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Review: TacPack October Edition

By on October 31, 2016 in Reviews

Hopefully you are familiar with the concept of TacPack by now. If not, you can read the reviews of the previous TacPacks for some background on this subscription box. I recently received the October TacPack. Here are the details…

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The October Box is solid in terms of value but the usefulness of some of the items may vary. This box contains a handful of items that retail higher than the fodder included in most subscription boxes so there are fewer items than you may find in a typical box but the quality is also better the most.

BreakThrough Clean Battle Born Grease – You can get by with just gun oil in most cases but grease is always good to have on hand. It stays put better on handgun slide rails, trigger engagement surfaces, and similar places that are hard to access or prone to leaking out all over you. This 12cc syringe makes application easy and could last you a few years in most cases. This is a solid inclusion.

Tactical Oatmeal Mag Carrier – This kydex magazine carrier is pretty slick. It is designed to accept a wide variety of belt hardware or MALICE clips (included). Additionally, it may be stacked with other Tactical Oatmeal Magazine Carriers in a variety of ways. The included MALICE clips will let you mount it on PALS webbing (though it can’t really be weaved) or your belt. I am not sure if this example is indicative of all Tactical Oatmeal products but while the design and molding is solid, the finish could use some work. The edges are left sharp and there is still bits of kydex left in the mounting holes. It isn’t pretty but it is functional.

Cittac EDC Beetle Buster – Cittac makes steel targets and very slick flat-pack target stands. They also make these little steel Beetle Busters. If you like knuck-like bottle openers or EDC tools, you’ll like this.

Trayvax Wallet – While I do not care to carry an exotic wallet, I can admit that this Traywax Wallet is pretty cool. It is actually of made thin steel with an adjustable strap to carry cards. It also has a place to stow a key and it blocks most RFID signals by nature of its steel construction. It’s very slim and I suspect it will last a long, long time.

Gang Bangers Anonymous Patch – Another patch for the patch wall!

Check out TacPack to get in line for the November box which TacPack is touting as the highest value yet.

Review: Multitasker Twist

By on October 10, 2016 in EDC, Guns, Preparedness, Reviews, Tactical Gear

My very first tool from Multitasker Tools was the Multitasker TUBE and I still use it to this day. It’s unique pen-like form factor and ease of carry have made it a staple of my range kit. The TUBE was eventually discontinued and there was no similar tool available until Multitasker released the Twist. Does the Twist fill the shoes of it’s predecessor, the TUBE? Let’s find out.

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Overview

The Twist is a pen shaped multitool that is machined from 6061 aluminum with a hard anodized finish. Many of its tools are useful in broad applications but the tool is specifically designed to aid in field weapon maintenance and cleaning.

The top cap of the Twist features two nibs for adjusting Aimpoint Micros. The top cap also features a heavy-duty steel clip that is not only the key to keeping the Twist handy but works as a flat blade driver for adjusting optics or other tasks. If all you had was the Twist’s top cap, you could adjust almost any modern optic!

There is a standard 1/4″ hex shank bit driver under the top cap. By default, this is loaded with a front sight adjustment tool but it can accept any standard 1/4″ hex shank bit. The Twist comes with a selection of bits in a rubber holder.

The bottom cap features a recessed 8-32 male thread that accepts Otis Cleaning Kit components or any of the three tools found under the bottom cap: a pin punch, a radial carbon scraper, or a dental pick.

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Observations from Use

The Twist makes a great first impression. The box that it comes in is very slick and you may actually want to hang onto it for storing your Twist when you aren’t using it.

The selection of tools on the Twist is more complete and more modern than those found on the TUBE. I especially like having the Aimpoint Micro turret adjuster accessible without having to open the tool. This makes for very quick and easy adjustments of the most common type of Aimpoint I own.

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My two favorite things about the TUBE are still intact in the Twist and I am very happy to see that. First, the standard 1/4″ hex bits are a necessity. If you have a tool that doesn’t use the standard size bits, ditch it. I like knowing that I can walk into any hardware store and buy the exact bit that I need so that I can customize my bit loadout to match the firearms I’ll be using on that day. I should also mention that the Twist is actually a very good driver unlike pliers format multitools which can be a little bit of a pain to use for this purpose.

My second favorite thing about this type of tool is the pen-like form factor. The shape and the included steel pocket clip mean you can stow this tool anywhere and it will be more accessible than any tool without a clip could be. I generally clip it in my pocket or into a single column of PALS webbing. This means I don’t have to dig in a pouch or pocket to find it. That is really nice when you are trying not to be that guy in a carbine course but you need to make a quick adjustment.

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All of the included tools work well. The dental pick is well shaped for fishing out cotter pins that you can’t quite get your finger tips on. The pin punch is useful for starting stubborn take-down pins or pushing pins on a Glock. The scraper is not quite as sharp or stout as the one on the TUBE but it works and it is more versatile. The front sight adjustment bit on the Twist appears to be more stout than the one on the TUBE and I appreciate that.

I believe that it is a very good idea for shooters to carry some kind of tool that is specific to their rifle in the context of training – especially paid training. If you can’t fix your gear and keep it running, you are wasting your own money and possibly the other student’s time. I strongly recommend the pliers format Multitasker tools for this application all the time. However, if you are on a tighter budget or already have a good multitool that serves you well, consider adding something like the Twist to your range kit. It has AR-15 specific tools that you will find handy in the context of a carbine course and a form factor that keeps it at your finger tips.

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Wrap Up

The biggest strengths of the Twist are its excellent bit driver and its form factor. It is always easy to reach for thanks to its shape and the clip. The standard bit driver lets you tailor the tool to your application. This really is a worthy successor to my beloved TUBE.

You can check out MultitaskerTools.com for more information about Multitasker Tools. The Twist is available from Brownells and other great retailers.

Disclosure: The Twist was provided to me by Multitasker Tools for review.

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Multitasker Twist (foreground) shown with my original Multitasker TUBE.

Review: Special 1404 Sling from Blue Force Gear

By on October 7, 2016 in Guns, Reviews, Tactical Gear

I have had the chance to use one of Blue Force Gear’s Special 1404 Sling since July of this year. As you may recall, this sling is somewhat expensive due to the nature of its small production run and the custom hardware it uses. Blue Force Gear was fully aware of the perceived cost of this sling so they offer it with 2 free QD swivels to help add value.

I don’t normally comment much on cost, choosing instead to let you make your own judgements on value. However, in this case, the cost is integral to the story of this sling and it will come up in the review.

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Overview

The Special 1404 Sling is very much like a regular Vickers Sling (VCAS) with a few changes. It has the soft touch webbing that you are used to from Blue Force Gear, the quick adjuster with contrasting pull tab, and the general bomb-proof quality you expect.

Most of the differences center around the use of 1.5″ webbing for the rear part of the sling instead of the standard 1.25″ webbing. This transition from 1.25″ webbing at the front of the sling, to 1.5″ webbing at the rear, requires a custom machined piece of hardware. In fact, every piece of hardware on this sling is machined from aluminum and hard anodized in a FDE-like color.

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Observations from Use

The idea with the Special 1404’s wider webbing is to spread out the weight of the rifle, making it more comfortable to wear over a longer period of time – sort of like a padded sling without the padding. It works to some extent but it is difficult to say how much. I used this sling with some of my heavier rifles and found that it was a slight improvement over the regular VCAS but a padded VCAS was still preferable for a heavy rifle – no surprise there.

I think this particular sling shines on rifles that are already somewhat light in weight and I don’t mean ultra-light rifles. This sling adds an extra measure of comfort on a rifle in a 8 lb and less range. That is where this sling really shines because, unlike a padded sling, it is able to provide that extra comfort without the bulk of padding.

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I used Blue Force Gear slings long before they were an advertising partner here on JTT. I always preferred their webbing and the simplicity of their quick adjuster – push to tighten, pull to loosen, easy. This sling has all that. If you have never tried Blue Force Gear’s webbing, borrow one from a friend and see what I mean. It is thick with rounded, comfortable edges and a soft brushed feel that seems more like soft cotton canvas than harsh nylon. The Special 1404 Sling has that same webbing.

It also has the quick adjust slider with contrasting pull tab. The simplicity of this system continues to be the strength of the VCAS slings and it works just as well here. This also happens to be the best looking slider I have seen yet on a Blue Force Gear sling. It’s machined aluminum and sports an FDE, hard coat anodized finish.

So, does this sling live up to it’s cost? I say it does and I’ll explain. A standard VCAS without padding and the metal hardware option costs $65. If you add two QD sling swivels, you add another $34 for a total of $99. The Special 1404 Sling comes with swivels, has even nicer hardware, and the benefit of the wider webbing for $105. It isn’t as expensive as you think when you actually do the math… at least at MSRP. The gap does widen a bit more if you consider a standard VCAS at a retail establishment but BFG is still delivering value for that increased cost.

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Wrap Up

I like the Special 1404 Sling but that shouldn’t really be a surprise because, under the slick hardware and wider webbing, it is a well proven Vickers Sling – my preferred sling. It works and it is really, really nice. Blue Force Gear delivers value for the cost of the sling so it doesn’t feel like a waste, but I would never fault someone for choosing a standard Vickers Sling over this.

You can check out the Special 1404 Sling at Blue Force Gear.

Disclosure: This sling was provided to me, free of charge, by Blue Force Gear.

Best Budget Precision Optic: MidwayUSA Exclusive Weaver Tactical Grandslam 3-10×40

By on September 24, 2016 in Guns, Reviews

Fully multi-coated Japanese glass, mil reticle with 1/10th mil windage and elevation adjustments, exposed target turrets that can be reset to zero, lifetime warranty backed by an established manufacturer with a long history… Normally you can touch a scope like that for less than $800… Unless you know where to look.

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MidwayUSA carries an optic exclusive to them called the Weaver Tactical Grandslam 3-10×40 and it has long been one of the best kept secrets in precision optics. This scope is exclusive to MidwayUSA and they sell it for just $400 shipped everyday. It is frequently on sale for around $300 shipped. I saw them on sale as recently as 2 weeks ago for $273 shipped (if you Round Up for the NRA and you should). That is basically unheard of in mil/mil optics, especially those with this level of quality.

I have long been a fan of Weaver’s optics, especially their Classic 1-3×20 and their Classic Rimfire line. Weaver knows how to squeeze a lot of value into an optic and their glass is always surprisingly good for its price range.

Optic Quality

The Tactical Grandslam’s optics are relatively bright and clear which is what we have come to expect from Weaver’s Grandslam line. It has long been known as an excellent value. Weaver claims the fully multi-coated Japanese glass has 94% light transmission. I can’t really test that but I can share some general observations.

The optics are relatively bright and clear. I compared it to a few optics I had on hand and found it to be optically similar to a Bushnell Elite 4200 or Nikon Monarch for brightness and clarity. It is outpaced by a Vortex Viper PST and Leupold Mark 4 which is to be expected. Color rendition is good. There is some blurring at the edges and some chromatic aberration but overall, the quality is better than you would expect from an optic at this price.

I own one of these and have been able to shoot with (and look through) several others. All have been consistently good and all the owners have been consistently pleased.

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Field of View and Eye Relief

The field of view is 35′ at 100 yards when set to 3X magnification and 11.3′ at 10X magnification. This compares favorably to other optics I have in this magnification range.

The eye relief is generous at 3.5″ and constant throughout the entire magnification range which I like. This is more than enough eye relief to work well on AR-15s and AR308s.

Reticle

The Tactical Grandslam has a proven mil-dot reticle. It features .25 mil dots at 1 mil spacing. The reticle is wire construction and placed in the second focal plane.

It is worth noting that the Tactical Grandslam ships with a pamphlet that contains information on how to use a mil-dot reticle and several ranging tables. The information is actually very useful and well executed. This is a very nice touch, especially for those using this optic as an affordable way to dip their toe into mil/mil optics.

Adjustments

All of the Tactical Grandslam’s windage and elevation adjustments are accomplished via large, easy to grip, and easy to read target turrets. Every rotation of the turret gives you 5 mils of adjustment, 1/10th mil at a time, and there is a total of 16.5 mils of adjustment available. This optics features a 1″ tube which limits its adjustment a bit but it still manages to have enough to get a .308 to 1000 yards if you use a 20MOA base. The adjustments seem to be quite accurate and it passes a simple box test.

The turrets can be easily reset by removing the center of the turret with a hex key, lifting the turret body, and replacing with the “0” aligned. Just be sure that you don’t lose the o-ring that typically comes out with the center of the turret when you reset the turrets.

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The clicks are tactile and audible though not as crisp as something like a Vortex Viper PST. Mine felt a little mushy at first but spinning the turrets a few times broke them in nicely. It takes some effort to spin the turret and the detent at each position seems quite strong so it is unlikely that you will accidentally spin a turret off your zero. That is a good thing because there is no zero stop.

The magnification is adjusted via an easy to grip magnification ring. The Tactical Grandslam’s entire 3-10x magnification range can be accessed with a 180 degree throw of the ring.

Focus is adjusted via a fast focus eye piece. I would prefer a locking eye piece but I’ll gladly overlook that at this price.

Specs at a Glance

  • Tube Diameter: 1″
  • Objective: 40mm
  • Length: 12″
  • Weight: 16.6 oz
  • Field of View: 35′ (3X) to 11.3′ (10X)
  • Eye Relief: 3.5″
  • Adjustment Click Value: 1/10 MIL
  • Finger Adjustable Turrets: Yes
  • Turrets Resettable to Zero: Yes
  • Zero Stop: No
  • Warranty: Limited Lifetime
  • Eyepiece: Fast Focus
  • Reticle Construction: Wire

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Other Items of Note

One nice thing about this optic’s Weaver Grandslam heritage is that there are accessories like sun shades available for it. I purchased a Weaver Grand Slam 40mm Sun Shade (part #849737) and it fits perfectly.

This optic would be right at home on a precision bolt action or precision AR-15 build. It has plenty of eye relief to work well on an AR pattern rifles.

This optic does have a flat spot on the bottom, under the turrets. I always appreciate that as it makes it easy to mechanically level the optic in one piece mounts or over a rail.

An etched reticle, locking eye piece, and adjustable parallax would be nice but something has to give in a $400 optic. You can live without those items. Weaver and Midway did a great job getting the most important things right in this optic. They delivered a very functional optic with very good glass at a very attractive price.

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Wrap Up

I don’t know of an optic in this category that can match the Weaver Tactical Grandslam for quality, value, and features. In fact, you really can’t find another mil/mil optic until you get into the $800 range. This optic is perfect for those looking to dip their toe into the mil/mil optic pool at an affordable price and it’s perfect for budget precision rifles.

The Weaver Tactical Grandslam 3-10×40 is a good value at the every day price of $400 shipped, an amazing value when it is on sale at around $300 shipped, and a can’t miss bargain when the price goes below $300 (I paid $273 shipped for mine).

Check out the Weaver Tactical Grandslam 3-10×40 exclusively at MidwayUSA.

Review: Butler Creek Tactical One Piece Flip Caps

By on September 23, 2016 in Guns, Reviews

I have had universally poor luck with Butler Creek scope caps in recent years. I’ve had broken springs, broken latches, and broken hinges. I stopped buying them because they were so terrible which is a real shame because they are easily the most available scope caps on the market. My moratorium on buying Butler Creek scope caps ended a couple of months ago when I came across their new Tactical One Piece Flip Caps and had to give them a try.

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The Tactical One Piece Flip Caps are different from other Butler Creek scope caps because they lack every part that I have ever broken on their caps. They are made from a material that feels like a sturdy rubber or maybe a flexible polymer. Like their name suggests, they are made from a single molded piece. There are no springs, no latches, and no hinges which hopefully means there is less that can break.

The flexible materials used in their construction means that the collar can stretch a bit to fit a wide variety of scope objective and eye piece diameters. Butler Creek only offers a handful sizes in these caps but, because of how they stretch, those few sizes will cover most scopes.

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Instead of a hinge, these scope caps have the lid connected to the collar via two flexible pillars. They are molded so that the lids spring open enough to not obstruct your view through the scope when you push the tab to unlatch the lid. The lids can be further secured from flapping around on your optic by bending them all the way back and tucking them behind a small fin that holds the lid nearly flat, folded back on the optic itself. Its a very simple system that seems to work well.

I am not sure that, after only a couple of months with these Tactical One Piece Flip Caps, I am ready to say they are going to last for the long haul but they definitely seem to be an improvement over the regular Butler Creek Scope Caps. They are also similarly affordable and widely available, both which are nice.

You can check out the Tactical One Piece Flip Caps at Butler Creek.

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