Timbonez

Beaver, I bought my Mk. III back in January and shot it stock until now. Like I said before, I had zero problems with it and it was a very well put together handgun. It went out Monday to Novak's and they got it Tuesday. Now it's time for the waiting game. Smokin, I have a Comp M4s on one of my AR-15s, which works great. You got yours a lot cheaper than mine. I may have to buy another if they're that price.

Beaver, I bought a brand new BHP Mk III earlier this year. The few times I've brought it to the range it has been 100% reliable. It has the smoothest/tightest action of any of my production semi-autos. I like the pistol very much, and out of the box it is an outstanding combat handgun. If you do buy a Mk III and don't end up modifying it, you'll have one fine pistol. The newer Mk III pistols have cast frames as opposed to the forged frames of older models. Ironically, the cast frames are stronger than the older pistols. Mk II's and on will feed JHP ammo reliably without modification to the barrel or feed ramp. Older models have a hump on the ramp which feeds FMJ very well but JHP is hit or miss. Companies, like Novak's, that do work on BHPs can remove it easily if you have an older model with their original barrel. I want to get the home defense package (but with black sights instead of the night sights), bead blast and blue, single side safety, new sear, and commander hammer. Novak's Packages and Individual Modifications. If you don't already have a BHP you can have Novak's get one for you and do the modifications before you even get it. Had I known about that before, and if the price was right, I probably would have bought straight through them. Stephen A. Camp is somewhat of an authority on BHPs and his website has a lot of useful information concerning the Hi Power. He's used one as a police officer, hunting, compares different ammo, compares it to similar handguns, and provides an overall better understanding of the pistol to the average person like me. Hi Powers and Handguns What kind of "upgrades" did you have in mind for when you get one?

I forgot to mention that one of my Nighthawk 1911s arrived earlier this week. Here are some crappy photos. I'll try to get some daylight ones tomorrow. ETA: I took the old ones down and put up ones without a flash. Ball cuts on the slide forward of the dust cover and front slide serrations. The barrel is crowned and flush fit with the bushing... The top of the slide is serrated... The rear of the slide is also serrated... That's a hair on the right side of the frame just below the slide. The Enforcer model has a plunger tube (they are normally a separate part that is staked on) and extended magwell that are physically a part of the frame. The mainspring housing also has an integrated lanyard loop.

M2, I thought there weren't any state laws regard shipping firearms, this being Texas and all. I'm in Abilene. I looked at a lot of shit on Texas' websites and whatnot. Anyway, I'm going to try a different FedEx location on Monday, and if that fails I'll just talk to the gun store I usually use here for transfers. I know FedEx requires that handguns be priority overnight w/insurance, and I calculated it to be almost $60. Thanks for the second pair of eyes. ETA: I'm shipping from Texas to another state.

M2, applicable to the state of Texas, do you know anything about shipping a firearm to a licensed company for work? I have a Browning Hi Power that I want to send to Novak's for some upgrades. It was recommended by them to go through FedEx, so yesterday I went down to FedEx to ask about their policies on shipping a handgun. This was sort of a test as I had already looked up FedEx policies concerning the matter. The woman that was at a counter said I had to go through a FFL, which isn't correct unless Texas has a state law on the matter. I tried looking for something like that but was unable to find anything. Do you know anything about that? I'm pretty sure I'm just going to go down to that FedEx again and slap the woman in the face with a printout of their own policies, and if they really don't want my business I'll take it elsewhere. Thanks.

It is, and he's holding a Hi Power.

Nice! I wish I had that much restraint. I tell myself to I need to cut back, but I don't listen very well.

I couldn't decide if this belonged in the gun thread or the WTF thread. He focuses a lot on gun owners but some other random bullshit is thrown in there for good measure. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBwwZ85WcAM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pm92cu1t8co These are just two gems, but check out his channel and other vids.

M2, cut the guy in the third video some slack. He's shooting a 4 bore, it's almost a 1.0 caliber and about a quarter pound of lead he's shooting. Brick, you'll be hard pressed to find .44 special ammo. It's not a very common/popular caliber these days. Try looking online. EDIT: Reloading is also an option.

2. Fenix flashlights are great. I have 2 PD30s and an LD20.

I think it is worth it to build your own AR-15, because it helps give you a better understanding of how all the parts interact with each other. There are several companies to choose from that sell stripped uppers and lowers. Building an upper will require some extra tools, whereas building a lower from scratch can be done "almost all" manually. The cost of building a lower and combining it with a complete upper will be less expensive than buying a complete rifle made with the same parts (with few exceptions). I've posted this before, but this M4 Chart describes the desired items on an AR-15. You can ignore the actual charts at the bottom of the page. The charts below only show a single model from each manufacturer, and there are several manufacturers missing. Gas piston rifles aren't listed on there either. Street prices are incorrect as well. What's key is the description of each item listed before the charts. Spike's Tactical rifles follow all of them except HPT on the bolt and barrel. I personally do not own one of their rifles, but I own one of their stripped lowers I have for a build as well as one of their ST-T2 buffers. There are many that frequent forums dedicated to the AR-15 that hold Spike's in high regard, and it's because they truly do put out a quality product and will stand by it. I hope that helps. Unrelated to AR-15s, I ended up buying the wife a NIB SIG P225. It's a single stack 9mm. All it needs is a pair of pink grips, says her. Grips are kind of hard to find for this model, so she may have to settle for red Hogue aluminum grips.

All AR-15s, M-16s, M-4s, etc. make that "byonggg" sound. It's what happens when you have the buffer and the buffer spring so close to your cranium. It's completely normal. It can be mitigated by what type of buffer you use. Spike's ST-T2 buffer is filled with tungsten powder, which helps to limit that sound. BCM is an excellent choice. I have two BCM uppers, one being their 16" mid-length on a Cav Arms lower.

Those three companies you mentioned are on the lower end of the AR-15 spectrum. That doesn't mean you necessarily have to buy a Colt either. There are plenty of great AR-15 manufacturers out there: Colt, LMT, Noveske, BCM, Spike's, KAC, LWRC, and I'm sure I'm forgetting a few. Middle of the road manufacturers like Rock River Arms, Bushmaster, Smith & Wesson, and Stag Arms also put out a good product. If you want an inexpensive carbine, Spike's Tactical puts out the product to beat in terms of quality and "mil-spec" components vs. price. Their ST-15 M4 Carbine runs for $950.00 and uses a cold hammer forged barrel. Their ST-15 M4 LE Carbine is the same exact weapon but without the CHF barrel, which drops the price to $800. Both rifles, are leaps and bounds better than the ones you mentioned, plus Spike's CS is some of the best in the industry. Ultimately it boils down to what you're going to use the rifle for. If it is just going to be a plinker, then Doublestar, DPMS, and Oly are just fine. If you are going to trust your life to it, spend the extra money to get something that meets the minimum specs put out by the military. Civilian rifles aren't "mil-spec" because there isn't an inspector checking the lot to make sure the product is right. It's a buzz word that every company uses to sell their product. Those companies, that I mentioned that are great, use parts that were designed to be mil-spec. Many of them surpass the minimum mil-spec requirement. Those that you find on the cheap (Doublestar, et al.) make a cheaper product because they cut corners and use inferior parts. It doesn't necessarily mean they will fail sooner, but are you willing to gamble that? When it comes to AR-15s, you really do get what you pay for. The CS offered by the top tier and middle of the road manufacturers is usually much better as well. If you run into any problem, they will take care of you, and Spike's is no different. Buy once, cry once.

Smokin, I'd recommend getting a red dot designed as a stand alone optic. That RMR is really for people who are running a magnified optic and need to switch to something for close quarters. If you're looking for an unmagnified optic, go with any of the Aimpoint Comp M series optics. The L versions of the ML2 and ML3 don't come with the NV settings, which will reduce the cost. The Aimpoint Micro T-1 and M4/M4s are both good options too, but will be slightly more expensive. EoTech also makes good red dots, but their battery life is nothing compared to the Aimpoints. Unrelated, it looks like SA is making the XDm in .45 ACP now. I couldn't find any information on it, but their main page shows an advertisement... Linky.

Saw the article too; apaches would be my pick. Regarding the picture of him in the first post, he has a Browning Hi-Power (I know 2 years ago). There is no way he could have an AD, even if he tried pulling the trigger, because it's a single action only pistol and the hammer is clearly down. There is either no round in the chamber or a round is chambered and he rode the hammer down, so he is pretty much safe.

Look at S&W Model 17s or 18s, they're more expensive than the 317 but look cooler (read: classic) IMO. For semi-auto .22s look at Browning Buckmarks, Beretta Neos, Ruger Mark IIIs, or Ruger 22/45s.

Sweet deal, Jarhead. For two of my LPKs I went with Rock River Arms. One of them works just fine and has their two stage trigger. The other one (w/single stage trigger), however, does not pass the function check. They made the trigger out of spec, so the weapon is unsafe when firing. I swapped one of my other AR's trigger group to see if it would work and I had no problems. I have yet to buy another trigger for that AR-15, but it won't be RRA. I've seen on other forums that RRA has a greater preponderance of making out of spec parts for their LPKs. I'd look at Stag, Daniel Defense, or Colt. My third build has a Colt LPK, and you definitely pay a premium for it. It also doesn't come with a trigger. EDIT: Crag, thanks for the info. I'll go up there this weekend or next.

Congrats! Let us know how the build goes. What LPK are you going to use?

Is that the North range? I'll have to get in on that.

What a cool dad you are, M2. That sucks about Camp Bullis. Looks like you're going to have to buy an evil black rifle.

That's very unfortunate. I know quite a few people at NAS Pensacola.

Jarhead, it's really hard to screw up buying just a stripped upper or lower. As long as they are forged (or billet) using 7075-T6 aluminum, they use the proper Type III hard anodizing, and they are known to make them to spec (dimensions, holes drilled, etc.) then there shouldn't be a problem. I have no personal experience with Aero Precision, but I hear their uppers and lowers are very good pieces for making personal builds. EDIT: Palmetto, thanks for the M1 Garand specs. Yours is a very nice rifle. The stock on mine is not original and is newly manufactured but beautiful. That doesn't bother me much as it's more of a shooter than just a straight up collector's piece.

Palmetto, that's a nice 1911 and I like your M1 Garand. Who is the manufacturer? I have a Harrington & Richardson M1 Garand that was produced during the Korean War. Crag, as long as your TN conceal carry permit is still valid, TX will honor it.

M2, that's pretty much exactly why I was looking at the GI .45; the fact that it is so similar to a WWII M1911A1. The closest thing I have to that right now is my Colt Series 70 repro (my favorite production 1911). When the Series 70 first came out, one of the biggest "improvements" that Colt added was a collet bushing. It basically gripped the barrel, and since the bushing is attached to the slide the pistol would theoretically be more accurate. The problem with the collet bushing was that it was weak and therefore prone to breakage. When Colt started making the Series 70 repro a few years ago, they decided to forgo the collet bushing for a traditional one. Technically the Series 70 repros have more in common with commercial pre-Series 70 1911s because they don't have the firing pin safety like the Series 80 (or any of the other iterations that current popular manufacturers use), they don't use the collet bushing, it has an arched mainspring housing, it has a non-lowered/flared ejection port, and the controls are the same as your standard M1911A1 from WWII. The major differences would be that it's polished blue, they don't use the low profile military sights, it uses wood diamond grips instead of the brown plastic ones, and the barrel is throated for reliable feeding of HPs. I like the idea of the SA GI .45 because it's parkerized and it also has the low profile military sights. I can live without the actual rollmarks. I know the GI .45 barrels are throated as well, which isn't period correct, but I prefer it that way for the HPs. I'd have no problem carrying a GI .45 concealed. I also like that it doesn't have the firing pin safety. I know it has that goofy internal lock, much like Taurus and Smith & Wesson, but I can live with that. Saving Private Ryan is such an excellent movie, and the whole sequence of them defending Ramelle is pretty epic. As for CAPT Miller with the M1911A1, he's staring down the barrel of a Tiger tank with a pistol in hand and blows a tank up (yes I know it's the P-51). It also shows how great the 1911 is, and proves the old adage "they all fall to hardball," including Tiger tanks. I'm still up in the air about it. My Series 70 is awesome, and I carry it from time to time, but the GI .45 is relatively inexpensive that it would be worth it to add another 1911 to the stable. EDIT: To add this random thought... For those of you that don't know what a throated barrel is, it's adding bevels to the rear of the chamber to allow HPs to feed more smoothly. Before HPs became commonplace, the chamber would only be beveled from approximately the 5-7 o'clock region. Throating extends this from about the 3-9 region. I have one 1911, a combat commander, that doesn't have a throated barrel but I've never had an issue with it feeding HP ammo... go figure. The two on the right are throated. EDIT 2: I'll have to get a new family photo up once my Talon II and Enforcer come in.

Two posts in the row, but oh well. M2, how do you like your SA GI .45? I was thinking about getting a simple, no frills 1911 like that, and I like what it has to offer.