^^^i walked in and out with a shield from sovereign out in fuquay a few months back. then again i sold it because im a lefty and they hate lefties.

8/2/2012 10:23:16 AM

If anyone sees a Shield in 9mm, please send me a PM.

8/2/2012 11:16:07 AM

Thinking of getting the supplies needed to make my own molded kydex holster. Anyone have experience with this?

8/2/2012 11:36:54 AM

paging fumbler

8/2/2012 1:35:30 PM

looks like the cybersecurity bill is dead

whew.

8/2/2012 1:59:18 PM

^ I didn't think the ridiculous amendment actually made it into the bill.

8/2/2012 2:00:54 PM

^7 depends what I'm looking for. The service is better at Carthage, prices are often a little lower at Ed's. Ed's has more reloading supplies but I buy mine online. Seems like most of the time I couldn't get the time of day at Eddy's where the guys at Carthage will shoot the bull with you. Ed's ammo selection may be a little better too, depending on what you're looking for.

Other places that come to mind are:

Southern Traders on US 1 beside Aberdeen police department, mostly trades but the owner is cool/very straight up guy.

New place in Carthage that I haven't been to, close to the courthouse.

American Guns/Ammo on Commerce beside Walmart. Just opened so they don't have much inventory.

Jim's in Southern Pines beside Bill Smith Ford.

8/2/2012 2:34:37 PM

Does the shield have an external safety? Would be interested if it didn't, Glock needs to step up and make a pocket pistol already

8/2/2012 2:52:21 PM

it does - then again its entirely optional

8/2/2012 2:54:28 PM

Yeah, just one thing I don't want to worry about in a situation where I would need to use that type of gun. I like my Kahr PM9 enough so not a big deal, still want a pocket sized Glock though...

8/2/2012 3:08:15 PM

^ If you handle a Shield or look at some video reviews you should note that the safety is very hard to click on and it's a very low profile level. Thus, you can leave it off and never have to worry about it. I'd rather it didn't have one either, but handling the gun will show that you can basically ignore the safety.

8/2/2012 3:44:32 PM

can you just remove the safety?

8/2/2012 5:42:17 PM

Quote :

"Thinking of getting the supplies needed to make my own molded kydex holster. Anyone have experience with this?"

What do you want to know? Starting out, you can get everything you need from http://www.knifekits.com/vcom/index.php?cPath=41 (kydex, rivets, screws, 2 pieces of foam). If you want to make IWB or pocket stuff, go by Raleigh Fiberglass & Plastics off New Bern Ave (think they may have changed names). They carry 4x8 sheets that are thinner than anything you'll find elsewhere (posterboard vs cardboard) for less than $100. For generic supplies I used:

razor blade & shears (scissors/shears for rough cuts, razor blade for cleaning up lines)
1/8"-1/4" dowel for sight channels (cut to lie behind front sight and trim to fit in rear notch)
sandpaper to clean up edges
spoons work great for making trigger guard retention
rubber washers on chicago screws work great for adjusting retention
cheap heat gun (you'll never use anything above "low")
pencils (lead or grease) work good for marking out your cuts

Also, I used to keep an old frying pan nearby after burning table tops and melting carpet when I set the heat gun down without paying attention.


[Edited on August 2, 2012 at 7:51 PM. Reason : .]

8/2/2012 7:49:13 PM

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_3_118/579913_3D_printed_lower___yes__it_works_.html


this is cool

8/2/2012 8:56:34 PM

Quote :

"Thinking of getting the supplies needed to make my own molded kydex holster. Anyone have experience with this?"

Ive made holsters and currently make knife sheaths. There are lots of tutorials online; just do a little digging and you can learn easily (I learned everything off the net). If you dig around on tww you'll probably find something I posted on the subject.

Basically first you need to figure out what exactly you want to make and what features you want.
Get some 0.08" thick kydex for iwb or 0.09-0.1" thick for owb. Open clips are best made with 0.125" kydex, closed loops can be made with thinner stock, or you could buy some tekloks. You'll need at least 1 sqft for most holsters but buy 2-4 just in case and get 1 ft of the thick stuff for clips. Also, buy some .25" rivets, rivet setters, and at least 4 Chicago screws depending on your design. Go to Walmart and get the cheapest blue foam camping mat to use to form the kydex. IMO the blue foam is better than the foam the pros use. It doesn't last as long but it's still cheaper and gives a better press. you'll also need a sheet of 0.25" balsa wood and some way to cut the kydex. To cut kydex I score it with a knife then bend it til it breaks. To rough cut the shape I use sheet metal shears.

Take a good look at the gun. Study every part that will hang up when drawn out of the holster. This includes behind the trigger, the ejection port, and any pins/screws that stick out. Cut out pieces of balsa to fill these spots or else the kydex will be pushed into/around those spots and the gun won't draw cleanly. Strips of balsa can be taped in placed behind screws/pins that stick out. Tape/hot glue a dowel (at least as big as the front sight) between the sights so the front sight doesn't hang up.

Cut out four pieces of foam that are the same size and bigger than the holster. You'll also need some way to press it; big clamps and a table work or if you're heavy (200+ lbs) you can use a pice of wood on the foam and stand on it.

Once that's done, take your kydex(give yourself a lot of extra kydex to work with), put it in the oven at 300 degrees, put on leather gloves, and wait for the kydex to become as floppy as a cold slice of standard thickness American cheese.

Quickly take out the kydex, wrap it around the gun, put it on top of two pieces of foam, put the other two pieces of foam on top, put the wood on top, and squish the shit out of the whole package. Let it all sit like that for at least 10 minutes.

Take the gun and kydex out, cuss a little bit because your kydex was pressed crooked, then do it all again.
Once you have a good press, go ahead and drill your rivet and/or screw holes. Cut off anything excess material that doesn't look like a holster, then make the clips. To make clips it's easiest to cut the strips of kydex, heat it where you want to bend it using a crack pipe lighter or heat gun, and form the bends around pieces of wood.

Sand all the edges and voila, you've got a holster.

8/3/2012 2:45:56 AM

.08 is way too thick for iwb IMO,. 06 is more than sufficient (or even thinner). I also found 0.08 perfect for belt clips.

8/3/2012 6:35:33 AM

Thanks dave421 and Fumbler. I think I'm going to go ahead and put an order in for a Bravo Concealment OWB holster for my M&P / Streamlight to get an idea of how a kydex holster "should" look and retain, then get the stuff to make my own.

Do you suggest a tabletop belt sander to make clean edges, or can I do that by hand? I'm thinking of making a press myself with a couple large door hinges and some wood.

8/3/2012 9:14:05 AM

I've been considering trading my two FALs for an AR-10 or some sort of similar semi auto .308.

Any suggestions?

8/3/2012 9:32:01 AM

i'd take an M1A over an AR-10 for a range toy

8/3/2012 9:44:57 AM

^

or get something more unique like a PTR-92

8/3/2012 10:02:07 AM

My main reasoning for an AR-10 is that I've never owned an AR pattern rifle.

8/3/2012 10:05:52 AM

so get an AR-15 in .223

8/3/2012 10:34:06 AM

Quote :

"My main reasoning for an AR-10 is that I've never owned an AR pattern rifle."

AR10 based rifles are great, but can become fairly expensive compared to AR15 platforms. PSA is supposedly releasing a 7.62 lower in the next few months if they can ever get caught up - that will probably be your cheapest option without resorting to DPMS. If money isn't an option, you can always go the KAC SR-25 route.



[Edited on August 3, 2012 at 10:51 AM. Reason : DPMS style takes PMAGs]

8/3/2012 10:46:40 AM

The thickness of kydex depends a lot on the size of the gun, how much retention you need, and the overall design.
0.06" will work for small guns but in my experience it's not stable enough for anything j frame or bigger. As far as clips go, that's hugely dependent on the style of the clip. 0.08" may work well if you're using a wide clip, double clips, loops, or you just don't flex the clip much. In my personal holsters I use just one clip and anything less than 0.125" isn't stiff enough or won't hold up to repeated flexing when I put the gun on. You've just got to experiment.

Btw, you can reheat kydex but the more you do it the more brittle it becomes. If you need to reheat something like a clip more than twice then it's best to scrap it and use a new piece.

Belt sanders are great as are bandsaws but if you're only making a couple then save your money. Xacto knives and sandpaper are sufficient.
Also, go ahead and make two holsters while you're at it. Keep the one you like and sell the second.

8/3/2012 2:35:31 PM

If money isn't an option i'd go scar-s not on the ar platform.

but that's me.

8/3/2012 2:50:35 PM

^ Our experiences are just different I guess. I've never had any issues with. 06 and used. 006 IIRC with 1911s and Sigs. I found thinner to provide better retention because you can mold it tighter than the thickness of. 06/08 would allow. I used single belt loops also. Perhaps it's just the difference in styles.

8/3/2012 2:56:05 PM

Change of subject:

I found a S2k in Glock .40S&W pretty quickly. Got lucky and got a good deal.




Pictured are four 31-rnd, one 15-rnd, two 13-rnd, one 10-rnd, and a 9-rnd mag. Another 9-rnd mag is in the G27.


I want to get rid of the two 13-rnd and 10-rnd mag and get 2 more 15-rnd mags.

[Edited on August 3, 2012 at 3:42 PM. Reason : .]

8/3/2012 3:40:53 PM

^ looks fun

8/3/2012 3:43:31 PM

Exposing my noobishness but whatever. Went to Eagle 1 today at lunch with some coworkers. First time I'd shot a semi-auto in probably six years, and my second time ever. Shot a Glock 19, Beretta PX4 Storm, and some compact Sig (don't remember the model), along with my revolvers. Those polymer frame pistols are a heck of a lot snappier than my 66-1 with the six inch barrel

Much fun was had.

8/3/2012 4:02:30 PM

bought my 2nd gun today (1st was a Rem 870)

Mosin-Nagant 1946

I just got back from the gun shop and will work on degreasing/removing all that Cosmoline tonight

8/3/2012 5:18:31 PM

^ Good luck with that. It takes hours. If you want to do something interesting, weigh the gun before and after. I bet you can get a pound of cosmoline out of the stock if you spend enough time with a hair drier or heat gun or whatever you choose to use.

8/3/2012 5:34:37 PM

Mosins are awesome.

I <3 them.

Literally best bang for buck.

8/3/2012 9:01:21 PM

im having a good day with a mosin hitting a man size target at 100 yards.

w/ surplus

8/3/2012 11:09:42 PM

With the iron sights, I was lucky to get 8MOA. I was averaging 10MOA at an indoor range, poor lighting.

Then I got a 3moa redot sight, and I believe I was shooting a consistent <4moa out at 100 yards on surplus in my 91/30.

Here's a link to the page:
/message_topic.aspx?topic=503107&page=149



[Edited on August 3, 2012 at 11:25 PM. Reason : /link]

8/3/2012 11:19:33 PM

You don't need to clean or maintain a mosin negant and it will still be really accurate and reliable. Get some hotloads for it, it can take the abuse and nothing is cooler than a 10 foot flame out of the barrel of your gun

8/3/2012 11:34:40 PM

So I ended up with a SCAR 17 in flat dark earth.

8/4/2012 5:00:47 PM

^sweet!

so I was cleaning parts with brake cleaner and oversprayed onto the mosin stock. AARRRGH. I stripped and re-finished the whole thing

8/4/2012 5:38:21 PM

^^ Jealous...and we definitely need pics

8/4/2012 6:16:31 PM

If the shoe fits.


It came in a box. That was it.


Disassembly is easy.


Bolt carrier.


Close up of stock.


Now I just need to scrub the hell out of it with CLP to get this rust-proofing off.

8/4/2012 6:23:37 PM

that stock is so hideous yet to awesome

8/4/2012 6:33:34 PM

Scars look so heavy. It's about, what, 8lbs?

I would love to own an FN product. Maybe a PS90 or a FS2000.

8/4/2012 7:20:02 PM

Talk me out of a .243. I have a .223 and .30-30, had a .308 I traded in on part of my Jeep. I dont *need* a .243, but man there is a really nice Rem 700 at the LGS I want for $425.

8/4/2012 11:19:14 PM

It feels surprisingly light.

Maybe I'm used to my AKs and FALs.

8/5/2012 12:25:03 AM

Sooooooo jealous.

8/5/2012 3:15:52 AM

Get ready for the PING

And watch out for the reciprocating charging handle. Those were the two main issues I had with that gun.

8/5/2012 11:32:52 AM

Quote :

"Talk me out of a .243. "

it's an overbore barrel burner. there are better 6mm cartridges for target shooting. there are much better deer cartridges. there are better varmint cartridges.

with that said, it's versatile as fuck.

8/5/2012 12:37:19 PM

I think my biggest thing is that I've always wanted one because of the versatility of the round, but I have had such success with my .223 for everything (varmints, deer etc) that I almost think I wouldnt notice much difference with the .243.

8/5/2012 5:19:31 PM

more expensive ammo, more noise, more recoil, reduced barrel life (if you shoot a lot) would probably be the only differences you'd notice. there are a lot of cartridges for which i'd like to own a rifle just because i think it'd be cool. .243 is not one of them. however, if i could only own one centerfire rifle under .30 cal, it'd probably have to be .243.

8/5/2012 5:33:07 PM

how are the open sights in an AR-15 type rifle, the kind in the carry handle? what are they officially referred to as?

how hard are they to zero / adjust?

im on the fence about buying a mini-14 or just saving a bit more and getting the colt m4 carbine.

i feel like id be happy / satisfied with a bone stock colt, regardless of the massive AR aftermarket.

i feel like the mini-14 would need some work to make it perfect. plus a family member already has an older one i can goof around with.

is there any advantage to a gas-piston AR or are direct impingement ones superior? i guess the colt is top of the DI heap no? seems like the price is at the bottom end of piston guns.

i used to talk lots of shit about ARs but i might get on the boat, so educate me!

yes, ive been on google and youtube all day reading messageboards and watching videos, but you guys often offer unique insight.

thanks,

8/5/2012 6:13:28 PM

Quote :

"how are the open sights in an AR-15 type rifle, the kind in the carry handle?"

If everything is as it's supposed to be, they're fine. The military has been training people to use them to hit man-sized targets out to 500 yards for decades.

Quote :

"is there any advantage to a gas-piston AR or are direct impingement ones superior"

This question has started many a forum war. They both work.

8/5/2012 6:44:18 PM