Click Here and Count’em if you can!
Check the above post on Gear Scout. Multicam certainly works in Afghanistan!
Author Archive | Matt
AAC Brakeout – AAC's New Flash Suppressor/Compensator
AAC is bringing a new flash suppressing compensator to market called the Brakeout. It is based on the successful and very effective Blackout flash suppressor line. The Blackout is probably the most effective flash suppressor on the market today. It will be interesting to see how much of that effectiveness the Brakeout retains. If it can suppress flash nearly as well as the Blackout and add some muzzle rise compensation it will be truly impressive.
Flash suppressing compensators are starting to fill the market. I own and use two PWS FSC556 flash suppressing compensators and they really do work. They reduce muzzle flip noticeably – which is saying something on the already mild muzzle flip of the 5.56. It also suppresses flash just as well as an A2 flash suppressor. The FSC556 and devices like it can give an already good shooter a needed advantage by decreasing the time needed to realign the sights between shots.
This type of performance does not come without costs. They increase (or at least redirect) the noise that comes from the muzzle while shooting. This extra noise may not be apparent to the shooter who is behind the rifle (as is the case with the FSC556) but it may be painfully obvious to those to the sides of the shooter. The extra (or redirected) noise will also become apparent when shooting indoors. Shooters who will be using these devices in team settings or on home defense guns should take note. The muzzle blast from these devices can also cause debris to be stirred up and rained down on the shooter when using non-standard shooting positions like roll over/urban prone. Any shooter who is considering one of these devices should educate themselves on the down sides before purchasing.
It should also be noted that these will not make marginal shooters into good shooters. If you do not apply the fundamentals of stance to control recoil, you will see little to no gains from these devices. While they do compensate for muzzle rise, they do not compensate for training, practice, or skill.
The sounds suppressor mount version of the AAC Brakeout is available for purchase now from AAC. I believe that eventually there will be a version without the suppressor mount.
More Thoughts on the US Palm AK Magazines
I have had few questions on whether the new US Palm AK magazines that I covered recently are worth the $29.95 asking price, especially when surplus steel mags tend to costs $10-20. They really don’t cost anymore than the European manufactured plastic mags on the market. Only the person buying the magazines can say whether or not they worth the price. I can say that I believe certain aspects of this mag are better than steel mags. And when something is better, it usually costs more.
- The design is better – The ridges and waffle pattern give good grip when manipulating a magazine. The body of the mag is essentially fused into one piece (no more loose base plates that spit your rounds all over the floor at the range – yes, I have seen it happen).
- The materials are better – Polymer is better than steel for this application. Steel bends on impact and the mag stops working. Polymer bounces back or maybe cracks but the mag will likely continue to work even when cracked. It is also lighter in weight. The days of worrying about polymer magazines are long gone. You WANT plastic mags in many cases. Stop resisting the inevitable!
- The follower is better – The follower is a low friction design. This sort of thing revolutionized AR mags.
- The weight is better – Like I said above, they are lighter. This is a big deal. This just in… AK mags are heavy!
- The spring is better – These mags use a chromium-silicon spring which is rated for 100,000 cycles. Steel mags use whatever springs the communist government that made the mags could get that day (maybe).
- The manufacturer is better – These are made in the US by a top tier maker. They will take care of you if you have an issue.
With all that said, I can definitely understand those who want to wait and see. There is definitely something to be said for not being an early adopter. The prices may come down and, more importantly, any bugs will be worked out if you wait to purchase these. We still do not have any real world accounts of usage on these things (no, “I went to the range and slow fired 30 rounds. These mags are awesome!” does not count).
This whole thing reminds me of when the PMAG first came out. You had people who wouldn’t trust any plastic mag and those who wouldn’t pay $15-17 when aluminum mags could be purchased for $10.
I am not in a hurry to buy any of these right now, but my AK is really just a toy. If the AK was my primary weapon, I would be taking a good hard look at these new mags.
Buffer Tubes Remixed
PWS Enhanced Buffer Tube – This is PWS’s new buffer tube for Ar-15 pattern rifles. It is interesting to me for a number of reasons.
- There is no castle nut to come loose. Very few manufacturers or home builders take the time to properly stake the castle nut which can lead to problems if the nut loosens. This design does away with the castle nut completely.
- It is potentially a more durable design. I have heard some people say that the buffer tube can be knocked out of alignment or broken at the place where it threads into the receiver. I have never seen it happen myself. PWS claims that the one piece design and manufacture of this tube will make it stronger.
- It provides a sling attachment point near the rear of the lower receiver which is my preferred place to mount a sling (2 point).
- It claims to reduce felt recoil by 10%. I am not sure that most shooters would notice that or be able to take advantage of it but any advantage is a good advantage.
- The design of the tube can actually help counteract carrier tilt. This may be big news for you guys running piston uppers since carrier tilt is a systemic problem that plagues piston ARs.
At first glance the price seems a little steep. However, if you consider that true mil-spec buffer tubes (not just mil-spec diameter) are not cheap and that a similar sling attachment point would cost extra, it becomes a little more reasonable (but still steep). I will be interested to see if these take off. Whether it is worth the price will be up to you.
NovaTac 120T Review
Why Carry a Light?
If you carry a gun regularly, you should also carry a light. Many shootings happen at night. You may even find yourself in a low-light situation during the day time if you are indoors. Colonel Cooper’s 4th Rule mandates that we are to be sure of our target and what is behind it before we pull the trigger. We must have a light in order to properly identify our target before we shoot.
A bright white light can also give you an advantage by disrupting your attacker’s dark adjusted vision. In some cases this may even temporarily blind your attacker (according to Surefire) – giving you needed fractions of seconds to respond swiftly and violently. Disrupting the night vision of your attacker alone is not a sufficient response to being attacked. You must be ready and willing to follow-up with overwhelming violent response.
Hopefully, we are in agreement that we should all be carrying a light (or two) along with our guns but that is the easy part. The hard part is choosing a light to carry. There are certainly no shortages of manufacturers who would be happy to supply you with a “tactical” light. Many of these manufacturers offer multiple lights. The options can seem limitless and overwhelming.
One of those manufacturers that would be happy to sell you a light is NovaTac. The brand is somewhat new but the people behind it are not new to the tactical light scene. They have used their experience and innovation to bring several lights to market. The one that we will focus on for this review is the 12oT.
NovaTac 120T
The NovaTac 120T is built from the ground up to be a compact tactical light. The specifications, construction materials, and ergonomics leave no question about that. This light is purpose-built.
Specs:
- 3 Brightness levels (120 lumens, 10 lumens, .3 lumens)
- Easily accessible disorienting strobe
- Extended tail cap button and grip ring (allows use of multiple flashlight and handgun control techniques)
- Momentary or click-on functionality
- Pocket clip
- Automatically compensates for weakening battery
- Runs on a single CR123A battery
- Waterproof to 66 feet
- 3.3″ long, 1″ in diameter, 3.1 oz
Materials:
- Aluminum body
- Steel bezel ring
- HAIII hard anodized finish
- Polycarbonate lens with anti-reflective coatings
- Steel pocket clip
Runtime:
- High: 30 Minutes
- Medium: 14 Hours
- Low: 240 Hours
More information can be found on the 120T spec sheet(PDF).
How Does it Work?
On paper it sounds somewhat complicated but in use it is actually very simple. The 120T has only one button. The user can access all functions from this button by using a series of clicks and/or presses. It helps if you understand the difference between clicks and presses. The user clicks by quickly depressing and releasing the button – like you would click a mouse button. The user presses by depressing and holding the button.
- Momentary – Press the button. The light will stay on high until you release the button. This is very natural and lends itself very well to short bursts of light while moving and “slicing the pie”.
- Constant or Click-on – Click the button. The light will stay on high until you click the button again.
- Medium – Starting from any high mode, click the button twice quickly. The light will stay on medium until you click the button again.
- Low – Starting from high or medium mode, click the button three times quickly. The light will stay on low until you click the button again. Any clicks from this mode will put the light back in high mode.
- Strobe – Press the button from any constant mode or click-press from off.
Notice that the light always comes on in high mode. This is good news. It means that no matter how you turn on the light, you will immediately have 120 retina searing lumens on tap. This feature is important in a tactical light versus a general use light that may come on in a more battery conservative low mode. The designers of the 120T correctly assume that tactical users would need the most light available at the very instant they turn on the light.
The medium and low modes make this light useful for general use as well. You probably won’t be holding an attacker at gunpoint every time you fire up your flashlight. You may just be trying to find a key or walking the dog. The medium and low modes are well-chosen and very useful. I especially appreciate that the low mode is truly low. It can be used without destroying your dark adjusted vision. The vast majority of lights miss the mark here because they are too busy chasing the biggest lumen numbers to actually make a useful light.
The light carries very well in a pocket using the included pocket clip. The light rides very deep in the pocket and seems very secure. The checkering on the body of the light is somewhat aggressive and may fray your pockets over time. It does, however, make for a very secure grip. A lanyard can be attached to the pocket clip.
The shape of the light lends itself to several handgun/light combination holds. Many people are familiar with the FBI flashlight technique, Harries technique, and the Surefire/Rogers technique. NovaTac promotes the Thorpe Technique which is specific to their lights. There is a thick o-ring provided with the 120T to aid in acquiring this grip. It is quite simple to use and indexes the light well. I suggest that you practice this technique before using it as you would any new technique.
Worth a Look
I am quite pleased with this light. I believe it offers an excellent set of features to law enforcement, military, and civilian users alike. If you are in the market for a feature rich but still easy to use light, be sure to check out the NovaTac line of lights.