08-20-2021, 11:40 PM
Rubin has put on a little bit of weight, but is wearing it well. Up to about 7.25 lbs.
It all started a few months ago. I had the pleasure of getting the draw to go first on the first stage of a match. At good ole 7am. If there's anyone out there who likes going first on the first stage, introduce me, I haven't met him yet! Prop was a "wood pile" - basically a configuration of railroad ties spiked together. 4 targets starting at ~350 and going to a little over 600 or so. Choose a position, engage near to far, hit to move on, move to a different position an reengage near to far. Simple enough and I cleaned the first 4 in under 30 seconds. Had a bit of a holy crap that was good moment. Take my time and settle into a nice solid reverse kneel in the next more comfortable position. No trigger pull. I rack it. Nothing. Double feed. Drop the mag, clear the round out. Insert mag, close. Hit. Next target. Click. Rack and engage. Hit. 3rd target. Click. Rack and engage. Hit. Last target. Nothing from trigger. Rack and engage (it worked before!) Nothing. Double feed. Drop mag, clear, reinsert, close. Miss. Times got to be running out. Find target again. Nothing from trigger. Rack, double feed. Mother effer! Drop mag onto ground, insert loose bullet into chamber with finger, close, settling on target, BEEP, release, Impact! Timer: 90.45 seconds. A chorus of deflating sounds from the squad. The grace period is 90.30 seconds. 7:05am and no chance of winning. Turns out the screw that holds the gas gate adjustment screw on the adjustable carrier loosened slightly and the gate migrated slightly down and I was under gassed. Simple enough, opened it a little and was a little over gassed for the rest of the match. At the end of the day, the dropped shot only cost me one spot (6th vs 5th) holding all else equal.
Needless to say, my faith in the carrier became diminished and I decided that I simply need to keep on top of it. Since both the carrier and light weight buffers /springs are designed for .223, though, the window between under and overgassed is incredibly small. 90 degrees on that little screw is the difference between fully opened and fully closed. A touch to closed and the bolt won't lock back. A touch too open and the brass hits the deflecter and flies forward into a cholla.
Worked fine next match. Made sure it was working a day or 2 before and tightened it down. Actually came in second and dropping the 4 seconds or so I needed on the timed stage was all on me. Sprained my hip two weeks later, missed the next match and finally got Rubin out last week for the first time in a month. I was even contemplating using him instead of my 17lb 6.5 CM to keep some stress off of my hip during last weekend's PRS match. Everything was fine - but on my last planned mag at the range, the bolt didn't lock back. Confidence plummets.
I had an AGB free up and the plan was to put that on and open the carrier gate all the way and maybe then locktite it in place. Started getting ready to install the new gas block and by the time I was done, Rubin had GiGi's JP Low Mass Carrier and Silent Capture spring. The whole premise behind Rubin was to be as light as possible and still be 100% usable. And the confidence in reliability just isn't there with me with the ti carrier and light springs. The SCS does add more weight than a standard buffer and spring, but it is like butter.
Got him to the range this morning to dial in the gas block and rezero (new GB / removed and reinstalled brake). Forgot the proper Allen key for the GB, but zero'd anyways since he was cycling and locking back. Probably some room to dial down, but I may not. Felt recoil is actually noticably reduced. Don't know if that's the extra half pound or the SCS - probably both. Elevation on the zero was good, four clicks to the right and move from the bench to prone for the final dial in and it turns out it wasn't needed:
Anyone who knows me knows that if I had taken a fourth shot, I would have destroyed the pretty picture. And those RDFs are also blems.i contemplated moving a click to the right, but there was a breeze from 5 o'clock.
I've been practicing releasing and moving to the next target without watching for an impact if the release feels good (and hence not waiting for an RO call). It's not as easy as it sounds! We'll see if I have the balls to try it on the timed stage next weekend.
It all started a few months ago. I had the pleasure of getting the draw to go first on the first stage of a match. At good ole 7am. If there's anyone out there who likes going first on the first stage, introduce me, I haven't met him yet! Prop was a "wood pile" - basically a configuration of railroad ties spiked together. 4 targets starting at ~350 and going to a little over 600 or so. Choose a position, engage near to far, hit to move on, move to a different position an reengage near to far. Simple enough and I cleaned the first 4 in under 30 seconds. Had a bit of a holy crap that was good moment. Take my time and settle into a nice solid reverse kneel in the next more comfortable position. No trigger pull. I rack it. Nothing. Double feed. Drop the mag, clear the round out. Insert mag, close. Hit. Next target. Click. Rack and engage. Hit. 3rd target. Click. Rack and engage. Hit. Last target. Nothing from trigger. Rack and engage (it worked before!) Nothing. Double feed. Drop mag, clear, reinsert, close. Miss. Times got to be running out. Find target again. Nothing from trigger. Rack, double feed. Mother effer! Drop mag onto ground, insert loose bullet into chamber with finger, close, settling on target, BEEP, release, Impact! Timer: 90.45 seconds. A chorus of deflating sounds from the squad. The grace period is 90.30 seconds. 7:05am and no chance of winning. Turns out the screw that holds the gas gate adjustment screw on the adjustable carrier loosened slightly and the gate migrated slightly down and I was under gassed. Simple enough, opened it a little and was a little over gassed for the rest of the match. At the end of the day, the dropped shot only cost me one spot (6th vs 5th) holding all else equal.
Needless to say, my faith in the carrier became diminished and I decided that I simply need to keep on top of it. Since both the carrier and light weight buffers /springs are designed for .223, though, the window between under and overgassed is incredibly small. 90 degrees on that little screw is the difference between fully opened and fully closed. A touch to closed and the bolt won't lock back. A touch too open and the brass hits the deflecter and flies forward into a cholla.
Worked fine next match. Made sure it was working a day or 2 before and tightened it down. Actually came in second and dropping the 4 seconds or so I needed on the timed stage was all on me. Sprained my hip two weeks later, missed the next match and finally got Rubin out last week for the first time in a month. I was even contemplating using him instead of my 17lb 6.5 CM to keep some stress off of my hip during last weekend's PRS match. Everything was fine - but on my last planned mag at the range, the bolt didn't lock back. Confidence plummets.
I had an AGB free up and the plan was to put that on and open the carrier gate all the way and maybe then locktite it in place. Started getting ready to install the new gas block and by the time I was done, Rubin had GiGi's JP Low Mass Carrier and Silent Capture spring. The whole premise behind Rubin was to be as light as possible and still be 100% usable. And the confidence in reliability just isn't there with me with the ti carrier and light springs. The SCS does add more weight than a standard buffer and spring, but it is like butter.
Got him to the range this morning to dial in the gas block and rezero (new GB / removed and reinstalled brake). Forgot the proper Allen key for the GB, but zero'd anyways since he was cycling and locking back. Probably some room to dial down, but I may not. Felt recoil is actually noticably reduced. Don't know if that's the extra half pound or the SCS - probably both. Elevation on the zero was good, four clicks to the right and move from the bench to prone for the final dial in and it turns out it wasn't needed:
Anyone who knows me knows that if I had taken a fourth shot, I would have destroyed the pretty picture. And those RDFs are also blems.i contemplated moving a click to the right, but there was a breeze from 5 o'clock.
I've been practicing releasing and moving to the next target without watching for an impact if the release feels good (and hence not waiting for an RO call). It's not as easy as it sounds! We'll see if I have the balls to try it on the timed stage next weekend.
#FJB