NylonRifles.com

Posted By Mac66 on October 26, 2011

See Part II- Marlin795 as a handy dandy field/survival rifle.

The little 795 has proven to be a fun rifle to play with. The more I fool around with it the more I think of things I can do to make it more versatile.

In Part II, I set it up as kind of a grab and go survival rifle. I have since added to and changed a few things in the stock to enhance the stash away benefits.  As you can see in the photo, I added more para cord to the stock, about 25 feet. What you don’t see is about 10 feet of duct tape underneath the paracord.  I also swapped the US GI web sling for a black nylon one. The hardware on the GI sling was just too heavy and noisy

I was able to rig a lighter nylon one to use both as a hasty and loop sling. The next thing I did was re-evaluate what was inside the stock. I kept the 5 magazines and extra 50 rounds of ammo. I kept the foam ear plugs, they are both handy for impromptu shooting sessions

More is better with a survival rifle

and help keep the mags from rattling. I kept the light as it doesn’t take up much room and is handy to have.I added about 12 Ibuprofen tablets as you never know when a headache or other type of pain might occur. They don’t take up much space. I wasn’t satisfied with the screwdriver. While digging around in my junk drawer I came across a small key chain type swiss army knife. This was cheap Chinese one that came as an incentive for something else. It did have a small knife blade, finger nail file and scissors in. I thought I might be able to use it with the 795.

It was a little bit too wide to slide down in a void between mags so I pried off the red plastic scales and tried it again. Yup, slid right in. Now to make it more useful. The blade on this thing was not very good but a go on a sharpening stone made it pass-able. In looking at

multipurpose stash away blade and scissors, always useful

the small nail file, I thought that if I grind the tip down flat I could use it as a screwdriver for the stock screws. In addition, the file part wasn’t much good so I decided to try to put an edge on it as well reasoning that an extra blade couldn’t hurt. Scissors are always useful so I went with them as is. A small piece of paracord made it easier to fish out of the stock. I should note that in addition to the taking off the scales, I polished the steel so I could use it as a signal mirror. (Ok, I know, I am lost in the wilds of metro Detroit and I am going to signal the police helicopter who is out looking for some nut walking around with a rifle).  Also added a couple dabs of orange paint to make it easier to find if dropped. The body of the knife is no more than a couple of inches in length by 3/4″ wide and about 3/8″ thick.

The good thing is that I was able to get an edge on the blade and file and the scissors work. I would prefer to use a real Victorinox Swiss Army Knife key chain version with tweezers and toothpick. Better quality but this one will do for now.

There really isn’t any more room near the buttplate since it contains the small flashlight and extra ammo. I did notice some small thin spaces between the magazines. What else might be useful out in the bushes?  How about fire making tools. Not enough room for a lighter but thin enough for a book of matches to slide down into. While digging around in the kitchen for a pack of matches, I ran across a wet nap in a foil pouch from a bar-b-q joint. Yup, two of them slide right in with the matches and of course the wet-naps have some alcohol in them and can be used as a fire starter.  How about some Band-Aids? Why not, three or four slide right in.  Paper money? Bills would slide in. Naw…I am too cheap to stash money away in a gun stock but then again I could stop at the Bar-B-Q place on the way home.

Thoughts turned to the ammo I was using. I have five ten round mags that hold 50 rounds. I have another 50 rounds in a plastic bag in the stock. I have an additional 30 rounds in the space under the barrel in the fore stock. The ammo I have is CCI Blazer. It cheap and reliable enough for my purposes. I did however think about stealth. What if I had to take a shot at a rabbit, the neighbor’s cat or a zombie and didn’t want

Primer fired, shorter, lighter, quieter than regular .22lr rounds

anyone to hear. Sound suppressors for firearms are not allowed in my state and they are expensive and the rifle barrel would have to be modified. The alternative is to use a quiet bullet. One with possibilities is the Super Colibre by Agullia. This round contains no powder, the bullet is projected by the primer. Because the bullet is quite light (20 grains)  it does have a muzzle velocity of about 600 feet per second which it enough to kill small critters with a head shot. It is also about as loud as an air rifle.  They are not recommended for rifles because of the possibility of a lead projectile getting stuck in the long barrel. I’ve fired them in a number of rifles and they accurate and quiet. One has to manually operate the bolt since there is no recoil but I have not had any stuck bullets. I decided to trade ten of the CCI Blazers in the fore stock for the Super Colibres. I had a case of them from a clearance sale a number of years ago. I think I paid $4 per a 500 round brick.

I also thought about adding some hyper velocity rounds such as the CCI Stingers. They are not recommended in this rifle and the Blazers are high velocity anyway.  I didn’t see much advantage of a hyper velocity round.  Bullet placement is key in using the 22 long rifle cartridge. A little more zing is probably not going to make much difference for my intended use.

One thing I just picked up for the 795 was a butt pad/pouch gizmo. I bought one several years ago for my hunting rifle to raise the comb to see through the scope for a good cheek weld. While preparing that rifle for the coming deer season it struck me that having a pouch to hold more stuff for the 795 would be a good thing. I ordered a couple online through an airsoft supplier. They can be found on eBay under airsoft as well. Though they are primarily marketed for airsoft they are perfectly functional for a real rifle.  The straps are adjustable to fit any stock and they are relatively cheap at under $10. They have Velcro on the inside and outside and come

Cheek pad side. Fully adjustable

with two ammo carriers. One carrier is for rifles, one for shotgun shells. They can be swapped or removed. I had a black one on my bolt-action but the place I bought it from was out of black so I bought a tan and green one. Thought one would be handy on my Ruger 10/22 as well. They just came in the mail the other day so I haven’t figured out what to put in them yet.

So there you have it. A 22 rifle with 130 rounds of ammo, a small knife, paracord, duct tape, matches, Band-Aids,  wipes, ear plugs, hook line and sinker, pain pills, sling, good sights, and some quiet ammo  I did add a couple of Benedryl in case of allergic reaction.  Someone suggested putting a un-lubricated prophylactic in the stock. These are often recommended by survivalists as a means to carry water or to perhaps hook up with the last women on earth. Of course soldiers also used them to protect the muzzles of their rifles in inclement weather.  I decided against it however,  I don’t even want to have to explain to my wife why I carry a rubber in the stock of my gun.

Nice pouch, velcro, ammo carrier. Very versatile

All this fits into the stoc

One of the interesting things about loading the stock with stuff is that, while it makes the gun a bit more hefty, it also gives it a nice sense of balance. A heavier, more balanced gun is easier to shoot accurately. I think the ammo alone adds half a pound or so to the weight.

Close up of items. Still have the pouch to fill.

One suggestion someone sent me was to move all the stuff in the stock to the pouch and then put items in the stock that would not be used very often. For example the mags and all the other items fit easily in the pouch while the stock could be filled completely with ammo. The items would be more accessible in the pouch than they are in the stock. As such you could add a lighter, compass, larger folding knife or small multi-tool and perhaps other items as well.  I suspect one could probably get 150-200 rounds in the stock.  Another idea is to put cleaning and maintenance items in the stock. A small cleaning kit/bore snake would fit in addition to more ammo.  If you were using this as a stash away/survival rifle you might want to put more ammo, survival and cleaning gear with it. If using it as a hunting rifle, you might want more items like a compass, map or other types of field gear.

The list of things to carry is endless and is more a function of what you intend to do with the rifle.

                                                 Stay tuned for Part 4 where I take this little gem in a whole different direction.

Category: 22 rifles, Appleseed, Guns, Information, maintenance, Marlin, Marlin 795, Product Review, rifles, Shooting, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tags: 795, article, marlin, Shooting

Posted By Mac66 on September 20, 2011

SEE PART I - Marlin 795-Inexpensive Training, Plinking (and Survival?) Rifle

So we picked up our 795 and showed that it is an accurate little rifle. What’s next? How about we wring the most out of it and make it into a field capable all around carbine.  This little rifle has the potential to be more than simply a cheap plinker. It can be built into a fairly good training rifle used to emulate center fire military rifles.  As such, the 795 also shines as a fine hunting rifle and as a kick around piece that could be placed behind the back door of any farm-house, used as a truck gun or trunk gun for impromptu shooting sessions. The hollow stock, with a little thought can hold cleaning, hunting, survival supplies or extra magazines and ammo. In addition, it has some value as a stash away or survival gun, ready at a moments notice. To get there however we have to make some additions.

First Up…Sling

The 795 comes equipped with sling studs and as such just about any kind of detachable swivel will fit. Most accessible are Uncle Mike’s swivels which cost about $12 at most sporting goods stores or online. However, the sling is worth consideration.

Best sling period, the USGI Web Sling.

If you have ever had the opportunity to learn how to shoot with a sling, you will know that there are slings and then there are slings. We tend to think of them as little more than carrying straps. The military however have used slings as shooting stabilizers for over a century. They have come up with the best all around device for increasing accuracy ever invented. That is the USGI web sling as found on the M1 Garand and M14 rifles. Simple, effective and inexpensive ($12-15)  this sling can be used standing, sitting, kneeling and prone and will improve anyone’s ability to put rounds on target.

The GI web sling does however need some adaptations for civilian use. It uses two J hooks on either end which go the fixed sling loops on the Garand and M14. In addition the sling is 1.25″ wide unlike most 1.00″ wide civilian slings. Therefore one needs  1.25″ sling swivels to accommodate the sling. The sling can then be installed either of two ways. The first is to simply hook the J hooks over the swivel loops.  The second it to remove the J hooks on the sling and replace them with the swivels.  The later results in a bit less weight and less noise from the metal on metal contact between the hooks and swivels.

Remember to get 1.25" swivels. Cost about $10/pair

Once installed the sling is quick adjustable to be used as a hasty sling or hasty, hasty sling which is useful for hunting. In addition the QD swivels allow the butt end of the sling to be removed from the stud so the sling can be used as a loop sling for standing, sitting or prone shooting.  The loop sling offers the most stability of all sling configurations.  My experience is that the best place to obtain the GI sling is from the Appleseed store. Cost is $12.50.   1.25″ swivels are hard to find in stores and most often have to be ordered online. Try Midway for both the sling and swivels. CDNN also carries web slings. $9 plus flat rate shipping (order on the weekend for reduced shipping.

Next Up…Sights

Manufacturers seems to regard sights as a necessary evil on low-end guns. I don’t know if they just don’t care or if they figure most people only use these rifles for informal shooting and/or put scopes on them so it really doesn’t matter what sights are on them. From the factory, most of these rifles, the 795 and Ruger 10/22 have sights ( U-shaped notch type rear sights, ramped or beaded front)  that prevent precision shooting.  Adding a scope helps overcome the sights but also adds weight and complexity to the system. If target shooting (and the 795 is certainly accurate for target shooting) a scope has lots of value. Since we want a knock around trainer/field gun we want accurate, robust iron sights for our project. Once again, the military came up with the best iron sights ever invented more than a century ago. The basic peep rear and post front sight has been the standard since the 1903 Springfield, through the Garand, M1 Carbine, M16 etc. Add a pair of protective wings along side to protect the peep and post and you have a durable and accurate set of sights.

Fortunately for us a civilian version of the military sights exists made just for our little rifle. Tech Sights are easy to install with just a screw driver and provide a valuable upgrade to the factory sights.

Adjustable rear peep, protected front post. Also note large bolt release lever and original rear sight. photo from www.tech-sights.com

The TSM200 sights are fully adjustable for windage and elevation. Both the rear aperture and front post are replaceable to suit the shooter.  While not inexpensive at around $70, they so improve this little rifle that the could be considered a bargain. A rifle with good peep sights for less than the cost of a basic 10/22 with factory sight is not a bad deal.

GI Sling and Tech Sights make an accurate little carbine

Next Up…Enhanced Capability

One aspect of the Marlin 795 that is interesting is the polymer (plastic) stock. It is obviously hollow and lessons the weight somewhat. It is less obvious how to gain access to. Yes, there are screws in the butt plate but removing them does not release the plate. With considerable effort one has to pry the plate off with a very thin bladed tool.  Once removed however, the void opens up all kind of possibilities.

What can we put in there?

How about this?

My curiosity was piqued when I saw the empty stock. I bought the 795 to play around with and/or use at Appleseed. I often carried a 22 rifle in my truck when I went to my hunting cabin and the thought of an all in one package, gun and ammo intrigued me. Originally I had thought about some cleaning supplies and perhaps and extra magazine. I found that a small brush and an extra magazine and piece of rag fit easily inside the stock. How about two extra magazines? Yup, two extra fit in addition to the original.

Well if three is good, how about four?  Or five?  Four works pretty easily, five seem like they should fit but it took some time to figure it out. Eventually I was able to get 5 in the stock with a little room to spare.

The Set Up…

Mags must go in like this to fit, from right to left

How they line up inside the stock

Looking at the photos, the mag at the far right goes in first. Tip the rifle on it’s back and slide the mag in. Then put mag #2 in right behind it. At this point you will want to lay the rifle on it’s right side.  Set mag #3 next to #2, or below it as seen in the photo. Mag #4 slides in behind #2 and

Loaded up. That's mag #4 & 5 on top. #3 down inside on the bottom

then #5 is wedged in next to #4.  That leaves some space below mags 4&5 and behind mag #3. I

50 extra rounds could be handy

found that 50 rounds in a plastic bags fills that space.

So where are we now?  We have an accurate little carbine that holds 5 loaded mags in the stock and an additional 50 rounds of loose ammo for a total of 100 rounds. Not a bad self-contained package.  Of course you can substitute cleaning and/or survival supplies for any of the mags and/or ammo. Depends on your needs. Might want to add a small flat screwdriver to take the stock screws out as well.

What else can we do?  After carrying this little gem around in my truck for a couple of months I returned to my man cave and was fiddling around with an M1 carbine I bought from a friend whose father died. He was a WWII veteran.  I was intrigued when I bought the carbine that the old vet had stored two rounds of ammo in the fore stock under the barrel. The rounds had been wrapped in aluminum foil. The rifle came with an

Fill that space

aftermarket plastic folding stock as well as an original wood stock. The plastic stock had some space under the barrel and that’s where the ammo was located.

The aluminum insulated the ammo from barrel heat. Reduces cookoff danger

That gave me the idea to take off the 795′s stock and take a look-see. Sure enough there was empty space there. The question became how many rounds would fit?  I started wrapping ammo in aluminum foil and squeezing it into place. After some fiddling around, I was able to get 12 rounds in the first section. 11 rounds in the second section and 7 rounds in the third for a total of 30 rounds.  One question is that came to mind is if putting ammo next to the barrel is safe. I made sure that I wrapped the ammo in several layers and then folded over a couple more layers near the barrel.  A few weeks later I took the rifle to the range and fired about 300 rounds through it before I remembered that there was ammo in the fore stock. With the barrel still hot, I took off the stock and checked the foil. It was barely warm.

So, there you have it. A cheap little carbine with peep sights, web sling, 5 magazines, 130 rounds of ammo together in one package. If you can think of anything else to do with this neat little rifle let me know. In the mean time, if you decide to buy a Marlin, a web sling, Tech Sights and/or Uncle Mike’s swivels etc, tell them that you got the idea from www.nylonrifles.com.   Help spread the word.

UPDATE!

More goodies

Took my 795 to an Appleseed a couple of weeks ago and found that it was difficult to hold when I was sweating. Both the pistol grip and buttstock gets slippery.  The solution was an application of a product called Vet Tape, or stretchy wrap. This stuff is like an elastic bandage that is coated with a rubbery substance that somewhat tacky and sticks to itself. It is easily removable and leaves no residue. It can be found in the medical aisle of most drug stores, in the running sections of most sports shops etc. It is found in pet stores and animal medical sections. It is what they wrap around the ankles of race horses. Comes in all kinds of colors. I know Bass Pro, Cabelas, Dunhams etc sell a camo version.  You can also use the wrap as a field expedient fix to raise the comb of the store if using a scope.

Another alternative for wrapping the butt stock is to use para cord. Always handy to have in the field. I had a 15 ft piece of paracord left over from another project so I wrapped the stock with it. I may just keep it that way.

Next thing I did was add a few things to go into the stock. I put a small key chain LED light in. The light is 10 for $5 from www.dealextreme.com. It is very bright and I keep one on all my keys and kits. I also added pair of foam ear plugs and about a dozen ibuprofen tablets. In the photo you may see a small wrench. At the other end of the wrench is a flat screwdriver. It is nice and flat and came from a Dremel type rotary tool. Slides right in.

The pistol grip cap can be removed with two screws. Not much space inside but enough room for a hook, line and sinker. The foam ear plug doubles as a bobber.

Why not fish?

 UPDATE II….

I had an inquiry as to how to dry fire the 795 and if the magazine/trigger safety can be disconnected.  The short answer is the only way to dry fire is to use an empty magazine so that the mag disconnect is engaged.  Doing so means you have to retract and then release the locked bolt each time you pull the trigger.

There is a way to disconnect the trigger safety. WARNING-DOING SO WILL VOID THE FACTORY WARRANTY AND LIKELY IS UNSAFE PARTICULARLY IF USED BY CHILDREN AND OTHERS UNFAMILIAR WITH FIREARMS OR THIS FIREARM. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. I accept no responsibility for any consequences should you attempt to do this. I DO NOT RECOMMEND DOING THIS. DO NOT DO THIS IF ANYONE ELSE SHOOTS YOUR RIFLE. IT SERVES NO PURPOSE.   But if you do want to dry fire you can bend the little silver tab up. This tap holds the trigger bar/sear down out of contact with the sear unless a magazine is inserted. Bending it up prevents it from holding the bar down allowing the sear to engage. Nothing further is needed and no permanent modification is needed. It does not improve the trigger so there is really no benefit in doing it. I offer this for informational purposes only.

Metal Tab. DO NOT DO THIS IF OTHER PEOPLE EVER SHOOT YOUR RIFLE

PS. To get the most out of any rifle, learn to shoot it. The best way to learn is to get instruction. The best instruction I know of is the Appleseed Project. Check it out. It teaches you to use your rifle like a rifle should be used. It is also lots of fun. www.appleseedinfo.org

Part III- Marlin 795 More Stuff 

.

Category: 22 rifles, Appleseed, Guns, Information, Marlin, Marlin 795, rifles, Shooting, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tags: 795, Information, marlin, Shooting

Posted By Mac66 on September 2, 2011

PART I of IV

While I am a big fan of Nylon Rifles I am also a fan of 22 rifles in general. When I run across a good one I am inclined to share it.

While shooting at Appleseed, (see the story Guns of Appleseed) 3-4 months ago I ran across someone shooting a neat little semi auto 22 rifle. I thought it interesting and decided to find our more about it. It turned out to be a Marlin 795 and has become popular with Appleseed shooters due to it’s low cost and accuracy.

In summary the 795 is a semi-auto .22 LR caliber rifle with a 10 shot detachable magazine. It has a hollow black plastic stock and an 18″ micro-groove barrel. Overall length is 37″ and it weighs 4.5 lbs.  It is available in blue or stainless steel.   The action itself is straight from a Marlin model 60 modified for a detachable magazine. It features a last shot bolt hold open device, a large bolt release lever and a magazine safety. In addition to the button type cross bolt safety, the rifle cannot be fired with the magazine removed. It comes with sling swivel studs mounted on the stock. Mine also came with one of those skinny little scopes. This scope is made by Simmons but was all but useless so Into the trash it went.

The best thing about the Marlin 795 is the price. The blued version is typically priced from $125-150 but  is widely discounted. In addition, there is a  $25 factory rebate on them until the end of the year. Mine cost $105 after rebate, not counting sales tax. A sales flier I received recently has them priced $95 after the rebate.  Cheap is usually bad but in this case it is an excellent bang for the buck.

Is this rifle perfect? Well no. My first impression of it was that it was a cheaply made or dubious quality. It felt small compared to a

Safety button, bolt release and magazine release.

Ruger 10/22. Even though are the same length, the 795′s stock is narrower due to the use of a single stack magazine. The rifle is also about 1/2 lb lighter.  It is obvious that Marlin used a number of cost cutting techniques to make the $100 price point. The stock feels flimsy, the magazine release and bolt release are thin stamped steel and feel chintzy.  The rear sight is rudimentary at best. The trigger guard is plastic and it’s durability is suspect.

On the other hand, everything works. I’ve had mine a couple of months and have shot a couple thousand rounds through it.  The stock does not feel flimsy anymore and I don’t see any issues with any of the controls. The stock in fact offers up some possibilities which I will discuss in part II. I should note that the magazine release is a thin piece of spring steel that holds the mag in place by spring pressure. My mags would fall out when the bolt closed. To fix that, I bent the release forward to add more pressure. That seemed to do the trick and I have not had an issue since.

Next issue was to shoot the rifle for accuracy and reliability. I shoot at Appleseed and I plink. I don’t shoot competition nor am a slave to the shooting bench. On the other hand I am a decent shot and will shoot off a sandbags on occasion to try a rifle out. I picked 4 extra magazines $12.99/ea at CDNN on a weekend special and then headed to the range when they arrived.

Penny sized groups were normal off the bench

Once I zeroed the sights in at 25 meters I was pleased at the result. Ammo was CCI Blazer which is nowhere near being target ammo.

One of the things I learned in Appleseed was to shoot standing with a sling. The sling add significant stability when shooting off-hand.

Here are a couple of targets free-standing with a sling.

10 shots free-standing at 25 meters with loop sling.

The point is, this rifle is capable of very good accuracy. Those groups were done with iron sights and standard factory trigger.  My sandbag rest groups averaged about 1/2″ (about 2 MOA) and my standing groups were 1.5″.

1.5" group at 25 meters standing with sling

The micro groove barrel is known for accuracy and made me look good.

Accessories

Unlike the Ruger 10/22, the Marlin 795 does not have a whole cottage industry behind it making up things to spend your money on. Typical accessories would be a sling .  A decent scope might help you shrink those groups a bit. A red dot sight helps with fast target acquisition.

Other accessories include an aluminum trigger guard. Diversified Innovative Products has metal trigger guards as well as target triggers and extended bolt handles.

Conclusion

The Marlin 795 is a great little rifle. It makes a good first rifle if you are just getting into shooting. The magazine safety on a rifle like this is a good idea particularly if you are have children. Take away the magazine and the rifle cannot be fired. A good thing for storing it away. The controls, with the exception of the magazine release are easy to use. The factory sights are poor for precision shooting but an inexpensive scope or red dot sight will cure that. A good scope or set of Tech Sights make it into a very good small game hunting rifle.

Overall, the Marlin 795 is one of those rare items that give more value than the money you spend for it. It is definitely a best buy.

 In Part II, I discuss getting the most out of the 795,  both as a training rifle and/or as a field capable stash away/survival rifle.

Category: 22 rifles, Appleseed, Guns, Marlin, Marlin 795, Product Review, Shooting, Training | No Comments »
Tags: 795, article, marlin, Shooting