To Keep and Bear

Disassemble and Clean Your Smith & Wesson M&P BODYGUARD 380 (with Pictures)

2018-09-26T15:33:00.000-05:00

Just for starters, I'm fully aware of the impotence issues with the .380 Auto. I would not recommend this caliber in a lot of situations, such as bear encounters or tactical situations, or even places where thick winter clothing is likely to be worn. For most purposes, you honestly probably want a bit more of a punch, like at least a 9mm, which can be had in similarly-sized pistols now (like the DB9, if you're interested). I will not argue the merits of the .380 Auto because I don't think it has too many, but I own this one, and I'm comfortable carrying it at present time. I live in Florida, so there will be no winter clothing around, and I like that I can fit this small little package into the pocket of a pair of shorts and no one is any wiser. It is highly concealable, even in the very minimal clothing we prefer to wear in the hot, humid summers down here, and that is my number one reason for carrying this pistol. I am also a big fan of Smith & Wesson and have owned several of them over the years. My first carry pistol was an M&P 40c (compact), and I still own and love that gun, it's just hard to truly conceal it in shorts and a tank top. Even with 6 in the mag and 1 in the chamber, I do not consider this a guaranteed man-stopper, so I always have other force options available to me for backup.

The pistol in the pics is my own and S&W has not subsidized or influenced this article in any way (but please email me if you would like to send free stuff). My pistol has been carried much and shot little. For a holster, I typically use the Crossbreed "Pocket Rocket," though I do own a Sneaky Pete. I do have one little rust spot on the slide that doesn't want to come out right now, I'm hoping it's not permanent, but high humidity and sweat will really do a number on metal parts, this is just reality. As always, prevention is the key, so if you really care, you should probably disassemble and clean your Bodyguard every 6 months or so, or you could suffer the consequences of being lazy like I did.

Now we can get to what you came here for: How to disassemble and clean this thing in a few easy steps, with pics.

Disclaimer: If you do anything mentioned on my website, you will most likely get shot, slashed, stabbed, hanged, paper cut, and hypothermia. I'm no expert on anything, so don't do anything just because I said so, use your own brain and make sure no one gets hurt. This blog is for informational purposes only, proceed at your own risk.

1) Preparation.

Don't do any gun maintenance unless you have a clean, clutter-free, and well-lit area to work in, or unless you're doing an emergency field repair. This doesn't have to be a huge area, but it should be totally free of clutter. I usually just take over the end of the dining room table.

2) Safety...

A very respected firearms instructor once told me that guns do not go off by themselves, so you have to have 3 elements for a negligent discharge: a gun, ammunition, and a person. Since I will be the person and I'm trying to clean my gun, the ammunition is the only part that I can effectively take out of the equation right now.

ALWAYS: My first step before I clean a gun is to remove the magazine, clear the weapon, empty the magazine of bullets, and then take all ammo physically to another room until I'm done. It is a little excessive, I know, but then again I personally know quite a few people who've punctured their walls, ceiling, or roof while cleaning a weapon that they "were sure was empty".
Other people may walk in and out of your work area, or you may have to get up and do something else before you can finish the task, so please leave nothing to chance, take my advice and put the ammo elsewhere until you are finished and ready to load back up.

3) The Pin.

Slide back the slide just so far, and hold in position with the slide stop, like this. Notice how the barrel protrudes out the front of the slide: you will not be able to reinstall the slide group using the slide stop, it only works for disassembly.

Swing the main pin, then wiggle it straight out.

4) Remove the slide, the captive rod, and barrel.

It will look like this. You only have to hold the slide so the spring doesn't send it flying, then release the slide stop. You can now gently slide it forward until it comes off.

You can disassemble everything further like this.

5) Disassemble the magazine.

It's easy, just press this dot here, slide the base plate, and make sure you don't lose anything due to a flying spring. As far as magazines go, this one is very user-friendly.

The spring here is not the tightest, but do try to keep a handle on things.

6) Clean all the components, lube the slide.

Don't go nuts here. None of the M&Ps have extremely tight tolerances, so avoid the urge to indulge your inner OCD: clean enough is clean enough. Take the same tack with your slide lube, and do not overdo it, just put a couple drops on and rub them around with your thumb.

Don't worry about lubricating anything in the magazine, it will just hold onto any dust or lint that gets in there and can potentially gum things up, which you don't want.

7) Reassembly.

Sliding the barrel into the slide is pretty straightforward, it will only go in one way.

The captive rod can be tricky. The skinny end goes forward toward the muzzle, the wider, flat end rests on this tiny ledge that has been machined into the barrel near the chamber.
Once you get this group back together, you can slide it back onto the grip section, but BEFORE YOU DO... please take a look at this little bugger pin, the first one you removed in Step 3. Reinstalling it is by far the most difficult part of of this entire process, continue reading about it below.

I suggest you put it into place before you deal with the barrel and slide at all, just so you can visualize how it will go back in. When we removed it, we had to swing it out of battery, but on the way back in, there is NO SWINGING NEEDED. You will just line it up with its final position and push it straight into battery, the little retention spring will catch to hold it.

First, put the slide on and push it back until you encounter the first little bit of resistance. Notice how the hole for the retention pin is blocked. This is the lower portion of the barrel. Notice on the far right how you can also see the slide rails sticking out. You're almost there.

Push the slide back until it is just flush with the grip section (the line I drew at left), and you will also notice the hole for the pin is no longer blocked, and the slide rails on the right are now fully covered by the slide.

From this position, just line the pin up, and push it straight into the hole, we are not swinging or twisting it. Line it up with its final position and push it straight in. You may have to jiggle it just a bit at the end so the tip will rest in the hole on the inside of the grip section.

Don't get frustrated. This is the hardest part of the whole procedure. Plan to fiddle with it a bit the first few times you do it.

Reassembling the magazine is a snap. Make sure you slide the spring up into the bottom of the follower first, then everything else is easy.

8) Ammo.

Inspect your ammo, wiping down the cartridges, and replacing them if you see any sign of age or corrosion. If you will be carrying or shooting this pistol, now is the time to load up and re-holster your weapon.

Thanks for reading, and as always, if you're in doubt about anything, please consult a qualified gunsmith.

Stay safe!

2017-02-26T23:33:00.001-06:00

Dear Reader,

What would you like to see me review?

Please email HelpHalHelpYou@gmx.com to let me know.

Or, as always, you are welcome to leave a comment below.

Thank you,

Hal

Hang the Cold Steel Trench Hawk From Your BELT!

2016-02-07T18:51:00.003-06:00

Who else bought a Cold Steel Trench Hawk and then you got it and unboxed it and said "Great, now what do I do, just walk through the woods with this thing in my hand all day?" That's exactly how I felt for a very long time. Here's a picture of how the hawk ships from Cold Steel. It has a great sheath to protect you from all the sharp edges and spikes, but there is no belt loop provided. The rear spike is protected and the front cutting edge is enclosed, but if you want to get the hawk out of the sheath, you have to hold the hawk with one hand, and unsnap and remove the sheath with the other hand. So on the one hand, I feel like this sheath is ingenious in how it manages to make a double-edge tomahawk safe to carry through the bush, but then on the other hand I feel like the sheath is useless, since I can't attach it to my belt or deploy the hawk with one hand.

I kept feeling like there must be some way to get this thing to hang from my belt so that I could easily access the tomahawk. At the very least, I wanted to be able to hang in from a pack somehow. The idea of having to pack my tomahawk away inside my back just didn't seem like a very practical option 100% of the time.
A search of the web yielded few results, but I did find a couple Trench Hawk owners out there who had modified their sheaths. The 2 biggest influences on my design were both found on YouTube, and I'll post links to their videos at the end of the page.

Long story short, I was looking for something simpler. Everyone was putting belt loops on their sheath, but they were having to drill holes in the sheath, and add hardware like nuts, bolts, washers, etc. I wanted something that would not add moving pieces or alter the existing sheath.

Here's what I came up with:
If you're reading this page, you probably are a big fan of paracord, just like me. 550 cord is just about the best rope you could have for any given situation, especially if you have size and weight concerns in a back-country pack. But we already know that so I'll cut to the chase.
I thought "Hey, since the sheath comes with these holes in it that happen to fit 550 cord, why not just get creative with that and make some belt loops?" So I started with 2 very long pieces of paracord and put a loop through 2 of the holes on the front of the sheath by the cutting edge. I then started knotting them together just as you would make a bracelet out of paracord or hemp. Here's the overview image:

You can see where I started with one cord in the front hole and one cord in the hole behind it. At first I was just knotting one piece of cord, but when I reached the second hole, I started making the bracelet knot. Here's a view of what I'm talking about:

From there you need to stop when you get to where you need the belt loops. You will make each belt loop out of two pieces of 550 cord. You can see here how the main cords wrap around the belt loop cords and secure them quite tightly (same belt loop seen from both sides):

Here's a videos of a brief explanation of the construction, and then I show you how easy it is to deploy the hawk when you need it.

You can also see this video, it was a lot of help to me when I was trying to figure out how I would make my own belt carry system for the Trench Hawk.

https://youtu.be/F3Bnt6c5jFk

"Hey, That Was Cool How You Made a Second Drawstring for Your Dive Knife, How'd You Do That?"

2014-08-04T16:01:00.001-05:00

"Hey, That Was Cool How You Made a Second Drawstring for Your Dive Knife, How'd You Do That?"

If you remember my last post about outfitting a knife for saltwater use, this was the last image:

It's a final view of my extra drawstring method for keeping your knife at your side, where it belongs, rather than down in Davy Jones' Locker somewhere. "Why tie?" you might ask. Well, I had a nice knife, also by Cold Steel, that came with a clip-on sheath. It survived maybe 8 trips to the surf before it was eventually sucked off of my person. I didn't even feel it go. If there's one thing you can say with certainty about the sea, it's that she is utterly relentless and will strip you of anything not securely lashed down. After having lost a set of keys and a knife, I've found the best method of keeping something from being sucked out of my pockets is to securely lash it to my shorts with para cord. Please also keep in mind that even this does not equal 100% retention, and you should periodically check your knots to make sure everything is shored up tight.

Well, I've had a few people ask how I did that drawstring thing, or "how the heck could I do that?". As someone who tends to fix clothes when possible, rather than throwing them out, I have a VERY BASIC knowledge of how clothes are put together (emphasis on the "VERY BASIC"). So here are the basics about how board shorts are typically put together:
All we're really worried about is the drawstring area for the purposes of this post. I don't care what your preferences are on pockets or materials, that is outside our scope here.
The two main types of drawstrings are:
1) Full: an "all the way around the waist," one-piece drawstring. (Bigger folks should probably try to stick with these so they stay up better)
2) False: it looks like a regular drawstring, but it's really just two pieces in front that are meant to hold the front opening closed, it does not really cinch your waist in any kind of way. If your belly is pretty flat, then this should really not be much of a drawback for you unless you get caught in some rather strong currents. The shorts above are of the false drawstring variety and I left "flat belly" territory about 5 years ago, though I am not what you'd call overweight. Even though it has the false drawstring, it still has seams that leave a channel where you can put a drawstring.

Now I'll show you a little bit about how I added an extra drawstring to a full drawstring short.
I always start with any holes that are already available and then try to cut holes with a very minimalist approach, so on this pair I started with the holes that the existing drawstring was using. I had to cut 2 holes in the inside back of the short so I could jump over an existing seam that is there, and then 2 holes on the exterior so my own drawstring could exit where I wanted it to. See below.

Here is what it looks like with the sheath tied on:

And here is a side view:

The real fun is getting your drawstring through this small channel. Your mileage may vary, but I tend to use a chopstick to work it through in spots where it gets tough. Those super-long toothpick things for making kebabs on the grill also work nicely, and you can bury the point in the leading tip of your drawstring to really get through some tricky areas. Otherwise I just use my fingers.

So far I am using a half-overhand knot on top of the sheath, then the same underneath, then a double-knotted bow underneath like you would on a pair of shoes.
At first I checked my knot quite frequently, but at this point I just put it on once, tie it tight and don't really look back.

That is the gist of it. Please comment to let me know if there's something I didn't explain fully, or something you'd like to see specific step by step pics of. Does anybody need to see how I keep my keys?

As always,

Thanks for reading.

Gun Guy out.

Outfitting the Cold Steel Double Agent II for Saltwater Use

2014-07-27T16:54:00.000-05:00

Anyone who knows me already knows I'm a die-hard Cold Steel fan. Yes, there may be better knives out there, but they are likely to cost you 4 times what you'd pay for a very similar blade from CS. I've had a lot of different knives over the years, having grown up on a farm and carried knives for various tasks my entire life. All my experience tells me that Cold Steel is the most knife you can get for your dollar.
I have been snorkeling on vacations for a couple years now and we recently moved to a place where I can enjoy this pastime whenever I want. I did go out and buy a dedicated scuba knife, but it's a little cumbersome for just snorkeling around and the sheath attaches by means of some rather uncomfortable rubber straps which would probably be more comfortable over a wetsuit, which I don't generally use. This all led me back to Cold Steel, who unfortunately does not produce any kind of dedicated scuba or dive knife. So now I'm off into the land of custom and modification, trying to figure out how to get a stainless steel knife to hold up in saltwater conditions (not really an easy task, given the highly-corrosive properties of saltwater).

Here's the original:

The following is a breakdown of what I have found so far, and I'm sure this knowledge will be revised and updated much over time. As always, PLEASE COMMENT if you have something to add, "To Keep and Bear" always welcomes help and diverging opinions.

Salt and Sand, General Info:
1) If you haven't figured this out yet, just leave your folding knife at home. You don't want sand in there and it's a royal pain to take apart and properly rinse, dry and oil the internal workings of most folders. Just leave your folder at home or in your car, do not take it to the beach.

2) Any fixed blade knife you get is likely to have a handle. Handles are not generally designed to be water tight. Salt water will get inside and stay there, never really drying, and constantly corroding the tang of your knife. If left this way, one day you will be left with a decent blade and a rusted-off handle. This is fatal for a knife, there's no real coming back from it.

3) Stainless steel is not ideal for saltwater applications. For the sake of corrosion resistance, you would really want to use some type of titanium alloy, but these are not common knife making materials, and they are expensive if and when you can find them. You can make stainless work by taking some precautions, outlined below, but you really need to be meticulous with your care and maintenance.

"So what do I do to keep my knife from hopelessly rusting? All I want to do is take it out snorkeling or scuba diving, and have a little something to cut myself out if I happen to become entangled in something?" Well, my answer will depend on the knife you're using, but here's what I did with my Double Agent II:

First, I had to remove the handle, which took quite a bit of work and some nail pullers. This handle is not meant to come off, so remove at your own personal risk. Make sure you are well-acquainted with whatever tool you choose to use.

Next, oil the heck out of it, preferably with some good gun oil.

Now you need a handle. The lanyard hole in this one is the perfect place for me to start, I simply slip a loop through and make a secure knot.

Tightly wrap the handle all the way up. On this particular model, make sure you only GO THROUGH THE FRONT FINGER LOOP ONCE or your sheath will not close properly.

Then go back a second time over the handle. About half way down, you should check and make sure the catch on your sheath still engages. If it doesn't, then undo it some and and do it again, making sure to only go through the front finger loop once.

When you get back to the lanyard loop, just open up your slip knot a little bit, slip your loose end through the loop and then tighten everything back down. Leave yourself a couple inches hanging off the end, that way if you wrap your handle a little differently next time, you should still have enough para cord to get the job done.

Finally, I took a piece of para cord and added a second drawstring to the waist of my board shorts. This allows me to have something on my strong side to tie the sheath to. I have had this rig out to sea about a half dozen times now and the knife still holds.

Now for the maintenance and upkeep part.
When you get home from the sea, take your knife out of the sheath, take the para cord wrap off completely, and rinse everything thoroughly with fresh water: the knife, the cord and don't forget to rinse the sheath, too.

Dry everything off, set the sheath off to one side and let it drip dry overnight. Heavily oil your knife all over, and hang the para cord wrap somewhere out of the reach of children and pets, as it is a strangulation hazard. In the morning after everything is dry, just re-wrap your blade, make sure the sheath catch still engages properly, and you're ready to go. Try to leave as much oil on the knife as you can while you wrap it. If you do this right, your knife theoretically has much less direct contact with the saltwater as it is encased in a film of oil. Typically at the end of the day when I unwrap my handle, there is still a good coat of oil on the metal.

So there you have it: the ToKeepAndBear Maritime Double Agent II Modification. For those interested in purchasing Cold Steel products, I suggest the following sites:

http://www.coldsteel.com/
http://www.ltspecpro.com/

Lastly, I felt like I should add on here that I would recommend the full-serrated version for cutting yourself out of nets and lines or what have you. I'm using the plain edged version just because I already had one and later adapted it to this use. If I were doing it over I would definitely get the full-serrated version for this application.

Lunch at a Counter! - NOT Gun Related (not even a little bit)

2013-04-01T22:56:00.001-05:00

Dearest readers,

A friend of mine is having a fund-raiser to get himself a wheelchair that he can't afford. He has a job and pays his own bills, and rather than asking the government to give him some of your tax money for his chair, he is asking the community if they can help.

I respect this, and this is how I wish things were done.

Please visit his fund-raising site, and please, I understand times are hard, so if you can't donate, just give him a share of Facebook.

Thanks ahead of time.

Here's the link:

Lunch at a Counter!

Help me get the wheelchair that would change my life.

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/lunch-at-a-counter

Just to followup (very late I know): Jim raised the money through this campaign and our help in a matter of about 48 hours.

Housekeeping: A Few Quick Notes

2013-03-17T01:15:00.000-05:00

Amazon:

I am an Amazon Affiliate which means I make a (small) commission when you purchase something by using the Amazon links on this page. It does not increase the price you pay by one single penny, it only puts a few pennies in my pocket. I only make the commission if you click the link directly from this blog and then purchase said item. All Amazon links on this page are set up that way.

I can tell you that the reason I promote Amazon so heavily is not for the money (I think I've had one commission to date). It's actually because I use the heck out of this site. Let's face it, shooting is not the most main-stream activity in this country anymore, as sad as it is to say. And then within the sub-set of Americans who are shooters, those of us who are into tactical gear and learning better self-defense and concealed carry techniques are a minority still. My LSG (Local Gun Store) might have a tac vest on the rack, but it won't be of the same quality as the Condor vest I bought from Amazon. I pay a little shipping, yes, but really the prices are reasonable. You won't find me buying candles or shoes or something I can get locally from here, but for the specialty stuff, Amazon can really be a life saver. Does your LSG carry Level III ballistic plates? I doubt it.

LuckyGunner:

Same as above, really. Click link here, go there and buy stuff = I get a little commission.

Subscriptions:

There is a little blank at the right side of the page that says "Follow this page by email!". I know that sometimes I don't post very frequently, so a good way to be aware of new posts here is by submitting your email address in that blank. It's a time-saver, really.

Comments:

I don't get enough of them. At least not nearly as many as I'd like. Most of my comments have been from people I already know in the "real" world, outside of the blogosphere.

Are you at a coffee shop in Berlin reading this right now? Are you in a mortar-riddled air base outside Kandahar? Please! Comment! I want to hear from you all.

I'm even open to requests of what kinds of articles my audience might like in the future.

Federal Gun Ban

2012-08-19T23:52:00.000-05:00

Friends, most of us are likely old enough to remember the Clinton era assault on weapons that were mis-labelled as "assault weapons". Do you remember going to gun shows and seeing those cool 30 round magazines for your AR-15 and not being able to buy them because they were "law enforcement and military only"? Do you remember not having a flash suppressor because that magically made your AR a blood-thirsty killer? I do. I remember many of these things. I also remember that the "pre-ban" magazines that were still available to civilians kept climbing in price. I do not blame the distributors, because I would charge what the market will bear, just like anyone else would. I blame the federal government and a simple piece of federal legislation that was signed into effect with the stroke of one leftist pen.

Imagine if your 30-rnd PMAG had to have been manufactured before a certain date or you would not be able to buy it? Friends, right now they are selling for $22, give or take a buck or two. Imagine if you were paying $66 for the same 30-rnd. magazine, and that is if you were lucky enough to find one. I hope this country never takes another step in that direction, trampling on our rights, but I don't trust the government, and I don't think we have a good reason to, given their record. In the last few weeks I have purchased 4 PMAGS by Magpul. I went to the website like I normally do, but I could not purchase them there. The website said that demand is at "crisis levels" and they are only delivering to distributors. That is why I put up this post. Several distributors are on Amazon, so you can still get these magazines pretty easily online. I'm posting the links for your convenience, as well as my own: if you click my link I do receive a small percentage, so thank you in advance.

PMAG

Ranger Plate

As for you pistol mags, I'm still looking for a good supplier. I carry a S&W M&P .40c as many of you know, and magazines are fairly pricey from the manufacturer. I have yet to find any on Amazon. As soon as I secure a good supply I will let you know. The Clinton-era bans limited capacity to 10 rnds, so my compact would be safe, but if you have an M&P full-size of any caliber, you should seriously be looking for extra magazines right now.

Are you feelin' Lucky? I am.

2012-08-19T17:11:00.001-05:00

Have you ever tried an online ammo retailer? I just finally got a chance to try LuckyGunner.com and I have to say their service and product are second to none. I won' pull any punches: they are an affiliate of this blog, but I do purchase ammo from them.

I try to support my local gun stores as much as the next guy, but I think we've all had a sad experience or two trying to find ammo. It's hard for a small shop to keep all the calibers stocked, when you think of the huge diversity of ammo available. I remember one day when I went to pick up some .40 caliber hollow points and there were none. Things like this happen at the big box shops, too, especially when something is new or popular. Enough complaining, now let me tell you the bright side of the alternative.

Everything you see at LuckyGunner is in stock. Your order will ship today or the next business day. You can expect to see variety (Do they stock 458 Lott at your local store, for example?). And I encourage you price shop them. Even their by-the-box prices are going to beat your local store's prices, and if you want to stock up on a lot of 500 to 1,000 rnds., you will be happy here.

My wife and I recently took a trip to the range with some .40 cal. PMC that got from LuckyGunner, and we had a blast. First we sorted everything out and loaded up.

Then we sat down and got to work. Frankly, at this range, I'm just happy to keep it on the paper when I'm using my little M&Pc. The PMCs I got from LuckyGunner were exactly the quality you'd expect and every one went bang the first time like I hoped. It's just good therapy to send small projectiles down-range at high speeds.

All in all it was a great day and much fun had by all. We broke plenty of paper and even had some fun with one of those orange reactive targets that hops when you hit it. Now I'm saving up for something bigger, like a 1,000 brick of 9mm for the wife's M&P full-size.

Crossbreed SuperTuck Deluxe: Beauty to This Beholder

2012-07-31T19:18:00.001-05:00

Foreword: Crossbreed Holsters has not endorsed or funded me, this review or this blog in any way. My only relationship with them is as a customer.

I can't say that I was ever dissatisfied with my previous EDC (Every Day Carry) holster, and I don't remember precisely why I began the search for a new one. I think it was a consequence of the hottest summer the Midwest has seen in recent memory and the perspiration it brought about. Anybody who's ever gone for a walk on a balmy summer afternoon with an In Waist Band (IWB) holster knows the amount of moisture that can collect on your weapon. Additionally, many of the semi-sharp edges that may not have bothered you in the dryness of winter will soon start to chafe your skin under more humid conditions. As you may remember, my EDC pistol is a Smith & Wesson M&P compact in .40 caliber. This pistol has sharp cocking serrations at the rear which stick up above the top of many holsters and they can really hurt if you're walking and sweating. So began my search for a superior concealable holster.

Crossbreed SuperTuck

I've seen the Crossbreed SuperTuck advertised in all the gun magazines, but that isn't always the best endorsement, so I continued my research on it. A quick search of the net reveals an extremely high satisfaction rating, both with the holster and the company that makes it. I also recall a wise old CCW instructor who showed me a SuperTuck during my CCW class. His recommendation alone warrants the SuperTuck a closer look. At the time I did not have a budget for another holster and I thought the SuperTuck was way too ugly for me to ever own, so I put it aside and did not look back for a long time. If there's one thing I've learned in life it's this: listen to the old folks, they just might know something. This was one of those times when that lesson proved valuable.

I found the Crossbreed website extremely easy to navigate and the SuperTuck a highly customizable product. They have a selection of clips available for the SuperTuck depending on your given application: the most concealable option fastens the clips to the inside of your belt by means of hook and loop, the second most concealable option has a small lip that wraps the bottom edge of your belt for retention, and the presumably least concealable clip is the standard SteelClip, a simple clip that wraps over the top of the pant and over the top of the belt, causing the weight of the pistol to rest on your belt rather than your pants. I went with the over-the-belt option, but additional clips can be purchased separately and swapped back and forth with a simple Phillips-head screwdriver (the "plus screwdriver" for non-technical folks). You can purchase the SuperTuck in black cowhide or natural horsehide, with or without a combat cut, left- or right-handed.

Before you can hit the "Place Order" button on the Crossbreed website you will see a warning that these products are handmade to order and may take 4 to 6 weeks to arrive. I received mine in a mere 9 business days.

I chose horsehide due to it's denser grain and higher moisture resistance since this is intended to be a summer holster, and I chose to forgo the combat cut in the hopes that this would leave more leather between me and the pistol. Both of these hopes have been fulfilled by the final product I received.

My first test was trying the holster around the house and I did need to adjust the position of the steel belt
clips on order to get just the right cant and depth. I can say this without reservation: the SuperTuck is made for adjustment. Each clip has a possible 4 positions to which they may be independently adjusted. You can cant this thing backwards, if that's what you're really looking for. I found I like just a little more cant forward than the kydex was set to already, so my Supertuck is riding in the first hole from the top on the front and the second hole on the back. Once I got that out of the way I was ready to hit the street.

My first real surprise came while out about town. I realized half-way through a marital shopping marathon of searching for the perfect something-or-other (was it a top? a pair of shoes?) that I had completely forgotten I was carrying a pistol. I stopped in the middle of the store and pondered, with an expression that must have projected serenity and calm, whether or not I could sense the pistol on my hip. I found that yes, there was a slight weight on my strong side and if I shifted my weight from foot to foot I could feel it. Other than that my only signal was a slight pressure on my side, but it could have been a firm pillow just as easily as a steel and polymer pistol. For the next couple of weeks I tested out my SuperTuck in the rather laid-back environment of suburban St. Louis. The only possible negative I noticed is that the leather portion of the holster did creak if I moved in certain ways. It was not annoying, it only happened intermittently, and the website forewarns of this possibility during the break-in period.

My next trial for the SuperTuck involved sand, water and muck in abundance. Destination: the Missouri River, about 25 miles south of St. Charles. To get to my favorite little fishing hole I park at a public access to the river and walk approximately a half-mile along the bank through rocks, sand and Missouri bottom land gumbo. I'm usually there by sunup so heat is not an issue, but lately the nightly low temperatures have been in the 80s. By the time I reached my fishing hole I was warm, and by the time I was ready to leave for home I was dripping in sweat. With most IWB holsters, the left side of my pistol would be soaked as thoroughly as my clothes, but not so with the SuperTuck. To my amazement, I could detect no moisture anywhere on the pistol except for the lower portion of the grip which extends past the horsehide. In fact, the sweat only had a positive effect: the holster no longer squeaks.

Crossbreed Gun Belt

If I sound like I'm fawning over this product, it's because I am. So rarely these days does a product of any sort meet one's expectations, and even more rarely still does a product exceed them. Not only is the SuperTuck everything I had hoped and more, it has raised my expectations of holsters in general. In the very near future I would like to try their Gun Belt.

Long Break

2012-06-18T14:07:00.001-05:00

Have been on a long break, barely keeping my skills up. I am learning the art of bass fishing and it is consuming quite a bit of my free time and resources.

Looking for Material to Review

2012-01-17T23:14:00.000-06:00

I would love to get my hands on a Chiappa Rhino to review. Anybody around St. Louis, Missouri feel like meeting me at a range? I'm sure I have something you'd like to shoot, so we can trade, and I'll bring ammo for both.

Anybody in St. Louis have any other interesting firearm? I'd love to give it a shoot and post.

Thanks.

Gun Guy Out

Cold Steel Recon 1 Et. All

2011-07-22T12:28:00.000-05:00

This blog tends to be mostly about guns and accessories, but the fact remains that gun people tend to be knife people, so this won't be too far out for a tangent.

I am a die-hard fan of Cold Steel knives, and just about anything else they produce, such as OC spray, throwing stars, walking sticks, spears, even the bokken they make out of polypropylene. You see, I used to have to satisfy my cutlery needs with whatever was available at the local big box store because it was all I could realistically afford. Once I got into Cold Steel knives, it opened up a whole new world of affordable, high-quality knives that have remained by my side constantly for several years.

My constant companion is the Recon 1 with a tanto point and half-serrated blade. Sadly, I lost my first one after about 7 or 8 years, but promptly replaced it with the updated model they currently sell. I would challenge anyone to find a better folding knife for that price. Really, if you think you have one, post on the comments here and I'll gladly check it out. The Recon 1 in any form has the most solid locking mechanism of any folder I've ever owned or fondled; as soon as it locks into place you would swear you were holding a fixed-blade knife. Another feature I treasure on the Recon 1, which it shares with many other Cold Steel knives, is the placement of the pocket clip. It affixes to the very rear of the handle, hanging the knife hinge-down in your pocket. If you think about it, this allows the user to deploy the knife more rapidly, without having to transition grips after taking it out of the pocket. Most folders hang in the pocket hinge-up, which requires the knife to be flipped in the hand before it can be deployed. I should also mention that the steel on the Recon 1 holds an edge through an incredible amount of use and even abuse.

In the field I always carry my Kukri or Kukri machete. It's amazing how well the machete version hacks and cuts, even though it is considerably less costly than the full-blown Kukri. I do admit a certain fondness for the regular Kukri. It swings like a machete and cuts like a hatchet.

Another great blade to carry in the great outdoors in the Finn Bear. If you look around, one can be had for about $15 and they are rock solid. It is nothing but a steel blade and a polypropylene handle, so there's really nothing to go wrong. My father and I put them through their paces
harvesting Boletus mushrooms in the Colorado Rockies, digging through dirt and stones to extract them. The Finn Bear is great to have around for rough, dirty tasks that you know are abuse of a knife. They are tough, cheap, and clean up easily. I keep one in my glove box in case I get surprised with an unexpected fishing trip. They are great for cutting the heads off of fish or scraping scales, but are not thin enough to cut fillets.

I could go on and on about all the Cold Steel products I've bought and tried. I have never once been disappointed by a Cold Steel product. I've never received anything from them that had any defect whatsoever, or had to be returned for any reason. Some of their blades can be pricey, and I've never tried a lot of their really top-end stuff. One day when I can afford it I will buy a Hatamoto. Sadly, I just saw that they have been discontinued, so maybe somebody can make me a nice deal on a used one.

Now, to very briefly rant:
COLD STEEL, PLEASE LISTEN:
I really want one of your AK-47 knives. They look a lot like an improved Recon 1. I especially like the bone-breaker strike point on the hilt. The only reason I do not already own this knife is because you do not offer it with a half-serrated blade. I am just an old farm boy and I can't carry a folding knife unless it has serrations. So please, either add a bone-breaker to the hilt of your Recon 1, or offer an AK-47 with a half-serrated blade. Either way, it would be a great excuse for me to buy some more of your awesome knives.

If you want discount prices, Cold Steel sells certain products on their Special Projects page. Same quality, straight from the manufacturer, just less money.

http://www.ltspecpro.com/

Monster Hunters International - In Stores Now

2011-06-25T14:34:00.002-05:00

You might think this is a bit of a deviation from my normal themes, but please bear with me.

The author, Larry Correia, is a gun guy, and that comes out in his novels. The first novel of his that I read was actually on a thread over at TheHighRoad.Org. The thread is called "Welcome Back, Mr. Nightcrawler" if you want to search for that over on THR. This later turned into a novel (Dead Six, in the link at left). He is one helluva good writer and you can tell he knows guns when you read his stuff. He also does Three Gun competition. Very cool guy, as well as super-nice the few times I've corresponded with him. I consider him salt-of-the-earth.

Link to his blog:
http://larrycorreia.wordpress.com/

Now for the unabashed attempt to make a couple of pennies from Amazon.com. If you're going to buy one of his novels, and I highly recommend them, I hope you click on the links below or the links in this post.

Thanks, and happy reading!

Edit: I just thought I should mention, for those of you who don't think werewolf books are cool. The Monster Hunter series does involve monsters like vampires and such. They shoot them, it's pretty cool. If that doesn't strike your fancy, you will still like Dead Six. In a nutshell, it's about some covert-ops type guys who hunt terrorists for a living. You will not be able to put it down, I guarantee.

Bed Side Holsters?

2011-06-22T10:40:00.000-05:00

Has anyone actually used one of these? I typically just shove a holstered pistol between the mattresses, pointed in a safe direction, and take it with me in the morning. A family member of mine has decided they need something a little more dignified than that method and I've just never used any of this equipment.

Please, if you've used one of these Holster Mate deals, add a comment there at the bottom and let me know how you like it. Thanks!

It looks like the way to go is to buy the bracket here and then just hang the holster of your choice on there and you're in business. It does appear that you either need a holster that clips over the top of the bracket, or you need some sort of belt or strap to wrap around the bracket if your holster has no clip.

This version comes complete with affixed Yaqui-style holster. The possible downsides: You can't take the holster with you, it stays on the bracket. Sometimes if I hear a bump in the night, I'll take pistol and holster.

Additionally, if the holster wears out at some point, you're looking at a lot of DIY work to attach another one, or simply purchasing another bracket. I think I'd go with the plain bracket and just put whatever holster I want on there. KISS, right?

I would, however, carefully consider the placement of this bracket. I know some fool somewhere has hung one facing the inside of the bedroom where it invites someone to shoot you while you're sleeping. Please, if you use one of these, place it carefully, preferably between the bed and the wall.

(A couple of inexpensive holsters below)

Excuses, Excuses

2011-06-15T14:23:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to take a moment to let my readers know why I dropped off the face of the planet for a while.

We recently moved to the country and have been busy with that. Also, I have been involved in several time-consuming side projects.

I have not forgotten about the blog, I've just taken a short-term break. Expect more posts around mid- to late-August 2011.

Thanks for your patience, and please visit our new affiliate, LuckyGunner.com. They are a great source to keep your favorite weapons fed at reasonable prices.

Sof-Tuck Available at Amazon

2011-03-17T00:20:00.001-05:00

The Sof-Tuck is available on Amazon.

Product Review: DeSantis Sof-Tuk

2011-03-12T10:46:00.002-06:00

Photo reproduced with
permission from DeSantis.

At the time of this writing, DeSantis still does not have a Sof-Tuk holster specifically designed for the M&P pistol, full-size or compact. I had been perusing all the popular gun magazines and internet forums when I decided that, for the price, this holster was exactly what I was looking for to hold my M&P40 compact. With a retail price of $25.99 and made from no-slip suede with a reinforced saddle leather mouth, you're unlikely to beat this value in an IWB (In-the-Waist-Band) holster anywhere. So I made an educated guess and bet my money on a holster that fits a similarly sized Smith & Wesson. The fit is perfect, though it was initially quite tight, as many leather holsters are.

One of the main features I was looking for is tuckability, and this holster has that. Like many of you, my shirts and T-shirts don't all have very long tails, just enough to hang a bit past my waist. Oftentimes when I'm out and about, I might bend down to pick something up off of a lower shelf, or to pick up my small daughter. I can say from experience that it's a bad feeling when you break concealment by merely bending over. I thought a tuckable holster would help this situation and I must report that over the last 4 months or so that I've been using the DeSantis Sof-Tuk daily, it has really helped me stay concealed, as well as comfortable. It's also helped my overall appearance, since I can now tuck in my shirts again, which has been a source of joy for my loving wife. While she's not what you would call a fashionista, there are times when a guy should tuck in his shirt. Now I'm ready and armed at even the most formal of occasions.

For those of you not familiar with a tuckable IWB holster, it's a simple arrangement. While there are several answers to the same problem, the Sof-Tuk answers it like this: you slide the clip directly over the waistband of your pants. This leaves the holster and pistol inside the pants and a small metal J-clip outside the pants. Make sure your belt goes over the bottom of the J-clip so it will stop at your belt when you draw your weapon. I always wear a belt, but I have a good feeling that the non-slip suede material of this particular holster would remain inside your waistband either way. This holster clips very securely to the waistband of my pants and I have had no slippage issues whatsoever.

Perhaps the most innovative feature of the Sof-Tuk is its adjustable cant capability. It has two torx screws where the J-clip attaches to the holster. Loosening these screws allows you to adjust the cant for virtually any possible scenario. At first I implemented appendix carry, with the holster placed right around 1:30. The holster can quickly be adjusted to accommodate this position. More recently I have moved to carrying right at 4:30, so more of a small of the back position. One quick adjustment of the screws and you have a perfect cant for this position as well. The Sof-Tuk is touted to accommodate a cross-draw cant as well, though I have not tried it myself. The cant adjustment screws can be adjusted either with the appropriate size torx head, or with the appropriate size allen key. An allen key was included with the unit. When I first began wearing the Sof-Tuk, I knew I wouldn't get the perfect cant by merely experimenting with the holster in my living room. Real world bending and moving tend to show you how well an IWB holster is placed. Fortunately, the included allen key fits easily in the coin pocket of a regular pair of jeans. A quick stop in the restroom is all that's needed to adjust the cant of this holster in the field. The screws, and therefore the cant of the holster, have not slipped or moved at any time. They are rock-solid.

The reinforced mouth is yet another value-added feature of the Sof-Tuk. Having used much cheaper holsters in the past, I have grown to appreciate more and more the ability to re-holster one-handed. I can't foresee any situation in the future where I would buy a holster that did not have this handy feature. The only thing the Sof-Tuk might be lacking is a protected sight channel. Many people look for this in a holster and I can see why it might make sense, even if it doesn't seem like a necessity for me. This holster is for my EDC (Every Day Carry) weapon, which will not really clear the holster very often. Additionally, I keep rugged combat sights on my carry weapons and they have never been affected adversely by riding on my hip in a holster that did not have a sight channel. Competition guns, sights and holsters are a completely different thing. While I absolutely see the need for a protected sight channel on a competition holster where your weapon will clear the holster thousands of times, a sight channel on your IWB holster is unnecessary. Don't get hung up on it.

In closing, the Sof-Tuk includes all the features I look for in an IWB holster and spares all the useless, fancy stuff. It is ruggedly-constructed and dependable. It does what it needs to and never tries to be something it's not. My recommendation: if you need a good IWB holster, this one is really hard to beat. Buy it.

P.S.

Here are some pics to show the actual fit on my MP40c.

As you can see, there is a very slight gap between the top of the holster and the trigger guard. The trigger is not accessible. I have not had to modify the holster in any way. I should also note that the same holster fits my MP9 full-size just fine, too. The muzzle does stick out a bit, and the front sight remains just barely covered.

You can follow the continuing conversation about this holster over at The High Road.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=7172238#post7172238

MP40c

MP9 full-size

M&P Full Size 9mm

2011-02-28T19:51:00.001-06:00

Friends,

It has been too long since my last post. I do apologize, but a lot of things have happened since my last entry here as I'm sure most of my fellow married-with-children types would well understand. Without further fanfare, I give you the down-low on my latest pistol purchase.

Well, it was only a matter of time before I took the plunge and started my own little M&P family. Face it, one M&P is just a lonely situation, like a puppy in a shelter looking for a good home.

I love the M&P mostly for its reliability. I can't think of any other gun (especially a semi-auto) that you can take out of the box, lube up and run like a scalded dog. The M&P does just that. Right out of the box you can take it down, lube up all the friction points and go have a trouble-free day at the range, no matter how many or what type of rounds you run through it. I always take all 3 palmswell grips with me so I can make adjustments if a friend wants to use the gun. There's nothing like the look on someone's face when you check out their hand, make an educated guess, swap grips on the pistol and it suddenly fits them like a glove. This is almost always what you call a "head-shaker" for people. One minute the pistol doesn't fit them and then next minute it's perfect. Once you know what you're doing you can swap grips in about 1 1/2 minutes. See the manual if you have any questions, and check out my post on the subject if you would like some pictures. As always, never change grips on a loaded weapon.

Now I'm generally opposed to anything smaller than a .40 S&W for a defensive handgun, so you may ask why in the world I picked a 9mm for home defense. The reasons are several. My number one reason for selecting the 9mm is controlability. There are those in my family who would consider themselves "recoil sensitive". For these family members, the 9mm chambering on a full-size pistol is about the ideal compromise between recoil and power. Recoil is low enough that even the most sensitive shooter should be able to withstand an extended quarterly practise session, so the assumption is that the sensitive shooter will be more proficient and accurate with a 9mm than they would with a .45 ACP, for example. Additionally, the M&P9 holds 17 + 1, so if your attacker doesn't go down right away you have plenty of followup shots. If anyone knows of any instance of a human being surviving 18 shots from a 9mm I would like to hear it.

Some of these "recoil sensitive" family members are also in the "technically disinterested" category and don't care to learn how to operate a different safety lever for each weapon in the arsenal. Imagine a person who doesn't give two hoots about a gun. Do they really want to learn where to find the safety lever on your Ruger Mark II, for example? Then explain that the lever on your 1911 is shaped completely different and placed in a slightly different spot. I can find the safety lever on any weapon I have ever owned, in the dark by touch alone, but I love guns and love to practise with them. Some people don't love guns, they see them as simple tools to address a certain type of problem. Perhaps my love of guns is strange, like a love of screwdrivers or wrenches. It's worth considering.

As for the tech specs, this M&P 9mm cost me just $524 after tax with its included 2 magazines, 3 palmswell grips, and hard case. The nice folks over at Mid America Arms even threw in a free hat. I don't know if it was because they see my face all the time or if it was because they could tell my wife was slightly ambivalent about spending money on yet another firearm. For the record, they gave her the ball cap, not me. I decided to keep it loaded with 135 grain Federal Premium Hydra-Shok jacketed hollow points. At just over $20 per box of 20, these are not plinking rounds.

At the range, I ran 50 rounds of white boxed Winchester FMJs through it and then a full magazine of the Hydra-Shok. Everybody did their part and there wasn't the slightest hiccup so I'm ready to count on this gun if the need should arise. Of course, I'll put it through a lot of paces ASAP, but knowing what I know about the M&P, I'm not loosing any sleep over its reliability.

My M&P9 is soon to be fitted with a small lazer/light combo unit, the make of which is yet undecided. I'm hoping to keep the cost under $300, which seems realistic. The full-size M&P offers plenty of Picatinny real estate from which to hang a light, and this is yet another plus in its favor for use as a home defense weapon.

-Gun Guy

Great Gunplay on "The Walking Dead"

2010-11-30T13:27:00.000-06:00

Well I've already sounded off about a Hollywood peeve or two I have regarding firearms, but this time the intent is to cheer rather than chide. I read a lot of the original comic and I had high expectations of this new series, but I never thought I would be praising it for its realism.

"The Walking Dead", for those of you who haven't been tuning in, is a show about the post-apocalypse world of a zombie outbreak. These are traditional zombies who move fairly slowly and must be shot in the head or otherwise decapitated to be killed. Surprisingly, they have remained very close to the original comic plot and the show is very, very good on a lot of levels. If you've missed it, you can download episodes in HD from Amazon for a couple dollars. Just click here.

Now, usually you'll see firearms in any zombie movie and this show is no different. What does set it apart is that the use of the weapons is very realistic, especially for Hollywood. I have actually gotten to the point and relax without counting rounds fired between reloads. They're that good. Please feel free to comment below if you've seen any six-shooters turning into umpteen-shooters on this show, but I haven't seen it. Maybe I'll go back and give the show a technical once-over.

The only scene that gave me reason to cringe involved to groups of armed humans who were getting very close to firing on each other. In a big show of machismo on both sides, they all began yelling and working the actions on their respective firearms. Several shotguns racked back and forth as their wielders foisted them menacingly in the faces of their opposing force, pistols were angrily cocked with trembling hands and waved about, and everyone was yelling. Yes, I cringed for a good moment since this is my number one Hollywood gun peeve, but then I had a realization: The writers were only being realistic. See, the general public is so conditioned by TV and movies to think that this is the way to start a gunfight, it's only reasonable to assume that a bunch of normal, untrained individuals would probably react in this way. It's just realism.

Sorry for the brief detour. Back to range reports and product reviews in the very near future.

-Gun Guy out.

Open Call for Products to Review

2010-11-13T15:20:00.001-06:00

Manufacturers, distributors, designers: This is an open call for products to review.

I can't guarantee a good review, but I can guarantee impartiality. I can guarantee a good, solid daily-use test. Lastly, if you allow, I will torture your product well beyond its design specifications. Only the best survive. My Stone River Gear review is a good example of what you can expect. I used it regularly and evaluated that, then I put it through some water torture for which it was not designed. It came through with shining colors. Will your product do the same?

I will test and review any firearm or hunting-related gear or firearm. If interested, just drop a line to ToKeepAndBear@gmx.com

I would also like to take a brief moment to thank some of my newer international readers, in no particular order. My thanks to the readers from: Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, Russia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Slovenia, Australia, Brazil, Germany and Japan.

How Do I Change the Grips on my M&P?

2010-10-03T21:23:00.003-05:00

Some designs are so simple that if you're used to common firearms, especially American and European made firearms, you have a hard time understanding how simple they are. The first time I saw an AK-47 field stripped I just stood there with my mouth open, staring in disbelief. Many features of the Smith & Wesson M&P can leave your jaw hanging open like that. One of them is the interchangeability of the grip inserts. This is a quick walk through of how to change them out. I should start by saying that I am not a gunsmith or an armorer, or any other type of qualified individual. So If you are in doubt about anything, please seek the help of a professional, as this is purely for informational purposes only and I will not be held liable for any loss or injury incurred from following this guide (my lawyer makes me say this stuff, honest).

First remove the magazine and clear the chamber. Take a page from my book and check it twice and you won't be sorry. Set all ammo in a completely different area. Any time you plan on doing firearm projects, all live ammo should be policed and placed in a separate area.

Compact (left) and Full Size (right)

Remove your ammo and put it somewhere else.

Now that you're ready to work, note the small bump at the bottom rear on the butt of your pistol. Take this bump and rotate it exactly 90 degrees.

Compact, with the "bump" rotated 90 degrees.

Full Size, with the "bump" rotated 90 degrees.

It will now pull straight out of the bottom, though you may have to wiggle and jiggle a bit the first few times you remove it. This is your take down tool. DO NOT rotate the bump more than 90 degrees in either direction or it will get a little ugly like mine. It's not meant to spin all the way around, just 90 degrees one way or 90 the other way.

Now that your take down tool is out of the way, grasp the lower portion of the grip insert and swing it back and up. There is a tab at the top and as you rotate the bottom up, you can pull the tab down and the insert will be completely free.

Now take the grip insert you plan you install. Insert the tab at the top, rotate the insert down and make sure it is completely seated. Insert your take down tool, oriented how it came out.

Once completely seated, you can rotate your take down tool back 90 degrees so that your magazine can be inserted when the time comes.

CT Lazer grip on right.

That's it. So simple you could train a monkey to do it. This is one of the great features that really sets the M&P apart

from most other pistols. It's so nice that Glock decided to copy the feature on their Gen 4 pistols.

Also worth noting is the fact that there are many gunsmiths out there who are offering custom grips for your M&P.

Stippling and other texturing work are the most common things I've seen so far, but I would imagine someone has begun resizing and reshaping the grip inserts too. It's polymer. The only limit is your imagination.

Quick Thanks To My Readers

2010-09-25T18:15:00.000-05:00

So far the vast majority of my audience is in the USA so here's a shout out to my home country.

The rest of my audience is in the following countries, in no particular order:

Canada

Finland

Japan

Russia

Australia

South Korea

So thanks as well to all my international readers. It has been really fun to see all the various countries looking at my posts.

How I Made my SKS Shootable (Part II)

2010-09-16T23:32:00.000-05:00

"Man," said my friend D., shaking his head and staring at this pitiful little machine I was holding up in front of him, "somebody really did a number on that thing."

"Yeah, sure looks that way," I agreed. "I don't know anything about this rifle, so I guess I don't even know how bad it is, but it sure looks like somebody was trying to turn it into an AK-47 or something."

"How much do you know about the SKS," he inquired.

"Man," I confessed, "I don't even know how to clean it properly."

My friend is a self-proclaimed apostle of the school of Kalashnikov, designer and father of the ubiquitous AK-47. As such, he sees Simonov, designer of the SKS as a direct ancestor, philosophically speaking, of Kalashnikov. While Siminov was about 15 years the elder, the two were contemporaries, submitting designs to the Russian government, sometimes entering in the same design competitions. The SKS was adopted for use in 1945 and was replaced by the AK-47 in 1956. Please see Wikipedia for the full history of these two rifles and their designers. Entire novels have been dedicated to this subject and it would be foolish to attempt to summarize the whole thing here.

D. then proceeded to flip up the lever on the rear sight which allows the gas tube to be removed, then deftly flipped up the gas tube and removed it. He tipped the front of the tube down and out came this long, skinny stainless steel piston, looking like something from an exotic combustion engine. He stood there, gas tube and hand guard in one hand, piston in the other, grinning like he'd just found a buried treasure. In a tone approaching religious adulation he breathed, "This is where the action happens." Then he showed me, with equal enthusiasm, where some of the expanding gas from a fired round gets diverted from the barrel and into the gas tube, pushing the piston back and into a smaller tappet under the rear sight. The tappet in turn knocks the bolt carrier back, expelling your empty case. A spring behind the bolt carrier pushes the bolt carrier back forward while the bolt grabs a live round and chambers it. Holding the gas tube up again he said, "You can put like about a pound of carbon in this thing before it stops operating!" D. has a way of getting excited about firearms that reminds me I'm not alone in this fascinating pastime.

We loaded up the SKS, among other rifles and pistols, and made the trek west from the St. Louis metro area to a really great public range in a national park about 50 miles out of town. This range is a real gem, remote and unsupervised, excavated from the forest floor. Message me and I can give you the address. With ranges of 25, 50 and 100 meters, it's a great place for plinking or checking the zero on your hunting rifle. Additionally, it's a great example of firearms enthusiasts and shooters being able to effectively police themselves without need of a range master. When it's time to change targets and you get the "all clear," everyone places their weapons on the table, action open, and walks down-range. In the several years I've been going out there, I've never heard of a single "accident". It gives a lot of peace to see so many serious, safety-conscious shooters enjoying a range in the middle of nowhere.

Once on the range, the jamming issues with my SKS became glaringly apparent. It would fire a few without event and then there it would be, a single round stuck in the action at an odd angle, half out of the magazine and not quite able to make it into the chamber. A quick malfunction drill and and it was back in service, but only for another few rounds before experiencing the same maddening jam.

D. stepped in at this point after he saw what was happening and explained that this was his original suspicion upon seeing the rifle. All the SKS forums mention problems with detachable magazines and the SKS, a rifle designed to utilize a fixed 10 rnd. magazine and stripper clips. I decided then and there to take his advice and to begin my own research on the matter online.

A couple of weeks later I received my surplus fixed magazine, bought from an online merchant, with the highest of hopes. While my own rifle is of Chinese manufacture and the magazine purchased was from a Yugoslavian SKS, there were no issues fitting it to my rifle once I was finally able to get down to snapping it on. Unfortunately it's here the plot thickens.

The detachable magazines that came with the rifle could be taken off and put back on with a bit of finesse, but not the smooth consistency you would expect from something like an AR-15 or an AK-47. You had to make sure everything was lined up just right, kind of pull the front down and slide it forward, then tilt up in the back. It's hard to describe, so just trust me, it was the kind of playing with your rifle that you wouldn't want to do in a firefight. But, finicky, jamming detachable magazines be darned, because the mission was to do away with them, to take this machine back to it's reliable, 10 round, stripper clip-fed basics, the kind of basics that kept these rifles running for the VC when they were living in mud holes in North Vietnam.

I took the detachable magazine off and set it well out of the way. With the slow, trembling cautiousness of a new surgeon I approached my rifle with the fixed magazine, feeling out how the two would mate together. The answer was that they wouldn't, at least not until I took off the trigger group. The rear of the magazine has a double-claw sort of thing at the back that grabs a pin on the front of the trigger group back toward the trigger guard. The old detachable was well out of the way, but in order to get this new fixed magazine in, the trigger guard would have to be removed, the magazine inserted at the front, and then attached to the trigger group via these double claws. Then the trigger group and magazine snap back into the stock like one big lever, pivoting on the front of the magazine.

Problem was, I couldn't get the trigger guard off. Looks like the guy who Bubba'd up this rifle had put a pistol grip and a whole mess of homespun fiberglass over the release button on the back of the trigger group. Like a cartoon I used to watch as a kid, it was back to the drawing board.

I briefly considered dumping the whole rifle, junk magazines and all at a local pawn shop, just to be done with the whole headache. Call it faith in what this rifle could one day be, or call it pure stubbornness, I was hooked in a way I couldn't shake. Maybe it was the fact that I knew as a poor college student, this rifle, warts and all, was my only chance to have a capable, military-style rifle any time in the near future. It was time to plunge in headlong and once again I went to the internet and to my good friend D. He mentioned a stock by Tapco and I checked out every review I could find. Tough synthetic materials, adjustable length of pull, available in different colors, and relatively cheap, the Tapco INTRAFUSE system was what I needed. If I could only get the barrel, action and trigger group to let go of the stock.
Fast forward a couple of weeks and my Tapco stock arrived. I selected flat black for the color, and the blade-style bayonet cut. I know the spike bayonet is a tougher stabbing implement but I can't use the bayonet with my muzzle brake anyway so the bayonet is more of a last-ditch knife that stays with the rifle. Removing the original stock was a stressful affair involving a utility knife, a chisel, and a lot of hand-wringing. In less than an hour and a six-pack of Boulevard I found what I was looking for: the little button on the back of the trigger group that releases it. Once free, the trigger group swung out of the way and came apart from the rest of the rifle. The barrel and action came out of the top together, and in no time my new Tapco was secured. Though Tapco suggests a certain amount of fitting may be necessary for some, my SKS was a quick, drop-in installation.
The fixed 10 rnd. magazine also fit the stock without a problem and it was time for another range trip, ASAP. Who can resist testing a new build? What I found is that my new-old SKS can digest some Russian surplus ammo like a Sumo wrestler on a bowl of rice. In the last three years since the stock update, the only jam I have experienced were a series of stovepipe jams I attributed to a spam can of Romanian surplus ammo that my rifle just did not like. My friend's Russian-made SKS didn't mind that ammo a bit, but my little baby just didn't want to feed it reliably. As long as I feed her Russian-only, she goes through FMJ, soft point and hollow point ammo without so much as a hiccup.

Tapco stock, bandoleer with 180 rnds. on stripper clips plus cleaning kit, and my .357 S&W.

Product Spotlight: Stone River Gear SRG1TF

2010-09-07T10:26:00.004-05:00

Finally, a small, bright, efficient light that doesn't break the bank! You see, I have a buddy who spends more on flashlights than he does on guns, and that's just not me; I don't walk a beat for a living, and I'm not in the military, so I have the luxury of shopping for a cheap light that will do the job without too much monetary cost. I understand the need for a good light and I like to have a small light on the night stand and in the car. The problem is that I have a tendency to misplace small objects, and if that small object is an $80 light, finding it can be stressful and worrisome. On the other hand, most cheap lights you find at the local department store can be completely underwhelming in their brightness and their construction. This brings me to the Stone River Gear SRG1TF 1WATT Performance LED Flashlight or SRG1TF, as they list it on their site.

The MSRP for this handy little light is an easy $19.95, a good bit less than lunch for two and a margarita at my favorite Mexican place. At this price, you can buy three for the less than most other name brand lights. This way you can leave one in the car, one by the night stand, and lose the other one without losing too much sleep over it. Don't worry, if you're like me, you'll find it again sooner or later, in a coat pocket or underneath some stuff on your work bench.

As for the features of the light, they are basic. Construction is very light-weight but solid, consisting of a blaze orange head, a black battery compartment, and a black tail switch. I have fairly large hands and I find the SRG1TF very easy to grasp, hold on to, and operate. The tail switch is one that you have to press and let go of before the light comes on as the button completely releases. To clarify, the light will not come on as you press down, rather it comes on once you completely let off. While there is no dedicated strobe setting, it's easy enough to make your own strobe with some gentle half-presses on the tailswitch. I was able to get very consistent with this in ten minutes of practise on the couch.

In broad daylight the SRG1TF is blinding if you look at it within conversational distance. At night, it's painful to even test this light's ability to blind. Of course, I had to test it and I'm glad my wife was around to help me back in the house by turning on the porch light.

While the manufacturer makes no claims of water resistance, its solid, O-ring construction suggests it should be able to take a good splash or two without having a problem. It wouldn't be a complete review unless I took a well-made product and abused it, so I tested the light's water resistance.

First, I tested the glass only by pointing it straight up and filling the area at the bezel with water. After approximately two minutes I saw three very small droplets inside on the reflector. I turned on the light and it had no trouble functioning. Now, I'm almost certain that a full immersion test would ruin the light, and I like it too much to go diving with it. Just to see what would happen I turned on the bathtub full blast, grabbed a timer, and turned on my light. Three minutes of operation under a torrent of cold water should be enough to prove my point. I held the poor little light there and found out two things: 1) This little light can hold its own against running water. 2) LEDs look really cool under water. I must say I got a little carried away with my initial successes and at the end of the three minutes of torture I very unscientifically plunked the light into the bathtub of water and set the clock for another three minutes, leaving the light running. Three minutes later the little light is still shining as brightly as ever. After a quick toweling-off I made an inspection of the battery and battery compartment. Both bone dry, and no droplets of water to be found in the lamp head either.

The moral: A light is just a light, so unless you're Spec Ops or SWAT, consider saving yourself a lot of money and pick up a few of these cool lights.

http://www.stonerivergear.com/SRG1TF.htm