Ahern Under the Gun: Archangel ARS, Benchmade Bali-Song ... · 20 Ahern Under the Gun: Archangel...
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By Jerry Ahern, Photos By Sharon Ahern Not very long ago, my son-in-law, Danny Akers, and I worked together on transforming an ordinary blued Ruger 10/22 into a slick-looking practical look- alike for an assault rifle using the Archangel (promag- industries.com) ARS Advanced Rimfire System stock replacement kit. For looks, it even comes with a bayonet (a plastic one, for display only). Bayonet aside, the kit gives the 10/22 a totally different look and actually adds some versatil- ity the 10/22, as originally con- figured, did not have. The 10/22 is one of Ameri- ca’s favorite rimfire sporters, of course, and has been for decades and likely will remain so for years and years to come. It’s one of those rifles that has become an American classic. The Archangel ARS consists of a forend extension, forend with upper and lower Picatinny Rails, receiver top strap, new magazine release catch, pistol grip receiver case (which nests the actual 10/22 receiver) and six position retractable buttstock. This retractable buttstock allows the weapon to be fired with perfect comfort how- ever the collapsible stock might be set. Iron sights can be installed – the Ruger’s front sight must be removed from the barrel – or you can mount optics. Danny and I undertook the project and complet- ed it over the course of about three hours, working at a leisurely pace. A deluxe version of the kit includes AR-15 style flip sights from Pro-Mag. These go on and off relatively easily. We added a large capacity magazine we already had. With the blued rifle and the black furniture and high-cap magazine, the rifle had a great look to it. Over the course of several weeks, Danny and I both had opportunities to fire the Archangel ARS modified 10/22. After Danny did a little tweaking here and there following his first shooting sessions, accuracy at a wide variety of distances was as good as the rifle had performed before the conversion – quite satisfactory – and functioning with several dif- ferent available .22 Long Rifle rounds, some of these rather on the old side, was flawless. The bayonet thing? I don’t know. But, the Archangel ARS Advanced Rimfire System conver- sion for the Ruger 10/22 just made a great little rifle that much more versatile. Sometimes an idea, a basic concept, even one that has been around for a comparatively long time, can be looked at from a different perspective, of course, resulting in something totally new. Such is the case with the Benchmade (benchmade.com) Model 51 Bali-Song, a different kind of Butterfly knife from the people who built their initial reputa- tion for uncompromising qual- ity on their original Bali-Songs decades ago. In our series The Survivalist, “Natalia,” the beautiful Russian agent with the heart of gold, used a Wee- hawk Blade Bali-Song. The same knife was used by “Josh Culhane” in The Takers. The knife in question – it’s actually mine – has a blade Les and Roberta deAsis offered that was actually made by the late Jody Sampson, the legendary custom knife maker who cre- ated the sword used by Arnold Schwarzenegger as “Conan.” This new Bali-Song from Benchmade is quite a bit dif- ferent looking, but the differences are more than looks. The Model 51 Bali-Song has a spring latch. With a typical Bali-Song, you pop the latch and the inertia given to it by your thumb or the tip of your third finger (depending on the type of open- ing you wish to do) flips the latch clear of the handles. With the Model 51, the latch is actually spring loaded. Once it is pushed out of the lock- ing notch, it flips away on its own. The handle halves are G10 with blue anodized Titanium inserts. The blade style is described as a “crown modified spear point” which is as good a name as any for a single-edge knife with beveling on the upper portion of the blade and the upper portion of the point. The blade material is D2 tool steel and the hardness is 60 to 62 on the Rockwell C Scale. Blade length is 4-1/4”, while thickness is 1/10”. Weight is a barely noticeable 3.3 ounces. A blue anodized titanium pocket clip correctly positioned on the leading handle half is standard. This is a lightweight and extremely pleasant to operate version of this classic knife which, so the story goes, was brought to the Philippines by an American seaman well over a century ago, adopt- 20 Ahern Under the Gun: Archangel ARS, Ben Above: The Archangel ARS modification of the Ruger 10/22 showing the collapsible stock, the rail on the upper portion of the receiver along with the sights, the barrel shroud and the rear sight. Below: In this sequence, (1) Ahern prepares to pop the latch with the third finger of his hand, pops it (2) and starts to perform a very basic opening sequence (3-6). By the time (8) is in frame, Ahern is closing the knife, securing the latch in (10) and holding the knife in (11). 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. June 10 Blue Press Section 1 4/13/10 7:39 AM Page 20
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Transcript of Ahern Under the Gun: Archangel ARS, Benchmade Bali-Song ... · 20 Ahern Under the Gun: Archangel...
By Jerry Ahern, Photos By Sharon AhernNot very long ago, my son-in-law, Danny Akers,
and I worked together on transforming an ordinaryblued Ruger 10/22 into a slick-looking practical look-alike for an assault rifle using the Archangel (promag-industries.com) ARS Advanced Rimfire System stockreplacement kit. For looks, iteven comes with a bayonet (aplastic one, for display only).Bayonet aside, the kit gives the10/22 a totally different lookand actually adds some versatil-ity the 10/22, as originally con-figured, did not have.
The 10/22 is one of Ameri-ca’s favorite rimfire sporters, ofcourse, and has been fordecades and likely will remainso for years and years tocome. It’s one of those riflesthat has become an Americanclassic. The Archangel ARSconsists of a forend extension,forend with upper and lowerPicatinny Rails, receiver topstrap, new magazine releasecatch, pistol grip receiver case(which nests the actual 10/22receiver) and six positionretractable buttstock. Thisretractable buttstock allowsthe weapon to be fired with perfect comfort how-ever the collapsible stock might be set.
Iron sights can be installed – the Ruger’s frontsight must be removed from the barrel – or you canmount optics.
Danny and I undertook the project and complet-ed it over the course of about three hours, workingat a leisurely pace. A deluxe version of the kitincludes AR-15 style flip sights from Pro-Mag. Thesego on and off relatively easily. We added a largecapacity magazine we already had. With the bluedrifle and the black furniture and high-cap magazine,the rifle had a great look to it.
Over the course of several weeks, Danny and Iboth had opportunities to fire the Archangel ARSmodified 10/22. After Danny did a little tweakinghere and there following his first shooting sessions,accuracy at a wide variety of distances was as goodas the rifle had performed before the conversion –quite satisfactory – and functioning with several dif-ferent available .22 Long Rifle rounds, some ofthese rather on the old side, was flawless.
The bayonet thing? I don’t know. But, theArchangel ARS Advanced Rimfire System conver-
sion for the Ruger 10/22 just made a great little riflethat much more versatile.
Sometimes an idea, a basic concept, even onethat has been around for a comparatively long time,can be looked at from a different perspective, ofcourse, resulting in something totally new. Such is
the case with the Benchmade(benchmade.com) Model 51Bali-Song, a different kind ofButterfly knife from the peoplewho built their initial reputa-tion for uncompromising qual-ity on their original Bali-Songsdecades ago.
In our series TheSurvivalist, “Natalia,” thebeautiful Russian agent withthe heart of gold, used a Wee-hawk Blade Bali-Song. Thesame knife was used by “JoshCulhane” in The Takers. Theknife in question – it’s actuallymine – has a blade Les andRoberta deAsis offered thatwas actually made by the lateJody Sampson, the legendarycustom knife maker who cre-ated the sword used by ArnoldSchwarzenegger as “Conan.”
This new Bali-Song fromBenchmade is quite a bit dif-
ferent looking, but the differences are more thanlooks. The Model 51 Bali-Song has a spring latch.With a typical Bali-Song, you pop the latch andthe inertia given to it by your thumb or the tip ofyour third finger (depending on the type of open-ing you wish to do) flips the latch clear of thehandles. With the Model 51, the latch is actuallyspring loaded. Once it is pushed out of the lock-ing notch, it flips away on its own. The handlehalves are G10 with blue anodized Titaniuminserts. The blade style is described as a “crownmodified spear point” which is as good a name asany for a single-edge knife with beveling on theupper portion of the blade and the upper portionof the point. The blade material is D2 tool steeland the hardness is 60 to 62 on the Rockwell CScale. Blade length is 4-1/4”, while thickness is1/10”. Weight is a barely noticeable 3.3 ounces.A blue anodized titanium pocket clip correctlypositioned on the leading handle half is standard.This is a lightweight and extremely pleasant tooperate version of this classic knife which, so thestory goes, was brought to the Philippines by anAmerican seaman well over a century ago, adopt-
20 Ahern Under the Gun: Archangel ARS, Benchmade Bali-Song, Blackhawk Base-Layer
Above: The Archangel ARS modification of the Ruger 10/22 showing the collapsiblestock, the rail on the upper portion of thereceiver along with the sights, the barrel
shroud and the rear sight. Below: In this sequence, (1) Ahern preparesto pop the latch with the third finger of his
hand, pops it (2) and starts to perform a verybasic opening sequence (3-6). By the time (8) is in frame, Ahern is closing the knife,
securing the latch in (10) and holding the knife in (11).
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
June 10 Blue Press Section 1 4/13/10 7:39 AM Page 20
