Nickel Boron Plating of my Glock 34

Posted on November 11, 2011 by SinistralRifleman

Glock 34 in original finish

I’ve carried the same Glock 34 daily for 5 years now.  Some of that time was in an outside the waist band holster, but for the past couple years I have been carrying inside the waistband (IWB) with a Raven Concealment Systems holster.  Carrying IWB made it easier to conceal with less printing, but there is always a cost when advantage is gained in another area.  The down side I found to carrying IWB was that through the summer months in Arizona my Glock came into a lot more contact with sweat.

Regular cleaning and wiping it down with oil at the end of the day did little to prevent finish loss, and once the finish was gone it started to corrode.  The worst of the finish loss and corrosion was on the back right side of the slide and at the right sight of the muzzle.   Sweat tended to collect in the bottom of the holster and between the slide and the guard that keeps the pistol from digging into the side of the wearer (I’m left handed so the right side of the Glock is next to my body).  Guns are merely tools to me, so while I do my best to keep them in good repair, finish wear doesn’t bother me.  When it got to the corrosion stage I knew it was time to do something about it because rust was forming on a daily basis and it appeared to start spreading rapidly.

Fortunately, a friend of mine is a manager at Shooter’s World, and had recently received a flier for WMD Guns refinishing service.  WMD offers Nickel Boron Plating for a variety of firearms components, including semiautomatic pistol slides and barrels.  Nickel Boron coating offers improved corrosion and wear resistance over traditional firearms finishes.  It sounded like just what I needed to have done to refinish my Glock, so I had Shooter’s World send it off my barrel and slide and they came back about 4 weeks later.

Here is the end result:

I’ve been carrying it for 4 months now, and 2.5 of that was in 100+ temps so it did get sweaty in the same manner as it did before. The finish does not appear to be going away in those areas, and it shows no sign of further corrosion, but it is discolored:

I’ve also fired 500 rounds through it since getting it back.  The finish on the barrel  and slide shows wear as one would expect from firing:

All the wear from firing seems very normal.  Cleaning is much faster and easier with Nickel Boron coating as carbon does not stick to it the same way.  Even the worn areas do not retain carbon fouling as a traditional finish would.

Nickel Boron plating is a worthwhile upgrade to any gun that is going to be carried and used.  The corrosion resistance makes it particularly useful in hot or humid climates.  In addition to being functional it also looks great.  I liked it enough that I got my Glock 34 with RMR coated as well:

If you live in the metro Phoenix area, Shooters World can help you get your gun refinished, or send it off for you if you are purchasing new.  If you live elsewhere, you can send your components in direct to WMD Guns, or talk to your local dealer about getting a batch together to send in.

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2011 Halloween Shotgun Match

Posted on November 2, 2011 by SinistralRifleman

The 3rd annual Halloween Shotgun match was hosted by the Pima Pistol Club ACTS division on October 30th, 2011.  As the name implies, it is a shotgun only action shooting match.  Competitors were placed in the following divisions based upon the shotguns they used:

Boomstick: Any double barrel or single shot break action shotgun

Action Hero: Pistol grip only pump action shotgun.  Sidefolder ok if remains folded.  Lasers and Optics allowed

Pump: Pump Action with 9 shot capacity and Iron sights

Auto: Semi auto with 9 shot capacity and Iron sights

Open: Optics, speed loaders, detachable magazines allowed.

Only birdshot is required for this match, no buck or slugs are needed or allowed.

The stages are always based around horror movies, books, or games, this year the stages were as follows:

Stage 1: The Ring

PREMISE: You’ve rented a video from The Warehouse and settled in to relax in you Lay-Z-Boy. Oddly, a crazy bitch with long black hair comes out of your Magnavox to ruin your evening. Luckily, you always watch movies with a shotgun in your lap…

SETUP: The shooter will start seated in the chair. His shotgun will be held safely in his lap, with no more than 2 rounds loaded in the magazine. His CHAMBER WILL BE EMPTY, and the action may be opened or closed. The tape will be in the VCR.

PROCEDURE: At the buzzer, the shooter will remain seated and neutralize the 6 targets directly in front of him. The shooter will take the tape from the VCR, stowing it as he sees fit, go to Box 1, and neutralize the two targets. He will then move to Box 2 and neutralize the two targets. Finally the shooter will move to the “well,” put the tape in the well (not throw it) and neutralize the triple-dropper from behind the well. Time ends when the triple dropper falls.

Stage 2: Where the hell is Elm Street

PREMISE: These nightmares keep getting worse. The first one wasn’t bad, you were eating at the Golden Corral and only got slightly sick. However, a month later, you’re being chased by some freak with knives for fingers. This sucks. You’re going to kill him.

SETUP: The shooter will begin in the Start box, shotgun fully-loaded to division’s capacity, held at low ready. The shooter will signify ready by hitting the “snooze” button on the provided alarm clock on the table.

PROCEDURE: At the buzzer, the shooter will engage the appropriate targets from the start box, move to Box 1, repeat, and move to box 2 and repeat. Time will end when the shooter closes “Freddy’s head” completely shut.

Stage 3: The Thing

PREMISE: During your yearly vacation to Antarctica, your dog’s chest and husband’s arms suddenly rupture open with tentacles. WTF?

SETUP: The shooter will choose to start at A, Ab, or O+. Her shotgun will be loaded to capacity and held at low-ready.

PROCEDURE: At the buzzer, the shooter will neutralize TWO steel targets from her start position, and then move to the next position. At the next position, she will neutralize TWO targets, and then move to the next position. She will continue to move between positions, neutralizing only two targets at a time until all steel has fallen.
THE BLACK STEEL TARGETS ARE NO-SHOOTS. IF THEY ARE NEUTRALIZED, IT WILL BE A 10 SECOND PENALTY.

Stage 4 Halloween

PREMISE: It’s Halloween. Some guy wearing an all white William Shatner mask kept ringing your doorbell trick-or-treating, but he was way too old for this nonsense. You slammed the door in his face. It is now 3 hours later, you’re the last survivor in your house, and you need to get away from this guy. He must be on Angel Dust or something: he seems unstoppable.

SETUP: The shooter begins in the hallway, his shotgun loaded to division capacity, and held at the low-ready.

PROCEDURE: At the buzzer, the shooter will neutralize the falling plate and 2 pepper poppers. If the plate does not fall after 4 hits, it is considered neutralized. The shooter will then move to the first barrel and neutralize the falling plate and the two poppers. If the plate does not fall after 4 hits, it is considered neutralized. The shooter will then move to the last barrel neutralize the 4 poppers and get 4 hits on the big steel.

Video of myself shooting all 4 stages

I placed 3rd over all/51, 3/11 in open.

The Halloween Shotgun match also always features a 4 man team shoot off with a massive array of steel.  This year teams could only have one Open and one Auto shooter.

Second Place Team Video:

Of course the most fun part of the Halloween match is the costumes.

My girlfriend, Stephanie, and I went as Monster Control Bureau Agents from Larry Correia’s Monster Hunter Internaional novels:

Other Competitors in Costume

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Monster Hunter International Patch Contest

Posted on October 20, 2011 by SinistralRifleman

The Monster Hunter International book series by Larry Correia is a favorite of mine.  The basic premise of the story is that all the various monsters and magical creatures from fiction really do exist and the government pays private military companies bounties for killing them.  The story follows a character that happens to be a successful 3 Gun Competitor as he moves into the world of professional monster hunting.  All three books in the series have been very fun to read.  Its as if you are reading an action movie because the pace rarely slows down.  Firearms enthusiasts and gun culture people will especially appreciate Larry’s novels; Larry is a gun guy himself having formerly run a gun shop, participated in the action shooting sports, and instructed firearms classes.  The detail and accuracy of the way firearms are portrayed in his novels is a rare treat for gun people to read.

Larry is currently working on the fourth novel in the series, and it begins at the monster hunter equivalent of SHOT Show.  As such, more MHI teams, government agencies, and private military companies are to be featured in it.  Larry posted a design a patch contest last month, and voting is now open.  The winner gets a mention in the next novel.

Here is my submission for a private monster hunting company:

Go here and scroll down to post a comment voting for S3: Sinistral Security Solutions

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ACTS 8-20-2011

Posted on September 13, 2011 by SinistralRifleman

The August 2011 match allowed the shooter the option of standard ACTS scoring or putting 5 hits on paper targets for no time added penalties. Hits are normally scored on paper and add time to the shooter’s score.

I believe I shot faster with volumetric scoring on the move. The fact that hits outside the zero zone add a full second at ACTS makes me slow down more than I normally would for those shots. Maybe its just a psychological effect and I feel more comfortable pushing my speed when I know I can get 5 hits on a target rapidly on the move and have it neutralized rather than have a couple seconds added if I went too fast. Ironically most of my 5 shot groups were in the 0 zones.

After watching my videos I think it was probably a wash between firing two shots and getting two -1s, or firing 5 at targets past 25 yards. Obviously someone getting double 0s with only 2 shots would be faster. Firing 5 has the most benefit to shooters that would get at least one -3. If you’re not hammering them out, firing 5 is a waste of time even if you would have gotten at least one -3. I’d like to experiment on my own shooting stages both ways to see which is faster.

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Rio Salado 3 Gun Team Match 8-13-2011

Posted on August 18, 2011 by SinistralRifleman

The Rio Salado Sportsman’s Club hosted a special 3 Man Team 3 Gun Match on Agust 13, 2011.  The rules and scoring were similar to normal 3 Gun matches, with the additional stipulations that each team could only have one Open division shooter.  There was no moving with loaded guns, and competitors could only engage targets from designated shooting boxes.  Three of the four stages were shooting gallery style that the team was free to engage in any way they saw fit.  One stage was a relay race with one shooter using each type of gun pistol-rifle-shotgun.

Team Cavalry Manufacturing consisted of the following shooters

Russell (myself)
Rifle: 16″ Sabre Defence with Troy TRX rail, Aimpoint T-1 Micro, and Cav-Mfg Stock set.
Shotgun: Benelli M2 24″ Field with Williams Fire Sights and Nordic Components Extension
(I did not use Pistol)

Karl- ACTS AZ Match Director, student of multiple tactical training schools
Rifle: 16″ Daniel Defense with CMR 1-4X optic (he shot all the far targets)
Shotgun: Saiga-12 with Aimpoint in RS Regulate Mount, 20 round drum, and 10 round mags.
(Karl did not use pistol)

Mark- US Army Veteran, IDPA Shooter, student of multiple tactical training schools
Pistol: Glock 17
Shotgun: Remington 870 with Williams Fire Sights

The three of us had previously trained together and competed in the 2009 Tiger Valley Team Match.  I was the only shooter on the team with a significant amount of 3 Gun experience, but the shooting gallery nature of the stages made the match more of a pure test of shooting skill rather than stage planning, target sequence memorization, and the other little things that give a competitor an advantage.

We did do some pre-stage planning, to the extent that each of us was put in a position to play to our strengths.  Mark, shoots a lot more pistol, so we put him on the pistol targets.  Karl had the the skills and right equipment to shoot long range.  On the shotgun stages we positioned Karl where he could maximize his effect with the Saiga-12 and pick up the slack of the tube feds.  I filled in the middle and engaged most of the flying clays with my Benelli, and got the close range rifle targets.

Our skills and strategy worked out well for us, placing 4th/23 teams.  Considering the number of quality shooters at Rio Salado, I view this as a respectable placement.

The team format drew out many more spectators than normally found at a 3 Gun match.  As a competitor I personally found it more interesting to watch the other teams while waiting my turn than it is to watch individuals shoot a stage at normal 3 Gun matches.  I hope more team format matches will be held in the future.

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July 2011 Arizona Matches

Posted on August 1, 2011 by SinistralRifleman

Rio Salado Multigun 7-9-2011
2nd/15 Tac Limited 8/36 Over All

7-16-2011 ACTS
3rd/46 Over All 3rd/18 Enhanced

The match this month was brutal. Two stages had limited round count, one stage of mini-IPSC steel at 125 yards through V-Tac Barricade. Shooting clean was more important than shooting fast.

7-24-2011 Phoenix Rod and Gun 3 Gun

2nd Place Tac-Limited/11 shooters. 345.48 Match Points, 4.98 match points behind 1st place.

7-30-2011 ACTS Shotgun
5th/21 Over all. 4th/8 Enhanced (Semi auto tube fed)

Arizona ACTS ran a one time tactical shotgun match on July 30th, 2011.  The stage designs were done in such a way that I didn’t feel this was much of a reloading race like 3 gun stages often are. Stage 4 was the only one where it was to some degree, but there was enough movement that it didn’t matter a lot.

Maneuvering through the cooper tunnels on stage 1 with my 24″ Benelli was a pain. The ability to transition to pistol after shooting empty + the stage designs would make a Short Barrelled Shotgun much more competitive at this match than other venues.

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2011 Independence Day Action Rifle Match

Posted on July 7, 2011 by SinistralRifleman

The 6th Annual Independence Day Action Rifle Match was hosted by Pima Pistol Club’s ACTS division on July 4th.  Since I first organized this event in 2006 it has grown in popularity and rapidly fills up every year.  This year was no exception, we were actually over our cap of 60 shooters with match staff included in that number.

All proceeds from the match go to benefit the Arizona Citizen’s Defense League.   AZCDL has been instrumental in defending and reclaiming gun rights in Arizona.  All competitors received an AZCDL annual membership and lunch was provided by AZCDL while scores were calculated.

The match is run under modified International Multi-Gun rules.  One major difference is Battle Rifle cartridges (like .308, .30-06) only need one C zone or better to neutralize paper targets, vs one A zone with intermediate rifle cartridges.  Two hits anywhere neutralize with both.  Sometimes Battle Rifle cartridges require half as many hits on steel.  This scoring system help keeps Battle Rifles competitive.

We have also been able to test equipment divisions not found at other competition venues.  This was the first year we included a modified form of Trooper division.  The rules were much more simple compared to Trooper at major 3 Gun matches:

Trooper: No limitations on accessories.
• Troopers must carry all ammunition they will use for the entire match on every stage.
• Troopers are required to participate in all physical challenges
• Troopers must use the same rifle for the duration of the match, or have tools/cleaning equipment/parts with them to fix it if it stops working.
Failure to comply with any of these rules will drop the shooter out of Trooper into whatever division their rifle would put them in.

One of my concerns with having Trooper as a division for one day events is that the round count is usually too low and the distance between stages too short to offer any significant challenge.  I believe adding mandatory physical challenges and requiring all the ammo/cleaning gear for the whole match be carried on their person during each stage added enough challenge to make it worthwhile for lower round count one day matches.  Trooper was by far the most popular division at the match with 20 shooters.  Clearly the shooters that want to come and shoot in the heat of Arizona summer are gluttons for punishment.

My video:

I was First Place Trooper and 4th Over All.

Kelly Neal First Place Scoped and Overall.
Mike Panone First Place Reflex and second overall.
Grant M First Place Iron
Ron A First Place Open

Complete Match Results Here

Sponsors this year included:
Cavalry Manufacturing
Desert Patches
Falcon Industries
Hogan Guns
Practical Tactical
Quentin Defense
Shooter’s World
Spec Ops Brand

Cavalry Manufacturing Shooting Team members Russell (left), Brad (right), Matt (front center)

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Phoenix Rod and Gun 3 Gun 6-26-2011

Posted on July 7, 2011 by SinistralRifleman

The heat obviously effected attendance for Phoenix Rod and Gun this month.  There were only 14 shooters total.   Shooting matches with low attendance is nice sometimes in that the match finishes faster.  We were done with all the stages in under 2 hours.  The bad thing about shooting matches with low attendance is it limits your ability to compare yourself against your peers.  There were only 3 shooters in Tac-Limited/Iron.  I placed second with 335.30 match points, the winner had 347.58 match points.

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Hahn Precision BUIS

Posted on June 28, 2011 by SinistralRifleman

The number of AR15 Back Up Iron Sights on the market has exploded over the past 10 years.  I’ve had the opportunity to try a number of different models over the years.  The problem with many of the designs on the market is they are too large, too complicated, and interfere with ideal mounting or the operation of the primary optics sighting systems on the rifle.

The Hahn Precision BUIS addresses all these concerns with a compact, functional, rugged design.

The body of the sight is machined from Aluminum billet and hard coat anodized.  The aperture/sight tower is made from wire EDM’ed steel.  The aperture diameter is 0.100″ and allows the shooter a good compromise between long range accuracy and close range speed.  The aperture/sight tower is held folded and held up by spring tension.  Deploying and stowing the sight is simple, there are no buttons to push or levers to fold out of the way, simply push the sight up or down.   While the sight does not snap into place under its own power, it will not fold under recoil.  If dropped on the sight it will fold to prevent damage.

The Hahn Precision BUIS is very low profile  and fits underneath magnified optics, and only uses the rear most slot on a flat top upper receiver.  It is also low profile in width by making use of the A1 style adjustment system.  The sight stays zeroed unless deliberately moved.   Another advantage to the A1 style adjustment system is there is not a large windage knob interfere with charging handle operation.  Shooters with flip to the side magnifiers for red dots will particularly appreciate this.  With the magnifier flipped to the side access to the charging handle can be much tighter with a large windage drum in the way, with the hahn sight the shooter can operate the charging handle normally.  This feature alone is why I have gradually replaced all my BUIS with Hahn Precision units.

The Hahn Precision BUIS is a well thought out, quality manufactured unit and combines all the best features that a BUIS should have.

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ACTS June 2011

Posted on June 22, 2011 by SinistralRifleman

The June 2011 ACTS match was very accuracy centric with two of the stages being Virgina Count (you aren’t allowed more than the minimum rounds).  There were also mini-IPSC steel targets used at range for the first time which are roughly half the size of a full size IPSC target.

I placed 2nd/47 shooters.  Attendence was lower than the previous two months due to the heat. Match attendance always decreases in the summer in Arizona.

You will notice I’m shooting my standard Glock 34 with Warren Tactical/Sevigny Sights in this video.  This was the first time shooting it after three months of continuous use of the Glock with Trijicon RMR.  I don’t feel like I lost anything or my skills with iron sights degraded during that time.  The fact the OST-TSD conversion puts back up iron sights in line with the red dot makes acquiring the sights on either configuration similar enough as to not matter when switching back to standard iron sights.

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