First 870 build

[chrismetallica1]

Gutted 8 to 10 week delay on the 870 arriving. You guys in the US seem to be buying things like crazy still. No stock at all in the UK. With that treated myself to a ZK22 stock and some NIJ level 3+ soft armour and a set of Dyneema plates

I got this armour set

BALCS cut Jack Ellis Level 3+ with stab and needle protection


Level 3 rifle plates. Light weight Dyneema rated for 5+ multiple hit with .308


Condor QPC


I couldn't resist name tags and Resident evil logos. So this is what a fat man in body armour looks like. (Need to lay off the BBQ and get back to training)


Still rocking the Tactical Beard though

[chrismetallica1]

Gun still on delay, however the Magpul sling adapter arrived so I finished colour filling the log



Picked up a couple shell carriers as well

[Automag]

It must be frustrating to have sit and wait for a gun you've purchased. There was a Frenzied gun buying spell that lasted all winter here, due to a shool shooting and massacre of children and teachers. Our beloved President got everyone so worried about our gun rights and laws, that everbody in the US was buying guns and ammo in a panic. But all that's been calmed down for a while, and i really don't think folks here are "buying guns like crazy" anymore. I think you're just a victim of backorders on "British Legal" guns, and gun manufacturers still catching up.
Looks like you're definitely set up for any HD and tactical scenarios that might occur.That Ballistic Vest must have cost a lot, but hey it might save your life someday. Again, great job on painting all that Magpul lettering and logos. You could easily make some good money over here on the side, with those skills!

[chrismetallica1]

Automag,
Cheers for the info. I guessed it was all on the back of US sales. I know things were getting back to normal as we picked up a pallet of CCI mini mag for the store a few weeks back 60,000 rounds. Most of the importers are saying everything is on back order till the US gets fully stocked. We were told Hornady were temporarily stopping a number of rounds for export till production gets back to speed. I usually do a trip to the US every other year with the wife. We go to the main ranges in Las Vegas then drive through California to Oak Tree Gun Range. Then over to San Diego and back up via LA. Not been able to go this year as the wife was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer so US travel is out of the question for the next 5 years . She is doing ok and is beating it, Its just the insurance is like £7000 to travel at the moment state side. As for the colour fill work, I have done a bit for friends but as you know in the UK there isn't the market for it. Im just waiting for some emersion dipping equipment. I will do work on guns but I think the main part of the work will be car parts and games consoles as the firearms market here is so small compared to the US. Im still sticking with the guns as I do stock refinishing work at the moment just for mates not making a bunch of cash off it

This is a BSA international MK 2 stock I did in a stain and Danish oil finish to 1600 grit








I love working on guns and feel quite privileged to be able to work for a Registered firearms dealers. At some point I will open my own but cash and time are sort of prohibiting me

These are a few builds I did earlier in the year

590A1 with a fixed muzzle brake and full magpul and messa accessories


BSA international MK3 with a scope rail and setup for 100 yard rimfire bench rest


I have a ZK22 on order with a mate who has export paperwork just waiting for it now. Hopefully going to build a speed steels competition rifle. 16.5" bull barrel with a Noveske kx3, Kidd single stage trigger and a few other bits and bobs. just waiting for all that at the moment

I re did the Wife's Saiga .223 when she was diagnosed to make her feel a bit better. Gone with the bright green furniture. I have promised her I will get round to gold plating it when she is better



While I was at it I did kit mine out with a rail and scope

[Automag]

Good looking guns and nice modification work! I actually think your wifes Saiga with green furniture look pretty cool, has the look of a "zombie killer"-lol. It's cool you can actually "own" guns over there, i'd always heard how gun restrictive it was there (i did read what you said about that). Like i said, over here you could make some good money, but there's a huge market for skills like that with us American's and our guns-lol. Very sorry to hear about your wife, i hope she's ok.

[chrismetallica1]

Yes the laws here are strange. A FAC (Firearms Certificate) is about the same paperwork as a class III in the us. Background check, 2 independent character witnesses and full disclosure of medical details. You get 2 separate police interviews and must be a member of a licenced home office shooting club. Handguns as such are banned other than black powder of a handgun with a 12" barrel and Rod or wrist brace. Semi-auto centerfire are also banned. The 2 sigas are in UK spec. Basically manual operation, the gas tube is solid. .22 rimfire semi autos are legal and so are all bolt action rifles. Shotguns are classified in 2 categories section 2 which is 2 in the mag 1 in the chamber and section 1 that is any sized mag. Saiga and vepr shotguns in factory mil spec are widely available. Also Suppressors are pretty much a must in the UK for health and safety. It costs £26 for a slot to buy one then you just have one shipped to your local store. ITs not too bad but is restrictive. I collect old bolt action WW1 and WW2 rifles. Got quite a collection going Mas 36, Enfield N04 MK1, Swiss K11, Mosin Nagant M44, Enfield .45 acp. I love the old stuff its great to shoot and a good piece of history

[JBall]

Thanks Chris, that's a lot of new information for me! Prayers go out to you and your wife.

[DaveC]

MAS Mle. 1936: Awesome! I've got one too! Mine's from 1946, but was redone in the 1970s and put away. Shoots very high, so I've been installing new rear sight leaves. Just got a -8 and a shim, so I'm hoping I've got it fixed. A very under appreciated rifle that is actually quite simple, robust, and apart from the vexing rear sight, a very intuitive and nice rifle.
Mosin-Nagant M44: Also very cool! I'm down to just a single example these days: A 1944 Tula with a 1942 Izhevsk receiver. Shoots way low, but I can get it in the black tweaking the rear sight...

As you know, you've got a great collection of the "last bolt action military rifles" going:
MAS36 adopted in 1936/1938, but really more of a 1940s and 1950s postwar weapon.
Enfield No.4 Mk.1 adopted in November 1939, two months into WWII for the UK...
M44: The Soviets got ample feed-back from "soldat Ivan" about his preference for the M38 carbine's shorter and handier length vis-a-vis the obsolete 48" long 1891/30 that was the most widely issued rifle in the Red Army. The M38 took no bayonet, and even if soldat Ivan, after his 10 grams of vodka ration, preferred to use a sharpened spade as a hand-to-hand weapon with the Germans, it apparently affronted the Soviet mindset to issue a weapon without a permanent bayonet, hence the M44... Issued in 1943 and officially adopted as the front-line and rear-echelon rifle/carbine in January 1944. 1891/30 production tapered off, M44 production ramped up!

Cheers for the photos! All best to you and your missus.

[chrismetallica1]

Well still waiting so treated myself to a few new bits that arrived today for my speed steels 10/22 setup

As arrived


After a bit of colour. I tried red but cleaned it off as when looking down I kept thinking it was off safe


Added some MOE rails with red fill


Just waiting on a Kidd single stage trigger and thinking about a .920 bull barrel and KX3

[Automag]

Damn, does that look like an FN-P90, or is it just me...I'm suprised they hav'nt come up with a 10/22 set-up that looks like a belt fed M-60 by now