OC Tactical has a small number of the black TangoDown IO Covers in stock! The IO Cover is an ingenious cover for the Aimpoint Micro that incorporates lens covers that can nest inside of each other in order to lock out of the way.
The demand for these has been huge. They will sell quickly. Check out OCTactical.com.
The White Sound Defense FOSSA-556 is one of the newest muzzle devices on the market. WSD claims that this device will decrease muzzle rise and recoil while still suppressing flash on par with some of the best flash suppressors on the market – all without the over-pressure issues that compensator/muzzle brakes typically process. It shows WSD’s typical flair for high end materials, high performance coatings, and innovative engineering, but does it do what it claims?
The FOSSA-556 is a flash suppressor that also decreases muzzle rise and recoil. It is not a muzzle brake/compensator that also suppresses flash. That is a small, but important, distinction.
It is machined from 17-4PH stainless steel and then finished with a titanium aluminum nitride surface coating. The combination of the steel used and the coating should make it very corrosion resistant and resistant to the adherence of carbon.
The FOSSA-556 has three flash suppressor tines. The bottom one is the largest and takes up nearly 180 degrees of the FOSSA’556’s circumference. The top two tines are smaller and the gap between them is located at the top center of the device. It uses a unique internal geometry and the orientation of the tines to mitigate muzzle rise and recoil.
The most surprising thing to me is the FOSSA-556’s flash surpressing capabilities. Will at WSD told me it would be good but I was still surprised and impressed. This device suppresses flash on par with some of the best devices out there. It appears to outperform devices like the YHM Phantom (a very good device in its own right) and perform slightly better than the Smith Enterprise Vortex. I tested it with Prvi Partizan 75gr Match and Federal 55gr .223 bulk pack ammo through a 16” barrel (Spikes GMP upper) and there was little to no visible flash perpendicular to the shooter.
There are only a handful of flash suppressors out there that will perform as well as this in terms of flash suppression but the FOSSA-556 also boasts some muzzle rise compensation and recoil reduction. It does this by means of the closed bottom and open top slot configuration along with some unique internal geometry. It works very well. I was expecting it to display a lot of downward pushing because of the open top slot, but it was surprisingly neutral. There was little in the way of downward movement or side deflection. I wouldn’t say it was as neutral as a PWS FSC556 or Surefire muzzle brake but it is very impressive for a device that is primarily a flash suppressor.
The FOSSA-556 is similar to the previously reviewed PWS Triad in that it is a flash suppressor that also controls muzzle climb and recoil. However, I found the FOSSA-556 to be more stable in terms of side to side movement during recoil and less likely to push the muzzle down than the Triad. Both are great devices and users will have to weigh the cost difference when deciding.
Perhaps most importantly, it manages to provide this muzzle rise mitigation with no extra concussive blast or perceived noise to the shooter or those around the shooter. I also noted that it had minimal ground signature thanks to the large bottom tine. It was similar to a Phantom with 5C2 in terms of ground signature.
White Sound Defense has engineered a clever fix for that annoying pitch fork like ringing that is so common with devices with long, uniform thickness tines like the FOSSA-556. I can’t go into too much detail here other than to say it works (there are patents pending). I never heard the FOSSA-556 ring even with electronic hearing protection in use. It is actually pretty interesting that is doesn’t ring because when it is off the carbine it rings readily but once installed, it is completely quiet.
The coating on this device has a really attractive dull gray look to it. It is a very good looking device. Normally, when I install a muzzle device, I try to be at least a little careful to keep as much of the finish intact as possible. I took no such precautions with FOSSA-556 so that I could test the durability of the coating. I would usually put a bit of grease or oil on the flats to protect the finish but I didn’t this time. The coating didn’t really hold up that well when faced with an adjustable wrench and no protection. It fared about as well as a black phosphate coating which is disappointing. The difference is that there is stainless steel underneath. It does however do a fairly good job of releasing carbon. The device wiped clean fairly easily with just a rag. White Sound Defense tells me that they are already have a solution for finish issue.
This device is really pretty amazing now that I have had a chance to put it through its paces. It is a very effective flash suppressor that also happens to provide an impressive degree of muzzle rise mitigation. It also manages to mitigate the downsides that typically plague other devices: pitch fork ringing and concussive side blast. The coating didn’t hold up as well as I would have hoped but on the whole, this is an impressive device.
You really should check out the FOSSA-556 at WhiteSoundDefense.com.
Disclosure: I received the FOSSA-556 from White Sound Defense, free of charge, for review.
Shellback Tactical has been teasing us with several great looking product releases lately. The teasing is now over. The Warfighter Padded Patrol Belt, Banshee (QD) Quick Deployment Rifle Plate Carrier, and redesigned Banshee Shoulder Pads are now available from Tactical Assault Gear.
Magpul continues to fight the good fight against the proposed 2nd Amendment encroachments in Colorado. HB1224, a Colorado House Bill to limit magazine capacity, is still on its way to becoming law, and, as many of you know, Magpul has stated that they will leave Colorado if it does.
From Magpul:
MAGPUL INDUSTRIES ANNOUNCES IT WILL LEAVE COLORADO IF GUN BILL PASSES
MOVE WOULD COST STATE 600 JOBS, $85 MILLION
Denver, Colorado – February 15th, 2013 – Magpul Industries, an Erie, Colorado, based manufacturer of firearms accessories, announced today that it will be forced to leave the state if House Bill 1224, which would ban standard capacity magazines, becomes law. The announcement was made to Governor Hickenlooper, state legislators, members of the media, and in a full-page advertisement to appear in the Denver Post on Sunday.
Richard Fitzpatrick, Founder, President, and CEO of Magpul Industries, said that regardless of any amendments that may be worked into the bill, he will no longer be able to continue to do business in Colorado if his core product is made illegal.
“Our company could not, in good conscience, continue to manufacture our products in a state where law-abiding citizens are prohibited from purchasing and owning them. ” Fitzpatrick said. “The passage of this bill will do nothing to enhance public safety, but will force us to immediately begin taking our business to another state.”
A proponent of the bill argued that with the amendment language, the choice to stay or leave was up to Magpul. Fitzpatrick responded, “Our relationship with our customers across the country would be severely damaged if this bill passes and we stay. We’ve already heard word of potential boycotts if that happens. They (legislators) really need to understand that our customer base is as passionate about freedoms as we are, and staying here if this bill passes would cripple the company. Make no doubt about it…we have no choice, and would be forced to leave in order to save the business.”
Magpul cited the example of the Eastern Sports and Outdoors Show, which was canceled earlier this year after the organizers announced that it would not permit a popular category of firearm, like the ones Magpul makes accessories for, in the show. Public outcry from the customer base forced exhibitors to withdraw from participation, causing the cancellation of the show, and an estimated loss of $70 million of show revenue for hotels, restaurants, merchants, and other businesses in Pennsylvania, where the show was to be held.
Magpul Industries directly employs 200 people, supports another 400 supply-chain jobs, and contributes over $85 million annually to Colorado’s economy. Doug Smith, Chief Operating Officer for Magpul, says that it is a difficult position to be in. “We could choose to stay in a state that wants our jobs and revenue, but not our products, and lose half the jobs we are fighting to save, or potentially the entire business, when our customers stop buying. Or, we can take the company and those 600 jobs out of Colorado to continue our growth and the growth of American manufacturing in a state that shares our values. This is not really a choice. It’s an unfortunate and inevitable result of the actions of the Legislature if this bill passes.”
Magpul was started over a decade ago by Fitzpatrick, a former U.S. Marine. It has become one of Colorado’s fastest growing businesses, successfully marketing its products to American and allied military forces, police departments, sporting goods stores, and thousands of responsible private citizens. Fitzpatrick says that the rich western culture and strong values of individual freedom and responsibility, traditionally found in Colorado, were one of the reasons the company chose to remain in the state.
“It is heartbreaking to me, my employees, and their families, to think that we will be forced to leave,” Fitzpatrick said. “But if HB13-1224 passes, we will simply have no choice.”
They even took out a full page ad in the Denver Post.
This has become a national story. Do what you can to oppose the passage of HB1224. If you are a resident of CO, you must contact your representatives now!
UPDATE:
HB1224 has passed in Colorado State House. It still has to pass the CO State Senate and be signed by their Governor.
TacStrike values training and they understand that professional training costs you a lot of your hard earned cash. Their entire product line is dedicated to making your training more effective and more efficient. Now, they are putting their money where their mouth is. If you can produce a training certificate from any shooting school or professional industry instructor, they will give you a coupon code for TacStrike products. Email your certificates of training to info”at”tacstrike.com (replace the “at” with @).
They are also working COMBAT-Swag to produce a PVC patch version of their famous Crusader logo. This is going to be a ridiculously cool patch.
