That ripping sound that you hear is the sound of AK shooters across the country pulling out their wallets fast enough to tear their back pocket. There is finally some news on the much anticipated ALG Defense AKT-E, an enhanced version of their AK Trigger (AKT). ALG Defense is in the process of shipping pre-ordered AKT-E units and it is already showing up at some retailers though is not available on ALGDefense.com as of the time of this writing.
This is the first ever Gunstruction R700 User’s Choice Build!
Gunstruction is a virtual firearm building tool that can be used to help plan your next AR-15, AR308, or Remington 700 based firearm build. They provide a wide array of virtual parts that can be compiled in any way that the user specifies. They are also able to track the parts used most often by their users and these parts are then compiled into monthly User’s Choice Builds. These builds are always an interesting look into consumer trends since Gunstruction’s user base and part selection are fairly broad.
Since this is the very first R700 User’s Choice Build, there are no trends to comment on yet but it is certainly interesting to see Magpul’s continued presence across the AR-15, AR308, and R700 User’s Choice Builds.
You can view the August R700 User’s Choice Build in the Gunstruction app HERE.
Tactical Distributors has two tee shirt options with thin blue line motifs for sale to benefit Spirit of Blue, a non-profit foundation “dedicated to the enhancement of officer safety and vitality throughout the law enforcement community by promoting public awareness for their protection and fulfilling safety equipment and training needs”. $10 from the sale of each shirt will go to Spirit of Blue.
You can check out both shirt designs at Tactical Distributors:
Keep Calm and Return Fire (in collaboration with Soldier Systems Daily)
There are so many voices out there that are insistent on having back up iron sights. Batteries die! Electronics fail! EMPs! Lightning strikes! Bear attacks!!!! Yet, I have rarely seen the realities of using them discussed or put to print. It makes me wonder if most people have even tried shooting with their back up iron sights.
The issue is that the performance of back up iron sights can be radically affected by factors external to the sights themselves. A long time ago on JTT, we posted an article about how using your back up iron sights through an optic like an RDS can change your zero. More recently, we posted about how something as simple as changing your eye protection can change your zero. This zero shift phenomena has most recently been noted by Ivan at Kit Badger on his blog and in an accompanying video (this article and video are well worth checking out).
Back up iron sights have become something of a panacea, inducing those who have them on their rifles to believe that they are prepared for an optic failure. However, as is often the case with gear, there are some planning and training considerations that need to be worked out to get the most out of them (or make them work at all).
Back up iron sights are a good idea if you have zeroed them in the exact way that you plan to use them. If you zeroed your back up iron sights through your optic, they will not be zeroed with the optic removed and vice versa. The shift can be dramatic and noticeable over distances as short as 10 yards. This is why planning is a must.
You will not be able to use your back up sights through a magnified optic or a prism sight which dictates that they must be zeroed and used with the optic removed. This means that the issue being discussed in this article is mostly (or maybe completely) applicable to the use of back up sights with non-magnified optics like red dots. The type of optic you have, the type of mount it is in (QD or not), and other factors will all play a role in your plan to deal with an optic failure.
If you have a quick detach mount, your plan could be to remove the optic in which case you should zero your back up sights with the optic removed. If you do not have a quick detach mount, you will need to zero the iron sights through the optic and probably train techniques like “shooting through the tube” or using your RDS itself as a large rear sight. If you have a magnified optic in a non-QD mount, you may want to forgoe back up irons completely unless you are going to carry whatever kind of tool you need to remove the mount from the rifle. There are a number of factors that drive your plan. If you aren’t happy with your options… Maybe you need to rethink your gear choices.
Here is the bottom line: If you haven’t tested the performance of your back up sights in various applicable situations and come up with a plan to deal with issues that arise from that testing, your back up iron sights probably aren’t as useful as you think they will be.
The PMAG 21 GL9, Magpul’s 21 round capacity magazine for double stack Glocks chambered in 9mm, is now available. These magazines are designed to fit within the 140mm competition magazine requirements found in USPSA competition. Check them out at Magpul.com.
