Tru-Nord, makes the finest “button” compasses that I have ever used. They are rugged, reliable, and can be compensated for your area’s magnetic declination. Tru-Nord is introducing a new compass face design for 2013 (and going forward) that gives some more detail to the use. The original compass face offered only cardinal directions while the newly redesigned face has degrees marked in increments of 10.
Check out TruNord.com.
Grey Ghost Gear is offering 40-98% off some of their in stock products and giving an early look at some of their 2013 products. The extremely light weight Black Ops LightWeight Assault Pack in black is on sale for $48 and they have a good looking new full-size pack that is on sale for just $99. This is just 2 of several items that are new or on sale.
The new full-size pack appears to be a Grey Ghost Gear version of the Tactical Tailor Extended Range Operator Pack. It lacks some of the features of the Tactical Tailor version to keep cost and weight to a minimum. I am trying to get some more details on it and I will pass them on when I can. At just $99 for Grey Ghost Gear’s quality, tons of PALS webbing, and 3200 cubic inches of storage, it looks like an absolute steal.
Check out GreyGhostGear.com.
Update – I have some additional details on the new full-size pack. It is made from 500D nylon and features an HDPE frame with aluminum stays. Grey Ghost Gear says that pack frame will form to you after wearing it a few times. I also found out that you better act fast if you want one. This probably won’t become part of the regular line-up, so when they are gone… they are gone.
TacStrike is all about supporting you with the products that you need to become the best shooter that you can be. They already offer several innovative steel targets and target stands. Now they are offering Pocket Pro Shot Timers. Getting the most out of your training requires that you track your progress in measurable ways. Utilizing a shot timer is great way to make sure you are actually progressing.
The Yugo PAP M92 is this year’s Draco. It is an AK-47 pistol that is popular in pistol form and as the base gun for an SBR project. Given the popularity of the PAP M92, it is no surprise that Echo Nine Three will be offering a sling plate for it. They should be available soon.
Check out Echo93.com.
It seems like there is a new muzzle device for the AR-15 coming to market nearly every week. That seems crazy since you would think that there is only so much you can do with the available gasses that escape the muzzle of an AR. However, manufacturers continue to come up with new ways to vector the gasses and balance the performance of these devices.
The Holy Grail in this pursuit is a device that keeps the muzzle perfectly neutral without kicking you in the teeth with concussive blast. All of this leads us to one of the newest devices on the market – the Z-Comp from Proto Tactical. So, is the Z-Comp (nothing to do with Zombies, thank goodness) that long awaited perfect muzzle device? Read on.
The Z-Comp is a hardeded 4140 steel muzzle brake with a black oxide finish from Proto Tactical. It derives its name from the roughly “Z” shaped ports that are visible from the side of the device. It has 3 ports (on each side) and 3 internal chambers. The 2 most forward ports have several small forward facing ports in the leading wall of the chamber. The front of the device is angled sharply forward.
The Z-Comp installs like any other muzzle device. It comes with a crush washer for installation. Proto Tactical recommends torqueing the device to around 30 pounds. Proto Tactical thoughtfully machined a line in the top of the device that makes it easier to time the device visually.
This isn’t the Holy Grail, but it is a really, really good muzzle device. When you look at it, you think it is going to be an ear drum wrecker, but I am glad to report that it is not. In fact, it is one of the mildest brakes that I have tried in terms of sound and concussion to those around the shooter. Every person that has seen it in action has been surprised by how relatively quiet it is.
It is certainly noisier than a flash suppressor, but it isn’t anywhere near as bad as most of the brakes on the market. It produces more of a push than a sharp crack or concussive feeling. The noise is deeper than it is sharp. Hopefully that makes sense. The point is that it is fairly easy on those around the shooter and there is no noticeable increase in sound at the shooter’s position when outdoors. If I have the choice, I wouldn’t want to use the Z-Comp or any other brake indoors.
The Z-Comp offers a tremendous amount of muzzle control. The muzzle stays very level and a skilled shooter should find that they are able to run the trigger very quickly without waiting for their aim to settle. This effectiveness of this device approaches and exceeds that of some dedicated competition style brakes that I have tried without all the noise.
Recoil reduction is also impressive. The AR-15 doesn’t have a lot of recoil to begin with but Z-Comp does a great job of taming what little there is. Even with a loose hold on the carbnine, the Z-Comp just seems to anchor it in space. It does a great job of mitigating movement in all directions.
The closed bottom of the Z-Comp keeps ground signature to a minimum. You can certainly see things swirling around the brake but not to the extent of other brakes that I have tried. This will usually go hand in hand with the concussiveness of the brake – less concussive brakes seem to kick up less dust and debris.
The Z-Comp isn’t a flame thrower but it is certainly not a flash suppressor either. Low light performance will have a lot to do with the ammo that you choose. I didn’t test it in the dark, but dusk performance was not as flashy as most brakes.
I put the device in the hands of a few other shooters and tried to keep a careful eye out for clues as to how well it was working for them. At one point, we were shooting 2/3rds size steel silhouette targets from about 35 to 40 yards. Even the rustiest shooters were able to get hits quickly. There would often be 2 or more pieces of brass still in the air as the shooter was getting their next hit and the performance just seemed to get better as the shooter learned how the brake was going to behave. Eventually, you get used to the fact that you don’t have to wait for the sights to settle and then you can really pick up the pace.
Much of what makes a muzzle device good or bad to me comes down to how the makers balance the elements of performance that we look for in a muzzle device – muzzle control, recoil reduction, flash, and noise. This makes the process somewhat subjective because different people tend to place different values on the various elements based on their intended use or preferences. I can say that this is one of the best balanced devices that I have used. It offers an incredible amount of control without the overpowering noise that comes with devices that typically offer this much control.
The perfect muzzle brake hasn’t been made yet, but for me, the Z-Comp is as close as anything that I have tried. I hope that I am accurately portraying how impressed I am.
Check out the Z-Comp on ProtoTactical.com.
