Archive | Reviews

Slip 2000 725 Gun Cleaner Degreaser

By Matt on July 28, 2016 in Guns, Reviews

I have been using Slip 2000 725 Gun Cleaner Degreaser for years now. I originally received a small bottle of it in a swag bag from a carbine course. I used that small 4 ounce pump bottle, bought another 4 ounce bottle, and then bought the 16 ounce bottle which has been enough to get me through the last two years. I will buy the gallon jug next.

So why do I keep using it? Well, there are a lot of reasons.

725 works and I guess that is the most important reason I use it. It cleans guns well – better than just a CLP type oil. It cuts carbon well, it strips gun oil well, it works well to prevent rust from corrosive ammo, and it washes away cleanly and easily. Don’t tell anyone but sometimes, I don’t even wash it off. I just dry it with a rag and reapply oil.

I also like that a little bit goes a long way and Slip 2000 provides good quality sprayers with it. You really only need to wet the surface of whatever you are cleaning, let it sit for a few seconds (or longer), and then follow up with a brush, a rag, or a rinse. Both the pump bottles and the larger trigger bottles provide a consistent, penetrating spray. I have yet to have a spray bottle fail which I can’t say for other products.

This stuff is good for more than just guns! I used it frequently on my bikes to remove grime. It is magic for taking old grease off bike chains, chain rings, and cassettes. I just spray it on, brush with a nylon brush, and rinse. If I am in a hurry, I can just spray it on, wipe with a rag, apply new oil, and ride. I’ve also used it on ATV parts, car parts, knives, and more. It is just a good general purpose degreaser.

725 is water-based, bio-degradable, and has very little smell unlike many degreasers. It doesn’t irritate my skin while I am working with it. Basically, I like that it doesn’t feel like I am taking a few years off my life when I use it.

Wrap Up

This is probably the least sexy product review I have ever published on this site but Slip 2000’s 725 Gun Cleaner Degreaser just works. It’s the kind of thing I like having in my workshop for use on more than just guns.

Review: TacPack – June Edition

By Matt on June 30, 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. I recently received the June TacPack and this one had some big time potential, especially for a lucky few. Here are the details…

HexMag Advanced Tactical Grip – This grip features the well known HexMag hexagon pattern and is adjustable for grip angle (17, 25, and 33 degrees). It feels nice in the hand, looks good, and seems to take stippling well which is good because it feels a little slick.

Live Fire Emergency Fire Starter and 40% Coupon Code – Live Fire’s fire starting products are excellent. If you received the June TacPack, I suggest you use the Emergency Fire Starter as a chance to try out Live Fire. Then go buy several more with the included 40% off coupon code to tuck away in your packs, vehicle kits, and where ever else you need them. This is a really nice intro to some great gear.

ABKT Boot Knife – This is going to be one of those toss-it-in-a-kit-and-forget-it items for me. It is a cheap knife but the sheath seems to hold the knife well, the edge sharpened well with just a few passes on a stone, and it should be right at home as a cheap beater that I won’t cry about when I break it while throwing it at stumps. This is really the first inclusion in a TacPack that has fallen flat for me.

CRKT Getaway Driver – This little gadget is great. It’s core functionality is as a screwdriver but it carries standard screwdriver bits on board allowing you to swap the bits as you see fit. You could match the bits to the fasteners you need and then tuck it away on your gear, on your bike, in your range bag, or anywhere else you might need. It will even open your bottles. This thing is useful.

TacPack LE Patch – Everyone likes patches.

Seekin Precision Post Card of Winning – I wasn’t sure what to call this but it is a scratch-off card and a solid inclusion. Several of these cards will be instant winners of gear from Seekins Precision. Every other card will be a discount code that has the potential to save you some serious coin – well over $100 on a complete upper.

Stickers – There were two stickers included in the box. My tool chest will be sporting them shortly.

.999 Silver Coins – Two lucky boxes were shipped with silver coins from GMR Gold.

Wrap Up

The boot knife fell flat in this one and a lot of the value of the box is in the coupons which some may not like. That is the nature of these boxes and the surprise is part of the appeal. I’ll use the coupons and get pretty good value out of them. The Getaway Driver is something I never would have purchased for myself but after getting one in this TacPack, I like it so much that I bought another one. The Seekins Precision winners and those who received the coins are probably dancing the streets. Those are some very cool giveaways.

Check out TacPack and get in line for the July box which promises to have some big time giveaway items from Bull Moose Tactical.

Review Update: Black River Tactical Covert Comp

By Matt on June 25, 2016 in Reviews

It has been more than a year since I originally wrote the Black River Tactical Covert Comp review and it has continued to be a very solid performer for me since then. When I wrote the original review, I was looking for a muzzle device for shorter barrels but my biggest surprise was how well-rounded and well-mannered the Covert Comp was on a 16″ barrels. I have become even more convinced of its merits on longer barrels now that I have spent even more time with it.

The Covert Comp is somewhat unique in the realm of linear comps in that it is very compact and it does a good job of reducing flash. In fact, it is similar to the A2 flash suppressor in terms of size, weight, and flash reduction. Many linear comps are really meant only for shorter barrels. They tend to be large and heavy due to features designed to create additional back-pressure. Longer barrels don’t need that additional back-pressure to function and they certainly don’t need the additional weight. Most linear comps also do very little to reduce muzzle flash – they simply direct it forward.

It is that combination of compact size and flash suppression that has really endeared to me as an all around muzzle device. The bonus is that it still does what linear comps do which is make recoil more linear with less muzzle rise all without increasing noise or concussion to the shooter or those around the shooter. There really aren’t many muzzle devices out there that can do those things.

You can gain more muzzle control with a brake but you’ll also gain noise, concussion, and flash. You can probably find larger linear comps that do a better job of directing sound forward but it will come with a weight penalty and probably won’t reduce flash as well. The Covert Comp exists in a functional sweet spot that has me convinced that linear comps, like the Covert Comp, are very underrated as all-around muzzle devices.

The Covert Comp proves that linear comps aren’t just for short barrels!

Check out the Black River Tactical Covert Comp.

Review: TacPack – May Edition

By Matt on May 23, 2016 in Reviews

Hopefully you are familiar with the concept of TacPack by now. If not, you can read the previous review of the April TacPack for some background. I recently received the May TacPack and it’s another solid one. Here are the details…

Once again, I felt that this box delivered a solid value for the $49.95 per box subscription price and, again, all of the items are actually interesting to me.

Madhouse Design Gun Control System – MSRP $49 – Madhouse Design makes several firearm accessories including run rests, muzzle brakes, and an entire line of gun storage gear that they call their Gun Control Systems. These are basically modular, adjustable rack systems that retain your handgun via a “pin” that goes into the muzzle. I know that is going to be controversial for some people but, I believe it is a safe and effective storage method when executed well. I have been storing handguns in my safe in a similar way with a different product for years. The strength of the Gun Control System is how adjustable it is and how versatile it is in how it can be placed. The quality is excellent and the pin that they designed to go into the barrel is very sturdy and highly unlikely to harm the barrel.

ReadyMan Network EDC Tool – $15 – If you like knucks and other cool impact weapons, you’ll like this.

ABKT Tactical Gunsmith Mat – $10 – I don’t know what makes a gunsmith mat “tactical” but this one from ABKT had me more excited than anyone should be over a gunsmith mat. It has a thick felt-like top that should be good for wicking up gun oil and a heavy rubber bottom that ensures it doesn’t move. This is the most substantial mat of this type I have felt and the quality is obvious. It also seems to resist setting in a rolled shape if stored that way.

Gerber Shard Keychain Tool – $7 – The Gerber Shard is a dandy. They aren’t expensive but they are useful. I have one that lives on my keychain and, unlike many tools, it is TSA-friendly. This is a solid addition to the box and the type of thing you’ll find all kinds of uses for in your EDC, survival kits, or range bag.

Exotac tinderZIP – $9 – Exotac’s tinderZIPs are very cool and they work. The May TacPack comes with a pack of 5 of them. Each tinderZIP contains 6″ of Live Fire Gear Fire Cord which is a paracord-like product that contains inner strands that are excellent tinder. You just hitch the onto the zippers on your jacket, backpack, bikepacking bags, or where ever you want to keep some emergency tinder. Then, if you need tinder, just cut it open, fluff the inner strands, and apply a spark. They light even when damp.

GMR Chris Kyle Commemorative Coin – $3.50 – These pure copper commemorative coins are very cool. One, they immortalize an American hero and two, their proceeds go to the Chris Kyle Foundation. If you follow the metals markets, you’ll know that pure copper has some value and potential as an investment.

The May TacPack is close to selling out if it hasn’t already. I understand that next month will have some scratch off tickets for prizes and discounts from Seekins Precision. Check out TacPack.

Good Gear: Surplus Swiss 20L Water Bag

By Matt on May 17, 2016 in Preparedness, Reviews, Survival

I have used several different types of plastic water storage containers over the years and all of them have had significant downsides. Most of them have sprung leaks at the seams. They are difficult, especially when full, to dispense water from without spillage. They also take up a ton of space even when they are empty. I still have and use several of these plastic jerrycan style containers because they were the only way I had to carry a large amount of water to the range or when camping with the family but I have ceased using them to store water.

A friend of JTT recently told me about Surplus Swiss 20L Water Bags as an alternative to rigid plastic containers so I gave them a try. These water bags are black rubber bladders with heavy rope handles at each end. They have a large fill port and a push button spigot that makes dispensing water a snap.

The bags seems to be extremely durable to the extent that they can be dropped from head height or stood on when full without bursting – I have done both. The welded seems are massive and, given what I see and what I have read in reviews from others, it is difficult to imagine them leaking even with abuse. These have seemingly solved the durability issues that I have experienced with the rigid plastic cans.

The form factor of these bags provides some interesting functionality. First, because they are made from black rubber, they can be laid in the sun to heat the water and this is surprisingly effective. This ability to heat the water along with how easy they are to hang by the rope handles makes them very effective as a solar shower bag. The rope handles have a bit of plastic tubing on them that makes them very comfortable to carry even when full. Finally, they fold completely flat when empty which is a very welcome change if you are used to rigid cans.

Apparently, these bags used to be far more plentiful and inexpensive. That is never the case for long with good surplus items. There are now retailers charging $20+ for a single bag and the shipping is also quite expensive. After shopping around a bit, I purchased a few of them from MidwayUSA who had the best price I could find by a mile, especially when you factor in the shipping.

← Previous 1 … 29 30 31 … 89 Next →

Navigation

Archive | Reviews

Wrap Up

Wrap Up