Mega Rad Gun Thread

[Badungus Kabungus]

Reminds me of an AK/tankie sperg I used to see at a public range back in the day (circa '03); mentioning anything like ARs being more accurate than AKs made him literally turn red, and he'd spend the rest of the time arguing with himself (because nobody listened after 30 seconds of his bullshit).

So one weekend he brought a stack of paper targets, shooting rest, a spotting scope (for an approx. 50-meter rifle lane lol), and then proceeded to switch targets whenever a flier ruined his group.... which seemed like every 3 shots. And it seriously started pissing everyone off, because every time it meant calling the range cold so he could walk out & swap targets.

The hilarious part was when he showed up on the gunboards forum (or maybe it was arfcom) with his sub-MOA target (that took the better part of an afternoon to achieve) as a gotcha, to win an online argument for AK vs. AR accuracy... but that day he hadn't noticed me taking pictures of his antics with my brand-new OG Motorola Razr.

I wish I'd known about archiving back then; because it was glorious when he deleted his account (he was also the first & only person I've doxxed), only to start blatantly socking in his own defense. For a long time it was impossible for anyone in that particular forum to mention accurate AKs, without being taken as just another one of his sock accounts & ridiculed endlessly.

I didn't either, until recently. It turns out I've been sitting on some quasi-match ammo for a while; some time back I inherited a couple boxes of "Zombie" ammo from Hornady, which is evidently the same thing except for a green polymer tipped round. So a couple months ago I was shooting with a friend who got a "new" AK-clone (Zastava IIRC), and he bought some Hornady match 7.62x39 because there was nothing else on the gunstore's shelf (and he didn't ask/mention needing any).

So I got curious and pulled a couple of each apart, and they're pretty much identical in content & weight, except for the polymer tip round. As for shooting, neither type ammo made a difference in his AK, while the Tula I happened to have handy was more typical.

However, the same couldn't be said for my "nice" SKS (or later in an Arsenal SLR); the Hornady match-grade significantly tightened up 3 round groups, while the zombie-flavored stuff performed the same as normal Tula.

Yet nothing makes any difference in my other SKS (both of them are Norinco), it shoots everything minute-of-man; no better or worse. Just another thing that makes me .

That's pretty lol, every range has some autists like that. Ours has more of the "shooting 300WM at 100 yards" types. Not even testing handloads or anything, just burning through factory ammo. At least go to 300 yards or something, damn.

I got some boxes of Hornady Blacks sitting around, now I'm curious how they group out of my nice-ish Russian SKS.

 

[UVB-76]

my brand-new OG Motorola Razr.

That's a deep cut.

It turns out I've been sitting on some quasi-match ammo for a while; some time back I inherited a couple boxes of "Zombie" ammo from Hornady, which is evidently the same thing except for a green polymer tipped round. So a couple months ago I was shooting with a friend who got a "new" AK-clone (Zastava IIRC), and he bought some Hornady match 7.62x39 because there was nothing else on the gunstore's shelf (and he didn't ask/mention needing any).

If I'm not mistaken the "match" stuff is the A-max while the Z-max is based on the V-max - which is the varmint hunting bullet. I don't know if there's any difference other than the V-max being QC'd for expansion while the A-max isn't.
I wonder how much money they made from those sales, it was literally just a matter of changing pigment on the polymer tip and they sold those off during the height of the zombie craze.

 

[DocAwe]

Interesting, I keep hearing very conflicting info about its accuracy, people reporting anything from sub-MOA to 6" groups at 100yds. Seeing as it's a piston gun in 7.62x39, not sure how realistic sub-MOA is. What size groups are you getting?

All one shot groups are sub MOA.

 

[Pocket Dragoon]

That's a deep cut.

I still have the thing. And it works, or at least the camera does. Although the last time it picked up a network was shortly after 4G became a thing, and/or they stopped using 1X (or whatever it was).

I wonder how much money they made from those sales, it was literally just a matter of changing pigment on the polymer tip and they sold those off during the height of the zombie craze.

I remember seeing it for $40-50/box when first released, which seemed nutty even with the fad-factor thrown in; especially considering it was being sold right next to $5-10/50rd boxes of Wolf/Tula, or nicer brass-cased Prvi for less than .50 per round.

At one point I remember hearing the polymer-tip thing was originally cooked up by Hornady for levergun-specific rounds, and then marketed for other uses later.

 

[UVB-76]

I remember seeing it for $40-50/box when first released, which seemed nutty even with the fad-factor thrown in; especially considering it was being sold right next to $5-10/50rd boxes of Wolf/Tula, or nicer brass-cased Prvi for less than .50 per round.

If I'm not remembering wrong they came back down to normal V-max prices the year after it was released, so people bought it because it was exactly the same as V-max and also because it was limited edition so might as well.

At one point I remember hearing the polymer-tip thing was originally cooked up by Hornady for levergun-specific rounds, and then marketed for other uses later.

I think Nosler did the polymer tip first, Hornady did the "flex tip" for levergun ammo.

 

[Smoke Manmuscle]

That's a deep cut.

If I'm not mistaken the "match" stuff is the A-max while the Z-max is based on the V-max - which is the varmint hunting bullet. I don't know if there's any difference other than the V-max being QC'd for expansion while the A-max isn't.
I wonder how much money they made from those sales, it was literally just a matter of changing pigment on the polymer tip and they sold those off during the height of the zombie craze.

Z-Max is literally V-Max with a different color ballistic tip in it. Which is funny cause it would actually under penetrate a human due to being designed as a varmint round.

If I'm not remembering wrong they came back down to normal V-max prices the year after it was released, so people bought it because it was exactly the same as V-max and also because it was limited edition so might as well.

I think Nosler did the polymer tip first, Hornady did the "flex tip" for levergun ammo.

Nosler was the first to put a ballistic tip in a open tip match round. Hornady put the elastomer material they use in critical defense and critical duty in a ballistic tip for use in leverguns and called it LEVERevolution. Since the material is so soft it solves the tube mag detonation problem of putting a pointed round in a levergun.

 

[Pocket Dragoon]

Z-Max is literally V-Max with a different color ballistic tip in it. Which is funny cause it would actually under penetrate a human due to being designed as a varmint round.

I've always found anything with more power/speed than .38 labelled as being for varmints to be amusing. And I'm pretty sure I've even seen remanned aught-six (or .30 shit in edgy packaging labelled for "varmints"... probably because some marketing genius thought he was clever, using the term with rounds originally designed for considerably bigger (or two-legged) animals.

But still, there's always that one guy who's regular varmint blaster is a 30-30 or 12ga w/ buck.....

Nosler was the first to put a ballistic tip in a open tip match round. Hornady put the elastomer material they use in critical defense and critical duty in a ballistic tip for use in leverguns and called it LEVERevolution. Since the material is so soft it solves the tube mag detonation problem of putting a pointed round in a levergun.

I don't understand how something with a flexible polymer tip could be considered "match". I mean, wouldn't there always be some small variation, especially if being stored point-down or loaded (as in a tubular magazine) distorts the tip?

 

[Smoke Manmuscle]

I've always found anything with more power/speed than .38 labelled as being for varmints to be amusing. And I'm pretty sure I've even seen remanned aught-six (or .30 shit in edgy packaging labelled for "varmints"... probably because some marketing genius thought he was clever, using the term with rounds originally designed for considerably bigger (or two-legged) animals.

But still, there's always that one guy who's regular varmint blaster is a 30-30 or 12ga w/ buck.....

I don't understand how something with a flexible polymer tip could be considered "match". I mean, wouldn't there always be some small variation, especially if being stored point-down or loaded (as in a tubular magazine) distorts the tip?

The flexible tip and ballistic tip are different materials. The ballistic tip is a plastic tip put in the nose of a hollow point to give it the long range accuracy of a FMJ and the upset of a hollow point. It give the bullet a better aerodynamic profile. The flex tip is what hornady used as a ballistic tip in bullets for use in tube mags.

I have heard the flex tips are not as good as ballistic tips but are under patent by hornady so you know they are gonna use that shit.

 

[C.U.N.T.]

Thread tax, Canik SFX Rival I picked up today. This thing fucks. Hands down the best trigger I've ever felt on a striker fired gun, let alone a stock one. Hell, I'd say it's even nicer than my SP-01, and I didn't think you could beat that trigger without breaking into four figure territory.

Very nice choice, I've been impressed with the triggers and ergos on the Caniks that I've tried so far and have my eye on a Rival for a polymer optic ready pistol.
I also have an SP-01, the Aussiemate version which I love.

 

[Pocket Dragoon]

Very nice choice, I've been impressed with the triggers and ergos on the Caniks that I've tried so far and have my eye on a Rival for a polymer optic ready pistol.

Maybe it's just me; but if you find a Canik with a trigger you like, don't assume the next one you pick up will have the same feel. Seems like sometimes it's better or worse, depending on the day; at least with early production-run Caniks (i.e. early serial #s).

But I haven't really looked at anything else, since spotting this; the Mossberg MC2 SC.

Because fuck Springfield and Sig.

 

[BigDongWarrior]

I know this may be either beating a dead horse, or laughably late to the game in terms of asking the question, but I need to know since I invested a lot into a certain gun platform:
How viable are pistol caliber carbines for defensive purposes and keeping yourself safe overall? I hear many people say "PCCs are useless bro just get a rifle" or the exact opposite of the spectrum people say "Actually they're fantastic for defense because they're powerful but not so overpowered that they overpenetrate and cause more harm than good"

It really seems like such a divisive category of firearm that nobody can agree on.

For reference, here's the gun in question, and the only semi auto gun that I own, a Ruger Carbine 9mm:

The only other gun I own is a single shot 12 gauge shotgun, which goes without saying, really isn't practical for defensive purposes at all.

Now, on the subject of the gun in the picture, the reason I bought this carbine was for two reasons: 1: because of it's "traditional" stock design, it's a perfectly legal option for a semi automatic with a detachable magazine, that doesn't require making hideous modifications to the gun like you would require on an AR-15, or pretty much any other rifle that wasn't designed like this. and 2: Since this gun is a takedown, it's a huge plus for someone like me who lives in an Urban area and doesn't drive. When taking this to a range, I can carry it without freaking people out with the obvious silhouette of a rifle bag, which would make people screech "OMG HE HAS A RIFLE!!!!oneoneone".

The gun originally didn't come with the MLOK rail, I bought and added that on, as well as the tactical flashlight and sling. I'd really like to own a proper rifle caliber long gun. But my financial situation, local laws, and the nature of the area I live in have made that very difficult. Like I said, maybe bringing this all up is beating a dead horse and asking age old questions, but I need serious advice as I'm a pretty casual gun owner and not an expert on any of these things really. Did I make a good purchase given my situation? Or did I waste money on a basically useless gun?

 

[Particle Bored]

Edit: I get why manufacturers would leave a gap between the mag floorplate & grip, but holy shit that looks sloppy and/or has a mismatched magazine. It's almost as tacky as Springfield's "Grip Zone" bullshit (or Kel-Tec's exposed hex bolts).

But hey; Ruger does it too, so....
View attachment 3277157

It can always get worse.

Spoiler

Eta:

Spoiler: Must Have

https://www.opticsplanet.com/strike-industries-grip-plug-tool-for-glock-gen-3.html

 

[UVB-76]

How viable are pistol caliber carbines for defensive purposes and keeping yourself safe overall? I hear many people say "PCCs are useless bro just get a rifle"

People saying they're useless are just adhering to dogma. Pistol caliber carbines were used as the primary fighting weapons in urban environments before being dethroned by short barrel rifles.
Just make sure the velocities you'd get from a longer barrel don't interfere with your ammo of choice, some bullets are designed to expand at lower velocities.

 

[White Devil]

PCCs are fine, shot placement can matter due to clothing, etc but I don't see a lot of NAACP running around in heavy denim jackets. Just make sure your ammo is suited for your environment and actually train.

 

[AGPinochet]

I know this may be either beating a dead horse, or laughably late to the game in terms of asking the question, but I need to know since I invested a lot into a certain gun platform:
How viable are pistol caliber carbines for defensive purposes and keeping yourself safe overall? I hear many people say "PCCs are useless bro just get a rifle" or the exact opposite of the spectrum people say "Actually they're fantastic for defense because they're powerful but not so overpowered that they overpenetrate and cause more harm than good"

It really seems like such a divisive category of firearm that nobody can agree on.

For reference, here's the gun in question, and the only semi auto gun that I own, a Ruger Carbine 9mm:
View attachment 3280571
The only other gun I own is a single shot 12 gauge shotgun, which goes without saying, really isn't practical for defensive purposes at all.

Now, on the subject of the gun in the picture, the reason I bought this carbine was for two reasons: 1: because of it's "traditional" stock design, it's a perfectly legal option for a semi automatic with a detachable magazine, that doesn't require making hideous modifications to the gun like you would require on an AR-15, or pretty much any other rifle that wasn't designed like this. and 2: Since this gun is a takedown, it's a huge plus for someone like me who lives in an Urban area and doesn't drive. When taking this to a range, I can carry it without freaking people out with the obvious silhouette of a rifle bag, which would make people screech "OMG HE HAS A RIFLE!!!!oneoneone".

The gun originally didn't come with the MLOK rail, I bought and added that on, as well as the tactical flashlight and sling. I'd really like to own a proper rifle caliber long gun. But my financial situation, local laws, and the nature of the area I live in have made that very difficult. Like I said, maybe bringing this all up is beating a dead horse and asking age old questions, but I need serious advice as I'm a pretty casual gun owner and not an expert on any of these things really. Did I make a good purchase given my situation? Or did I waste money on a basically useless gun?

The gun you have for defensive purposes is better than the one you don't.

But getting into the nitty gritty of the PCC/Rifle debate I have a few points
1. There is a quote by somewhat controversial Firearms Instructor, Clint Smith that goes like this "Pistols put holes in people, rifles put holes through people, shotguns with the right load at the right range will take a chunk of shit off of a person and put it on the floor". Now this quote is lacking a tiny amount of nuance but a PCC is just a really big pistol firing a pistol projectile at higher velocities. Expanding 9mm is going to kill a guy just fine by 5.56 is going to kill him deader due to the fragmenting nature of the projectile.
2. Speaking of the fragmenting nature of 5.56, projectiles designed to fragment tend to over penetrate human targets less than expanding pistol ammunition.
3. Under penetration is also a possible concern, say Federal HST 124gr standard pressure may get 16.5in penetration in 10% ballistics gel at 1200fps, it might only get 13.5in at 1325fps out of a 16in PCC barrel due to the bullet expanding more rapidly in the gel block due to increased velocity. While 13.5in is within FBI spec it is usually desirable to be closer to 18in than farther from it.
4. Recoil, I cannot speak to every PCC or the Ruger PCC specifically but it is known that PCC's in some configurations of gun and bolt weight can have a greater recoil impulse than a 5.56 AR. Will that matter in a defensive scenario? maybe, possibly, potentially.

 

[Marvin]

Found a unspent 9mm in Baltimore. Huh.

It's nice to know Cali has more good judges than just St Benitez the Based.

Lol Cubans know tyranny when they see it.

I think one of the judges in this case was Korean.

 

[Cpl. Long Dong Silver]

Finished a P940C I had drilled and filed earlier this year but was sitting on a shelf in my workshop.

Somebody on Glock Talk posted about 4 guns worth of lower parts kits as a batch sale in classifieds. Those arrived last week and went into said frame.

Topped it off with a CMC Kragos slide I also picked up off Glock Talk classifieds. Then added an RMR type 2 I had laying around. The barrel was some unbranded threaded G19 I also picked up at some point. It's nice when you start accruing enough spare parts to just slap together something on a Friday afternoon.

I'm sure it will probably need a break in range trip to cycle as I would expect but I find with P80s you never know how it will run until you start slinging lead. Over time I've gotten good at polishing the rails to cut down FTEs and stovepipes but no plan survives first contact. Anyways here is the gun:

 

[Badungus Kabungus]

Cursed SKS strikes again, this time wrecking the optic I had mounted on it, a Bushnell Legend x3-9.

Noticed all my shots were off to the right, so I went to adjust the horizontal turret to realize I can hear clicks while still unscrewing the cap. Whole turret was was loose and would spin freely without clicks in some places, meaning it's fucked.

Never dropped it or anything, no scuffs or external damage, so must've been that secondary recoil impulse from the bolt slamming into the receiver.

At least warranty should cover it.

 

[A Proud Black Woman]

I know this may be either beating a dead horse, or laughably late to the game in terms of asking the question, but I need to know since I invested a lot into a certain gun platform:
How viable are pistol caliber carbines for defensive purposes and keeping yourself safe overall? I hear many people say "PCCs are useless bro just get a rifle" or the exact opposite of the spectrum people say "Actually they're fantastic for defense because they're powerful but not so overpowered that they overpenetrate and cause more harm than good"

It really seems like such a divisive category of firearm that nobody can agree on.

For reference, here's the gun in question, and the only semi auto gun that I own, a Ruger Carbine 9mm:
View attachment 3280571
The only other gun I own is a single shot 12 gauge shotgun, which goes without saying, really isn't practical for defensive purposes at all.

Now, on the subject of the gun in the picture, the reason I bought this carbine was for two reasons: 1: because of it's "traditional" stock design, it's a perfectly legal option for a semi automatic with a detachable magazine, that doesn't require making hideous modifications to the gun like you would require on an AR-15, or pretty much any other rifle that wasn't designed like this. and 2: Since this gun is a takedown, it's a huge plus for someone like me who lives in an Urban area and doesn't drive. When taking this to a range, I can carry it without freaking people out with the obvious silhouette of a rifle bag, which would make people screech "OMG HE HAS A RIFLE!!!!oneoneone".

The gun originally didn't come with the MLOK rail, I bought and added that on, as well as the tactical flashlight and sling. I'd really like to own a proper rifle caliber long gun. But my financial situation, local laws, and the nature of the area I live in have made that very difficult. Like I said, maybe bringing this all up is beating a dead horse and asking age old questions, but I need serious advice as I'm a pretty casual gun owner and not an expert on any of these things really. Did I make a good purchase given my situation? Or did I waste money on a basically useless gun?

You better have moved that light! How are you going to aim?

 

[BigDongWarrior]

You better have moved that light! How are you going to aim?

Oh, that light is actually angled on a sideways rail to the right, it doesn't block the sights at all. If I wanted to turn it on all I have to do is turn the gun slightly to the left and turn it on. I was just experimenting with where I wanted to put it, and having it up there actually lights up the front sight.