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.
Thursday, August 20, 2015
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.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Range Report #5: M+M M10 AK
Hey folks, 12-Gauge Chimp here with a brand new edition of Range Report
Well, I finally had a chance to hit the range with a friend and I brought along the M+M M10 AK that I reviewed a little while back. I only have three mags for the gun, so my time behind the trigger was a bit limited. With that in mind, I loaded up the rifle and took aim at my target set up.
We had various targets set up at a range of probably 100 feet or so, not exactly a perfect range to test the rifles accuracy, but good enough to see if the gun worked properly or not. I fired one mag through the gun and let my friend have a go with the second magazine. Both were loaded with 30 rounds of Wolf 123 grain Military Classic 7.62x39 ammunition that has been kicking around in one of my ammo cans for about five years. I did have a couple issues with the ammo, but more on that later.
There were no jams whatsoever in the first 60 rounds and I'm pleased with the rifle. Of course, it'll take many more rounds sent downrange before I'm ready to give the rifle my seal of approval, but overall I'm happy with my purchase and with the rifle itself. A few of the stock parts are going to be replaced, but that's mostly a matter of personal preference. I know one thing that's getting changed out and that's the muzzle brake. The thing sounds like a tuning fork after every shot and it gets annoying really quick. I also need to pick up a few more mags so my time behind the trigger is spent learning how to shoot the rifle better and not wasted loading magazines. All three mags I had functioned like they were supposed to and while going from a stripper clip loaded rifle to a magazine system was a bit weird, I eventually got the hang of it and was switching mags like it was second nature to me.
As I mentioned before I had some issues with the ammo I was running. Wolf is pretty much known for being cheap ammo and that's one big reason folks buy the stuff. My issue wasn't with the price (I'm sort of a cheapskate when it comes to ammo, by the way), but with the way my SKS functioned with the ammo. I've used Wolf in my SKS numerous times before and I've never had bright blue smoke pour out of the receiver after a shot. I've also never had a round fail to fire after the primer was whacked hard. I'm probably going to have a gunsmith replace the firing pin on my rifle anyway, so I hope the FTF's will cease after that.
Overall, a fun day at the range was had by all and I hope to have many more range days with my friends in the future. Now if I could just find .22LR ammo locally, that'd be awesome.
Stay tuned to the site for an upcoming video review of the KHHI Scourge kukri I reviewed awhile back. I'm hoping to get some good footage of the blade uploaded soon. I've had a few folks asking me for video of the blade in action and I'm not one to disappoint my fans. So, keep an eye on the site for an announcement soon.
As always, this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.
Well, I finally had a chance to hit the range with a friend and I brought along the M+M M10 AK that I reviewed a little while back. I only have three mags for the gun, so my time behind the trigger was a bit limited. With that in mind, I loaded up the rifle and took aim at my target set up.
We had various targets set up at a range of probably 100 feet or so, not exactly a perfect range to test the rifles accuracy, but good enough to see if the gun worked properly or not. I fired one mag through the gun and let my friend have a go with the second magazine. Both were loaded with 30 rounds of Wolf 123 grain Military Classic 7.62x39 ammunition that has been kicking around in one of my ammo cans for about five years. I did have a couple issues with the ammo, but more on that later.
There were no jams whatsoever in the first 60 rounds and I'm pleased with the rifle. Of course, it'll take many more rounds sent downrange before I'm ready to give the rifle my seal of approval, but overall I'm happy with my purchase and with the rifle itself. A few of the stock parts are going to be replaced, but that's mostly a matter of personal preference. I know one thing that's getting changed out and that's the muzzle brake. The thing sounds like a tuning fork after every shot and it gets annoying really quick. I also need to pick up a few more mags so my time behind the trigger is spent learning how to shoot the rifle better and not wasted loading magazines. All three mags I had functioned like they were supposed to and while going from a stripper clip loaded rifle to a magazine system was a bit weird, I eventually got the hang of it and was switching mags like it was second nature to me.
As I mentioned before I had some issues with the ammo I was running. Wolf is pretty much known for being cheap ammo and that's one big reason folks buy the stuff. My issue wasn't with the price (I'm sort of a cheapskate when it comes to ammo, by the way), but with the way my SKS functioned with the ammo. I've used Wolf in my SKS numerous times before and I've never had bright blue smoke pour out of the receiver after a shot. I've also never had a round fail to fire after the primer was whacked hard. I'm probably going to have a gunsmith replace the firing pin on my rifle anyway, so I hope the FTF's will cease after that.
Overall, a fun day at the range was had by all and I hope to have many more range days with my friends in the future. Now if I could just find .22LR ammo locally, that'd be awesome.
Stay tuned to the site for an upcoming video review of the KHHI Scourge kukri I reviewed awhile back. I'm hoping to get some good footage of the blade uploaded soon. I've had a few folks asking me for video of the blade in action and I'm not one to disappoint my fans. So, keep an eye on the site for an announcement soon.
As always, this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.
Friday, June 13, 2014
Guns and Gear Review #16: M+M M10 7.62 AK-47
Hey folks, it's your old pal 12-Gauge Chimp here with a brand new gun review.
It's been awhile since I've done one of these, but I've had good reasons as to why that is. You see, buying a gun is something that takes me awhile to do. Mostly because I tend to research my choices and try to narrow them down to what I can afford and what is the best choice for me. This gun purchase actually took the course of two years to accomplish seeing as how the gun came and went from various sites inventories (and at either really rock bottom prices or prices that made buying a $1,200 Arsenal a better option).
So, I finally found a site that had the gun in stock and at a price that was within my budget. I placed my order, called my FFL dealer to verify the purchase and transfer, and waited. A week later, I get a call from my FFL dealer saying my rifle was in the shop. I rushed over there and picked it up after filling out the 4473 required by the Feds and paying the transfer fees. It was at that moment, I became the owner of my very first AK-47 style rifle.
Getting to the rifle itself, it's pretty much an upgraded WASR-10, but instead of being made of used surplus parts with a few new US made parts thrown in for compliance reasons, this AK uses all brand new parts. Everything on this rifle is brand new and there's enough US made part to comply with the US 922r regulations. No surplus parts of dubious age, origin or wear and tear amounts here.
The M+M M10 features a 16 inch chrome lined hammer forged barrel topped off with a Tapco Razr muzzle brake. It's got the usual stamped AK receiver fitted with a Hogue pistol grip, a Hogue railed fore end set and a Phoenix Technologies 'Survival' stock with hinged buttplate that opens to reveal a space for survival items (I store an AK cleaning kit in the one on my rifle). It only comes with one mag, which is a plastic Bulgarian made mag, but AK mags are pretty much everywhere and are going for decent prices now. Granted, the mags aren't quite as cheap as the HK G3/CETME mags, but they're still affordable. The sights are RPK style, which means the rear sight is adjustable for windage and elevation. It takes some getting used to, but it's no harder than using the sights on an AR-15. The front sight is a bit different than the traditional AK set up because it's built into the gas block instead of on its own like on a regular AK.This reduces the sight radius a bit, but just like the RPK sights one can get used to them. Either that or add some different sights later on.
I haven't had the chance to get out to the range to shoot this rifle yet, but that's mostly because summer is officially here in my AO and that means temperatures that regularly hit 95 plus degrees and don't go anywhere near bearable until late in the evening. I think I saw a bird burst into flames just flying around the other day because it was so hot. Anyway, once the weather cools down (or I suck it up and coat myself in really high SPF sunscreen and risk a sunburn), I'll be testing the rifle and giving y'all a full review.
Would I suggest buying one of these rifles ? Yes, I would.
The prices are coming down from the insanely high prices we were seeing them go for last year and they're still a great bargain for those of us who want an AK, but don't want to roll the dice and buy a WASR-10 and hope we get a good one.
As always, this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.
Stay tuned to this site for a range review of the M+M M10 AK-47, folks.
It's been awhile since I've done one of these, but I've had good reasons as to why that is. You see, buying a gun is something that takes me awhile to do. Mostly because I tend to research my choices and try to narrow them down to what I can afford and what is the best choice for me. This gun purchase actually took the course of two years to accomplish seeing as how the gun came and went from various sites inventories (and at either really rock bottom prices or prices that made buying a $1,200 Arsenal a better option).
So, I finally found a site that had the gun in stock and at a price that was within my budget. I placed my order, called my FFL dealer to verify the purchase and transfer, and waited. A week later, I get a call from my FFL dealer saying my rifle was in the shop. I rushed over there and picked it up after filling out the 4473 required by the Feds and paying the transfer fees. It was at that moment, I became the owner of my very first AK-47 style rifle.
Getting to the rifle itself, it's pretty much an upgraded WASR-10, but instead of being made of used surplus parts with a few new US made parts thrown in for compliance reasons, this AK uses all brand new parts. Everything on this rifle is brand new and there's enough US made part to comply with the US 922r regulations. No surplus parts of dubious age, origin or wear and tear amounts here.
The M+M M10 features a 16 inch chrome lined hammer forged barrel topped off with a Tapco Razr muzzle brake. It's got the usual stamped AK receiver fitted with a Hogue pistol grip, a Hogue railed fore end set and a Phoenix Technologies 'Survival' stock with hinged buttplate that opens to reveal a space for survival items (I store an AK cleaning kit in the one on my rifle). It only comes with one mag, which is a plastic Bulgarian made mag, but AK mags are pretty much everywhere and are going for decent prices now. Granted, the mags aren't quite as cheap as the HK G3/CETME mags, but they're still affordable. The sights are RPK style, which means the rear sight is adjustable for windage and elevation. It takes some getting used to, but it's no harder than using the sights on an AR-15. The front sight is a bit different than the traditional AK set up because it's built into the gas block instead of on its own like on a regular AK.This reduces the sight radius a bit, but just like the RPK sights one can get used to them. Either that or add some different sights later on.
I haven't had the chance to get out to the range to shoot this rifle yet, but that's mostly because summer is officially here in my AO and that means temperatures that regularly hit 95 plus degrees and don't go anywhere near bearable until late in the evening. I think I saw a bird burst into flames just flying around the other day because it was so hot. Anyway, once the weather cools down (or I suck it up and coat myself in really high SPF sunscreen and risk a sunburn), I'll be testing the rifle and giving y'all a full review.
Would I suggest buying one of these rifles ? Yes, I would.
The prices are coming down from the insanely high prices we were seeing them go for last year and they're still a great bargain for those of us who want an AK, but don't want to roll the dice and buy a WASR-10 and hope we get a good one.
As always, this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.
Stay tuned to this site for a range review of the M+M M10 AK-47, folks.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Guns and Gear Review # 15: Kershaw Shuffle
Hey folks, it's your old pal 12-Gauge Chimp bringing you a new knife review.
I know it has been awhile since I last updated the site and I have a good reason for that. The reason of that is that I literally had nothing to review. So I just took a break for a bit, but now I'm back with some new things to review and a quick update for y'all.
As you all might remember, I've been giving knives and other stuff my 12-Gauge Chimp Seal of Approval rather easily over the years. Well, starting today, that all ends. Effective immediately, I will no longer be handing out my approval on a product without actually doing a lengthy test on said product. I got burned big time by my Ka-Bar Agama pocket knife and it had me rethinking my whole review system. So with that in mind, new products will now be used by me for a period of no less than six months. After the six months is up, I will then decide to either give the product my seal of approval or not.
Getting back to the topic of this review special, it's been awhile since I've purchased a new knife. The last knife I purchased was the Kershaw Nerve that I reviewed a couple months back. The new addition to my Kershaw collection is the recently released Kershaw Shuffle.
The Kershaw Shuffle sports a 2 3/8 inch blade with a total length of about 3 1/4" inches closed and about 5 5/8" inches when open. The blade is made of 3Cr13MOV steel with a bead blasted finish, which makes it a perfect little companion knife to the Kershaw Nerve. The handle is made from glass filled nylon with a "K" textured grip. Its other features include a bottle opener and a lanyard ring that doubles as a light duty prybar and a flat screwdriver (I have actually used it to tighten the grips on my 1911). It's got a pocket clip that's adjustable for right or left pocket carry with the tip up only.
Now, I've got gorilla sized hands which makes using smaller knives kind of a pain, but the Kershaw Shuffle's size isn't too bad. Yeah, it's a bit smaller than I'm used to, but this is not a knife I'm going to go all Johnny Tactical with. Come to think of it, I'm not going to do that with any of my knives for that matter. For me, the Kershaw Shuffle is purely a utility blade and it does a pretty good job at simple tasks. Its size makes it perfect for places where you can't carry a knife over a certain size (like some states here in the US). It's also perfect for those of us who don't want to carry a bulky knife everyday.
All in all, I'd say grab one of these while you can. For less than 20 bucks (in some places it's a lot cheaper), the Kershaw Shuffle is probably one of the best values of 2013.
Well, that'll do it for this review. Keep an eye open for my next review and an upcoming special review of a blade I am extremely happy to be able to review.
As always, this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.
I know it has been awhile since I last updated the site and I have a good reason for that. The reason of that is that I literally had nothing to review. So I just took a break for a bit, but now I'm back with some new things to review and a quick update for y'all.
As you all might remember, I've been giving knives and other stuff my 12-Gauge Chimp Seal of Approval rather easily over the years. Well, starting today, that all ends. Effective immediately, I will no longer be handing out my approval on a product without actually doing a lengthy test on said product. I got burned big time by my Ka-Bar Agama pocket knife and it had me rethinking my whole review system. So with that in mind, new products will now be used by me for a period of no less than six months. After the six months is up, I will then decide to either give the product my seal of approval or not.
Getting back to the topic of this review special, it's been awhile since I've purchased a new knife. The last knife I purchased was the Kershaw Nerve that I reviewed a couple months back. The new addition to my Kershaw collection is the recently released Kershaw Shuffle.
The Kershaw Shuffle sports a 2 3/8 inch blade with a total length of about 3 1/4" inches closed and about 5 5/8" inches when open. The blade is made of 3Cr13MOV steel with a bead blasted finish, which makes it a perfect little companion knife to the Kershaw Nerve. The handle is made from glass filled nylon with a "K" textured grip. Its other features include a bottle opener and a lanyard ring that doubles as a light duty prybar and a flat screwdriver (I have actually used it to tighten the grips on my 1911). It's got a pocket clip that's adjustable for right or left pocket carry with the tip up only.
Now, I've got gorilla sized hands which makes using smaller knives kind of a pain, but the Kershaw Shuffle's size isn't too bad. Yeah, it's a bit smaller than I'm used to, but this is not a knife I'm going to go all Johnny Tactical with. Come to think of it, I'm not going to do that with any of my knives for that matter. For me, the Kershaw Shuffle is purely a utility blade and it does a pretty good job at simple tasks. Its size makes it perfect for places where you can't carry a knife over a certain size (like some states here in the US). It's also perfect for those of us who don't want to carry a bulky knife everyday.
All in all, I'd say grab one of these while you can. For less than 20 bucks (in some places it's a lot cheaper), the Kershaw Shuffle is probably one of the best values of 2013.
Well, that'll do it for this review. Keep an eye open for my next review and an upcoming special review of a blade I am extremely happy to be able to review.
As always, this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Guns and Gear Review #14: Kershaw Nerve and Brawler
Hey folks, it's your old pal 12-Gauge Chimp here, bringing you another two for one review.
Now, I first want to apologize for not being more active with the site in the last couple months. I am struggling for things to review that I think would interest you all. So, with that in mind, I bring you my review of the Kershaw Brawler and Nerve.
First up, the Brawler.
I purchased this knife for 20 dollars US just before Christmas last year at a local big box chain store and it came in a special "tactical" combo pack with an LED flashlight and a tactical pen. The light and pen were basically extras and they are fairly good for the money, but they aren't the focus of this review. The knife is what I was more interested in. So, let's get to it.
The Brawler (or the 1990 Brawler, as it's called on Kershaw's website) features a 3 inch modified tanto style blade, Kershaw's patented 'SpeedSafe' assisted opening feature, and a black glass-filled nylon handle. The steel used in the blade is 8Cr13MoV with a black oxide coating to protect it. It also features a four position pocket or belt clip.
My first thought upon buying the knife was "Did I make a good purchase ?" because I have made some boneheaded purchases in the past (See my purchase of the M-Tech/Maxam kukri). Well, my fear was unfounded because the Kershaw Brawler is a well made knife. It's part of Kershaw's budget line of knives sold at various sporting goods stores and big box stores along with some of Kershaw's more expensive choices.
I've done some cutting tests with the Brawler and have even carried it around as part of my EDC. Still, while it's a good knife in its own right, it didn't replace my CRKT Hammond Cruiser as my main EDC knife. That's mostly because I'm kind of stubborn when it comes to swapping out things that I feel work for me. I may just have to rotate my EDC knives, though.
Would I recommend getting a Kershaw Brawler ? Yes, I would. Even if you can't find the tactical pack I bought, the knife alone is well worth the 25 dollars you can find it going for. And if you look around, you can get the knife for less than that.
Now, onto the second part of this Two for One special.
The Kershaw Nerve.
This knife was actually the most recent purchase and it was also an impulse buy, one of which I'm actually happy with. I paid around 21 dollars US for it at a local sporting goods store.
Yet another part of Kershaw's budget line of knives, the Nerve features a 3 1/8 inch half serrated/ half plain edge blade with a bead blasted finish and CNC machined G-10 handle scales. The G-10 scales have a rough texture and almost a ripple type look to them. I'm actually kind of wondering why Kershaw didn't call the Nerve "The Ripple" because of the way the scales look. Of course, they probably already produce a knife called the Ripple, so that could be why. I should mention that both the Brawler and Nerve are liner lock style knives. The Nerve, unlike the Brawler, only has a two position pocket clip. Meaning you can only configure it for right hand blade tip up or blade tip down carry. It's not a problem for me since I carry my knives in my right jeans pocket. My left jeans pocket is reserved for other parts of my EDC, like my wallet. The 8Cr13MoV blade steel is the same used in the Brawler, but on the Nerve it's sharpened to a very scary degree. I'm not saying the Brawler isn't sharp (it is very sharp), but the Nerve's blade is scary sharp. Case in point, I did the same thing most guys do when testing a blades sharpness. I ran the blade over my arm and shaved off a good sized patch of hair with zero trouble. In that regards, I have no problem saying the Kershaw Nerve is the sharpest knife I have ever owned and this is a factory edge which makes it even more surprising. Most knives I get have decent factory edges, but the factory edge on the Nerve blows them all out of the water. Not even the Brawler had this sharp of a blade. Heck, not even my Kershaw Crown is as sharp as the Nerve and it's got a really sharp blade.
I've done more cutting tests with the Nerve aside from the arm hair shaving thing (which we've all done at one point in our lives, right guys ?) and it's awesome at every one of them. So, I'd definitely recommend getting a Kershaw Nerve while you can because I've been reading that Kershaw is actually discontinuing the Nerve along with a few other knives. So, I'll probably be picking another one up here in the next few weeks, assuming I still can.
Both the Kershaw Nerve and Brawler get the 12-Gauge Chimp Seal of Approval.
That will do it for this Two for One review special and be sure to check back often. Even though I may not have anything to write about, I still check the site from time to time and enjoy reading the comments you all leave. So thank you for stopping by and reading my posts and if you like what you read, become a Friend of the Chimp. Also, recommend the site to your friends, family and whoever you'd think would be interested in it.
As always, this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.
Now, I first want to apologize for not being more active with the site in the last couple months. I am struggling for things to review that I think would interest you all. So, with that in mind, I bring you my review of the Kershaw Brawler and Nerve.
First up, the Brawler.
I purchased this knife for 20 dollars US just before Christmas last year at a local big box chain store and it came in a special "tactical" combo pack with an LED flashlight and a tactical pen. The light and pen were basically extras and they are fairly good for the money, but they aren't the focus of this review. The knife is what I was more interested in. So, let's get to it.
The Brawler (or the 1990 Brawler, as it's called on Kershaw's website) features a 3 inch modified tanto style blade, Kershaw's patented 'SpeedSafe' assisted opening feature, and a black glass-filled nylon handle. The steel used in the blade is 8Cr13MoV with a black oxide coating to protect it. It also features a four position pocket or belt clip.
My first thought upon buying the knife was "Did I make a good purchase ?" because I have made some boneheaded purchases in the past (See my purchase of the M-Tech/Maxam kukri). Well, my fear was unfounded because the Kershaw Brawler is a well made knife. It's part of Kershaw's budget line of knives sold at various sporting goods stores and big box stores along with some of Kershaw's more expensive choices.
I've done some cutting tests with the Brawler and have even carried it around as part of my EDC. Still, while it's a good knife in its own right, it didn't replace my CRKT Hammond Cruiser as my main EDC knife. That's mostly because I'm kind of stubborn when it comes to swapping out things that I feel work for me. I may just have to rotate my EDC knives, though.
Would I recommend getting a Kershaw Brawler ? Yes, I would. Even if you can't find the tactical pack I bought, the knife alone is well worth the 25 dollars you can find it going for. And if you look around, you can get the knife for less than that.
Now, onto the second part of this Two for One special.
The Kershaw Nerve.
This knife was actually the most recent purchase and it was also an impulse buy, one of which I'm actually happy with. I paid around 21 dollars US for it at a local sporting goods store.
Yet another part of Kershaw's budget line of knives, the Nerve features a 3 1/8 inch half serrated/ half plain edge blade with a bead blasted finish and CNC machined G-10 handle scales. The G-10 scales have a rough texture and almost a ripple type look to them. I'm actually kind of wondering why Kershaw didn't call the Nerve "The Ripple" because of the way the scales look. Of course, they probably already produce a knife called the Ripple, so that could be why. I should mention that both the Brawler and Nerve are liner lock style knives. The Nerve, unlike the Brawler, only has a two position pocket clip. Meaning you can only configure it for right hand blade tip up or blade tip down carry. It's not a problem for me since I carry my knives in my right jeans pocket. My left jeans pocket is reserved for other parts of my EDC, like my wallet. The 8Cr13MoV blade steel is the same used in the Brawler, but on the Nerve it's sharpened to a very scary degree. I'm not saying the Brawler isn't sharp (it is very sharp), but the Nerve's blade is scary sharp. Case in point, I did the same thing most guys do when testing a blades sharpness. I ran the blade over my arm and shaved off a good sized patch of hair with zero trouble. In that regards, I have no problem saying the Kershaw Nerve is the sharpest knife I have ever owned and this is a factory edge which makes it even more surprising. Most knives I get have decent factory edges, but the factory edge on the Nerve blows them all out of the water. Not even the Brawler had this sharp of a blade. Heck, not even my Kershaw Crown is as sharp as the Nerve and it's got a really sharp blade.
I've done more cutting tests with the Nerve aside from the arm hair shaving thing (which we've all done at one point in our lives, right guys ?) and it's awesome at every one of them. So, I'd definitely recommend getting a Kershaw Nerve while you can because I've been reading that Kershaw is actually discontinuing the Nerve along with a few other knives. So, I'll probably be picking another one up here in the next few weeks, assuming I still can.
Both the Kershaw Nerve and Brawler get the 12-Gauge Chimp Seal of Approval.
That will do it for this Two for One review special and be sure to check back often. Even though I may not have anything to write about, I still check the site from time to time and enjoy reading the comments you all leave. So thank you for stopping by and reading my posts and if you like what you read, become a Friend of the Chimp. Also, recommend the site to your friends, family and whoever you'd think would be interested in it.
As always, this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.
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