Category: The Gun Thing

Not just the guns, but all the stuff that goes with them

Lever Monstrosity

Gratuitous Gun Pics, The Gun Thing

Reader John C sends me a pic (with all sorts of apologies) and a plaintive cry of “How can anyone do that to a lever gun?”

Strangely enough, I don’t think it’s completely horrible, especially given the times we live in.  If you take away the lever action and replace it with a bolt action, it becomes a simple “chassis” rifle, e.g.

Is it ugly?  Oh hell yes, and I’ve made my feelings clear about this plastic nonsense on many an occasion.

If we are going to level criticism at the chassis lever rifle (CLR), it would be this:  note that while the CLR has a bipod, it’s fitted with a red-dot sight and not with a scope — and for good reason, because at its heart, the primary terrain of the lever rifle is in the deep woods, where a scope is more often than not counterproductive in that it can limit the shooter’s field of vision.

The second criticism is this:  removing the standard wood stock and adding a bipod and chassis must add weight to the rifle, which therefore takes away the lever rifle’s most important features:  its lightness and handiness.

All that said, I don’t have a problem with adding a bipod to a lever rifle;  there are times when I, for one, would have found it quite useful — i.e. when faced with a 100-plus yard shot across a clearing in the woods.

(As an aside, if you do a search for “lever rifle with bipod”, there are precious few pics thereof, which might mean something.)

Lastly, I would suggest that unless the bipod is extended quite substantially (as in the above pic), the downward drop of the lever will slam on the ground and prevent the action from cycling properly.  Shooting from prone, therefore, would be awkward.

Also, I quite like the idea of adding a red dot sight to a lever rifle, although it compromises the clean, classic shape of the thing.

So yes, the chassis lever rifle is as ugly as Nancy Pelosi with a hangover, and definitely falls foul of the maxim that “even if you can do something, there’s no reason why you should“.  Frankly, though, I think its impracticality is more of a reason why it should be ignored with extreme prejudice.

Just… Not My Style

The Gun Thing

Friend and Reader Drew K sent me an email last week (appropos of my range report on the Howa HCR) which contained this:

One of ProMag’s first big projects was a replacement “precision” stock for the M1a.
Had a retired NGMU (National Guard Marksmanship Unit) armorer do a demonstration shoot, published in the old Shotgun News, of what just replacing the standard wood stock with ours would accomplish:  Improvement by 1/2″ at 100yds.

That same stock is now available for the Howa. Check it out.

Well, I did.

I’m sorry, Drew, but those don’t do anything for me.  I know they’re accurate, and improve a rifle’s accuracy and so on.

But here’s the thing.  I never could shoot that accurately anyway, and I don’t do competitive shooting anymore, so an improvement of 1/2″ at 100 yards wouldn’t mean much.

More to the point, I think those stocks are pig-ugly.  Conceptually, they look like some engineer made a robot of a woman:

…and said “See?  It’s a functional improvement over a normal woman.”

No, it isn’t.

So ask me again which one I prefer, between this:

…and this:

Or this:

…and this:

Or even this:

  …and this: 

I’m sorry;  what was the question, again?  I seem to have lost the thread.

Range Report: Howa HCR (.308 Win) & Meopta Optika6

Boomershoot, Gun/Ammo Tests, The Gun Thing

Here’s this year’s Boomershoot rifle — headed towards one lucky Reader after the event:  the Howa HCR 1500 (.308 Win), topped with the Meopta Optika6 3-18x50mm glass.

So postponing my Breakfast Gin, I hie’d me off to the range.

Some background:  I popped the scope on last night without boresighting it — just bolted it on, and trusted to luck and the several craftsmen who had built this rig.

Here’s the gun’s very first target (point of aim was the black diamond, at 100 yards):

Explanation:  Shot #1 was actually an accidental discharge because the trigger caught me by surprise (despite having dry-fired it a dozen times the night before).  Anyway, I cursed a little, and then took some care and touched off the next 9 shots (#2-#10).  I should remind everyone that all these came from an unsighted scope and a cold virgin barrel.

So I adjusted the scope, and of course Stupid Kim can’t tell right from left, hence the appearance of #11 and #12 way off to the right.  So I said some Bad Words again, and clicked back to the original setting (#13), then adjusted the reticle to the left this time, and a tad upwards (#14-#16).

The target was starting to look a little cluttered, so I put up a new target, sent it out and popped off the last four boolets in the box — but alas, at this point the barrel was hot — way too hot, because I was getting excited — and the group opened up with the last two shots.

Lesson learned:  in future, only five shots at a time before letting the barrel cool properly.

Still, I was moderately pleased.  I came home and gave myself a reward:

Some additional thoughts:

Holy crap but this Howa is a sweet gun.  (Here’s a pro’s take.)  Everything works as advertised, BUT:  the stupid plastic adjustable stock is a little loose, and I can’t get it tight.  (Wouldn’t have happened with a proper wood stock, of course, but these are the times we live in.)  Still, I’d prefer a regular-style stock over this “chassis” thing… even a plastic one like the Hogue:

There is apparently little difference between this gun and the Weatherby Vanguard as they’re made in the same factory. No prizes for guessing which one I’d like.

Okay, enough about the gun.

The Meopta scope is likewise a gem.  Crisp, clear sights (I forgot the battery, so no illuminated reticle, but it didn’t matter), and the clicks are positive and accurate.

Ammo was the excellent PMC Bronze 147gr FMJ/boat-tail.  I’m not going to try anything else, for obvious reasons.

The entire rig cost a tad under $1,500 — and I have to tell you all, I would have to spend a LOT more to get even marginally better results than I did, because it’s far more accurate than I can shoot it.

In Mae’s words, if war were declared, I’d take this rig off to battle, without hesitation.

Gratuitous Gun Pic: Ruger M77 (7x57mm / 7mm Mauser)

Gratuitous Gun Pics

Some time back, an Evil Reader read my constant chatter about the wonderful 7x57mm cartridge, and sent me an email saying that he was making space in his ammo locker for more ammo, and as he didn’t have a rifle chambered for the 7mm Mauser, would I like the few boxes he had on hand?

Well, I didn’t (and don’t) have a rifle thus chambered either, but who turns down free ammo?  So a week or so later, there it was.

Which means that ever since then, I’ve been looking at 7mm Mauser rifles, and moaning piteously when I found one because NO MONEY.

This Ruger M77 in particular caused some heavy sighing:

…because it is exactly the kind of thing I’m looking for:   but I don’t have a spare grand floating around, and I don’t have any “spare” guns lying around that I want to sell, either.

And here I sit, 7x57mm in Ye Olde Ammoe Locquer and no gun to shoot it with.

Sometimes, I wonder if it’s all worth it.  [exit, kicking the cat]

Gratuitous Gun Pic: Mossberg Patriot (.308 Win)

Gratuitous Gun Pics

After yesterday’s custom Mauser 98 at a nosebleed price, here’s something a little more reasonable, and American, chambered for a proper Murkin cartridge (right-click to embiggen):

And the action:

I rather like that spiral-cut bolt, oh yes I do.

I don’t know much about the Patriot line, but given that it’s a Mossberg, it shouldn’t suck too badly.

And the price ($500)… that’s much better.  Add a halfway-decent piece of glass on it (e.g. this one), and the rig should be fit for purpose.

Of course, I personally think the plastic “camo” stock sucks green donkey dicks, but I suppose it’s all part of the cost-cutting, and marketing to all the wannabe “operators” out there.  [sigh]