I have enough guns bought at arms length to keep my satisfied in terms of guns that don’t have my name attached to them on paper somewhere. As a result, I’ve never felt the need to pursue this 80% stuff. For my area of operations, it’s pretty easy to buy a used rifle or pistol without anyone keeping track of who bought what…garage sales, yard sales, spontaneous gun shows that develop in class, etc. However, I understand that in places with less enlightened attitudes (looking at you California, New York, and Illinois) this DIY process may be more useful.

The fine folks at Reason magazine had an article about the process of making your own Glock-type handgun from an 80% frame. And…it seems a pretty solid article.

In celebration of the First Amendment, let’s walk through how to make a weapon based on one of the most popular semi-automatic handguns in the world: the Glock 17, a full-size double-stack 9 mm pistol with a track record of reliability and simplicity. Recently, third-party companies began marketing “frame kits” that allow private individuals to make guns that look and operate like Glocks and are compatible with Glock parts. There’s a caveat, however: Their product includes excess plastic that, unless removed, prevents you from turning it into a functional weapon. By itself, the object they sell doesn’t count as a firearm in the eyes of the law. Instead, it is colloquially known as an “80 percent frame” or an “80 percent receiver.”

This will be the platform for our homemade gun.

To me, there is only one reason to even care about whether or not .gov knows whether you have a gun or not: it’s none of their business. Government being aware of what you own is a fundamental requirement for them to seize it. Seen it happen, man.

Although I have no real need for a DIY Glock when i have a dozen of the genuine article sitting in the safe, I’m tempted to get one for the best reason to own anything: because I can.

Finally managed to get out to the range today. It’s been…mmm…at least a few months since I last got to go shooting. What can i say, my time is not own these days. Too many obligations. But…managed to get out there anyway.

I’ve a stack of guns that need to be shot but I didnt want to spend the entire day out there. Plus, I didnt want a mountain of guns to clean. I just took the Ruger 9mm carbine and left it at that (mostly). I’d been excited about this gun since it was first announced and after finally getting to put a few rounds through it, I am quite pleased.

Accuracy as quite good. I was able to hit the paper-plate-sized steel plates at 100 yards with enough regularity to convince me it wasn’t just luck. Functioning was flawless and, to my surprise, the Korean Glock mag worked just fine. Only drawback is that this is a kinda heavy gun for its caliber and size but thats what you get from a straight blowback gun. If it had some sort of locking mechanism they could shave a couple pounds of it, but then you’re into more complexity.

The barrel mounted peep sight took some getting used to, but was effective and quick. A little red dot would be nice on this but I don’t need that much detail….I just need to be able to get minute-of-bad-guy out of it.

I had been looking for a backpack-friendly 9mm carbine for a long time and this thing seems to be just the ticket. Thus far, I am pleased. I need to try some hollowpoints and other odd shapes through it to confirm feeding reliability,but so far so good.

How does it stack up to the older, original Ruger PC? Seemed a little more barrel heavy. I need to shoot them both side by side and see what differences they exhibit. The older gun has a rear mounted peep and uses the usual Ruger proprietary scope rings…newer version has Pic rail. But, mot importantly, the new version can use Glock mags and that is a huge checkmark in the new gun’s favor.

I’m curious to see if Ruger comes out with a ‘pistol brace’ version, which I’d be extremely interested in. I suppose a .40 version is right around the corner but, honestly, isn’t .40 kinda starting to fade? One in .45 with a 1911 magazine adapter would make dinosaurs across America rejoice. My plans revolve around 9mm, so, for me, this gun is pretty good as-is.

Anyway, it shot well, no malfs, and plenty accurate for my intended purpose.

The democrats continue to cannibalize their reputation, but it is not out of the realm of possibility that one of those clowns could wind up being President. Although Beto “Hell yes we’re coming to take your guns” O’Rourke is no longer a viable candidate, his attitude marches on.

And, amazingly, there are still people who actually say things like “We don’t have anything to worry about with Trump in office” in regards to gun control prohibition. Why rely on the whims of other people when you could simply remove all the variables from the equation and get your stuff now so these sorts of issues become moot?

If I’m wrong, so what? It means you have guns and ammo that you would have eventually bought anyway. But if I’m right….we go back to $100 Glock magazines, $1900 M4geries, bare muzzles, and ten round magazines.

When the Clinton Assault Weapons Ban sunsetted in 2004 there were a lot of people who swore they’d never get caught unprepared for that sort of thing again. I suspect not many walked it as they talked it. It’s been 15 years since that expiration and for many of you that’s almost one-half to on-third of your lifetime…thats a long time to get ready. Did you? If not, perhaps it’s time to rethink your plans for that tax refund. Or it might be time to put off buying that jet ski.

Personally, I’m okay. I’ll always want more, but if they passed a law tomorrow I think I’d feel fairly okay with what I already have.

The panic buying comes in waves, guys. First wave starts a little before Election Day. Shop now while prices are down and availability is up. And don’t count on crazy bargains if Trump gets re-elected because manufacturers went into overdrive cranking stuff out in anticipation of a Democrat victory….they aren’t going to make that mistake again, assuming they survived it the first time.

Bargains are still out there. Shop wise, shop smart, but….do shop.

Y’know, in just about ever sample of survivalist fiction there is that scene where the hero is forced into some situation where all that stands between him and obliteration is whatever goodies he craftily packed away for just such an eventuality. For people who envision this sort of scenario, Springfield announced the appropriately named ‘Evac’ takedown AR ‘pistol’.

Takedown AR’s arent really anything new. Heck, for a little while even Ruger was making one. But, as best I can tell, this is the first time someone has mated the takedown capability to an AR ‘pistol’. (And, yeah, air-quotes around pistol because we’re all adults here and know whats really going on.)

For some reason I have always been fascinated with takedown guns….some guns are inherently takedown, like the Thompson Contenders, and some are purpose built, like the Ruger 10/22 Takedowns. But, for some reason, they’ve always had an appeal to me.

I suspect that a gun such as this one Springfield is introducing will have a major attraction to the person who has to work in a …unpermissive…environment but wants to have the option of something with a bit more horsepower than a pistol if things go south. Imagine, for example, the guy working in an office in L.A. when the Rodney King riots started. Be nice to be able to reach into the bottom drawer of your desk, pull out a little PDW and have something to keep around ‘just in case’.

Would I buy one? I dunno. Dealer on them is showing about $1500 which makes it about the same price as a PTR MP5K copy (which, with a sidefolder ‘brace’ might be a handier option), and is twice the price of a similarly configured CZ Evo. Honestly, at some point I suspect Ruger will make a version of the 9mm PC takedown with a 10″ barrel and a folder ‘brace’ which would be pretty sweet.(And if Ruger doesnt pick up the ball and run with that idea I am sure the aftermarket will at some point.) .223 out of a stubby barrel like that doesn’t really offer any tremendous advantage, in my opinion, over a 9mm carbine in that same barrel length.

Interestingly, if you can be serious for a moment and not reflexively dismiss it, the .22LR guns that are out these days have some potential for being a super-subcompact PDW-style tool. Ruger makes a takedown version of the Charger pistol and with the right combination of parts you can make a pretty compact little gun that still has the utility to keep people from charging up the stairwell to your office. And 1000 rounds of ammo fits in your briefcase.

When it comes to guns, it often (but not always) does not pay to be an early adopter. While the Springfield Evac looks interesting I’ll wait a little while for some actual shooting reviews to come out, and for the inevitable bugs to be worked out. But…I like where Springfields head is at.

ETA: Looks like Gunbroker might be a good source right now.

I have, as of late, been trying to keep gun posts limited to Fridays but sometimes stuff occurs that, I think, should be brought to the attention of the fanbase as soon as possible. So….

Something funny is going on at Remington. (H/T to ,Rawles over at SurvivalBlog for posting a link that brought it to my attention.)

Succinctly, it appears, that Remington is ..closing? Reogranzing? Consolidating? …several of it’s acquired companies. Notably DPMS, Bushmaster, and TAPCO. The AR market is already so heavy that the loss of Bushy and DPMS can’t be lamented too loudly but TAPCO….

TAPCO is the company that is meme-famous being able to provide you with $600 worth of parts to turn your $200 SKS into a pale imitation of a $400 AK. Cheesey stocks, geegaws of questionable utility, and that sort of thing. BUT….TAPCO makes one of the very few aftermarket Mini-14 magazines that work and that I recommend. If TAPCO is indeed being put down then the future of reliable aftermarket Mini mags becomes …well…what it was ten years ago. I already went to several of my vendors and they have all their TAPCO mags marked as ‘closeout’ and….out of stock. Writing is on the wall.

Maybe it’s just a reorganization. Maybe it’s just Remington working on new websites. But it appears that there is a disruption going on that Mini-14 owners may want to get ahead of.

‘Tis a sad state of affairs I find myself in. I used to make fun of people who bought guns and never took them out to shoot. And, now, I have become that which I ridiculed. I have, at the moment, no less than a dozen guns that I have not yet taken to the range and function checked. That’s alot of guns sitting around in an existential state of limbo… can’t pack ’em away if I don’t know for a fact that they work just fine.

Im going to try and get my act together and pack up some range gear and head out tomorrow. I’m hoping the weather will be at least somewhat amenable.

What to shoot? I desperately want to get the .44 Redhawk and .44 Marlin on paper so I can clean ’em up, oil ’em down, and tuck ’em away. I also very much want to shoot the new Ruger 9mm carbine and see if it lives up to the hype. And, I think theres at least a couple 9mm’s that need to get a few hundred rounds through them before they get packed away for the Deep Sleep.

Fortunately, because of my enjoyment of shooting guns this will be more like fun than work. But…it does need to get done. I’ve been remiss in keeping up on regular range trips.

Minding my own business the other day and I stumbled into a Ruger 77/22 Hornet that had been rechambered to KHornet. Price….oh, you’re gonna hate me…..$250.

Im a Ruger guy, and I love me some Ruger 77, but the KHornet was useless to me…except for turning it into something slightly more useful. So…a little poking around, some creative pricing, and I flipped it for a lot more than I paid for it. Now, what to do with that money. Well, let’s go check ArmsList and see if anyone local is in the mood to take a beating. Sure enough….found one of these, a BX-25 mag, with a gun case and a Chineseium red dot scope for $150. And no paperwork. So I got back all my money that was outlaid for the KHornet, picked up another 10/22, and had a few bucks left over.

That’s how it’s done guys.  Started the week with $250…ended the week with $250 and a 10/22 and some cash.

I’ll probably tear off all that furniture and put the barreled receiver into one of the several normal 10/22 stocks I have laying about. If I need a .22 AR simulator I’ll just drop my CMMG kit in one of my ARs.

This was 10/22 #8. Two more and I’m done on 10/22’s.