Shuggy

Which brand of Arca rail is that Dave? I have been looking for one which will fit the AI Keyslot mounts.

I followed a recommendation on here from good old Bradders to use Plusgas. It’s just as good as Kroil and a third of the price. It freed up the rusted screws beautifully on an old Martini-Henry.

Propellant flame temperatures can get to about 3000 degrees C over a couple of milliseconds. That’s plenty long enough for the response to be affected by the barrel material properties.

My assumption is that ‘fire-cracking’ is caused by thermal stress cracking. This failure mechanism is directly related to the thermal expansion coefficient of the material. That might also give a clue to the difference in damage from single shots as opposed to full auto fire. Single shots will cause a heating/cooling cycle, which is probably more stressing to the material than putting it through a constant thermal load. I think that Edi is also right about the importance of thermal conductivity on barrel life. This is part of the thinking behind the development of the ‘StraightJacket barrel’ by Teludyne Tech. As I understand it, this is basically a sporter weight barrel enclosed in a sleeve of thermally conductive ceramic potting compound. This was originally developed with military applications in mind.

The vivarium pads or ‘Golden Rods’ are a good idea, but only if you can easily get a cable into your cabinet. Much better than Silica gel is a ‘Vapour Phase Corrosion Inhibitor’. The one that is marketed for the shooting community is Napier VP90, with the sachets being sold specifically for cabinets.

Cat Sh*t One is a brilliant little movie for those that haven’t seen it. Ronin, you must clearly be a fan too. Oh, and what a fantastic rifle! Do you follow Rondane LongRange on YouTube? He has detailed his change to a 200STR in a JET 01 chassis.

My criteria are very similar to those that No I deer listed above - sound suppression, strength and longevity. I have an Ase Utra SL7 (the Mk1 design): it’s heavy, but in fact lighter and quieter than the Jet Z compact. Very good sound suppression and utterly bomb proof. I personally can’t see the point in a strippable design when they are as well made and as easily maintained as this one. For my AX308, my criteria were different as I wanted one that went over the AI brake. In the end I went with the rather overpriced AI aluminium design. However it is designed for .338, so should last fairly well on a .308. An important caveat is that my moderators are purely used for target shooting, so only get carried from the car to the firing point. However, I am just starting a hunting/target crossover type build and will probably go with the lighter SL5i for this one.

According to a ‘Forgotten Weapons’ video on YouTube, this method was often successfully used by WWI British snipers whose rifles had offset scopes.

Do you know the inclination in MOA? Or perhaps the AI model number? Thanks.

An alternative to consider for a real AIAW would be hydro dipping the panels.

Lots of love for Timefactors on here. I have been a fan for years and thought that I was the only one here with that affliction. My absolute favourite is the PRS-18Q, but it is definitely in the ‘tool watch’ category. On TZUK someone once described it as the ‘thinking man’s beater’. Sad to see that it is discontinued, but they do turn up secondhand.

Trouble is, my other watches no longer get a look in.

Actually I just reread the original post. I had mistaken the lower picture for an original Precista, but perhaps it is one of the modern ones?

All the Timefactors that I have owned (3 or 4 I think) have had great lume.

I absolutely get the difference between a tool watch and a field watch. I think I have the perfect suggestion for you - the Timefactors PRS-10. Basically a modern copy of the CWC/Precista G10 with a 33mm dial. Waterproof, with a sapphire crystal and a 10-year battery. And good value at £195.

Wow! That’s a special one.

That’s a lovely Omega! The original Bond watch (in the books) was an Explorer.

Topscots, I reckon that your experience entitles you to an opinion more than most!

It seems to me that many of those who criticise the SA80 on forums have never even seen an A2 or A3, far less fired one. Truly the dreadful A1 continues to cast a long shadow. The fact is that the A2 endured a decade of hard use on Ops Telic and Herrick with very few problems. It works reliably, shoots accurately and does its job well. BD is quite right about its disadvantages of weight and handedness, (although the A3 has managed to trim off 150g!). The A3 has a few ergonomic improvements and does seem to shoot a bit tighter. We also hear the usual allegations of MOD corruption, which is total rubbish.

I could be wrong, but isn’t this one of those ‘I wouldn’t start from here’ situations? Wouldn’t you be better off with selling your plastic stock and buying one made from laminate, GRP, carbon fibre or aluminium?

Sadly, I can see that leading to 999 calls from timorous members of the public (‘I’ve seen a gun!’). It might sell better in a country where handguns haven’t been prohibited for over 20 years.

I seem to recall that they supplied an extended hardened steel pin to replace the old roll pin. The feet do indeed fix onto this bayonet style, but they are not designed to be quick detachable. It looks like the company may now have gone out of business. However there are now numerous suppliers who sell similar feet for the Atlas or Harris bipods. They are a bit ungainly, but their advantage is that they will work on absolutely any type of terrain. But you might want to keep the rubber feet for the bonnet of the 4x4!

I have used ‘Pod Claws’. They work great, but you do have to be a bit careful not to catch them on stuff. I bought them direct from the manufacturer, but that was some years ago, before the blanket application of ITAR.

First, second, third... please read a little more carefully before responding.

I think that the RSPB’s views on Grouse and other game shoots are a matter of public record. They are an interesting conservation organisation, as they apparently spend more on fundraising than on their own nature reserves. The Scottish Government introduced licensing for airguns in 2015 and have a stated policy position of preventing licenses for young people, without any evidence of harm, which I think speaks for itself. Naive and biased - those are reasonable challenges. You are quite right that we should all be prepared to consider alternative viewpoints. But genuine scientific consensus is achieved through proper peer reviewed research; that is not a naive concept at all. I accept that most on this forum will not have the scientific expertise to properly evaluate these papers. But I think that we should all be skeptical when they are published by an organisation that is clearly run as a lobby group.