behindthebullets

[behindthebullets]

Finding Cheap Ammo

Throughout the years, ammo prices have changed. Some ammo has gone up, while others have gone down. The caliber that I shoot the most is 9mm. When it comes to finding ammo cheap, online prices mixed with stores in the area that price match are key. The reason I don’t order from the online stores is because they hammer you with the shipping cost of 30+ dollars. Therefore, I take the shipping cost out of the picture by picking it up at a local store that price matches. You can also be on the lookout for rebates on ammo. For example, American Eagle just had a rebate on handgun ammo. For every 50 rounds of 9mm, you would receive a dollar back. I looked on Outdoor Limited and found the ammo for $8.89 per box of 50. Then, I went to Cabelas and priced matched the same ammo. I ended up buying 500 rounds of ammo for .14 cents per round ($73). The average price for 9mm is around .18 cents per round. As you can see, it pays to take time and look up several different websites and compare prices. 

[behindthebullets]

Primary Source Interview

For this assignment, I was able to interview a few people that have a better understanding of gun laws and have more experience with firearm modification. I spoke to the owner of Schuylkill Gun Works (SGW) and Guardian Arms (GA). Throughout both of the conversations, we talked about the same topics. However, one was based on building the firearms and the other was based on the legalities of building firearms. 

With SGW, we discussed the best rifle setup for hunting coyotes. The owner enjoys hunting coyotes. In fact, he travels to Maine every so often to hunt these animals for roughly a week at a time. We discussed the best trigger for hunting. We both mentioned the Giessele triggers. these triggers have a very light, crisp trigger pull. However, these triggers cost over $200. Most people cannot afford to spent that much on a trigger. We then continued to talk about the best budget build AR-15. Right off the bat, we agreed that there is no need to spend $100 on a lower receiver. As I stated in a previous post, they are all the same. We then talked about the overall price for a good budget build. He and I both agreed around $400 is a great deal. We both have built an AR-15 around the $400 price mark. 

When talking to the owner of GA, we spoke about the legalities of building firearms. I began the conversation by asking if it is legal to make your own firearm from scratch. It is legal to make your own firearms. However, you cannot sell the firearms without a serial number. We also spoke about the best budget build. Just like SGW, he stated lower receivers are all the same. He agreed with SGW and I that $400 is a great price for a build. We then talked about AR pistols. AR pistols have a barrel that is shorter than 16 inches. this AR doesn't have a butt stock.  However, it has a pistol brace that can be shouldered. (its basically a butt stock) He stated how the laws for these braces changes by day. One day the brace can be banned by the ATF and the next its allowed. 

By the end of both of these interviews, I was able to learn more about a hobby that I really enjoy. I will continue to talk to both of the owners about other gun topics. 

[behindthebullets]

Glock The Rise of America’s Gun

Barnes & Noble Link

The author Paul M. Barrett is writing this book to inform people on the history of the Glock pistols. Since 1982 when the first Glock was created, it has become the weapon of choice for military, law enforcement, and civilians. 

Glock has become America’s pistol. When the pistol finally came over to the United States, law enforcement agencies concluded that they were being outgunned by criminals using semi-automatic pistols. Therefore, most agencies adopted this lightweight plastic framed pistol with a 17 round magazine to replace their old six shot revolvers. The Glock has become the most reliable pistol around. Water, dust, mud,snow, drops did not come close to stopping this pistol. I happen to own several Glocks in my collection. They have proven themselves to be reliable and shoot any ammunition you give it. I trust my life with this gun as do many other citizens, police officers, and soldiers. 

I find this book to be a very informative book. I have previous knowledge on the history of Glock and this book has helped me widen that even further. It talks about the reason Gaston Glock created the pistol in 1982. From further creations of the pistol to lawsuits and even attempted assassinations on Glock himself; it can be found in this book. Although I agree with Barrett when he says Glock is America’s gun, many gun enthusiasts would strongly disagree with that. One thing we can all agree on is that Glock pistols will continue to protect citizens, police officers, and soldiers for many years to come. 

[behindthebullets]

Mil-Spec is Mil-Spec

LINK

This short video proves that lower receivers are all the same. This shows the similarities of the ‘low end’ receiver and the ‘high end’ receiver. All of the dimensions are the same. For the most part, they are all made by the same company and shipped out with different logos. If you are looking for a budget build and don’t want to spend a fortune on the receiver, Palmetto State Armory and Anderson Manufacturing are two great companies that sell very reliable and cheap receivers. These videos prove that it is possible to get a reliable receiver for a good price ($45).  In the end, you are not paying for the quality of the lower receiver, you are paying for the name on the side. 

[behindthebullets]

Pros and Cons of Rugged Miniature Red dot on pistols.

Garand Thumb link here

Warrior Poet Society link here

This topic is a very opinionated question when it comes to mounting a red dot sight on a pistol. There are two sides of this debate. The first is that the RMR is battery operated. Electronics can fail, leaving you stranded. The other side is that an RMR is faster and easier than using standard pistol sights. Both of the videos that I watched give pros and cons. But in the end, they both side for the RMR due to its durability, reliability, and battery life. The Trijicon RMR is noted as the best RMR out there. Its steel solid frame will take some damage and still keep you in the fight. 

However, all RMRs have the same drawbacks. For example, water getting on to the lens or laser will disable the RMR. They also contain batteries which at some point will fail. 

In contrast to these drawbacks, they have many advantages. Starting wit your focal points. On standard sights, there are three focal points that your eyes must be aware of (rear sight, front sight, and the target). With a RMR, it allows you to shorten that to two or even one depending on your skill. With the lesser amount of focal points, it allows yourself to focus on the target more. RMRs also have a very long battery life. The Trijicon RMR has over a four year battery life. You can also choose to upgrade your pistol sights to a higher sight which allows you to see over the RMR. Then in the rare case that the RMR does fail, you can still keep your firearm in the fight. 

In my opinion, I trust my life with the Trijicon RMR. I run one on my own pistol and my  draw times have increased drastically due to the one focal point. Though the RMR is priced at a hefty $450, they are worth every penny and will  last forever.  

[behindthebullets]

3D Guns Documentary

  This documentary is about the evolution of technology that is making the ATF and United States citizens question the legal issues when it comes to manufacturing firearms. Cody Wilson, is a 25 year old Law student at the University of Texas. Not only is pro 2nd Amendment, he is an advocate for the manufacturing of firearms using 3D printing technology. This makes him a highly controversial figure on both sides of the gun control issue. VICE met with Cody to talk about the constitution, the legal system, and to watch him make and test-fire a 3D-printed gun. 

Many wonder if manufacturing a firearm with no serial number is illegal. This documentary assures you that it is 100% legal. However, an firearm with no serial number cannot be sold. If you are attempting to sell your own firearms, you must obtain an FFL (Federal Firearms Licence) and a manufactures licence. 

The video had a very emotional beginning starting of with statistics of mass shootings in America. Throughout the Documentary, they continued to state the emotional side of the firearm topic. To many people, these statistics would spark rage which then leads to them wanting AR15s banned. The way most pro 2nd Amendment people view these stats is that the shooters were mentally unstable. They would then steal a firearm or purchase one on the streets to commit the crime. VICE also used very reliable sources to fact check. The main source used was the ATF’s website. 

Overall, I learned a lot when I watched this documentary. You do not need a special licence to manufacture your own firearms. You also can make a fairly strong lower receiver with a 3D printer.  

[behindthebullets]

Library Assignment

During my time with Dr. Robert Flatley, we discussed my topic in detail. Dr. Flatley is the Criminal Justice Librarian here at Kutztown University. He and I had come to the realization that my knowledge on guns in general exceeded the library’s resources. We talked about some of the documentaries that Kanopy Streaming Services had to offer for not only my blog, but for my own interests. We then spoke about how The New York Times may have a lot of articles on my topic both for my topic and against it. I used the New York Times for my COMP 100 class last semester and quickly concluded that this site is more Liberal than neutral.  I am not one to judge someone on their views, however, I do have an issue with media misinforming people on various topics. Therefore, I am more than likely going to stick to nonpolitical websites for this blog.

After talking about the New York Times, we spoke about using Gale Virtual Reference Library. I feel like I was more Bias towards this one out of the few we spoke about because I have used Gale throughout my high school years. As we searched for topics on Gale, we were finding articles that I already know about. We said about using these sources for nothing other than links to topics that I already know about.

After five minutes talking about Gale, Dr. Flatley and I started to talk about how and why I became interested in firearms. We spoke for nearly twenty minutes about how I became the person I am today. Never would I have expected to tell my life story to a librarian that I was going to for help on a blog. However, I’m truly grateful that I did. He and I talked for almost thirty minutes about my passion for guns, firefighting, and my future. It was a great pleasure getting to talk to Dr. Flatley and I look forward to having more meetings with him being that I am a Criminal Justice major.

The assignment for this blog was to be 400 words. However, I have ended it I little shorter than 400 words. Being that I am a firefighter, I hold the number 343 near and dear to my heart. On September 11th, 2001, 343 firefighters were killed doing what they loved. After finishing my last sentence, I noticed my word count was 343. Therefore, I decided to leave it that way.

[behindthebullets]

Getting Started

If you are new to the gun world and want to get yourself a reliable AR15, you don’t have to look any further that your own hands. You may think that coming into the hobby and building your own firearm right off the bat is way too hard. You may also think that building your own AR15 at home is against the law. However, building your own rifle at home is 100% legal and very simple. Don’t believe me on the legalities? Take a look here on the ATF’s website. With a few YouTube videos under your belt and a few hundred dollars out of your pocket, you will have your very own custom AR15. After you get the basics down, you will soon venture into the dark hole of the gun world.

Once you begin to explore the world of building guns, you will soon become overwhelmed with a lot of very difficult questions. What caliber should be use? What size barrel is best for that specific caliber? What is the right BCG (Bolt Carrier Group) for this gun? Does a standard run of the mill trigger group work just fine for your build, or is it necessary to put out another $150 to $200 for a smooth crisp break? All of these questions can make or break your experience. What you need to do is think about these questions. What is the gun for? Are you on a budget or are you able to go hog wild? Finally, do you want to have a load of different types of ammo laying around only having a few boxes of each or do you want to have two or three calibers that you have well over 1000 rounds of each?

If you are only using this gun for having fun at the range, there is no need to spend $1500 on this gun if you don’t have the money. Stock internal components will work fine for this type of rifle. However, you might want to take into consideration how much you’re going to shoot when picking your barrel. A cheap barrel will last the gun’s whole life if you bring it out to shoot once in a blue moon.  However, that cheap barrel will only last a couple months to a year if you are a frequent shooter. In that case, you might want to consider spending a little more money on the barrel.

When it comes to calibers, many will become flustered after they build their firearm, but cannot afford to buy enough ammo for it. Therefore, understanding calibers and their process will be an important thing to do before buying parts. The ammo types can range anywhere from 16 cents per round to exceeding one dollar per round. All of these confusing and stressful situations will soon be discussed in this blog.