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Trampas Swanson takes a look at The NeoMag Magazine Carrier for TheGearLocker.net. If you are looking for ways to carry a spare magazine as part of the EDC, keep on reading.
The firearms industry is a wonderful microcosm of the world financial market to observe with its trends, growth, rise in popularity and success from big business and small entrepreneurs alike. For shooters like me who love the industry so much that we invest our careers into both the “hardware” (guns, ammo and equipment) and “software” (training) aspects of it, one must always stay on top of the newest techniques and products. As a firearms instructor, I have noticed a huge increase over the past 10 years in people from all walks of life pursuing their state rights here in the US to obtaining a concealed carry permit for their handguns. As a direct result of this trend, the request from NRA instructors such as we employ with my business, the Swanson Training Group has sharply risen as well. As the managing editor of the Swanson Media Group, my fantastic team is always flooded with new firearms, gadgets and holsters claiming to make concealed carry easier, more comfortable and efficient.
During my trip to this year’s largest firearms industry event in the world known as the SHOT SHOW, I had the pleasure of meeting a sharp minded inventor by the name of Graig Davis, owner of a company by the name of NeoMag. Graig and I discussed a few issues about carrying concealed which face people who do so all the time. The first was the lack of people carrying spare ammunition. I mentioned to Graig the fact that when I was in law enforcement, we carried not only the ammo in the pistol but an additional 2 spare mags as well but when I was off duty, I normally just carried the gun. The reason why was because when I was on duty, I had a large utility belt to hang handcuffs, gloves, holsters, batons, keys, and mag pouches on. Off duty, I could only fit my wallet and cell phone into my Wrangler jeans. If I tried to toss in a spare magazine, it would sink to the bottom of my pocket wedged under my wallet or tangled into keys. As a strong supporter of the right to carry a firearm concealed, Graig wanted to create a minimalistic way to carry a spare magazine that would help promote gun owners in carrying spare ammo.
Using the best quality materials available, Graig set out to build a magnet based pocket clip versatile enough to be used with a wide range of magazines. All Graig’s research and efforts resulted in a product known simply as the NeoMag. Made from CNC machined steel with a black nitride finish, the NeoMag has a titanium pocket clip and powerful neodymium rare earth magnet. The steel black nitride finished wings come in small, medium and large to secure magazines from twisting out of the grasp of the magnet.
I left the show with samples of each size to try out once I returned home to Florida. My choice in a daily carry firearm is often dictated by weather and clothing choice and can range from as small as a Glock 42 .380 (size small) and as large as my custom Les Baer 1911 .45 ACP (size large). The highest percentage of the time will find my Glock 19 9mm in an inside-the-waistband holster with a size medium NeoMag. What makes the NeoMag so versatile with only 3 size options is the open frame design which accommodates single and double stack magazines. The titanium pocket clip has a very strong retention to prevent it from working loose out of your pocket. Even with a full-size magazine sharing my front pocket with my wallet (you can thank my chiropractor for that habit) the NeoMag comfortably holds the magazine upright and ready for quick deployment.
Currently, I am well into my third month using the NeoMag carriers daily and I do not leave the house carrying concealed without my spare magazine and NeoMag. Retailing for $44.99 each regardless of size ordered, you will find they quickly pay for themselves compared to other systems on the market you would order and only use once or twice. I should point out, if you are a fan of using aftermarket pistol magazines built mostly from polymer such as Magpul and ETS magazines built for Glock pistols, these mag carriers will not work due to the lack of metal in its construction. The good news is, if you use Glock factory magazines, the NeoMag works perfectly! Look for NeoMag to become a household name for shooters in 2017!
In GC-143 Joe Weyer and I spoke to Eric Stanbro from VanEss K9 and Lead Trainer for the Police K9 Association about free resources for dog training, selecting a family/protection dog and training and best practices for your dog.
If you want to catch a live recording follow me at www.facebook/danielshaw0369
Bootleg Inc Searchable Database and top quality products for your net AR build.
Bravo Concealment Holsters. Use our coupon code “Gunfighter” at checkout for 10% off your entire purchase Bravo Concealment.
If you enjoy podcasts, you should try audio books. To get two free audiobooks, start a trial at Audible.com today.
If Gunfighter Cast is worth $1 or $2 per episode to you, why not pledge that amount per episode through Patreon and get access to episodes as soon as they are ready instead of waiting for the scheduled releases. Your pledge is only paid when new episodes are delivered.
Please leave a super awesome 5 star review on iTunes so other people can find Gunfighter Cast.
The Mossberg Shockwave made a big splash at Show Show 2017. It proved that in the time of AR 15s, high tech handguns, and SMG wannabes that shotguns can still be cool. Although, it’s not a shotgun legally. Shortly after Shot Show Remington announced they were throwing their hats into the “it’s not a shotgun” category with the Tac 14. I was personally pumped. Competition is always a good thing in the firearms industry.
The Remington
I was excited when a Tac 14 finally came into my local gun store, it didn’t even hit the shelves before I had to have it. My first thought was Remington put a lot of effort in the package and presentation of their little gun. It came in a nice sturdy cardboard box that came with a custom cut section of foam to hold it securely.
The fit and finish were superb. The action was tight, as was the pump. The dark oxide finish is a nice touch. The gun is pretty simple, it’s a 14-inch barrel Remington 870 with a Shockwave Raptor grip. We wrote about the legality of these firearms here.
As a quick refresher the gun has to remain over 26 inches overall or it becomes an AOW, which is an NFA regulated weapon.
The Tac 14 is an 870 Express trimmed to a much more compact size. The Remington 870 receiver is made from a chunk of billet steel. The gun has twin action bars which prevent binding, and gives the gun a smooth action. The pump feels like it rides on ball bearings. The Tac 14 is fitted with a simple bead that’s quite large and easy to see.
The Tac 14 does have a capacity of 4 + 1 2 ¾ inch shells and is outfitted with a Magpul pump. I really like the Magpul pump because it is modular and you can attach accessories directly through M-LOK. If you are going to be shooting heavier loads I will suggest investing in a forward grip. I’ve attached one to both my Mossberg Shockwave and now my Remington Tac 14. It really aids in controlling the gun. It’s also good to ensure your hand doesn’t slip off the gun when firing rapidly.
Range Time
There’s just something about these guns. Whenever I’m on the range turning money into noise I can’t help but have a smile on my face. Maybe it was because as a kid I was fascinated by the U.S. Marshals and they used “Witness Protection” model 870s. As a Remington it’s the closest to the Witness protection I’m going to get with an off the shelf gun.
Firing this ‘not a shotgun’ is surprisingly comfortable. Most pistol grip shotguns come with a reputation for being painful and hard to control. The Bird’s head design helps mitigate recoil, and keeps it from being a wrist killer.
Full powered buckshot loads aren’t bad, but reduced recoil is a heckuva lot more comfortable. Fiocchi reduced recoil shells are what I’ve been putting through it, as well as Federal birdshot. The recoil impulse is more upwards than rearwards and the pump is slick so it can get away from you easily without a foregrip.
The Tac 14 is a bit hard to aim as you’d imagine from the lack of a stock. This is a pure close quarters weapon and you are severely limited in effective range. Hitting man sized targets at 20 yards is really pushing this thing. Also, firing fast isn’t that easy, and a stocked shotgun is a much more effective weapon. However, the Tac 14 is a lot more fun on the range.
One thing I really wish Remington included was tapping and drilling the receiver for a scope mount. A miniature red dot optic would be absolutely perfect for this gun.
Over the last hundred rounds of cheap Federal birdshot, 50 rounds of Monarch birdshot, and 60 rounds of Fiocchi low recoil buck I haven’t experienced any failures to eject, extract or fire. That’s not a high round count, but shotgun ammo isn’t cheap, and firing this weapon for extended periods will fatigue you. For a fun gun, it’s enough to say it works, and it works well.
Purpose?
I think I’ve said it pretty well, the purpose of this gun is for fun. Sometimes you need to go the range, blast a little ‘Pistol Grip Pump’ by Rage Against the Machine and turn money into noise. Would I suggest this as a home defense gun? I would recommend a stocked version with an 18 inch barrel over the Tac 14. If you are deadset on the idea of this as a home defense gun, it’ll work. It’s certainly not the worst defensive weapon.
Overall the Tac 14 is a lot of fun, it’s a big, heavy, hard recoiling, 12 gauge that is a challenge to control and shoot. If you want a sub 400-dollar fun gun you can’t really go wrong here.
Welcome to We Like Shooting’s Double Tap, Episode 22, Tonight we’ll roast more training, we’ll answer your questions on Dear WLS, we’ll talk about NOT GUNS, and revisit past gear on gear chat revisited. We’ll also watch our resident movie critic review another WLS video! All this and more on tonights Double Tap
Trampas Swanson takes a look at Hoffman Blacksmithing’s Camp Axe in this month’s review.
Deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, lies the small town of Newland, home to a young man who has devoted his life to keeping the art of blacksmithing alive. What sets this young blacksmith apart from those many others helping to do the same in shops around the country is, Liam Hoffman just may be the next true blade master of our time. From the age of 13, Liam taught himself to move steel through heat and hammer. By the time he reached the age of 19, his skills were strong enough to catch the eye of those in charge of the popular TV show on the History Channel called, “Forged in Fire”. This show weekly features top blade makers from all walks of life picked to compete in building knives under time and pre-determined specifications in hopes of winning a check for $10,000. In 2016, Liam competed on one of the show’s highest rated episodes and took home the grand prize after beating out 3 other skilled competitors to become the show’s youngest winner ever!
As a huge fan of “Forged in Fire” as well as a native North Carolinian prior to our move to FL just a few years ago, I decided to reach out to the Hoffman Blacksmithing shop after a great conversation with one of the show’s judges, Doug Marcaida. I won’t get into all the details of my private discussion with Doug, but basically it recognized Liam’s talents seem to be well exceeding his journeyman title as a blacksmith and more along the lines of top names in the industry. The only difference being, most of those top names have taken over 30 years to get to where they are in their craft and Hoffman is now, 20 years old and still getting even better!
Once I contacted Liam, we spoke at great length about the industry, his journey thus far in it, his experience with the show and most importantly, life after winning the competition. To my delight, Liam is a lifelong bushcrafter having grown up in an artistic and very supportive family. It didn’t take long to decide on doing a project together that would fit well with our focus on high quality bushcrafting tools you can confidently trust your life to. Fortunately, Liam was about to start on another batch of camp axes very soon and would toss in an extra billet to construct mine.
Over the next few weeks, I kept an eye on the Hoffman Blacksmithing shop’s Instagram feed to see photos of Liam hard at work at the forge with cherry red billets of steel. Each day, he would post photos as the small blocks of 4142 chrome / moly steel took shape into 2.25 lb. axe heads. Once this was completed, detailed images of Liam hand carving each 19” handle out of local North Carolina Ash. This process of handmaking all aspects of the camp axe before properly hanging the head to the handle takes time and skill that few others can devote to crafting such fine tools.
In less than a month, my new camp axe arrived for review. As I unboxed the axe, the first thing I noticed with the deep markers mark stamped into the right side of the head proudly displaying Liam’s initials, his home state of NC and that it was made in the USA. Covering the “bit” or edge of the axe was a beautiful handmade sheath made from thick USA vegetable tanned leather. From the rivets to the burnished edges, everything about the sheath was very impressive down to the easy to fast snap that holds the axe in place.
Once the sheath was removed, the axe looked as if it belonged in a museum. The sides of the axe on either side of the “eye” in which the handle goes through the axe, were rough textured and displayed hammer markers down the “cheeks of the axe in contrast to the high polished areas to show off the fact this was handmade. The edge was razor sharp and cleanly sliced through a sheet of paper after shaving hair off my forearm. The “pole” or rear of the axe, sometimes referred to as the “butt” was squared and polished for use as a hammer for pegs, stakes, poles, etc. The head itself was very symmetric and each side were perfectly matching in appearance.
The Ash handle was just as impressive as the axe head knowing it was all hand carved. As I admired how the handle curved down to the well-crafted knob, it was clear Liam has taught himself how to be a top-notch leather and wood worker as well as blacksmith. One of my pet peeves about commercially produced axes has always been the lack of options for gripping them. Some companies either add rubber to the throat of the handle or ill placed scales that limit how high you can choke up on the axe. The Hoffman camp axe’s handle allowed for heavy swings using a low grip using the knob to anchor the grip or a high grip just under the head for more detailed work such as carving, splitting kindling or hammering pegs.
As with a lot of our gear we receive for testing, it was quickly off to the bushcrafting area of our private training facility, The Swamp. Packing the camp axe along with gear on my day pack from First Tactical was no problem due to the 19” handle. I found it to be compact enough to not catch on foliage and other gear but still long enough to give me more than enough leverage for heavy chopping. During the initial trip and several follow up occasions to work with the camp axe, I was very impressed with how well the axe performed. The axe made short work out of small trees under 6” in diameter as well as cleaning branches off to make poles, stakes and toggles for use with cordage. Much of the timber was split and used as fuel for small camp fires.
I noticed during heavy chopping, the camp axe cut deeper than a lot of axes I have previously used but did not “stick” after the chop as I would have thought. I consider this to be a product of two specific things, the first being the cheek angle of the axe’s head to be thin enough to cut but thick enough to keep a wide enough wedge for retrieval. Secondly, the razor-sharp edge bit direct from Hoffman’s shop. If there is a sharper knife, axe or other hard use tool that ships from the manufacturer, I have yet to see it in my years doing reviews. If a sharp blade is a safe blade, you can’t get much safer than this axe. Between trips to the testing grounds, I kept the edge honed and oiled myself but once I see performance drop off, it will be sent to my good friend, Simon Michael at Atavistic Edgeworks to professionally sharpened to the high quality he has done with all of my blades over the past two years. I can see this axe easily outlasting me and my needs well into the next generation it will be handled down to.
Priced at $300, this axe is not for the diehard Gerber or CRKT axe fan. Liam builds axes for those who understand the value of a hand built tool that you can use hard and still pass down to your children and grandchildren. Several seasoned axe users, including myself have noticed advantages and design improvements over top axes in the market including Hults Burk, Gransfors Burk and Wetterlings after using the Hoffman Camp Axe. This is no slight on the traditional big names of the industry, just recognition of how Liam has taken into account for his and other American preferences such as what is sometimes considered a “high centerline” as opposed to flatter angled “cheeks” as those found on the Gransfors Burk axe. Overall, to categorize this camp axe, it’s definitely a “chopper” but can perform “wood splitter” for camp fire needs very well for its size. My perfect load out for a weekend of bushcrafting would be a smaller, high quality utility knife such as those made by Two Rivers Knife Co and the Hoffman Camp Axe for all my medium to heavy use needs.
During my time reviewing the Hoffman Camp Axe, I found Liam to be a professional in the truest sense. Unlike most found on YouTube, Liam’s channel prefers to let his work do the talking for him. It is clear Liam Hoffman is just an old soul in a new body who still believes in the art of steel and fire. After getting to know Liam better and spending time working with one of his handmade creations, I couldn’t help but feel like this is every much the same opportunity as if I was able to travel back in time and meet a 20 year old Ernie Emerson or Gil Hibben. If you are in the market for a quality, handmade tool you could bet your life on, I highly recommend having Liam Hoffman build your next knife or axe. This is one blade maker that will be fun to watch as his skills continue to grow with his business over the next 20 – 30 years!
Have you ever considered the vast energy required to move projectiles at high velocity, with such sudden acceleration? Or what happens to that energy once the projectile leaves the barrel? Depending on the firearm’s setup and the ammunition selected, the volume of gas released from the business end can be quite substantial. A muzzle brake designed to redirect that energy is common, but these are usually added only with consideration of aid to the shooter: mitigating felt recoil and reducing barrel movement. Anyone who has fired
Damage potential from gas pressure vented under the handguard or just the nature of KeyMod?
high round counts with too long of a handguard, or been on a firing line next to some jerk turning money into noise from a large gun with a muzzle brake, gets a totally different experience. A fairly unpleasant one, at that. Blasts from a muzzle brake can be a physically sickening annoyance to fellow shooters catching that wave in the face, or even destroy rail systems that extend too far. It may quickly prove to be an expensive mistake.
But, despite this being is an issue of legitimate concern, sometimes it can still be all fun and games. Matt on Demolition Ranch takes us out to the range to show us what kind of force comes from the rapidly escaping gas of a rifle’s muzzle brake.
Armed with his new skeletonized AR-10 style .308 from F1 Firearms complete with a rose-gold bolt carrier and spiral-fluted stainless barrel, he uses all that accuracy potential to illustrate how much blast leaves the muzzle brake via sacrificial destruction of several heads of lettuce, a couple rolls of paper towels, cans of soda, and whatever else he can scrounge out of his pantry.
And then he moves to a .50cal, and things get really messy.
Trampas Swanson of Swanson Media Group takes the SOG Q1 and Q2 runs them through their paces as daily EDC Items.
Over recent years, the market has been flooded with a wide range of “multi-tools”. This is due to an increased demand in “all-in-one” products for the growing public with the trend to streamline their lifestyles and yes, even their tools. A general rule of survival, even in the “urban jungle”, is to carry items that serve at least three functions or it is just perceived as added bulk to your daily carry. Products range from bottle openers to lasers but all similar in shape and size. Truth be told, the multiple purpose tool platform has rarely changed from its Swiss Army knife roots starting in 1891. Over the years, various manufacturers have only added bulk and reduced user friendliness in the process. Earlier this year, SOG Tools debuted their take on the multi-purpose tool in the form of what they titled the “Q” series at the industry only SHOT SHOW in Las Vegas, Nevada. This new series of tools takes the platform in a new and different direction by simplifying and slimming down the traditional form by putting it into a small baton. While only the pre-production models were on display at the show, I arranged to get a sample of the first two batons in the four-part series once they were released.
A few months later after a pair of push backs on the actual production release, the SOG Q1 and Q2 batons arrived at the Swanson Media Group office for review. Each baton comes in a clear plastic box similar to a new cell phone accessory with only the baton and a one page instruction guide. Each baton was roughly shaped like a medium size highlighter in a very attractive black and matte grey anodized finish. Both offered a SOG branded metal clip to hold the baton upright in a pocket or backpack.
Q1 Specs
Closed: 5.6”
Weight:2.4 oz.
Features: Replaceable pressurized ball point pen
Flat screwdriver
Bottle opener
Scissors
MSRP: $54.00
Q2 Specs
Closed:6.3”
Weight:3 oz.
Features:Straight edge blade
75 Lumen LED flashlight
Bottle opener
Flat screw driver
MSRP:$67.00
I have been carrying both the Q1 and Q2 batons regularly for over a month in my range pack and daily “go” bag with mostly positive results. Let’s take a look at some quick “pros and cons” have found during my time with these SOG tools.
Pros
I liked that the batons are slim and easy to slip into my pocket or even clip into an outside Molle loop on one of my bags if I need to quickly store them. There was no noticeable bulk and did not flop around in my gear like a traditional multi-tool would.
The Q1’s replicable pressurized pen came in handy when needed because I habitually do not carry an ink pen in my kit although I am always finding myself in need of one. The fact I can easily find inexpensive replacement cartridges for the pen is a huge plus.
The Q2’s straight blade arrived out of the box razor sharp and ready for real world use. I have used the blade regularly without having to re-sharpen it yet.
The Q2’s 75 lumen LED light is bright, easy to use and holds up to having been accidently dropped several times on tile, hardwood and concrete. It’s tough, bright and very user friendly. Changing out the battery is fast and easy. The use of a very common AAA battery is a huge plus because it doesn’t involve a trip to a specialty store to replace.
With the Q1, the scissors feature a few years ago would not have very much use other than being the only allowed cutting device to fit TSA standards. However, at this point in my life, I am a father for two young daughters who are constantly buying clothes, toys and other items in need of having tags, strings and wire holders cut off in a hurry before the world ends. My formerly lease favorite multi-tool feature has now become one of my most used. While a straight knife blade could do the same task, the scissors offer a quick and safe way to cut small items while having small children hovering about in the zone a straight knife may swing once finally cutting through.
Cons
As with any product, there were things not very useful for my daily duties such as the bottle opener. Again, looking at social trends, the world is moving away from traditional bottles without twist-off tops which made the bottle opener feature on both the Q1 and Q2 an archaic item for my needs.
The flat head screw driver on the end of this opener tool was also not much use as the world is predominantly full of Phillips head screws if not individually licensed proprietary patterns. This space on each baton would be much better suited by eliminating two items for one decent sized Phillips head driver.
While I liked the Q2’s straight blade, I did end up poking myself in the finger with it a couple of times when I first learned out to fold the baton to expose it. The end of the blade is very close to the top of the baton where the hand naturally wants to apply pressure to fold it. There is a definite self-correcting learning curve built in for most end users.
Final Thoughts
Coming away from the SHOT SHOW, I was concerned about the MRSP of the Q series ranging from $54 to over $100 with the Q4. The product offers a limited number of features for the price of some full-size tools. After spending time with the Q1 and Q2, I clearly see where the value lies. Both batons reviewed were very well-made, light-weight, easy to use and very durable. SOG has built a great reputation for quality products in the industry and the Q series looks to be yet another hit for this respected company. If you are looking for easy to carry daily items that meet the needs of urban survival, I urge you to check out the Q series from SOG for yourself and find out which is right for you.
GAT Editor running a 'Break Contact' drill at a Teufelshund Tactical/HSP MP5 Operators Course
Day 1
The Teufelshund Tactical MP5/UMP Operators Course started at 9:30. A later start but it gave me it gave me time to load my gear and grab essential coffee. Read the precourse write up here
TLDR crowd head to the end, the quick version is there.
I rolled into the Spectacle Lake Outdoor Club at 9:00 a.m. The quiet club tucked away in Albion, MI was easy to find just a few minutes off I-94. The range had been isolated for our exclusive use for the weekend. Only one other student was there at the time, Bob. I’d spoken to Bob through email and he’d helpfully brought one of the two missing pieces I needed to complete the course… A small section of M-LOK rail to mount an HSP WML.
Thank you, Bob.
Over the next 30 minutes I shook hands with and spoke to James and his Assistant Instructor, Ben. I spoke to Bob some more as he’d trained with James and Ben on several prior occasions and repeat customers speak volumes. The whole of the motley crew of students wandered in over the next 30 minutes and we took our seats.
On went PowerPoint.
The first course objective to tackle was confirmation of zero. Our first short stint inside the classroom covered the MP5, it’s history of development, a brief introduction to its mechanics, and the most relevant current topic how the sights worked and adjusted.
Distracting fact: That’s a select-fire MP5 SD at the front of the classroom… yes I kept staring at it.
Fun Fact: The MP5 sights are all 25 meter apertures unlike the H&K rifle drum sights which range 1, 2, 3, and 400m
Safety is paramount in a training environment but certain courses can go into minutia and lose student interest, which is dangerous. James and Ben delivered a spot on safety brief, both succinct and informative.
Safety Rules
Medical
Range Procedures, Orientation, Administrative Extras
The 5 rules of firearm safety. Everyone has their own flavor of phrasing they use to describe these but the meaning is the same. They apply at all times. Don’t violate the rules and you never have an accident or incident with a gun. Every negligent discharge or accidental shooting can be traced to a failure to follow these rules.
TREAT every firearm/weapon as if it is loaded.
NEVER point a weapon at anything you don’t intend to shoot.
KEEP your weapon on safe (if applicable) until you intend to fire.
KEEP your finger straight and off the trigger until you intend to fire.
KNOW your target’s foreground and background.
Medical brief. Ben was our on sight medic and Bob was the backup, they would evaluate and treat or evacuate any injury as necessary. General directions for the class amounted to follow any given commands, give the medic space, and if communicating with EMS do not use the phrase “there’s been a shooting”. That point is relevant anytime you are out training with firearms. Injury’s aren’t shootings to EMS, they are training accidents. Method of injury may be gunshot wound but if you give emergency dispatchers “shooting” the cops are coming first with guns and not the ambulance or helicopter you need to transport the injured.
Lastly we covered specifics for the 50 meter range and our individual actions. We had the club isolated so we would not be competing for space or conflicting with any traffic. We would be training on a “hot” range, meaning weapons would remain loaded and holstered or slung as appropriate. “Big Kid” rules, we were expected to maintain our ammo readiness and be safety conscious without our hands being held. Violations, depending on severity, would result in a verbal reminder to termination of your participation in training.
Time to zero
My BZO was set a little low
I’ve trained in ranges set like this before and so I quickly stole target 1 on the left side of the range (all brass travels right). We started zeroing with 5 rounds at 5 meters. Moved to 10 meters, 15 meters, and then 25 meters. Notice the rounds walking up closer to center as distance increases, illustrating sight height over bore (the round once fired travels up through or to the sight plane before beginning to drop as it travels further down range). We wanted center hits at 25 meters and I was a little low from my last quick zero.
BZO walk back drill on the SMGs, Hold over illustration for close quarters shooting
With a practical demonstration and application of sight height over bore by each of us with our guns we adjusted our sights and put down the carbines for the rest of the day. We would be shooting pistol all day and night.
First back to the classroom.
Sight Pictures are sight/weapon specific, different sights have different integral holds
We had a hour discussion on grip, stance, sight picture (my Sig is a cover sight picture) and some basics in body mechanics and how to tie all of them together for better results in speed and accuracy. After rehydrating indoors we went back to the line.
James Williamson of Teufelshund Tactical demonstrating
Many pistol and carbine drills shooters do on their own are very low round count and while that helps with ammo conservation more rounds equal more reps. By contrast the first drill we shot was 75 rounds to complete.
My first target next to Bob’s
“Feel Eyes Finger” is a paced drill shot very close to the target at progressing individual dots. Each line of the drill is 15 rounds, slowly decreasing the number of pistol presentations while increasing the number of shots fired per presentation to identify and correct the small errors and inconsistencies in your grip and sight picture (Eyes and Finger) and teach you what feels correct for the most accurate results. Building accuracy starts close and takes repetitions. This type of shooting doesn’t look high speed low drag on Instagram, instead it produces measurable results and allows an effective drill selection for deliberate focused training.
I still have a habit of pushing slightly left and down during trigger press. No my sights weren’t off.. No yours aren’t either.
We shot the drill again using a stress sight picture and compared results. A stress sight (some might call it a flash sight picture) is where you’re focusing on the target instead of the sights and just bisecting your line of sight with your properly held pistol, done correctly you will hit the target where you are looking (aim small miss small?). You’re trusting your body to aim the pistol where your eyes are focusing, it works surprisingly well and its stupid fast with target transitions. You do suffer some accuracy loss but the emulation with a stress/fight body alarm response makes this a realistic fighting use of your sights. Even better you can practice it to refine it.
In one drill and one variant repetition we had 150 rounds into the targets, more than most people will practice in a month was shot in about 20 minutes.
Next we shot eyes closed… No seriously.
Using an adapted for handgun NPA drill (Natural Point of Aim) we fired 5 round groups for consistency without eyesight. The goal is every round breaking the line. Vertical stringing is more acceptable than horizontal.
It’s difficult and counter intuitive but after a few attempts the top group was my result. Relying entirely on feel, body mechanics, and proper positioning to keep the pistol on target and rounds consistently grouped was new. But hearkening back to my basic rifle marksmanship from 2007 this drill is identical in fundamental consistency.
Joe from Dakota Tactical putting their B&T USW through its paces. It’s both pistol and subgun DA/SA
We had some fun too, the Dakota Tactical USW served as sidearm and SMG in a uniquely awesome combination. After several hundred rounds working various fundamentals it was getting dark.
No problem there. We grabbed handheld and pistol mounted flashlights and went right back to the line. Firing drills one handed and practicing target illumination while minimizing our signature. Quick flashes to find the target and solid light only while firing, lights off before the guns came off target. We shot most of the daytime drills in the dark to illuminate the environmental and difficulty increases shooting in poor or no light, and to remind us that more than likely if we need to shoot it’ll be in the dark.
Welcome to We Like Shooting’s Double Tap, Episode 23, Tonight we’ll roast more training, we’ll answer your questions on Dear WLS, we’ll talk about NOT GUNS, and revisit past gear on gear chat revisited. We’ll also watch our resident movie critic review another WLS video! All this and more on tonights Double Tap
For the first time since the current shall issue CPL change in 2001 Michigan’s number of active Concealed Pistol Licenses has dropped month to month. Just slightly though…
In July 2017 there were 617,873 licenses active according to the Michigan State Police and the Michigan Coalition of Responsible Gun Owners, that number dropped to 616,941 as of August 1st. A down shift of only 932 licensees but still the first decrease in 16 years.
Why?
Well it’s evidence of several factors both in Michigan and across the firearms community nationally.
It appears that the number of licenses expiring without being renewed have exceed the number of new licenses. 9,072 licenses expired in the month of July that were not renewed. The number of licenses pending, suspended, revoked, or surrendered has not significantly increased.
I have double checked these numbers with the Michigan State Police statistics to ensure I was not in error.
It believe this is the result of a combination of factors including interest in first time CPLs beginning to plateau, the normal summer downtown in new applicants, a less threatening political situation, and questions surrounding pending constitutional carry legislation
-Brady Schickinger, MCRGO
The first is the saturation of licenses in Michigan. The adult population of age to carry is about 6.9 million and about 9% of them have licenses. Nationally the average is about 6% so Michigan is half again over the average, granted states like New York and California are heavily tipped in the other direction but from observing the overall trend Michigan is sitting at a kind of CPL homeostasis where new applicants and renewals are pacing or below, not exceeding, the license expiration rate. For the foreseeable future unless a factor is introduced to influence the licensing rate we’re probably going to see Michigan stay at about 9% and nationally see things level out as well.
Secondly Michigan is looking into Constitutional Carry. The prospect of carrying without need for a license has people holding off on dropping the $105 on the application, plus the time and effort of the process itself, and the approximately equal cost of the 8 hour class to certify. This along with the saturation of current licenses has slowed interest and is consistent with residents of other constitutional carry states, most individuals are where they want to be and a large shift will take an significant outside influence.
It is worth noting there is a mountain of confusion surrounding the proposed constitutional carry legislation. I speak daily with misinformed people who ask about it. Many have the mistaken belief it is already law. Others believe the current licensed and unlicensed rules will be the same and that is not true, as it stands unlicensed rules will match open carry rules with changes that also allow carry in and operating vehicles. There is no NICS exemption for unlicensed carriers. There is no reciprocity for unlicensed carriers even in other constitutional carry states as those laws are structured largely to cover state residents and not visitors. But this will become relevant if constitutional carry is passed and signed by the gun shy Michigan Governor, not a done deal.
Thirdly we have the Trump Slump. Gun sales and sales in associated industries to the gun industry have slowed significantly and in no small part due to the gun owners feeling safe since the election. Trump came on hard as a 2A champion and despite nearly zero pro gun positive momentum, largely due to a myriad other political concerns, we have a great deal of confidence as a second amendment community there will be no legal regression at the federal level either. We aren’t getting our non NFA silencers tomorrow but they aren’t going anywhere . Momentum in individual states, with the exception of the hardcore anti-gun strongholds, is trending positive still with more and more states dumping largely valueless regulations that had some feel good wording one at a time.
What does this mean for us?
Michigan CPL holders, like the industry as a whole are just coasting at the moment. Summer is always a slow time but we have a great many segments of the market that are well stocked and sales due to fear of limiting access have largely vanished.
Good news for you, it is definitely a buyers market.
According to a study done by the World Health Organization one person dies every 100 seconds in an armed conflict somewhere in America. That means in the time it took you to shower and drink your first cup of coffee this morning 20 people died. In the time it takes you to read this article another 6 will be killed. If you look at all the criminal cases roughly 40 percent of all murders go unsolved. Law enforcement just does not have all the resources they need to solve all murders. There are some who think they have a great idea to assist law enforcement in lowering the number of unsolved murders.
HR 3458 is the brainchild of U.S. Rep. Anthony Brown, D-Md.
HR 3458 will prohibit any FFL from manufacturing, selling, or transferring any semi-automatic firearm that does not micro stamp the casing. At face value micro stamping a casing sounds like an awesome idea. Empty casings left at a crime scene should lead law enforcement officials to the gun that fired them, thus reducing the number of murders that go unsolved. California has had a similar law on the books since 2007 and so far the only result is a reduction in the number of handguns available at stores. Currently no manufacturer mass produces a firearm that utilizes micro stamping technology.
Besides the lack of firearms on the market capable of microstamping, due to technological inviability, I see several other problems with this legislation.
The first being that HR 3458 does not apply to revolvers, it should apply to all firearms or none. HR 3458 is a form of backdoor gun control that limits what you can purchase. Secondly most states do not have a gun registry so tracking a dropped casing to a specific gun becomes more difficult. Sure they could get the records from the gun stores as to who bought a gun with serial number ###-####, but this would just create a mountain of paperwork. Several states and even Canada have dropped firearm records databases because they served no useful purpose in crime solving or prevention and only drained away money.
In 2016 over 27 million background checks were performed by licensed dealers for firearm purchases. Think about the mountain of paperwork an investigator would have to manually read through. Now imagine the paperwork generated from all firearms sold in just the past 10 years. The federal government requires FFL dealers performing the background checks to keep the 4473 forms from purchases indefinitely. Most FFL dealers do not have these forms digitally categorized so the completed 4473’s sit in boxes piled up in cold storage. Investigators would have to pour through every form just to find the purchaser of the firearm in question. After searching through every document they may find the name and address of the original purchaser for the firearm in question. Possessing the name and address of the original purchaser does not mean they found the shooter, just the first buyer.
Americans buy and sell guns every day, in states where there is no registration the trail stops at the original purchaser. Imagine sitting down with your family after a long day at work and the police show up at your door with an arrest warrant for you. You are handcuffed and escorted in a police cruiser to the police station interrogation room while your family and neighbors watch the excitement from their front porches. At the police department you’re not treated like the person you are but more like a scumbag criminal. Detectives ask you numerous questions, about a shooting, about the victim, and why you did it just because you are their number one suspect. At this point things get very costly for you. Friends, family and neighbors start talking about you being the shooter. Coworkers, maybe even your boss start to question if they should believe you or the reports on the news. You and your family definitely need to consult and hire not one but maybe several attorneys just to prove that you sold that gun years ago.
How about in states where there is firearm registration? What if the person you sold your firearm to never registered it? Did you keep the seller’s copy of the registration? How do you prove you sold it if you lost or threw out your copy? Law enforcement officers will get a warrant to search your house. What will they find? That warrant may possibly lead them to find ammunition from the same gun and manufacturer that was used at the scene. See where I am getting at? Were supposed to be innocent until proven guilty, but the reality is most people have already made up their minds and it is up to you to prove innocence.
Perhaps the biggest problem with the bill is the fact that criminals don’t buy guns at FFL dealers. Criminals typically don’t follow rules or laws, and they defiantly don’t register the guns they use to commit a crime. What is stopping the shooter from filing off the micro stamp, or scooping up your brass from a shooting range and leaving them at the scene instead of the ones they fired? Now you have the cops showing up at your door with spent casings from your gun that you did not clean after you last shot it. The gun is in your house, now they have matching casings, the gun, and the one person whose fingerprints are all over the gun and ammunition. In fact the ammo is the same ammo that you still have loaded into your gun.
I am all for giving law enforcement better tools to help make our streets safer, however I think HR 3458 is a terrible idea based on a flawed ideology that criminals follow the rules. If HR 3458 passes and becomes law not only will guns become harder to get but it will lead innocent gun owners being locked up because an overzealous prosecutor, judge, jury or officer failed to believe your story over an easily thwarted nonviable technology.
Across the country the right to carry firearms for defense on campus is being restored to otherwise legally armed students. This environment creates its own set of considerations for how to bear and conceal a firearm: tight hallways, small desks, need for other school specific equipment, sudden surges in local foot traffic, a broad range of climates (in and out of doors, throughout multiple seasons), and frequent short range travel. Balancing the needs of access and concealment, especially given the density of people frequently in these locales who frown upon firearm ownership in general, let alone one carried daily in public, requires careful contemplation. In his article from Loadoutroom.com, Rick Dembroski shares insights on these concerns.
Have you thought about Campus Carry options? Unfortunately in our day and age shootings at public venues like shopping malls, markets and schools are becoming all too common. In this time of steady unrest and the possibility of violence some colleges and school districts are allowing their staff to take steps to legally arm themselves while on campus. This rise in conceal carry weapons permit holders in particular has actually brought up a very important topic of conversation. What is the best way to CCW and blend in at a school or college campus and not stand out like a sore thumb? That was the inspiration for this article that we have aptly named The Arms Guides recommendation for the “Perfect Campus Carry Set Up”
There are some out there that will say just use an inside the waist band holster or open carry and be done with it. In some climates and especially office or corporate cultures this isn’t exactly easy. When making this article we tried to use a broad-based approach that would work well in warm climates like on the beach while wearing shorts and no jacket, and in the office or campus setting where the culture might be more conservative or reserved. We put together this simple set up that in composed of four components that we feel will provide the user the most flexibility, while still offering first-rate protection from attackers.
Image:Vertx.Com
Component One: Vertx Gamut or Gamut Plus Backpack
We chose to list two backpacks here because they are similar in many regards with the exception of the Gamut Plus being slighter larger at 35 liters than the regular Gamut model which is listed at 28 liters capacity. The backpacks don’t scream out “tacticool” and are not covered in webbing and don’t come in the normal Coyote Tan, Olive Drab or some other color that doesn’t blend in with most of society. The Vertx bags come in muted colors that at first glance looks like any other normal plain backpack, they are designed to blend not stand out in the crowd. At first glance they appear to look like 99% of other backpacks that are on campus or in a corporate setting , but with a little bit of a twist in the form of a secret, that only the wearer will know about.
The Gamut line of backpacks features a full length concealed compartment that is designed to be used in conjunction with the Vertx Tactigami holsters and accessories to allow the user to discreetly carry a handgun, holster and spare magazine while not changing the capacity of the backpack or causing the gun to change the profile of the pack. I have been using this pack for over a month and have taken it on several cross-country trips and so far the pack is amazing. Aside from the secret squirrel firearms compartment the backpack features all of the normal backpack features such as a sternum strap, waist belt, and a wide array of both internal and external pouches that are all secured with a heavy-duty zipper.
The pack also features an internal pouch that comfortably holds my 15” Apple MacBook Pro. The pouch runs the full length of the pack and features a soft tight woven cloth material that helps reduce scratching the surface of anything placed in it. The attributes of the pouch are nice but the fact it’s there in the first place is nice because it not only holds a lap top secure with no scratching or abrasive surfaces but allows a spot to hold our next component in the Perfect Campus Carry Set Up.
Image:Angel Armor
Notice the size of the plate in relation to the average backpack
Component Two: Ally One by Angel Armor
In a combat environment heavy ballistic plate is part of the normal load out, but in an office or school campus setting it is ridiculous to think that it’s a viable option. Enter the Ally One special purpose armor plate by Angel Armor. The Ally One is 0.23” thick and weights 0.85 lbs. The 9”x12” plate is rated to Level IIIA for threat protection and has been proven to stop a wide range of 9mm, .40 S&W, .45 ACP and even .44 Magnum handgun rounds. It designed to be inserted in backpacks, briefcases and laptop bags. The plate is waterproof and rated for multiple strikes of the listed handgun calibers.
Some people might think this is just being paranoid but when you realistically analyze the risk vs reward factor it begins to makes more sense. A 9” x 12” piece of Level IIIA armor is slightly larger than the size of a sheet of paper, so if you think use that as a simple reference you can get a better idea on how much of your chest and lung cavity the Ally One can protect. Now on a full size adult it’s one thing but when that piece of Ally One is placed over a child or a smaller adult it begins to cover more surface area. Insert the piece of Ally One and you turn your backpack, laptop bag or briefcase into a short-term Captain America shield. It will defiantly improve you chances at being able to survive in the event that handguns rounds do strike you in an event. The goal of the Alley One is to be able to survive and break contact and get you or your loved ones to cover and safety. We will be doing a full review of the Ally One in the near future, where we put some very hot .357 and .44 magnum bear loads into it in order to really stress the panel out. Angel Armor has sent the site some research and development videos and I have no doubt the Ally One will be able to withstand anything I can throw at it.
Image:The Arms Guide
Component Three: CZ P-10C Striker Fired Handgun
The CZ-P10C is a no brainer for my campus carry set up, the newest pistol from CZ also happens to be the company’s first striker fired pistol. The size, weight and capacity of the P-10C makes it a serious contender to take a bite out of the market share that has been ruled by Glock for decades. The trigger alone on the pistol is enough to make me forget about a Glock 19 or my Smith & Wesson M&P. I have been fortunate enough to be in the middle of a test and evaluation period with a CZ-P10C so I have had a chance to exercise the pistol a bit. To date I have run just over 700 rounds of 115 full metal jacket through the gun with zero issues. This next session I plan on feeding it a steady diet of a several popular brands of hollow point ammunition.
We have posted a recent First Look article about the CZ P-10C and have linked it and the other products in the Perfect Campus Carry Set Up article at the bottom for easy reference. The 4.5 lb trigger with short reset is the centerpiece of the CZ-P10C and its a feature that I can go on about for days. Most striker fired triggers have much to be desired in terms of feel and length of pull. I’m not sure what the staff at CZ did to make this trigger and pistol feel so good and operate so reliably but they are to be congratulated for making such a great product. The pistol does come standard with two magazines that contain what is now a standard 15 rounds of ammunition. In the campus carry set up we are assuming that you will only need two magazines, the one in the gun and possibly a back up magazine. The goal of the Perfect Campus Carry Set Up is to break contact and protection of yourself and possibly people around you it’s not to assault through an objective.
Image:Rick Dembroski
Wildhedgehog Tactical EDC kit. Worth its weight in gold
Component Four: First Aid Kit
When we say first aid kit we are not talking about a Combat Life Saver Kit, or a full Emergency Medical Technician Kit. We are talking about something small like the Wild Hedgehog Tactical EDC Pocket Trauma Kit or one of their Get Home Alive Kits. These kits are designed by professionals to be small, lightweight and not contain material or gear that won’t be needed. We here at the website suggest you shop around and find the kit that matches your skill and comfort level. I would suggest though that any kit you purchase have the basics of band aids, medical tape, a tourniquet and some sort of trauma wound dressing. You never know when you might have to help respond to emergency situations that don’t involve an active shooter or violent situation.
I know the list above may sound like you are prepping for some long over night excursion instead of a trip to work or to class. It’s really not a lot of weight or gear when you stop to think about it in terms of risk versus enhanced safety of yourself and those around you. The Ally One is lightweight and small first aid kits like the ones we listed above will take up minimal space and add greatly to your survivability in the case of chaos or emergencies. Most importantly PRACTICE, you can have all the gear in the world and if you don’t know how to use it, it is just dead weight.
Currently, I am well into my third month using the NeoMag carriers daily and I do not leave the house carrying concealed without my spare magazine and NeoMag. Retailing for $44.99 each regardless of size ordered, you will find they quickly pay for themselves compared to other systems on the market you would order and only use once or twice. I should point out, if you are a fan of using aftermarket pistol magazines built mostly from polymer such as Magpul and ETS magazines built for Glock pistols, these mag carriers will not work due to the lack of metal in its construction. The good news is, if you use Glock factory magazines, the NeoMag works perfectly! Look for NeoMag to become a household name for shooters in 2017! 
The fit and finish were superb. The action was tight, as was the pump. The dark oxide finish is a nice touch. The gun is pretty simple, it’s a 14-inch barrel Remington 870 with a Shockwave Raptor grip. We wrote about the legality of these firearms 
One thing I really wish Remington included was tapping and drilling the receiver for a scope mount. A miniature red dot optic would be absolutely perfect for this gun.
Over the last hundred rounds of cheap Federal birdshot, 50 rounds of Monarch birdshot, and 60 rounds of Fiocchi low recoil buck I haven’t experienced any failures to eject, extract or fire. That’s not a high round count, but shotgun ammo isn’t cheap, and firing this weapon for extended periods will fatigue you. For a fun gun, it’s enough to say it works, and it works well.
