Archive | April, 2013

Tacticool22

By Matt on April 24, 2013 in Guns, Tactics and Training

The use of .22LR training firearms has taken off in a big way because of the difficulty of procuring and affording ammunition during The Great Panic of 2013. Shortly before the panic started, I made the investment in both carbine and handgun .22LR training firearms. On my quest to make my S&W M&P 15-22 as much like my centerfire carbines as possible, I came across Tacticool22. They have several products that can help you soup up your .22LR to your heart’s content or just make it function a bit more like your centerfire carbine.

Tacticool22 M&P 15-22 Free Float Handguard Converter

I spent a fair amount of time researching what I would need to adapt a rail like an MI Gen2 SS-series rail or Troy Industries Alpha Rail to my M&P 15-22. Much of that time was wasted because Tactical22.com carries kits that already contain everything I will need. They include a barrel vice block, free float handguard converter, and the 2 necessary wrenches (1 to remove the factory barrel nut and 1 to tighten the free float handguard converter).

I still had some questions as I planned my build so I sent them an email. They responded with an answer within 20 minutes… at 10PM… on a Sunday! That sealed the deal for me. As soon as I can track down which handguard I want to use, I will pick up a kit from Tacticool22 and do a full review.

Check out Tacticool22.com.

Hopefully, the next time you see this, it will be sporting a new extended free-float handguard.

The Shoot Heard ‘Round the World

By Matt on April 24, 2013 in Guns

Snake Hound Machine (SHM) recently organized a first class Patriots’ Day celebration called The Shoot Heard ‘Round the World. It was a great success that saw the convergence of patriot gun owners, manufacturers, and media. There was much shooting to be done, training to be taken, and gear to ogle.

You can view some pictures of the event and check out auctions of some of the SHM Rifles that were present at SnakeHoundMachine.com.

Blue Force Gear Launches PLATEminus

By Matt on April 24, 2013 in Tactical Gear

Blue Force Gear’s MOLLEminus Technology has proven to be an incredible seed of an idea from which a variety of killer products have grown. The latest addition to the MOLLEminus family, PLATEminus, was teased at SHOT Show 2013 and is being officially launched today at Warrior Expo West.

Here is what Blue Force Gear has to say about PLATEminus:

SAN DIEGO, CA—April 24, 2013—Blue Force Gear® launches PLATEminus™ at the ADS Warrior Expo West Show at the San Diego Convention Center. PLATEminus features Blue Force Gear’s Patent pending MOLLEminus™ technology: MOLLE minus the weight, MOLLE minus the bulk, MOLLE minus the complexity.

PLATEminus is Blue Force Gear’s latest addition to their MOLLEminus product line. Available in sizes medium and large, PLATEminus is designed to fit any SAPI/ESAPI style armor plates, with or without plate backers. It has an inner plate pocket constructed of color matched CORDURA® and Tweave to provide camouflage and signature reduction. PLATEminus utilizes MOLLEminus technology with voids and slots laser cut out of one piece of ULTRAcomp™ laminate instead of layers of sewn nylon and webbing as the MOLLE platform.

“We designed PLATEminus with simplicity in mind,” said John Felushko, Blue Force Gear’s Product Line Manager. “PLATEminus is simple to put on with single pull forward side straps, simple to customize due to full MOLLE compatibility and simple to size – just buy your SAPI/ESAPI plate size.”

The MOLLEminus design provides the thinnest, strongest, lightest modular load carriage of individual combat equipment: half the thickness of a dime, over 4 times as abrasion resistant as air textured nylon and formed from a single piece of Blue Force Gear’s proprietary ULTRAcomp™ laminate. PLATEminus is compatible with all legacy issue MOLLE pouches and for the ultimate lightweight plate carrier combine PLATEminus with pouches featuring Blue Force Gear’s revolutionary Helium Whisper™ attachment system.

About ULTRAcomp

Blue Force Gear’s proprietary high performance laminate, ULTRAcomp, far exceeds the military standard air textured nylon in tear and abrasion resistance.

About Blue Force Gear, Inc.

Blue Force Gear® designs the best weapon slings and leads the lightweight equipment revolution with its Ten-Speed™ multi-use pouches. They also reinvented MOLLE to be the world’s lightest with their revolutionary MOLLEminus™ technology and Helium Whisper™ pouch attachment system. Unrivaled innovation and attention to detail set Blue Force Gear apart from others in the tactical equipment industry.

Press Contact:
Brittney DeVane
Blue Force Gear
brittney@blueforcegear.com
(877) 430-2583

Blue Force Gear, Ten-Speed, Helium Whisper, MOLLEminus, ULTRAcomp, and PLATEminus are trademarks of Blue Force Gear, Inc. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

PLATEminus is being released in Multicam initially. However, Coyote Brown and Urban Wolf (gray) colorways will be available soon. The Urban Wolf color should lend itself well to concealed/low profile use.

I should note that the plate pocket is constructed from of tweave (a stretchy, soft-shell jacket like material) and Cordura. That camo patterned material that you see in the MOLLEminus void and slot pattern is part of PLATEminus’ plate pocket. Your plates will not show through the voids. You do not need special color matched plates in order to maintain full camo coverage.

PLATEminus looks and feels like this is where MOLLEminus Technology has been heading all along. MOLLEminus’ weight reduction potential is staggering when dealing with something with as much surface area and PALS webbing as a plate carrier. PLATEminus weighs only 335 grams. That is just less than 3/4 of a pound. Most chest rigs weigh more than that. A single AR-15/M-16 magazine weighs more than that. Think about that for a second and then imagine the additional weight saving potential if it is paired with BFG’s Helium Whisper pouches!

You can order your own PLATEminus at BlueForceGear.com.

Review: IWC SCAR Charger

By Matt on April 24, 2013 in Guns

Impact Weapons Components is releasing their latest product today – the SCAR Charger. I have had the chance to spend some time with a couple of the prototypes of the new charging handle and I was able to put it in the hands of other shooters to get their thoughts as well. So far, it has been universally well received.

Overview

The IWC SCAR Charger is a drop-in, all metal replacement for the standard SCAR 16 and 17 charging handle. It is machined from 4140 steel and Melonite treated for durability and corrosion resistance. This charging handle is designed to offer increased surface area for operating the charging handle and increased clearance of optics and other rail mounted accessories while weighing within 1/10^th of an ounce of the original part so cyclic rate is not affected. The charging handle can be mounted so that it either curves up or down (down works best to clear optic mounts).

Observations from Use

The main thing that I wanted to see in testing was how well the IWC SCAR Charger cleared optics. The charging handle is located just below the top rail on a SCAR. This proximity to the rail can put your knuckles in peril if you aren’t careful, especially if the charging handle is on the same side of the SCAR as your optic mount’s throw levers. IWC designed their charging handle so that it curves away from the rail (or up toward it if you choose to install it that way). I can confirm that it does provide an extra measure of clearance between the throw lever and top rail mounted optic.

The SCAR Charger seems like a pretty large target when you are using it, especially if you are used to the original SCAR charging handle. The original isn’t bad. The IWC version just offers more surface area.

I like that the SCAR Charger is subtly shaped to lock onto your hand when you are operating it. The both sides of the charging handle have a slight curve that matches the profiles of your fingers or side of your palm. This curved or hooked shape reduces the likelihood that your hand will slip off the end of the charging handle during operation.

Everyone that tried the new charging handle was pleased with the additional optic clearance and surface area, but one shooter was especially pleased with the projected price which is $34.95 (before your discount as a JTT reader). He had already spent considerably more for a different charging handle to address some optic clearance issues.

Wrap Up

The IWC SCAR Charger does what it set out to do. It makes the charging handle a larger, easier to grasp target and it gives additional clearance for items mounted on the top rail. It manages to do both of those things at a price that is quite a bit lower than its competition.

The SCAR Charger is available at ImpactWeaponsComponents.com. Remember to use the discount code “triggerjerk” for 5% off your purchase.

New Images of the Emerson Knives Hummingbird TSA Compliant Knife

By Matt on April 23, 2013 in EDC, Knives

Emerson released a few new images of the latest Hummingbird prototypes. The Hummingbird is a stout little knife that is purpose built to fit the new TSA regulations around air travel carry-on knives. The prototypes show a variety of pretty wild handle scales. I definitely like the idea of the knife actually stating the measurements and that it is TSA compliant on the scale but it remains to be seen whether this will be an option on the production version. Hopefully, they will also be available with the black G-10 scales that we typically associate with Emerson Knives.

Check out EmersonKnives.com.

Note: There is late news that the restriction of carry-on knives on planes will stay in place, at least temporarily, which may negate the need for the Hummingbird.

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Archive | April, 2013

Overview

Observations from Use

Wrap Up