MGI bolt buffer/rate reducer

Posted on February 11, 2012 by Oleg Volk

Recently, I got my hands on an interesting AR15 accessory, an MGI bolt buffer.

MGI calls it a bolt buffer. In a select-fire rifle it would have been called a rate reducer. According to Gun Blog, it solves the problem with excessive bolt cycling speed typical of over-pressured gas systems. If my understanding of its functionality is correct, it may solve the gas blowback problem typical of sound-suppressed AR15s without adjustable gas blocks.

It may also aid in reliability of the shortest AR builds known for excessive bolt velocity, which is hard on the rifle and doesn’t give the magazine enough time to push up the next round into the feed path. I’ll install it later this month and report on the results.

Posted in rifle | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Icelandic pattern knife by Nickolay Yermolenko

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Oleg Volk

Based on a 10th century Icelandic design, this knife works equally well for utility or defense. The grip shape makes it almost impossible to let go unintentionally.

And a basic table knife variant for variety:

If you want one of these or something similar, let me know. I’ll put you in touch with Nik. These make very unique gifts because no two are the same and all are made by a master. The cutting edge on mine is still strong ten months later.

Posted in knife | Tagged | 11 Comments

New on CTD blog: When to use steel cased ammunition?

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Oleg Volk

Read all about it

Posted in ammunition | Tagged , , | Comments Off on New on CTD blog: When to use steel cased ammunition?

If “going up the wall” stands for being annoyed…

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Oleg Volk

…why does she look so serene?

Posted in interesting people | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Concentrating on a sensation

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Oleg Volk

Posted in interesting people | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Just the thing for the tight confines of a spaceship

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Oleg Volk

Posted in humor, interesting people, rifle | Tagged , , , | 20 Comments

Need a connection with Panasonic

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Oleg Volk

I’d like to talk to Panasonic developers about my camera — could somebody make an introduction for me?

Posted in advice requested, camera and lens | Tagged | 1 Comment

Victualizing the models

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Oleg Volk

Contrary to popular opinion, Evie does eat from time to time. In evidence is a cup of mango lassie, pasta with sauteed veggies, pork and grilled shrimp. Models with low blood sugar aren’t much fun.

Posted in food, humor, interesting people | Tagged , | 6 Comments

G2 proves itself

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Oleg Volk

David near a window.

Aperture Value f/1.8 Focal Length 45 mm
ISO 500 Shutter Speed Value 1/100 sec

I don’t think that LX3 would have fared as well in this case. Instead of 90mm-e at f1.8, I would have had 60mm-e at 2.8. As a result, I would have ended up with ISO1000-1250 for the same shutter speed, and with the relatively tiny sensor, the grain that’s noticeable in the G2 photos would have become too prominent.

G2’s protected viewfinder and articulated LCD are also a major advantage. LX3 wins in close-up capability and size, G2 in convenience of use, image quality and battery life. 24-60-e zoom may be great, but fast 40-e and 90-e lenses cover my needs much better. G2 and the 20/1.7 still fit in a coat pocket.

Posted in camera and lens, interesting people | Tagged , | Comments Off on G2 proves itself

Attentive reader

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Oleg Volk

The author of On a Wing and a Whim blog.

This photo shows one advantage of video viewfinders — to focus with wide open aperture, I was able to zoom in one her eye and select which eyelash would be the sharpest. Even with the large 5dmk2 viewfinder with high contrast screen installed, I could not have achieved such precise focus.

Posted in book, interesting people | Tagged | 2 Comments

Famous James

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Oleg Volk

Posted in interesting people, shotgun | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

“Paratrooper” M1 carbine

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Oleg Volk

Got my hands on an Auto Ordnance M1 carbines in folding and standard configurations. I prefer the two-aperture flip sight because it doesn’t jump settings on recoil like the M2 ladder sight. I also like the wood better than the perforated metal heat shield I had on the IAI carbines some years ago. Since I’ve had better luck with 30rd magazines than with 15s in the past, I featured these in the photos. M1C is often called “the girlfriend gun” for its light weight and small size, but it was used by men like Audie Murphy and Jim Cirillo to great effect. With soft point ammunition, it approximates the effect of a .357 Magnum carbine — with 30 round capacity. Spare magazines are slim and fit in jeans pockets — you can see the embossing of a 30-rounder over the left pocket in the photo below.

Lacking the original sling, I used a Magpul universal. The sling attachment is at the bottom of the grip, so the length doesn’t change when the stock is extended. That does make the carbine ride upside down when stowed.

M1911A1 is the traditional close-range backup for the carbine. The holster is made by Dennis at Dragon Leather.

Posted in ammunition, holster, pistol, rifle, weapon | Tagged , , , , , | 15 Comments

Being a Credible Threat: new on CTD blog

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Oleg Volk

Read the post on CTD blog.

Posted in self-defense, weapon | Tagged , , , , , | 13 Comments

Universal light-compatible holster

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Oleg Volk

One problem with carrying pistols with light/laser attachments is finding leather for them. Springtac offers a solution with their U-shaped IWB design.

The leather conforms to the thickness of the pistol. Vertical position of the pistol is controlled by the belt. It stops the grip from moving below the waistline.

The advantage of this design is the ability to go from a Glock with X5L to M1911 with TLR2 with the same holster. The holster can be carried straight or cross-draw for driving. The clip may be switched from side to side, for left or right handed use.

Posted in holster, light/laser, pistol | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

A very friendly cat

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Oleg Volk

Posted in beast, pet | Tagged | 2 Comments

Panasonic G2 histogram problem

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Oleg Volk

Just got the G2 and I like everything about it except for the live histogram. It seems unrelated to reality and reflects only a relative range of tones in the viewfinder (for example, it will reflect a darker object on a mid-tone background) but it’s completely unresponsive to changes in exposure settings. And worse, spot metering mode is not usable as the entire viewfinder exposure ends up being based on its results. So I don’t see a way to get an accurate exposure from this camera except by guessing first and them re-taking with adjustments based on review histogram rather than the on live data. A belated reading of Panasonic-related forums didn’t bring up any solutions. Any ideas?

Posted in advice requested, camera and lens | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

A very smart four year old

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Oleg Volk

This kid has serious social engineering skills.

Posted in interesting people, pink | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on A very smart four year old

STI .22 conversion kit

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Oleg Volk

This STI conversion kit swaps instantly with the regular M1911 slide for cheap, low-recoil practice.

100 rounds of good quality .22LR cost about $6, 100 rounds of 45ACP ball closer to $40.

The manual of arms differs from the standard 45ACP upper, so this kit is intended for target practice more than for tactical training. The sights reflect that intent.

The same conversion kit fits single and double stack 1911 pistol, with only different magazines required. Both single and double stack mags are made of billet aluminum, so they won’t wear out anytime soon. Both magazines hold ten rounds and both protrude slightly under the grip, most likely to allow for the beveled mag wells typical of the STI race runs.

Posted in ammunition, pistol | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Brown Bess, the movie

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Oleg Volk

Posted in interesting people, weapon | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

New camera coming.

Posted on January 29, 2012 by Oleg Volk

I finally ordered a Panasonic G2 with 20mm and 45mm lenses. Rather than it being a substitute for 5Dmk2, it’s going to take the LX3 out of the equation. I’d lose the extreme macro capability but gain low-light performance, magnified manual focus assist and an articulated screen.

At SHOT show, I saw an interesting Pentax waterproof camera — one of its main features s the five-light “ring-light” around the lens. It will actually focus up to the edge of the ring around the lens and, thanks to the lights, may be laid flat on a surface with no outside light reaching in and still get a shot. Unfortunately, the controls are largely of the point-and-shoot kind, but I can see something like that camera becoming the next one down from G2. To put this in gun terms, 5D2 is the rifle — it’s heavy and can by bulky depending on the lens, G2 becomes the sidearm equivalent and the hypothetical third camera is the hide-out/backup pistol. I don’t normally carry a G26 to back up a G17, so I elected not to go with a Rebel T3i either — the logistical improvements don’t justify the extra weight and bulk.

We’ll see what kind of photos become enabled by the articulated LCD. I’ve never been fond of crawling on the ground as required by the fixed 5D2 finders. With the limited 40mm-e and 90mm-e lenses, G2 would be the direct functional equivalent of the old pre-war Leica…but with better close-up capability.

Posted in camera and lens, weapon | Tagged , | 3 Comments