Aimpoint Micro H1 and Larue Tactical LT660 QD Mount for the AR

More stuff!  I'm posting these post Christmas, but actually, I got these a few months back and didn't get around to posting pictures until just yesterday.

I've been swapping optics back and forth on my rifles for the last few years, and nothing ever seems to stay put.  My AR started off with a Deal Extreme Fakepoint Micro with an equally fake LaRue LT660 QD riser mount, and it actually lasted a few years before it finally crapped out on me a few months ago.  A real Aimpoint was pricy beyond my means at the time, so I opted for the Aimpoint Pro, which came with the right height mount, and was priced at least $300 cheaper. 

So, I got the PRO and put it on my AR, then I scored a wicked deal on a Micro.  I ended up moving the PRO over to my Ruger 10/22.  The Ruger originally had a Bushnell TRS-25, so I moved it over to my 870 shotgun. 

Anyway, I ordered the LaRue LT660 1/3 cowitness QD riser for the Micro and here it is.  The packaging was basically a plastic bag, and at first, I couldn't see a huge difference between the Deal Extreme versus the real deal, other than the markings.

My S&J Hardware free float railed handguard.  The screws are starting to strip from constant tightenning.  I probably should have used some loctite on them.

As you can tell, I even lost one.  For some reason, my kit only came with 4 screws.  I contaced S&J Hardware and they said they will mail be ten replacements.  It's the holiday season though, so I don't expect them anytime soon.

So I mounted the Micro to the LT660 and it fit like a glove.  They say that the LT660 was manufactured specifically for the Micro and they weren't kidding.  It was like they were both machined in the same factory and I had no troubles mating the two.

So, two years later, I went from a $25 Fakepoint with mount to a $700 unit.  When I first got into firearms, I never imagined in a million years that I would spend that much on optics, let alone the firarm itself.  Talk about an expensive hobby.

New 1911,Beretta and M14 parts

I have to stop ordering stuff online, it's so addictive, haha!  I ordered a bunch of miscellaneous stuff for a few different firearms and evertime a package arrices, it's like Christmas.

Sadlak spring guide for my M14, and a Wolff spring to go with it (because the factory Norinco spring was too thick).

And a pile of miscellaneous pistol parts.

Hex grip screws for my Beretta 92FS....personally, I can't stand flat-head screws.

A flat mainspring housing for my GSG1911 .22LR.  Not a big fan of the arched mainspring housing that it came with.  This one is from Colt, surprisingly made of plastic, but it fit the GSG like a glove.

A Wolff guide rod for the Beretta.  The factory one was made of plastic, and it probably would have been fine, but I just didn't like the idea of it being plastic.

More grip screws, these ones for my 1911s.

Stainless barrel bushing from Springfield Armories.  I got this one for my Norinco 1911A1 Police.  

As you can see, the factory one is probably just blued, but it wasn't soley for this costmetic reason that I decided to replace it as you'll see later.

Not only is the Springfield unit better looking, it had a better fit surprisingly.  I figured I might have to do a bit of fitting, but it dropped right in and fit nice and snug between the slide and the barrel, as if it were custom made for my pistol. 

Here's another shot of it.  As you can see, the material on the face is thicker and the lines are more defined.

The main spring housings for my GSG 1911.  The top one is the new plastic unit from Colt, the lower one is the factory metal one from GSG.  I know, replacing metal with plastic is sort of opposite with what I said earlier with the Beretta guide rod, but I figured that the guide rod is a long, thin piece of plastic that's under repetitive stress and action, this one is not.

The new MSH installed in the GSG.

I orderd an extra set of hex grip screws for 1911s, but it turns out that GSG uses a different thread pattern and standard 1911 grip screws won't thread into a GSG.  Weird, and not something you'd think would be different, considering the GSG is supposed to be 80% compatible with standard 1911 parts.

My GSG is starting to show a lot of wear on the slide.  It's known to have a cheap finish, and one other thing to worry about is the slide is made out of alluminum or some sort of alluminum alloy.  There seems to be a lot of wear where the slide meets the slide stop, and this thing has less than 5000 rounds through it.  I'm a little worried and might contact GSG about it.

Here's my Norinco 1911A1 Police with the new barrel bushing and grip screws.  I installed the same grip screws onto my Remington R1 Enhanced.  To be honest though, having hex grip screws is more cosmetic.  If I sit back and think about it, having a flat head screw driver is just about the same as carrying a set of allen keys.

Now the face of my Norc is looking a lot better, similar to my Remington R1E.  Though the Remington is still light years ahead of the Norc in terms of fit and finish, and when you rack the Remington, it feels like butter, they both perform about the same at the range.   

Here's a comparison between the Beretta guide rods, the steel one is above.

And lastly, here's a shot of the Sadlak spring guide and spring for my M14.  I didn't bother taking a picure of this part installed, but it dropped right in with no problems.  I don't shoot the M14 that often, and I'm not even sure I will detect any benefits from using this item, but it was fairly inexpensive (about $25 for the guide and $12 for the spring).  It does feel a lot smoother to rack the M14, but I'm not sure how that will translate to benefits when shooting.  We'll see I guess.

*%&$#@!

I can't get my Norinco M14 to shoot straight.  I've got the Bushnell Elite Tactical 5-15 x 40mm mounted with Weaver Tactical rings on an M14.ca CASM Gen 1 mount.  The optic is visually canted to the left and with the windage cranked to the max, this is the best I could to at 200 meters.  The bullet lands on the mildot fiurthest right when I aim for centre of the target sheet, scope set on maximum magnification.

The only solution I can think of is to shim the rings, or file and shim the mount.  I was told the bigger problem
could be that my receiver isn't straight in relation to the barrel.....no idea what I'm going to do.

Conan's Sword - The Atlantean

Product Description from Museum Replicas:

Hand-forged from 1085 high carbon steel and tempered to 52 HRC for strength, this sword has been expertly reproduced by the master craftsmen at Windlass Steelcrafts®, as an exact replica of the sword used on screen. From the intricate details on the guard and pommel to the deep runes on the powerful blade, this is truly a masterful reproduction. Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity. Can be sharpened for an additional fee.

Overall: 38-7/8"

Blade: 28-1/8"

Wt: 8 lbs