MandM

Clenzoil. Great stuff. Used to be cheap too. (Not anymore.) First time I heard of/bought/used the stuff... I was in college in Ohio, at a gun show with an FFL friend of mine, on my 21st birthday buying my first gun. (Astra A-100) As we're walking around buying stuff, we see this little old couple selling this oil in boring white bottles for $7 (20-ish ounces). My friend Bill tells me "Buy a bottle. It'll last a long time and it's great!" Okay. So a few years later, I had sold my Astra and moved home back to NJ and I find out that the price has skyrocketed. (Didn't much make a difference to me at the time, I didn't have any guns until recently.) But now... it's 8 ounces for $15! But... it is good stuff. In fact, I just bought a bottle. Easy to use. Doesn't smell bad. Is a pretty good all around product.

Ug... the people of NYC, nay... the USA, should ban Bloomberg.

I have one of their H-1/T-1 clones and for about $100 it does what I ask of it. Nice bright dot, decent QD mount, holds zero. I have no complaints.

I have one... I like it. (T-Pod Gen2.... it sees more use as a bipod when I'm shooting off a bench.) This particular model is a little heavy for runnin' and gunnin', and even just shooting from the shoulder on a long range session. I'm getting a Magpul AFG. (I'll keep the T-pod G2 for bipod use for sure though. It's a nice piece of kit.) My dad on the otherhand doesn't like them at all. When I took him to the range with me, he made me take the foregrip off before he even picked it up. (Made me take the ACOG off too. Just used irons all day. He's old school.)

Where'd you purchase it from? The internet, face-to-face, out of state? If it's being shipped to/through an NJ FFL, he/she should be able to answer those questions for you I would think...

This. I have a TA31H and the speed penalty in close is easily offset by decent magnification for longer ranges and how I wanted it setup. Oh... and I've noticed that the Horseshoe reticle in close can be pretty effective, since it looks like a big red dot if you're being quick about it and following the Bindon Aiming Concept.

The little Otis "Tactical" cleaning system that comes in a nylon hockey puck case is great! I use that, a rag and an old toothbrush to clean my pistols and my AR. Cleans everything from .22 to 12 gauge. Goes for around $50 - $60. Generally a small screwdriver set, and maybe an allen key set... that should be all you need for now. I keep one of those interchangeable bit screwdrivers in my bag (the small ones for electronics, etc.) and a leatherman, and so far I haven't needed anything else. I want a good safe. Don't have the money for a decent one right now so I have my guns (except for the HD gun) in their cases, locked, in a locked closet in my locked office. 3 different keys needed once you're in the house. (And that's only if you gotten past the dog.) But... it's only drywall and wooden doors... not like a safe. So eventually I will be getting one.

I feel the same way. My build timing was screwy. I had my stock before I had anything else. Didn't even have a lower (Which was good... I was able to pin it before anything could make it evil.) A month or so later, I had all the rest of the stuff for the lower. Then the completed lower sat for 2 months without an upper. Then I got my complete upper, but the handguards I wanted were back-ordered. So I had a nekkid rifle for about a month. But when it was finished, it was exactly what I hoped. It was worth it and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

True... spreading the cost out is nice... but having pieces sitting around that you can't do anything with is maddening at times!

Yep... that's the Bandit! He's our 2.5 year old, 80lbs Husky/German Shep mix. He's got 2 speeds: full throttle and asleep. (We rescued him from an owner who could no longer keep him and was about to bring him to a shelter.) Thanks!

My canine furkid came with a name (Bandit)... so that one was easy! My guns were a different story. "Vera" (my self built AR) came from a Firefly reference. Jayne: This the best gun made by man. It has *extreme* sentimental value. It's miles more worthy 'n what you got! Mal: What I got? She has a name. Jayne: So does this. I call it Vera. Liesel (my HK45c) got a good strong, yet soft, name embracing her Germanic heritage. Didn't want a harsh name like Helga or Brunhilde.

THIS. For me, it wasn't about saving money, because I didn't. (I actually spent more that I originally budgeted for.) But it's a fun project, my AR is now exactly what I wanted, and I don't feel like I wasted time and money by having parts that I had to replace and will never use again.

Just read an huge post about lowers probably on AR15.com... but I'll be darned if I can find it now though... there are 4 manufacturers and everybody just puts their stamp on it. Minimal differences across the manufacturers as well. I bought a Spikes for my build... mainly because it was what Lou's had in stock and I didn't feel like doing the whole buy on the internet, ship to an FFL, thing. Haven't had an issue and I'm happy with everything about my build.

Just a quick mention... they have NJ legal PMAGs at Mastodon. (Just got me another yesterday!)

Try going to pocketcannons.com! More pics there!

I either get my 123s from batteryjunction or lighthound.

Have a look at Primary Arms. I bought their Aimpoint T-1 clone with QD mount for $118. It's cheaper with the standard mount. It's pretty decent for a cheap optic.

I love my Geissele SSA. Light and crisp enough for a full length pull and the 2nd stage is nice. It's light. I find myself using both stages frequently and I think I would stay with a 2-stage if I had to do it all over again, instead of getting a 1 stage Timney or something like that.

Nice lookin' rifle!

D'oh! Missed that. That would make a difference.

Yes... it would suck to have to wait, etc. (I'm the impatient type... I would be clawing at the walls if I had to send mine in.) But, in my head, if you're paying so much for a gun, if it has any issues... that pretty much defeats the whole reason HK thinks that they can charge so much. Reliability, dependability, whatever. I'm glad you were able to fix it yourself and avoid the hassle though

But it'll be a sexy shell of a firearm! LOL.

As far as noise is concerned... my PWS didn't seem any louder than the rental S&W with unknown brake on it that a guy had rented in the port next to me. (I was at RTSP.)

I would have just called HK after the first "click". Let them make it right. (For what they're chargin'....) (FWIW... I've over 1,000 rounds through my HK45c and zero issues. Love that gun. She and I don't have any trust issues. )

Dave Abramson (Lifter's Leather) makes some high quality stuff.