If you’ve ever wondered about the differences between 5.56 NATO and .223 Remington, well, this article gives a good account of the differences.
Bottom line is, if you’ve a .223 rifle, do not fire 5.56mm from it. If you’ve a 5.56mm rifle, you’re OK (but may see some inaccuracy due to the added “slop”, the slop being an allowance to ensure the firearm will fire when dirty/grimy).
I visited my local Cabelas today and was a bit pissed. They had very little 7.62×39 ammo. I saw a few boxes of PPU and Herters. That was it. Nothing else. No bulk in that caliber either. That company (Cabelas) is large. It is very large. And it can’t keep stocked in mainstream calibers? I mean, there was 5.56mm and .223, but no 7.62×39. WTF.
I was hoping that Cabelas would be my local go-to, but either someone is purposely buying up all the AK ammo (I hate horders) or Cabelas is having supply problems. I was trying to stay away from Walmart for ammo but I think I might need to keep using Walmart until Cabelas gets their shit together.
As well, it was the same for 9mm handgun ammo. There was hardly any.
I ended up buying some of that PPU, only to find that it was soft-nosed, and it wasn’t marked as such on the box. I opened it up and saw that it was round-nosed with a lead tip. I heard that some people had issues when trying to shoot that ammo through their AKs. I did see at least one video where a guy loaded up this same ammo and shot it through his AK with no issues. We’ll see. I bought 40 rounds of it (2 boxes).
So, I’ve two boxes of the PPU SP RN and a box of RAS (30 rounds). I guess I’ll be using my range’s ammo on my first visit. I want to fire maybe 100 rounds of 7.62×39.
I saw that Cabelas had some frangible ammo that I was curious about. It was Hevi Duty frangible and non-toxic, $15 for a box of 50. I bought 2 boxes. This is multi-purpose ammo: it can be used at indoor and outdoor ranges, on steel, as competition ammo, and as HD/SD ammo. It’s supposedly very accurate too. It is light-for-caliber, as it is 100-grain and has a velocity of 1200 FPS. I will shoot a box of it through my carry gun and then begin to use it as my SD ammo if it feeds without issue.
I also have 500 rounds of RAS coming from LAX. It was $99 for 500 rounds. I almost ordered 1000, but I’ll see how fast of the incoming batch I shoot before ordering more. Shipping was a bit high, though, so I should’ve probably bought the 1000.
In my last post, I mentioned that I’d bought Magpul hardware for the AK. I was able to fit that on the gun with a bit of grinding/filing. The handguard fits well. I can’t fit the gas tube cover since the gas tube on my AK is not standard (it is shorter and has no fittings for covers or handguards. I do want an upper handguard on the gas tube, though, so I’m waiting for M-13 to finish a batch of tubes specifically designed for the AMDs (they are $50 each, though….I’ll probably end up buying two of them). I suppose I could make my own. Apparently its easy to cut down a standard gas tube but heat is needed, as they can crack.
I keep looking over the gun to determine if there are flaws or some things I overlooked. I think I’m obsessing, thinking I went cheap and remembering the “you get what you pay for” mantra. The only thing that might be wrong with this particular rifle is that the barrel’s hole where the gas tube vents from might be large (they’re supposedly all like that). I’ll deal with replacing the barrel when the time comes. I can mitigate the issue by buying a stronger recoil spring and maybe one of those buffer cushions…
So, tomorrow may be where I take the AK to the range. We’ll see.
I wasn’t aware that the video links in the last post were not working properly.
I’ve fixed them and the videos are now viewable.
I’m finding that there are too many people that are parroting shit about guns they’ve never owned or seen. I’ll elaborate on that soon but for now, I just wanted to share the videos and picture.
The good news:
The bad news:
My FFL hasn’t even received my AMD 63 yet and I’m already ordering mods for the rifle.
I usually frown upon that because I always want to know how a gun shoots before modifying it. In this case, I want to swap out the handguard with Magpul bits. The stock handguard is all-metal and are unshielded. From my understanding, the handguard get hot. The Magpul is shielded and appears very rugged. Installing this also means that I’ll lose the foregrip, but I’m OK with that, as I’ve no experience with it.
The Magpul handguard comes with a gas tube cover, which is great because the gas tube is exposed on this rifle.
I had to order the AKM variant. This will require some minor fitting but I’m OK with such things and there are YouTube videos on how to fit it to the AMD variants.
I may also order a rail that will attach to the gas tube (which will replace the Magpul gas tube cover), but that will come later.
I think I also need a magazine loader, so I ordered the Butler Creek ASAP Universal Magazine Loader for the AK47.
I also need a sight alignment tool, so I ordered the Magna-Matic Defense Front Sight Adjustment Tool.
I will also need to get some ammo but I’ll worry about that a bit later, as I’m not far from a few gun stores (and Cabelas, if I’m not seeing anything I like at the small gun stores).
The rifle arrives some time tomorrow, but I’ve work. They’ll have to call me around 10 AM at the latest if they expect me to pick it up tomorrow, otherwise it will be picked up the next morning (they open at 10 AM).
Either way, I’ll be posting pics here between tomorrow and the next day.
Last night, while at work, I ordered my first AK47.
I ordered a Hungarian AMD 63 rifle that was built from original surplus parts sets. This particular firearm is based on the Hungarian AKM. The Hungarian AMD 63 replaced their AMD 65 (their 65s were more expensive to build and had reliability issues with the foregrip).
Note: This rifle is mislabeled by importers. It is actually an AKM 63. The folding stock version is still called the AMD 65, though.
It will come with a composite stock, 5 30-round Tapco mags, a 4-cell mag pouch, and a AMD leather sling.
I ordered through Clearview Investors.
I was on the fence between an AMD 65 or an AMD 63. AMD 65s appeared to be much more difficult to find and also don’t have all that many mod options. The difference between the two is that the AMD 65 has a foldable stock (a metal piece that can be crooked). So, I opted for the AMD 63 instead.
This is the item I ordered.
The below is what is listed in the description at the above link. I’ll list it here in case it changes in the future.
AK 47 Variant 7.62×39 Rifle
Original Hungarian FEG “Heavy Wall” Stamped Receiver
New U.S. 16.5” Barrel, 4140 chrome moly
Barrel threaded 14mm-1, standard AK threading
Muzzle Brake threaded on
Tapco G2 Trigger Group
Accepts hi-capacity magazines and drums
U.S. made Butt Stock
Plastic Pistol Grips (stained black)
922r compliant7.15 lbs.
37.5” Overall length
7.62×39 Caliber
Built to our specs. from original AMD 65 parts, from double stack rifles. This means that the bolt, bolt carrier, etc.. were made to handle double stack mags. The heavy wall receiver is an FEG with a double stack mag well.The rifles are built by Clearview Investments. They are well built using a new U.S. made barrel, with the gas port, front and rear sight blocks aligned carefully, assembled and then the entire assembly is parkerized. Each rifle is tested with a variety of mags prior to shipping.
Note : These rifles are built from original surplus part sets. Metal components have been professionally parkerized to a like new finish however grips and forearms are original and may show some rub or finish wear. Trust me though, overall these are nice.
I’m definitely excited about this firearm, because I’ve been looking for AK variants for awhile. I specifically wanted something that wasn’t going to beat itself up as I shot it, and it had to be not-too-expensive while also chambered in 7.62×39.
I initially started looking at Century Arms’ C39v2 because I liked the idea of an AK that was made in the U.S, but when I saw MAC’s and AKOU’s reviews of the rifle, I backed off.
I then researched PSA’s PSAK47, which is actually not a bad option. I’d have probably had one by now if they’d been better stocked. They were always out of stock.
I then researched the WASR 10s and N-PAPs. In fact, I was researching those guns last night and was on the ak47 Reddit subpage when I saw an archived post of someone mentioning Clearview Investors as a good source for a rifle they mentioned, the AMD 63. When I saw that the firearm was Hungarian-sourced and was on sale for $529 (regular price was $621), I began to feverishly research. The only issue this rifle will have is carrier tail mushrooming. Here’s an example, with pics. From my understanding, the Tapco trigger is the cause of that (the metal of that trigger is harder than the metal of the carrier tail). That can easily be fixed by installing a different trigger group (to a trigger group that is known not to mushroom the carrier group). So, I’m trying to find out if anyone has had any luck with other-than-Tapco triggers.
I’ll also be needing to get some 7.62×39 (in bulk, which will be cheaper than buying range ammo).
I’ll review the rifle when I receive it (should receive it sometime this coming week but I work swing shift so it may be difficult to get until my next weekend. We’ll see.
Today, I went to the range. For those of you that do this weekly, you’re probably like, “Yeah, so what?” Well, I was supposed to be going at least twice a month but for some reason, I’ve been putting it off. This is a hobby but I sometimes go to extremes to the point where it is no longer fun. I’ve to be careful because when I push myself, I sometimes end up ruining things. I believe this is why I always change my mind when I’ve planned to go to the range. The thing is, I need to push myself so that I learn and become better…I need to find the balance where I can push but not push too hard.
Today’s visit had many variables. I’ll list them below:
I brought 250 rounds: 150 of Wolf 115-grain FMJ and 100 of Winchester white box 115-grain FMJ.
The first handgun I shot was the Glock 19. I ensured that I loaded the ETS mags before I left the house (to save on range time…there’s nothing worse than burning range time loading mags that could’ve been loaded before you arrived).
I’ve not shot this handgun since installing the XS Big Dot sights. I’d like to emphatically mention that I love these sights. They are super easy to align and are super easy to get quickly onto the target. They are defensive in nature, though, so they won’t do well shooting 50 yards out, but most handguns aren’t designed for that type of shooting.
Anyways, the Big Dot sights worked VERY well. The ETS mags worked without a hiccup. I shot 105 rounds of Wolf out of the Glock 19. I had one round not chamber (last round of one mag). Total round count is now 515 rounds (with no jams or malfunctions other than that one round not chambering – I’m not counting that as a malfunction, though).
I then shot the P320SC. I hadn’t shot that since 11/2015 and the last time I shot it, I had the small subcompact grip module installed. That grip module is too thin for me, so I bought the medium subcompact grip module which shoots a LOT better. The bigger module helps my trigger finger placement…it basically fills my hand so that my finger placement falls naturally onto the trigger. The smaller module is so thin that there’s too much room in my hand and most of my finger ends up folding around the trigger.
The P320SC shoots well, even with the contrast sights. The dots are big so they’re easy to see. The trigger has always been spectacular and the reset is also short, so the gun shoots very well. The grip is short, though, so I can only get two fingers on the grip when using the 12-round mags. I’ve mags for the compact model as well (I bought the gun as a compact) but using the compact mags is cheating.
I shot 95 rounds of WWB from the 320 today and the gun now has 176 rounds through it. I may carry this gun after I give the Glock 19 a year of carry duty.
Lastly, I shot the Springfield Armory XD9 Mod 2 subcompact. When I first started carrying, this was the gun I carried. I shot 50 rounds of WWB from it today and have shot a total of 360 rounds from it. As with the 320, this gun will only allow you to use two fingers on the grip with the short magazine, so it is a bit of a challenge to shoot, but I really think that I’m just used to guns with bigger grips. I’m sure that I’ll shoot it better if I spend time with it. In fact, when I used to carry it, it shot very well. My thought was that I could carry it again, but I think it may require significant range time for me to get used to that handgun again.
Let’s go on a bit of a tangent.
With the recent anti-gun sentiment with Youtube, I’ve felt the need to seek out Youtube alternatives, so I’m giving the following websites a try – I’ve listed the site, linked it, and also linked my channel for each site:
Gunstreamer.com – https://gunstreamer.com/@Busta_Cap
Bitchute.com – https://www.bitchute.com/channel/busta_cap/
dailymotion.com – http://www.dailymotion.com/Busta_Cap
1776tv.com – https://1776tv.com/channel/227/
When I post to Youtube, I’ll now be also posting to the above sites. I will probably not leave Youtube anytime soon unless they shut me down. I want to stay on Youtube because that’s where the young folk are. Those folk that may be considering owning a firearm and giving gun advocacy a try will be looking for videos such as mine (and other people that own guns and use Youtube as a means to shared information). If every gun advocate left Youtube to spite Youtube, we would be shooting ourselves in the foot, especially since sites like the above and Full30.com are not yet at the level of Youtube.
And without further ado, here’s shooting footage with my trusty new camera (that can only hold 40 or so minutes of battery life):
So, I’m carrying the Glock 19 now. I’m struggling, actually. I guess I’m so used to smaller handguns that I’m having issues adjusting to the grip (it’s large compared to the other handguns I’ve been conceal-carrying). Since I’ve invested time, training, money, and mods into the gun, I’m pretty much stuck carrying it for at least a year. I want to give it a year to assess if I’ll get used to it (I probably will).
So, I was thinking I could’ve carried my P320 instead. I’ve the P320C but have a subcompact grip module that would allow me to have a small grip but still have 12-round mags. So, while I’m currently carrying the Glock 19, I’ll send the P320 to Sig for the voluntary upgrade. If you guys don’t already know, Sig had issues with the P320 firing when dropped. They’ve fixed the issue and I’ve sent correspondence to them asking for the upgrade. Once I’ve the upgrade, I’ll probably get another N82 IWB holster for the P320 and get either XS Big Dots or sights comparable to those. Then I will probably carry that handgun next.
Again, though, I’ll be sticking with the G19 for at least a year just to give it a fair shake.
I’ve decided to give my Glock 19 (Gen 4) a chance at concealed carry.
I can start carrying it immediately but actually want to get a few things first. Firstly, I already have a holster (an Alien Gear Cloak Tuck 3.0) and have the Glock 19 shell for it, but I ordered a N82 Tactical Professional IWB holster specifically for the Glock 19. I’ve this same holster for my PX4 Storm and it is exceptional. It will take awhile for me to receive it, though, since they are made to order. I also ordered new sights. What did I order? A set of XS Big Dot sights. They should arrive tomorrow. I can shoot well enough with the OEM U-sight system, but wanted something that would help me quickly focus on the front sight. Since my eyesight is getting worse, I need an edge and I think the Big Dot system would give me that edge. I bought three (3) ETS mags 15-round mags, as well, since my particular Glock came with three (OEM) 10-round mags. I need to try to sell the 10-rounders…I want more than 10 rounds in the firearm when carrying. There is one thing I need to get over when carrying the Glock. I’m not used to carrying a firearm that’s striker-fired. This firearm has no safeties (other than the internal and trigger safeties). At least when I carried the XD Mod.2, I could rely upon the grip safety. I’m well aware of the fact that I should “keep my booger hook off the trigger”…remember, I’ve been carrying awhile now, but firearms can and do go off without fingers touching the trigger, mainly during reholstering.
Also, I’ve been carrying small handguns the last few years. The grip on the G19 is bigger than what I’m used to. Hopefully, I can get used to that. I’ve been carrying in the house without a magazine the last two days just to get used to the grip (and so I can get used to carrying a striker-fired handgun). The Grip isn’t all that much bigger than the GP P11’s grip, so I don’t know why I’m having a difficult time with the G19’s grip.
All of these changes are due to me not being able to find viable sight options for the Thunder. That’s a damned shame…that’s the ONLY thing I don’t like about the Bersa, but I NEED to be able to see the front sight.
UPDATE 1: The sights arrived. They are now on the gun. Some comments:
