Recently went out to a big range trip organized by a friend of mine. It was held as Bass and Bucks in Wabash, Indiana and is an annual event. I haven’t been able to go for most years for a variety of reasons including scheduling conflicts and…let’s just say there were family issues.
I took several firearms with me: three .22 caliber rifles and three handguns.
The firearms:
- An M-4gery AR pattern rifle with a .22LR adapter.
- My scope mounted Ruger 10/22.
- My daughter’s (well, it will be hers when she comes of age) Glenfield bolt action .22 rifle.
- My Hungarian clone of the Browning Hi Power
- My daughter’s (when she comes of age) Ruger Model IV Lightweight.
- My daughter’s (ditto) .22 single action Revolver.
Part of what we wanted to do was zero the M-4gery for my daughter. So, she’d shoot groups of three while I’d watch the target through the 10/22’s scope. Between groups we’d make adjustments to the sight. Elevation was OK, but windage? We ran out of adjustment range before we got the groups centered on the bull. I’m not sure what the problem is. Perhaps the rail-mounted rear sight is not seated properly on the upper. I’ll have to look into it more. My daughter shoots left-handed (left eye dominant) so that may be a factor. She also noted that she’s out of practice. We’ll try to work more on that.
Even so: in a zombie apocalypse, I load for her. (And also take care of close in threats.) She’s good.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get many pictures–too busy “doing” to be taking pictures. I did get one of my daughter shooting her bolt action rifle:
While there, I got a chance to shoot a full auto Uzi. “Short controlled bursts” they say. Here’s the result of my first time ever shooting FA (range about 25 yards):
I started with a pristine target. You’ll note that most of my rounds are in the lower left. That’s in part because my first rounds hit in that quadrant and once I had the bullet holes to provide a point of aim, that’s where I aimed. However, it looks like the lower left part of a target is the place to aim when shooting bursts full auto. The reaction of the gun from recoil with succeeding shots will then still be in the target.
On the pistols, I’m still having a bit of trouble with the Hi Power. The trigger frequently doesn’t fully reset between shots. I pull the trigger again and nothing. I have to push the trigger forward to reset and fire. When I first tried the gun, I thought maybe accumulated gunk (bought used) was interfering with the trigger resetting but after a thorough cleaning I’m still getting the problem. I’m guessing at this point the problem is with the trigger spring.
You can see that the “trigger lever” goes up from the back of the trigger and pushes the sear lever up to release the hammer and fire the gun. It remains up so long as the trigger is depressed and is pushed forward by the front end of the sear lever so that the gun does not continue to fire. Once the trigger is released, it’s supposed to come forward, dragging the trigger lever down and allowing it to engage the sear lever so the gun can be fired again. This isn’t happening. The trigger isn’t coming forward properly to drag down the trigger lever. I have to push it forward. Once I do, everything’s fine. Since the problem wasn’t accumulated dirt, I suspect that the trigger spring has lots its temper and isn’t strong enough to do its job. Replacing it should resolve the problem. If it doesn’t, I’m not sure where to look next.
On slightly better news, however, I managed to diagnose and fix a persistent shooting problem I had. My groups when shooting handgun tended to fan down and to the left. There are several possible causes for that–finger position on the trigger, anticipating recoil, grip issues–but spending some time with the Hi Power, I finally figured it out. What I’d been doing is while squeezing the trigger also tightening the other fingers on that hand. This pulls the gun slightly off the line of aim with the results seen. With some more focus on moving only the trigger finger, my groups started clumping more in the center of the target.
Go me.
After the shoot there was food and drink. A large chunk of smoked brisket along with some vegetables made a nice, hearty meal. They had beer but I passed. Even if beer did not spike my blood sugar, I was driving. (Okay, at my weight, I could have three beers and still be legal, but I prefer not to take even that chance.)
They had a drawing for a “White Elephant Gift Exchange.” I got a “hook and loop” patch from it. “Wolverines!” My daughter got a coffee mug modeled on a shotgun shell.
All in all, a good time was had by all.
The Writer in Black 
Good for you, on the beer. Ma worked nights for 12 years at a hospital. Aunt was a nurse / nursing admin / pain management nurse. $HOUSEMATE spent 17 years volunteer EMT. They all have stories. It’s best to NOT be someone’s story, when the someone is anything at all medical related.
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I have been known to drink in moderation. And if I am going to drive (like, say, I’m going out to some event like Spellbound Indy–a “Darkwave DJ Dance Night”–and have to go home afterward) I am extremely careful to avoid even coming close to legal limits. Three drinks over a two hour period (BAC about 0.03) is about as high as I’ll go.
But most beers and wines are right out because of what they do to my blood sugar.
I’ve got that little girl (not to mention three dogs and two ferrets) at home and I’ve got to make sure I come home safely to her.
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Make that BAC 0.3%. The decimal point was in the wrong place there however you look at it.
As a matter of fact, the one time I was returning home from that specific event I had a major car breakdown (repair failure–covered by warranty eventually) which left me stranded in the middle lane on the highway. When the police responded, the officer asked me to blow into his little tube. I’d run an online “BAC Calculator” before I left the event so I knew I was safe and, indeed, what the calculator told me and what the little machine read matched exactly.
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A positive story about guns and a sensible mention of drinking. Good post.
Two points.
One. I tried out a .22 LR chamber adapter for my AR pattern rifle and found that it functioned OK, but at any distance beyond seven to 15 yards it was hopelessly inaccurate.
I think that is because the .22 LR bullet diameter is just a bit undersized for the .223/5.56MM bore, and also that the adapter might be moving a bit inside the rifle’s chamber. (If you were using a .22 LR upper ignore the above)
Two. I was going through Firearms Instructor School as a fed around ’03 or ’04 and part of the qualification was full auto fire with an actual M-4. I noticed that no matter how much I tried to control the rifle, the pattern of my full auto shots was up and to the right. (much as you see on your target)
A couple of members of a special response team were among my classmates and one noticed my problems and pulled me aside.
He advised me that the cumulative effects of full auto fire with a shoulder mounted rifle tended to twist the human torso ever so slightly, and the slight cumulative muzzle climb made the shots drift upward.
I’m a right hand shooter and it made sense.
He advised shortening the stock, sticking the buttplate as near to my centerline as I good get it, and wrapping my left hand around the top of the handguard.
My groups tightened considerably, and five years later when I re-certified as a FI, my end of training rifle scores were much higher.
Oh, and not just because I’m small, this guy was big and he said his groups tightened up just like mine.
Again, good post and thank you.
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