Apr 24 2007
Stupid is as…
My range trip yesterday was definately far from optimal.
I forgot my spotting scope and brought two rifles I knew had to have their sights slightly adjusted (the AR15 and the VZ58), the range was unusually busy (likely because I showed up at noon instead of my usual 10:00am time) and the best I could do was a stall on the 100 yard line.
Waiting for a target change I took the rifles out of the hard case, set out the magazines and began to load them. Czech surplus ammo for the VZ58, and Winchester for the AR. Problems noticed immediately, some sort of jam in my 30/5 mag for the AR, follower jams after 3 rounds pushed in. Strange. I take a sticker (kept in my toolkit for this sort of thing) and mark the mag for follow-up when I get home.
After the target change I slam a mag into the AR, smack the bolt catch and then peer into the action to see why the round has failed to chamber properly. Remove mag, cycle action, peer into chamber, peer into mag, reinsert mag, hit bolt catch and again peer into chamber. Same problem.
Meh?
There I am peering into the rifle wondering what went wrong when the grizzled old shooter beside me comes over and says “Does that rifle normally take 762?”, getting my back up a little I make ready with a sarcastic reply when I realize, HOLY CRAP, he’s right.
You see, I am a retard. When I was pulling ammo out of storage at home I decided to shoot my one-offs to leave a more consistent assortment of ammo (I have several hundred rounds of 762×39mm Czech surplus, but I also had 40 rounds of Norinco 762×39mm and 1 box of Winchester 762×39mm). I’d become so used to “dull grey/green casing = 762×39mm” and “shiny brass casing = .223″ that I had infact been jamming 762 into my AR mags (which explains the capacity issues somewhat).
I suspect there’s some lesson in complacency here. Maybe a lesson in the importance of caffeine as well.
[Edited to add: I forgot my digital camera for this trip as well so no pics of the targets for my doubters. At 100 yards the rounds were on paper, grouped well but off center for both rifles. I replaced my old “Aeroflot” range bag with an uber-tactical assault range bag and failed to include everything when I left the house. Pics of the new range bag, along with a write-up will be forthcoming when it comes back from my tailor with the patches added.]
I think every shooter has a story similar to this, just be happy all you got was a jam. Think about all the deadly ammo mix ups.
A woman at the range here a few weeks back (as the story goes) brought her brand new .38 lady smith to “try it out”. She came running into the range office complaining about how bad the recoil was. She claimed it “almost broke her wrist”. She came in the office to have it checked after firing only three rounds. upon inspection, the range officer fount it loaded with .38 super +P auto ammo. The ammo was supplied by a gun clerk at Walmart, by the way.
Hehe…
I have no doubt everyone has done this once or twice. The reason I posted this story was because those that have been shooting with me know how anal I am about firearms safety, and that definately includes the ammo.
It’s a rookie mistake, and in my arrogance I thought it was a mistake I was above making. It should serve as a reminder to me to shrug off the tendancy to auto-pilot and pay attention to what I am doing.
I’ll call it a lesson learned, and cheap at the price of two slightly crimped rounds.
Dad used to say “There’s a fine line between confident and careless.”
Sometimes we all need a “Holly crap” moment.
Besides, that’s why you have forward assist on the ar right?
So did you get everything sighted in?
Have you even put any rounds though that pump yet?
Not that it’s going to be different than the last shotgun.
Hehe…now if I had hammered away on the forward assist with the 762×39mm round in it there would be no post about it here.
Look, mistakes are human. The only time they become a real problem is when they are repeated over and over again, and nothing is learned.
Sighted in? Ha! Closer, minor adjustments but only being able to check the targets during the target changes made this effort a little problematic. I’m crammed in between three shooters who load their own ammo, they’re checking their targets each and every shot. Not too keen on asking them over and over again to borrow their scopes.
Any day at the range is a good day, but this was the least good day I’ve had on the range in a while. I just wasn’t with it.
The Remington 870? Nah… it’s a shotgun, I’m not expecting a world of difference between the two shotguns. I need to buy a box or two of shells and then I’ll spend a little time on the skeet range and see how I feel about the two of them.
Mix that review with a little gun porn and we have another blog entry.
The picture makes it looks like it fits in the mag better than one would think.
Why do you think the US Military only tries to use one just type of ammo for all their guns? It’s not the easier logistics.
The reason I posted this story was because those that have been shooting with me know how anal I am…
You could have stopped typing right there.
-GRIN-
By the way…nice excuse on the pictures! As well, you passed a milestone on Sunday. Dan-o and I went for breakfast, making that the 5,000th post-exodus get-together that you were absent for. We determined the following:
1) Our daughters are cuties.
2) Dan has a neat electronic toy that I’m going to pester Traci to let me get one.
3) Patrick needs to be prodded to arrange some stuff with guns. We’ll bring a camera to prove we went.
4) We need to arrange for everybody to get the proper licenses for fishing and hunting up in the Cariboo for some deer and/or fish.
Mike: Ayup, it fits better than I would have thought, so well I didn’t even notice as I zoned out and loaded the mags. Stupid Winchester 762×39mm, thats the first and last time I’ve ever fired shiny brass 762×39mm. All the other cartridges (both Norinco and Czech) are ugly as sin, and “shiny” just doesn’t apply.
Greg: Hehe…I knew that’d draw some comment.
Some clarification requested here, whats the neat electonic toy? Should I be pestering on this side of the country as well?
With respect to the Patrick determination I agree wholeheartedly. Patrick is/was/should/must be the social coordinator, I’ve seen no legitimate excuses for him to surrender his post.
Oh and with respect to the pictures, wait for the range bag write-up, this one has a pocket specifically for the camera. I’ll show you guys yet!
Bwa-ha-ha!