With any piece of equipment I always like to know information about the creator of said equipment and the reasons for the products design. See my previous article about my installation of his tactical mount system.
A Laser Range Finder mounted at the 12 oclock. One type of product that can be mounted in numerous positions.
Obviously some things are proprietary information, but not often is it hard to find a bit of information that you wouldn’t know unless searching deeper. Hakan Spuhr, yes his name is that cool, was able to give some info on his background and other well known items that you may not know he engineered.
Background
When you know you know, and Hakan knew that he wanted to become a gunsmith at 10 years old. Before deep diving into guns he went to tradeschool and worked as a tool and die maker for about 8 years.
Think about that. Deciding a dream at 10 years old, studying and working, then still at a young age having background knowledge and going into the gun industry. Many folks don’t even begin a career until the age of 30 and can be considered “an expert” within 10 years. Spuhr has been an expert on gunsmithing for triple that.
Engineering
The definition of engineering is “the design and manufacture of complex products” Spuhr does just that. He has been contacted by numerous LARGE companies both CONUS and OCUNUS to engineer multiple pieces of equipment to be developed and tested for large military entities. Most items that he did engineer are due to being contacted by the specific entity and engineering them for a purpose. Someone in that entity took the time to see a need, and Hakan took the time to engineer something to satisfy that need.
That then bleeds down to the public, and we are then fortunate to be able to purchase these public facing engineering marvels.
Dutch soldier employing the FN mag58 machinegun and the (Ballistic Adjustment Mount (BAM) sight for Aimpoint sights.
Being in this kind of industry you need to wear a lot of hats. Being a small arms repairman I have had to learn both the operation of a weapon system and also how to employ it to help the operator use the gun as efficiently as possible. Spuhr has put on those other hats. A gunsmith in the industry is not “just a gunsmith” anymore. They work closely with those who employ their equipment to learn how to build it better. He created the largest tactical mount system with 95 different configurations all designed in ways that the operator needs to employ his accessories. He introduced me to the concept of 12 o clock mounted dots on top of precision rifle scopes. These are all things that a gunsmith who stays in the shop, who doesn’t ask these questions, who doesn’t work in that manner for his customers, won’t do.
Shooters Needs and Recoil Management in Product Design
The Ideal Scope Mounting System (ISMS) knows the shooters needs. Spuhr designed his ISMS rings to have 45 degree cuts enabling the shooter to see his adjustment knobs without moving from his natural shooting position. This saves time on follow up shots and staying on the target.
The same mount also includes a bubble level that is visible from the left eye for a right eyed shooter. Many users like this due to not having the level covered by their hand if they grip their gun or optic a certain way in certain shooting positions. Useability under ‘off-hand’ conditions is reality.
Engineering products for guns is a different ball game due to recoil. Across the board, Spuhr mounts have shown that they have the most engagement surface on the rail. If mounts become loose due to recoil the mount will end up hitting the rail repeatedly causing damage. So not only do you now not have a zeroed and tight optic, you also have to replace an upper receiver due to damage. The ISMS shows engagement surface throughout the entire mount.
Thanks to Hakan Spuhr for the time taken to inform users of his products the why and the how of those products
The big piston AR debate might be long dead, but different piston systems are still very popular. This is especially true when it comes to modern firearm design. Guns like the MCX and MPX use gas piston systems. These systems are in no way new and have been around for a very long time. Guns like the M1 Garand and AK 47 use gas-piston designs. Today we are going to explore the systems, and their advantages.
Gas and Semi Autos
When we say gas piston we are of course referring to the gas created by burning gunpowder as the round travels down the barrel. With any gas-operated gun, including short and long-stroke piston, direct impingement, etc a bit of gas is bled off to operate the weapon. This gas travels through a gas block attached to the barrel. What happens next determines the ‘type’ of system.
What’s a Short Stroke Gas Piston System?
The short-stroke gas piston design is one of the more popular modern systems. Rifles like the SCAR, the aforementioned MCX, the CZ Bren, and many more use a short-stroke design. This design is not new and was also used in the AR-18, and the VZ 58.
When the gas meets a short-stroke gas piston assembly it is driven rearwards and the assembly strikes the bolt carrier. This sends the bolt carrier rearwards and allows the weapon to cycle. A spring around the assembly often drives the piston back into place in the gas block.
Credit SIG Sauer
As the name implies, short-stroke systems move only a short bit when struck with gas. This type of piston does not travel the full length of the operating group when the weapon fires. The piston is separate from the bolt carrier often a multipart piece that’s a bit more complicated than a long-stroke system. It ‘shoves’ the bolt carrier and then resets.
The benefits of this system include an overall lighter weapon, as well as reduced recoil. Less mass moves rearward and therefore you feel less recoil. Downsides are few, with early systems carrier tilt was a concern, and some guns tended to be ammo picky based on pressure. These days the kinks are largely gone and short gas piston systems are in wide use.
What’s a Long Stroke Gas Piston System?
Long Stroke Gas Piston systems (sometimes referrenced as Full Stroke) are the older of the two systems and have been quite popular in both rifles and machine guns. Long-stroke systems are in use in weapons like the AK series, the M240, and the PWS AR-15s. Classic guns like the M1 Garand used a long-stroke gas piston system.
A long-stroke gas piston system is one in which the piston assembly travels the full distance the bolt carrier does. The bolt carrier and the piston are one conjoined series of parts. This simplifies the design and removes a few parts.
The simplified design does tend to make weapons easier to maintain. The downside is often increased recoil due to more mass moving rearwards.
The AK’s Long Stroke system
Is One Better Than the Other?
This is a question that’s tough to answer. We don’t necessarily have the ability to compare like with like and make that determination. Both systems are well-proven designs with legendary weapons to their name. Modern rifles tend to be choosing short-stroke systems, but lots of long-stroke systems are kicking around and continue to be produced.
This is one of the weirdest 1911s I’ve ever shot, so it’s time to share my Sig Sauer Nightmare Fastback Review. This is a five inch 1911 chambered in .357 Sig with a bobtail grip. Nothing about this gun makes sense, but I love it. The video goes in to some detail about the gun’s final score, but we’ll break it down right here:
During the Sig Sauer Nightmare Fastback Review, the gun was docked 3 points for three failures, 5 points for the rear sight falling off, and another 5 points for the repeated double feeds with WWB. I ended up docking it some points for the WWB issue simply because I feel like a gun in this price point should be able to run common range/training ammo out of the box with no issues. However, since I didn’t encounter this issue with any other brand of ammo, I only docked it 5, instead of for every double feed I experienced.
Here’s the thing about this gun: I really liked it, because it’s kind of ridiculous. A 1911 in .357 Sig hardly makes sense, since .357 Sig doesn’t do anything that can’t be done with a 9mm, but that doesn’t mean that this gun isn’t great. Every time you pull the trigger you get a glorious fireball in front of your face, and if that’s not fun, I need a new job. Is scoring the Sig Sauer Nightmare Fastback Review an 87 out of 100 fair? Sure. But it doesn’t tell the story of how fun this gun is. I bet that if I’d tested a Sig in .45 ACP, it would have scored a perfect 100. I really like this gun, and possibly because it’s kind of a silly gun it’s become one of my favorites that I’ve reviewed.
The title image meme struck home to me. The young lady dramatically exaggerating (but not by all that much) the very poor shooting posture that seems to plague firearm neophytes. But such poor form also runs rampant through the Dunning-Kruger afflicted ranks of the “I know how to shoot.. I grew up around guns my whole life.” crowds.
It struck me that this an effect similar to what we saw out of the military’s ‘Expert‘ ranks for rifle and pistol qualifications. The ‘Expertise Fallacy’ that we in the ranks of the US Military engendered (and in many cases still do) by granting the ‘Rifle Expert’ title to individuals who have shown an overall very basic degree of fundamental marksmanship in a highly structured setting that is geared towards high success rates… because success rates in a record book look good.
Henry of 9-Hole Reviews did a phenomenal job in the video at highlighting the topic, including visuals for scale.
What I realized, upon seeing the title meme, was that civilians have this fallacy too, but in a so much worse format because there is not an environmental control (IE: Basic Training) that really defines what ‘growing up around guns’ and ‘liking shooting’ are. There are no standards for ‘growing up around’ and ‘liking’.
I know men and women whose personal definition of ‘liking shooting’ is just being included on range trips and firing whatever it is everyone else brought. I know others who just like plinking with .22’s. I know still more who just like shooting their duty weapons at the annual qualification and occasionally with friends. More still just fire a few rounds for hunting preparation as they roll into the relevant season.
None of these folks are in the wrong for enjoying shooting how they choose to do so. This is not to shame anyone for how they choose their method of involvement or enjoyment of 2A benefits.
It is to highlight a parallel false expertise.
Or in this case the false competency/familiarity with firearms that most of these users do not have. Some of these people may have owned firearms for decades and are still at their novice stage in the discipline. That’s alright, some people just learn Mary had a Little Lamb and Chopsticks on the piano, not Mozzart, Bach, or Beethoven. The difference is the people who can only play Mary had a Little Lamb aren’t telling everyone how good they are at piano whenever music comes up… that isn’t as true of the firearm circles.
This is partly the origin of ‘The Fudd’, actually. Someone who on the actual table of expertise is still very low but who, in the immediate circle of onlookers and listeners, may be the most experience available. They also don’t recognize their limited knowledge and will expound beyond their experience. The same egotistical traits that lead to ‘Stolen Valor’ can manifest in a more minor form here with false expertise.
Now, this is far from universal within novice shooters, it just happens often. It is also very rare in niche experts like trap and skeet shooters. I don’t see many of them trying to rattle of CQB knowledge just because they’re fantastic at cracking clays, they’ll happily show you how to do that though. RIP to that money you were saving for some other project.. it’s now a nice O/U shotgun.
“bUt thEy’D stiLL Be IN dA CheSt BOx.” – Someone who said they can shoot at 25 yards, no problem.
Ladies and gentlemen, shooting is a discipline. It is a sport, a life saving skill, a martialart.
Simply firing a gun is easy. Many people do that, sometimes not on purpose. Firing in a safe direction and getting pleasure out of it is only marginally more difficult. But shooting, being a proficient person with a weapon, is a developed set of knowledge and skills. That development covers understanding your equipment, what it is capable and incapable of, how to maintain it, how to use it safely, and how to maintain your safety too.
Many recreational plinkers are not shooters, they don’t know how to shoot. They may (hopefully) know how to safely handle a firearm and discharge it in a safe direction. Many will barely know (or do not know) how to load or unload the gun they are shooting, they have one person who does it for the group. They are as ‘proficient’ at shooting as they are at boating and water safety by stepping onto a pontoon boat with a drink. I bet they enjoy ‘boating’ as they cruise around the lake on a calm day at 3mph sipping a delicious summer beverage, and not driving the boat.
Ultimately, this is why hearing “I grew up around guns.” inspires no actual confidence in a person’s ability to safely shoot or handle a gun.
I’ve seen it too many times go awry. Overconfidence in lack of understanding and no awareness of their lack of understanding.
In the field of psychology, the Dunning–Kruger effect is a cognitive bias in which people with low ability at a task overestimate their ability. It is related to the cognitive bias of illusory superiority and comes from the inability of people to recognize their lack of ability. Without the self-awareness of metacognition, people cannot objectively evaluate their competence or incompetence.[1]
As described by social psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger, the bias results from an internal illusion in people of low ability and from an external misperception in people of high ability; that is, “the miscalibration of the incompetent stems from an error about the self, whereas the miscalibration of the highly competent stems from an error about others.”
The psychological phenomenon of illusory superiority was identified as a form of cognitive bias in Kruger and Dunning’s 1999 study, “Unskilled and Unaware of It: How Difficulties in Recognizing One’s Own Incompetence Lead to Inflated Self-Assessments”.[1] The identification derived from the cognitive bias evident in the criminal case of McArthur Wheeler, who, on April 19, 1995, robbed two banks while his face was covered with lemon juice, which he believed would make it invisible to the surveillance cameras. This belief was based on his misunderstanding of the chemical properties of lemon juice as an invisible ink.[2]
Other investigations of the phenomenon, such as “Why People Fail to Recognize Their Own Incompetence” (2003), indicate that much incorrect self-assessment of competence derives from the person’s ignorance of a given activity’s standards of performance.[3] Dunning and Kruger’s research also indicates that training in a task, such as solving a logic puzzle, increases people’s ability to accurately evaluate how good they are at it.[4]
In Self-insight: Roadblocks and Detours on the Path to Knowing Thyself (2005), Dunning described the Dunning–Kruger effect as “the anosognosia of everyday life”, referring to a neurological condition in which a disabled person either denies or seems unaware of his or her disability. He stated: “If you’re incompetent, you can’t know you’re incompetent … The skills you need to produce a right answer are exactly the skills you need to recognize what a right answer is.”[5][6]
In 2011, Dunning wrote about his observations that people with substantial, measurable deficits in their knowledge or expertise lack the ability to recognize those deficits and, therefore, despite potentially making error after error, tend to think they are performing competently when they are not: “In short, those who are incompetent, for lack of a better term, should have little insight into their incompetence—an assertion that has come to be known as the Dunning–Kruger effect”.[7] In 2014, Dunning and Helzer described how the Dunning–Kruger effect “suggests that poor performers are not in a position to recognize the shortcomings in their performance”.[8]
Now further research into Dunning-Kruger seems to suggest that people truly aren’t that blissfully ignorant, but the research is also fairly limited and is hard to accurately independently measure because measurements inherently defeat the effect depending on how they are taken. Note, when people are asked a basic question like, “Can you shoot?” the reactive answer of just about anyone who ‘enjoys shooting’ will be, “Yes!” but if that question is developed into detail a more accurate overall assessment will likely emerge commiserate to their skill set within the discipline. They may still be misinformed about their competence, but by being taken through a detailed process of assessing their competence people will gain a more accurate frame of reference than from the initial broad inquiry.
Dunning-Kruger is most likely to be seen in these quick ‘broad inquiry’ settings and the effect is most prominently seen in settings where cognitive engagement hasn’t occurred, not that it cannot occur. If given an evaluation that engages that cognitive reasoning, self assessment will be more accurate. D-K shows up strongest when no time is given toward ‘warming up’ that assessment process and a quick broad datapoint is taken.
IE: “Can you shoot?” a binary answer question that, even if taken with whatever extra data is offered from a person asked, could heavily show the D-K effect. But the more we ask assessing questions and details, the closer we will get to an accurate self assessment within reasonable margins of error.
It turns out people aren’t that stupid once you get them thinking. It’s getting them thinking in the first place. I bet if I surveyed in two different orders I would see different results because of it. If I opened with, “Can you shoot?” or, “Can you shoot well?” and then asked 10 questions in detail I would likely get a very D-K like data set off of that first question specifically, while if I end the survey with that same question I’m going to produce results more accurate to a reasonable self-assessment. Taking a snap visceral answer versus a reasoned one after thinking has been engaged.
[Sidenote: Surveys can also be used to guide a result this way, usually when a given taker wants a result instead of wanting data. Gun control surveys are an excellent example of this, properly framed even I would be shown as wanting more gun control even though I’m a ‘Machine Gun Vending Machine’ type of guy.]
“I grew up around guns.” Isn’t an assessment statement, it’s an identity one. It is also based on perspective and context.
“I go shooting all the time.” might reference an average of 4-6 times a year during the good weather months. An average of once every 30-45 days. Where as, “I go shooting fairly regularly.” might equate to my personal 2-5 times per month during fair weather and dropping to 1 per month during inclimate weather.
I regularly attend professional training. On other occasions I am the trainer. But given the two statements without perspective which of us, me or hypothetical ‘all the timer’, shoot more? All The Timer, naturally, given no extra context.
Me shooting “fairly regularly” is 10,000 rounds, + or -, a year. Them shooting “all the time” might be 500. A ‘quick range trip’ in my book is 300 rounds. There ‘day at the range’ might be 50. Perspective is huge. How deep a self-eval gives somebody time to delve will influence perspective.
Nobody in the “I grew up around guns.” crowd is going to pretend to be a SEAL Team trigger puller… ok that’s not entirely true.
But the vast super majority would not rate their skills at SWAT or Special Operations level. They would, given little time to objectively self reflect, rate them positively. The more training someone has the more quickly and objectively they are going to rate themselves and with greater accuracy, even a passing familiarity and an objective thinking period will improve the assessments.
Why? Because standards become introduced. If there is not a standard people will make one up and probably not judge themselves below it.
So be forewarned, “I grew up around guns.” is not a statement of skill or competency. It is one of identity first and foremost. To assess competency we must put measurements in place.
And for those of you, like I have, who in the past uttered these very words in ignorant affirmation, you now have a more objective frame of reference moving forward. Look at us! Learning and stuff.
[Ed: This is a slightly edited repost from our friend Roger Katz, Esq. at The Arbalest Quarrel group, attorneys who report and analyze Second Amendment issues. It was originally published there June 20 as Part 7 of a continuing series–“The Impact of the U.S. Supreme Court New York City Gun Transport Case Decision on the Second Amendment”.]
The NYC case provided our best chance for a serious Court review of 2A, ten years after the McDonald decision, clarifying and cementing the import and purport of Heller and McDonald in Supreme Court case law. The opportunity provided the Court is gone. And, that lost opportunity is rightfully placed at the feet of the Chief Justice, himself.
After a hearing in Goochland Circuit Court, Judge Timothy K. Sanner ruled that the gun lobby had not met its burden in showing that the law was ‘likely unconstitutional’.
Except for the whole “shall not be infringed” portion, perhaps Sanner is right? [/sarc]
The rule will take effect July 1st and limit Commonwealth residents to one handgun a month. Want to buy you and the other half a pair of pistols and surprise her/him? Can’t. Need a primary carry and a small back-up pistol? Can’t do it. Want a ‘race-gun’ variant and a concealed carry variant for consistency? No can do. Find a rare pistol you like, one that may not be available again due to demand? Better be a month since your last purchase.. because that means safety.
The Virginia Citizens Defense League is among five plaintiffs that sued the state over the law, which they argue violates residents’ constitutional rights.
“The statute is no less an infringement on the right to keep and bear arms than is limiting persons to purchase one Bible per month would be an infringement on the rights of Virginians” under the Virginia Constitution’s version of the First Amendment, the plaintiffs argued.
The law “unconstitutionally rations the direct exercise of an enumerated right” under the Virginia and U.S. constitutions.
But the Virginia AG’s office said the new law “strikes a reasonable balance” between the rights of citizens to bear arms and the state’s “legitimate interest in stemming the flow of handguns that can cause violence, bloodshed and heartbreak in communities across Virginia and the East Coast when they are illegally sold, trafficked, stolen or otherwise put into the hands of dangerous individuals.”
Can cause… can. As in ‘has the ability to cause’ just like distracted driving, suicide, toxic chemicals, mismanaged pools, and any number of other things. Also the AG noted when they are illegally sold, trafficked, stolen, or otherwise misused. As in the commision of a crime. The AG argument is we must limit your constitutional rights just in case there is crime.
Further, the AG’s office argued that a temporary injunction “is an extraordinary remedy never awarded as a right” and a party seeking one “must establish that he is likely to succeed on the merits, that he is likely to suffer irreparable harm in the presence of preliminary relief and the balance of equities tip in his favor and that an injunction is in the public interest.”
Solicitor General Toby Heytens, standing in for Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, noted that the plaintiffs did not identify any case, from any court, that has ever held that a policy like the new one-handgun-per-month law imposes a burden on the right to keep and bear arms. This might be because they’ve set it up to only be argued the the basis of the text of the 2nd Amendment and know they will get away with it in the meantime. They also see SCOTUS failing to take up 2A cases and probably take comfort in being able to have this rule stand.
It makes no logical sense in curbing or tracking actual criminal misuse of a firearm but that hasn’t stopped Northam and crew.
When I was looking into gardening options this year I was learning about “companion planting” – what crops/plants do well together or even positively complement eachother. One method of companion planting that has hundreds if not thousands of years of history behind it is the concept of the “Three Sisters”.
The Three Sisters is a Native American method of companion planting that was used by various tribes throughout the Americas.
The “sisters” are corn (maize), beans, and squash, which when eaten together constitute a balanced diet of the right amino acids.The sisters not only complement each other nutritionally, but in growth habits as well.
The way a sister planting works is that the corn is planted first. Once it is well established and 6-12” high, the beans are planted, which will then climb the corn like poles and fix nitrogen in the soil. The third sister – squash – is planted last so that the broad leaves help shade and protect the soil from drying out. It is said that the prickly squash leaves also help deter animals which might want to munch on the plot.
This idea intrigued me and I decided that this was how I was going to plant my new raised bed. Granted my 4×6 foot bed would represent only a one “hill” test plot, but I wanted to try it anyway. My pandemic garden is really just a testing lab for a survival scenario anyway, so why not see if I could make the old ways work for me?
Corn
The corn variety I chose was an heirloom sweet variety that is multicolored. It won’t be as sweet as say Silver Queen, but I thought it would look like what we used to call “Indian Corn”, and that’s what I wanted. I’m just not sure that’s the proper term for it anymore. I bought the seed from Baker’s Creek and the variety is called Astronomy Domine Sweet . I seeded the corn on May 15th , a week after the last frost, and waited.
Sweet corn that’s multicolored? Yes please!
I only had enough room for 24 corn plants – about 1 per square foot. But that was supposed to be enough for wind pollination. Corn apparently does better pollination -wise if it is planted in “blocks” rather than a few long rows. I didn’t have space for more, or I’d have done several blocks planted at two week intervals. But I’m planning another raised bed for next year, so staggered planting will be next year’s project.
Although corn takes up a good bit of space for the amount you get, it is still a good “survival” crop. Obviously eating fresh off the cob is most people’s favorite, but corn can be dried for long term storage, and ground into meal and flour. I’m still researching varieties for that (I hear popcorn is a good choice), but this year I went with sweet eating ears for the sake of the experiment.
Beans
Within a couple weeks the corn was tall enough (6-8 inches) to plant the beans. I’m not a huge shell bean fan, so I chose a variety of Blue Lake Green Beans – pole variety- which dehydrate for storage really well. Once I see if this method works for me, then I’ll make double sure I have a good heirloom variety for next year that I can seed-save.
Beans to climb the corn.
I planted the beans in threes around the edges of the corn so that they would get enough sun. They took less than a week to germinate and I soon had happy little bean plants next to my happy corn plants.
The beans-as-companions are dual-purpose. They are supposed to keep the soil fertile (since legumes are nitrogen fixers) and climb the corn for support. The climbing beans are also supposed to stabilize the corn in high winds – a symbiotic relationship. We’ll see if it actually works for me in my experimental plot.
So far (I’m now at week 6) some of the corn has stalled out at one end of the bed. If the corn doesn’t get tall enough for the beans to use as support, I’ll have to build a trellis for the beans to climb at that end. I’ve got three used 1×2” uprights that I had from my PVC target stands that I’ll have to sacrifice for the cause. I’ve already pulled all the staples out of them and plan to assemble this weekend.
Wimpy corn growth on the right is going to necessitate a bean trellis.
Beans are a decent choice for a survival garden because they help fertilize the soil, and are storable over the winter. I will be freezing and dehydrating mine, but the pioneers strung them on threads and hung them from the rafters to dry. Some people called those “leather britches”.
Squash
Squash is the third and last sister of the trio. What I read about three sisters plots didn’t indicate that the type of squash was critical, so I used Waltham Butternut Squash seeds that I had left from last year and which had produced well for me with no effort after planting the seeds.
A delicious squash choice.
I had to wait a few more weeks before squash planting for the beans to become established and tall enough that the squash wouldn’t shade them out once it got going. The seeds germinated in about a week, and the baby plants seem happy so far. Last year it did well with no effort, so I don’t anticipate any problems.
Last year’s squash harvest.
Butternut squash is a good “survival” choice because it is a winter squash which keeps well in a cool place (like the basement or a root cellar) for several months without any special treatment. Last year I got 5 nice-sized ones from the two seeds I planted, and they were all eaten by Christmas. I made creamy Squash soup (which was delicious), and maple roasted cubed squash for Christmas dinner. This year I plan to try to dehydrate some as well for even longer term storage.
Obviously this three sister experiment is still ongoing, so I can’t tell you what kind of success I had. I would love to know if this traditional companion planting works for me in my yard. We’ll all have to wait until fall for the final verdict, but I’ll probably make a few garden update posts as we go through the summer.
Stay tuned for more pandemic gardening, because I’m not quite done yet!
Did Eugene Stoner ever imagine how far his rifle would go? Could he picture his gun becoming so beloved, and pushed so far past his original design? The AR-15 is, without a doubt, America’s favorite rifle. AR might stand for Armalite Rifle, but it could stand for America’s Rifle. You likely know that Armalite made several different guns, including the AR-10, the AR -7 shotgun, and even the oft-forgotten AR-18. The AR-18 was Armalite’s other rifle, and it was recently modernized and revised by Brownells in the form of the BRN 180.
The BRN 180 started life as an upper receiver, but Brownells is expanding it to lower receivers. The BRN 180 was smartly designed to work with stock AR-15 lower receivers. The upper is quite modern by design and incorporates an M-LOK rail and flat-top upper receiver for optic mounting. The upper comes in various barrel lengths to scratch all your itches. This includes a shorty 10.5-inch model, a 16-inch model, and an 18.5-inch model.
I went with the 18.5-inch model since it is the most historically accurate variant of the AR-18/AR-180. I also like the fact that the 18.5-inch barrel offers a little more velocity and smoother shooting experience.
The Gas Piston Difference
The AR-18 went a completely different route from the AR-15 in the way it operated. Instead of a direct impingement design, the AR-18 went with a short-stroke gas piston design with dual recoil springs and guide rods. These double recoil springs and guide rods are isolated to the upper receiver, eliminating the AR-15’s buffer tube design.
The Upper even has a little bumper for folding stocks
This allows for folding stocks and gives the gun the ability to fire with the stock folded. The AR-18 was initially designed to be very affordable and easy to make. Armalite wouldn’t just sell AR-18s and AR-180s, but sell the means for countries to build their own. The AR-18 used a cheap stamped steel design that we all know now to be very reliable and a perfectly fine way to make guns.
From the AR-180 to the BRN-180
The BRN-180 does use a machine upper receiver, and the lowers are forged. It’s different, but likely cheaper than creating a factory and tooling for stamped steel AR-180 parts. That’s oddly a big reason why the AR-18 and AR-180 never took off. It was cheaper to buy M16s, FALs, G3s, AKs, and so on, for a country to buy the tooling to make their own AR-18s.
The AR-180 design never took off, and no country adopted the AR-18. Japan used the Howa Type 89 as a variant of the AR-18. The AR-180 was a mainstay in the Irish Republican Army during the troubles. It became famed enough to earn a bit of a song about it called “My Little Armalite.” The song also referenced AR-15’s as the IRA used both weapons.
Armalite reintroduced the AR-180B in 2001, and these models used a molded polymer receiver, a different charging handle, different sights, eliminated the folding buttstock, and used AR-15 magazines. It was discontinued due to poor sales.Then Brownells entered the game with the BRN-180, and suddenly the AR-180 design had new life in it. Brownells wisely chose to make an upper that could interact with AR-15 lowers. This compatibility made building your custom BRN-180 possible, and builders could use their imagination to precisely do what they wanted.
My BRN-180
As I mentioned previously, this is the 18.5-inch variant of the upper receiver. It’s fitted with a pencil barrel, and the old school AR-180 flash hider. The M-LOK handguard is 15 inches long, and the chamber is a 223 Wylde. The barrel has a buttoned rifled bore with a 1:8 twist rate. Practical and straightforward with a high velocity that gives excellent penetration and range.
I went with an Aero Gen 2 lower receiver, individually the Don’t Tread on Me Edition. I went Aero for a few reasons. Primarily because of their threaded takedown detent hole. I wanted a side folding stock and needed an MCX adapter to do so. I used one from KNS, but it doesn’t cover the takedown pin detent hole. The threaded design ensured the spring stays put.
The Gen 2 lowers also feature an increased magwell flare for quicker reloads on top of the ability to use nylon tipped tensioning screw to increase the tension between the upper and lower. This allows you to get one hell of an accurate gun. The Aero Gen 2 lowers give me all that while still being compatible with Mil-Spec uppers, and I needed that compatibility to ensure my BRN-180 upper would work.
I also happen to have outstanding experiences with Aero Precision guns and gear. They’ve proved to be a phenomenal value and an excellent company.
The Rest of the Gun
I tossed on a Gen 1 MCX stock for folding capability. It’s not a particularly comfortable stock, but it works and is an excellent minimalist side folding design. The gun uses a Swampfox TriHawk 3x prism optic, which I adore. It has a massive 53-foot field of view that is class-leading in prism optics. Then I tossed on a Steiner Mk4 Battle Light and a SIG Tread M-LOK grip kit. It rounded the gun out and was a useful addition. The result made me very happy overall.
Range Time
The best part of my job is shooting, and the BRN-180 is a fun shooting gun. The upper’s short-stroke piston system is quite smooth and does an excellent job of reducing recoil and providing a very controllable weapon. The lightweight barrel and handguard make the weapon light and easy handling, even with the 18.5-inch barrel.
That longer barrel also plays a part in taming the gun and does an excellent job at minimizing concussion and muzzle blast.
Since it’s using a AR -15 lower, most of the ergos translate over seamlessly. One that doesn’t is the right-side charging handle. It’s AK like and your manual of arms changes accordingly. The crank-style design is exciting and easy to grip from different angles. I understand why they went that route way back when. Would a left side non-reciprocating charging handle be more ergonomic? Yes, without a doubt.
However, using some modern AK techniques, I never felt under gunned. Since this gun has a bolt release, the charging handle is reserved for malfunctions and loading the initial magazine.
The BRN-180 upper is compatible with all AR-15 magazines, and I used P-MAGs, Lancers, and even a D-60 drum without issue. The gun ate everything from every magazine without malfunction. Running reload drills made me appreciate that handy little magazine well flare from upper. It gives a more intuitive feeling.
The handguard gets hot quickly, and after a long-range day, it’s uncomfortable to the touch. That SIG M-LOK grip kit was a wise addition and kept my hands nice and cool throughout my testing. Lord forbid I grab anywhere else after a few hundred rounds downrange.
Accuracy was also damn good for a gas-piston gun. I achieved 1 MOA groups with 62-grain Match Grade ammunition from Hornady. Cheaper ammo opened the groups up a bit, but never more than 2.5 MOA. I had good results with standard 62-grain stuff with groups around 1.8 MOA. Needless to say, it’s more than accurate for practical use.
Boom Bang Pow
The BRN-180 is a worthy successor to the old Armalite AR-180. It’s well designed and most certainly well thought it out. Interaction with AR-15 lowers opens up so many parts and customization options that its hard not to love. The BRN-180 also satisfies the contrarian in me and my need to be different from the slew of AR-15s out there, and that’s worth something. Check out the BRN-180 here, and the AERO Gen 2 lower here.
“Majority rules.” So those of us were taught when, once upon a time, civics was part of public school curriculum. But what of the legitimate rights of minorities? As a practical matter, they no longer exist. Perhaps they never did.
E pluribus unum—”out of many, one”. Our nation’s Constitution was cobbled together by representatives of diverse nation states each with its own sentiments, customs and prejudices. Each was jealous of encroachment by greater states or coalitions of lesser states. Rights of minority interests were paramount in their minds.
This is the most comprehensive Taurus G3c Review you’ll find on the internet. When Taurus called me to ask if I wanted their new compact gun, I immediately was interested, because my hope is that their new CEO (who I interviewed) had put some improvements in place to move the product to the next level while still being affordable.
Step 1 in the Taurus G3c Review was to evaluate the features before shooting the gun. One of the things I really like is that the gun uses Glock style sight dovetails, so if you don’t like the factory sights it’s easy to change them out for something better. Because Glocks are so common, there are tons of great options, like the 10-8 Performance sights. Back to the G3c, I also like the trigger. I’ve been on a kick lately about “thinking triggers” which is a trigger that forces the shooter to be a little more contemplative while shooting. Examples are the Sig DAK trigger, an HK LEM, or a Beretta D-series. The G3c has some of the elements of those triggers, while keeping the reset short.
In fact, during the Taurus G3c Review, I found the trigger to be easy to shoot fast. On performance based drills, I was able to shoot the G3c to the level of accuracy and speed that I want in a carry gun, and during 15 yard drills was able to turn in one very impressive group. I shot an 1.07 inch group at 15 yards using Hornady Critical Defense and the Taurus. While there was a weird issue initially during group firing, that seemed to correct itself after time.
1.07 inch group at 15 yards, standing unsupported with Hornady Critical Defense
There was one part of the Taurus G3c Review that I wasn’t looking forward to: the endurance test. After firing 67 rounds during performance trials and group shooting, it was time to see how the gun holds up. The average person who buys this gun isn’t going to shoot 500 rounds through it in its entire life, so I felt strongly that if the Taurus could complete 500 rounds in an afternoon, it’s good to go for concealed carry. Over the next 20-30 minutes I shot everything: Federal HST, more Critical Defense, FMJ, Syntech bullets, you name it. The G3c ate them all with no complaints. The gun got crazy hot, my finger got a blister, but most importantly, the gun made it.
I think it’s important for there to be guns that are affordable but reliable enough that people can bet their life on them. Would I want to take the G3c to a weekend pistol class and shoot 1200 rounds through it? Probably not, but that’s not what it’s for. It’s for someone who has $250-$275 dollars and needs a gun for personal or home protection. For that role, I think the Taurus G3c is good to go.
Many of you have been eagerly awaiting this next variant in our TORCH™ product lineup to be released. The wait is over!
Like our previous TORCH products, the TORCH – 6VOLT/2xCR123 is machined from aircraft grade billet aluminum with Milspec Type III Hardcoat Anodized finish. They are optimized for use with the ATPIAL/PEQ 15, NGAL, and other top-mounted aiming laser devices but also fits nicely with BUIS and pressure pads. Featuring an integral uni-body M-LOK interface it is not only low profile, but provides the most robust M-LOK weapon light mounting solution on the market today.
Available immediately in both left and right hand variants, the TORCH – 6VOLT/2xCR123 is compatible with SureFire® SCOUT® M600 bezels and tail caps as well as Malkoff Devices M600 compatible heads. The TORCH – 6VOLT/2xCR123 is available now in MIL-STD Type III, Class 2, hard anodize, Black, as well as a new Clear (pictured above) anodized finish with our “Tobacco” color option coming online later this month.
Why CR123 Compatible?
Simple.
Logistics. Not everyone is going to have the wired infrastructure in place to run 18650 rechargeables consistently or have enough on hand when the expensive (relatively speaking) units fail. In this situation the affordable and disposable CR123 makes a lot of sense. It is a good option to have on hand.
Personally. I have enough 18650’s to have charged units and spares for my personal rifles. But I’m also not running them day and night at a high operational tempo where I might run through my 2 or three spare 18650’s before getting to a charger. Looking at the whole logistics picture of what you need and selecting the right TORCH for the job.
I wrote about the M16 the other day and how it still represented an impressively capable rifle in today’s field of 5.56 caliber options. Well, today I’m going to jump behind the Iron Curtain and reference Ian from Forgotten Weapons and Josh and Henry with 9-Hole reviews and talk about the unsung long serving hero the Cold War Eastern European service rifles.
We all know the AK-47, we know the AKM, they are certainly the most prolific examples of a service rifle remaining around the world in use. However… The Soviet Union developed beyond AKM way back in 1974 with the AK-74 and later M variants of the 5.45x39mm service rifle. They changed caliber and made a new rifle on a similar system. This would be comparable to the US using the AR-10 instead of the M-14 and then going to the AR-15. It is less of a radical departure, but still a new rifle.
Czechoslovakia semi-famously went ‘Cold War Hipster’ in 1958 and did their own thing with the 7.62×39 round mandated by the Warsaw Pact. Unlike all those who just licensed an AK, their VZ 58 rifle was a completely different and well regarded system with a visual similarity. It’s like thinking you recognize someone because of a side profile. The only true similarities are the curvature of the VZ’s and AK magazines (because same ammo), the laminate wood type material used for both rifle’s stocks and handguards, and the iron sight style.
Unlike the AK-47/AKM which was supplanted by the 74 and newer rifles today, the VZ sat pretty much unchanged until 2011. The outlasted the Soviet Union and the splitting of its home nation into two nations who are both finally starting to retire it for the 805 and Bren 2. Look at how many AK revisions we’ve had in the interim while the VZ just kept doing its thing and working.
The VZ 58 operation is ‘almost’ striker fired in its design. The trigger mechanism contains sear control surfaces that wouldn’t be out of place in a Glock or P320. In actuality, as Ian explains in the first video, is a linear spring loaded hammer that still hits a separate firing pin in the bolt. A true ‘striker’ would have the firing pin attached to the spring loaded firing mechanism like you see in striker pistols. The VZ also doesn’t use the otherwise popular rotating bolt carrier designs and instead has a locking block the drops vertically into place when the carrier is forward. It operates on a short stroke has piston instead of a full stroke.
The weapon is brilliantly simple and elegant in a way that reminds me of German roller-delay systems, despite being far more closely related to rotating bolt and piston operated guns.
I can see why it was so slow to be shed as a service rifle too. They just worked and were in service with nations that weren’t quick at adopting a lot of the gadgets and gizmos we use on our rifles. A modernization of the VZ would be utterly simple. Add an ambidextrous selector, add a modernized fore end for ancillaries and an adjustable holding stock, standardize on the side receiver mount for optics and a Ultimak type gas tube rail, and conduct a materials study to see if anything could be updated to a better metal or polymer. Very basic. I wouldn’t even necessarily change calibers since effective 7.62×39 rounds are plentiful and it’s a pretty nice cartridge to run in shorter barrels and suppressed.
But we’re about to reinvent the battle rifle so we will see how Europe follows suit.
Continuing the pandemic gardening saga I wanted to include more options for those with only an apartment balcony as a “yard”. I have two words for you. Container. Zucchini.
Zucchini
I stumbled on this variety last year by internet search. I don’t have a ton of space to devote to rambling zuke vines, so I tried growing this variety in a storage tub.
Container zucchini. Easy and delicious.
It worked great, and I had pickable zucchini in a little over a month from seed.
Zucchini are nutritious and versatile, so I think they are a great pandemic garden addition. I have put zucchini into pasta dishes and made a fresh veggie salad out of it. You can make zucchini into pickled relish, bake it into casseroles and I have had great success dehydrating it with spices for snack chips and also winter storage for later use in stir fries and soup. For those with a sweet tooth, there is also zucchini bread and muffins.
Grows right in the tub and stays there.
Container zucchini is yet another option for those of you getting a late start in the growing season. There is still plenty of time to get going with this variety of zucchini since they start bearing after only about a month or so. I ordered my seeds from Amazon. You don’t need fancy expensive garden planters either. Mine grew last year in a 5 dollar sterlite storage tub filled with potting soil.
This year I did splurge on nicer looking planters for the patio area, but that’s only because this year I actually “had” a patio area instead of just gravel and weeds. I figured if I was going to be home all summer I might as well make a nice relaxing spot for myself. The bonus is that the container zucchini looks kind of decorative and tropical in the patio area. I’m not sure the neighbors will even notice that it’s actually food and not landscaping.
Onions
Another staple “crop” you can grow in containers is onions. I bought mine as “sets” in a bag of 100 for 3 bucks at Walmart.
Onion sets.
Onions go well as “companion” plantings with many other staple veggies, including tomatoes, cabbage, and carrots. Thus, I scattered my onion sets all throughout several planters of those veggies. They seem to be doing well so far.
Happy onions dancing around the cherry tomatoes.
I’ve never grown onions before, so this is a new experience too, but everything I’ve read has been positive about container growing and companion planting. I plan to braid the onions together to hang in my basement for storage and also dehydrate some for dried onion flakes and rings.
Bush Beans
An additional idea for a balcony garden is bush beans. These varieties don’t need a trellis to climb, they stay lower in, well – a bush.
I tried growing a tricolor mix (green, purple, and yellow) last year in storage tubs, and although the plants themselves did well and I harvested a few handfuls of beans, the local deer periodically came along and mowed everything off. So my harvest was scanty.
Last year’s meager harvest due to deer.
This year I have a fenced area, so I’m planting bush beans again. Except this year I’m going for even cheaper containers than 5-dollar tubs. Since I’ve had success in the window with bag-lined cardboard boxes, I’m taking that idea outside. I dug the box my instant pot came in out of the basement and also the box for another small appliance, wrapped them each in black plastic garbage bags and dumped in some potting soil.
Now I’ve got two additional container planters that were virtually free! They only have to last the season, and if the boxes are wet and yucky by fall, I’ll put them into the compost. Plus, being covered in black plastic makes them blend in with the gray and black container tubs I already have. Visually, they look more uniform and less trashy that way for the neighbors (a consideration if you live in an apartment building or a picky neighborhood). I’m also thinking about covering an old broken laundry basket with a garbage bag and using it the same way.
Beans planted in an almost free cardboard box “container”. It cost me one garbage bag.
These beans are ready for harvest in about 70 days, so they are yet another option for those getting a late start gardening this year. Mine should be ready by the end of August. I plan to dehydrate them, but freezing and canning are other options for winter storage.
Don’t go away, because there are a few more pandemic gardening ideas coming over the next week or two. Stay tuned!
Tim over at Military Arms Channel just dropped this excellent piece covering the basics of why the M16 has lasted as long as it has and why it keeps being picked, in 5.56 NATO circuits at least, as the platform of choice even in 2020.
The two most recent nations to adopt ARs were France and New Zealand and our most recent transition to the M4A1 and M27 for the Army and Marine Corps en mass respectively has yielded excellent results. The AR has had a long run that shows little sign of stopping. Even as the NGSW project completes the trials and if a winner emerges the M16 derivatives will be in service for decades yet. Look at how long the M16A2 took to phase out and it was phased in back in the 80’s.
We will likely see the AR as a prominent fixture in modern militaries and on modern battlefields well into 2050’s. The M16A4 is even under large contracts still for nations receiving military assistance aid. The A4’s and M4’s will be with non forward forces for decades to come, even if the combat arms and special forces transition to the 6.8/6.5 systems being evaluated.
I, for one, am fine with that finding. Without transitioning to a new rifle caliber the M16 and AR platform in general are in the pinnacle grade of what is achievable on 5.56x45mm platforms. Do I like rifles like the SCAR, X95, and MCX? Absolutely. I love my SCARs, they are my favorite rifles. But from a performance envelope standpoint my M16A5 can do everything any of those rifles can very well also. We live in a golden era for firearms technology. Even our ‘better’ solutions to the M16 are just old technology coupled with good machining and paired with the ergonomic items we like from the M16.
Even looking at the NGSW, the most ambitious service rifle selection we have had since adopting the M16, we see the rifle’s influence ingrained deeply in the most popular candidate, the MCX SPEAR. Even if we see SOCOM flex their input and we see a caliber shift to 6.5 instead of 6.8 the carbine is already slated to be a 6.5 also.
We can see the M16 in the MCX. The selector, the bolt catch, grip, charging handle, everything is designed to seamlessly take the reins from the M16. The rifle’s legacy will be a long and ultimately stellar one.
The LPVO world is massive and chock full of impressive optics at every price point. Well, at seemingly every price point. The Bushnell AR optics LPVO 1-4X is likely the cheapest Low Power Variable Optic made under a well-known brand. It retails for under 150 bucks at most retailers. I paid free.99 from a fried and was given this particular model because it’s a slightly beat-up demo. I don’t want to say I got what I paid for, but I’m not sure of the best way to describe it otherwise.
Let’s dive into it, and you’ll see.
Breaking the Bushnell AR Optics Down
What’s important to remember is that there are three Bushnell AR Optics LPVOs in the 1-4 range, and they are all quite different. The BTR-1 and BTR-300 are both FFP scopes and are of considerably higher quality. Mine is the Drop-Zone 223, and it’s the lowest tier of the Bushnell optics.
The Drop-Zone 223 is quite compact, but for some reason, it finds a way to weigh more than my Athlon Argos 1-8X optic, which leaves me confused. The optic is relatively short 9.4 inches and uses a 30mm tube and 24mm objective lens. The Drop Zone reticle has a built-in BDC with drop dots out to 600 yards. This is an optimistic range, but it’s here for you.
The point of LPVOs is to be versatile, and they almost universally sport illuminated reticles that make them useful for rapid, both eyes open shooting at close ranges. They can act as a red dot at close range. The AR Optics Drop Zone 223 has no such illuminated reticle. It’s just a crosshair with four drop dots. That kills a lot of the versatility that LPVOs offer.
One feature I do enjoy is the exposed tactical turrets. This does making zeroing your weapon convenient. Although I’m not sure how often I’ll be making field adjustments with a 1-4X optic. However, it’s still a nice touch if you want rapid adjustment. The magnification ring is highly textured and easy to grip, and the ring itself does glide enjoyably.
The 3.5-inch eye relief is very forgiving and very comfortable, and I do appreciate that.
Bushnell’s AR Optics At The Range
I mounted the AR Optics Drop Zone 223 to my Aries/Fightlite SCR rifle with some affordable Vortex low rings. The nature of the SCR means an AR mount is too high, and low rings are just right. Protip, get an extended charging handle if you run this setup because the low mount makes it tough to reach.
The AR Optics Drop Zone 223 has surprisingly clear glass for the price of the optic. Keep in perspective for the price, the glass is good. At 400 yards, I could see my big open black silhouette target easy enough, but I doubt I could ever make a positive identification of a threat at this range. I might be able to see a rifle or some type of long gun, but identifying someone based on description would be difficult.
The crosshair and reticle are thin and relatively unobstructed to your field of view. Speaking of field of view, it narrows down quite a bit at 4X, giving you 27 feet at 100 yards. At 1X, you get a wide 112 feet.
The BDC is tuned to both 55 and 62 grain 223/5.56 loads. There are differences in drop between those rounds, but the dots will give you a reasonable estimation of where the round is going to go. Between human error and bullet variability and the fact you are using a cheap 1-4X scope, you aren’t going to get a dead-on BDC.
The good news is at 400 yards, when I placed the 400 yard marking on the target’s chest, I hit in the chest of the target. Maybe it was a few inches off, but I hit the thing close enough.
Getting Close
Dialing back to 1X and stepping up to ranges within 25 yards is where we see some cracks. Without an illuminated reticle, that semi-occluded two-eyed open shooting style is a lot less intuitive. Nothing grabs the eye outright, and the plain old black reticle doesn’t stand out.
Getting on target rapidly and moving between targets and all that fun stuff.. isn’t as fun. Maybe I’m spoiled by those big three-quarter circles with their illumination settings in most prism and LPVO optics. The AR Optics Drop Zone 223 and its small reticle makes close-range shooting a little trickier, but not necessarily ‘difficult’.
It can be done and done quickly, but when it comes to chasing time, I will always be faster with an illuminated reticle. This is especially true when shooting at odd or in uncomfortable angles and positions.
Them Turrets Though
The exposed tactical turrets are somewhat easy to move, and I’m not sure that I like that. I feel they could be easily bumped in the field. A little paint marking allows you to see if the turrets have bumped. The turrets also offer very little feedback when making adjustments, so you have to pay attention to each click.
Speaking of the AR Optics Drop Zone 223, use some exact adjustments. Each click is .1 mil, and that is rather nice, kind of. It’s unnecessary on a 1-4X rifle and makes zeroing take a lot longer travel than normal. That kind of precision is typically reserved for precision rifles. .5 MOA would make a bit more sense. I’m not sure if I consider this a detraction, but it’s silly.
So What’s It Good For?
I don’t want to sound like I hate or despise this optic. It’s not that bad, especially for its price point. Throughout testing, I kept reminding myself it’s an optic you can find for under 150 bucks. As a budget optic, I’ve seen a lot worse. The Bushnell AR Optics Drop Zone 223 holds zero, has seemingly good QC, surprisingly decent glass, and okay ergonomics. If you were strapped for cash, I could see why this would be your choice.
Since I’ve already tossed it on my hunting AR, that’s the role it will serve. As a hunting optic for whitetail in Florida, the AR Optics Drop Zone is a perfect contender. I don’t take long shots, and I’m also not drilling deer with snapshots and Mozambique drills, so the illuminated reticle isn’t an issue.
Love or hate cheap optics, they do have a role, and this one fits a minimally acceptable standard. It’s not perfect, but it’s not junk either. It’s a healthy okay.
