Monday, March 30, 2020

Modular Monday

Serpico Performance Trigger Review-
By Pudge

I’ve been debating trying out a flat faced trigger for a little while now. There has been a large surge in companies offering flat faced triggers, both standard as well as aftermarket, so I wanted to see what all the hype was about. So, after some quick globe galivanting I decided to see what I could find. Since I’m a cheap bastard and wasn’t sure if I’d like it, I did some searching for a reasonably priced trigger to test out. I can’t justify spending over $100 on a trigger but I figured for $30 I was game. I tested out my google fu and found Serpico Performance.
I was only able to find a couple of reviews/videos on these triggers and what I did find appeared to be an older style trigger. However, the price was right and the trigger shoe looked like some other more expensive companies so I figured I’d give it a try. I picked up the Serpico Bravo ABS Flat Face Trigger Shoe and I am very glad that I did.
 Making my SpaceNAG even better with Serpico Performance.
 
I recently did some testing between different versions of some tupperware guns and this new trigger shoe made a noticeable difference in both speed and accuracy. We will discuss speed first. Now, my trigger finger isn’t the fastest but it isn’t a slouch either. With every handgun that I own the fastest splits I’ve been able to get between shots has been right at .18 seconds and every so often I will get a .17. After installing the trigger shoe, I was getting splits between .13-.15 seconds and reaching into .12 every so often. For me that is a huge change especially for solely changing out the trigger shoe and making no other changes to my handgun. The design of the trigger gets rid of most of the overtravel and seemed to reduce the take up as well. It also made the trigger seem to squeeze easier. I think this is due to the way my finger sits against it versus a standard trigger as seen on most polymer guns. This easier squeeze meant less pressure applied and in turn resulted in the ability to move my finger in the opposite direction to reset and start squeezing again.
Now with the blowing of ammo quickly out of the way, lets talk accuracy. I was more accurate than I’ve been before with this gun. Even when giving all my focus during dry firing I can see my front sight or dot ever so slightly shift to the right as the trigger breaks on my stock guns. Part of this is due to the extra pressure needed to squeeze the trigger and some is due to the angle at which my finger sits on most plastic fantastics. I’m still accurate but know I’m not reaching the full potential that my guns are capable of. As stated before, the design of the shoe seemed to help me pull more naturally straight back versus like a hinge from the frame. This, and what felt like an easier pull combined to allow me to keep much tighter groupings at all distances. It additionally removed all quiver from my sights during dry fire practice.
Since writing the above two paragraphs I’ve been able to put another 600ish rounds through the gun with this trigger. Every time I squeeze off a round I like it more and more. I ran a lot more rapid fire with it and this trigger is helping me break through walls that have been holding me up for a while. I started out this second session of shooting by conducting a 25m bull. I’m kind of ashamed to admit this, but this may have been the first time I’ve ever kept all 10 rounds in the black with a plastic gun. Definitely the highest score I’ve shot with tupperware. At this point I’m about 1,000 rounds into this trigger and I am looking forward to many more.
I still won’t go drop $100 plus per trigger or change all my 1911s to straight style triggers but I can tell you that Serpico Performance will be getting some more orders from me and from others in my line of work. I plan on outfitting all my tupperware pieces that have origins in Austria with these triggers. Serpico Performance themselves were very easy to deal with and shipped quickly. The trigger shoe I bought is top notch quality and I look forward to spending more time with it and seeing what it is truly capable of.

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Weapons Wednesday

Hello, everyone. Thanks for stopping buy. Today we have a post from Pudge concerning his newest toy. It took him a while to find one. So I decided to keep the article in scheduler limbo just to  torture  practice some enhanced interrogation. Somewhere down the road I need to write up the trip that involved the first gun show listed below. - Counter Jockey

CZ Scorpion- Because everyone needs a sub gun

Well everyone, I finally did it! After a very long stint of reasons why I didn’t have one, I finally picked up a CZ Scorpion Evo 3 S1. And let me tell you right up front that I am so glad that I did. This thing is awesome in every way. From the way it shoots, looks, and takes down and goes back together. Mack knows the trials and tribulations that have plagued me attempting to get one of these guns. And I know that whenever he is having a difficult day, he thinks back to our first joint gun show venture and my search for this beauty and realizes that there is always something to laugh about. ( The only good that came out that gun show was the hot dog I had. - Ed.)

I love making Mack cringe when I talk about my sweet shooting Hi-Point Carbine but finally figured it was time to grow up and get me a decent sub gun. After much research I decided I wanted a CZ Scorpion in the 7.75” barreled variety with a nice folding SB Tactical brace. Lots of factors, including price, style, parts availability, shootability, ability to suppress, etc, led me to this over the Sig MPX, AR9s, or MP5 variants. I can tell you right now I am super pleased with my decision. In a few months, when my buddy currently over in A-stan gets done dropping bombs for a little bit, I’ll be able to give a good comparison between the CZ and the MPX. Until then, I’m very pleased with my choice.



The CZ is a blowback operated semi auto 9mm. The bolt is heavy as I’ll get out but that is where most of the weight is in the gun and it is positioned just right. This thing is extremely maneuverable yet very easy to control in rapid fire strings and multiple target engagements. With the stock folded it is just a hair over 16” long. A perfect backpack/go gun. As far as features go, it has a last round bolt hold open and the rest of the controls feel just right. I will add that you can load a mag and slap the bolt home just like an MP5 which is very much giggle inducing. The charging handle is of the non-reciprocating type and is easily swappable from right to left if you prefer that configuration. The trigger isn’t terrible but could use a little work. (I’ll have to bring out the Youtube gunsmith in me.) It ran great with both 20 and 30 round magazines, brass and steel cased ammunition of all variations. Of course, now I’ll have to pick up some more mags and ammo to keep it fed. Maybe I’ll be able to acquire a nice drum mag for it. (MagPul is produing after market mags as well but the CZ OEM ones aren't terribly expensive. Looking at you SiG and H&K. -Editor)

Eventually I’ll get a red dot for it but the irons work really well. I fell in love with the rear sight the first time I picked the gun up. It is similar to the dual aperture M16 sight many of us are used to, except this version gives us 4 apertures to choose from. Both it and the front sight adjust like the aforementioned weapon system so there is nothing wonky to learn. It comes with a threaded barrel for both 1/2x28 and 18x1 with a flash-hider-ish thread protector.

With all ammo types it definitely takes the sting out when suppressed but really shined when I shot 145 (What the hell? - Ed) and 158 gr through it. I think, and after much research many agree, that this would make quite the bedside gun. It suppresses really well and easily compared to a lot of other 9mm carbines I’ve tried out.

I’m excited to continue blasting away with this thing and will keep everyone updated. It may soon become my bump in the night gun after I add some gucci attachments for running it at night. Also, because of its size, I’ve already got great visions of making it my boy’s first centerfire oh crap gun.

Somber Sunday

 So, been wearing a badge for seven months now. I enjoy it. Have had good days, fun days, bad days, and even dare I say it, boring days. Tod...