22LR – Page 3 – The Gun Rack

Product review: Vortex Diamondback 4-12 x 40 BDC

April 18, 2015October 10, 2015 Geoff 3 Comments

Firstly, buying this scope was a mistake. But it’s a mistake I’m very glad I made. I intended to buy the adjustable objective version of the Vortex Diamondback 4-12 x 40 BDC, but ended up with the fixed-parallax type. I couldn’t return to the store and swap it, because I had just left the country where I purchased it.

With the AO version, my idea was to use it at its maximum zoom at a 25 yard range on a rimfire target rifle. However, without that AO bell, the scope just won’t focus at 25 yards at any magnification greater than 8 x or 9 x. So, I reluctantly told my wife we’d need to take this brand new scope off her rimfire rifle and put it on my 6.5 x 55 that was in need of some glass. This is the point where I’m glad this happened.

The technical specs

The parallax setting on this scope is 100 yards – perfect for getting sighted in at the range, and more than adequate for the average hunting shot in the New Zealand bush. The adjustments go out 60 MOA in elevation and windage. With my 6.5 x 55 it was pretty much bang-on at 100 yards, maybe a total of 7 clicks left and a few up or down, I can’t remember. If you’re aiming to shoot long distance (600 – 1000 yards) you’re probably going to want to mount this on a 20 MOA rail.

The Bullet Drop Compensation (BDC) points are graduated in MOA, and so is your turret adjustment. How many times have you bought a mildot scope and found out later it has MOA turrets? So, this is nice to know right off the bat.

Vortex Diamondback scope with caps off. — The turret markings are easy to see from behind the gun.

The turrets are capped and resettable. This is nice, as now that I have my zero I can use the windage or elevation adjustments to my heart’s content without worrying about getting my 100 yard zero perfect again. The caps are nice and low and are easy to grip. Be careful when resetting the zero that you don’t damage the turrets, as I found them to be very tight and had to hold them in place with vice grips while I used a screwdriver to loosen the turret. Any extra pressure while doing this and you could have tool marks on your nice new scope. I covered the surface of my grips with masking tape to prevent teeth marks.

You have a total of 5 points of vertical aim, including the crosshairs and the top of the post. You also have 3 hash marks either side of the crosshairs horizontally, as well as the post edges. How to use the BDC? Check out this video from Vortex.

Quality and ease-of-use

The scope has the usual things that manufacturers claim, such as fog-proof, shock-proof and weather-proof everything. Except, this scope really does. I have mounted two scopes on this rifle – the other I won’t name. The unnamed piece-of-junk was used on one range trip for about 3 hours. Yes, there was wind, rain and sun. When I took it off to mount the Diamondback I noticed that the unnamed scope’s exterior coating was peeling off. After one trip!

Subjected to the same conditions, the Vortex scope still looks brand new. That’s probably why they provide an unlimited, unconditional warranty. Which, to be honest, is half the reason I bought it – that shows confidence!

The clarity was exceptional, and the lense coating wasn’t just for show. I had plenty of light, no glare and just a great shooting experience. The scope also features a fast focus adjustable eye-piece with a decent amount of range on it. This was perfect for when different shooters wanted to try it out. Also, the markings on the turret are easy to see without changing your shooting position much – which is not something I can say for every scope in my safe.

Vortex Diamondback scope on M38 Husky. — Adjustments on the range are done with ease.

Quality of manufacture is something that really shows when you shoot at an outdoor range. It’s also something that greatly determines how long a scope will last and whether you’ll enjoy shooting with it or not. In my humble opinion, the Vortex range is excellent. They are also reasonably priced. In the USA (where I bought mine) they were very affordable. In NZ, they are probably middle of the road. Either way, still worth it for the high-quality optic you’ll be getting. I would definitely purchase another scope from their range.

You also get some handy extras with your scope. There are the standard removable lense caps and a *really nice* cleaning cloth. I would suggest making use of Vortex’s incredibly intricate Long Range Ballistics Calculator. Not only will you be able to figure out your elevation and windage hold, but you’ll probably convince yourself to buy some new rifle while you check out all the ballistics tables you can produce for just about every calibre known to man.

You know the old addage of spend as much on your glass as you do on your rifle? Well, this is one scope that breaks that rule. I would happily mount Vortex optics on rifles that would generally be seen toting the latest Swarovski or Leupold glass.

Disassembly of CZ 452 Magazines

April 15, 2015April 16, 2015 Geoff 1 Comment

Any smallbore range across New Zealand will have a few CZ 452 magazines floating around. Whether they’re attached to a Brno Model 2 or Norinco JW-15, these magazines hold up to thousands and thousands of rounds being put through them. Occasionally – you might even think about cleaning them.

How often to clean your CZ 452 magazine

Disassembled CZ 452 Magazine — The spring-loaded button needs to be handled with care.

Simply put, not that often. There’s lots of discussion around how often you should clean a rimfire rifle. Some like to clean after every trip to the range, but I personally prefer not to clean that often.

I find that that once a rimfire barrel has been fouled it shoots more consistently. That’s my experience anyway. Cleaning every trip undoes this fouling and means wasting ammo before every shoot getting it fouled again. So, when do I clean? When accuracy drops off, or when feeding becomes slightly tougher. Usually, the latter strikes first.

I take the same approach to my magazines. I clean when feeding becomes an issue. I usually use multiple magazines and consequently they don’t get fouled that quickly. If I haven’t had any issues by the time I give my rifle a birthday, then they get a clean too. Might as well.

Disassembly and reassembly of the magazine

Pulling apart the CZ 452 magazine is very easy. They’re well made and there are no sharp parts or difficult processes involved.

At the base of the magazine there is a small dimple. Inside here is a spring loaded button. Press is down with a pen, nail or punch and slowly slide the base off the magazine. I say slowly because if you’re not careful, the spring will shoot that little steel button out. Good luck finding that again.

To get the spring and button out, cover them with your thumb while you slide the magazine floor off, and slowly release them into your hand. Next, pull the main magazine spring and the follower out. Take note of which way the follower is facing – it needs to go back the same way.

Cleaning is simply a matter of wiping everything down. You can dowse the spring and follower in Hoppes No. 9 if you like. A quick squirt of gun oil once everything is clean and dry isn’t the worst idea either.

Assembly is pretty easy, it’s the exact opposite. Again, be careful you don’t lose the spring or steel button.

Any questions? Post a comment.

CZ 452 and Norinco JW-15 magazines with 22LR rounds. — Because CZ and Norinco mags are quite common, I marked mine with my wife’s red nail polish to make them easily identifiable.

Pro Varmint for JW-15 stock in Pepper Laminate.

Product review: Boyds Pro Varmint gun stock for JW-15

April 11, 2015June 8, 2015 Geoff 8 Comments

Boyds gun stocks have long been a way for shooters to improve their favourite rifles. Whether it’s replacing a boring factory stock, modifying a sporterised milsurp rifle or finding a better fit for your shooting, there’s usually an option from Boyds that will fit the bill. For one of my rimfire project rifles it was a combination of improving the fit to my body, as well as increasing the aesthetic appeal.

When I first started working on JW-15s Boyds didn’t have anything available for them. Neither did anyone else. This is what got me into building my own stocks, which I’ve done a couple of. However, since then the good guys at Boyds have increased their range (as they always seem to be doing) and the JW-15 now has 5 different designs available.

Some of the designs are the same ones that much more expensive rimfire rifles come in, such as Savage’s Mark II BSEV and BTVS. Of course, the amount of money you could spend customising a JW-15 is probably about the same cost as buying a much better rifle – but where’s the fun in that?

While the Barracuda and SS Evolution are popular rimfire gun stocks that you can see on most ranges, strapped to a Ruger 10-22, the design I like most for the relatively long barrel on my JW-15 is the Pro Varmint, which seems to be the same stock the Savage Mark II TR sports. However, the black textured paint isn’t my cup of tea, so I opted to pay an extra US$15 to go for the Pepper Laminate instead. Visually, the stock is outstanding and I love the look.

Features of the Pro Varmint stock

Standard features include a sling stud under the base of the butt and two studs towards the front of the fore-end, one of these obviously for mounting attachments such as a bipod.

The stock is much heavier and more solid than the synthetic (i.e. plastic) stock the JW-15S comes in and makes it feel less like a toy and more like a real rifle. It’s also better suited to the average New Zealander’s length of pull.

The inletting is good and is done to Boyds’ house action. Obviously there is variation in rifles, probably more so in Norinco’s case, so yours may require some extra finishing. I found I had to relieve a couple millimetres of material where the recoil lug sits, which was not a big deal at all.

Boyds Pro Varmint stock for JW-15, showing inletting. — Precise inletting and a deep barrel channel on the Pro Varmint.

The barrel channel is extra deep, decreasing weight and ensuring a free floating barrel. You may need to do some fine sanding to make sure your barrel is free-floating, but mine was fine. The fore end also has a nice swell, so it fits perfectly in your hand.

There are also plenty of optional extras, including different finishes, varying lengths-of-pull, custom recoil pads and even laser engraving or chequering.

Downsides to the Pro Varmint stock

There aren’t many, but there are some. Because of the variations in rifle manufacture, you could find slight fitting and finishing is needed in order to get a solid fit for your action. Keep in mind that Norinco weapons have been banned from the states for a long time, so the action they have is probably very old. However, as I mentioned above, there was not much needed to get mine fitted snugly.

What I will probably do (and what I would recommend to anyone going for high accuracy) is bedding the rifle with Terminal Ballistics bedding compound or something similar. I’ve bedded two actions with Nathan Foster’s compund, and loved the result.

When shipping to NZ, Boyds has an order limit of US$100 (before postage). This is because of legal complications with US Customs. Unfortunately, it limits your ability to go for optional extras as some stocks are $99 already. The Pro Varmint was $75, and I changed to the Pepper Laminate for $15. Options like the adjustable comb height ($60) are just out of your reach with the $100 limit.

I can’t remember the cost of postage, but it’s still worthwhile when you consider how much Boyds stocks cost to buy over here. What you could do is buy it when you’re on a trip to the States or ask family/friends over there to buy it for you and send it over. Don’t try NZ Post’s YouShop, as they won’t ship rifle parts. You’ll end up paying for return postage to the supplier. Also, they charge by volumetric weight, which can end up costing a lot more than you expect.

I did have one minor issue with my rifle stock, and that was a tiny chip near the tang. It’s not a deal-breaker, and certainly not worth the effort/cost involved in sending it back for a replacement.

The final verdict

I’m extremely happy with my Boyds stock. As I mentioned before, I’m getting another one soon for a different rifle, so that should say a lot. Although there are minor detractors, these can be addressed fairly easily.

I would definitely recommend finding an alternative method of postage so that you can get all of the great features that your heart desires, and I would also advise that you bed your new stock.

The JW-15 sits snugly in the Pro Varmint.

JW-15 with adjusted trigger in Boyds varmint stock.

JW-15 trigger improvement

April 7, 2015April 8, 2015 Geoff 2 Comments

There are many that will say that the Norinco JW-15 is an excellent tool. An implement meant to be thrown on the quad bike or back seat, and touted around the farm for practical purposes. I agree with those people 100 per cent, but I also think that with a little bit of elbow grease, this humble Brno-clone can be a decent shooter. One of the first things you can improve is the trigger.

Simplicity is…

The trigger on the JW-15 is not pretentious at all. It can be gritty with excessive over-travel (a symptom of the Mauser-style trigger not absent in the Brno), but the ones I’ve tried all break like a glass rod at weights that are not excessive for average shooting.

With such a blank canvas, there is plenty of room for improvement with this trigger.

Trigger weight spring

The JW-15 trigger unattached from the rifle. — The trigger mechanism in the JW-15 is uncomplicated to say the least.

This is an easy one. I simply cut off a few coils to lighten my spring. Beware though, that if you cut off too much, the trigger won’t spring back into place after you’ve pulled it – which makes it pretty useless.

If you are not so bold or would like to return your firearm to original spec one day, replacing this spring with a lighter/shorter one will do the trick. I know of some people who have used springs from ballpoint pens. I’ve not found a pen spring that would do the job, but you might.

Polish

A lot of the machining on the JW-15 requires some work with a file, sandpaper and grinding paste to get to an acceptable level. The trigger is no exception.

Just about every part of the trigger could do with at least a polish. If it’s brand new, you’ve got a lot of grease to remove before you get to this point.

Sear adjustment – it’s your call

Adjusting the sear is a risky move. It can take a perfectly safe firearm and make it a loose cannon. There are three ways to adjust the sear on the JW-15, and none should be attempted without a serious level of confidence or skill. The last thing you want is a rifle that will go off when you bump it.

Makeshift punches. — If you don’t have a punch set handy, you can readily make your own with some nails and a grinder.

The first way is to adjust the grub screw behind the trigger. This will move the trigger to the rear and lower the sear in relation to the firing pin – i.e. less of the sear is engaging the firing pin. This means less effort is required to break that engagement, dropping the pin and firing the chambered round.

This method is reversible, and with thorough testing of the trigger mechanism is the safest way of adjusting the sear. I like to check this by ramming the bolt home as hard and fast as possible. If the firing pin drops while you are cocking it, there is not enough positive sear engagement – with enough force, you made the firing pin go right over the sear and hit what would be a live round. Obviously you test this with a dummy round.

The second way is to (lightly) polish the sear surface and/or sear ledge. This means taking away the grittiness of the finish, not changing the shape. This is an irreversible step, and too much polish will leave you with a rifle that won’t cock or that will fire every time you try and close the bolt. In other words, a useless, dangerous gun.

The third, and most dangerous (and pretty stupid) way, is to lightly round off the tip of the sear. What this does is remove the “harshness” from the trigger pull, making it soft and easy. Don’t mistake this for a lighter trigger pull – there is a difference.

The issue here is that the sear is angled sharply like that so that it holds the sear ledge till the very last millisecond, providing a clean and safe break. When one of these surfaces is rounded, the other can easily break the hold when the rifle is bumped or dropped. I don’t know anyone who would recommend trying to change the shape of the sear or sear ledge – at least not for the DIY operator.

The lightest trigger in town

I find the best combination for a light trigger on these rifles that is safe and pleasant to use involves taking a few coils off the spring, polishing the individual trigger components and adjusting the grub screw to lower the sear as much as possible without creating an unsafe action.

Remember, as always, that whatever you do with your firearm is up to you. Everything here is for informational purposes only, and if you’re uncomfortable, unskilled or lacking in confidence, you should either take your rifle to a qualified gunsmith or leave the thing alone.