Anybody in Northern Louisiana?

Hi, I am interested in opening a dialog with any readers living in Western Central Louisiana, specifically the greater Alexandria to Leesville/ Ft Polk area. If you have solid *current* knowledge of that area and are willing to let me bother you with a few questions please send me an email @ theotherryan@yahoo.com. Maybe we can grab a beer or something down the road.

-Ryan

Poncho Discussion Revisited

I asked you all for some help with finding a few good poncho's not too long ago. Between your help and my own research I have realized that prices USGI poncho's are widely and regularly available for are IMO silly. Maybe I'm getting old and inflation is doing its thing but there is just no way a darn poncho should cost $50.

So that leaves me looking at other options. We have other poncho's but none quite fit the bill. I prefer MILSURP for its sheer ruggedness and durability. Also to fit my concept of use a poncho would need to be able to unfold into a big flat piece of materiel to be used for shelter making, covering things, etc. Color would need to be something that works in a variety of environments (basically not ACU or DCU type patterns). Weight and bulk are also considerations. Cost is always a consideration, of course I would like them to cost a buck, be perfect and last forever, but if I could get something in the $25 or less range that would be great.

What sort of poncho's do you like? Any suggestions?

Looking for a Few Good Poncho's

Hey All, I am in the market for a couple of genuine USGI poncho's in the old woodland camo pattern. Looking for new or used in legitimately good condition at a sane price. If you know a dealer that has these in stock please let me know. Thanks,

Ryan

Question: Winchester 1894 Basic Spare Parts Setup

What would you consider a basic spare parts setup for a Winchester 94 30-30?

 My initial thoughts are extractor, ejector, firing pin, tube spring (whatever it's called the spring for the tubular magazine), hammer spring and the 6 or so the screws/ pins that hold the gun together. If you have an opinion on this please let me know in the comments section. I'm looking to stash some spare parts for my Cowboy Assault Rifle. Thanks

Edited to include: Somebody asked about Marlin spare parts. If anyone can help on that front please do so in the comments section.

Rust/ Blueing Question

It looks like I'm going to have a little bit of a project this weekend. Heard the thing to do for rust is to get the finest steel wool you can find, use lots of oil and gently rub the surface in question.Would appreciate any input on the matter.

For background there are two finishes that need some love. One is Project 870 (a plane Jane 870 Express) and the other is blued steel. Probably going to touch up the 870 with some spray paint once it's taken care of. If the blued steel comes out OK I would like to leave it as is and keep the surface well lubed.

Thoughts and advice would be great. Thanks

Kel Tech SU-16 Affordable Lightweight Concealability or Garbage?

The topic of the Kel Tech SU-16 came up recently. My initial thoughts are that it is probably not a long term hard use gun but they are really light, fold up small, take AR mags and shoot .223 ammo. For a gun to conceal in a backpack or cache someplace it has some potential. Also they are very inexpensive which means I would be more willing to risk one being lost than an AR. I know there are a couple versions, one with a plastic front sight that seems less than ideal.

If you have personal experience with the Kel Tech SU-16 I would like to know your thoughts. 

M4 Flat Top 1" Scope Mounts

Hey, I am pretty much set on a Leupold Mark AR 1.5-4 but unsure about a mount. Leupold makes one but I am not sure the clearance in back is sufficient for a (folding) BUIS. Also I would prefer to be able to take it off without a wrench if needed.

If you are running a 1" scope on an AR or similar gun I am curious about the mount you are using and how you like it.

Thanks in advance.

M-4/ AR-15 Optics and Civilian Legal IR Lasers

I am looking at the Leupold Mark AR 1.5-4x20. The Firearms Blog reviewed it awhile back and it seems like the ticket. If anybody has PERSONAL EXPERIENCES with this scope I would really appreciate their thoughts.

Also I have been looking at civilian legal IR lasers. I am familiar and comfortable with the lasers we use on the .mil side but the civilian offerings are something new to me. Have heard of the DBAL but they have multiple models and the same company makes a few other lasers. From reading the descriptions I can't tell the difference and the prices vary widely. Of course I would like to keep cost down but would rather take the hard right over the easy wrong. In any case if you have experience with multiple models or know a place that does a good comparison of readily available civilian legal lasers that would be a big help.

Thanks in advance,

Ryan

Informal Poll- New AWB?

So do you think something is going to come out of this talk about gun control or that it is a big distraction from the economy and it is going to just blow over?

Anyway I am curious about what you all are thinking and doing. If you want please let me know in the comments section.

Contest Interest

Hey All, I am curious how many of you would be interested in participating in a contest.

Final details are to be determined but the broad strokes are as follows. I want to talk about a topic having folks take some pictures and talk about what they use and why. Sharing ideas that have been working for us and collaborating to make all of our systems better. It could be EDC (probably this one first) or gun porn or food storage or whatever. The amount of effort involved will be roughly commensurate with the prizes. I do not expect folks to go to a whole bunch of effort for a prize worth five bucks. If it goes well this could develop into a monthly or bi monthly thing.

Before I put too much effort into getting something good going I want to see if folks are interested in participating. If there is interest I will put something pretty good together and if not I will put my time, energy and resources into other things.

So if you feel like participating in something please let me know in the comments section.

Question: Building An AR-15 Lower From A Stripped Receiver

So, Let's say somebody wanted to build an AR-15 lower receiver starting from a stripped lower. Obviously they would need a lower receiver parts kit, a buffer and buffer tube, pistol grip and hand guard. What tools (that are not in a standard generic tool kit) would they need? What references are best to work with? What has worked well or poorly in your experience?

Much thanks,
Ryan

Random Questions: Rails, Lower Receivers and Winter Gardening in the SW

1) Does anybody have experience with drop in free floating rails? I am looking forward at Project AR Upgrade Phase 2 and this Troy rail looks like a good option. If anybody has experience with Troy rails or another drop in free floating rail please chime in.

2) Does the brand of a stripped lower receiver actually matter? I'm talking just the big piece of metal all the stuff goes in and on. I saw a big post on ARF that basically said they are actually made by 3 manufacturers.

3) Does anybody have experience with fall/ winter gardening in the Southwest? If so please either leave your contact info or PM me at theotherryan@yahoo.com.

Thanks in advance

Questions I Have Been Mulling- Mag Pouches and Private Party Firearms

A couple things have been in my head recently and I am curious about your take on them.

1) How do you guys carry a spare mag (or mags) for concealed carry? What sort of mag pouch do you prefer?

2) What weight, if any, do you give to purchasing guns via private party. Some folks only purchase guns this way and others do not care at all. I am curious about your take on the matter. If you wanted to mention (with OPSEC considerations) what you have done and why it would be appreciated.

Thanks,
R

Question of the Day: What Scenario Worries You Most and What Are You Doing To Prepare For It?

The title pretty much says it all. I am curious what is really worrying you and what you are doing to prepare for it. Please answer in the comments section.

Tomahawk or Hatchet?

I have seen a few folks having hawks as a part of a survival kit/ BOB or whatever. At least one of them is a person who knows his stuff and whose opinion I value. I did some looking and got to wondering. I fiddled around online looking at reasons folks choose them. One of the biggest reasons was that they are 'lighter' than a hatchet. I got to looking and the weight didn't seem to measure up to that claim at least on the models I compared.

I know hawks are cool and a lot of folks own them. Some folks like them for defense or fighting or whatever. That is a reasonable point however I am not really concerned about it. First any situation where I would have a hawk I would have a pistol and probably a rifle. Secondly yes, Rogers Rangers carried hawks as backups but they didn't have 30 rd mags for rifles and 17 rd mags in pistols. Third I wouldn't exactly want to get hit with a hatchet anyway.

My questions are as follows:

Does anybody uses a hawk for practical woods stuff like chopping a few limbs to make a shelter, cutting firewood, etc?

If so how does it compare to a hatchet for these purposes?

Other than the cool and theoretical tactical factor what makes a hawk better than a hatchet?

Input would be appreciated.

Ask Me Anything

Well the title pretty much sums it up. The only questions I will not answer or will be vague about are OPSEC or personally identifiable information related. Other than that I will do my best to answer your questions fully.
Please ask away.

Random Question

Does anybody know a place where I can get nice wood furniture for an AK? The crappy wood stock on my AK has been aggravating me for some time. I would like to replace it with a decent piece of wood (not that plywood crap) that has a good finish on it.

question of the day

As survivalists and just plain folks living through the worst economic situation in a real long time we are all pinching pennies. However everybody has something that we splurge on. What is your splurge?

Personally I like top shelf booze. For a long time it was Crown Royal but as of late it is single malt Scotch. I don't drink much of it so the cost isn't really an issue. Maybe it is more of the principle of the thing then,  that  I'm getting exactly what I want cost be damned. A bottle a month and I am a happy camper. If I had to I would drink less good stuff than move to lesser quality.

Life is too short to drink anything less than good liquor.

quote of the day

"Can you demonstrate one time or place, throughout all history, where the average person was made safer by restricting access to hand held weapons?"
-American Mercenary

Home Brewing Question

Well I've been sipping my way through the first batch of home brew for a few days now. Some of them are really carbonated and others hardly so. Most bottles are pretty good but about 1/3rd are sort of cloudy and have a definite after taste. Sometimes it is just moderate but other times it is pretty noticeable and not enjoyable. Any ideas why this is?

Advice would be appreciated.