Shall Not Be Questioned – Page 558 – The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the State …

On Magazine Springs

SayUncle notes that someone is going to try an experiment, in regards to whether keeping magazine spring loaded causes them to wear faster. I should note that from engineering principles, there is no doubt that a loaded magazine will wear faster than an empty one, but the question of whether we’re speaking short time scales, such as 13 years, is another matter. I’d be willing to be your time scales here are on the scale of decades.

My feeling, just based on some things I know about springs, is that magazines which get used regularly are going to wear the fastest. Cyclic compression is the most fatiguing to the metal in a spring. Extended periods, even at full, static compression are going to be less fatiguing than if you were unloading the magazine every day.

If I had to bet, the magazine that’s been loaded for 13 years works just fine. At least not much worse than a magazine that’s been empty for 13 years. Time wears on springs too, whether you compress them or not. My feeling is that it’s probably best to leave magazines seldom used unloaded, but it’s far better to leave a magazine loaded, rather than loading it and unloading it regularly.

CNC Milled AR-15, The Test Firing

Jason and I made it out to the range Christmas Day to try out the AR-15 pistol that Jason turned out on his CNC mill, documented here and here. After fussing around a bit dealing with FTEs, it was determined that the pistol just likes hotter ammo. Using either the reloaded ammo Jason was using, or my reloads, which I don’t load very hot, it had FTEs all too often. But it worked rather flawlessly with NATO spec 5.56×45, which the upper is rated for. Here’s the video I took:

I think the best way to shoot an AR-15 pistol is to get a good cheek weld on the buffer tube. The tube is too short to use as a stock, and is not designed to be used as one, so it avoids being an SBR, but the recoil is so low that a good cheek weld helps in aiming. It is entirely comfortable to shoot the pistol as a pistol, one handed, or with both hands, but you can get better accuracy resting your cheek on the buffer tube.

Mechanically, for some reason, the buffer retaining pin got sheared off, but I think Jason has decided not to bother replacing it. With this modified lower, it requires tools to remove the upper, so it’s not a huge deal to just hold the buffer in while the upper is put back into place.

This goes to show the fallacy of gun control. All it took to manufacture this was a CAD drawing downloaded from the Internet, a Linux machine to control the mill, a block of aluminum, some time, and a willingness to spend a few days cleaning aluminum bits off the floor of your shop.

No doubt our opponents will call this a “loophole” in the law, which allowed Jason to manufacture a high-powered pistol out of a block of aluminum, with no serial number, no background check, and no government official overseeing the endeavor. But make no mistake, it’s not unregulated. This was made for personal curiosity. It would be unlawful to make firearms for resale, without a manufacturer’s license, and would also be unlawful to make this firearm with a stock, which would make it a short barreled rifle. All those legal issues were avoided in this endeavor. But I can promise you, there are individuals out there for whom this is appalling, and who would likely try to restrict this technology.

But the genie has thoroughly gotten out of this bottle. None of the equipment used in this project is so horrendously expensive that it’s out of the reach of hobbyists in terms of price. Jason is not a trained machinist, and neither am I. My message to our opponents is to give up. Gun control as as fantastical now as unicorns. Technology will just no longer allow it to work.

Wishing You a Very Merry Christmas

We started the day with the opening of presents. I got a lot more clothes that I needed, and Bitter got a ceramic knife set, a knife block, and a few videos. Then it was time to celebrate Christmas with gunfire. Jason and I headed to the club (my the club), along with his dad, to test fire his CNC milled AR pistol. It was found to be rather sensitive to ammunition, in that it fed well with hot 5.56, but not so wonderfully with .223 reloads. But it definitely worked pretty well once we got the ammo figured out. I’ll have video later.

CNC machining an AR-15 lower update and slight detour

In the comments of my last post, Grego pointed out firearmfiles.com where there are CAD files for a multi-part AR-15 lower where all the parts fit nicely in the working area of a Taig mill. It also doesn’t require any special jigs or the crazy long, thin drill bit for making the hole for the bolt catch pin. Since I wouldn’t need to make any jigs or buy any drill bits to finish that version, I figured I’d try it before continuing on with the normal one-piece lower. I went straight to aluminium since I had a slab the right thickness.

Starting to mill the left half of the lower out of a slab of aluminium.

After the end of the roughing pass, where you can see some pretty crappy edges because I was making cuts that were too aggressive for the Taig.

After a couple of contouring passes to give it the right shape.

After the finishing pass.

Now, use a band saw to cut off the excess aluminium block, flip the part over, and start roughing the other side.

The four completed parts of the lower and the bolts that hold them together.

The finish is funky on the inside of one of the halves because, due to software issues, I was having trouble getting accurate Z positioning. Â I managed to fix the problem for the other parts.

The assembled lower.

With the fire control parts installed.

And, finally, the completed firearm.

That’s everything except the bolt catch. Since the bolt catch is held on by a press in roll pin, I’m going to leave that off until the lower is painted, rather than have to press it out again to do the painting. Â My plan is to treat with Alodine and then spray on Duracoat. I think that should work out pretty well, and it is easier than anodizing.

I modified the design a bit from the original. My version is thinner (though still not as thin as a standard AR lower), and instead of using a custom extended selector switch, I cut a recess so that a standard selector switch would fit.

Now that that’s done, I’m going to try to finish the one piece Delrin lower. But first, I think I need to make some sort of enclosure for the mill to keep the chips from getting all over the place. When working on parts that big, it makes a hell of a mess. Normally, when I use the mill for work, I’m just working with small Delrin parts, making cutouts in aluminium sheets, or etching small printing circuit boards.

Why is Self-Defense “Unbelievable” in Iowa?

I’m not quite sure I follow why interest in non-discretionary issue of concealed carry firearms is considered hard to believe in Iowa.

The number of Iowans seeking permits to carry handguns and other weapons has increased 170 percent during the first 11 months of 2011 â€” a trend one Iowa sheriff calls â€œunbelievable.â€

During the first year in which a new law gave sheriffs less discretion over which residents can be denied permits, 94,516 Iowans sought and received non-professional weapons permits from January through November, the Iowa Department of Public Safety reports.

Data from the stateâ€™s three most populous counties show an even greater surge in weapons permits in key urban areas. In Polk, Linn and Scott counties, the number of permits issued thus far in 2011 is 271 percent higher than in 2010.

It seems pretty damn easy to understand for me. I know people who have lived under may issue jurisdictions who wouldn’t even apply for a license to carry because of the risk of being turned down for absolutely no reason. If they are turned down, they usually have to report it to the states that issue licenses based on actual evidence that you’re law-abiding.

Based on the context of the “unbelievable” quote, I don’t think the sheriff who said it was speaking from an anti-gun perspective. I just think he’s truly baffled that interest surged in self-defense once it became known that discriminating practices in issuance were no longer allowed.

Ending Wasteful Spending on Anti-Gun Work

The Washington Times has a piece about GOP efforts to stop spending on anti-gun research by the federal government. Most of it isn’t huge news to those of us who have followed the issue closely for years, but I do love their flourish in language describing some of the studies:

It took $2.6 million of taxpayersâ€™ money to find out what could have been assumed for free: that teenagers who possess illegal guns, engage in underage drinking and hang out with other neâ€™er-do-wells are more likely to get shot.

I love it.

Rumors of My Demise Are Greatly Exaggerated

I haven’t done much posting for a few days, I know. I have a few very important things in the works, currently. But if all this plays out, a lot of positive life changes are in the works. At least I hope. This has left very little energy for blogging, but I am sincerely hoping my energy will come back in short order if they do.

In the mean time, I’ll do what I can, and Bitter will keep filling in. Shouldn’t be too much longer. I appreciate everyone’s patience through what has certain been upheaval in my personal life since my company shut down a few months ago.

A Christmas Decoration’s Demise

I once destroyed a Christmas decoration when I was a kid by running outside to show my dad something, then turning to run back into the house – without realizing that someone had closed the glass door behind me since they didn’t realize I would be back inside quickly. Yeah, that was pretty funny looking back on it. Fortunately, my dad pulled out the super glue and fixed up the horse for me. I still have it today.

Alan Sailer, on the other hand, destroys his Christmas decorations with an air rifle. There’s no gluing these things back together.

What I find most interesting about his hobby is how creative he gets with the shots. Consider the set up for this photo:

Pay attention now.

Rifle fires pellet at razor blade. Blade splits pellet in two. Two halves of pellet wing their way towards a pair of gelatin filled Christmas bulbs.

And timing is set just a little two early.

Although if you look very closely, you can see tiny cracks staring in the light brown bulb as the half pellet just touches the glass surface.

He frequently fills the ornaments with materials that include chapstick, sour cream, colored sand, red jello, honey, plain water, sugar balls, aloe gel, sand mixed with alcohol, and even Play Doh.

I don’t think he likes Frosty. He also doesn’t limit his artistic destruction to air rifle, but incorporates a ping pong ball cannon for a little diversity.

Gun Sales Up

I love the headlines about increased gun sales from Tulsa, OK; Bakersfield, CA; New York; and Roanoke, VA.

Are any readers buying a gun for a gift for either themselves or a loved one for the holidays this year? Sebastian has bought guns for me twice – once for Christmas and the other for my birthday. They always go over well.

This year, I don’t think Santa will be leaving any for us. Instead, Santa is delivering some knives. We have become spoiled to our new high-end knife, and I casually suggested that Sebastian might order a block so we can start a proper collection of quality knives. At least if we have more than one, we won’t fight over who gets to slice the homemade bread.

Why Iowa Really Shouldn’t Matter

Jim Geraghty is on a roll this morning looking at the truth behind the Iowa caucus numbers and why they should be no more relevant than any other small state. I can understand the sentiment because I know many gun owners never felt like they had a say in the GOP nominating process in 2008 once some contenders dropped out after fairly early primary runs. With the ups and downs of various candidates in the last few weeks, it’s a shame Tim Pawlenty called it quits after a freakin’ straw poll.

Putting aside the quirkiness of Iowa, caucuses are an awful method for picking candidates for a variety of reasons — suddenly the secret ballot doesn’t matter anymore? — and high among them is low participation. The turnout at the 2008 Iowa GOP caucus: 119,000. Turnout at the 2000 caucus: 87,000. Turnout in 1996: About 96,000. Turnout in 1988: About 109,000.

Turnout has never surpassed 23 percent of all eligible Republicans, and even that low threshold was last met back in 1988. The GOP frontrunner is determined by a group roughly the size of the crowd at a University of Michigan football game. If the Iowa caucus turnout matches its 2008 level (though it could be higher), it will equal 16 percent of the average population of one congressional district.

At least in primaries, many more Republicans (and in open primaries, independents) get to weigh in. In 2008, 234,000 Republicans and independents voted in New Hampshire, and 445,000 Republicans and independents voted in South Carolina.

In his morning newsletter, he also notes that a certain segment of the few caucus-goers will make up their mind based on these last minute polls released showing candidates they like not doing so well or candidates they hate doing too well. This is particularly relevant as some may be responding to the perceived swell of Ron Paul support and flocking to Romney out of fear of a Paul win. That’s the same kind of motivation that drove some states to vote for Huckabee in 2008 – he was the only alternative to McCain at a certain point in the game. It didn’t mean those states actually like Huckabee, they just didn’t want to vote for McCain.

UPDATE: Someone questioned what an ideal map would look like for Geraghty, and he responds with a plan that sounds quite feasible. My only issue is that he left Oklahoma off the calendar.