SOMETHING THAT MADE ME RAISE AND EYEBROW.

     Sometimes you hear things and you gotta ask where somewhat intelligent people get their information.  I have heard many times over the years Former Soviet Union (FSU)  guns can shoot our ammo but we cannot shoot theirs.  This was put out in several schools and familiarization ranges that I attended prior to 1989.  In this post I would like to discuss this and the possibilities.  A little bit of science about a chamber and kindergarten physics.  When a bullet fits into a chamber its snug.  Then the bolt locks onto the chamber making an extremely tight custom fit around the cartridge.  The primer goes off then ignites the gunpowder which then explodes sending forces outward forward and rear.  The chamber counters the outward forces and the locked bolt counters the rearward forces making the front where the bullet is the path of least resistance.

     The first round I will cover is the Soviet 7.62x 54R  This round was used in the Mosin Nagant who's inception was 1891.  At that time the US was using the Bolt Action 6MM (6x60mm) Navy Winchester 1895 (Navy Lee), Also the Krag Jorgensen 8mm and 30 caliber lever action rifles.  By their Designations they came after the Mosin Nagant.  The only US round for that time that I can think of off hand that might be able to be used in Nagant is the 30/30.  The 30/30 Winchester is in fact 7.62mm x 51 and it is a rimmed cartridge.

However  In 1903 the US fielded the M-1903 Springfield chambered in 30/03 (7.62x65mm) and in 1906 the 30/06 (7.62x63mm)  Both these rounds cannot be used in the Mosin Nagant because they are too long.  The bolt will not close or lock hence the trigger cannot release the firing pin.

Ok so lets look at the 30/30 and the 7.62x54R. as I already stated the 30/30 is 3mm shorter than the 54R and it is a rimmed round.  The length isn't too bad I saw a .308 cartridge that was shot through a 30/06 and all that happened was that neck stretched out to the same size as the rest of the case.  So I guess if you were being attacked by a horde and all you had was .308 and a 30/06 bolt action rifle it would suffice.  However I cannot attest to accuracy.

Lets look at the rim. the 54R has a 14.40mm rim and the base diameter is 12.37 where as the 30/30 has a 12.9 mm rim and a 10.7mm base.  From this information the 30/30 would fit loosely into the chamber the bolt can't hold onto it.  If engaged by the firing pin it would slide forward or at the extreme (I never say never) if somehow the primer was engaged the round would more than likely become a ruptured cartridge.

Lets get to the AK-47 which shoots a 7.62x 39 cartridge  Its inception at the time was 1949.  The US was carrying the M-1 Garrand (30/06 7.62x63 which won't fit) and the closest to this round the M-1 Carbine which shot the .30 Carbine (7.62x 32.76mm)  Again the length is shorter, the cartridge is nowhere near the shape of a 7.62x39 (Forces and Physics) and its base diameter is smaller than the 7.62 x 39.  Again if by chance you do get it to fire you are going to have a ruptured round and good luck getting it out of the chamber unless to have a ruptured cartridge tool.  Later on in life the US adopted the M-14 with it's 7.62x51 cartridge which again is too long and would not permit the bolt to lock

Quickly the AK-74 which is 5.45x39 using a 5.56x45mm  look at the numbers!  It don't FIT!

Last I got from a friend of mine that was an F-4 WSO  The US used the M-61 Vulcan which shot a 20mmx 102mm round.  The Soviet MIG-21 used the GSh-23 which shot a 23x115mm round.  if by chance you did get the thing to fire with American ammo.  Do you want to be clearing a ruptured cartridge in a dogfight.

A possibility is that maybe the soviets employ an insert to fire our ammo like the chamber insert for an M-1 Garand to be converted from 30/06 to .308.  Though I have found no evidence of this.   Now what I have heard of is battlefield procurement on both sides.  IE use their weapon and ammo.  Reload our 7.62 brass with their bullets and powder (US only because soviet and European ammo is berdan primed this is 'Merica after all we use Boxer priming pockets).  Never have I heard about FSU nations using our ammo out of their guns.

One note I mentioned locking at the beginning of this article.  It is one of the 8 steps of function in a firearm.  Except in weapons with a blowback operating system utilizing a heavy bolt (IE M-3 Grease gun and PPSh41)  These weapons do not utilize a locking system.  Aim well and shoot straight

TO HOGUE OR NOT TO HOGUE

Some years ago I had an issued M-9 with Pachmayer grips.  The rubber of the grip decreased the slip of the weapon in my hand while wearing a glove and basically made the grip of the M-9 form fit to my hand.  I liked them a lot.

Some years later a friend of mine Rick had a small band of rubber on his M-9.  Being curious I asked him what in the world is that as I peered down my nose at it.  He answered it's a Hogue grip.  I sneered and said it isn't worth what he paid for it.  It's too small and there is no way that it could do anything to improve your grip.  The heated exchange lasted for a few minutes and ended with me and my Pachmayers and Rick with his Hogue.

Shortly after the above I got a good deal on a Glock 17.  I am a fan of Glock ingenuity.  If you can work on one Glock you can work on them all.  All generations are basically the same.  I wasn't too much of a fan of shooting one.  My calloused and big meat hook had a hard time gripping the plastic grip of the gun, also I could feel it twist in my hand while shooting the gun.  I had brought it with me on a trip Rick and I took.  As I was shooting it I told Rick the problems I was having with it and then started putting skateboard tape on the grip.  Rick then kept telling me to put a Hogue on it.  Being thick headed I wouldn't listen to him.  I did research for a better Glock grip and at the time all I could find was Hogue.

Some years later I was shooting a friends Glock 19 with a Hogue grip.  This did change my mind on this grip.  It did make a big difference.  However I didn't run out and get one.  But a few years later I finally got one.

For testing purposes I was able to get a plethora of the universal grips and some of the Glock 42/43 grips.  Both grips fit just about everything out there.  I own 3 Glocks (17,20, and 22) which were outfitted with the universal.  I used the 42/43 grips on a Taurus PT140 Millenium Pro, and the gun I love to hate the Ruger LC-9.  I also gave my friend Jim a set because he had a Glock 42.  Jim and I both felt better about holding the weapons in our hands with these grips.

One thing I find about the Hogue grip is the laborious process of getting it on your gun.  You gotta take it slow or else you will have tears in the grip.  I applied the grip straight out of the package to my G-17 which was rough.  Other techniques I used were applying talc to the grip of the gun, heating the grip in boiling water, using a small diameter screw driver under the grip, and Jim's technique warming the grip in your hands.  The roughest installation was on the G-20.  Again it took time and slipped off several times but I prevailed with persistence and finally got it on.

Using the G-17 I set out to test accuracy.  I wanted to test the Hogue grip under stress.  I started at the 50 yard line ran up to the 8 yard line.  I went from the holster (position #1) to engaging the target (position #4) as quickly as possible with 5 rounds shot rapidly on a 3 inch dot. The first picture shows my shot group without the grip.

  I then installed the grip and chilled out at the 50 yard line for a cumulative 20 minutes before I shot my next group.  The picture doesn't lie.  My group did tighten up under the same conditions.

Disregard the meters and yards difference.  My mistake it was yards for both shot groups.

I am won over by the Hogue grip on performance.  Another benefit of the Hogue grip is price.  I researched wrap around grips and found prices between $5-$7 dollars for the Hogue.  Also you can order straight from Hogue.  I also found that Pachmayer now makes a wrap around grip like the Hogue grip which averages at about $10.  

My plan is to Hogue all of my pistols.  Hogue also sells full replacement grips for other guns go to Hogueinc.com.  I got some on my S&W 686 replacing the factory installed wooden grips, there are 1911 grips, and AR grips.

Below are the listed guns that the universal grip and the clock 42/43 will fit

UNIVERSAL GRIPS

NOTE:  WILL FIT SPRINGFIELD XDM

42/43 Grips

Fit like a glove on the LC-9

M-16s were built by Mattel. True or False

As most gun enthusiasts will tell you the AR-15 was designed by Eugene Stoner and then sold to Armalite.  Armalite then sold the design to Colt which enhanced it with an auto safety seer and sold it to the Department of Defence as the M-16.

With that history there is one question that I have.  I have heard countless times while serving in the Army that during the Vietnam War Mattel made the M-16.  When I first joined the Army the service rifle was the M-16A1.  Some of these rifles that I had seen were converted M-16s (3 prong flash hider and inscribed M-16).  All said Colt Firearms none were inscribed with Mattel.

Doing some searches and research I have come up with this answer.  Once the M-16 was issued it replaced the M-14 ( The last wooden battle rifle).  A heavy duty rifle that could easily be used as a baseball bat if you ran out of ammo.  After humping this thing through the jungles of Vietnam soldiers were given this rifle made of plastic that comparatively looked and felt like a toy.

Now the Mattel connection legitimately comes through here.  The original M-16s that were issued actually did have Mattel markings.......on the hand guards!  It seems to fill the original orders colt subcontracted the plastic parts (Handguards, buttstock, and pistol grip) with Mattel.  With these initial parts Mattel took the liberty of  having their logo put on the parts during the plastic forming process.  In later castings the logo was removed.

So in closing as we know Colt made and always made the M-16.  Mattel handled the plastic.

We gotta get that one it was made in Russia

The only item that I can think of is an AK-47 that would validate the title of this post.  What I am writing about today is Wolf Performance Ammunition (WPA)  I bought some recently.  It was more about price when I made the purchase and salivating on how many rounds I was getting for such a minuscule price.

What got me while shooting this ammo was accuracy.  I was firing my IAI Automag III in .30 caliber Carbine pistol at 10 yards/ 3 inch dots.  Practicing position 3-4, single shot, controlled pairs and double taps.  Here is an example of what was shot doing controlled pairs.

All shot groups pretty much mirrored this.  Be it double taps, single shot or as shown here controlled pairs.  Now I'm not the greatest shot but I know that I could do better.  I wanted to see if it was the ammo.

I made a square out of 2x2 pasters and shot 6 rounds USGI .30 carbine, controlled pairs at 10 yards.  Below are the results.

A LOT BETTER.  Some years ago I was able to get some Soviet match ammo (7.64x54R) and put it through a Nagant sniper.  I was not impressed with the grouping.  so I had to play around.  One of the schools i have attended taught me that you can take the components of 54 Rimmed and put it into .308 shell and get pretty good results.  So I tried this.  I went down to a little better than 1 MOA out of the US gun.  Then I tried it in reverse.  308 on a 54R cartridge (.30 cal BTHP)(Yes I do have the dies.)  resulted in a little over 1 MOA with the Nagant sniper.  This got me going so I reloaded some Norma brass that I had in 7.62x54R with the match ammo and then the brass itself.  with the norma I shot sub minute and the actual brass went to 1 minutes.

Don't get me wrong if you want to do a lot of shooting and want to focus on procedure Ie position 1-4,  clearing jams, double action 3-4, or anything else and precision is not a must than wolf ammo is the bullet for you.  However if precision is what is needed buy American!