Archive | January, 2014

Review: Mission First Tactical BATTLELINK Minimalist Stock

ROSCH Works SL1 Whole Carbine

I would rather have a sufficiently reliable, durable, functional, and accurate AR-15 that weighed 6-7 pounds than a sufficiently reliable, durable, functional, and accurate AR-15 that weighed 10-12 pounds. To that end, I am more than willing to explore ways to shave ounces from my carbine especially when it comes to parts that have little to no overall bearing on reliability. One such place where there is often weight to be lost is the stock which is basically the sole reason that the Mission First Tactical (MFT) BATTLELINK Minimalist Stock (BMS) exists.

The BMS weighs just 5.8 ounces. Most of the lighter weight aftermarket stocks already on the market weigh more than 8 ounces and many of them weigh much more. So, if weight was the only factor, the BMS would be an easy way to reduce the overall weight of your carbine by at least 2 ounces. 2 ounces by themselves may not seem like much but if it is part of an overall weight reduction effort that includes choosing light weight optics, barrel profiles, hand guards, weapon lights, and iron sights, and more, 2 ounces can be a significant reduction. It isn’t difficult to get a carbine’s total weight down well below 8 pounds loaded with just a little forethought and without having to sacrifice function or reliability.

MFT BMS

Comments from the Peanut Gallery

Certainly no one is complaining about this stock’s weight. There have however been concerns about its shape. MFT radically reduced the weight of the BMS by removing the typical diagonal support structure that would be in place to support the butt plate. The result is an “L” shape that is perceived as structurally weak and a potential snag hazard. Both of those concerns have merit and will be addressed directly.

The BMS is structurally weaker than it would be if it a diagonal brace that ran from the front of the stock to the base of the buttplate. However, it was designed to be light weight. It was not designed to be the most durable stock on the market. If you need the most durable stock – look elsewhere. I found it to be durable enough to withstand repeated mortaring which is the most rigorous task my stocks are ever likely to be put through. I suspect, like most collapsible stocks, it is more likely to fail at the stop pin than to actually break under normal use. It is not as durable as it could be but it is durable enough and that is the entire point.

I give the concerns about the stock becoming a snag hazard more credence though they do seem to be slightly overblown for many users. I have used other MFT stocks with hooked buttplates before and never had an issue with snagging but it should be noted that I am not moving in and out of vehicles or crawling through vegetation as part of the normal way I use this carbine. If your intended use of the carbine involves activities that entail a high probability of snagging you have two options: choose a different stock or tie a bit of cord onto the stock that stretches from the front to the buttplate. That was easy.

Even without the paracord that I tied onto my BMS, I had to induce snagging. It never just happened. The potential is certainly there but even when used with the buttplate tucked in very tight alongside my plate carrier or around chest rig straps, I have yet to have a snag that I did not purposely induce. I can’t even purposely induce a snag with about half an ounce worth of paracord tied to it.

MFT BMS Latch

Observations from Use

MFT absolutely nailed the adjustment lever design. It sits basically flush with the body of the stock to prevent it from accidentally being pressed. It is very unobtrusive which is exactly what I want from a lever that I basically never use.

The buttplate is shaped like other stocks from the BATTLELINK line and that is a good thing. It is angled forward at the base which creates a hinge point that makes it easy to keep the carbine at low or compressed ready and easy to bring the carbine up onto target from low or compressed ready. That is a very subtle and thoughtful touch.

MFT BMS Socket

The very different shape of the stock allowed MFT to place a QD sling swivel socket in a very different place than where you will find them on most stocks. It is located on the front of the stock on the bottom. This central location is ambidextrous and closer to the receiver to allow greater range of motion. The socket is not rotation limited which is disappointing.

The cheek weld is very good for such a compact stock. The BMS has a flared shape that feels sort of like a stock with SOPMOD style battery tubes under your cheek.

I found that the stock has tight, rattle-free fit on every receiver extension that I tried. It is tight enough to prevent rattling and loose enough to adjust without much fuss though it does drag more than some looser fitting stocks. I don’t move my stocks around much so I appreciate the tight fit even it comes at the expense of just a bit of ease of adjustment.

MFT BMS Plate

Wrap Up

If I worked in a vocation that saw me carrying a carbine daily in an area that was rife with potential places to snag, I would choose a different stock. If I worked in a vocation that saw me frequently using the stock in ways it wasn’t necessarily designed to withstand, I would choose a different stock. None of that can change the fact that the BATTLELINK Minimalist Stock is an extremely successful design. It does EXACTLY what it was intended to do and that is reducing the overall weight of your carbine while still being durable enough for most tasks. I won’t be giving mine up until someone makes me a durable stock from aerogel and carbon nanotubes.

Check out the BATTLELINK Minimalist Stock at Mission First Tactical.

New Product Details from Sierra Hotel Manufacturing

I have already mentioned Sierra Hotel Manufacturing as a company that you will want to keep your eye on. They will be at SHOT Show showing off their wares but they are also giving sneak peek into their initial product line including the very interesting MuzzleHub and an NP3 coated AR-15 bolt carrier group.

The NP3 treated BCG is especially interesting. I have had decent performance from NiBX treated bolt carrier groups but NP3 coating is less porous than NiBX and, on paper, should perform even better. There is at least one high profile trainer who has been allowing students to put a lot of rounds on an NP3 coated BCG with great results as recently as this summer.

Sierra Hotal Manufacturing Muzzle Hub 2

From Sierra Hotel Manufacturing:

Sierra Hotel Manufacturing, headquartered in Austin TX, is proud to announce they will be revealing several new products at the upcoming NSSF SHOT Show in Las Vegas.

New releases will include a new modular piece called the MuzzleHubTM, a new ambidextrous selector switch like nothing that has been seen before in the firearms market and a billet heat-treated fire control group.

“We have several innovative new firearms accessories ready to roll out,” says newly-minted Sierra Hotel CEO and co-founder Jamie Wehmeyer. “They’ll all be quality and a couple of them are going to provide some options no one has ever had before. For instance we have a two piece design compensator that allows for an optimized expansion chamber that reduces secondary recoil, and a selector switch that is really going to help many shooters.”

One of these is the MuzzleHub, which will take a 14.5” barrel, make it ATF legal and essentially allow a QD option for a number of different muzzle devices. Another is the afore-mentioned ambi selector switch. This short throw selector switch has an adjustable cant from 60 to 90 degrees. That will mean the individual shooter will be able to put the angle of the selector switch to suit his or her own personal ergonomic needs, allowing for an unprecedented level of selector individualization.

“There is a lot in the works,” Wehmeyer continues, “and much of it is ongoing. We probably won’t even know the exact extent of what we can reveal at SHOT Show until SHOT Show! There are two things we’re particularly happy about, both collaborations. One is with Freddie Blish over at Robar, who will be plating our BCGs and trigger groups with NP3 nickel-teflon, the other is with Alan Normandy at BattleComp. We are in talks with him about a joint project for the MuzzleHub now—oh, and we’ve established a strong alliance with some companies you’ll recognize…B5 Systems, for instance, and some others we can’t announce yet.”

Sierra Hotel Manufacturing, though new, has deep roots in the form of its 6-decade old parent company. That company is an ISO9000 Tier One DoD manufacturer with a long tradition of quality production.

For more information or to make an appointment with Sierra Hotel representatives at SHOT Show, go to Sierra Hotel Manufacturing on line at http://www.sierrahotelmfg.com/

You can visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/sierrahotelmfg. Contact CEO Jamie Wehmeyer or National Sales Director Austin Latham at Jamie(at)sierrahotelmfg.com or Austin(at)sierrahotelmfg.com at any time.

Sierra Hotal Manufacturing Muzzle Hub 1 Sierra Hotal Manufacturing Muzzle Hub 3

Sierra Hotel Manufacturing

You are going to want to keep your eyes on newly formed Sierra Hotel Manufacturing…

Sierra Hotal Manufacturing Selector Sierra Hotal Manufacturing Bolt

From Sierra Hotel Manufacturing:

You already know Sierra Hotel and you don’t even know you know it.

Sierra Hotel is the new marketing, R&D and direct commercial sales arm of a 1ST Tier DoD manufacturer. Though the parent company has been building equipment and parts “on spec” for decades, they had an inability to touch the civilian firearms market. They reached out to Jamie Wehmeyer, the co-founder and former designer from Legion Firearms and Sierra Hotel Manufacturing was born.

“Our parent company builds everything from humvee parts and .50 cal pieces to Mk 19 mounts,” says CEO and Sierra Hotel co-founder Wehmeyer. “They also build firearm components people have no idea they’re using, particularly bolt carrier groups. People literally do know Sierra Hotel and don’t know they know it.”

Those bolt carrier groups are being manufactured at a rate of up to 30,000 per month. A $20 million dollar machine shop and stringent quality control standards have allowed them to provide BCGs to a startling number of rifle manufacturing brands. NDAs are in place to protect corporate identity, which prevents specific brands from being named. However, at 20 to 30,000 BCGs per month for a very long time now, it’s just shy of a virtual certainty rifle owners have one in their possession (particularly if they own more than one rifle, of more than one brand).

“Widespread as they are, BCGs are only one small part of what we’ll be doing,” continues Wehmeyer. “We have plans for numerous innovative products that will really impact the civilian market—and we ‘ll be able to supply them in quantity. In house process- and design-engineers along with serious manufacturing capability allow us to be the sole manufacturer of our products. That’s just one reason we’ve been selected as an OEM by companies who want to keep their QC at an impeccable standard.”

Among the new products Sierra Hotel will be building are the modular MuzzleHubTM and a billet heat-treated fire control group. You will be able to see these things and others soon.

“Sierra Hotel products will be in several places at SHOT,” Wehmeyer advises. “Some will be in or on products at Crye Precision, some at London Bridge Trading, others at BattleComp and Legion Firearms. If you’d like to know more about them, or—for vetted journalists and reviewers—discuss T&E applications, e-mail us or come see us at SHOT Show.”

For further information go to Sierra Hotel Manufacturing on line at http://www.sierrahotelmfg.com/ or on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/sierrahotelmfg. You can contact CEO Jamie Wehmeyer at Jamie(at)sierrahotelmfg.com or Austin Latham at Austin(at)sierrahotelmfg.com.

Sierra Hotal Manufacturing Muzzle Hub 2 Sierra Hotal Manufacturing Muzzle Hub 3 Sierra Hotal Manufacturing Muzzle Hub 1

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