Firearms, AK Conversion, Saiga to 103

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Shooting ranges in Central Texas are the pits - no really, the outdoor "ranges" are actual dirt pits with no Range Safety Officers and very rude people running the places.

So, I went to a "well advertised" indoor range a bit south of Austin and I was not allowed to sit down and sight a new .22lr cal Ruger Mark IV Target with a Ruger Fastfire III, in, from a seated resting position at 10-yards because: "some people have shot the ceiling from seated positions with the targets up close." You MUST put your target at 25-yards if you want to shoot from a seated position. I kid you not. Meanwhile some first-time shooter with an AR is pretending to be Rambo wasting ammo right next to you.

I can't even see the target at 25-yards anymore (especially indoors) much less sight a pistol in.

Arizona shooting ranges (indoor and public outdoor around Phoenix) are light-years ahead of Texas. I WISH I was shooting at Ben Avery's again. I DREAM of it!

You folks with access to quality shooting facilities should get down on your knees and thank God.

Looks like a nice build chilerelleno chilerelleno
LMAO, I've spent quite a few younger years living in Lubbock, TX and I know quite well the joys of shooting in Caliche pits.
All the ones I shot at were private and it was just a matter of the owners permission.
The last time I was there I met some folks who ran a private training and shooting facility. Their range was constructed of railroad ties, lane walls consisted of two walls of ties stacked eight feet high, rebar holding the ties and two feet of earth in between, and earthen berms at the end of the lanes... Never seen anything like it again.
It was easy to imagine being in a WWI trench.

I'm not a huge fan of public ranges with or without competent RSOs.
Too many people were not raised around guns and didn't have safety literally beat into them.
 
I can live with competent Range Safety Officers watching my back especially with the goofball shooters you refer to - and I have no problem following shooting range rules. I miss Arizona shooting.
 
I can live with competent Range Safety Officers watching my back especially with the goofball shooters you refer to - and I have no problem following shooting range rules. I miss Arizona shooting.
One of the reasons I like private 'Pay-to-Play ranges and venues like CMP Talladega is the qualities of most shooters are much higher, and a good RSO is an asset to the line.
 
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It just sits in a safe but I used to like shooting bug holes...
 
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Nice grouping... yes I too have 0 issues with a good RO to many retreads out there doing stupid stuff. Yes having a nice range is sadly becoming not a common occurrence. I think paper is cool indoors for function checks but that's about it imho or maybe rough sighting. I don't shoot under 200 ever now rifle wise and I tend to go to 50 for pistol. I am spoiled having the steel and other shooter movement ranges. If you're not moving what's the point you're just wasting ammo lol train like you think you're gonna need to in a real world scenario is my motto.
 
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Almost forgot - at that "famous indoor range" south of Austin they have 100-yard lanes - but you are not allowed to shoot hand loads...

Heck I only shoot hand loads! (except for the aforementioned Ruger Mark IV Target)

My favorite rifle I built - 6mm Remington / Douglas XX air-gauged / full aluminum pillar Marine-Tex epoxy bedded - never been fired. It was going to be a pronghorn / prarrie dog rifle. Sits in my safe.

6MM REM.jpg
 
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My favorite rifle I built - 6mm Remington / Douglas XX air-gauged / full aluminum pillar Marine-Tex epoxy bedded - never been fired. It was going to be a pronghorn / prarrie dog rifle. Sits in my safe.

View attachment 641261
Ya know, you could adopt me.
 
Bearcarver Bearcarver
John, you're saying you had a documented Vietnam bring back Chi-Com or even Russian AK47?
Do you've any idea what they're worth now?
$30k... $40k... $50k even depending on condition.

30rd mags are quite doable prone with ARs, AKs and others.

Umm... the ones people brought back from Vietnam were typically not documented. I had the opportunity to get one that a family friend who was a tank commander in Vietnam in 67-68 brought back and as much as i wanted it, my law abiding nature got the better of me and i declined.
 
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Are you planning on replicating the gas nitride finish that was originally on it? I recommend you do because gas nitriding is a form of surface hardening that makes it very resistant to wear. Much more so than your standard oxide finishes
 
Umm... the ones people brought back from Vietnam were typically not documented. I had the opportunity to get one that a family friend who was a tank commander in Vietnam in 67-68 brought back and as much as i wanted it, my law abiding nature got the better of me and i declined.
Yup, and any Documented AK that came home through Dong Tam & the 9th Div were useless, because the barrels were filled & trigger mechanism was welded, on orders from the Provost Marshall.

Bear
 
Are you planning on replicating the gas nitride finish that was originally on it? I recommend you do because gas nitriding is a form of surface hardening that makes it very resistant to wear. Much more so than your standard oxide finishes
You talking to me?

Factory finish on Russian AKs is a phosphate primer and paint.
And that is how this one is done, the paint used is INTL MIL CO Russian Black.
 
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