Pac-Lite Ruger w/options

[TMan]

As I mentioned in a previous post, handgunforum.proboards3.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&n=1&thread=641 , I've been intrigued for quite awhile with the Pac-Lite barrels that are made to replace the Ruger barrels.

While on vacation on the Outer Banks, NC, I got an e-mail from my dealer. She had gotten a call from Tactical Solutions wanting to know if I wanted the receiver drilled and threaded for a scope mount for an additional 40 dollars. I thought that was a bit pricey, but since I wanted to put a scope on it, I told her to go ahead.

I picked up the barrel today, and to my delight it had a weaver base mounted on it. The invoice showed $180 for the barrel (dealer cost before her mark-up) $20 for the drilling, and $20 for the mount.

I also picked up a Black Leupold 2x pistol scope, but she didn't have rings so I had to go to Sportsman's Warehouse for the rings.

While waiting around this morning, I decided to go ahead and put the Volquartsen trigger kit into the MKIII4, and put the Volquartsen grips on it. Since I had done this before on a MKIII, this was going to be easy. You would think at my age, I would no better.

One of the tricks is to read their instructions and make sure you know the names of all the parts they are talking about. They have some good tips and ways of easily making the changes.

They point out so you won't have any problems that you should study the sear/spring relationship. Hey, I've done this before a couple of times - no problem.

After getting it all back together and it not working, I took it all apart again only to find out that I got the sear spring in backward. Like my wife driving me crazy isn't sufficient, I have to drive myself crazy.

The grips came with an allen wrench, but not with any instructions. Like you really need instructions for putting on grips What is this round piece of plastic? I tried slipping on the grips, and didn't have much success. Then discovered they came apart. I tried the left side first and quickly discovered what the round black thing was - it was an extension for the magazine release. The grips fit like they were made for the gun - I mean for my particular gun. Sometimes you buy something that is designed for a weapon, and it doesn't fit worth a crap. My grips for the Walther PPK (22LR Interarms) required quite a bit of fitting in order to get them on the pistol.

How much have I spent? Yikes

If I get my gardening done tomorrow, I'll get the barrel and scope installed.

[TMan]

Putting the barrel on wasn't quite a simple as I thougt it was going to be. Previously I've noticed with Rugers that sometimes you just can't get the bolt stop pin to go back in. Looking at the barrel it is obviously all the way back. Knocking the barrel off, trying again sometimes works, but sometimes it won't. Eventually I would hit the magic spot and the pin would go right in.

Being that the Pac-Lite barrel cost nearly as much as the Ruger, I wasn't ready to start pounding on it - even with my plastic hammer. So, I got out my LED flashlight and looked down the hole. To my dismay, I could see metal to the side of the hole. The azimuth was obviously off - in other words the barrel was slightly rotated. If you drew a line from the top of the hole in the barrel to the bottom, instead of being from 0⁰ to 180⁰ it was more like 3⁰ to 183⁰ Could Tactical Solutions have drilled it wrong? I guess that is the advantage of being old - I've lived with me so long that I know that I screwed it up. I removed the barrel. Tried it again and the bolt stop pin went in easily.

I don't think I mentioned that in addition to the Weaver mount, which with the drilling, cost me an additional $40, the barrel also came with a nice set of adjustable sights, which I wanted to leave on the pistol.

I bought a Leupold 2x20mm scope and Weaver mounts that allow for an objective size of 40mm - plenty enough - wrong!
The eyepiece was hitting against the rear sight. No problem, just lower the rear sight as far as it will go to get the clearance - wrong again. Screw it - time to take a nap.

Short nap - phone rang. It was my next door neighbor who had to return something to Cabela's and wanted to know if I wanted to go along. Young looking blonde : old grey haired guy - I figured I'd get some respect and my new rings.

I don't know about the respect, but while looking at the rings a salesperson came over and offered to help. That never happened before. I found the rings I wanted, but then noticed some other see-through rings. Perfect!!! With these rings I'll be able to use the scope or the sights.

So, I told the salesguy these would work great. I left him wondering what she saw in me: "Guy must really have money. Of course now days with the blue pills, you never know."

[MLB]

I recently did some work for Cabella's in Wisconsin. They could have offered payment in the form of fishing goods and I'd have bit.

By the way, still no Bass Pro here in Buffalo. Eventually they say, but they say the same thing about the Peace Bridge Replacement / Companion...