Trego's Mountain Ear

"Serving North Lincoln County"

Tag: Guns

  • Glock Switches Change Faster Than Glocks

    Glock had some problems with anti-gun groups and the California legislature (I may be repeating myself there) because of a device known as the ‘Glock Switch.’ What it amounts to is a device that makes the Glock pistol go full auto – basically changing a semiautomatic pistol to a machine gun. Put simply, the device is illegal as all hell. It’s a combination of old gunsmithing skills and computer use to build interchangeable parts with a 3D printer. There is nothing particularly new about the idea – one of Dillinger’s guns, built by Hyman Lebman was a model 1911 converted to full auto – as this photo shows:

    I don’t believe I would enjoy shooting this – but at the time Lebman was building them (and converting Winchester 1907 rifles to machine guns) the National Firearms Act was still a gleam in some politician’s eye. Unlike Lebman’s San Antonio operation (1933), Glock switches are sold on the internet – my personal recommendation is don’t even think about buying one. Ethics aside, the fines and prison sentences are too large. Even if the switch is advertised at only $13.

    Anyway, with Everytown for Gun Bans and the California legislature closing in, Glock decided to redesign all of it’s handguns, and come out with a Glock V that wouldn’t take the switch. Intriguing enough, by the time the Glock V was moving in the supply chain, the new switch for the Glock was on the market.

    Like I said before – I’ve never fired a Glock. I’ve never converted a semiauto to full auto. I have repaired a few semiautomatics that, because of one worn or broken part or another had problems with multiple discharges. The problem is that it looks technically easy to convert many semiautomatics to full auto. I can’t say for sure – the only work I ever did was to make sure semiautomatics didn’t go full auto. But it looks easy enough to me. I suppose, if you gave me the task of building a semiautomatic that couldn’t be converted to a machinegun, I’d start by making it hammer fired and double action only. That way, you still might make it go full auto, but you’d have to spend big dollars changing a whole lot of parts.

  • I’ve Never Fired A Glock

    It isn’t that I’m some sort of a bigot – or perhaps it is. With a long double action trigger, I tend to shoot low and left. Not a big deal – with the SCCY, I took the sight pusher – a tool that uses a bolt thread to move the rear sight – and put the rear sight in a spot that corrects for my weakness. The SCCY is different from a Glock – a plastic frame and a stainless slide – and double action only – but what do I know? I’ve never fired a Glock. When Glocks first came out, I was learning the ins and outs of the 1911 – and it didn’t seem that good habits for the 1911 transfer seamlessly to the Glock.

    As a kid, it was pretty much revolvers. Dad packed a Smith Victory model that he had salvaged from a sunken plane, and he started me with a High Standard Sentinel. Dad liked 4-inch barrels and double action revolvers. And I learned to use them single action. When I started teaching at Trinidad State, in the mid-eighties, they taught me that God carries a model 1911A1. I learned to hone the sear so I could have a 3 pound trigger pull (the other important changes were a fitted national match bushing in the front, and a tight link at the back. When the trigger doesn’t move far, and doesn’t take much pressure, it’s a lot easier to hit. And the model 1911 (like the 1873) is single action only.

    I guess my first match quality pistol was Thompson Center’s Contender – I used it with a heavy 22 barrel when I hung out with a bunch that shot metallic silhouette. Renata medaled. I never did. In most of my competitive shooting I’ve been treated respectfully, but never had the ability to regularly finish at the top.

    Glocks call their striker fired action ‘safe actions’. They may well be – but the early striker models (around WW1) depended on some cheesy safeties. So, as Glock was coming on, I was learning the 1911. I’m not bigoted against the Glock – it’s just that it came out in the mid-eighties, and it’s probably a bit too modern for me.

  • Use Enough Gun

    I think it was Robert Ruark who coined that phrase. Most occasions where I needed to follow that advice, I’ve had a 22 – which the experts do not classify as enough gun. Whether it’s defense against bears, or against human predators, the experts generally start with a recommendation of using a caliber that starts with 4.

    There are few really good studies that provide data that gives a conclusive answer. Weingarten’s data (https://www.ammoland.com/2024/05/bear-defense-with-handguns-update-20-more-cases-98-effective/) includes “162 handgun-only incidents, not counting the three indeterminate cases. Over a dozen incidents are under investigation. Four failures out of the 161 incidents calculate to a 98% success rate. ” One of the failures was a 44 magnum, and another was a 22 pistol on a polar bear. While there were a lot of 44 magnums in Weingarten’s data set, the biggest takeaway I had from his numbers was that carrying a pistol is more important than the caliber.

    To me that makes sense – I know that a 357 didn’t seem adequate when two of us were less than10 feet from a large Grizzly – fortunately the bear felt the same about being outnumbered 2:1. And there’s always the Bella Twin story from 1953 – she not only took the year’s largest bear with a single shot 22, she used 22 long cartridges instead of 22 long rifle.

    Greg Ellifritz did his own data collection on handgun stopping power (https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/handgun-stopping-power-science-vs-40-years-of-experience ) He begins his article with a simple statement: “Most gunwriters are idiots.” He explains why, then shares a link to his own study (https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/an-alternate-look-at-handgun-stopping-power) That study begins with this graph:

    It’s no surprise to me that the 22 scores higher than the 25ACP – heck, 25 ACP is the only caliber he displays that I’ve never owned. Still, look at how close the 22 is to the 60% line – and realize only the 32 surpasses it. Still, Weingarten has a data set with less than 200 incidents, and Ellfritz’ data set is slightly over 1500 incidents covering ten different calibers. Both data sets suggest that the caliber is of less importance than just having the pistol. Ellefritz says “I also believe the data for the .25, .32 and .44 magnum should be viewed with suspicion. I simply don’t have enough data (in comparison to the other calibers) to draw an accurate comparison. I reported the data I have, but I really don’t believe that a .32 ACP incapacitates people at a higher rate than the .45 ACP!”

    I don’t have a recommended caliber for bears. As a kid, I took 10 black bears with either my single shot 22 or my 22 revolver. Never really knew that I wasn’t using enough gun – and bullet placement is a lot easier when you get in close. My most important rule about a gun in bear country is to have a gun. It’s amazing how much better a 22 has made me feel when the alternative was praying.

    I’m no longer young. I’d like to believe in bear spray – but it’s a new tool, and requires practice to develop the skills needed to use it effectively. I may be slowed down – I am slowed down. But the years have included a lot of practice with revolvers and Browning designed pistols.

  • Rules For A Gunfight – From Gerard Van der Leun

    One of the last emails I received from Gerard Van der Leun was the following “Rules For A Gunfight.” Gerard has passed from writing his American Digest – and I kind of miss his observations and humor. These bits of wisdom are reputed to come from Drill Instructor Joe Frick.

    American Digest: Conceived in Liberty

    RULES TO LIVE BY
    1. Forget about knives, bats, and fists. Bring a gun. Preferably, bring at least two guns. Bring all of your friends who have guns. Bring four times the ammunition you think you could ever need.
    2. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammunition is cheap – life is expensive. If you shoot inside, buckshot is your friend. A new wall is cheap – funerals are expensive.
    3. Only hits count. The only thing worse than a miss is a slow miss.
    4. If your shooting stance is good, you’re probably not moving fast enough or using cover correctly.
    5. Move away from your attacker and go to cover. Distance is your friend. (Bulletproof cover and diagonal or lateral movement are preferred.)
    6. If you can choose what to bring to a gunfight, bring a semi or full-automatic long gun and a friend with a long gun.
    7. In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance, or tactics. They will only remember who lived.
    8. If you are not shooting, you should be communicating, reloading, and running. Yell “Fire!” Why “Fire”? Cops will come with the Fire Department, sirens often scare off the bad guys, or at least cause them to lose concentration and will…. and who is going to summon help if you yell ”Intruder,” “Glock” or “Winchester?”
    9. Accuracy is relative: most combat shooting standards will be more dependent on “pucker factor” than the inherent accuracy of the gun.
    10. Someday someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to beat you to death with it because it is empty.
    11. Always cheat, always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.
    12. Have a plan.
    13. Have a back-up plan, because the first one won’t work. “No battle plan ever survives 10 seconds past first contact with an enemy.”
    14. Use cover or concealment as much as possible, but remember, sheetrock walls and the like stop nothing but your pulse when bullets tear through them.
    15. Flank your adversary when possible. Protect yours.
    16. Don’t drop your guard.
    17. Always tactical load and threat scan 360 degrees. Practice reloading one-handed and off-hand shooting. That’s how you live if hit in your “good” side.
    18. Watch their hands. Hands kill. Smiles, frowns and other facial expressions don’t (In God we trust. Everyone else keeps your hands where I can see them.)
    19. Decide NOW to always be aggressive ENOUGH, quickly ENOUGH.
    20. The faster you finish the fight, the less shot you will get.
    21. Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet if necessary, because they may want to kill you.
    22. Be courteous to everyone, overly friendly to no one.
    23. Your number one option for personal security is a lifelong commitment to avoidance, deterrence, and de-escalation.
    24. Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun, the caliber of which does not start with anything smaller than ”4″.
    25. Use a gun that works EVERY TIME. “All skill is in vain when an Angel blows the powder from the flintlock of your musket.” At a practice session, throw your gun into the mud, then make sure it still works. You can clean it later.
    26. Practice shooting in the dark, with someone shouting at you, when out of breath, etc.
    27. Regardless of whether justified or not, you will feel sad about killing another human being. It is better to be sad than to be room temperature.
    28. The only thing you EVER say afterward is, “He said he was going to kill me. I believed him. I’m sorry, Officer, but I’m very upset now. I can’t say anything more. Please speak with my attorney.”
    Finally, Drill Instructor Frick’s Rules For Un-armed Combat.
    1: Never be unarmed.
    Thank you for being a member. Please forward this to others that should be members. All writers need readers. I would like to have many more like you. – Gerard Van der Leun American Digest © 2022

  • My Cheap, Accurate Pistol

    I’m not much of a collector.  A collector has a theme to the collection.  John McBride’s collection included American Military firearms.  I’m not sure how a collector would describe my TT Olympia – it’s a Chinese copy of the Walther that beat out the Colt Woodsman at the 1936 Olympics.  Somehow mine isn’t marked with anything to say ‘made in China’ – but it is.  It’s also well finished, and, since my cataract surgery a few years ago, shoots well for me again.

    It’s an example of how things connect in the gun world.  I never found a Woodsman for sale at the right price when I wanted one – not that I couldn’t stretch a budget to include one, but that they’re more costly than I can justify for my purposes.  So is the Walther.  Instead, my Chinese knock-off was more accurate than pricey – so I kept it.  It came in cheap cardboard and styrofoam, like this: 

    The Chinese builders did a nice job – good trigger pull, and must be at least close to the pre-war German workmanship.  Admitted, the wood in the grips would never have made it into either Walther or Colt’s factory – the grips are downright ugly – but they do fit my hand well.  Bolting the weight on does control the minimal recoil of a 22 cartridge – and it’s set up to be used with one hand.  The right hand – it doesn’t fit the left.

    When Walther got too busy with World War II, Hammerli (in Switzerland) picked up the design and produced slightly improved versions.  As the Olympic competition got tougher, the basic design went to America and became the basis of the Smith and Wesson model 41.  And mine is the Chinese knock-off that directly copies the 1936 Walther.  As you can see, good looking grips didn’t seem to be a Chinese priority.  

    So what do I actually have?  A cheap, accurate, well built pistol that just barely made it into the United States before Clinton cut off importation.  Then it briefly sold well in Canada before the Trudeau government shut off sales.  I have no idea where it might be sold today, or where parts might be available.  The TT Olympia’s barrel is just under 5 inches long, it feeds just about any 22 shells I load, and, while sight acquisition is a little slow, is amazingly accurate.

    I’ve written about cheaply made poor quality guns.  This little pistol was cheap, well made, and accurate.  I’ll keep using it -though the barrel weight will stay in the drawer.  And I expect it will still be working fine when it goes to the next generation.

  • Ghost Gun or Zombie Gun?

    To tell the truth, I can’t tell you which phrase fits.  I’ve probably built both – long before some anti-gun politician or activist came up with the two phrases. 

    As I understand it – and my understanding of how guns work is a lot better than my understanding of anti-gun folks – a ghost gun is a gun built on a receiver that I built or finished at home, while a zombie gun is a gun that had its original receiver destroyed, and all the parts were recycled and built back into a gun on a new receiver.

    Time was that a lot of second-hand parts for model 1911’s were available -and an outfit in California was selling complete aluminum receivers (with serial numbers) for $29.95 plus shipping.  I think that when I put all the pieces together, that qualified as the zombie gun.  In those pre-neuropathy days, to me it was just the cheapest way to get a 45 auto. 

    If I wanted a pistol that grouped better, I’d usually start with a steel frame, and include some parts that never saw government service.  Accuracy in a 1911 correlates with hand work – and fewer recycled parts meant that it was going to take more time to get the 1911 working reliably.  Those old government surplus parts often had a lot of wear on them. 

    This is a photo of one of those fed ord frames – not one that I built on, but only the serial number is different:

    Now a ghost gun is built on a less-finished (80% complete) receiver like this one.  You can order it through the mail, and finish it at home – you’ll notice that it needs the slots milled for the slide rails, and then moved to the drill press to get a few holes drilled.  It has no serial number – but adding a serial number is a fairly easy task.  It just requires a stamp set and a hammer.

    Frankly, it’s a lot less work to buy the completed frame – and the 80% receiver isn’t that much cheaper.  Either way, I think I was putting zombie guns together.  The couple of 80% receivers I did finish probably qualified as ghost zombie guns.  Or maybe Zombie ghost guns.  I don’t know.  I’m not a hoplophobe.

    Time was when folks were buying 80% receivers for AR-15s, then having a weekend party with someone who had a milling machine, and carrying a complete AR-15 home, lacking only the serial number.  Before completion, it looks like this:

    I never found going the 80% route worthwhile.  Anderson receivers were available at Cabelas, cost the same, were a lot less work, and could be purchased with points.

    Generally speaking, it’s cheaper to get new parts for an AR, so the zombie option isn’t there.  And the ghost gun option is just more work than it’s worth.

    Still, there are a lot of parts kits available, for AK’s, CETME’s, old submachine guns, etc.  For some, an 80% receiver is an option, where a new commercial receiver isn’t available.  For others, a piece of metal tubing, a welder, and a dremel allow you to build a replacement receiver.  There are molds available so you can cast your own plastic receiver for Glock parts. 

    The Supreme Court heard arguments in Garland v VanDerStok this past week – and probably we’ll learn next year if the 80% receivers remain legal.