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By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com

You may remember this bipod, which was made last summer for the Mosin Nagant. If you saw it in real time you would have assumed it was made by scrap material on the spur of the moment, intended to be just something to stabilize the rifle.

Using it, it did improve my shooting by a lot. But it had two problems, one immediately apparent, and the other not so much.

First the bipod wasn't pretty, and it wasn't because it served a single purpose. I used it once and that was it. It was useful if you have the time to set up, fire and displace, for a subsequent shot.

The other problem was the "footprint" of the rifle with the bipod. The Mosin Nagant is a long gun to begin with. From the crown of the barrel to the tip of the butt stock, it is about 48 inches long. From the tip of the butt stock to the center line of the original bipod it is about 47 inches.

So, a few weeks ago I went to a local gun shop and bought two Picatinny rail sets, both for the Howa .308 rifle. The sets had one rail which was curve to fit on the barrel/receiver and the other was flat. Both had drilled/countersunk holes in them for two 6-32 oval head screws, supplied with the rails.

I remade the basic attachment, attaching it as a rest for the barrel, but this time attaching a length of flat bar .500 x 1.00 by 9.000 long. The footprint under this setup is reduced from 47 inches to 38 inches.

Apex Gun Parts (don't bother looking: they're sold out) had a sale on a hard anodized aluminum bipod for about $25. I assembled the barrel rest, the flat bar, then drilled two 8-32 holes for the Picatinny rail where the bipod will rest at roughly the location of the first hand guard ring.

I had to modify the Picatinny rail, overdrill it to accept two 8-32 screws, then countersink it 82 deg., where the head of a socket head flat screw would be below the inner surface of the Picatinny rail.

Sorry, I won't have pics until next week, when I go to the gun range. But the new bipod looks a lot better than the original one.

Please note the notation at the beginning for the summary for arms and ammunition concerning the AR-10 pattern rifles.

Loads.

Rantburg's summary for arms and ammunition:

Prices for pistol ammunition were mostly higher while rifle ammunition prices were mostly lower.

Prices for used pistols and used rifles were mixed.

Note: The average price for an AR-10 pattern .308 Rifle has tumbled $15 to $928 average nationwide inside of two weeks. That is a very large and consistent drop. Only seven weeks ago the average price nationwide for AR-10 pattern rifles was $1,359, which including this last week's drop makes for an average drop of about $60 per week.

I can't explain the drop other than the obvious one that people are chucking the AR10 pattern rifle for something lighter. Maybe? Dunno.

I do know I have not seen any price drop in any class of firearms, rifles or not, this pronounced since This Week in Guns was begun.

Pistol Ammunition

.45 Caliber, 230 grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (8 Weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Quality Made Cartridges, Store Brand, FMJ, reloads, .28 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 300 rounds: Homeland Munitions, Store Brand, FMJ, Reloads, .28 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged)

.40 Caliber Smith & Wesson, 180 grain, From Last Week: +.01 Each After Unchanged (4 Weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Smokey Mountain Munitions, CCI Blazer, FMJ, brass, .25 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: LAX Ammunition, Store brand, FMJ, reloads, .24 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (3 Weeks))

9mm Parabellum, 115 grain, From Last Week: +.01 Each After Unchanged (2 Weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Cheaper Than Dirt!, Brown Bear, FMJ, Steel Cased, .18 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 1,000 rounds: Homeland Munitions, Store brand, FMJ, Reloads, .17 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged)

.357 Magnum, 158 grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (3 Weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Cheaper Than Dirt!, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel cased, .28 per round
Cheapest Bulk: 500 Rounds: Freedom Munitions, Store Brand, New, FMJ, .33 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (3 Weeks))

Rifle Ammunition

.223 Caliber/5.56mm 55 grain, From Last Week: -.01 Each
Cheapest, 20 rounds: Today's Ammo, Wolf Polyformance, steel cased, FMJ, .24 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: South Georgia Outdoors, Wolf Polyformance, steel cased, .22 per round (From Last Week: -.01 Each After Unchanged (2 Weeks))

.308 NATO 150 grain, From Last Week: -.01 Each After Unchanged (4 Weeks)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: Cheaper Than Dirt!, Tulammo, steel cased, .42 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: Cheaper Than Dirt!, Tulammo, steel cased, .40 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (7 Weeks))

7.62x39 AK 123 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (6 Weeks)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: Ventura Munitions, Wolf WPA, steel case, .25 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: Cheaper Than Dirt!, Brown Bear, steel case, .23 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (12 Weeks))

.22 LR 40 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (4 Weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: AmmoFast, Aguilar, RNL, .10 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: Ammo 2U, Remington Thunderbolt, RNL, .08 per round (From Last Week: -.02 Each After Unchanged (3 Weeks))

Guns for Private Sale
Rifles

.223/5.56mm (AR Pattern Semiautomatic) Average Price: $571 Last Week Avg: $575(-) ($616 (9 Weeks), $515 (13 Weeks))
California (245, 229): Smith & Wesson M&P15: $550 ($650 (19 Weeks), $425 (22 Weeks))
Texas (306, 310): DPMS: $550 ($700 (12 Weeks), $350 (7 Weeks))
Pennsylvania (145, 140): Bushmaster: $550 ($700 (8 Weeks), $490 (23 Weeks))
Virginia (169, 171): Palmetto State Armory: $629 ($750 (12 Weeks), $500 (17 Weeks))
Florida (340, 338): Mixed Build: $575 ($625 (4 Weeks), $450 (31 Weeks))

.308 NATO (AR-10 Pattern Semiautomatic) Average Price: $928 Last Week Avg: $958(-) ($1,359 (7 Weeks), $928 (CA: $938 (1 Week))
California (42, 41): Mixed Build: $940 ($1,700 (23 Weeks), $940 (3 Weeks))
Texas (81, 83): DPMS: $950 ($1,500 (27 Weeks), $900 (32 Weeks))
Pennsylvania (26, 25): DPMS LR-308T: $850 ($1,500 (12 Weeks), $800 (20 Weeks))
Virginia (47, 45): DPMS: $1,000 ($1,600 (12 Weeks), $900 (28 Weeks))
Florida (61, 67): DPMS Panther: $900 ($1,500 (28 Weeks), $750 (16 Weeks))

7.62x39mm (AK Pattern Semiautomatic) Average Price: $555 Last Week Avg: $554(+) ($626 (10 Weeks), $462 (24 Weeks))
California (53, 53): CAI M-70: $599 ($700 (11 Weeks), $320 (22 Weeks))
Texas (71, 67): CAI WASR: $750 ($750 (11 Weeks), $350 (29 Weeks))
Pennsylvania (59, 60): CAI VZ-2008: $375 ($750 (17 Weeks), $375 (2 Weeks))
Virginia (49, 50): Czech VZ2008: $549 ($625 (15 Weeks), $350 (17 Weeks))
Florida (99, 96): Czech VZ2008: $500 ($650 (7 Weeks), $300 (27 Weeks))

30-30 Winchester Lever Action Average Price: $365 Last Week Avg: $379(-) ($489 (19 Weeks), $320 (18 Weeks))
California (7, 8): Marlin 336: $350 ($450 (3 Weeks)), $350 (2 Weeks))
Texas (23, 21): Marlin: $275 ($550 (17 Weeks), $300 (22 Weeks))
Pennsylvania (12, 11): Winchester 94: $350 ($450 (17 Weeks), $250 (22 Weeks))
Virginia (14, 16): Marlin 336: $450 ($450 (CA:$425 (17 Weeks)), $350 (19 Weeks))
Florida (19, 17): Winchester Model 94: $399 ($500 (14 Weeks), $300 (19 Weeks))

Pistols

.45 caliber ACP (M1911 Pattern Semiautomatic Pistol) Average Price: $414 Last Week Avg: $413(+) ($450 (16 Weeks), $360 (11 Weeks))
California (157, 158): Rock Island Armory Tactical: $450 ($600 (16 Weeks), $350 (27 Weeks))
Texas (288, 271): Citadel 1911: $400 ($600 (26 Weeks), $350 (13 Weeks))
Pennsylvania (152, 145): Regent 1911 (SS): $400 ($550 (5 Weeks), $325 (25 Weeks))
Virginia (151, 144): American Tactical Imports: $450 ($550 (7 Weeks), $250 (24 Weeks))
Florida (301, 315): American Tactical Imports: $370 ($450 (17 Weeks), $250 (13 Weeks))

9mm (Beretta 92FS or other Semiautomatic) Average Price: $301 Last Week Avg: $310(-) ($336 (14 Weeks), $286 (19 Weeks))
California (166, 158): Beretta 92FS: $250 ($450 (16 Weeks), $250 (21 Weeks))
Texas (233, 239): EAA Tanfoglio Witness: $335 ($355 (15 Weeks), $220 (6 Weeks))
Pennsylvania (195, 203): Ruger P95DC: $300 ($350 (32 Weeks), $240 (11 Weeks))
Virginia (168, 155): Kahr CT9: $320 ($400 (8 Weeks), $275 (28 Weeks))
Florida (396, 385): Ruger LC9: $300 ($375 (23 Weeks), $250 (12 Weeks))

.40 caliber S&W (Glock or other semiautomatic) Average Price: $321 Last Week Avg: $331 (-) ($368 (4 Weeks), $300 (31 Weeks))
California (75, 73): Smith & Wesson Model M&P40: $400 ($400 (8 Weeks), $250 (21 Weeks))
Texas (110, 106): Smith & Wesson SD40VE: $325 ($425 (25 Weeks), $275 (8 Weeks))
Pennsylvania (81, 80): Smith & Wesson SD40VE: $340 ($340 (29 Weeks), $250 (16 Weeks))
Virginia (80, 77): Smith & Wesson SW40VE: $280 ($450 (4 Weeks), $275 (20 Weeks))
Florida (118, 116): Smith & Wesson SD40VE: $260 ($400 (14 Weeks), $260 (3 Weeks))

Used Gun of the Week: (Virginia)
Ruger New Vaquero (small frame) Chambered in .357 Magnum

Chris Covert writes for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com and on Twitter.


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