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Category: Accessories

Gun Rack update

Geoff 1 Comment

First off, an apology to regular readers for the gap in new content recently. It’s been a crazy couple months with a new addition to the family and purchasing our first home too.

Unfortunately my first born needs at least a few more years before he’s of any use as a reloading assistant, but for now he’s definitely entertaining. The reloading bench is also unfortunately far away from being ready, as I’m replacing my entire workshop set up (finally!). So it will take a little while for things to get back to normal, but we do still have a backlog of articles to get through. Here’s what you can expect to see in the coming month and a bit.

25 metre rapid shoot - always catches you up with your holdover!
25 metre rapid shoot – always catches you up with your holdover!

2016 NZDA Prize Shoot

This is a shoot I look forward to every year – and it seemed like I had no excuse going in, considering my rifle was successfully and repeatedly printing 6 mm groups… However, my placing was average, and as always I learned something new about being prepared for a competition. Look forward to telling you guys more about the day soon!

Venturing into F-Class

So I tried my hand at F-Class at the Franklin Rifle Club, shooting at 600 yards with some pretty good success. We’ll talk a bit more about F-Class in general, as well as give a little bit of info on the club and other long range destinations around the country.

I’d rather be out on the line… #tuesdaysucks #workweekblues

A photo posted by The Gun Rack (@gunracknz) on

Putting the finishing touches on a Boyds Field Design stock for my SMLE # 1 Mk iii.
Putting the finishing touches on a Boyds Field Design stock for my SMLE # 1 Mk iii.

How to replace the stock on an SMLE

The good ol’ .303 is a staple for NZ, Australian and Canadian shooters, and features strongly in militaria collections around the world. However, with the abundance of used and abused SMLEs out there, you’re bound to want to work on one at some point. This article will provide you with a quick look at how to remove and replace the wooden furniture on a sporterised No 1 Mk iii.

Product review: Boyd’s Field Stock for 303 SMLE

So, once you’ve removed the stock of your old .303 beater, you might want to spruce it up with a solid wood laminate stock from Boyds – which is exactly what I did. You can look forward to reading more about this stock – and the cool features available – soon.

Monster bush build

So, my project .303 didn’t only get brand new furniture from Boyds Gunstocks. It’s also wearing an MAE 6-30 ST suppressor, a Vortex Razor red dot site and is waiting for a fresh coat of Cerakote, when I can tee up a time with Victor from Cerakote NZ. This short-barreled bush build will be shooting subsonic lead and is begging to be taken out pig hunting. More on this monster in the near future.

DOCTER binocular reviews

What’s better than one pair of DOCTER binocs? Two! We’ll be taking a look at some more excellent optics from DOCTER, and talking about what to consider when purchasing new glass.

Hmm... what's gonna do the job?
Hmm… which is gonna do the job?

Product review: MDT TAC-21 Chassis for Tikka T3

What could make my Tikka T3 sexier? The TAC-21 chassis from MDT! We’re waiting on some magazines which are on back order, but when those arrive we’ll be taking this chassis out for a proper test drive. It’s already assembled and I’ve had a good amount of time to get a feel for it. I think this is going to make a good mid-range F-Open rig!

Rifle stock bedding and finishing: Part 3

Hey, it’s only been a year since we did part 1 in this series on rifle stock bedding and finishing! Before the end of the year we’ll take a look at the final steps in the process and also some of the excellent stocks available to complete your project.

So, these are some of the bits and pieces to look forward over the coming month and a bit, hope that’s whetted your appetite! Look forward to catching up iwth you on our Facebook and Instagram pages, and of course, right back here with some fresh new articles!

Do I need a universal decapping die?

Geoff Leave a comment

If you’re just getting into reloading, or perhaps you’ve decided to look at reloading a second calibre, you may have come across a decapping die and wondered if there should be one on your reloading bench. Well… maybe. Full length sizing dies (the ones you probably will start with) and neck sizing dies will deprime your brass as you size the case. But there are a few situations where you may want a decapping die.

Cleaning or tumbling brass

Very quickly, there are two reasons to clean your brass with either an ultrasonic cleaner or a media tumbler. Firstly, this adds another step to your reload process, but it does mean your primer pockets will get a clean (more likely with an ultrasonic cleaner), as well as the inside of the case, reducing powder residue build up at the neck. Secondly, cleaning the gunk off the outside of your case will keep your sizing dies in better condition for longer.

First go with the ultrasonic cleaner turned out some nice brass – almost like new!

A photo posted by The Gun Rack (@gunracknz) on

So, how do you decap without actually sizing the case? Well, it’s obvious now, but a universal decapping die is the answer to that question. Because the die body is oversized, it will not contact the walls or neck of the case, meaning you don’t have to apply any lubrication and the case shape won’t be changed.

It’s a quick process and I can deprime hundreds of 9mm cases in an hour. Chuck that lot in the cleaner, deprime some more, and start resizing the cleaned cases once they’re dry. It just becomes part of your routine.

Keeping your case shape

Sometimes you want to do something different with your brass. For example, if you slug your old 303 SMLE and find it’s got an oversize bore (surprise surprise), you may want to load it with oversize cast lead projectiles, with a .314 or even .316 diameter if you’re really trying to save an old mate.

In cases like these (no pun intended), you may not even want to resize your brass. You could simply trim your brass to length and flare the case mouth if necessary (that’s another die you’ll need), or it may fit just fine. There’s nothing to say you have to rezise a case again to shoot it, which is the basic principle behind neck sizing. If it’s fired in the same rifle it should chamber easily.

I’m sure there are other scenarios where you might want to keep case shape, but that’s the first that springs to mind. Otherwise, if you’re a cartridge collector, wildcatter, or ammunition hobbyist of some sort, I’m sure you already have a decapping die on hand. You could even be using one of these dies if you want to use spent cases to make jewelry or art, or if you want to modify a case to be a case-length gauge. All sorts of things you can do…

Types of decapping die

I’m sure there are many out there, but the two that I have tried have been Lyman and Lee. The Lyman is a one-piece hardened steel decapping rod, which they claim is “virtually unbreakable” and is suited to all calibres between .22 and .45, excluding .378 and .460 Weatherby. They even say it’s suitable for crimped in military primers (I haven’t tried).

The Lyman die's use case seems pretty clear!
The Lyman die’s use case seems pretty clear!

The Lee universal decapping die is based on a collet design, and if the decapping rod is subjected to too much force/resistance, it will simply slide up and you can reset it with a couple of spanners. Both designs work fine and neither die is too expensive. The Lee universal decapping die is available from Gunworks for $30 and if you can’t find the Lyman die at a local store, you can order directly from their website.

The Lee is spartan in presentation, but clever in its implementation.
The Lee is spartan in presentation, but clever in its implementation.

Other things you will need

You will need a case holder for all the different rounds you intend to decap. This sounds obvious, but, for example, if you’ve decided to get a head start and begin cleaning cases you’ll be reloading in the future, you may not have thought to buy a case holder yet. Thankfully these only cost about $13 or $15, and you’ll need one anyway. Or, you can get a bunch of various common sizes in one of the Lee case holder sets (make sure they’re not for the autoprime).

Of course you’ll need a press and a bench, etc, etc, but you knew that already.

 

Why do some shooters wear yellow glasses?

Geoff Leave a comment

Those new to shooting sports will easily become overwhelmed with all of the associated bits and pieces you need to buy before you can really get into your chosen discipline. While you can always get cracking with a gun, some ammo and basic maintenance gear, there’s always something else that you probably “need”.

One of those things that I never really understood was yellow safety glasses. Well, I understood the theory, but I didn’t really think they would make that much of a difference…

So what does the colour do?

Well, yellow isn’t the only colour available. In fact, there are many glasses that come with interchangeable lenses and packs of these in various colours/tints.

The various shades are for shooting in different lighting conditions. You can get some that are similar to sunglasses, – these are great for extreme brightness, such as sunny days in winter, over frosted or snowy ground. You also get those with purpley-blue tints, which are great for picking up orange against a green background. In other words – perfect for trap shooters who have tall trees or hills as their backdrop.

The Champion glasses I was gifted were perfect for the low-light/foggy conditions I was shooting in.
The Champion glasses I was gifted were perfect for the low-light/foggy conditions I was shooting in.

Yellow and orange glasses are great for increasing contrast. These are brilliant for a few reasons. For older shooters with weaker eyes, these really help the targets “pop” into the foreground.

It’s not just for those that have eye conditions or who have been shooting longer than you’ve been walking. They’re also great for shooters who engage fast-moving targets, such as Olympic clays, or who themselves move fairly rapidly, such as IPSC pistol shooters.

Do they really work?

As I mentioned before, I never really bought into the higher contrast for better shooting theory. I thought it was just something else to spend money on. However, having recently been bought a pair for my birthday, I am thoroughly convinced.

Since I’ve picked up pistol shooting, I’ve been using clear safety glasses to protect my eyes. Of course safety glasses of some description are mandatory on pistol ranges. So, having gone through the first few weeks of my tyro course with clear glasses from the work bench, I thought I was doing fine.

When I tried out the yellow glasses, it was a particularly rainy/overcast/cloudy day. It was varying between overly bright and overly shady, with everything looking like a different shade of grey.

Not only did the Champion brand shooting glasses I was wearing make it easy to pick up the black bullseye from 50 yards out (on a Service Pistol shoot), but they didn’t fog up or need cleaning with the changing weather and fast-paced match. I was seriously impressed.

Safety

Shotgun shooters are generally wearing glasses for their beneficial effects on their vision, while pistol shooters and 3-gunners are wearing them for those benefits, but also to protect their eyesight, as they have barrels and ejection ports much closer to their faces, and expend hundreds of rounds of ammo at some considerable pace.

Proper shooting glasses wrap around your eyes a lot better than sunglasses or reading glasses.
Proper shooting glasses wrap around your eyes a lot better than sunglasses or reading glasses.

I’ve personally witnessed a potentially blinding incident first hand, when a reloaded 9mm round blew up in the gun, forcing burning powder up towards the shooters face through the open ejection port. The round had weakened in the webbing, so after the head of the case separated, the gas had nowhere to go but up.

Fortunately, the shooter was wearing safety glasses and after a bit of time to recover from the fairly intense experience, she was fine.

In fact, I would even recommend bolt action rifle shooters wear glasses in some instances. I always wear a pair when I test brand new loads, fire a rifle I haven’t fired before, or after modifying anything near the bolt. I’ve heard of ruptured primers sending hot gases backwards along firing pins and straight into a shooters face. Anything can happen. In an ideal world, all shooters would wear their “eyes and ears” at all times.

What about sunglasses/reading glasses/safety glasses?

While the above are better than nothing, they are less than ideal. I would (and have) used these over nothing.

Sunglasses and normal eye glasses provide good protection from the front, but generally don’t wrap around to the sides of the face or protect from the bottom. Sunglasses can also make it harder to see the target in many situations.

Shooting glasses and safety glasses wrap around better. Cheap safety glasses will scratch easily and will also fog up when you’re running through a course. And if you’re going to spend the money buying fog-proof safety glasses, you may as well try out some yellow glasses or a set with a few options.

Product review: MAE 6-30 ST Suppressor

Geoff 5 Comments

Before the NZDA Prize Shoot earlier this month, I was lucky enough to get my hands on a brand new suppressor from MAE. I didn’t get a chance to shoot with it before the day, so I must admit I was a bit nervous – but it was well worth it in the end.

MAE

MAE are a New Zealand suppressor manufacturer, based out of East Tamaki in Auckland. These guys are not only part of what keeps New Zealand’s shooting community ticking, but they are able to actively engage with their customers to discover new needs and develop better products. Some of the models and cutaways that I saw at the shop were incredibly impressive – include a suppressor that tightens itself on the thread as you fire.

Suppressors in New Zealand

Unlike the USA, suppressors can be had without any legal hoopla or extra taxes. They are seen as practical accessories that improve the shooting experience, control noise on the range or farm, and make it easier to destroy pests or hunt game.

Suppressors help to reduce felt recoil, as well as decibel levels.
Suppressors help to reduce felt recoil, as well as decibel levels.

There are many – many – types of suppressors on the market, include muzzle forward (muzzle cans), over-barrel (reflex) or full-barrel (integrated). There are many produced here, and as much come in from overseas. Price-wise, you can expect to pay anything between $300 and well over $1000 for a centrefire suppressor. A decent rimfire silencer can go for as little as $55 on Trademe, and up to a couple hundred bucks if you want better performance. Again, the more you spend, the more you get. I have seen some impressive .22LR setups with full-barrel or over-barrel suppressors.

6-30 ST Muzzle Can

The 6-30 ST suppressor is the cheapest (brand new) centrefire suppressor I have seen in New Zealand recently. Don’t let this fool you though – it’s damn good.

presentation17

The positives

  • It does what it says. This suppressor greatly reduces felt recoil and muzzle climb. It was infinitely easier to shoot with this suppressor fitted, especially with a light (and short) stock. For modern hunting rigs in large calibres and light stocks, one of these should be on your radar.
  • It’s a solid unit. Literally. It doesn’t come apart for cleaning and is joined at the muzzle end with some very neat TIG welding. This means there are no bits to lose or break.
  • Long life expectancy. With a 5000 round minimum service life according to MAE, you can expect this suppressor to last as long as the barrel on your rifle. For the price, it’s definitely worth it.
  • Solid stainless. The 304 stainless means it’s heavy as hell, and you certainly notice the balance shift. However, the heavy material absorbs more sound and makes for a more solid unit. The 304 will also be less prone to corrosion than other materials. For a range rig, this is ideal. For a hunting rig, you may want something that reflexes over the barrel to spread the weight a bit better. MAE offers a 5 year warranty, so you know they’re built like a brick sh…
  • The price. At $250 for the stainless finish or $290 for the matte black, it’s the cheapest you’ll find on the market (at least as far as I can see).
  • The versatility. If you have multiple rifles with the same thread but in different calibres, this silencer is for you. Good for anything between 6mm and right up to the 300 magnums, you can have one suppressor for your rifle, your partners, and the three she doesn’t know about.
The suppressor is built for anything between 6mm and .300 RUM. The 6.5x55 above shows how much room there is left over.
The suppressor is built for anything between 6mm and .300 RUM. The 6.5×55 above shows how much room there is left over.

The negatives

  • Weight. Although I like the weight of this unit, at almost half a kilo, it could be off-putting for those after a bush-ready rig. If you want a long-range shooter or a tactical sniper set-up, then this won’t deter you at all.
  • The price. Some people just don’t feel like they’re getting a good product unless they have to have their wallet surgically removed through their nose. In my opinion, this suppressor does what much more expensive ones do (without skipping a beat), at a much lower price. If this bothers you, I imagine your gun safe is full of some pretty expensive stuff. If you do want to spend more money, I’m sure MAE will have something to fit the bill.
  • Um…… I can’t think of anything else to be honest.

Range shooting

I must admit, I had a pretty poor shoot at the NZDA, but that was me, not the rifle. However, the one thing I did get out of the day was an immense satisfaction with my new suppressor, as well as the BOLD Trigger from Boyds Gunstocks.

The brushed stainless finish stands out and looks great. Although, for hunters a matte black would be better.
The brushed stainless finish stands out and looks great. Although, for hunters a matte black would be better.

I chose to leave my suppressor as brushed stainless. Not only did it keep the cost down, but it looks cool with my rifle and the other polished metal bits on it (the Mauser-style extractor and the cocking piece). Having had a look at the paint MAE use (Gun Kote 2410F), I knew I had a pretty good match at home if I wanted to paint it myself later. In fact, it would then perfectly match my barrel which I did with the same paint.

The 6.5×55 is a pretty mild-recoiling round, however, in the short, light-weight stock mine is in, it has quite a kick. Not enough to make it uncomfortable to shoot, but after 50 rounds, you’d definitely feel it. The first thing I noticed was an immense reduction in recoil. Not only does this get rid of the instinctual flinch you might develop over time, but it means you are right on target for your next shot. Previously I would find myself pointing two targets over to the left after each shot.

Shooting amongst a bunch of bare-barrel .308s and .223s all day, I could certainly notice (and appreciate) the significant reduction in noise from my old Swede. Ross, whom I shoot with regularly at the Howick Smallbore club, remarked several times throughout the day that he was incredibly impressed with how quite my gun was – he was sitting next to me and expecting a pretty big blast. Another shooter from our club noted that the rifle sounded “pretty cool” – which I must admit, it did. If you play Battlefield 4, you’ll know what I’m talking about. I was even approached by a complete stranger who said he would love to get one himself.

With the grand sacrifice of $250, and a little weight on the end of my rifle, I improved my shooting experience greatly. And the rifle did do really well on the day in the end, as my wife placed top of Division B with it.

Some caveats

When I got my suppressor I was given two bits of advice. Firstly, use a lubricant on the threads to ensure you can get it off after you shoot (nickel-based is good, copper-based is bad). Secondly, take the suppressor off after you shoot, or the stainless will attack the barrel.

Anyone who is familiar with the concept of sacrificial metals will quickly grasp that last one. I would just add one last piece of advice. The burnt powder and gunk that is on the crown of the barrel when you remove the suppressor – wipe this off immediately. I waited until I got home and cleaned my rifle, and it had hardened and become very difficult to remove.

My overall opinion is that this is a product which will help you enjoy shooting more – especially larger calibres, and will improve your accuracy. If those are two things you would like to do, and at a reasonable price too, then this is the suppressor for you.

Check out MAE.nz for more of their range.

The tools needed for this job are pretty simple and should all be in your tool box already.

Installing an aftermarket triger

Geoff 2 Comments

Modern rifles with their out-of-the-box accuracy guarantees usually come with adjustable triggers, but if yours didn’t, help is on the way. Whether it’s an old military surplus rifle that you’re modifying or a modern hunter that needs a little bit of work, installing a new trigger is easy and worthwhile.

A stiff trigger pull can be the difference between a bullseye and the 9 ring, or the difference between a clean kill and a long walk through the bush chasing a wounded animal. If you want to see the difference a good trigger can make, one of the best examples you could have would be to try a 10/22 with a match trigger, and then shoot one with the standard trigger. After shooting with a lightened trigger for so long, I thought the safety was on when I tried to pull the standard trigger.

The tools you’ll need

There’s not much to this job really. Most stock triggers are removed by driving out the pin that holds the unit in place. This pin also acts as the fulcrum for the trigger set and reset. To drive this out, you’ll need a hammer and punch – or a filed down nail if you don’t have a punch to hand.

Depending on the trigger unit, you may need a small spanner or wrench to adjust lock nuts, and probably some allen keys or screwdrivers to adjust pull and sear engagement. Depending on your rifle, you’ll probably need a large flat head screwdriver to undo your action screws.

The tools needed for this job are pretty simple and should all be in your tool box already.
The tools needed for this job are pretty simple and should all be in your tool box already.

The trigger of choice

Of course all of this is moot if you don’t have a trigger to install. There are a few options out there, depending on your breed of rifle. Ruger 10/22s, AR15s and Rem 700s have a multitude of aftermarket bang switches, however if you’re improving an older rifle you may have to do some digging to find the trigger you need.

 

Nice new trigger thanks to Boyds Gunstocks.
Nice new trigger thanks to Boyds Gunstocks.

My most recent trigger install is a BOLD Trigger from Boyds for my Husqvarna M38. As I’ve mentioned before, I don’t like using a safety – an empty rifle is the best type of safety – so I went for the version without the side safety. However, if you do like to use your safety in addition to safe gun handling practices, the side safety is much more convenient than the toggle on the back of the bolt on the old Swedes.

The 94/96 trigger fits the M38 perfectly. Boyds also stocks triggers for the 98-family Mausers, as well as a Mosin Nagant trigger. Other hardware obtainable from the gun stock manufacturer include trigger guards and floor metal, as well as sling swivel studs and action screws.

Extra inletting

Depending on your trigger, action and stock, there could be some extra in letting to do. Thankfully with the Boyds stock this rifle is destined for, there is ample space for the trigger. However, before I get round to bedding and finishing that stock, I’ll be taking out a bit of material from the current stock to allow the larger trigger unit to fit.

For this job you may want to use a mill. However, hand tools or a dremel will do just fine.

The easy part

The easy part is the install itself. For most triggers, all you’ll need to do is punch out the retaining pin, put the new trigger in the old one’s place, and insert the pin again. That’s almost all there is to it.

With the BOLD Trigger, there’s a grub screw forward of the pin which, when tightened, keeps the unit in place. The mechanism is quite different from the original trigger, so you won’t need the old spring or any of that. If there is any issue with fit (as there can be with the many variations of these beloved milsurp rifles), the instructions that come with your trigger should tell you where you need to add or remove material.

Adjusting the pull and sear engagement

This is where your new trigger comes into its own. It will have its usual factory setting – 3 pounds for the single-stage BOLD Triggers – and an adjustable range. The range on my new trigger is 2-4 pounds, and the sear engagement can be altered too.

On my model, this is done by loosening the locking nuts and adjusting the grub screws with an allen key. In the photo below, you can see I’ve started on this in the photo below, as the factory seal yellow paint has been broken.

The yellow factory seal on the adjustment screws is broken.
The yellow factory seal on the adjustment screws is broken.

I’ve adjusted my trigger to the lightest it will go. This rifle will be a range-only queen, so the heavier pull you’d want on a hunting rifle is not necessary. When adjusting sear engagement, work the bolt rapidly to make sure it won’t fire on closing – too little sear engagement and you could end up with an unsafe rifle.

Once the trigger pull is where you want it – I shouldn’t have to say this, but obviously you’re testing this on an empty chamber or dummy round – it’s time to tighten up the locking nuts. Your particular trigger may have different instructions or mechanisms, so make sure you follow the included install directions.

Of course, the number one concern when modifying a rifle is safety when operating, as well as during the install process. If you’re unsure of how to properly install or set your trigger, your local gunsmith should be able to help you out for a very reasonable fee, as the the work involved is not onerous.