How cool is this? Spencer, over at SAR Global Tool (maker of the excellent ESS), is a bit of a renaissance man. He grinds cool knives, makes innovative search and rescue tools, and metal detects for historical objects. Now he and a friend have a blog called DUG (Discovered Under Ground) that chronicles their adventures in metal detecting and the stories are truly fascinating.
What are the odds that he will come across some survivalist’s cache of weapons? Now I wish I had time for another hobby.
Battle Arms Development is rolling out two new lever options for use with their Battle Arms Development Ambidextrous Safety Selector (BAD-ASS). The first of these two levers is the Short Crank.
The Short Crank is a shorter version of the Crank lever that we previously reviewed here on JTT. The Crank was specifically requested by end users and it mimics the old “start burst” selectors that some people still prefer. The Short Crank is fittingly named because it is basically just a shorter version of the Crank.
Those who like this style of selector now have the option of using the Crank on the thumb side of their selector and the Short Crank on the trigger finger side. The shorter overall length of the Short Crank helps prevent it from getting caught on your trigger finger as you move the selector between positions. However, it is not so short that it is difficult to manipulate.
Left to Right: Short, Short Crank, Crank
I can certainly understand the attraction with this type of selector. The raised “bump” at the end almost seems to act like a hinge or pivot point that allows the thumb to easily move the selector through the arc of its movement. I found it to be very easy to use. Many people seem to only contact the selector on the end where the bump is anyway.
If you are a fan of the old star burst style selectors, you are going love the Crank and Short Crank levers. Even if you haven’t ever handled a star burst selector, you may like the handling characteristics of these levers. The new Short Crank will be available on BattleArmsDevelopment.com soon.
Most of us can’t get to the range as often as we would like, so dry fire is an important part of maintaining perishable gun skills. If you’re anything like me, you’ve found that taking the time to at least knock the dust off your “muscle memory” can help keep you from losing too much in between training sessions. Dry fire is not the same as range time in large part due to the inability to “shoot” consecutively without manually charging your weapon in order to reset the trigger.
Next Level Training is now offering their excellent laser and trigger resetting device as a drop in unit for the AR-15. JTT mentioned a training pistol from this company last December and it’s great to see that they have now released a product that offers those same great features in the AR platform. After a quick do-it-yourself install you can start benefiting from some home “trigger time” and shot diagnosis as you watch the laser dance on the target. The SIRT-AR comes in green or red and the main difference between units is in the range the laser needs to be visible for your purposes (red is 50 yards vs 200 yards green). A prospective buyer should beware that the item is designed to work on mil-spec triggers and will not work with two stage triggers.
What do you think happens when you wrap a sound suppressor in Battle Systems Vinyl Tape, Coyote Brown and the shoot until the suppressor is 688 degrees Fahrenheit? Actually, not much happens at all.
This image was provided to Battle Systems by a user of their tape.
Battle Systems’ Vinyle Tape is fairly tolerant of heat. In the case mentioned above, the tape softened while at high temps but then returned to normal once it cooled. If you still think this is just brown electrical tape, think again. Battle Systems Vinyl Tape, Coyote Brown’s heat and flame resistance far surpasses typical electrical tape which readily ignites and burns like a wick.
For about 150 years Americans have consecrated this day to remember the many heroes who paid the ultimate sacrifice by giving their lives in defense of this great nation. We, the living, have a duty to never forget what it costs to keep our Republic free and enjoy the many benefits of living in these United States. The most important thing anyone can do to honor the memory of the fallen is to ensure their sacrifice was not made in vain. As you go forward this year and work, vote, reason, counsel and pray, do so with a vigor worthy of the men and women we remember on Memorial Day.
