Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Tuesday Tips

Marking Mags-
By Pudge

Mack and I were talking the other day about different AR style magazines and which ones we like/prefer. This then lead down the road of using different style or color magazines based on ammo type. I know a few years back Magpul released a .300blk magazine that was supposed fight against magazine related malfunctions. But even so, the magazine looks the exact same as its brother. So now that I have GI (standard and tan) and Pmags, I decided to coordinate my mags to my guns so I never have to worry about grabbing the wrong magazine.
I’ve realized after running Pmags for a long time that I prefer standard GI aluminum magazines. I like the Pmags but have had more issues with them in comparison. Because of this and the amount of GI mags I have vs Pmags I have chosen to use Pmags for .300 blackout only. If you use both sub and super .300 blk then having different colors for each is an option. For 5.56 I use the standard GI magazines since my go to gun is an AR in 5.56. I have these in both tan and grey. I keep my tan ones loaded with hollow points and the grey with FMJ. I do this so that way when I pick up any one of my AR magazines, I instantly know what they are loaded with and whether they are for 5.56 or .300blk. Not a huge deal for FMJ or hollow points but can spell a bad day for 5.56 or .300blk if the wrong mag is grabbed and attempted to be used in the wrong gun. I’ve seen guys annotate which mags are for which in an assortment of ways. You can paint them, wrap them with tape, purchase multiple colors, etch different designs, or a whatever your mind can come up with.
The other thing that I like to do with both my rifle and pistol magazines is mark them with my initials and then number them. I use a green paint pen to mark them and label them all in the same location. The green and my initials help me always grab the right mags if I drop them during reloads or in a class with a bunch of other shooters. Anything to keep me from losing mags! Some guys mark theirs with certain colored tape or etching. I like a green paint pen because it is easy to see and holds up pretty well. I like to number them for a couple of reasons. If I start having malfunctions, I can easily keep track if it is the same mag because of the number. I will annotate the mag number and ammo type every time I have an issue. That way if I start having multiple malfunctions, I can diagnose whether it is mag, ammo, or firearm related. I also number them to keep track of how many I have of each type.
Just a couple mag marking options.
 
These are just a couple quick tips to help keep track of magazines and mitigate any accidents from mixing calibers.

Tuesday, July 7, 2020

Tuesday Tips

Threadlocker Tips
By Pudge
If you are going to be running a red dot sight on a handgun or use thread locker for any reason then today’s tip is for you.
Let’s start with the best type of thread locker to use for a MRDS (miniaturized red dot sight). Vibra-tite VC3 comes highly recommended by Aaron Cowan of Sage Dynamics. This guy should know as he has used and abused about every MRDS there is out there. This thread locker will keep your screws in place but will let you take them out without having to worry about using heat to get them loose.
Next, I also learned that I haven’t been applying the thread locker I’ve been using correctly. I’ve been just putting it on the screw and then screwing it in. This can actually cause you to overtighten your screws because the liquid acts as lubricant until it is cured. This will make it even harder to get out your screws even if inserted with the right amount of torque. So, the best way to do this is: push the screws through a piece of paper so the threads are up, then apply the thread locker and wait about 15-30 minutes. After letting it cure for a little bit, pull the screws back down through the paper. This will wipe off any excess thread locker so that you have the correct amount on the screw prior to using. Then you just screw them in like normal and you will have much better luck if you haven’t been doing it this way. This little tip came from one of the engineers who helped create Loctite. I figured he probably knows what he is talking about.
Another thing I started doing is making a timing mark on my screws and the optic so that at a quick glance I can see if anything has come loose. (Figured this one out after I was having some zero shift due to a wiggly optic.) For this I've been using a red paint pen. It makes it easy to see and is pretty durable but can be cleaned off easily and remarked if I take the sight off and then reinstall later. This will help you know everything is where it should be and keep away some head scratching.

Marking the screw heads to make sure at a glance nothing has moved.

This tip can be used for any situation you would normally use a threadlocker.

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...