Hey folks, 12-Gauge Chimp here.
Well, it's New Year's Eve and like many of y'all I've got plans for 2016. These plans include finally beginning my long talked about YouTube channel and a few other changes in my life. No, I'm not going to be taking down the site, if that's what all three of y'all who read my stuff are thinking. I will, however, be changing some things around. I'll be doing a lot more networking and hopefully expanding the site in the coming year and maybe score some products to review from some big companies out there. As it sits, my website is just a mere blip on the radar and I don't bring in enough views to warrant them taking a chance on me. So, I figure if I start a YouTube channel, be consistent in my uploads (or as consistent as I can be realistically) and start bringing in viewers and interest in products, I might get noticed by these companies. If not, I'll just do what I've been doing since 2009 and that's buying my gear and reviewing it for y'all.
Another thing I've been wanting to do is going back and re-writing some of the older entries and possibly deleting ones with gear I no longer own. Like the Yugoslav Model 59 SKS and Nagant M1895 revolver. I sold the Nagant revolver years ago and I recently traded off the SKS for a semi-auto shotgun (and that itself was traded off for a Ruger 22/45 pistol). Either I'll delete those entries or I'll do a "Where Are They Now?" type of post at some point. Actually, I'll probably do the latter since it seems like a fun idea now that I think about it.
Another thing I want to see in 2016 is more people finding my site and hopefully gaining some info on the stuff I write about. I'm not a professional gun/gear writer, just an average guy who buys the best gear he's able to with the limited resources he has. I'm not under the illusion that I'm some guru on guns and knives and don't want to be one either. I just want to talk about my passion for firearms, knives and having a platform in which to do so. I know not many people actually read my site (hence the somewhat true joke about there only being three people reading my stuff), but those of you who do, know that I really do appreciate it and I mean that from the bottom of my heart.
So, now that I've taken enough of your time, I want to wish everyone out there reading this a Happy New Year and I'll see y'all next year. Take care, stay safe and I'll see y'all in 2016.
For the final time in 2015, this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Monday, November 9, 2015
Random Thoughts #17: Stupid gun videos
Hey folks, 12-Gauge Chimp here. I've been wanting to talk about this topic for quite awhile now and I figured this is as good a time as any to do so.
The topic I want to speak about is stupid gun videos and why they irritate me.
Now, I love watching videos where folks go to the range to have fun with family and friends. Those I have no problem with and honestly love to see folks having fun. What I do have a problem with is the videos where the idiots behind the camera hand an inexperienced shooter or someone who's never fired a gun before a powerful gun. Whether it's a .50 cal Desert Eagle or some other type of heavy recoiling firearm, you just don't hand one of those guns to someone who has never shot a gun before or has no experience with heavy recoiling guns. You start them off with a .22 and work up to the bigger guns. What really pisses me off is when the person firing the gun gets hit with the heavy recoil and is in obvious pain while the person behind the camera is laughing their ass off. Then they wonder why the person doesn't want to fire a gun ever again. Honestly, I don't blame them for not wanting to be anywhere near a gun again because of their friend or family member's stupidity and carelessness. What also gets me is the folks who hand an inexperienced person a firearm with little to no instruction on how to properly hold it or operate it. There's plenty of videos on YouTube and other video sharing sites where guys will hand their loved ones or friends a gun, give them a very basic rundown on how to shoot it and then get pissed off when the folks break several range safety rules. Here's an idea, guys and gals, before you hand the new shooter a gun, give them a briefing in the four basic rules of gun safety. It's not that hard and doesn't take that much time to teach them.
Another type of video that irritates me is when shooters film themselves engaging in dangerous and idiotic behavior with their firearms.
These types of videos include,
1) People who have no business handling a gun, making what I call "I'm a badass gang member or street thug even though I live in the suburbs" type videos.
2) People who are obviously drunk and handling firearms when they really, really shouldn't be doing so.
3) Prank videos involving guns. (Really, guys? Why do you involve a gun in a prank?)
4) People who like to think of themselves as these 'elite' gun experts and showing themselves engaging in really poor shooting and gun handling activities. A lot of these types of videos include the person on camera wearing a mask of some kind in order to hide their face (probably to save themselves from ridicule from friends and family)
There's a few other types of videos I'm leaving off the list. Mostly because there aren't that many of them out there.
I see these videos all the time and it irritates me to no end. We gun owners get a lot of bad press from the media and the general public and I feel that it has a lot to do with these types of videos. Not all gun owners engage in this type of behavior, but that doesn't stop the general public and media from thinking we do. If you want to see exactly what I'm talking about for yourselves, go to YouTube and type in 'gun fails' in the search bar there. I guarantee there will be millions of results for these types of videos. Usually in compilation form because there are so many of them.
In the end, I sincerely ask you folks to please not engage in this type of behavior. As gun owners, we have the responsibility to have this public image as being mature, professional and knowledgeable adults while owning firearms and using them. We also have this responsibility to make sure we handle our firearms in a safe manner. We've got to show the media and anti-gunners that we're not all a bunch of immature morons who are compensating for something by owning a gun. Gun owners come in all races, religions, political affiliations, lifestyles and genders.We hold all sorts of jobs as well. Gun owners are all over the country, it's not just limited to one part of the country as some folks in the media would like you to believe.
As always, this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.
The topic I want to speak about is stupid gun videos and why they irritate me.
Now, I love watching videos where folks go to the range to have fun with family and friends. Those I have no problem with and honestly love to see folks having fun. What I do have a problem with is the videos where the idiots behind the camera hand an inexperienced shooter or someone who's never fired a gun before a powerful gun. Whether it's a .50 cal Desert Eagle or some other type of heavy recoiling firearm, you just don't hand one of those guns to someone who has never shot a gun before or has no experience with heavy recoiling guns. You start them off with a .22 and work up to the bigger guns. What really pisses me off is when the person firing the gun gets hit with the heavy recoil and is in obvious pain while the person behind the camera is laughing their ass off. Then they wonder why the person doesn't want to fire a gun ever again. Honestly, I don't blame them for not wanting to be anywhere near a gun again because of their friend or family member's stupidity and carelessness. What also gets me is the folks who hand an inexperienced person a firearm with little to no instruction on how to properly hold it or operate it. There's plenty of videos on YouTube and other video sharing sites where guys will hand their loved ones or friends a gun, give them a very basic rundown on how to shoot it and then get pissed off when the folks break several range safety rules. Here's an idea, guys and gals, before you hand the new shooter a gun, give them a briefing in the four basic rules of gun safety. It's not that hard and doesn't take that much time to teach them.
Another type of video that irritates me is when shooters film themselves engaging in dangerous and idiotic behavior with their firearms.
These types of videos include,
1) People who have no business handling a gun, making what I call "I'm a badass gang member or street thug even though I live in the suburbs" type videos.
2) People who are obviously drunk and handling firearms when they really, really shouldn't be doing so.
3) Prank videos involving guns. (Really, guys? Why do you involve a gun in a prank?)
4) People who like to think of themselves as these 'elite' gun experts and showing themselves engaging in really poor shooting and gun handling activities. A lot of these types of videos include the person on camera wearing a mask of some kind in order to hide their face (probably to save themselves from ridicule from friends and family)
There's a few other types of videos I'm leaving off the list. Mostly because there aren't that many of them out there.
I see these videos all the time and it irritates me to no end. We gun owners get a lot of bad press from the media and the general public and I feel that it has a lot to do with these types of videos. Not all gun owners engage in this type of behavior, but that doesn't stop the general public and media from thinking we do. If you want to see exactly what I'm talking about for yourselves, go to YouTube and type in 'gun fails' in the search bar there. I guarantee there will be millions of results for these types of videos. Usually in compilation form because there are so many of them.
In the end, I sincerely ask you folks to please not engage in this type of behavior. As gun owners, we have the responsibility to have this public image as being mature, professional and knowledgeable adults while owning firearms and using them. We also have this responsibility to make sure we handle our firearms in a safe manner. We've got to show the media and anti-gunners that we're not all a bunch of immature morons who are compensating for something by owning a gun. Gun owners come in all races, religions, political affiliations, lifestyles and genders.We hold all sorts of jobs as well. Gun owners are all over the country, it's not just limited to one part of the country as some folks in the media would like you to believe.
As always, this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.
Monday, October 26, 2015
Range Report #6: A Fun Day at the range
Hey folks, 12-Gauge Chimp here with another edition of Range Report.
I finally got out to the range after a long hot summer of sweating myself stupid and being too busy to actually go. I know some of you are probably asking "What guns did you take, Chimp ?" and I'll tell you in a minute. First, I want to tell you about the original plan that ended up becoming an impromptu range day.
My oldest nephew asked me to take him rabbit hunting this past summer and I went all out planning a hunt for the little guy. Well, originally we were going to hunt on my older brother's land where Oldest Nephew and his family live, but Older Brother nixed that idea. His reasoning is still unclear at this point, but I suspect it's because I was the one to come up with the idea instead of him. Anyway, when Oldest Nephew got the news that our planned rabbit hunt was cancelled, he was understandably heartbroken. Kid had been talking about the hunt for months and was so excited to finally get to go hunting. I will still take him rabbit hunting at some point, but I'll be looking for another hunting spot.
Moving on, since the rabbit hunt was a no go, I then decided the day was not going to be lost because my brother is a jerk. So, I loaded up a couple of my guns (I took my M+M M10 AK that I had done some work to over the past year along with my new to me Ruger 22/45 and my Glock 21) and off we went to the range. I also brought along some BB guns for my nephew to practice with.
So we hit the range and I let my nephew shoot some cans with his BB guns before I commence testing my new guns. Nephew had fun and I was happy that he was cheering up. After Nephew had fun, it was time for Uncle Chimp to have fun.
The first gun I tested was my M10 AK and while I only fired a single ten round magazine through it, I have to say all my mods worked fantastically and I'm glad they did.
The Midwest Industries AK muzzle device (again, I am not kidding about the name. MI actually calls it that on the package) worked well and kept the muzzle of my rifle down and made follow up shots easy to make.
The Troy Industries AK handguard worked perfectly and kept my hands from being burned by the hot barrel. The Magpul AFG was comfortable and I plan on putting one on any tactical rifle I purchase in the future because they work so well. The Magpul AK MOE grip was a lot more comfortable in my hands than the Hogue grip that came with the rifle and was too grippy in my opinion. The Magpul grip had just the right amount of grip and felt just right in my hands.
Even the ten round Arsenal AK mag that I used worked well. I just bought those because they were on sale and I figured they'd be good for testing accuracy from a bench (I know, I know, it's an AK not a benchrest rifle and won't get that great of accuracy due to the design).
After the brief AK test, I moved onto the new-to-me Ruger 22/45 I got in a trade awhile back. You folks can expect a full review of this gun some time in the future from me.
It's the basic model and I wasn't really testing for accuracy, just getting some trigger time behind it. I had a little trouble getting it to fire at first, but I soon fixed that and was blowing through the magazine with no problems.After I had my fun with it, it was my oldest nephew's turn. He had zero problems shooting the Ruger as it's a lightweight gun and often the first gun for new shooters. My nephew has some experience with guns, but he still had me help him since he was new to pistols. I helped him hold the gun as he put rounds downrange and after he finished the mag, he had a big smile on his face. "That was awesome, Uncle Chimp." my nephew told me after I put the gun away. I'm happy the little dude had fun and wasn't disappointed anymore that our original plans were messed up by his dad.
After we shot my 22/45 and had put it away, I felt it was time to try out my Glock 21 that I had purchased last summer. I brought along two loaded mags and a holster that I plan to use once I get my CCW permit. I made sure the range was good to go and drew my Glock. I only fired the two mags I had with me, but both worked flawlessly and I was able to keep all the rounds on target. Again, I wasn't testing for accuracy, just to make sure everything functioned and to get some trigger time with the gun. Firing a polymer framed Glock was a new experience for me since I'm used to shooting a steel framed 1911. I actually prefer the Glock over the 1911 now since the gun is lighter and holds more ammo in the mag. Not to mention I don't have to polish the feed ramp to get it to feed hollow point ammo like I did with the 1911 I owned.
Overall, I had fun and was happy I got to finally test out my guns. I was also happy that my nephew got to go along with me and have fun as well. I'm now in the process of looking for land my nephew and I can go rabbit hunting on and I hope we can get out and hunt soon. Otherwise, I bought two scopes for nothing.
As always, this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.
I finally got out to the range after a long hot summer of sweating myself stupid and being too busy to actually go. I know some of you are probably asking "What guns did you take, Chimp ?" and I'll tell you in a minute. First, I want to tell you about the original plan that ended up becoming an impromptu range day.
My oldest nephew asked me to take him rabbit hunting this past summer and I went all out planning a hunt for the little guy. Well, originally we were going to hunt on my older brother's land where Oldest Nephew and his family live, but Older Brother nixed that idea. His reasoning is still unclear at this point, but I suspect it's because I was the one to come up with the idea instead of him. Anyway, when Oldest Nephew got the news that our planned rabbit hunt was cancelled, he was understandably heartbroken. Kid had been talking about the hunt for months and was so excited to finally get to go hunting. I will still take him rabbit hunting at some point, but I'll be looking for another hunting spot.
Moving on, since the rabbit hunt was a no go, I then decided the day was not going to be lost because my brother is a jerk. So, I loaded up a couple of my guns (I took my M+M M10 AK that I had done some work to over the past year along with my new to me Ruger 22/45 and my Glock 21) and off we went to the range. I also brought along some BB guns for my nephew to practice with.
So we hit the range and I let my nephew shoot some cans with his BB guns before I commence testing my new guns. Nephew had fun and I was happy that he was cheering up. After Nephew had fun, it was time for Uncle Chimp to have fun.
The first gun I tested was my M10 AK and while I only fired a single ten round magazine through it, I have to say all my mods worked fantastically and I'm glad they did.
The Midwest Industries AK muzzle device (again, I am not kidding about the name. MI actually calls it that on the package) worked well and kept the muzzle of my rifle down and made follow up shots easy to make.
The Troy Industries AK handguard worked perfectly and kept my hands from being burned by the hot barrel. The Magpul AFG was comfortable and I plan on putting one on any tactical rifle I purchase in the future because they work so well. The Magpul AK MOE grip was a lot more comfortable in my hands than the Hogue grip that came with the rifle and was too grippy in my opinion. The Magpul grip had just the right amount of grip and felt just right in my hands.
Even the ten round Arsenal AK mag that I used worked well. I just bought those because they were on sale and I figured they'd be good for testing accuracy from a bench (I know, I know, it's an AK not a benchrest rifle and won't get that great of accuracy due to the design).
After the brief AK test, I moved onto the new-to-me Ruger 22/45 I got in a trade awhile back. You folks can expect a full review of this gun some time in the future from me.
It's the basic model and I wasn't really testing for accuracy, just getting some trigger time behind it. I had a little trouble getting it to fire at first, but I soon fixed that and was blowing through the magazine with no problems.After I had my fun with it, it was my oldest nephew's turn. He had zero problems shooting the Ruger as it's a lightweight gun and often the first gun for new shooters. My nephew has some experience with guns, but he still had me help him since he was new to pistols. I helped him hold the gun as he put rounds downrange and after he finished the mag, he had a big smile on his face. "That was awesome, Uncle Chimp." my nephew told me after I put the gun away. I'm happy the little dude had fun and wasn't disappointed anymore that our original plans were messed up by his dad.
After we shot my 22/45 and had put it away, I felt it was time to try out my Glock 21 that I had purchased last summer. I brought along two loaded mags and a holster that I plan to use once I get my CCW permit. I made sure the range was good to go and drew my Glock. I only fired the two mags I had with me, but both worked flawlessly and I was able to keep all the rounds on target. Again, I wasn't testing for accuracy, just to make sure everything functioned and to get some trigger time with the gun. Firing a polymer framed Glock was a new experience for me since I'm used to shooting a steel framed 1911. I actually prefer the Glock over the 1911 now since the gun is lighter and holds more ammo in the mag. Not to mention I don't have to polish the feed ramp to get it to feed hollow point ammo like I did with the 1911 I owned.
Overall, I had fun and was happy I got to finally test out my guns. I was also happy that my nephew got to go along with me and have fun as well. I'm now in the process of looking for land my nephew and I can go rabbit hunting on and I hope we can get out and hunt soon. Otherwise, I bought two scopes for nothing.
As always, this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.
Friday, October 2, 2015
Guns and Gear Review #20: Lucky Dog Knife and Leather Glock 41 holster.
Hello folks, it's 12-Gauge Chimp again. Today I want to talk about a piece of gear that I recently purchased from a local custom shop.
I was browsing a local gun board awhile back and came across an ad for a custom holster maker named Chris Vargas. Chris is the owner and operator of Lucky Dog Knife and Leather in Lubbock Texas and I sent him a message asking him if he could make a holster for a Glock 41 with a Streamlight TLR-1s (this is a variant of the TLR-1 that has a strobe function. No difference in size, just the addition of a strobe function). Sadly, Chris couldn't make the holster for the gun with a light since he didn't own or have access to that particular light. Still, I commissioned him to make the holster anyway minus the light bearing option.
After a few minor hiccups, one involving Chris accidentally sending me the wrong holster and then having a family emergency, I received my holster a few weeks after the initial quoted time. To thank me for being so patient with him during the wait and as a sort of peace offering, Chris included a pair of magazine carriers with my order. I received the package a few days later after Chris called me personally to tell me about what had kept him from getting my holster out in the allotted time frame. Not many companies will do that in this day and age and I really appreciated that Chris took time out of his busy schedule to call me.
On to the holster itself now.
It's a standard Kydex holster, but with a left handed draw set up since I shoot handguns as a lefty. I can shoot them with my right hand just fine, but I prefer to use my left hand since it's my stronger hand. A lifetime of using my left hand to complete tasks and write will usually do that. I specifically asked for an OWB (outside the waistband) style with Tek-Lok mounting devices since I'm used to the style on my Blade-Tech holster. I just like the Tek-Lok mounts for some reason so I asked Chris to have those instead of belt loops.
Due to the small design of these particular Tek-Loks, I now have to purchase either a smaller width belt or larger Tek-Loks to accommodate my belts. It's not a big deal since Tek-Loks are around 10 bucks or so for the larger models.
The fit of the gun is perfect, though I may have to do some minor tweaking to make the draw and reholstering a little smoother. This is by no means any of Chris' fault, it's just a personal preference of mine.
The magazine carriers are set up for Tek-Loks as well and I plan to purchase some in the near future. I did have a minor complaint about one of the mag carriers, though. It's a little loose in retention of the magazine, but a little heating and reforming of the Kydex and it'll be as tight as I need it to be without having to worry about my magazine falling out.
I'll be using the holster a lot in the future in order to fully test it and I'll update this post with my findings, but until then I'm happy with the holster.
Big thanks goes out to Chris Vargas for making my holster and for doing a damn good job on it. It took a little longer than expected to reach me, but in the end the wait was worth it.
As always, this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.
I was browsing a local gun board awhile back and came across an ad for a custom holster maker named Chris Vargas. Chris is the owner and operator of Lucky Dog Knife and Leather in Lubbock Texas and I sent him a message asking him if he could make a holster for a Glock 41 with a Streamlight TLR-1s (this is a variant of the TLR-1 that has a strobe function. No difference in size, just the addition of a strobe function). Sadly, Chris couldn't make the holster for the gun with a light since he didn't own or have access to that particular light. Still, I commissioned him to make the holster anyway minus the light bearing option.
After a few minor hiccups, one involving Chris accidentally sending me the wrong holster and then having a family emergency, I received my holster a few weeks after the initial quoted time. To thank me for being so patient with him during the wait and as a sort of peace offering, Chris included a pair of magazine carriers with my order. I received the package a few days later after Chris called me personally to tell me about what had kept him from getting my holster out in the allotted time frame. Not many companies will do that in this day and age and I really appreciated that Chris took time out of his busy schedule to call me.
On to the holster itself now.
It's a standard Kydex holster, but with a left handed draw set up since I shoot handguns as a lefty. I can shoot them with my right hand just fine, but I prefer to use my left hand since it's my stronger hand. A lifetime of using my left hand to complete tasks and write will usually do that. I specifically asked for an OWB (outside the waistband) style with Tek-Lok mounting devices since I'm used to the style on my Blade-Tech holster. I just like the Tek-Lok mounts for some reason so I asked Chris to have those instead of belt loops.
Due to the small design of these particular Tek-Loks, I now have to purchase either a smaller width belt or larger Tek-Loks to accommodate my belts. It's not a big deal since Tek-Loks are around 10 bucks or so for the larger models.
The fit of the gun is perfect, though I may have to do some minor tweaking to make the draw and reholstering a little smoother. This is by no means any of Chris' fault, it's just a personal preference of mine.
The magazine carriers are set up for Tek-Loks as well and I plan to purchase some in the near future. I did have a minor complaint about one of the mag carriers, though. It's a little loose in retention of the magazine, but a little heating and reforming of the Kydex and it'll be as tight as I need it to be without having to worry about my magazine falling out.
I'll be using the holster a lot in the future in order to fully test it and I'll update this post with my findings, but until then I'm happy with the holster.
Big thanks goes out to Chris Vargas for making my holster and for doing a damn good job on it. It took a little longer than expected to reach me, but in the end the wait was worth it.
As always, this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Guns and Gear Review # 19: Leatherman Wingman
Hey folks, it's your old pal 12-Gauge Chimp here with another installment of Guns and Gear Reviews.
Today, we'll be looking at the Leatherman Wingman multi-tool.
I usually carry a Leatherman Wave on my belt as part of my EDC set up, but I purchased the Wingman on a whim a month or so back and it's quickly becoming one of my favorite tools. I realized that I didn't need the Wave and its many different tools since I rarely used any of them aside from the knife blades, the pliers and the scissors. So I started carrying the Wingman around (it didn't come with a belt pouch so I had to use the one I had for my Leatherman Blast) and it quickly became my favorite tool.
Now, by this point, some of you are probably asking "Chimp, what are the tools on the Wingman and how much does one cost?". Well, I paid about 25 dollars US for mine at a Walmart Super Center in New Mexico (I do a lot of business in New Mexico) and the tools are as follows.
On the Leatherman Wingman, you've got...
1: spring loaded pliers (nice touch, Leatherman.)
2: a dual edged (serrated and plain edge) knife blade
3: bottle opener (or can opener, your choice)
4: a box cutter (I had no idea this was a box cutter until I watched a review of the Wingman online)
5: a combination ruler/ nail file
6: a small Philips head screwdriver
7: a small flat head screwdriver
8: wire cutters
I don't know if Leatherman counts the pocket clip as a function or not, so I'm leaving that out of the list of tools. Speaking of which, I hate the pocket clip on the Wingman. Mostly because it doesn't grip worth a damn. It may be because I wear jeans and the sides of the Wingman are super smooth, but still I hate the pocket clip because I feel like the tool is going to fall out when I walk. I had that happen with a cheap pocket knife once. Still have no idea where that knife ended up, by the way.
Anyway, I've been using the Wingman pretty steadily for the past month and there are almost no complaints from me. It's a lot lighter than the Wave I carried for the longest time (had to buy another one after my brother accidentally broke the scissors on my first one. I'll be sending that one in to Leatherman to take advantage of their warranty soon.) and I actually use most of the tools on it. Sure it's nice to have a bunch of tools at my disposal, but I'm not using most of them on a daily basis, which seems like a waste to me. The Wingman seems to me like a good minimalist multi-tool for folks who don't want or really need all the tools on the Wave or any of the other larger Leatherman tools.
Would I recommend the Leatherman Wingman ? The answer is YES. I'm not going to give it my seal of approval just yet, but I have a feeling it's a sure thing that I will in the future.
Well, that's pretty much it for this installment of Guns and Gear Reviews with 12-Gauge Chimp. Keep checking the site for more reviews in the coming months and keep an eye out for an announcement about a 12-Gauge Chimp YouTube channel. I'm still in the process of making that a reality and getting set up to bring you all video reviews on new items I buy and the occasional 'Random Thoughts' video I may do when the mood strikes me.
As always, this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.
Today, we'll be looking at the Leatherman Wingman multi-tool.
I usually carry a Leatherman Wave on my belt as part of my EDC set up, but I purchased the Wingman on a whim a month or so back and it's quickly becoming one of my favorite tools. I realized that I didn't need the Wave and its many different tools since I rarely used any of them aside from the knife blades, the pliers and the scissors. So I started carrying the Wingman around (it didn't come with a belt pouch so I had to use the one I had for my Leatherman Blast) and it quickly became my favorite tool.
Now, by this point, some of you are probably asking "Chimp, what are the tools on the Wingman and how much does one cost?". Well, I paid about 25 dollars US for mine at a Walmart Super Center in New Mexico (I do a lot of business in New Mexico) and the tools are as follows.
On the Leatherman Wingman, you've got...
1: spring loaded pliers (nice touch, Leatherman.)
2: a dual edged (serrated and plain edge) knife blade
3: bottle opener (or can opener, your choice)
4: a box cutter (I had no idea this was a box cutter until I watched a review of the Wingman online)
5: a combination ruler/ nail file
6: a small Philips head screwdriver
7: a small flat head screwdriver
8: wire cutters
I don't know if Leatherman counts the pocket clip as a function or not, so I'm leaving that out of the list of tools. Speaking of which, I hate the pocket clip on the Wingman. Mostly because it doesn't grip worth a damn. It may be because I wear jeans and the sides of the Wingman are super smooth, but still I hate the pocket clip because I feel like the tool is going to fall out when I walk. I had that happen with a cheap pocket knife once. Still have no idea where that knife ended up, by the way.
Anyway, I've been using the Wingman pretty steadily for the past month and there are almost no complaints from me. It's a lot lighter than the Wave I carried for the longest time (had to buy another one after my brother accidentally broke the scissors on my first one. I'll be sending that one in to Leatherman to take advantage of their warranty soon.) and I actually use most of the tools on it. Sure it's nice to have a bunch of tools at my disposal, but I'm not using most of them on a daily basis, which seems like a waste to me. The Wingman seems to me like a good minimalist multi-tool for folks who don't want or really need all the tools on the Wave or any of the other larger Leatherman tools.
Would I recommend the Leatherman Wingman ? The answer is YES. I'm not going to give it my seal of approval just yet, but I have a feeling it's a sure thing that I will in the future.
Well, that's pretty much it for this installment of Guns and Gear Reviews with 12-Gauge Chimp. Keep checking the site for more reviews in the coming months and keep an eye out for an announcement about a 12-Gauge Chimp YouTube channel. I'm still in the process of making that a reality and getting set up to bring you all video reviews on new items I buy and the occasional 'Random Thoughts' video I may do when the mood strikes me.
As always, this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Return to Gun Review #16 plus an update to where I've been.
Howdy, folks. It's your old pal 12-Gauge Chimp.
You may have noticed my absence (or not since I'm not sure if anyone actually reads my articles or even visits the site anymore), and I apologize for that. The reason behind my long absence is that I just got burnt out on writing reviews and updating the site. I've purchased a number of things to review and I'll be getting to those some time in the near future.Just to clear things up and answer a few questions I'm sure no one has asked, I buy pretty much everything I review out of my own pocket. I am not sponsored in any way whatsoever. It'd be nice to be sponsored, but the site just isn't big enough nor popular enough for the big name companies to consider a sponsorship.
With that out of the way, on to the updated M10 AK.
As most of you folks know, I am a big fan of the AK and 7.62x39mm round it fires. So much so that I am strongly considering adding another AK to my collection. Before I do that, though, I want to update you all on what I've done to my M10 AK over the past year.
First, I ditched the Hogue handguard that came with my rifle and added a Troy Industries AK rail (more on that later). The Troy Industries AK rail is nice, but it's a little frustrating in installing since it requires a small Allen wrench to tighten down the bolts that hold it to the handguard retaining ring. Loc-Tite is your friend here if you don't want the bolts to back out and cause the rail to wobble (yes, I had that happen to me. Twice.) I recommend the blue Loc-Tite if you ever want to remove the rail and install a different one. If you never want to remove it, either use some of the red Loc-Tite or have your gunsmith weld the rail onto your rifle.
Next was the buttstock. The Phoenix Technologies "Survivor" stock is a decent stock in it's own right, but I wanted something that I could adjust the length of pull (LOP) on. The Phoenix Technologies stock is basically a fixed AK stock with a little trapdoor for survival gear (I tried and all I could fit in it was a cleaning kit. You are definitely NOT fitting any real gear in that stock.) So, I first put an Vltor AK stock tube adapter on it along with a Magpul CTR stock and called it a day. It worked for me and I was happy. Cut to SHOT Show 2015 and Magpul's announcement of AK specific furniture, which had me rethinking my set up. So, a few months of waiting for the stock to hit shelves, I installed my Zhukov-S folding stock on my AK. It actually went on easier than the Vltor tube. Magpul hit one out of the park with this stock. I will say that the LOP adjustment part was a little hard to adjust at first, but now it's smooth. I recommend finding a position that fits you on the stock and setting it there because the stock can be a pain to adjust at times. Maybe Magpul will make a Gen 2 version of the stock that's a little easier to adjust.
I also changed the muzzle brake (I absolutely hated the Tapco Razr muzzle brake that came with my rifle. Sounded like a tuning fork whenever I shot my rifle). I switched the brake out with a Midwest Industries AK muzzle device (I'm not kidding. The package simply calls it a 'muzzle device'. No fancy name, just what it is.) Getting the Tapco Razr brake off my rifle required a trip to a gunsmith and a monkey wrench to take it off. Installing the Midwest Industries brake was just my gunsmith screwing the thing onto my rifle after spraying some lube onto the threads to make everything go on without a hitch. It looks a lot better than the Tapco brake. Don't get me wrong, the Tapco Razr brake was a nice one, it just wasn't for me. And I'm not the only one who disliked it. Take a trip to YouTube and you'll find a bunch of folks who feel the same way as I do about the Tapco Razr.
Other things that I swapped were the grip (went with a Magpul MOE AK grip), gas tube (Troy Industries again.) and I added some rail sections to hold a Magpul AFG (angled fore grip) as well as a Bushnell tactical light and a Magpul QD sling mount.
I'm hoping once the weather cools down a bit, I can hit the range and put some rounds downrange. It's been awhile since I fired my AK and I need to do a lot of testing to see if all the mods I did were worth it.
All in all, I'm happy with the rifle and the mods I did. I made the rifle fit me and I think that's all that matters in the end.
As always, this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.
You may have noticed my absence (or not since I'm not sure if anyone actually reads my articles or even visits the site anymore), and I apologize for that. The reason behind my long absence is that I just got burnt out on writing reviews and updating the site. I've purchased a number of things to review and I'll be getting to those some time in the near future.Just to clear things up and answer a few questions I'm sure no one has asked, I buy pretty much everything I review out of my own pocket. I am not sponsored in any way whatsoever. It'd be nice to be sponsored, but the site just isn't big enough nor popular enough for the big name companies to consider a sponsorship.
With that out of the way, on to the updated M10 AK.
As most of you folks know, I am a big fan of the AK and 7.62x39mm round it fires. So much so that I am strongly considering adding another AK to my collection. Before I do that, though, I want to update you all on what I've done to my M10 AK over the past year.
First, I ditched the Hogue handguard that came with my rifle and added a Troy Industries AK rail (more on that later). The Troy Industries AK rail is nice, but it's a little frustrating in installing since it requires a small Allen wrench to tighten down the bolts that hold it to the handguard retaining ring. Loc-Tite is your friend here if you don't want the bolts to back out and cause the rail to wobble (yes, I had that happen to me. Twice.) I recommend the blue Loc-Tite if you ever want to remove the rail and install a different one. If you never want to remove it, either use some of the red Loc-Tite or have your gunsmith weld the rail onto your rifle.
Next was the buttstock. The Phoenix Technologies "Survivor" stock is a decent stock in it's own right, but I wanted something that I could adjust the length of pull (LOP) on. The Phoenix Technologies stock is basically a fixed AK stock with a little trapdoor for survival gear (I tried and all I could fit in it was a cleaning kit. You are definitely NOT fitting any real gear in that stock.) So, I first put an Vltor AK stock tube adapter on it along with a Magpul CTR stock and called it a day. It worked for me and I was happy. Cut to SHOT Show 2015 and Magpul's announcement of AK specific furniture, which had me rethinking my set up. So, a few months of waiting for the stock to hit shelves, I installed my Zhukov-S folding stock on my AK. It actually went on easier than the Vltor tube. Magpul hit one out of the park with this stock. I will say that the LOP adjustment part was a little hard to adjust at first, but now it's smooth. I recommend finding a position that fits you on the stock and setting it there because the stock can be a pain to adjust at times. Maybe Magpul will make a Gen 2 version of the stock that's a little easier to adjust.
I also changed the muzzle brake (I absolutely hated the Tapco Razr muzzle brake that came with my rifle. Sounded like a tuning fork whenever I shot my rifle). I switched the brake out with a Midwest Industries AK muzzle device (I'm not kidding. The package simply calls it a 'muzzle device'. No fancy name, just what it is.) Getting the Tapco Razr brake off my rifle required a trip to a gunsmith and a monkey wrench to take it off. Installing the Midwest Industries brake was just my gunsmith screwing the thing onto my rifle after spraying some lube onto the threads to make everything go on without a hitch. It looks a lot better than the Tapco brake. Don't get me wrong, the Tapco Razr brake was a nice one, it just wasn't for me. And I'm not the only one who disliked it. Take a trip to YouTube and you'll find a bunch of folks who feel the same way as I do about the Tapco Razr.
Other things that I swapped were the grip (went with a Magpul MOE AK grip), gas tube (Troy Industries again.) and I added some rail sections to hold a Magpul AFG (angled fore grip) as well as a Bushnell tactical light and a Magpul QD sling mount.
I'm hoping once the weather cools down a bit, I can hit the range and put some rounds downrange. It's been awhile since I fired my AK and I need to do a lot of testing to see if all the mods I did were worth it.
All in all, I'm happy with the rifle and the mods I did. I made the rifle fit me and I think that's all that matters in the end.
As always, this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Guns and Gear Review # 18: Glock 41 Gen 4
Hey folks, it's your old pal 12-Gauge Chimp here with another entry to the site.
I've decided to change a few things on the site, starting with the gun reviews. I've decided to change the titles of the reviews since I mostly look at firearms and knives. From this point on, I'm going to call my reviews "Guns and Gear Reviews" instead of what they have been called in the past. I'll probably be going back and changing the titles of my previous entries. I've got a lot of things to cover so it may take some time.
Without further ado, here's the latest 'Guns and Gear Review'
Today, I'll be looking at the Glock 41. The Glock 41, for those of y'all who don't know, is a long slide variant of the popular Glock 21. Both pistols are full size guns, but the G41 has a longer barrel, around 5.25" according to my measurements.Which puts it in 1911 length territory. This gives the gun a longer sight radius which means better accuracy.The Glock 41 is only available in the Gen 4 configuration, so all you Gen 3 fans may have to upgrade to the newer generation if you want to get your hands on one.
I picked up my G41 a few days after ordering it from the local hardware store. Originally I had ordered a Century Arms RAS-47, but my FFL dealer was having a hard time finding one in stock for a decent price. So, I cancelled that order and switched it to the G41. I'm glad I did because the G41 is an awesome gun. It's only slightly longer than the standard G21, which means folks who use a 1911 as their carry gun will have no problem carrying a G41. Assuming they decide to quit carrying their 1911's, of course. Not everyone likes Glock pistols. For example, I used to think the grip was kind of blocky and uncomfortable. With the Gen 4 models and their different size back straps, my opinion on that has changed. Gen 3 guns and earlier still feel kind of weird, but that's simply because I'm used to the Gen 4 grips. Had I gotten into Glocks earlier in my life, I might feel differently about that.
Like the Gen 4 Glock 21 I own, the Glock 41 comes with three magazines, four different back straps, and the usual Glock factory accessories. Which are a magazine loader, spent casings for locales that require them, owners manual, and a mini catalog showing the other stuff Glock offers aside from firearms. I'd personally like to see Glock make a rifle at some point, but I think they're going to just continue making handguns. Which is fine with me.
I haven't had the opportunity to get out to the range since there's been other things taking up my time, so I can't really give y'all a true review as to how the G41 handles or if it's reliable enough for me to give it my seal of approval.
Once I get out to the range and run a few mags through the gun, I'll report back here and give y'all a full review.
As always, this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.
I've decided to change a few things on the site, starting with the gun reviews. I've decided to change the titles of the reviews since I mostly look at firearms and knives. From this point on, I'm going to call my reviews "Guns and Gear Reviews" instead of what they have been called in the past. I'll probably be going back and changing the titles of my previous entries. I've got a lot of things to cover so it may take some time.
Without further ado, here's the latest 'Guns and Gear Review'
Today, I'll be looking at the Glock 41. The Glock 41, for those of y'all who don't know, is a long slide variant of the popular Glock 21. Both pistols are full size guns, but the G41 has a longer barrel, around 5.25" according to my measurements.Which puts it in 1911 length territory. This gives the gun a longer sight radius which means better accuracy.The Glock 41 is only available in the Gen 4 configuration, so all you Gen 3 fans may have to upgrade to the newer generation if you want to get your hands on one.
I picked up my G41 a few days after ordering it from the local hardware store. Originally I had ordered a Century Arms RAS-47, but my FFL dealer was having a hard time finding one in stock for a decent price. So, I cancelled that order and switched it to the G41. I'm glad I did because the G41 is an awesome gun. It's only slightly longer than the standard G21, which means folks who use a 1911 as their carry gun will have no problem carrying a G41. Assuming they decide to quit carrying their 1911's, of course. Not everyone likes Glock pistols. For example, I used to think the grip was kind of blocky and uncomfortable. With the Gen 4 models and their different size back straps, my opinion on that has changed. Gen 3 guns and earlier still feel kind of weird, but that's simply because I'm used to the Gen 4 grips. Had I gotten into Glocks earlier in my life, I might feel differently about that.
Like the Gen 4 Glock 21 I own, the Glock 41 comes with three magazines, four different back straps, and the usual Glock factory accessories. Which are a magazine loader, spent casings for locales that require them, owners manual, and a mini catalog showing the other stuff Glock offers aside from firearms. I'd personally like to see Glock make a rifle at some point, but I think they're going to just continue making handguns. Which is fine with me.
I haven't had the opportunity to get out to the range since there's been other things taking up my time, so I can't really give y'all a true review as to how the G41 handles or if it's reliable enough for me to give it my seal of approval.
Once I get out to the range and run a few mags through the gun, I'll report back here and give y'all a full review.
As always, this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.
Friday, February 27, 2015
Guns and Gear Review # 17: Glock 21 Gen 4 and Ruger 10/22
Hey folks, your old pal 12-Gauge Chimp here with another Two for One Special review.
I've been kind of neglecting the site a bit, but I'm back with some new things to review and I'll be sure to have some more reviews coming in the future.
The first thing I'm going to review is my brand new Glock 21 .45 ACP caliber handgun.
Since buying my Rock Island Armory 1911 (which has since been sold to a family member), I was in the market for a new .45 ACP pistol. I went back and forth between various brands and something about the Glock 21 caught my attention. I called several shops in my area and a local hardware store had the best price and actually had the gun in stock. The other shops would've had to order the gun and wait several days to get it in my hands. One shop had an insanely high price tag on the gun in addition to the wait. Seriously, that shop wanted more than MSRP (manufacturers suggested retail price) by about 200 dollars. Let's just say they won't be getting my business any time soon. So, I went into the local shop and filled out the required paperwork for the Feds. Twenty minutes later, I was walking out of the store with my shiny new Glock 21. This is my first Glock pistol and probably won't be my last. Glock recently released a long slide variant called the Glock 41 and I'm considering picking one of those up as well.
Getting to the gun itself, the Glock 21 feels a lot better in my hands than my RIA 1911 did and I think it's because of the wider grip. I had to put thicker grips on my 1911 to have it fit better, but the G21 fits me nearly perfectly right out of the box. The Gen 4 models come with four interchangeable back straps and I ended up putting the medium beaver tail back strap on my particular gun. I figured since I have large hands that the large one would fit me the best, but it wasn't true. The medium fit me the best and it'll stay on the gun for awhile. Magazines drop free from the mag well easily and that's great for making quick reloads at the range. The sights are typical Glock style, which are plastic, and are one thing that I kind of dislike. I mean, is that hard for Glock to include metal sights on their guns ? I'm sure the sights are durable enough, but I'd like to see an option for metal sights in the future. I'll probably be replacing the factory sights with night sights soon, so it's not that big of a deal for me to have them on my G21 for the moment. The gun came with a total of three 13 round magazines and I ended up purchasing a few more at another store. It's always a good idea to have a decent supply of magazines in case one decides to fail. Factory mags are a little high in price, but they're solid. I know I could go the cheap route and buy some of those Korean made Glock magazines that were brought in a few years back, but I've heard really bad things about their quality. So, it'll be factory magazines for me and my G21.
All in all, I like the Glock 21. I'm hoping to get out to the range once the weather heats up a little and put the gun through its paces.
Speaking of guns, it's time for the second half of this Two for One Special. The Ruger 10/22.
I've been in the market for a new .22LR rifle ever since I got my Mossberg 702 awhile back. Now, the 702 Plinkster by Mossberg is a good little gun, but the lack of aftermarket parts and accessories severely limit it. I probably should've bought a Ruger 10/22 in the first place, but the store I bought my Mossberg from didn't have any at the time. So I bought the 702 Plinkster. Cut to last year when I found myself at a Wal-Mart in Odessa Texas and there on the shelf was a Ruger 10/22 with a stainless steel barrel. I looked it over and handed it back to the nice lady behind the counter. I thought about it for a bit and decided I'd go ahead with the purchase. Being that the store had several of that style in stock, I ended up with a fresh one and not the one that had been handled by who knows how many people. The gun I looked at first had a minor issue with the magazine sticking, but that's mostly due to the synthetic stock being a bit tight in the magwell area. My 10/22 had the same issue, but I ended up swapping out the factory stock for a Hogue stock that's so much better than the factory one. Swapping the stock for an aftermarket one solved the issue with sticking mags. I had bought a Blackhawk Axiom stock for it previously, but I ended up with a stock that was poorly molded and off center by a very noticeable degree. So I went with the Hogue stock instead and haven't had any issues with that one. My gun came with a single 10 round magazine, but I purchased a couple of the BX-25 magazines Ruger has brought to the market in the past few years. These are factory made 25 round magazines and they have been getting great reviews from shooters like myself. Ruger also makes a BX-50 with is basically two BX-25 magazines molded together. They sort of look like someone took two BX-25 magazines and duct taped them together, to be honest.
2014 was the 50th anniversary of the 10/22 and all guns made that year had the 50th anniversary roll mark on the receiver, barrel and bolt. Ruger even had a design contest for a special edition rifle to commemorate the occasion. I'm actually trying to track down one of those rifles because it's such a cool little gun and incorporates a few features that I really like.
Now, I have yet to get out to the range and fully test these guns out, but rest assured that I will and that I will give you all a full range report afterwards. Actually, come to think of it, there's a bunch of stuff I've purchased recently that I need to get out and test.
It's a bit too early for me to give either gun my seal of approval, so check back within the next six months time and I'll update the site with my findings.
As always this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.
I've been kind of neglecting the site a bit, but I'm back with some new things to review and I'll be sure to have some more reviews coming in the future.
The first thing I'm going to review is my brand new Glock 21 .45 ACP caliber handgun.
Since buying my Rock Island Armory 1911 (which has since been sold to a family member), I was in the market for a new .45 ACP pistol. I went back and forth between various brands and something about the Glock 21 caught my attention. I called several shops in my area and a local hardware store had the best price and actually had the gun in stock. The other shops would've had to order the gun and wait several days to get it in my hands. One shop had an insanely high price tag on the gun in addition to the wait. Seriously, that shop wanted more than MSRP (manufacturers suggested retail price) by about 200 dollars. Let's just say they won't be getting my business any time soon. So, I went into the local shop and filled out the required paperwork for the Feds. Twenty minutes later, I was walking out of the store with my shiny new Glock 21. This is my first Glock pistol and probably won't be my last. Glock recently released a long slide variant called the Glock 41 and I'm considering picking one of those up as well.
Getting to the gun itself, the Glock 21 feels a lot better in my hands than my RIA 1911 did and I think it's because of the wider grip. I had to put thicker grips on my 1911 to have it fit better, but the G21 fits me nearly perfectly right out of the box. The Gen 4 models come with four interchangeable back straps and I ended up putting the medium beaver tail back strap on my particular gun. I figured since I have large hands that the large one would fit me the best, but it wasn't true. The medium fit me the best and it'll stay on the gun for awhile. Magazines drop free from the mag well easily and that's great for making quick reloads at the range. The sights are typical Glock style, which are plastic, and are one thing that I kind of dislike. I mean, is that hard for Glock to include metal sights on their guns ? I'm sure the sights are durable enough, but I'd like to see an option for metal sights in the future. I'll probably be replacing the factory sights with night sights soon, so it's not that big of a deal for me to have them on my G21 for the moment. The gun came with a total of three 13 round magazines and I ended up purchasing a few more at another store. It's always a good idea to have a decent supply of magazines in case one decides to fail. Factory mags are a little high in price, but they're solid. I know I could go the cheap route and buy some of those Korean made Glock magazines that were brought in a few years back, but I've heard really bad things about their quality. So, it'll be factory magazines for me and my G21.
All in all, I like the Glock 21. I'm hoping to get out to the range once the weather heats up a little and put the gun through its paces.
Speaking of guns, it's time for the second half of this Two for One Special. The Ruger 10/22.
I've been in the market for a new .22LR rifle ever since I got my Mossberg 702 awhile back. Now, the 702 Plinkster by Mossberg is a good little gun, but the lack of aftermarket parts and accessories severely limit it. I probably should've bought a Ruger 10/22 in the first place, but the store I bought my Mossberg from didn't have any at the time. So I bought the 702 Plinkster. Cut to last year when I found myself at a Wal-Mart in Odessa Texas and there on the shelf was a Ruger 10/22 with a stainless steel barrel. I looked it over and handed it back to the nice lady behind the counter. I thought about it for a bit and decided I'd go ahead with the purchase. Being that the store had several of that style in stock, I ended up with a fresh one and not the one that had been handled by who knows how many people. The gun I looked at first had a minor issue with the magazine sticking, but that's mostly due to the synthetic stock being a bit tight in the magwell area. My 10/22 had the same issue, but I ended up swapping out the factory stock for a Hogue stock that's so much better than the factory one. Swapping the stock for an aftermarket one solved the issue with sticking mags. I had bought a Blackhawk Axiom stock for it previously, but I ended up with a stock that was poorly molded and off center by a very noticeable degree. So I went with the Hogue stock instead and haven't had any issues with that one. My gun came with a single 10 round magazine, but I purchased a couple of the BX-25 magazines Ruger has brought to the market in the past few years. These are factory made 25 round magazines and they have been getting great reviews from shooters like myself. Ruger also makes a BX-50 with is basically two BX-25 magazines molded together. They sort of look like someone took two BX-25 magazines and duct taped them together, to be honest.
2014 was the 50th anniversary of the 10/22 and all guns made that year had the 50th anniversary roll mark on the receiver, barrel and bolt. Ruger even had a design contest for a special edition rifle to commemorate the occasion. I'm actually trying to track down one of those rifles because it's such a cool little gun and incorporates a few features that I really like.
Now, I have yet to get out to the range and fully test these guns out, but rest assured that I will and that I will give you all a full range report afterwards. Actually, come to think of it, there's a bunch of stuff I've purchased recently that I need to get out and test.
It's a bit too early for me to give either gun my seal of approval, so check back within the next six months time and I'll update the site with my findings.
As always this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.
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