Some pictures from my STI tour

Raw bar stock



Sears in mid production


1911 slides in production, going from rectangular blanks through the whole machining process.







2011 slides going through blank to finished slides

STI Collection

Clockwise:
STI Shadow, .45ACP
STI Ranger II, .45ACP
STI Ranger II, 9x19mm
STI Conversion Slide on Ranger II frame, .22LR
STI Escort,.45ACP

Not impressed with Kimber repair work

Here are some photos after Kimber serviced my Super Carry Pro and before I have had a chance to test it again. I am not impressed to say the least. Round count is 850+ (not sure how many they added to my count). You can see where they left some marring inside the frame and below the feed ramp when they worked on it, as well as undue wear on several areas for such a low round count. Also notice the very visible marks on and in the barrel.

Kimber Super Carry Pro Update

I received the call from Kimber today that my Super Carry Pro is on the way back to me. The good news so far is that they did find an issue with the fit of the barrel to the feed ramp. I had noticed that the barrel had what appeared to be a slightly asymmetrical cut in it before I sent it in, so I will be interested to see if it looks different now. They also said they worked on the feed ramp and polished it afterwards, along with adjusting the extractor tension. They didn't mention anything about the wear on the lugs so we'll see if they changed anything there and maybe forgot to mention it in the short phone call.

I am hopeful that the changes will get it up and running reliably. I am glad I sent it in rather than continuing to try things on my own, as it obviously had some problems as it came from the factory.

Pre-refurb work pictures:








Post-rehab pictures to come....

Dawson Precision tritium sight on STI Ranger II

I finally got the Dawson Precision tritium front sight installed on my STI Ranger II. It took more fitting time than the Springfield did, but nothing difficult. Just a little more time trimming down the front edge of the dovetail with a file and in it went. If you're looking for a good set of small files, take a look at these from Lee Valley. If you want a less expensive file, look at these Nicholsons.

The sight has the same base area as the stock STI sight did, unlike the Springfield version which was not as wide as the factory model. I am happy with the fit and looks, and the improved sight picture is great. It matches well with the factory Heinie rear sight, and this pistol is now ready for carry.



Link: Dawson Precision
Part number: 020-053
Description: STI 1911/2011 Compact/Mid Size Tritium Inserted Front Sight
Size: .130 Tall x .125 Wide, Match with All Rear
Price: $49 + shipping

Tritium front sight on the Range Officer

Received the Dawson Precision tritium front sight and installed it yesterday. It's a very good combo with the Harrison, really improves the sight picture over the black against black stock sights.

Range Officer update

I took the Range Officer back to the range today to try out the Harrison sight. 250 rounds later and I still like it. It did change my POA/POI relationship a little bit as it now strikes about 1.25" lower at 15 yards.



No problems of any kind running the Magtech 230gr FMJ through the pistol. I was pleased with the accuracy and put up this group at 15 yards shooting offhand (no rest). Four out of five into less than one inch. I jerked the trigger a bit on the flyer.



I should have a report on the new front sight in a week or so.

Dawson Precision tritium front sights on the way

I decided to go ahead and get a tritium ramped front sight from Dawson Precision or my Range Officer (020-040, 0.180"H x 0.125"W, 60 degree dovetail, Trijicon insert with white ring) and we'll see how the Uni-200L works with front sights.

I had thought of getting the tritium version of the Harrison back when I ordered it, but decided the front was enough. I just wanted some contrast against the rear sight and I'm not a big fan of the fiber optic options out there. The 3 dot tritium sights are distracting (to me), but a single rear dot wouldn't have been a bad option.



I decided to do the same thing so the sight picture is the same on my pair of Ranger IIs. The item number for those is 020-053 and it's a 0.130"H x 0.125" wide sight.



I'll post back with more info once I have it.

HK MP5 A5 rimfire without the faux suppressor

Here are some pictures without the fake suppressor. The barrel is actually pretty thin and is housed in a barrel shroud, which is the part that actually looks like the barrel from the outside. The end of the barrel is threaded. The suppressor has a bare end that slips over the shroud and is held in place by an o-ring. The muzzle end of the suppressor screws onto the barrel threads. That is what ends up centering the barrel in the shroud.

It looks like making this an SBR may not be too straightforward. Since a shroud is used, I would guess that you could cut down the barrel and shroud, rethread the barrel and then make some sort of short faux thread protector or muzzle brake that takes the place of the longer faux suppressor so that the barrel still has support at the muzzle end and remains centered inside the shroud. I'm not an expert of that sort of thing but that's my first take on it.

Harrison Extreme Service sight & Uni-200L sight pusher reviewed

This review will cover the Harrison Extreme Service rear sight and the UNI-2ooL Universal Sight Mover I used to install it on my Springfield 1911. But first, a little background on why I changed the sight in the first place.

I bought one of the new Springfield Armory Range Officer 1911-A1 pistols in February 2011. According to Springfield, the Range Officer was created with the idea of offering an affordable, factory production 1911 that was still capable of winning shooting competitions. The idea was to get a pistol in the hands of those wanting to try competition shooting, with enough features to help them win and a solid enough base that they could further customize it if they so desired.

The Range Officer accomplishes that goal. It comes with low profile, fully adjustable target sights. That's good for a competitor because it is easy to finely tune it to sync up with a particular load the shooter favors. However, what's good for target shooting may not be so good for concealed carry or other uses.

The problem is the rear target sight. A target sight is typically made up of angular pieces, which can more easily snag on clothing or other objects. The adjustments are set and kept using screws. In a pistol carried daily, it is more likely that these screws could loosen over time, which could throw your sights off. Finally, target sights are a little more prone to breakage because they are made up of multiple pieces.

Since I am not going to compete or limit myself to target shooting with my Range Officer, I needed to solve those problems while keeping the other great features of the pistol intact. I looked into various sights that would fit the LPA cut Springfield uses with the rear target sight. I chose the Harrison Extreme Service rear sight (model HD-002) as a replacement.

The Extreme Service sight is a one piece, CNC machined, low profile rear sight. It has 50 LPI (lines per inch) serrations cut into the rear to reduce the chance of glare affecting your sight picture. The blade has a squared off front face that you can use against the end of a table, counter, or whatever to operate your pistol one-handed (right there you know that this sight is more rugged than an adjustable sight - try doing that with an adjustable target sight and you may break part of it off in the process).

All of the edges and corners were treated to radius cuts during the machining process, so they are much more comfortable while handling, concealed carrying, and operating the pistol. If you want, you can even get night sight models with tritium inserts. They are currently available in either the 3-dot style or the single dot Heinie Straight-8 style.

Since this will not be primarily a carry pistol, I chose the standard sight without an insert and saved a little money. If I had changed the rear to tritium, I would have needed a tritium front sight to make proper use of the design.

My impressions of the sight are that is machined well, looks good, and adds different functionality while losing the original target sight's adjustability. I didn't need to make any kind of fitting adjustments to the sight during the installation process. It is a tight fit, as it should be, so you will want to use an installation tool designed for the purpose if you do it yourself. It has a wide notch just like the rear target sight, so you have essentially the same sight picture. The only complaint so far is that the matte black finish seems to possibly be a little bit thin. There were some wear marks on mine where it rubber against its plastic bag. Otherwise, I am very happy with this sight.

To install the Harrison Extreme Service rear sight, I first needed to remove the existing target sight from my Springfield without damaging anything. To accomplish that, I ordered a UNI-200L Universal Sight Mover from Brownell's.

Why buy a slide pusher instead of having a gunsmith install my sight? Well, as a woodworker and mechanically-inclined kind of guy, if I anticipate needing a tool more than once I usually go ahead and buy it. That saves money in the long run. First, you have the right tool for the job, which saves time and reduces the chance of fouling up your project. Second, you can use that tool over and over again for the one-time upfront cost of buying it the first time. Finally, you effectively pay for the tool after a few uses by not having to hire anyone.

The UNI-2ooL is machined from heavy bar stock steel, and features coated jaw faces to reduce the chance of damaging either the pistol or the sights during the installation process. It is capable of removing and installing both front and rear dovetailed sights on the majority of semi-automatic pistol slides. It comes with an installation video on DVD, a vinyl fabric lined storage case, and an instruction sheet.

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, then the video is worth 10,000. If you watch the video, you probably won't even need the instruction sheet. Here are a few cautions I'd like to stress. Make sure the padding that should be stuck to the clamp jaws is in place so that you don't leave marks on your slide. You should also make sure there are no other objects, such as grit, on either the slide or clamp pads so it doesn't get ground into your slide. Also, when lining things up, make sure that neither the front nor rear set of pushers will contact any part of the slide itself. It may take some effort to begin to move the sight, but don't over do it if it doesn't seem to be working. You may be trying to move it in the wrong direction and you don't want to damage anything. If it's not working, stop and re-evaluate and maybe break out the written instructions.

The tool is very easy to use, you just need to lock your slide into place in line with the sight pushers and tighten down the two clamps. Then you just take your time to lineup the correct set of pushers connected to the top steel bar with the lowest point on the dovetail portion of your sight as you can without having it contact the slide at any point. Turn the handle to move the sight in the proper direction for removal (may vary by firearm manufacturer) until the sight is free of the slide.

Remove your slide at this point and start the new sight into the dovetail by hand. Return the sight to the Uni-200L and lock it into place. Turn the handle the opposite direction and push your new sight into the dovetail. When you have it centered, you're now good to go and your new sight is installed. The Harrison sight has a set screw in the top to help secure it in place, so tighten that down but don't over do it or you will possibly damage the slide underneath.

Okay, that's it. Installation should be about a 5 minute process if you're used to doing things like this. If not, take some extra time to make sure you don't damage anything.

In closing, I highly recommend both the Harrison Extreme Service rear sight (HD-002) and the Uni-200L Universal Sight Mover.



Harrison Extreme Service rear sight (HD-002)

Features: fits the LPA style cut (common on Springfield Armory and other 1911s with target sights)
CNC machined with 50 LPI serrations on the rear to reduce glare
squared off front face of the rear blade allows one-handed operation of the pistol
all edges and corners are machine radiused for handling, carrying, & operational comfort
rear notch dimensions 0.135" x 0.125" to allow adequate light for rapid sight picture
often regulates with OEM front sights that range from 0.170" to 0.200"
also available with tritium inserts

Finish: black

Price: $67.95 + shipping

Website: http://shop.harrisoncustom.com





UNI-200L Universal Sight Mover

Features: adjusts both front and rear dovetail sights on semi-automatic pistols
steel frame and inserts are machined from heavy bar stock
coated jaw faces reduce the chance of damage to pistol and/or sights

Price: about $160 + shipping

Website: http://www.brownells.com (see item 080-000-688)

Harrison Extreme Duty on the Range Officer

The Harrison Extreme Duty rear sight is now on my RO. Here are some pictures. More info to follow.

HK MP5 A5 rimfire - review

Heckler & Koch MP5 A5 .22LR

Background -



For those who don't know, the real Heckler & Koch MP5 is a 9mm submachine gun that was developed in the 1960s. It was, and in some cases still is, popular with police and military special operations groups due to its accuracy, compact size, ease of control, full auto capability, and its chambering in a pistol caliber. This made it ideal for close quarters battles, boarding ships at sea, and other similar purposes. As a testament to its popularity, there are over 120 variants today including trigger groups allowing single fire only, full auto, and 2 or 3 round burst options. According to HK, there is even a variant that can be fired from inside a specially designed briefcase.

The real MP5 is not widely available to civilians here in the United States due to federal law, including the National Firearms Act, which regulates fully-automatic firearms and short barreled rifles (an SBR has a barrel less than 16" long). The regulations prohibit the import of newly manufactured fully-automatic rifles, and HK has chosen not to make a semi-auto only, non-SBR, version of it for sale to the general public.

In the past, if you wanted to shoot one, own one, or have a replica for plinking, you were pretty much out of luck or confined to an unlicensed .22LR replica. That replica was made by German Sport Guns and imported by American Tactical Imports. HK wasn't receiving a slice of the profits, which leads to the next point. Things got even more bleak for MP5 enthusiasts a year or so ago. HK forced GSG/ATI to either redesign their unlicensed versions to appear less like the MP5, or to cease manufacturing those firearms entirely. That left the enthusiast with the option of either finding an older GSG-5 or buying a new GSG-522* design and fitting old parts to make it look more realistic.

However, for those wanting an MP5 .22LR replica, complete with markings that more closely resemble the original, things have recently improved. HK recently decided to officially license the appearance of the MP5 to Carl Walther for production of a rimfire replica. Walther is now producing .22LR replica MP5 rifles at its facilities in Germany, and they are imported into the United States by Umarex. These rifles even carry an MP5 model name.

While some competing "tactical" .22LR firearms, such as Smith & Wesson's M&P15-22, are using polymer for the upper and/or lower receivers of their replicas, Walther is producing these out of metal. This gives the A5 the approximate weight and feel of a real MP5. Another bonus is that the bolt locks back on an empty magazine, while some competing rifles such as the "Colt" Ar-15 do not (notably, the S&W does have a bolt lock and is a nice rifle).

The MP5 A5 rimfire, which is the subject of this review, most closely resembles the real HK MP5-N 9mm submachine gun built for the U.S. Navy SEALs by HK, which included a "wet technology" stainless steel sound suppressor. The MP5-N suppressor could be removed according to mission requirements, which, along with its collapsing stock, left a very compact and maneuverable gun. The suppressor was even capable of firing while full of water. The MP5 SD rimfire, which is also now available, resembles the real MP5 with an integrated suppressor.

I was recently on the hunt for something a little more unusual in my neck of the woods, and after a look at several options, I decided to purchase one of these. After a brief search, I was able to find an A5 version for about $440 out the door. This puts it in about the same general price range as competitors' rimfire replicas of popular "black rifles," such as the Sig 552 and S&W M&P15-22.

First Impressions -



The rifle comes in a wide, yet short, plastic rifle case of the same external style used by Beretta for their Cx4 carbines. This one carries the Walther logo, with no mention of HK other than on the serial number sticker. This isn't too terribly surprising since Carl Walther is manufacturing the rifle.

Inside the case, you will find that everything pretty much says HK on it rather than Walther. There are firearm safety brochures, merchandising, warranty registration card, a manual, a single 25 round magazine, various small tools, and the rifle itself. A flimsy blue plastic chamber flag was in the chamber to protect it during shipping. It isn't strong enough for repeated use at the range or elsewhere (mine broke the second time I handled it).



The rifle is 33.8" in overall length with the stock fully extended, or 26.8" at full retraction. To fit inside the case, it comes with the stock retracted. It weighs a hair under 6 lbs empty. It sports HK style sights, with a hooded front sight and a rotary diopter rear sight. Both are adjustable for elevation, while windage is controlled at the rear sight only.

The entire rifle has a nice and even matte black finish. It is more matte in practice than it appears in the pictures accompanying this rifle. The faux suppressor has a rougher texture and is a bit more reflective, and has a dimpled surface. The markings on the receiver, including the pictographic markings for the safety/selector switch, are in white and red. Since this is a semi-auto rifle, there is no selector position for full auto and accordingly no pictograph for full auto. The forearm is the standard MP5 style, and it has the NAVY pistol grip. The grip is hollow but not enclosed for storage like you might see on some AR-15 grips.

According to Walther, the A5 rimfire uses a match grade precision barrel with a 3 lug faux compensator. This allows the rifle to appear to have a "silencer" on it while hiding a full 16.1" length barrel inside. If the barrel had been made shorter as on a real MP5, it would have required the additional paperwork and a $200 fee as an SBR (short barreled rifle).

The rimfire MP5 uses a simple blowback, semi-auto operation. This should help in the reliability department. Magazines are polymer with thumb tabs on each side to assist with spring compression while loading. The magazine proved very easy to load, even more so than the similar S&W M&P15-22 mags.



Standard mags are 25 rounds, while ban state compliant magazines are limited to 10 rounds. These mags are sized and shaped to look like a real MP5 magazine, with the exception of the channels cut into the side where you can see how much ammunition you have loaded.

Fit and finish on this rifle are some of the best I have seen on a semi-auto rimfire, especially a "tactical" one like the MP5 A5. It comes across as a real rifle, and not as a cheap knockoff. Parts fit well, and there were no rough or unfinished edges to grab you or detract from its appearance.

Handling -

Magazines can be released from the rifle one of two ways. The first is with the lever between the magazine and trigger guard. The second is with a button that falls near your right index finger when it is in the rest position (out of the trigger guard and pointing straight along the receiver). I like this feature, because you can use it like an AR-15 or sort of like a 10/22 depending upon what you are used to shooting. It also lets you access the magazine release from either side of the rifle.



While we're discussing ambidextrous features, the safety lever and pictographs are present on both sides of the rifle. The safety has a nice little snap into position when engaging or disengaging it. It is right where it needs to be for quick use with your thumb.

The charging handle moved smoothly and easily engaged/disengaged another great feature of this rifle - its bolt lock/last round hold open. Why is a bolt lock important? There are a few reasons. First, if you lock the bolt back, it is easy to show a clear chamber on the firing line. Secondly, if it locks back after the last round is fired, it prevents you from dry-firing the rifle inadvertently, which can damage rimfires over time. Finally, it allows easier function checks, cleaning, and other handling of the rifle.

The collapsing stock is aggressively textured, which gives it pretty good purchase when you shoulder the rifle. If you have it collapsed and want to shoulder it, there is not enough room to get a sight picture through both irons. It would be more useful to use a single point sling with the collapsed stock and provide support that way, which would allow you enough room to use the sights. If you want a fixed stock, it is supposed to be available as an accessory.

The sights are pretty easy to adjust, and so far have held adjustment without needing Loctite or anything like that. That's a good sign, because there is just the tiniest bit of recoil in a rimfire like this and it shouldn't have things loosening up on you. The rear rotary diopter moves easily and has positive detents on each of its settings.

If you prefer an optic, either a scope or "red dot" type sight, a picatinny rail accessory is going to be released that will attach to the top of the upper receiver. Something like a Burris FastFire II would be excellent on this rifle. The rail wasn't available anywhere when I wrote this review, so I didn't have a chance to test it.

Takedown of the rifle is very easy. Three pins hold it together. The first pin holds on the forearm. The second pin holds the receivers together at their front edges, while the last pin holds the rear edges of the receivers and the butt stock assembly. The stock assembly slides over the upper and lower and the pin is inserted through all three. It is actually much more stable than it sounds like and at first I didn't realized only a pin mechanically held the stock on the rifle.



Since this rifle comes apart so well, it is much easier to clean than some other rimfires. Even though the chamber, magazine well, and other parts are small due to the small size of the cartridge, access to them is enhanced greatly by the way it field strips. You also don't need any tools to take it down, unless you also want to take off the suppressor. A special wrench is supplied for that task.

Finally, the rifle was well oiled and not covered in thick greases or preservatives, so cleaning and lubricating it before the range trip was a snap.

Range Report -

This rifle is great fun to shoot. Being a rimfire, there is much less noise to deal with, and recoil and muzzle flash are so slight as to not even be noticeable. I've had this rifle for less than a week, so I've only been able to take it to the range once, but I blew through quite a bit of ammo in the process.

The manual recommends high velocity ammunition, and if you use the standard fare you may have problems with proper cycling of the weapon. The rifle even has the caliber stamped on the receiver as "Cal. 22LR HV". I used a variety of CCI, Federal, Winchester, and American Eagle round nose high velocity ammunition without any major issues.

I did have a few rounds out of several hundred fail to fully chamber, as is sometimes common in semi-auto rimfires, but not enough to where I suspect there is anything wrong with the rifle. I haven't tried any hollow point rounds yet, so they may or may not have feeding issues. Firing pin strikes were solid and the pin shouldn't be the cause of any misfires. I didn't have any misfires, but I stayed away from Remington ammo as it recently seems to be the most prone to that.

I wasn't able to do a full blown accuracy potential test without the scope mount and an optic, but this rifle is pretty accurate with the iron sights. The range setup I was able to use this time wasn't conducive to shooting from a prone or seated field position, so I was limited to shooting standing offhand or shooting from a high bench. Shooting at 25 yards is a piece of cake, 50 yards is pretty good, and 75 - 100 yards is doable if you have a steady hold.

As mentioned, either a slinged up prone position or a bench rest and a scope would make for a more definitive accuracy test. If I ever locate the rail accessory, I will mount a scope and report back with results.

Conclusion -

The HK MP5 A5 rimfire is a great little plinker and all around fun gun. From the aggressive looks with the collapsible stock and faux suppressor to its easy handling characteristics, it's a great addition to the gun safe. The build quality on mine and the fun factor are well worth the $440 out the door.


*For those interested in the changes to the GSG-5 that came out of the legal proceedings, the redesigned GSG-522 has a removable picatinny rail on top of the receiver, and changes to the grip, sights, magazine release, cocking handle, trigger guard and safety selector. Some of these changes are considered by some to be an improvement to the handling characteristics of an MP5, but they do lose a lot of the MP5 look.


Heckler & Koch MP5 A5 .22LR (2245250) Specifications:

Caliber: .22LR

Barrel: 16.2" (412mm) match grade precision barrel
3 lug imitation compensator
1:13.75" twist rate, 6 grooves, rifling length of 13.78" (350mm)
muzzle thread M8x.75

Grip: NAVY pistol grip

Stock: 4 position telestock
standard MP5 forearm
length of pull 6.5" to 12.375"

Sights: H&K MP5 style, with a 13.2" (335mm) sight radius
rear - rotary diopter, adjustable for windage and elevation
rear sight aperture diameter 0.24", 0.13", 0.11", & 0.10"
front - adjustable for elevation only (includes interchangeable posts)
post width .07" (1.8mm)
hooded

Trigger: single stage, factory set to 6.6-8.8 lbs pull weight

Magazine: polymer with integral spring assist for easier loading
25 round capacity (one included)
sized to mimic the 9mm MP5 magazine

Other: metal upper and lower receivers
left side charging handle, right side ejection
semi-auto, blowback operation
last round bolt hold open with functional bolt catch
ambidextrous safety selector mimics the 9mm MP5 operation
H&K MP5 style sling swivels
H&K style geometry, weight, markings and controls
Officially H&K licensed and branded

Finish: matte black

Length: 26.5" (675mm) with stock collapsed
32.5" (825mm) with stock fully extended

Height: 10.6" (270mm) with magazine

Width: 2.2" (55mm)

Weight: 6.0 lbs (2700g) without magazine
2.5 ounces (70g) weight of empty magazine

Warranty: 1 year parts & labor

MSRP: $555 as of early 2011

Manufacturer: Carl Walther, Germany

Importer & Warranty Service: Umarex

Official website: http://hk22rimfire.com

Item numbers: #2245250/60 (A5 externally "suppressed" model with 25/10 round mag)
#2245255/65 (SD integrally "suppressed" model with 25/10 round mag)

Optional accessories: 10/25 rnd mags #2245310/11
Fixed stock #2245332
Picatinny rail #2245334
Picatinny sling swivel #2245331

My new black and tan Wyrm grips from Larry Davidson