Category Archives: Weapons

Weapons

FNH SCAR 17

4 Comments

I finally got my hands on a FNH SCAR 17, or SCAR Heavy as it’s also called.  Retailing for 2899.99, it’s not a cheap rifle… it’s not the most expensive one out there, but is it worth the asking price?

It’s a “Nice” rifle. But it’s not almost 3 Grand worth of nice. It’s freaking Injection Molded Plastic with some Stamped parts and a Mediocre Barrel… with Proprietary Expensive Magazines. If it has anything about it that is an actual tangible advantage to other 7.62mm Weapons – is that the SCAR is a very lightweight gun for it’s size…. because it’s plastic.  Since when did plastic become worth as much as Titanium?  Is it the notoriety of SOCOM affiliation?  No, really, is it?  Because there is another FNH .308 semi auto rifles that are also used by SOCOM in even more limited secret squirrel numbers… The FNH FNAR.  More accurate.  Less money.  And in my opinion a better rifle… but that’s another topic.

I like the SCAR 17 though.  It’s cool and different, and would make for a great mountain assault rifle.  If I was asked to patrol the mountains on foot with a small team, the SCAR 17 might be a great option for that.  But this gun isn’t worth almost 3 Large… Not even close. This is an 800 Dollar gun with 2000 Dollars worth of Gee Wizz. The trigger sucks, the sights suck, the action is about as smooth as an out of the box WASR-10, and the reported accuracy is average for a DPMS Carbine.  Not something I’d personally spend my money on…. not that much money.  I’d rather have Joe at Crusader Weaponry build me a custom SR-25 rifle, light weight, 16″ barrel, with accuracy like a laser pointer.  But that’s just me.  Now, if FNH was more reasonable on the price… say 1499.99, that would be a much better price level and I could get behind the SCAR.

There is one more thing about the SCAR 17 though.  It’s rare and exclusive, giving it an air of superiority based on that fact alone.  Like early iPod or iPhone adopters, they could be snobbish about it… but now everyone has iPods and iPhones and it’s cooler now to own a Droid phone.  (argue that in another thread I’ll start in a moment)   That isn’t going to happen anytime soon with the SCAR 17.  It’s going to always remain a rare find and highly sought after.

You know what… screw it… if I had a spare wad of cash and already had a Crusader Broadsword – I’d freaking have a SCAR 17 in a heartbeat.  Wouldn’t even have to think about it.  I’d have Joe trick it out, sure, but I’d still get one in an instant.  Who am I kidding?  Why?  Because it really is freaking cool.  It’s sexy looking and it’s full of potential violence… and that is just what I want to send my money on – Sex and Violence.  Ultimately, all true red-blooded American Males do to.

Weapons

S&W and Shotgunning

9 Comments

Over on Facebook, Jerry Miculek posted about a young lady getting her new JM Signature Mossberg 930.  This sparked much though.  Jerry is a great guy and I have had the pleasure of meeting him and talking with him at a SHOT Show “Media Range Day”.  He is a Gentlemen to be sure, and one of the very best shooters in the world.  He’s putting his stamp on a Mossy 930 should be more than enough to squelch all the Mossberg Haters out there.  Mossberg makes some very good, solid, and reliable shotguns.  They also make some real stupid crap as well… More on that later.

Continue reading S&W and Shotgunning →

Crusader, Weapons

Glocks and AK’s.

29 Comments

Have to say, the guns I go to the most are Glocks, AK’s, and 870’s.
The 23 in .40, remains my most favored handgun for CCW.  The  model 20, in 10mm is coming in second.  The more I use the Glocks… the more I like them.  Not just an appreciation for the function… but liking them for the way they feel and point, the triggers…  The elegant simplicity of them… I just really like Glocks now.  I don’t know… maybe it’s the crash… but I really dig them and the more I’m around them, the 19 and 23’s stand out as the perfect handguns to me – even more so than the 1911 now.  Yup.  They crossed that line for me.  I like them more than 1911’s.  No they are not the prettiest, but they are still beautiful.  Kinda like the Girl Next Door that you grew up best friends with and there is that moment when you realize “You want that.”   That’s Glock.
My Crusader Kalashnikov is more and more my go to rifle.  I just really feel an attachment to it.  It suits me to a T.  It can hit.  It’s reliable.  Mag changes are getting much faster and everything is “Clicking”.  And I get more satisfaction out of running the Kalash well than running an AR well.
For the 870’s, my adopted Police Tactical is my favorite.  I have my other 870’s and they are cool and all… but something about that old wood furniture.  Nothing says I am going to “Jack You Up” like an old wood stocked gun… You just know you are going to get an old school beating.  The warmth it has when you handle it.  Wood is an under appreciated material to a whole generation of shooters and I find that a sad state.  Poly is fine – but Wood is finer.  Especially nice grained wood with character.  Again, Wood stocked guns have “Soul” that Poly guns just don’t have and never will.  They can’t.  I’ve said that before… And when I pick up that old Police Tactical… You can feel it has a History of Kicking Ass and all that experience is backing you up giving you some extra confidence.  A new 870 Tactical with a plastic stock – it’s like a new Police Rookie with his first pair of Mirrored Cop Shades.  The authority is there… maybe even the skill is there… But not the Character and Experience – that Soul just isn’t there.

These are my Guns of Choice.  What are yours?

Crusader, Weapons

An all Titanium AR.

6 Comments


I was asked if Crusader could do this. WHY? Crusader builds serious use guns. Titanium would be as much as an advantage in a fighting gun as Spinners would be on the Hubs of Police Cars. Besides, Titanium has some problems. Galling and Cold Welding being among them. The rifle according the Nemo’s site is almost 9 pounds. So instead of getting one of these, how about an armory full of Broadswords?
From the video, the guy says it is “Wildly impractical for the End User.”
Hey, if they want to known for making expensive useless crap… They just unlocked that achievement. Using Titanium just to say “It’s Titanium” is rather asinine. Titanium isn’t Magic. But that’s fine for them. Crusader will remain known for making seriously excellent guns and lubricants.

Weapons

Beretta and Uberti

9 Comments

Take a quick look at these.  A pair of SAA Clones.

At first glance, they look identical save for the Beretta’s little medallion in the grips.  There is a good reason for that.   Both are made by Uberti in Italy… Both are Spaghetti Westerns here.  However, the Beretta is imported by Beretta and the Uberti is imported by Stoeger for some reason.   What’s interesting is that the Beretta marked gun is less money.  What makes that so interesting?  The Beretta is the better gun by far.  Let me show you why.

Here you can see the grips if the Beretta very nicely. The way they should fit.
The wood grips on the Uberti have a bit of overlap that you can see and feel. Less comfortable in the hand too.
The Beretta uses a pretty standard, but well executed, Transfer Bar Safety, allowing you to easily load and carry in all six chambers.
The Uberti's firing pin on the hammer set up means you pack it with the hammer down on the empty chamber. Which is a good theory on safety, but leaves you will one less shot to fire.
You can see the seams between the panels. Not bad at all. That's a good fit and finish here. And that little medallion looks sharp.
Huh... Not so good.

What you can’t see in the photos is the FEEL.  The Beretta feels like it’s a much nicer gun.  It feels that way, because it really is.  I’d buy a Beretta easily over the Uberti, every day, every time.  The Uberti’s… not so much.  I like the clicks in the action as you pull the hammer back.

And here’s the kicker…

The Beretta is about 40 bucks less money.
Weapons

Still Love 1911’s

22 Comments

Still love the 1911.  In fact, this one particular handgun is probably my favorite pistol in the world. I brings joy and comfort to me when I just look at it… Warm fuzzies when I hold it… Bliss when I shoot it. As is… no modifications.  Just Use and Care and a bit of some Slipstream.  It runs very well when I use good magazines and shoot Ball ammo.

As much as I am fond of this gun… I do not consider it to be one of my Fighting Guns.  One of the guns that would be used should there be an unwanted/unexpected bump in the night.  I was issued a gun exactly like this one… it said Colt on it though.  But the feel, the weight, the wear marks… Fond memories of a time when I was lighter, faster, and younger.    But I’m wiser, and better looking now.  I still respect the 1911 and it’s History.  It still has a place in my heart, and it always will.  When I was on the ground and someone was aiming a weapon at me… it was a 1911 in my hand that stopped what could have come next.

While the 1911 was an epoch moment in handgunning, my chosen handgun is the second epoch… The Glock.  It’s an evolutionary leap, as was the 1911 when it was adopted by the US Army.  I very much look forward to the next leap forward.

Uncategorized, Weapons

Quiz: Shire to Mordor

15 Comments

Your backpack is full of all the essentials.  Your party is outside waiting for you.  You have a long walk ahead.  You open your Arms Locker… It is full of your life’s collection… all your favorites… with magazines and ammo to spare.  But you can only pick one, because you are going to have to carry it a very long way.

You don’t know what you will face… but you know that out there… outside the borders of The Shire… are dark horrible things and you could run into some or all of them.  Orcs, Trolls, Uruk-hai, Dunlendings, Goblins, Olog-hai, Easterlings, Wights, Wargs, Ring Wraiths, Nazgul, Skin-Changers, Giants, perhaps a Dragon and Balrog (with wings… because freaking Balrogs have wings, damnit), and if you are unlucky… a Tom Bombadil .

You reach in, grab the gun and head out.

What was it that you grabbed?

This was a question asked in the very early days of TheFiringLine.com… I remember it well because I thought about it a lot before I answered, and I have thought about it still since then.  My answer at the time was a Krinkov.  Smallish, Lightish, but reliable and potent.  I think it was a good answer then.  I think it’s a good answer still.