V SEVEN has updated their Titanium Gas Block. The new style is lighter than the previous version with both versions (.625″ and .750″) weighing in at 20 grams or less. That is almost half what most steel gas block weigh according to V SEVEN.
Archive | Guns
Now Available: Griffin Armament AR-15 Furniture
Griffin Armament’s line of AR-15 furniture is now available for purchase and is shipping. The line includes a Rail Shields, Extreme Condition Stock, and A3 Grip. All items are available in Black, FDE, Grey, and OD Green. I have had hands on all of these items though not for long.
The Rail Shields are M-LOK compatible “rail” covers that come in a set of four panels – 1 bottom panel with integral handstop, 1 alternate flat bottom panel, and 2 contoured side panels. All the panels feature a deep grid texture that enhances grip and looks pretty darn nice. This texture is also used on the A3 Grip.
The A3 Grip is going to be a hit. You can think of it as an improved version of the A2 grip with an overall shape that looks similar to the A2. Griffin Armament has removed the finger groove, made the grip angle more vertical (though not as drastically as some grips), and added their grid pattern texture. This is a very nice grip, especially for the price.
The Extreme Condition Stock (ECS) is competitively priced and offers a few unique features. Griffin Armament uses a massive stainless steel pin to lock the stock in place rather than the more common threaded pin. They also use stainless steel springs.
The adjustment lever design is very clever. If you depress it as you would any other stock of this type, it allows you to adjust it for length of pull. The end of the lever is split and the body of the stock itself prevents you from moving the lever any further than what is necessary to adjust it. In order to install or remove the stock, you have to squeeze the lever closer to the pivot. This allows it to travel further and provide the clearance necessary for the pin to go onto or come off of the back of the receiver extension. It is very easy to use.
The ECS has plenty of holes in the firm rubber butt plate and below the receiver extension channel that allow water to drain out should the rifle end up in the drink. This is designed for use with the Griffin Armament’s Maritime Receiver Extension which has holes that mate with the holes in the stock to allow water to drain freely from the rifle.
The rotation limited sling mounting socket on the ECS is extremely clever and unique as far as I can tell. Picture a washer molded into polymer and you have the idea. The QD sling swivel stud goes into the hole at the center and rotation is prevented by impressions molded in the stock. It doesn’t rotate at all. This set up is extremely lightweight, very simple, and seemingly very robust. I tested it with standard QD swivels, ALG Defense forged swivels, and the Blue Force Gear RED. All worked as intended.
Not only is the cost competitive, but the weight is too. It comes in at around 8.5 ounces.
Gunstruction: February 2016 User’s Choice Build
Gunstruction has released the February 2016 User’s Choice Build and, as usual, it’s an interesting one. If you aren’t familiar with the User’s Choice Build, it is a virtual AR-5 built from the most popular parts from the previous month in each category of Gunstruction’s virtual AR building inventory. Basically, these are the parts that Gunstruction users chose most frequently for their builds.
As you can see, Gunstruction users chose the EOTech XPS3-0 most frequently from the optics category. In fact, EOTech has been the optic of choice going all the way back to September 2015 (August 2015 was a Trijicon ACOG). This has happened in spite of the very public issues with EOTech sights. There is often a disconnect between the firearm related media and the firearm related consumer. That appears to be the case here.
It’s also interesting that this build is nearly identical to the January User’s Choice Build which has never happened in the time I have been tracking these builds.
Review: Suarez International Combat Magazine Guide
I have been using the Suarez International (SI) Combat Magazine Guide for almost 1 year now on one of my Generation 3 Glock 19s and I like it quite a bit. It may seem strange to use a magwell on a carry gun to some but I may have some unique perspective for those who think that way.
Overview
The Combat Magazine Guide is a drop-in magazine well enhancement that is available for a number of different Glock models. It is machined from “aircraft grade” aluminum and hard anodized. Installation is easy and similar to every other magwell that I have ever used.
Observations
I will say up front that the marketing for the Combat Magazine Guide is a bit over the top. I have come to expect that from SI but I have also come to expect that the quality and function of the product will be very good at a reasonable price. That has been true for this and all the other Glock parts I have used from them.
SI states in their marketing materials that the Combat Magazine Guide gives a 3% edge is reload speed. I have never really found that to be the case with ANY magazine well intended for use with double stack magazines. I have generally found that reloads are more forgiving of not-so-perfect technique but, averaged out over several reloads, not necessarily faster.
At this point, you may be wondering why I still like magwells on Glocks if I haven’t really found them to be faster. Most people have a pretty narrow view of what a magwell does. I don’t discount their ability to clean up a slight miss during a reload and their potential to speed some reloads but I see them as a grip enhancer as much as a reload enhancer.
The grip enhancing aspects of a well designed magwell are especially apparent on short gripped handguns like the Glock 19. My hands are wide enough that they can cause two issues (I usually wear a medium or, occasionally, a large glove so we aren’t talking about especially meaty hands here). The first is that magazine may fail to drop free due to contact with the meat of my palm. The second (and more painful issue) is that the meat of my palm can be pinched between the Glock frame and magazine base plate. This can cause a painful blood blister which is less than pleasant when you are part way through a long training session. The Combat Magazine Guide prevents this from happening by effectively holding back the meat of my palm.
Additionally, the wedge shape of the Combat Magazine Guide serves to drive the hand higher on the gun and lock it in against the beaver tail area at the back of the grip. The shape at the front of the Combat Magazine Guide creates a sort of shelf that drives your finger high into the trigger guard. It really helps lock your grip into place.
The design of the Combat Magazine Guide doesn’t really alter the concealability of the Glock 19. It fits so close to the Glock frame that base plate of your magazine is still the longest part of the gun. This is key for three reasons. One, it is the butt of the gun that has the biggest effect on concealment. Two, you can still get finger tips on the baseplate for malfunction clearances. Three, it works with a wider variety of aftermarket baseplates than magazine wells that encompass more of the baseplate.
Wrap Up
Is the marketing for this item over the top? Yes. However, I think SI is actually selling themselves short with the “3% edge in speed” claim. Speed is quantifiable but it is harder to quantify how well the Combat Magazine Guide works to enhance the grip. It is well shaped and thoughtfully designed in a broader context beyond just speeding reloads.
Check out the Combat Magazine Guide at Suarez International.
Disclosure: The Combat Magazine Guide was provided to me for review, free of charge, by a marketing professional for SI.
DSA Inc. Titanium AR-15 Parts
DSA Inc. has introduced a series of affordable, lightweight titanium AR-15 small parts. The selection Ti-6Al-4V parts include an A2 style flash hider, extended A2 flash hider, castle nut, trigger and hammer spring set, and take down pins.