Author Archive | Matt

The CSAT Rear Sight for the AR family of weapons is a concept born from the mind of Paul Howe of Combat Shooting and Tactics (CSAT). It adds a sighting notch above the small aperture of a same plane A2 sight. This notch serves as an aiming reference that compensates for mechanical offset for closer shots where speed is of the essence. It is a more formalized approach to the technique of holding the front sight above the aperture for closer shots.

Until recently, this sight was only available for sights that used the A2 aperture which left most folding back up iron sights out in the cold. Now XS Sight Systems makes a version that will work with the premier folding sight on the market – the Troy Folding Battle Sight. It should also work on the newer Troy Fixed Battle Sights as well.

You can learn more about the CSAT sights at the XS Sight Systems website.

I recently reported that many shooters are finding the Lone Wolf Extractors to be a fix for the reliability problems with late Generation 3 and Generation 4 Glocks chambered in 9mm. Reports have also been very encouraging for a product from White Sound Defense called the H.R.E.D. or High Reliability Extractor Depressor.

The H.R.E.D. is basically a complete redesign of the stock extractor depressor plunger. The extractor depressor plunger works to keep tension on the extractor so that it can maintain a grip on the rim of the chambered cartridge. If consistent tension cannot be maintained in any and all conditions, then the pistol in question can suffer inconsistent extraction which may lead to reliability problems.

White Sound Defense tweaked the materials, orientation, size, geometry, mass, and mass distribution of the system in order to provide consistent grip on the cartridge over a longer period of time which should equal more reliable extraction. While all of that may not make much sense, you will notice at least some of the differences between the H.R.E.D. and the factory parts immediately. For instance, the H.R.E.D. is installed the opposite way that you might expect based on the factory parts. The shorter part of the H.R.E.D. is toward the muzzle unlike factory parts where the shorter part is installed toward the rear of the gun. It is also immediately noticeable that the H.R.E.D. is made from stainless steel instead of plastic.

The bottom line is that there are people with thousands of rounds on these units that are seeing reliable extraction in Glocks that displayed extraction issues from the factory. I hope that it can do the same for me. I have a Generation 3 RTF2 Glock 17 that has been completely reliable but does show signs of inconsistent extraction. It will kick one case out over my right shoulder as it should and lay the next one right onto my forearm by my wrist. I plan on installing the H.R.E.D. in this gun to see if it makes ejection more consistent and I will let you all know how it works out.

You can read a much more technical explanation of how the H.R.E.D. works on the White Sound Defense website.