IPSC World Shoot Handgun

Tomorrow I fly to Rhodes for IPSC WSH 2011 and, as side feature, to visit Greek crisis from inside. It might be interesting trip. I will try to keep blogging and provide some coverage if something interesting to report will come out.

Polish team at IDPA World Championship

My friends from Polish IDPA attended first IDPA Wolrd Championship. On preliminary results Leszek Sokołowki is 1st CDP/EX, Maciej Mizuro is 6th ESP/EX, Piotr Pałasz is 2nd ESP/SS, Celina Pawlik (Lady) is 15th ESP/SS, Tomasz Redecki is 2nd SSP/EX, Marcin Gałązka is 2nd ESR/EX and Przemek Lewandowski is 1st SSR/SS.

Great job lady and gentlemen!

EDIT: Final Scores are in. Polish team comes on 3rd place, with US 1st and Venezuela 2nd. Individual results are:
Leszek Sokołowki is 1st CDP/EX, Maciej Mizuro is 11th ESP/EX, Piotr Pałasz is 9th ESP/SS, Celina Pawlik (Lady) is 35th ESP/SS, Tomasz Redecki is 5th SSP/EX, Marcin Gałązka is 2nd ESR/EX and Przemek Lewandowski is 1st SSR/SS.

So do they make any firearms in Poland?

Some time ago on one of forums I frequent I got question by PM: do we make any own firearms in Poland? Answer, surprisingly is... yes, we do.

Following descriptions are not supposed to be in-depth and complete info no Polish firearm. Details can be googled easily. I just want to make brief introdution to what is being made.

Pistols

Today only one Polish pistol in production is our Army service pistol wz. 94 WIST-94/94L (94L has integrated laser) in 9x19mm from Prexer. I may look strange but it is quite good, striker fired pistol. There is new version in works with Picatinny rail and changed barrel locking system, from 1911 style lugs into modified Browning locking in ejection port. FB Radom also assembles Walther P99, P99D RAD (PPQ) and PPS pistols and even make (very good) CHF barrels for them, but I do not consider this as Polish pistols. (photo Prexer)




SMGs

Fabryka Broni Radom (former Łucznik aka "11") produces Polish own SMG PM-98 and PM-06 in  9x19mm. It is quite nice to shoot, handling better that it looks, but do not try to shoot full mag dump from the hip. It does not offer comfortable, if any, cheekweld. This is also problem with our rifles. (photo FB Radom)

New helmet from Revision Military - BATLSKIN

Revision Military, maker of my favourite sunglasses (Hellfly), announced their new product called BATLSKIN. It is modular helmet system, that can be tailored to mission requirements. "Classic" shape helmet can be complimented with visor that protects face from blast and debris, as well as mandible guard, for full "motorbike" helmet appearance. Design seem to be very clever and has some of this Sci-Fi look that we start to see in more and more equipment. Maybe that is why I like it.

More info on product webpage

German Army new G28 DMR rifle

German Army just got them self new DMR rifle. It is civilian-aimed HK MR308 dressed as new G28 rifle in 7.62x51mm. Optics used is S&B 3-20x50 (edit per Python suggestion) plus Aimpoint Micro T1, barrel length 420mm, mass 7.9kg (with optic and accessories). Minimum accuracy requirement was set at 1.5MOA, designated range of use was set at 600m. Rifle is also supposed to have Quick Barrel Change system for field conversion into shorter and lighter Patrol Rifle.

German Army initially rejected HK417 as DMR rifle, due to not satisfactory accuracy  (same reason why HK417 lost trial for British L129A1), but requested that HK provide COTS civilian version of HK417 (HK MR308) with match grade barrel for testing. Funny thing that HK made MR308 to be civilian match rifle, not compatible with HK417 upper/lower (German law requirements)... just to sell it back to military.

EDIT: HK product sheet for G28 from HK webpage: http://www.heckler-koch.com/no_cache/en/company/downloads.html?tx_z7simpledownloads%5Bdownload%5D=390

3Gun Liga Sportera match

Yesterday I was shooting 3Gun match Liga Sportera. This is our local Polish 3Gun match format, that is suited to use on small ranges, with limited number of bays, small distance (up to 100m), etc. For example this match is held on range for hunters, that allow only shooting downrange, without shooting to the sides. Rules and stage briefings limit amount of ammo loaded into magazines and dictates how much ammo shooter can carry on himself for each firearm. Each stage requires minimum 20 shots. More Liga Sportera and other 3Gun matches on my Youtube channel. More on Liga Sportera website (in Polish obviously but Google Translate is not that bad).

My first own and grown up pistol

When I got my first licence to buy 1 (one) sporting centerfire pistol (I already had 1 sporting rimfire pistol) I knew exactly what to buy:

Walther P99, this one that Q was supposed to organize for Bond...

So you heard about Bren?

Lately CZ showed their new assault rifle, geared toward ACR (Army of Czech Republic) under designation of CZ 805 Bren.

Name Bren clearly goes to deep roots of first big Czech success on international firearms market with great Br(no)En(field) machine gun. CZ surely put high level of expectation to new rifle by recycling this name.

No, it is not a toy from nearest Tesco!

On last MSPO fairs (International Defense Industry Exhibition) in Poland  I came across this...

 Quite obviously it is not working rifle, just mock up (sadly scope is not mock up, but this is another, long story). And it also is not prototype of new Plasma Rifle or even Sonic Blaster....

6000+ rounds later - good bye MR223.... welcome MR223!

I just swapped my 2009 Heckler&Koch MR223 rifle from first HK production run (serial under 500) for also 2009 but from second production run. In meantime my MR223 managed to reach (and exceed?) round count of 6000, mostly on some classes and events.

Main differences for production runs after first one are those known from MR556A1:

1. Ball detent take down pins.
3. Stock with lock-out screw.
4. Shaved sling loops from gas block.

But it still keeps:

1. Crappy single stage trigger (not so crappy ad first run, but still).
2. 416 handguard screw, that can be manipulated by using BGC.

One more difference between them (but not known to MR556A1) is that while both have M15x1 thread for muzzle device, first batch had 45dgr shoulder (good for use on HK G36 flash hider) while second batch have square shoulder that works better with crush washer (AR10 crush washer needed).

Here they are both, with old one on top on way out (Micro T1 stays with me) and new one on bottom of picture.

I also decided to document how internals of abused and not properly maintained MR223 looks after some 6000 rounds. One word of advice regarding non-lined HK barrel. After some 6000 rounds it started to keyhole one every shot with surplus 5.56x45 NATO ammo (Santa Barbara from Spain). It was still shooting fine with 77gr HPBT .223rem ammo. It looks like using barrel foam and 3 passes of bore snake as only way of barrel cleaning is not enough. After using some MPro7 Copper Remover and JB paste barrel shoots back like new. So, note to myself, use copper remover on un-lined MR barrel at least once per 5000 rounds :)

Time to start

After long time posting on several forums, mostly firearms related I decided to start own blog. Will see if it actually is worth something and if I will find this amusing enough to keep blogging. Idea is actually new for me, so who knows? ;)