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Author Archive | Matt

Ruger SR556E and BX-25

By on April 30, 2011 in Uncategorized

Ruger always holds a few announcements for the annual NRA Show. They intended to make three big announcements this year but the SR1911 was leaked early which left only two: SR556E and the BX-25.

The SR556E is a new version of Ruger’s SR556 Autoloading Rifle. It is an AR-15 with an adjustable piston operating system. The SR556E features a new Troy rail option. It also lacks the back up iron sights and Hogue grip that come standard on the standard SR556. This gives the SR556E a lower price and the user will have more latitude to choose their own accessories. Sadly, the hammer forged barrel still has 1 in 9″ twist (instead of 1 in 7″) and, even with a lighter rail, it is still relatively heavy due to the piston system.

The BX-25 magazine for the 10/22 is going to be a huge hit. It is a 25 round extended magazine that has some very nice features. it can be disassembled for cleaning by removing only two screws and it is designed to feed the .22LR cartridges at the proper 30 degree angle which should aid reliability. If it is anywhere near as reliable as the venerable BX-1 10 round rotary magazines, it will be a must have for those who use their 10/22s as a carbine training supplement.

Midwest Industries #17 Drop In Handguard Gen. 2

By on April 29, 2011 in Guns, Tactical Gear

When it comes to fighting carbines, less weight is better than more weight. When it comes to wallets, more full is better than less full. The new Midwest Industries Generation 2 #17 Drop In Handguard can help you make sure your carbine stays light and your wallet stays full.

The biggest draws with this handguard are that it is light in weight and low in price. That is a pretty good combination. It is available in carbine and midlength lengths and weighs in at only 7.5oz and 9.7oz respectively. That is less weight that the standard plastic handguards with heat shields! That is really impressive for a handguard that retails under $140.

On top of low price and light weight, these handguards also feature 4 anti-rotation push button QD sling swivel receptacles, 4 “T” marked rails, a “monolithic” top rail, hard anodized 6061 aluminum construction, and they are made in the USA. I had a Gen. 1 #17 Handguard and they exhibited excellent lock-up. I have heard that these lock up even better than the originals.

Installation is a snap. They simply install in the exact same manner as standard plastic handguards.

Check out the new Gen. 2 #17 Drop In Handguards on Midwest Industries’ website.

Boker Plus CLB MICROCOM

By on April 28, 2011 in EDC, Knives

Knife users everywhere should be thankful that the Boker Plus brand has given Chad Los Banos (CLB) a venue to show his knife design prowess. The collaboration of CLB and Boker Plus has resulted in several excellent high value knives, and the new MICROCOM seems to be more of the same.

CLB has stated that the MICROCOM is an homage to Fred Perrin. It is very easy to see the influence. Like many Perrin designs, the MICROCOM features compact dimensions, a chisel ground edge, and a deep finger groove to maximize retention. The Perrin influence is certainly visible if you read between the lines, but even a cursory glance leaves little doubt that this is a CLB design.

The MICROCOM is ground from 440C steel. It features a compact 2″ blade and a 4″ overall length. The scales are skeletonized G10 with a checkered texture. It comes with a Kydex sheath that is set up for neck carry but could easily be adapted to other methods of carry.

This would make a phenomenal EDC fixed blade and last ditch defensive tool. The price is excellent considering all of the the features. I have seen these at various sellers for around $20.

You can read more about the MICROCOM and other CLB designs at the Boker website.

Remington 700 SPS Tactical AAC-SD

By on April 27, 2011 in Guns

The Remington 700 SPS Tactical AAC-SD is an extremely attractive rifle package. Remington and AAC have teamed up to bring this suppressor ready, tactical precision rifle to market. This particular Model 700 brings some serious value to the table. The MSRP is only $780 (the street price is lower) and you get a ton of great features for that $780.

The rifle comes with a Hogue Overmolded Ghillie Green aluminum pillar bedded stock. It also comes with Remington’s X-Mark Pro adjustable trigger (preset at 3.5#). The heart of the AAC-SD package is the 5/8-24 threaded 20″ barrel. It is ready for you to drop your AAC suppressor on and hit the range.

This would be a great starter rifle for those who want to get into long distance shooting.

You can check out the Remington 700 SPS Tactical AAC-SD in more detail at the Remington website.

Bulgarian Krinkov Handguard from Midwest Industries

By on April 26, 2011 in Guns

If you have a “Krink”, then you will be delighted to hear that there is a new railed handguard option available to you. The Bulgarian Krinkov Handguard from Midwest Industries (MI-AK-K) is very similar to their excellent MI-AK handguard for the AK47/74 but it is sized to fit the smaller Krink.

The MI-AK-K is made in the USA from 6061 aluminum and then finished with durable hard coat anodization. It features 4 “T” marked rails for adding accessories like a sling mount or weapon light. It only weighs 9.5 ounces which is impressively light and it installs easily using wrenches that MI includes with the handguard.

It will be interesting to see if MI comes out with a replacement top cover like they and US-Palm did with the MI-AK rail. The MI/US-Palm top cover allows for low mounting several different kinds of compact red dot optics. The mount is low enough that the iron sights can co-witness through the optic. The top cover that comes with the MI Krinkov Handguard is suitable for mounting an optic but it may not allow co-witnessing due to the height.

This looks like another solid, reasonably priced handguard rail option from MI.

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