Shooting the .460 Rowland and ACOG

I finally got out to a desolate strip mine out in Jonesville last weekend, and put some rounds through my .460 converted 1911 Mil-Spec and my SR-556 with the ACOG TA31RCO.  I don't have any pictures, but things went very well.


.460 Rowland

Wowee!  I don't believe how soft this gun shot with CorBon 230 grain FMJ rounds advertised as running at 1250 FPS for 750-ish foot-pounds of energy.  Seriously, I don't believe it.  My mission for next week is to get out to the range with my chronograph and clock these babies, because if they're running near what their advertised, and it's actually shooting as soft as it did, I've found my new favorite handgun round.
The compensator almost entirely eliminated muzzle rise.  Recoil was almost directly backwards in line with my forearm.  I don't have any hard numbers, but every round of .460 I fired felt softer than any round of .45 ACP I've ever fired through my Mil-Spec.  I've heard people say to be ready to have mainspring housing lines in your palm, but unless CorBon is lying BIG TIME, I'm wondering what was going on with their .460 Rowlands.  More to come on this later.
I didn't get any groups, but I did notice that most rounds at a close-ish range were hitting low and the left.  If this continues at the range, swapping out of the arched mainspring housing for a flat one may be in order.  I'll also need a vice to drift the rear sight to keep it on target.  *argh* I need to put some rounds through paper with this gun!
Using a Wilson Combat 8 round magazine, I did have one instance where the slide apparently failed to eject the round, but managed to catch the mouth of the cartridge on the upper right edge of the barrel.  It dinged the brass, but a simple tap, rack, bang (as simple as it can be with a 24# spring) cleared it up no problem.  The brass didn't fly that far either.  Most landed a foot or so to my right from standing, one even landed on my forearm.  Again, if these CorBon loads are, in fact, moving at the speed they say, I'm going to have to bump down to the included 21# spring for non red-line loads to ensure smooth operation.  I'm going to low-load a few rounds and see what happens down the line.  Could you imagine what a GREAT combat pistol a 1911 throwing 230 grain slugs @1000 FPS would make, so long as reliability doesn't suffer?

...I've got wood.


SR-556 with Trijicon ACOG TA31RCO

I've found another new favorite this weekend in rifles, as well.  My SR-556, with it's 16" barrel, free float rails, bull barrel, and ACOG is going to make a wonderful "recon" type rifle.  Again, I don't have any hard data (yet) with the ACOG on, but after doing some playing and semi-accurate zeroing by just spotting for splash, I was quite literally walking my way down beer bottles using Tula's "Hunting Cartridge" brand 55gn. FMJ steel-cased .223 ammo.  I'm interested to see how fast these are moving, because they won't properly cycle my SR-556 on gas setting "1" while all my mid-high power handloads do. 

In closing, I'd like to apologize for not having ANY hard data here.  I hope to redeem myself with a cornucopia of datum on my 69gn. MatchKings run through the 1/9 barrel with the ACOG, 52gn. Speer Match HPBT rounds, 55 gn. FMJs, and the revealing of the mystery on this .460 Rowland recoil (or lack thereof) issue...

.460 Rowland conversion kit is here! EEEEEEEE!!

Clark's barrel smith finally got in last week and freed this bad boy from the billet steel it had been imprisoned in until just now.  I have to say she's glad to be free!  I had to specify exactly what model this barrel is going into, but I can see why now.  The barrel matches up with the slide and locking lugs absolutely flawlessly, and with the compensator matching up very nicely with the bushing and slide, there's absolutely no play in the pistol when rolled from side to side. I also installed the Wolff 24# spring and extra-strength firing pin spring.  A thing of beauty to be seen.  Despite all the brouhaha about the heavy spring making it hard to reassemble and work the slide, I don't think it's all that difficult after you get the technique down for reassembly, and I have big gorilla hands, and I'm not really a weakling, so the slide doesn't seem like that big of a deal, either.  If you're smallish, weakish, or an average woman (no offense intended) I could see it possibly posing a problem.
I absolutely can't wait to get this gun out to the range and put some rounds through it and see if this tightness affects reliability, and can't wait to see what kind of groups it posts.

Unfortunately, Clark Custom Guns either forgot the .460 brass, or are themselves backordered because the 200 I ordered with the barrel did not arrive, and I was never charged for them onto my card.  Midway USA is backordered, as is Starline Brass.  This does not bode well.  Somebody on one of my outdoors forums has put me onto the trail of some pre-loaded ammunition (factory or local loads, I don't know yet) but I'm a little worried as to price.  $25 for 100 brass ain't that bad, considering it can use bullets, powder, primers, and dies for .45 ACP I already have, but I can only guess as to what a local shop might charge for what could be considered "custom" or "niche" ammunition.

ETA:  I got some ammunition from Wild West Guns (for $30 a box, 230 gn. FMJs @ 1250 FPS).  Just waiting for my off time and the sport fire range on Ft. Rich to cooperate.  They're non-accessible today due to a unit using the range.  Weak.

4th of July in Anchorage

Got out to the 4th of July parade with the family today to see the sights and taste the food that is Anchorage on our Independence Day.  Turned out to be a bit more interesting of a day than I had initially planned.

I had the good fortune of visiting both the booths of Governor Candidate Rob Parnell and the Alaska Democrat Party.  My first visit and discussion was at the Rob Parnell booth, with his representative there.

I started off by informing him that we were new to the area, and were looking for information on the current candidates.  I asked him Mr. Parnell's stances on concealed carry, gun control, and abortion.

The response: keep it as it us, NO!, and FUCK NO!  He then asked me what I think of the issues, to which I told him I wholeheartedly agree.

Then I headed over to the Alaska Democrat Party shed.

Yes, that is Cezar Chavez they're quoting on the side of their shed.  Go figure.

So, I walk over and begin talking to the southern Anchorage District Chair, Lupa something-or-other, I believe her name was.  She was very nice, and very agreeable, in a bad way.  I started off by asking her what the Alaska Democrat Party's position was on the current Alaska Concealed Carry law.  She stated that she was for it, and the party didn't see any need to change it.  She assured me that she and many democrats were gun-owning sportsmen, and fully supported our rights to keep and bear arms.  I then asked her about open carry within the limits of Anchorage.  At this point her face drew a blank, and I then had to run over ALL the concealed carry laws, and the fact that open carry is not legal within the city limits of Anchorage.  Turns out she was in support of something she had no idea about.  After explaining all this, and what I thought about it, she looked at me, and said "that sounds like a very reasonable position."
I then asked her on what she and the Alaska Democrat Party thought about hunting regulations and the enforcement thereof.  Despite her earlier assurances about being a sportsman she had no idea as to the current methods of attaining harvest and hunting tags/permits, or the differences between "assault weapons" and sporting weapons, other than a scary appearance.  That last should have been a given, with the Democrat Party's past escapades with the 2nd Amendment and the "shoulder thing that goes
up."
Right after this last discussion, my wife showed up with a turkey leg and some fries, and seeing her out, Lupa quickly thanked me for my time, and shook my hand.  But not before I was able to score some sweet bumper stickers!  I can't find the pictures right now, but one said "HATE is NEVER a family value!" and "Republican healthcare plan: Don't get sick!"  Because it's solely for the .gov to help you out when you're sick, right?  FUCK private industry!

A few heroes and pinheads:

The 2nd Amendment support group.  Yeah, that's a Barrett M82A1.  I want it.  Sadly, they felt the need to march in support of 2A because they don't feel adequately represented by these assholes...

The ACLU, we don't hate religion, just Christianity!  Bringing white guilt to you since... whenever.

Yes, those are little kids on boat called "Lady Gay-Gay" in the gay parade.  You see, when conservatives do this, it's "indoctrination," "brain washing," and "teaching hate."  With anything "progressive" it's "open young children's minds."  INTOLERANCE WILL NOT BE TOLERATED!!!

OK, guys we get it.  You're homosexuals.  Is it just me, or does this just seem to be such a double standard?  If I were to get upset at one of these guys, and call them fairies, and tell them to go put on hot pants and dance behind a float on their pride day, I'd be called a bigot, intolerant, and guilty of stereotyping gays.  1) Usually we have stereotypes for a reason.  I'm a stereotypical gun-owning, Catholic, 20-something, white male.  Who gives a fuck?  2)  These aren't gays, these are fags.  Gay people have sex with other gay people of the same sex for fun.  Fags do faggy shit like dance on a float in hot pants/in drag.

The dykes on bikes hauled ass too quickly by for me to snap a picture in time.  They were seriously driving dangerously for a closed parade route.  They had very fine flannel shirts on, and shiny shiny buzz cuts.

People Watching:

This is most unapologetically my favorite activity after shooting, sex, and playing with myself.   Here's a few pictures of interesting people I saw.

First off, we have "East German Camo Jacket Guy."  Not all that weird in an of itself, just the way he went about getting something out of his pocket while attempting to keep some sort of brochure in his back pocket.  Also wearing a jacket in East German camouflage pattern.  WTF?

Next, we have the iPod Hippy.  Just one look at this guy had flashes of Jane's Addiction and Yes! concerts flashing through my head.  Despite his moderately eye-catching dress, his biggest weirdness factor was the way he walked around loudly laughing to himself for no apparent reason in pronounced "HA-HA!  HA-HA!" spurts.  Not quite as weird as the guy we saw on C street yesterday barking at cars.  I really wish I'd gotten a picture of him...

Rosary Wearing Phat Beat Boy.  The he didn't move to the music, he and the music moved TOGETHER.  Unfortunately, I missed an opportunity to photograph him with the rest of his suburban, grain-eating family, as their sheer WASPiness served as an excellent foil to his "don't test my gangsta" attitude.  I think his father needs to Harden the Fuck Up.

Buddy, the Dancing Blood Drop.  In the parade, not not technically a person in and of himself, but still creepy as hell to see a representation of donor blood prancing down the street.  The announcer of the Parade consistently (and predictably) mis-pronounced his name as "Bloody the Blood Drop."

The Bead Sucker Sisters.  Dunno what was up with them, but they were just milling about, with some beads in their mouths.  The blank look on the first one makes me think she's on something, and is a blank slate.  The second one was probably contemplating Twinkies, or wishing the beads were a nice, big turkey leg.