K31: Back to the Drawing Board

Took the K31 out with the correct cartridges recently. 24.0 grains of IMR 4198 with a 130-grain cast plain-base bullet. First three shots at 50 yds within 1.5 inches; then six, eight and ten-inch groups, if I could dignify them with that term at 50 yards.

Plus, the additional new knowledge that the load apparently isn't high pressure enough to prevent blow-back through the bolt. Had a nice black soot streak down my cheek by the time I was done.

So, is it the barrel or is it the load? A quick way to find out is switch back to milspec loads, or close to them if the originals are unavailable (or too damn expensive). So a load consisting of 37.8 grains of H4895 topped with a Winchester 147 grain FMJBT was whipped up yesterday and taken to the range.

This time, groups averaged 3-4 inches, usual due to one flyer adding an inch to the groups. At this point I'm sure it's me, due to my bifocals: first that I'm old enough to need them, with all that entails about my vision and secondly, this is the worst pair of glasses I can recall having as far as useful percentage of lens. Won't be going back to the vendor for the next pair.

Regardless, I can see the barrel is fine as military surplus goes; the most recent load is mild to shoot (at least wearing a sweatshirt and Carhart jacket) and easy to make. Think I'll load up another batch of these and do some 100 yard shooting in a weekend or two.

Oops

Not only can one chamber 7.5 French in a 7.5 Swiss chamber, but it will shoot reasonable well. Other than a blown-out shoulder on the cartridge. Next time, double check the cartridge box.

How A Good Day Of Shooting Starts.......

 

Be the only person on the rifle range;

Have someone discard 70 once-fired 2012 Lake City 7.62 x 51 cases;

have two old Mausers throw some good groups.

 The Israeli Mauser k98 in 7.62 x 51:

 

Date: Distance Group Size or Score (in.) Shots Fired Powder Grains Bullet Diameter Primer Case Conditions OAL Notes 3/29/2014 50 yds 1.356 5 Win 748 24.3 Lee 90309 0.310 Fed LR FC 308 Win Overcast 2.640 187.5 grns w gas check. Loaded 12/07/13 3/29/2014 50 yds 1.796 5 Win 748 24.3 Lee 90309 0.310 Fed LR FC 308 Win Overcast 2.640 187.5 grns w gas check. Loaded 12/07/13 3/29/2014 50 yds 1.886 5 Win 748 24.3 Lee 90309 0.310 Fed LR FC 308 Win Overcast 2.640 187.5 grns w gas check. Loaded 12/07/13 3/29/2014 50 yds 2.300 5 Win 748 24.3 Lee 90309 0.310 Fed LR FC 308 Win Overcast 2.640 187.5 grns w gas check. Loaded 12/07/13 3/29/2014 50 yds 3.553 5 Win 748 24.3 Lee 90309 0.310 Fed LR FC 308 Win Overcast 2.640 187.5 grns w gas check. Loaded 12/07/13 3/29/2014 2.178 Group size Average for Session 3/29/2014 4.356 MOA Average for session

and for the Chilean Mauser M1895 in 7.62 x 51: Date: Distance Group Size or Score (in.) Shots Fired Powder Grains Bullet Diameter Primer Case Conditions OAL Notes 3/29/2014 50 yds 0.946 5 Win 748 24.6 Lee 90309 0.310 Fed LR R-P Win. 308 Overcast 2.640 187.5 grns w gas check. Loaded 12/14/13 3/29/2014 50 yds 1.419 5 Win 748 24.6 Lee 90309 0.310 Fed LR R-P Win. 308 Overcast 2.640 187.5 grns w gas check. Loaded 12/14/13 3/29/2014 50 yds 1.593 5 Win 748 24.6 Lee 90309 0.310 Fed LR R-P Win. 308 Overcast 2.640 187.5 grns w gas check. Loaded 12/14/13 3/29/2014 50 yds 2.185 5 Win 748 24.6 Lee 90309 0.310 Fed LR R-P Win. 308 Overcast 2.640 187.5 grns w gas check. Loaded 12/14/13 3/29/2014 50 yds 3.353 5 Win 748 24.6 Lee 90309 0.310 Fed LR R-P Win. 308 Overcast 2.640 187.5 grns w gas check. Loaded 12/14/13 3/29/2014 1.899 Group size Average for Session 3/29/2014 3.798 MOA Average for session

Date: Distance Group Size or Score (in.) Shots Fired Powder Grains Bullet Diameter Primer Case Conditions OAL Notes 3/29/2014 50 yds 0.946 5 Win 748 24.6 Lee 90309 0.310 Fed LR R-P Win. 308 Overcast 2.640 187.5 grns w gas check. Loaded 12/14/13 3/29/2014 50 yds 1.419 5 Win 748 24.6 Lee 90309 0.310 Fed LR R-P Win. 308 Overcast 2.640 187.5 grns w gas check. Loaded 12/14/13 3/29/2014 50 yds 1.593 5 Win 748 24.6 Lee 90309 0.310 Fed LR R-P Win. 308 Overcast 2.640 187.5 grns w gas check. Loaded 12/14/13 3/29/2014 50 yds 2.185 5 Win 748 24.6 Lee 90309 0.310 Fed LR R-P Win. 308 Overcast 2.640 187.5 grns w gas check. Loaded 12/14/13 3/29/2014 50 yds 3.353 5 Win 748 24.6 Lee 90309 0.310 Fed LR R-P Win. 308 Overcast 2.640 187.5 grns w gas check. Loaded 12/14/13 3/29/2014 1.899 Group size Average for Session 3/29/2014 3.798 MOA Average for session

Another Year Paid For

Just got back from the annual paying of dues and policy brief the local gun club. $85 per year for a range with up to 300 yards of distance available, covered shooting areas, electricity, and potable water. NRA membership is required. Not a bad price, compared to what I've seen for dues at many ranges that have webpages.

It also seems that new members are showing up in greater numbers than I've seen in the last fifteen years. It's great seeing new people spending more time shooting. Unfortunately, it makes going to the range interesting in ways I'd rather avoid. Like young people who can't understand why I'm bitchy about fingers out of the trigger guard when they're not actively shooting (and especially when combined with pointing that pistol laterally down the firing line while squinting at that target downrange). Or wandering around behind the firing line with weapon in hand doing 360 degree sweeps while chatting with friends. Or my personal favorite, the experienced shooter/hunter who sits at the bench fiddling with his unloaded (just ask him!) rifle pointed downrange while others service their targets. All of which are specifically forbidden in the range rule handbook.

Aside from maybe five members I've known for years, I'm starting to feel safer behind the firing line when I go to the range. Hell, I'm actually to the point where I like how the Army runs firing ranges.

A Day At The Range

Recently went to another post in the area to check zeros on the rifles. Of all the ranges I've been on, this one probably has the most impressive berm:

Somewher around 1600 feet of vertical rise from the range, I was told. But then it was time to get to business, which meant getting down in the talcum-like dirt that coated everything in short order.
After verifying zeros, we headed back out towards the gate. On the way, we passed by an armor graveyard from the Soviet-Afghan war:


Including this interesting piece, which is a T-34/85 if I remember my Soviet armor correctly.
Oh, to have the chance to haul that back home....

Range Time

A "flex" day off, the homework is done, and it's in the 70s. Time to burn some powder, even if the wind is blowing my full-size pickup across the center lane every time I let up on the wheel.

Today's choice is once again the AR-15, and the Beretta 92F. Never hurts to go with what you know, and might have to use in the future. My AR is a Century C-15 mixmaster. I've read some truly horrible things about the quality of these, but it was literally one of the last ones Century had in stock during the great Obama Scare of '08. As far as I can tell, other than the new Century lower, the rest is lightly used, with the sole flaw I've found being a notch where the dust cover pin latches, making it overly easy for the dust cover to pop open. Making a slightly longer catch pin will take care of that. And what it's fed:

Yes, the nearly universally reviled Brown Bear brand. At the time of purchase, this was literally all that was available. Reading (once again) Internet reviews of the brand, I was expecting jams, extraction failures, and poor accuracy. I have had a failure to feed. Once. Today, after over 300 rounds without cleaning the rifle. Accuracy? All my shooting has been with paper silhouettes simulating the military pop-up targets, so it's been hits that count, rather than MOA; at 200 yards, unsupported prone, I've been able to put 40/40 on target. With sandbags and younger eyes, I think I'd get some reasonable groups. Come warmer weather, I'll try some bullseye shooting to see what I can get. Compared to reloadable brass-cased new production at sixty or more cents per round, I can live with a slightly lower level of accuracy, especially with torso-size targets.

Slow, Dirty........

and plenty of fun!

Finally got out shooting yesterday, although not the 7.62 x 51 I was planning on. Given the scarcity of ammunition, I feel more comfortable just holding on to my recent find. But, as I got out of work early yesterday, and it was sunny out, I needed to find something to shoot. Fumbling about in the arms lockers, I looked for something interesting, recreational, and most of all, reasonably easy to restock ammunition I'd burn up. Which led me to the reproduction 1858 Remington, a gift from The Wife years ago (The Wife has outstanding taste in gifts). So far, there hasn't been much of a run on cap and ball components, although one reader has noted Midway ran out of percussion caps recently. But, thirty rounds lasts well over an hour with this gun, while I'd burn up that in ten minutes of leisurely shooting with my modern revolvers.

It was enjoyable just shooting for pure relaxation, with the old single-hand target stance, rather than modern holds. For anyone who would have seen it, there was an interesting contrast: while I slowly shot and reloaded, leaving substantial clouds of smoke for every round fired, a young man in tactical gear several yards to my right practiced his tactical reloads and weapons transitions with his M4 carbine and Glock. I'm pretty sure he burned up a lot more money than I did, although he seemed to be enjoying himself as much as I was. And probably enjoyed cleaning far more than I did at the end of the day, although a bottle of Smithwick's Ale made the task a little less onerous.

Keeping with the theme of Remington and blackpowder, I think I'll whip up a batch of blackpowder cartridges for another vintage gun, although this one isn't a reproduction, but a (mostly) original. A little something to look forward to for the next sunny day I can sneak away from responsibilities.

But now; time to go do the first of several days worth of post-shooting/cleaning rust checks.

Sweet, Sweet Relief

Few things relieve stress as much 60+ rounds through the L1A1 at silhouettes. 200 yards will definitely let you know if the sights are on. In my case, they weren't, unless you're getting kickbacks from on ortho surgeon who does hip replacements. On the other hand, at least I'm consistent from shot to shot.

Next time around, I'll remember to take the spotting scope so I can actually see where I'm hitting before I'm out of ammo.

Pattern 14 On The Range

I actually made it out to the range yesterday. Keeping it short, I took one rifle, the Pattern 14 I'd wanted to take out some time ago. Also twenty rounds of cast .303 to try out. The point of today's exercise was to see how well the rifle could shoot the handloads at fifty yards. Not very far, but when the muzzle looks like this:

it's better to start at close range. I'm sticking with cast loads so that expense and recoil are minimized during the course of testing. I'm intending to gradually counterbore the muzzle back to unpitted rifling, which will be about half an inch.

I do not like altering issue rifles, but when there's damage or wear that's repairable by a method that would be armory acceptable, I'm willing to replace or repair parts. I'm not aware of counterboring in British service rifles, but finding an issue replacement barrel in at least very good condition seems unlikely. So, we go to the backup plan of keeping the external appearance correct, but using internal modifications to keep the rifle in good working order.

The biggest surprise of the day was that the rifle was capable of groups within three inches off of sandbags. Not a great group under normal circumstances, but when the bottom half of the muzzle looks like coral reef, it's unexpectedly good. I didn't find any keyholing either, which I was expecting.

The brass is once-fired (before yesterday) S&B. It was full-length resized for the cast loads, although future loads will be neck sized to extend the life of the brass. I did note that all the primers backed out somewhat during firing.

If I recall correctly, this indicates low pressures during firing. The primer pockets were tight during loading, so I'm confident the enlarged pockets aren't the cause here. Also seen is a bright ring often associated with incipient case head separation. As this was present after the first firing, and all future loads will be neck sized, I'll continue firing these with the same load while watching for any changes in the brass' condition.

The next step is a slight counterbore. I'll refire with the same loads and compare to yesterday's targets for group size. I'll be extremely surprised if I can't improve the groups significantly once the bullet doesn't ride over the damaged portion of the muzzle.

Rimfire Silhouette Match

The club's first silhouette match at the new range occurred this Sunday. I was disappointed that only six showed up, but I notice that new events tend to attract only a few shooter at first, with more becoming interested as word spreads. There was a considerable spread in rifles, with bolts, semis and even a lever action:

This was the first time I've shot one of these, and it was much more challenging than I expected. I wasn't aware that it's all standing unsupported, with no jackets, gloves, slings, etc. Very dependent on the shooter's fitness and the quality of the rifle's trigger. I was shooting my '30s era Winchester 52B with the scope set to 10x for most of the match. It's damn hard to steady a rifle intended for prone (lots of weight) in the unsupported standing. I won the match, with the incredibly impressive score of 11 out of 40. Out of six competitors. Yes, I'm impressed too.

Given the number of shots where the trigger broke as I was sweeping through the target so that the shot was nowhere near the target, I'm seriously in need of standing practice before the winter four-position season. Then again, a shooting jacket and glove make a world of difference. Anyway, I'm hoping the guys running the match continue doing these. It's difficult, but enjoyable and casual.

Following the match, I got a little recreational time in. First, twenty rounds of Romanian 7.9 x 57mm through a '20s vintage Brno Gewehr 1898. Basically, fun to shoot, but don't expect too much for accuracy. Some Turk went to town on the muzzle with a cleaning rod after the Czechs sold them off. Still, it's always a good time playing with a vintage rifle.

Following that, a Spanish M43 in 7.9 x 57mm. This one was shooting groups of about eight inches at a hundred yards. Yes, not great, but three factors to consider: I was shooting prone unsupported (no sling, rest, etc.), the top of the front sight (if you know Mausers, you know how wonderful that front sight is at it's even at it's best) was a nice, bright silver, as the bluing had worn off. And I didn't bring my sharpie to darken it up, so it pretty much disappeared on the target; and I got a little flinch after a pierced primer on round three dispersed a lot of smoke and gas into my glasses. I'll be doing a little file work on this one later this week.

Now, a little elbow grease to get all the nice thirty year old mercuric salts out of the barrels. The joys of surplus ammo.

Shoot, Then Shoot Some More

Competed in an across the course high power rifle match today. Eighty-eight rounds of .30-06 through an M1 Garand set up with National Match parts and glass bedding. Nice day for shooting, with not much wind and a clear sky, although wearing the leather shooting jacket while sweat pours down into your eyes isn't fun. We're fortunate enough to have actual pits for our targets, so everyone takes turns being a "pit pig" raising, lowering, and marking targets.

.223 makes a nice sharp snapping noise when it goes over your head, and a pretty good thump when it impacts the loose dirt in the berm.

Our target holders are vintage, having been salvaged from an army post where they'd been scrapped as obsolete. If I recall correctly, they're around one hundred years old. Several of the members put a lot of time into restoring them to working order. The rest of the rifle pit is only two years old, but is probably one of the nicest in the Midwest. Lots of work left to make it look pretty, but the foundations are all there.

The match ran from 0800 to 1330, with shooting from 200 & 300 yards. Then a short break for lunch, and on to my match, the NRA Combat Pistol Event.

We've just started outdoor pistol matches on the new range this summer, although it's been operating about four years. Today was a minor landmark, with eight shooters present, including a young woman who had never fired a handgun before.

Shooting for the Combat Event takes place at 7, 25, and 50 yards. I'm finding a lot of people who've attended will shoot their pistol at less than 25 yards, and haven't even considered trying to shoot out to 50 yards with them. Even a 25 yards, the scores begin to drop rapidly.

The collection of arms today was pretty eclectic. We had a Glock, Walther, Makarov, Beretta, Kimber, Taurus, and some others I didn't get a close look at. It's interesting to watch handling proficiency as the owners operate under pressure. What's effortless when you're casually shooting turns difficult with stress in place. I'm hoping it will motivate some of these shooters to practice more. I believe a lot of shooters become complacent about their skills over time, because they shoot the same way repeatedly.

It's easy to think you're good when you're never challenged.

All Politics Is Local

Last night was the monthly meeting at the gun club. A bunch of the usual business, and an interesting bit about the new OSHA effort to make ammunition impossible to buy except for the government. After the end of the meeting, the leader of the high-power rifle clique asked me to talk to him. He apparently had a spirited disagreement at the range with another member I work with about his choice of targets. The member being addressed was shooting a personally purchased 2x3 foot polymer target. This set off the HPR guy, as he has been working diligently to ban all targets that aren't paper. We have one rack with polymer targets that have been shot for the last three years without replacement. He's currently trying to get those disapproved, because of a reported ricochet when a center fire target was shot with a .22 rim fire. I'm sure the ricochet had nothing to do with using an improper cartridge, or the fact that some idiot filled them with bird shot the first season they were up. No, it's just that polymer is bad. In fact, we had a short discussion about targets at that point. As the polymer targets the club has bought are now riddled with holes, I'm in favor of those who want to buy and shoot their own, as long as it's done safely.

Here's a synopsis of the argument:

Me: I don't see a problem, as polymer is listed as approved in the SOP.

HPR Guy: Yeah, we'll have to change that. (e.g., I'll have sneak something past the membership again at an exec meeting)

Me: I've talked to a lot of guys who shoot pistol out here, and they're bored shooting bullseyes all the time.

HPR Guy: I've been shooting paper for 40 years, and I'm not bored with it.

Me: Not everybody has the same interests as you.

HPR Guy: Hmph


So, to sum up, the reason we should get rid of polymer targets is, HPR Guy doesn't like it, he doesn't do it, so no one else should either. In fact, this whole shooting fast thing (like IPSC, or NRA Practical Pistol), is a BAD thing. If you need to shoot more than one round every minute or so, you're probably out of control.

Since I found out right afterwards that HPR Guy, Vice President Power Trip, and myself are this year's committee to review the SOP, there is going to be some serious disagreements. I believe I may actually have to get the paying, voting membership involved in deciding what they would like to do. Although that would be a major departure from how things have been done the last several years. Someone has to be a pain in the ass, so it might as well be me.

Score Two For My Side

I had a message on my answering machine from a gentleman who recently joined our rifle club. While he's a hunter, he didn't have much interest in anything beyond shotguns for pheasant and deer. I found out from his wife that he was looking for a range where he could practice with his slug gun after he'd missed some shots on a hunting trip that cost a fair bit of money and time. After joining the club, I'd invited him out to a local pistol match to see if I could get him interested. He got my interest by showing up with an excellent condition Colt Python that he'd bought twenty-plus years ago, plus some equally vintage handloads made by a friend. He didn't join the match, as he hadn't shot a handgun in a long time (he wasn't even sure how long it had been), but he did try some shots after the match. Things learned at that time:

1) Colt's Python is a finely made piece of machinery that's a joy to shoot;

2) Somebody's idea of a good .357 handload involves unusually large amounts of recoil and flash that's visible at noon on a sunny day.

I managed to get him out on another weekend, where he was able to shoot some pistols in .22 rimfire, .45 ACP, and 9x19; also another member showed up with his folding-stock AK-47 variant, leading to his first experience with a military-style rifle. That's where the first pleasant surprise happened; he'd always wondered why anyone should be allowed to have an "assault rifle". After a magazine through the AK, he was seriously considering putting down some money to buy one. The range session closed with him being interested in more than shotgun practice anymore.

When I returned his call today, I found out he'd gone and bought a Smith & Wesson in 9x19, and a Ruger target pistol in .22 rimfire. He's also waiting for the delivery of the 1000 rounds of 9x19 he ordered after receiving the pistol. Pleasant surprise number two.

Third; he's been out to the range three times in the last week with his wife, who's been shooting the Python, the Smith, and the Ruger.

Any day I can get another responsible person to develop an interest in handgun shooting is a good day; when they buy two new guns and get their spouse interested too, it's a great day.

Saturday Pistol Match

As predicted, I did manage to bugger up something unexpected at the pistol match. It's a good, good, idea to make sure before shooting a match, that you don't grab the oldest, crappiest, beater magazines you own. I had one magazine launch a couple of rounds straight out the top of the pistol when I slapped it into the pistol, one that I had to pry out after firing it dry, and best of all, one with a failure to feed that left half the cartridge in the chamber, half in the magazine. Ended up having to tap the round back into the magazine through the barrel, then tap the cartridge straight down into the magazine before I could drop it.

Thinking about it when I got back, I realized some of these magazines are over ten years old. Guess it's time to stop being a cheap bastard and cull a few, then invest in some better quality name brand mags. Also, I shouldn't assume just because I put the magazines away a few years ago, that they were actually clean. Amazing how much better a magazine loads when it's not full of grit.

Even with the screw-ups, any day I can go out and shoot on a sunny day in the '60s with a light breeze with good company is a good day. Next month, I'll try to put on an NRA action pistol match.

Weekend Fun

Apparently it's going to be in the 40's Sunday. In exchange for ripping out fifty year old linoleum and and the plywood underneath in my bathroom, I'm rewarding myself with a large helping of .30 caliber goodness until my shoulder wears out. Then it'll be time to dirty up one of the 1911A1s. Now if I could just get that range rule about no steel targets changed, I could really have some fun. I'm to the point I'm near ready to buy a little piece of the crappiest land I can find/afford, and put every piece of steel I own on it. Nothing satisfies like lead on steel.

No Rifle Practice Today

The temperature is 30 degrees, with 30 mph winds, leaving a wind chill that takes the temp down to 14 degrees. I don't care much about the actual temperature, but I hate wind. Beyond the discomfort, trying to keep everything from blowing around or over is a pain. I'll have to try to weasel out some time this weekend, if it's any better.