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Author Archive | Matt

Apex Tactical Specialties J-Frame Kit

By on April 23, 2011 in Guns, Tactical Gear

I have to admit that I love J-Frame Smith & Wesson revolvers – especially the Airweights. They are just a great combination of ease of carry, conceal-ability, potency, and reliability. Some people have referred to them as the “expert’s gun” because their long, relatively heavy double action trigger and small sights with a short sight radius can make them challenging to shoot well.

Apex Tactical Specialties (ATS) is about to release a kit that should make the J-Frame trigger easier to manage. You may already know ATS for their S&W M&P trigger parts. They know how to make a good trigger great. Unlike some manufacturers, many of their trigger parts are geared toward tactical, duty, and self protection markets – not competition. These are rugged parts.

The new kit from ATS will yield a trigger pull of just over 9 pounds. My current S&W 442 measures out at a smooth but heavy 11 pounds. A 9 pound trigger that is still suitable for a gun that is relied on for self protection would be a welcome improvement.

The new kit is set to be released at the NRA show in Pittsburgh, PA on April 29th. I, for one, am really looking forward to seeing some more details and pricing.

Vicking Tactics Surefire Mini-L4

By on April 22, 2011 in Flashlights, Guns, Tactical Gear

Viking Tactics has teamed up with Surefire to produce well thought out lights before. Now they have come up with the VTAC Surefire Mini-L4.

Many of the lights that Surefire makes these days offer multiple levels of output. This can be a great option for a light that is going to see general use since it allows the user to tailor the amount of light to the task at hand. However, it is not necessarily best for a weapon light. When you turn on your weapon light, you want lots and lots of light… right now.

The VTAC Mini-L4 is a compact, single CR123 battery powered light that has one output level (110 lumens) and a focused beam that allows it to provide usable light at extended distances. When you turn it on, you get bright white light. There is no chance of accidentally entering a lower output mode.

The VTAC Mini-L4 is available by itself or as part of a package with the excellent VTAC Light Mount. The combo makes a great alternative to the Surefire M300 Scout.

The VTAC Surefire Mini-L4 is available on the VTAC website.

New and Improved RDK Carrier from Zulu Nylon Gear

By on April 21, 2011 in Survival, Tactical Gear, Tactics and Training

Zulu Nylon Gear continues to impress with the latest improvements to their blow out pouch, the RDK Carrier. This pouch is specifically designed to carry the RSKTKR Down Kit but it should work well with your own blow out kit.

The RDK Carrier has some really slick features that make it stand out. The most noticeable is the very large elastic loop on the face of the pouch that is used to secure a tourniquet (TQ) like the SOFTT. Few blow out pouches from other makers provide a place to lash a TQ, if there are any provisions at all. The RDK Carrier’s TQ carrier has a ton of surface area that should make carrying and accessing your TQ a snap.

Pouches designed to carry life saving medical gear cannot be a success unless they are very accessible. The RDK Carrier has an innovative pull tab that can be pulled to open the pouch with one hand. It can be folded down and secured with hook and loop when not in use. The bright color ensures that the pouch is visible and that someone else can easily identify your blow out pouch.

These are features that you won’t find on any other pouch. Joel at Zulu Nylon Gear continues to apply his eye for innovation to pieces of gear that were basically all alike from one maker to the next. What will he re-invent next?

Check out the RDK Carrier on the Zulu Nylon Gear website.

Heat Stippling Gear

By on April 20, 2011 in Tactical Handyman

I recently posted about heat stippling long guns and a few of my fellow Trigger Jerks expressed interest in seeing the gear that I use to stipple. My intention is not to get to deeply into how to stipple, but rather to show the gear that I use and share how you can make your own.

This stippling was accomplished using a modified wood burning bit.

When I first started stippling, I used a small pointed bit to apply a single dimple at a time. This method yielded decent results but it took a lot of time and I would often accidentally leave small areas untextured. It worked, but I was sure I could figure out a more efficient way of stippling.

This is the type of large diameter bit that can be modified.

The key, for me, was to find a wood burning kit with large diameter bits. These larger diameter bits can be modified into a tool that can lay down several dimples at a time, instead of just one. If you can’t find a kit with larger bits, you can use a brass screw that matches the thread pitch of your wood burning kit.

This is what the bit looks like after being ground down and cut with the cutting wheel.

I grind the bit flat using the sanding wheel on my Dremel rotary tool and then cut checkering in to its face using a Dremel cutting wheel. The brass bits are very soft and cut easily. The whole process takes less than 5 minutes.

The cuts don't have to be precise to give good results.

When you are done, you will have a stippling bit that covers a wider area and lays down several dimples at a time. It works best if you overlap each press and rotate it a quarter turn between presses. The result is very dense and consistent texture that takes a lot less time to apply.

Give it a try.

New Ruger SR1911

By on April 19, 2011 in Guns

Last week, photos of the new SR1911 were leaked. Ruger made the official announcement today. There is a new 1911 on the market.

The SR1911 seems to be pretty standard fare for a 1911 these days. It has many of the features that were once custom additions but now are fairly common (Novak 3-dot sights, skeletonized trigger, skeletonized hammer, extended thumb safety, beavertail grip safety, etc). It will be interesting to see the initial reviews on the SR1911 to how well these parts are fit to the handgun.

One of the more interesting features is that the plunger tube is integral to the frame which will alleviate the worry of it coming unstaked. This is a nice feature since many 1911 grips on the market are poorly fit for supporting the plunger tube. It should also be noted that this is a series 70 1911 which many shooters prefer. Ruger also chose to use a standard recoil spring plug and bushing which is, in my opinion, a better choice than the full length guide rods that are found on so many 1911s these days.

Ruger does have some previous experience with 1911s. Their investment casting company, Pine Tree Castings, has provided castings to Caspian Arms. We will have to wait an see how much, if at all, that experience translates to a reliable 1911.

These have an MSRP of $799. That could place the street price in the low $600 range. If Ruger can deliver a reliable 1911 for around $600 it will certainly make things interesting.

You can check out the SR1911 on Ruger’s website.

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