Archive | Guns

The Troy Industries TRX Extreme Rails took the AR-15 world by storm thanks to their combination of light weight, features, and price. However, users quickly found that the holes in the rail could start to feel like a cheese grater after a few long days of shooting. Many shooters started coming up with their own home-brew solutions because it seemed that Troy was not going to offer an off-the-shelf solution. Then, at the 2012 SHOT Show, Troy introduced the Squid Grips and TRX Extreme users everywhere clamored for their release. The Squid Grips are finally hitting dealer shelves and are available for order directly from Troy.

Squid Grips are a line of rubber “tubes” that fit into the holes on the TRX Extreme rails and cover the edges with hand saving rubber. They look somewhat like the suction cups on a squid’s tentacles – hence the name. They really look like a tremendous solution for those who find the Troy rails to be a bit hard on the hands or for those who just want to further enhance their grip on the rail.

The Squid Grips are available in Flat Dark Earth and Black (Black is only available from Troy dealers).

I prefer the rear sling mount for a 2-point sling on my AR-15 to be as close to the rear of the receiver as possible. This usually involves replacing the end plate with one that is designed to mount a sling. However, there are times when the end plate is difficult to remove (or you are not permitted to remove it) and a bolt-on approach is preferred. A number of options exist for those times that a bolt-on solution is needed, but I have never seen one quite as compact and streamlined as the Mission Adapted Design (MAD) Hook Up.

The MAD Hook Up is a sling mount that clamps onto the receiver extension (buffer tube) on the rear of the lower receiver. Its trim design keeps it out of the way of your hands when manipulating the charging handle and allows for the use of a number of different attachment methods like HK style snap hooks, ITW MASH Hooks, and threading the sling directly to the MAD Hook Up. The designers took care to break the sharp edges so that the MAD Hook Up would not chew slings to bits.

If you haven’t tried a 2-point sling mounted in this location, I strongly encourage you to experiment with it. It allows a tremendous range of motion and smoother transitions from shoulder to shoulder. Of course, the MAD Hook Up can also be used for single point slings. Check out the MAD Hook Up at MissionAdaptedDesign.com.

The new Interstate Firearms Training Chameleon Sling is one of the first truly unique “tactical” slings to hit the market in quite some time. The name “Chameleon” comes from its ability to easily adapt from a stand-along single point sling to a vest mounted sling.

The Chameleon utilizes 2 carabiner-like gate-hooks that allow it to be attached to a section of strap for single point use or attached directly to the MOLLE webbing on your plate carrier when you need to vest mount the sling. The body of the sling is constructed from stretchy material that is covered with mil-spec tubular webbing and there is a small stub that attached to the rifle. The stub is attached to the body of the sling via a large ring that allows the stub to slide freely along the body of the sling. The result is a sling that allows the plate carrier take all of the weight of the rifle and that allows easy transitions from shoulder to shoulder.

The Chameleon was designed by an 11 year veteran of the Coast Guard (8 of which were spent with the Deployable Operations Group) so it isn’t surprising that care was taken to be sure that the Chameleon worked well with releasable plate carriers. Typical slings wrap around the carrier and can prevent it from releasing correctly or completely.

These slings are being constructed by Jones Tactical for Interstate Firearms Training so you know they are going to be made right. They will be available in black, tan, MARPAT brown, OD green and foliage green. Contact matthew.r.fennell@gmail.com or head to the Interstate Firearms Training Facebook page to order.

JTT has one of the Interstate Firearms Training Chameleon Slings inbound for review, so stay tuned.

Daniel Defense has a handful of new muzzle devices on the market. One of them is the Superior Suppression Device which claims to reduce both muzzle rise and flash. This has become a sort of golden age for muzzle devices. There are more and more devices out there that serve to reduce flash and muzzle rise.

The Superior Suppression Device does not need to be timed which should make installation a breeze. Interestingly, it is made from stainless steel (17-4 stainless) and given a salt bath nitride finish. You don’t see many flash suppressors made from stainless steel. It is available in regular and extended length for those who want to have it pinned to bring a 14.5″ barrel to 16″ in length.

The Daniel Defense Superior Suppression Device is available from Brownells.com.