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Lowly .308 Remains His All-Time Favorite

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With proper shot placement and good bullets, the .308 will always do the job.
With proper shot placement and good bullets, the .308 will always do the job.

I can’t shoot that buffalo with a .308, Ian. Nobody does that.” I still remember that conversation with a good friend about his upcoming opportunity to shoot a big, old bull. He sells rifles by the score, but his inventory was depleted at the time. I had recently helped him set up a great-shooting heavy-barrel Remington Model 700 in .308 Winchester, so I grabbed a box of Federal 180 Trophy Bonded Bear Claws and said, “These are ideal. Give them a try. You can place the bullet perfectly with that Remington, what more do you want?”

A few days later, he called and told me the bull died instantly from one Bear Claw to the forehead. Although he still won’t hunt with a .308, my friend admits the little cartridge did a fine job. I’m always amazed when he tells me how difficult it is to sell used .308s and how nobody in their right mind orders one anymore. The little cartridge is by far my favorite for hunting in Saskatchewan, and I would have no concerns using it farther afield. I know it’s a great caribou killer, even at fairly long ranges.

Against the Magnums
I admit to shooting my share of magnum ammo through the years, and I still play with the .300 and .325 WSMs and other magnums. There is a place for more reach and smack, and I get just that from my magnums — at both ends. My .308 rifles do not beat me up, and they are much easier to shoot with extreme precision. It’s as simple as that. Granted, a really light .308 will let you know when it goes off, but the recoil energy and muzzle jump is nothing compared to that of larger cartridges.

One reason the .308 is such an effective hunting cartridge is the choice of excellent bullets and bullet weights. Bonded bullets allow flatter trajectories and more energy. I rely on 165-grain bullets instead of 180s since switching to the bonded designs. My rationale is that 85 percent of 165 grains is better than 40 percent or 50 percent of 180, because many lesser bullets break up and shed their jackets and cores. Swift Sciroccos, Hornady Interbonds and Bear Claws do the job. More recent bullets — such as Nosler’s E-Tips, Winchester XP3s, Barnes Triple Shocks and Remington’s Bonded Core-Lokts — are also fine choices.

No doubt, the main reason I favor the .308 is because I shoot it so much. I enjoy the challenge of hitting distant targets, and the .308 is the ideal platform to learn the necessary skills and gain confidence at fairly long ranges. There are excellent reasons for that, the first of which is that the little cartridge is inherently accurate. I do not care about blistering velocities and flat trajectories as much as accuracy, shooting costs and barrel life. My .308 barrels will last for several thousand rounds compared to 1,500 or fewer with many magnums.

The .308 is Ian McMurchy’s favorite hunting Cartridge, mostly because of the great bullets and solid information available for the caliber.
The .308 is Ian McMurchy’s favorite hunting Cartridge, mostly because of the great bullets and solid information available for the caliber.

My 168- and 175-grain bullets might only be flying about 2,600 feet per second, but they follow the same arc with amazing precision. I really don’t care about how many inches of drop I have compared to other cartridges, because my drop charts are extremely accurate and repeatable. The military has studied the .308 to perfection, and there are almost no secrets concerning drop and wind-drift.

Actually, wind drift is relatively easy to handle if you know the velocity and direction, again using military-developed charts.

.308 Vs. The Ultimate Enemy
In a 10-mph full-value wind (3 or 9 o’clock), I simply apply one minute of angle less than the first digit of the distance. At 600 yards, that would be five minutes of angle — simple as that. The interesting thing is, this works. Drops are a little more involved, but not much. I use various aides to ensure that I have quick access to the necessary numbers. Some of the more common settings are engraved in my memory, but I don’t trust that source nearly as much as the written dope-charts.

How do you keep track of elevations? I use a slick little device that attaches directly to the tube of my scope. I simply grab a tab and unreel a small tape-measure-like device with my drops and drift written on it. I also use commercial Ballisticard drop cards that provide even more data. On some of my rifles, I’ve applied simple labels with the info in rows. As you can see, drop info is crucial for long-range shooting success.

I should mention that wind considerations can be more complex than merely knowing speed and direction. Winds gust and swirl and do weird things in rough terrain. Wind is our ultimate enemy, but it can be handled if you work hard at understanding its properties. My friends and I almost always shoot with a spotter in charge, so the onus is on him to make good calls. That lets the shooter concentrate on marksmanship.

What can you expect from a good-shooting .308 at longer distances? We practice out at 700 yards a lot. If the spotter can handle the wind, our groups will stay close to one-half MOA at that distance. I have seen the little .308 overlap bullets on my steel targets many times when we are holding well and the wind is steady. Why practice at 700? If I can hit consistently at 700, I should be able to hunt to 450 or 500 yards if necessary. I like to shoot as close as possible, but I also want to use the full potential of my equipment. My .308s are deadly on deer out to 500 yards, so why not use the full capability of my cartridge?

Always There
I have killed my share of game with the .308 Winchester, including the odd moose and large black bears. With proper shot placement and good bullets, the .308 will always do the job.

-Sadly, Ian McMurchy passed away recently. He will be missed by the shooting sports community.


Gun-Digest-CD

Gun Digest 1944-2015 3-Disc Set

You’ll like this collection DVD if:

  • You’re a Gun Digest reader and want the complete book archives on your computer
  • You want gun reviews of the classic, vintage, and contemporary rifles, shotguns, handguns, muzzleloaders, and airguns
  • You enjoy reading the classic gun writers like Jack O’Connor and Elmer Keith

Man Confronting Intruder ‘flinched and the gun went off’

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Vega-Gil
Roberto Vega-Gil, 42, of Madison

Criminal charges against Jamie Chen, 41, are “highly unlikely,” Blanchard said, adding that the shooting appears to have been “a tragic response to what (Chen) was experiencing in the moment.”

The Dane County Coroner's Office identified the man killed as Roberto Vega-Gil, 42, of Madison.

Police said they believe Vega-Gil broke into the Seminole Hills home at 2969 Osmundsen Road intending to burglarize it when Chen shot and killed him shortly before 2 p.m. Wednesday. Preliminary autopsy results indicate Vega-Gil died of a single gunshot wound, said interim Coroner Kurt Karbusicky.

There is no evidence that Vega-Gil was armed, said Fitchburg Police Lt. Chad Brecklin, and Chen used his own shotgun.

It does not appear Chen intended to shoot or kill Vega-Gil, Blanchard said. “He went out with the shotgun to defend himself,” Blanchard said. “He doesn't have a conscious memory of deciding to shoot.”

Police said Vega-Gil was wearing gloves and there was evidence of forced entry to the residence.

Brecklin said a glass patio door was broken on the lower level of the home, where Chen lives with his parents, Peter and Mei Chen. The home does not appear to have been targeted for any specific reason, he said.

Vega-Gil has prior convictions in Florida dating to the mid-1980s for burglary while armed, aggravated stalking, carrying a concealed weapon, theft and possession of burglary tools, police said. Read more

Source: host.madison.com

 

Homeowner Shoots Armed Robbery Suspects

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According to police, Christopher Young, 38, and William Bell, 31, went into the home of Dane Rollins, 34, early Sunday morning armed with handguns.

Police said after the suspects stole cash, Rollins grabbed his shotgun and went after them.

The two suspects fled, but police said they later found them with several gunshot wounds. The men were taken to Halifax Medical Center.

Rollins was not hurt.

Police said shocked neighbors witnessed the entire gunfight. Read more

Source: cfnews13.com

Pennsylvania to Consider Nullifying Some Federal Gun Laws

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HB1988 currently has 48 additional co-sponsors, and according to FirearmsFreedomAct.com, is similar to bills recently enacted into law in both Montana and Tennessee.

While the bill seems to focus solely on federal gun regulations, it has far more to do with the 10th Amendment’s limit on the power of the federal government.  It specifically states:

The regulation of intrastate commerce is vested in the states under the 9th and 10th Amendments to the Constitution of the United States, particularly if not expressly preempted by federal law. Congress has not expressly preempted state regulation of intrastate commerce pertaining to the manufacture on an intrastate basis of firearms, firearms accessories, and ammunition.

Rohrer, in a recent letter to Pennsylvania House Members, addressed the issue of the commerce clause:

Under the current, expansive interpretation of the Interstate Commerce Clause in Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution, it is permissible for the federal government to regulate the sale of goods that are manufactured and sold exclusively within a state’s borders. Effectively, the federal courts hold that if a product might possibly find its way into streams of interstate commerce, federal laws to regulate that product are appropriate. The product need not actually be sold between states.

In 1942, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against a farmer who was fined by the federal government for growing too much wheat. Effectively, the argument in Wickard v. Filburn was that the wheat he grew and consumed himself would lead to decreased wheat sales in other states, so it fell under federal jurisdiction because of the interstate commerce clause.

As recently as 2005 (Gonzales v. Raich), the U.S. Supreme Court cited Wickard as standing for the proposition that “Congress can regulate purely intrastate activity that is not itself “commercial,” in that it is not produced for interstate sale, if it concludes that failure to regulate that class of activity would undercut the regulation of the interstate market in that commodity.”

According to the U.S. Supreme Court, wheat (in Wickard) and medical marijuana (in Raich) are completely indistinguishable from such products made and sold in interstate commerce, so federal regulation is appropriate.

Under my bill, the policy of this Commonwealth would be that firearms and firearm accessories manufactured and exclusively sold in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, carrying the brand “Made in Pennsylvania” (all clear indicators of intrastate commerce), would be subject only to state law. Read more

Source: tenthamendmentcenter.com

Wicker Amendment Will Protect Gun Rights of Amtrak Travelers

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Earlier today, Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) offered an amendment to the 2010 Transportation-Housing & Urban Development Appropriations bill.

A nearly identical amendment, also offered by Sen. Wicker, passed the Senate in April by a vote of 63-35.

Current Amtrak regulations prohibit firearms in both checked and carry-on baggage.  Sportsmen who wish to use an Amtrak train for a hunting trip, therefore, cannot include a shotgun even in their checked luggage.

Likewise, travelers who have a permit to carry a concealed firearm cannot include a self-defense firearm in their checked luggage, even if they are allowed to carry in both the states of origin and destination.

But if such travelers were to take the trip by air, they could check a gun onto the aircraft by simply declaring the firearm and transporting it in a prescribed manner.

Of course, very few people use Amtrak — and many question why that entity receives any tax payer money.

Regardless, a transportation entity that receives billions of federal taxpayer dollars should not be allowed to prevent law-abiding citizens from hunting or defending themselves when they travel on vacation or personal business.

Sen. Wicker’s amendment prohibits any federal taxpayer funding of Amtrak if it does not allow gun owners to transport firearms on trains in a manner similar to that of airlines.

Under this amendment, travelers would be able to transport a firearm from Amtrak stations that accept checked baggage as long as the firearm is declared and carried in a hard-sided, locked container. Read more

Source: Gun Owners of America

Prosecutor: Campsite Shooting was in Self-Defense

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The Grays Harbor Prosecutor’s Office announced Tuesday it will not seek charges against the shooter, Gary Bowers, 38, of Port Orchard, in the death of Westin Wolff during the tragic Aug. 29 camping trip.

Prosecutor Stew Menefee said all the evidence indicates Bowers fired the fatal shot only after Wolff ignored several warning shots and attacked him with a machete.

“We found that the evidence would support it was a justifiable homicide committed in self-defense,” Menefee said this morning.

Grays Harbor Undersheriff Rick Scott said Wolff and two friends set camp near Wynooche Lake early in the afternoon, finding a remote spot away from any established camping grounds.

Drinking heavily

Wolff started to drink a “significant amount” of alcohol, Scott said. Another 25-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy with Wolff told investigators he became “quite intoxicated” before deciding to go for a hike at about midnight.

Scott said Wolff and the 16-year-old started walking along a road when Wolff stumbled into Bowers’ nearby campsite, knocking over camping gear and throwing things in frustration.

Bowers’ family, including his wife and two young children, awoke and he fired a shot in the air to scare off what he believed was an animal, Scott said. When he found Wolff and the teenager in his camp, an argument broke out with Wolff becoming aggressive and Bowers firing two more warning shots.

“The victim, who was intoxicated, was refusing to leave,” Scott said.

Shortly before 1 a.m., Wolff returned to his campsite and for unknown reasons pulled off all his clothes except his shorts and a T-shirt.

“He picks up a black machete,” Scott said, “and took off into the dark.” Read more

Source: thedailyworld.com


For Value Look to BSA Optics

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Carbine and Rifle setup
Whether you want red-dot performance, like the STS (bottom) or the STS4x32, the BSA line offers scopes that are durable, easy to use and affordable. That adds up to a great value.

Although BSA Optics was formed in 1996, the company has deep roots in British history. The company was conceived by Royalty feeling the need for weapons to protect Britain. They produced whatever was needed throughout history making weapons and machine work for weapons.

They became munitions manufacturers when the need arose and in 1866 they became known as Birmingham Small Arms and Metal Company and were the largest arms manufacturer in Europe. That was short lived because as wars end, so do the need for arms. Fortunately we still have them around making high quality optics at affordable prices.

My first experience with BSA Optics was a 3-12x50mm Huntsman Scope. BSA has a large variety of hunting scopes and they have tactical equipment also. I was looking for a quality scope but didn’t want to have a large investment in it. I needed it to use on rifles that I was building or re-barreling to sight with during testing. It wasn’t going to remain on any of the rifles as they would be scoped later with equipment that fit the rifle’s intended use. The Huntsman was the perfect choice for that purpose and I now have it on a Winchester Featherweight that I recently re-barreled to a .308 Win. I planned on using the rifle as a medium weight hunting gun and the scope might just stay right where it is. I will most likely replace the first scope with another BSA.

Of the things I like about the Huntsman, the first, of course, is the price. The quality is way more than acceptable and the multi-coated lens gives high definition and clarity with very little reflection. Usually when talking about 50mm objective lenses you will talk about a substantial increase in price. Not so with the BSA and I used it on a wide variety of calibers up to .300 WM with no adverse effects. I also like the long eye relief. I like my face as far away as I can get with proper cheek weld, especially on the heavier calibers. For a hunting rifle, it is helpful also to get on game that is moving.

The scopes come with a variety of reticules and this one has MilDot which was suitable to me for a testing scope. I have used MilDot quite extensively and am comfortable using it to range and adjust for drop. It works well for me on my hunting guns. The turrets are easy to use and have plenty of windage and elevation adjustment for longer ranges. They also have illuminated dot reticules if that is allowed for big game in your area.

Aperature on front lens
Picatinny rails on the sides of the BSA STS allow for the mounting of additional hardware.

I also have turned to BSA for tactical equipment. They produce a generous variety of AR friendly scopes, lasers and red dot sights. The Stealth Tactical Series (STS) has just about anything the tactician could possibly need for his or her next mission or competition. I really like the STS Illuminated Sight that not only has a red dot, but a blue and green dot also. Each color has three intensity levels for varying lighting conditions and the three colors will not only accommodate different conditions but also operators that may have less than perfect color vision.

The adjustments for windage and elevation are sizeable, easy-to-operate knobs with graduation marks clearly visible. One click equals half inch is the calibration that works for this type of sight. They are mounted towards the rear of the sight for easier manipulation. The dot control is mounted slightly forward and on top and is easily seen and operated with the weapon shouldered. The red adjustment is toward the front of the sight but if that is the color you are using the intensity can be adjusted while looking through the sight.

One of the new things BSA has added to their sights and scopes is the shudder-like lens protector. I consider it a lens protector but it also can be used to adjust the light intensity allowed into the glass. They are adjusted by a knurled ring fore and aft and can be completely closed or opened to any diameter just like a camera aperture. I have always been a fan of Butler Creek lens covers, but this applies two functions to the same utility and will not accidentally get flipped open. The BSAs are not as quick to get into action if the weather forces you to travel with them closed like the Butler’s quick flip.

Tactical Gear Cover
The Gun Digest book of tactical gear. Buy Now »

The sight is equipped with picatinny rails on either side and come with a light and laser sight that can be added if needed. Both options come with pressure switches for activation or can be operated with rear button activation. If your AR is not equipped with a railed forearm, the light and laser can be left right on the sight as a complete unit. I like the added versatility. There is adequate amount of cord to mount the switch just about anywhere on the carbine or rifle. The push button feature allows always on or intermittent option. The sight is finished aluminum with a matte black coating. It has a solid and rugged feel.

Also in the STS series is the low power scopes. On the carbines for CQB work, the 1X Red Dots and lasers are preferable. The utility of the AR also includes longer ranges and BSA also produces scopes for a variety of missions. The STS4X32 is perfect for a close to mid-range tool. BSA supplies the scope with a set of rings to go directly on a flat top receiver or it also comes with mounts for carry top AR or AK platforms. I mounted it on a flat top upper that I interchange with a carbine upper, depending on use. It is compact and rugged for any mission.

The glass, like the red dot, is crystal clear and gives a bright transmission of light. The lenses are also protected with the aperture light adjustment like the red dot and their other STS equipment and they have come up with a preferable turret design for the tactician and sniper. I much prefer turrets with large numbers exposed on the scope for quick adjustment in the field. When working with a MilDot reticule, if the crosshair is going to be the point of impact, the elevation needs to be adjusted to the yardage.

Tactical Gear PDF download
Gun Digest tactical gear spring 2009 download. Buy Now »

Some of my older target scopes have large turrets but they are covered with a screw on cap. They also seem to have about 50 more threads than they need and take forever to remove, especially if you’re in a hurry. This is inconvenient to move for an adjustment, but without the cap, the turret could bump off, throwing the shot. BSA has a solution to the problem. They designed a push pull turret that has nice readable numbers and lines. The turret is pulled out to adjust the elevation and then pushed in to lock the adjustment down. Once the scope is sighted in with the rifle, the turret can be re-zeroed to the sight in preference. This is nice on the AR scope, but really comes in handy on the precision scopes.

The Ranger reticule in the STS4X32 is designed with the AR in mind. It has hold over marks for elevation adjustments through the scope. It has 100-, 200-, 300-yard distance marks and lines for closer battle. It gives the operator full range use of the weapon. The top two lines represent 3.6 inches at 100 yards and 36 inches at 1000. This can help with quick ranging if the operator knows the size of the target. It also has windage markings for estimated value compensation while aiming.

BSA has a long history of serving the shooting industry for both military and sporting purposes. Most recently they are extending this heritage by offering high quality optics and innovation for both professional and competitive shooters alike. Their variety of equipment and quality cannot be overlooked. Check them out at bsaoptics.com. GDTM

Exploring AR-15 Optics Sighting Options

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Iron sights mounted on the side of a rail allow a shooter to use a scope for long-range work and iron sights when things get up close and personal.
Iron sights mounted on the side of a rail allow a shooter to use a scope for long-range work and iron sights when things get up close and personal.

The improvement I like best for the AR-15 is the flat-top upper. It gives you more options for sighting and makes the rifle more scope-friendly. Here's a look at AR-15 optics.

Having numerous options for attaching the front sight to a picatinny rail-type forearms and gas blocks really adds to the gun’s versatility. But with only a few exceptions you can’t have both a scope and iron sights at the same time.

DPMS Panther Arms has added more utility to the flat-top upper, letting the rifle be a close-quarters battle weapon complete with lights or a long-range varmint/sniping gun with some accessories. Don’t get me wrong. I still love a bolt gun, but the AR can easily be changed for various utilities. And the DPMS picatinny-railed upper allows even more options to this already modular weapon. I decided to try one.

You don’t have to use the rails on the railed upper, but they are there if needed. It could offer another way to add peep sights to a scoped rifle. Most scopes have a minimum focusing distance, and a blurry sight picture is unacceptable in combat. A scoped rifle or carbine on a flat-top is difficult to operate in close-quarter situations, and an all-around tactical weapon should be ready for either.

The improvement I like best for the AR-15 is the flat-top upper. It gives you more options for sighting and makes the rifle more scope-friendly. Plus, you can add quick-on-and-off peeps and front sights.
The improvement I like best for the AR-15 is the flat-top upper. It gives you more options for sighting and makes the rifle more scope-friendly. Plus, you can add quick-on-and-off peeps and front sights.

This upper doesn’t have the dust cover and forward assist to which many AR users are accustomed. For those who like to tinker with ARs it’s nothing unusual to experience minor problems with the bolt closing or locking open after changes are made. Usually, if the bolt is not locking back or closing fully, replacing the buffer with a shorter or longer model will solve the problem. I’ve also occasionally experienced closing problems if the bolt isn’t fitted to the barrel. On this gun, I used a bolt and barrel that already fit properly.  So just as a reminder, if you’re going to change these parts, you’ll need some slight fitting, or DPMS can sell you fitted parts.

I topped the receiver with a Leupold Mark 4 2.5-8×36 MR/T scope. It has an illuminated mil-dot reticule and is a bit shorter than other models. Shorter scopes work better on AR-15s because of the charging-handle access. A charging-handle extension is a welcome attachment for a scope, as it allows better access. The 2.5X setting gives you a better close-range sight picture, but not quite enough for close-quarters work. The AR I was using had a match stainless barrel from DPMS. One of the company’s lightweight four-rail hand guards let me add a light and front sight. With the heavy match barrel, I wanted the lightest hand guard possible. Some of the railed hand guards are quite a bit heavier than standard guards, but the DPMS guard was light enough to keep the front weight of the rifle manageable.

Options

Streamlight makes various lighting systems for rifle work, and I gave the company’s new Super Tac light a try. It operates on 3-volt batteries and produces 135 lumens for two-and-a-half hours, and then 110 lumens for another hour. That’s plenty of light for a rifle in a combat situation. Streamlight also makes attachments to add this accessory to the hand guard accessory rail, including a vertical grip that holds the light. The grip has a hollow handle with a treaded cap for extra batteries and other necessities.

Installation of the sighting systems is very easy. Just replace the foregrip with a railed model, align things properly and start bolting on the sights.
Installation of the sighting systems is very easy. Just replace the foregrip with a railed model, align things properly and start bolting on the sights.

DPMS’ lightweight hand guard can be adjusted on the rifle at an angle coinciding with the rail on the front or back of the upper. That lets you line it up with the flat-top upper rail for sights across the top, or angled so you can twist the rifle and use sights on the side in lieu of a top-mounted scope. You can mount DPMS’s Mangonel flip-up front and rear sights on the rails to facilitate close-quarters aiming. Then, you simply twist the rifle to the left (if you’re right-handed) and aim down the side. I suppose you could use the back rail for sighting if you’re a southpaw. The back rail would also be an excellent spot for a laser sight, especially if you didn’t have a four-rail hand guard.

I liked the two positions of the flip-up Mangonel front sight. The point of impact was a bit low when I test-fired the system, and the lower position brought it up a bit. Further adjustments can be made as usual on an AR sight by adjusting the post. These sights come with a huge lock nut that can be hand tightened in a pinch to install. When not in use, they can be folded out of the way. On a railed upper, these sights provide a longer sighting plane and the peep closer to the eye, allowing better focus.

Brownell’s carries DPMS products, of course, but also has its own rear sight in the catalog. This is a great sight that can be quickly pushed out of the way when not in service. On the back rail of the upper, it has an ample-sized hole that let in plenty of light, even in low light. It also has a large tightening knob that can be installed and removed by hand. It’s well made to withstand hard use.

When you are all done, you have a truly universal rifle suitable for targets from point blank to 300 yards.
When you are all done, you have a truly universal rifle suitable for targets from point blank to 300 yards.

For an alternate iron-sighting system, I like the Short Range Tactical sight from JP Enterprises. Brownell’s also carry this accessory. It attaches to the hand guard rail by the gas block. This sight has an open rear with an AR-type front-post setup. The front post is adjustable like AR sights, and it comes with colored inserts. When switching from the scope to iron sights by twisting the rifle, the sights are out, as if you were sighting down your favorite 1911 or other handgun. When shooting three-gun matches, this is an excellent way to engage those pesky close silhouettes that pop up between longer shots that require a scope. It’s also a nice accessory if you need to suddenly engage a close-range target.

At the Range

I took the rifle to the range, and after a half magazine was quickly placing close shots in a tight group on the hostage target. Both mechanical sighting systems worked without fail, and I could change or remove them without tools. I recommend tightening them with a tool after you have them intact to keep them from loosening up during a competition or gunfight.

What Shall I Do With That Old Mauser? Part 1

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Yes, this project requires the use of a mill, but it’s still a really cool project. And remember some of the coolest projects aren’t always the most useful, but they are still fun to work.
Yes, this project requires the use of a mill, but it’s still a really cool project. And remember some of the coolest projects aren’t always the most useful, but they are still fun to work.

Muramatsu converts a Mauser to .45 ACP in this two-part series. Why, you ask? The best reason of all: It's fun.

Some of the coolest things in the gun world are those with no serious application.  Or perhaps those applications are in the eye of the beholder.  One of the neatest things I have seen is a conversion for an old favorite that is little more than just plain fun.  But that’s good enough for me.  I figured if I needed a “sporting” use for it, I could take it swamp buck hunting with some XTPs.

All You Really Need is Raw Material

The right side of the assembly showing the strangely familiar button.
The right side of the assembly showing the strangely familiar button.

It used to be, in the olden days of gunsmithing, that gunsmiths were customizing and sporterizing a myriad of used (sometimes very) military rifle.  Carcanos, Arisakas, Enfields, and Springfields were cut down, welded, gutted, rechambered and rebarreled, sighted and scoped.  However, the most customized rifles were probably the Mausers.  Okay, yes the Springfields and Arisakas were derived from Mausers, derived being the key word.  Mausers didn’t have those stupid magazine cutoffs or the ridiculously difficult safeties.

Mausers came back from Europe by the thousands.  Unfortunately, the 7.92x57mm (8mm Mauser) ammunition to shoot through them was not as plentiful, so many, many of these Mausers were rebarreled or rechambered to shoot something more easily appropriated:  .30-06 Springfield, 8mm-06, .270 Winchester come to mind.  Interestingly enough, many years later when your humble author was in gunsmithing school, he came upon one of his fellow students turning a Mauser into a .45 ACP with a kit that he purchased online.  That kit is no longer available, but I figured it wouldn’t be all that difficult to replicate one on my own from scratch.

I want to point out that unlike most of the stuff done in this column, to do this project involved heavy use of a lathe and mill.  I also removed the original magazine floor plate, spring, and follower and tossed these and the retaining button into the gunsmith packrat box.

How Am I Going to Do This?

First off was the easiest part of the whole procedure.  The case head diameter of a .45 ACP is only slightly larger than an 8mm Mauser.  Using a Dremel tool with a small grinding stone, I ground off a touch from the extractor claw, just enough so that a .45 ACP case would stay held in its grasp.

The second task was to brainstorm how to feed the ammo.  Most gun owners will readily acknowledge that other than the case head, .45 ACP and 8mm Mauser aren’t even close to being similar.  Like in the old kit, I decided to use 1911 magazines as a feeding device because of availability and compactness. I needed to construct a magazine well block that would fit into the original magazine box on the gun yet have a magazine well of its own inside it to accept the 1911 mags.

I needed to figure out a mag catch too.  Well, what I had available was a big block of Delrin plastic.  I milled it out to roughly the right size for the magazine well dimensions but oversized by about 10 percent.  I then cut it in half.  Using a 9/16-inch ball-end mill I cut lengthwise the magazine channel (at a 14-degree angle to match the angle in the 1911 pistol), intending to use the rear half of the block to form the back of the mag well only.

Looking up into the mag well reveals the mag catch’s latch. The Delrin proved to be a very effective and smooth surface for the mag.
Looking up into the mag well reveals the mag catch’s latch. The Delrin proved to be a very effective and smooth surface for the mag.

This worked out pretty well and was an easy way to cut the channel. I was then able to carefully use a belt sander to precisely shape both sides together to match the channel, and tightly fit the block to the mag well. I then fastened this block to the mag well of the Mauser by drilling two 1/8-inch holes in both the front and rear of the mag well and pushing through four roll pins.  The block protrudes about ¾ of an inch below the bottom of the mag well, and thus the stock, but I thought that it looked too skinny and rough.  So I fastened two sheets of smooth plastic, one on each side, to the block using an epoxy.  After the epoxy had cured, I again touched up the whole assembly on a belt sander.

Now to make this feed properly, I had to make the magazine sit so that the feed lips were just below the closed bolt of the rifle, but high enough so that the bottom of the bolt face could catch the top of the first cartridge in the magazine. I had already decided to use an AR-15 magazine catch assembly, just to see if I could pull it off.  I simply machined the slot out of the left side of the block and drilled through to the right side for the post of the mag catch.  On the right side, using the drilled hole as a starter, I milled the ovoid hole for the button and then opened the hole up with a 1/4-inch drill until it came to within 3/32 of an inch of the slot in the left side.

The Derlin worked well for the magazine well because it was easy to work with and strong enough to do the job. Other parts were fabricated from scrap. Looks good, doesn’t it?
The Derlin worked well for the magazine well because it was easy to work with and strong enough to do the job. Other parts were fabricated from scrap. Looks good, doesn’t it?

This deeper wider hole was to accommodate the mag catch spring.  I had to shorten the spring by half to make it fit properly, as this whole assembly is about half the width of the AR-15’s mag well.  After assuring that this mag catch would function properly, I removed it and inserted the magazine to the proper depth.  Looking through the slot, I was able to mark on the magazine with a scribe where the mag catch slot was located.  I then removed the magazine and with the mill, machined a small slot at the scribed location.  Fancy that, it even worked.  Inserting the magazine into the new mag well should be smooth without too much wobble and some friction should be apparent from the magazine catch until the catch snaps into place in its slot.  I did find that the slot I cut was too wide, so I decided that I did indeed need a stop to keep the magazine from going all the way through the action when the bolt was open.

I dug out a hole in the front left “corner” of the mag well at the top, just deep enough to be level with the notch in that portion of the magazine.  This notch is intended to give clearance for the slide stop in the 1911 pistol, but in this case provided a satisfactory point to place a magazine stop.  I used a scrap piece of steel (in fact, a useless, used and worn AR-15 disconnector), ground down to the proper shape on the belt sander.  I used the original trigger pin hole as a screw hole with which to fasten it to the magazine block.  I duplicated the radius of the magazine front to allow it to protrude just slightly into the magazine well.  After drilling and tapping this hole into the block I screwed down the new mag stop and inserted the magazine to check the fit.  It stuck out a little too much.

Visible here are the four through pins that hold the block in the mag well. The block is also retained by epoxy. The slot for the magazine catch is also clearly visible, as is the slot’s protrusion into the mag well.
Visible here are the four through pins that hold the block in the mag well. The block is also retained by epoxy. The slot for the magazine catch is also clearly visible, as is the slot’s protrusion into the mag well.

So, using a Dremel tool with a grinding stone,  I shortened it just enough so that it would interfere with none of the cartridge dummies in the magazine.  With the magazine set in the well, there was a very small amount of “jiggle” play, which turned out to be insignificant.  The bolt perfectly stripped dummies off the magazine when pushed forward.  In fact, once the dummy cleared the feed lips of the mag, the follower literally popped the dummy right up underneath the extractor.  This was a pleasant surprise.  It was inordinately fun to fill up the magazine well with dummies and cycle them through the action to let them fall out the front of the action.  Sometimes it just feels good to do things right.

I then finished off the whole assembly with Matte Black Alumahyde II from Brownells.  This turned the appearance from warmed over junk to a halfway decent looking gun assembly.  Convenient too, since it is an aerosol and doesn’t require baking, which was good since a significant amount of the assembly was plastic.

So, What's Next?

So now that the magazine block was complete, and it even worked, I needed to move on to the next step.  I decided to leave the barreling until last.  One of the experiments I decided to conduct was to shorten the bolt throw and move the ejector forward so it was just behind the new magazine well.  And of course this little piece wouldn’t be complete without a completely unneeded muzzle break to help tame the mighty recoil.  We’ll detail all this and more in the next excursion into the world of gun goodness.

Click Here to Read Part 2 of Project 45 ACP Mauser

What Shall I Do With That Old Mauser? Part 2

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The tools the author used to re-barrel a mauser to 45 ACP.
The tools the author used for barreling the .45.  A finishing chamber reamer, Go and No Go headspace gauges, floating reamer holder, the rifle’s bolt, Kuhnhausen shop manual on the Mauser rifles, the prepared, painted receiver, and the indispensable depth micrometer.

With a little imagination and a lot of skill, you can create a .45 ACP Mauser rifle. It doesn't matter why. This project is just plain fun.

Last issue we played around with modifying an old 8mm Mauser into a .45 ACP.  It was just one of the mostly meaningless jaunts into guncrafting goodness that turned out to be a fun, creative challenge.  I’ve already completed the magazine modifications and the construction of a new magazine well to make use of .45 ACP cartridges.  The remaining tasks to be done are to fit a barrel to the gun and figure out how to shorten the bolt throw, without of course, cutting out a chunk of receiver (and bolt) and welding it back together.

Getting Started

The first thing to do was the most difficult, or at least the most time-consuming chore. Initially I determined just how far I wanted the bolt to cycle, and where the ejector should be located.  The receiver had a “thumb hole” in the left side to accommodate thumb clearance when using a stripper clip to load the gun.  Basically it was a scoop out of the left side of the receiver just above the bolt rail way.

Cutting the taper is easy with the right compound rest.
Cutting a taper using the compound rest is pretty easy, as long as, like the author, you can temporarily control your caffeine shakes.  Using 180 sandpaper to smooth out the contour after the cutting is done blends it all together seamlessly.

I decided to move the ejector up to just in front of this scoop and to make use of that scoop to place the new bolt stop.  In order to accomplish this job, I milled out from a piece of half-inch square steel bar stock a new ejector housing that spanned from the housing screw hole and arms on the left rear of the receiver (where the original ejector housing and bolt stop had been) all the way to an inch or so forward of the scoop.  I then had to make a slot just in front of the scoop so the ejector could project into the bolt way from the ejector housing.

Forming the ejector housing was pretty easy, making measurements with a caliper of the bends, turns, and corners of the receiver, and then milling the block to fit.  The original hole where the bolt stop projected into the receiver and the original ejector slot were used as guides to align the new housing along the receiver.  A small flanged projection fitted in this area to align the housing.  In the “scoop” area I simply left a whole big block of material that pretty much made a false wall in the scoop.  I drilled and tapped a hole near the front of this blockish mass and inserted a quarter-inch long 4-40 socket head screw.

Then I ground a slight bevel on the rear of the tightened screw.  When pushing the bolt forward, the left side bolt lug contacts that small bevel, pushing the housing out slightly and allowing the bolt to pass, while pulling the bolt back forces the lug to impact the unbeveled front of the screw, stopping it in its tracks.  To finish this piece off, I cut an angle on the outside front of the housing and then milled a few flutes into the top, bottom, and left sides of the housing.  I then painted the housing with the same black Aluma-hyde II that covered the receiver.

How to Make it Go BIIING!

Now that the bolt stop had been created, I now had to make the ejector work.  I wanted to keep the original ejector and not have to fashion a new one from scratch.  I milled into the front end of the housing a slot to fit the ejector and drilled a hole for a roll pin for the ejector to rotate upon.  Then I slowly modified the ejector to project out sufficiently to insert itself in front of the bolt when the bolt was fully open.  I made two small cuts in the outside of the ejector, creating a spring guide of sorts for a small spring (just happened to be the bolt stop detent spring from an AR-15).

This spring pushes the ejector against the bolt, forcing the front of the ejector into the ejector slot on the left side of the bolt face as the bolt is pulled back, making contact with the left rear face of the cartridge case head.  Of course a relief hole was drilled in the ejector housing to accommodate the spring.  I effectively did all this by eye in little increments, and it was pretty time-consuming.  In the future, if I do this thing again, I will spec out some measurements based on this housing, but this time I was shooting as I went along.  Fortunately, the housing slot aligned perfectly with the slot cut into the receiver.  This is probably because I did precisely calculate that particular task, and it was rock steady because of the “guides” previously mentioned. See! I’m not a complete “wing it” gunsmith.

Frustration and Correction

The completed ejector block.
The completed ejector block.

I should also make note of the ejector housing ears on the left rear of the receiver.  I thinned them out by a few thousands by polishing to reduce the friction back there.  My first thought for a tension spring was to place a small loop spring in between the ears.  That didn’t work.  This tension is, of course, very important as it serves to keep the entire housing flush against the left side of the receiver, and it has to be stronger than the ejector spring that was pushing against the bolt.  This one really stymied me; I had no room or leverage to work with in the back, and there didn’t appear to be any other way to make this work.

Then, with a 100-watt light bulb pulsing above my head, I cut off a piece of the original flat magazine spring, still slightly curved, and about one inch long.  I drilled a hole near one end and used the bolt stop screw to hold it in place on the inner false receiver wall of the ejector housing.  This spring extended back to make contact with the inside wall of the receiver, back where the original ejector entered the receiver.  It was thin enough to not interfere with the bolt, but had enough tension to just barely keep the ejector housing pressed tight to the receiver, and just enough give to allow the housing to be pulled out enough to allow the bolt lug to pass by the stop screw so that the bolt could be removed from the rifle.  This detracted a tiny bit from the clean lines of the gun, as when the bolt was pulled out there appears this ugly foreign-looking flat spring thing.  But it works and that was enough for me.

Last But Not Least

Barreling the gun was vanilla.  I first contoured the barrel down to about what the original barrel’s diameter measured, and made it 16 ¼ inches long.  It’s truly amazing how much lighter a barrel blank becomes after you cut a third off the end and turn it down a bit.  I wanted to make sure that the outside diameter and bore were concentric the whole way so I trued the muzzle end and reversed it, put that end in the lathe chuck and stabilized the barrel with a live center and steady rests on the other end before the final contouring cut. I can say with pretty certain authority that this barrel, unlike ANY you get on a factory gun, is truly concentric.

The ejector block from the left side. The author was quite proud of the way this assembly turned out, as it looks really darn cool.
The ejector block from the left side.  The author was quite proud of the way this assembly turned out, as it looks really darn cool.

I put a taper in front of the chamber that roughly matched the factory barrel, though not exactly, as the original 8mm barrel was stepped.  On the muzzle I installed a completely unnecessary muzzle break.  I say unnecessary, as a .45 produces little gas to redirect, and the recoil from a .45 carbine is best described as a gentle push.  But it looked cool, so I did it anyway.  I also permanently attached this brake since there would be no reason to remove it in the future.  I threaded it on, timed it to align properly, drilled a hole through it, pinned it, and took it to my gunsmith buddy Mark to weld the pin in the hole (I didn’t have welding equipment readily available, and besides, he’s better at welding than yours truly).

I was also able to cut a superb chamber with minimum headspace thanks to the virgin reamer I purchased from Dave Manson Precision Reamers.  New, quality reamers like this one cut as if the steel was actually butter, as long as you don’t reverse the cut and dull the tool.  Or allow the reamer to get clogged with chips.  Or not use sufficient cutting fluid.  Or feed the reamer too fast.  Or not use a floating reamer holder.

Or think you’re really slick and ream the chamber on high speed.  For the record, I’ve never done any of those things. Ever. I’ve also found that cutting the chamber to just fit the Go gauge before final fitting on the receiver, then tightening the barrel onto the receiver of a Mauser, still leaves plenty of headspace room when complete, pretty much eliminating the need to calculate any crush factor inherent in the chambering process, and removing the need to use an extended shank reamer to finish the chamber after tightening the barrel down.  The No Go gauge still doesn’t even come close to fitting.  I also acquired the Go gauge from Manson, paying for the mistake I made by loaning my previous gauge to another gunsmith some time ago.  Never loan a gunsmith ANYTHING.  It will disappear into his bottomless gunsmith packrat box.

The final duties to perform were to put the gun in the stock, get some kind of sighting system on it, and test it.  I simply added a small section of Picatinny rail to the top of the barrel shank and topped it with a JPoint Microelectronic sight.  This red dot is rather small, rather light, and rather expensive; so I borrowed it.  But it was perfect for the gun and looked pretty neat perched just in front of the receiver.  I suppose I’ll have to buy one of those now too.  Concluding the project, I nailed the barrel with Aluma-hyde so that the entire barreled action was a nice matte black, re-inletted the stock to fit the new barrel and ejector housing, and then put off until later the minor contouring that was necessary to blend the exterior lines.  I just wanted to shoot it.

Okay, this was really cool.  I’ve mentioned before that I’m not a good shot.  But I did put a five-shot group at 25 yards into a single ¾-inch hole, no lie.  The group opened up to three inches at 50 yards.  I blame the 8 minute-of-angle dot in the JPoint.  The dot simply covered the entire target and was thus difficult to center on the bull’s-eye at that range.

Guess that extra concentricity work paid off.

You Know You Succeeded When …

I then showed this project off to a couple friends and then my father and uncle.  You know you’ve done something right when a guy gives you a puzzled “what the heck is that?” look, and shoots the gun.  Then he turns around slowly with a really stupid grin on his face, with a little bit of drool hanging off the corner of his ‘stache, and then proceeds to turn back around and empty your magazine.  My favorite quote was “Hey! You could load this thing up with Cor-Bons and deer hunt with it!”

Well, lookitthat! I’ve got a practical use for this thing after all!

Read Part 1 of Project 45 ACP Mauser

X-Rest a Solid, Compact Foundation

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Collaborative product design and development firm Montie Design announces the availability of its unique portable shooting rest, the second original product conceived, designed, and distributed by the RTP-based company in the last nine months.

Designed to meet the needs of the majority of shooters, and most firearms, the easy-to-carry rest weighs less than two pounds. It disassembles easily in three pieces, fitting neatly into a small carrying pouch.

Unlike conventional bench rests, which are heavy and complex, the novel Montie Design model — made of sturdy yet lightweight aluminum — provides steady support for different sized firearms ranging from semi-automatic and bolt action rifles to shotguns, carbines and pistols from a prone position or bench rest.

For more information visit Montie Design.

Gun Digest the Magazine September 28, 2009

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Gun Digest is the source for firearms news, pricing and guns for sale. Readers benefit from in-depth editorial expert advice, show reviews and practical how-to instructions. Subscriptions are the First Amendment way to stand up for your Second Amendment rights. Click here to begin your subscription to Gun Digest.

Inside This Issue

• Kevin Michalowski asserts “Bad Government Abounds” in his “Editor's Shot” column. Click here to read it.

• Towsley on Target: Punch Them in the Face

• Performance Handloading: Working with the .280 Rem.

• Rifles: Whitney Rifles

• Shotguns: Traditions & Ruger

• Handguns: Whitney & Wesson

• NRA Update: NRA President at Camp Perry

• Gunsmithing: Herr Frankenpistole Gets Organs

• Plenty of New Gear for Shooters

• Tactical Gear: BSA Optics

• New Shotguns Rule! M.D. Johnson has the not-so-final word on what’s new for ‘09.

Click here to load up on a subscription.

Madison Police Dispatcher Misled 911 Caller on Open Carry

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Listen to the full audio file here.

Shortly thereafter Travis Yates was detained and cited for “disorderly conduct”  for mere open carry of a holstered handgun.  Mr. Yates has vowed to “fight his ticket.”

A reasonable person listening to the dispatcher might have concluded that open carry of handguns was illegal in Madison.  In fact that's what Ryan thought, and he told the Examiner.com that he believed that “open carry is disorderly conduct in Madison.”

However when Ryan learned that six days after Mr. Yates was cited for disorderly conduct, Madison police officials issued an email to patrol officers stating that “officers cannot simply write a DC ticket based solely on the open carry . . . unless additional articulable facts exist to substantiate Disorderly Conduct,” Ryan paused and then responded with a question:  “Then what basis is there to stop” someone openly carrying a gun?

According to the US Supreme Court in Florida v. J.L. (2000) (detaining man on mere report that he has a gun violates the Fourth Amendment), Ryan's question is exactly the correct line of inquiry because there is no “firearms exception” to the Fourth Amendment.  Other high courts of our country agree, like the Washington Appeals Court in State v. Casad (2004) (detaining man observed by police openly carrying rifles on a public street violates the Fourth Amendment) and the federal district court in New Mexico which just past week entered summary judgment against Alamogordo police officers for detaining a man for merely open carrying a holstered handgun at a movie theater. Read more

Source: DC Gun Rights Examiner

 

Nevada Shoots Down Utah Gun Permits

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On July 1, the Nevada Sheriffs' and Chiefs' Association, which sets the Silver State's permit recognition requirements, dropped Utah from the list of states whose permit holders also may carry concealed firearms in Nevada.

The reason: Utah does not require permit holders to prove their proficiency with a live-fire test on a shooting range.

“You don't get a driver's license without taking a driving-in-the-car test,” Frank Adams, the Nevada association's executive director, said Monday. The same should apply for weapons owners, he said. “You should at least show proficiency.”

The policy group Gun Owners of Utah this past weekend issued a call for letters and e-mails of protest after getting an alert from the National Rifle Association. On Monday, though, group spokesman Bill Clayton said the cause appears hopeless because Nevada authorities interpret their state law as backing up the ban.

Nevada law requires permittees from other states to meet substantially the same requirements as Nevada holders, and Nevada requires a shooting test.

“We don't want to impose any more burdens on permit applicants than are necessary,” Clayton said, but other states do. “I guess for the time being that's a fact of life.” Read more

Source: sltrib.com

 

Economic Stimulus Money Helping Police Upgrade Firearms

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As the Christian Science Monitor (CSM) reported, “Across America, police departments are using the taxpayer-funded stimulus bill to boost their arsenals with shotguns, handguns, and assault rifles. Take the city of Jeffersonville, Ind. Police there are spending $63,000 of their stimulus bill money to buy 74 new assault rifles for their police cruisers.”

In Barre, Vermont, the local police department, “used stimulus money to buy six new handguns, 21 Taser guns, and five new shotguns, including one non-lethal version that shoots bean bags. As part of its request for stimulus funds, Arlington, Texas, included $56,000 for military-grade carbines,” for city police.

According to CSM, “Andy Molchan, director of the Professional Gun Retailers Association in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., says part of the growing profit statements from gunmakers such as Ruger, Smith & Wesson, and Sig come courtesy of the American taxpayer by way of some of America's 14,000 police jurisdictions.”

“They [law enforcement agencies] like to upgrade when they can,” Molchan said. “If there’s [grant] money there, an agency is going to try to spend it.”

Demand Hearings into ATF Corruption Allegations

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On Monday, we asked if ATF could be reformed, and highlighted legislation supported by the National Rifle Association promising to do just that. On Tuesday, we checked in with Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership, which thinks the agency should be “booted,” not made over. And yesterday, we heard from disgruntled ATF employees themselves, who have a list of grievances they want to see “cleaned up.”

All approaches have their critics. The reform effort is reacted to by some with derision– I've had comments posted dismissing it as “lipstick on a pig” and “rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.” The “boot” option is dismissed by those who don't see any chance of it happening. And ATF employees who wish to continue their work in a kinder, gentler environment are met by many with contempt, not sympathy. The agency, its activities and its history foster no goodwill among many gun rights activists, who would like to see ATF hirelings go into a different line of work altogether–and who would prefer to see some of them behind bars.

Still, there's something proponents of all three approaches–and their critics–ought to be able to do now that could have a satisfying effect–and will only burden anyone supporting it for a minute or two. Mike Vanderboegh at Sipsey Street Irregulars proposed it, and I think it's a powerful idea and well worth exploiting:

Now, this may strike many of my readers as ridiculous. One called it, “Just like being a shop steward representing concentration camp guards — he's still a guard. Who cares if he has a b***h with the camp commandant? Why would we want to support somebody who just wants to make an unconstitutional agency more fair and efficient?”

Well, I'll tell you why. The fact of the matter is that WE, all by ourselves, are not ever going to get oversight hearings into ATF misconduct…And, I will concede that it may well be too late for any hearings to have a material effect on events. However, that doesn't mean we shouldn't try…

So here's what I urge you to do. If you have a congressman or congresswoman who is on any oversight committee, whether they are Republican or Democrat, forward these damning allegations by field agents against the SES crooks to the congresscritters with the demand that they look into these charges. Don't editorialize. Don't criticize the agency's mission. Keep it short and simple. You want the taxpayer's dollars protected and spent wisely. You want these agents' complaints looked into.

Who do you send it to?

I'd start with my representatives–you can find your congressman here, and your senators here. Then, I'd contact the Domestic Policy Subcommittee of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Read more

Source: Gun Rights Examiner

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