Categories
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.

Categories
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.

Categories
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.

Categories
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?

Categories
Apex Gun Parts Atlantic Firearms BHO bolt hold open Bulgarian Croatian Gun Mag Warehouse KCI polymer Tapco

Do You Need AK mags?

I bought my AK mags from the following places.  I mention this because I see folks with new AKs always asking where to buy mags.

Atlantic Firearms

Apex Gun Parts

Gun Mag Warehouse

Each of those sites have reasonably priced magazines.  They also offer a variety of types (polymer, steel, new, or surplus) from different countries.

Check those sites often, as much of their stock tends to be sold out due to the pandemic.

Keep in mind that cheap doesn’t always mean good.  KCI mags tend to have reliability issues and are flimsy in build quality.  Croatian mags tend to be hit or miss when it comes to latching in place (see here for my experience with the Croatian mags).  The reason I wanted Croatian mags was for their bolt-hold-open (BHO) capability.  Croatian mags are also not surplus…they are new.

Good mags that are usually cheap are Bulgarian surplus mags.  I have not reviewed the Bulgarian mags I have but they just work and do not feel flimsy.

I also have 6 x Tapco polymer mags.  Folks LOVE to hate on those.  I didn’t buy them.  They came with the first AK I bought (the AMD-63).  They work, which is something the Croatian mags wouldn’t initially do.  They will also fit in every AK I have, which is, again, something the Croatian mags wouldn’t do.  They’re perfectly fine for range use and have yet to fail on me.

UPDATE (1/10/21):  PSA has a sale on Croatian mags right now, marked down from $19.99 to $12.99.  Also, if you order 10+, shipping is free (per the product page).  As well, Mrgunsngear stated that they’ve changed the mag tab (probably narrowed it slightly) so that there’s less of an issue with latching.

Categories
1911 American Classic Commander Metro Arms plunger spring Rock Island Armory safety lever

My 1911s Have Loose Thumb Safeties

Today, I was handling my three 1911s and noticed that two of them had safeties that were rather loose.  What do I mean by loose?  Well, a good 1911 will have a safety that will have a positive click when being manipulated.  It will also take a conscious effort to actuate.  It should not actuate (on or off) by being bumped or pushed by an object that is not a finger.  The last time I took my Metro Arms American Classic Commander (that’s a mouthful) to the range, both my wife and I noticed that after loading a mag into the firearm and trying to shoot, the safety was unintentionally enabled.

Since it was Friday evening, I got a few old rags and broke them both down on my sofa while listening to the news.  I fixed both safeties.  Once I field stripped the 1911s, I removed the safeties.  The Metro Arms had a single-handled safety lever while the Rock Island Armory had an ambi safety.  Once those were removed, I remove the plunger springs from each and stretched them out a bit, which I thought would add more tension to the safety lever on each firearm.  I put together both and then tested the safeties.  The RIA 1911 safety stiffened up drastically.  The Metro Arms 1911 had to be taken down again and stretched out a bit more, but in the end, I got the safety on that firearm pretty stiff.

I’m happy that I was able to sort this out on my own.

Categories
23901 4-pc AK-P CNC Warrior muzzle brake PSA

CNC Warrior 4-pc Brake for PSA AK-P!

Hello!  Yes, it has been a while since I’ve posted.

What have I been doing?  Ordering ammo when I can.  Yes, ammo purchases during Covid times can be expensive, but I’ve been buying when I see good buys, even if the purchase is limited in ammo count.

I also occasionally purchase gun parts.  Two weeks ago, I ordered the CNC Warrior 4-pc muzzle brake for my AK-P.  Specifically, I bought part number 23901, since it will fit on the muzzle threads of the AK-P (although they also sell adapters).  I ordered it but didn’t expect it to ship for a long while since these are typically on backorder.  I received it earlier this week.

One thing I’ve noticed is that, while the OEM krink booster fits without issue, the 4-pc brake is shallow-throated…it will NOT screw all the way down. It gets maybe 3/4ths down then stops.  Pics and a quick video are below.

I took the 4-pc brake apart then screwed it down again, then looked down the inside of the brake (for the safety nazis, the bolt was removed beforehand)…I could see the muzzle end of the barrel hitting the backstop of the threads on the brake. You will not be able to screw down this brake to the point that the retaining pin latches into place…far from it.

I’m not sure how to secure the brake. I’m not going to use red threadlocker, as I don’t want a near-permanently fixed brake (I will probably be trying other brakes or going back/forth between the krink and 4-pc brakes).

UPDATE – 1/1/2021:  I sent the below pictures to CNC and asked them what could be the issue.  They’ve provided me with an RMA.  They want me to send it back.  I’ll send it back tomorrow.  Someone on the PSA FB group told me that they had a similar issue and that they had to be provided another brake.  I should receive a new brake soon.

UPDATE – 1/17/2022: I resolved the issue and have mounted a slightly smaller CNC Warrior 4-pc brake.

This is the OEM krink booster.  Notice how it sits flush with the front sight block (FSB).
Krink booster is removed.  Note the distant between the bottom of the threads and the end of the muzzle…that’s a pretty significant distance.
This is the CNC 4-pc brake, screwed down until it bottoms out.  I did this with the brake taken apart so that I could see inside the brake to see what is obstructing it’s installation.  It can’t screw down enough for the retaining pin to latch into place.
This view is looking inside the CNC Warrior brake, from the muzzle end. This shows that the brake is very shallow-throated when used with the PSA AK-P. There is beveling (not sure if that’s the correct word) that is preventing further tightening.
This shows how shallow the thread backstop is for the AK-P.
A video showing the issue.
Categories
2A 9th Ciruit California high capacity magazine ban RKBA

9th Circuit Court ends California’s ban on high capacity magazines!

 I logged onto Facebook today and saw a post on one of the citizen defense groups that the 9th Circuit Court has ended the ban on high capacity magazines in CA.  I thought it was relating to older articles or that it was a troll post, but when I searched on it via Google, the below showed:

The article I’m reading was published by the San Diego Union Tribune.  

An excerpt:

A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday threw out California’s ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines, saying the law violates the U.S. Constitution’s protection of the right to bear firearms.

“Even well-intentioned laws must pass constitutional muster,” Appellate Judge Kenneth Lee wrote for the panel’s majority. California’s ban on magazines holding more than 10 bullets “strikes at the core of the Second Amendment — the right to armed self-defense.”

 Some other posts regarding high-capacity magazine (I hate that term) bans:

https://itsallaboutthatgun.blogspot.com/2017/06/judge-blocks-high-capacity.html

https://itsallaboutthatgun.blogspot.com/2015/03/ca-and-off-roster-guns.html

https://itsallaboutthatgun.blogspot.com/2020/06/freedom-week-used-as-defense-for-ca-man.html