Shook Guns Part 11

Shook Guns Part 11:
Random Summer Enhancements & Developments

Being the AZ correspondent for C2D means being pretty fucking miserable in summer. But despite 3 months of 100-115 degree days, I've managed to stay pretty active shooting-wise. And the more I shoot, the more I try new gear and tweek existing equipment. So here's some of the new things I've been playing with this summer....

Kahr P380 (actual size shown):


I've always wanted one of these to replace the ratty (& unreliable) Keltec P3AT I've had since 2003, but the price is ridiculous.
So when my shop bought this used one at a crazy low price I had to scoop it up.



My ONLY complaint is the lack of a pocket clip like my Keltec had...I'm still searching for the right holster so that I'll actually carry it.



Surefire 60 round AR15 Magazine:

I've been waiting for these to hit the streets since January, so naturally I snagged the first one I came across. Utilizing a quad-stack design, it holds 60rds of 5.56mm without adding too much length over a standard USGI 30rd mag (shown for comparison)




It has hiccupped a few times, so it's not 100% reliable, but when it runs it's awesome.

EXO/NiB-X Finish:

WMD Guns out of Florida is now offering this refinishing service on many pistols and AR components. It is a Nickle-Boron coating that is slick to the touch, but requires no lubrication (supposedly...)



I had this G19 done to test it out, and have since sent a few more pieces out. Also upgraded on both of my carry guns are the new Trijicon HD night sights, with a much more visible front post during daytime use.



Rounding it out is the Raven Concealment Holster (this one accomodates a pistol-mounted light and extended/threaded barrel), which are pricy and take FOREVER to get, but seem to be worth the hassle. I liked this one so much I got another one immediately after....



Satanic SBR Upgrades:

This gun is damn-near perfect, so I rarely chance much on it. However, to shave weight, it is now sporting a Magpul CTR stock, Daniel Defense front & rear sights, and an Aimpoint T1 Micro on a DD Mount (my new favorite optic). Also upgraded the LED on the Surefire Scout Light to the new K2XC head (=BRIGHT!)




SCAR Mods:



There are very few aftermarket mods for the SCAR rifles, but I've finally gotten them both set up how I like them....



I'm now running a T1 Micro on the SCAR-16 as well, and using a Streamlight TLR-1S mounted over the barrel on the PWS Rail Extension. Everything else is the same as before.



The SCAR-17 finally has its own optic, the Trijicon ACOG TA11J-308. A perfect optic for this rifle. Also recently installed the Branham Tactical Rail Extension; much shorter than the PWS rail on my 16, but just enough extra length to cover the gas block. The sling is the Blue Force Gear Vickers Sling, which I swap between the 2.



and FINALLY, due to the above mods...I was comfortable enough to try the SCAR-17 out at a local match. It went pretty well, all things considered. Most importantly: the gun runs like a champ.

Enjoy

Tweet

Shook Guns Part 6

Shook Guns Part 6:
Continued SCARification

In the last installment of Shook Guns, we were introduced to the 308 powerhouse that is the FNH SCAR-17S. After having its glorious presence in my safe for a few weeks, I realized that even after I acquired some more mags for it, I'd never shoot it as much as my 5.56mm AR15 carbines. Why? Because the majority of my shooting is either in competitions (where 308 is disadvantageous) or training classes (where the co$t of shooting 1000+ rounds in a weekend makes 308 prohibitive). So my dilemma was, I wanted to have this badass gun for the end of the world, and be proficient with it, but I knew I'd never dedicate the time and money to train with it.
The solution?
Buy another SCAR, in 5.56mm...



Luckily for me, there was recently a batch of SCAR-16s imported that had "Factory Blemished" anodizing on the upper receiver. What that means is that these 100% functional and warrantied rifles look ugly, but are several hundred dollars less than normal. I actually kind of like the blems, and the worst case scenario is it becomes a candidate for a camo paint job...




I won't go into details about the SCAR-16S because it is identical in form and function to the 17S, other than being a bit smaller and lighter. It uses standard AR15 mags (i have a few (hundred) of those laying around...), and gives me a cheaper platform to learn the nuances of the SCAR family. Fortunately, there was a Rifle/Shotgun match at Rio Salado Sportsmen's Club in Mesa AZ the day after I got this, so I was able to test it out on targets from 0 to 250 yards.
I was shooting under an alias (can't have too many of those...), but a look at the results shows me in the top 10 for every stage and overall (as well as 3rd in my division).

Video from the CQB Stage:


Random Pics from the match:







bonus vid: (suppressed full-auto M4 action)


it got hot enough to burn the finish off of his silencer:

Tweet

SCAR vid

more talkin than shootin...but heres some SCAR footage from Tucson yesterday

Tweet

Shook Guns Part 5

Shook Guns Part 5:
SCAR'd For Life

Things got pretty quiet in the Shook Guns department last year. Although the gun industry continues to pump new merchandise into the market, it is rare that anything comes along that is truly innovative or offers any improvement over existing designs. And usually when they do, they are limited to military/law-enforcement use only. I thought that would be the case with the FN Herstal SCAR-H, the 308 version of their 5.56mm rifle (SCAR-L) that was a contender to replace the M4/M16.

SCAR-L (tan) next to SCAR-H (black):


Although special forces that fielded the prototype SCAR-Ls found very little wrong with them, they weren't a big enough improvement over the M4 to take over. However, when they got their hands on the SCAR-H they found a gun that was nearly the same size and weight as the M4, but with the extra punch of the 308.

ammo comparison between .308 and .223/5.56mm:



I never really had any interest in the SCAR program, because I'm not in the military, and I figured they would never make it to the US civilian market. FN announced a few years back that they would, but I told people not to hold their breath; it would never happen. When the .223 version did in fact hit the market in 2009, I was impressed, but again said that the .308 version would never happen.
And then, to round out 2010 with a bang....



Thanks to a generous donation from C2D HQ to get this series rolling again, I brought this brown bastard home for Xmas



I'm not going to give a bunch of technical info about this rifle. A quick Wiki Search or an inquiry of any Call of Duty player will probably give you more info than you want to hear. I will however point out some of the features that convinced me to give this $3k rifle a shot (no pun intended. Seriously. I'm way more clever than that...).

Light Weight! with a polymer lower and stock, and anodized aluminum upper receiver, this thing only weighs 8 pounds unloaded! (that is similar or less than most of my AR15 variants in 5.56mm...)


Folding Stock! not only is it gangsta-as-fuck, it makes for a much smaller package for transport


Adjustable Short-stroke Gas Piston system. Although I'm no advocate of piston-conversions for the AR15, this gun was designed from the ground-up as a piston gun, and therefore it works!


Simple Field-stripping, no tools required:


I haven't had the opportunity to shoot this one yet, but I got to demo one 2 weeks ago (which was the reason I got this one a week later...). The recoil is similar to a well-compensated 223; despite the lightweight design this gun does not jump around during fire. Any complaints? Sure...it comes with One 20 round magazine, and right now it seems like the only way to get another is to buy a second SCAR! (I'm trying to use my industry connections to rectify this...after all, I'm kind of a big deal...).

My only other complaint is a minor one: most rifles come with some kind of cheap carrying case, which I generally wouldn't use, but you kind of expect to get something with the gun.
but not the SCAR....


although I will admit...its some damn sturdy cardboard....

As always, questions and suggestions are welcome in the Comments

Tweet

Shook Guns Xmas Sneak-Peek

"This is NOT my rifle. There are many like it, but this is NOT mine..."



for starters, i would put a low-magnification variable optic on mine rather than an Aimpoint. probably a Trijicon Accupoint (although i'm not ruling out a TA11 ACOG).
i know you're asking yourself: why is Accatone even thinking about this shit. he's not dumb enough to drop $3k on a FNH SCAR-17S...



or is he....?
it is a sexy beast:




go here for the official specs....



Expect a full write-up to celebrate the return of Shook Guns to C2D when i pick one of these up.
and don't worry, it won't be too long...because the following pic was taken this morning in my office:




hopefully there are some xmas cards with cash in them this year....or else i'll have to pull from the Bill & Melinda Gates FOUR-LOKO funds....



Happy Holidays all

Tweet