Nighthawk Custom, manufacturer of the world’s finest custom made 1911’s, is proud to introduce the newest model of the VIP Series, the Nighthawk Custom VIP Black.
This 1911 VIP series gun is a true masterpiece of craftsmanship with luxurious amenities. Hand engraved details by Master Engraver, Bertram Edmonston, coupled with a black diamond like coating (DLC) and built by Nighthawk’s top tier gunsmiths. A presentation grade work of art, the VIP Black, has a durable finish that can be carried and used daily. The VIP Black is the ultimate connoisseurs’ pistol.
“The VIP Black is one of our most exclusive models,” explains Mark Stone, Owner, and CEO of Nighthawk Custom, “this 1911 is built with a focus on true craftsmanship and will be an heirloom piece that will garner attention in any collection.” The VIP Black is built based on Nighthawks, “One Gun – One Gunsmith” philosophy with all the finest customizations.
So Christmas was afoot and people were asking what I wanted for Christmas? That was a question I had a hard time answering, I’m a simple guy with simple tastes. What could I want? hmm, my 80 lower jig is worn out, but I ave a ton of ARs already. I had plenty of guns but not enough optics so I asked for a red dot sight, something simple, something well made. The SIG Romeo5 had caught my eye early on but I never pulled the trigger so to speak. I asked and I received. Even better I received a model of the Romeo5 I didn’t know existed, the XDR. The X stands for extended life and the DR stands for dual reticle. The Romeo5 XDR has a standard 2 MOA reticle and an additional 65 MOA red circle with a 2 MOA dot in the center. Extended life means 50K hours on a single triple-A battery
I’m not the patient type and after receiving the optic I spent a little time with the family, ate a healthy dinner and early the next morning hit the range. Of course what gun should I mount the SIG Romeo5 XDR? Plenty of options in the safe, from shotguns to ARs. Hmm, I settled on my Scorpion 9mm rifle. It’s a fun, accurate, and easy shooting rifle and the 9mm round makes it a close quarter’s rifle and red dots excel for close quarter’s use.
In the Box
The SIG Romeo5 XDR comes with a single battery, bikini style lens covers, a small tool to tighten the optic down, a cleaning cloth, and a riser to bring the 1.41-inch absolute cowitness to a 1.63 inch lower ⅓ cowitness. The SIG Romeo5 XDR is a bit tougher to find, and as I mentioned I had never seen it before but was pretty pumped to receive it. So a quick thank you to that special person who gifted me this.
It’s time for the new year, and time of course for the obligatory “New Year’s Resolutions”.
Except I’ve never been good at “Resolutions”. I’m better at “Goals to work toward” instead. There’s less pressure that way and less feeling of failure if as often happens, life gets in the way and I don’t get to be as diligent as I intended to be.
So my “Goals to Work Toward” for 2019 are:
Get more exercise. I’m a frumpy middle-age woman – I am never going to be a gym rat. My joints hurt and my knee builds up fluid. But I can work more on aerobic exercise and upper body strength so that a day in the woods on my feet with a nine-pound rifle and thirteen-pound pack do not completely wear me out. To that end, the other week I made myself a redneck “gun weight” out of leftover PVC pipe and paving sand I had in the garage. Now I have a roughly ten pound, forty inch long weight I can heft around while I’m “stepping” in the living room. Hopefully that will help build some upper body shotgun and rifle strength. At least that’s the plan.
Shoe myself properly. I need to invest in a good pair of high-quality waterproof hiking boots. This past year I spent a lot of time afoot in the woods – tracking turkey, tracking deer, hunting, berry picking, and getting to know the property. But it rains a lot up there. The hiking boots that I had and which were “supposed” to be waterproof leaked so badly during one such rainy excursion that my wool socks were literally squishing by the time I got back to the car. I am a tough shoe fit. I usually need men’s wide sizes due to my frankenfeet and my grandfather’s bunions. Women’s footwear is just too narrow for me. So I usually have to settle for whatever is leftover and available in my size, (Men’s 8.5 – 9 EE-EEEE). Usually the choices are slim. This year I want to do it right. Let the search begin.
Take a class. Last year I was scheduled to take Melody Lauer’s Armed Parent/Guardian class, but carpal tunnel surgery got in the way and I had to cancel. I still want to do that this year. I also still want to get into some sort of Trauma class. I’m already signed up for a Stop the Bleed class in January through a friend’s A Girl and A Gun Club chapter, but I want to take something a little higher level in addition. I have also toyed with the idea of a carbine class, but I probably need to work on my upper body toning before I attempt an all-day long-gun class.
Get over my fear of tree stands. I am afraid of heights. Tree stands give me the willies. But that might be the best deer hunting option for me if I ever want to bag my first buck. Thus, I need to get over myself. I have a friend who is willing to get me up in her tree stands over the summer to help me conquer my fear, so we shall see. I’ll also be looking at tree stands and safety equipment at SHOT 2019.
Continue my turkey and deer education. I learned reams of new information this past year, but I am a “never stop learning” kind of gal.
Practice more with the guns I ALREADY have instead of continually lusting after the next new thing. I know – what fun is THAT!!??“New” is half the fun. Okay, maybe I’ll let myself have a Sig P365 … ormaybe this will be the year that Benelli comes out with an 828u in 20 ga. I’ll let you know what I decide after I do some drooling at SHOT Show.
With the enacting of age increases for purchases, magazine capacity bans, and the reclassification of bump fire devices, the Second Amendment has taken some significant direct fire this year.
It wasn’t all bad news but lets face it… it was rough.
10 States banned bump fire stocks in an asinine gesture to say “mass murder is bad.” Hawaii kicked that effort off in July with a unanimous passage.
In Hawaii, which has an estimated 1.6 million registered guns, according to the state attorney general’s office — around 150,000 more guns than residents — some people have legitimate reasons to own firearms, Rhoads said, alluding to the state’s feral pig problem. But, he said, there’s still a desire to pass gun-safety measures. Hawaii has some of the strictest gun laws and fewest gun deaths in the country, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.
“For us, it’s taking away the final loopholes,” Rhoads, a Hawaii legislator, said.
The ATF then reclassified them as machine guns last week.
Eight states enacted “Red Flag” laws, with Hawaii wanting to be the ninth, that allow various levels of non-adjudicated intrusion and property confiscation. Texas is even considering a ‘Red Flag’ law this legislative session.
From PewTrusts.org
Gun Control efforts are evolving as we head into 2019. As we enjoy the festivities of New Year’s Eve and the annual anticipation of SHOT Shot, we’re going to have work to do on the legal front.
Steel targets have been around for quite some time, but for a long period of time they were often only found at nice ranges and made by small custom target makers. Now as shooting sports exploded and more and more people began concealed carrying steel targets have become mainstream. From 3-Gun and public ranges to the always impressive private range like mine. I love shooting steel and wanted to talk about why I like steel, as well as a few things you should know about steel targets.
Safety and Steel Targets
As you can tell from the title, there are some issues with steel targets, but safety isn’t a valid one. If you are not capable of using steel targets safely, you are not capable of handling a firearm safely. Mount them per the instructions whether it be dangling them from chains, angling them into the ground, or any other variety of safe use targets. Don’t shoot targets not rated for your particular weapon. Handgun targets aren’t designed for rifle rounds. Shoot from an appropriate distance, and don’t use zinc rounds. It’s just common sense stuff. Don’t try to be a wise ass and consider your 5.56 AR15 Pistol an actual pistol.
The Good
Steel targets are the most fun targets to shoot that doesn’t explode. The ding of lead on steel delivers instant feedback to the end user. When shooting rifles at a distance that ding lets you know you hit the target without having to move down range. It’s a degree of satisfaction that paper can’t deliver.
Regarding training benefits, the instant feedback you receive is very similar to an actual gunfight. It’s pretty apparent when you shoot someone that they’ve been shot. Not always, but most of the time anyway. The instant feedback also saves you time from having to go and check your target for holes. You know instantly if you are failing or not and you learn to work through aiming and shooting problems with a gun in your hand.
There is no waiting for a ceasefire to learn you’ve grouped 30+ shots way to the right of your target or left, or even worse, missed completely. For beginners I’ve seen so many fire a shot, stop, drop their weapon and look for a hole. This habit creates training scars that may translate over to a defensive situation. With steel, they stay on target because they immediately know if they hit the mark. They keep their guns up and keep firing without the constant reminder to keep their weapon on target.
Steel Targets also last forever. After an initial investment, the cost is zero. Steel targets last nearly forever, and the Shoot Steel Popper I own has seen thousands of rounds over the years. I easily spend ten bucks a day in targets when I go out shooting, the cost for the popper? About 85 bucks. Some smaller poppers go for as little as 30 dollars.
The Bad
The bad is when we start talking about precision shooting and building fundamentals with new shooters. Fundamentals are the building blocks of new skills and shooting steel doesn’t always build those fundamentals. You can’t measure group size, or work on drilling in that precision shooting ability with steel. People hear the ding and think that is enough. They have to be able to hit my 21-inch tall steel popper.
That’s not a small target. Some steel targets are, and I own a few small steel gongs, and they are great. The problem with small gongs is if you miss it’s impossible to know how far off you were, were you to right or left? Above or below it? You do need the means to track your misses to a degree and to make adjustments and diagnose your flaws until you are hitting your mark.
You may think precision practice on paper doesn’t apply when it comes to defensive shooting, but you’re wrong. It’s true you aren’t trying to make tiny little groups in an opponent, but all we ever preach is shot placement. If you aren’t precise how well is your shot placement going to be? Also, the good habits that you learn shooting for small groups and exercising precision shooting will translate over to your defensive shooting skill. Your muscle memory for a good grip, proper sight alignment, and proper trigger pull is what you’ll fall back to.
I’m also a big proponent of anatomy targets that also help build successful habits when it comes to finding those important organs to eliminate.
Of course, steel targets also don’t allow for extremely close range training. The risk of a ricochet makes this too risky.
The Truth
The truth about steel targets is simple, they are great, but should never be the only target you are shooting. The addictive ding does make it fun and enjoyable. They are a great training aid, but will never replace paper or cardboard targets. A decent mix of both will maximize skill gains and building good habits. Speed and precision are both critical aspects of training, and a mix of steel and paper targets will get you where you want to be.
Not even members of the NYPD can carry their service or concealed firearms off duty if they head to New Jersey, even if policy were to state they must be armed off duty.
The NYPD is warning its officers that under a new law, they could be arrested in New Jersey if they travel through that state off-duty with high-capacity firearm magazines. – From the NYP
The internal Police Department memo, issued this week, advises New York City cops that if they pass through the neighboring state with a magazine capable of holding more than 10 rounds when they’re not on the clock, they’d be violating the new law.
So just to travel the NYPD officers need 10 round magazines if they could head to neighboring New Jersey. They cannot bring their standard capacity magazines across the line, even unloaded, the items are verboten.
There is no standard anymore folks. Gun controllers will push every restriction as far as they can and then reload to do it again.
Here for a change, is an article about a product that is not new. In fact, this product is literally thousands of years old. It has been used for clothing since the first humanoid speared a mountain sheep and wore its pelt. I’m talking about the historical performance fabric that is wool.
In the “new trends” department wool – especially merino wool – has become the performance fabric to have. But wool is not “new” by any stretch.
There is archeological evidence for the domestication of sheep as far back as 10,000 years ago, and weaving processes go back to the 6-7000 BCE range. Wool has been around as human clothing almost as long as there has been human clothing.
In less ancient times, I grew up about an hour away from the site of the quintessential American woolen mill in Woolrich, PA, established in 1830. I can remember visiting the Woolrich factory store with my parents back when it was actually next to the factory. My parents bought Woolrich factory seconds before it was cool and before factory outlets became trendy destination shopping centers.
Woolrich came up with the “Buffalo Check” pattern in 1850 and supplied the Union Army with blankets during the Civil War. But their truly iconic contribution to the outdoor industry was the the “Pennsylvania Tuxedo” – the classic red and black plaid wool hunting coat and pants. This was practically a uniform for well-dressed hunters from the early to mid portion of 20th century.
My own father and grandfather owned a set of of these classic Woolrich red plaid wool hunting clothes. The Pennsylvania Tuxedo was a durable and functional investment, and was the performance wear of its era.
The writer’s father and grandfather wearing the bottom half of their Pennsylvania Tuxedos.
I can also remember wearing a wool “union suit” (complete with trapdoor) as baselayer when I was a girl (in those days we called them “long johns”). I think it was a hand-me-down from one of my brothers, but I didn’t care as long as I was warm.
After my childhood, American manufacturing took a downturn and wool fell out of favor. It was itchy and expensive, and there was trendy synthetic insulated underwear to be had instead. Everything had to be space age and modern, and fabric that scientists created out of petroleum HAD to be better than traditional fibers, right? That attitude persisted for several decades.
But then came Smartwool Merino and the resurgence of all things wool again.
This is not your great-grandfather’s wool. Merino wool comes from a breed of sheep with very soft fibers. It doesn’t itch, and it is treated so as to be machine washable (and dryable in most cases). I bought my first Smartwool socks in 2004 from Sierra Trading Post online.
I buy discounted and factory seconds, closeouts and sales. I am an unapologetic cheapskate, but shopping carefully allows me to enjoy the benefits of wool, when it might otherwise be hard on the budget.
What started with one pair of socks has now morphed into a full-on obsession. Virtually every sock in my drawer is now merino wool – from hunting socks to work/dress socks. In my book nothing beats merino wool for hard wearing socks that don’t stink and are easy care. I am still wearing several pairs of socks that I bought over a decade ago. They wear like iron and are machine washable and dryable. You pay a little more upfront, but you can wear them virtually forever.
Wool is warm and cool at the same time. It wicks sweat, but retains insulating properties even when wet. Wool fibers have a natural crimp, so wool garments are naturally a little flexy, yet retain their shape.
Wool doesn’t retain unpleasant body odors. While traveling light, you can turn your wool socks inside out to air overnight, and in the morning they will be dry, odor free and ready to wear for another day. You can’t do that with cotton or poly socks – not and retain your friends anyway.
In the same way at deer camp, you can get another couple days’ wear out of your wool base layers without getting all odiferous in the armpit and crotchal areas. Try that with synthetics and your camp mates might pitch you out in the snow to air you out.
Another advantage to wool is that it is flame resistant. Synthetic fleece and polyester melt when exposed to heat. Wool does not. It will eventually burn, but it takes awhile. Wool has a very high ignition temperature and is self-extinguishing. That’s why lab fire blankets and hearth rugs are made out of wool. That’s a consideration if you are going to be around a fireplace or campfire – or just planning for the zombie apocalypse.
Even when I am not out in the woods, I have taken to wearing thin merino wool tank tops from Woolx as a camisole layer for winter office wear. Merino Wool is now available as lightweight wicking summer exercise wear and even in the form of panties, bras, and boxer briefs. If you are a wool lover like I am, you can now wear it all year long.
I have used a variety of merino wool products over the past fourteen years, and I feel that I am a fairly good judge of its properties. I’ve used several brands – from Smartwool, Icebreaker, Woolx, Cabela’s and Gander, and all have performed well. With careful washing and storage your woolens can last for years – or even generations.
Which brings us to one of the only advantages of synthetic fibers over wool. Synthetics are impervious to clothes moths. Most young people today probably don’t even know what those are. Moths are why our great-grandmas used cedar chests and why their closets smelled like mothballs – because there are little insects in the world that like to eat animal keratin. But this can be good news too. This means that unlike synthetics, wool is biodegradable. It will break down naturally and go back to the environment from whence it came. No worries about “microplastics” there.
Take advantage of the after-Christmas sales to find wool products on discount. Stores will soon be unloading their inventory so that they can inexplicably start stocking shorts and swim suits in February. Take advantage of the opportunity and you may end up a wool lover like me! (Just don’t tell anybody how many days you’ve worn your socks)
AUSTIN – A Girl & A Gun Women’s Shooting League (AG & AG) raised funds for childhood cancer by selling two t-shirt designs in 2019 that promoted awareness of the disease. The Unstoppable AF shirt and the Childhood Cancer Awareness shirt were sold through the AG & AG website. Five dollars from each shirt sale was earmarked for the Cooper Trooper Foundation.
Worldwide a child is diagnosed with cancer every three minutes, and one in five children diagnosed with cancer will die within five years. The causes of most childhood cancers are unknown.
“So many children suffer because of a delayed diagnosis,” says AG & AG Executive Director Robyn Sandoval. “Through our network of women, we can educate families about the symptoms of pediatric brain cancer so that children can get earlier intervention and have better outcomes.”
Thirty t-shirt sales resulted in one hundred fifty dollars that will go the Cooper Trooper Foundation to help fund research and help families of children battling cancer.
Sandoval, whose daughter is battling brain cancer, adds, “AG & AG is making an impact by raising awareness of charities like the Cooper Trooper Foundation that are working to improve the lives of the fighters and fund research for a cure.”
AG & AG believes strongly in giving back. As a national organization it encourages charitable giving and promotes awareness for a number of worthy causes. The organization’s motto is “It’s More Than Shooting.”
About A Girl & A Gun
A Girl & A Gun (AG & AG) is a membership organization whose events have been successful stepping stones for thousands of women into the shooting community and fostered their love of shooting with caring and qualified instructors to coach them. AG & AG breaks barriers for women and girls in the area of self-defense and in pistol, rifle, and shotgun shooting sports by welcoming beginners to learn the basics of safe and accurate shooting and providing experienced shooters with advanced-level opportunities. The club has more than 5,500 members in 48 states and hosts recurring Girl’s Nights Out at more than 180 ranges throughout the nation. Learn more at AGirlandAGun.org.
One item shooters are forever searching for is the perfect pair of pants to shoot in. Most of us look for pants that are not only good for the range, but ones that look good enough to wear to the store or travel in. It is an even bigger bonus if they do not break the bank. Two companies offering pants that fill that meet those requirements are Tru-Spec ( www.truspec.com ) and 5.11 Tactical ( www.511tactical.com ).
When it comes to innovative clothing for duty, casual, range or field wear; Tru-Spec is leading the way. They offer a variety of products; shirts, pants, outerwear with a number of price points and the latest in fabric technology. This year the 24/7 Xpedition Pants was introduced as one of their flagship products.
What sets the Xpedition apart from other pants in Tru-Spec product line is the material. It is a four way stretch DWR treated fabric that resists stains and gives you freedom of movement no matter the position you are in. To further reduce odds of pinching the crotch is gusseted from knee to knee with a stretch nylon. This gusset also allows for better airflow to reduce chafing. Tru-Spec uses this material in the back of the waistband as well. For added comfort and fit there is a French fly with hidden expandable waistband.
Since these pants are designed for hard use the articulated knees double layer with internal knee pad pockets. The backs of the knees use the same stretch fabric as the gusset. These might seem like minor items; but they greatly increase your ease of movement over other “tactical” pants. Simply try bending any of the duck canvas pants versus the Xpeditions; you will immediately notice the difference.
Tru-Spec ensures you have plenty of pockets to carry your stuff. The front pockets are L shaped slash with reinforcements to prevent your clip-it knife from wearing a hole in them. The right rear pocket has a zipper closure while the left one had a flap closure. Each of the cargo pockets has a snap flap closure and the left one has a zipper to keep your gear secure. Both pockets have carbineer loop and a separate magazine slash pocket behind them.
You will find the Xpedition is designed to keep you cool in hot sticky weather as well. Along the seam of each cargo pocket is a zipper closure over a mesh panel. Both legs the same panel at the opening as well. This creates airflow allowing you to dissipate a lot of heat. The taper of pant legs traps a lot of heat these panels will reduce that build-up much better than rolling our BDUs up to our boot tops did in basic training.
An area often overlooked on pants it the belt loop. The loops on Xpeiditions are bar tacked to help prevent them from pulling off. Loops are also placed to not interfere with placement of a holster. Many companies put a loop along the out seam, right where many folks wear a straight drop holster. There are two rear loops to evenly distribute the load and prevent your pants from sagging.
The Xpedition is available in a number of sizes for men and in a number of colors; navy, black, OD, khaki, coyote, charcoal and Multicam. As you can see Tru-Spec builds the Xpedition to give you the most bang for the buck. After wearing them for a while in my humble opinion they are worth every penny of the $117.95 MSRP. You will find them under $100 online.
Over the last twenty plus years we have seen more and more women taking up hunting and shooting. This has led to demand for pants designed to fit ladies, not just men’s pants made smaller. From their humble beginning with the 5.11 pants and shorts; 5.11 Tactical has been one of the companies that started designing pants built to fit a woman. At last count 5.11 Tactical has over thirty pants for ladies.
Two of their latest ladies pants are the Mesa and Defender Flex Slim Jeans. Both pants are designed for and by women to fit the active lifestyle. They are also designed with functional belt loops that easily accommodate a belt for range and concealed carry. For comfort both are made from fabric that gives when you move. Either pair will set you back $69.99
The Mesa is a low profile tactical style pant with its low profile zipper thigh pockets, traditional slash front pockets and rear patch pockets. The front pocket’s slash is flat at the bottom to allow a clip-it knife to lay flat. You can easily stash an AR magazine or smart phone in the rear pockets. To ensure you do not lose your phone, I would zip them in the thigh pocket.
When it comes to comfort you will be hard pressed to find pants that beat the Mesa. The DWR polyester elastane fabric is four way stretch. The eight inch tapered pant leg allows for easy on/off while giving you a fitted look when worn. The extra wide rear belt loop keeps them from gapping and sagging when you are wearing a pistol.
I have on good authority from my oldest friend in the world that the fabric is comfortable for all day wear, even when it is flying a desk. It was also passed on to me that these pants wash well after surviving the rigors of grandkids and their spills. Reality is not every one is Laura Croft nor do we all shoot. The Mesa can be had in sizes 0-20 in regular and long lengths. You can choose from black, lunar (grayish), python (light OD), or raisin.
If you prefer jeans the Defender Flex Slim Fit Jeans should suit your needs. Unlike teenage slim fit, these pants are not second skin tight. You would be hard pressed to tell these jeans from popular brands. They have traditional riveted front slash pockets, with a front “watch” pocket in the right front. The rear pockets are patch style with magazine pockets at the bottom of the waist band. The rear pockets have stylish stitching and a flag logo on the right pocket.
While the Slim Fit Jeans do not not have eight inch legs, they will are easy on/off thanks to the 76/24 cotton poly blend of the 10 ounce T400 stretch fabric. If you wear boots these will tuck neatly and comfortably into the shaft, it was not recommended to wear them over cowboy boot shafts. Blouses tuck neatly into the waist without feeling snug thanks to the fabric’s stretch.
For daily wear the Slim Fit Jeans are ideal. My dear friend avoid jeans for work because they are stiff and uncomfortable. She says these jeans do not wear you out sitting for eight to twelve hours like traditional cowboy style denim jeans do. More importantly they give you freedom of movement when you need to knee, climb or any other daily activity. She tells me unlike the Mesa’s; the Slim Fit Jeans are not immune to the messes of a pre-schooler…pre-treat before washing.
You can pick three shades of denim color; Pacific (stone washed), light wash (worn look) or Indigo. Size wise you can choose from 0-16 in short, regular and long lengths.
After having worn both the Mesa’s and Defender Flex Slim Fit Jeans, I was told they are amazing pants. They wash and machine dry well. There is no shrinkage and the sizes run true. Both pairs get worn about every five days, that’s how much she likes the fit. Having heard complaints about women’s clothing be it her uniforms when she was an EMT, casual or dress wear over the last thirty years, I can tell you this is high praise.
5.11 Tactical has really taken their commitment to their women’s line seriously and it shows. The Mesa and Defender Flex Slim Fit Jeans will serve you on the range, hiking the fields, out on the town or at work. They will make good gifts for yourself or others on your gift list.
When you own firearms or those you buy gifts for do, you can never go wrong with quality tools to maintain them. Over the last few years one of the most innovative companies for firearms maintenance is Real Avid. From a humble start with a few pocket sized tools Real Avid has branched out to include specific tools for ARs, AKs, 1911s as well as bench tools and kits.
Since my days in the USAF Reserve the only tool out there was a simple AR wrench to remove the barrel nut, receiver extension nut and possibly the muzzle brake. Other than that they were pretty useless. At the 2018 SHOT Show, Real Avid introduced the Master Armorer’s Wrench (MAW).
What sets the MAW apart from traditional AR tools is the ergonomic hammer design. The tool head is built into the hammer area to give you control when needed and the handle gives you leverage to bear down on stubborn nuts or muzzle brakes. The MAW is multi-head hammer giving you the steel head of the body with nylon of brass inserts so you do not mar or damage pins or punches. The MAW can be attached to a torque wrench to apply proper pressure on the barren nut, it fits most free float barrel nuts not just Mil-Spec ones, receiver extension nuts and it fits virtually all muzzle brakes on the market. Real Avid engraves proper PSI settings so your nuts are tightened correctly.
I have used the Master Armorer’s Wrench for the last year. It is one of the best tools around for working on ARs and the hammer is ideal for other applications. At $59.99 it is competitively priced with other AR wrenches that cannot do all the things the MAW does.
Real Avid addressed the issue of how to remove and install gas blocks, trigger guard pins as well as making it easier to repair the bold assembly with the Master Bench Block. This block is truly unique. It is a padded polymer block with cutouts for all the parts and pins clearly labeled. Not only are they labeled but magnets are embedded in the block to secure them. Having lost more than my share of roll pins over the years I can tell you this is a god send.
The Master Bench Block also has holes to punch out the pins, including those that retain a front sight gas block. This comes in handy when upgrading and rebuildingARs. Instead of fighting to get a secure place to drive that pin out, simply set the barrel in the MBB and simply drive out the pin.
What I found to be the most amazing feature of the MBB was the ejector removal tool. You set your bolt in slot that looks like and is marked bolt and simply screw in the red handle. This takes tension off the ejector so you can remove the spring, retaining pin and ejector. You can also remove the extractor parts in this slot and secure the pins in the appropriate spot on the backside of the MBB.
You will find the MBB also has a slot to work on the charging handle. The cutout secures the charging handle so you can replace the catch latch and spring and not need a third hand.
Thanks to the anti-slip frame, the Master Bench Block will not slide across your bench while working on your AR. At $29.99, this must have piece of kit will not break the bank.
Lastly you need a good set of punches to work on firearms. Real Avid’s Accu-Punch Hammer and Punches has been my go to kit since I received it.
The first thing you notice about this tool kit is, all the tools are stored in a locking case that flips open to become its own stand. Next all of the size of each punch is etched clearly and large enough to be seen without a magnifying glass on each punch. A nice feature of each punch is they have two anti-slip strips of rubber at the pin end of the punch so you have a secure grip even with oily hands. This is a feature I have not seen on other tools.
You will also find a pair of polymer pin alignment tool that wraps around a pin to aid you in the installation of pins. While the pin alignment tool allows you to tightly grip a pin, it will also allow the pin to move it when hit with the hammer or punch and hammer. Pliers will not do this, which makes installation of pins harder than it needs to be. There is also a non-marring punch to drive out stubborn pivot and take down pins on an AR.
To drive out the pins with the Accu Punches is the most unique part of the Accu-Punch; the hammer. This hammer has four heads, all of are interchangeable. There is a brass, steel and two densities of polymer heads. This will allow you to customize the hammer to the task at hand. I found the handle fits the hand well and the hammer balances so you get the most power with each strike. The handle is a hard polymer wrapped with a softer more “grippy” polymer. When driving out fitted takedown/pivot pins on one of my ARs, the hammer did not slip nor did the non-marring punch damage the finish of the AR I was working on. I venture to say you will not find another kit this complete with a $39.99 price point.
If you want to see more great tools to maintain your firearms, go to www.realavid.com . Hopefully this will give you a few ideas to make someone’s Christmas or Hanukkah merry. Remember to get to the range or field; shoot safely, accurately and have fun.
Newsflash: The BATFE today raided Office Depot and confiscated an illegal cache of what it called “machine guns”. The machine guns in question were manufactured from natural rubber latex and found packaged in one pound boxes. The illegal firearms were reportedly manufactured in the U.S. from imported components and were shipped all over the country.
Loyal Americans are asked to report any stores of these highly dangerous firearms components that they may find in their homes, workplaces, and houses of worship. Loyal Americans are advised to not attempt to remove these hazardous items on their own, but to notify local law enforcement, who can then safely secure the items in question.
BATFE spokesman, I.M. Gubmint stated that the Bureau will be following up on the supply lines for these illegal items, and investigating reports of other illegal machine guns currently being hidden in the waistbands of many Americans’ pants, and in the eyelets of their shoes.
An unnamed source reported rumors of similar raids being planned against online office supply retailer Quill, and a rumored raid being planned in Louisiana to confiscate the right index finger of shooting legend Jerry Miculek.
DALLAS — More than 20 members of an Orthodox Synagogue attended a Firearms Information Session on November 27, 2018, in Dallas, TX. A Girl & A Gun (AG & AG) Executive Director Robyn Sandoval and AG & AG Dallas Chapter Facilitator Dawn Rodriguez led the question-and-answer presentation that addressed a variety of topics, including armed self-defense in a place of worship, with children, and in the home.
“In the aftermath of the Pittsburgh murders, many Jews who have long been uninterested in firearms ownership have been awakened by the heinous crime,” says Yehuda Remer, who organized the event. “The first step to owning a firearm is education, and I wanted to give members of my community the chance to actively learn from knowledgeable firearms instructors.”
Remer, who is known by the moniker The Pew Pew Jew, is the author of Safety On, a book on firearms safety for children. He reached out to Sandoval to meet with families in the Orthodox community.
“It can be scary for families to accept that there are evil people who want to hurt others,” says Sandoval. “As a mother and firearms professional, I am able to address both the mindset and marksmanship needed to protect one’s family. Educating new gun owners includes providing facts on the safe use and storage of firearms, while dispelling misinformation that may have been obtained through movies and news media.”
Sandoval and Rodriguez provided information on upcoming AG & AG training opportunities, as well as resources on where to find classes on tactical medicine and other safety topics.
The event was successful and Remer is planning additional information sessions for his synagogue and others in the Dallas area.
Yehuda Remer and Robyn Sandoval prior to the Firearms Information Session.
About A Girl & A Gun
A Girl & A Gun (AG & AG) is a membership organization whose events have been successful stepping stones for thousands of women into the shooting community and fostered their love of shooting with caring and qualified instructors to coach them. AG & AG breaks barriers for women and girls in the area of self-defense and in pistol, rifle, and shotgun shooting sports by welcoming beginners to learn the basics of safe and accurate shooting and providing experienced shooters with advanced-level opportunities. The club has more than 5,500 members in 48 states and hosts recurring Girl’s Nights Out at more than 180 ranges throughout the nation. Learn more at AGirlandAGun.org.
