Tactical Mossberg 500 Finished

Well, the last part came in today. I was waiting for some giftcard/credit card points to kick in to pick up the last few items on my list to complete my tactical shotgun. I started out with a standard Mossberg 500 18.5". It is a 12 gauge pump with a 5+1 capacity, and came with both a stock and pistol grip. This is a beast of a gun that is very reliable and rugged. I wanted to upgrade this to a more tactical version for a couple of reasons. To start off, I didn't like the length of the stock that came with it. It has around a 14" LOP (length of pull) which is pushing it for my frame. Another issue because of that is with the fore end. With the long LOP, it was hard to fully grasp the fore end without stretching to my limits. The last problem, a small one, is the amount of on board ammunition. There is a 20" version called the 590 that allows a 7+1 capacity, which totes another 2 rounds than the standard 500, and just like a pistol or rifle, the more ammunition you have, the more you can send down range. So to remedy those problems and anymore that may come up, I have chosen some inexpensive modifications that have completely changed my run of the mill HD (home defense) shotgun to a fully adjustable tactical weapon.

Sorry for the crappy phone picture, can't be bothered to find the real camera right now.

Modifications:
New Stock
There are several options for stocks, but they fall under a few categories. Fixed, adjustable, and folding. A fixed stock is the standard type, an adjustable or m4 style stock is a telescopic stock that can change lengths, and the folding stock is a fixed stock on a hinge that either can fold to the side or on top. Because I did not like the LOP of the standard fixed stock, I wanted one that I could adjust to my liking. I looked online, checked some models, read a lot of reviews, and decided on the Blackhawk! Knoxx NRS stock, which is a standard adjustable stock. There is a version that has some built in springs that help reduce felt recoil, but I read a lot of reviews that the springs can come loose and result in the floating stock kicking you in the face. Not something that I want. After installation, I found that the second notch is perfect for my frame and the gun is finally comfortable when shouldering.

Railed Fore End
With the adjustable stock, I can easily reach the fore end for manipulating the pump arm. With this easy access, I wanted some sort of fore grip to make pumping easier and achieve a better handle on the shotgun. To make that work, I needed a fore end that had rails on it to attach a fore grip. I looked online again and found some reviews and models and decided on a Promag tri-rail forend. One thing with the Mossberg 500 is that there are two different lengths of slide action assemblies. Depending on the year that it was manufactured, you either have a 7 3/4 " or a 6 1/2", with latter being difficult to find aftermarket parts for. Fortunately I have the 7 3/4" one and my search was easy. The tri-rail has three rails, on the bottom and both the sides, which is more than enough for what I want. With it installed, it is rock solid and ready to attach any fore grip on the market.

Fore End
Now that I have a fore end with rails, I can now start looking for a fore grip. The main style is a stick style, which has its advantages for rifles, but with this shotgun, I wanted something different. Magpul has some great products and they had exactly what I wanted. I picked up one of their Angled Fore Grips, specifically their 2nd generation version. The fore grip is set at an angle and gives me a better grip on the fore end and makes pumping very comfortable and more ergonomic. I definitely have better control with the AFG that the stock set up.

Side Saddle
To remedy the on board ammunition, I picked up a Tac-Star side saddle, which attaches to the side of the receiver and allows for an extra 6 rounds to be carried on the gun. With this addition, I can now carry a total of 12 rounds of 12 gauge shells. The added benefit of this is that I can carry different types of shells and they are easily visible when necessary to change shell types (slug, target, buck shot, less lethal, etc). Right now I have 3" 00 Buck magnums loaded in the tube with three slugs and three 9 ball 00 Bucks in the side saddle.

Overall I am very pleased with how it came out. I didn't spend a lot of money and I now have a completely different shotgun. I am basically finished with this build, minus any add-ons like a flashlight or laser. Those are just accessories and do not attribute changes to the functionality of the gun. Although, if I ever come across a breacher barrel at a good price, I might have to pick that up. I can't wait to take it out and put it through its paces. At 8.5 lbs fully loaded, it is on the heavy side, but that just means that there is more to love.

Paracord merchandise

Ok, so after experimenting with some designs and whatnot, I have decided to start making and selling paracord stuff. I have a very quick turnover time and can ship them throughout the US. I am primarily making bracelets, key fobs, zipper pulls, lanyards, paracord wraps (knife handle, hatchet, anything with a stick like handle), and rifle/shotgun slings. There are tons of uses for paracord and you never know when you might need some quick rope. To use, just cut burnt ends off and unlace the paracord. Bracelets have around 7-10 feet of paracord, key fobs have around 6, zipper pulls have around 3, knife wraps have around 10, and the rifle/shotgun slings have from 80-120 feet depending on style and length.

Uses:
Rifle/shotgun sling:
One use I can see with a rifle sling is during a hunt you shoot a deer and decide to field dress it on a nearby tree. You need a way to hang the deer on the tree, but after a mile or so of tracking the wounded deer you are far away from where your camp is. All you need is to unlace part of the outer layer of paracord on your sling and away you go. Rifle/shotgun slings have either two or three layers of paracord, each comprising of around 40-50 feet of paracord, but do not attribute strength to the sling, just size. You can unravel all layers and still carry the gun with the inner core.
Bracelet:
You are camping and your tent decides it doesn't want to stand up on one end. Your rope doesn't reach a new stake and you need some extra cord to support the tent pole. Unwrap your bracelet and lash it to the existing tent rope and extend it to a secure tent stake.
Key fob/zipper pull:
Since these have a small amount of paracord, they really are used for decoration or identification. With the different color schemes, you can use them for labeling purposes. For instance, you have a large backpack with several zippered compartments. Throw a red/while zipper pull on the compartment with the first aid kit. Easy to see and easy to communicate to someone who needs it.
Knife wrap:
Since this is the primary handle material, I recommend using this as a last resort. Once this is used up you don't have a sure grip on your knife. But if it is necessary, you can unwrap it and lash your knife to a stick or pole and have a spear. Ward off large wildlife, use it for spear fishing, or use it to reach that hard to reach itch on your back.

I am still working on pricing, and it won't be very pricey at all. The more expensive items will be the rifle/shotgun slings due to the amount of paracord and sling swivels. Payment will be through paypal, so it will be secure and both me and the buyer will be protected.

Pictures, styles, and color choices to come......

Battlefield 3 Beta review

Well, today is the day that a lot of people have been waiting for. Early this morning Battlefield 3 released an open beta test comprising of one multiplayer map, Operation Metro and one game type, Rush. Rush is where you have two teams, one is defending and the other attaching. The map is comprised of several segments, only unlocked through the destruction of the two comm stations for that segment. The defenders are trying to keep the attackers from planting charges and destroying those comm stations. The attackers are trying to destroy the comm stations before their player allotment runs out. With Battlefield 3 you have 100 lives, which is 25 more than Battlefield Bad Company 2, which toted the same game type. If the attackers destroy both comm stations, their allotment goes back up to 100 and the next segment of the map becomes playable. Don't go out of bounds or you will be killed after 10 seconds, but if you do cross over, there is a nice 10 second count down for you to find your way back.

After playing it for a while, it reminded me a lot of Medal of Honor's multiplayer, which I really liked. One thing that stood out was the basic weapon swaps depending on which team you are on. If you are on the US Forces side you have the M249 Saw, M16, M4; while if you are on the other side you are carrying AK-47s and other AK variants. I think this was a nice touch - all the while the guns are very different, one side is not stacked against the other. As for some other extras, the sound is amazing, movement is fluid, graphics are better than I expected for a beta test, and overall it is a fun game to play. There are some bugs, but those are a given because it is a test product. This afternoon and continuing on into the evening, the EA Online servers for Xbox 360 shut down for about 6-7 hours. This was a big hit to those people that wanted to play. I saw a lot of whiny people online saying that they aren't going to buy the real game because they couldn't play the one level demo for a few hours. Really?? I guess it gets lonely down in mom's basement without a video game to play.

As for the actual bugs in game, Battlefield wants gamers to post on their forums any problems that they find, which is where I am going to list mine. There aren't many, but the ones that have been happening wouldn't be good for the final product. I did come across a guy stuck in the floor shooting his gun straight up in the air. He managed to kill a few onlookers, but I finally put him out of his misery.

I can't wait for the real game to come out. October 25 can't get her fast enough. I am going to be sad to see the demo end on the 10th, but with 15 days to wait afterwards, I don't think it will be too bad. I am pretty excited to play though the actual campaign as well as the multiplayer. From what I have heard about the campaign, it seems like it will be one that I can play through a couple of times without it getting old.

72 Hour kit and more!

One subject that is on my mind lately has been about disasters are what to do in case of an emergency. With the recent disasters around the world (flooding, tornadoes, earthquakes, etc.), I have wondered what I would do if there were something disastrous here in Utah. Now, being that we are in Utah, the number of disasters are limited, but that doesn't mean that they are nonexistent. We live close to a railroad line that transports many different things, and if there were a crash with hazardous chemicals then we would be in trouble. Another disaster that is a "when" and not an "if" is a large scale earthquake. We live near a major fault line that hasn't seen a lot of activity, but is due for a big one. With that in mind, putting together some supplies is a very good idea. For one thing, it serves a a piece of mind for if something happens, but it also serves the purpose if there is something smaller, such as a power outage during the winter. I can pull out my survival kit and use it while the power company is working to get the power back on.

A 72 hour kit is a good starting point. Now, there are different ways of acquiring one of these. There are pre-assembled ones that you can buy that are convenient, but can be costly. One way to get one on a budget is to piece one together over a period of time. If you see a good deal, pick up some items and before you know it you have a fully stocked 72 hour kit. As for what you need in one, that is really up to the person/family that is putting it together. There are many different lists online that you can use, but it really comes down to stuff that you will use. I have seen some budget lists that contains a lot of tuna and instant noodles for their food requirements. I don't like either one of those so I why fill a kit with food you don't like? Find a list that is closely to what you want and then look through others to get additional ideas. 

72 Hour Kit

What my wife and I decided to do was purchase a pre-assembled 72 hour kit and then anything extra we want, put into what I like to call a Survival Supplemental Kit. The kit we bought is from FoodInsurance.com and is called "The EmergencyPlus" kit. It comes with a two week supply of freeze dried food for one person, a complete first aid kit, and many extras. Since there are three of us (2 adults and 1 child) the food amount accounts to 4.5 days of food for all of us, which is plenty for a 72 hour kit. The other extras included are a hand crank flashlight/radio, a multi-tool, compact stove, cooking cup, water bottle with 1000 use filter, and it all comes packed into a heavy duty hiking backpack. With everything packed there is still room inside for clothes and other essentials. The shelf life for the food is 7-10 years, so it will be a while before it will have to be replaced. 

Survival Supplemental Kit

This is more of a tools and safety kit. One great thing with this kit is that while I am putting this together for survival needs, it will also be great to take along any camping trip or long hike. Since it is just the extra things to go with the 72 hour kit, it will not have any food or cooking related items, so if you take it on a camping/hiking trip, pack accordingly. Listed below are some items that I will be putting in my kit with some explanation. Since we bought the 72 hour kit, funds are low at the moment for this stuff so I will be picking up stuff here and there.

- Medium sized packpack/shoulder bag - I do not want this kit to be very large and I want something that I can grab and run with. There are many different types of bags, so find one that will fit the items you want.

- Small shovel - you never know when you need to dig a hole.

-  Good flashlight - you can never go wrong with a good flashlight. I wouldn't limit this to just one. I am planning on getting a large heavy duty maglite and then a smaller one for carrying around. Don't forget the batteries!

- Folding or cable saw - these are great for clearing small trees or trimming limbs. Need some sticks for a makeshift shelter - saw some off a nearby tree and you are good to go.

-  Knives - notice that this is plural. Having a knife in a survival situation is as important as having oxygen, you will find out that you use them a lot more than you think. I would have both fixed blades and folding knives. Make sure that you have a sharpening stone too.

- Storm proof matches - these are great. They look like normal matches on steroids. They can light underwater and can withstand a good breeze. Although they are waterproof, I would still keep them in something airtight.

- Water purification tablets - the amount of water you can get your hands on is critical to how long you plan to survive. These tablets will purify your water and are worth their weight in gold.

- Fire starter - if your storm proof matches run out, having one of these will will keep you from having to beat two rocks together or rubbing sticks together to start a fire. They are cheap and great to have. Get two because depending on their size, they will eventually run out.

- Rope and carabiners - there are many uses for rope and the odds are that you will use it. I am packing two different types of rope - some 550 paracord and then some 3/8" climbing rope. The paracord can tackle anything small, but I wouldn't use it on a person, that is where the climbing rope and carabiners come into play. Hopefully you won't use them, but if you need to you are prepared.

- Emergency blankets - they look like aluminum foil, but they can save your life. They are small, lightweight and can keep you warm if you don't have anything else covering you. Use them as a blanket, or tape some together and make a makeshift tent.

- Light sticks - These are great to keep as a backup to a flashlight. The emergency ones can last as long as 12 hours, which is long enough to get through a night. They put off a lot more light than you think and they can give your location in case of an emergency.

- Waterproof container - OtterBox has some cool compact waterproof boxes that are perfect not only for their waterproof capabilities, but also for keeping little stuff together, like the water tablets, and anything else you choose to pack that is small. They are also good for keeping personal records from being destroyed by water. Side note: This is also good to put in your 72 hour kit - if you have to leave your house for an extended period of time, keep a copy of vital records (birth certificates, ss cards, property deeds, car titles, insurance policies, etc) so that if they are destroyed you still have some records to work with.

- Multi-tool - I already have one in the 72 hour kit, but having a second is not a bad idea. If one breaks or you lose it, you have a back up ready to go.

- Tomahawk/Hatchet - when you don't have room for a full size ax, a smaller version will do the trick. I have seen several versions of these smaller axes; some are made for "tactical" purposes and most are for camping. I like the looks of the "tactical" versions and they do have some options that a normal camp hatchet doesn't. Most have a glass breaker/spike on one end and a cutting edge on the other. The spike can be used for breaking glass, pulling apart something, or even breaking into something. And the cutting end is good for cutting, obviously. They have about the same heft to them as a camp hatchet, so I will probably be going for a tactical one. Plus you can use one to defend yourself if needed (wildlife, people, etc).

Now, this is just a start of my list, which might get a little bit longer, but not too much. Like I said, this is more of a tools and safety kit to go along with my 72 hour kit. Some might see this as overkill, but it really comes down to the level of comfort that you want. I already feel comfortable with the fact that I have an emergency supply of food. I know that if worst comes to worst, I have 4.5 days of food and supplies. With the supplemental kit, I will feel more comfortable if I needed to leave my home or have a disaster while camping. While I don't think things are going to get crazy around here, I do I want to be prepared. Plus I would like to use the items in the supplemental kit for camping and not just sit on my shelf waiting for a disaster.

Paracord!

Last night I was checking out some websites about slings and I came across a zombie survival wishlist on amazon that I couldn't avoid. I had to check it out and one of the things listed was a type of flashlight. I clicked on it and it took me to a survival blog. The guy writing the blog was talking about his zombie survival shotgun and one thing that stood out was his sling. It was completely made out of paracord, just like those "survival" bracelets that have become popular. I was intrigued and so I headed on over to see my good friend Google and did a search. After a few YouTube videos I was convinced that I needed to make one for my shotgun. I went through the pros and cons of having one and decided that it was both cool and functional on many levels.

The only materials I needed were 100' of black 550 paracord. This isn't something you can just run down to Walmart and pick up. Luckily for me there is an awesome army surplus store in Orem. Adelyn and I headed on down and grabbed a pack of paracord and some sling swivels that would fit my shotgun. They were on sale and dirt cheap. With all my supplies in hand, I was ready to start weaving. This is definitely knitting for men. The pattern that I used is called the Cobra Knot and is very popular when making those survival paracord bracelets. The nice thing about the cobra is that it can be doubled and tripled to get a thicker and wider sling. The wider the sling the more weight distribution there is. So I decided to make a double or "King Cobra" pattern. It took around 2 hours to finish it but I am very pleased with how it came out. I did cut my cord too short on the second time weaving, so the last little bit is thinner than the rest, but this is purely cosmetic because the second layer just adds size and not strength. Plus the thin part is on the end that attaches to the stock which does not come in contact with my body.

After finishing, I had some extra paracord and so I decided to watch a few more YouTube videos and make a few more things. I ended up making a survival bracelet, a key chain thingy, and a monkey fist with a handle. It was pretty fun and it didn't cost a lot. Definitely going to do some more stuff with paracord now that I know what I am doing. I think I am going to make one for my AR-15 once it gets finished, whenever that is. That one will probably be either adjustable or based around the Magpul MS2 sling (a combo one and two point sling). Plus I think I will try my hand at doing two colors of paracord at once.

All in all, it was fun to try something new and have it be useful. I did find some people online that sell paracord slings and I made mine for less than half the price that they were asking. I would recommend this to anyone, it isn't hard at all. Just check out YouTube to learn how to weave it and go get some paracord.

Latest and not go greatest

Ok, so I really haven't done much this past week except for tinker around with my latest attempt for a kydex press and deal with a weird slide rust problem with my P250. I had some time this past week to test out the foam that I bought for my press and after some attempts to form some kydex molds, it was just too squishy. There were some stiffer foam there at the store in Spanish Fork, but for a little more, I can order some closed cell special purpose foam just for kydex stuff. I don't know if that will happen anytime soon because I am all out of kydex material  But with this upset, I was able to use the foam to reline my 1911 gun case to fit both my 1911 and P250 snugly. I had previously trashed the old foam because some gun cleaner spilled in it, and the foam was pretty saturated with the stuff.

Speaking of gun cleaner - I picked up some Safariland CLP the other day to clean my P250. Ever since I got my p250 I have noticed that after shooting it, there seemed to be some weird looking blemishes on the slide around the muzzle and around the ejection port. I was shooting some pretty crappy ammo, so I thought that it had to be because of that, but this stuff would not come off. I tried my normal cleaner and that didn't work, so I got the CLP which is supposed to be the best stuff out there (from what I have read and head about). So I got it and it didn't work the greatest at first, but I ended up leaving it soaking over night in a Walmart bag and then scrubbing it with a bronze wire brush (could have been copper, I just don't know).

On a lighter subject, I have started to upgrade my shotgun. My Mossberg 500 hasn't gotten any love for a while; I did take it with me this summer on our trip to Virginia though. Even on vacation, it didn't get to see any of the sights. To make up for this, and for other reasons such as better ergonomics and accessibility, I decided it was time to make a few upgrades - a new stock, fore end, fore grip, and shell side saddle.

Back when I was looking into buying this shotgun, I was looking for something that I could use for home protection. This shotgun is called a Cruiser (not really sure why) and came with a stock and a pistol grip. I love the looks of the pistol grip, but after a bad experience involving some magnum slugs and a split upper lip, the pistol grip is gathering dust in a drawer somewhere. With the stock installed, I have noticed that I have a hard time shouldering the gun and being able to comfortably use the pump mechanism. I have to reach to get a firm grip on it, and sometimes I end up holding on to the area behind the fore end. This is all because the stock has a very long length of pull (LOP) meaning the length of the stock. The original Mossberg synthetic stock that comes on their shotguns has a 14" LOP and it is too long for me. To change this, I am looking into an m-4 style adjustable stock. They do make shorter solid stocks, but I want one that is adjustable. I haven;t heard good things about the ATI stocks, so I am leaning more toward a Blackhawk! Knoxx stock. They are pretty solid and not to hard on the wallet. There are two versions, one that includes a recoil reducing system and the other that does not. The latter is half the price of the recoil reducing one and I have heard that the recoil system can fail and slap you in the face each time you shoot. Because of that I am going with the less expensive one. I can handle the recoil so this won't be a problem.

With a new stock, I can easily grip the fore end, and with that, an upgraded fore end will allow for a new fore grip and better control over the pump arm. I recently purchased a new fore end on eBay which should be coming today or tomorrow (hopefully today). It is a full length tri-rail with lots of room for added accessories, such as a new fore grip. I was a little bit concerned when ordering, because Mossberg had changed some things with their pump arms in 2008, so most of the aftermarket stuff is made for their pre-2008 models. Luckily I figured out that I had a pre-2008, so my new fore end will fit. Once installed, I will have a great platform to mount a Magpul AFG fore grip. The AFG stands for Angled Fore Grip, and it quite uniquely shaped. With this mounted, it will give a better grip on the pump arm and in turn better control while shooting and reloading. There are two versions of this, the first one with is larger and the second one which is more streamlined, and I am leaning more toward the first version, just because the larger size will help control the more violent movements of a shotgun.

The last upgrade is a shell side saddle. A side saddle is a mounting plate that attaches to the receiver of the shotgun on the opposite side of the ejection port that holds 6 shotgun shells. While looking very cool, it makes 6 shells easily accessible for reloading and not having to carry extras in a pocket of bag. the shells are held in place with tabs and are very visible if you are carrying different types of shells (slugs, buckshot, target loads, bird shot, etc). Because this is a home defense shotgun, I will probably carry two different types, buckshot and low recoil slugs, and with this side saddle, I can tell the difference between the two and load what is necessary.

The great thing about upgrading a shotgun is that the upgrades are generally inexpensive. Most of the upgrades that I am doing are less than 30 dollars each, which the stock being a little bit more. Definitely do-able for someone on a budget. Pictures to follow once all of this is completed.

Labor Day Hike

As a family, we try to get out and about to do fun things. This mainly ends up staying home and watching a movie or playing in the half yard behind out 4-plex. My wife Lindsey and I have been married for over 4 years and have both lived in Utah for around 6 years. In those years, we have not been to a lot of the popular touristy spots. There are tons of places to go and see here in Utah, but it has been hard for the two of us to get out and see them. Add our daughter into the mix and that turns into a lot of excuses for not going. Well, we have turned a new leaf so to speak and have made an effort to go see more places and do more things.

Our latest adventure was a short morning hike on the Grotto Trail along the Nebo Scenic Loop in Payson, UT. The Nebo Scenic Loop is a great drive up Payson Canyon and there are a lot of hiking trails along the way and some great fishing spots in the Payson Lakes area. The Grotto Trail follows a creek to a grotto created by a waterfall. It isn't very large, but it is still pretty cool. The water flow was pretty light due to the time of year. From what I have heard it can get pretty sketchy in the spring with the snow pack melting and the water flowing pretty fast.

The hike was very nice. The trail was well marked and there were several small bridges to cross the creek as you hike up. It took around 45 minutes round trip and the trail length is estimated at 0.3 miles one way. So like I said, it was pretty easy and it lasted long enough to keep our daughter Adelyn interested and happy, but not long enough that she hated her life. She even was sad to see the car when we were done. She wanted to go back and walk across the bridges again.

Our next trip planned is to head up to see the Salt Flats, Antelope Island, and The Great Salt Lake. These are all in the same general area, so we can probably hit all three on a Saturday.

Kydex press beginnings

This past week has been very busy and so I was only able to get the materials needed for the press. Assembly will have to wait until this coming week. But while waiting, I can list the materials I am using ad the general design concept.

Materials:

2" thick High Density Polyurethane foam padding - I picked this up at Jo-Ann's Fabrics. It is supposed to be used for seat cushions, but it has the perfect density and form.

Some sort of adhesive to attach the foam to the plywood

Scrap plywood 9"x15" for top and 11"x15" for bottom

scrap piece of 2x4 at least 15" long

two standard door hinges

assorted screws for assembly (drywall or wood screws will work)

2 or 3 clamps - I am using bar clamps I already have that I bought from Harbor Freight

The foam piece was 17"x15". I could have bought 2 pieces, but that would make for a very large press, and I don't need something that big. So I took the piece and cut it in half. At this size, I can mold handguns and various sized knives and magazines. I really don't know of anything else to work with a this time, but if something comes up, I can easily make a larger press.

The whole press will look like a book. The bottom piece of plywood is larger so the 2x4 will attach to it and act as the "spine" of the press. The foam will be glued to the top and boom piece of plywood and the door hinges will attach to the top piece of plywood and the 2x4. The result will look like a book and the clamps will hold the press closed while whatever is being squished inside. Here is a picture of one that is larger than what I am doing, but has the same design.

Once this is put together, I will post pictures of the assembly and hopefully finish my P250 holster.

Apocalypse surviving AR build...

I have come to the conclusion that I need an AR-15. It seems that this is the optimal firearm of an apocalypse. Movies these days (sources of absolute truth) have taught me that if I am prepared with the right tools, I can survive. So with this in mind, I need to build an appropriate rifle that will suit my needs for any type of apocalypse.

Lets talk basics. There are several parts that make up an AR-15, and those are separated into two sections, an upper and a lower. Complete uppers and lowers attach to one another by two take down pins, and uppers and lowers are usually interchangeable, with the exception of some Colt receivers. The lower is comprised of the lower receiver (serialized part which is the actual "gun" part), lower parts kit (trigger, internal parts, pistol grip), and stock assembly (stock, buffer tube, buffer spring, buffer). The upper is comprised of the upper receiver, BCG - bolt control group (bolt housing, bolt, firing pin), charging handle, barrel, gas system, forend (rail system or hand guard), and muzzle device. There are many different companies that supply these parts and so if you piece one together, there are thousands of combinations ranging from budget builds to one-off customs that cost several thousands of dollars. Or you can buy a complete rifle from one manufacturer.

I am going the route of buying separate parts and assembling one myself. With the exception of some specific wrenches (remedied by buying an armor's wrench) and a torque wrench, assembly can be done with tools found at home. I am looking forward to putting one together not only to save money, but to know the ins and outs of building and maintaining an AR-15.

My AR-15
To survive any type of apocalypse, you need something that can adapt to whatever situation there is. Because there are many different types of apocalypses (I Am Legend type, zombie, 21 Days Later type, terminators, etc), I want an AR-15 that can adapt. One key part that will allow this is a rail system that has some good real estate to attach whatever accessory that is necessary. Whether you need a flashlight to see in the dark when avoiding terminators, laser sights to make quick work of shooting zombies from the hip while trying to keep them from eating your friend's brain, a scope to hunt wild animals when food supplies run out, or a foregrip to make sure you can maintain a steady aim when shooting because you need to make each shot count or else Billy gets eaten by a new species of mutant squirrels, each one can be mounted on a rail system and ready to use.

The AR-15 that I am planning to build will consist of the following:

• Forged upper and lower receivers (there are billet receivers, but they are new and expensive)
• A bolt control group that is either chrome plated or has the Fail Zero coating on it to reduce malfunctions
• Mid length gas system
• 12" rail system
• 14.5" barrel with pinned muzzle device that brings the barrel to 16" (legal purposes, I don't want to deal with the paperwork of having a short barrel rifle)
• Adjustable stock
• Foregrip - either Magpul's AFG or RVG
• Flip up sights
• 1-4 power scope - these are great for close encounters, but can still take out targets at far distances 
• Magazines - Magpul PMAGS - depending on the type of apocalypse, I will need at least 20
• Good sling - when you need to flee from zombies, having to carry your gun in your hands will slow you down and that is never a good thing, except for your friends, because you will be the one to get eaten and not them

There are many different manufactures for each of these parts, so the fun part is deciding which ones to go with and how much I want to spend. I want to do a budget build, but there are some parts that I am willing to spend the extra money for. Having cheap stuff can end up costing you more in the long run, and you want reliable parts when there is only your gun between you and the group of mole people after your eyes.

*Side note* 

Although I speak of zombies, terminators, mutant squirrels, and mole people, I do want to say that these are just possible worst case scenarios. The reality is that having a good AR will equal years of enjoyment and if necessary the means of protecting yourself and your family. I love the idea of home protection, but the purpose of this particular gun will not be for protecting my family. I am not worried that if I don't have this gun my family will not be safe. I am not one of those gun enthusiasts that cram 2nd amendment stuff down people's throats or say that everyone needs a basement bomb shelter full of guns because you never know what is going to happen. I enjoy firearms for recreational use and if there ever is a zombie apocalypse, then I will be able to use my firearms to protect my family from having their brains eaten by the neighbors.

Bored on a Tuesday afternoon

Today was one of those days where it seemed to drag on. Maybe it was because my daughter decided she didn't want to sleep last night and also wanted to get up early this morning, and maybe it was because it took forever for her to take a nap. The plus to all of this is that when she did fall asleep she was out cold, and I had some time to myself to mess with the holster that I have been working on.

Since the unforgettable failed attempt, I have been thinking about other methods of completing the kydex molding. I looked on YouTube at how other people have done it and I was surprised at the different techniques. There are several different types of presses people have made and I even saw one guy use a zip-lock bag and vacuum. After looking through these, I decided to try again, using the same piece from the first attempt, but this time use my new toaster oven to get the kydex evenly heated. I decided to use some padding (throw pillow with a lot of stuffing) and my trusty oven mitts. I set my toaster oven to 350* and a timer for 3 minutes. It was cool to see the already formed kydex slowly loose its shape and turn flat again in a matter of seconds. One the timer went off I removed the very soft kydex and placed it on my gun and started applying pressure. After a few seconds, I lifted the pillow off and it had a nice shape, but the sides were not snug to the slide and trigger guard. Next I used my oven mitts and held those pieces against the gun and when it cooled, it had a great shape and pretty good retention. The only problem is that with the new placement on the gun, the original mounting holes were not usable anymore. I completely lost one in the side where the trigger guard is. With the mounting holes screwed up, it looks like I am going to have to cut a bigger piece and try again, but this time I know what I am doing. Since this week looks a little busy, I might have to save this project for next week. Maybe in the days to come I can put together some sort of press so I can give the throw pillows a rest.

Range Time

I had a chance to go shooting this morning with my friends Jeremiah and Rob. I had some free time to kill plus I wanted some more range time with my P250. I had previously bought some steel cased ammo and I figured today would be a great time to use it. I had posted on facebook that I was going and had an open invitation to anyone who wanted to join. Jeremiah saw it and he and Rob were already going, so we met up and headed to the range. Between the three of us we had a variety of guns. There was a 1911 .45, a 10mm, some CZ's, and several Sig's. To say the least, it was fun.  We went to Discount Guns and Ammo in Provo, UT which is a great store. They have an indoor range that isn't expensive and a great selection of reasonably priced guns and equipment.

Both Jeremiah and Rob had just bought the new Sig P238s and I was excited to see them in action. They are chambered in .380 ACP which is a small bullet but still packs a punch. They fall under the sub-compact or pocket gun category because they are seriously tiny! The whole gun is based around the Colt Mustang (not in production anymore) handgun which on the outside looks like a shrunk down 1911.

After seeing them shoot it, I wanted a turn. I loaded 3 rounds into the 6 round magazine and sent them down range. I was very surprised at how little recoil it had and the grip I could achieve on this little gun. I have medium sized hands and I was able to securely hold it despite having my pinky finger hanging out in the breeze. I shot the three is a decent group and I am very impressed. I have shot another sub-compact before and it was a completely different experience. It kicked hard and I could barely hang on to the thing.

After shooting that, I began working on my control with my P250. I am still getting used to the DAO trigger but it is a labor of love. If I pace myself and not shoot quickly, I can get 1/2 - 1" groups at about 25 ft. Once I start to rapid fire, I lose that grouping and my shots are pulling right, which I anticipate because after each shot, the trigger reset is longer and I have the tenancy to pull the trigger with the bottom half of my finger. What is supposed to happen is that I use my full trigger finger and pull the trigger straight back in one single motion. I ran into the same problem with my 1911; even with the short trigger travel I still used to pull to one side. Once I got that under control, I was able to begin shooting faster with better grouping. I had to focus more, but the end result was noticeably better.

On a side note, both Rob and Jeremiah had some issues when shooting my 1911. I have new grips on it that are larger and fit my hands better, but on the flip side, it spreads the back of your hand out (the webbing between your thumb and index finger). This is a crucial area when firing a 1911 because of the grip safety. You need that part of your hand to disengage the grip safety so you can pull the trigger. Add this with a stiff grip safety spring and you can potentially have a hard time firing it. I have never had problems with it, but then again, it is my gun and I know all the in's and out's of it. Evidently I have a stiff grip safety spring. Rob had his 10mm 1911 and his grip safety is very light. The difference was night and day comparing the two and I guess I have a very strong hand to be able to shoot my 1911. If I ever get the chance to swap out parts on my 1911, I will look into a new grip safety spring. I don't want to do that anytime soon because it will probably lead to many other things and I doubt that I could swing that with the boss (wife). 

Holster Part 1 1/2

Sorry that I haven't finished this already, things are taking longer than expected. A few days ago I received my kydex sheet in the mail and it was thicker than I had planned. About two years ago when I got my 1911 I made some kydex magazine holsters and the kydex I used was what I thought 0.093" thickness, which was in fact 0.080". So I ordered 0.080" thick kydex for this holster thinking it would be thinner and it isn't. It is still do-able, but it is harder to mold with that I had planned. So my first trial run did not turn out as good as I wanted. I only used a small section of kydex, so I still have enough to take another stab at it, but the next time I will be doing some things differently. Here are some things that I have learned...

Use a toaster oven or conventional oven to heat the kydex instead of a heat gun.

I thought that because I am using a small piece of kydex I could just use my heat gun, but because of having to hold it in different spots it did not heat evenly. Next time I am going to use my oven set at around 230*-240* and monitor it so it doesn't melt.

Use some sort of foam while applying pressure when molding the kydex

I tried several DIY methods while molding the kydex and because I do not have a press it did not turn out as defined as I would have liked. I was able to get a good shape by applying direct pressure with oven mitts on different areas at a time. It took a while, but I was able to make a solid shape that held the gun, BUT it looked very loose. I am chalking it up to lack of a press and thicker kydex. To remedy this problem I plan on making a foam press out of some scrap wood and foam (either walmart camping pad foam or order some actual kydex press foam online). I have some plans rattling around in my head of how to make one, so when I do that I will have to post my how-to.

Get correct size kydex for your application

What I need is some 0.060" thick kydex. This is by far easier to work with and it is not as bulky. Now, I am not saying that it can't be done with what I have, I would have liked to have the thinner stuff. I try not to waste materials and because what I have is thicker, it is great for my magazine holsters. You want material that can take a beating and not snap when pressure is applied. The thicker material is good for the integrated belt loop that I include in my magazine holsters. You do not want that snapping when ripping the magazine out in a fast reload. Also, these are not concealed, so they need to be able to take a beating like getting snagged on clothing or from personal experience, get snagged on doors (I don't know how this happens to me, maybe I just don't realize how fat I really am). 

Location, Location, Location

After I finished the rough mock-up I realized that my gun sits too high on the holster. At first, I thought that it was just the way I was looking at it on the table, but once I put it on, it was very clear. I thought that I put the kydex mold low enough based on the location of the gun on the leather back, but it needed to go lower. Another reason this happened was that the kydex was too low on the gun itself. I wanted to make sure that I covered the trigger guard completely, but it shifted during the molding process and ended up lower, thus raising the gun's location on the holster. This will be solved by the press and using the oven for even heat distribution.

Plan for problems/human error

Going into this I was a little bit cocky because of my past experience with working with leather and kydex. I found out fast that I need to be open to things not working out as planned and not give up, but push forward. I did have some choice words with my heat gun and kydex, but now I know what to expect and the next attempt will hopefully be smoother and produce a better product. This was a great learning experience.

My Truck Works Again!

We went on vacation this summer to Virginia to visit my people for about a month and a half. We had tons of fun, but when we got back, the second after I finished unloading the car I went to start my truck. I have a great 1995 Ford Ranger that has been very good to me over the years. I got it when I was 16 and since then it has held a special place in my heart. It even waited for me while I was on my mission. Anywho, so I went to start it and nothing happened. I figured that this would happen because it had been sitting for a month and a half, and it did the same thing a two years ago when we went back east. So I cleaned off the battery posts of that nasty white corrosion stuff and tried again. Nothing, I even tried to jump it and it didn't have enough juice to start it. So I went down to my favorite store, Harbor Freight, and picked up a battery charger. I was so happy on the way home thinking this will charge my battery and I will be driving around town the next day. FALSE, it turned out that the battery was dead as a door nail. It would not keep a charge and the battery charger was not the solution.

So today I finally broke down and headed down to Les Schwab and picked up a battery. While I had the battery out I also changed the terminals to some shinny new color coded red and black ones. Once I attached the new terminals I saw the light turn on under the hood and that was a sight for sore eyes. I slammed the hood down and hopped into the cab and started the engine. It choked up at the beginning but then with a few revs it calmed down and started purring like a cat. Now I get to clean it out (mostly dusting) and get it back in action. Best day ever!

New Project!!

OK, so I am starting a new project now that I am done with my first semester of grad school. I have 2 weeks before class starts, so I need something to do to pass the time. I recently bought a new gun, and I want to start carrying it. (Side note: I am a card carrying Utah CCW permit  holder, so I carry a gun on me whenever I get a chance.) I have been wanting to make my own holster for a while, and with the new addition, it is a perfect time to start.

This holster is based off of a new design that has become very popular. (Just for educational purposes, there are several types of holsters and you are either wearing your gun out in the open or wearing one concealed by clothing. Since I have a CCW permit, I can carry a handgun concealed by clothing.) I am making a custom IWB holster. The IWB stands for inside the waist band, where it hooks onto my belt but rests inside my pants. The holster I am making is based around a Crossbreed SuperTuck. Here is a picture of one that I already own for my 1911.

It is very ugly, but it is never seen by anyone. It is considered a hybrid holster because it is made up of two different materials: leather and kydex. Kydex is a thermoplastic that is very rigid, but when it comes in contact with heat it becomes very pliable and can be molded into many different shapes. Once it is cool, it becomes rigid again and will not lose its shape, unless heated again, but it has to be super hot for this to happen by accident. The holster's base is a large leather piece with a small molding of the gun in kydex attached. Then there are metal belt loops with 4 adjustment settings for however you want the holster to sit inside your pants. Because of the large leather backing, the weight of the gun is spread out evenly and that means added comfort. I love this holster and it is worth every penny I spent on it. But now that I know what they are, I want to make one of my own.

Ingredients:
Leather (1/4" thick)
Kydex sheet (0.06 thickness)
Chicago screws (x6)
Tee Screws (x2)
Silicone washers (x2)
Metal Washers (x2)
1/4" #6 screws (x2)

Tools:
Heat gun or toaster oven
Oven mitts
Thick gloves
Utility knife
Drill w/ drill bits
Phillips screwdriver

Now I am currently waiting for my kydex to come in the mail, so this will be a two part blog thingy. But in the meantime I will walk you through the leather working.

Leather back:
I picked up a scrap piece of leather from a leather working and saddle store here in town. Since it was a scrap it only cost me $3.50. I took in my old holster and found a piece that was perfect. While at the store I picked up the chicago screws because they were cheaper there. I came home and traced the pattern I wanted onto the leather piece and cut it out with my utility knife. I had a new blade in so it cut like a hot knife in butter.

Once everything was cut out, I wanted to round the edges over a little. This is not necessary, but it does make it look nicer. I found my wife's cuticle cutters from her manicure kit and went around the perimeter of the leather and took the edge off. After that I did the same to the reverse side. Now it is rounded on both sides and it feels great.

The next step is creating the holes for the belt loops. I placed my old holster on top to generalize where the holes needed to be and marked the holes with a pencil. After that, I went through my drill bits and found a bit that was large enough to make the holes. You can use a hole punch, but I don't have any. A drill works great. I started off slow and gradually drilled faster until I went through the piece of leather. I cleaned up the holes with the cuticle cutter just because I am OCD with stuff like that.

Now I have my leather back complete with rounded edges and belt loop holes. I didn't want to start with the holes for the kydex mold because I wanted to make it first. Once that is made I will drill through the kydex and into the leather so the holes will match. Just for fun, I put the belt loops from my old holster on to get a good look of what it will look like. Although these belt loops are metal, I am going to make mine out of the kydex material. It will be lighter that way and I can make them to fit my 1 3/4" belt.

Overall I am very satisfied with how things are turning out. The next part is going to be tricky. Molding kydex isn't extremely hard, but it can get difficult. I have worked with it before making magazine holsters for my 1911 and a phone carrier for my Droid. Working around the shape of my P250 will be different, but I am up for the challenge.

My nerd side...

Along with my fascination with firearms, I really enjoy gaming, specifically Xbox 360 first person shooters. Back in the day I had a Nintendo 64 and one of my favorite games was James Bond. That was my first introduction to first person shooters ans it progressed to the Halo series. I got into Halo while in college and my roommates and I would play all night long. We would play custom games with other dorm buildings, and sometimes would hack into an online gaming server and play people across the country. It was great, but then I was introduced to Call of Duty 3 and everything changed. Their online gaming was fun and addicting. I loved playing with people I didn't know and ripping them apart. It is always satisfying getting the drop on somebody that wasn't paying attention. So it continued on with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Army of Two, Rainbow 6 Vegas I & II, and then the newer stuff like Modern Warfare 2 and Black OPS. Those were great, but there is one that definitely stands out. That one is Battlefield Bad Company 2. This game is great in the fact that it is team based and not just a Rambo run and gun type game like COD. It has been out for a while and there is a huge following still playing which is nice, because I haven't been playing it long.

But the best is still to come. Come October 25, Battlefield 3 comes out and it is supposed to be the greatest shooter of all time. The COD franchise is also coming out with Modern Warfare 3, but BF3 is probably going to blow it out of the water. BF3 has an all new graphics engine where MW3 is still using the old one from MW2. The game play that has been released is ridiculous. It is very sharp and the movement of the players and environment is outstanding. I wish I was chosen to be part of their Alpha testing and I didn't buy Medal of Honor, so I am not able to get in with their Beta testing. I guess I can wait until it comes out, but when it does I will be glued to my TV. I hope the neighbors don't mind the 5.1 surround sound blasting explosions and automatic gunfire. If it is anything like the sound of Bad Company 2, then it is going to be amazing.

New P250

I came across the P250 while looking through some online gun stores and was amazed at the price. It's several hundreds less than the other Sig models and so at first I thought that it was a new style of their .22 Mosquito. It turned out to be their version of a polymer framed handgun. It looked great overall, but I had one reservation with it, it has a DAO trigger, which stands for Double Action Only trigger. This means that with each pull of the trigger it sets the hammer back and releases it. Once the first shot is taken, the hammer doesn't lock back for the second shot. This produces a very long trigger pull each time you fire, sort of like a revolver. I went into my local gun store and tested out the trigger and to my surprise it was very nice. It is very smooth and I know exactly when it will break. It is going to take some time getting use to it because it is very different than any of my other guns, especially my 1911. My 1911 has a Single Action Only, where it relies on either my racking the slide or the first initial shot to lock the hammer back. The only thing that happens when I squeeze the trigger is it releases the hammer.

I wanted a compact 9mm and so I started looking around for the best deal I could. I was only looking for the base model (black slide with contrast sights), I ended up getting an upgraded version with their stainless slide and it even came with Sig's SIGLITE night sights. After my purchase, I raced home so I could get to know it a little bit better. It came from the factory with a born on date of early February 2011 and it was covered in a generous amount of oil. Once that was removed I started to break it down to get a better understanding of the internals and to clean it some more.

The genius of this gun is the firing mechanism. It is all contained into one piece that fits snugly in the grip module. This firing mechanism can be switched out and installed into a full size, compact, and sub compact grip module with respective full, compact, and sub compact slides. Really, it is several guns in one. 

Range Time:

Last Tuesday I was able to take it out for the first time. I went with my buddy Greg and put 100 rounds through it. I was shooting basic range ammunition, Remington UMC FMJ. It wasn't a lot, but it gave me the opportunity to test out the DAO trigger which turned out to be great. After the first 10 rounds or so I was able to identify when the trigger would break. I was able to put 15 rounds, back to back, in an area of about 3" x 3" at 20 feet. I felt like I had more control over the gun because I had more time to adjust while pulling the trigger. After some warm up shots I tried rapid firing, and I definitely need more practice controlling my follow up shots. After a few double shot drills, the two shots were almost on top of each other, but not exactly where I wanted them. I guess I will have to go to the range more :) .
Along with shooting my new P250, I took my 1911 and had fun with that one too. It was an adjustment going back and forth, but it performed excellent as usual. To sum up the trip to the range, I love the DAO trigger system, limited recoil, very accurate with range ammo, extremely fun to shoot. I can't wait to get back. 

My guns...

The gun that started it all was my Crossman pump BB gun. I can remember going outside and setting up targets along the tree line at our house in Ringgold, VA. Looking back at it now, it was definitely a work out having to pump the gun at least 7 or 8 times to get enough power to knock down heavier targets and take out one of the local squirrels that had been trashing the bird feeder. Later, after that gun broke because of heavy use, my father bought me a brand new Ruger 10/22 rifle. This was a dream come true. Now I didn't have to pump my gun endlessly between shots, I could just aim and fire off 10 shots with it's detachable magazine. I loved that gun. I cleaned it daily, even though I didn't shoot it very often. I thought I was the coolest kid around. That gun came with brochures for the NRA and as I started looking though everything I found out that there were endless amounts of accessories you could buy that would improve accuracy, aesthetics, function, and accessibility. I was hooked. I found a Cabela's shooter catalog and have never since put it down. First it started at looking at things for my 10/22, but then it branched out to other rifles, handguns, black powder rifles, tactical gear, knives, etc.

I became hooked at an early age with this fascination about guns. Now that I am a little bit older, I am able to finally purchase those things that I drooled over as a kid. I am currently residing in Utah, even though I grew up in Virginia. School brought me out here initially, and after finding my wife and going back to school for my Masters, it looks like we will be here for a little bit longer. But I must say, Utah is a great place to buy a gun.

The first gun I bought out here in UT was my 12 gauge Mossberg 500. It is an 18.5" pump action shotgun. It is their basic model, and it even came with both the shoulder stock and their standard pistol grip. I was looking for something inexpensive to both protect my family and have fun with at the range/outdoors. One word of caution; if you decide to put the pistol grip on, be sure to only shoot low recoil shells. I recommend Fiocchi low recoil shells. They have worked out great when I have the pistol grip installed. I say this because I was shooting with my buddy a few months ago and shot a normal shell with it and the recoil was much greater than expected, and I left with a large chunk of my upper lip missing.

My second purchase is my current favorite, a Taurus 1911. This is my favorite for a few reasons. It is a gun that I regularly carry, it is an iconic handgun, it recently became Utah's state firearm, and it is a blast to shoot. Taurus had been under fire a while back because of quality concerns, and a lot of people ended up with some lemons, but this is one of their newer models and it has performed flawlessly. The only problems that I have had with it have been because of me. It eats everything that I have put through it.

My last and most recent purchase is my Sig Sauer P250 compact 9mm. I was in the market for another handgun that would be more of a range gun, something that I can take to the range and shoot hundreds of rounds and it not be too expensive. My 1911 is very expensive to shoot, so I started looking for a 9mm. I found this one while looking online and decided to head to my local gun store and check it out. I did, and fell in love with it. I am going to make a separate post about this gun to review it, so I will talk more about it there.