My New SKS

On Sunday November 27th I braved miserable weather to shoot a few rounds with my new SKS. I purchased the rifle on-line during Thanksgiving through the new web site LANZ Shooting Supplies had posted. The month between buying and now shooting the SKS gave me a chance to fully clean the Cosmoline from the rifle and yes, there was a lot of it.

This SKS is my first semi-auto rifle and I feel it's well designed for the common man such as myself. I once owned a LADA and after that experience vowed never to own anything made in Russia ever again. For those of you who know what a LADA is you know my shame. With a flip of the Take Down latch the entire Rear Housing, Bolt, Spring, and Carrier mechanism comes apart enabling full maintenance of the action. Another lever by the Rear Sight Assembly releases the Handguard, Gas Cylinder and Piston. It’s very simple to field strip this firearm so I guess the Russian gunsmiths put their smarts where it really counts.

To me, half the fun of owning this rifle is researching it's back ground. Starting with the concept for the design, which I believe, came from captured German Sturmgewehrs. And it's no mistake the Kalashnikov AK-47 also has strong similarities to the SKS. The one I bought on-line from LANZ was made in 1953 at the Tula Arsenal (aka Tula Arms Plant). Although all the serial numbers match the stock has come from another firearm making it refurbished. As for the city of Tula it has wonderful history dating back to at least the 14th century. Peter the Great, in 1712, commissioned blacksmiths and it became the first armament factory in Russia. It was also here in 1869 that Tolstoy wrote his celebrated novel War and Peace.

Okay, enough of the history lesson and onto the fun. Light rain blew in sideways out on Range Five. I pointed the muzzle down range at the 60 m target and loaded five rounds into the SKS. I tucked the butt into my shoulder, gripped the stock, aimed and fired. The SKS barked, the shell ejected. BAM! A perfect relay of engineering. The recoil of this Russian SKS handles very well. I've always liked the heavier wood stock of the older rifles for that reason. I've shot slugs from my current Remington 870 and after 25 rounds I'm ready to call it a day. This rifle is well balanced and easy to handle confidently and securely. I easily went through 200+ rounds of surplus 7.62x39 ammo. The next time I'm out at Silverdale I'll spend some time to sight the rifle. I understand there can be discrepancies with groupings at 100 yards. Today was just to have fun.

The only strikes I have against the SKS so far is the use of stripper clips and cleaning. I found I could load five rounds faster by hand then using the clip. If you go on You Tube you'll see other sportsmen having the same issue. The second strike is cleaning the firearm after shooting. That surplus ammunition causes a lot of residue that's thick, sticky and it get's everywhere. The bayonet is a nice touch but the silver paint cheapens the look. But I’m here to shoot the target, not stab it.

By David

The Browning Buckmark Camper .22 LR rimfire pistol

The Browning Buckmark has been around now for 25 years.  There are more than 20 variations offered and they have a reputation for accuracy and reliablity.

I'd like to share my experience with the Browning Buckmark Camper which is an introductory model to the Buckmark family of rimfire pistols.
 
The Buckmark Camper features a blowback action chambered for .22 Long Rifle and sports a single-action trigger.  The receiver is made of alloy and is matte blued finish.
The barrel is a tapered bull 5.5 inches in length and also matte blue finish.  The Campers grips are a black composite but give a nice soft feel and provide a secure grip even
if hands are damp or cold.  The overall length is 9.5 inches and empty weight is 34 ounces.  This makes for a nicely balanced pistol which tends to stay firmly on target while shooting.
  Magazine release is found in the typical location below the trigger guard and ahead of the grip.
A notable feature of the Buckmark Camper is the manual thumb-operated, sear-blocking safety.  Also, the slide remains open after the last shot is fired and will not fire without the magazine in place.
The magazine holds 10 rounds of .22 long rifle only.  The Pro-Target sight is adjustable by screw and has 16 clicks per revolution on both windage and elevation compared to the 12 clicks you get with other rimfires.
This translates into finer adjustments which helps with accuracy.
 
My overall opinion of the Browning Buckmark Camper pistol so far is based on pysical features.  It should make for an excellent target pistol for both beginners and experienced shooters alike.
 
Watch for my next blog as I plan to have some range time with the Buckmark and will provide details on its shooting ability and show pictures of the pistol
and how well it groups on target.
 
Sam C (R.O. Silverdale Gun Club)

Trap Shooting

Yesterday was a great day at the range.  Started off the day with a round of trap.  Using an older over & under Browning Citori 12 gauge. I was shooting alone, using the foot peddle to throw the clays.  Not a huge fan of that, shooting trap is much easier with some else pushing for you.  I hit only 12 out of 25, I guess ALOT more practice is in my future.  Over all the gun functioned great and did its job.  Now I need to do mine.  LOL.  This picture I took one I was done shooting.  Its a little dark but you can see how nice it was shooting a round of trap first thing in the morning.  See you at the range, Sara

A Bit About Us

Thank you for reading our blog here is a little background on the store and the range.
          At Lanz Shooting Supplies we are not just sales staff, we are the hunters you see up north, the local bowhunters out for deer, & also you will find us on the range target shooting. You will see us often on the range shooting our own firearms. Our staff are all handgun, rifle & shotgun shooters.
           We sell products that we know work well becasue we use them ourselves. If you are coming looking for a great scope for your hunting rifle or ammo for your AR 15, we will be able to help you. With our store being on a range we are always up to date with the new shooting trends and all the new products that are coming available.
           Silverdale Gun Club opened 1963, by George L. Miller. Silverdale is located on 100 acres in Niagara Region of Ontario. Silverdale has 2 trap ranges, 2 action ranges, 25/50 yard range, 50 yard range, 100/200 yard range & 40/60 & 100 metre range. Also we have a 3D archery range that is open, and offer camping to our members.
          Silverdale is accepting member & also guest passes. Our membership runs January 1 to December 31 for a small fee of $240.00. If you would like to add your family to your membership it is $20.00 per person. This would include your spouse and children under the age of 21. We offer a range orientation every Saturday morning at 11am for all new members free of charge. Come out and meet the range offices, office staff, store staff and other members of Silverdale. If you are interested in a guest pass we are open Saturday & Sunday 9am to 5pm. The fee for a guest pass is $20.00 per entry.
         Silverdale has on on-site classroom.  We offer PAL courses both non restricted & restricted, Hunter Education, Bow Hunting Course & CSSA Club Level Handgun Safety Courses. Listed on the Events page is our course dates that are available, please call to reserve your spot.
We have several events that we put on throughout the year like The Great Pumpkin Shoot, Remembrance Day Ceremony & Make A Wish Bash to name a few. We also have a monthly gun raffle. Proceeds go to Make A Wish Foundation of Canada.
          We also have a great New Shooter Program that allows someone that maybe interested in becoming a shooter or a hunter. We have five packages to get you started, from Tactical Fun to Trap Shooting . When you come out you will have your own private range officers for you and your group. This program books quickly, please book in advance.
          We hope to see you at the range soon.