Bill Blair Gives up the Secret

 Most gun owners are now aware about the massive ban on firearms that took place one day before Quebec Grave Dancing day.

I watched the announcement carefully.  Bill Blair stated that the Department of National Defence would be used to sort out what rifles would be suitable for donation to Ukraine.  This seems to suggest that the military transport and logistic systems are likely to be used to collect newly prohibited firearms.  Basically, Canadian Soldiers going door to door taking property under threat of force.

Imagine the military going door to door taking guns.  With tens of thousands of prohibited rifles something is going to go wrong, someone will be hurt, or killed.

Remember that Bill Blair runs the military.  The same tyrant that authorized illegal detentions when he was in charge of the Toronto Police and the G20 summit was in town. 

Now consider a government who, despite being advised by CSIS to the contrary during the Trucker Protest, decided to invoke the Emergencies Act.  The lucky ones would be arrested (without cause) with no habaes corpus.  Freezing bank accounts.  And those who speak up, gun owner or not, would be jailed under Trudeau's anti-free speech law.

For the unlucky ones... well... the stage is set with the unpunished death of Rodger Kotanko.   They can simply kill those who oppose the Liberals like rabid dogs using the excuse they had "Weapons of War".

Fuck Facebook; Specter Arms is done with it.

Over the last few weeks every single Facebook post about our products, events, projects that have been developed or are being developed have been ruled to be against “Facebook community standards.”

Today was the last straw when our post saying we would be at the Dawson Creek gun show was removed.

Specter Arms does not post cat videos or affirmations about the greatness of Trudeau Socialism, we are a gun company.  We try to post what we think our followers would like to know about and none of those posts are making it through. 

So Specter Arms is abandoning Facebook. 

This blog will see a slight change in its format.  In addition to political and survival articles, we will start to write about products we have developed or are developing.   

Magazine Ban?

 Recently the new public safety minister announced that he would be banning any magazine with its capacity blocked by a rivet.  This method has been used since the mid 1990s to comply with Canada's stupid magazine restrictions.  There are 10s of thousands of these magazines in Canada.

I have deliberately avoided commenting on this news while I thought it over.  I left the obvious commentary to others.

What isn't being asked is what this ban will actually look like.  I think I have it figured out and it does not look pretty.

Long before I started my business back in 2008, I was forced to shop at places like P&D and Milarm.  I was trying to help my friend get magazines for his brand new AR-15 (one that I actually traded to him in exchange for a car).  We stopped by P&D and bought some metal AR-15 mags.  After opening what I can only describe as a "homemade" package, we discovered that the side of the magazine had been cut out.  When you inserted round #6, it spit it out the side. 

In addition to compromising the structural integrity of the magazine, it made it collect dirt, snag on everything and come to think of it, those magazines were more expensive to buy in pre-2008 then they are today with rivets. $40 of 2007 money versus $25 of 2023 money.

Real inflation (not government bullshit numbers) suggests that real inflation is 11% per year.  But let's pretend they are what the government says they are (I don't want to give anyone a heart attack).  If we make the premise that $40 was the cost to buy and cut the side out of the magazine in 2007, then adjusting for inflation that same magazine will cost $54.91 in 2024.  

But that is not all...

Any magazine going through this alteration will require a fixture to mount the magazine while it is milled open.  Each type will require its own fixture.  Magazines that are less common will simply disappear.  As an example, I will certainly not make a fixture for modifying P320 magazines; they are too uncommon to be economical.

Plastic magazines modified in this manner will eventually shatter unless babied.  Metal ones will bend.  Both will have their springs exposed to the elements.  Spring steel rusts very quickly.  If you can find magazines, they will need to be replaced often at the painful inflated price.

It was Inevitable: A Liberal Inflicted Woe

 So the inevitable has happened.

Strained gun businesses have reached the breaking point.  Excessive regulations, bans destroying product lines and rampant inflation ruining the import power of the Canadian dollar are all to blame.  And, of course, these things can be attributed squarely and directly on failed economic and safety policy by ideological idiots.

2 firearm related businesses folded in Alberta in the last 14 days.  One is a small hobby sized business selling accessories and the other is a medium sized one with employees and a storefront.

I always pay attention to what other businesses are doing.  This weeks survivors (including myself) are struggling.  They are offering sale after sale to keep cash flowing taking often an unsustainable 2 to 5 percent profit.  Even with sales, no one is buying.  People are starved for cash as their food and mortgage bills have exploded; they can't buy guns.  

The industry is in dire shape.  These last 2 weeks combined with the other gun business failures over the last year show, very clearly, that the collapse has begun. 

CSAAA Betrayal

For those who have not heard, a gun industry advocate , the CSAAA, has opted to assist Crime Minister Trudeau's gun ban and confiscation. 

They sheepishly say it remains a bad idea but the facts are clear; they have made a rational and conscious decision to publicly and overtly help in a crime on an industrial scale.

This is absolutely and unequivocally the immoral and incorrect thing to do;

1) It ends the fight for those unwilling to surrender; robbing them of personal choice.

2) It legitimizes the crime about to be committed.

3) It ends the gun industry and the livelihoods of tens of thousands of people.

Now there are dissenting views on this matter.

It was argued to me that a business will get back the value of their inventory.  People holding this view fail to realize is all of the banned guns are likely to generate 50% to 100% of additional value, over their initial price tag, through customized options such as sights, scopes, spare magazines, lights lasers or aftermarket parts. It also fails to acknowledge the lost sales from future models of that gun.  I also consider it likely that businesses will only be paid their wholesale costs (typically 20-22% less than what the consumer pays).

But what was really stolen was hope.  Without a gun industry Judas, this plan could of never got off the ground.  There was hope that the government would change. That the resurrection of our industry was forthcoming.   That we would only need to suffer these trials and tribulations just a bit longer before we got to the end of this dark tunnel.

The finalization of this plan, aided by the CSAAA, ensures there is no bright future forthcoming for the industry. 

The businesses members of the CSAAA that voted for this action, opted to abandon the fight for justice and get their golden payout.  Id go so far as to suggest they were likely near retirement anyway and see this as a selfishly easy way to terminate their businesses and spend their lives holding down a chair at the old folks home in comfort.

Millions of gun owners and businesses that are willing to fight and endure were thrown under the bus.

They unilaterally made a choice on our behalf robbing the rest of us the right to fight for our livelihoods.

Alberta Firearms Act

The Alberta Firearms Act is a sad smokescreen sold to gun owners as a means of protecting our lawfully owned property.

Having read it, it seems that half the bill sets the stage for all the relevant restrictions to be set by OIC.  OIC is fine when you have a friendly government as Danielle Smith's UCP seems to be.  But she will not be in power forever.  What if a less friendly person took the head of government?  Without needing to repeal Bill 8, they could simply loosen restricitons through the OIC channels set up in the bill.  Overnight, protections could evaporate with the stroke of a pen.  When Tyler Shandro sells it as "being flexible" what he is doing, is setting the stage for a future hostile government to scoop the guns up.

The Alberta bill is weak and offers no protection compared to the Sask firearms bill.  The Sask Firearms Act is full of bite, laying out an impossible scenario for confiscation agents to follow requiring hundreds of years to execute and tens of millions of dollars in new infrastructure.  To remove it, will require it to go through the legislative process which could buy gun owners critical months to mount resistance to the bill.

The Alberta Firearms Act, is not cause to celebrate.  In fact, I see it as a means to make us complacent and easier to victimize when we least expect it.

Beating The Shadow Registry

The Shadow Registry is diabolically clever when you consider that the end game is to simply take all guns.

But there is a way to hide what you buy from the government without breaking the law.  These 3 points need to be satisfied:

- Firstly, for this to work you can only buy from a private seller or a grey market seller (no licensed businesses).  This is because the law requires all the information to be stored on the purchase by licensed dealers.

- Secondly, the gun being purchased must have been in private seller hands before May 2022.  After May 2022, it likely entered the Shadow Registry via dealer and is unsafe.

- Thirdly, you need to have been licensed to own firearms before May 2022.

Sales between private sellers do not require that you tell the registrar what you are selling or buying.  Without the link back to a licensed dealer, the gun truly can not be tracked.  Yes, your total has gone up by one but if you have been licensed, pre-registry, they don’t have a starting number to begin with.

No matter what the person (registrar) on the phone says; you do not need to tell them what you are selling.  DON’T VOLUNTEER INFORMATION YOU ARE NOT LEGALLY REQUIRED TO GIVE.

Defunding The Police

For the leftists that cheer for this idiocy, know this: a new enforcement agency will be created to take the place of the defunded police.

Unlike the police, their job will be to enforce laws that go against the will of the state only.  So instead of having police that protect you from crime using the law (which is somehow racist), this new agency will exist to protect the state from you, using the law.   

No more investigating the guy who broke into your house or beat up your daughter.  Their efforts will be tracking tax evasion, unregistered guns, smuggling and vaccine enforcement.

Our policing services are far from perfect but beware, defunding the police will spark the next evolution of law enforcement.  That evolution will be dystopian in nature.

Alberta Government Doesn't Want to Steal Guns

Recently the news has been filled with the jubilant announcement from Tyler Shandro that Alberta would not assist the federal government in the gun grab.  This news has been met with joy and a dangerous amount of complacency from the gun community.  The prevailing thought is Alberta is now a safe haven for gun owners and it is time to break out the ol' M305 for hunting trips again.

This is great news but the battle is far from won.  Naturally, with my background as an analyst, I began to ponder how the government could get past this setback aside from the obvious and draconian measures such as calling in the army.  I asked questions to subject matter experts in policing to help brainstorm what course of action the Trudeau regime can take, now that the RCMP have been closed to them.

But how could they do the gun thefts without the RCMP?

Firstly the RCMP "rental" agreement states that the province can direct the RCMP to not enforce certain laws.  That is true.  But the bulk of our population is not found in RCMP controlled areas; they are in the cities.  Calgary Police have already stated they are in favor of enforcing the ban.  Unlike the RCMP, they have the discretion to cooperate enforcing the Crime Minister's petty ban.  Also, the Calgary Police (and Edmonton and Camrose and so on...) are not police just inside their own municipality, they are considered police officers for all of Alberta.  It is legal for a Calgary Police member to operate in High River or an Edmonton member to operate in Sherwood Park.  It may be frowned upon, but it is legal.  This is a potential work around and with virtue signaling fart suckers like Gondek or Sohi in charge of 2 of the most well equipped, powerful forces in Alberta, the odds don't look good for provincial resistance.  The CN police have the power to operate for any law enforcment purpose provided it is 1km from a rail line.  Most small towns are built around a rail line.

But I am not suggesting that the municipal police forces are going to be used in lieu of the RCMP.  It is likely that misuse of police resources will result in a funding cut from the province.  All I am suggesting is that, although unlikely, it could be a method of last resort.  So what is most likelty?

The government has never relied on mass arrests except for the FLQ crisis.  Instead, they have consistently made an example out of one person.  Usually this is in the form of a highly publicized arrest (to show the public), or in the case of Rodger Kotanko, a barely publicized execution (to quietly terrify the gun owners).  It stands to reason that after 30 years of engaging in this successful tactic, they would not switch it up now.  If they could continue to engage in terror operations against the gun owning public, that same public could be forced into complying while the province overtly is not.

Using the premise of compliance through terror, it is most likely that a series of high profile people will be targeted for charges (or a Kotanko style execution if no crimes can be proven).  In our legal system, any person can go to a courthouse and lay an "information".  This is an accusation that a crime has been committed.  Then a crown prosecutor (who is not under the control of the province) can proceed with charges.  No police are needed to actually lay a charge.  The Communication and Security Establishment (Canada's version of the NSA) routinely spies on Canadians and could quickly determine if someone had a harmless rogue Mini-14 squirreled away and lay that information themselves.

Federal level policing organizations such as the National Weapons Enforcement Support Team (NWEST) exist solely to take guns away. They are also under the command of Ottawa; not any individual province. Right now they concentrate on illegal, smuggled guns...an honorable task... but they could turn their attention to a few good targets for a CBC broadcasted raid at the command of the Trudeau Regime.

Moving forward, we have to expect that terror will be leveled at the gun community.  The dream of mass door to door confiscation may be dead but the insidious evil that is the Trudeau Regime will not simply shrug and give up.  Now is the time to press our advantage.  Contribute to a gun organization of your choice and keep up the fight.

The Long Gun Registry Ressurected

For years we, in the gun community, knew that the C-71 Shadow Registry would one day appear.   That day is rapidly approaching.  On May 18th, 2022 the future purchase of firearms will be tracked and recorded.  For those who have never read a history book, registration ALWAYS leads to confiscation.

C-71 was a law passed years ago by Crime Minister Trudeau to require 2 things:

1) That all business sales be recorded with the identity of the purchaser

2) All private sales require a transfer authorization number from the registrar of firearms.

Through an inefficient network of transfer numbers leading back to the business point of sale, all guns will eventually be captured in this new registry.

You need to understand 2 critical points.

Firstly, all the guns you own before the registry are still legal.  They do not need to be registered.  They will only end up in this system if you sell or buy after the 18th.  If you want something; you have only days to buy it.

Secondly, this is not actually about what type of guns you own.  This is about how many you own.  If you buy 6 and sell 2 (under this system), the expectation is you will have 4 guns.  If the CFO inspects your storage (permitted under the firearms act) and the numbers don't match up, you could be in a lot of trouble.   This is especially true if the numbers are less than expected.  

If you have had your license prior to this system, a larger number is expected.  But that number will be corrected should an inspection take place.

What should you do?

1) If there is something you want, buy it right now.  Do not hesitate; get it.

2) If you are inspected by the CFO and have guns from pre-C71 your total number will be corrected.  You will be trapped in the system.  I strongly suggest storing your one or two favorite non-restricted guns away from the rest to protect them from government scrutiny and eventual seizure.

Gen 2 Vs Gen 3 Pmags: A Practical perspective from a Canadian Point of View

It is often assumed that a generational jump is an improvement that is natural and needed to make the product perform better.

But this does not necessarily hold true with Pmags.  Specter Arms continues to carry both Gen 2 and Gen 3 Pmags because their subtle differences actually translate into changes in performance.  And depending on your firearm, those performance characteristics can get worse or better with the later generation of Pmag.  Sometimes, a generational change doesn’t impact performance at all so it makes sense to go with what is less expensive.

The quick and fast rule is this:

In Canada, if you are running any firearm that is not listed below, either Pmag generation works equally well.  Specter Arms sells windowed Gen 3 Pmags or non-windowed, Gen 2 Pmags.  The deciding factor is cost and the window.

But if you are running a WK180C or WS-MCR, Gen 2 Pmags do not work well; pick the Gen 3.

If you are running a Benelli MR1, Gen 3 Pmags do not work well; pick the Gen 2.

If you are running an early generation of the Type 97, neither work well.

WK-180C/WS-MCR: Why the Mid Length Piston?

The topic of replacing the factory 180C/MCR piston with a mid-length piston has been coming up over and over again.  Rather than re-typing the information, I have decided to place it here.

For ease I am going to say that for the duration of this article, I am going to collectively call the WK180C and WS-MCR, the Canadian 180 pattern rifle. Both are loosely based of the AR180B.

The 180 pattern rifle uses a carbine length gas system to push a piston that in turn moves the carrier backwards enough that a cam causes the bolt to rotate and unlock.  The residual pressure then pushes the bolt and carrier back ejecting the round and picking another round up.  The bolt and carrier move back at about 4 to 5 meters per second.

Now the original AR180B platform used a rifle length piston system.  The rifle length port provides only 14% of the gas pressure as the carbine port.  Yet it works.  It cycles, it has a very long life span.

So when I heard about 180 rifles breaking (pistons and bolt lugs being the main culprits) I had to question why.  The answer was obvious: there is too much pressure.

It is akin to using a sledgehammer to put finishing nails into your wall to hang pictures... it can be done, but the chance of too much force being applied and creating damage, is very real.

Now the AR180B was designed in America.  It is not speculation to say that they have milder weather then us.  Perhaps the carbine length was picked to ensure cycling if frost formed on the gun?  Maybe it was because it is easier to snap a long piston?  Maybe it was as simple and sinister as cost cutting... I didn't know.

I didn't want to risk potential reliability in cold weather so I examined the possibility of making the Canadian 180 a mid-length piston.  The mid length has 5000PSI less pressure at the port.

So I built it: the Mid length piston.  And that's all that I needed to build; the original gas block still worked and there were lots of mid-length ported barrels out there.  

With a mid length piston, the rifle shot softer and put less wear on parts.

If you are using your Canadian 180 pattern rifle to casually target shoot, this upgrade isn't for you.  The warranty on broken carbine pistons is great.  A broken gun can be brought back up to operation in 2 weeks or less with the friendly and helpful staff at Kodiak.

But if you want this to be a rifle that you use hard, competition or survival, you are best off upgrading.

Visit Specterarms.ca to pick up a piston today.

 

Vaccine Mandates

 The Federal Health Minister made ominous statements a few days ago warning that forced vaccinations were coming.  In his message, he also noted that healthcare is the jurisdiction of the provinces.

Over the last 2 years every time something insane and overbearing has happened, it was always preceded by a warning.  

Vaccine passports?  That’s a conspiracy…  Now we have vaccine passports.

We only need 2 weeks to flatten the curve; it is not going to take longer...  The lockdown never ended.

They are not building concentration camps for covid…  The government tenders are out.  Rebel news found one.

So we need to look carefully at the health minister’s statement to get a real feel for what “the plan” is.

Firstly, what he said about healthcare and vaccinations are provincial jurisdiction.  Provinces that do not have forced vaccination laws on the books would need to pass these laws first.  The Big 3 provinces (Quebec, Ontario and BC) will be the first to lead the charge on mandatory vaccines.  They will quickly be followed by the Maritimes, territories and Manitoba taking up the rear.   Before they even start that process, the media will need to keep pushing the idea for a few weeks or months.  The Big 3 could be pharmalogical fiefdoms in about 9 months.  The Maritimes and Manitoba… a bit less than a year.

Alberta and Sask will stand alone.  Even flip-flip Kenny is getting scared of protesters appearing outside of the homes of his inner circle.

Then, this becomes political and a bit confusing.  The Liberals are like a virus; they only exist to perpetuate their own existence.  By not acting federally and letting the provinces do their dirty work, they suffer no blowback politically in their strongholds.  They lose no votes, no seats, no power.

Once all of Canada (except the maligned Alberta and Sask) are under a legal obligation to inject themselves, then the Liberals can step in.

But wait!  Isn’t healthcare and vaccinations provincial jurisdiction?

Yes, it is but recently the Supreme Court heard a case about the Carbon Tax and how it violated provincial jurisdiction on resources.  (For those who read this blog you will remember my warning about this)  The Supreme Court ruled that because “climate change” was an emergency, the Federal government has a right to interfere in provincial jurisdiction.  This paves the way for the Feds to make a Canada wide requirement under the guise of “an emergency”.  And guess what?  There are not enough stupid people in Alberta and Sask to vote for the Liberals anyway so they don’t have to worry about pissing people off and losing votes.

It will take the Federal government about 6 months to smash through a mandatory vaccination law which will include provisions for those concentration camps and other nastiness.

If you are in Alberta or Sask, you have at least one and a half years left.    If you do not live in Alberta or Sask, your time is much less.

That is the time you have to get prepared; stop fucking around.

Finally: you probably noticed I can’t spell Sas-catch-ew-wan.

Just The Numbers

2 People are killed every week in Canada by a firearm (that includes suicides.. without suicides, the number is too small to report)

28 people are killed every week in Canada by drunk driving. 

896 people die from substance abuse each week in Canada. 

1574 people die from Cancer every week in Canada

(based on 2019 stats)

7.62 x39mm SHTF Rfiles

With Pedophile Joe banning the import of surplus ammo in the states, we have seen a significant drop on the cost of 7.62x39mm ammo.  What was averaging $450 a few weeks ago has dropped to $400 per crate.  Basically prices have been rolled back to 2019 levels.

There are a lot of rifles in this caliber but I am going to focus on the ones that are Canadian legal (at the time of this article), not collector items or rare (eg VZ52/57, Hakim, SKS-D etc), semi-automatic and are readily available.  Except for the SKS, my test samples are all the latest generation so past issues are not going to be a factor (bent barrels, weak carrier groups, poor heat treating etc).

That narrows the playing field down to 5 contenders.

The Type 81-S

The M10X

The SKS (early production)

The SKS (late production)

The WS-MCR

M10X notes:  The M10X has no iron sights.  I added a x1 scope called the Specter Arms Ascension. I did this because it is unusable without some type of sighting system and that weight is included.  I also picked the Ascension because it has a low centerline height and requires no batteries making it ideal for this rifle and SHTF.  I would of preferred iron sights to keep everything fair but they sit too high on the M10X.

Type 81-S notes:  I have a fixed stock version.  There is no provision for an optic.

SKS(early production) notes: I have a Russian 1952 SKS.  It is unmodified.

SKS(late production) notes: I don’t have a late production SKS anymore for a side by side comparison.  This will be done from memory.

The MCR has no iron sights.  They work well with back up irons.  To try to keep things fair, mine is sporting polymer back up sights. 

Weight:

The WS-MCR is the lightest by only a few grams.

The Type 81-S is the second lightest at 3.4kg.

The M10X is slightly heavier than the Type 81-S.  If you go online you will see the M10X weighs 50g less than the Type 81-S but you need to add an optic so this is deceptive.  The M10X is more accurately placed as #3

The SKS is the heaviest.  It is based on 1940s technology before aluminum and plastic replaced a lot of wood and steel.

Balance:

The Type 81-S has its balance point slightly behind its center point making it the fastest to swing around obstacles and bring to bear on target.

The M10X has its balance point at roughly center.

The WS-MCR is front heavy with the balance point front of center.  It comes with an unnecessarily long handguard which I think contributes to its balance problem.  Its light weight helps to hide this problem.

Both SKS are front heavy with balance point front of center.  They have the longest barrels.  Some companies have taken to cutting the barrels down to 18.5” to improve balance but that is outside the scope of my evaluation.

Sighting:

The WS-MCR  rifles require an optic.  This makes its sighting system superior. Its comb and its sight plane are on the same level making use of 1.5” centerline optics ideal.  There is a wealth of optical options limited only by imagination.  The included handguard can have MLock rails added to it for lights and lasers.

The M10X requires an optic.  This makes its sighting system superior.  A x1 Prism scope does the job of the red dot without using batteries but unlike all the options below, you can add a scope (+ weight) or MLock rails for lasers.  The mounting plane is higher than the comb making 1.5” centerline optics (the sporting optic standard) too high.  It limits a lot of options but at least it has options.

The SKS (both versions) have uncluttered iron sights.  The SKS uses an adjustable leaf sight with a longer sight radius than the Type 81-S.  The iron sights are easier for casual shooters to use,

The Type 81-S have short sight radius which lends itself to close quarter snap shooting but hurts its ability to shoot farther.  When you consider that the average WW2 battle was fought at 73 meters, this is not a big deal.  For professionally trained people who lean into the gun, the sights come up easily and naturally.  It should be noted, that casual shooters find the sights to be too low to be usable.  The sights are also cluttered.  Instead of looking at an open notch the user looks through a T shape cut out.  

Cost:

It is better to have and not need then need and not have.  You can’t always afford the latest and greatest but it is better to buy once and cry once.  A lot of people will buy a SKS and spend a thousand dollars to make it a poor imitation of an AK, I suggest that if an AK-like rifle is your goal, spend the money and get a Type 81-S.

That being said, the SKS is the least expensive.  The most common manufactures are Russia and China.  There are some Yugoslav SKS rifles in Canada as well but they are entry level collector items.  What separates the SKS into early and late production is the change in how the barrel is mated to the receiver.  At some point during the 70s, Chinese factories started to pin barrels instead of threading them in.  Chinese SKS rifles do not share the same reputation as the Russians for this reason, but a 1950s or 1960s Chinese SKS will work just as good as a Russian one.

Because most people can’t determine late and early SKS rifles, they tend to be priced the same.

The WS-MCR rifle is available and affordable.  On the used market they cost less than the Type 81-S, new, they cost the same.

The Type 81 was un-affordable for a long time, as price speculators would buy them up and re-sell them at double the price.  With the newest batch being imported (and more on the way), the Type 81 is seeing a price correction with units selling around $1400.

The M10X is the most expensive.  American built.  Basically the M10X is a modernized AK with a Sig gas system.  In addition to the $2000 price tag, you MUST buy an optic for it.  Cheap back up iron sights are not going to work very well because the top rail is already above the comb.  You need to fork out at least $150 more to get this gun to a usable point.  It is the most expensive option.

Feeding:

With magazines pinned, the legal 10 round LAR magazines make the WS-MCR the winner.  Faster to change mags and double the capacity.  

But… If we are in a situation where mag capacity is not an issue, the winner is the M10X with Magpul Pmags.  The Pmags are lighter and feed well.  The Type 81-S is nearly a dead match to the M10X with Pmags.  I gave it to the M10X over the Type 81-S only because of weight, availability and cost of magazines

The Type 81-S is second only because the mags are heavier and not common.  But because all the magazines are purpose built for this firearm alone, they always work.  There are no variations like AR or AK mags.

Next, the SKS.  Unmodified, 10 round stripper clips can not keep up with 30 round magazines.  But, feeding is dead reliable and it always cycles.

Near the bottom is the WS-MCR rifle.  Most people run 10 round LAR magazines.  Those are reliable.  But all the 30 round AR magazines in 7.62x39 just don’t seem to work well.

And strangely enough, the M10X is also at the bottom of this list (as well as the top).  With magazines other than Pmags, the M10X works… but not as reliably.  A reliable feeding gun is critical.

Maintenance

The SKS wins easily.  There are no magazines to lose.  The cleaning kit is built into the gun.  It can be taken apart easily into large, hard to lose components that are unbreakable.

The Type 81-S strips easily like the SKS.  It also takes apart into large hard to lose components and my fixed stock version has a cleaning kit built in.  But the dust cover is thin gauge stamped steel.  Separate from the gun, it is fragile component that is easily bent.

The MCR is easy to take apart but it does have a lot of small parts.  Cam pin, cocking handle.  Having a carbine length gas port puts the mechanism under unnecessary stress leading to premature parts wear and breakage.

The M10X is not intuitive to strip.  A secret button opens the top from the bottom and the design makes it so the charging handle (a small component) needs to be removed to strip it.  A cleaning kit needs to be purchased and carried separately.

Accuracy:

This is why I split the SKS into early and late production.  Late production SKS rifles have pinned barrels as opposed to the more expensive to produce threaded barrels.  I have found that pinned barrels, when done right, are ok.  These are not done ok.  I have had samples that were 12MOA guns.  That means that where the bullet lands can be 12” away from what you are aiming at 100 meters.    

I can find no difference in accuracy with the final 4.  This could be because the 7.62x39mm round burns up almost all of its powder by 16” and they all have barrels 18.5-20”.  I was also shooting at a distance of 50meters.  I suspect the M10X or the MCR with its lighter trigger may translate into better results at longer distance.  With crappy ammo expect 6MOA.  With good ammo expect 3MOA.  Both are acceptable for a battle rifle.  I only tested with Czech, Russian and Chinese surplus. 

Customization/Mission Optimization:

The MCR is the clear winner.  It has provision to add MLock rails to mount any light, laser, forgrip or flare launcher you could want.  Most people change the unnecessarily long handguard to a stupidly long handguard giving another level of customization.  (If I keep this gun, I will be going in the opposite direction to take some weight off).  AR buttstocks offer another level of change and non-beavertail grips work great.  The trigger can be replaced with some light clean breaking triggers

The M10X comes in second.  It has provision to add MLock rails to mount any light, laser, forgrip or flare launcher you could want.  The muzzle is threaded and the muzzle device can be changed with moderate effort.

The SKS (early production) is the next most customizable.  It has been on the market a long time and there are a lot of good (and bad) accessories for it.  The only change I like to make to the SKS is a railed gas tube to add a light.  But there are detachable magazine kits, top rails for scopes (only use Magwedge, the other methods suck) and stock kits.

The SKS (late production) is a close third.  As the SKS started being made in more and more factories, deviance in tolerances started to pop up.  The guns were usable but these tolerance changes sometimes render after market accessories as a tight or impossible fit.

The Type 81-S has no easy customization except for a AK style optic side mount.  Changing the stock is not a task for the average person and heavy fitting is required to change out handguards as they are retrofits for other models of gun.  This is not a tinkerers gun.

Trigger:

The M10X and the MCR triggers are not amazing but it is the best of the rifles sampled.  Those who are used to standard AR-15 triggers will find it familiar.

The SKS and the Type 81-S have heavy gritty triggers. 

Safety:

The M10X safety is useable and in a position that allows it to be manipulated by the thumb.  It is ambidextrous.  The safety is stiffer than the others.  I like the reduced 45 degree throw angle.

The WS-MCR uses a standard safety.  It is in a position that allows it to be manipulated by the thumb.  .  It is ambidextrous.  The throw angle is a normal 90 degrees.

The SKS trigger is in an awkward position but it is easy to activate and de-activate.  The lever is not lefty friendly and requires the user to take his hand off the gun to manipulate it.

The Type 81-S safety is in a position that can be reached by the thumb but can’t really be de-activated by it.  The safety needs an agonizingly long 180 degree rotation.  It is not ambidextrous.  

Portability:

The SKS comes with a sling and sling mounting points.  It can be carried on the back and because of its slim design with no long protruding magazine, it can be carried unobtrusively in a scabbard loaded and ready for use.  The short stock makes it usable with heavy winter coats, assault vests and body armor.

The M10X has a folding stock that makes it ideal for vehicle carry.  It does not come with sling mounts or a sling and is yet another item you need to buy if you want to use a sling.  The stock telescopes but you can’t get it as short as the SKS wood stock.  Still, its length makes it ok (for 6” tall me) using body armor.

The Type 81-S has a sling mounting point on the base of the buttstock and the forend.  It does not come with a sling.  The stock is a fixed length limiting body type and equipment.  Some versions fold; my sample does not.

The WS-MCR does not come with full sling mounts.  There are quick detach (QD) mounting points at the rear of its buttstock but no swivel is included.  The stock telescopes to fit different body types.  QD sling loops are available from Specter Arms.  

Field Use:

The SKS wins.  It is indestructible.  It is a closed system meaning that dirt and junk can’t fall into the mechanism when not in use.  It is overgassed meaning it works, muddy or frozen.  But the gas tube is prone to rapid corrosion if not cleaned regularly.  All SKS failures, I have diagnosed, gave been seized gas tubes/pistons.

Next up is the Type 81-S.  It is a sturdy rifle.  It is a closed system meaning that dirt and junk can’t fall into the mechanism when not in use.  If it starts to get dirty, the gas port size can be increased by adjusting the gas block to ensure it continues to run, even when fouled.

The WS-MCR is third.  Its open side where the charging handle reciprocates makes it an open system.  Dust, sand, dirt… they can all get into the mechanism.  The MCR uses an AR trigger mechanism which is very sensitive to dirt and debris.  Its carbine length gas system unlocks at too high of pressure putting unnecessary wear on parts.

The M10X is fourth.  Its open sides where the charging handle reciprocates makes it an open system.  Dust, sand, dirt… they can all get into the mechanism.  The M10X uses an AK trigger which is more robust than an AR one but it is still vulnerable to debris.

Conclusions:

SKS (late production):

Role: I can not think of any role where a late production SKS would be a good fit.  It is only accurate enough for CQB but its design, balance and length make it a terrible choice for CQB. 

Best  Improvement: Cut the barrel down.  At least improve its use for CQB.

SKS (early production)

Role: For the average survivialist, the SKS (early) really is the winner.  The gun is usable for all people: novices, cash poor short and tall.  Requires no extra magazines or equipment to use.  For a general survivalist rifle, it is ideal.  It can hunt, it can fight and it is not aggressive in appearance allowing easier interpersonal interactions with strangers.

Best Improvement: Add a red light or laser.  The sights are unusable at night and red lights and lasers are less disruptive to your natural night vision.

M10X

Role: The M10X is great in a lot of ways.  But it is not well suited as a survivalist rifle.  It is best suited for someone who is expecting a fight and plans to decisively crush those who oppose him.

Best Improvement: Get a cleaning kit and cotton swabs to keep the internal mechanisms clean.  Use right hand charging and seal the left side.

Type 81-S

Role: This is a fighting rifle designed for dirty environments.  It is aggressive looking and is often mistaken for a AK-47.  It is suited equally well as a survival or a fighting rifle striking a balance between the two.

Best Improvement: Get professional firearm training.  This is not a novice friendly gun.

WS-MCR

Role: This is not suitable as a survival rifle.  Unlike the M10X, it is not even a suitable fighting/hard use rifle.  The gas system is flawed and prone to breakage.  It can be fixed but at a cost.

Best Improvement: Buy a mid-length AR-15 barrel and a mid-length gas piston from Third Echelon Design.  The lower unlock pressure will let your rifle fire softer with less force and not wear your parts as quickly.  In SHTF you are not going to be able to source replacement parts.

Help Picking a Scope/Sight

I get asked what sight should a person buy for their particular gun.  Specter Arms sells a lot of optics and it can be daunting trying to pick the perfect item.

When I get asked this question, I think how this topic is so fantastically complex requiring a plethora of details to answer well. So I have set about imprinting my wisdom onto a webpage.

Now this does not cover pistols; only shoulder fired guns such as shotguns, carbines, rifles etc.

It will ask you questions and you just need to click on the answers until the web page can make a suggestion.

Here is the link you can copy into your browser.

www.specterarms.ca/scopehelp.htm

SHTF Battery Powered Do-Dads.

I like to find opinions that are contrary to my own.  In doing so, I can critically look at the premises and biases that influence my views.  So today, I find myself abandoning an idea I used to hold.

I have always been under the opinion that battery powered force multipliers like lasers and lights on a firearm are of limited use in a SHTF situation because eventually the batteries will die.

But then it occurred to me:  while the batteries ARE still good, everyone will have these force multipliers… except for me.

Why am I handicapping myself in the present?  Yes, my battery powered do-dad may be nothing more than a paperweight a year down the road, but in the short term, it gives me a hell of an advantage.  My night vision paired with my IR laser lets me operate in secrecy.  My red flashlight lets me search places and read documents without giving myself away at distance.  My visible laser intimidates and has the potential to make confrontations less violent.  My radios let me talk to teammates and co-ordinate our actions when out of line of sight, get news and be situationally aware.

Those who have not given those things up will have an advantage over me; perhaps a lethal one.  Imagine where all my other preps like food and shelter fall to someone who had better weapon systems and could take from me by force.

Lights, lasers, radios, GPS, night vision are all force multipliers. Having thought about it, I would rather have them for a little while at the start of SHTF, then not at all.

SHTF Reflex Sights

Some concerned survivalists have asked me about how viable a red dot or reflex sight is during SHTF knowing my advocacy for these types of sights.  

My argument for these types of sights are their speed for engaging targets.   They are accurate enough for small targets out to 100 meters.  They have a wider margin of error for alignment over iron sights and they have no set eye relief meaning anyone can pick up a gun with a reflex sight and use it.

Before I go on, I would like to talk about the magic 100 meter mark.  I use it as a benchmark for maximum effective range for a Pistol Caliber Carbine, a reflex sight and a practical fighting distance.  The average battle in WW2 was fought at 73 meters and according to the NTOA, the average police “Sniper” engages at 76m.  If you plan to survive in an urban or forested area, consider how far you will be shooting.  That is why I am an advocate of the reflex sight.  But there are alternatives and that's why I am going to keep this article focused on things capable of close quarters shooting because that is ultimately what reflex sights are for.  

Firstly, there is no perfect optic, you must give something up to gain something else.  For survivalists, my two biggest complaints are battery reliance or resistance to EMP.  I have several solutions a person can consider but it involves surrendering one benefit for another.  

Lets start by talking about the benefits to a reflex sight:

1) 33% faster target acquisition time

2) Forgiving margin of error for alignment over scopes and iron sights

3) No set eye relief

4) Effortlessly keeping both eyes open to maintain situational awareness

5) Light and short profile

Here are the 3 disadvantages

1) Battery use

2) Not practical for shooting past 100 meters

3) Vulnerability to EMP

(Note: Vulnerability to water is not listed as a disadvantage.  When you buy reflex sights from Specter Arms, they are all at least IPX6 water resistant)

With some reflex sights such as the Vector Optics Maverick, the battery lasts for such a long time that battery use ceases to be a real concern.

Battery use and vulnerability to EMP are essentially the same problems; they are electronic  If you are looking for 2 eye open, close quarter shooting, consider a one power scope.  As odd as it sounds, such a thing exists and was pioneered by the Soviet PK-AS and Rakurs.  The Specter Arms Ascension sight is actually a one power prism scope  As a one power scope it allows you to effortlessly keep both eyes open when shooting.  But you give up the forgiving margin of error.  A reflex sight can be brought up and sighted in off axis by as much as 30 degrees with the Viper Reflex sight but the Ascension requires you to be on axis; much like a regular scope, looking through it off-angle creates a black opaque ring.  The Ascension has very forgiving eye relief of about 1.5” to about 12” but it is not the unlimited viewing area that a reflex gives you.  It remains small and light and is often mistaken as a tube style red dot.

Another consideration is a 1-6 power variable scope.  This optic attempts to correct all 3 of the disadvantages of a reflex sight.  The variable allows you to shoot both eyes open when the sight is set to 1 power but the eye relief is typical of a regular scope with a narrow operating range.  It needs to be on-axis to use.  The reticles may illuminate but they are glass etched meaning that a power loss would only stop the illumination of the reticle not using the scope itself.  Finally turning the magnification up allows for longer shots to be taken.  But it is a scope.  People looking at reflex sights are usually interested in something small and light and once you enter the realm of the LPVO, it stops being that.    These scopes can be found at all price points but for the best ratio between cost and quality, the Victoptics S6 is the way to go.  It can compete (and match) in terms of features and optical quality with scopes that are twice its price.

So there is no perfect sight.  Everything that exists has trade offs for various features.  Size, weight, battery, viewing angle, eye relief.

Depending on your philosophy of use you need to pick what works best for you.

Post Election Comments

Justin won this election because of gun control.  I know it and he knows it.  As despair rises there will be an uptake in crime.  Instead of putting the blame where it belongs – failed economic policy leading to dire inflation… he will blame guns like he always does.  He will want to use his winning tactic to try for that elusive majority.

For those who are biting their nails about the guns, Trudeau's immediate goal will not be guns.  Trudeau will try with another censorship bill.  With Covid lockdowns and meetings in person banned, he needs to control the internet to close the last avenue for getting non-government sanctioned propaganda.  He needs to do this to hide news about the collapsing economy and run-away inflation.

In 12-14 months time, expect more OICs and gun laws with an election being called in 18 months as he seeks to try again in gaining absolute, despotic power.  The 14 month timing will be just right to keep this in the news cycle and re-use this non-issue again.

Most people are stupid.  All the Canadians that voted for Trudeau and his corruption proved that.  They don’t care to investigate or think critically so if the state controlled media is telling them to think a certain way, they absolutely will.

I maintain that the secret documents that lead to the 2020 OIC (the ones that the liberals classified as secret under the Canada Evidence Act) contain planned enforcement actions post April 2022.  Paranoid?  Consider this.  In the late 90s a gunsmith named Bruce Montague decided to rebel against the firearms act that criminalized possession of all firearms (you read that right) and set up a confiscation registry.  Lots of people did not comply, but Montague was selected as the example as they publicly destroyed his life and jailed him for his “crimes” with no victims.  If Montague had decided to be a child molester rather than opposing the state, he would of got a far more lenient punishment.

I think that old liberal trick is going to be used again.  To those with AR-15s my advice is to comply.  Get rid of them before the April date.  They are going to pick someone interesting that will get the CBC a lot of views, to crack down on.  Don’t let it be you.  Don’t let there be a registration trail that will convince a judge to let the ERT team toss in flashbangs in the middle of the night.  

My advice is to get rid of your registered AR-15s.  Read what I am NOT writing; read it carefully.

To lose a war, you allow the enemy to pick the time and place to fight.  By being on the defensive for so many years, it is not a surprise to see us losing.  Modern military doctrine holds that the defense is a temporary state to allow the transition back into offensive operations.  As a community we have lost sight of that.  I am fond of the CCFR for not being on the defensive and having information campaigns to counter CBC hysteria, lies and black propaganda.

What should you do now?

-Support the CCFR.  They are our only outlet to counter biased, black propaganda.

-Support small, in person gun businesses.  The internet is easy but your biggest asset in the days to come is networking with like minded people.  As the owner of Specter Arms, I have and will actually write back to answer questions, provide unconventional help, meet you face to face for sales, provide advice and a sympathetic ear.  My connections and industry knowledge allow me to link you up with the right people when I can’t help directly.

-C-71 is not in force… if there is a gun you want, buy it now while there is no shadow registry.  Stay non-restricted.  You will not regret having a gun, when you need it.

Liberals Say FU to Court Regarding OICs

You have probably heard that in the Order In Council case, where the government banned thousands of firearms, the government has refused to hand over documents related to their discussions leading up to the ban.  They have classified them as Secret and thus denied the judicial order to produce them.  

Buy why?  Is it a game?  The commonly held theory is that the delays and denials are designed to run out the clock and reach the end of the amnesty before the court can reach a resolution.  In running out of time, with no injunction, everyone loses the banned guns.

But I have a more sinister theory.  I think the documents were made secret under Section 39 CEA not for the purpose of maintaining the gun ban but because those documents hold plans that have not been executed yet.  

I am increasingly convinced these documents hold planned enforcement actions.  I think they have one of the following items in those documents (perhaps more):

-Arrest lists designed to shape the public’s view about “evil gun owners” and punish political rivals.  Can you imagine if those documents had planned raids against Sheldon Claire and Rod Giltaca?  What about gun owning Conservative MPs?  With free speech about to be silenced with bill C-10, many people would simply disappear into a hole and never be heard from again.

-The immediate seizure and auditing of gun businesses who have dealt in the now prohibited goods.  We all know from other government inquiries and fact finding missions, that this process takes years.  How many businesses can be shut down for a few years and survive?  I expect that real political agitators such as K&S Tactical Supplies will somehow… take longer.  And if they really wanted to smash the entire industry in one fell swoop, they could target importers like Korth, North Sylva, IRG and so on… choke everyone off from supply.

-Reconstruction of long gun registry records.  Arrests of last known owners unless they can produce records or names of where the guns went.  Police will level your home with bulldozers and sledgehammers to find what they are looking for.  Ask Bruce Montague. 

Any one of these, would cause an outcry that even CBC would be hard pressed to put a happy spin on.