New Slabs for my Hog Leg (New Cocobolo Tactical Smooth Grips from Ahrends)

Ahrends Tactical Smooth Round Butt K-Frame Grips (Cocobolo)

Kim Ahrends' Grips are top notch. If you didn't catch my earlier post about my new S&W 686, it came with a set of Hogue mono conversion grips, excellent grips if you've got big hands, akin to griping a hard loaf of wheat bread if you have smaller hands like mine.

I like the profile of the 686 round butt, and while I think that a shooter may have a better target revolver with straight grips, if you're going to carry a good bit and shoot a little bit, low profile round butt grips make a really good choice.

Excellent fit for a set of production grips, they were tight on installation and the finish is superb. Its a shame to cover up the lines and backstrap of the round butt, and these grips tailor out the look well.

                  

With these Ahrends installed I put over 100 rounds downrange today, you get a little creep after rapid fire, and you may need to adjust your handhold after 6 heavy magnum shells. I used a high combat grip with these  grips (shown below with one hand for reference) and the pistol was easy to point and easy to make consistent quick shots, I was able to ring the gong a majority of the time when I ensured that the gun was grasped firmly.

With my old grips, my wife said I looked "a little too much like Rick Grimes from Walking Dead" with his pistol festooned about his person, bounding around when he moves and slapping his leg like a wet trout. I like a clean sturdy setup, more high speed and low drag, and these grips do the job nicely.

                                 

S&W 686 Round Butt, Stainless Steel Mountain Gun

S&W 686-4 Round Butt Stainless Steel. 

I picked up this beauty of a revolver a few days ago, I've been wanting a 4" S&W to match my 4" Colt Python (currently at Colt for servicing, I'll post a full write up and pictures when it returns.) This can be had for about half the price of a Python, and in stainless steel it makes an excellent all weather outdoors gun. 

This is my first S&W newer production revolver, built between 1993-1997, now its almost 20 years old. These guns have recently come more into the spotlight because they are considered by some to be S&W's answer to the Colt Python, and many people (myself included) don't see the current production models as matching the higher quality of the older models. Indeed the 686 and Python fit the same holsters, have the same dimensions and even look slightly similar. The looks can be deceiving, because this is not a Colt Python, and should not be compared to one. Although I will admit that I purchased this one because I already have the holster and ammo to go with it for my Python.

Firing the .357 Magnum and the .38 Special cartridge, this revolver delivers the power necessary to take most critters, both four legged and two legged in the lower 48, and offers a recoil that is not overly harsh to the user under full power loadings. I am perfectly at home shooting full power .44 Mag if the need arises, but I like to operate by two is one and one is none, meaning that if I can only reliably pull off one fast shot of .44 Mag, I'd rather have two reliable and fast shots of .357 Mag instead. 

Note that the front sight has the high-vis orange insert and is one solid piece with the barrel and under lug. This revolver is by no means a lightweight, and you will feel the pull on your hip. I like the extra heft and prefer how the gun draws and points compared to the air weight revolvers that are offered these days. This gun is built to take heavy usage at the range and in the field and will outlast me and likely my children's children.

The extractor reaches far enough that I can eject my spent casings quickly to facilitate a speed loader reload. The rear sight is adjustable with a nice white outline notch that in practice, aids aiming for quick shots. This 686 has the classic standard S&W hammer and pinned firing pin that was dropped from later models. I don't have any tests to confirm if the later used MIM trigger and hammer parts are inferior, but I like knowing that my hammer and trigger group parts were forged and case hardened rather than made from pressed metal sawdust.

This model sports a big gnarly Hogue wood mono-grip, and for someone with small hands, it's like grasping a loaf of wheat bread stuck to your revolver. The frame on this particular 686 is the round butt variant vice the more common square butt, and these grips are a set of conversion grips that just don't help me a whole lot. I've ordered some more acceptable and less chunky grips that should solve the problem and I'll post some updated pictures when they arrive.

Pre-lock S&W revolvers are bringing a premium over the newer revolvers that have the lock above the cylinder catch. I won't go into detail about some of the dirty nicknames that the lock hole has garnered, but suffice to say that most people don't prefer the lock. I rationalize it like so; why add extra parts to the internals of a simple and reliable machine. I don't leave my firearms un-attended and I just don't know when I would use the lock. If you routinely need a lock and key combination for the internal action of your firearm you should review your storage and handling practices.

I'd imagine the introduction of the lock went something like this...
Smith and Wesson design team vs S&W lawyers in a boardroom meeting...
Lawyers: Enthusiastically "Yea, and we should put a tiny lock on its internals"
Design: Sarcastically "Uh, to make it safer, right?"
Lawyers: Enthusiastically "Yup, and you should make the hole real tiny so that it will get clogged with belly button lint, dirt, and debris. Put the hole near where people's grubby fingers will go!"
Design: Sarcastically "Do you want us to make a really small, easily misplace-able key to go in the lock?"
Lawyers: Enthusiastically "Oh yes, that would be the best"
Design: Angrily "And I suppose next week you'll be asking us to use metal sawdust to make our parts cheaper"
Accountants (also in the meeting): Excitedly "Wait, we can do that?"
Design: Throws up hands and storms out of the room....

The 686 is a really robust and practical gun for the money. It's not a Colt Python, but as I stated before this one cost me about $800 less, and for that kind of money it's like comparing a Seiko to a Rolex, nothing wrong with either choice, but not in the same production bracket. I'll most likely lug my 686 around this summer in the Cascades and Olympics, while my Python is reserved for my "BBQ Gun" (Look up the term if you are unfamiliar) The stainless steel of the 686 will care less if I trip and fall into a swamp or get caught in one of the ever present rain storms here in the Northwest. If you have a chance to acquire one of the older model 686s at a reasonable price, don't hesitate. These revolvers will only appreciate in value and collect-ability, and much like their cousins, the Colt Python, they will become more endangered as classic American revolvers cease production.

Ye Olde 1948 Built Winchester Model 70, An American Icon.

With the advent of summer and better weather, its time to break out the rifle and scout out some new hunting spots.

I'd be remiss if I had shown my classic Royal Blue Colt Python, and failed to show my iconic Winchester Model 70. If you don't know your rifle history I'll give you a short education...

Enter in the late 1800's round 1870 to 1898, these two brothers.... the Mauser brothers (you may have heard of them from the World War rifle the K98 Mauser) designed a bolt action rifle to take advantage of the new cased ammunition cartridges. Well to keep a long history short, their design was superb, so much so that here in 2013 we haven't yet created anything better. We are still building rifles on a derivative of the Mauser action. Pretty impressive i'd say... I doubt my IPOD will have that kind of prolific run. 

Enter the American firearms scene about 1936, Winchester offered a new rifle that would be hailed as "the Rifleman's Rifle". It used a modified Mauser design with a few improvements to aid in reliability. It was built relatively unchanged until 1964, when Winchester changed the design and production standards to cut costs. I would go as far as to say that the post-64 rifles are almost an entirely different rifle (most would say a cheapened, lower quality, poorer designed rifle. Still a great rifle by all accounts, but not pre-64 great)  

This particular rifle was built in 1948, I purchased it at an estate sale in the summer, and it looks like it may have spent most of its life sitting well oiled in a dark closet. I'm glad I happened upon it and I am happy to give it a new home.

The original recoil pad was badly deteriorated from age and I replaced it with a new pad of the same design. The sling was included with the rifle and is still supple and strong with no cracks or crazing of the leather.

The scope was also included, its a vintage Leupold 2x7 VARI-X II with Leupold quick detach rings. At the range it was a real tack driver and it still holds its zero after all these years. The quick detach throw rings are really handy when storing the rifle or moving through thick brush where the scope could get snagged or damaged.

The bolt neatly clears the scope, and the Mauser controlled feed and extraction (read: Big Claw Extractor!) makes this a super reliable rifle in all conditions. The controlled feed is desired in a big game or safari rifle. It grips the round and controls it all the way into the chamber and back out again.

Chambered in 30.06 (Thirty aught six) this rifle is suitable for any big game in North America. It holds 5 rounds in its internal box magazine and the action is as smooth as glass.

The rifle has peep sights that mount on the side of the receiver, and with a little practice I can do just as well with the iron sights as I can with the scope. 

The 2x power is well adjusted for close shots and the 7x power is adequate for those distance shots.

SWFA SS 1x4-24 Illuminated Scope.

SWFA SS 1x4-24 Illuminated Reticle, Exposed Turret. A lot of scope for the money. 

I've dealt with a few scopes in the past and this one is definitely on the top rung of scopes I've owned...

This scope combines the reflex optic (Eotech, Aimpoint, Docter) with long range capabilities (ACOG, ELCAN) to end up with an optic that can go from clearing rooms to reaching out to touch the target. The first focal plane cross hairs are really clear at any power.

You can use an Allen wrench to reset the turrets to zero, just sight it in, pop off the turrets and realign them to zero. Simple and effective. The Bobro scope mount is really secure and fast, and it looks like it's design will keep its zero, regardless of how many times you remount the scope.

At 1 power it's almost as quick as my Eotech, engaging targets at 7 to 25 yards is fast, much faster than iron sights. A downside to many optics such as the ACOG is the limited eye relief. What you gain in range you lose in ability to quickly shoulder the rifle and acquire a sight picture. The SWFA scope has that virtually un-limited eye relief that you have with an Aimpoint, and the high definition glass that you get with the ACOG. 

The red is bright, This is at 6 power (goes up to 11) and it's plenty bright for daytime shooting. I prefer to leave the red illumination off during day light, I think the black ring works just fine. The adjustment knob for the illumination is well thought out, after each click to increase brightness is an off switch. This lets you set your brightness and then click one over to turn it off. 

At 4 power the SWFA scope easily engages targets at the longer ranges. I wouldn't expect to punch the ten ring every time at 400 yds, but you can engage man size targets at that range and be well within the ten ring at around 100 yards. The ammo I used at the range was some dirty surplus steel cased .223 and I was able to consistently put rounds into the "pie plate" at 100 yards without much effort on my part. Unless you are shooting a match grade rifle with match grade ammo I wouldn't worry much about the sub-MOA shots. (I'm sure that the scope is capable, I just don't know what function that would fill...)

 

There are those out there that are getting extreme accuracy out of their battle rifles, I'm not one of those people. I'm sure I could improve my skills in the accuracy department, and maybe this is a cop out, but I think all this chatter online about people shooting sub-MOA groups with off the shelf battle rifles at extreme ranges is overblown. Your experience may vary. 

This scope is built like a tank, If you think the ELCAN or ACOG is too heavy, you may want to try an 

Aimpoint or stick with irons, this scope is well built and as such it weighs a good pound or two. Throw in the Bobro quick detach mount and you will add a good heft to your rifle. I don't mind it overall, and I think the weight is very manageable, but off-hand shooting is tough for those longer ranges. I would suggest for those longer shots you either go prone or find something to act as a rifle rest. For those of you who run a FAL, M-14 or G-3, I'm sure you're shaking your head and wondering when I'll just man up and stop whining about my "obese" rifle. 

I threw some Butler Creek lens covers on each end to keep out dust and mud. The illumination knob houses the battery and a spare. I think battery run time is about 17 hrs on setting 7, I haven't tested it, but this should be plenty of run time if you reserve the illumination for when you need it at night. 

So why the need for this scope? Well that's a good question. I like optics mainly, I think they simplify the process to get rounds on target. I also like the ability to engage targets at night or in low light (ie. dusk and dawn), very few iron sights allow for this option. You have a definite advantage at night or during low light with an illuminated optic (try shooting your rifle at night with iron sights, or turn on your flashlight and become a target). I also like the option to engage targets at range, preferably at a range where they will have difficulty engaging me, allowing me to move out of the affected area.  

This cat-tail throw lever makes it easy to switch from 1 to 4 power while wearing gloves or under stress.

The downsides... the ordering process from SWFA was less than user friendly. It was a long wait and I'll hesitate before I let that much money sit for a few months again.   

Final thoughts: This scope really delivers where it counts, it works well at short ranges like a reflex or red dot, and it reaches out to the longer ranges when you need it, with better eye relief than an ACOG or traditional scope. If you're in the market for an exceptional scope that has the quality and built in features of scopes twice the cost, look no further.