Shooting the Marlin model 60 rifle

The oldest rifle I own is the Marlin model 60.  This is an inexpensive .22LR semi-automatic rifle.  It holds 18-rounds in the tubular magazine.  I don’t know exactly, but I think I have owned this rifle more than 20-years. 

I added a red/green dot sight to it.  As I mentioned before, my old eyes don’t like iron sights.  I found a cheap Walther 1x30 red/green dot scope that will either mount to a Weaver/Picatinny rail or the grooved receivers on many .22 rifles.  All you have to do is reverse the built in mount.  This sight is non-magnified and is great for quick and accurate target acquisition.

The Walther 1x30 red/green dot scope works great on my Marlin 60 .22 rifle.  It has Picatinny rails on it to attach a laser or light.  There is a dot size and color selector.  I think the dot is about a 5-MOA size dot.  At 25-yards, the dot covers about two-thirds of a 4-inch circle. 

The Marlin model 60 is just a fantastic little tack driver.  The wood stock is cut for an adult length of pull and had a nice cheek weld.  The iron sites are “ok”, but you start to see its true potential when you add a scope.  The barrel has what is called “micro-groves”.  This has 16 smaller grooves that is marketed to be more accurate.  I can attest to that fact! 

Yesterday, I tried three different brands of ammo.  The Federal 36-grain hollow point in the bulk pack.  You know…The cheap stuff at the mart store.  The Winchester Super Speed round nose.  This is 40-grain copper plated ammo that is traveling at around 1300 FPS.  The last is the CCI Mini-mag which is 40-grain round nose, copper plated ammo. 

I was not surprised by the cheap Federal bulk pack ammo.  It is fun to shoot, but not very accurate.  I was shooting about 4-inch groups at 25-yards.  I guess you get what you pay for.

A big surprise was the Winchester Super Speed ammo.  The ammo fed 100% but wasn’t as accurate as I expected.  It shot about 2-1/2-inch groups at 25-yards.

The CCI Mini-mag ammo really shinned…Again!  This ammo is the most consistent .22 LR ammo I have every used.  I get the same results from a box I buy today as one from last year.  It cycles 100% and gives consistent accuracy performance.

In the image above, the white circle is 1-inch in diameter.  What you see is a 1/2” group using a 5-MOA green dot non-magnified scope on the Marlin model 60 .22 LR rifle at 25-yards from a seated position.  Click on the image to see the full target.

The Marlin 60 rifle has always been very accurate.  More accurate than anything I have.  When using good ammunition like the CCI Mini-mags, you can drive tacks!

Taurus PT-22 magazine modification

(Click on any image to enlarge)

I have had a Taurus PT-22 “pocket pistol” for many years.  It has served me well, but I have noticed a certain “quark” that I have finally fixed.

The factory magazine for the PT-22 has a finger grip extension.  For those with smaller hands, I guess this would work well, but, my pinky finger puts pressure on it skewing the alignment ever so slightly.  This sometimes causes misfeeds.  To solve this problem I would drop my pinky finger below the extension relieving the pressure.   I was afraid that if I ever had to use the pistol for its intended purpose, I may be under enough stress to forget this “solution”. 

The picture above depicts the Taurus PT-22 and magazine as it originally came from the factory with the exception of the fine Pearce wrap-around rubber grip.  Notice the grip extension on the bottom of the magazine.  I never did like it.  Now I have solved the problem.

Use an Allen wrench or punch to disassemble the magazine.  I think most of you know how to do this so I will not go into great detail.

Use caution when removing the floor plate from the magazine.  The spring will shoot across the room if you don’t retain it with you finger.  You now have the magazine disassembled enough to make this minor modification.

Take a flat head screwdriver to remove the screw holding the plastic magazine extension to the metal floor plate.  Now separate the floor plate from the magazine extension.  Keep the screw and magazine extension as you may want to put it back the way it was later.

Now reassemble the magazine.  There will be a “dimple” protruding from the bottom of the metal floor plate that is only cosmetic and causes no functioning problems.  Here is the finished project.

The removal of the magazine extension makes the gun more comfortable for me.  The overall size is reduced, a little, which only helps it to be a more effective concealed-carry weapon.

I really enjoy the Taurus PT-22 pistol.  It makes a good “summer” carry gun.  Some think that .22 LR rounds are underpowered.  They are right!  Most pistol ammunition are underpowered.  This pocket rocket is very accurate up to 7-yards.  I can routinely get all nine rounds in a 3-inch group at 7-yards.  And this is handheld and semi-rapid firing.  I feel safe with my little friend!

AR-15 or AK-47? That is the question!

As you may have read in my article about the IO AK47-C, I had to face this decision.  One thing that helped me is the YouTube series of videos by Nutnfancy.  Here is the playlist of the five videos.  It is rather long, but well worth the watch.

IO Inc. AK47-C Review

(Click on any image to enlarge)

I have been getting a lot of visitors looking for a review on the IO AK47-C rifle.  I needed to use the rifle a lot before giving my 2-cents worth.  Three months ago I decided to buy a tactical rifle.  The obvious choices were the AR-15 (figure 1) or the AK-47 (figure 2).  Technically speaking, the AK-47, in most cases are actually an AKM rifle.  There are very minor changes between the two and to most people, they are the same.  The AR-15 was a little out of my price range and I had concerns about a “direct 

(figure 1) AR-15

impingement” firearm.  Also, an actual AK-47 type rifle has some import considerations that you must be aware of, otherwise, you could be breaking the law!  So what to do?

(figure 2) AK-47

I thought I had the perfect solution to my dilemma.  Kel-Tec makes the SU-16C rifle.  The SU-16 series of Kel-Tec rifles use the same ammunition and magazines as the M-16/AR-15 rifle.  They are similar in many ways except one very big difference.  The SU-16 rifle uses a gas piston system similar to the AK-47!  This, in my opinion, makes for a more reliable firearm.  The receiver will be much cooler and cleaner than the AR-15’s direct impingement system.  The SU-16C version (figure 3) has a folding stock and is very light weight.  They usually run about $200 less than the low-end AR-15’s currently on the market.  There was just one

(figure 3) Kel-Tec SU-16C

problem…It is nearly impossible to find one!  The firearm shortage and high prices have caused an extreme shortage of the SU-16C.  Again, what to do?

I have owned a Chinese SKS rifle (figure 4) for about 15-years.  The SKS uses the same ammunition as the AK-47…The 7.62x39mm rifle cartridge.  Over the years, I have accumulated a small, but, respectable supply of these cartridges.  The SKS is a great rifle, but not suitable for a tactical carbine.  It is too heavy

(figure 4) SKS Rifle

and has a fixed (non-removable) box magazine that holds 10-rounds.  I was gravitating towards the AK-47 type rifle since I was familiar with it’s ammunition and I had a supply of it.  If I purchased a rifle using the 5.56 NATO round like the AR-15 and SU-16, I would have to invest in a supply of ammo, and at today’s prices, that could break the bank!  The only issue I had with an AK-47 rifle was dealing with the legal restrictions mentioned above.  Once again…What to do?

After doing a little research, I found out that there was an AK-47 that was completely manufactured in the United States!  This allowed me to make minor modifications without worrying about the 922R compliance laws.  I could change things like the hand guards and magazine without wondering if I just made the rifle illegal.  IO Inc. in Monroe, North Carolina is making a U.S. AK-47!

The IO AK47-C (figure 5) is made in several variants.  Usually the stock and hand guards are changed.  I found a dealer in Charlotte that had the IO AK47-C in stock.  I drove to Hyatt Guns to look at the rifle before I plopped down $600 or more!  The salesman behind the counter was very nice and knowledgeable.  He let me

(figure 5) IO Inc. AK47-C

see the rifle.  I was pleasantly surprised!  The rifle had a very good look and finish.  It appeared well made.  I decided that I would buy this rifle.  There was only one problem.  I priced this rifle on Davidson’s Gallery of Guns at around $600.  Hyatt’s wanted $799 before taxes!  I told the counter help about the price I was looking at and asked if they could do anything about their price.  After taking it to the boss, he came back with a price of $700 not including tax.  The price at Davidson’s was $629 including shipping and tax shipped to my local gun dealer.  This also included all transfer fees!  I just couldn’t pay that much difference to save a week’s wait. 

The IO AK47-C I finally purchased had a Galil-type forearm and an RPK-style butt stock (see figure 5 above).  I was not fond of the Galil forearm because it was a bit big and blocky looking.  It turned out to not be a problem because I was planning to replace the forearm anyway.  A little about that later.  The RPK style stock turned out to be a very good asset after testing the rifle.  If you ever fired the AK-47 type rifle, you know that it has a tendency to have a good bit of muzzle rise up and to the right.  This is due to two things.  When the bullet leaves the barrel, the muzzle will rise and press back to your shoulder.  Due to the design of the original AK-47 butt stock, a pivot point (figure 6) is created that makes the whole rifle pivot and rise at that point.  The IO AK47-C has

(figure 6) Pivot point

two devices to reduce this effect drastically!  First, there is a “slant” muzzle break/flash hider.  This redirects the gasses at the muzzle up and to the right, thus countering the natural muzzle rise.  Also, the RPK style butt stock greatly reduces the pivot point of the original AK-47 butt stock and directs the recoil

(figure 7) Reduced muzzle rise

straight back into the shoulder (figure 7) much like the AR-15’s butt stock.  This keeps you on target for subsequent shots.

When I received the IO AK47-C rifle, I was very pleased with the fit and finish.  It came with a cleaning kit, sling, and users manual.  It did not come with the cleaning rod that resides under the barrel.  I noticed that it came with a 30-round Thermold polymer magazine.  It felt cheap and I didn’t feel confident with it.  But, I loaded it up with 30-rounds of ammo and went out to test my new rifle.  As I posted in a previous entry, the magazine would not stay in the magazine well!  Every time I fired the rifle, the magazine would drop to the ground.  I didn’t think it was the rifle, but a crappy magazine.  I resorted to firing single fire just to see if the rifle functioned well.  It did, but I needed to get a new magazine to fully test the IO AK47-C.

I called IO Inc. and told them about the magazine.  They quickly shipped me a new, metal magazine.  It fit well and fixed the magazine problem.  Now that I have a decent magazine, I went back out to test the rifle.  This made all the difference in the world.  I fired round after round without any failures of any kind.  The rifle was accurate…More accurate that I was!

After firing a couple magazines without any hiccups, I brought the rifle home to clean it.  The field strip procedure is the same as any other AK-47.  It is very simple and fast.  I was extremely surprised at how clean the receiver area was.  The gas piston system keeps most of the crap out of the receiver.  I cleaned the bore, gas tube, and gas piston.  The other parts, didn’t require extensive cleaning.  I just wiped them off with a patch.  I was very happy with the function of the rifle and the ease of maintenance.

The IO AK47-C uses the Tapco G2 AK trigger group.  I was very surprised at how clean and crisp it is.  This is a good choice of trigger groups and it counts towards 922R compliance if you are using an imported AK-47.

One problem with some imported AK-47’s is sight canting.  This is when either the front sight or rear sight block is set off center.  This can make sighting the rifle very difficult.  I saw no such canting with my IO AK47-C.  Sight alignment between the rear and front sight looks perfect.

The IO AK47-C uses a Tapco slanted muzzle break (figure 8).  I think this is a fantastic choice!  It keeps the original look of an AK-47 and helps counter the muzzle rise present in the AK-47.  The

(figure 8) Tapco Slant Muzzle Break

muzzle break is removable and has a standard AK-47 threaded barrel.  You can change the muzzle break if you wish.  Again, since it is made in the U.S.A., you don’t have to worry about 922R compliance when changing the muzzle device.

The butt stock was new to me.  I found out later that it is an RPK style butt stock.  If you are an AK-47 purist, you will not like this butt stock.  I do.  I like the looks of it and it does away with the traditional butt stock pivot point causing the rifle to rise with each shot.  The RPK style butt stock directs the recoil straight back into your shoulder, thus reducing muzzle rise.  Good job, IO!

The pistol grip looks a little funny, but it works great!  It is a little larger than the original pistol grip.  This is good since the original is small for most of us in America.  I see no need to replace it.  Another good job, IO.

The Galil forearm, pistol grip, and RPK style butt stock are polymer.  Again, if you are purist, you will not like this, but I do like polymer furniture.  It also gives the whole rifle the “black rifle” look.

One drawback of the AK-47 design is that it isn’t “optic” friendly.  This means it isn’t easy to put a red-dot or telescopic scope on it.  Some do come with a side-rail for scope mounts, but mine didn’t.  I could kill two birds with one stone!  Add a rail system for optics and other accessories and replace the bulky Galil forearm.  I chose the UTG Quad Rail System.  This system costs around $60 and is very easy to install.  It allows attachment of scopes, vertical hand grips, flashlight, lasers, and etc.

I took the IO AK47-C to an indoor 25-yard range to document the accuracy (figure 9).  I am not expecting a tack-driver, but, accurate enough to achieve its intended use…Sport shooting and home defense.  As I expected, my ageing eyes don’t like the iron sights.  But the results are good.  Take a look:

(figure 9) 10-shots at 25-yards using iron sights.

I was very happy with the grouping.  I will utilize the rail system and put on a red/green dot sight.  The sight I was looking for is 1X magnification (no magnification).  This works great out to 100-yards and will allow for quick target acquisition.  I don’t have $600 to spend on an AimPoint.  I was wanting to spend less than $100.  I found the CenterPoint 1x34mm Quick Aim Sight at the “Mart” store for under $50.  At 13-ounces, it is a bit heavy, but I can live with it. 

I took the rifle out to “bore” sight the new sight.  I did this by placing the rifle in a clamp and aligned the iron sights with an object about 100-yards away.  I think gently mounted the CenterPoint sight and adjusted it to aim at the same object.  I removed the scope and confirmed alignment with the iron sights.  I then went to a 100-yard outdoor range to make final adjustments to the sight.  My crude bore sighting worked pretty good!  I was only a few inches off at 100-yards.  The target below (figure 10) shows all 15-rounds highlighted.  The yellow ones are the rounds fired to make the adjustments to the scope.  The blue ones are the 5-rounds fired after scope was zeroed.

(figure 10) 15-rounds at 100-yards.

The target was a 12-inch grid printed on a 16-inch square sheet of paper.  At 100-yards, i am very happy with the 5-MOA red-green scope.  The IO AK47-C continues to pleasantly surprise me.

IO Inc. has changed the AK47-C a little (figure 11).  They have done away with the Galil forearm and put a more functional tactical forearm on it.  This will allow for a vertical grip or tripod

(figure 11) IO AK47-C Liberty

attachment.  I like the change.  They kept the same butt stock.  Good move!  I would still replace the forearm, but keep the RPK style butt stock.

So, how do I like the IO AK47-C?  I think I got a lot of rifle for my money!  It has functioned flawlessly through several hundred rounds.  I have shot Winchester white box, Wolf surplus, and Tiger Russian made ammo.  All have worked flawlessly.  The fit and finish of the AK47-C is better than most AK-47’s I have seen.  I wish they would have included a cleaning rod and side scope mount, though.  If it had the side scope mount, I wouldn’t have a heavy scope out over the front of the rifle.  It would make the rifle more balanced with the scope over the receiver cover.  I would not have to replace the forearm if there was a side scope mount.  That is the only thing I would ask IO Inc. to add.

All-in-all, IO Inc. did a very good job with their new AK47-C.  The ultimate question is:  Would I recommend it to a friend?  Without a doubt, yes.  I look forward to new additions to the IO Inc. stables.  Good job, guys.  Keep up the good work!

IAC Hawk 982 Shotgun For A Great Price!

(Click on any image to enlarge)

I received an email notification that “Bud’s Gun Shop” just got in a supply of the IAC Hawk 982 12-gauge shotgun. If you have been reading my blog, you know that I am a fan of the IAC Hawk 982. It is a copy of the popular Remington 870. Many of the stock options will work with the Hawk. And at $185 delivered, it is a high value for a tactical or home defense shotgun. Click here to view and purchase this shotgun.

I have shot just about every type of 12-gauge ammo through this fine firearm and it has performed magnificently. I would use 00-buck shot up to 25-yards and rifled slugs up to 100-yards. Yes, I said 100-yards! Read my previous post to this blog for evidence of its effectiveness at this range.

The Hawk 982 has fantastic ghost ring sights. If you buy a Remington, this is about a $100-150 option! This is standard on the 982. This allows quick target acquisition while still providing precision at range.

Is the Remington 870 a better shogun than the Hawk 982? Probably, yes. But, I must say that I have had 100% reliability with the Hawk! And at half the price, I think it is a winner!