So, I finally managed to take my new Taipan X to my club. Pretty excited to try it out. Have it mounted with a newish Viper 2 PST LPVO (another story in and of itself - warranty call coming on that one).
Anyways, aside from another CGNer here figuring out why my Gen 2 PMAGS don't seat properly (spine shaving some bits off did the trick), the gun seemed to handle good at home just in cycling snap caps and what not. I did run a bore snake through the barrel as initial cleaning as the company suggests.
So here are some observations I had on the weekend with the Taipan X. I was hoping to possibly use it as a HD firearm (since everything else I had for that purpose has since been banned), but not so sure after the range trip.
Ammo used (initially): Federal American Eagle 55gr 5.56 FMJ
Ammo used (subsequently): PMC XTAC 62gr LAP (green tips)
Magazines used: LAR15, PMAG 2 (5/30), PMAG 3 (5/30), MFT 10PM556
Pros:
1. With the above ammo, with all the above magazines, it fed well with both the pump action and the straight pull charging handle. Most mags dropped free fine.
2. Accuracy was better than my former MRA Renegade
Light Cons:
1. On the bench, if a rest is used, the rest has to clear the pump portion, as it moves with the charging handle.
2. It got heavier to carry as I expected, and with repeated use, the pump seemed to be further and further away (totally psychological, but I think it was also the weight and my small framed body). I wish the stock was adjustable.
3. The more it was in the cold, it seemed like the pump mechanism became stiffer and required more force.
4. Occasionally when loading a mag and shouldering the firearm, the round came slightly out of battery as I inadvertently in grabbing the pump, slightly moved it back. I wish the pump would lock into place until after either a fired round or a manual button/switch to release it.
Heavy Cons:
1. Not a single PMC LAP / green tip round fed, in any of the magazines. Not only did it not feed, it got significantly jammed up while trying to feed with the round, after the bolt came forward, partially out of the mag with the front jammed into the bottom of the chamber and the back / middle still partially in the mag. I should have taken a photo, but I was so annoyed at this - I couldn't eject the unfired round and I couldn't eject the magazine - had to get some tools to pry it out, and even then the magazine release was semi-seized a few operations after. This was consistent on every single LAP round. I don't know if it is because the round was super pointy and just didn't chamber properly or whether there is a tolerance issue, but it was the same behaviour with every single magazine every single time. When I finally got it working, I managed to run some regular FMJs back through it and it was back to normal. But it marred the bottom outside of chamber.
I will try it with different non-LAP rounds last week, but important for me to try things like varmint rounds and other hunting rounds to see if they consistently feed. If not, then this may end up becoming just another range toy
Anyways, aside from another CGNer here figuring out why my Gen 2 PMAGS don't seat properly (spine shaving some bits off did the trick), the gun seemed to handle good at home just in cycling snap caps and what not. I did run a bore snake through the barrel as initial cleaning as the company suggests.
So here are some observations I had on the weekend with the Taipan X. I was hoping to possibly use it as a HD firearm (since everything else I had for that purpose has since been banned), but not so sure after the range trip.
Ammo used (initially): Federal American Eagle 55gr 5.56 FMJ
Ammo used (subsequently): PMC XTAC 62gr LAP (green tips)
Magazines used: LAR15, PMAG 2 (5/30), PMAG 3 (5/30), MFT 10PM556
Pros:
1. With the above ammo, with all the above magazines, it fed well with both the pump action and the straight pull charging handle. Most mags dropped free fine.
2. Accuracy was better than my former MRA Renegade
Light Cons:
1. On the bench, if a rest is used, the rest has to clear the pump portion, as it moves with the charging handle.
2. It got heavier to carry as I expected, and with repeated use, the pump seemed to be further and further away (totally psychological, but I think it was also the weight and my small framed body). I wish the stock was adjustable.
3. The more it was in the cold, it seemed like the pump mechanism became stiffer and required more force.
4. Occasionally when loading a mag and shouldering the firearm, the round came slightly out of battery as I inadvertently in grabbing the pump, slightly moved it back. I wish the pump would lock into place until after either a fired round or a manual button/switch to release it.
Heavy Cons:
1. Not a single PMC LAP / green tip round fed, in any of the magazines. Not only did it not feed, it got significantly jammed up while trying to feed with the round, after the bolt came forward, partially out of the mag with the front jammed into the bottom of the chamber and the back / middle still partially in the mag. I should have taken a photo, but I was so annoyed at this - I couldn't eject the unfired round and I couldn't eject the magazine - had to get some tools to pry it out, and even then the magazine release was semi-seized a few operations after. This was consistent on every single LAP round. I don't know if it is because the round was super pointy and just didn't chamber properly or whether there is a tolerance issue, but it was the same behaviour with every single magazine every single time. When I finally got it working, I managed to run some regular FMJs back through it and it was back to normal. But it marred the bottom outside of chamber.
I will try it with different non-LAP rounds last week, but important for me to try things like varmint rounds and other hunting rounds to see if they consistently feed. If not, then this may end up becoming just another range toy
. She chambers both PMC and federal 62 grain green tip no issue
