Category Archives: Weapons

Weapons

The Savage Axis

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The Sub-300 dollar Savage Axis has been impressing me more and more.  In just about every caliber, the reports have been overwhelmingly positive.  The only hesitation or complaints have been in the trigger.  It’s not a bad trigger by any means… it’s just not a good trigger by any means either.

Timney has fixed that.

Available in all the classic calibers, and 7mm-08.  I think in the .223, .243, and .308, are the more appealing of choices to me.  Quite honestly, this makes the cheap little Axis a very interesting rifle.  Very interesting indeed.  For a knock-around working gun, this just might be an absolute ideal platform.

Now, what scope would go good on this one?  Normally, I’d personally start out with a Nikon Monarch.  However, I want to keep this package as “affordable” as possible.  Say, something in the 200 dollar range, or even a bit less.  Nikon’s new ProStaff’s are pretty good.  But I’d also take good hard look at the Vortex Diamondback BDC scopes.  Something in a 4-12 would do quite well on this.

Let’s see… this rifle, with the Timney upgrade, and a Vortex Diamondback… You are looking at about 600 dollars total.  I think this would make for a great lightweight knockabout package.  Yes, very interesting indeed.

Edit:  The Howa 1500 Scoped Rifle Combo that usually retails for about 499 is a good deal on a good rifle.  The comparison to the Axis becomes a natural  one.  Which would be more accurate is a good question, which I can not answer. Both have proved to have very good accuracy.  So I’ll judge that to be Sixes.  The Howa package however is considerably heavier and it lacks a detachable box magazine, a feature that I favor when I have the option.  Considering that with this Timney upgrade, the Savage Axis then has the better trigger, lighter weight, detachable mag… I think the Axis is the choice to make.

Military, Weapons

Some thoughts from someone at War.

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One of our friends over in one of our active War Zones sent us some of this thoughts:

-Massive reduction in the number of general officer positions.
-Closing of most European bases.  Eventual goal of no US land forces permanently stationed in any European Union country.  All bases in the UK, Italy, and Turkey would be closed immediately.  Bases in Germany would remain for the time being.
-The United States would unilaterally withdraw from NATO.  That organization is a useless Cold War dinosaur.  All it does now is have the United States protect decadent Western European countries from a threat that isn’t there anymore.

Continue reading Some thoughts from someone at War. →

Weapons

Marlington

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I think Marlin, and by that I mean Remington, needs to stop making the X7 centerfire bolt action rifles.  Marlin is a Lever Action Company… they need to stick to that.  They do fine Rimfires… which is fine.  Remington has nothing in that market.  But Remington making a Marlin branded Savage Knockoff?  Feh… Why? To get that 300 dollar rifle Market?  I thought they already had that with their 770.  Which is total crap, but hey.  It’s at least a Remington.

Now, there is really nothing wrong with the X7 rifles.  It is quite good for a cheap knock-around gun for those that have a hate for Savage and refuse to buy one… so now they can buy the Marlin option, which is a Savage knockoff crossed with a Vanguard if it got drunk with ambition and delusions.  Reportedly the X7’s shoot pretty good.  Especially their heavy barreled .308.  But why would Remington want make that, when they would rather be selling their own 700 SPS Tactical?  I don’t get why they feel the need to make a product that competes with their own product.   Remington needs to squelch that.

I still assert that Mossberg needs to GTFO of the Lever Action market too.

Weapons

Winchester 94-22M Temptation

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We have a Winchester 94-22m .22 Magnum that came in on trade.  It’s sporting a nice peep sight set up, nice checkered wood stocks… really nice looking.  From a distance.  Up close the gun is ugly.  Pitting everywhere and the wood has more dings than I’ve ever seen.  Some are unfortunately too deep to fix, and wood was amazing.  New, this rifle would have been stunning.

The temptation is to restore it.  No collector value, that’s just gone.  This would be a rescue.

Weapons

Remington R1, another look.

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I’ve taken a closer look at the Remington R1 1911 pistol.  Six of them, actually.  When they first came out, my impression was favorable.  I liked them.  And I wanted to still like them.  For 699 they seemed to be a great deal.  And for some, meaning Remington Fanboys, they still are.

Closer examination of the R1 reveals a shortcoming I didn’t expect from Remington.  When I stripped them down and looked closely at the internals, I didn’t like what I saw.  The internal machining was sub-par.  A 450 dollar ATI has better machining.  A Taurus has better machining inside. Though for 699, you do get to beat your chest about “American Made”… right alongside Charter Arms, Auto Ordinance, and Hi-Point.  Great.

The good news is that Para USA is now making guns in the USA.  So if you want a Remington R1… Buy a Para USA Wild Bunch.

Crusader, Weapons

What is so great about Slipstream?

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I get this question a lot.  If you have read Crusader Weaponry’s page, you know it’s a double edged sword against Friction.   The base carrier oil is a fully synthetic oil that is in and of its self, outstanding and can go toe to toe against any other synthetic gun oil.  That’s just straight up good stuff.  But we want something better… So we went outside of the Gun Industry.  We found a type of nano-particle that does everything we want, and more.  No one else is using it, because it’s prohibitively expensive.  They look for cheaper materials so they can make profit.  We don’t make Slipstream to make Profit… we only make about a buck off each bottle.  I’m not even kidding.  We make it because we want the best lubricant possible.  Dealers don’t like Slipstream… because of the low profit margins on it.  They can make more money selling lesser lubricants because they don’t care about Coefficients of Friction and Reliability – they are there to make money.

Continue reading What is so great about Slipstream? →

Weapons

Marlin Firearms

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I’ve mentioned the issues I’ve seen with rifles from Marlin, say the last 2 years.  Sloppy fits, poor assembly, bad fitting parts/stocks, and wood on the butt stock that looked like it came from a different species of tree than the fore end.  Just not a gun I’d recommend to anyone.

Well, last couple of months we’ve been getting in new Marlins.  And I’m very pleased to say that each one has been better than I’ve ever seen from Marlin before.  The quality is there.  These are the best guns ever to have the Marlin name.  The fit and finish are outstanding.