Welcome to the We Like Shooting show, Episode 138 – tonight we’ll talk about Hydroponics, lightweight rifle builds, can can concealment, Ideal Conceal and more! – brought to you by Easter Incorporated!
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Source: https://welikeshooting.com/show/wls-138-lawnmower-man/
Elite Survival Systems might be one of the best pack makers you’ve never heard of.
While the company has a full lineup of tactical gear like pouches and soft holsters, it’s also taken a swing at the discreet carry and transport trend. One of the more interesting packs they’ve introduced this year is the Covert Operations rifle backpack.
Others have tried this before, but the thing that sets the Elite Survival offering apart is its sheer modesty. This thing looks like a slightly larger school book bag, but has all the attachments inside to secure and carry a broken down AR and all the goods that go with it.
The story goes that Elite Survival got a request from a few law enforcement officers who live in condos in the suburbs of Saint Louis and didn’t want to be obvious about it when they took their long guns to the range. So Elite Survival responded and produced an awesome option for shooters who don’t want to scream “tactical” when they go for a little steel banging.
The Covert Operations bag comes in at an MSRP of $224.95.
Source: http://www.shootingsportsretailer.com/2016/03/31/the-elite-survival-covert-pack-is-just-that/
Boise, Idaho-based Gemini Technologies, better known as GEMTECH, makes some kick butt cans for the civilian shooter and military market. Since 1976 they’ve been turning down the volume on firearms and helped chart the course for today’s booming suppressor market.
We learned several months back that the company was in the midst of a sale, but had no further info on who the buyers were. Now it turns out former bank exec and self-professed “firearms enthusiast” Ron Martinez is part owner and CEO of GEMTECH. According to his LinkedIn bio, Martinez is also the CEO of Crossfire Elite, which makes shooting accessories like holsters and belts.
Also at the helm and part of the new ownership team is Mark Thompson, who’s now the company’s CFO. President Tom Collins says the new GEMTECH will focus on international sales, better pricing and better on-time delivery.
Check out the company’s promotional video to see more.
Source: http://www.shootingsportsretailer.com/2016/04/05/gemtech-suppressor-company-announces-new-ownership/
For those of us out here who love both the AR and AK platforms for their excellence in capabilities, it was a wondrous day when Magpul gave us the MOE version of the AK magazine. Even better, upon that introduction, they let us know up front that the M3 was coming and exactly why it was coming.
For those who do not know, the MOE AK mag, just like most of the PMag line, has an entire polymer body. This combined with the AK’s magazine locking mechanics presents a possible issue. All the pressure securing the magazine can coalesce on the magazine locking tab, and no matter how strong the rest of the magazine body is if that tab fails your mag is out of commission and headed to its grave. Magpul mitigated that risk as much a feasible by building up the polymer around that tab, but material limitations only make that so useful. It can break. It won’t break under normal or even hard use, but it can break under impact. If the rifle falls and lands on the magazine, if you fall onto the rifle, or if that magazine experiences an incredibly sharp impact that over stresses the polymer on that tab it will break.
This is an unlikely but catastrophic condition that the MOE AK Magazine can experience, and it was known by Magpul from the start. It’s a material limitation, and Magpul had the solution on the way, but they wanted it fully functional.
The concept of the M3 was known from the moment the MOE was released into the wild. It uses a stainless steel cage to reinforce all the contact surfaces the magazine has with the rifle. The tab on the magazine is now steel, the front face of the magazine that latches onto the magazine well is steel, and the feed lips under the polymer are now steel. That highlights the differences between the MOE and the M3, the steel cage replaces the built up polymer and mitigates the material limitations of the polymer in the Kalashnikov magazine.
Both MOE and M3 magazines have run without issue to put that as succinctly as possible. They feel identical in the way they run, and the M3 is only marginally heavier at 7.2 oz over the 6.5 oz of the MOE.
What does this mean for the end user? Pick up and run the MOE magazines that retail at $13.95 as your range mags and if one or two fails ever, oh well, $14 more and its replaced.
Pick up and run the M3 magazines as a lightweight primary/duty/self-defense magazine or rig magazines. Use the M3’s for the extra strength and the MOE’s for economical practice.
Or run all M3’s, they’re only $26.95 retail. Magpul brought their usual A-game with these magazines giving both a definitive purpose and focus. The MOE has economy and function, and the M3 adds robustness.
The Ranger Plate from Magpul is nothing new, and it makes perfect sense that they would add it to the AK PMag accessories as an option. For any unaware of what the Ranger Plate is let me explain. Ranger Plates are a replacement floor plate for the Magpul magazines that add a polymer loop to the bottom. This a culminated evolution of Magpul’s original product… the Magpul, a rubber sleeve that wraps around the bottom of a magazine so it can be more easily extricated from your run of the mill nylon magazine pouches.
If you run magazines off of a shallow walled belt rig you likely have no use for the Ranger Plates, you can grab the full body of the magazine to perform a reload. But if you run closed top or high walled magazine pouches on any rig, bag, or vest where the only exposed portion of the magazine is the bottom then the Ranger Plate gives a straightforward extension to grab onto and free the mag from the pouch. To anyone out there who’s run around in a plate carrier you understand this is often a less than graceful process and the extra assistance from the Ranger, Plate is easy to appreciate.
The final piece of Kalashnikov Magpul gear I evaluated was the coupler, a simple two-piece polymer device that secures on the bodies of two Magpul magazines and links them side by side. I remember seeing set ups like this done in movies and with duct tape and maybe even a video game or two, and the practicality was suspect.
Let’s be honest, there is no practical purpose for running this on a rig, belt, bag, plate carrier, etc. The coupled mags are bulky in any configuration. I ran them parallel, inverted, with and without Ranger Plates, staggered, and so on but couldn’t find an overly smooth set up despite repeated reload iterations.
Coupling the mags will not make reloads faster. They can get in the way of side rail mounted optics depending upon how the magazines are together. The extra weight on the rifle of a loaded magazine off the rifle’s centerline and the increased difficulty of certain manipulations on the AK all negate the coupler’s usefulness when you’re carrying extra ammunition in a more conventional manner.
But that isn’t what the magazine coupler is for. It’s for when we are not carrying extra ammunition. If your Kalashnikov is your beside safeguard, a bump in the night gun, or “contact” rifle the coupler turns your 30 rounds of scooped up 7.62x39mm into 60 rounds (I ran Hornady 123gr SST in my bedside magazines).
If you end up in a situation where the fight is on right now, the coupler doubles the ammunition on deck for that fight. It’s not a graceful solution, that isn’t a graceful situation, and the AK isn’t a graceful gun. It’s simple and pragmatic and so is the coupler for doubling the rounds you grab up at a moments notice.
Keep up the good work Magpul.
Now that you’re behind the two most popular fighting rifles in the world you’ve brought your AK line in boldly and with pragmatic purpose to the products carry on.
Source Article from http://248shooter.com/index.php/proper-feeding-care-kalashnikov/
Sneaky Bags is taking 2016 by storm with new products, new partnerships and new reasons to fall in love with them. We will be reviewing the full line of bags they offer over the coming weeks. Today we are starting with the Sneaky Bags Trick Or Treat bag. We picked the ToT bag to start off, as it is the one I would personally get the most use from. This messenger style laptop bag is everything you could want in a covert highly functional laptop bag that does double duty as a utilitarian tactical bag.
At its core, the ToT is a laptop bag for Every Day Carry (EDC). As such, it has all the features you would expect. It is more than capable of holding a 17” laptop in its padded laptop compartment. This is a lockable compartment to secure your valuables or to safeguard a weapon.
The main flap that covers the secondary compartment offers multiple storage options. From the outside of the flap, you can access a series of small organizer containers to store pens, flashlights, electronics, cables, external drives, a mouse and any other commonly used office items. You can fit a bunch of gear in here and still access them quickly. This space is also large enough to fit a full-sized iPad, maps, papers, etc.
Opening the flap the entire inside of the flap is a mesh zippered pocket. The pocket is large enough to secure up to a 15-inch laptop. It also works perfectly for carrying winter necessities like hats, gloves, umbrella, etc.. Once the flap is lifted, you can also access the main “dump pouch”. This generous space can be synched down to provide a firm hold on items of various sizes if required.
The rear interior of this pocket is lined in MOLLE Velcro. The bottom line is if you use MOLLE style pouches or kit you can attach that as the panel is cut to accept it. However if you have updated to all hook and look style attachments those will Velcro directly to the pouch wall. No more adapters!
To the front of the pouch is two more mesh pockets. On the outside is another two small hidden pockets that I didn’t even find until taking pictures of the bag for this article.
The rear of the bag has crossed bungee cord perfect for securing larger items like a windbreaker, fleece or light jacket. Making this the perfect bag for the ever so unpredictable Michigan or Seattle weather.
While all these features are well made and certainly on par with higher end EDC bags there is not much unexpected. So what makes this a sneaky bag?
The biggest problem in the tactical bag world is that most of these bags stand out like a fat guy in drag at Kroger. Military styled patterns, external MOLLE and Velcro scream, “hey look at me I love to carry gun!” It reminds me of 80’s off duty cops in their photographer vest in the middle of summer.
The entire Sneaky Bag lineup of bags takes this into account. The ToT looks like a basic, typical, mundane, boring messenger bag. In this case, what the Sneaky Bag ToT doesn’t offer is one of its advantages.
Armor:
Inside the main weapon/laptop compartment, we find our first sneaky feature. Both sides of the pocket have hidden panels. These panels come packed with a soft foam that would protect your laptop. These are designed to be removed and replaced with soft or hard body armor inserts. Since I am unlikely to encounter rifle fire in my day to day life, my inserts are replaced with AR500 backpack panels. These will stop handgun rounds and are soft enough to still provide protection for my laptop.
On the outside rear (body side)of the bag is a unique concealed carry pocket. The pocket is lined with hook and loop to accept a broad range of accessories. Mine is set up to take two full sized mags and an adjustable holster that would fit whatever gun I’m carrying that day. In addition to the spot for securing my concealed carry weapon, I often keep my HK VP9 in the as a backup gun. The pocket is sewn so that it is very tight to the bag making it look almost invisible. It is accessible with a full-width zipper so you can access the space to set up you kit as needed. Also, there is an always open quick access spot so that a correctly positioned pistol can be accessed without having to unzip the pocket.
On the outside of the rear (body side) of the bag is a unique attachment system. 4 Buckles and two specialty straps can connect here. While it is common for bicycle messenger bags to offer a secondary strap to hold the bag closer to the body during transport, I have not seen one set up like this before. Not only can these buckles be used to secure the bag to your body at either a higher lower or cross position when properly configured these buckles can turn the bag into a backpack.
Turning a messenger style bag into a backpack is as useful as tits on a bull to most of us. If you want a backpack buy a backpack, don’t build one out of a messenger bag. However when you take all of the features we discussed and put them together, you realize the purpose of this is not a backpack, it’s a discreet plate carrier.
With a hard plate and soft plate backer in their associated hidden pockets, the easy access secondary weapon pouch, and the capability to fit a full size broken down M4 you have a quick response kit to deal with immediate issues like workplace violence or domestic terror attacks.
Since the San Bernardino attack, I have read countless mall ninja’s discuss how this why they carry a rifle and body armor in their vehicle. When gun shots ring out and you’re in your office, your truck kit will do you no good. However a bag that turns into body armor with either a rifle or handgun accessible will give you protection to handle the situation that has developed, be it advancing or exiting from the environment.
A typical load out for me includes:
• Laptop and accessories for daily office use.
• Dual soft body armor plates in the laptop section.
• Large full sized pistol and two spare mags in the handgun pouch.
• Flashlight and tactical pen in the compartmentalized section.
• IFAK, EPIK, Med Kit including tourniquet
Even with all this gear, the bag is still light enough for everyday usage. I had a person comment on the bag recently “I see you gave up on carrying all that tacticool crap you used to lug around”. The funny thing is this bag offers more tactical functions than my previous military styled bag.
The Sneaky Bags Trick or Treat (ToT) are available direct from the manufacturer http://www.sneakybags.com/ and some local retailers. The ToT retails for $220 for the large size we reviewed here and $195 for the medium.
Source Article from http://248shooter.com/index.php/sneaky-bags-trick-or-treat-bag-tot-review/
SilencerCo continues to blow my mind with innovation and creative advertising. The Stop The Noise campaign they created was pure brilliance for example and now they are taking that message to a new group of shooters and non-shooters.
You can get an idea of what they are doing with replacing iconic movie guns with the SilencerCo Maxim.
Here is what Josh Waldron, CEO of SilencerCo had to say about reaching a new market.
You can buy yours direct from https://www.store.silencerco.com. I know my order is placed.
From time to time, our inbox receive questions about deployed soldier’s and their carry load on combat missions. Despite, it’s hard to tell universal weight which varies from mission to mission, from unit to unit, we think we might have a right answer.
The regular infantry troops deployed to Afghanistan carry exactly one buttload of gear, which is a lot. If you still think it is not heavy enough, try to combine that unit of measurement with the thin, high-altitude mountain air and heat, that means you will suffer.
As we mentioned, different troops, units or missions are in charge of different gear depending on the requirements of the mission, or their role within the unit, but understand that nobody is getting off easier than another.
From medics to the mortarmen, everyone cares their mission essential gear plus their additional equipment related to their position on the team. For example, a medic man carries on regular gear plus aid bag, squad leaders as additional equipment needs to have a radio, binoculars, GPS, etc…
So it depends on ambush, the movement to contact, recon, raid, condone and search…what the type of mission is. Then that’s what the fighting man carries. Sometimes it’s too much, but you can never have too much ammo and water and other supplies which could save your or yours men life in combat.
Source Article from http://www.special-ops.org/16577/how-much-weight-does-a-soldier-carry-on-him-in-afghanistan.html
The Army’s current standard issue body armor, designated as the Improved Outer Tactical Vest, was originally fielded in 2007. From then to now, many vests are approaching the end of their service life. The war experience through years taught the soldiers to seek new vest designs that would provide better protection.
The soldiers who oversee procurement for the Army came up with the new Torso and Extremities Protection (TEP) system. It is expected to reach active duty in 2019. The TEP armor system features greater protection for soldiers’ torsos while reducing weight from an average of 31 pounds to only 23. The body armor can be further lightened by removing certain elements when greater mobility is essential, like for special forces or troops scouting enemy positions or trespassing through dangerous areas where speed is crucial.
But, the final weight could be reduced even further regarding an effort to develop new ballistic plates. The new materials for ballistic plates are going through various tests and the preliminary results perform at the same level or higher than IOTV plates and weigh 7 percent less.
The pelvic areas protection will also be improved as the IEDs greatly increased the threat to soldiers so the Army developed ballistic undergarments and overgarments, often jokingly referred to as “combat diapers,” to protect troops and decrease wounds to the groin area.
Despite the “Combat diapers” reduce injuries, they can be very uncomfortable on long patrols and chafe the skin in sensitive areas causing pain. The new Blast Pelvic Protector is a sleeker outer garment that connects directly to the body armor does not rub as badly against troops but still can cause smaller problems.
The current combat shirt will suffer biggest changes as it will be replaced with Ballistic Combat Shirt. The standard combat shirt is a very comfortable T-shirt for wear under the IOTV, but the new Ballistic Combat Shirt provides ballistic protection to troops’ arms, necks, and upper torsos without sacrificing mobility. It also eliminates the need for the bulky and uncomfortable DAPS and ballistic collars that made it hard to shoot and move, especially for the special forces branches.
And finally, the standard Army’s helmet will also be redesigned with the aim to increase protection and reduce weight. It looks like, the new Army helmet will include various add-ons like jaw protection, incorporated eye protection, and improved night vision setups. It also could implement add-ons like special protection for turret gunners exposed to sniper fire or a facemask to stop shrapnel.
Source Article from http://www.special-ops.org/16582/u-s-army-unveils-new-infantry-protection-kit-to-replace-iotv.html
Welcome to the We Like Shooting show, Episode 135 – tonight we’ll talk about 7.62×39 AR’s, 12 Survivors, Sniper Skid Plate, Proof research, Falkor Defense – brought to you by Carl’s Jr.
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If you’ve spent any time shopping for scopes you’ve probably been surprised at how much the price scale varies. Even a cursory glance at a big retail site like Amazon shows me scopes ranging from 25 dollars to well over 2,000 dollars. Many people wonder why they should spend nearly as much or even more on a scope than they did on a rifle. Even a basic Aimpoint, a simple red dot scope, can cost as much as an AR 15. In fact the general rule of thumb used to be that glass should cost more than the rifle, or at least as much. Reason being, a rifle is only as good as the sights on it. Let’s explore why these scopes cost so much though, and give you a good idea of what you’re paying for.
You know what kills crappy scopes faster than anything? Recoil. This is due to shoddy construction techniques and even more shoddier materials. If you’ve ever seen your reticle tilt or collapse you know what I’m talking about. A good scope will be made from a single piece of high quality aluminum, the aluminum ratings are usually 6061 T-6 for scopes. One of the reasons scopes cost so much is that good aluminum isn’t cheap. The second reason is that single piece construction makes scopes more precise and more durable, but it also wastes a ton of aluminum to construct a single piece scope in first place.
Glass is a very important feature, probably the most important feature by far. The reason being is that if you can’t see through your scope it’s worthless, regardless of all other construction features. Glass is made from sand, and sand ranges in purity. The best sand comes from Vietnam apparently. The Vietnamese have taken advantage of this and have made their dirt some of the more expensive dirt on the market. High quality glass is derived from pure sand, and at the end of the day we all pay to play. This is why it’s not always a bad thing to see Made in Japan on your scope, or something like, lenses made in Japan. Many Asian optics are very well made.
If you have good glass, you’ll still need a good lens coating. Lens coating is what allows you to take maximum advantage of quality glass. Lens coatings vary by a number of different degrees, but on a high quality, expensive scope, you want to look for the magic words, “fully multi coated.” This means all the lenses that touch air are coated. This coating is designed to reduce glare, and increase light transmission. When combined with good glass, looking through these scopes is like switching from 480P to 4k for the first time. Many high end companies has some form of proprietary coating as well, like Leupold’s Diamond coat, which also protects the lens from abrasions and acts like an armor coating.
It’s easy and cheap to produce a scope with a massive amount of magnification. If 3 to 9 power is our standard, or average, then we can call 12 and up high power. Even reaching levels of 24 and staying cheap is possible. The problem is at these magnifications the picture can become distorted and clarity quickly falls. A high quality scope provides clear and consistent clarity throughout its range of magnification.
If I was going to be spending money on a top shelf optic I would require a good set of target or tactical turrets. These turrets need to be able to be reset to zero after I zero the optic itself to my rifle, and should be fingertip adjustable. Quality turrets should give the user instant feedback, both audible and tactile. The turrets should be tight, and easy to use with sweaty hands, or while wearing gloves.
Right now what’s all the rage in scopes is the first focal plane. This is in reference to the position the reticle sits inside the scope. For long distance and tactical shooting a FFP, aka first focal plane, is crucial. A FFP reticle doesn’t grow and shrink as the magnification is changed. This means the mil dots, or bullet drop compensator a scope may have is accurate at every magnification. In a second focal plane scope the reticle grows and shrinks, meaning the mil dots or BDC is only accurate at one specific magnification setting.
Some scopes have some novel features that aren’t that necessary, but are handy. Trijicon’s battery illuminated reticle comes to mind. Other features could include built in rangefinders, night vision capability, and even small red dot sights built into the optics like the Leupold Hammer, or Trijicon Acog. These features are nice, not necessary for a quality scope, but they do add a lot of cost to the optic, and can be something to keep in mind.
Like with most things gun related you get what you pay for, and with optics this is especially true. Some people may never need anything beyond a 200 dollar scope, and that’s fine, but others may have a desire for something a little better. Others may have an actual need for something more adept. A high quality, and expensive scope can do a lot for a shooter, but it can never make up for basic shooting skills. A high quality optic is an investment, and it pays off in the end.
Source Article from http://248shooter.com/index.php/high-end-scopes-cost-much/
Firearms are a mature technology. Shooters are unlikely to see enormous technological leaps in the basic form or function of modern small arms. Capacity, caliber and weight will all be further optimized, but until solid projectiles are replaced with lasers, firearms will retain their current form.
The same cannot be said of optics, however.
Clarity and light reception have grown exponentially since the first optical gunsight helped a shooter place rounds on a distant target. Nowhere is this quantum leap more evident than at the annual Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show, where countless vendors showcase thousands of upcoming products each year. This year, in particular, saw an explosive growth in new optics ranging from thermal and reflex sights to prismatic and traditional magnified telescopic options. There were nearly too many to count; thankfully we’ve compiled the top new choices from the 2016 SHOT Show.
AimPoint has a reputation in the U.S. as a military or law enforcement optics provider. However, this Swedish manufacturer is seen as primarily a hunting accessory maker in its home country and across Europe. Overseas it’s not uncommon to see AimPoint reflex sights on hunting rifles, revolvers and shotguns alike. Looking to better capitalize on this portion of the U.S. market, AimPoint announced the introduction of a new campaign and product line dedicated to North American hunters.
The first product the company introduced in this new line is the 3X-C, a standalone magnifier designed to function with AimPoint reflex sights. When used in conjunction with an AimPoint T-2 or PRO/ACO optic, the 3X-C converts the unmagnified reflex sight into a telescopic one. While AimPoint has offered magnifiers in the past, they lacked the adjustable diopter setting of the new models and were prohibitively expensive. The new 3X-C should be available early April 2016, with an MSRP of $307.
AimPoint hasn’t abandoned its military or law enforcement clients either, which is why the company has introduced a new 6x magnifier imaginatively named the 6xMAG-1. Retailing for nearly 300 percent more than its civilian 3x magnifier, the new 6xMAG-1 allows AimPoint reflex sights to function in the same role as fixed magnification optic like an ACOG, with more operational flexibility to function as a standard reflex sight. The 6xMAG-1 doesn’t have a concrete launch date yet, but AimPoint is looking to launch it sometime this summer for around $900.
Burris has enjoyed a dedicated group of fans and consumers thanks to its affordable, quality optics and binoculars. Straddling the fence in terms of quality between super high-end optics makers and budget-priced throwaway imports, Burris is like Goldilocks’ favorite bed — just right.
Even still, they’re not satisfied to simply remain the go-to brand for hunters, shooters and sportsman on a budget. They also want to capture the higher-end market, without the cost normally associated with premium brands. One of its latest attempts involves a few crucial upgrades to an existing deluxe optic: the X96 Eliminator III.
If that wasn’t already a mouthful, to be more precise, it’s the X96 Eliminator III with wind and PTT. The latter two additions signifying the presence of an on-scope wind meter and laser range finder. The really cool part? Both displays are integrated into the reticle itself, so shooters don’t have to come off the scope to read the wind or drop on a target.
Additionally, the Eliminator reticle allows shooters to enter their specific load and when combined with proper windage and ballistic coefficient, displays precisely where a shooter needs to aim to successfully engage a given target.
The Eliminator is available in several different reticle patterns including Horus H591, Mil Dot and Ballistic Circle Dot. So no matter what a shooter prefers, they can still utilize the new Burris optic without having to learn a new system.
Canadian optics maker Elcan is the optics branch of military tech firm, Raytheon Inc. Their optics are known for their ultra clarity and durability in worldwide militaries. American soldiers often encounter Elcan’s fixed magnification LMG sight, the M145 atop the M240B machine gun. On that platform, its 7.62x51mm BDC allows gunners to effortless drop lethal rounds on top of enemy combatants.
The other sights the company is known for are its Specter DR series of prismatic gunsights. These utilize a rotating prism to allow the user to toggle between two magnifications at the flip of an exterior lever. While popular with special forces units, civilians often find their limited magnification and high price difficult to rationalize.
Seeking to expand its customer base, Elcan showcased its new three-step prismatic scope that allows shooters to choose either three, six or nine power magnification. Named the Specter TR 1-3-9x, the optic that first premiered in 2014 is now seeing increased production and availability to the civilian, military and law enforcement market. In that market it fits the unique role of being a perfect choice for shooters looking for variable magnification without sacrificing light reception or image clarity.
HoloSun is a Chinese optics maker that specializes in tactical, affordable alternatives to high-end military gear. The quality of its products lies somewhere between NcStar and Tasco — so not terribly durable. Still, the company can’t be faulted for not innovating as HoloSun showcased more than half a dozen new optics at SHOT Show 2016.
One that caught my eye is HoloSun’s new IR laser, tactical light reflex sight combo. Yes, it really is all three of these things. HoloSun says it’s not available yet, but will enter production soon and be available in two finishes: black and FDE. No specs were given on the output or battery life of any of the three devices, but they all appear to utilize independent power switches.
Additionally, the Holosun triple device seems to utilize two different power sources: one for the IR laser, tactical light combo and another for the reflex sight itself. Despite being a clone and hybrid of pricey American and European products, the new device still has a steep estimated MSRP of around $1,300.
While certainly not a bad price for a solid tactical light, IR laser and red dot separately, as a combined unit from a manufacturer that’s relatively new to the market, it’s unclear what the long-term durability might be. But it’s cool to see a company rolling together all this technology into one optic that takes up less real estate on a rifle than three separate units.
The old “ring o’ gold” was still alive and kicking at this year’s SHOT Show. As in past years, Leupold arrived in Las Vegas with yet another strong product lineup. While not as varied or innovative as other smaller optic makers’ offerings, the new products unveiled at the show demonstrate a solid business sense and perhaps a conservative market strategy. While possibly the antithesis of “sexy,” the company’s strategy, like its products, are rock solid reliable and pragmatic.
Rather than design an all new optic from the ground up, Leupold instead sought to offer existing successful products in slight variations — though not simply on a whim, but as a response to consumer demands. For instance, its new VX-3i CDS scope shares everything down to the outer finish with the older model, except it includes Leupold’s new Wind-Plex reticle and new Custom Dial System turrets.
This new crosshair type is a modification of the original Duplex reticle introduced by Leupold in 1962. It features horizontal ticks one MOA apart, divided by a single narrow vertical line. This permits rapid, accurate shot placement with holdover options for windy conditions.
And the CDS turrets can be adjusted to match a specific bullet grain and caliber, giving shooters the confidence and capability necessary to engage distant targets with deadly precision.
Relative newcomer Meopta continues to shatter expectations with its MeoPro and ZD series of rifle scopes. In fact, one of the worst kept secrets of the industry is how many high-end scope brands utilize Meopta components in their mid-level product lines.
With some of the brightest optics on the market, it’s no wonder Meopta is gaining a steady foothold with hunters in the U.S. Following in this tradition, Meopta announced its newest addition to the company’s optics lineup: the MeoPro 6.5-20×50 HTR.
The HTR portion of the lengthy title stands for “Hunt / Tactical / Range” describing the telescopic sight’s multi-role function. The new HTR optic is available in four different reticle patterns and features the MeoBright ion-assisted lens coating that gives the Czech optics such incredible light reception. It also features oversized turrets with audible “clicking” .25 MOA adjustments for a precise, repeatable zero.
German optics are known for their quality and clarity, and Zeiss’s new Victory V8 1.8-14×50 riflescope is no exception. Zeiss incorporates glass from one of the finest glassmakers on the planet, SCHOTT Advanced Optics. Using SCHOTT’s HT, or high transmission glass, the Victory V8 produces 92 percent light transmission, extending hunting time by up to 30 minutes.
Additionally, the new optic’s astoundingly wide range of magnification allows for use up close at 1.8 times magnification, while still being able to reach out and engage distant targets with a 14 times magnification setting. The 1.8x did have some distortion/fisheye, but it was still manageable.
Also, unlike many inexpensive brands of high magnification optics that suffer parallax issues when fully zoomed, the V8 incorporates a parallax adjustment knob allowing shooters to dial in the scope to their preference.
One of the more advanced features on the new V8 is the motion sensor inside the optic itself. This is tied directly to the illuminated dot’s power control, allowing the optic to illuminate when the rifle is shouldered while saving power when not in use. Shooters who wish for the illumination to either always be on or off, can choose so using the same control knob near the eyepiece.
Founded in 1957 by Helmut Schmidt and Helmut Bender, Schmidt & Bender has been making top tier optics for the military and civilian industry for decades. While not a household name in the U.S., more people have seen and handled its products than realize it; after all, Schmidt & Bender made the integral rifle scope seen on the Austrian Steyr AUG bullpup military rifle.
Though Schmidt & Bender does much more than simply make fixed magnification combat sights for infantry, it’s also the go-to optic for ultra high-end precision riflemaker Accuracy International. Schmidt & Bender sights are also the optic of choice for Heckler & Koch’s famous PSG-1. Needless to say, if AI and H&K promote your product on their highest-end rifles, you’re doing something right.
So naturally, when S&B wants to capture even more of the high-end long range market, it simply modifies one of the company’s already outstanding designs to appeal to even more shooters. In this case, S&B takes the 5-45×56 PM II scope used by U.S. special operations command and adds the capability to accept digital instrument input — namely, windage and range.
The result?
The 5-25×56 PM II Digital BT features a 34mm tube, 5 to 25 times magnification and is a first focal plane 56mm objective lens scope. Featuring a 5.3m field of view and 90 percent light transmission, the illuminated scope is ideal for long range precision engagements. This is evident not only because of the high magnification level, but also in the wide range of elevation and windage adjustments — 14 MOA of windage and 64 minutes of elevation adjustment.
Anyone who’s paid even the slightest amount of attention to the past two decades has seen one of Trijicon’s ACOGs in action. These diehard fixed magnification optics are as common on U.S. service rifles as iron sights are — for good reason. The ingenious BDC crosshair and no-batteries-required tritium-illuminated reticle give soldiers a tangible edge over adversaries equipped with iron-sighted firearms.
Though not as many shooters realize it, Trijicon also manufacturers quality hunting and sporting optics. In this same vein, Trijicon unveiled two new non-ACOG products at this year’s SHOT Show.
The most talked about addition to its lineup is the MRO. The three MOA dot reflex sight looks like a miniature ACOG but is a true, unmagnified reflex sight. What separates the MRO from other reflex sights like Trijicon’s RMR, is it’s 1x25mm objective lens. This opens up the shooter’s field of view, preventing him from getting stuck with tunnel vision.
The MRO features multiple night-vision-compatible brightness settings, and with the brightness set to five, has an impressive five-year battery life. All the MRO’s windage and elevation controls are inset to prevent accidental shifts when dropped or banged on objects.
The other new product from Trijicon is a new AccuPoint scope, the 1-6×24. Featuring the same iconic adjustment wheel and super bright tritium-illuminated reticle, this new AccuPoint makes a great optic for shooters who love their ACOG but want something more appropriate for hunting.
While the optics market continues to evolve both for civilian and military consumers, the end result is the same: an increasingly crowded market full of options for every budget. While initially overwhelming, the competitive nature of this market ensures an abundance of high quality products will move off store shelves for the foreseeable future.
Source: http://www.shootingsportsretailer.com/2016/03/11/new-shooting-optics-2016/
Every day police, ems, and especially prison guards are at risk to stabs and slashes from assailants wielding knives. Traditional soft body armor is not designed to stop stabbing and slashing threats. Even if it was body armor leaves large portions of the body exposed in the trade-off of protection vs. mobility.
PPS-Group set out to fix this problem for security details, police, and everyday citizens. With over 35 years of combined frontline experience, building protective vests and clothing is part of their mission to keep the good guys safe.
We have been testing out the UBAC (Under Body Armor Combat Shirt). The UBAC is designed to provide slash protection at places left vulnerable while wearing armor and providing enhanced breathability in areas that typically retain heat like under your plates.
As just a combat shirt, it’s certainly not as stylish as some of the offerings available on the market, though the website does say they can work with units to develop color or mission specific offerings. It is however highly functional.
Each sleeve offers a Velcro covered pocket for identification or blood type patches. The pocket will fit a small notepad and pen or other similar sized items. The sleeves are secured with a thumb loop to ensure the sleeves protection does not ride up in hand to hand fighting.
The black front and back are a 100% polyester breathable high-performance fabric much like a pair of yoga pants.
The magic of the shirt is provided in the gray material around the neck, sleeves and side panels that are made of patented Cut-Tex Pro slash resistant material.
Blade cut resistance
EN 388:2003 Level 5 (the highest possible)
ISO 13997:1999 Level 5 (the highest possible)
ASTM F 1790-05 Level 4
Abrasion resistance
EN 388:2003 Level 4 (the highest possible)
Tear resistance
EN 388:2003 Level 4 (the highest possible)
Robert Kaiser stands behind his product entirely. So much so that he takes a razor blade to himself in this video:
You can fast forward to 3 minutes if you just want to see him slash himself.
A lot better than you would expect. The polyester black section stretches breathes and moves like most
modern, high-quality combat shirts. The Cut-Tex Pro material on the sleeves is a bit rougher on the skin and certainly thicker than an ordinary shirt material. Even with the added thickness, it will not hamper movement, and it does not feel bulky.
One of the more interesting points while researching this shirt was the amount of damage incurred by officers due to mishaps during breaching or via broken glass in the process of arrests. This became very apparent to me personally when breaching doors in conjunction with Ubisoft, 5.11 and Omni explosives. It was evident how dangerous glass and even door splinters can be during entries.
Well, I drank the cool-aid and tried it out myself. I was unable to cut through the material with a razor blade or any of my knives. This thing is hard core strong.
A few things to note. These shirts offer slash and debris protection, not stab protection. PPSS makes a stab resistant vest and gloves for EMT’s, but you can still get a sharp point through this material with the force coming straight in.
There is no impact cushioning here so a forceful attack or flying debris can still cause broken bones and such. It is like going from bullets to UTM rounds; you won’t die from it but still not going to be fun to be attacked.
The UBAC (Combat Shirt) retails for $169.99 in Small – 2XL and $179.99 for 3XL-5XL. Shirts are available in the USA from http://www.bodyarmorusa.com/
You cna get the AT Armor plates and carrier from: http://store.appalachiantraining.com/
Source Article from http://248shooter.com/index.php/ppss-slash-resistant-combat-shirt-review/
Are you tired of sifting through hours of Youtube videos trying to find installation or Armory tips for your pistol? We have heard your complaints on those other videos; “Why do I have to listen to a guy ramble for 20 minutes before getting to the point?”, “Why do all these videos shoot from the front instead of from my perspective?”, “Can Lone Wolf do a better video than the other guys?”
The answer is we can do a better video and we are excited to launch the first few that we have finished.
It is nearly impossible to show all the important details while filming traditional video. At Lone Wolf, we searched high and low and we ended up hiring a professional animator that formerly worked at Disney and Lucas Films. Animation is really the key to being able to show complex steps with the clarity needed for an viewer to understand.
We hope you get as much out of these videos as we put into them, we’d love to get your feedback on what videos you want next in the series. Email us your suggestions here.
This week TGL Takes a look at TYR Tactical’s Huron™ Wind Shirt. The wind shirt packs a lot of punch in a small pouch. The features of the Wind Shirt are the following:
• DWR treated for water repellency
• Quarter zip for weight reduction
• Elastic Cuff’s
• Fitted collar with drawstring
• Drawstring waist
• Comes in a 9”x3.5” stuff sack
• Wt. 3.9 oz
Sizing is same as your T-Shirt and TYR offers the Huron from Small to XXL.
TYR’s Website: http://www.tyrtactical.com/products/details/featured-products/new-huron-wind-shirt/
Source: http://www.thegearlocker.net/2016/03/tyr-tacticals-huron-wind-shirt/
For more information and to purchase the Stash Bottle, please check HERE.
Source: http://www.thegearlocker.net/2016/01/hydrapak-1l-stash-bottle/
