Guns and Gear Review # 5: Smith and Wesson CKSUR-4G fixed blade knife

Hello folks, 12-Gauge Chimp here with the first of many knife reviews.

Today, I'm going to be reviewing the Smith and Wesson " Homeland Security " fixed blade knife.

I'll start by listing the factory specs on the knife and then move on to what I think.

Factory specifications for: S&W CKSUR-4G fixed blade ( CKSUR-4G is the model number )
Blade type: tanto style, full tang
Blade material: 440C stainless steel
Length: 5.5"
Weight: 14.8 ounces
Overall length: 11.75"

Now here's what I think of the knife.

This knife is a beast and what I mean by that is that the knife is very durable, not to mention the weight of it. It would make a very good rough use camp or combat knife, the steel used is 440C stainless, which is a good steel for high quality knife blades. It's a full tang knife and by that I mean the tang of the knife, where the grips usually go, is the same width as the blade. There are various types of knife tang styles, with full tang being the strongest and most wanted.

The grips on it are made of something called G10, which I'm guessing is some type of plastic. The sheath that comes with it is made of ABS plastic and ballistic nylon with a large "D" ring on the end of it. It can be worn on either a belt ( be sure to have a heavy duty belt, due to the weight of the knife ) or on a tactical vest. It even comes with a sharpening stone, which has it's own little pocket on the sheath.

I haven't done a whole lot of cutting tests with it, but I will soon and update this entry with the results. I will, however, say that it is sharp. Not exactly " shaving " sharp, but it is sharp enough to cut you if you aren't careful.

My final thoughts on the Smith and Wesson CKSUR-4G " Homeland Security " knife are this. If you have the chance to buy one, I'd say go ahead. There are knives that are more expensive and can do basically the same thing as this one, but not everyone can afford a $150+ knife and that's where this knife shines. It is affordable and capable of withstanding any abuse that can be inflicted upon it.

I rate this knife as a 5 out of 5

As always, this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.

Updates for December 2009 : Not a lot happening lately.

Hey folks, your old pal 12-Gauge Chimp here with some updates to the site.

1. I am still in the process of buying the AK-47 and CZ-82 I mentioned in a prior post.
I have decided to buy a Romanian WASR-10, but I haven't decided just which variant I want. The CZ-82 will find it's way into my collection sometime in the next year, because I have to buy some Christmas gifts for members of my family. The AK will follow soon after the CZ-82.

2. I am considering doing some knife reviews. If you guys and gals think I should go ahead and do that, let me know. Keep in mind that I have a very limited budget right now so at first I'll be looking at knives I already own. That doesn't mean I won't take suggestions, feel free to post a comment or two in the comment part of this entry.

3. Please feel free to let me know what you think of the site and if you like the site, become a Friend of the Chimp.

By the way, folks, Happy Holidays and thank you for visiting this website.

As always, this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.

Update to Random Thoughts # 8: Yet another Mosin

Hey guys, 12-Gauge Chimp here with a new development in my firearms purchasing quest.

I mentioned a couple days back that I was planning to buy another Mosin rifle, well something better came up and I will be buying a CZ-82 9x18mm Makarov pistol sometime next year. I figured the price of either Mosin rifle was a bit high and I was right. The shop had the rifles for sale at $179 for either the M44 or the M38. That is a bit too high for me and instead I will save up a bit more and buy the CZ-82, a firearm that is actually worth the high price tag.

Now don't get me wrong, I think the Mosin M44 and M38 are very nice rifles, but when I can find a better deal on a firearm, you better believe I'm going to go for it. I will, however, buy another Mosin as soon as I can, but for now the CZ-82 is the firearm I'm focusing on.

That'll do it for this update. As always, this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.

Previews of what's to come on 12-Gauge Chimp's Blog

Hey folks, 12-Gauge Chimp here with a list of whats to come on the site.

1. In a few weeks or so, I will be bringing you an update on which Mosin rifle I end up with. It'll either be that M44 or the M38 and I'll do a review and a range report sometime after that. ( See above update )

2. I have an oppurtunity to restore my Mossberg bullpup to factory specifications. I have contacted someone at a collectors organization devoted to Mossberg shotguns and they have a limited supply of parts for my particular gun. So hopefully I can get the parts I need and bring my bullpup back to it's original factory appearence.

3. My search for a genuine kukri continues. I have found a couple sources for kukris in the US and also I have contacted a kukri maker in Nepal, but so far it looks like I'm going with the ones in the US, due to shipping costs. It's something like 38 bucks just for shipping from Nepal to the US. Combine that with the cost of the kukri itself and the total comes out to about 90 bucks.

Anyway, that's going to do it for the previews. As always, this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.

Happy Veterans Day

Happy Veterans Day, everybody !

If by some chance a vet reads this, thank you for your service. If you served in WW1, WW2, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm or the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, you are a hero in my book and I am humbled by the sacrifies you make or have made to make the country safe.

If you know a vet, please let them know what they mean to you, thank them for their service, buy them a drink or something.

Veterans of the United States Military, my name is 12-Gauge Chimp and I salute you.

Also, please take some time to remember those who were killed in the recent shooting attack at Fort Hood. Thank you.

This is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.

Random Thoughts # 8: Yet another Mosin

Hey folks, it's your old pal 12-Gauge Chimp back again with a new set of random thoughts.

Well, it had to happen sooner or later, another Mosin will soon find its way to my collection. I sold my Nagant revolver to a friend and now I have an empty space in my gun collection, so that means I must fill the void with a new gun. This is where the Mosin comes in.

A local gun shop has a small number of Mosin M44 carbines in stock and I will be purchasing one in the coming months. Now I have an M91/30, but I've been looking for another Mosin for sometime now. Besides, it gives me a reason to buy another gun.

The Mosin M44 was created to fill the need for a compact rifle in the Red Army. They had tried to fill that need with the M38 carbine, but reports came in from troops who wished for a bayonet attachment, which the M38 lacked. In steps the M44 with its side folding bayonet. Early on in the war, the Russians mainly issued the M91/30, but soon would issue the M38 and M44 as alternate rifles to the troops as the war went on. It was not uncommon to see entire units armed with the three different Mosin rifles.

Well that's pretty much it for this edition of Random Thoughts. I'll be sure to update you all as to when I get the M44 and I'll even post a review and eventually a range report. As always, this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.

Update: The shop that has the M44s now has a limited stock of M38 carbines. So now I'm torn between buying the M44 or the M38. I'll post another edition of random thoughts soon and let you guys know which rifle I end up with.

Random Thoughts # 7 update

Hey guys, 12-Gauge Chimp here with an update to my last post.

It seems after a bit of internet investigating, I have found out some things about my kukri.
( for the full report, see Random Thoughts # 7 ).

The first thing I found out is the steel used for the blade is 440 stainless steel, which is good for corrosion and rust resistance, but not so good for heavy use knives, such as the kukri. Now a good working knife, like the kukri, is made from high carbon steel, as high carbon steel can withstand the abuse a kukri is normally put through.

The second thing I found out was that the handle was a bit loose, but it's nothing a little epoxy can't fix. Now it's not a bad knife, but since finding out it is nothing more than a cheap " tourist " kukri, it will now be limited to a display or light duty knife. It does come with a supposed " lifetime " warranty but since I bought it at a flea market I'm screwed if the thing breaks. I'll only be out a couple bucks, but still, this knife will not see heavy use.

I did find a couple sources for actual Nepalese made kukris. All I need to do now is find a kukri model I like, place my order and then wait a week or two until it arrives from Nepal. I'll let you all know how it goes.

Well that'll do it for this update, as always this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.

Random Thoughts #7: I got a Kukri knife ( Finally )

Hey guys, 12-Gauge Chimp here with yet another edition of random thoughts.

This past Saturday I went to a local flea market in a town about an hour or so from my place. They had the usual overpriced garage sale fodder with a few interesting knick knacks thrown in for variety, but one thing that caught my eye was the fact that one vendor had knives and not just the usual crappy knives either. This vendor had a kukri, a knife that I had been looking for ever since I started rebuilding my knife collection.

I might need to explain just what exactly a " kukri " is, just so no one is confused. A kukri is a traditional fighting knife used by the Nepalese Gurkha's, it has a large curved blade and is suited for everyday tasks in addition to being a fearsome fighting knife. There are various sizes and styles of kukris, most blades measure 12 to 18 inches, with some examples being even longer. In fact the British Army still issues the kukri to certain units. Ok, I think thats enough explaining for now, on to the review.

The kukri I purchased is not a traditional styled kukri, in fact it's not even a true kukri. True kukris are made by a Nepalese company whose name escapes me at this moment, but true kukris are imported into the country from time to time. There is a certain process that every true Nepalese kukri must go through to be called a kukri, usually a sacred blessing of the blade by the master bladesmith or a religious official. Anyway, my kukri is made by a company that also supplies blades for numerous high end knife companies, of which I will not name because I don't remember all of them.

My kukri has a relatively heavy blade, the curve of which is very pronounced. This is good since a kukri is mostly used for hacking and other tasks. It has some sort of anti rust coating on the blade and the handle has a very rough textured grip, which is good because you really don't want this knife to slip out of your hands when hacking vines and end up losing a toe or finger. Another thing to mention is the blade is sharp and I mean SHARP. Most factory edged knives need to be sharpened a bit further to get a working edge on them, but this knife has a fantastic edge to it. I've almost cut myself so many times since buying it. While its not exactly " shaving " sharp, it will get the job done, whatever that job might be. My one complaint about this knife lies in the crappy sheath that is provided. Seriously, all the effort was put into the knife and it's like they just assembled a sheath for it as an afterthought. I will be replacing the factory sheath with either a better aftermarket sheath or I'll try to make a sheath for it using some Kydex or leather material.

That's going to do it for this edition of random thoughts, I hope you enjoyed it and I'll see you all later. As always this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.

Random Thoughts # 6: Buying a new gun

Hey guys 12-Gauge Chimp here with another edition of Random Thoughts.

Well it's that time again folks, time for me to add a new gun to my collection. Over the last few months I have been scouring the internet for the best deal on an AK-47 or similar rifle. So far I've found a few places that seem to have a good selection and all I really need to do now is narrow my choices down as to which rifle I'm going to get. I'm kind of stuck choosing between a Romanian WASR-10 AK and a Hungarian AMD-65 AK, now both are AK-47 pattern rifles, but they each have their pros and cons, which will be explained below.

-The WASR-10 is a standard military rifle with classic AK looks.
The pros of the WASR-10 are:
1. It has a full military style wooden stock
2. It accepts standard AK magazines
3. It is the cheapest version out there
4. Easy to customize
The cons are:
1. The front sight and rear sights may be canted( or off to one side)
2. Since the gun comes into the country in a " sporting " configuration, the fit and finish may have defects

-The AMD-65 is a Hungarian copy of the AK-47 with a unique side folding stock.
It's pros are:
1. With the stock folded, it's very compact
2. It too accepts standard AK magazines
3. It is also one of the cheapest AKs on the market
4.It has a standard forward pistol grip
The cons of the AMD-65 are:
1.The stock looks kind of weird and unstable
2.It needs to have a certain number of U.S made parts to use imported AK magazines

Overall both rifles have advantages and disadvantages, but it's nothing a couple extra bucks and some work in my spare time can't fix. The real hard part is choosing which rifle is right for me
Well whatever rifle I end up with, I'll be sure to post a review and a range report as soon as I can.

That's going to do it for this edition of 12-Gauge Chimp's Random Thoughts and
as always this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.

Random Thoughts # 5: Shotgun slugs

Hey guys, 12-Gauge Chimp here with another edition of Random Thoughts.

About a week ago, I was in my local Walmart just walking around and trying to find the sporting goods section ( My local store is undergoing a remodel, so I'm steering clear of that place for as long as I can). I found the sporting goods section and looked for some cheap shotgun shells. While I did not find any cheap shells, I did end up buying a 15 round "value pack" of 12 gauge slugs for my Mossberg and I plan to try out a box in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for that.

Now, I have zero experience firing slugs from a shotgun, so I'm kind of wondering what the recoil is going to be like. I can stand heavy loads like buckshot, so I'm hoping it will be similar, but with my luck I will walk away from that range trip with a sore shoulder, which is why I'm only taking a single 5 round box for testing purposes.

Well that wraps up another edition of 12-Gauge Chimp's Random Thoughts. Stay tuned for the upcoming range report and subsequent sore shoulder from firing the aforementioned slugs.
As always, this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.

Random Thoughts # 4: Army surplus stores

Hey folks, 12-Gauge Chimp here with another edition of random thoughts.
I know it's been awhile since I last updated the site, but I have an excuse for that. I was on vacation and I did not have access to my computer at that point ( I forgot to pack my laptop, I know I'm an idiot.) Anyway while I was on vacation, I stopped off at a military surplus store where I bought and saw some real neat stuff.

First off, the store itself was one of those " blink and you miss it " type shops. I think I spent about an hour or so just cruising the aisles looking for something to buy. The shop's walls were covered in old military rifles and other assorted stuff. I don't think I've ever seen a bigger collection of old single action pocket pistols outside a museum, it was pretty cool.
The guy behind the gun counter was really nice and was actually knowledgeable about firearms, which is a rarity nowadays. He answered all my questions and even knew what I was talking about when I mentioned owning a Mossberg bullpup, but the shop did not have the part I needed at the time, so I'm still on the lookout for forward pistol grip. Maybe a call to Mossberg will solve my dilemma.

Ok, back to the store. The prices were what you'd expect for surplus stuff and if I would have had enough money I would have left that store with a ton of surplus equipment. I then went to a big box sporting goods store and bought some camping gear, mostly because I had a gift card from a year or two ago and I was curious to see if it still was valid. (if anyone cares, yes it was still valid.)
I spent my vacation well, I spent time with some of my family and I bought a lot of stuff I technically needed and I had a good time at the surplus store. I highly recommend stopping at places like this, you never know what you might find.

Well that's it for this edition of random thoughts, as always this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.

Range Report #2: Mosin Nagant and Yugo SKS M-59

Hello folks, 12-Gauge Chimp here with the second range report of the series. This range trip took place about 5 or so months ago and it was just after I bought my M91/30.

The day started out like any other, I woke up and went about my day. I knew my best friend was in town that day so I called him up and asked him if he was interested in helping me blow through a box or two of ammo. I packed my M91/30 and my Yugo SKS, along with the aforementioned boxes of ammo ( word of caution, if at all possible avoid laqcuer coated 7.62x54R rounds, they tend to make the bolt of most Mosin Nagants stick). We headed out to our local range and proceeded to set up our targets ( which consisted of wild watermelons and other stuff). This particular range had no problem with letting us bring unusual targets.

The Mosin was new to both of us and my friend had limited experience with an SKS, but he knew how to safely handle it as he had fired it once before. Now before we commenced firing, I went over the basics of the gun with him, the usual how to load it, cock it and how to use the sights. To be honest, we didn't really hit squat in the first hour or so, but once we got used to the military sights, we zeroed in on the watermelons and hit them with numerous 180 grain projectiles.

I found out a few things that day.

1. the military sights on the M91/30 are kind of hard to use, but once you get used to them, they are pretty accurate rifles.

2.The cartridge interupter built into the M91/30's magazine is SHARP, I found that out in a moment of brilliance and left the range with a nice little cut down the middle of my thumbnail.

3.You'd be suprised at how much a small cut on the thumbnail can bleed and its also a good idea to bring a first aid kit just in case.

4.Never shoot a watermelon when the wind is blowing at you.Watermelon juice and dust are not a good combination.

5.My Mosin Nagant hates laqcuer coated ammo.

6.My SKS will chamber and reliably fire all types of 7.62x39mm ammo on the market.

Other than being doused in melon juice and dust which is a really funky way to end a day, my friend and I had a fun day.

Well that's it for this edition of 12-Gauge Chimp's Range Reports, as always this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.

Random Thoughts # 3: Collecting Military surplus firearms

Hello folks, 12-Gauge Chimp here again bringing you another random thought.

Collecting military surplus guns can be a fun way to blow a paycheck or two and it can also be a way to learn a bit of firearms/military history ( at least for me anyway, your results may vary). Now I've only been collecting surplus guns for about 3 or so years, but I plan to buy more in the future, so stay tuned for that. I tend to go towards the older guns first, as the majority of my collection is over 40 years old, with the exception of my Mossberg 12 gauge.

My first mil-surp gun was my Yugoslav M-59 SKS. It was my first semi auto center fire rifle, the first gun I ever bought was a cheap .22, a Marlin model 60 that got sold as soon as I could find a willing buyer. That SKS started me off in the wonderful world of military surplus collecting, as I bought a Mosin Nagant M91/30 some time after and then added an M1895 Nagant revolver to my collection last year.

The first thing you want to do when you buy any surplus or used firearm, for that matter, is get it checked out by a competent gunsmith, preferably one that knows surplus guns, trust me they are out there. After the gunsmith has given you the ok, it is now time to buy ammo for your gun. Make sure you buy the right ammo for your gun. There should be a stamping on the barrel or receiver with the caliber of the gun, along with the serial number.

You also might want to pick up a weapons manual for your particular firearm and a cleaning kit, because some guns will be covered in some really funky stuff called " cosmoline ", which is a military grease that is supposed to protect the gun from rust during the long periods of storage most surplus guns endure. You'll find collecting surplus firearms a kind of fun and relatively cheap hobby, though not quite as cheap as it was 5 or so years ago.

Well that's it for this edition of 12-Gauge Chimp's Random Thoughts.
This is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.

Random Thoughts # 2: Selling stuff

Hello folks, 12-Gauge Chimp here with another edition of Random Thoughts.

During these incredibly crappy times (ie. screwed up economy), I have had to sell off a bunch of my stuff, mostly crap I didn't need anymore. Most of what I sold was some knives and swords I'd accumulated over the years. When I was a young chimp, I wandered through the local malls of my former hometown and on more than one occasion, bought some sharp, pointy objects because, one I had the money and two, I was a sucker for knives. I ended up with close to 400 dollars worth of cheap and very low quality knives and swords. I spent practically every dime I had on swords and other sharp pointy stuff. As I got older, I realized I had too dang many of the stupid things. So I decided recently, well about a month or so ago, to sell off some of my collection to fund my firearms purchases.

I now own only three swords, a couple of cheap samurai swords, a high end fantasy sword, and various fixed blade hunting and military type knives. The swords and knives I sold funded some ammo purchases and various other things, but so far, no new guns. I plan to purchase some high end knives from reputable makers and not just because they look cool, I will actually do the needed research to find out if a knife is of good quality.

Well,that's pretty much the end of this edition of random thoughts.
As always,this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.

Adventures at the gun show #1

Hello folks, 12-Gauge Chimp back today with the first of many gun show reports (this one was earlier in the year, as that was the last time I went to a gun show.)

Awhile back, I had the oppurtunity to go to a local gun show, ok so the show was in Odessa Texas, but it's kind of local. Anyway, after I paid my way inside I was surprised at the lack of people, granted I went the last day of the show, but the gun panic was still in full swing, so the few folks there was kind of unusual. I wandered around for about two hours, looking in vain for a Romanian TTC Tokarev, but alas there was not a single one to be found.

Some of the highlights of the show, for me anyway, included two C96 Mauser pistols, one with the shoulder stock/holster combo, a SIG 556 pistol(which had just barely hit the market, by the way), some nice M1 Garand rifles and some assorted AK-47's and AR-15's, but nothing that really screamed" Buy me, you idiot!". So I ended my gun show experience by purchasing two boxes of 7.62x54R ammo for my M91/30. Don't you worry though, your old pal 12-Gauge Chimp will be going back to this gun show whenever he's got more time, money and whenever the show is back in town.

That's it for this edition of Adventures at the gun show. I'll eventually be bringing you more of these show reports, as I hope to hit as many gun shows as I can in the next few years.
As always, this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.

Random Thoughts # 1: Ammo shortage, is it over yet ?

Recently, I was in my local big box superstore and I stumbled upon the sporting goods section. Not really needing anything from that particular area, I decided to have a look at the ammo selection. I was actually surprised to see ammo on the shelves. Nothing that I needed any of course, but it got me thinking, is the ammo shortage really over ?

One thing that pisses me off during this whole deal was the fact that some people were buying ammo for guns they didn't have and then selling it off on the internet for two and three times what they paid. I understand people have to make a buck, but when you buy all the ammo a store has just to go and sell it on the internet at a high mark up, that's not fair to the rest of us.

Prior to this whole stupid event one could, for example, purchase a thousand rounds of 7.62x39mm for under 150 bucks, but now a thousand rounds goes for $200 or more in some places, it's ridiculous really. I buy ammo for my guns, maybe once or twice a month, usually two boxes at a time, unless its for my 12 gauge and then I buy the 100 round cases. I don't buy more ammo than I need at the time and I definitely don't buy out the whole store just so I can sell it on the internet.

Some of the stores that I've been to have instituted a limit to the amount of ammo you can buy in one day, usually six boxes total, which to me is a good idea. It gives the rest of us a chance to get the ammo we need without having to pay some yahoos high prices, granted the prices at the stores aren't exactly the best, but we still buy the ammo any way.

Well I guess that's it for today, as always this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.
Have a nice day.

Guns and Gear Review # 4: Mossberg 500 bullpup

Hello folks, 12-Gauge Chimp back again with the last gun review, for now anyways. Today I'll be reviewing the Mossberg 500 Bullpup shotgun.

Now usually I give a bit of history behind the gun, like the past three reviews I've done, but since I don't know the entire history behind this particular gun, I'll just skip all that and get to the review.

I purchased this shotgun at a local gun shop and being relatively new to the whole shotgun game, I had little experience with them. I had been told to buy an Remington 870 or Mossberg 500, so I knew what to look for, sort of. Lo and behold I walk into this gun shop and staring me in the face was my shotgun, a used Mossberg 500 bullpup. I paid the sum of $280 for it and after the required background check, it was mine. As an added bonus, the guy at the shop even threw in a box of shells at no charge. I thought that was pretty nice of him.

The basics of the Mossberg bullpup aren't that much different from the standard 500, just a few minor cosmetic tweaks. When this gun came from the factory, it had a vertical fore grip, but when I bought it, it was missing, and now I'm stuck looking for the factory grip (which is a pain in my neck, by the way) The heat shield works very well and after firing a few boxes of shells, it kept the barrel cool to the touch. The only thing I do not like about this shotgun, aside from the missing VFG, is the sight/carry handle. They do take some getting used to, but I have learned to aim a bit low and have successfully hit what I'm aiming at.

This is not a shotgun to hunt or shoot skeet with, but I'm ok with that besides it gives me an excuse to buy another shotgun for that purpose. If you ever come across a Mossberg 500 bullpup shotgun, buy it, because these guns are very rarely seen on the used market.

Well I hope you enjoyed my series of gun reviews, I promise there will be more, but for the time being this is it. As always this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.

Guns and Gear Review # 3: SKS M59

Hello people, 12-Gauge Chimp bringing you the third gun review in the ongoing series. Today we'll be looking at the Yugoslavian Model 59 SKS.

The SKS is actually a Russian designed weapon, but built in various Soviet satellite countries, such as Yugoslavia (or whatever its called now), China, East Germany, and others. It fires the 7.62x39mm cartridge and has a ten round internal magazine, which if feed by either individual rounds or by stripper clips. It uses a gas piston system similar to that of the famous AK-47 rifle.
Certain models of the SKS were modified to accept AK-47 magazines and these are primarily Chinese made models of the SKS known as SKS-D or SKS-M rifles.

I purchased my SKS M-59 in 2006 and it was my first centerfire rifle (I had purchased a semi-auto .22 a month or so earlier), and at the time 7.62x39mm ammo was a bit hard to find due to the enormous popularity of the rifle. It's simple to use, basically idiot proof when it comes to field-stripping for cleaning and maintenance, and is relatively affordable.

I learned a few things from owning my SKS rifle, one of the most important being, wear ear protection whenever you shoot a centerfire rifle. You can get away with not using ear plugs when shooting a .22, but with something like the SKS, do not be an idiot, wear the ear plugs or ear muffs.

You can still find SKS rifles for relatively little money, though they are not as cheap as they once were, but they are still a good buy. Russian SKS rifles still show up from time to time, but the majority of SKS's out there are going to be either Yugoslavian made or Chinese. The rarest SKS rifles are Albanian and East German SKS rifles, if you ever find one, buy it right then and there, if you can of course.

Well that's it for now, tomorrow I'll be looking at a Mossberg Bullpup 12 Gauge shotgun.
As always this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.

Guns and Gear Review # 2: Russian M1895 Nagant Revolver

Hello folks, 12-Gauge Chimp back today with the second gun review of the series. Today I present to you the Russian M1895 Nagant revolver.

Designed way back in 1889, but produced in 1895( big surprise there, huh ?)by Leon Nagant (the same guy that helped design the Mosin Nagant rifle) and his brother Emile. Officially adopted by the Russian Army in 1895, the Nagant revolver was produced until 1950, but it is still being used by rural police and railway officers, that's pretty cool, don't you think ? Ok, I think that's enough history for now, on to the review.

I purchased my Nagant revolver after some debating on which gun I should purchase. I wanted a semi-auto pistol, but money-wise, I could only afford the Nagant. I ended up with a unique firearm and a piece of history. My Nagant is an officers model, which means it is double action/single action and is a bit rarer than the standard soldiers model. The Nagant revolver fires the 7.62x38R or 7.62 Nagant cartridge, which is a pain in the neck to find by the way. It uses a "gas seal"system, which means the cylinder moves forward when the gun is cocked, giving it a slight boost in velocity. It also can use a silencer to its full potential, making it one of the few pistols that can do that. Here's a couple things I found out after firing my revolver.

1. The trigger pull is long and heavy. Firing it in DA mode is possible, but the best way to fire the Nagant is in SA.

2. I found out that I cannot hit squat without aiming a bit low, as the Soviet sights absolutely suck, but then again these guns weren't made for target shooting.

3. The proper ammo is expensive and a little hard to find. As far as I know no company in the US domestically produces 7.62 Nagant, as all of the ammo currently available is all imported.

4. I want another Nagant revolver, they are just like the Mosin Nagant rifle, you can't own just one.

While some people may look down on these guns, they have to admit that the Nagant M1895 revolver is a unique firearm, a piece of firearms history and a relatively cheap addition to a Russian military weapons collection. That's it for my review of the M1895 Nagant, stay tuned for my next review when I take a look at the SKS, yet another Russian firearm.
As always, this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.

Guns and Gear Review # 1: Mosin Nagant M91/30

What's up people, 12-Gauge Chimp back again, bringing you a gun review, the first in an ongoing series. The first gun I'm going to review is the Russian Mosin Nagant M91/30 rifle.

I bought my Mosin Nagant M91/30 in 2008 for the sum of 100 bucks, a little on the expensive side, but then again I'm the same idiot who bought an SKS for $185 when they were going for less than 150. My gun was built in 1932, making it 77 years old and it is in amazingly good condition. I bought a box of 7.62x54R ammo and called a friend of mine to help me test it out. After shooting about 40 rounds through it, I found out three things.

1.My M91/30 hates lacquer-coated ammo.

2.I need to buy some stripper clips for the gun.

3.You can cut yourself on the cartridge interrupter in the magazine.

Also, the bolts on some Mosin-Nagant rifles are an absolute pain to open after firing. Make sure you have a rubber mallet to smack the bolt with, just as a precaution (not really required, just something to remember.)

Overall, I'm happy with my Mosin and I wouldn't trade it for anything (so don't bother asking). I do suggest that you buy any Mosin rifle, whether its the M38 carbine, the M91/30 or even the M44 carbine. They are just really fun guns to collect and shoot.

Well that's going to do it for this gun review, stay tuned for the next gun review coming soon.
This is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.

12-Gauge Chimp is back(sort of)

Hello folks, I am the 12-Gauge Chimp, and welcome to my new blog. I hope you like it.
I say it's new because this is the second blog I've had, the first being with another site. That one was taken down by my request. The site host just wasn't user-friendly at all.

If you haven't guessed from my name, I am a firearms enthusiast, so most of the posts on this site will be firearms related, and the rest will just be random thoughts of mine. The random thoughts will probably be firearms related as well, but I can't promise anything at this point.

So anyway, welcome to my site and please feel free to comment if you like the site. I welcome all comments and ideas on how to improve my website.

Thanks for reading this and I hope you come back often.

This is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.