Information for the New AR Owner

Here are some of my favorite training videos for new AR owners. 

How to clean it Air Force style. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HXFobzhJdo

How to shoot it Marine Corps style. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvW-0zUghTk

This is a good intro on exterior ballistics and where to zero your AR.  I like a 200 meter zero for most optics. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Klvve0ZG_jo

This is a surprisingly good intro on operating the AR. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wBFfdKvXOc

Clint Smith is my favorite instructor.  I agree with almost everything he teaches.  Here’s an intro to his urban rifle course. 

Part one is the classroom portion.  Please don’t skip it.  There’s a lot of solid information in it. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tl1rR6bFRq8 

Part two is the range portion. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-DVHIKTn1g

Dave Spaulding is another excellent instructor. 

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4C7C18C5AF8BA34B

Here is a video on accessorizing your AR.  When it comes to accessories, I believe that less is more.  I like a good set of iron sights, a practical optic, a two point sling, and a white light.  I don’t care for the vertical foregrips and prefer a nice set of rail covers so it doesn’t feel like I’m trying to hang onto a wood rasp. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11aQx2HXJ9I

Handgun Barrel Length

Handgun Barrel Length 

Barrel length is one of the variables you will have to choose when purchasing a handgun.  In many cases, the determining factor will simply be what you prefer.  However, there are some very real differences that translate to advantages and disadvantages between barrel lengths.  I will go over those differences and tell you my preferences and reasoning. 

Please note, the way you measure the barrel length on revolving pistols (revolvers) and autoloading pistols is different.  When you measure the barrel on a revolver, you do not include the chamber.  This means that a four inch barrel on a revolver is equivalent to a five inch barrel on an auto. 

Longer barrels give you higher velocities.  This may be important for hunting or long-range target shooting.  The general rule is 15 to 30 feet per second per inch of barrel length.  The reason is the longer the barrel the more powder can burn before the bullet exits the firearm.  Remember that when you are comparing calibers from a ballistics table.  Many of the published velocities for magnum cartridges are obtained from six or even eight inch barrels.  If you are shooting a two inch barrel .357 magnum, you are not going to get the same velocities and might be served just as well shooting .38 specials out of the same pistol for less muzzle blast. 

Longer barrels have less muzzle blast and flash.  Muzzle blast is caused by unburned powder.  Getting a more complete burn reduces the noise and flash.  Reduced muzzle flash can be important if you have to shoot your handgun in the dark.  The majority of defensive shootings occur in low light and too much muzzle flash can blind you temporarily.    

Longer barrels can allow for a longer sight radius.  In general, the longer the sight radius, the easier it is to see variations in your sight alignment.  A longer sight radius makes it easier to achieve subjective accuracy.  Accuracy is important for target shooting and hunting but is less so for defensive shooting.  Virtually all defensive handgun shooting occurs at conversational distances (“Gimme yer wallet!”) with most occurring at contact ranges.  While I like getting the most accuracy I can, it’s a tertiary concern- behind reliability and power- in a defensive handgun. 

Longer barrels cut down on felt recoil.  The added weight and leverage gained by a longer barrel reduce muzzle rise. 

Shorter barrels have several advantages.  They make the pistol shorter and lighter and, to a certain extent, more concealable.  A shorter barrel also makes the pistol easier to draw quickly.  When a barrel gets beyond a certain length, it restricts the type of holsters and carry positions you can use. 

Shorter barrels also have some disadvantages.  Disadvantages include reduced velocity, reduced sight radius (not important if you use a micro-red dot), increased muzzle blast (which can be mitigated by tailoring your ammunition to your weapon), and, in autoloaders, decreased reliability.  That last disadvantage is the most concerning. 

I’ll use the 1911 as an example but the mechanics apply across most designs.  The 1911 was designed with a 5 inch barrel and a 16 pound recoil spring. 

The 5 inch barrel gives the maximum reliability in the 1911.  If we reduce the barrel length, we also reduce the distance the slide can move when it ejects the fired case and loads the new cartridge.  The pistol will become less tolerant of variations in bullet profile and cartridge length. 

You also have to get the same amount of work done in less space which means the recoil spring has to be stronger.  The standard spring rate in a 4 inch barrel 1911 goes up to 18 pounds and it increases to 20 pounds with a three inch barrel.  Increasing the recoil spring rate makes the pistol less tolerant of variations in ammunition recoil and the 1911 is a recoil operated mechanism.  Heavier recoil springs also make the pistol more sensitive to limp-wristing.  Limp-wristing is just what it sounds like, you fire the pistol with a limp wrist.  This can induce malfunctions because the shooter is not providing enough resistance for the spring to work against.    

Finally, the 1911 is a tipping barrel design.  The shorter barrels end up at more extreme angles than longer barrels when the slide is in its rearmost position.  Again, this increases the sensitivity to bullet profile and cartridge overall length.  Most modern auto pistols use a cam design rather than the swinging link of the 1911 which makes the barrel tipping less of an issue but it can still cause problems in the subcompacts.  There are a couple of designs that use a rotating barrel or other locking system that don’t have this particular concern. 

You can tailor your ammunition to suit your pistol and reduce some of the problems caused by a too-short barrel.  Regardless of what handgun you use, you should test the ammunition you intend to carry for compatibility and reliability in your pistol.  Testing two to five hundred rounds of your intended carry ammo is not unreasonable for a defensive firearm.  Ammunition using faster powders can help reduce muzzle blast in a short barrel. 

So, for a carry weapon, the idea is to choose a barrel length that gives a good balance between the advantages and disadvantages for your given situation. 

For dedicated target or hunting handguns I prefer a six to eight inch barrel.  With barrels that long, I use a crossdraw holster.  I find anything longer than eight inches to be unwieldy regardless of my intended use.  Examples include my old bullseye target pistol which is a Ruger .22 long rifle with a six and seven-eighths inch barrel and a Ruger Bisley .44 magnum with a 7 ½ inch barrel.  The long barrel in the .44 magnum reduces muzzle blast and recoil considerably.    

One of the few advantages of a handgun over a long gun is portability.  You have to carry a rifle but you wear a handgun.  If I’m working in bear country, a slung rifle can get in the way but a holstered pistol can go almost unnoticed all day.  My everyday carry gun when I’m boondocking in areas with large animals is a four inch barrel Smith and Wesson .44 magnum.  With that barrel length I get the velocity and subjective accuracy I need without making the pistol heavy and unwieldy.  The recoil is unpleasant but not unmanageable.  I carry the pistol in a strong side belt holster or horizontal shoulder holster. 

I have several pistols that I have carried for self-defense.  I don’t like a barrel shorter than four inches in an autoloader or three inches in a revolver.  I don’t mind carrying a full-sized five inch barrel 1911.  I find the bulk in the grips and action is more of a concern for concealment than the barrel length.  I usually use an inside the waistband (IWB) belt holster that keeps most of the pistol out of sight.  I prefer the four inch barrel on the autos to reduce weight rather than size.  I carry a five inch barrel 1911 .45 ACP in a strong side IWB or horizontal shoulder holster.  I carry a Taurus 24/7 .45 ACP with a four inch barrel in a strong side IWB.  I use lighter bullets with faster powder in the Taurus to cut down on muzzle flash and recoil.  Please note, one of the reasons I prefer the .45 ACP is that it is a low pressure round with minimal muzzle flash to begin with.  Sometimes I will carry a 2 ½ inch barrel Smith and Wesson model 19 .357 magnum in a strong side, high-ride, outside the waistband holster.  I use +P .38 specials rather than magnum ammo to cut down on the recoil and muzzle blast without giving up much velocity in that short barrel.  I jokingly say that I carry the .38 when I don’t feel the need to go armed.    

    

Maritza's Birthday 1911

Maritza’s Birthday 1911 

Mari enjoyed shooting one of my .45 ACP 1911 pistols and wanted one of her own.  I decided to get her one for her birthday.  Unfortunately, we are coming out of a firearms shortage caused by fear mongering, profiteering, and hoarding.  Pistols of the 1911 design from most of the major manufacturers were difficult to find and generally overpriced. 

The Philippine manufactured 1911s were both inexpensive and widely available.  In the past, I have been less than impressed with the firearms coming from the Philippines; quality control and metallurgy tended to be poor.  Before I bought one, I did considerable research and handled a number of the currently available pistols.  The Philippine manufacturers have modernized their manufacturing methods and tightened their quality control considerably.  As a matter of fact, they are turning out pistols and parts for a number of other well-known brand names.  The examples I handled showed quite good fit and finish.  The reviews I found online indicated a few minor problems (primarily with spring longevity) but nothing I couldn’t repair or replace myself. 

I decided to take a chance and ordered a Citadel 1911A1 imported by Legacy Sports.  I ordered through Davidson’s Guns as they offer a lifetime warranty on firearms purchased from them. 

Per Mari’s stated preference, I ordered a full-sized pistol with a 5” barrel and checkered wooden stocks.  The finish is a black phosphate similar to Parkerizing.  The pistol came with a lockable hard case and two eight-round magazines. 

Mari’s Citadel is quite similar to the Loaded model offered by Springfield Armory with a number of modifications added to the original 1911A1 platform.  It has a beavertail grip safety with a memory bump (which I like), a skeletonized hammer and medium length trigger, chamfered magazine well, flat plastic checkered mainspring housing (which I don’t like), front slide serrations, and an ambidextrous safety (which I also don’t like).  I’m perfectly willing and able to change out any parts that Mari doesn’t like for something that suits her better. 

The sights are a nice copy of the Novak low profile fixed sights.  They offer an excellent sight picture but they are black on black.  I personally prefer a three dot system.  Whatever Mari decides to go with is easily accomplished with a bit of paint.  The sights aren’t true Novaks and the dovetails will require some modification to fit another set of sights, if necessary. 

I detail stripped the pistol and cleaned off all the preservative shipping oil.  That oil is designed for rust prevention and not lubrication and often acts more like glue.  I think much of the talk of “breaking in” these Philippine 1911s is simply the new owners failing to lubricate them properly.   

I inspected all the parts and everything seemed to be in spec and well made.  I understand there is some concern over the metal injection molded (MIM) parts, but if they’re well executed, they should serve.  I can easily replace any small parts or springs that don’t seem to be holding up.  I lubricated everything with Ballistol and hit the high-wear points with some moly grease.  I then reassembled the pistol and worked the action to smooth out some of the finish.  I function checked it but did not test fire it as I felt that Maritza should be the first one to fire her new pistol. 

Maritza was quite pleased with her birthday gift but we didn’t get a chance to go out and shoot it for several days.  We went out early Sunday morning to try and beat the worsening winds.  My regular target holders are buried in storage so I used a large cardboard box.  A chunk of wood in the bottom served to keep our impromptu target holder from heading for the New Mexico border. 

I had Mari load one magazine with a single round and her second magazine with three rounds.  With a new semi-auto it assures that, if the disconnector is not working correctly, you won’t empty a magazine on uncontrolled full-auto.  The first round was on the paper at about 15 yards.  The pistol cycled flawlessly with the 230 grain FMJ round nose we were able to find.  Empties were being ejected very consistently about five feet out and in the same area. 

Maritza had me fire a few rounds and I was able to keep all the shots within a couple of inches at 15 yards; which isn’t bad for offhand in high winds.  It’s hitting a little low for Mari but the sights are spot on for me.  Overall we’re both well pleased with the pistol. 

Maritza’s gunhandling and accuracy is improving with each training session.  Her loading and unloading of the pistol is getting smoother and smoother and her recoil control is excellent for someone who hasn’t fired more than three full boxes of ammo through a .45 yet.  Much of the gunhandling and accuracy skills can be developed without firing the pistol so Mari will be able to improve her skills even if we can’t get to the range frequently. 

Unfortunately Mari found out that shooting, while fun to the point of addiction, can be expensive.  The one box of factory ammo she bought didn’t last long.  Reloading and airsoft will allow more shooting with less expense. 

I wrote the following as part of a birthday letter I included with her present: 

“Now comes the fun part.  Guns are a lot like children- they end up costing you a lot of money.  You’ll want to buy ammunition, cleaning supplies, safety equipment, different parts, holster and magazine pouch, spare magazines, targets. . . the list is endless.  I haven’t given you a pistol.  I’ve given you a money pit.  But still, I hope you enjoy it.” 

Mari's Handloads

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAi5NfX-oFQ 

I took Mari out shooting my Ruger Bisley .44 magnum.  She really enjoyed it and wants a .44 of her own.  The Bisley grip is a bit large for her hands so she is looking at the Super Blackhawk with the 5 ½ inch barrel.  The 4 5/8 inch and 5 ½ inch Super Blackhawks have smaller grips than the Bisley or the longer barreled Super Blackhawks.  In fact, the grips on the 4 5/8 inch and 5 ½ inch barreled revolvers are the same size as the standard Blackhawks.  While the smaller grips make trigger reach easier, they do increase felt recoil and muzzle rise over the Bisley.  Since I own a 4 5/8 inch Super Blackhawk, we took that out shooting so Mari could get an idea of what the recoil will be like with the smaller grip. 

We burned up all my odd .44 magnum reloads the last time we went out shooting.  Mari was interested in reloading so I let her load up 50 rounds for our next range session.  I talked her through it but Mari did all the work. 

She started with some Winchester Western brass I had.  She took it from the tumbler and resized and decapped it with a Lee carbide die in a Lyman single stage press.  Next, she checked the overall length.  This brass has been reloaded a few times and may need trimming the next time but was still just below the maximum overall length.  Upon inspection we found no neck cracks and the primer pockets are still tight.  She continued with the brass prep by scraping out the primer pockets with an old Herter’s primer pocket cleaner I picked up many years ago. 

For powder I had some Hodgdon Universal Clays I wanted to use up.  I picked up a pound to use in a 2 inch barrel .38 special revolver.  It wasn’t compatible with the Ranier plated bullets I wanted to use as they wouldn’t take a heavy crimp and Universal needs a lot of bullet pull to get a good burn.  In the .38 I couldn’t get any velocity to speak of and the powder wasn’t burning clean.  I decided to try it with moderate loads in the .44 with some different bullets just to get rid of it. 

For bullets I had some 250 grain Keith style cast bullets.  They were cast with an LBT mold out of straight wheelweight alloy.  I hadn’t heat treated this batch of bullets as they were for moderate loads.  The large crimp groove on the Keith bullets would allow a heavy crimp and I was hoping the Universal would work with them.  Mari lubed the bullets with Javelina 50/50 beeswax Alox and sized them to .430 with a Lee push through sizer.  .430 inches provides a tight slip fit in the chamber throats on this revolver and has given good accuracy with other loads in it.  I’ve always gotten good accuracy with the Keith bullets in all my revolvers with light, moderate or heavy loads. 

Since I’ve not used Universal in the .44 before, I chose a starting load from the data to get a base velocity and see how the powder would perform in this pistol with these components.  Hodgdon’s data gives a velocity of 850 feet per second out of an 8 1/8” barrel.  Out of a 4 5/8” barrel, I expected to get about 100 FPS less.  I like to use an old Lee Safety powder measure for my moderate handgun loads as it’s easy to set up and can’t get out of adjustment.  One of the cavities threw a charge just .2 grains above the suggested starting load but still well below the maximum so I set the measure with that cavity. 

Mari primed the cases with CCI 300 standard large pistol primers.  I had a bunch of the CCI primers on hand.  I don’t care for magnum primers unless I’m shooting a powder that’s hard to ignite like H110.  Magnum primers raise pressures and I’d rather get my pressure from the powder as I think I get slightly more consistent velocities.  She used a Lee hand primer to prime the cases.  I like the Lee as it gives me a better feel than a press mounted primer. 

Mari flared the case mouths until they’d just clear the bullet bases.  I try not to work the brass any more than necessary to get longer case life.  This batch of Winchester cases has been reloaded several times and I still see no signs of case mouth cracks. 

After checking the powder charge on a scale, Mari charged all the cases with powder.  She checked the powder levels visually to catch any double charges.  We also pulled several cases and weighed the powder to make sure the loads were consistent.  The Lee Safety measure can’t get out of adjustment but powder can settle and start throwing heavier charges.  We kept the measure more than half full and tapped it down so the charge weights were consistent from start to finish.  The Universal works well in this measure. 

Next, Mari seated the bullets.  The cartridge overall length is determined by the crimp groove location with the Keith bullets.  The deep crimp groove allowed for a fairly heavy crimp so I was confident we’d get a good burn with the Universal. 

We got out to the range early to beat the heat, wind and crowds.  Mari was the first one to shoot her reloads.  The revolver is sighted in for my eyes so it was hitting a bit high for Mari but she was getting decent groups.  At about 20 yards we got a three shot group right at an inch and about two inches above the aiming point from the offhand position. 

I fired a couple of rounds over the chronograph before the battery died.  The velocity was averaging 750 FPS which is about where I was expecting.  Recoil and muzzle blast were quite comfortable with this load. 

We backed off to 50 yards and Mari was keeping most of her shots on the paper but was still hitting high.  I think we were getting some glare off the front sight and should probably throw a little sight black on it.  We couldn’t do any real long range shooting as there were cattle in the area but did get to shoot at a stump about 100 yards away.  We burned up the rest of the ammo plinking at various objects left by previous shooters. 

The day was a success.  Mari got a feel for the smaller grip on the Ruger and got in some practice with her handloads.  The load was accurate and we obviously have some room to bump up the load if we decide to.  Now, all I have to do is cast up some more of those Keith bullets. 

Some Safety Concerns About the .40 S&W

Some Safety Concerns About the .40 S&W

The .40 Smith and Wesson is an excellent defensive pistol round offering improved performance over the 9X19 mm in a similar sized package. Being a fairly short cartridge, the price of this performance is relatively high operating pressures. These high pressures are not a safety concern in themselves but they do present some potential problems that must be considered. Here are some SAAMI pressure standards for common rounds to give you an idea where the .40 stands in the scheme of things. The pressures are given in PSI.

.45 ACP 21,000
.45 ACP +P 23,000
9X19 mm 33,000
.357 Smith and Wesson Magnum 35,000
.40 Smith and Wesson 35,000
10 mm 37,500
.44 Remington Magnum 40,000
.30-30 42,000
.308 Winchester 52,000

The high operating pressure of the .40 combined with the short cartridge case means there is very little room for error when dealing with this round. The .40 is a true magnum round and is actually rubbing shoulders with some rifle rounds in the pressure department.

Gun powder develops a given pressure for a given amount of powder in a given volume. If you change the case volume without changing the amount of powder, the pressure will change. Increase the volume and the pressure decreases. Decrease the volume and the pressure will increase. The relationship between case volume and pressure is not a linear one; that is to say cutting the volume in half does not double the pressure. A very small decrease in the volume can cause a massive increase in pressure and not always a predictable one.

One variable that determines your working case volume is the depth to which the bullet is seated. Seating a bullet deeper in the case will cause pressures to go up. The .40 has such a small case volume in relation to its caliber that a very small change in bullet seating depth represents a significant percentage change in the volume available to the powder. Because the .40 has such a high operating pressure it doesn’t take much of a pressure increase to exceed the ability of the case to contain the burning propellant. A ruptured case can create all sorts of havoc and can be dangerous. A bit more pressure can cause structural failure in the firearm which is very likely to cause injury.

One action that may cause the bullet to be seated more deeply is the simple act of cycling the cartridge from the magazine into the chamber. Ideally the round will only make that trip once, however administrative loading and unloading may cause you to chamber the same round several times. Initially the setback may be insignificant but as the cartridge shortens the feed geometry will change and each feeding will shorten the cartridge by a greater amount.

As an example of what can happen, I was shooting a handload in my .45 ACP that chronographed right at 870 fps with Hornady 230 grain truncated cone FMJ bullets. With an 18 pound recoil spring the cases were ejecting six or eight feet. I had chambered one of the cartridges several times in a pistol that was giving me some feeding problems with that bullet profile. The bullet had set back visibly in the case. When I fired the compressed round over the chronograph I got a reading of 925 fps. The empty casing ejected over 20 feet. Examination of the case showed drag marks on the primer although the unsupported portion of the case had not bulged. A moderate load had been pushed right up to the redline. Fortunately, the .45 ACP is a very low pressure round so there was some room to maneuver. Had I tried the same stunt with a .40 the results would not have been quite so benign.

Some bullet profiles will be worse than others in this regard. The truncated cone is particularly bad as are some of the hollowpoints. Round nose bullets are the least objectionable as they feed with the least resistance.

The solution is to limit the number of times you chamber a single cartridge. Most of the ammunition manufacturers recommend that their semi-auto rounds only be chambered a maximum of twice before being fired or discarded. I would suggest that you either rotate the rounds in the magazine so the same cartridge isn’t fed more than twice. Or set aside the ejected unfired round and replace it with a fresh round. Save the unfired round for a practice session when you know you’re going to burn it up.

As not all pistol and ammunition combinations will cause bullet setback, another alternative is to measure the unfired round before you put it back in the magazine. This can be done with a dial caliper or by comparing it with fresh cartridges. Set the round between the two new ones on a level surface. A straight edge set across the two fresh rounds will show if the fed round has shortened. If the bullet has been set back I would recommend you discard the round.

I think it’s a good idea to watch for bullet setback with any autoloader but the .40 is particularly unforgiving.

Maintain your pistol. Replace your recoil spring every 1,000 to 5,000 rounds. Do not swap the factory rate spring for a lighter one unless you’re exclusively shooting light loads. A weak or weakened spring can allow the action to open while the chamber pressures are still high. With the .40, you will probably end up with a blown case.

Keep your pistol clean and properly (lightly) lubricated. A sticky disconnector can allow your piece to fire out of battery. Out of battery fire is not a good thing. Glocks in particular, due to their straight line striker, are susceptible to out of battery fire when not properly maintained. Pay particular attention to the bore and chamber. Fouling- especially leading- in the bore can raise pressures. Material in the chamber may keep the action from closing fully and allow the pistol to fire out of battery. Don’t get lubrication in the chamber or on your cartridges. Lube in the chamber can cause breach pressures to increase tremendously.

When it comes to reloading the .40 my suggestion is don’t. No major firearms manufacturers condone the use of reloads in their pistols. New manufactured generic practice loads are readily available for the .40 and aren’t that expensive. If you absolutely insist on reloading the .40, pay close attention to the warnings- both for the .40 in particular and reloading in general- that you’ll find in all the good loading manuals.

Find out if your barrel fully supports the case. For example, factory Glock barrels do not fully support the case. The unsupported portion of the case will be the first to go when pressures get a bit high. Accurate Arms, Hodgdon and other component manufacturers have gone so far as to recommend that their reloading data not be used in unsupported barrels. If the unsupported portion of the case bulges, the bulge may be ironed out during the resizing process. Unfortunately, that part of the case will now be weakened and subsequent firings with otherwise safe loads may cause a blowout. That’s one reason why I suggest not using brass found at the range. I also suggest not using commercial reloads for the same reason. As careful as the commercial reloaders are, they may not be able to maintain quality control on the incoming fired brass.

Consider using a moderate target load. Paper targets are simply not that hard to stop. By using a lighter target load you can avoid the problems inherent with a high-pressure round. You may need to change to a lighter recoil spring for your practice sessions but I think it’s a worthwhile tradeoff. Just don’t forget to switch back to the heavy spring before firing any full loads.

The .40 Smith and Wesson is an excellent defensive cartridge. I think a .40 caliber Glock is one of the finest defensive pistols you can buy. The .40 is a high performance cartridge and, like any piece of high performance equipment, requires a bit of care and attention in use. 

Hunting Rifles for Ken

(A friend asked my opinion on hunting rifles.  He was interested in a .30-06 for deer hunting.  I told him it was an excellent choice and, if you couldn’t get it done with an ’06, you probably couldn’t get it done.) 

Here are my primary hunting rifles.  I also have .22s for small game, a .416 for really big game, and shotguns for birds and whatnot. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRhUtXF09Ls

If I were to reduce to only one of my rifles, I’d go with the .300 mag.  It has iron sights in case my scope goes tango uniform in the middle of a hunt.  It also has better long range capacity than either of the carbines.  And, it can throw heavier bullets than the .308.  I like the repeater because it allows for quicker follow up shots than the single shot.    

The .308 is my primary because it’s light and handy.  The action on a .308 is an inch shorter and a pound lighter than a .30-06.  Out of the 20 inch barrel, the .308 throws the lighter bullets almost as fast as a .30.06 would out of a similar carbine.  However, the ’06 will throw much heavier bullets out of a longer barrel much faster than a .308 would. 

I don’t have iron sights on my .308 but it’s not a handicap as I have backup rifles in case the scope goes out.  Likewise, if I need to do some longer range shooting or go after heavier game (although the .308 will kill anything on the planet), I can go to one of my other rifles. 

As far as calibers go for medium to large game, I like a minimum of 6.5 millimeter and 140 grains.  As caliber goes up, I tend toward the heavier bullets so I get good ballistic coefficient and sectional density.  In a .30 caliber, I like 165 to 200 grain bullets.  For longer range shooting I like 2700 to 3000 feet per second muzzle velocity.  That speed combined with a  good ballistic coefficient will get you a terminal velocity in excess of 1800 FPS past 300 yards.  That terminal velocity insures good bullet expansion. 

If I were to start over with a single rifle, I’d get a bolt action repeater with a 24 to 26 inch barrel and iron sights.  I’d probably go with a .270 and use a good premium bullet like the Barnes X.  The .270 shoots as flat as my .300 but doesn’t kick as badly.  A 150 grain X bullet out of a .270 will shoot through both shoulders of an elk.  I’d mount a really good 2-8X or 3-9X variable scope on it for both close and long range capability. 

Years ago there were some Ruger 77 Express models in .270 on closeout.  I still kick myself for not picking one up but I didn’t need another rifle at the time.      

Mari's Crosman Benjamin 397

A friend of mine wanted to learn to shoot.  One of the best tools for learning marksmanship is the air rifle.  Air rifles are inexpensive to buy and shoot and require minimum space to use.  They are quiet and have little to no recoil so won’t mask any shooting errors.  Mari tried my Daisy multi-pump and liked it.  I don’t care for the quality of the current Daisy rifles plus I wanted to cut the stock to fit her and that’s difficult with a hollow plastic stock.  I also prefer a brass barrel on a multi-pump; the current Daisys use steel.    

I decided on a Crosman Benjamin 397 .177 caliber.  Besides being virtually recoilless and easier on scopes, the 397 is less expensive than the better break-barrel spring guns.  The multi-pump 397 also offers a choice of velocities.  Most of the current break-barrel rifles are high-velocity.  The 397 has been getting good reviews online and has a wood stock and brass barrel.   

Mari liked the aperture sight on my .22 rifle so I ordered a Williams 5D-SH receiver sight.  I also ordered a hard rifle case, some pellets, and some airgun oil.    

When the rifle arrived we took it out to check the zero and test fire.  If there were any problems, I wanted to be able to return it under warranty before I did any customizing.  The rifle functioned well and the factory rear leaf sight was pretty much dead on. 

The 397 is already drilled and tapped for the Williams sight.  On some older models the front sight is too short for the Williams and doesn’t allow sufficient elevation adjustment.  A taller front sight or modification to the rear sight may be required. 

I degreased the mounting holes.  Since the receiver is brass, and I didn’t want to over-tighten the mounting screws, I made sure to use a bit of Loctite.  I looked through the aperture and it aligned fairly well with the previously zeroed leaf sight so I was reasonably certain I could get a good zero without any modification to front blade or rear aperture. 

Once I was sure the Williams sight was going to be fairly close to zero without any machine work or modifications, I removed the leaf rear sight.  I removed the two windage adjustment screws.  I then put a punch through the windage adjustment screw hole at the front of the sight.  I put the muzzle of the rifle on a protected solid surface.  By pressing forward on one side of the punch and tapping toward the muzzle on the other with a light brass hammer, I was able to drift the sight clear of the two triangular base grips.  With the sight removed, the base grips fell right out. 

The trigger was reasonably consistent out of the box.  Pull weight wasn’t bad so I left that alone for the moment.  I opened up the trigger mechanism and didn’t see anything too grotesque.  I made sure there weren’t any machining chips or chunks or overly rough surfaces.  I hit all the contact points with some moly grease and left it at that.  If, after some break in, the trigger needs some refinement, I can go back in and polish or re-contour contact points or lighten springs. 

The factory stock was a bit long so I cut it off and fitted the original buttplate. 

A good way to get an approximate length of pull is to bend your shooting arm 90 degrees at the elbow.  Now, take a yardstick and put it in the crook of the elbow.  Grasp the yardstick with the shooting hand as if it were the wrist of a rifle stock.  Bend the trigger finger as if pressing a trigger and measure the distance from the inside of the trigger finger to the inside of the crook of the elbow.  This measurement should be pretty close to the maximum comfortable length of pull (LOP) for you.  It may be desirable to cut the stock even shorter to allow for heavy clothing or just to make the rifle feel a bit handier. 

I measured the current LOP on the rifle and Mari’s LOP and calculated the difference.  Despite the fact that you don’t want to exceed the maximum LOP for the shooter, it’s generally a good idea to initially cut the stock just a tiny bit longer as you can always remove material.  Plus, if you get a rough cut, you can sand back to the final dimensions. 

I removed the plastic buttplate.  Some manufacturers glue the buttplate in place and it may be difficult, if not impossible, to salvage it.  It’s a good idea, with a glued on buttplate, to have a spare in hand in case the original is damaged while removing it.  Fortunately, Crosman did not glue on this buttplate. 

I wrapped the buttstock with masking tape around the point where I was going to make the cut.  The tape does several things.  I can mark my cut line on the tape without marking the stock.  The tape helps prevent tear-out and chipping when I make my cut.  With the tape in place, I can grind the buttpad to near final dimensions when it’s installed with minimum risk for damaging the stock.  Note that much of this is irrelevant with an unfinished stock as you can grind buttpad and stock together and then finish the stock. 

I carefully measured and marked several points around the tape from the butt to the intended cut point.  I then took a flexible straight edge and connected the dots so I had a continuous cut line around the stock. 

With my old shop, I had a jig for my table saw that would allow me to mount the buttstock.  I would set the stock against the fence, set the cut angle on the butt (usually the same as the current angle), and then set the fence for the depth of cut.  Starting at the toe of the stock, as that’s the most likely to tear out or chip, I’d make one pass and hope for a clean cut.  As I no longer have a table saw, I used a Japanese pull saw with fine teeth to make the cut.  I worked very slowly and carefully to maintain my angle and make a straight cut.  You can start your cut with a needle file to prevent any false starts or skips with the saw.    

I got a good clean cut and it only took a bit of sanding to get the butt flat.  I used a straight edge at several points and angles across the butt to make sure it was flat.  Again, this was much easier to do with a bench sander but careful work with a sanding block, while slower, will do the trick.  If you use a bench sander, again, sand from the toe of the stock to the heel as the toe is the most likely to break away.  By sanding back to the final length, you can remove many of the small chips you may get while sawing. 

When you cut a stock, the original buttpad often ends up too small for the butt.  You can fit the butt to the pad or get a new, oversized pad.  If the butt is finished and you don’t want to refinish the whole stock, a new pad is the way to go. 

Again, in my old shop I had a buttpad fitting jig.  I would mount the pad to the stock and scribe around the stock.  Then, I’d mount the pad to the jig and set the angle against the stock.  Finally, I’d grind the pad back to the scribe line on the bench sander.  It was quick and easy with no chance of damaging the finish on the stock.  Since I’m no longer in my old shop, I have to fit the pad while it’s mounted on the stock.  Slow and careful are the watchwords of the day. 

I put the pad against the cut stock.  The original pad was big enough to use.  I picked a drill bit that was about the same size as the shaft on the buttpad screws.  I didn’t cut off enough of the stock to eliminate the existing screw holes.  The existing holes were close enough to the correct position for the pad so I just deepened them a bit rather than drill new holes.  If I had needed to remove a lot of material, I would have scribed the pad and done the majority of the fitting off the stock.  As it is, I only had to remove a little material in a few places. 

With the masking tape still in place, I used a Dremel with a sanding drum to match the stock contour and remove the unwanted material.  By carefully working back to the tape, I was able to get quite close without damaging the finish on the stock.  I then removed the tape and remounted the pad. 

The toe on the pad requires a little more fitting which isn’t a problem.  The heel on the stock needs a tiny bit of fitting and that is a problem.  I can either order and fit another buttpad or grind a tiny bit off the stock.  If I grind the stock, I’ll have to try to match the original finish.  Either way, the rifle is currently functional as it stands. 

I removed the aperture insert on the rear sight to give a ghostring effect.  Mari used a similar sight on my .22 to good effect.  I was able to get a three round cloverleaf at about 10 meters with the ghostring.  Mari was getting good groups and hitting targets out to about 20 meters with three pumps from the offhand position.  Later, she had me put the aperture insert back in.  We had to bring the rear sight up a couple of lines for a new zero.  Mari hasn’t needed any windage adjustment. 

So far, the rifle has proven accurate, easy to use, and fun.  It’s serving its purpose as a training piece admirably.