Calibers - How Many

On a gun forum of which I am a member, someone requested feedback on the following:

"A question came to me regarding how many different calibers is practical for one to own and I'd like to get some feedback here as to how you approach it."

The thread starter was concerned with whether or not people limit their gun purchases to only a select few calibers for whatever reasons and mentioned a few.

My reply consisted of the following seven sentences:

"I have pistols and rifles in 18 different calibers and also have shotguns guns in two gauges. I have ammo for all of them. I have shot all but one caliber because a brand new gun, in a new caliber for me, is in for warranty work. When it comes back to me, it will go to the range pronto. I foresee getting other firearms in other various calibers. I have also had weapons in at least three other calibers than the ones I have now but sold them. There are never enough so long as you believe that variety is the spice of life."

I don't know whether or not I have ever said it better, than I did in that last sentence, as to why I own so many different caliber firearms. And note, I was only writing about those firearms I own or have owned that accept cartridges as opposed to any muzzle loaders I have or have had in the past. I must say, variety really does spice it up a bit when it comes to shooting and my guess would be that many of you agree with me on that. I mean, I just mean - who in hell gives a rat's arse whether or not it is practical to own firearms in many different calibers so long as it's fun!
 
All the best,
Glenn B

 

Clinton's New Book...

...but to see it you have to look behind the cover (pun intended). Nothing obscene, no nudity, nothing from which you need to shield your eyes, just Clinton's new book plain and simple.

Yugo SKS Range Report

I took my new Yugoslavian SKS, the one I picked up at auction on Saturday, to the local indoor range last night. Yeah, I know, I must be slipping out of my role as The Great Procrastinator. Shooting it that soon after buying it must be a new speed record for me, at least in recent years.

Last night, I put 100 rounds through it. Most of the first 20 rounds, all Wolf Military Classic 124 grain HP ammo, did not go where I thought I was aiming. I fired 10 rounds using my weak reading glasses, the ones I wear for distance vision. Then switched, for the next 10 rounds, to the glasses I use for reading - 3.00 magnifiers. What a difference in vision but it did at all change the point of impact for my shots.

As most shooters do, I also did - I refused to think it was me causing the errant shots. So, I tried some Brown Bear 124 grain FMJ ammo on a new target. I fired 10 rounds, checked the target and saw everything was going just about where I was aiming but a little too spread out. I was convinced it had been the Wolf ammo that caused the other shots to be so far off their mark or maybe me getting my eyes used to focusing on the front sight with the right pair of glasses.

As I was shooting the Brown Bear ammo though, I noticed something I had not seen before - what looked like a burr on the front sight that I had not noticed before then. Before firing another 10 rounds of it, I stuck my booger picker under the sight hood to see if it was indeed a burr and wound up with a small blob of dirty gunk on my finger tip. Ah- ha! I fired the next ten shots with much improvement and they were all pretty much going where I was aiming. All I can think as that the blob of gunk had been causing me to shift my sight alignment a bit and was throwing off my aim. My guess is it may have been bigger when I started shooting and can only think it may also have been larger and more formed to the front sight and some had come off, due to recoil, allowing me to see it was there. I am 99% certain that was most of the problem because I then went back to the Wolf ammo and they too were now hitting the mark. Of course the glasses may have had something to do with it but I changed back and forth between them on that second target. I shot another 50 rounds for a total of 60 rounds into that second target. This was the result:

It can shoot!

After that, I fired another 20 rounds out of it, this time Wolf Performance 154 grain SP on a third target. They went down range well too and wound up where I was aiming.

The only issues I had, other than for the first 20 shots being off seemingly due to that blob of gunk, was that there were three or four instances of the last round failing to feed properly. That could be a magazine spring issue. It happened when I shifted my hold with my left hand that had been under the mag and thus pushing up on it. I had it centered on the bottom of the mag for most of my shots but changed it a few times and while my left hand still supported the rifle it was not on the center of the magazine and that is when it failed to feed the last round. When I moved it back to the center of the mag, the problem stopped. 

It is possible the magazine or its spring could use some tweaking. Since it was always on the last round and since my supporting the gun with my left hand centered on the mag pushed the magazine up a bit when all rounds fed, and then when my left hand was not centered on the mag the last rounds did not feed, I think the likely culprit is the magazine follower spring not having enough oomph. I may have to research this a bit and buy a new spring to see if there is any improvement. If not, then back to square one. Now to find one.

Anyway, I like it, it is a shooter.

All the best,
Glenn B