The Media chaos cannot be over stated at SHOT…
And sometimes it takes a price.
We raise our coffee mugs this morning in salute of my Lenovo. It had done the work of this network for many years and made it through SHOT… But the assassin baggage handlers came when everyone was exhausted and guards were relaxed.
Never trust the mandatory gate baggage check.
So a replacement was hastily acquired and work continues.
SHOT Show has concluded.
Now the industry work for 2018 kicks off in earnest. Manufacturers and distributors have orders to fill. R&D has work to do. Production will ramp up and the consumer information for the consumer base is being thrust into the public sphere.
Monday brings us all back to work. The GAT Network had dozens of exceptional conversations over the week and as they roll out across the networks we will continue to make certain you readers are as informed as we are here behind the keyboards.
This week is about continuing conversations and our most important conversation is with you. Let’s keep it rolling.
Welcome to the We Like Shooting show, Episode 228 – tonight we’ll talk about Canik TP9SFX, Secret Santa, 180 Second Ideas and more!
Welcome to We Like Shooting’s Double Tap, Episode 48, Tonight we talk about gun tech, we’ll answer your questions on Dear WLS, we’ll talk about NOT GUNS, and revisit past gear
Source: http://welikeshootingraw.com/podcast/wls-double-tap-48-bowl-cut-b/
Welcome to the We Like Shooting show, Episode 231 – tonight we’ll talk about Chain saws, whiskey Binoculars, poop and more!
To say the firearms industry has seen a steady increase with suppressor sales in the last decade would be a huge understatement. In what has always been a niche’ market, suppressors have begun to gain a wider acceptance in the sporting / hunting world helping educate buyers and lawmakers in what suppressors can realistically do and what they can’t, regardless of what Hollywood movies would have you believe. (Besides, they’re just cool to shoot with, right?) During this time, industry heavyweights have ruled manufacturing and sales. Thanks to these recent increased sales and technology, smaller companies have been able to come onto the scene and offer more innovative thinking, breaking from the “old guard” ways of designing suppressors. One company making big waves early is Torrent Suppressors in Texas.
As a former SWAT operator, now firearms instructor and magazine writer heading up the Swanson Media Group, I have been privy to a wide range of suppressor designs from some of the largest names in the industry for almost 20 years in which I use on a weekly basis with reviews and professional training. When industry “mover and shaker”, Clover Lawson called my office and said, “Hey Trampas, I got a new suppressor company I want you to review,” I couldn’t say no to her. As Clover was explaining their growing pains as a start-up company, she went into depth as to what the designers have come up with for their suppressors. I was very impressed with what I heard, as I tend to be with all the major projects Clover has delivered in the past. I couldn’t wait to have a review sample sent for testing. A few short weeks later, I received a call from my local FFL holder, Henry Mimms with Second Amendment Guns and Range in Yulee, FL to let me know a .30 cal suppressor had just arrived with my name on it.
First Impressions
Once I arrived at the shop and started the paperwork, I opened the Torrent Suppressor box and gave the product a once over. My first impressions were simple. I liked the appearance, compactness and lightweight of the design. This suppressor was Torrent’s T3 model made from Stainless Steel with an optional Titanium construction. Being a .30 cal suppressor, it was rated for anything in the field of 7.62 / .308 / 6.8 SPC / .300 BLK / 6.5 Creedmoor. For immediate testing, I brought along my 9” barreled SBR AR-15 chambered in .300 Blackout with some of my favorite 208 grain loads from the new Hornady Black series.
Specs
Caliber rating: 7.62/.30 CAL
Thread Pitch: 5/8 x 24
Length: 6.2”
Diameter: 1.45”
Weight: 9. oz titanium, or 16.5 oz stainless steel (FA rated
Decibel Rating: 121.2 dB (.300 BLK Subsonic)
Manufacturer: Tactical Arms of Texas
Material: titanium, or 17-4 SS
Color: Black/FDE/Raw
Initial Range Time
Considering the paperwork was recently mailed off to the ATF, personal visits to the range in which the suppressor will legally reside until the tax stamp returns will be how the first few months of testing will subsequently go. As I screwed the T3 suppressor onto my rifle, I noticed how well-balanced the added weight made it feel. Being a short barrel rifle, I am used to the 9” barreled .300 Blackout or BLK having all its weight overloaded up against my chest. With only adding roughly 5” of its overall 6.25” length to the barrel, the rifle remained still very compact. Maneuvering around the range, I noticed the better balance was easier to move from target to target and around corners.
So, it looked good and handled well, so how did it shoot? As it turned out, this would be the best part. Having already had the Vortex Strike Eagle 1-8×24 scope zeroed at 100 yards, I held roughly a 1” high as I normally would at 25 yards to hit the bullseye. I was curious as to what the suppressed “shift” would be as I have seen using other suppressors on this rifle. Depending on load, I have seen suppressors cause rounds to strike as much as 4” left or right and just as much distance lower of zero. Given the fact I was shooting at a ¼ of the zeroed distance, I was expected to see anywhere from an .75” to an inch at least.
Once the first shot broke, I couldn’t help by think, “Wow, this thing is quiet!”. Despite wearing electronic ear protection due to range rules, the shot report was low enough to not trigger the noise blocking protection. When actively blocking sound, the “ears” allow for sound such as people speaking to be heard at a normal level and engages an electronic block to high decibel noises.
As I pulled the trigger the second time, I could clearly hear the couple in the lane beside me talking about how their gun “kicked” when one of them shot it. Through the shot breaking, I never lost volume of hearing the couple next to me talk. The only interruption was the noise of a rifle’s bolt working back and forth and a mild bang at the normal level of a living room television.
After the third shot, I had to pull my target in and double-check what I was seeing through the scope. With getting caught up on how quiet the suppressor made the rifle, I didn’t focus on where my hits scored on the target, just held over the bullseye and pressed the trigger without true follow-up. To my surprise, one shot was at the bottom of the 1” bullseye and the other two made one large hole through the center!
After resetting the target, I took the suppressor off and shot 3 additional shots. This time, shots 1 and 3 were touching at the top of the bullseye and shot 2 was center of the target. I was amazed at the lack of noticeable shift at 25 yards. The accuracy was right on with most of my previously recorded shots from last month’s unsuppressed testing found in our AAC review but with much less shift in suppressed results. I made several notes and photographed both targets for my DOPE book.
Reattaching the suppressor, I loaded up 5 rounds into my new Magpul .300 BLK specific PMAGS and sent them downrange during a slow fire string. As I watched through the scope and listened to the bolt cycle with a muffled report, I could see the top of the bullseye form a hole growing larger with each shot. I couldn’t help but smile while one of the range workers walked over to admire the shot group. I loaded up another 5 rounds and put another group down range a bit faster resulting in a 1” group at the 1 o’ clock of the bullseye.
To finish up my first range testing, I ran a target featuring two targets side by side out to 15 yards. I ran two shots to each target freehand quickly back and forth. The rifle handled impressively with minimum sound and great accuracy. This was just a teaser to being able to get on the range and work on shooting drills around barriers and varying distances.
Wrap Up (For now)
Once the suppressor paperwork comes back from the ATF and I can get the suppressor out of paperwork “jail”, I intend on doing longer distance shooting with the .300 BLK as well as push the distances suppressed with my recent 6.5 Creedmoor build out to around 1000 yards or beyond. I am eager to see if there is a noticeable shift as distances multiple and if so, to what effect compared to the “big name” suppressor companies I have worked with in the past.
Overall, I was very impressed with the T3 .30 caliber suppressor from this new company, Torrent Suppressors. While the company is new to the market, the great minds behind it have been around behind the scenes for years gaining the knowledge and technology to ensure success moving forward in 2018. To find out more about Torrent Suppressors, go to www.torrentsuppressors.com and check out their growing line up of suppressors from .17 / .22 to 7.62 thus far with new products dropping soon!
Source: http://www.thegearlocker.net/2018/01/torrent-suppressors/
Exhibition Shows like SHOT always seem to develop and underlying theme. It’s never announced but there is a feel to how and where the technology is flowing. It’s not even a deliberate direction beyond consumer interest and trying to be predictive.
The industry leaders are honing their craft and their products to finer and finer levels of usability and the consumer/end user market communication has been a key to that.
LPV (Low Power Variable) Optics are a rapidly broadening field with offerings from every major manufacturer
This is the technological direction of future optics and LPF (Low Power Fixed) optics like the Trijicon ACOG are going to go into a retention space with many other proven technologies. They LPF though won’t gain any new ground. They have their territory covered. New ground belongs to the LPV’s
In their field we will start seeing the 1-6 and 1-8 optics start to achieve shorter and lighter variants.
Lights are following a similar trend. Lumens are trending between 400-800 on most lights and they’re gaining ground in end user sustainablity. More fuel options with rechargeables gaining ground. More programming options so the user can select the settings they want. More lockout features to prevent unintentional activation and resource waste.
Light options have never been better.
Firearms are the ultimate expression of the Evolution>Revolution. Nothing is truly new but plenty are fine refinements on proven concepts.
FN, as an example, has several upgrades on the SC that will migrate back to the standard SCAR lineup as time and opportunity permit. The new lower receivers and the non-reciprocating charging handle I’m hoping make the cut sooner rather than later.
And on the SCAR-SC, when asked if there would be a commercial release I was answered “It would make sense as the next logical step in the offering.” but it was also an indefinite time uncertain delivery. They won’t be doing one… until they do.
Most off the wall concepts like the FA Reformation are exercises in theoretical engineering to get around a problem or nuisance that become commercial as opposed to core practical gear. It’s a lot of fun that we can do it even if there isn’t a practical demand.
Overall the slump and leveling off in the firearms market has resulted in companies focusing on using their core products in new ways to satisfy demand and parallel emerging tech.
But on occasion something newer and cool does jump out.
Stopping by Haley Strategic’s booth I met up with a couple familiar faces.
After shaking hands and exchanging the pleasantries we headed back to check out the prototypes.
The new modular D3 Micro’s are soon to be released. Shipping will start once availability and supply are secured. The Micro’s are a streamlined evolution of the D3 chest rigs with a modular bearing interface. You can set the system up to run and retain PCC, 5.56, and 7.62 magazines with scaled inserts.
Supporting equipment is attached and removed quickly as needed. The rig will be worn either stand alone or interfaced with a plate carrier as you need it to be.
Also with their D5 Pistol course being the most popular of the training curriculum they prototype’d this single cell handheld. The light is designed to take advantage of a two handed pistol technique the HSP guys teach made infinitely easier by this design.
We’ll be looking at the details on the rigs closer in the future. Back to the SHOW.
Welcome to the We Like Shooting show, Episode 229 – tonight we’ll talk about Kel-Tec, Drinking your own pee, Botach Inc, Manticore Arms, Honor Guard and more!
Exhibition Shows like SHOT always seem to develop and underlying theme. It’s never announced but there is a feel to how and where the technology is flowing. It’s not even a deliberate direction beyond consumer interest and trying to be predictive.
The industry leaders are honing their craft and their products to finer and finer levels of usability and the consumer/end user market communication has been a key to that.
LPV (Low Power Variable) Optics are a rapidly broadening field with offerings from every major manufacturer
This is the technological direction of future optics and LPF (Low Power Fixed) optics like the Trijicon ACOG are going to go into a retention space with many other proven technologies. They LPF though won’t gain any new ground. They have their territory covered. New ground belongs to the LPV’s
In their field we will start seeing the 1-6 and 1-8 optics start to achieve shorter and lighter variants.
Lights are following a similar trend. Lumens are trending between 400-800 on most lights and they’re gaining ground in end user sustainablity. More fuel options with rechargeables gaining ground. More programming options so the user can select the settings they want. More lockout features to prevent unintentional activation and resource waste.
Light options have never been better.
Firearms are the ultimate expression of the Evolution>Revolution. Nothing is truly new but plenty are fine refinements on proven concepts.
FN, as an example, has several upgrades on the SC that will migrate back to the standard SCAR lineup as time and opportunity permit. The new lower receivers and the non-reciprocating charging handle I’m hoping make the cut sooner rather than later.
And on the SCAR-SC, when asked if there would be a commercial release I was answered “It would make sense as the next logical step in the offering.” but it was also an indefinite time uncertain delivery. They won’t be doing one… until they do.
Most off the wall concepts like the FA Reformation are exercises in theoretical engineering to get around a problem or nuisance that become commercial as opposed to core practical gear. It’s a lot of fun that we can do it even if there isn’t a practical demand.
Overall the slump and leveling off in the firearms market has resulted in companies focusing on using their core products in new ways to satisfy demand and parallel emerging tech.
But on occasion something newer and cool does jump out.
Last night was the Nighthawk Custom and Agency Arms sponsored shoot and party.
There were guns from FNH, Kalashnikov USA, Agency, and Nighthawk on the lines to light up the night at Pro Gun Club just outside of Las Vegas.
FN brought a line up of SCAR rifles, an FN15, and a MK46, and a few others. The SCAR17/MK17 SBR full-auto was always roaring. Everyone needs to shoot one, that is simply an inescapable fact.
The finale after a hungers were sated with tacos was a minigun shoot in which a Winnebago was the the target.
Party was lit up my friends. Drinks were had, stories exchanged and then back to the Expo in the morning
My visit to Armament Systems and Procedures has been one of the most productive stops at the show so far.
ASP was an entirely unknown entity to me. Their track record in law enforcement circles stretches better than two decades though so I was never the intended recipient until recently.
ASP is known for training law enforcement as well as supplying them. Flashlights are far from their only product although it is most relevant to civilian carriers.
Talking with ASP they wanted to stress a very specific vision that hasn’t changed with their products.
I’d asked if they had considered any weapon mounted lights and got a straight “no”. ASP isn’t a company just reshaping and making lights and seeing if they stick on the market, they are a mission centered training and supply company for law enforcement in the field and in the moment. Nearly every product they sell is directly tied into there training curriculum for officers around the country
That curriculum is offered for free. Any department can send officers to become trained instructors on the use of their less-lethal’s. Batons, hand-cuffs, and spray devices all round out the offerings and a massive selection of red gun training weapons and tools compounds their ability to focus on their training mission.
Talking with ASP you realize the product they want to push the most of is actually the entirely free training. The purpose designed gear the training is designed to utilize is the secondary despite being the revenue stream.
Now there is definitive overlap value from law enforcement into the individual civilian carrier realm. The most popular product line among the civilian individual purchasers is flashlights, eminently usable.
The uses for observation, disorientation, or engagement parallel too and lights like the Tungsten are just as useful to me at night if I need to shoot as an officer.
I’m looking into finding out more about the less-lethal training programs ASP provides so that and LEO readers here can go to their individual departments if interested.
FN America’s full display product line distracted me the direction I was headed an the purpose for which I was going there.
SCAR’s, AR’s, SAW’s, and there fine handgun display took a while to navigate. The folks at FN are proud of the line-up and the reasons behind it. A display of U.S. Military small arms currently deployed rounded out one end of the line credentialing the rest.
In another corner I found the forbidden treasure.
FN’s SCAR-SC (Subcompact) is an LEO available product. I and several other writers shook our fists and sky from the media room for the cruel tease to the public domain.
In functionality though the SC is a fine concept for a variety of LEO carbine tasks. It’s small and would easily maneuver inside a cruiser. It’s upgraded non-reciprocating charging handle address the issues of using a magwell grip that’s more common on smaller carbines and submachine guns like the MP5. Everything on the SCAR-SC has been retuned and engineered as necesarry for the smaller form and shorter barrel.
Someone just needs to put an SB Tactical PDW end cap body on that frame and we have ourselves a subcompact pistol like none before.
FN’s booth was most about continuing a refinement on their current lineup. The SCAR-SC is the only addition to the U.S. line while all others are adapted variations on their core firearms.
There is a tremendous amount going on here at the Sands Expo Center and the amount of product here is astounding.
Franklin Armory’s mysterious Reformation has been revealed. As many theorized they have used a departure from traditional rifling in their barrels to achieve the status ‘Firearm’ under ATF designation. Another arena where R&D engineers have managed quite a feat. The barrels have straight lands and grooves and do not impart a stabilizing spin to the round.
Stabilized flight is instead achieved in the .300 Blackout by the engineering of the projectile. It’s a clever concept even if it makes the full system very specialized. Traditional ammunition can still be used but the rounds will be flying straight bore.
I’m mostly enjoying the Reformation for the fact it engineers around a problem. It also will be standard with the BFS III Binary Trigger.
A stop at Armament Systems and Procedures was enlightening. ASP is an almost exclusively Law Enforcement focused organization and their dedication to the efficiency, durability, and usability of their lights, cuffs, batons, and sprays is paralleled with an aggressive free training program they offer to departments and agencies around the nation to better prepare LEO’s to survive encounters that go hands on less lethal. Every one of their products is designed from an active use training standpoint. Nearly everything they make was designed first and foremost to assist the needs of an actively responding officer.
I’ve been religiously carrying their Tungsten handheld flashlight and I’ve never been more impressed by the purposeful engineering on an otherwise simple product.
They do a full line of scale training weapons and it fits with the company’s hyper focused determination to see a continuously better trained LEO community.
Rolling through Meprolight’s booth and stopping to talk revealed and a well thought out expansion and evolution on many of their legacy optics. You’ve seen the releases here.
Their MicroRDS though is a very cool take on the iron sight vs. reddot on a pistol. They just turn night sight iron sights into a sturdy QD mount for the RDS. I’m attempting to get one for T&E
Quick update guys and back at it. I stopped by U.S. Optics too but so engaging was the conversation I never got the camera out. But one of the scopes will be on deck for review too.
Last night was the Nighthawk Custom and Agency Arms sponsored shoot and party.
There were guns from FNH, Kalashnikov USA, Agency, and Nighthawk on the lines to light up the night at Pro Gun Club just outside of Las Vegas.
FN brought a line up of SCAR rifles, an FN15, and a MK46, and a few others. The SCAR17/MK17 SBR full-auto was always roaring. Everyone needs to shoot one, that is simply an inescapable fact.
The finale after a hungers were sated with tacos was a minigun shoot in which a Winnebago was the the target.
Party was lit up my friends. Drinks were had, stories exchanged and then back to the Expo in the morning
