Vegas SMG
09-14-2004, 12:12 AM
Some time back, I boxed up a package with several jobs for Joe Black to work on. After receiving the finished items back, it took me a few weeks to get out and function check his work, but the cooler weather and restart of our local subgun matches after a two month summer break "forced" me into several hours of shooting over the weekend.
1.) Honestly, my 40 something eyes aren't what they once were, and I now require reading glasses for any close up reading/work. Aligning the front sight with the rear and then placing it on target has become increasingly difficult. I had Joe install one of his Weaver rails on a surplus UZI top cover I supplied so I could move up to the open class and use optics. I topped it off with an Eotech holo sight and the combination is nothing short of fantastic! Super fast target acquisition and the Eotech is very, very bright, something that's critical with our cloudless desert sky and intense sun. It will take some adjustment on my part to keep both eyes open, but I'm completely satisfied.
2.) Mounting optics on the top cover almost dictates the use of his side cocking lever. Yep, I had him install his one finger side cockers while he was transforming the top cover. This thing works as good as it looks, and it looks GREAT. It will take me some time to adjust to the side cocker after using the factory top mounted knob for many thousands upon thousands of rounds but It will almost certainly be worth it.
3.) After reading many threads regarding M16 hammer pin breakage, (and actually breaking one myself in my RR Colt), and suffering possible damage to the receiver's hammer pin hole, I mailed Joe my M16/9 bolt for his ramping service. I've never really enjoyed shooting my M16 in 9mm because it just feels too "jumpy", but I'm an accessory whore and had to have a 9mm upper. I know some people prefer the M16/9 to other subguns, (fires from a closed bolt), but the high cost of factory mags with the last round bolt hold open feature, and the jumpiness I described have never made it one of my favorite subguns. Joe's ramping is nicely done, and it seems to have removed at least some of the jumpiness. I let a friend use it in his M16/9, and he was VERY impressed with what he perceived as a pronounced reduction in the level of jumpiness. Neither of us could decern a change in the ROF as opposed to an unramped bolt without any material removed. Both guns were using an AAC rate reducer, so any change in the ROF should be minimal anyway. Joe, how much weight is actually removed with the ramping process, and have you ever timed the before and after ROF? Again, I'm satisfied and considered this operation as insurance against a damaged transferable receiver, but it SEEMS to have a positive side effect on controlability.
4.) I also mailed Joe a Vector made UZI drum to be cut for use in the M16/9. The cut is clean and looks identical when compaired to other converted UZI mags, but for some reason, spent cases fail to clear the chamber and are crushed every second or third round in FA. I'm not sure if the problem is there in semi or not... didn't think to try it. I did push the drum up and hold it tightly while firing and pulled it down while firing, neither had an effect on functioning. I know the process Joe uses to identify the area for cutting the additional slot and it seems like the way to go, but for some reason it didn't work in my gun using an ASA mag well adapter. All my stick mags continue to work well, and the drum still runs perfectly in the Vector UZI. Maybe these should be cut with the owner's particular mag well adapter as Lee Minor of LRM insists on. Heck, 3 out of 4 ain't bad and I haven't contacted Joe regarding this problem.
All in all, I'm happy with the work! Thanks Joe!
1.) Honestly, my 40 something eyes aren't what they once were, and I now require reading glasses for any close up reading/work. Aligning the front sight with the rear and then placing it on target has become increasingly difficult. I had Joe install one of his Weaver rails on a surplus UZI top cover I supplied so I could move up to the open class and use optics. I topped it off with an Eotech holo sight and the combination is nothing short of fantastic! Super fast target acquisition and the Eotech is very, very bright, something that's critical with our cloudless desert sky and intense sun. It will take some adjustment on my part to keep both eyes open, but I'm completely satisfied.
2.) Mounting optics on the top cover almost dictates the use of his side cocking lever. Yep, I had him install his one finger side cockers while he was transforming the top cover. This thing works as good as it looks, and it looks GREAT. It will take me some time to adjust to the side cocker after using the factory top mounted knob for many thousands upon thousands of rounds but It will almost certainly be worth it.
3.) After reading many threads regarding M16 hammer pin breakage, (and actually breaking one myself in my RR Colt), and suffering possible damage to the receiver's hammer pin hole, I mailed Joe my M16/9 bolt for his ramping service. I've never really enjoyed shooting my M16 in 9mm because it just feels too "jumpy", but I'm an accessory whore and had to have a 9mm upper. I know some people prefer the M16/9 to other subguns, (fires from a closed bolt), but the high cost of factory mags with the last round bolt hold open feature, and the jumpiness I described have never made it one of my favorite subguns. Joe's ramping is nicely done, and it seems to have removed at least some of the jumpiness. I let a friend use it in his M16/9, and he was VERY impressed with what he perceived as a pronounced reduction in the level of jumpiness. Neither of us could decern a change in the ROF as opposed to an unramped bolt without any material removed. Both guns were using an AAC rate reducer, so any change in the ROF should be minimal anyway. Joe, how much weight is actually removed with the ramping process, and have you ever timed the before and after ROF? Again, I'm satisfied and considered this operation as insurance against a damaged transferable receiver, but it SEEMS to have a positive side effect on controlability.
4.) I also mailed Joe a Vector made UZI drum to be cut for use in the M16/9. The cut is clean and looks identical when compaired to other converted UZI mags, but for some reason, spent cases fail to clear the chamber and are crushed every second or third round in FA. I'm not sure if the problem is there in semi or not... didn't think to try it. I did push the drum up and hold it tightly while firing and pulled it down while firing, neither had an effect on functioning. I know the process Joe uses to identify the area for cutting the additional slot and it seems like the way to go, but for some reason it didn't work in my gun using an ASA mag well adapter. All my stick mags continue to work well, and the drum still runs perfectly in the Vector UZI. Maybe these should be cut with the owner's particular mag well adapter as Lee Minor of LRM insists on. Heck, 3 out of 4 ain't bad and I haven't contacted Joe regarding this problem.
All in all, I'm happy with the work! Thanks Joe!