Ranger II

[KnD Ken]

I have not fired her yet. Do not know if I will. My wifey thinks I am crazy to buy a gun and not use it.

I have about 8 I have never fired. Guess I am just silly.

Ken

[smokeless joe]

I have not fired her yet. Do not know if I will. My wifey thinks I am crazy to buy a gun and not use it.

I have about 8 I have never fired. Guess I am just silly.

Ken

Your gun your call. Me I'll fire them, some more than others but I'll usually run at least one box of shells thru a new purchase.

[Canoeal]

I don't buy any guns I don't intend to use. Just me...

[Uncle_Lee]

I do.
I buy minis with no intention of firing them.

[Warthog]

I don't anymore.  I buy guns I want to shoot only.

[cfsharry]

Guns are meant to be shot in my opinion. Never owned one I never fired. With that said; each to his own.

[redhawk4]

A monumental moment in history, I agree 100% with csfharry including the each to their own.

I don't see the point in not firing a gun, in fact I always rush to do so the moment I buy one, but can understand how others view it differently. The bit that would bug me about not firing something, is how do you know it works properly if you don't at least do a reasonable test firing? Having said that I'd probably be fonder of my Ranger II if I'd never tried it out, I could have been in blissful ignorance.

[Uncle_Lee]

Does a stamp collector stick his stamp collection to envelopes and take them to the post office to see if the postal people will accept them??
I don't think so. He/she is just pleased to have them..

[OV-1D]

Does a stamp collector stick his stamp collection to envelopes and take them to the post office to see if the postal people will accept them??
I don't think so. He/she is just pleased to have them..

   We collectors see the true beauty in some things others don't besides after a few years unused articles for collectors increase in value especially if discontinued . If it wasn't for collectors so many great things would not be available today just like brilliant uncirculated coins and stamps to mention a few .

[Dinadan]

I have never bought a gun that I did not shoot. Admittedly, some I only shot a few times, like the NAA Short. But as Harry said, to each his own. I have bought a lot of knives that I have never used, and that is not too different from a gun that is not shot.

[linux_author]

i sell guns that i don't shoot or don't like - life is too short and i have no one to leave anything to...

them's the facts of life for me, folks...

willie
on the Gulf of Mexico

[smokeless joe]

i sell guns that i don't shoot or don't like - life is too short and i have no one to leave anything to...

them's the facts of life for me, folks...

willie
on the Gulf of Mexico

Ok I'll step up to the plate. If and when the time comes you can leave your guns to me Willie

[LHB]

I admit that I have guns I have never fired.   Most of them are guns that I wanted for years, or are like one a relative or friend owned, and now I own one, but the wife's medical condition keeps me from being able to spend time at the range.

One thing I don't understand about collectors.   Why is a M1905 unsharpened bayonet, which means it has spent years stored in an armory, untouched and therefore utterly useless,  worth more than one that was sharpened, and with some "character" showing it is/was a "real" weapon, not a show piece.   It's like worn and corroded WWII era Randall knives that have seen use, have some value, more than Nam era knives,  but less than modern ones, that if they were a real knife, would be sharpened as soon as the purchaser got it, at least I did mine.   But because I sharpened mine in 68, it is worth only a small fraction of a "new" Randall that is bought just to look at, and not be used.   "Bo" meant for his knives to be used.

[Warthog]

LHB, you could take some pix of those knives and show them in the Knife Thread....

[pennsy]

What were the Ranger issues?

[RogueTS1]

I buy all my firearms with the idea they will be shot. However I do find myself with many that have as of yet to still make it out to the firing line. My Sidewinder and Ranger II both fall into this category. To this date neither of them has had a single malfunction or breakage.   

[OV-1D]

I admit that I have guns I have never fired.   Most of them are guns that I wanted for years, or are like one a relative or friend owned, and now I own one, but the wife's medical condition keeps me from being able to spend time at the range.

One thing I don't understand about collectors.   Why is a M1905 unsharpened bayonet, which means it has spent years stored in an armory, untouched and therefore utterly useless,  worth more than one that was sharpened, and with some "character" showing it is/was a "real" weapon, not a show piece.   It's like worn and corroded WWII era Randall knives that have seen use, have some value, more than Nam era knives,  but less than modern ones, that if they were a real knife, would be sharpened as soon as the purchaser got it, at least I did mine.   But because I sharpened mine in 68, it is worth only a small fraction of a "new" Randall that is bought just to look at, and not be used.   "Bo" meant for his knives to be used.







  LHB true bayonets were used for impaling not cutting they are like an extendable removable spear . Talking to some older timers during war the gun was also fired to help remove their bayonet from its victim more so than not , didn't really want your muzzle stuck in the victim  . The metal is pretty soft and bent (as designed) if twisted enough and just doesn't hold a edge very well  thus not made to hold an edge .   

[Warthog]

Well OV1D, I will agree that Bayonets weren't sharpened and were supposed to be used to impale rather than slash.

I own probably a few thousand bayonets going WAAAAAAY back to BP Muskets and such.  The metal used has been mostly Steel and isn't flexible at all and will hold a reasonable edge if you took the time to sharpen it.  Certainly though, some Bayonets were made of sorry metals, AK Bayonets come to mind for the most part here.

So if the bayonet is Steel, it will hold a reasonable edge.  And in my experience, most of the US and British Bayonets I own have been steel going back to the BP days.

[LHB]

If bayonets aren't supposed to be sharpened, then why did the DI pass around whet stones when we were issued bayonets for our M-14s?   Why are there photos in the books of WWI doughboys sharpening bayonets on foot powered grind stones in France?   If bayonets are only used to thrust, then why were we taught to slash and smash with that bayonet on an M-14?   It takes an edge to cut when you slash.   I've heard some of those stories about "blowing" the body off your blade, but question the validity of the story, because if you had a round in the chamber, why would you stick a man rather than just shoot him.   The bayonet is really only of use in close quarters, and when you are probably out of ammo, or back in the day, no round in the chamber of your bold action rifle.

In fact, the M1905 was shortened to the M-1 blade in WWII to make it a better fighting knife, and shortened even more to become the M-5 during Korea.

[OV-1D]

If bayonets aren't supposed to be sharpened, then why did the DI pass around whet stones when we were issued bayonets for our M-14s?   Why are there photos in the books of WWI doughboys sharpening bayonets on foot powered grind stones in France?   If bayonets are only used to thrust, then why were we taught to slash and smash with that bayonet on an M-14?   It takes an edge to cut when you slash.   I've heard some of those stories about "blowing" the body off your blade, but question the validity of the story, because if you had a round in the chamber, why would you stick a man rather than just shoot him.   The bayonet is really only of use in close quarters, and when you are probably out of ammo, or back in the day, no round in the chamber of your bold action rifle.

In fact, the M1905 was shortened to the M-1 blade in WWII to make it a better fighting knife, and shortened even more to become the M-5 during Korea.







  To get right down to it the M-14's bayonet is actual a knife and not a bayonet . The original bayonet were made for open country , trench fighting and not for jungle warfare . Bayonets like you see ,lets say ,when British troops are lined up in a row confronting the Patriots or similar armies . A gun with a bayonet is a short pike or short spear with a gunpowder load , quite a invention for its day . Besides all that killing started to become a whole lot more inhumane not so much as disabling the enemy . Long ago killing was still a mortal sin against GOD which everyone (almost everyone) believed in . No more chivalry on the field , those days are long gone it seems . Barbarism at its best today , shame .

[Honky Tonk Man]

The extent of my bayonet training was in Army Basic Training in '68.  We still used M-14s but were starting to transition into the M-16.  I had to laugh at the idea of sticking someone, then shooting them off your blade.  Agree with LHB, your bayonet was only fixed as a last ditch weapon when you were out of ammo, and about to get over run.  We were taught to remove your bayonet with your boot, if it got stuck.  Brace your foot against the enemy and pull.  In basic, our enemy simulators were tires mounted on poles. 

One component of bayonet training was called pugel stick.  We wore face masks and beat the heck out of each other with pugel sticks which looked like 5 foot long Q-tips.  (Poles with padded ends)  You learned to slash, stick and parry with a live opponent that was trying to do the same with you. 

They never let us sharpen bayonets in Basic, but in Vietnam, most did.  For a short time, after the M-14s were phased out,  the Army suspended actual bayonet training because the M-16s were breaking.  They are wimpy compared to an M-14.  Pugel stick training was still conducted. 

Anyone remember the spirit of the bayonet?  When the D.I. yelled "What's the spirit of the bayonet?"  We all yelled back "TO KILL" Drill Sergeant.  Also, whenever you struck your target with a bayonet, you yelled at the top of your lungs KEE-YAH!!  It was said to focus all your energy into the act. It reminded me of the yell before a karate chop.  Good times...

[pennsy]

What were the Ranger issues?

Bump

[redhawk4]

What were the Ranger issues?

I'm not sure if this was aimed at me, but my problems were misfires, horrible lack of accuracy, empty cases sticking in the cylinder, the cylinder popping out when opening the action to remove the cases, hammer bind and getting hit in the face with debris when firing the gun.

[pennsy]

That sounds terrible. I was wondering if there were issues in general when first released? I see references to that from time to time. Thanks.

[Bigbird48]

I think (hope) that most if not all issues have be fixed with the new production models. The early birds had a lot of problems that required several trip back to the mother ship. Last time I tried mine it seemed to be working ok but have not taken it back out to shoot since. I EDC my BW and shoot it often and have complete confidence in it. My other minis I shoot on occasion for fun.

[redhawk4]

I've not heard of issues with later models so hope all is well and initial bugs were ironed out, however many of the buyers of later models likely don't post here and many will never be fired so it's hard to gauge the current "satisfaction" level. I need to send mine back for another time, just haven't got around to it.

[Honky Tonk Man]

I've not heard of issues with later models so hope all is well and initial bugs were ironed out, however many of the buyers of later models likely don't post here and many will never be fired so it's hard to gauge the current "satisfaction" level. I need to send mine back for another time, just haven't got around to it.

I too wish some of the newer Ranger II owners would chime in with their reports.  I'm sitting on the sidelines until we get a few favorable reviews.  If anyone has a newer model and fired a couple hundred shots, please weigh in.  Maybe all is good?  Maybe when everything works like you expect it to, you just go on with life.  If not, we're more apt to hear about it?   

[pennsy]

What was the common issue? Latch?

[Bj]

NAA could answer better.  This is my impression only.  Different people had some different problems and NAA with their typical excellent customer service keep fixing the problems.  The most consistent problem as best I recall from reading this forum was shooting high from point of aim.  I think NAA changed the front sight to be a liitle higher for that.  My Early Bird one has a taller front sight than the original at no cost to me.  If you look closely at some of the pictures you can likely see the difference.

[KnD Ken]

Not fired her yet. I have others I shoot. I carry one daily. My wife thinks I am crazy but I have no real reason to shoot it,,,, YET.

Ken Jones.

[riadat]

i have managed to unlatch mine cocking it way too many times. i do have huge hands so back to the pug triplets again. just my slant.

I won't buy one.  And someone below your wrote the secret is don't do such and such.

The secret is don't buy a gun with any chance of it popping open when you don't want it to.

Sorry naa, just saying.  Love your guns, love your customer service, think you need to re-think that latch.

[riadat]

Bayonet training at Fort Benning Georgia.  I remember bleeding. 

We were all lined up in a field and doing these manouvers.  Kind of like daffy duck with his buck and a quarter quarter staff.

Dodge, spin, twirl.

When we did the twirl manouver the guy next to me cut my arm.

1987 advanced infantry training or basic it was 13 weeks one station unit training.

[Honky Tonk Man]

In the early '80's I was crewing in a medivac unit on a training exercise.  We got the call for a stabbing injury.  When we arrived on the scene it turned out the grunts were running thru the woods with fixed bayonets.  One tripped and fell, stabbing another guy in the butt.  They left the bayonet in him and we loaded him in the Huey laying on his side.  The medic was afraid if we removed it, he may have bled out.  Poor guy.  He recovered, but I bet he spent the rest of his career explaining his extra hole.  The butt of many jokes. 

[riadat]

Another guy, poor guy, oh my god.  He was bit in the testecles by a spider.  His "groin" area swelled up the size of, and I kid you not, a volleyball.

The Drill Sargeants?  Mean, yelling, not nice at all?


Man they babied that guy.  I mean, "come on over here and sit down."  "can we get anything for you?"  He didn't do a darned thing for at least 2 weeks.

[Fharing]

       Ok I picked up a 2400+ Serial number ranger 2. Fit and finish are flawless.
The little grips are horrid, so I swapped them out set of Cvang (minor fitting) Function fire with hornady 45 gr. Was flawless. I am impressed. Good job NAA