Range Report # 3: Mossberg 500 Bullpup and Mosin M91/30

Hey folks, it's your old pal 12-Gauge Chimp bringing you a new range report.

I finally got a chance to go to the range near my place today. I shot two firearms from my collection today, my prized Mossberg 500 Bullpup and my 1932 vintage Mosin Nagant M91/30.

I recently purchased some Silver Bear 7.62x54R cartridges for my Mosin M91/30 and I was a bit curious as to how they would work in my rifle. As you all may remember, my Mosin HATES lacquer coated ammo with a passion and I was unsure how it would take to the zinc plating on the new ammo. I chambered one round and did a quick glance around the range for something to smack the bolt with just in case. Turns out I didn't need anything because the bolt was easily operated and I was able to keep the rifle shouldered and chamber a fresh round. I will be ordering this ammo in bulk as soon as I am able to, it is that good.

When I depleted my single box of Silver Bear ammo, I turned my attention to my Mossberg.
I had bought a box of 12 gauge slugs awhile back and I wanted to see if my shotgun was able to shoot them well. Well, they work and oh my are they powerful. I shot at an old microwave and the result was a rather large hole. I fired one slug and was subconciously expecting rather stout recoil, but to my surprise the recoil was about the same as firing a round of my standard 12 gauge load of Federal number 8 shot shells. I went through the single box I had brought along for testing purposes and then loaded my Mossberg with the aforementioned Federal shells. I had brought along a box of Remington brand buckshot shells, but I didn't get around to testing those. Maybe next time. One thing I did notice after firing the Remington slugs, the bolt release on my shotgun seemed to stick after firing a shell, but that could be due to the fact that I probably didn't have the grip safety pushed in completely. However, I will not be firing any more slugs through my shotgun, from now on I will only fire standard shells and buckshot loads in it. The slugs will be saved for the next shotgun I buy, which will probably be a Mossberg 590 or some other type of Mossberg.

Anyway, both the Remington 12 gauge shotgun slugs and the Silver Bear 7.62x54R rifle cartridges get the 12-Gauge Chimp seal of approval.

Overall, I had a fun day at the range and now know which brand of ammo my Mosin likes. I'm still going to try and find a brand of lacquer coated 7.62x54R ammo that my Mosin will digest the same way it does with the Silver Bear ammo.

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

Guns and Gear Review #6: Maxam/M-Tech Kukri

Hello folks, it's your old pal 12 Gauge Chimp here, bringing you another knife review.

Today, I'll be reviewing the Maxam/M-Tech Kukri.

Factory Specifications for : Maxam/M-Tech Kukri
Blade type: Kukri, rat tail tang, fixed blade
Blade material: 440 stainless steel
Blade length: 10"
Overall length: 14.5"

I purchased this knife at a local VFW flea market for the price of around 15 dollars US. It came with the usual nylon sheath that many low price knives have. The finish is nice being a sort of anti-rust coating. The handle is a hard rubber with a lanyard hole molded in. Overall, it's a nice looking knife.

After a little bit of research on my part, I found out the blade was made of 440 stainless steel, which in it's own way is a good type of steel. However, for a knife that will see heavy use like the kukri, 440 stainless steel is all but useless. The sheath that came with the kukri was advertised as being " Ballistic Nylon " which, in reality, it turned out to be plain nylon webbing. The exact same kind you'd get with numerous low quality knives. It holds the knife in, but that's about all it does. A snap is supposed to keep the knife secure, but I found out that even with the snap fastened, I can still draw the knife out. That's not good.

The handle was a bit loose, but after drilling a couple holes into it and filling it with an epoxy mix, that problem was solved. It still rattles a bit, but not as much as it did before.

After residing at the bottom of my knife drawer, I decided to test the kukri's cutting ability. That and I wanted to see if I could hack open a coconut with it, which it actually does a pretty decent job of by the way. I did kind of ding the blade after my first couple of attempts at hacking the coconut, but once I got into the swing of things, that coconut was split into two pieces.

Overall, I'm happy with the knife. It's not a bad knife, but it's not one of the best out there. I will continue to look for a kukri and the Maxam/M-Tech Kukri will be used only for the occasional coconut hacking.

I'm going to rate this knife a 3 out of 5. Not bad, but could be better.

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