Capbyrd

TN knife maker Jon Graham has been making custom knives for a long time over in the Chattanooga area. He is a well respected craftsman and always has a waiting list going. Like many of the most popular makers right now, Jon was looking for a way to get more knives into people's hands. Well, he has licensed a few designs to CRKT but thats not what I mean. People want his work from him. The way many people are getting their work out there now is to send off a design to CNC and have the parts cut and mostly machined for them. This leaves final fit and finish for the maker. The popular term for this is mid-tech. Hence, GMT or Graham mid-tech. Jon's first mid-tech was recently just before Blade 2014 with the majority of them being sold at the show. I was lucky enough to pick one up. These knives are half the cost of a full custom and a little more expensive or equal to the high end productions on the marker. The frame is full titanium with titanium standoffs. Screws and pivot are stainless. Blade is CPM 154. The entire knife features a stonewashed or tumbled finish. Here is a picture of one as Jon delivered them. The one that I picked up, well I'm fortunate to have great friends and before I even left Blade Show, I already had a replacement titanium pivot installed. But that wasn't enough. The guy that makes the Ti pivot also makes Ti screws (Steven Kelly) and Steve told me that I needed a full Ti setup. So after he got home, he sent me a set of Ti screws to complete the set. I got them a couple of weeks ago and installed them. Not a huge difference to be seen yet but it is another step in the evolutionary phase of this knife. So that last picture was taken thursday. By Friday afternoon, I made a very noticeable change to the knife. I traveled down to outside of Tupelo to my friend Chad Nichol's shop. I was fortunate enough to be on hand for the anodizing process. My first time seeing it done. Seems simple enough and way too much fun. Blue is a higher voltage so we ran it to blue first. Then put the frame halves into the tumbler until the blue was nearly gone from exposed areas. Turned the voltage down to get bronze and then redipped the frame halves. I really like the way that the frame came out. The little bits of blue that break through the bronze give it a bit of a worn look. And the bright blue screws, standoffs and pivot are a nice accent. The pivot was done at the same voltage as the other parts but it went a little purple. At some point I'll likely take it back down to plain Ti and then try to get it to match the standoffs and screws. Doing stuff like this is dangerous for my bank account because now I want to get a power supply and start playing around with other pieces. This is a really nice knife and I enjoy it a lot. Jon is already working on the second mid-tech which is going to be a version of his stubby razel.

    Still don't think you're getting all of it.  I'm wanting an extremely short shotgun.  That means cutting down the gas system and thats not something I want to deal with or to pay something to deal with. 

I wasn't talking to you but I'll address that again. I am wanting an SBS. It's gonna have a 12 inch can on it so the shorter the better. I don't want to deal with the gas system on a very short shotty.

You must have missed the part where I said that I don't want to deal with a gas system.

You base a lot on might. And if it is "pressed into service," it will be from out of the safe where there are plenty of other options available. For me and my daily life, your points don't seem to resonate much. But I don't wear body armor every day or really even care about my health and safety most of the time. I'm just trying to enjoy the time I have here as best I can and not worry about things I can't control.

By all means. But also know that for me, my guns are toys. I don't go into combat or run drills or plot takeovers. I simply go the range and have fun being me.

They probably leave it to keep costs down.  

    Absolutely.  The thing I like about this system is that it replaces the receiver.  Its a new receiver specifically made to be mag fed.  And a new bolt that is made to be mag fed.   I think this is a well thought out kit.  I've heard from some people that own them (how I found out about them) and they seem to like them.       And in all honesty, I've certainly found dumber ways to spend 500 bucks.

But an AR is not a shotgun.  I'm wanting an SBS host for a Salvo12.  Semi's mean dealing with gas systems.   I don't find 500 for a new gun unreasonable.  

So why are we just talking about the most expensive gun on their site?  Are we just ignoring that they have options starting at FIVE HUNDRED (I spelled it so no one gets confused) dollars? Should I just not have posted because the company maxes out options on one gun and therefore makes them a joke of a company?  

Ran across these yesterday.  Company called Black Aces Tactical is making a receiver for Mossberg 500's that converts it to a detachable box mag.   http://www.blackacestactical.com/#!pro-series-5-shotguns/c1zve     Prices start at 499.   I know a lot of people have complained about the price but that doesn't bother me much.     With the saiga less of an option now, this is a neat alternative in my opinion even though its a pump action.       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgIi70yUK8s         I've been wanting to do a SBS, and especially now that the Salvo 12 is out. But that leaves me with lower capacity (3 or 4 rounds) or a saiga SBS which I assume would be a little more tricky.  The idea of a 500 cut down to the length of the fore end, with a detachable box mag really seems like it could be a winner for me.  Definitely something to consider anyways. 

Markings a bit difficult to see from a distance... http://www.tnarmsco.com/ghost-gun-clear-stripped-lower-receiver/

    I think he meant the tickets to get into the event.  Not the shells that were being shot. 

I'm far from an expert but I would assume that anything you can shoot through your chokes will go through the can. 

Yes sir it will.  I only own a really really really old one.  but it will take any of the ones currently on the market.  With most of my 10/22s I just use 10 rounders but this actually calls for a little more capacity. 

I've run through several in my days and always enjoy the different configurations one can come up with. However, I hadn't tried a bullpup stock. Most don't appeal to me but one kinda did. The High Tower Armory 90/22 kit really caught my eye. So I had this 10/22 I had recently picked up for a song and I ordered the HTA kit for it. The kit arrived in about 2 days and took my time putting it together. I really wanted to study how everything was fitting together. I think this is a great kit and I really enjoy this setup. I also have a GSG5PK that I SBR'd. Here are a couple of comparison pics of the two. Really almost makes me regret the price of the stamp when you compare the sizes. The trigger isn't perfect. Out of the box, it has a lot of take-up. Its not too heavy but you can tell that it is a linkage system. I wrapped the end of the bar with gorilla tape to take up some of that space but thats temporary. I'm planning on putting a different trigger in this gun and then working from there. I will either add a set screw to the trigger blade to take up the slack or do some fabricating on the rod. I also want to experiment and see if I can get the rod to move a bit more freely in the stock. Not sure how but trial and error usually works for me. I have a current production mag release in this gun as well as a VQ auto bolt release. The bolt release is a pain because of how deep you have to reach into the gun. The Mag release isn't a huge deal. Although HTA sells versions of both parts that come down to the edge of the magwell and make manipulation much easier. I've put that off for now. The last complaint is that the charging handle is a bit difficult to manipulate. You can still use the factory Ruger handle just fine. But the ambi P90 style handle is also functional, and nice when shouldered. However, it only sticks out about a quarter inch past the fake mag up top. They sell extended controls but before I bought them, I wanted to try it as is. The extended controls are necessary. I may take a piece of steel to a machinist friend and see if we can just make our own. Overall though, this is a really fun little platform and as close as I will ever get to a P90. Down the road, I think I want to throw an integral barrel in it.

It was sarcasm Mr. King. 

    Not hearing safe?  Why the hell even bother?  

My fingers don't work that way 

    Buy a 30 cal can and use it on all of your rifles.  I have a YHM Phantom that I use for 308, 300blk, and 5.56

    Most autos have the same spring tension.  Hell, most assisted will too.  I don't know that any has claimed anything about speed.  They just fire hard.  I posted a video a while back of my first rock eye and a manual flipper that in slow motion, are the same speed.  Speed isn't everything. 

http://instagram.com/p/p6JttLwSXn

    I wasn't referring to you.  I was talking about the store owner in the OP.

^ John Rocks! 

Before we make assumptions about the shop or tease him or anything, it might just be plain ignorance.  Seek to educate.