The Countertop Chronicles

About three weeks ago, I promised to post some range reviews. In fact, those promises started well before, but things have been swamped at work, at home, and with life in general. And so, I’ve just never gotten around to it.

Well, the posts are done, and while I am pretty swamped this week (and will be traveling a lot the rest of the summer) you can expect to see them rolling out here . . . one each day.

I know some of you are itching for Kel Tec P11 Part II - now almost two moths over due. Well, hold your horses, its coming . . . but in the meantime, I have a review thats much more over due. Almost two years. Whats more, this is a review of a historically important gun . . . at least as far as the gun blogsphere goes. And since the Dead treated us to some Monday Morning Gunning with Me & My Uncle earlier today, I figured that would be the ideal place to start With Me and My Uncles gun.

Now Me and My Uncles gun, actually has a bit of prehistory to it, so I guess the place to start this story is way back, a long long time ago, in the early years . . . and by early years, I mean pre blogging (well, pre Countertop Chronicles blogging years - as I’d argue I had what is essentially a political blog - with a CNN link taboot - back in late 1995/early 1996) Glock Talk / Firing Line time wasting days.

It was back then when I first got the inkling to get myself something other than the .22s and bolt actions and shotguns I grew up with. And the internet being the internet, and shall not be infringed meaning shall not be infringed, and me moving to Virginia after having grown up in Jersey . . . well that meant a homeland security weapon. . . .and not a P.C. black one either - but rather the peoples weapon. And so, I picked up a SAR-1. And it was a fine and lovely gun (though it had some hiccups with quick magazine exchanges - and would never be mistaken for a Holland & Holland in build quality) . . . and scared the be-jesus off my neighbor when I cleaned it on the porch. And all was good.

But then one day, for some reason, I grew bored with it. . . . and stumbled upon what I thought was then (and still think is now) a great deal - a guy in Virginia looking to trade a gorgeous Ruger Accusport Bisley Blackhawk in .45 Colt for a SAR. Boom. I’ll take that deal (especially since the SAR only cost $200 back then).

Now, this is a great gun . . . and I still enjoy shooting it as much as any gun I own, but over the intervening couple of years the empty space in my gun closet started calling . . . but the SAR supply had dried up and well, lets just say I hadn’t heard great things about the WASR’s which came out to replace them. But I continued to keep an open mind until one day . . . . Says Uncle let me know he was looking to get rid of WASR - his WASR, the custom WASR, the Ultimac WASR; and well the price was right.

Now, here of course, is where this became a famous gun . . . and you can still go to Uncles page follow its transition from plan old WASR to upgraded WASR with the Ultimak rail mount and Tacpoint scope and evil black folding stock. He even threw in the the single point sling plus a ton of ammo.

Folks, I can think of few people who are better to deal with than Says Uncle.

So what do I do to repay him (besides waiting almost 2 years to actually get around to posting a range report - Bad Countertop, Bad Countertop) . . . well, I pay him . . . and well, I stuck a note to myself in the memo area . . . . and well . . . paypal would rather have you disarmed, bent over, and deeply probed by their monkeys than honor your 2nd amendment rights.

Well, now that you know the backstory . . . on to the range report!

Now, generally speaking, any AK is an inelegant, utilitarian, homeland defense rifle. This is the rifle of the people, of the revolutionaries . . . if they had them then, this is what the founding fathers might have considered using in their fight for freedom against England. It truly is the peoples rifle.

Performance wise, Me and My Uncle is no different than any other standard AK type rifle. Don’t expect a bulls eye. Its not designed for NRA High Powered matches, its designed to send lead (and lots of it) down range in a controlled manner. MOA??? Naah, more like MOBadguy

Overall, the quality of the upgrade Says Uncle put into this thing shines. For me, based upon my past issues with the SAR-1 and quick magazine changes is the nice dremel job to open up that mag well. Magazine swaps are quick and easy.

And the mag’s he included - the Belgium Waffles are fantastic. I would never throw out a working mag though I’ve gone and purchased a bunch more of the Belgium mags and now primarily use those over the old steel Soviet bloc stamped mags. First, not only do they look a hell of a lot cooler - but they have a nice mat finish to them that withstands abuse and most importantly doesn’t rust . . . a big consideration since it seems like anything metal I leave lying in the back of my truch for some time gets lots of surface rust. Me and My Uncle is generally locked up in the house . . . but he is a truck gun and when traveling tends to stay closer to the drive (not telling where) with a magazine or two in the car door. I’ve always got a couple of mags in the back too. On top of all of that, they ones I got hold 40 rounds . . . and well 40 rounds beats 30 any day of the week.

The quality of the Ultimac forearm top is excellent - best engineered piece on entire gun. Its solid and secure, and while I don’t have any proof I believe the structural integrity it adds to the front end of the gun (read: barrel) has to improve its accuracy someone.

It also provides a perfect, stable mount for the Tacpoint scope. This scope is a relatively cheap knockoff of an Aimpoint - and while I wouldn’t choose it if I was going to be in Iraq for a few years, for my purposes its fine. . .again MOBadguy - but thats all your looking for (in reality - point blank at 50 yards - size of a 12 inch pie plate - you’ll 90 percent of shots with controlled firing). In low light, the red eye is very easy to acquire where it falls short is in the bright day light - when it provides little guidance other than allowing you to use the iron sights on the rifle.

Finally, the Tapco folding stock is pretty good - absorbs the little recoil the gun has and allowing for very rapid controlled firing and aiding further in site acquisition. Now, the thing I don’t ever trust about AKs is that the recoil spring and gas chamber are right there at eye level - and frankly these aren’t Remingtons. I just have never really gotten to trust that the bolt isn’t going to bash through the thin sheet metal . . . but it doesn’t. Still, with the folder, it feels as comfortable and secure as the wood stock on the old SAR-1.

Final verdict - this rifle is a hoot to shoot, very well put together - much sturdier than other AKs. Says Uncles gunsmithing skills show throughout it (as well as his ability as a seamstress - the single point sling is pretty cool). I really do get a kick out of shooting it, and I shoot it often. I ought to post more about it . . . and will, when I enter it into Sebastian’s Gun Blogger Rifle League.

The other thing, its a pleasure to shoot at the Arlington Fairfax Izaak Walton League. Head over on a Saturday afternoon - and the place always has room for shooters.

stay tuned for tomorrow, when we bring you another range review