The BRN 180 and Armalite’s Other Rifle

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June 25, 2020

Did Eugene Stoner ever imagine how far his rifle would go? Could he picture his gun becoming so beloved, and pushed so far past his original design? The AR-15 is, without a doubt, America’s favorite rifle. AR might stand for Armalite Rifle, but it could stand for America’s Rifle. You likely know that Armalite made several different guns, including the AR-10, the AR -7 shotgun, and even the oft-forgotten AR-18. The AR-18 was Armalite’s other rifle, and it was recently modernized and revised by Brownells in the form of the BRN 180.

The BRN 180 started life as an upper receiver, but Brownells is expanding it to lower receivers. The BRN 180 was smartly designed to work with stock AR-15 lower receivers. The upper is quite modern by design and incorporates an M-LOK rail and flat-top upper receiver for optic mounting. The upper comes in various barrel lengths to scratch all your itches. This includes a shorty 10.5-inch model, a 16-inch model, and an 18.5-inch model.

I went with the 18.5-inch model since it is the most historically accurate variant of the AR-18/AR-180. I also like the fact that the 18.5-inch barrel offers a little more velocity and smoother shooting experience.

The Gas Piston Difference

The AR-18 went a completely different route from the AR-15 in the way it operated. Instead of a direct impingement design, the AR-18 went with a short-stroke gas piston design with dual recoil springs and guide rods. These double recoil springs and guide rods are isolated to the upper receiver, eliminating the AR-15’s buffer tube design.

The Upper even has a little bumper for folding stocks

This allows for folding stocks and gives the gun the ability to fire with the stock folded. The AR-18 was initially designed to be very affordable and easy to make. Armalite wouldn’t just sell AR-18s and AR-180s, but sell the means for countries to build their own. The AR-18 used a cheap stamped steel design that we all know now to be very reliable and a perfectly fine way to make guns.

From the AR-180 to the BRN-180

The BRN-180 does use a machine upper receiver, and the lowers are forged. It’s different, but likely cheaper than creating a factory and tooling for stamped steel AR-180 parts. That’s oddly a big reason why the AR-18 and AR-180 never took off. It was cheaper to buy M16s, FALs, G3s, AKs, and so on, for a country to buy the tooling to make their own AR-18s.

The AR-180 design never took off, and no country adopted the AR-18. Japan used the Howa Type 89 as a variant of the AR-18. The AR-180 was a mainstay in the Irish Republican Army during the troubles. It became famed enough to earn a bit of a song about it called “My Little Armalite.” The song also referenced AR-15’s as the IRA used both weapons.

Armalite reintroduced the AR-180B in 2001, and these models used a molded polymer receiver, a different charging handle, different sights, eliminated the folding buttstock, and used AR-15 magazines. It was discontinued due to poor sales.Then Brownells entered the game with the BRN-180, and suddenly the AR-180 design had new life in it. Brownells wisely chose to make an upper that could interact with AR-15 lowers. This compatibility made building your custom BRN-180 possible, and builders could use their imagination to precisely do what they wanted.

My BRN-180

As I mentioned previously, this is the 18.5-inch variant of the upper receiver. It’s fitted with a pencil barrel, and the old school AR-180 flash hider. The M-LOK handguard is 15 inches long, and the chamber is a 223 Wylde. The barrel has a buttoned rifled bore with a 1:8 twist rate. Practical and straightforward with a high velocity that gives excellent penetration and range.

I went with an Aero Gen 2 lower receiver, individually the Don’t Tread on Me Edition. I went Aero for a few reasons. Primarily because of their threaded takedown detent hole. I wanted a side folding stock and needed an MCX adapter to do so. I used one from KNS, but it doesn’t cover the takedown pin detent hole. The threaded design ensured the spring stays put.

The Gen 2 lowers also feature an increased magwell flare for quicker reloads on top of the ability to use nylon tipped tensioning screw to increase the tension between the upper and lower. This allows you to get one hell of an accurate gun. The Aero Gen 2 lowers give me all that while still being compatible with Mil-Spec uppers, and I needed that compatibility to ensure my BRN-180 upper would work.

I also happen to have outstanding experiences with Aero Precision guns and gear. They’ve proved to be a phenomenal value and an excellent company.

The Rest of the Gun

I tossed on a Gen 1 MCX stock for folding capability. It’s not a particularly comfortable stock, but it works and is an excellent minimalist side folding design. The gun uses a Swampfox TriHawk 3x prism optic, which I adore. It has a massive 53-foot field of view that is class-leading in prism optics. Then I tossed on a Steiner Mk4 Battle Light and a SIG Tread M-LOK grip kit. It rounded the gun out and was a useful addition. The result made me very happy overall.

Range Time

The best part of my job is shooting, and the BRN-180 is a fun shooting gun. The upper’s short-stroke piston system is quite smooth and does an excellent job of reducing recoil and providing a very controllable weapon. The lightweight barrel and handguard make the weapon light and easy handling, even with the 18.5-inch barrel.

That longer barrel also plays a part in taming the gun and does an excellent job at minimizing concussion and muzzle blast.

Since it’s using a AR -15 lower, most of the ergos translate over seamlessly. One that doesn’t is the right-side charging handle. It’s AK like and your manual of arms changes accordingly. The crank-style design is exciting and easy to grip from different angles. I understand why they went that route way back when. Would a left side non-reciprocating charging handle be more ergonomic? Yes, without a doubt.

However, using some modern AK techniques, I never felt under gunned. Since this gun has a bolt release, the charging handle is reserved for malfunctions and loading the initial magazine.

The BRN-180 upper is compatible with all AR-15 magazines, and I used P-MAGs, Lancers, and even a D-60 drum without issue. The gun ate everything from every magazine without malfunction. Running reload drills made me appreciate that handy little magazine well flare from upper. It gives a more intuitive feeling.

The handguard gets hot quickly, and after a long-range day, it’s uncomfortable to the touch. That SIG M-LOK grip kit was a wise addition and kept my hands nice and cool throughout my testing. Lord forbid I grab anywhere else after a few hundred rounds downrange.

Accuracy was also damn good for a gas-piston gun. I achieved 1 MOA groups with 62-grain Match Grade ammunition from Hornady. Cheaper ammo opened the groups up a bit, but never more than 2.5 MOA. I had good results with standard 62-grain stuff with groups around 1.8 MOA. Needless to say, it’s more than accurate for practical use.

Boom Bang Pow

The BRN-180 is a worthy successor to the old Armalite AR-180. It’s well designed and most certainly well thought it out. Interaction with AR-15 lowers opens up so many parts and customization options that its hard not to love. The BRN-180 also satisfies the contrarian in me and my need to be different from the slew of AR-15s out there, and that’s worth something. Check out the BRN-180 here, and the AERO Gen 2 lower here.

The Might of the Majority

By

DRGO

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June 25, 2020

“Majority rules.” So those of us were taught when, once upon a time, civics was part of public school curriculum. But what of the legitimate rights of minorities? As a practical matter, they no longer exist. Perhaps they never did.

E pluribus unum—”out of many, one”. Our nation’s Constitution was cobbled together by representatives of diverse nation states each with its own sentiments, customs and prejudices. Each was jealous of encroachment by greater states or coalitions of lesser states. Rights of minority interests were paramount in their minds.

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Taurus G3c Review and Endurance Test

By

Caleb Giddings

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June 24, 2020

This is the most comprehensive Taurus G3c Review you’ll find on the internet. When Taurus called me to ask if I wanted their new compact gun, I immediately was interested, because my hope is that their new CEO (who I interviewed) had put some improvements in place to move the product to the next level while still being affordable.

Step 1 in the Taurus G3c Review was to evaluate the features before shooting the gun. One of the things I really like is that the gun uses Glock style sight dovetails, so if you don’t like the factory sights it’s easy to change them out for something better. Because Glocks are so common, there are tons of great options, like the 10-8 Performance sights. Back to the G3c, I also like the trigger. I’ve been on a kick lately about “thinking triggers” which is a trigger that forces the shooter to be a little more contemplative while shooting. Examples are the Sig DAK trigger, an HK LEM, or a Beretta D-series. The G3c has some of the elements of those triggers, while keeping the reset short.

In fact, during the Taurus G3c Review, I found the trigger to be easy to shoot fast. On performance based drills, I was able to shoot the G3c to the level of accuracy and speed that I want in a carry gun, and during 15 yard drills was able to turn in one very impressive group. I shot an 1.07 inch group at 15 yards using Hornady Critical Defense and the Taurus. While there was a weird issue initially during group firing, that seemed to correct itself after time.

Taurus G3c 5 shot group at 15 yards — 1.07 inch group at 15 yards, standing unsupported with Hornady Critical Defense

There was one part of the Taurus G3c Review that I wasn’t looking forward to: the endurance test. After firing 67 rounds during performance trials and group shooting, it was time to see how the gun holds up. The average person who buys this gun isn’t going to shoot 500 rounds through it in its entire life, so I felt strongly that if the Taurus could complete 500 rounds in an afternoon, it’s good to go for concealed carry. Over the next 20-30 minutes I shot everything: Federal HST, more Critical Defense, FMJ, Syntech bullets, you name it. The G3c ate them all with no complaints. The gun got crazy hot, my finger got a blister, but most importantly, the gun made it.

I think it’s important for there to be guns that are affordable but reliable enough that people can bet their life on them. Would I want to take the G3c to a weekend pistol class and shoot 1200 rounds through it? Probably not, but that’s not what it’s for. It’s for someone who has $250-$275 dollars and needs a gun for personal or home protection. For that role, I think the Taurus G3c is good to go.

Reptilia TORCH 6V/2xCR123 M-LOK® integrated weapon light body!

By

Keith Finch

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June 24, 2020

Many of you have been eagerly awaiting this next variant in our TORCH™ product lineup to be released. The wait is over!

Like our previous TORCH products, the TORCH – 6VOLT/2xCR123 is machined from aircraft grade billet aluminum with Milspec Type III Hardcoat Anodized finish. They are optimized for use with the ATPIAL/PEQ 15, NGAL, and other top-mounted aiming laser devices but also fits nicely with BUIS and pressure pads. Featuring an integral uni-body M-LOK interface it is not only low profile, but provides the most robust M-LOK weapon light mounting solution on the market today.

Available immediately in both left and right hand variants, the TORCH – 6VOLT/2xCR123 is compatible with SureFire® SCOUT® M600 bezels and tail caps as well as Malkoff Devices M600 compatible heads. The TORCH – 6VOLT/2xCR123 is available now in MIL-STD Type III, Class 2, hard anodize, Black, as well as a new Clear (pictured above) anodized finish with our “Tobacco” color option coming online later this month.

Why CR123 Compatible?

Simple.

Logistics. Not everyone is going to have the wired infrastructure in place to run 18650 rechargeables consistently or have enough on hand when the expensive (relatively speaking) units fail. In this situation the affordable and disposable CR123 makes a lot of sense. It is a good option to have on hand.

Personally. I have enough 18650’s to have charged units and spares for my personal rifles. But I’m also not running them day and night at a high operational tempo where I might run through my 2 or three spare 18650’s before getting to a charger. Looking at the whole logistics picture of what you need and selecting the right TORCH for the job.

The Longevity of the VZ 58

By

Keith Finch

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June 24, 2020

I wrote about the M16 the other day and how it still represented an impressively capable rifle in today’s field of 5.56 caliber options. Well, today I’m going to jump behind the Iron Curtain and reference Ian from Forgotten Weapons and Josh and Henry with 9-Hole reviews and talk about the unsung long serving hero the Cold War Eastern European service rifles.

We all know the AK-47, we know the AKM, they are certainly the most prolific examples of a service rifle remaining around the world in use. However… The Soviet Union developed beyond AKM way back in 1974 with the AK-74 and later M variants of the 5.45x39mm service rifle. They changed caliber and made a new rifle on a similar system. This would be comparable to the US using the AR-10 instead of the M-14 and then going to the AR-15. It is less of a radical departure, but still a new rifle.

Czechoslovakia semi-famously went ‘Cold War Hipster’ in 1958 and did their own thing with the 7.62×39 round mandated by the Warsaw Pact. Unlike all those who just licensed an AK, their VZ 58 rifle was a completely different and well regarded system with a visual similarity. It’s like thinking you recognize someone because of a side profile. The only true similarities are the curvature of the VZ’s and AK magazines (because same ammo), the laminate wood type material used for both rifle’s stocks and handguards, and the iron sight style.

Unlike the AK-47/AKM which was supplanted by the 74 and newer rifles today, the VZ sat pretty much unchanged until 2011. The outlasted the Soviet Union and the splitting of its home nation into two nations who are both finally starting to retire it for the 805 and Bren 2. Look at how many AK revisions we’ve had in the interim while the VZ just kept doing its thing and working.

The VZ 58 operation is ‘almost’ striker fired in its design. The trigger mechanism contains sear control surfaces that wouldn’t be out of place in a Glock or P320. In actuality, as Ian explains in the first video, is a linear spring loaded hammer that still hits a separate firing pin in the bolt. A true ‘striker’ would have the firing pin attached to the spring loaded firing mechanism like you see in striker pistols. The VZ also doesn’t use the otherwise popular rotating bolt carrier designs and instead has a locking block the drops vertically into place when the carrier is forward. It operates on a short stroke has piston instead of a full stroke.

The weapon is brilliantly simple and elegant in a way that reminds me of German roller-delay systems, despite being far more closely related to rotating bolt and piston operated guns.

I can see why it was so slow to be shed as a service rifle too. They just worked and were in service with nations that weren’t quick at adopting a lot of the gadgets and gizmos we use on our rifles. A modernization of the VZ would be utterly simple. Add an ambidextrous selector, add a modernized fore end for ancillaries and an adjustable holding stock, standardize on the side receiver mount for optics and a Ultimak type gas tube rail, and conduct a materials study to see if anything could be updated to a better metal or polymer. Very basic. I wouldn’t even necessarily change calibers since effective 7.62×39 rounds are plentiful and it’s a pretty nice cartridge to run in shorter barrels and suppressed.

But we’re about to reinvent the battle rifle so we will see how Europe follows suit.

Pandemic Gardening Part 3 – Zucchini and other Container Goodness

By

Dr LateBloomer

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June 23, 2020

Continuing the pandemic gardening saga I wanted to include more options for those with only an apartment balcony as a “yard”. I have two words for you. Container. Zucchini.

Zucchini

I stumbled on this variety last year by internet search. I don’t have a ton of space to devote to rambling zuke vines, so I tried growing this variety in a storage tub.

It worked great, and I had pickable zucchini in a little over a month from seed.

Zucchini are nutritious and versatile, so I think they are a great pandemic garden addition. I have put zucchini into pasta dishes and made a fresh veggie salad out of it. You can make zucchini into pickled relish, bake it into casseroles and I have had great success dehydrating it with spices for snack chips and also winter storage for later use in stir fries and soup. For those with a sweet tooth, there is also zucchini bread and muffins.

Container zucchini is yet another option for those of you getting a late start in the growing season. There is still plenty of time to get going with this variety of zucchini since they start bearing after only about a month or so. I ordered my seeds from Amazon. You don’t need fancy expensive garden planters either. Mine grew last year in a 5 dollar sterlite storage tub filled with potting soil.

This year I did splurge on nicer looking planters for the patio area, but that’s only because this year I actually “had” a patio area instead of just gravel and weeds. I figured if I was going to be home all summer I might as well make a nice relaxing spot for myself. The bonus is that the container zucchini looks kind of decorative and tropical in the patio area. I’m not sure the neighbors will even notice that it’s actually food and not landscaping.

Onions

Another staple “crop” you can grow in containers is onions. I bought mine as “sets” in a bag of 100 for 3 bucks at Walmart.

Onions go well as “companion” plantings with many other staple veggies, including tomatoes, cabbage, and carrots. Thus, I scattered my onion sets all throughout several planters of those veggies. They seem to be doing well so far.

Happy onions dancing around the cherry tomatoes.

I’ve never grown onions before, so this is a new experience too, but everything I’ve read has been positive about container growing and companion planting. I plan to braid the onions together to hang in my basement for storage and also dehydrate some for dried onion flakes and rings.

Bush Beans

An additional idea for a balcony garden is bush beans. These varieties don’t need a trellis to climb, they stay lower in, well – a bush.

I tried growing a tricolor mix (green, purple, and yellow) last year in storage tubs, and although the plants themselves did well and I harvested a few handfuls of beans, the local deer periodically came along and mowed everything off. So my harvest was scanty.

This year I have a fenced area, so I’m planting bush beans again. Except this year I’m going for even cheaper containers than 5-dollar tubs. Since I’ve had success in the window with bag-lined cardboard boxes, I’m taking that idea outside. I dug the box my instant pot came in out of the basement and also the box for another small appliance, wrapped them each in black plastic garbage bags and dumped in some potting soil.

Now I’ve got two additional container planters that were virtually free! They only have to last the season, and if the boxes are wet and yucky by fall, I’ll put them into the compost. Plus, being covered in black plastic makes them blend in with the gray and black container tubs I already have. Visually, they look more uniform and less trashy that way for the neighbors (a consideration if you live in an apartment building or a picky neighborhood). I’m also thinking about covering an old broken laundry basket with a garbage bag and using it the same way.

Beans planted in an almost free cardboard box “container”. It cost me one garbage bag.

These beans are ready for harvest in about 70 days, so they are yet another option for those getting a late start gardening this year. Mine should be ready by the end of August. I plan to dehydrate them, but freezing and canning are other options for winter storage.

Don’t go away, because there are a few more pandemic gardening ideas coming over the next week or two. Stay tuned!

The Longevity of the M16

By

Keith Finch

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June 23, 2020

Tim over at Military Arms Channel just dropped this excellent piece covering the basics of why the M16 has lasted as long as it has and why it keeps being picked, in 5.56 NATO circuits at least, as the platform of choice even in 2020.

The two most recent nations to adopt ARs were France and New Zealand and our most recent transition to the M4A1 and M27 for the Army and Marine Corps en mass respectively has yielded excellent results. The AR has had a long run that shows little sign of stopping. Even as the NGSW project completes the trials and if a winner emerges the M16 derivatives will be in service for decades yet. Look at how long the M16A2 took to phase out and it was phased in back in the 80’s.

We will likely see the AR as a prominent fixture in modern militaries and on modern battlefields well into 2050’s. The M16A4 is even under large contracts still for nations receiving military assistance aid. The A4’s and M4’s will be with non forward forces for decades to come, even if the combat arms and special forces transition to the 6.8/6.5 systems being evaluated.

I, for one, am fine with that finding. Without transitioning to a new rifle caliber the M16 and AR platform in general are in the pinnacle grade of what is achievable on 5.56x45mm platforms. Do I like rifles like the SCAR, X95, and MCX? Absolutely. I love my SCARs, they are my favorite rifles. But from a performance envelope standpoint my M16A5 can do everything any of those rifles can very well also. We live in a golden era for firearms technology. Even our ‘better’ solutions to the M16 are just old technology coupled with good machining and paired with the ergonomic items we like from the M16.

Even looking at the NGSW, the most ambitious service rifle selection we have had since adopting the M16, we see the rifle’s influence ingrained deeply in the most popular candidate, the MCX SPEAR. Even if we see SOCOM flex their input and we see a caliber shift to 6.5 instead of 6.8 the carbine is already slated to be a 6.5 also.

We can see the M16 in the MCX. The selector, the bolt catch, grip, charging handle, everything is designed to seamlessly take the reins from the M16. The rifle’s legacy will be a long and ultimately stellar one.

The Bushnell AR Optics Drop Zone 223 – It’s Okay.

By

Travis Pike

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June 22, 2020

The LPVO world is massive and chock full of impressive optics at every price point. Well, at seemingly every price point. The Bushnell AR optics LPVO 1-4X is likely the cheapest Low Power Variable Optic made under a well-known brand. It retails for under 150 bucks at most retailers. I paid free.99 from a fried and was given this particular model because it’s a slightly beat-up demo. I don’t want to say I got what I paid for, but I’m not sure of the best way to describe it otherwise.

Let’s dive into it, and you’ll see.

Breaking the Bushnell AR Optics Down

What’s important to remember is that there are three Bushnell AR Optics LPVOs in the 1-4 range, and they are all quite different. The BTR-1 and BTR-300 are both FFP scopes and are of considerably higher quality. Mine is the Drop-Zone 223, and it’s the lowest tier of the Bushnell optics.

The Drop-Zone 223 is quite compact, but for some reason, it finds a way to weigh more than my Athlon Argos 1-8X optic, which leaves me confused. The optic is relatively short 9.4 inches and uses a 30mm tube and 24mm objective lens. The Drop Zone reticle has a built-in BDC with drop dots out to 600 yards. This is an optimistic range, but it’s here for you.

The point of LPVOs is to be versatile, and they almost universally sport illuminated reticles that make them useful for rapid, both eyes open shooting at close ranges. They can act as a red dot at close range. The AR Optics Drop Zone 223 has no such illuminated reticle. It’s just a crosshair with four drop dots. That kills a lot of the versatility that LPVOs offer.

One feature I do enjoy is the exposed tactical turrets. This does making zeroing your weapon convenient. Although I’m not sure how often I’ll be making field adjustments with a 1-4X optic. However, it’s still a nice touch if you want rapid adjustment. The magnification ring is highly textured and easy to grip, and the ring itself does glide enjoyably.

The 3.5-inch eye relief is very forgiving and very comfortable, and I do appreciate that.

Bushnell’s AR Optics At The Range

I mounted the AR Optics Drop Zone 223 to my Aries/Fightlite SCR rifle with some affordable Vortex low rings. The nature of the SCR means an AR mount is too high, and low rings are just right. Protip, get an extended charging handle if you run this setup because the low mount makes it tough to reach.

The AR Optics Drop Zone 223 has surprisingly clear glass for the price of the optic. Keep in perspective for the price, the glass is good. At 400 yards, I could see my big open black silhouette target easy enough, but I doubt I could ever make a positive identification of a threat at this range. I might be able to see a rifle or some type of long gun, but identifying someone based on description would be difficult.

The crosshair and reticle are thin and relatively unobstructed to your field of view. Speaking of field of view, it narrows down quite a bit at 4X, giving you 27 feet at 100 yards. At 1X, you get a wide 112 feet.

The BDC is tuned to both 55 and 62 grain 223/5.56 loads. There are differences in drop between those rounds, but the dots will give you a reasonable estimation of where the round is going to go. Between human error and bullet variability and the fact you are using a cheap 1-4X scope, you aren’t going to get a dead-on BDC.

The good news is at 400 yards, when I placed the 400 yard marking on the target’s chest, I hit in the chest of the target. Maybe it was a few inches off, but I hit the thing close enough.

Getting Close

Dialing back to 1X and stepping up to ranges within 25 yards is where we see some cracks. Without an illuminated reticle, that semi-occluded two-eyed open shooting style is a lot less intuitive. Nothing grabs the eye outright, and the plain old black reticle doesn’t stand out.

Getting on target rapidly and moving between targets and all that fun stuff.. isn’t as fun. Maybe I’m spoiled by those big three-quarter circles with their illumination settings in most prism and LPVO optics. The AR Optics Drop Zone 223 and its small reticle makes close-range shooting a little trickier, but not necessarily ‘difficult’.

It can be done and done quickly, but when it comes to chasing time, I will always be faster with an illuminated reticle. This is especially true when shooting at odd or in uncomfortable angles and positions.

Them Turrets Though

The exposed tactical turrets are somewhat easy to move, and I’m not sure that I like that. I feel they could be easily bumped in the field. A little paint marking allows you to see if the turrets have bumped. The turrets also offer very little feedback when making adjustments, so you have to pay attention to each click.

Speaking of the AR Optics Drop Zone 223, use some exact adjustments. Each click is .1 mil, and that is rather nice, kind of. It’s unnecessary on a 1-4X rifle and makes zeroing take a lot longer travel than normal. That kind of precision is typically reserved for precision rifles. .5 MOA would make a bit more sense. I’m not sure if I consider this a detraction, but it’s silly.

So What’s It Good For?

I don’t want to sound like I hate or despise this optic. It’s not that bad, especially for its price point. Throughout testing, I kept reminding myself it’s an optic you can find for under 150 bucks. As a budget optic, I’ve seen a lot worse. The Bushnell AR Optics Drop Zone 223 holds zero, has seemingly good QC, surprisingly decent glass, and okay ergonomics. If you were strapped for cash, I could see why this would be your choice.

Since I’ve already tossed it on my hunting AR, that’s the role it will serve. As a hunting optic for whitetail in Florida, the AR Optics Drop Zone is a perfect contender. I don’t take long shots, and I’m also not drilling deer with snapshots and Mozambique drills, so the illuminated reticle isn’t an issue.

Love or hate cheap optics, they do have a role, and this one fits a minimally acceptable standard. It’s not perfect, but it’s not junk either. It’s a healthy okay.

Police Reform Goal Conclusion: An Officer must be maimed or killed before using return force.

By

Keith Finch

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June 19, 2020

IMG_D4669749C634-1 — Image via IG, mike_thecop

It is the only statement I can come up with to summarize the reform demands being placed upon law enforcement agencies by protesters and politicians. Those asking for reform want it on the books that an officer must be severely injured or killed prior to force being used in response.

This conclusion doesn’t begin to touch asinine ideas like arrest quotas based on national demographics of population, not local, or deploying social workers to emergencies (unsupported by the force and backing of the state). This conclusion is the summation of all the Use of Force specific requests and demands only.

The title image highlights it well. Imagine as a private citizen, having that restriction leveled against you. You can’t use your firearm to protect yourself from being beaten to death or raped if the assailant isn’t armed with a gun. You can’t use your firearm against an armed individual if that person is armed with something other than a gun.

Someone is trying to beat your brains out with a tire iron? Tough luck. You weigh 100lbs soaking wet and the person or persons attacking you are all larger and stronger than you? That’s rough, buddy. You’re 70 years old, physically frail, or disabled, and the person attacking is in in their late teens to late 30’s physical prime? Sorry, better luck next time. They have a knife? Well I guess you better have a knife too and take them on Highlander style because you cannot use a gun…

These all sound great to anyone unfamiliar with UoF. They sound vague and naive to those familiar with UoF.

I’ve seen the following vague graphic attached to the vague promise that ‘Police Violence’ will decrease XX% (72% in this example) if we only do the following 8 vague things. Getting a vague hint of what I’m vaguely trying to convey here? This is just a collection of favorite buzzwords that everyone can rah, rah, rah #DefundthePolice around and pretend like they’re actually helping people like Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Ahmaud Arbery from being killed.

These people aren’t having policy discussions. They aren’t tracing the consequences of policy changes, the benefits and problems that will arise, the changes that will need to be made at an officer level, brainstorming foreseeable shifts in community and criminal behavior, trying to come up with contingencies for unforeseen shifts, and writing an objective new policy that officers can use to back their actions or be held accountable too.

No, these folks are just yelling and posting about vaguely vague vagueness that all amounts to, “Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone just got along.” and with no substantive deeper thought. When the people who do have the experience to implement change, who do have the expertise to vet and brainstorm better LE policy, and who do want to gain positive traction in the community come forward with ideas… they are mocked if it doesn’t sound good enough like the vague utopian position that the ametuer said would be nice.

It’s like listening to someone with zero knowledge of construction contracting for commercial or residential structures tell a licensed contractor how they should do the plumbing, electrical, all design, etc. All while saying things that violate building and safety codes, compromise the structure of the house, or are materially impossible, and their justification for why they want these things and they know they are right and the contractor is wrong is that… they saw it on Etsy.

But this is getting rant(ish) in tone and I don’t want it to be.

I want it stated honestly and openly that the policy changes being requested amount to making it a job requirement that officers are injured or killed in the line of duty before responding with force. They will no longer be able to respond to the reasonable threat of force, only force used against them and even then only under certain very unfavorable to their health and well-being conditions.

In short, this is a untenable job requirement. Anyone who would work under it is a fool. And anyone who would seriously propose it does not have the well-being and safety of their employees in mind.

Police reform has been a long time coming, abuses, misuses, and mistakes have a long line of documented cases and a longer line of ones that probably never made it into a report. Accountability and transparency need to happen but it has to be in a system the employed officers can navigate fairly. If not, why would anyone want to be an officer? Why would a job so thoroughly stacked against you appeal in the slightest?

Fixing cross eye dominance for handguns

By

Caleb Giddings

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June 19, 2020

What is cross eye dominance? It’s when a person has a dominant eye that is opposite their dominant hand, for example a left handed person whose right eye dominant. While it can be a problem for rifles, fixing cross eye dominance for handgun shooters is really easy.

There are definitely levels of this problem. Some people don’t have an extremely dominant eye, and can use either eye when shooting a rifle. Other people, like myself, have one eye that is extremely dominant, and a non-dominant eye that’s basically along for the ride to provide depth perception. In those instances, for rifle shooters people often recommend learning how to to shoot with the opposite hand. The most common example are people like me – I’m left handed, but I’m very right eye dominant, so I learned to shoot a rifle right handed to manage this issue.

For a pistol, fixing cross eye dominance is way easier. You don’t need to switch hands or learn a whole new way of shooting – you just have to move the gun three inches. The first step is to make sure you’re using a modern shooting stance and not something old and busted like Weaver. The next step is to move the gun two inches to the left or right so it’s lined up under your dominant eye. That’s it. That is the only thing you need to do.

Some instructors like to overcomplicate this issue. That makes sense, if you’re a hack. I’ve seen all manner of nonsense, like switching hands, laying your cheek on your shoulder while closing one eye, and a whole mess of other things that don’t make sense. At the risk of repeating myself: get in a modern athletic shooting stance, square up to the target…and move the gun two inches so it’s under your dominant eye. That’s it. It’s even easier with a red dot sight pistol, since both your eyes can be open at all times.

Don’t make fixing cross eye dominance any harder than it needs to be. Just move the gun, and get to spitting lead. That’s all it takes.

Looking for HD Rifle Ammo? PMC 55 gr Soft Point

By

Keith Finch

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June 18, 2020

Senior Pews N Stuff has an answer. If you don’t follow Mr GunsNGear on the YouTube, it is probably worth your time to do so.

But the question is if budget soft point .223, specifically PMC Bronze here (an ammo I like a lot in FMJ format) is a good defensive round if you can’t get one of the Gold Standards like Gold Dot, 77gr BTHP SMK types, etc. Will the 55 do what you want it to.

First off, yes to those asking if I still recommend FMJ 55gr with a lead core and copper jacket as a viable HD round, the answer is yes and especially so out of longer barrels so the velocity will cause fragmentation. M193 clones are viable. M855/SS109 is not so much.

But, that said, looking at soft points that will further deform and transfer on contact is also a good idea. A great idea in fact. Against unarmored or soft armored assailants it is excellent. Against hard armor it is still likely to be effective at disrupting the threat and a strike on an unarmored portion is going to produce results too. A few to the chest… the head get the rest and all that.

In a timeframe where both ammunition and firearms are scarce, finding viable options is critical to staying properly stocked.

Pandemic Gardening Part 2 – Peas, Carrots, and Cabbage

By

Dr LateBloomer

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June 18, 2020

5C46972C-2812-46AF-BF06-815FD243E129 — Sugar Ann Snap Peas were a win!

In the first article of this series we talked about getting started with a pandemic garden and what I did personally.

Now let’s talk about my first few outside plantings for this year.

Snap Peas

My first great and reinforcing victory this year has been sugar snap peas. I had grown them with limited success in the window before and enjoyed them, so I decided to make that my first outdoor trial for the year.

I planted the seeds in the bed next to the house on March 8th. I’m in Zone 6 [link to map], and if you don’t know what that means, you should consult the USDA hardiness map. You might as well bookmark that page if you are going to be doing your own garden – you’ll need that information.

It was a little early, but the wives tale about planting peas “by St Patrick’s Day” worked out for me. All I did was loosen the soil in what was originally intended to be flower bed next to the house – no hardcore digging. The peas I planted were a bush variety called “Sugar Ann” which shouldn’t have required a trellis, but I added a section of short wire decorative fencing that was lying around from a project a decade ago. That offered some support in case they got big and needed to climb or hang on anyway.

Peas are frost tolerant and it’s a good thing, because we had several frosts and even a couple skiffs of snow before the weather final broke in the middle of May. (We had snow on May 8th and frost on Mother’s Day). I think the position next to the south-facing house wall helped with shelter and temperature modulation in that regard. “Microclimates” is another thing I’m learning about.

I also started a garden journal to keep track of important details like that. This is something for you to consider too, as you’ll find that after a while your memory fails as to what exact date you did what, what worked and what didn’t from year to year.

I had my first harvest of snap peas by the end of May and it has continued for several weeks. These are an edible pod variety and are great in even the simplest of meals. I’ve dropped some snap peas into the boiling ramen water on nights when I didn’t feel like actually cooking, I’ve put them in a venison stir fry, and I’ve blanched and frozen some for future use.

These snap peas grew with zero tending after dropping the seeds in the ground, and have produced like crazy. In addition, since peas are legumes and nitrogen-fixers, they will help fertilize the ground in this bed for whatever I decide to plant there next.

Peas like cooler weather and are usually done when it starts to get really hot. But you can sometimes get a second crop in the fall before frost if you replant. I’m considering that since they were so easy. At this point everything is still an experiment for me. Snap peas were a huge win and are now a permanent part of my garden arsenal!

Carrots

My next outdoor gardening experiment was carrots. Carrots are a staple in my cooking – from stir fry to pot roast to soup to just nibbling. I’ve tried to grow them for a couple years but haven’t had much luck making them happy indoors in pots. All I got was little stunted nubs. They were better than nothing but not very satisfying to the gardener soul.

This year I tried them outdoors in a big storage tub. I planted them early – maybe a bit too early if truth be told. We had a spate of nice weather in March and I got ambitious. But then it got cold again. Fortunately, carrots are pretty frost tolerant too.

After a slow start these carrots seem to be taking off in the tub in my fenced-in area. They aren’t quite ready yet – I’m thinking another couple weeks – but I have higher hopes this year than I have had before.

If I have a decent carrot yield I plan to dehydrate them in slivers and slices for longer term storage, though they will keep in a dark cool area, or even in the garden through frost. I have read that carrots are another vegetable that you can often get a second crop from in the fall, so I’ll try replanting in another month or two. That also means that for those of you who haven’t yet put in a garden, there is still time for you before the snow flies!

Cabbage

Cabbage is another vegetable that I use in a variety of dishes – cole slaw, stir fry, soup, fried cabbage and noodles, the list goes on. It dehydrates well too. I have grown small heads with success in my window, but this year I wanted to try cabbage outside as well. I planted from seed in another storage tub, figuring I could get two full size heads per tub. It germinated quickly in March, survived frost and snow, and it seems to be quite happy in its plastic home. it will be another month or so until I can harvest, but in the meantime I’m going to be harvesting my window crop (which I planted in February), and then starting another, so I have staggered yields.

Outdoor tub cabbage with a few onions in the mix for companions.

Succession planting

Cabbage is yet another vegetable which you can get a fall season out of, so I’ll be replanting that in the pea bed as soon as those are done. Rotating crops and succession planting like that is another whole thing I’m currently learning about.

You can get more out of the same square footage of garden by planting crops one after another in the same growing season, as long as you pay attention to which types can follow which. It’s important to rotate in order to keep down pests and also refresh the soil with different types of plants to maintain soil and crop health. It also cuts down on the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

So with that in mind, I’m planning on putting cabbage in the pea bed (because peas fix nitrogen, and cabbage are heavy feeders), then put carrots (light feeders) where the cabbage was, and put the next batch of peas a few feet farther over in the bed, where the squash grew last year. Then next year I’ll put bush beans (nitrogen fixers) in the tub where the cabbage and then carrots were to help refresh that soil.

I may need to start marking my tubs with numbers or letters so I can tell them apart next year for crop rotation. That’s another reason to keep a garden journal. I will never be able to remember my succession rotation otherwise!

Stay tuned for the next article in this series where I talk about more container growing.

Minnesota National Guardsmen Made History During the Civil Unrest of Minneapolis

By

Anna Martinez

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June 17, 2020

I want to give a firsthand account of what our Guardsman did during the civil unrest in Minnesota specifically. I don’t want to give propaganda. I don’t want to give false information. I want to highlight how well our organization did during this historic time in our Country.

The Call of the First Activated

Don’t forget, guardsman were already activated in response to COVID-19 during this time. https://gatdaily.com/the-national-guard-and-covid-19/

On Thursday, May 28th 2020, Governor Walz activated over 500 National Guardsman to “help protect Minnesota and maintain peace” https://kstp.com/news/minnesota-national-guard-activated-to-control-protests-following-george-floyds-death/5743967/.

That Wednesday prior, our Field Maintenance Shops already started generating plans on the “What If” certain battalions were activated. How many full time technicians would be on shift, for how long, what if recovery missions of vehicles came up, etc. We knew it would be the Military Police that first got called due to the type of situation happening. Then on Thursday, after they were activated, our 24 hour rotations of support started.

The news stated that these 500 guardsman were ready by that night, standing by where needed. That is 100% true! When guardsmen are activated in a role like this, they take “all commands from the tower” that tower being law enforcement. The Soldiers were ready, just didn’t know where they were to be put. I’ll talk more about that in a second

The Second Call

Saturday morning everyone got the call. Governor Walz made a decision that hasn’t happened since the start of the Minnesota National Guard in 1856. He chose to activate the entire National Guard, both Army and Air Force.

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2020/05/30/minnesota-governor-orders-full-guard-mobilization-asks-pentagon-for-additional-help-with-civil-unrest/

Quick to Mobilize

Let’s put this into perspective, what it really means for only a battalion to mobilize let alone an entire state.

My battalion was told to show up around 2 PM that day. I told my Soldiers to show up as early as they could.

Soldiers have to be signed in.
Vehicles had to be dispatched, fueled, and staged. Which also means a fuel point needs to be set up.
Pro(tective) masks had to be drawn. Every Soldier needs to sign for and receive a pro mask and other equipment individually.
Weapons need to be drawn. Optics and all accessories included.
Night Vision Drawn.
Ammo issued.
Gear inspected by leadership.
Then the drive to where we were placed in Minneapolis.

For my company specifically all of these things happened in under 4 hours.

My whole Battalion made it to Minneapolis by that night.

Fucking Impressive.

This is what all of that training for quick set ups, tear downs, and moves to different training areas are for. To be able to react and move as quickly as possible when called.

The Use

This is the first time that our state has ever had to do something like this. When the first 500 Soldiers showed up and the news stated that “they were ready and standing by”. It was true. We need to have a mission, and that mission will be dictated by the umbrella that we fall under. The information all has to bleed down to the lowest of leadership for things to happen. Some of the Law Enforcement in the state was also at the start of their reactions at the time of the full state being activated. Plans needed to be pushed out for us to work together.

https://www.facebook.com/MinnesotaNationalGuard/

When the National Guard is activated in this type of capacity they are told strictly to only react if a LEO gives the order to. Even so far as stopping someone from looting, we need to be told, state LE has final command and control. By Saturday afternoon and that night there were already various units running missions with Law Enforcement. By Sunday morning my battalion specifically had our missions pushed out.

We ran presence patrols with various law enforcement departments. We posted in front of the capital and other buildings with LE. We ran missions to push out food, water, and fuel to LE, air guard, and our Soldiers. We supported the STATE in all true forms of the word.

We placed Soldiers downtown on foot. We were strictly told that we aren’t here to interrupt anyone’s life, so stay off the sidewalks and just be aware of what is going on around you. We were there if anything did happen. Not to escalate things into happening.

It also gave us a chance to talk with the community if they so chose. Many were curious about what was going on and what our place was.

This Soldier states “The mom yelled out from the car to see if we could take a few pictures so we said yes of course and gave them a snack and drink too”

This was a surreal time for everyone. Being in a residential area with a massive Palletized Load System (PLS) dropping off ice. Seeing our Soldiers drive around in HMMWV trucks that they bring on deployments. Walking around sidewalks with loaded weapons that just months prior we were walking around on with groceries. It was weird, and I can only imagine how it felt for citizens that have never been around military.

The Effect and Feedback

All politics aside, the effect of having the guard downtown was huge. I had personal messages from LEO’s stating how much better it felt to have them around, not to mention how much more of an effect it was in maintaining the peace and keeping our buildings and homes safe. There is power in numbers and types of entities that respond.

Our ability to work with other entities has increased substantially. IF something like this does happen again, we are ready to do better, react even quicker, and perform to a higher level.

” The first time MNARNG has been able to land its medevac helicopters at a state hospital and increases our capability to respond to potential medical emergencies.”
https://www.facebook.com/MinnesotaNationalGuard/?tn-str=k*F

Thank you, Guard

When I first received the call on that Saturday I was in Iowa about to shoot a National Rifle League match. We all knew that the call COULD come, we just didn’t know when. Without hesitation I drove home, packed a bag, and drove up to Camp Ripley where we were mobilizing from. Many many soldiers had the same experience. They had lives going on, they had plans, events they were attending, family they were caring for. Yet their home was on fire and the call came asking for their help. They all showed up, to protect their home. Protect their home and the people who make it a home. Every Soldier and Airman was needed during that week. Every Soldier and Airman’s mission was important. That call is something that may never happen again in a National Guardsman’s life. It is now a piece in history and they were a part of it.

Thanks for showing up guys.

Minnesota thanks you.

A Master Class 1911 From Vickers Tactical and Springfield Armory

By

Travis Pike

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June 17, 2020

Larry Vickers is likely more of a badass than the next 1,000 people to read this article. His career in the Army is one that’s hard to replicate. He was a Green Beret, and later a Delta Operator, and now a tactical firearms instructor and small arms subject matter expert. The guy is also a huge 1911 fan and recently teamed up to make a new Lipsey’s exclusive in partnership with Springfield Armory and Wilson Combat. The result is the Vickers Tactical Master Class 1911.

This gun mixes a lot of new with a lot of old. The Vicker Tactical Master Class 1911 has a lot of classic cool to it. The weapon is a 45 ACP design with a 5-inch barrel, and a GI recoil system.

Pretty classic so far. The Vickers 1911 does nothing crazy that would make it a gamer gun. No massive magwells, no charging handles, no ports, or compensators. Nope, none of that, instead, we have a well built, combat-focused 1911 that focuses on making the gun more intuitive and practical.

Inside the Vickers Tactical Master Class 1911

The gun is built on a forged frame and slide for increased durability and the avoidance of all that cast mess. The rear sight is a Vickers Elite Battle Sight that’s blacked out and serrated for glare reduction.

It sits nice and high and is easy for the eyes to find. The front sight is a day and night sight with an orange luminescent insert and a tritium vial. The front sight is relatively small but still eye-catching.

The Master Class also features woven slide serrations that are aggressive to the fingers, but not to the body when carried IWB. The slide houses a match grade stainless steel 5-inch barrel that looks rather nice if looks matter. The slide also has the unique Vickers Tactical Master Class Logo that’s subtle and far from a Taurus style billboard.

The frame is fitted with aggressive G10 grips that are labeled with the LAV logo. The front and backstrap are also textured rather aggressively. The whole gun gives you a lot to hold onto. The trigger is a match grade medium length design. The hammer is a Wilson Combat design; it’s a Commander hammer that’s small and unobtrusive. The safety is also a Wilson Combat single side design.

Lastly, the magazines are from Wilson Combat and are outfitted with Vickers Tactical baseplates. These baseplates offer you the ability to grip and rip the magazine out of the gun and are made of metal. They give the magazine a good level of protection for reload after reload.

How it Comes Together

The Vickers Tactical Master Class aims at being a combat component 1911 that pairs excellent ergonomics with a reliable weapon. The Master Class is a simple weapon, but a very competent one.

The trigger is outstanding, better than your average 1911 by far, but also isn’t a hair-trigger by any means. The pull is smooth and light with an excellent reset.

The sights are also very precise and eye-catching. At 50 yards, the front sight makes it easy to see your target while aiming at it. The smooth trigger and match-grade barrel help the system come together to form a very precise weapon. The accuracy can’t be ignored, and if you do your part, you’ll hit those targets at 50 yards. My smallest target was a ten-inch rifle gong, and I hit way more than I missed.

Hitting a man-sized target at 50 yards in the vital areas is a cakewalk. Moving up close and getting in bad breath range is a more frequent application, and it shines there as well. The Master Class has a very aggressive grip texture that allows for a tight grip to maximize control. The gun also has that extended beavertail for a high grip.

The combination makes the weapon controllable and easy to keep your hands on when firing rapidly, with a single hand, or from close retention. Add in the rather soft push of the 45 ACP against the 40 plus ounces of forged steel 1911, and you get something that is very controllable in close quarters.

Up Close and Personal

I took a range backpack full of magazines and ammo to range to run the gun through the ringer. Recoil and muzzle rise is minimal, and the gun drills those fat 45 ACP pills into the target. This makes the gun quite easy, especially when exercising controlled pairs, or hammer pairs. The Master Class is a smooth and peasant shooter, and against the clock, it does quite well, to me anyway.

Failure to stop drills were doable in under three seconds, and I got a superbly fast box drill in 3.5 seconds. This was from concealment and utilizing a Crossbreed ST2 Hybrid IWB rig. Full-sized guns are great in general because of this, and admittedly the 1911 does offer you a thin package for a concealed carrier. Thin and heavy cause this is a dense lady.

Reliability is also not an issue. The Jamteen eleven meme does have its basis in reality, but the Vickers Tactical Master Class doesn’t fall into that trap. It runs, isn’t picky, and it isn’t a prom queen that needs to be cleaned all the time.

The MSRP is around $1,500 bucks, and for a semi-custom 1911, that’s very affordable. I initially assumed it would be in that 2k range, but with an MSRP of $1,500, that means we’ll likely see it priced a good bit below that.

The Vickers Tactical Master Class lives up to both the Vickers Tactical reputation and the Master Class name. They should be shipping as you read this, so if tickles your fancy tickle it back.

SCOTUS Disappoints Gun Owners… Again

By

Keith Finch

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June 16, 2020

The United States Supreme Court has once again declined on all pending firearm cases. Leaving concealed carry restrictions, assault weapon bans, magazine capacity bans, and like restrictions untouched from their previous rulings.

Justices Thomas and Kavanaugh signaled their willingness to go after the New Jersey case where an applicant for a concealed carry permit must show ‘justifiable need’ in some manner and ‘self-protection’ isn’t considered a justifiable need. A favorable ruling could have effectively ended the stain of ‘may issue’ concealed carry where an applicant must demonstrate some kind of specific extra threat upon their person to be allowed to carry a firearm for protection, an idiotic policy of the bureaucratic bog.

The court rejected a total of 10 cases that had piled up in recent months.

Other cases the court declined to take up included challenges to assault weapon bans in Massachusetts and Cook county, Illinois (Chicago). The court also turned down cases similar to the New Jersey dispute from Massachusetts and Maryland. It was disheartening that the court will not take on the 2A cases. They may be hesitant still with the goings on in the world and their ruling on Title VII protections has a strong legislating from the bench tone the court may need to let ride, especially on as contentious an issue as firearms.

The Title VII concern over LGBTQ discrimination in the workplace show starkly the nest of vipers that is the US Congress at the moment. The fact that so obvious a protection should have been amended in, but that the House and Senate did not, and the court instead ruled the protection applied was the focus of the dissenting opinions from the Justices. It may be that the court is not willing to take on such a situation again when it comes to the issue of firearms, which would be more divisive than hiring discrimination protection.

It may be that the pro-2A Justices, which only solidly amount to 4, don’t see enough support to risk any so important a case as shall issue concealed carry or assault weapon and magazine bans until one more pro-2A justice is appointed.

In any case… we are SOL for the moment.