Originally published at VolkStudio Blog. You can comment here or there.
The result looks a lot like this.
(Photo by Heather Cernik)
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Behind the scenes
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The perceived inadequacy of M1 carbine
Originally published at VolkStudio Blog. You can comment here or there.
M1 carbine is often called the “girlfriend gun” for its compact size and low recoil. It’s as often derided for the perceived lack of stopping power. We decided to test it side by side with .223, 9×19 and 10mm Auto.
(Photo by Heather Cernik)
1/4″ doesn’t sound like much until you actually handle the plate. Aluminum doesn’t sound like much either, until you look at the cross-section to see surface hardening to the depth of about 1.5mm and also look at the lack of penetration by the pistol rounds. In addition to firing at extended range, I also shot 9×19 at 25 yards and the bullets left only slightly deeper dents.
As you can see, the accuracy of the carbine (used here with the discontinued 2x Aimpoint CompC3 on an Ultimak mount) is plenty accurate to hit a hostile human past 250 yards. The effective accurate range isn’t that much less with unmagnified optics.
Front and back of the plate up close.
The Box O’ Truth tested .30 Carbine ball as well and found it quite adequate in penetration. Using soft point defensive ammunition would reduce penetration slightly but increase the wound channel size. In truth, .30 carbine is only slightly behind 7.92 Kurtz, 300 Blackout and 7.62×39 in energy and suffers mostly from the use of stubby pistol-like bullets that lose velocity quicker and don’t tumble on impact. For personal self-defense, long range matters seldom. Better terminal performance can be had with properly picked ammunition. Penetration, as the plate photos above show, is sufficient to defeat auto bodies and other light cover — and, not being a spitzer bullet, .30 carbine projectile doesn’t destabilize as drastically upon impact. So it’s a useful round, and it far outperforms most of the pistol cartridges used in submachine guns and light carbines.
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Today is the 25th anniversary of my family coming to America
Originally published at VolkStudio Blog. You can comment here or there.
On this day in 1989, I flew to New York from Rome (which was a waypoint on the way from the USSR). Today, I flew to back Rome to celebrate the anniversary with my parents who discovered America for me. My father is an American who was born in another country by mistake. He remedied that error as quickly as he could, bringing my mother and I along.
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Producing a 2015 photo calendar?
Originally published at VolkStudio Blog. You can comment here or there.
Would any of my blog readers know how to produce and distribute a picture calendar? I’d like to use my RKBA images for that but don’t have the spare time to see the project to completion.
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Today is the 25th anniversary of my family coming to America
Originally published at VolkStudio Blog. You can comment here or there.
On this day in 1989, I flew to New York from Rome (which was a waypoint on the way from the USSR). Today, I flew back Rome to celebrate the anniversary with my parents who discovered America for me. My father is an American who was born in another country by mistake. He remedied that error as quickly as he could, bringing my mother and I along.
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New on AllOutdoor: Boberg Arms XR45
Originally published at VolkStudio Blog. You can comment here or there.
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New on AllOutdoor: IWI Tavor vs. Kel-tec RDB
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Shotguns for the AK users
Originally published at VolkStudio Blog. You can comment here or there.
For people who shoot AK pattern rifles, it makes sense to use similar .22 traning carbines. And it makes as much sense to use shotguns with similar manual of arms, either Saiga…
..or Vepr.
Both come with 5-rd magazines, but 8, 10 and 12 round box mags and 10, 12 and 20rd drums are available. Recoil is pretty mild in both. I prefer Vepr for the ease of loading.
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Larger magazines for Vepr .308 rifle
Originally published at VolkStudio Blog. You can comment here or there.
Standard Vepr .308 comes with a 5rd and a 10rd magazines in polymer. In the past, two companies made 30-rd metal mags, but neither produces them now. Just found out that SGM Tactical makes all-polymer 25-rounders and tried them out with my Vepr.
In this case, the stock rifle was updgraded with a hydraulic recoil buffer and TWS forend and rail top cover. The end result with 20″ barrel is a bit stout, so lightweight mags help.
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Sharp, pointy things
Originally published at VolkStudio Blog. You can comment here or there.
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Boomershoot 2014: new at AllOutdoor
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“War to the Knife”
Originally published at VolkStudio Blog. You can comment here or there.
New book by my friend Peter is out...with my cover design.
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L’il Ugly again
Originally published at VolkStudio Blog. You can comment here or there.
I showed this carbine before, but this time it’s in a more realistic setting — with the user behind stout cover. While no match for 30-06AP, the tree would at least stop buzzgun emissions and buckshot. With the red dot, the carbine can be realistically employed out to 250m to good effect.
If you aren’t a fan of the round, Mini14 fills a similar niche with .223 — shown here with the same red dot and light, also on an Ultimak mount.
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My friend Dot
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Red dots on AKs and shotguns
Originally published at VolkStudio Blog. You can comment here or there.
Arsenal AK 7.62×39 with Aimpoint sight on Ultimak rail, ACE stock and Magpul 30rd magazine.
Having used Bulgarian, Polish and certain US polymer magazines, I am a convert. Steel is just too heavy for the same result. AK is a 3-4MOA rifle and yet nobody questions the utility of a red dot sight for improved speed and precision.
Vepr 12 with Aimpoint red dot.
While the RPK-derived Vepr 12 are unlikely to be more accurate that the rifles, they are not appreciable less accurate out to the transonic range of the slug in use, especially if the slug is of a Brenneke type. 4MOA out to 60-80 yards isn’t unusual, and rifled shotguns can approach 1.5MOA with Brenneke or sabot slugs. Here’s a PDF illustrating terminal performance of slugs at long range, and a video showing slug use at 230 yards. So better sights are a plus even for smoothbores.
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Explosives up close: new on AllOutdoor
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Gun Training During Pregnancy: New on AllOutdoor
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The amount of harm caused by any politician…
Originally published at VolkStudio Blog. You can comment here or there.
…can be estimated by his life expectancy in public without bodyguards.
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Left-handed Rock River AR15 in use
Originally published at VolkStudio Blog. You can comment here or there.
Works pretty well for the kind of lefties I like.
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Two AK rifles for sale by my friends
Originally published at VolkStudio Blog. You can comment here or there.
Bulgarian .223 shortie AK74: “Factory wood foregrip and a plastic railed foregrip, 6 magazines (3 black and 3 clear). It’s the SBR done by Tim Foreman. 200rnds ran through it.” Asking $2250. NFA rules apply.
I shot this rifle and it works really well. Even a small 12 year old girl can run it comfortably.
The other rifle is for sale by a different friend: “Egyptian Maadi with 24 magazines, 4380 rounds & assorted mag pouches,stocks,etc.” Asking $2500.
If interested in either, let me know and I will get you in touch with the sellers.
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