An Introduction

I'd like to thank our host Shadow6 for the opportunity to help him with the ShooterReady blog. I'm honored to be thought of in this regard.

To start, I'll give the folks out there a thumbnail sketch of my background as it relates to firearms and then I'm also going to give a bit of an outline of upcoming features that I will be posting.

About me:
I've been a shooter all of my life; from air rifles and .22s in school (that'll date me some :) ) to my first pistol to my first NFA item, I have always enjoyed shooting. I was given a BB gun at 10, a shotgun at 17. I've never bought .22 by the box ;). Dropping the hammer on my first .22 rifle is still just as fun as dumping a mag through my Stemple.

At this point in my shooting life, I'm learning what I can of the way of the warrior - which means functional weapons, practical tactics and solid foundation skills. Punching paper is one thing to begin the basics and fundamentals of safe handling (and the 4 rules of Jeff Cooper, may he rest in peace), sight picture, trigger control and functionality of your firearm, but after you learn to walk, you must learn to run.

I've trained at Blackwater and shot IDPA, 3 Gun and other informal matches and training. My goal in the next 12 months is more training with well respected trainers; something that should be a priority for all of us in the shooting community.

I've worked behind the counter at a gun store and have also seen a fair amount of the backroom stuff that the normal shooting public doesn't see. (And no, most dealers aren't making big money on your $500 Glock..)

If you have any questions, please leave a comment and I will answer what I can.

Upcoming Features:

• A discussion of lubrication with respect to the AR15/M16 series rifles
• A photo essay of fairly rare bird 1911
• A small snippet about the CMP and the Garand
• A review of the Adams Arms piston retrofit system for the AR15/M16

If you have any suggestions for topics, I would be pleased to hear them.

TR

The Rock: Welcome To Our Newest Blog Administrator

ALCON,

I just wanted to take this opportunity to welcome on board our newest administrator to the Shooter Ready blog site. The Rock will be taking over some of my administrative duties as I am getting ready to PCS to another duty station and will be departing on yet another military deployment (with several others to follow). Please address any issues, questions, and/or concerns to him in regards to the site.

Again, thanks for taking over some of my responsibilities...greatly appreciated.

Until whenever I have the opportunity to post...

Shadow 6, out.

Ruger 22/45 SD

Just finished threading the barrel on my Ruger 22/45. Pics show my 5.56 can (still waiting for the TAC65 to come in)...but you get the idea. Shot it today with the 5.56 can using Aguila SuperExtra 22LR 40gr. subsonics. Talk about "Hollywood" quiet. All you could hear was the action. Gun is still "dead-balls" accurate. Took the can off --> talk about dirty. Had to put it in my suppressor bath after I was done shooting. Can't wait for the TAC65 to come in.

Pics from 3 Day Tactical Course

Just thought I'd share some pics of a 3 day Tactical Course that me and my son attended. I was one of the instructors. The Primary Instructor is a good friend of mine and a prior SWAT operator. The other AI is a retired COL (SPEC OPS). The students consisted of civilians, military personnel, and LEOs.

Day 1: Tactical Pistol/Carbine
Day 2: Tactical Pistol
Day 3: Hand-to-Hand Combat (Krav Maga system)

Group Photo:



My son preppin his load out for the course. He was using a Glock 19 and an H&K MP5:



Me & Primary Instructor engaging targets at 15 yds:




Me & my son sharing a moment:



Uzi 9mm, 3 rd. controlled burst, low light conditions, forward assault:



Other "action" pics:

The Art of Tactical Camouflage

While thumbing through the February 6, 2007 issue of Guns&Ammo's Combat Tactics magazine, I came across an interesting article titled "Tactical Spray Paint" by Alfred Cripps. From eyeballin' the title of this article, the first obvious thing that came to mind was camouflaging your rig. I was expecting the usual camo patterns found on catalogues that look too perfect that they're no longer camouflaged...those paint jobs that have absolutely no blending of colors done by individuals who are more worried about how thier rigs are going to look on a picture rather than the tactical purpose of camouflaging your rig to begin with...if you know what I mean. Needless to say, my expectations were dead wrong.

Enter the work of Jesse Gorham of Three Wolves Tactical.

Cited from his website: Located in the high desert of the Eastern Sierra, Three Wolves Tactical is owned and operated by Jesse Gorham, a full time police officer in California since 1988. Jesse conducts his Three Wolves business in his off time. In addition to his investigative duties, he is one of three department Rangemasters. Initially Jesse started working his trade on Department owned weapons (sniper rifles and Glocks) and the personal weapons of his colleagues. As word of his work spread, local area shooters sought him out to paint hunting rifles. In October 2004, Jesse published his own web site and is offering his services to anyone in need of his skills. In addition to his skills as a gunsmith/armorer and artist, Jesse is a highly skilled shooter, both handgun and long rifle, and a certified trainer in both disciplines.

Jesse does all of his work by hand resulting in paint jobs that are all individually uniquie. He uses high quality flat enamel paint. 4-5 applications of enamel paint & 2 applications of clear coat go on each rig. One of the reasons I decided to have Jesse paint my rig is because I didn't want to be locked in to one specific camo pattern as you are when using some of the more permanent methods(i.e. - Duracoat, Ceracoat, etc.)...definitely comes into play when you're working in different operational environments. All you have to do is simply strip the paint off and apply a new camo pattern. I've been told that touch ups were extremely easy, but I can bet my work will be nowhere near compared to the talented hand of Jesse's. Turn around time for my rig was only a couple of weeks and you just can't beat his prices! No matter what type of camo pattern you want on your rig, Jesse can probably reproduce it...from tiger stripe to digital patterns...you name it. You'd be amazed at what he can do. Just check out his website for detailed pics (courtesy of Ichiro Nagata) of the camo jobs he's done for customers. You won't be disappointed.

Here are before and after pics of my rig.

Before:



and After:







(Photographs Courtesy of Jesse Gorham)

Thanks Jesse.

From a more than satisfied customer.

-Doc

DPMS Panther AP-4, AR-15 Carbine

RANGE REPORT - AS PROMISED

I promised a range report when the temperature dropped below 100 degrees and the monsoons went away. On Thursday, 8/2/2007, the temperature dropped to 99 degrees and the rain stopped, so I loaded up and went to the range. Unfortunately, it was also 40% humidity, so it was a bit muggy. Here is the review of the rifle that I sent to DPMS at their request.

Specifications:
Manufacturer: DPMS Panther AP-4 Carbine
Model: RFA2-AP4
Type: AR-15 flat top carbine with removable carry handle and 6 position collapsible stock.
Caliber: 5.56x45mm
Barrel Length: 16”
Rifle Length: 36 3/8”
Weight: 7 lbs. empty
Capacity: 30 rounds
Price as delivered: $904.00

Out of the Box:
The first item of note was that the rifle came in a rifle case from the manufacturer. The case is not of high quality, but adequate to protect the rifle in transit. The finish on the rifle was excellent. The lightly textured black Teflon finish showed no obvious blemishes. The rifle came with a nylon sling and cleaning kit. The second item of note was the magazines, which are aluminum, mil-spec magazines from D&H Industries. The notable item is that the magazines are Teflon coated like the upper and lower receivers on the rifle. This is a nice touch that may extend the life of the finish on the magazines.

Closer Inspection:
Closer inspection of the rifle showed no blemishes in the finish. All metal parts on the entire rifle are well oiled by the manufacturer to prevent rust and corrosion prior to it arriving in the buyer’s hands. While cleaning and inspecting the rifle, I noted that the inside of the bolt carrier is hard chromed to limit wear from the movement of the bolt and gas rings. The upper and lower receivers fit together tightly. The bolt carrier cycles smoothly. The trigger is a bit heavy. It is crisp, with very little feeling of it creeping, like most AR-15 rifles do. All in all, the fit and function of the weapon is excellent.

Range Report:
The rifle was fired from 25 and 50 yards. It was accurate right out of the box, requiring no adjustment to set the sights to zero. The rifle functioned flawlessly through 140 rounds. It patterned 3 inch groups at 50 yards from a standing position, off hand, with no rest or support. Magazines from 3 manufactures, D&H Industries, Colt, and Adventureline, were used in the rifle. All 3 manufacturer’s magazines fed perfectly, and dropped free from the rifle without assistance. I feel as though my range report is a bit short and uneventful, but that was the way the AP-4 performed. It was uneventful at the range. The rifle was reliable out of the box, and didn’t seem to require any break in period. It shot well, without any hiccups.

Conclusion:
This is a fine example of an AR-15 carbine. I have owned and fired AR-15 rifles from many manufacturers, including big name companies and small custom shops. This rifle stacks up to any big name company’s offering, and exceeds the offering of some of the small custom shops as well. The DPMS rifle shows as good or better quality than most other carbines on the market, and they do it for a price below most other manufacturers. This is an excellent product at an excellent price.

UPDATE - Target Pics

At the request if Shadow 6, I now have target pics from this rifle. I made another trip to the range on 8/7/07 to function test a Magpul PMAG, and took the DPMS Panther along to get targets for Shadow 6. The PMAG functioned flawlessly, by the way. Next test for the PMAG - dashboard of a patrol car in Arizona summer heat. (Yes, the mag is unloaded.)

First volley - 5 rounds, 50 yards, standing, off hand - no rest.

Second volley - 5 rounds, 50 yards, standing, off hand, no rest.

This one is a different rifle. This is a POF-USA, 9.25" barrel, short barreled rifle. This 5 shot volley was fired from 50 yards, off hand, no rest. I realize there are only 4 holes. The 5th was one of those stealth bullets that doesn't appear on radar, or infrared, or paper targets. In other words, I missed the damned target. :-)

Take care and be safe,

SAO1911

What can you get for $12.00 these days?

May 21-23, 2007, Laughlin, Nevada - Back in May, I attended the first annual "1 Inch to 100 Yards" conference in Laughlin, Nevada. This conference was presented by Khyber Training Group, and included classroom training in defensive tactics such as hand to hand and edged weapon skills. The final day was spent on the range, and included skill building in handgun presented by Matt Burkett, as well as demonstrations by the firearms related sponsors of the training symposium. Sponsors included names such as Blackwater Gear, Crimson Trace, Sigarms, RBR Tactical Armor, ITT, XS Sight Systems, Baker Batshield, Blauer Tactical Systems, and many others. This was a well thought out, well presented program. It was hard to believe that this was Khyber's first time out on a presentation of this type. The training was informative, and geared toward everyone from the street cop to the soldier in the field. Khyber has already stated that they are going to extend the length of the classes next year, as some of the topics just couldn't be covered completely in 2-4 hour blocks. This should improve the presentation of an event that was incredible to begin with.

The price of registration for the 2007 conference was $225.00. Khyber has not announced the price for the 2008 conference. The 2008 conference is supposed to be a full four day, instead of three day event. Khyber is going to offer two days of live fire range training, including blocks on rifle and shotgun skills.

Here is the kicker. I have teased you with the $12.00 question, "What can you get for $12.00 these days?" At the 2007 conference, the Khyber Group had a hospitality mixer the first evening, and a banquet and raffle on the second evening of the three day event. Bullhead City Chief of Police Rodney Head made a motivational speech as the key note speaker. The raffle was incredible, with over $20,000 in merchandise donated by the sponsers. From Blackwater Gear to training DVDs, tactical tomahawks to body armor, a Smith & Wesson M&P pistol to a DPMS Panther AP-4 rifle, everyone who attended the banquet took home something from the raffle. Khyber provided one raffle ticket to each attendee with their registration. Additional raffle tickets were available for $5.00 each, or 3 for $12.00. So, I bought 3 extra tickets for, you guessed it, $12.00. Here is what I got for my $12.00.....

I would like to thank Khyber Training Group, including Wes Doss and his family, Shawn Brooks, and all the trainers and sponsors that made the 2007 1 Inch to 100 Yard conference happen. I would especially like to thank DPMS Inc. and Evin Galbraith for donating the $12.00 DPMS Panther AP-4 rifle.

This conference is worth attending for anyone in law enforcement, military, or private contract security. If you have the means to attend in 2008, I would recommend it. Khyber is already advertising May 20-23, 2008 as the second annual conference. The website for the conference is under construction, but I would suggest checking it out for more information.

1 Inch to 100 Yard Conference Website

Khyber Training Website

Take care and Be Safe,

SAO1911

P.S. - I'll post a review and range report on the AP-4 seperately when the temperature drops below 100 degrees in Arizona and the monsoons go away.