Kaneohe Gun Shop 

- Musings and Observations -

" Either stores sell ethically or they sell just to move product "

How can store personel sell ethically when they do not:

Train constantly at challenging and uncomfortable levels

Teach consistently a large variety of people and backgrounds

Test themselves during training and teaching opportunities and

be witnessed amongst others... (and just maybe, realize there's

always more to learn, which requires discipline and excellence)

" Training is not merely sending ammunition downrange "

Training for defensive concerns is not validated by:

Shooting volumes of ammo really fast at paper or steel

Being fixed in one position while firing quantities of ammo

Acquiring more items to occupy blank railed portions of guns

and proclaiming they're needed for 'training' (next range visit)

but never let the guns or gadgets go thru rough honest abuse

Shooting a few (or many) guns every week at a range is not training -

- it is just shooting

Military / Law Enforcement Qualification is not training -

- it is testing under controlled conditions

Attending many courses but avoiding force-on-force work is not training -

- we are lying to ourselves

If we claim to others that our defensive firearm skills are adequate, but don't challenge ourselves

weekly with training regimen involving sweat-pouring, physically demanding fight skills

to include force-on-force variables with & without guns, knives, implements -

we have no business recommending any defensive tools, tactics,

or even discuss ideas involving such decisive life-changing predicaments.

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

Being involved in firearms industry for 30+ years and being demanding of myself with ability and ethics

has kept me occupied and never content with basic lessons in the dealership / instructional field.

For more than a decade, by recommendations of trusted friends and customers of many years; they've

urged me to list some of the training / teaching involvement and experiences that I've had:

15 years firearms instructor Firearms Academy Hawaii

11 years Anti-Terrorism and Force Protection Instructor

Non-Lethal Weapons, Pepper Spray and ASP Baton

NRA Law Enforcement Instructor Handgun & Shotgun

NRA Certified Instructor Personal Protection In Home

NRA Certified Instructor Handgun, Rifle, Shotgun

Suarez International Zero to Five Feet Pistol Gunfighting

Suarez International Extreme Close Range, Force On Force

Suarez International Close Quarter Battle Fighting in Buildings

Suarez International Combat Rifle Instructor School

Suarez International Combat Pistol Instructor School

Suarez International Rifle, Advanced Kalashnikov I & II

Suarez International Guerrilla Sniper

Smith Taekwondo Combatives and Defense Tactics

Smith Taekwondo Close Quarter Defense 1-6

Chuck Taylor ASAA Precision Rifle 1 & 2

Chuck Taylor ASAA Combat Handgun Master

Chuck Taylor ASAA I & II Handgun, Rifle, Shotgun

Front Sight Submachine Gun

Massad Ayoob LFI Handgun

17 years ongoing conducting specialized instruction in:

Accelerated Defensive Firearms use for civilians

Streetwise Defense Armed & Unarmed Tactics

Foreign Weapons familiarization and instruction

19 years ongoing Lessons In Firearms Education NRA Instructor

Below are conservative numbers of those I have taught in official capacity over 22 years:

20 students per various Anti-Terrorism courses X 15 courses per year X 10 years = 3,000

10 students per specialized Firearms Academy classes X 15 classes over 15 years = 150

20 students per Lessons In Firearms Education handgun course X 45 classes over 16 years = 900

2 person private classes for Hawaii required handgun course X 240 classes over 16 years = 450

This amounts to a staggering 4,500+ individuals that I have had the opportunity to teach and

does not account for hundreds more that were helped on a firing line locally or elsewhere,

or select groups / units I had presented specialized instruction in various foreign weapons.

This is why I maintain my thesis that being a firearms dealer alone is not enough.

Military, Law Enforcement, Civilian training/teaching categories are all important.

Being an expert something in one category or another should motivate one to expand their learning,

because no one category can cover everything. In fact, it only shows how much else we don't know.

Ethical sales and teaching can only be acquired through diligent, honest desire to learn and impart.

More thought-provoking and truth topics to follow, including important points that need to be considered:

At Kaneohe Gun Shop, I do not drive sales by emotion, politics, catchy lingo or male ego about firearms-

instead I will recommend defensive firearms that are proven, are simple to use and easy to teach others.

Along the way, sensible choices of firearms (and all types of equipment) will save the consumer money

allowing each of us to focus and build up the next person quicker in knowledge and ability with firearms.

There is no equal to those with experience.

Either you have done AND continue to learn, or you are just a salesperson.

Without constantly and actively teaching others, one can not define what sensible firearms are

or give correct advice on what defensive equipment or techniques would be best for individuals.

Why would you listen to and then purchase whatever is being sales-pitched nationwide by persons

who do not have years of progressive training AND consistently teach others as much as they can?

That is exactly like going into a no-holds barred fight without years of experience-building training

and instead, just watch videos or read about it via commentary by armchair fight commandos.

What would happen? Your ass will get kicked.

Great opportunity for reality (durability, reliability) firearm testing

Annual HRA Shooting Sports Fairs provide perfect opportunities to have firearms tested,

with large quantities of ammunition fired by a variety of fairgoers and experience levels.

Incredible volumes of ammunition were run thru the guns during the annual two day fair.

Some of the numerous handguns utilized at the HRA tent are pictured above.

Pistols and revolvers that were available under HRA's tent at one year's SSF:

A few of the many rifles utilized at the HRA tent are pictured above.

Some had Aimpoint, EoTech, Trijicon ACOG, or standard scope.

Rifles that were available under HRA's tent at one year's SSF:

DSA modernized RPD, FALs, JLD G3K, Vector HK33   3 cals AKs, 223/308 Galils, 5.56/ 9mm ARs

Ruger 10/22s, S&WM&P15-22s, Umarex MP5-22s  M1 Garands, M1As, M1 Carbines, mil bolts

From 1000+ rounds fired, one type of RPD belt (foreground) seemed to cause sporadic doubles

 during firing. Hard to imagine that a belt would cause it, but it was narrowed down to just one belt.

DSA, company that distributes the RPD, had stated it should not be malfunctioning due to a belt;

I ended up with a replacement belt from them when they had to repair a (new!) FAL noted below.

One FAL's handguard retaining screw unthreaded twice. That's been seen before, not suprising.

However, same FAL (new; was put into service just for the event) began to double and triple fire.

In an emergency, handguard can be duct-taped at front section over retaining screw. Loctite better.

FALs (or any semiauto rifle) should never have unpredictable sear slippage.  Rifle sent up to DSA.

*Sept 2012: Turnaround time was disappointing; they took nearly two months to get sear replaced.*

Then, the second FAL (also a para model with side folding stock) had its once-secure tack-welded

top cover / bolt recoil spring assembly pop right off when conducting cleaning session Sunday pm.

This one suffered a sheared ejector last year. A bit disappointing, so far has only run 4,000 rounds.

*Oct 2012: Finally received a replacement para top cover for this rifle's broken-tack-weld cover.*

FN PS90 worked well except for loosened plastic cocking knobs. Found on both sides, these had

occasions of falling off toward the end of the two days. Without them, chambering rounds is tough.

How disappointing - but it can happen... this timeless Thompson (new!) had its extractor work out

of bolt 3 times.  Design is similar to classic 1911 extractors; they're held in bolt by preset tension.

 Then, the rear sight falls off on Sunday - twice! Very disappointing is that one of the screw holes in

this lightweight aluminum receiver model felt stripped as sent from factory. This rifle is going back.

*Aug 2012: Auto Ordnance's turnaround slightly longer than expected - about a month and a half.*

Century Arms Golani firing pin broke Sunday.     Kriss V rifle extractor flew out twice Sunday.

This version Galil shouldn't have this failure.      Diagnosed improperly staked extractor pin.

FN FS2000 had some repeat feeding issues.          Vector's HK33 (new) had isolated doubling.

Could be mags, or the rubber mag grommet...        After several hundred rounds, it seemed ok.

Desert Eagle had a few occasions of failure to cycle fully.  Quick clean seemed to be the remedy.

Just one Trijicon RMR (had four on guns) had a battery contact issue. Inconvenient, but remedied.

Other electronic dots curiously failed in other events too. Just reminds us to not rely on electronics.

Brass-cased ammo won't guarantee anything; this fired-case-reversed-within-action + double feed

can have many puzzled but you just need to remove mag, strip out the cartridges, reload. STG-556

rifle by MSAR wasn't even running the gray steel-cased ammo; just brass. It can happen, move on.

Great pictures captured during firing - be aware the ejected cases from an RPD fly at great speed.

The velocity of empty cases can result in them impaling on wood block as seen above... awesome.

Keeping belt-fed model 1919s up and running required lots of ammo, and that required lots of linking!

The 1919A4 linker that makes the task so much easier to set up ammunition into belts, ready for use.

S&W M&P 15-22s:  flawless                                     Uzi rifles:  no malfunctions

Absolutely a must for fun on a range, to teach others, to own: guns that are proven years to decades!

Reliablility, low cost, ease of disassembly/maintenance/operation should be rifle's selection priorities.

Umarex MP5-22s:  flawless                                      AK rifles:  no malfunctions

This is why I recommend S&W M&P 15-22s, Umarex MP5-22s, 9mm Uzis and 7.62x39 or .223 AKs;

They feed any reliable ammunition in their respective calibers and the ammunition is widely available!

Wall of L A M E

A continuing picture series of the industry going too fast and messing up

(could also be called the 'wall of shame', or 'wall of poor Quality Control', etc)

Can't tell by looking at packaging from normal side view... Then, top view reveals a major blunder...

Where's the red followers and mag springs in the two packaged mags on the right? Wow, no QC!!

Undetected while in package, now just visible above... Closer look reveals a Magpul blunder...

The mag on left has a reversed follower; packaged and shipped that way. Absolutely no QC!!

For those who receive and know Colt AR15s rather well... Those familiar with the Colt accessory pack

will look at this 5.56 AR-15A4 lightweight and notice how the pack looks kinda filled out for 5.56 mags...

...the Magpul MAG242-Blk is a 7.62x51 magazine - holy schmoley they bagged too fast with 7.62 mags

instead of what was supposed to be 5.56 mags... they got the correct chamber and bore brush though.

Pitfalls when building AR15s

A continuing picture series of never-ending problems encountered since 2008

(when the AR market exploded with popularity, accompanied by more issues)

Cosmetic and Dimensional differences with AR-15 recievers

With so many lables and finishing companies from basic lower receiver forgings,

there are bound to be machining differences that seem to cause useless griping.

In the end, all that matters is that the finished rifle sends the bullet where it needs to go.

Dimensional differences even with presumed standards among receivers

This problem has been seen with several mfgs of lowers; never discovered until trying to install a grip.

Dimensional differences with mating AR-15 uppers and lowers

This problem has occured with various lowers; unfortunately the allowed milspec range can cause this.

With the front pivot pin secured, the rear just will not close. There's no way to try the fitting in reverse;

secure rear takedown pin first then attempt to push front pin in - it just won't do. Best to send it back.

Dimensional differences with AR-15 parts

Recurring disappointment with a particular buttstock kit; over 3 years intermittently ordering this set

and notifying Brownell's customer service with no apparent correction made still thru this year 2012

(2 more kits received in June 2012 still had same problem); the kit contains an endplate that has an

oversized dimension to the ring. (compared above on left of standard endplate, ordered separately)

This thicker outer dimension ring prevents charging handle being run to the rear. Obviously, not good.

^ Only fix is to flatten top outer radius to allow charging handle to clear it, or:   use another endplate ^ .

Problems encountered with substandard parts

One of the best examples of substandard parts are stock kits that clearly were not made for real ARs

Label above must have been intended for airsoft products as  buffer tube, endplate and lock ring are

not dimensioned correctly.   Set on left is genuine US production, set on right are knock-off parts. ^

Knock-off tube thread exterior diameter has smaller outside diameter than correct US buffer tube.

K-O endplate and lock ring inside diameter is too small to fit genuine tube's threaded exterior diameter

and will only fit their particular non-standard knock-off buffer tube. So-called savings on these kits is BS.

^Genuine endplate+lockring on left, knock-offs on right. ^Proper fit shown between wrench and lockring.

Another problem found with this stock kit was the width of lockring notches. Customer said they were

told (by a local store that sold this kit!) that there may be dimensions of commercial and milspec in kit!

Only buffer tubes would have different outer diameters regarding the terms of commercial or milspec.

Threads on either dimension buffer tube should accept all lockrings and endplates in the US standard.

I had helped correct several customer's substandard kits like this one where their lockring had wrench

notches that were too narrow and thus would'nt be engaged properly by standard wrench. The fix was

not just to replace lockring; the substandard buffer tube also had to be replaced by a genuine US mfg

buffer tube! Incredibly, I've already seen several of these knock-offs from local stores, and the shops'

famous Cover-Their-Ass / Buyer-Beware signage noted by consumers stated 'No Refunds/Returns'!

Such stores are knowingly selling K-O kits or assembling and selling lowers based on this garbage!

Problems encountered with inexperienced assembly by gunshops

These three pictures display how poorly someone assembled the back half of this AR-15 lower.

Divot in endplate is proof that it once was staked. This is testament to someone either trying to save $,

or more likely, someone conducted half-ass install and reused an endplate. Just get a new $5 endplate!

Center pic: Wow.  Whether install was rushed, had half-hearted effort, didn't pay attention, or all three-

major buggering of lockring wrench notch is an absolute identical of first picture's situation. Do it right-

or don't do it at all. This is why one should pay for experienced people to do work. And they do it right!

And again, just get a new $5 lockring! (wonder if the buffer tube's threads disagreed with bad lockring?

Inexperienced person's rush job can also drag endplate and wrench over threads if improperly done.)

These three pics are all of the same lower! Along with the grossly messed up threads of buffer tube:

Last pic: after all this (FUBAR) wreck of AR buttstock install, buttstock still has obvious misalignment.

Simply awesome. {sarcasm intended}

Incredible parts failures - most examples of these seen during 2009 and 2013...

These pictures display amazing failures on 'parts that never should have failed'...