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Review: Echo Nine Three Mk65 Light Mount

By on May 6, 2016 in Guns, Reviews

Echo Nine Three’s Mk65 Light Mount is a cantilevered, offset light mount that is designed to work specifically with E93 founder Joe Elledge’s pet AK variant – the AMD 65. However, it also happens to work perfectly with MLOK and Magpul MOE Handguards. I have had one in use for a few months now and have come to like it quite a bit, especially for use with one specific light.

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Overview

As stated above, this mount is made to work with the AMD-65 but also works perfectly with MLOK and MOE Handguards. You can also install it on other handguards if you are willing to drill two holes. It comes with all the hardware necessary to mount on these handguards including nylon spacers that ensure a tight fit on MLOK slots.

The Mk65 is machined from aluminum and given a hard anodized finish. It mounts via two bolts that come in through the back so you must have access to the back of whatever you plan to mount it to.

The muzzle end of the mount features a three slot 1913 rail which is more than enough space for just about any rail mounted light. It is completely ambidextrous.

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Observations from Use

I was not able to track down an AMD-65 for testing this mount which would have been nice. However, I have plenty of AKs with Magpul Handguards so all of my testing took place on those. In particular, I was hoping that this mount would help solve a light mounting problem that I was having on my beater WASR-10, a rifle that I affectionately refer to as the Heinous WASRBeast.

I had no problem installing the Mk65 on the WASRBeast’s Magpul MOE AK Hand Guard. However, some users may find this tricky if they have never had to remove a heat shield from these particular handguards. The heat shield must be removed since the screws come in from the back of the mount. The shield can be replaced after the mount is installed. This points out what is perhaps the most obvious downside to the Mk65. It’s mounting method is awesome for the AMD-65 but may limit it’s application on other hand guards.

This mount solved a problem that I commonly have with short AK handguards – a problem that I was having with the Heinous WASRBeast. The handguards are so short that by the time you place a light and sling mount, there is barely any room to place your hand. Additionally, mounting directly to the handguard usually places the light too low to comfortably activate unless you are using a vertical grip. The Mk65 pushes the light up (or down) and forward which clears space on the handguard and places the light switch where it can be reached more comfortably. The Mk65 is a very good light mounting solution for short AK handguards.

I tested the Mk65 with a variety of lights including INFORCE WMLs, Surefire Scouts, handheld lights in a ring, and pistol lights like the Streamlight TLR-1 and Surefire X series. It works very well with all of them but I thought it shined particularly with the pistol lights. I am currently using it with an X300 complete with Unity Tactical Exos. It is a great set up.

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Wrap Up

The Mk65 may have been designed specifically for the AMD-65 but it works well on several different types of handguards. It does a great job of overcoming the normal issues with mounting a light on a short AK handguard and it’s 1913 rail ensures it can be used to mount a variety of lights including pistol lights. It’s mounting method may limit it’s use but, if you are handy, you’ll have no problem in most cases. This is a useful light mount for AK shooters.

Check out the Mk65 Light Mount at Echo Nine Three.

Review: TacPack April Box

By on May 2, 2016 in EDC, Reviews, Tactical Gear

When a TacPack arrives on your doorstep and you know that box is going to have some cool stuff in it but you aren’t quite sure what it will be… That is exciting. I recently received TacPack’s April box and it was a good one.

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What is a TacPack?

Before we get into the contents of the box, I should explain what TacPack is. TacPack is a subscription box service not unlike those found in other industries like fashion or cosmetics (fortunately, TacPack won’t send you makeup). You pay a subscription fee and then receive a box full of mystery items that are worth more than what you paid for the box. They deliver value by working out volume discounts and securing promotional items.

What’s in a TacPack?

The April box delivered very good value and had some great items in it. TacPack’s boxes cost $49.95 each and the actual value varies based on what they were able to work out for that particular box. In the case of April’s box, it delivered a value of over $120 but that is at MSRP. Even shopping around for good prices, the box value well over the $49.95 cost. I have seen other TacPack boxes and it is my opinion that they are doing a good job of delivering value and that is probably the most important thing for services like this.

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The April box included 5 items and, to me, none of them were throw-aways which is impressive. The items included:

RATS Tourniquet – I have a love hate relationship with the RATS. I like the form factor that lends itself to easy carry in a variety of methods. However, the testing shows that while it does stem bloodflow, it is not as effective as other TQs. In spite of that, I own a few of them because it is the type of tourniquet that can be carried in ways others cant which means I am more likely to have it with me. I think you can’t have too many TQs when you start distributing them between your kits so this safety orange RATS is an awesome addition to the box.

Gang Bangers Anonymous Patch – Everyone likes patches including me. This one is a lot of fun and it appears to be a well made PVC patch with great detail in the rendering of the AR-15 SBR. I dig it.

Black Rifle Coffee Company Mug – This mug is pretty darn nice. The handle is large enough to fit more than 2 man fingers through (seriously, why can’t mug makers do this more often). It’s made from stainless steel and insulated. It also happens to feature the logo of Black Rifle Coffee Company who you should definitely check out (I like the Just Black Coffee Blend because I am a pretty boring dude when it comes to coffee). Bottom line: This is a great mug from a great company and everyone can find a use for a good mug.

Pro Tip: Mugs can hold beer too.

Gerber Uppercut Push Dagger – This Gerber Uppercut is not terrible. In fact, it is actually a pretty neat little self-defense knife except for the sheath which isn’t great. It is light, slim, sharp, and like any push dagger, very intuitive to use. I think push daggers are underappreciated. They can be carried comfortably and accessibly on the wearer’s center line with a short static line. They are very easily retained in the user’s grip. Finally, if you know how to punch, you know how to use it. If you want to, you can do a light cord wrap on the handle, have someone whip up a simple sheath for use with a static cord, and away you go.

CRKT Edgie – The Edgie is a weird little knife but a cool little knife. Its a slip joint (non-locking) folder that actually sharpens itself when you close the knife. It’s just the kind of knife you would want to drop into a kit somewhere. Mine is sitting on my workbench now because the sheepsfoot blade is great for utility work. This is a solid value.

Wrap Up

Overall, I am really pleased with this box. The RATS TQ and the Black Rifle Coffee Company Mug are my favorites but I will use everything in the box. That isn’t really common with subscription service so I think TacPack deserves some kudos here.

Check out TacPack!

Lightning Review: Spring Precision FASTMAG PMAG Couplers

By on April 11, 2016 in Guns, Reviews

I have been using Springer Precison FASTMAG PMAG Couplers for several years now and have arrived at the opinion that they are easily the best magazine couplers I have used. Certainly there are less expensive options but none of them offer the secondary benefits that the FASTMAGs offer.

Springer Precision FASTMAG

The reasons for using something like a magazine coupler on a home defense carbine are two-fold for me. Having additional capacity is certainly one of the reasons but there is one reason that is often lost in discussions like these – dealing with malfunctions. It has been said that most malfunctions are magazine related. I can’t back that up with science but I have found that to be true in my experience. A coupler gives me the ability to reload or switch to a new magazine during a malfunction clearance.

The Springer Precision FASTMAG does three things better than other magazine couplers. First, it has the least overall effect on the handling of the magazines. The front of the coupler has a cutout that conforms to the shape of the PMAGs. This allows the user to grip the magazine with a strong and completely uninterrupted “beer can” grip during a reload or while stripping a magazine. Most couplers strap the magazines around the middle which interrupts the grip.

Second, the FASTMAG places the magazines at the same level instead of staggering them which makes them act as a very stable base for prone shooting, more compact overall, and easier to handle. In my experience, this has not been the malfunction causing boogie man that it is made out to be. In fact, it has been a complete non-issue with more benefits than downsides. I start with the spare mag on the bolt release side of the AR so the ejection port is not obstructed when it opens at the first shot. Even if the mag is on the ejection port side, it can open enough that is typically won’t cause a malfunction. If it does become a problem (it NEVER has for me), the mag can be slightly flexed out of the way allowing the port cover to fully drop.

Finally, these have the easiest installation of any coupler I have tried. They install the same way PMAG base plates install – push button to slide off base plate, slide on coupler, reverse to remove. If can be done without tools in just seconds which means you can add or remove them easily as needed.

If you are looking for a functional and easy-to-live-with way to keep a spare magazine on your carbine, check out the FASTMAG Magazine Couplers from Springer Precision. These machined aluminum couplers are available for several different types of magazines and some even increase capacity.

Lightning Review: Unity Tactical Monkey Bar

By on March 21, 2016 in Guns, Reviews

Unity Tactical’s Monkey Bar is one seriously clever widget. It turns any Magpul MBUS Pro front sight into a Fusion hub capable of mounting a wide variety of lights, rails, and other accessories and manages to do that with just 0.2 ounces of additional weight versus the MBUS Pro front sight alone.

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The Monkey Bar is a simple 6061-T6 replacement for the small steel rail clamp that is included on the MBUS Pro front sight. It is compatible with Unity Tactical’s Fusion system which means it can serve as a hub for attaching items like rail sections or flashlight rings while also accepting Surefire Scout lights directly (no adapter required). It is essentially Unity Tactical’s most compact and lightweight Fusion Hub.

I have been using the Monkey Bar for almost a year with a Surefire M600 Scout Light and I like it quite a bit. Its benefits are tied directly to its form. It is EXTREMELY lightweight because it is essentially integral to your front sight and it positions the light very well because of its proximity to both the front sight and rail.

I don’t know of a lighter weight solution for mounting a Surefire Scout light unless you don’t need a rail mounted front sight for your particular rifle. The MBUS Pro with the Monkey Bar installed weighs just 1.7 ounces. To put that in perspective, the regular polymer MBUS front sight weighs 1.2 ounces and has no ability to the mount a light. You could search far and wide for the lightest front sight and lightest Scout Light mount and their combined weight would still probably double the weight of an MBUS Pro with installed Monkey Bar.

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In addition to the lighter weight that comes with the integral design, it would be hard to reproduce the positioning and space saving qualities of the Monkey Bar with any other mount set up. Because the Monkey Bar replaces the MBUS Pro’s rail clamp it tucks the light very close to the rail and very close to the front sight itself. This reduces snagging and takes up much less space on your rail than a separate front sight and light mount would.

Much like the original Fusion Hub, the Monkey Bar really shines on modern, slick-side rails. Many of these rails have an integral top rail which, with the Monkey Bar, is all you need to mount your front sight and light. If you look at a rail like the ALG EMR V2, you can really start to see the potential. Even with the EMR V2’s short integral rail, you have more than enough space to mount your light and front sight. The EMR V2 and many other rails also have integral sling mounts which means you may not need any other equipment to complete the foreend of your rifle. That save weight, space, and cash.

Bottom Line

The Unity Tactical Monkey Bar is extremely versatile as a hub for Fusion accessories or direct mount for the Surefire Scout lights. It is likely the lightest option for those who need both a rail mounted fight sight and a light mount. It saves weight, space, and money. What’s not to like?

Check out the Monkey Bar at Unity Tactical.

Alternate Use for BFG Baton Belt Pouch

By on March 3, 2016 in Reviews, Tactical Gear

I have come to like Blue Force Gear’s Belt Pouches quite a bit. They are the culmination of several of the technologies that BFG introduced to the tactical gear world and, because of their versatile design, I have found all kinds of unintended uses for them.

The Belt Pouches make use of their Helium Whisper backing which is laser cut ULTRAcomp material which keeps the weight to an absolute minimum while increasing durability. ULTRAcomp’s rubbery texture also serves to increase the retention of the pouch by increasing friction on the contents. The BFG Belt Pouches also utilize heavy duty elastic front panels known at BFG as Ten-Speed. These features combine to make a pouch that is low profile, lightweight, and that will hold just about anything you can wedge into them no matter how awkwardly shaped that item may be.

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The BFG Baton Belt Pouch is designed to carry a collapsible baton but I have found that it fits many tourniquets like it was made for them. Some people try to do the same thing with pistol magazine pouches. That may work with some tourniquets but the additional height of the Baton Belt Pouch allow me to fold and stage a CAT the way I prefer and store it extremely securely. It takes a few minutes to cram it into the pouch and that is a good thing. It’s a tight fit. The pouch holds it tenaciously but a quick tug lets the TQ leap into your hand.

I have taken to keeping one staged just as you see in the picture above so that I can easily throw it on my belt when I go out to the range. Having your medical gear staged, accessible, and easy to don is the key to having it available when you need it.

Note: For the curious, the above picture is the kit I often use at the range. This kit is close to everything I need and it saves me time because I can wear it to and from the range under a covering garment so I don’t look like a ninja out in public. Pictured: BFG Baton Belt Pouch, BFG Belt Dump Pouch, LAG Tactical Battle Buddy

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