting battle sights, bayonet extended, supported.

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This is the Armorer's 100 meter target - 11 rounds, fired in two minutes, open sights, supported - all in the black. The Armorer thinks that's credible shooting for a blind fat guy shooting an $84 rifle with old milsurp ammo. Why 11? That's what I had left, natch.

Speaking of cheap milsurp ammo... there are some risks. Even with what otherwise looks like clean ammo. Lookit the case rupture on this copper-washed steelcase combloc fodder.

More later and during the week. Breakfast, and later, the airport, calls.

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16 Comments

By Bad Cat Robot on October 8, 2006 2:58 PM
I thought you were on a strict no-bayonet diet. Did SWWBO approve?
 
By Barb on October 8, 2006 4:44 PM
I believe the restriction is lifted somewhat when a supervising authority is within range ... ie. the Lady of the Castle. Since she was present, bayonets may be allowed - as long as OTHERS affix them in place!! Heh.
 
By Neffi on October 8, 2006 7:42 PM
Those case ruptures ain't uncommon- I had more than a few with some 70's Czech milsurp this summer. But it didn't affect the functioning of the arm, so no big deal. Sometimes a rupture like that will prevent extraction but that AK kept popping away- we only noticed the ruptures after the fact. Nice looking range... sigh.
 
By ry on October 8, 2006 8:58 PM
Did he say 'clip' instead of 'magazine'? Care to explain, Massa John?
 
By Rivrdog on October 8, 2006 10:03 PM
The Master pointed out to the Student that the bayonet on an M44 must always be extended while firing. He is most assuredly right, as I scattered the first five all over a target, but put a respectable (but not as respectable as the Master's) group together after I extended the pigsticker. So far, so good on the Windex flush of the weapon after firin g the corrosive ammo.
 
By John of Argghhh! on October 8, 2006 10:51 PM
And, Ry - the *integral* magazine of the M1 Garand is fed by... a clip. Clips feed magazines. Magazines feed the beast. It is probably the M1 that caused the rift in the space-time continuum that causes the word "clip" to be used in place of "magazine" in the common argot. Do you need further schooling, weedhopper? As for the bayonet snarks - the M44 bayonet is an integral folder, and a pointy sticker, at that, and therefore not likely to be misused by me in a manner to produce the effects alluded to by BCR and Brab. And yes, owners-of-combloc weapons... if your bangstick has a pigsticker option, whether integral or snap-on, the factory default setting is... bayonet attached/extended. As Rivrdog found when he extended the tent-peg on his M44 and found... groupness.
 
By Trias on October 8, 2006 11:25 PM
Why does the bayonet have to be extended? Does it balance it or something? You know i think i've only just discovered the round has the bullet which actually flies out but the casing stays where it is. I finally understand why the odd shape.
 
By cw4(ret)billt on October 8, 2006 11:43 PM
The odd shape on the round or on John?
 
By Barb on October 9, 2006 12:53 AM
Well, John's not shaped like a rifle cartridge at all. But a Round, now ... *scurries away quickly*
 
By Justthisguy on October 9, 2006 2:56 AM
Umm, Trias, I think there is some physics involved; may have to do with resonant frequncies and vibrations, and if the muzzle of the piece is always waving in the same direction each time a bullet comes out of it.
 
By Justthisguy on October 9, 2006 3:17 AM
Ah, that's resonant *frequencies." Sorry about that.
 
By Justthisguy on October 9, 2006 3:21 AM
Speaking of resonance and vibrations, I think it was Vitruvius who wrote that an artilleryman should be good at music. Gotta tune them catapultae and ballistae just right.
 
By John of Argghhh! on October 9, 2006 8:37 AM
The case ruptures may not be uncommon - and in a bolt gun they're mostly an annoyance - but in a semi they can be dangerous if they come much farther back than that crack did.
 
By Boquisucio on October 9, 2006 10:16 AM
Boy-o-boy the snarks keep a commin'. Great way to aereate a "small" bore rifle target. Though the same size as an Ike Dollar, I'd rather compare the grouping size to that of a Peace Dollar. You know what they say: Peace Through Strength Besides Teresa Cafarelli de Francisci was easier to the eyes than that Ol' War Dog.
 
By cw4(ret)billt on October 10, 2006 12:05 AM
Boq - Peace Through Superior Firepower. Personally, I'm not surprised that John ventilated the black, but I am kinda thunderstruck that he found Nevada...
 
By John of Argghhh! on October 10, 2006 6:45 AM
I didn't find Nevada, Bill. The hired help that sits up front did.