tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post5644431231561044912..comments2024-03-28T23:57:50.103-05:00Comments on Bayou Renaissance Man: Personal defense rifles and ammo: immense demand, but a shrinking supplyPeterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10595089829300831372noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-27916806471443700632021-03-19T08:14:05.172-05:002021-03-19T08:14:05.172-05:00A 5 MOA rifle will still land lethal shots on a hu...A 5 MOA rifle will still land lethal shots on a human target at 200 yards. Kyle Rittenhouse could have made good commies with a 20 MOA rifle at the near-contact distances from which he engaged his attackers. A 2 MOA rifle is nice but if you need to arm yourself in this time of trouble don't shy away from an entry level mil spec.<br /><br />Instead of a 7.62x39 AR, I suggest getting an AK. No faffing about with enhanced firing pins and variant magazines and other oddities, and two rifles are more useful than one rifle and a weird upper.ADShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12108188405628955164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-76159740586763941642021-03-18T14:51:02.808-05:002021-03-18T14:51:02.808-05:00I'm currently running a 7.62x39 upper from Bea...I'm currently running a 7.62x39 upper from Bear Creek Arsenal and I find it more accurate than my .223 upper. I did have to replace the firing pin to get it to function with steel case ammo.<br /><br />I have noticed recently that the worst of the shortages seem to be easing - ammo is more available, especially 9mm and .223, and prices have dropped a little. My LGS just dropped the price on their 9mm from $30 a box to $25 a box, and raised their daily limit from 100 to 200 rounds.<br />I'm seeing AR kits online from $450; the same companies were charging $700 when they had any stock at the peak, and I'm seeing more LPKs and other parts available at pre-pandemic non-sale prices, for example Anderson LPKs for $48.Jonathan Hhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10476185257203343474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-67224317503775419662021-03-18T14:16:47.623-05:002021-03-18T14:16:47.623-05:00As in all stories regarding fishing holes, "Y...As in all stories regarding fishing holes, "<i>You shoulda been here yesterday!</i>" applies.Aesophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07834464741531503378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-48155619841795707852021-03-18T11:17:53.986-05:002021-03-18T11:17:53.986-05:00@BigCountryExpat: You're right about the &quo...@BigCountryExpat: You're right about the "filth factor", but I clean my AR after every session, using plenty of brake parts cleaner, etc. to flush out the crud. By doing that, it's not been a major problem for me. I imagine, if you let the crud build up, it would rapidly become one!Peterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10595089829300831372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-4627098362069404522021-03-18T11:05:34.471-05:002021-03-18T11:05:34.471-05:00Appreciate the links Peter... great points all, an...Appreciate the links Peter... great points all, and I actually never thought of running a Rooskie 7.62x39 AR personally. My main concern with it is the 'filth factor.' Most of the cheap DotMil surplus Rooskie 7.62 fires <b>really dirty </b> burning powders, and have a LOT of residue. This's seriously contraindicated with the gas impingement system... the Armalite design is much less tolerable of crappy powder, which is why the Vietnam Era initial issue rifles had so many problems. <br /><br />That was one of the big secrets of the M-16 issues... the DoD contractor, who made the ammo for the M-16s tested with one powder, and switched to a cheaper, more crud producing one, that invariably led to jams and issues in the field. Just part of the issues, but a critical one.<br /><br />An AR-K as I call 'em, if using surplus Rooskie rounds, will need double the cleaning n'loob to keep running.BigCountryExpathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11775633301416291951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-5827514976257540922021-03-18T10:06:00.139-05:002021-03-18T10:06:00.139-05:00Tam has previously noted that magazines are a fung...Tam has previously noted that magazines are a fungible, and more is always better.<br /><br />Cheap trick for AR (or other bitty-parts-want-to-fly) assembly: get a large clear plastic bag, and work inside. (Hopefully your bag is thick enough to resist the spring-launched detent; if not, at least thick enough to slow it down some.)Ygolonachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08563204531769753326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-17696676289475634462021-03-18T08:16:42.614-05:002021-03-18T08:16:42.614-05:00Good advice here and it reminds me that I need som...Good advice here and it reminds me that I need some of those parts.Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04780834197167716549noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-17765926714761201322021-03-18T07:48:40.817-05:002021-03-18T07:48:40.817-05:00Agree with everything you said but I'll add th...Agree with everything you said but I'll add that you didn't mention the effect of lockdowns and "social distancing" on manufacturing and production. Hard to keep running at full capacity when half your workers aren't allowed to come to work and those that are there have to be kept separated.<br /><br />I feel sorry for those struggling to find ammo but I also remember having this discussion multiple times over the past twenty years and the answer to why someone would only have 50 rounds was never well thought out. The only ammo I've had to buy in the past year was 9mm and that because I bought my first 9, a SIG M18.<br /><br />Thanks for the link on organizing spare parts. I'll be reading that. It's always bugged me that I have a bin full of spare parts. I "know" what they are all for but if it's been years since you worked on something that knowledge may not be as readily accessible as you might like when the time comes.heresolonghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00461382067580153600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-36794891572178879482021-03-18T07:45:39.908-05:002021-03-18T07:45:39.908-05:00Up in this neck of the woods, MA it's tough to...Up in this neck of the woods, MA it's tough to find reasonably priced AR's (surprise!). <br /><br />Mini-14's are available and will likely be the route I go. Ammo 5.56/.223 is running about $0.75/rd online and private sales but it's out there if you want to pay.<br /><br />I was late to the game so I gotta pay.Stephenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14013262296874201158noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-42104680061770459642021-03-18T07:12:59.103-05:002021-03-18T07:12:59.103-05:00First AR I built from a stripped lower took me a d...First AR I built from a stripped lower took me a day and a half from component parts to a fully functioning lower. Last one about 45 minutes.<br />Start with a clear well lighted workspace, a few spare parts (springs and detent pins in particular). Highly recommend a strong magnetic pickup tool close to hand for retrieval of said small parts as they are known to fly off to places unknown at the slightest encouragement.<br />Am finding it worth my time to check with all my usual on line vendors as certain components will suddenly become available briefly. In the last month or so I've managed to grab 2k of 115gr 9mm slugs, 4k 55gr .223 bullets, 1k .380 brass, and a complete lower parts kit including grip and control group. <br />Primers on the other hand cannot be found in quantity for love nor money.<br />Had an interesting discussion just last night with an old machinist friend as to how difficult it would be to build a small batch primer operation. He's an old tool and die man, and my training is in both Industrial and Systems engineering.Uncle Larhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04008207593205949098noreply@blogger.com