top-quark.blog

Mossberg 930 SPX - it returns from Texas

Exactly two weeks after I sent it out, Fedex showed up at my door with a box not readily-identifiable as coming from Mossberg. Not being one to turn away a package, though, I took it.

I haven't had a chance to fire the gun yet, but my observations thus far:

1. Gun came back dirty. (in and out)
2. Trigger Guard came back with some deep gouges.
3. Buttpad is off-center, rotated, and dirty.
4. It doesn't seem anything was done about the ejector being loose.
5. It doesn't cleanly grab Winchester Universal shells when manually cycling
6. I don't care about any of the above, provided the gun works when I take it out.

I did notice that the extractor relief in the barrel seemed to have been filed, or had some sort of surface wear. Also, the packing slip indicates that they replaced the pusher assembly, the elevator, and the mag spring. The latter two items I'm guessing are in response to my doublefeeds.

There's a crapton of brass marks in the barrel/receiver, so I'm guessing they tested with "good" ammo.

Update tomorrow.

Interstate 982 / Remington 870 Shell Latch Staking

So I actually sent the Mossberg 930 back to the factory yesterday, so hopefully it'll arrive back in 2-4 weeks, ready to shoot cheap ammo. Meanwhile, perhaps from the Mossberg's influence, my pump shotgun has decided to rebel against me.

Quick bit about the pump gun - it's an Interstate 982, Interstate being either an importer, or some sort of Norinco shell-company. "Hawk" is also an associated name or model. The gun itself is a pretty close clone of a Remington 870, with nearly full parts interchange, save for the barrels (870 barrels can be made to fit). It comes with a really decent set of ghost ring sights out of the box, which makes the package a steal for about $200.

I've put a couple thousand rounds through the gun without any issues. Recently, though, I've started running into problems with shells not wanting to feed into the gun, binding on the left shell latch. The shell latches on the gun are leafspring-like parts that coordinate with the action bars to properly time and release shells into the receiver of the gun. Normally, they're staked into the receiver. Mine have been loose since day one, but the gun has always functioned. While I thought I might have to bend the shell latches because of excessive protrusion on the left latch, I decided to stake them properly, as a first step. I also decided to post pictures, since I didn't see any on the internet.

It's a fairly common issue on Remington 870s with higher roundcounts, so hopefully someone finds this helpful.

As you can see, the factory didn't really put much effort into properly staking the latches. Two shallow, misplaced stakes. No wonder they came out.

Enter the "Baker Shell Latch Staking Tool", purchased for about $30 from Midway USA. Made in the USA, but smells just like Pakistan.

Using the tool is actually kind of awkward and disappointing. There's interference between the two bolts when you go to do the lower staking on the latches, which means you kind of have to freehand it. It does mostly work, though.

The results are decent, and the latches aren't coming loose anytime soon. You can probably tell that I don't really care about the gun's finish.

The stake job worked in fixing my feed issues, which means that I don't have to do the delicate surgery involved with bending the latches.

Quick comment, because I know someone's going to bring it up: There's some consternation about the net about buying a commie clone of an American classic. Stop to consider that Remington is indirectly involved in the import these very guns. Freedom Group (spawn of Cerberus) owns both Remington and H&R 1871, and H&R imports the "Pardner" pump, which is exactly the same gun, except with a humped receiver, and a bead front sight.

Mossberg 930 SPX - Initial Impressions

I picked up a 930 SPX last week to replace a Remington 11-87 Police I've had.

The Remington's operationally good, in that it is reliable, eats crappy ammo, and doesn't have an especially exotic manual of arms. That said, the bolt/carrier release positioned on the elevator drives me insane, the o-ring is an item that needs replacing, and my particular model has tiny deer sights that I dislike. Also, I bought the gun with an amazingly ugly choate pistol grip stock that works, but lacks refinement.

The 930 that I picked up looked amazing. The ghost ring sights are crisp, clear, and fast. They're probably among the best ghost rings on the market. The gun itself is balanced, if not heavy (from a pump gunner's perspective). The stock is solid, the handguard a little hollow, but sufficient. The follower is a steel piece that seems adequate. While I was at the shop, I checked for a canted front sight, as was the hallmark of the earlier QC issues that long-plagued the line. The NRA seems to think everything's good, though, and proclaimed it the "2009 Shotgun of the Year".

Well, I'll skip to the point: those QC issues may well still be unresolved. My ejector wasn't pressed in correctly into the barrel, and rotated around. Then there's the ammo issue. It's ridiculous, the bifurcation of behaviors in this gun, in accordance with the ammo fed to it.

The gun is utterly, boringly reliable with any kind of buck or slug I've had on hand (I haven't tried reduced recoil, admittedly). It also eats the Remington Premier Nitro Gold 1300 FPS sporting clays shells absolutely perfectly.

Continuing the string of perfection, though, it perfectly does not eat any of the $22/100 Value-pack offerings at Wal-mart. Not the Remington, not the Winchester, not the Federal. Unfortunate, because that's what I shoot 90% of the time, and it's what I compete with. I can't tell if it's a bad extractor or straight-up underpowered operation, but it's almost 100% unreliable with those ammo offerings. It does fail in essentially three modes:

1. Fail to extract: Extractor claw slips, empty shell in chamber, bolt locked back (usually need to cool gun down and will eject by manual cycling)
2. Fail to extract: Extractor claw still over empty shell - shell seems to be resolutely stuck in chamber (usually need to cool gun down and will eject by manual cycling)
3. Doublefeed: One of the above, and the gun has successfully wedged an unfired round behind the fired shell.

From time to time, I'll get a stovepiped empty, or even more rarely, the gun will cycle and perform properly.

I've tried to fix these problems, because I do essentially like the gun a lot. Earlier in the gun's stay with me, the stovepipes were really fierce. Diagnosing the loose ejector and loctiting it basically fixed the problem. Also, the FTE's empties originally had to be pried out with a screwdriver, because the extractor consistently slipped over the rim as I manually cycled. I polished the chamber lightly the first day. While it still doesn't feed well, I can usually get the stuck cheapie hulls out of the gun without a screwdriver, provided I wait a while. Maybe more polishing would help, but I'm not going to risk it yet.

Mossberg's website boasts "The 930 handles 12-gauge, 2 3/4" and 3" ammunition with ease, from low brass target loads to non-toxic magnum rounds to the latest in sabot slug ammo." The page for the 930 SPX curiously modifies that to "target loads", without the "low brass" mention. Maybe that has something to do with the problem. I can see a distinct line in the chamber for the low brass, and I can definitely feel on failed ejects that the shells are really snug against the chamber. The chamber looks rougher than I would expect, and I've read blurbs about the cheap low brass shells actually being steel. Maybe the chamber can be polished, and the aggressiveness of the extractor enhanced. But my friend's 930SPX will eat perfectly from the same box of ammo that mine struggles with. More annoyingly, the 11-87 that I dislike eats anything like candy.

I'm spending a lot of time on negative aspects of the 930 SPX. In honesty, if all you shoot is defense-type ammunition, the gun is perfect. But I'm a shooting sports competitor, and the gun hates affordable ammunition. Unfortunately, I'm not rich, and I still need to practice, so I need it fixed. I called Mossberg customer service, which sent me a shipping label. The gun's going back to the factory this week.

One last thought: Before I pack this gun up, I'll be at the range later this week to see if it'll eat some Federal gameloads that're 1 1/8 oz at 1290 feet/sec. While the speed sounds suspect to me, it'll be a coup in terms of my ability to shoot this gun inexpensively, as the game shells are actually $4.60/box, making them cheaper than the Valuepacks, and a damn sight cheaper than the $7.50 Remington Nitros. I plan for this contingency, and hope it is effective, as some people report that their 930SPXs have never eaten the cheap stuff, even after trips to the factory. One forum participant mentioned that Mossberg bought his gun back. I hope I won't have to exercise that option, but it's nice to know it's on the table if the factory can't get things right.

Appleseed Shoot Impressions

I wrote an impression of my experience at an Appleseed shoot that I had attended July 17-18 2010, but hadn't had time to upload it until now:

This past weekend was my first opportunity to attend a weekend shooting camp with the Appleseed Project. I've been meaning to make one of the shoots, but haven't been able to find the time until recently. This particular shoot was held in Brighton, CO, on the range of the Wildlife Hunters Association of Colorado.

Here're some of my impressions:

Admittedly, I was a little apprehensive about attending the program. Would it be a bootcamp-like experience, complete with people yelling in your ear? Would there be a lot of political lecturing? Reading blogs and forum postings clarified the matter. The weekend was nothing of the sort.

The first day was intensive on imparting basic skills and safety protocol. There was a decent amount of lecture time, but sufficient practice and trigger time to learn the different positions, courses of fire, and basic techniques. I wish we'd had the opportunity to shoot more AQTs (Army Qualification Tests) on the first day, but as it is, I'm pretty satisfied with the course structure. The second day was much more shooting-intensive, while still including lecture time and some games.

Instruction was superb. There's not much to say. The instructors were incredibly patient, knowledgeable, and knew just the right amount of rigidness/flexibility to impart. After a while, I started to identify my weaknesses, and found myself self-correcting as an instructor's shadow moved overhead. Soon, habits became second nature, and I feel I now have vastly improved form.

I was the only shooter to get the rifleman patch this weekend (223 and 216 my last two AQTs), though it was clear that everyone in attendance improved their skills in a significant and measurable way. A lady asked me after the closing ceremony what my shooting background was, that I was able to attain rifleman at my first appleseed. I have about a decade of non-formal shooting experience. Discussion with one of the instructors following the shoot indicated that while rifleman qualification after a first appleseed is relatively rare, it's not terribly uncommon for experienced shooters. Just the same, though, long-time shooters can be handicapped by poor habits and stubbornness. I was acutely concerned about that very fact, and made efforts to actively counteract any negative habits. There were some things that I personally disagreed with, but that I voluntarily accepted, in order to have a holistic understanding of the instruction. The main thing that comes to mind is my aversion to "chicken-winging", which is usually discouraged in a 2-way range context. I tried it though, and it does make the shoulder pocket more distinct. I still don't like it, but pretty much everything else I took home. I'm personally very aware that without attending the camp, I wouldn't have the skills to pass the rifleman standard. As-is, I wasn't able to get my scores up until the last two AQTs.

There were some very expensive and elaborate setups on the line. One of the things I really like about the program is how equipment-neutral the instruction is. Scope or irons, semi-auto or bolt, rimfire or centerfire, it didn't matter. My $100 Marlin 795 with a $30 scope was able to deliver sufficient performance; participants don't need to worry about having a high-dollar setup to perform well. While Appleseed doesn't recommend special match-grade ammunition, I do think that purchasing Federal Automatch ammunition ($14/350) was an important part of my shooting experience, as it allowed me to place blame for performance issues squarely on myself. I *hate* situations where I cannot trust my equipment.

It was hot this weekend. Forecasts were showing high-90s, with very high UV indices, and the usual low humidity. For the most part, the weather delivered. I would estimate mid-90s both days, with the second day bringing some last-minute relief/misery in the form of a brief rainstorm. Dehydration was a very real threat. It was pointed out that with our low humidities, merely breathing will cause significant water loss. I myself had brought a 3L Camelback, and some extra bottles, but still needed to take a couple bottles from the "for anyone" cooler.

Let me briefly discuss some other equipment considerations.

I had a pretty significant scope mounting failure about halfway through the second day. It manifested as my previously tight clusters breaking apart into random shotgun-like crap-patterns. Fortunately, I was allowed to get some sight-in time after recranking down my ring screws. I feel very fortunate that this allowance was made. It's an important lesson - loctite screws before heavy shooting, and paint witness marks on your screws and mounts to detect shifting. Also, Marlin shooters may do well to invest in a Diversified Innovative Products top rail mount, as the standard 3/8 rimfire scope mount is very susceptible to ring sliding. Also, most shooters mount their scopes too far back. Imagine yourself scrunched up against the receiver and stock while prone.

Though I was mocked for wearing my same dress shirt both days, I feel like having the lightweight oversized cover garment over a wicking T-shirt was a pretty key equipment decision, equally on par with choice of gun. A lot of people left the range on day 1 with pretty severe sunburns and some signs of dehydration. My boonie hat was also a pretty important choice. Aside from the sunburn-prevention aspect, the wide brim casts a shadow over safety glasses, greatly increasing contrast. Overall, I feel like clothing decisions helped ensure that I managed to escape any sunburn or brass burns.

I have some astigmatism, so prescription Oakley glasses were key. I used earplugs, because my electronic hearing protection didn't comfortably fit under my hat, and interfered with cheekweld.

Closing thoughts:

There seems to be a lot of animosity towards the program, in the High power and long distance shooting communities - I think it's misplaced and undeserved. No, attaining "Rifleman" is not an end, nor will it assure performance at actual 400 meter ranges with high power firearms. But it does instill the fundamental skills without which a shooter will be unable to perform at those distances.

Also, there seems to be a good deal of negative national press from the (*insert bias allegation here*) media. It's definitely not "militia" training or associated, it's not prejudiced or racist (I'm not white), and there's nothing fringe about it. Actually, the political content is pretty much non-existent. Appleseed is billed as apolitical, and I think that's an accurate assessment. What little discussion they do have is mostly limited to the politics of the 18th century, and a strong urging to go out and *do* something. This isn't to say that the attendees don't largely lean in one political direction (they do). But the program itself is mostly history/lecture heavy. I thought I wouldn't like it, as I'd had a very heavy dose of American history in school, but I found Appleseed's presentation enjoyable and educational, with stories of individual perspectives and actions from the Revolutionary War. Some people may be much more interested in the shooting, but I do think the history is a critical aspect of the program, as it is presented by the "Revolutionary War Veterans Association".

Overall, I had a great weekend, and learned a lot - about marksmanship, and about history. If my current career demands weren't so harsh, I'd probably have taken an orange cap to continue down the instructor path. As-is, though, I'll try to do the next best thing, which is to encourage more of my friends to attend the shoots. They're a lot of fun, and you learn a lot.

Ammunition reloading economics.

I've been looking at getting back into reloading (mostly pistol) cartridges. At one point, I had quite a setup, involving an RCBS Rockchucker, but sold it during college. I currently have only a Lee Handloader, which I'm not terribly fond of using.

Lately, I've gotten into competition shooting (IDPA for now), and am starting to shoot more, now that I have some free time. I'm currently shooting a lot of Brown Bear 9mm ammunition, imported from Russia. I can get it for around $0.187/round, shipped, which I believe is the cheapest ammunition available at the moment.

I realize there's plenty of steelcase ammunition detractors out there - despite their ample arguments and protestations (easy to find online), all the Russian steelcase works wonderfully for me. It's accurate and reliable. But that doesn't keep me from remembering a time not long ago (2 years?) when Winchester Whitebox was under $10 for 100 rounds.

So I'm trying to put together the numbers to see if it's economically viable to reload 9mm today. Here's my breakdown of a per-round cost, exclusive of equipment and time, based on prices today:

$0.079/rnd Bullet - Berry's bullets 115 grain plated; $79.08/k shipped
$0.029/rnd Primer - Available from local gun forums; $29/k
$0.013/rnd Powder - based on a load of 4.6gr W231, at $160/8 lbs shipped
$0.008/rnd Brass - Once-fired, $30/k, 75% recovery until 90% depleted
----------
$0.129/rnd Total

Compared to the $0.187/round cost of Brown Bear ammunition, I save $0.058/round by handloading. 31% off.

I've done some shopping as far as the type of reloading setup I'd like to assemble, and I'm looking at setups costing around either $300 or $500.

To break-even on these equipment investments, at a savings of $0.058/round, I'd need to produce:

$300 reloading setup - 5172 rounds to breakeven
$500 reloading setup - 8620 rounds to breakeven

These aren't huge roundcounts for me, but they're still up there, now that I'm working and don't live by the national forest. At this point, my limits as far as useful shooting are about 200 rounds per trip to the indoor range, every other week. That's right about 5200 rounds per year - I'd be able to pay off $300 of equipment in a year.

I actually entered into this analysis with the belief that I wouldn't be able to make back my investment without an astronomical upfront purchase of supplies, but the first 6000 rounds' upfront materials costs look like:

$474 - Bullets
$174 - Primer
$160 - Powder (8 lbs jug)
$180 - Once-fired brass
----
$988 Total for first 6k rounds. ($1288 with $300 of reloading equipment.)

This slightly distorts the per-round cost analysis, as that 8 lbs keg of powder at 4.6gr/load is good for a bit more than 12k rounds.

$1288 for 6000 handloaded rounds, with equipment
$1122 for 6000 Brown Bear factory loaded rounds

These numbers do actually show that, contrary to my hypothesis, the reloading upfront costs don't actually vary much from outright purchasing the loaded ammunition.

I probably will find the time to put together a setup some time this year, then.

There is another dimension I haven't quite explored - time. With a turret press setup, I can get about 200 rounds per hour produced, based on my previous experience. To load those 6000 rounds, I'd need 30 hours of labor. If I analyzed this strictly along the dimension of economics in relation to my hourly consulting/contracting rate, reloading is an insanely stupid proposition. In moderation, reloading is an enjoyable activity for me, though, so I feel this is probably acceptable.

I want to take some time later to research primary movers of ammunition costs. If preloaded ammunition can somehow head back down to the $10/100 rounds zone, the economics and hassle balance change completely. Given how much volatility there's been in the last five years with respect to the political landscape and the voracious commodities markets (particularly wrt metals), I want to find out how much we can attribute ammunition price swings to these various factors, with an eye for maybe:

Waiting for a return to lower preloaded ammunition prices
Looking to hedge ammunition costs with commodities plays on metals (ETFs, mainly)
Doing further analysis to determine cost trajectories of components v. loaded cartridges