Range Report - Tippmann M4-22, Seecamp 32, Remington R51, and Colt 1908

This first summer in Idaho has turned out quite differently than I expected.  My right hip gave out shortly after my previous post on bicycling, and I am scheduled for hip replacement surgery on 10 September.  I can't do much of anything except sit and look out the window at the trees, birds and animals.  I am looking forward to the replacement and recovery, which my all accounts should be complete and allow me to return to normal activities fairly quickly.  But that's a different story, about which I will write more later.

Despite my lack of mobility, I have been doing small projects around the house, and occasionally get out to undertake some of my preferred activities.  Yesterday was one of those days, and I got out to the range to zero in some rifles and shoot a few handguns.

The rifles I wanted to zero in are Tippmann M4-22s, a relatively new rifle on the market.  Based on the AR-15 platform, they have a high degree of parts interchangeability with standard AR-15s.   They promise to make excellent rifles for Appleseed, as they come standard with click-adjustable sights.  The company even offered a special Appleseed edition of the rifle with the Appleseed logo on them.  This past Spring I decided to buy three of them as loaner rifles for Appleseed events.  There are two basic versions of this rifle, the Pro and the Elite.  The only difference is the length of the front handguard (both are aluminum, with M-Lok mounting holes).  I bought the Elite, as I wanted a longer sight radius.  This was the first time I'd had them to the range to try them out.  My goal was to learn about them and get them zeroed in at 25 meters, the standard distance for Appleseed events.

The Tippmann M4-22

Aside -  I recently got an answer to a question that had been perplexing me for some time:  Why do we shoot Appleseed events on a 25 meter line, when we teach sight adjustment using
"inches-minutes-clicks"?  It would seem that the line should be at 25 yards rather than 25 meters.  The answer is simple:  When the Appleseed targets were first produced "back when", they were scaled to 25 meter ranges (for whatever reason).  The grid pattern on the 4 MOA zero target is scaled to 25 meters, so if it were placed at 25 yards, it would be off. We still talk inches-minutes-clicks when teaching sight adjustment, and those same skills can be applied to millimeters-minutes-miliradians.  So I took my 100 foot tape measure and measured out 82 feet from the firing line to place my targets.

Appleseed 4 MOA Zero target

4 MOA zero targets 25 meters from the firing line

Once I was set up, I got down to work.  I had several types of .22 LR ammunition along, and wanted to test the rifles' functioning with both standard velocity and high velocity ammunition.  I worked my way through all three rifles, firing each for the first time, walking the groups in until I had a reasonable zero, and recording the results for future reference.  I made a number of observations that others may find useful.

1.  Magazine preparation is critical on these rifles.  Each round *must* be seated ahead of the rim of the cartridge below it, or the rifle will fail to feed.  If you load the rounds one at a time from the top, they naturally stack this way in the magazine.  If you slide the dust cover down, there is a handy spring compression mechanism to aid in magazine preparation.  It's possible to use the spring compression mechanism to carefully make just enough room for one round, but if you compress it all the way and use it to drop them in without working against spring pressure, they can fall out of alignment producing failures to feed.  I do not think it's necessary to use this at all for Appleseeds, as the most we ever load in a magazine is 10 rounds.  This was easily accomplished one round at a time from the top, with the dust cover closed.

2. Standard velocity ammunition may or may not be reliable in these rifles.  I started with PMC Scoremaster, and had several failures to cycle completely (ejection but no new round loaded, and one failure to eject). After the first few magazines, I switched to Remington high velocity ammunition and had no more issues. It was a hot day and my hip was bothering me, so I did not test the Remington or CCI standard velocity ammunition that I had brought along.  That will have to wait for another time.  Another Appleseed instructor had posted a review of the rifle earlier this year and said that it digested all different types of ammunition with no problems, so the jury is still out on this issue for me.

3. I will want some rubber handguard inserts for the M-Lok front handguards.  It was very hot day, and I was in direct sunlight for much of the time. Those aluminum handguards got *hot*!

4. Unlike most AR-15s, the safety lever has an indicator molded into the right side so you can tell if the rifle is on "safe" even when it's laying on its left side with the ejection port up.  This is a very nice feature, but I still think marking it with a silver sharpie or other highly visible marking will be desirable for quickly clearing the line. 

5. I found myself really wanting a sight blackener.  Unfortunately for me that day, the calcium carbide for my sight blackening tool had all oxidized, and I was unable to use it.  So the front sights had significant reflective glare, making it quite difficult to get a good zero.

6. I may need to file the front sight post on one of the rifles, as even at the extreme end of its adjustment, it just barely zeroed at 25 meters.  It has no remaining elevation to shoot at any longer distances.  I don't know whether standard AR-15 front sight posts fit in the Tippmann sights or not - it remains to be seen. 

6. I believe the sights are 1 MOA clicks, but I am not sure. The manufacturer did not know (and didn't know what I was talking about when I asked the question), so I had intended to determine it for myself through experimentation.  Even after shooting a few hundred rounds I am not sure, nor am I sure if the rifles are even consistent from one to the next, or whether the rear and front sights may be different.  Sometimes the groups moved as if they were 1 MOA clicks, and other times as if they were 1/2 MOA clicks.  I think that the lack of consistency may very well be because my eyes just aren't what they used to be, and I have a great deal of difficulty focusing on carbine-length sights.  It was also a very hot day, and my hip was bothering me, so I established the best zeroes I could get, and left further testing and experimentation for another day.  Besides, these are loaner rifles, and Appleseed students will move the sights around to zero them for their use.  I just wanted to ensure they were on paper and close to zero to start with.

I closed out my rifle session by using up the last open box of ammo shooting at sticks and dirt clods on the berm.  Old eyes and questionable zero notwithstanding, I broke enough sticks and pulverized enough dirt clods that I am confident the rifles shoot straight.  Mission accomplished!

Once the rifle work was completed, I turned to handguns.  It was time for the semi-annual ammunition rotation in my concealed-carry guns, and I also wanted to shoot a new (to me) pistol that I recently acquired.  A quick change of targets to B27 silhouette replacement centers at 10 paces, and I was ready to go.

First up was my Seecamp .32.  This is a very small pocket pistol chambered in .32 ACP.  It was a marvel of engineering for its time (1985), and is still, to my knowledge, the smallest semiautomatic pistol available in anything like a credible self-defense caliber.  When they first came out, I just *had* to have one.  I waited nearly a year for delivery, and since 1986 it has lived in my pocket almost constantly (when and where it was legal, of course).  I carry a larger pistol (usually my HK P7M8 9mm) whenever possible, but sometimes it's just not practical, and that's where the Seecamp shines.  It is almost invisible in your pocket no matter what kind of clothes you're wearing, and is never in the way.  With this gun, there's simply no reason ever to be completely unarmed, even if it does feel like you may be somewhat under-armed.

The LWS-32 is very small and concealable.  It makes it easy to follow the first rule of gunfighting ("Have a gun.")

The pistol was designed to such tight tolerances that it can only function with hollowpoint ammunition - FMJ bullets are too long to fit in the magazine.  Winchester Silvertip was the only available hollowpoint when the pistol was introduced, and that's what I carried in it for years.  Several other types of ammo are now available that also work in it.  My carry ammunition is Hornady Critical Defense (although I still have a healthy supply of Silvertip on hand).  The pistol has no sights on it - you don't really aim it, you point it. It is not designed for target shooting, but for last-ditch emergency defense at close range. 

My LWS-32, with its Delfatti holster and spare magazine pouch, Hornady Critical Defense and vintage Winchester Silvertip ammunition.

I took the pistol out and shot the ammunition in it, without cleaning, lubrication, or other preparation. This is the whole point of my semi-annual ammunition rotation.  A gun that is carried regularly gets all kinds of gunk in it, including dust, dirt, pocket lint, and perspiration.  This can affect the functioning of the mechanism and degrade the ammunition.  Therefore I want to regularly ensure that the pistol functions correctly and reliably, and get in a little practice with it to refamilarize myself with it.  Afterwards I clean and lubricate it and load it with fresh ammunition.  I started this practice many years ago, after I experienced a squib load during a trip to the range, probably because I hadn't changed out the ammo for a long time.  Now I do this every six months, almost religiously.  I say almost, because this year with the move to Idaho, the Seecamp got neglected.  I had not shot it, cleaned it, or changed out the ammo since January 2018 (!)

After shooting up the Hornady ammo I had been carrying, I shot a few magazines of my old Winchester Silvertip for practice.  I had no issues of any kind with the function of the gun, which is very reassuring since I may someday stake my life on its reliability.  As usual, I was reminded of the unique shooting characteristics of this tiny little gun.  The results would not win any shooting competitions, but  were acceptable to me for what the gun is intended for.  I found (again) that pointing the gun at center-mass resulted in shots high on the target. The best aiming (pointing) point for me is low-center-mass, which put the shots closer to center mass.  All my shots were on paper, which in this case was the replacement center for a B27 silhouette target.  That means my lowest score was an eight, and I pulled them in tighter as I continued to shoot.  Mission accomplished.

Seecamp .32 at ten yards.  249/280, or 89%.  I'll take it.

Next up was my Remington Model R51.  This pistol is a relatively new addition to my carry battery, and the first pistol ever to seriously tempt me to retire the Heckler & Koch P7.  It is a brilliant design, but was crippled in the market by an inept transition from prototype to mass production.  Despite the Generation II pistols having all the bugs worked out, it may never recover from its initial problems.

I am a true believer, though, and now carry this gun more often than I carry my P7.  It has almost all the desirable shooting and operating characteristics of the P7, and is lighter due to its aluminum frame.  Perhaps when my hip has been replaced and I've recovered completely, my P7 will find a regular home on my belt again.  But for the past few months and the immediate future, the R51 feels more comfortable to me.

My carry ammunition for the past several years has been a Federal Premium Law Enforcement 9mm +P+ load with a 124 gr. Hydra-Shok JHP bullet.  I bought a case of this about 15 years ago, and have been slowly using it up by cycling it though my carry guns in my regular rotation routine.  I am down to my last two boxes, so it's almost time to take a look at what's new in the world of self-defense ammunition, and buy a case of something more up-to-date. 

My results with the R51 were very satisfactory.  The first couple of shots were off a bit, as is usually the case with me (especially since I've only been carrying this gun on and off since 2016).  But I quickly settled down and was able to keep it on target  where it belonged.  No issues with function or performance.  Mission accomplished.

Remington R51 at 10 yards, with Federal Premium Law Enforcement +P+ 124 gr Hydra-Shok ammo.   218-10X of a possible 220, or 99.1%.   That works for me.

My final pistol for the day was a Colt Model 1908 in .380 ACP.  This was gun I'd really been looking forward to shooting, that I brought along just for the fun of it.  Recently I walked into my LGS just to look around, and there it was in the display case, calling out my name.  It was in beautiful cosmetic condition, with only some slight holster wear on the left side of the muzzle and some minor scuffing on the front of the grip.  Unfortunately, it didn't work right in the store.  It was difficult to cycle, the safety refused to function, and the trigger was very sluggish.  But it had the original box, instructions, and extra magazine, and it was just beautiful, so I decided to take a chance that I could get it running again, and brought it home.

Colt Model M, or 1908, in caliber .380 ACP.  It's a beautiful piece of ordnance.

Although it's commonly referred to as the Model 1908, it's really a variant of the Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless, also known as the Model M.  The Model 1903 was produced in caliber .32 ACP, and the Model 1908 was introduced 5 years later in caliber .380 ACP.  The guns are identical in all respects except for their caliber.  They were produced until 1947, and figure prominently in American firearms history.  They were very popular due to their slim, elegant design.  You see them quite often in Hollywood films, and they were standard-issue pistols for U.S. Army General Officers until the early 1970's.  I have had a 1903 in .32 ACP for some time, and really wanted one in .380.  All the ones I had seen for sale were pretty well-worn, as these guns were usually carried extensively and therefore subject to rust and wear on the finish.  One in this condition is a relatively unusual find, and I couldn't resist.

When I got it home, I went to work cleaning it up mechanically.  As I had suspected, it was just gummed up from years of neglect.  I strongly suspect that someone's idea of how to maintain it was to douse it liberally with WD-40, wipe it down, and put it away.  While this will keep a gun looking nice, it's horrible for the working mechanism.  WD-40 carmelizes over time, leaving a sticky, gummy residue.  In this case it had almost completely stopped the gun from functioning, just about as effectively as rust would have.  Repeated dousings with a powerful solvent (Tetra-Gun Action Blaster) eventually dissolved and removed enough of the gunk that I was able to get the action to loosen up and move.  More cleaning, scrubbing, and lubricating, and it felt smooth enough that I thought it was safe to take it and try to shoot it.  So it was the "guest of honor" at the range.

Colt Model 1908 with PMC hardball and Winchester Silvertip ammo.

As my particular gun was manufactured in 1933 and is a collector's item, it is not a gun I will ever carry for defense.  Nonetheless, my philosophy is that guns were made to shoot, so an occasional trip to the range is completely consistent with my long term stewardship and care of collectible firearms.  In this case I wanted to see how it functioned with standard full metal jacket ("hardball") ammunition, as well as modern (well, relatively modern) hollowpoints.

I was pretty happy with the first five rounds of hardball that I put through it.  Considering that I'd never shot it before, 49-2X out of a possible 50 was OK with me.   Even though the gun does have sights, they are miniscule, and were very hard to see.  I found myself tipping the gun back slightly to get the sunlight to glint off the bright bluing, aligning the sights with it tipped back, then lowering it onto the target and shooting.  This is hardly a practical combat pistol technique, and I suspect that in an emergency this gun would be pointed rather than aimed per se.  It feels very comfortable in the hand, and I think the natural grip angle would be an effective point-shooting angle.  Perhaps someday I'll give that theory a try.  

Colt 1908 with first 5 rounds of PMC FMJ

I fired one more five-round magazine of hardball, then switched to the Winchester Silvertips.  They not only functioned perfectly, they also seemed to find the center of the target much more reliably than the hardball.  Maybe it had more to do with the fact that I fired them last and was getting used to the pistol, but all of the Silvertips ended up in the X-ring.  :)

Colt 1908 with 10 rounds of FMJ and 5 rounds of Winchester Silvertip.   148-8X out of a possible 150, for 98.7%. 

My score with the Colt was 148-8X out of 150, or 98.7%.  Not bad for an 86-year-old gun that didn't even work right when I bought it!  I would have shot it some more, but by this time I was really at the end of my endurance.  Normally I can stay at the range all day long and then some, but the pain from my hip made this enough for one day.

All in all, it was a very successful day at the range.  I have more work to do with the M4-22s, but at least I know they function reliably and are more or less zeroed in so that I can take them to an Appleseed event with confidence.  Now I get to spend a few days disassembling and cleaning, which is really just another way of admiring the design and workmanship of these fine firearms.

Mood:  Content
Music:  Bayern 5 Actuell (news)