So, anyone who knows me, or has read my posts on WeTheArmed.com, knows I don't like Glock pistols.
There's a laundry list of things I don't like about Glocks. The grip angle is a problem for many people. The trigger safety bugs me, along with a disassembly procedure that requires dry-firing on a closed chamber. That has resulted in many negligent discharges and even deaths. Plus, Glocks are just ugly.
Of course, they are extremely popular guns. They're as simple as they come- point and shoot. There's no manual safety and they're reliable to a fault. They're inexpensive. Their popularity has created a huge and mostly inexpensive aftermarket for magazines, accessories, and upgrades. I even recommend Glocks as an option for new shooters, even though I'm not a fan. They're good guns for a lot of people.
Just not me.
A while back, my friend, Jason, who is a fellow Sig pistol lover, Glock hater, and who has an often strange "gun idea of the day," mentioned he was looking at Glocks for a pocket-carry gun. This opened my mind to Glocks for a few days. His "idea of the day" passed within 24 hours, and my thoughts about them passed shortly thereafter.
Then one night, I had a dream; a nightmare really.
I usually don't remember much about my dreams other than the general gist, but rarely details. I remembered a scary amount of this one.
I walked into Abilene Indoor Gun Range, plunked down an unknown amount of money, and they handed me a Glock. Don't remember choosing or thinking. I just gave them money and took it home. I remember what the empty magwell and empty chamber looked like when I cleared it. Then I started dry firing. I remember pulling the slide back just far enough to reset, which isn't far on a Glock. I just dry fired for a while. I don't remember the trigger biting me, like that stupid trigger safety always does on me. I don't remember the normal discomfort I usually feel with the grip. The next thing I remember is thinking it was a G23, then looking at the barrel and finding it was marked "9X19mm" and realizing it was a G19.
And then I woke up, in a sweat. This was a bad dream for me.
I haven't been able to shake it. I think if I could buy handguns in Arizona I would've gone and bought one by now, but luckily I have another month plus to try and shake it.
I'm thinking I might get one even when I get back to Texas. Reason is a couple things. One, I should be proficient with any gun I pick up. Glocks are different from real guns in the grip angle, which few other designs share. That's one of the things keeping me from one. But they're so damn common, I should be able to shoot one. The other reason is that in order to badmouth...I mean, intelligently critique a weapon, you need to know it, know it's strengths, shortcomings, etc.
To evaluate it, I'm not going to risk my life by carrying it. I just have so much muscle memory in DA/SA guns, and I carry such weapons on and off duty, I'm not willing to risk that. But I plan to target shoot with it. I'm even going to shoot it in IPSC matches, once I get through the Double Tap match. I'm practiced enough with my Sigs and Beretta, and I've paid too much to enter that match that I'm not going to change my gun two months out. But after that, I'm going to wring it out in action pistol competition.
I'm hoping I can get one, shoot the crap out of it and still hate it for one reason or another. If it has negative impacts on my real gun shooting, due to grip angle or trigger or whatever, that will be enough reason for me. I'm invested enough in my DA/SA's that I carry on and off duty, and shoot well, if a Glock takes away from that, I'll sell it in a heartbeat.
I just have to know.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Cav Arms Build Complete
I know it's been a while, but my plastic AR-15 is complete, and it looks good!
As you can read from earlier posts, I started with an OD Green Cavalry Arms lower receiver. I've documented the lower build, which was not without it's hardships.
Building the upper receiver had a whole new list of difficulties. I started by ordering a DPMS light profile 20" barrel. A deployment and a total of 7 months later, it was still backordered. I canceled the order with DPMS and ordered a similar Bushmaster barrel, which arrived in less than a month. It is a standard 20" barrel with a fixed A2 front sight post/gas block. It came with a rifle-length gas tube and black rifle length handguards. Basically, it was ready to install.
I also ordered an A2 upper receiver. It arrived long before the barrel, and I just stashed it away and forgot about it. Turns out it was an A1 upper(I checked the invoice, and it did indeed list an A2 upper. They sent the wrong one), and I had an A2 rear sight kit. All of it was ordered from Brownells. I kept the A1 upper, either to sell or for a future build, and ordered an A2 upper.
When the A2 upper arrived, installation of the rear sight kit wasn't hard, and didn't require all the special tools that some websites advocate. I did it with a punch set and a screw driver.
Installing the barrel wasn't hard, either. I borrowed a can of lithium grease from Josh at Abilene Indoor Gun Range, where I do most of my gun related business. Great guys. I sprayed the receiver threads with grease, installed the barrel and torqued the barrel nut to spec with a cheap torque wrench. I left the black handguards in the closet and installed a set of OD Green Cavalry Arms rifle length handguards to give it that two-tone look.
With the upper complete, I had to install the bolt carrier group, which I had ordered months before. Standard, cheap BCG. It went in just fine, but somewhere along the line I had forgotten to get a charging handle. I cannibalized it from my M4gery (which is now known as Tactibeast- that's another post) to test the rifle.
First time I took the gun out was on a trip with my sister and her boyfriend. I shot it first to make sure it functioned safely, but then both of them shot it and enjoyed it, even without a forward assist. That's another part I forgot to order. Along with the flash hider, but that is going to be permanently cannibalized from the Tactibeast.
At the end of the day, here's a bad picture of the rifle.
As you can read from earlier posts, I started with an OD Green Cavalry Arms lower receiver. I've documented the lower build, which was not without it's hardships.
Building the upper receiver had a whole new list of difficulties. I started by ordering a DPMS light profile 20" barrel. A deployment and a total of 7 months later, it was still backordered. I canceled the order with DPMS and ordered a similar Bushmaster barrel, which arrived in less than a month. It is a standard 20" barrel with a fixed A2 front sight post/gas block. It came with a rifle-length gas tube and black rifle length handguards. Basically, it was ready to install.
I also ordered an A2 upper receiver. It arrived long before the barrel, and I just stashed it away and forgot about it. Turns out it was an A1 upper(I checked the invoice, and it did indeed list an A2 upper. They sent the wrong one), and I had an A2 rear sight kit. All of it was ordered from Brownells. I kept the A1 upper, either to sell or for a future build, and ordered an A2 upper.
When the A2 upper arrived, installation of the rear sight kit wasn't hard, and didn't require all the special tools that some websites advocate. I did it with a punch set and a screw driver.
Installing the barrel wasn't hard, either. I borrowed a can of lithium grease from Josh at Abilene Indoor Gun Range, where I do most of my gun related business. Great guys. I sprayed the receiver threads with grease, installed the barrel and torqued the barrel nut to spec with a cheap torque wrench. I left the black handguards in the closet and installed a set of OD Green Cavalry Arms rifle length handguards to give it that two-tone look.
With the upper complete, I had to install the bolt carrier group, which I had ordered months before. Standard, cheap BCG. It went in just fine, but somewhere along the line I had forgotten to get a charging handle. I cannibalized it from my M4gery (which is now known as Tactibeast- that's another post) to test the rifle.
First time I took the gun out was on a trip with my sister and her boyfriend. I shot it first to make sure it functioned safely, but then both of them shot it and enjoyed it, even without a forward assist. That's another part I forgot to order. Along with the flash hider, but that is going to be permanently cannibalized from the Tactibeast.
At the end of the day, here's a bad picture of the rifle.
Update Time
I haven't updated this in a while. I've been giving false hope to those who click on the signature line link I have on WeTheArmed.com. I say this is the place where I post all the crap no one wants to read. I have a ton of crap no one wants to read that I haven't posted here.
I completed the CavArms build, and I'll post updates to that. I've picked up my Silencerco .22Sparrow suppressor, which I haven't posted about. I've also submitted a Form 1 for a Short Barreled Rifle chambered in .300AAC Blackout, the build of which will become it's own set of posts.
I've got some other crap for no one to read, and I'm actually going to change the name of the blog to reflect that. Look for more in the future.
I completed the CavArms build, and I'll post updates to that. I've picked up my Silencerco .22Sparrow suppressor, which I haven't posted about. I've also submitted a Form 1 for a Short Barreled Rifle chambered in .300AAC Blackout, the build of which will become it's own set of posts.
I've got some other crap for no one to read, and I'm actually going to change the name of the blog to reflect that. Look for more in the future.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Finished Cavalry Arms Lower
I finally finished the CavArms Lower, with a little 5/64" pin needed to hold the buffer retainer down. Since the Cav Arms Lower Receiver doesn't have a buffer tube, it needs a little pin to hold the buffer retainer down in it's hole. I learned this the hard way, but I think I made a last minute save and did it the right way.
Of course, I had to buy 36 of the pins from Brownell's, so I have plenty of spares.
I've function tested it, but I haven't shot it yet.
As of right now, I have everything to build it except the lightweight barrel from DPMS, which is still backordered. Can't do much without that.
Of course, I had to buy 36 of the pins from Brownell's, so I have plenty of spares.
I've function tested it, but I haven't shot it yet.
As of right now, I have everything to build it except the lightweight barrel from DPMS, which is still backordered. Can't do much without that.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Complete Lower
I got a package from Midway on Friday. It had a bunch of reloading stuff, along with a DPMS Lower Parts Kit, a carbine buffer and buffer spring.
Installing the LPK was interesting. The Cav-15 Lower Receiver is very tight in all tolerances. Every part fits very tightly. I lubed everything with Slipstream Lube as I installed it, and the trigger group wasn't too hard.
Some of the parts weren't used, or installed differently because it's a CAV-15 lower. The Selector detent and spring have to go in from the top, instead of with the pistol grip. That part was tough, since I had to install the spring and detent, hold them down with a punch, and try to get the selector in there. This is where that extra tight tolerance became troublesome. I got it almost lined up, then tapped it with a nylon mallet to get it in. It worked, but I smashed my thumb in the process. Pretty nasty.
I also discovered that you need a pin, which isn't included in either the LPK or with the Lower, to hold the buffer retaining pin in its hole, because there's no buffer tube to do that. I'll have to get one of those next week, since I'm on vacation this week.
The upper fits very tightly in the lower as well. I almost have everything I need to finish the upper, except the barrel. I just found out my barrel is backordered a month or two from DPMS, so that could seriously delay the build. Don't know what I'm going to do about that.
Installing the LPK was interesting. The Cav-15 Lower Receiver is very tight in all tolerances. Every part fits very tightly. I lubed everything with Slipstream Lube as I installed it, and the trigger group wasn't too hard.
Some of the parts weren't used, or installed differently because it's a CAV-15 lower. The Selector detent and spring have to go in from the top, instead of with the pistol grip. That part was tough, since I had to install the spring and detent, hold them down with a punch, and try to get the selector in there. This is where that extra tight tolerance became troublesome. I got it almost lined up, then tapped it with a nylon mallet to get it in. It worked, but I smashed my thumb in the process. Pretty nasty.
I also discovered that you need a pin, which isn't included in either the LPK or with the Lower, to hold the buffer retaining pin in its hole, because there's no buffer tube to do that. I'll have to get one of those next week, since I'm on vacation this week.
The upper fits very tightly in the lower as well. I almost have everything I need to finish the upper, except the barrel. I just found out my barrel is backordered a month or two from DPMS, so that could seriously delay the build. Don't know what I'm going to do about that.
Monday, April 12, 2010
New Parts
Just got the stripped upper receiver. That takes the list to Upper, Lower, Bolt Carrier Group, gas tube, and barrel nut.
Next part expected to arrive is the DPMS Light Contour Barrel with A2 Gas Block. 20" long, chambered in 5.56mm with a 1:9 twist. That should be getting here any day now.
After payday, I'll click "checkout" on the upper and lower parts kits plus a few tools for assembly.
After that, all I should need are the handguards. And some spray paint.
Next part expected to arrive is the DPMS Light Contour Barrel with A2 Gas Block. 20" long, chambered in 5.56mm with a 1:9 twist. That should be getting here any day now.
After payday, I'll click "checkout" on the upper and lower parts kits plus a few tools for assembly.
After that, all I should need are the handguards. And some spray paint.
Friday, April 2, 2010
I love Discounts
I mentioned how DSG gave me a "significant" discount on the Cav Arms lower receiver. To get their military discount, I sent them a copy of my mil ID, and they "upgraded" my account so now whenever I log into their site, it shows the normal price, the discounted price, and the savings. The discount isn't a flat rate, but it's different on every item. Not every item is discounted, but the majority are.
Then I placed an order with Brownell's, and as I was checking out it asked if I wanted to register for an account. I figured why not, since I am building a rifle from all parts, I know I'll be buying more from them. There was a little check-box at the end asking if I was active duty military or law enforcement. I checked "yes." Lo and behold, they do the same thing as DSG. Again, not every item is discounted, and the discounts are all different, but some are significant. I saved about 15% on my last order. Good enough.
So far, I haven't found a discount on Midway, but I'll still keep checking their prices.
Of course, there are tons of other sites and companies that sell gun parts out there, and I shop as many as I can for the product I want for the best price. but Brownell's and DSG are getting a lot of my business because of their discount programs.
Then I placed an order with Brownell's, and as I was checking out it asked if I wanted to register for an account. I figured why not, since I am building a rifle from all parts, I know I'll be buying more from them. There was a little check-box at the end asking if I was active duty military or law enforcement. I checked "yes." Lo and behold, they do the same thing as DSG. Again, not every item is discounted, and the discounts are all different, but some are significant. I saved about 15% on my last order. Good enough.
So far, I haven't found a discount on Midway, but I'll still keep checking their prices.
Of course, there are tons of other sites and companies that sell gun parts out there, and I shop as many as I can for the product I want for the best price. but Brownell's and DSG are getting a lot of my business because of their discount programs.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
