Traveling with Firearms by Commercial Airline
Apologies for the poor video quality - I'm traveling with a laptop and a camera, no lighting equipment.
I travel a lot, and sometimes this travel is by commercial airline. In this video, I share some of the federal regulations, airline policies, and general tips regarding the proper way to bring firearms with you when you travel by commercial air carrier.
Inside the Rock River Arms Polymer Single Stack 1911
I took two photographs of the RRA polymer 1911's guts at SHOT 2012. Here they are.
According to the spec sheet, the "polymer frame body" will allow "interchangeable colors." The weight is listed as 2.04lbs.
Note the screw on the forward portion of the trigger guard where it meets the dust cover
Polymer dust cover, trigger guard, and grip/magazine well, but the rails and guts are composed of a steel chassis. Doesn't appear to have a Swartz type firing pin safety.
Here’s Something You’ve Never Seen Before – Two Modified Stgw57s
I am privileged to have several gunsmith friends. When I say "gunsmith," I mean it in the truest sense. They don't play one on TV - they have no trouble finding good work in hard economic times, which should tell you something about their skills and abilities. From time to time, they turn out unique firearms that I had never even considered before. Of course, I don't see too many SIG 510s/Stgw57s to begin with, so that made these photos even more interesting to me.
These are some Swiss Stgw57s that were modified for various purposes. Both are chambered in 7.5x55 Swiss. The first one is, as you can see, set up for target shooting. It's called the "57 Phantom."
Can anyone guess what the strap on top of the barrel is for?
The second one has been shortened. The safety has been modified, and the rifle sports an Aimpoint and a Vltor Modstock. In case anyone is wondering, the Stgw57 does have a recoil buffer.
In case you were wondering about that muzzle brake - yes, it does work, and the rifle is reportedly very easy to control on full auto. Also, it causes most glorious flames to erupt from the muzzle in all directions.
These rifles were modified years ago, and he's been doing way cooler stuff since. Unfortunately (or, perhaps, fortunately), because he is a normal guy with real gunsmithing skills, he is unlikely to be the subject of an American reality show about guns.
Setting Up Your AR-15 – Do You Need BUIS?
Back up iron sights, or BUIS, aren't very expensive compared to the cost of a rifle, but can add up to a few hundred dollars. Are they a worthy purchase, or is your money better spent elsewhere?
Oh, What a Difference a Muzzle Device Makes
While at the range doing other stuff, I noticed that I was seeing a lot more muzzle flash because of the overcast conditions. Using the same ammunition (Prvi Partizan M855) in two different 16" barreled AR-15s, I was able to compare the performance of the Spike's Tactical Dynacomp and the Primary Weapons Systems TTO. The image below is representative of the amount of flash seen both with the naked eye and on video, though these are still photographs.
Although there is a large difference, the amount of flash seen in front of the Dynacomp is still what I would consider unacceptable for nighttime two-way range use. Brakes and comps are fun, but true flash hiders, like the Smith Vortex and the AAC Blackout, exist for a very specific reason. I have yet to encounter a muzzle device intended primarily to reduce recoil that provides acceptable levels of nighttime flash - that is, equal to or less than the A2 flash hider - and yes, I've used various examples of the BattleComp. For "fun purposes," I really like the TTO - the muzzle doesn't move, and it throws huge fireballs. New shooters love it.
