Recent content by Telekinesis

No. You were given ammo meant for migratory birds, not defense. For some size comparison: 00 Buck: 0.330” No. 2 Buck: 0.270” No. 4 Buck: 0.240” #2 Steel: 0.150” Additionally, steel is less dense than lead which negatively impacts penetration. If this is for defense, chalk it up as a lesson...

I would recommend a SPR type rifle - that looks to be a hole you haven’t filled. I’m not sure how a very light version of a 16” rifle (or SBR) is going to be materially different from what you already have unless you just want to play with the lighter components for its own sake. But I admit I’m...

Even if we take the “3 yards, 3 shots, 3 seconds on average” statistic at face value, half of them were MORE than 3 yards / 3 shots / 3 seconds. It would be very bad to plan for the average and find out that you’re not in an average gunfight. Malfunctions happen, and the simplest way to fix...

A Makarov is not really supposed to do that. While it’s not the end of the world if it happens, if it happens consistently it probably points to some issues or wear on the parts. Generally what happens is that inserting the mag causes the slide stop to bounce and it releases the slide forward...

Considering this is a brand new build, I would absolutely recommend disassembling the bolt into its major components (no need to remove the gas key or extractor) and cleaning everything and giving it a light coat of oil. Often new parts are coated in a preservative after they are manufactured...

I think most of the metal versions of polymer guns are targeted at competitive shooters where the weight of the gun is an advantage (lower perceived recoil, less disruption of the sights/dot, faster and more accurate follow up shots, etc) and they don’t care about having to carry around a...

Maybe consider building an AK. They’re much more involved and while not necessarily “hard” they are a bit more hands on. Using a hydraulic press to install the barrel and set headspace, drilling the gas port, drilling/pinning things like the gas block and sights, drilling the receiver and then...

ARs are not difficult guns to build (and technically speaking “assemble” is probably a better word to use than “build”). If you don’t have much prior experience with handling an AR, it could be a little tougher just due to not having time with a fully complete and working model, but with enough...

A) They’re both going to be adversely affected if you use the mag baseplate to strike someone. The follower is likely to continue moving downwards with inertia and the ammo in the mag will not stay aligned correctly - leading to failures to feed. B) Training is important. If they’re within...

The first time you do ANYTHING is going to be a learning experience (especially with machining). I can’t look back on anything I’ve made in the past and honestly say that the first time I attempted a new technique it came out just as good as the second and third attempt. Especially if you’re...

Yes, I’ve found that optics on handguns offer significant improvements in accuracy (particularly accuracy while at speed) including while transitioning between targets and while moving. It’s much easier to hit targets at long range too. And while you may not care about hitting steel at 150...

I’m not sure people are necessarily defending iron sights, rather they’re saying that if your pursuit is to find the ultimate mechanical accuracy of the firearm and you are only using iron sights, using a target designed for the purpose can help.

Lots of good discussion on sights and particularly accuracy in relation to the target being used, but I want to take a shot at another side of what it seems you’re asking. It seems like you’re asking if your particular rifle is capable of shooting to a specific standard, but you’re not...

Generally no, I wouldn’t expect weapon mounted NV/thermal to be helpful in the majority of home defense situations, or at least not be more helpful than a high quality daylight optic paired with a high quality weapon light. One of my highest priorities for a HD weapon is that it always has to...

The short answer is that there is data out there, but a lot of it is bad data. If you want good information, you’re probably going to have to actually dig into the raw data yourself so that you really know what is going on. Easiest example is that a few years ago some media outlet wanted to...