Not all gun parts, right out of the package, are ready for functional installation. The Model 504 Remington is no exception.
by Norman E. Johnson
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Fitting Remington Model 504 Extractors
October 25, 2014 — John M. Buol Jr.Gas Gun Barrel Break-In
October 20, 2014 — John M. Buol Jr.Easier cleaning and potential accuracy enhancement for the life of precision AR-15 barrels.
by Joe Carlos
In a former life I spent 28 years as a full time Pennsylvania Game Warden. In tracking down poachers and solving various game law infractions I often asked the same questions as any other law enforcement officer: Who, What, When, Where, and How? Let’s use that approach with regard to the topic of gas gun barrel break-ins.
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Ruger Mark II Pistol
October 15, 2014 — John M. Buol Jr.Maintaining the target quality Ruger Mark II, with thoughts on the Standard, Mark III and and 22/45 models.
by Wendell Dwight Deaner
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Industry Research
October 10, 2014 — John M. Buol Jr.The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) has been supplying the firearms and ammunition industry with a variety of research reports and data on industry indicators for nearly 10 years. Each year, NSSF builds upon past research and fulfills member requests for information on new segments.
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Experience Earned
October 9, 2014 — John M. Buol Jr.Experience Earned
by MSG Joe Carlos, US Army Reserve (ret.)
I’ve been associated with military shooting teams since the mid-1980s. During this entire period these teams have been underutilized, underfunded, and misunderstood. Until our wars in the Middle East I was one of the few members of the Reserve Team that had a combat patch. Generals and bean counters tended to think that all the shooting teams did was punch holes in paper and win trophies. When 9/11 hit all that changed real fast, however. Reservists and National Guardsmen from their respective shooting teams stepped forward and volunteered. Some were sent into combat but, fortunately, enough people in charge had the sense to assign most of the shooters as instructors and range cadre at the various Mobilization Stations or Power Projection Platforms.
At these Mob Stations each soldier has to review and demonstrate proficiency in his particular job skills, be it Infantryman, Motor Transport Operator, or Human Resources Specialist. Everyone also has to qualify with his individually assigned weapon, usually an M16/M4. I have all the respect in the world for Drill Sergeants and was one for many years, but Drill Sergeants have to cover all the tasks taught in Initial Entry (basic) Training from Drill and Ceremonies to Combatives. If your son or daughter was mobilizing, would you want any random Drill Sergeant supervising their marksmanship training or would you rather have an instructor that wore a Distinguished Badge on their chest and a President’s Hundred Tab on their sleeve?
When experience in the Gulf demonstrated the need to reach out a little farther on the battlefield, the active component considered all those old Viet Nam-era M14s that had been stored away. However, few personnel knew squat about M14s or shooting at distance because many active duty soldiers put in 20 years to punch the retirement ticket and get out, leaving no institutional knowledge. Reserve component soldiers (Guard and Reserve) tend to stick around longer because the military is supposed to be part time, with some remaining 30 or 40 years. Many on the two reserve shooting teams not only knew the M14 but had earned their Distinguished Rifleman badges with them and were able to show the active component how to do things right. The level of commitment went even further than that. With only 20 or 30 people slotted a military rifle team there wasn’t enough to handle the entire workload. Retired shooting team members stepped forward to help out, not unlike civilian competition shooters teaching marksmanship during the two world wars.
As time went on Designated Marksman training grew. The concept has at least one person per squad trained in long range precision shooting, not as a sniper but as a superior marksman. This person could be equipped with an M14 or M16 with ACOG or similar optical sight. After the fact, a number of organizations tried to lay claim to the Designated Marksman program but it was mostly reserve component shooting team members having competed internationally doing the the lion’s share of the development using lessons learned in those military shooting competitions. When I hear bean counters, politicians, and even other soldiers claiming shooting teams don’t contribute it riles me up and should anger you as well. A military rifle team can be completely funded for the cost of one cruise missile!
Most of the knowledge and research I write in my articles was learned during my decade-plus tenure as a competitor and armorer with the Army Reserve Marksmanship Program.
Precision Barrel Fitting, Part Seven
October 5, 2014 — John M. Buol Jr.In this part we’ll dive deeper into possible problems faced in chambering and how to avoid them.
by Chick Blood
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The Right Tools Are Not Enough
October 1, 2014 — John M. Buol Jr.Why gunsmiths need to regularly calibrate their measurement tools
by Tory Manning
For any gunsmith, whether amateur or professional, having the right measurement tools is critical. Firearms are designed to exacting tolerances and precise measurements. In order to meet the tight specifications, your machining must be skilled and accurate. To verify this, a range of precision measurement equipment can be used.
The equipment you need obviously varies depending on the work you’re doing. For simple modifications, a precision micrometer and dial calipers may be enough. For full scale design and fabrication, additional equipment like hardness testers, bore gages and torque wrenches may be required. Reloaders and ammunition manufacturers will need linear measuring tools, balances and possibly chronographs.
However, the right instrumentation is only half of the story. Ensuring that your measurement equipment is calibrated and working perfectly is also vital. If you are measuring with a gage that is out of tolerance, it will not give you the precise data that you require to confirm that production meets specification. There is so much time, labor and materials wrapped up in producing a firearm. If only one piece is not correct, the entire weapon may not function correctly. And worse, it could create a potentially harmful situation for either the gunsmith or the shooter.
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