All posts by MadOgre

Avoid Semi Auto .17’s

We just read on WTA that there has been another KB with a Semi-Auto .17HMR rifle.  Most of the time the result of a KB is only stings and scares… but this time the shooter was hurt badly.

A blow back semi auto .17HMR (and even the .17 Mach 2 but to a lesser extent) is a bad idea.  No matter who makes the gun or how custom the gun is…. it’s going to, at some point, have a KB.  This is the same problem with EVERY semi auto .17.   Which is why all of them have been recalled and dropped from production by everyone that has ever made them.  Except for Alexander Arms, who is making a 1200 dollar AR type – that will still do the same thing everyone else’s did.   Even in one of the Gun Rags, during the review process the writer mentioned this happening but kept shooting it.
There are a couple causes of the .17 Rimfire KB’s.
1.  The bolt, rebounding off of firing the last round, slams forward into the cartridge rim hard enough to set it off while the round is in the magazine.
2.  A few rounds fires slightly out of battery puts enough carbon fouling in the chamber to builds up until a case is completely unsupported and firing pressure blows it.
Continue reading Avoid Semi Auto .17’s

Crusader’s newest Finish option

Crusader Weaponry has been using Duracoat for some time now.  And Duracoat has proven to be a great finish for Firearms.  It’s super tough, being an epoxy type product and it comes in a myriad of colors to satisfy any request.   I’ve used Duracoat on many weapons, and it’s been fantastic.

However, we’ve been working with a very particular customer… and he wasn’t satisfied with Duracoat.  His requirements were much higher than what Duracoat could provide.   We’ll reveal who this customer is in about a month… and you guys wont believe it.

Gundoc did some research and has found a new finish that we will be bringing out as an added cost option for all Crusader guns.  It’s called Cerakote and it makes Duracoat look like mere Krylon.  It outperforms Duracoat in every metric.   It’s 3x the cost, but it’s 10x the finish.  Stronger, Harder, Slicker, and even better looking.   Not as many color options, but who cares… really.   Cerakote takes everything to the next level and just flat out makes your weapon better.

I wouldn’t recommend this new finish on all guns… Duracoat is just fine for most applications.   But there are those guns who’s missions require the absolute best protection… and Crusader has you covered.

Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse

My brother Zack, and my friends Mike, Larry, and Tom were at ConDuit and were all on a panel together about surviving in a world gone Zed.
First point of order… When it comes to winning against Zombies, ignore everything Max Brooks has ever written. If you have to get a book or two to follow, the first book to get is the Boy Scout Handbook. Not a new one, but an old one. Then, if you can, the US Army Ranger Manual. Just to make you feel safer.

Continue reading Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse

Cycle Chops

“It’s just like riding a bike. It’ll come back to you.” That’s true. Getting used to riding again… brothers and sisters… it feels good. There is no other feeling like it. If I have to explain it to you, you wont understand. I should have never given up riding.
The Honda V-4 engine – I’m of the firm opinion that this is the best engine ever built for motorcycles. The strong roll on acceleration is biblical, smooth, and right now. This makes passing rock flinging trucks not just faster, but safer. Being able to get out of danger quick is a very good thing. Also the fact that my little puny 750cc engine has destroyed a number of 1200cc powered V-Twin type bikes… that just makes me happy.

Getting used to riding again is one thing. I’m also getting used to a new bike. The Magna I have now is called a “3rd Gen” by Magna Owners. The previous Magna I had was a 1st Gen… It was an 85 or 86 if I remember right. I got it for 800 bucks and it only had 2,000 miles on it. It was Cherry. Those Magnas had a longer fork, and pegs that were a bit more forward… more chopper like. After riding this Magna, in it’s more “Standard” position… I think I’d rather have the older style for the comfort.
However, the 3rd Gen Magna has more rigid forks, quicker turn in, and all around better handling. I think even has a better lean angle to it. It feels more like a Sports Bike. This makes me tempted to take curves at faster velocities, riding it like it was a Sports Bike. Which is all fine and well… very cool actually… but I’d rather like the more stretched out position of the older bike. Easier on the knees.

Then again, back then with my last Magna, I didn’t have any problems with my knees. Still. I miss that old Magna. It was a dark blue – almost black… all dark and sinister looking… it was a sexy bike. I rode that when I was going to ROTC at BYU. Not the normal BYU bike. Everyone else on a motorcycle had sport bikes or scooters.
No matter how bad I feel, how much I hurt… I get on the bike and start riding… I feel better. I forget the pain and everything… and I’m just riding.

The Circuit Judge

I really want to like the Rossi Circuit Judge, especially if they would offer it in .44 or .357, which they’ve not done yet. I’m a Die Hard .410 Hater. I sweat to God I’ll never like those, and if I do – please smack me upside the head with a Hockey Stick. Anyways, we’ve seen some issues with the Circuit Judge. The Grip-Stock is blocking shell ejection. We’ve just had to take one back because an attempted speed reload resulted in a bent ejector. It was too easy to bend and too easy to bend back. That’s not cool. That needs to be strengthened. The grip-stock also needs to be redesigned so as to allow it to clear ejecting shells.
I think the swing out cylinder is awkward on these things. The package is nice enough… a light and handy revolving carbine… it’s cool. It really is. But the Circuit Judge is a poor execution of the concept. I’d rather see a Revolving Carbine based on a Peacemaker action – which actually makes more sense than anything, or better yet, a Top Break. I bet a custom gunsmith could take one of those Uberti Top Breaks and make it into a revolving carbine pretty easily.

Relevant Revolvers

I’ve heard a lot of people scoff Wheelguns lately. Saying that the revolver was dead. These are guys that worship at font of High Capacity and think good shooting is a 1.5 second mag dump. That’s all fine and well. Drilling at target mulitple times in the blink of an eye is fun. And in a gunfight, it would do the job.
However not all shooting is a gun fight. I don’t have to look over both shoulders before I safe my weapon and reholster every time I shoot because I tend to think that in an actual fight, that instinct is still going to be there.
Back the wheelguns… I think revolvers are actually seeing a resurgence of popularity. Not just the Snubs or the huge magnum .500’s… but in the mid sized guns in .357 and .44. Which used to be the main stream of handgunning. People are appreciating that great balance of power and controllability that 686 and 629’s have.
I’m still itching for a .44 myself.

Standing the Test of Time

We all know that Hollywood has a thing for “Remakes”. It’s a money making formula for them. The biggest excuses for doing a Remake, is that the original film was “Dated”. And in some cases, maybe they have some point. For example, Clash of the Titans was certainly dated, but in doing the Remake, they ruined the charm of Clash of the Titans and destroyed all the reasons to like it. The new version is total rubbish.
There are some movies however that stand the test of time and you can enjoy them just as much now as when the film first came out.
Alien & Aliens. Predator. The Thing. Bladerunner.
These movies are so good, that they are Required Viewing for membership in The Horde. If you don’t like these films, you probably sodomize garden gnomes and stab kittens with shrimp forks. Anyone attempting to even put forward the idea to do a Remake on these films need to be up against a wall before they could finish the sentence.

Light for Caliber

I often get emails asking about what loads to use in what guns… Handguns and Rifles. There is a lot of considerations for what load to shoot, and often the load selection is even more important than the choice of platform to launch it from.
For handguns, I generally like to go Light for Caliber. Picking the lighter load options rather than the more popular heavy options. Reason being, I like velocity in my handguns, which often provides more hydrodynamic reaction that gives more consistent bullet expansion. Take the lightest options, try them, and only go heavier if accuracy is suffering in the light loads. I’ve found that quite often the light to medium shoot the more accurate than the heavier loads, but every gun is different and yours might be different, so you have to try it all out for yourself.
Now, for Rifles… I like the Medium to Heavy bullets for caliber because the heavier ones tend to offer then higher ballistic coefficient numbers that I want for longer range shots.
This is just the way I roll… it’s what works for me… Your mileage may differ.

Zombie Survival

With the CDC warning of Zombies, and the Zombie Survival Discussion Panel that’s going to happen Friday Night at ConDuit with Larry Correia, Mike Kupari, and my brother Zack… I thought I’d preemptively put out my opinion on the subject.  Luckily, I found that my good friend Terry has made my argument for me in language so clear and concise as to command acquiescence and affirmation.