Recent Posts

1

Tactical Rifle & Carbine / This is why I like Thermold clips.

« Last post by Big Frank on Yesterday at 11:13:55 PM »

This is why I like Thermold clips better than G.I. The guys from CroMag loaded G.I. metal stripper clips, unloaded them with a MagRipper, and reloaded them. After 14 loads, both of the brass tabs were broken off making the clip useless. Then they reloaded a Thermold clip over and over. After loading 80+ times, they quit and it was still working like brand new.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=os79Roz9Riw


And this is the other thing I like about Thermold clips. If you ever do wear them out or break them, they aren't scrap metal. You can burn them.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYqjjxv_SKc

2

Tactical Rifle & Carbine / Re: CroMag Industries MagRipper

« Last post by Big Frank on Yesterday at 10:14:56 PM »

I loaded all 900 rounds of bulk JHPs into clips, using 90 of the 100 clips I got from UniqueTek. It's a good thing I got 60 more today because there will be 100 more cardboard sleeves in my ammo box tomorrow. I have 18 of them in one ammo can, 540 rounds, and 36 more clips in the 6 Ziploc bags the ammo came in  in another ammo can for now. I'll have to reevaluate later to figure out if I need more clips or sleeves, or ammo cans to put them in. I forgot to post pics of the 120mm can I'm getting. They didn't have 120mm mortars when I was in the army, just the four-deuce which was 107mm, and rifled with gain-twist rifling. Now all the mortars are fin-stabilized.

3

Down Range Cafe / Re: The U.S. Postal Service stikes again!

« Last post by Big Frank on Yesterday at 10:07:39 PM »

My package from Canada made it here today. But the other one arrived in Indianapolis 9 days ago and was in transit to next facility 5 days ago. Google maps says it takes 108 hours to walk from Indianapolis to Flint. If you walked 12 hours a day it would take 9 days, which it's already been, and there's still no telling where in the world it is.

4

Down Range Cafe / Re: More flashlights and stuff

« Last post by Big Frank on Yesterday at 09:59:39 PM »

Thanks, Majer. I think you're going to like the i3T 2 EOS, especially if you put a 10440 Lithium battery in it. They're 3.7 volts instead of 1.5 volts, but you need a lithium battery charger that goes up to 4.2 volts to charge them. You can also use rechargeable NiMH batteries but they're only 1.2 volts. You can put a 10440 battery in the little i3E EOS but it wasn't made for it and will get hot before long. If you want a lot of light for a moment, you can't can't beat it for its size, but I don't know how long the battery will last. An alkaline AAA is supposed to last 45 minutes and a NiMH for 70 minutes, but probably close to 72 lumens, not 90, which still isn't bad for a single AAA the size of a pinky finger. But the i3T 2 EOS will put out 300 lumens with a 10440 battery, 200 lumens with a AAA alkaline, and maybe 160 lumens with a NimH battery. That's a heck of a difference between the NiHM and the 10440. I got a bunch of them on Amazon, cheap.

https://www.amazon.com/10440-battery/s?k=10440+battery

5

Down Range Cafe / Re: More flashlights and stuff

« Last post by Majer on Yesterday at 07:27:27 PM »

That was probably me. I ordered an i3T 2 EOS along with the free i3T EOS. waiting on delivery. last report they were in NJ.

6

Tactical Rifle & Carbine / Re: CroMag Industries MagRipper

« Last post by Big Frank on Yesterday at 07:24:37 PM »

My MagRipper G.I., Clip Loader, and 60 more Thermold clips got here today. I'm going to put Lust For Lists on, on SiriusXM, and load my 900 rounds of .223 Remington 52 grain JHPs into clips. I'll put 600 rounds in cardboard inserts for bandoliers, but I don't have any bandoliers, just ammo cans. UPS is bringing another ammo can tomorrow, a 120mm mortar ammo can. Outside Dimension: 12" x 6-1/2" x 32". Available Interior Space: 11" x 5-1/2" x 31-1/2". Weight: 22.5 lbs. Big enough to stick a few long guns in. They stack horizontally using the built-in ribs, and should be useful for storing all kinds of survival tools and food.

https://www.cleanammocans.com/pa154-120mm-mortar-surplus-ammo-can.html

7

Left The Range / Re: My old army buddy, Scott

« Last post by Big Frank on Yesterday at 06:43:40 PM »

I emailed one of me an Scott's old roommates, D in Bay City, MI, and let him know what happened. I heard back from him today. I don't know how to get hold of our other roommate, J, but I don't think anyone wanted to keep in touch with him anyway. I emailed one of our old platoon sergeants last month, but never got a reply. He's 77 years old if he's still alive, but he should have died when both of his parachutes failed when he doing a demonstration with the Golden Knights (United States Army Parachute Team). Actually 3 parachutes failed, because he had a 3rd one that was intentionally rigged to be a streamer instead of the canopy opening. He cut it away and popped his main chute which didn't work. So he cut it away and popped his secondary chute and it failed too. It slowed him down enough not to kill him when it broke most of the bones in his body. He went from Airborne to Chairborne, and was on borrowed time way before I met him, 40+ years ago. I'll try sending him another email, but the address may not be current. Here's a picture of him I found online. It looks like it's when he was in Vietnam.

8

Cooking & Recipes / Re: What's the last thing you ate or are currently eating?

« Last post by Big Frank on Yesterday at 06:19:18 PM »

I had Baked Three Cheese Potato Casserole with 1 1/2 hotdogs cut up in it, after most of the grease was cooked, out for breakfast. I was a little bit hungry again so I had a bowl of ramen. I think that was the same kind of potatoes I had about a week ago and covered with Kraft singles, because more cheese is always better. Well, not always. I couldn't even taste the potatoes.

Yesterday I used my last 3 hot dog buns at breakfast. I filled them with leftover spicy jalapeno refried beans and a hotdog, and topped each one with 2/3 of a slice of Kraft American singles and nuked them. No salsa and they were still good. I still had 3 hotdogs, so I cooked them and sliced them up. I put half in some mac and cheese yesterday and saved the other half for today. Mac and cheese is a good way to get rid of a couple hotdogs when you run out of buns. I put the the other 3 packs of hotdogs in the freezer.

9

Down Range Cafe / Re: Forced truck upgrade.

« Last post by Big Frank on Yesterday at 06:07:35 PM »

IIRC there was $19,000 damage to my 1986 Dodge van and they fixed it. The cost to replace it was probably no more than $100 over that, that and the insurance company did it the cheap way. It took half a year to fix it, and it was still falling apart years later. The hinge pins in the doors may have been intact after the rollover, but they didn't all stay intact when I was driving around. Somethimes I would open a door and  SURPRISE, only one hinge was holding it on and the door dropped down on an angle.

10

Down Range Cafe / Re: More flashlights and stuff

« Last post by Big Frank on Yesterday at 06:00:01 PM »

I went with the OD Green.
I like the potential for use over my standard EDC Streamlight. The O Light looks to be about the same dimension as a Zippo lighter....so with the clip, I can clip it to the pocket on my Carhartt tee shirts and free up both hands.
A lot of times we are going in and out of both kitchens at church after hours to restock supplies, take out trash after cooking, or cleaning and such and having both hands free to unlock/lock doors ...or while carrying items, will be useful.

I used to hate OD Green, but a couple decades after I got out of the army I started to like it. I would choose it over black and probably over orange too. Black is boring. It will never be my EDC flashlight, but the Oclip is a great backup to have around for those hands-free situations. I just checked and I earned $2.78 for your order. And $0.86 for my second friend's order. Thanks, friend, whoever you are. My Total Rewards are $3.64 and my Available Rewards are $0.00. If the total ever adds up to $10 I think that's when I actually get paid. I'll give you back half of my "commission" once I get it.