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Archive | 2019

Complete Pork Sword Pistols Now Available from Black Collar Arms

By on September 18, 2019 in Guns

Austin, TX (September 17, 2019) — Earlier this year Black Collar Arms brought AR-like modularity and build-it-at-home fun to the bolt action market with our extremely lightweight (13.6 ounces!) and minimalist Pork Sword Chassis and with our Build Kits.

Now, in response to customer demand, we are happy to announce Complete Pork Sword Pistols starting at just $899.99! These turn-key, custom pistol builds are available standard in either 300 Blackout or .308 Winchester and ship straight to your FFL for transfer.

Our first 100 pistols are an individually numbered, limited series! “First Run x/100” will be engraved on your action. (Requests for specific numbers are on a first come, first served basis).

Each Pork Sword Pistol is built to order. Use our custom configurator to spec yours out exactly as you want. Choose from different length barrels and FARends and from various triggers, grips, pistol braces, optics, custom finishes, and more.

Complete Pork Sword Pistol Specifications:

  • Action: Remington 700 short action
  • Barrel: KAK industries 300 BLK and .308 Remage style barrels, 6.5 to 12.5 inches in length, all threaded 5/8×24
  • Chassis: Black Collar Arms Pork Sword Chassis. Domestic 7075-T651 aluminum, Mil-Spec Hardcoat Type III Anodized, 13.6 ounces, made in Texas
  • FARend: choose between 8-inch and 12-inch Tri-LOK FARend
  • Other: choose from various custom finishes, engravings, triggers, AR15 pistol grips, angled forward grips, bipods, pistol braces, magazines, optics mounts, optics, etc. Or, bring your own to the mix.

Why a Bolt Action Pistol?

  • Handy size and lighter weight without the expense, complication, or restrictions of a short barreled rifle (SBR)
  • Very quiet for the shooter when suppressed compared to a semi-auto
  • Hunting-related restrictions on loaded rifles in vehicles do not apply to handguns
  • Enjoy additional and/or extended hunting season dates in some states
  • Just as accurate as a bolt action rifle. In many cases improved barrel stiffness can increase accuracy and reduce head-related point of impact shift. 185 grain Federal Gold Medal Berger Juggernaut .308 stays supersonic to about 930 yards from a 10.0-inch barrel (muzzle velocity about 2,175 fps).
  • Simplified ownership and legality in restrictive states and localities compared to semi-auto rifles or handguns
  • It’s freaking cool!
  • It’s freaking fun! No joke, these are so incredibly fun to shoot. Pull your Pork Sword Pistol out of your backpack, unfold that SB Tactical FS1913 brace, plop down on the bipod, and make accurate hits to 800 yards from a 10.5-inch pistol? Yes, please.

Looking for a different chambering or a different finish, optic, trigger, action (including LH options), etc? A single-shot variant for certain states? Email us for a custom quote.

Note: Your Pork Sword Pistol is a handgun / pistol (not a rifle / long gun) and will transfer as such. Make sure you know your state’s laws regarding manual action handguns, magazine capacity restrictions, approved firearm rosters, etc. before ordering. Must be 21+ to purchase.

More questions, feedback, concerns, or naughty pics to share? Email our boy Jeeves at manservant@blackcollararms.com or find us on Instagram, Facebook, and www.BlackCollarArms.com

Mission Spec Price Reduction on Two Items

By on September 17, 2019 in Tactical Gear

Mission Spec announces two permanent product price reductions effective immediately.

  • The FidoHold™ dog collar end user cost has been reduced to $13 shipped (CONUS). No design changes. Still available in all the great camo patterns that it was before.
  • The MeFak™ (Mission Essential First Aid Kit) price to the end user has been reduced to $64 shipped (CONUS). No design changes have been made.

The reasoning for the price reduction is that Mission Spec has developed new and more efficient production methods which has decreased the production time for both items. As time equals money Mission Spec has decided to pass the savings onto the customer.

Items are still 100% designed, tested, and manufactured in the United States with Berry Compliant materials.

Dealers: The dealer/wholesale prices of these items have also decreased. Dealers who have purchased either item in the past 4 weeks may contact Mission Spec for account credit.

www.MissionSpec.com

B.E. MEYERS & CO. ANNOUNCES MAWL-X1 – NEW DOD MAWL VARIANT

By on September 17, 2019 in Other

MAWL®-X1

September 16, 2019 (Redmond, WA) – B.E. Meyers & Co., Inc. is proud to announce the addition of MAWL®-X1, a United States Department of Defense specific variant of the company’s highly successful MAWL® (Modular Advanced Weapon Laser) line of high-powered aiming and illumination laser systems for individual and crew-served weapons.

In 2017 B.E. Meyers & Co. submitted a Flat Dark Earth, Near-Infrared / Visible MAWL® featuring the EC2 threaded Endcap to the Soldier Enhancement Program (SEP) via the U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence, known as the MAWL®-X1. Following submission, PdM-SPTD procured it for Limited User Evaluations, which were conducted by various Combat Arms including units within the 82nd Airborne Division, 173rd Airborne Brigade, and the 2nd Infantry Division, among others. Approximately 766 MAWL®-X1 units have been fielded since 2018.

True Modularity

The MAWL®-X1 is a truly modular design comprised of three separate Head, Body, and End-Cap components, which allows it to be sustainable at a supply chain level. As an ambidextrous system, it can easily be configured for either right or left-handed shooters. 

The “Alt Mount” Body allows for increased versatility across multiple weapon platforms, including the M4/M16, M27, M249, M240G, and precision rifles.


Superior Ergonomics

As with all MAWL® variants, the MAWL®-X1 is designed for intuitive operation: in the dark, under stress, and with gloves on. Featuring a simple switch mechanism with finely balanced power and divergence presets, the MAWL®-X1 allows for target transitions from close to long range in under a second.

Unparalleled Range and Clarity

B.E. Meyers and Co.’s optimized VCSEL technology delivers vastly increased performance, beam quality, beam clarity, and efficiency to the end-user. The MAWL®-X1 features balanced and stacked beams to increase situational awareness and overcome photonic barriers created by external light sources.

MAWL-X1

For more information on procuring the MAWL®-X1 please contact info@bemeyers.com.

About B.E. Meyers & Co., Inc. 

B.E. Meyers & Co. Inc. is an ISO 9001:2015 certified Small Business located in Redmond, Washington, with all products made in the USA.

Shield Arms Opens Preorders for S15 Magazines – 15 Round Magazine for the Glock 43X and 48

By on September 17, 2019 in EDC, Guns

If the idea of a Glock 43X or 48 with 15 round capacity is exciting to you, you likely remember our previous post on the Shield Arms S15 Magazines. It has been a while since news of the magazines first got out but it appears their release is now closer than ever. Shield Arms has opened preorders for the magazines.

The S15 Magazines have a capacity of 15 rounds and they fit flush in Glock 43X and 48 handguns. We also now know that will require (or at least strongly recommend) the use of an aluminum mag catch which is also available from Shield Arms.

The S15 magazines will cost $40 each and Shield Arms is offering a number of packages that include multiple mags and/or mag catches that will save a few bucks. Magazines are expected to begin shipping in October.

ShieldArms.com

On Foot, Off Grid: Suntactics sCharger-14

By on September 16, 2019 in On Foot, Off Grid, Outdoor Gear, Preparedness, Reviews, Survival

I’ll just say up front that this sCharger-14 is easily the best portable solar charger that I have used and then I’ll spend the rest of this article telling you why. The bottom line is that the quality is excellent, they are assembled and supported here in the USA, and they have a feature that is an absolute game-changer (more on this later).

sCharger-14 Specifications:

  • Output: 2800mA, 5.1V, 14Watts
  • Circuitry: 2-USB Ports, Patented Auto-Retry (Auto-Reset)
  • Weight: ~21oz (596 Grams)
  • Water Resistant: 40 Feet, Corrosion Resistant, IPX7 Rated
  • Dimensions: 11.6″ x 7.25″ x .25″in (closed) / 11.6″ x 14.5″ x .125″ in (open)
  • Solar Cell Efficiency: ~20%, Mono-Crystalline
Suntactics sCharger-14 (upper right) shown with another panel during testing. There will be a review available on the other panel soon.

Observations from Use

To understand what makes the Suntactics panels so great, it helps to have some context for the state of the solar charger market and some experience with the challenges of solar charging devices in the field. I’ll try to provide that context before explaining how Suntactics addresses both.

Regarding the state of the market – It only takes a quick search on Amazon to see solar chargers from a variety of names you don’t recognize and a few that you might. Many of these brands are based in China and appear to exist solely for the purpose of selling inexpensive electronics on Amazon. In my experience, their quality is often dubious and their specifications aren’t trustworthy.

Suntactics, however, has been making excellent portable solar panels since 2009 and their panels have been very well vetted by several demanding user groups including the through-hiking community and military personnel They work. Their panels have no moving parts. They are laminated in such a way that they submersible and they shrug off poor weather conditions. I have used a USB voltmeter to verify their output claims and this panel will often deliver a charge in conditions where my other panel gives up the ghost which speaks to its efficiency. On top of that, their electronic design is superior to anything I have tried… which brings us to the game-changing feature.

Regarding the challenges of solar charging in the field – You may be aware of the fact that the sun’s position in the sky changes throughout the day. You may also be aware that things occlude the sun, like clouds, exist in significant numbers. What you may not know is that many devices like battery chargers and cell phones just aren’t built to handle the realities of solar charging and the voltage changes that come with it.

In many cases, a cloud passing in front of your solar panel will cause the output of the panel to drop which induces a charge error and the device stops charging. Many cell phones are also a little picky about their charge level and will simply not adjust as the panel output changes with the solar conditions. This can lead to more charge errors or slower charging than is necessary. Basically, all of this means you have to babysit your solar charger at all times so that you can unplug and replace the USB device as necessary to reset any potential charge errors.

All Suntactics panels have a feature that addresses this issue very elegantly. They call it “Auto-Retry” and it basically means that the panel automatically restarts the charge every 5 minutes. It is as if you are standing there unplugging the device and then plugging it back in every 5 minutes. You can leave Suntactics panels unattended with the peace of mind that comes with knowing that charge errors will be dealt with automatically. It’s basically magic.

This photo was taken during testing to illustrate some very challenging conditions. See the next image for actual multimeter readings during these conditions.
In this real-world test, the sCharger-14 was still putting out 4.59 volts at .44 amps with the sun occluded by clouds. The other panel tested during this time was producing charge errors.

I originally purchased my sCharger-14 as more of a preparedness item than a backcountry item. It is the largest panel that Suntactics makes in the sCharger line but I still find it to be quite portable and lightweight compared to many panels so it has seen time in the mountains. That said, I would like to pick up one of their smaller and lighter panels eventually for backcountry use with my preferred power banks (see previous article regarding power banks).

I’ve done things like charge 2 cell phones at once (though only one USB socket will have the Auto-Retry feature). I have charged 18650 batteries in the field at 2 amps (the panel will do it if the charger and solar conditions allow)! I can’t do either of those with the other chargers I have tried. I should also note that this particular panel tops off my battery banks relatively quickly which I appreciate.

Wrap Up

I am not an electrical engineer so I likely won’t dive that much deeper into the stats or tech for this panel. I’m just a guy who has spent too much time screwing with other solar chargers before stumbling on a brand that works. The Suntactics panels are efficient, exhibit great quality and efficiency, and that is all great but… What really sets these apart is that they have obviously been designed to address the challenges of solar use in the field.

Suntactics makes a number of sizes and configurations in the sCharger line. They seem to be made in batches and their website is kept up to date with only the particular panels that are available at that time. Suntactics.com

They also sell direct via Amazon with Prime shipping which is where I purchased my panel: Suntactics on Amazon.com.

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