Slacker!

Yes, I've been slacking on the blog this week, partly because I be a busy little beaver. The Daniel Defense AR with the Aimpoint is sighted in for the CT Midnight 3-Gun, the VersaMax is running like a top and even the Ruger SR9 is happy...I do have to sight in the Streamlight laser on it, though...last year my slacking on that little point came back and bit me hard in the rump.

I've also been working with the Africa rifle, the Ruger Guide Gun in .300 Win Mag (with Rem 180s). I don't have the scope yet — I went with the Leupold VX-6 2-12 with the illuminated FireDot reticle and turrets cut for the Hornady 165-gr International loads — so I've been using the "express" sights that come on the rifle...a shallow "V" in the rear and a white dot front sight. I'm basically starting with 10 shot strings at 50 yards, then moving forward or sideways and firing from different positions off sticks...sitting, kneeling (right knee, left knee, both knees), standing, offhand. Keep all the shots in an IDPA target "zero down" zone. It's a pretty good drill for the rifle and it'll make you work. I figure if I can do this, say, 1000 more times, I'll be good to go for Africa! LOL!

Once again, the Ruger muzzle brake just plain rocks. I'm going to talk Ruger out of another one and put it on the GUNSITE Scout Rifle.

BTW, I'm hearing that the Great AR Bubble is in full-scale fizzle. Cliff's Notes version...back orders are vanishing faster than .22LR ammo at a Cabela's new store opening. Small to medium sized companies that bet heavily on their back orders — that is, they ordered components to fill the back orders — are up against the wall. The components are only now being shipped, but the back orders (at least between 50 and 75% of them) are gone baby gone. Essentially, at the height of the Bubble customers were placing multiple orders, intending the buy the gun that came in first.

I suspect the 7.62/.308 AR-10 platforms may be at the greatest risk... the market is simply not that large (unless you are of the prepper persuasion and looking for a quality major caliber semiauto rifle...keep your eyes on Colt or FAL, with a couple of other good alternatives on the way...more about that later).

I've said this before and I'll say it again...I think everyone in America should own an AR, and as prices plummet, it's almost time to buy. In the last week, I have seen "commodity" ARs at less than $700, and "name" ARs below $1000. BUY AT THE BOTTOM OF THE MARKET! I unconditionally recommend ARs from my sponsors — Ruger, DoubleStar, Stag, Daniel Defense — these guys build superb guns! I own guns from each of them and use them on a regular basis. I also unconditionally recommend JP Rifles, Spike's Tactical, Wilson Combat (I wish the Paul Howe carbine would follow me home!) and Carbon Arms. My next project gun is a .300 Blackout with a Carbon Arms upper and a Spike's lower. If we can ever get .458 SOCOM ammo again, I'd love to build one off a Wilson Combat upper. At least I can dream!