Author: r2kba.patriot

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10mm 1911A1 1911A2 22TCM FS HC Rock Island Armory Rock Ultra

Time for A 10mm Range Visit

I picked up the RIA Rock Ultra FS HC 10mm this morning before work (5 min wait to get background check results – I’m squeaky clean).

As usual, the handgun was covered in cosmoline and was in a plastic bag.  It came with one mag (as expected) and a manual.  The envelope with the spent cases showed an inspection date of 12/18/2020, meaning the gun is new.

The recoil spring is Popeye strong…you probably need to open a can of spinach to rack the slide.  I’m not joking…it’s strong and probably needs to be.  One of the things I struggle with when handling the gun is racking the slide.  I wish the slide had more aggressive serrations, because I sometimes can’t get a good enough grip to properly rack the gun.

I field-stripped the gun to clean off the preservative (it is not lube).  The machining is really nice.  This gun has a bull barrel, too…there’s no bushing, so you need to use a tool or paper clip to field strip the gun.  Now, to break down the recoil spring assembly (which consists of  the recoil rod, spring, and reverse plug), you’re not going to be able to do it your fingers.  The spring is far too strong.  Use the slide to help with that process.

The thumb safety needs to be tightened…it’s a bit loose (all of my Filipino 1911s were).

I changed the fiber filament of the front sight.  I had trouble removing it.  It appears as if someone (maybe) used an adhesive or even Locktite to secure it.  I replaced it with a TruGlo filament.

I took the gun to the range this evening, along with my RIA 22TCM.  The Rock Ultra manages recoil very well…I had no issues controlling the handgun, although I was using 180-gr FMJ range ammo (S&B and Ammo Inc).  It shoots far better than my Glock 22, but it has a lot more weight than the G22, as well.  The 10mm was launching spent casings against the side of the booth and I’ve no doubt it’ll throw brass 30 or so feet.

The S&B ammo is NICE ammo!  It’s clean and very accurate.  I was shooting from 7 yards.  I always do…no need to shoot further than that, IMO, and it’s a good distance to benchmark a handgun.  I shot 25 rounds of S&B, noting that my grouping was relatively tight.  I then loaded a mag of the Ammo Inc.  That ammo sucks!!  I was all over the place and at first thought it was me.  No.  The ammo is very inconsistent and was throwing ammo all over the target.  I will not be buying anymore of that ammo…well, I might, if the ammo prices keep climbing.  Bad ammo is better than no ammo, I guess.

As always, when shooting 1911s, I always shoot low left of center.  The groups may be tight, but I still shoot low left.  I think I’ve determined what I’m doing wrong.  When the gun is in my hand and I’m aiming down the sights, I’m almost 100% certain that the gun isn’t aiming straight down-range.  I must be aiming left.  Also, I caught myself (twice) flinching when pulling the trigger.  The flinching is making me pull low left – I actually saw it when reviewing my GoPro range footage (which is why I use the camera when shooting).  So, I’ve to work on getting better at shooting 1911s.  I did eventually walk the rounds to bulls-eye with the 22TCM 1911, though (I shot 50 rounds).

I will return to the range soon, but will probably bring the AK pistols next go around.  I may bring the Rock Ultra as well, if I can find more 10mm ammo.

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10mm 1911A2 FS HC RIA Rock Ultra

My RIA Rock Ultra HC FS 10mm is inbound!

 My first 10mm is now at my FFL dealer (my gun club).  It shipped on 2/12 and arrived at the FFL today (2/16).  Pickup is by appointment only and the earliest opening they have is 2/19 (Friday).  So, I will be picking it up at 9:30 AM that day.

Not only is this my first 10mm, it’s my first full-sized 1911, and first double-stacked (M1911A2) 1911.

I also have 200 rounds of 10mm range ammo coming – ordered online:  100 rounds of Sellier & Bellot 180-gr FMJ and  100 rounds of Ammo Inc. 180-gr FMJ.  I’ll also attempt to see if I can find more (hotter, maybe) locally.

So, the plan is to pick up the 1911 Friday morning, clean it sometime during the day, and visit the range either that evening or the following day.

The two extra mags that I ordered haven’t even been processed yet…I’ve no idea why there’s such a hold-up at Armscor.  I hate it when a gun shop’s website says they’ve hardware in stock but when you order it, it’s not in stock.  IMO, that’s false advertising.

I’ve a bunch of new Go Pro batteries and plan to use the Go Pro to catch footage of my first 10mm experience!

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1911 bull barrel disassembly recoil rod reverse plug RIA Rock Island Armory spring

1911 How-To: How to use the slide to disassemble the recoil rod assembly on a bull-barreled 1911

I show where I damaged a reverse plug on a bull-barreled 1911.  I’ve replaced the reverse plug with a new one that is a revised part (the replacement part has what appears to be a barrel cradle).  

I also show how to use the slide to disassemble the recoil rod assembly.  I know most folks use their hands but I feel for them if they’re using their hands to disassemble a RR assembly from a 10mm.  I can barely use my fingers when doing it to my 9mm.  I got this procedure from sootch00 (specifically his SR1911 10mm video).

Used my old Go Pro Hero 4 Silver, which I thought had died…turns out, the SD card was bad and the camera was fine

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concealed carry license non-resident renewal Utah

I Renewed (first time) My Utah Non-Resident Conceal Carrry License

I renewed my Utah non-resident concealed carry license during 2020 Christmas break, sometime between Christmas day and New Year’s day.

This is the first time I’ve renewed that license.  It is super-easy.  I went to a web link that they provided, took a picture of myself (passport quality), then submitted the web form and picture.

Less than 10 days later, I received the new card in the mail.  I was actually surprised at the quickness of the whole process.  Submitting it was easy, as well.  I almost let it lapse because I thought I’d have to submit fingerprints and be forced to create a paper trail.  

The most difficult part was getting the training and initial card.  While I didn’t explain the whole process of obtaining the credentials (I should’ve), I did create a blog entry back in December of 2015.

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9mm handgun pistol RFID Sentry SmartGunz

Review of the SmartGunz RFID-Enabled 9mm Sentry Pistol

[SHOT 2021] SmartGunz Announce RFID-Enabled 9mm Sentry Pistol

The highlights of this article is that this is supposedly a “smart” gun.  It uses RFID mounted within an included glove to recognize the proper owner of the firearm.  Without such recognition, the handgun can’t be used.

The firearm appears to be a modified 1911.

The firearm also requires the user to wear a fingerless glove (that’s part of the RFID process – a chip is apparently inside the glove).

In addition to the firearm requiring the use of the glove, it also requires the user to depress a switch on the firearm for it to fire.

The firearm is projected to cost $2,495 — YIKE$$$.

So, I guess you’ll either have to sleep with the glove on to use this pistol in a defensive manner as a home defense gun, otherwise, you’d have to hurriedly don the glove when you need to use the firearm.

If you’re to use it to carry (concealed or otherwise), it would require you to wear that glove throughout your day, otherwise the firearm would be useless.

As well, having to depress a switch to shoot a handgun (when you already have the RFID as an enabler)…WTF??

There’s a lot wrong with this handgun.  What’s it supposed to prevent that can be prevented with any current non-smart handgun while also using common sense?  Keep them away from kids and lock them up when not in use (to prevent theft).

I wonder what goes through a LEO’s mind when reading of this handgun.  It’s supposed to appeal to the police organizations.

Apparently this handgun supposedly “Protects you and your loved ones from firearm abuse, accidental firings, and suicide attempts”.

Let’s break that statement down by applying some rational questions to it.

How does this gun protect you and your loved one from firearms abuse any better than a traditional firearm?  While it may lessen negligent (not accidental)  firings, it may also get you killed because it’s useless without the glove and thieves and burglars won’t wait for you to put on the RFID glove so that you can defend yourself.

How does this firearm prevent or lessen suicide attempts???  WTAF…someone wanting to commit suicide with this gun just needs to put on the glove and actuate the button that enables firing – it will do absolutely nothing to prevent the owner from intentionally using it.  Owners of traditional handguns keep them locked up to prevent others from handling the gun (or, they’re liable after the fact of misuse).

The showstopper is the $2500+ price tag, though.  That’s top tier 1911 money.  Does it shoot like a $2500 1911?  Almost certainly not.  What happens when the glove wears out?  What happens when some of that circuitry glitches?  Is the circuitry going to get gummed up with lubricant over time?  I’m sure I can come up with more questions as I sit and think of use cases for this particular firearm.

Bottom line is, if you’re intimidated by firearms and have a Liberal mindset, this gun is for you!  I’ll pass.

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ammo ammofast shortage

AmmoFast.com – Why Is There an Ammo Supply Shortage?

I really appreciate that AmmoFast took the time to post the below.  I’ve started posting it in forums and FB groups when folks start hemming/hawwing about ammo prices and conspiracy theories.  I’m not one of those folks that believe in those theories, BTW.

https://www.ammofast.com/why-is-there-an-ammo-shortage/

For those that don’t want to click the link, I’ve taken the liberty of posting the URL’s content below:

Why Is There an Ammo Supply Shortage?

If you’ve tried to purchase ammo lately, you’ve probably noticed a lot of products are out of stock. Right now all calibers and types are in short supply.  The biggest pain felt is probably in the realm of 9mm, 308 and 223 caliber ammo. Manufacturers have increased their production on these calibers.  As manufacturers make tooling changes to their production lines to meet the volume requirements of the most popular calibers, production of the less popular calibers is naturally decreased.  There is only so much capacity.  Every increase somewhere results in a decrease somewhere else.  This has created an ammunition shortage that makes the few shortages over the past 20 years seem like nothing.  It’s also limiting the production of many popular types of ammunition. This can be frustrating for shooters and hunters looking to keep their edge on the range, and can be concerning for preppers, survivalists, and others who are concerned about their safety.

Unfortunately, we do not see things getting much better this year.  Read on as the experts from AmmoFast delve deeper into the ammo shortage…

A Massive Increase in Demand for Ammunition

Like any other product in a market economy, ammo is subject to the whims of supply and demand. As far as demand is concerned, a perfect storm of factors has caused a run on the ammo market like we’ve never quite seen before. A mix of the Covid-19 pandemic, civil unrest, an anti-2nd Amendment administration and Senate has caused demand to skyrocket even further than we saw in most of 2020.

We have an extremely large number of new gun owners who have entered the market. The NSSF estimates that first-time gun owners has increased over 8 million people over the past several months. Nearly 40 million people purchased guns in 2020.  That is a 71% increase over 2019.  Even if those 40 million new gun owners only purchased 50 rounds of ammunition for their new firearm that is an additional demand of 2 billion rounds of ammo.  That doesn’t take into account those who simply chose to stock up.  The demand is staggering.

Hoarding

When there is an ammunition shortage the first thing people normally point to is consumer hoarding.  We believe this is having an impact on availability, but probably not to the extreme that many think.  There are definitely some profiteers who buy ammo and then sell them on auction sites or other multi-list sites.  This is why many online retailers have now chosen to limit the purchase quantities to an extremely low level in an effort to reduce the reselling at outrageous prices.  We want everyone to have access to ammo at a reasonable price.

Disruptions in the Ammo Supply Chain

Demand, however, is just one part of the story. Disruptions in the supply chain have also made a big impact on the availability of ammunition.

In the U.S., there are only five major manufacturers of ammunition (Winchester, Remington, Hornady, Federal, and CCI). Even under perfect circumstances, there’s only so much they can produce at once, and needless to say, circumstances have not been perfect during the pandemic. Employees throughout the supply chain have been getting sick, missing work to take care of their kids, and self-quarantining.  This has caused a lull in manufacturing throughout 2020.

After the 2016 run on ammunition, we seen many small manufacturers close their doors due to the slim demand for ammunition in 2017, 2018 and 2019.  This created even tighter supply constraints and inherently created the environment for a perfect storm.

The Remington bankruptcy has had a large impact on the shortage of ammo.  With Remington in a state of financial insolvency for the past two years, suppliers were demanding payment upon delivery for products.  Remington simply did not have the financial capabilities to have an abundance of raw materials on hand and had to shutter some of their production capacity.  With the recent purchase of Remington by Vista, there is a good chance that Remington ammunition production will have a tremendous impact on supplies going forward.  However, the disruption of the last two years took at least one year’s worth of ammunition production out of the market from one of the biggest manufacturers in the United States.  The hope would be that Vista will place extreme emphasis on getting the Remington production capacity increased substantially and quickly.  There is no doubt that they will as this is their best bet to return some of the extensive amount of capital they had to make with the purchase.  I would imagine that there was a lack of preventative maintenance at the Remington facility over the past two years due to financial problems.  This could create a huge problem for Vista getting the production up quickly. The process of creating ammo is more complex than it may seem.  With this rapid ramp-up in production, there will be a large draw on raw materials causing a temporary spike in raw material costs across the board on all manufacturers.  I would look for ammunition prices to continue to increase for at least the first half of 2021.

In previous years we’ve seen a huge influx of foreign ammunition during times when the market was tight.  We are not seeing that this time as many foreign manufacturers are producing at between 50% and 70% of capacity due to the COVID-19 impacts on individuals. We are extremely hopeful that the vaccines being delivered will improve worker’s health worldwide.  However, with the new virus strain, we are hearing of huge numbers of worker absentees in foreign facilities, only further reducing their production.

What Should You Do?

The new administration has openly stated their intent regarding the 2nd Amendment and how to limit or even eliminate the ability for consumers to purchase anything related to firearms.  We have seen American companies openly attack firearm-related businesses through litigation, IRS targeting, pressuring banking institutions to stop processing transactions, pressuring shipping companies to stop transportation and targeting Conservative institutions and ideals.  If you see anything come out as a stated initiative in the next 60 days we would anticipate you will see prices skyrocket even more than they have at this time.  There are some big questions out there right now.

Q.) Should I have stockpiled ammunition in 2019?
A.) Absolutely!  Hindsight is 2020 (no pun intended).

Q.)  Ammunition is really high right now.  Should I purchase more ammunition or should I wait for the prices to go down?
A. ) Ammunition is like the stock market.  It’s nearly a commodity at this point.  Your guess is as good as ours on whether it is going to go up or down.  We can tell you that manufacturers have already announced price increases for April 2021.  Typically when manufacturers increase their prices they do not go back down.  But right now demand continues to outweigh supply.  As long as that happens you’ll continue to see increasing ammunition prices.

Q.)  How long will the ammo shortage last?
A.) Remington ammunition should start hitting the market soon.  We think that should help supply.  However, we are still unsure of the impact Covid will have on worldwide production of ammunition……..

As an individual, as of right now, there’s little you can do in the face of the ammunition shortage. Keep checking your trusted online distributor AmmoFast for new arrivals of all types of ammunition from all manufacturers.  Sign up for notifications so that when we receive something you get a notification directly to your email.  Be ready to react quickly.  Once product comes available it sells out quickly, many times within minutes.

We have created some very stringent limitations on the purchase of ammunition in an effort to help as many people as possible work through this tough time.  Normally, we would say “stock up.” But that time has passed, and we would encourage everyone to learn from this.  Stock up in times of plentiful supply so that you are not affected as greatly during these times of extreme shortage.

In the meantime, we would encourage everyone to pray for our country and our leaders as we navigate this perilous situation.  We would also encourage you to register to vote and make your voice heard in 2022 by voting for pro 2nd Amendment candidates.

Categories
10mm 1911 1911A2 2011 double-stack double-stacked HC Hinterland Outfitters MS RIA Rock Island Armory Rock Ultra

10mm 1911s

I’ve a 10mm 1911 on the way here.  It’ll be my first full-sized 1911 and my first 10mm.  I purchased a RIA Rock Ultra FS HC chambered in 10mm.  I’d been looking at Glock 20s and 29s but didn’t want the shock of recoil to bug me.  While the Glocks weigh around 2 lb empty, the RIA 10mm weighs around 2.5 lb and is all steel.  I won’t be carrying this gun but I do want to experience 10mm without regret.  As well, I had a difficult time finding a Glock 20 and 29 in stock.

What’s cool about this 10mm is that it is double-stacked (what some folks call the M1911A2; it’s not a true 2011, as the 2011 is modular in nature while the M1911A2 is not).  It is a full-featured handgun.  What’s not cool is that the handgun only comes with one magazine.

It’ll probably be 2 weeks before it ships to my FFL.  The FFL will probably take another week to call me to pick it up.  In 3 weeks time, expect a table top review.

I’m about to order another magazine and will begin looking for ammo.  I hope to have both the mag and ammo will be here before the gun arrives.

This is what I ordered (from Hinterland Outfitters):

UPDATE (2/15/2021) – I just got notice that the firearm shipped on 2/12…headed to my FFL dealer now…may be a while though, since there’s severe weather in the mid-West right now.

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Beretta grip Hogue PX4 rubber

I’ve Installed Hogue Handall Slip-on Rubber Grip Onto Beretta PX4

Back in April, I bought and installed Hogue rubber slip-on grips for my Beretta PX4.  That handgun is rather slick from the factory and no, I don’t have the Concealed Carry version of the PX4 and don’t really care for grip tape or Talon Grips.

The PX4 Compact is thick!  I sometimes have problems ignoring the handgun when I’m carrying it (concealed).  I didn’t really want to use a slip-on grip that would make it thicker, but I do like finger grooves, so I picked the grooved one.  If I didn’t like it, I’d try to exchange it for a non-grooved one.

Installing it was a bit of a pain, as the grip doesn’t stretch well (which is good once it is installed).  The grip makes the handgun feel EXCELLENT.  The con is that it does make the gun feel thicker, but the grip is still not going to be in the waistband, so there’s that.

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380 Beretta Bersa Grand Power grip tape Handall Handall Jr. Hogue P11 PX4 PX4 Storm Ruger SR9C Talon Grips

Hogue Rubber Slip-on Grips for Grand Power P11

I was checking my handguns (I do this monthly to ensure there’s no rust and that they’ve a coating of oil) and came across my P11.  The Grand Power P11 is a beautiful handgun, but one of the things I hate about it is that the grip is soooo damned slippery.

I’ve often thought of buying Talon Grips or grip tape that is rubberized, just so I could use it on this handgun’s grip.  I’m not sure if Talon Grips would properly seal onto the grip, though, and grip tape can sometimes be a pain in the ass to get right.  Grip tape was my last resort.

I’ve a Hogue slip-on grip on my Beretta PX4 Compact that I installed maybe 8 months ago (I talk about it here).  It was also a pain in the ass to mount on that handgun but it’s solid and feels great in the hand.  The rubberized texture feels natural and grippy.

I decided to try a set for the P11, but I searched to see if anyone else had documented online that they’d tried Hogue slip-ons on this handgun.  I couldn’t find any data via Google that showed anyone trying this, so I didn’t know which set of slip-ons to try.

I went to Hogue’s website and looked at what they had.  Each slip-on had documentation showing which gun they’d fit.  I perused the Handall Jr. product’s documentation and saw that it would fit such guns as the Bersa Thunder .380 and the Ruger SR9C.  Both of those have rather thin/slim girthed grips, so I thought that this one would best fit my P11.  The plan was to order one and if it didn’t fit, to reorder the next size up.

The slip-on arrived today.  At first I thought that it was too small.  I had to fight to get it onto the grip, but, as with my PX4’s slip-on, I warmed it up a bit (with a hair dryer), which made the rubber a bit more pliable.  I suppose I could’ve used water to “lube” the grip to the point that the slip-on would slide onto the grip.  Regardless, it eventually fit onto the grip!

The grip feels MUCH better now.  I feel much more confident with it in my hand now.  Prior to that, it always felt like the handgun might slip from my hands.  It also looks rather nice on the handgun…looks different and not so much out of place.

I plan to take it to the range to see if it enhances shooting.

I should’ve done this a LONG time ago.

Categories
ammo ammunition COVID-19 pandemic range reloading SHTF year 2020

Problems of the Gun Owner During The Covid-19 Pandemic

There’s one thing that really sucks about this pandemic isn’t just the fact that folks are dying.  It’s that folks can’t practice self defense (unless they’ve their own land, of course…most folks don’t).

What’s hindering folks from visiting ranges or even practicing on their own land?  The availability and costliness of ammunition, for one.  When you can find ammo, it is sometimes double the price of pre-pandemic ammo.  I’ve found some decently priced ammo, but it is become rare now.  When I find decently priced ammo, I usually buy what I can.

The type of ammo also dictates how much you’re going to spend if you need it.  An example is, I bought 250 rounds of 9mm practice ammo a month or two ago, for maybe $135 (yes, that’s a deal nowadays).  This week, I wanted to try to find some .45ACP ammo (because I conceal carry an XD45 and needed practice) and the lowest price I could find was $1/round!  So, I may switch to carrying my XD9 instead to save costs in practicing (I’ve a large stash of 9mm ammo, too).

I also find myself always worrying about over-consuming my ammo for the sake of practicing.  At first, I tried to delay practicing and went through most of 2020 without visiting the range.  When I finally started practicing, I was so worried about shooting too much ammo that I was counting every round I shot.

Can you buy ammo at the range?  I don’t know.  I suppose it would depend on how stocked your range would be, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that ammo was marked up (because range owners and employees have to eat too).  When I was last at the range (maybe 3 weeks ago), I didn’t ask and didn’t look.

Aside from that, I found that practicing with a mask (a requirement of the range that I’m a member of, which I have no problem with) is a bit bothersome but doable.

Another question would be, in times like these, should a person reload?  The answer should be yes, but some folks don’t have the aptitude to reload.  Some folks don’t have the time and can’t spend the money to buy the equipment.  Also, some folks do not have the aptitude for such things.  There’s also the current problem of shortages of reload materials (primers or projectiles or even powder).

I won’t mention prepping because most folks with guns nowadays don’t deeply prep.  Most people don’t associate gun owners with hardcore prepping, but what about prepping ammo?  There’s no hard fact regarding how much ammo a person should stash away for SHTF situations, but we’re not even talking SHTF.  We’re talking Covid-19.  Unless things take a drastic turn for the worse, this pandemic will not spawn any SHTF situation.  So, how much ammo should a person have on-hand at all times in pandemic situations?  My answer:  enough to use for self defense and practice.  I’ve at least 1K of 9mm right now, which should last me a while for practicing, if I practice every other month and limit my practice round count to 150 rounds or so, and while also consuming ammo when training; I’d be buying 9mm when I see it on sale at decent prices in an effort to replace what I used during practice.

Also, note that in the past year, many folks bought firearms when they’d never owned one.  Those folks want/need ammo too.  I’ve seen many disgruntled “veteran” gun owners grumbling that folks are buying ammo and raising the cost of it now, when they should’ve prepared (prepped) before now.  Well, how can you prep ammo if you weren’t interested in firearms?  It’s a very stupid reason to be disgruntled, in my opinion.  Be glad that we’ve new gun owners to bolster our numbers.  Those same grumbling gun owners used to not own guns.  We ALL started with no (or small amounts of) ammo.

What problems have you experienced or noticed regarding owning a gun or practicing at ranges during this pandemic?