[mc89]

I spent this afternoon getting my standard Rockola ready to go to the range tomorrow. I've only shot it once before, right after I got it. The weather has been too bad since then to go to the range up until now. Hopefully it doesn't storm tomorrow. I'm itching to burn some powder.

In preparation for tomorrow, I shimmed the gas cylinder and front band up tight, peened the splines for the flash suppressor and tightened it up (it was loose in the splines and the castle nut wasn't tight when I received it from Classic Firearms), added a NM front sight, added a Sadlak guide rod and TiN piston, and replaced the older Garand rear sight with an NOS M14 rear sight assembly. Cleaned and greased the whole thing, and its ready to go. I think the only thing I still have to do is clearance the handguard a bit, and that should be just about it as far as cheap and easy accurizing goes. I don't plan on bedding this rifle or adding a scope to it. Those will be for the next M14 I buy or build.

I've got 1500 rounds of Prvi Partizan 147 grain ball stocked up, 40 rounds of Prvi Partizan 168 grain match ammo, and exactly one box of 168 grain FGMM. I'll get it mostly sighted in with the ball, then try to shoot some groups with the match ammo, with the FGMM box last for the record. Maybe I'll try to take some pictures to post of the groups.

I also cleaned my AR15 before the M14. Although I carried an M16 in the Corps, the AR15 is pretty boring to me anymore. My friend just spent almost 1200 bucks upgrading his AR, and I was like, "Eh, whatever." Those ARs have absolutely nothing on a good M14.

So hopefully I'll have some good results tomorrow.

 

[boomerpusher]

Need a range report with pictures or it didn't happen.

 

[mc89]

Need a range report with pictures or it didn't happen.

Yeah I've heard that before. Haha!

I'll get something posted about it. I can't guarantee it being interesting or comprehensible though.

 

[Wasted ammo]

Hope the weather holds out for you, looking forward to the pics.

 

[Doc]

Looking forward to pictures -

 

[mc89]

So I ended up going to the range that following day with my good friend. Got everything set up, fired off a few rounds, and it then proceeded to pour the rain down for the rest of the afternoon, turning the range instantly to a giant mud bog. And since we were under a covered concrete shooting pad with a bench, I wasn't about to leave it to go traipse 100 yards through the mud and heavy rain to retrieve paper targets that had already fallen apart.

Pictures? oh, no no no. No pictures here. Mostly because the heavy rain totally wilted our targets, and it ruined my makeup and hair. We were able to get some rounds on target and observed through the spotting scope, but the heavy rain came too fast to retrieve the targets.

So we ended up shooting a bunch of rounds through his .308 M1 Garand to see if the new clip latch spring he installed was doing its job. Well, it wasn't. The rifle is still sometimes prematurely ejecting partially-loaded clips. So now he's got that to still figure out.

I did shoot the Rockola though. Got it relatively on target at 100 yds with the 147 grain ammo. However, my aging eyes and bifocals are really kicking my butt when it comes to using iron sights. I used to be a pretty good shot with them, but I guess you can't stop age. I think I'm going to at least have to go get some new non-bifocal glasses with a slightly different prescription. Good thing my next rifle will be a scope-only. I was never really all that crazy about scope options when I was younger. I am now!!

And as always, we watched some of the local boys bring their expensive handbuilt AR15s out to shoot scoped and benched at targets 25 yards away. Amazing how many of those kinds of shooters there are out there around here. But they always ask questions about the M1 and M14 though.

 

[mc89]

OK, I lied. Here is a picture. The Rockola in the foreground, and the M1 in the back.
And I have no idea why the picture is rotated.

 

[Defiant001]

"A rainy day at the range beats a sunny day at work!" At least by my standards.

Nice rifles and thanks for sharing.

By the way, expanding your photo causes your photo to display in the correct orientation.

Regards,
D1

 

[oodnoodn]

However, my aging eyes and bifocals are really kicking my butt when it comes to using iron sights. I used to be a pretty good shot with them, but I guess you can't stop age. I think I'm going to at least have to go get some new non-bifocal glasses with a slightly different prescription.

Go to your local WalMart/drugstore/Dollar Tree & hit the cheap reading glasses rack. Hold a pen or key or something about front sight-width at arms length against some sort of target-y background, & buy whichever magnification cheap reading glasses give you a crisp/clear image of the thing you're holding at arms length.

These glasses will only cost a couple bucks apiece, so buy a couple different magnifications if you want to experiment.

 

[mc89]

Go to your local WalMart/drugstore/Dollar Tree & hit the cheap reading glasses rack. Hold a pen or key or something about front sight-width at arms length against some sort of target-y background, & buy whichever magnification cheap reading glasses give you a crisp/clear image of the thing you're holding at arms length.

These glasses will only cost a couple bucks apiece, so buy a couple different magnifications if you want to experiment.

I've heard that suggestion before, but I am pretty nearsighted, and I've worn regular glasses for about 33 years now.

 

[Phil “Murphy” McGrath]

Go to your local WalMart/drugstore/Dollar Tree & hit the cheap reading glasses rack. Hold a pen or key or something about front sight-width at arms length against some sort of target-y background, & buy whichever magnification cheap reading glasses give you a crisp/clear image of the thing you're holding at arms length.

These glasses will only cost a couple bucks apiece, so buy a couple different magnifications if you want to experiment.

I've heard that suggestion before, but I am pretty nearsighted, and I've worn regular glasses for about 33 years now.

I'm in the same boat as you are, the cheater specs work.

 

[SystemInShock]

OK, I lied. Here is a picture. The Rockola in the foreground, and the M1 in the back.
And I have no idea why the picture is rotated.

You have a Rockola. Have any problems with the oprod being extremely loose and wanting to come out at the drop of a hat? I just went through 2 of their 19.25" barrel versions and both have serious issues with the oprod coming out.

 

[Phil “Murphy” McGrath]

You have a Rockola. Have any problems with the oprod being extremely loose and wanting to come out at the drop of a hat? I just went through 2 of their 19.25" barrel versions and both have serious issues with the oprod coming out.

Maybe its the lug on the tail of the op-rod, have you checked it?

 

[SystemInShock]

Maybe its the lug on the tail of the op-rod, have you checked it?

Both were new rifles. I'm sure it's the lug or the track. Since their both were new I'm not going to accept them and try to figure it out later. For the price I paid it should at least work.

Sorry to hijack this thread.

 

[Donkee]

Go to your local WalMart/drugstore/Dollar Tree & hit the cheap reading glasses rack. Hold a pen or key or something about front sight-width at arms length against some sort of target-y background, & buy whichever magnification cheap reading glasses give you a crisp/clear image of the thing you're holding at arms length.

These glasses will only cost a couple bucks apiece, so buy a couple different magnifications if you want to experiment.

I'll have to try this. I wear contacts usually but when shooting they dry out so maybe I'll get 2-3 shots before I have to stop for a bit. Turns 10 ring shooting into 7 ring shooting.

The ones I had before were a nightmare to take out, almost had to scratch them out with a toothpick or something, but they were great for shooting. The new ones come out easily but dry out very quickly.