シースコッファー

 Or so it’s called in Japanese airsoft circles, although apparently it’s really called “Spezialkoffer”.  Some dork on Facebook imported one to try to stuff a real MP5K into it, but apparently it needs a shell deflector.  $600 for a replica?  Ouch.  Just searching for 「シースコッファー」 will turn up a bunch of hits.

HK91 Locking Piece for Sound Suppression

In order to use a can on a PTR-91 or other G3/91 clone, apparently it's necessary to use a different locking piece that slows down the bolt carrier with the increased back-pressure.  Rim Country Manufacturing sells a #17, 36° part that fits the bill.  $50 ain't so bad.  They also have US-made trunions, bolt carriers, and bolt heads for MP5- and 53-type actions.

Expedient Homemade Firearms

Now that Paladin Press is defunct, I'm finding books they used to publish that are now out of print.  I have to wonder how one gets started in the publishing business...and if one could license some of Paladin Press's old texts.

One of the publications was by Philip Luty, Expedient Homemade Firearms.  It sounds like a practical text to have in addition to the more modern version by Cody Wilson.  Unfortunately, a well-used copy is over $100 on Amazon.  Unfortunately, Mr. Luty passed away in 2011, so unless his estate has someone looking to sell the rights to the book, it will likely remain out of print.

What to do if you find a machinegun in the attic

An SOT on Arfcom documented this, and it's informative.

Maybe my second career should be law, specifically firearms law....

Desert Eagle

I've always wanted a Desert Eagle in .50AE.  That Magnum Research is based out of MN is one more reason.  American Rifleman has an interesting FAQ.  A thread on SilencerTalk has a link to a video of a guy shooting a suppressed "Deagle".  Apparently one has to cut down one of the 10" barrels, and even then the gas system spits out much of the pressure.

40mm (and 20mm)

So I was looking for "sin stocks" to invest in this morning, and came across a link on a website for thematic investing (motif) that had National Presto Industries under "Guns & Ammunition".  Their site is for crockpots.  Well, it turns out from their investor info that one of their subsidiaries, AMTEC, manufactures ammunition for government contracts.  Apparently they also manufacture 20mm cartridge brass!  Information comes from the strangest places.

Walther PP

Info on the Walther forums: date codes, serial number ranges, etc.

SurplusRifle.com

I recall reading this SurplusRifle.com guide back before I filed for my C&R FFL.  There's a PDF of the guide, accessible via The Wayback Machine.

AR308

In looking to SBR an AR-style 7.62 rifle, I needed to find 1) a DPMS-compatible rifle, and 2) one that was in stock.  That's been a challenge.  I almost picked up an Aero lower; fortunately I didn't because it was AR-10 style rather than DPMS.

One article I found comments on compatibility.

There's a spreadsheet that details some of the variants; however, it doesn't differentiate between DPMS gen 1 and 2, and the Aero Precision M5 is compatible with DPMS gen 1.

Brownells has a bunch of AR308 parts, of course.

Topical Black Rifle Stuff

A link dump, of sorts.

• San Tan Tactical's STT-15 lower receiver: I need this ambi receiver for my 2nd SBR.
• The Maxim Defense CQB stock looks like a good alternative to the MVB ARC stock, being 4 oz lighter, but 1/2" longer.
• Tennessee Arms Company has hybrid polymer lowers for cheap; featured in Firearms News along with the KAK Industry .358 Win barrel.  Also has 80% polymer lowers.
• Veriforce Tactical has M-Lok handguards, some in pistol size that cost under $100.  Sounds like a good deal for a car gun.
• The GunTec USA M-Lok handguards look almost identical, but were advertised in Firearms News.
• Thordsen Customs has a CAA stock saddle basically mounted on the buffer tube.  I think I prefer the KAK Industry Shockwave Blade, but this is kinda a cool look.
• And of course there's the Shockwave Blade: Not as bulky as the Sig brace, still counts as a pistol, but in a SHTF scenario, could be shouldered (illegally).  The .358 Win barrels pointed to by Firearms News are pretty cool.  Might have to build myself an AR-10-style rifle.

So many items, so little time.

Rem 870 Receivers

When Black Aces Tactical was still selling receiver kits separately, I thought about assembling a mag-fed shotgun...but wasn't sure where to get all the parts.  Similarly, if I wanted to build a tactical tube-fed pump, I'd have to buy a normal one and trash the stock parts (or pay out the nose for the stock tactical).  I'd heard that the Police and Marine models had superior non-MIM parts, too.

So I found a site, AI&P Tactical, that sells both virgin receivers and parts.  Cool!  The owner also builds custom shotguns, but as of 2016 only will do 50 per year to avoid the excise tax on firearms manufacturers.

FFL-Related

Link dump regarding FFLs.

• Minnesota Statute on firearms dealers: 624.7161
• Also relevant: legislative research on state firearms laws, circa 1999
• Minnesota Administrative Rules 7504 regarding security standards for firearms dealers
• Olmsted Planning Department; one would be wise to check
• Getting a home-based FFL, in four parts, from TFB.
• Department of State list of who must register with DDTC for manufacturing munitions list articles
• Tax and Trade Bureau's FAQ on the firearms excise tax
• ATF Ruling 2010-10 regarding what constitutes a manufacturer

There are a lot of ins and outs, but experienced legal advice is hard to get.

.300 Blackout

Looking into what it takes to make .300 BLK (7.62x35mm) from 5.56 NATO, it seems as though using a cut-off saw with a jig is preferable to using a case trimmer.  The latter is more for smaller lengths, and could be very time consuming to do.

A thread on FAL Files lists one guy's process.  I saw a jig for sale on Amazon, but another thread mentioned "the original" on 300BlkTlk, which can also trim down 5.56 NATO for conversion to 7.62x25mm.  This could be interesting.

AR-15 Retractable Stocks

Recently on Facebook I saw a picture of a Remington 870 with a retractable stock, which was completely badass.  (There is a difference between retractable and collapsible.)  I then set out to find it, but didn't see anything for an 870.  It turns out that the picture was using an AR-15 stock adapter and a Nordic Components CRS (Compact Retractable Stock).  Midway used to have them for $120, but they're now discontinued.  There was a similar one made by Loki Weapons Systems, but they ran afoul of the ATF and are now defunct.

The only similar item I could find is the North Eastern Arms CCS (Compact Carbine Stock) over at Brownells.  This isn't the same since it actually has a buffer tube, whereas the CRS only worked with buffer-less systems (such as the 870).  Further, it includes a modified bolt carrier group and such, and so costs $330.  Ow.

Gun Parts

In addition to Numrich, another couple gun parts places crossed my path: Poppert's Gun Parts and Amherst Depot.

Holsters

• Alabama Holster Company (Kydex)
• PJ Holsters (Kydex)
• Garrity's Gunleather (obviously)

MLK & Guns

I'd posted a link on FB about Obama's recent EO banning importation of AKs.  As always, E.W. argued that it doesn't affect the average American, and I made the argument that gun rights are civil rights, and not caring just because it doesn't affect you is like a white person in the '60s saying they don't care about black voting rights, etc.

One of E.W.'s friends posted:

"I was much more afraid in Montgomery when I had a gun in my house. When I decided that I couldn't keep a gun, I came face-to-face with the question of death and I dealt with it. From that point on, I no longer needed a gun nor have I been afraid. Had we become distracted by the question of my safety we would have lost the moral offensive and sunk to the level of our oppressors." --Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (From his writings, compiled by Clayborne Carson) [source]

To which I replied:

T.F.: MLK did undergo something of a transformation in the late '50s to the early '60s, completely adopting the notion of non-violent protest. This was part of the power of his message; if he were all about an eye-for-an-eye, then it'd be too easy for his antagonists to provoke a confrontation to solidify support against him. I think he was trying to avoid the Middle East syndrome, where they've been trading blows for centuries. And indeed, the Black Panthers' blatant display of weapons freaked out the timid whites and arguably precipitated California's draconian gun laws and contributed to the 1968 Gun Control Act.

Dr. King also, in response to activists trying to get him to join sit-ins in the early '60s, said, "I think I should choose the time and place of my Golgatha"--with the implication seemingly that he realized that he was at some point going to be killed for his work. That he did it anyway was heroic. (Further, it's not clear that those around Dr. King didn't keep their weapons for his defense--I couldn't find good sources on that after his conversion to non-violence.)

However, this is non-violence to affect political change, and it seems like Dr. King had an idea where it was going to lead. In his 1967 book, he wrote:

"Finally, I contended that the debate over the question of self-defense was unnecessary since few people suggested that Negroes should not defend themselves as individuals when attacked. The question was not whether one should use his gun when his home was attacked, but whether it was tactically wise to use a gun while participating in an organized demonstration." (Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?)

The point he was making, as I interpret it, is that he wasn't against self-defense or guns; rather, he advised that when marching for political purposes, the potential for a protest to devolve when arms are present overshadows the potential advantages. Of course, the risk is that one will be defenseless, and the personal choice one must make--which Dr. King made--was whether to put the cause or one's self-preservation first. I believe that the quote that you put forth doesn't contradict that interpretation.

In those same papers, Dr. King said he only owned one gun in '56; however, some of his advisers noted that there were firearms all over the house. This would imply that perhaps Dr. King distanced himself from the image of firearms ownership, but his crew didn't necessarily.

Other related pieces:
When MLK gave up his guns [Salon]
Civil Rights Leader and Gun-Owner MLK [Guns.com]
The Secret History of Guns [The Atlantic]

Laptop Refresh Dump

Normally I keep a bunch of tabs open in Firefox.  Well, today I have to turn in my laptop for the refresh at work, which prompted this link dump.

Broadband Amateur Radio Mesh Networks (HSMM-MESH)
VentureBeat article on mesh networks
(Well, I ought to write that post for BetterOffBitcoin, which I've been putting off....)
Article on how to use Bitcoin to set up an anonymous, self-sustaining website
Lumo Back, a device to help improve one's posture
Automatic, a vehicle telemetry-type device
Funky house blueprints via Wired (this has been in my browser for almost half a year...)
What to do when the Feds usurp power
Knowledge Weighs Nothing's bug-out bag checklist
The ATF's proposed rule change on NFA entities via the Federal Register
Survival Resources, a funky prepper store

AR-15 Pistols

Looking into building an AR-15 pistol, but don't want to have to use a modified bolt carrier.  Phase 5 Tactical appears to have a pistol buffer tube (receiver extension) that works with a standard BCG, unlike the GSE setups.  However, it looks like 7.5" barrels require special considerations with the gas tube.  Their quad rail looks neat too.

Arfcom has an area specific to AR-15 pistols.  The section on ATF letters is interesting and useful.  Apparently the Franklin Armory pistol can have a vertical foregrip because its OAL is over 26", and thus falls into a gray area where it's not an AOW.  Supposedly an 11.5" barrel will result in that OAL.

Black Powder

An online shop, Track of the Wolf, has black powder for sale as well as firearms and accessories.  The catalog looks intriguing.