NEWINGTON, N.H., (June 13, 2022) – Following the success of the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy MK248 300WM Precision Sniper Rifle Contract, SIG SAUER is pleased to announce another U.S. Army award to manufacture the follow-on Advanced Sniper Rifle (ASR) 300 Norma Mag (NM) and armor piercing 338 Norma Mag (NM) ammunition.
“This selection by the U.S. Army to manufacture ASR ammunition reinforces SIG SAUER as the leading manufacturer of modern sniper ammunition for the U.S. Department of Defense, and demonstrates confidence in SIG’s ability to deliver the most precise ammunition in the world,” began Ron Cohen, President and CEO SIG SAUER, Inc.
The U.S. Army ASR ammunition contract consists of two cartridges: M1163, a 300NM, 215 grain round, and M1162 an armor piercing 338NM, 300 grain round. The $157MM maximum value contract includes 4.5MM rounds for the first delivery order.
“Sniper ammunition must be manufactured to the most precise standards. This award, combined with our proven success in the MK248 300WM contract, further demonstrates our most important customer’s confidence in our ability to build and deliver the most precise ammunition,” concluded Cohen.
All SIG SAUER Ammunition, including the Precision Sniper Rifle MK248, the Advanced Sniper Rifle M1162 and M1163, and the new Next Generation Squad Weapons (NGSW) 6.8mm Common Cartridge, is American made and manufactured at our state-of-the-art ammunition manufacturing facility in Jacksonville, Arkansas.
Image via Barret product page
About SIG SAUER, Inc. SIG SAUER, Inc. is a leading provider and manufacturer of firearms, electro-optics, ammunition, suppressors, air guns, and training. For over 250 years SIG SAUER, Inc. has evolved by blending American ingenuity, German engineering, and Swiss precision. Today, SIG SAUER is synonymous with industry-leading quality and innovation which has made it the brand of choice amongst the U.S. Military, the global defense community, law enforcement, competitive shooters, hunters and responsible citizens. Additionally, SIG SAUER is the premier provider of tactical training and elite firearms instruction at the SIG SAUER Academy. Headquartered in Newington, New Hampshire, SIG SAUER has over 2,900 employees across eleven locations. For more information about the company and product line visit: sigsauer.com.
Shotguns are painfully long weapons. Especially when compared to the slate of braced pistols and carbines out there. The NFA makes it tough to get anything below 18 inches, and overall, shotguns tend to be long weapons. There are a fair bit of skills you need to train with for those of you who want a shotgun for home defense. One of those skills is something called short stocking.
Short stocking takes a long shotgun and makes it a little shorter. The technique is reserved for extreme close quarters scenarios where the situation doesn’t allow for a proper shouldering of the shotgun. You might navigate your home and come into short hallways and rooms where the shotgun is a long hassle.
My First Time
I learned short stocking well before I was a shotgun nerd. I was a Marine whose assigned rifle was an M16A4. The M16A4 is a big long beast of a rifle…well, at least compared to modern carbines. The 20-inch barrel and long length of pull make the M16A4 a big gun. In urban warfare, we learned short stocking when clearing tight rooms like closets, elevators, and stairwells.
Short stocking is fairly easy with an M16A4 because it’s a light recoiling rifle. The shotgun is an entirely different beast. As I soon discovered, the difference between the two weapons makes short stocking the shotgun its own thing, requiring its technique.
If you’re a shotgun fan and a person who uses one for home defense, keep reading because it’s one of the most valuable shotgun skills. However, with that said, examine your shotgun. You might be able to trim inches by choosing something like the Magpul SGA stock, where you can adjust the length of pull and knock an inch or two ff the gun’s length.
Short Stocking Your Shotgun
Short stocking isn’t a complicated task. It does require some practice, though. Let’s walk through the steps needed to successfully short stock a shotgun.
First, we will push the stock up and over our should with the gun canted 90 degrees with your ejection port facing upward. Pull the stock back as far as you comfortably can, make sure you maintain a good grip, and you won’t get hit in the face by your optic or rear sight. Try to keep the top of the stock against your neck to have a constant index point.
With your support hand, grip the pump or forend, and I’ve found it helps me wrap my thumb around the barrel. The thumb around the barrel makes it easy to utilize the push/pull technique to mitigate recoil. With a pump gun, just move your thumb off the barrel to work the action.
Pull rearward on the stock while at the same time pushing forward on the forend of the weapon. This recoil mitigation technique allows you to control the weapon with ease. It’s always handy but very necessary when short stocking.
Aiming and Maiming
Aiming is tough because you can’t use your sights. That makes aiming tough but think of short stocking like shooting from close retention. You’ll use it in close-range combat, and the close nature makes it easy to hit your shots with compromised aiming techniques.
I kind of just use the tip of the barrel to aim. It’s not great, but I can consistently put shots in the A-zone at 7 yards. Beyond that, I’m transitioning to a stock position. When using the tip of the barrel, you’ll appear to be hitting high, so I suggest aiming at the belt buckle level to hit their chest.
Due to the increased recoil of a shotgun and the unusual position you are shooting in, you need to make sure you’re indexing consistently against your neck between shots. This isn’t a technique you’re looking to use for long strings of fire, but landing two consistent shots on target in under 2 seconds should be your standard.
Short Stocking and Training
Many tactics and techniques can be practiced dry, but this isn’t necessarily one of them. I recommend walking through it dry a few times to learn how to arrange your body and what to expect, but you need that shotgun recoil to understand the technique.
Start with birdshot first, get a good technique and try not to burn your thumb on the barrel. Gloves help for training purposes. Once you have the technique down, move to the buckshot you use for home defense. Practice hitting a target’s chest until you can do two shots in two seconds at 7 yards.
Also, practice transitions from a high or low ready to a short stocking position and then back again. Move between positions smoothly. I recommend setting something up in front of you or using a wall and doorway and practicing transitioning from a ready position to a short stocked position and getting smooth, quick, and consistent with it.
The shotgun is a close-quarters weapon, so it makes sense to understand close-range fighting techniques. Short stocking is one technique that’s easy to add to your toolbox and should be a regular part of your shotgun training.
The idea of using cubes for packing seemed very OCD and over organizational when first hearing about it from some industry guys that go to A LOT of trade shows. Turns out, it makes packing and unpacking a breeze, all while keeping your things organized while in the hotel.
Packing cubes are used as a way to stuff your shirts in one, pants in another and so forth without taking up space in your luggage or adding weight. The cubes also are very inexpensive usually costing around 30 bucks for a set of 3. Not only does this help with packing and unpacking as everything is already organized to be put away, it also acts as sort of a dresser when you’re actually in the hotel.
The cubes are essentially a thin, very lightweight, usually made from nylon bag that has has some material structure to hold up a square shape and make packing rolled clothing easier. They zip, often have a handle on them, and come in multiple sizes. Many different brands have now started offering packing cubes however the best have been found from searching online on the Facebook group Carryology. (That group is my go to when it comes to purchasing a bag like product..)
Said to be “the standard” on Carryology, Peak Designs offers 3 for $85.00. Also keep an eye out on PeakDesigns.com and Ebay for preowned that still pass the quality test to snag a deal.
Made of light, strong ripstop nylon with a durable water repellent (DWR) finish
Mesh on top lets you see what’s inside and lets your stuff breathe
Top and side handles make opening, closing and expanding the cube quick and easy
Expansion zipper lets you adjust size from 3.5 liters up to 6 liters (small); 8.5 liters up to 13 liters (medium); and from 14 liters up to 21 liters (large)
Product meets the bluesign® criteria, the world’s leading system for managing the environmental and human health impacts of textile manufacturing
All main body fabrics are 100% post-consumer recycled and bluesign® certified
Covered by Eagle Creek’s Lifetime Warranty
When you buy these items as a set (not individually) you save almost 10%. There’s never been a better excuse to upgrade your favorite go-to travel besties.
Reveal cubes offer some material structure for optimal packing access (particularly if you’re a folder and stacker)
Large mesh window makes it easy to see what’s packed inside
Comes in Full for larger sizes, 10L and 20L and smaller sizes they come in Flat in 5L and 10L. $20-$30 each size dependant.
Specs + Materials
5L Flat Dimensions: 10″ x 8″ x 3″
10L Flat Dimensions: 15″ x 10″ x 3″
10L Full Dimensions: 10″ x 8″ x 6.5″
10L Full Compartment Dimensions: 10″ x 8″ x 2.75″
20L Full Dimensions: 15″ x 10″ x 6.5″
20L Full Compartment Dimensions: 15″ x 10.25″ x 2.75″
Features
Sturdy and light 200D Nylon keeps belongings safe
Packs down to nothing when not in use
Zippered mesh interior for easy organization
From the Author
This is what 8 days in Switzerland looks like. Packing in a Osprey 65L Fairview Wheeled luggage, I used 6 Osprey Packing cubes, 2 sets of small, medium, and large. I then had my makeup bag, bathroom bag, and shoes tucked in separate. This is my first time using packing cubes and it isn’t a joke, I was able to stay organized the entire trip while staying in three different locations. Usually my clothes are just thrown around but I actually was able to keep them separated into groups throughout the trip. I kept one packing cube empty for dirty clothes and the other cubes I rolled my clothing. One cube for pants, one for shirts, one for underwear and bras, and another for dresses.
As we well know, Europe is often pointed to as the Gun Control Utopia of the developed world. A place where murders are very rare, life is fairly tranquil, and even most every day police officers have no need to carry a firearm since it really won’t be necessary against criminal elements in these quiet homogenous countries… Then Russia invaded Ukraine. Number #1 in homicide in Europe invaded their neighbor
Even self defense with a firearm is culturally frowned upon, often considered excessive force. Many in Europe subscribe to the naïve belief that if you just resist, cause superficial injury, and otherwise use more polite and less lethal forms of self defense, everything will be a-ok.
We know it is more complicated than that. We know that crime, as all aspects of culture due, varies by regional, economic, and societal makeup. Our inner city criminals are not their inner city criminals, they are not comparable populations in nuance. Our Chicago criminals are not our Los Angeles criminals, and those are not our Detroit or New York criminals. Each center will have points of similarity but the criminal element is a product of their whole environment and their methods stem from that environment.
Projection, the Common Error
This is the classic projection error that anti-defense and anti-2A advocates make constantly, by believing that if they were robbing you or assaulting you and you resisted, at their deemed appropriate level, they would then cease their attack and leave you alone. This is often seen in discussions between Western Europeans and Americans.
This mode of thought completely disregards the fact that this attitude is coming from someone who isn’t going to assault anyone. Probably, ever. Certainly not now as they discuss their hypothetical use-of-force encounter where everything goes right and nobody gets seriously injured.
It prescribes predetermined proper behaviors for both an assailed person and the assailant. This is an error.
London, for example, has a very low homicide rate compared to Chicago, New York, or Houston. It’s violent crimes with and without injury, as they are described, put their violent crime rate at nearly double New York’s, but with fewer deaths. Crime, criminal motivations, and the ‘limits’ of prescribed average criminal behavior are sociological traits and environmentally shaped. London is not New York, London cannot be critically compared to New York based on the two broad categories of ‘developed’ and populations between 8 and 9 million people.
We cannot project modes of preferred behavior and then be upset at people who point out that the misbehaving person or group is the one with total control in how they behave. I can want my cat to stop jumping onto my computer keyboard, but the cat is making the decision.
Which brings me back to Ukraine and Russia.
The war that got boring
There is an actual active ground war in Europe, but since Putin failed to take their smaller neighbor with the might of the red army 2.0, and now must be content to fight to a suitable stalemate where he controls a part of Ukraine for resource control, we have largely moved on.
The war is relevant to the gun control debate though, and gun controllers don’t want that brought into the discussion and will use projection and ridicule to make certain it isn’t. The fact that the developed nation of Ukraine, as poor in comparison to Germany, France, or the UK as they may be (their cost of living is substantially lower too), needed to pass out rifles to its population to fight a no joke invasion by their neighbor is real. It just happened. It therefore can happen in the 21st Century, to developed nations, not the forgotten disputed regions within Africa, the Middle East, South America, and parts of Asia.
This means there are still people, and will always be people, who will play the political calculus games with a differing ruleset than the we do. China does. Russia did. Russia miscalculated and this war, even if “won” in the technical sense with the defeat of Ukraine’s military capability, is likely to cripple their conventional military power projection for a very long time. Perhaps permanently. The US is currently, with the other nations of Europe, fighting this war with money.
Relevant to the discussion
We shouldn’t mistake fighting this way with money to never having our citizenry, our whole militia of able bodied, to need to fight off a would be warlord or tyrant in the future.
I’m not talking from DC either, nor necessarily a national crisis enveloping the nation geographically. We probably don’t have to worry about Russia for a minute, lets be real. Yet, Mexico is far from the most stable place in the world and should a cartel get it into their head to annex something along our border, and perhaps within a smidge, the quickest response would be locals in conjunction with CPB, National Guard, and any regionally close active military. But the local population would be best placed if something were to happen in California, Nevada, New Mexico, or Texas. Saying it wouldn’t, or it won’t, is naïve.
It won’t… as long as conditions persist on both sides that make it inadvisable. Those conditions are always subject to change based upon the cost/benefit analysis and interpretation of those in the positions of power.
Why do these matter?
Because when an anti-gun person points to Western Europe, or Japan, or any alleged paragon example of how gun control should work in an idealist modern society, the comparison is automatically flawed by societal factors. Large cities are veritable nation states unto themselves with the social rule structures, written and unwritten, to go along with that. New York is not London, the United States is not the United Kingdom or Germany. If we take all of Europe, not merely the West, we can get a mixture much more approximate since it has cultural variance and multiple large urban areas. Remember that Chicago would be the 30th largest nation in Europe, New York would rank about 18th.
Keep in mind also that there are cities around the world that out populate most of our states, despite our nation being the third largest in the world. Our largest city is only the 45th largest by world standards. Tokyo, Japan would be the second most populous state in the US, behind only California and well ahead of Texas, but it is 70% smaller than Rhode Island. All of these things, people and their social norms, matter when it comes to. Shanghai and Delhi also out populate Texas. Those three cities, and the states of Texas and California, have wildly different social make ups.
Firearms are not, and never will be, a simple social problem. Prohibition, partial especially, will not be a simple solution to this complex problem. Arms are a necessary part of human society, their proper disciplined use is a fact of life.
The Croatian VHS-2 carbine is the latest European service rifle to grace US shores. It joins the AUG and the X95 in the list of available serving bullpup rifles that are commercially available. Springfield Armory, using their existing relationship with HS-Produkt (maker of the XD series pistols), completed the lengthy import process for the rifles, and managed to Americanize them a bit for our use at the same time.
But does this rifle compete favorably in a market owned by the AR-15 and AR derivatives? Does it have a place as a modern service rifle? Or is it merely an interesting collector’s piece for military rifle folk who like that they can purchase another of the NATO chambered service weapons of Europe?
The “Hellion”
Let’s get the name out of the way first.
I hate it. It’s stupid.
Hellion: a rowdy, mischievous, or troublemaking person, especially a child.
I bet it sounded cool in a boardroom somewhere and fit the odd pseudo macho vibe… but what was wrong with VHS-2 Carbine? This is an Americanized VHS-K2 and that is just fine. Springfield even teased it with thisimage.
This is a grade A+ internet tease. It is clever. It is a fantastic pun… and then they called it the Hellion…
That’s what it is, the VHS-2. It isn’t a trouble making child, it’s a 5.56x45mm NATO service rifle. We aren’t calling it the Hellion, it’s the VHS-2.
End of rant about the name.
The VHS-2
I won’t go down the whole description from Springfield Armory, it’s here and HS-Product’s is here.
The short version is that the Springfield imported VHS-2 is another European military bullpup, Americanized. It is a product of its Croatian service origin with a few popular and necessary US centric features. The crucial points are the suppressor tuned gas system (replacing the ‘adverse’ overgassing, if I recall correctly), the STANAG magazine insert, and the M-LOK compatible handguard and BCM pistol grip.
Here is the Springfield variant
And here is the comparable HS-Produkt variant, VHS-K2
Similar, but notable exterior differences. Consider it like how H&K does the HK416F for France and the M27 for the Marine Corps, this is the VHS-2 for the American market.
From Front to Butt(stock)
The 16″ CMV barrels are melonite treated, a feature I appreciate greatly in newer rifles, and capped with a serviceable 4-prong flash hider. Replaceable with your preference of 5.56 muzzle device.
The handguard is a 9 slot M-LOK variant instead of bolt-on NATO Picatinny rails. The side M-LOK isn’t quite 3 and 9 o’clock, more like 2:30 and 9:30, featuring a slight upward angle. The gas regulator is adjustable by hand and, as mentioned above, the setting is now to reduce the gas to run a suppressor instead of an ‘adverse’ overgas setting. Excellent feature set for this market space. The Coratian VHS-2’s are not designed to be fielded suppressed, but the American market loves it some shush tubes.
The Springfield VHS-2 adds QD sling sockets to the traditional European keyring type points at the front and back. Both sides of the rifle feature a forward point at the front of the handguard, forward and below the M-LOK slots (which could also mount a QD point). Two more are positioned just below the rear sight base, mid-receiver. The final two are at the rear of the stock in accordance with modern designs.
Now, let’s talk about these iron sights.
Actually no, let’s have HS-Produkt and Springfield Armory take a bow for these sights. The iron sight suite on the VHS-2 is phenomenal. It is an all finger adjustable front and rear, no pushing detents or crimping cases to twist anything. The front sight is fully shielded, with its adjustment dial below it. It features a finely tapered post that will aid accuracy. The rear sight has 5 appetures for distances in meters and calibrated with SS109/M855 NATO Green Tip 62gr ammunition. The sights lock in the down and up positions, no knocking them down against gear or the environment, and they are spring loaded to pop up with the corresponding buttons. The sight housings themselves are shorter than corresponding AR height systems, so a co-witness may not be feasible.
The top rail is uninterrupted picatinny, add your optics and other zeroables. Under that optical and sight rail is the charging handle, it is ambidextrously accessible and stows centerline. It will fold out to either side to cycle the gun. The safety selector drum is rotary, however the motion is more akin to a pull and push than the 45, 60, or 90 degree throws we are conditioned to in AR type rifles.
The pistol grip, a BCM MOD3, is mounted in an even more vertically aligned angle than it would be on an AR-15. The AR-15 compatible grip index has a rearward biased tilt, an interesting choice, but also one I do not dislike.
There are two ejection ports, one will be in the pinned closed position (default is the left) and the other will open when the bolt cycles. They are polymer and held under spring tension, like an AR-15, with a detent holding it closed and the bolt carrier nudging open as it cycles. Swapping ejection is a simple process, covered in the manual and online in easy to follow steps.
The stock has a molded riser section that fits nicely for a cheek or chin weld. With this shaped piece the VHS-2 can be fired from off shoulder, with brass passing in front of the shooter’s face, very easily since the shooter will more naturally index the gun with their face behind the ejection ports. The stock is adjustable for length of pull, a rare feature in bullpups, with 5 positions covering 1.5 inches of adjustable length.
The overall length of pull is long for rifles in general, like almost excruciatingly long, but works with the reward weight bias of a bullpup. It was not uncomfortable to shoot, just far longer than average and put your hands very close together towards the front of the rifle.
The magazine well is an insert and can be replaced with a different one for different magazine formats, the native HS-Produkt insert is for G36 style magazines while the Springfield import VHS-2 wisely uses STANAG AR format. The release is a rear paddle style that fits with the H&K and AK styled ergonomic origins, more on that later.
Behind that is the bolt release, a large tab that travels rearward. There is no external bolt catch, only the internal tab that interfaces with an empty magazine. Behind the large bolt release tab is a small nub that actually holds the trigger system in place and can be used to remove it when the rifle is disassembled.
Does it blend?
Where the VHS-2 came from is fairly obvious. The AK-47 was the previous large inventory service rifle of the Croatian Army, and the G36 was the largest purchased NATO standard service rifles before they built up the VHS for domestic service. While 750 G36 rifles may not seem like a large number, the Croatian Military has ~7,500 active members.
So, when the forces were looking to fix the VHS issues (resulting in the VHS-2) they had G36’s on hand as local NATO rifle example. Its influence can be seen in the charging handle, although the VHS-2’s doesn’t reciprocate, the safety selector, the magazine and bolt hold open system, all of it feels like a bullpup’d G36.
Where that becomes a limitation is in the handling.
To make this review a succinct as I can, the VHS-2 as a standalone is a perfectly adequate service carbine. It will serve well in most any role that you’d use any other mag fed semi-auto in. It can host all the modern force multiplicative options you’d want, lights, optics, and slings, and suppressor.
Where it runs into a wall is in smooth handling and manual of arms. The manual of arms is very much late 1900’s Europe and not 2020’s shooter optimized. The magazine release, bolt catch, and bolt release all point to a simplified and suboptimal manual of arms where you will not be able to run the rifle as fast as other designs. It borrows on the G36 and AK here, but that puts a hard limit on the options to keep the rifle fed with ammo.
The VHS-2’s reload a bolt lock mechanics are the most tedious, especially when coming off of an AR or X95 which operate with very well thought out economy of motion. I’ll explain.
On the VHS-2, to lock the bolt you must hold the charging handle to the rear and manually reach inside magazine well and press up on the bolt lock tab. There is no external control. This isn’t much more than an annoyance with an empty rifle, but on a stoppage where you might want to lock the bolt open you must manually hold the bolt reward instead. Even in this scenario it is more annoyance than flaw but it is a limit on my handling options.
The real problem is in reloading. The VHS-2 does not leverage drop free magazines or an intuitive bolt release motion.
When you fire the final round in a VHS-2, the bolt locks to the rear. Good. On an AR, AR Derivative, or an X95 you can now simultaneously grab a new magazine and hit your magazine release control. Even if the magazine doesn’t drop free when you hit the release on these rifles, you can pull the magazine free very easily before inserting the full one. On the VHS-2, with its paddle style release, you are married to the HK manual of arms which mandates the shooter first pull the magazine out of the magazine well. Then the shooter can go to an ammunition pouch for a fresh magazine.
No matter how many times or ways I tried to grab a magazine and then pull the VHS-2’s mag out with the new magazine in hand, I couldn’t make it a smooth series of movements. The smoothest reloads I had were always strip the empty magazine, pull and insert the full magazine, and then sweep my support hand back along the bolt release almost like I was working a pistol slide. There was no way, at least not with my hand size, to push back on the bolt release with just my thumb.
What these limitations mean is I cannot economize my reload movements and the controls are making my hands move in contrary directions for efficacy. I got good at the reload motions, very reminiscent of reloading an MP5, but the AR, X95, and similar have a significant economy of motion advantage.
Will this matter? Under certain circumstances it absolutely will. Competitive shooting environments most prominently. Any situation where the reload mechanics are utilized the VHS-2 hits that hard limit. Now, I will say I believe it is a touch better than an AK’s mechanics, but many AKs I can grab my reload magazine before clearing the empty magazine, so it is a close call.
Compare it to the X95, where the magazines will drop free reliably and the bolt release is in a location and moves in a direction that works within the economy motion, and the X95 can be reloaded much more quickly.
When clearing hard stoppages, the VHS-2’s ambidextrous charging handle and location come in handy. It is easy to manually keep the bolt pulled and brace the rifle into the chest to clear out problems, similar again to the AK and G36. There is no real limitation here and a double feed, stove pipe, etc. should be a quick clear, refeed, and on with life.
Conclusion?
The VHS-2 is a capable 5.56 rifle in its own right with several strong design features. It is not done any favors by its trigger, but the aftermarket may solve that. It’s real limitation is in its magazine manipulations, but those are designed around its progenitors and it does make sense to keep as much of a trained manual of arms as can be retained. That doesn’t translate as well outside the military market though, you will simply be unable to run this rifle as fast or efficiently as others in the space past the first magazine.
That is the VHS-2’s only major limitation however.
If you like it, buy it and learn to run it. This same criticism can be leveled at the AK and MP5 (the whole roller lock series actually) and doesn’t diminish their overall efficacy or how enjoyable they are as firearms on their own. Someone who can run this reasonably efficiently will not be outclassed by a neophyte with an AR-15.
I think it will find a comfortable niche and expand bullpup enjoyment here in the states. The aftermarket could take it and run a few rather nice upgrades.
The Fenix GL22 fits right in with tactical gear. Eagle plate carrier, Glock 19X, CS grenades, and Strider GB knife.
Fenix GL22
The first thing that I noticed is that the light/laser unit is surprisingly compact, with the dimensions being 2.64″ x 1.65″ x 1.22″. The light, including the battery, is 3.32 ounces. The finish is hard anodized (flat black) and the construction is T6 aluminum, which makes for a sturdy, hardy body.
The Fenix GL22 does not take up much room on the rail, yet it puts out a lot of light, and the laser provides a precise aiming point.
Mount up!
The light will fit Glock rails and comes with a rail plate for mounting on the Glock rail already installed. It will also mount on a standard 1913 Picatinny rail and there is a plate for that included. This covers many bases as far as being able to mount on various weapons systems.
Caution! Before mounting the unit, be certain to unload the firearm!!
Mounting is easy and straightforward. Just loosen the mounting screw, fit the rail clamp over the rail you’re mounting it on, and tighten the screw. It is not a quick on/off system, but it is very secure and versatile.
To be honest, I’d prefer it if they’d include a throw lever in the mount so that it could be removed and mounted more quickly. The pistol I mounted the unit on is my Glock 19X, which I don’t often carry concealed because I normally have it as part of my home defense battery. It resides in a place where it can be grabbed quickly in an emergency. Because of that, a fast on/off mount isn’t really imperative for me for this particular pistol.
The mounting screw can be seen here; the unit is quick and easy to mount. To remove the battery, the lens (on the left) is simply unscrewed. To the right can be seen the activation switch.
The light fits most full-sized pistols, along with some compact ones, including the Glock 36 and Springfield Armory XDs. As an option, this unit could do well on a carbine that has a Picatinny rail, it doesn’t have to be relegated exclusively to handguns.
On the bottom of the light, the zeroing screw can be seen. It adjusts the laser so that it shines on the point of impact.
Switches
There are two switches in the rear of the light that can be operated with either hand. A single click of either switch will turn the light on or off. If the user presses the light for more than one second, the user gets a momentary on mode.
There are switches on each side of the GL22 unit, easily within reach of either finger. Press it for one second and you get momentary light and/or laser. Press it for less than one second and get constant light or laser.
To switch between modes, turn the light on and hold one switch on while the other switch to toggle between various modes, which include: White Light only, White Light With Laser, and Laser only. There is also a Strobe mode should the user elect for that option.
There is a lockout option – with the light off, press both switches at once for five seconds. To unlock the light, press and hold both switches for one second and the light will return to whichever mode it had been in before being locked.
The GL22’s switches are very easy to reach!
There is also protection in the event the light becomes too hot (it will if used for a while) in which the light will reduce the output until it cools enough to resume operating at full output.
Output
Light output is 750 lumens using the included rechargeable battery, which will last for 35 minutes. Rechargeable batteries are great because we no longer have to dump money into batteries. However, this light has a surprise – a standard CR123 battery can also be used, which will give us 500 lumens for one hour of run time. The versatility is nice to have.
The Business End of the Fenix GL22. Just below the light lens, the laser aperture can be seen.
With the standard battery, the laser will run for 17 hours, and with the CR123 it will run for 24 hours. The color of the laser, by the way, is red.
At 750 lumens, Fenix rates the light as being effective out to 180 meters, and with the CR123 battery, 140 meters. The light’s beam is nicely focused so that it will reach out far, and also exhibits a good amount of “throw”, so it will light up a room or an area while you are searching. It gives distance and width, which is great!
Fenix GL22 Accessories
A few items are in the package with the light, including a manual, spare O-ring, Allen wrench (to adjust the laser), Glock and 1913 rail plates, a charging cable, and of course, the battery.
Zeroing
Underneath the Fenix GL22 is an adjustment to raise and lower the laser’s aim.
Laser/Light Combo Uses
Being a Plain Jane, Old School type of guy, I rarely use lasers and other electronics, instead of relying on iron sights (or often plastic sights in this day and age). Yes, I might be a Neanderthal, but the irons never let us down. So why would I open my mind to using a laser?
A few reasons. First, even if the laser goes down, I still have the iron sights, it’s not as if they would be affected if the laser either breaks or I don’t use it. Just use the irons as per usual.
Another positive use is as a Force Option. I know quite a few instances of bad guys giving up when they have been painted by a laser (though you cannot count on such a reaction). The psychological effect seems to take the fight out of someone who is not very committed.
Lights and lasers: a good light is a mandatory addition to the Battle Rattle. If you can’t identify a target, you won’t know whether it’s “shootable” or not.
The fact that we can use the light in conjunction with the laser if we choose is an advantage as well, as we can blind the adversary while having a precise aiming point. As I like to say, options are always good to have.
In bright daylight, the laser is visible outdoors at closer ranges of about 25 yards. It can be seen further away but is more difficult to see on dark surfaces during bright conditions. For pistol work, I’d think it’s more than adequate for its intended purpose. If the light is a bit dimmer, the laser is very visible for quite a distance. Obviously, at night, it’s visible for an extremely long distance.
All in all, the light and laser combo is extremely well made, compact, and light. The finish is attractive and durable too. You get a high-performance light, coupled with an effective laser, which gives you force options. The retail price, at the time of this writing, is $119.95, which is a solid deal these days. The fact that it’s rechargeable is a major plus. I give this piece of gear two thumbs up!
About the Author:
Jim Davis served in the PA Dept. of Corrections for 16 ½ years as a corrections officer in the State Correctional Institute at Graterford and later at SCI Phoenix. He served on the Corrections Emergency Response Team (CERT), several of those years as a sniper, and also the Fire Emergency Response Team (FERT). For 25 years, he was a professional instructor, teaching topics including Defensive Tactics, Riot Control and Tactical Operations, Immediate Responder, and cognitive programs as an adjunct instructor at the DOC Training Academy. He was then promoted to the title of corrections counselor, where he ran a caseload and facilitated cognitive therapy classes to inmates. His total service time was close to 29 years. He was involved in many violent encounters on duty, including incidents of fatalities.
Welcome to the world of guns. It’s a world that can be complicated, intimidating, and on occasion, frustrating. It’s also a world of self-reliance, confidence, and, well, fun. Guns are fun, but you have quite a few steps before you get to the fun part. Buying a gun isn’t just a one-click purchase as it should be and requires visiting a gun store or Federal Firearms Licensee holder.
That in and of itself can be intimidating. Guns and gun stores are somewhat niche, and if you’re not lucky enough to be born into them, then you might have zero experience dealing with guns and gun stores. Today we are going to dive into the world of firearms and discuss what you can do to be ready for your first trip to the gun store.
The Gun Store 101 – What To Know
Before you head to the gun store, there is a fair bit of preparation you can do before you darken the door of local firearms dealer. One of the first things you should know about guns is that safety is always paramount. Even at the highest levels of shooting and training, safety always takes priority. In the world of firearms, we have a variety of safety rules, but I won’t hit you with all of them.
The three you need to know before you go to the gun store are fairly simple and cover the basics of handling a firearm, even one you assume to be unloaded. Here are the three rules you need to follow before handling a firearm or going to a firearms dealer.
1 – Never Point A Weapon At Anything You Are Not Willing to Destroy.
That’s a tough one because a gun is always pointing at something, right? When I carry a gun from my safe to my holster, I do not want to destroy my floor by any means. However, I am willing to destroy my floor versus destroying anyone or any living thing. In the gun store, do not point the gun at anyone, be it a customer, friend, or worker.
If you’re holding a gun and get anxious and unsure of how to put it down or hand it back to the gun store employee, just freeze and ask. “Hey, I want to hand this to you. What’s the safest way to do so.”
2 – Treat Every Weapon As It Was Loaded
All guns are always loaded all the time. Gun stores don’t keep guns on display loaded. In fact, the worker will likely show you the weapon is clear. Even so, treat the gun as if it is loaded. Treat it with respect and with care.
3 – Keep Your Finger Straight and Off The Trigger Until You Are Ready To Fire
Keep your finger off the trigger as you handle the weapon. Where do you put your trigger finger when handling the gun? Simple, anywhere but the trigger! The second part says, “until you are ready to fire.” Are you going to fire in a gun store? No, but you can dry fire. Well, maybe, you need to ask first if you can dry fire and practice pulling the trigger. If so, you’ll aim in a safe direction, ensure the weapon is clear, and then pull the trigger.
Research Federal, State, and Local Laws
Federal laws are fairly simple, and you won’t go into a gun store that allows you to violate the law. However, knowing these laws will help you find the right firearm for you. Some states and localities have specific laws that might snatch the Gen 5 Glock 19 from your hands. This can also help you learn what you need to know about the process involving purchasing a firearm. Knowing these laws will also help after you purchase a firearm.
Establish a Budget
How much money can you spend on a firearm? We all have budgets, and with guns, it’s often a good idea to save a little more than shortchange yourself and your purchase. It’s fairly easy to research gun prices and establish a baseline of the cost of a specific firearm. Researching the price ensures you won’t get ripped off as well.
Here is where I hurt your feelings. Your budget isn’t just about the firearm. You’ll need to factor in the amount of money to purchase ammunition, accessories like holsters or weapon lights, and also a safe way to store the firearm, like a gun safe. Don’t forget some basic firearm training, and you’ll need to get that safety training and range time as well.
Research, Research, Research
The first question you need to answer is what is the goal of your firearm? Is it for concealed carry? Home defense? A bit of both? Maybe you want to start hunting or just something simple to learn how to shoot firearms. Different purposes require different guns. Once you know your goal, you can group different firearms together and do even more research.
Once you locate models you are interested in, look into reviews and real-world experience. One of the best ways to figure out if a gun has problems, and there are hardly any reviews, do an online search of that specific gun + on Reddit, and you can find all manner of information, good or bad.
Also, ensure you can find accessories like holsters for the gun, and make sure the ammo isn’t overly expensive. 458 SOCOM is really cool until it comes time to buy ammo. Most major companies will have a dealer finder that can put you in touch with a local dealer who sells that particular brand.
At the Gun Store
When choosing a gun store, Yelp and Google reviews can be a lifesaver. If the reviews list it’s one grumpy old man who yells at customers, well, avoid that store. If possible, choose a gun store local to you because, with waiting periods, you’ll have to come back to pick the firearm up. Also, if a gun store has a rental range, that can give an opportunity to shoot and handle several different firearms.
“Gun Shop Gary” a Meme for us all
Additionally, don’t be afraid to tell them you’re new to guns and looking for XYZ guns or good guns for concealed carry, home defense, etc. Try them on, so to speak, and handle them. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, and don’t be afraid to share information regarding your needs and what you’re looking for. The clerks and owners aren’t looking to harass you or judge you for your lack of knowledge.
Finally, don’t tie up a gun store and employees for an hour and then purchase online to save ten bucks. That’s fairly rude, and the phrase transfer fee will be something you’ll learn about the hard way.
Going Pow
Buying a gun shouldn’t be a scary event. Guns should be respected and treated as such, but purchasing one isn’t a scary thing. Having a plan, budget and knowing a few safety rules will go a long way. Don’t let the first step in gun ownership stop you.
Those pesky Brits sure do love their bullpup rifles. That makes some sense seeing as how it was a Brit who designed the concept. Professor Richard Potter reportedly designed the first British bullpup rifle as a massive target gun in 1860. This massive rifle weighed 13 pounds and fired a .60 caliber projectile. That might’ve been the first, but as well all know, it wasn’t the last.
The Great British Bullpup
The British would go on to be huge proponents of the bullpup rifle. They stumbled into some odd and unique ideas that were often ahead of their time. Today, we will dive into the world of British Bullpups and examine their evolution in the British Empire. To start, we need to go to 1866 with the first repeating bullpup rifle.
The Curtis Repeating Rifle
What’s fascinating about the Curtis rifle is that it’s a pump-action, drum-fed rifle designed in a bullpup configuration. The rifle is fired much like a portable recoilless rifle. It mounts on the shoulder, and a hinged stock sits in front of the drum. The user folds the stock down to brace it against the shoulder.
The drum held either 12 or 13 rounds of .32 WSL. It’s not a detachable drum and would be manually loaded before firing. At the front of the gun sits a bolt handle that resembles something you’d see on a traditional bolt action rifle.
This bolt handle is what the firing hand would grasp, while the support hand wrapped around a loop forward of the trigger. The weapon was striker-fired, and a trigger linkage in the form of a cable allowed the weapon to release the striker.
Interestingly enough, the only reason anyone remembers the design is that Winchester built one to win a lawsuit. They were being sued over the pump-action design of the Model 1900 and 1903. Winchester sent men to Europe to find earlier patents and prove to the court they weren’t infringing on the pump-action mechanism. It’s a British bullpup by way of American construction.
Thorneycroft Carbine
One of the more famed early British bullpup rifles came from an Englishman named James Thorneycroft. The Thorneycroft carbine resembles those memes where people bullpup random guns, but it was real. The Thorneycroft carbine was an effort to reduce the size of a fighting rifle after lessons learned fighting the Boers.
In 1902 the first Thorneycroft carbine came to be. The rifle was 10% lighter than the standard Lee Enfield rifle and about 7.5 inches shorter. Like most rifles at the time, these were bolt-action guns. They chambered the British .303 British round and fed from a 5 round internal magazine.
The rifle was rejected from military trials due to its excessive recoil and awkward ergonomics. Over time Thorneycroft developed several more prototypes to improve the design, including the very Enfield-looking models of 1903 and 1907. None ever saw adoption.
SREM-1
Did you think you’d only see one pump-action British bullpup rifle on this list? Ha, well, guess what? Here’s a second! The SREM-1 or Sniper Rifle Experimental Model 1 takes the cake as a second. Enfield designed the SREM-1 during WW2 as a prototype sniper rifle for British troops. The design is a bit nutty.
The pump of the firearm is the firing grip. After firing, the user would pull the grip rearward to eject the empty casing and push it forward to load the next round. The Brits chose the heavy-duty 7.92 Mauser round, and it used a 5-round internal magazine. The SREM-1 began development in 1944, and development stopped at prototypes with the war almost over.
The BSA Bullpup
After WW2, the Brits wanted a new, more modern infantry rifle, and surprising no one reading this article experimented heavily with bullpup rifles. The Brits wanted to standardize on the .280 round and commissioned a variety of rifles from Enfield but also from Birmingham Small Arms. BSA produced a prototype rifle.
This British bullpup was a select-fire rifle in .280, and that’s about all we know about it. Oddly, the gun appears to have two triggers, with one forward of the grip and one rearward. Why, I’m not sure, perhaps for hip firing? Also, the grip appears to be the gun’s magazine, making ergonomics a bit awkward.
The EM-1, EM-2, EM-3, and EM-4
In the mid-1940s Enfield Armory began developing a series of bullpup rifles for the British military. The various rifles were all competing designs. The EM-1 and EM-2 used the .280 British cartridge, and each was a bullpup carbine. The EM-3 used a .303 rimless cartridge, and the EM 4 used a round known as the .27 Broadway Trust.
The EM-1, nicknamed the Cobra, used a roller-locked short-recoil design. Modularity seemed to be the key behind the EM-1’s design, focusing on the military being able to turn the EM-1 into an assault rifle, a marksman’s rifle, or a support weapon. It’s fairly ahead of its time in that regard and heavy at 10 pounds unloaded. The EM-1 used an optical sight mounted on the carry handle which was fairly advanced for the 1940s.
The EM-2, nicknamed the Mamba, used a gas-operated, short-stroke gas piston system. The designers aimed to produce the EM-2 as a general-purpose assault rifle heavily relying on accuracy with a max range of 800 meters. The EM-2 was a lighter 8 pounds. Like the EM-1, it used an optic instead of traditional iron sights. This was declared the best British bullpup in the Great British Bullpup show in the 1940s.
The Other Two
The EM-3 and EM-4 didn’t make it very far and didn’t get cool nicknames. The EM-3 would chamber a round known as the .303 rimless, which never existed. The design would eject cartridges over the shooter’s shoulder, although only a single non-working mock-up was produced.
The EM-4 was another British bullpup rifle never produced. It was designed by Sir Dennis Burney of the Broadway Trust company. It’s an odd action that’s principle was an enlarged chamber that the gases expand into and then exhaust through the barrel using a high-low system. The design seems to move the barrel, bolt, and magazine.
I don’t quite understand it, and not many visual aids exist. The rifle used a 7mm projectile and didn’t seem to make it out of the prototype stage.
Break for the FAL
Eventually, the EM-2 was adopted…for all five seconds or so before the Brits went to the FAL, thinking the Americans would do the same. We all agreed to standardize on the 7.62X51mm round and on the FAL rifle. Of course, American pulled a fast one and swapped to the terrible M14.
Throughout the Cold War, the FAL reigned supreme. However, in the mid-1980s, the Brits finally got their bullpup rifle with the SA80 family, which is a whole different article for a different time. It took 40 years to get, and they don’t seem to be willing to get rid of it anytime soon. The bullpup is as British as Earl Gray and calling cookies biscuits.
GunMag Warehouse has announced (their) exclusive availability of AR15 mags. The Advanced Warfighter Lancer OD Green Mags are AR-15 magazines and are shown in the image below.
This is what the three different sizes of the Lancer OD Green Mags look like.
Available in 10-, 20-, and 30-round versions, these magazines feature:
• Hardened steel feed lips
• Impact resistant polymer body
• Steel-topped magazine catch
• Non-tilt follower
• Constant curve internal geometry
• a Stainless Steel spring
• Aggressive texturing on the body for a positive grip
• Slim body design
What it looks like to have Lancer’s green P Mag in your rifle.
The Advanced Warfighter Lancer OD Green Mags may be purchased in:
In addition to the Lancer OD Green mags, many of these magazines can be purchased in other colors: black, smoke, flat dark earth, translucent red, blaze orange, and translucent dark earth are all options, though it is increasingly difficult to keep them in stock. As a result, availability will vary with demand.
Lancer makes translucent and solid color magazines with the inclusion of red and orange mags.
About GunMag Warehouse
Founded in 2012, GunMag Warehouse has become the predominant gun magazine and accessory destination for new and veteran gun enthusiasts alike. We provide nearly every magazine currently in production, in stock, and ready to ship. Accessories too! We can take care of you. GunMag Warehouse has the largest selection of commercial gun magazines anywhere. Follow us: @gunmagwarehouse on Twitter; /gunmagwarehouse/ on Facebook. Connect on IG, @gunmagwarehouse. Also, be sure to follow our blog, The Mag Life.
[Ed: Dr. Faria originally published this atHacienda PublishingJune 6. It is more partisan than most of what we publish, but well-founded. Minimally edited for DRGO.]
We could say that all mass shootings are inspired by hatred. But many are carried out by deranged individuals, susceptible to violence and possessing no clear and distinct political or religious motives. These disturbed, mentally unstable people are unhinged by the strain of the postmodern age and what they see and experience, receptive to the influences of the perverse degeneration of the popular culture, media sensationalism, and the pursuit of celebrity status, even if they pay with their own lives to achieve the dubious notoriety they seek. These types of rampages may be the most common type of mass shootings, at least in the United States.
But there are other types of rampage shootings, which are clearly of different varieties, especially those triggered by fanaticism or intense racial, ethnic, or political hatred.
Some shootings are motivated by Jihad and “home grown” Islamic radicalism. Others, perhaps the most odious, are the result of perverted political ideology and the increasing hatred boiling over from the atmosphere of racial and ethnic divisiveness and polarization of politics, largely created by the incitement of violence, directly or indirectly, by the political left and the propagandist media.
According to the Buffalo News, the two law enforcement sources stated that at least six individuals had been communicating with the accused shooter in an online chat room and were invited by Gendron to read about his mass shooting plans and the target location about 30 minutes before the shooting. None of these individuals tipped the FBI to warn the agency prior to the shooting. No other information has been made available to the public from the two officials familiar with the investigation, the FBI, or the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Suffice to say, the FBI and the media propagandists have been heavily discussing racial hatred, the white supremacist shooter, and the fact the gunman used an AR-15. Vice President Kamala Harris and Democrat activist Beto O’ Rourke have already begun pushing for banning “assault weapons,” especially the AR-15, and in the case of O’Rourke, calling for outright confiscation of those who already possess them legally!
Nothing has been said about much bigger problems, such as the increased polarization of America since the time of the Obama administration and the incitement of violence by the Democrats and the media — for example, calling rioters “peaceful protestors” and justifying their criminal behavior, violence, looting and plundering, as reasonable social justice. In fact, these rioters advance the leftist agenda of promoting chaos that then the Democrats and their allies in the mainstream media can exploit as pretext to pass more laws that affect not the criminal elements in society but the law-abiding gun owners and business people; at the same time, the orchestrated riots provide plunder for the looters, while the public and businesses are not even protected!
Nor has the media explored and investigated their own politicization or that of the intelligence agencies, especially when it came to undermining the presidency of Donald Trump.
No president in American history has had to suffer the sustained and vociferous media attacks that the American print and electronic media launched against President Donald Trump, the legally elected president of the United States. Some media personalities and Democrat legislators even called openly for his assassination. Moreover, we now know that an attempt to remove Trumpwas behind the intensive demonizing of the former president.
We also know that all resources available to the press were utilized for sustaining the constant barrage of negative propaganda, and that this could take place in our United States, a nation with a purportedly free and independent press, is unconscionable. And that a fifth column within the intelligence community,which had become corrupted and sympathized with President Barack Obama and detested President Trump, was also deeply involved is abominable.
These agencies, both the CIA under John Brennan and the FBI under James Comey that collaborated with Democrats sympathetically with foreign powers to overthrow Trump’s presidency, have lost a lot of credibility with the American people, and that none of these intelligence players is serving time is another abomination.
Where are the objective and indomitable investigative journalists of the mainstream media that should have been investigating these momentous omissions, these gaps in our knowledge, in the study of criminal mass shooters? And when is the media finally going to admit that armed citizens in place could have stopped some of these mass murderers, and, at the very least, diminish the number of casualties?
Tim over at MAC is doing a comparison, based on available similar physics rifles, of the new 277 Fury’s armor defeat capability.
Now, a caveat he does explain (although I think he could do so a little better) is that this test is based on only one aspect of armor defeat capability, velocity.
Speed can beat armor, getting a conventional projectile going fast enough and that is usually enough to grind through soft or hard armor with lead or copper.
What this test doesn’t test, because it cannot test it with the Army projectiles being kept under wraps and not commercially available, is special materials rounds.
M855A1 and M80A1 haxe exposed hard steel penetrative tips, this material choice changes the raw physics package being delivered to an armored plate. This allows the slower and or lighter rounds more levels of armor and at greater distances/slower speed than the raw copper and lead or the softer jacketed over steel of M855/SS109.
So really. This test is more realistic to asking will the commercially available ammo defeat rifle armor. Especially the hybrid high pressure stuff that will have the extra velocity.
Short answer, about as well as current conventional rounds. Which is to be expected.
It will punch soft armor at pistol and magnum/shotgun ratings like rifle rounds do, and it will be stopped by the III and IV plates based on the velocity at impact. I suspect it will crunch through III rated plates like M193 and M855 can at comparable speeds but will start getting stopped below a predictable velocity threshold.
The same goes with IV’s, although I suspect IV will probably stop 277 with high probability, as we see in this test.
We’re back to the two parts of armor defeat, material and velocity. The velocity on its own is going to place it into the high velocity rifle performance tier we understand well, 5.56 and 5.45 live here as well as many magnum calibers. The hardened steel of the military 135gr projectiles are what undoubtedly give it the performance the Army wanted.
Remember that the Army had the projectile already, they gave it to the NGSW participants to build around. The commercial ammo is merely going to be, essentially, an efficient magnum caliber thanks to the new safe pressures the hybrid case allows. Rifles chambering the hybrids are going to need to be reproofed at the higher pressure to see that their designs can withstand it, but I suspect that in most instances this won’t be as challenging an adaptation it may seem. Especially if we’re only taking pressures to current proof load levels like 80,000 psi.
Night Fision’s Optics Ready Stealth Series (ORS) tritium sights are engineered to offer a lower ⅓ co-witness. Night Fision Sights, with the new blade heights, a more comprehensive array of optics and handgun combinations will see what is regarded as the best position for backup irons on a handgun with a slide-mounted optic.
Night Fision ORS sights are designed from the dovetail up to work as backup sights for optics yet obscuring less of the optic window while still allowing three-dot sight as an alternative to repurposing Suppressor Height sights alignment if needed.
Night Fision Sights Optics Ready
Night Fision is pleased to announce new blade height offerings for three manufacturers in their Optics Ready Stealth Series product line; Glock, SIG SAUER, and Heckler & Koch.
Comparison between the new Holosun 507C and the new Leupold DPP.
Optics Ready Stealth Glock Sights
Designed to work with pistol optics, these Optics Ready Glock sights offer the perfect 1/3 co-witness tailored to the shooter’s preference. Additionally, they are serrated for low glare, so you’ll never know they’re there until you need them.
Optics Ready Stealth SIG Sauer Sights
Designed to work with pistol optics, these Optics Ready SIG SAUER sights offer the perfect 1/3 co-witness tailored to the shooter’s preference. Additionally, they are serrated for low glare, so you’ll never know they’re there until you need them.
Optics Ready Stealth HK VP9 Sights
Designed to work with pistol optics, these Optics Ready HK VP9 sights offer the perfect 1/3 co-witness tailored to the shooter’s preference. Additionally, they are serrated for low glare, so you’ll never know they’re there until you need them.
Comparison between their new Glock 17 MOSs.
Optics Ready Stealth Series FEATURES
Green Tritium Vials in front and rear sights are housed in a ballistic-grade polymer.
Thin ring size on front sight balances visibility without distraction.
Perfect Dot front sights have a domed lens to focus glow for crisp sight picture, and fluorescent rings guaranteed not to chip, crack, or break.
Rear sight available in blank or with black polymer ringed Tritium.
Serrated heavy-duty steel sight body complimented by a tough Nitride Coating.
Blade heights allow for various co-witness possibilities with different optic, plate, and milling-depth combinations.
Built-in the USA with Swiss Tritium
Comparison between their new SIG Sauer P320 RXPs.
These new Night Fision Sights are designed in a way that they are just high enough to clear the optic. Many shooters have used suppressor height sights to co-witness with an optic in the past. The problem is that it clutters the optic sight window and can become distracting to the shooter. With many pistol optic manufacturers making larger sight windows, why would we want to impede that with tall irons?
The new Optics Ready Stealth tritium sights are designed to sit right at the bottom of the pistol optic sight window, allowing you to take full advantage of the sight picture but still have co-witnessed irons as a backup.
“These additions to our most popular product line affirm that they truly are designed with our customers in mind,” said Rachel Maloney, Marketing Director for Night Fision, “that we can help our customers create their perfect sight picture and remove any barriers to both having the brightest night fisionsights on the market mounted on their gun, yet avoid crowding their optic window when they aren’t needed.”
For more information on these products or other Night Fision Sights offerings, visit the Night Fision website.
San Antonio, Texas (June 9, 2022) – Team Blaser’s Rachel Barringer hit 398 out of 400 clays to win High Overall Champion (HOA) in the Texas State Skeet Championships in a field that included 123 men and women. Her impressive shooting also won her the title of Ladies Champion.
The event was held June 2-5, 2022, at the Greater Houston Sports Club in Houston, Texas. Under sunny skies and temperatures well into the nineties, Barringer started off the week with a 97/100 in Skeet Doubles and 100/100 in 12 Gauge, placing runner-up in both ladies’ events. In 20 Gauge, she shot 100/100 and after a long shoot-off, won the Texas State Open 20 Gauge Championship and Ladies Champion. She also shot 100/100 in 28 Gauge winning the Ladies Championship. Barringer followed that with a 98/100 in .410 placing third in the ladies’ division. The combined performance led to her state championship title. She is the second woman in the history of the Texas Skeet Shooters Association to win this title in the last 50 years.
“I am so honored to hold the Texas State Skeet HOA Champion title,” said Rachel Barringer, Digital Manager, Blaser Group. “This has been a goal of mine for many years, and I am truly humbled. This would not have been possible without the endless support I’ve had from my employer and sponsor, Blaser USA, or the confidence I have in my Blaser F3 shotgun and other products I’m using.”
Other Team Blaser members had very impressive performances as well. Cody Sergeant of Clifton, Texas won Doubles Champion, placed third in 20 Gauge, and shot 396/400 in HOA. Melissa Barringer of San Antonio, Texas won Doubles Ladies Champion and place third in ladies 12 Gauge. Kaleigh Lawson of Dallas, Texas was 12 Gauge Open runner-up, 12 Gauge Ladies Champion, and 20 Gauge Ladies runner-up. John Barnes shot an impressive 396/400 HOA and Georgie Seagraves shot her first 100 straight in 12 Gauge competition and won her class.
“We are so proud of Rachel’s incredible accomplishments in these competitions,” said Jason Evans, CEO, Blaser Group USA. “She is dedicated to excellence, both in her shooting and profession as our digital manager. We salute her hard work, and also the grit and dedication of the other Team Blaser members who put in outstanding performances at these championships.”
About Blaser Group The Blaser Group is the official U.S. importer for iconic German firearms brands Blaser, Mauser and J.P. Sauer; English gunmaker John Rigby & Co.; Minox optics and Liemke Thermal Optics. Established in 2006, the company which is based in San Antonio, Texas works with distributors, wholesalers, and over 200 authorized Blaser Group dealers across all North American states, with this figure continually growing. Today the Blaser Group’s industry-leading product portfolio includes bolt-action, combination rifles and over-and-under shotguns designed specifically for game hunters and competitive target shooters. Its custom shop offers exclusive engravings, design work and custom finishing for bespoke guns. With recent innovations, Blaser Group has gone on to expand its product portfolio into cutting edge optics and accessory lines. For more information about the company and product lines, visit: www.blaser-group.com.
Among the best combinations of value, performance, accuracy and reliability is the Kimber Custom II. Kimber rocked the world when they introduced this handgun decades ago. It was the best appointed factory 1911 in the world at the time. The Kimber forced other makers to upgrade their 1911 handguns in order to remain competitive.
Kimber has earned an enviable place in the firearms world with the Custom II and other 1911 handguns. Some shooters and even old line gunsmiths criticized the Kimber as it was not ‘mil spec’ and did not accept the generalized parts used to upgrade the 1911. No, these parts don’t fit and the Kimber demands its own .22 conversion unit. The same criticism was leveled at the Les Baer handguns a few years later. When you improve a machine by tightening tolerances you increase performance. 1911 barrels, magazines and grips fit the Kimber, and in the event you really need and upgrade fitting isn’t difficult.
A few years after the introduction of the Kimber Custom pistol Kimber added a firing pin block or drop safety and called it the Custom II. A recent addition to the Kimber line is the Hero Custom Model.
This is a pistol with special engraving and markings. Kimber will be making donations to the Boot Campaign based on sales of this model. The Boot Campaign helps veterans with quality of life and other struggles.
The Hero Custom is a distinctive handgun. The pistol features the usual Kimber Custom II appointments such as a well fitted five inch barrel, a solid full length recoil guide rod, an extended slide lock, beavertail grip safety, and match grade trigger. The pistol features a tan finish and nicely done engraving. Kryptek Highlander grips set the piece off and offer a good balance of adhesion and abrasion. The Custom II also features forward cocking serrations. Among the better features are the brilliantly visible fiber optic insert sights. The rear sight is a modern wedge type.
The pistol is well made and well fitted. The barrel bushing is tight but doesn’t need a tool for disassembly. Trigger compression is ideal for most uses at 5.2 pounds compression. The feed ramp is properly polished with the requisite 1/32nd each gap between the two halves of the feed ramp. The safety indents sharply. The grip safety properly releases its hold on the trigger about half way into compression.
I lubricated the long bearing surfaces of the pistol and collected a likely supply of ammunition. The pistol is supplied with a single magazine. I added a likely collection of Mec Gar and Wilson Combat magazines. I have fired the pistol with as wide a range of ammunition as possible during these times of shortage and panic buying. Among the most accurate loads has been Federal’s American Eagle 230 grain FMJ loading. This is a consistently accurate loading with a clean powder burn. I would not hesitate to engage a threat with this load it is a hard hitter. I have chosen the Speer Gold Dot 230 grain hollow point as the carry load. After proofing this pistol I carry it often. The Gold Dot loading is a bonded core that has been chosen by many agencies as a general issue loading. The Gold Dot has a good balance of expansion and penetration and is more accurate than most loads.
The pistol handles like most 38 ounce 1911 handguns. Recoil is modest. There is no pistol faster to an accurate first shot than a Government Model 1911. Draw, get on target, line the sights up and press the trigger straight to the rear and you have a hit. As the pistol recoils let the trigger reset and fire again after the sights have been re-aligned. The pistol is controllable. The Kimber trigger and excellent high visibility sights make for high hit probability. I didn’t expect anything else but the sights especially are attractive and useful for speed shooting. Firing off hand at small and large targets at known and unknown ranges is a better test of practical combat accuracy than firing off a bench rest. The Kimber Hero has practical accuracy. I have fired several two to two and one half inch groups with the pistol, firing three shots from a braced position at 25 yards. This is a formidable handgun and a fitting tribute to those who served.
In an effort separate from the bi-partisan movement on gun control, the Protecting Our Kids Act seeks to change the federal required age to 21 for semi-automatic, magazine fed rifles. It also adds additional gun trafficking violations, codifies the new ATF regulation regarding receivers and frames into law, updates the ‘untraceable firearms’ language, adds safe storage requirements and penalties, prohibits new magazines of larger than 10 round capacity, and adds a creepily detailed NICS reporting requirement to congress on denied persons.
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Attorney General shall submit to the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives a report that includes, with respect to the preceding year, the demographic data of persons who were determined to be ineligible to purchase a firearm based on a background check performed by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, including race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender, age, disability, average annual income, and English language proficiency, if available.
Ironically, this bill does a better job of outlining effective firearms than any “Assault Weapon” definitions that have ever been offered by the low neuron elites championing this stuff. The main difference is here they are talking about an age increase, not a ban, so they don’t have to talk about all the scary features that amount to creature comforts like the pistol grip and barrel shroud.
Reaction upon seeing a barrel shroud
We can have that reasonable discussion about shifting the age of majority. Just everyone keep in mind that the courts, in California no less, through this law out as it leaves those 18-20 years old with no acquirable means of protecting themselves effectively. The court even acknowledged that manual action firearms are an inferior option for self defense and that mandating 18-20 year old adults to only those firearms was a violation of their civil rights.
So we can have this discussion. We can even end up changing the age of majority. But the shortest of short versions is that parents are going to be entirely legally responsible for their children for another three years, to include their defense.
The House passed this bill on party lines, and while it contains elements that could be placed into a sensible firearms regulation package its fundamental attack on gun owners for no gain far outweighs the positive benefits.
The most egregious of these attacks are the magazine ban, the removal of non-serialized firearms builds, and the creepy NICS report. Penalty fines for negligence in storage, discussing raising the Federal age to 21 for certain firearm types, and doing a refresh on straw purchase and trafficking penalties all have the benefit of some intellectual merit. Probably because they are tied to actions and not possession of an inanimate item. Weird how that works.
This is, likely, the Democrats showing the flag before midterms so they have a ‘what we TRIED to do’ when they realistically know that the Senate’s bipartisan package is the most likely to make it to a signature. Depending upon how obstructionist the house wants to be with the Senate, and vice-versa, this could result in no new laws. We need to see the Senate’s proposal in detail once it gets hit with revisions.
