Archive for August 18th, 2010

Marlin 925 range report

rifle casesWhen getting asked the question how many guns we own, the question should be asked “what do I not own?”   After several  years of dealing with the high speed, low drag weapon systems, and after watching the 2008 election results, there was huge jumps in ammo prices.    I thought to myself when 5.56 ammo was hitting close to the $700 per 1000rds range, that maybe ammo was going to be worth more than gold soon.   After putting a little thought into why the ammo prices were going up, I pretty much guessed that they won’t stay up that long in a bad economy, because nobody in their right mind would spend money on something that was 200-300% over  inflated.   I decided that if It was reloaded ammo, I wasn’t going to touch any factory ammo, and it was now time for a 22lr bolt action rifle.
I picked up a Marlin 925 bolt action rifle with iron sights and I was planning on not ever putting a scope on this.   As a firearms instructor, this was a basic platform for teaching basic shooting skills.   There is nothing wrong with teaching to shoot firearms to new shooters with a scope, but in my opinion iron sights are a better starting point.    This Marlin 925 was extremely accurate, but I  noticed that my groups were always left of center.   I looked at the rear sight adjustment and noticed I really couldn’t accomadate for the windage.   I was a little depressed and packed up my Marlin in a one of the rifle cases I had with me.  As a kid, I always compensated for a guns accuracy flaw by aiming at a different point, but as somoene who’s been able to hit the X at 600yds with other firearms, this off center accuracy really bothered me.   I’m looking to put another adjusteable rear sight on this or possible put a scope on this and pick up another bolt action that has better sights.

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Backup weapon for primary purposes

The idea of having a backup weapon doesn’t necessarily mean that it is there for when your primary weapon goes down.    A secondary weapon can be there just because it’s in a different location and may be easier to access under a certain situation.   For instance, an ankle holster is  a great option for those that do a lot of driving.   Trying to retrieve a firearm while in the seated position with an IWB or paddle holster is going to be difficult, and try that under stress.   An firearm in an ankle holster is very easy to access unless you’ve got problems reaching your ankles in the first place.   A shoulder holster is also a good way of carrying if you do a lot of driving.

One thing to always think about though, is the modern improvements in pepper sprays.   The Kimber Pepper Blaster is a very easy device to carry due to its smooth surfaces and easy to feel grip.   Put a bottle in  your pocket that only shoots in one direction and when you try and grab it, it’ll take a lot of practice to know which direction the spraying end is pointing.   This is a non issue with the Kimber Pepper Blaster   Each end feels completely different and you will be able to feel which end points towards the bad guy even if its in your pocket.   The 2 shot Guardian Angel is easy for a novice to use.   The only bad thing about them is they are more expensive than most bottle mace, but the longevity of the product is 2xs longer than pepper sprays.

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