Bill Rapier of American Tactical Shooting Instruction LCC recently contributed a guest post to Jerking the Trigger – The Modern Minute Man and Other Standards. That article was very well received and is still generating views.
If you are interested in training with Bill, you can check out the Upcoming Courses page on his website to see which courses are on his schedule for August through November 2019. Click the course listing to learn more about it and register.
Foursevens has launched the first new lights in the Quark MKIII series since their acquisition by Prometheus Lights on Kickstarter. The 500 lumen Quark QK2A and 700 lumen QK16L take 2x AA and 1x 16650 batteries respectively.
Here are some of the highlights:
Industry-leading LED: The MKIII features the newest Nichia 319A with 5000K color temperature and 80+ CRI. It’s meant to strike the perfect balance between crisp white beam quality and maximum output.
Configurable interface: No one can agree on the best program setup so we offer 6 convenient program presets (configurations). Choose your favorite, at any time. The configurable user interface that is being standardized across the entire Foursevens line. No matter what light you pick up, you’ll know exactly how to use it.
Burst mode: Using a very fast double press, burst mode (100%) output is directly accessible from any previous level, and reverts to the last saved mode. Experts agree that most flashlights are used at lower level outputs, but sometimes you need to dial it up. We’ve got you covered on both counts.
More beef: For when gravity strikes, and it always does. The diameter of the entire light is *very* slightly larger to improve mechanical reliability and impact resistance because durability + reliability = longevity. Built for life.
The best pocket clips on the market period: Pocket clips are my jam because I obsess about every detail, because every detail matters. Our new clip is made from thicker material, providing easier pocketing and improved grip. Most of the “grip” on a flashlight comes from the pocket clip, not the surface finish.
Tailstand cap (if you know, you know.): All Quarks ship with the traditional forward (momentary) clicky switch that stands proud of the tail. For those who prefer a recessed button and a light that can tailstand, we also include the all new snap-on Quark Tailstand Cap.
Hybrid Memory: A blend of memory and no-memory, the hybrid configuration saves the last mode used, but reverts to the first mode in the sequence when shifting out of a saved mode.
Solid Copper (Direct Thermal) MCPCB: The LED is mounted to a solid copper PCB to provide superior thermal performance and maximum output — a first for the Quark.
You can dive deep into specs, backer rewards, and the history of the Quark line of lights on Kickstarter.
Valhalla Tactical’s Baldr System is a series of modular weapon light bodies and mounting plates with VERY broad compatibility across many of the current best weapon lights on the market.
They offer Baldr light bodies that can mate with Surefire M600 and M300 heads, Nitecore P10GT heads, and Streamlight HL-X heads. The light bodies accept either a single, protected 18350 in the case of heads that would normally be run on 6V (two cells) or a single CR123A for lights like the M300 that normally runs on a single CR123A. The advantage to these battery configurations is that the light bodies can be made extremely compact and be made to sit very near the rail while still using a battery capable of providing full output and usable runtime. All of the light bodies are designed to accept Surefire E-series/Scout series tailcaps.
There are a variety of mounts available based on the specific needs and any potential clearances that the end-user may need to accommodate. Each mount has built-in adjustability so the user can fine-tune the fit to their setup. Valhalla Tactical describes the mount options:
Type-0: Puts the light body closest to your rail. In most cases you must place your light head in FRONT of the rail for it to clear. Good solution when rail space is limited and barrel protrudes reasonably ahead of your rail. Not optimal if muzzle is also at the end of rail – may cause interference especially with suppressor use.
Type-1: Provides a ~10° tilt so that smaller LED heads (Surefire Scout, Nitecore P10, etc) can recess behind the end of rail. Good for ensuring unfeathered access for suppressor mounting / dismounting.
Type-2: Same with Type-1 except provides ~15° tilt for slightly bigger LED heads such as Modlite.
Type-4: Same with Type-1 except provides ~30° of tilt for more extreme configurations, for example recessing Streamlite HL-X heads or using Scouts with PEQ-15.
The Baldr System components are in production and available for preorder now.
Aberdeen,
NC– (July 2019) Proven Arms &
Outfitters is
excited to announce the Sig Sauer M17-Commemorative Edition of the U.S. Army’s
M17 official service pistol, a variant of the SIG P320 is now available for
pre-order. We’ve been able to acquire a
very limited number of the few remaining M17 Commemoratives in SIG’s inventory,
and they are on their way to us now.
This
M17-Commemorative pistol is available at the commercial pricing of $1,122.00,
which means that all legal purchasers have the opportunity to own their very
own, one of only 5,000, M17-Commemorative Edition pistols.
Sig
Sauer contacted PAO and notified them that they’d receive 10 more of these very
limited pistols. With such a limited
release, they will be available online only for Pre-Order at ProvenOutfitters.com/sig-m17-commemorative.
The
M17-Commemorative pistol shares the same components, coatings, and markings as
the firearm that was awarded the U.S. Army contract for the modular handgun
system (MHS). Only 5,000
M17-Commemorative Edition pistols have been produced for sale, and each SIG
SAUER M17-Commemorative pistol is serialized M17-0001 through M17-5000 and
includes the Army’s required unique identifier (UID). The M17 is sold in the
same cardboard packaging as delivered to the U.S. Army. From the pistol to the
packaging, the M17-Commemorative Edition is identical to the U.S. Army’s
official M17 service pistol.
The
last time the Sig Sauer M17-Commemorative Edition was available it sold out in
3 hours, so don’t delay if you want to add this extraordinary pistol to your
collection.
This
is online only and limited to one M17-Commemorative per customer.
Proven
Arms and Outfitters is a Sig Sauer Elite Dealer, and your non-stop shop for all
things SIG! Sign up for our email list, and you’ll see the promotions and announcements
first!
Stay tuned and look forward to more exciting
announcements coming from Proven Arms & Outfitters very soon!
About Proven
Arms & Outfitters:
Proven Arms & Outfitters is a leading supplier of apparel, gear, and firearms to Enthusiasts, Law Enforcement, First Responders, and Military professionals. We have the PROVEN selection of products designed to help you perform at your peak. For a complete and current outfit for your weapon, build-out existing kit, or gear up for your next adventure, choose us for our practical knowledge, experience, extensive selection, and exceptional customer service.
Visit our Proven Arms & Outfitters store in Woodbridge, Virginia, find us on the web at ProvenOutfitters.com, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
I have been wearing a Hawkrigger 38 Grapple Gun Belt every day since March. In that time I have used in on mountain bike and gravel bike rides, on day hikes, on an overnighter, during kettlebell workouts, on the range, and for general everyday use. Let’s see what I’ve learned.
Overview
The 38 Grapple Gun Belt is sewn from 38mm (1.5″) wide, US-made scuba webbing. The webbing is double layered and has 4 circumferential stitches for stiffness.
The name “Grapple” comes from the G-hook style buckle. It is made from stainless steel and aggressively deburred to remove any sharp edges. The buckle has a slightly curved shape to conform to the wearer.
Observations from Use
I mentioned some of the activities that I have tried while wearing this belt like biking and kettlebell workouts. I did these activities specifically while wearing appendix carry holsters in order to test various aspects of the belt.
I cycled many more than 200 miles on pavement, forest roads, and trails while wearing this belt. I stopped tracking miles after the first few weeks and I’ve worn this belt on all my rides since so the actual mile count is much higher. I figured that this would be a good test of comfort given the forward bent position that cycling requires. The Grapple is stiff in the direction that it needs to be (up and down) but relatively compliant circumferentially which makes it very comfortable while still able to effectively bear weight. I find it to be very comfortable for AIWB carry as well as 3-4 o’clock hip carry.
I wore the Grapple during kettlebell workouts to see if the adjustment would slip. I never had to tighten the belt during a workout and if you know about the mechanics of a kettlebell swing, that should be impressive. It seems like the more tension you put on the buckle, the more it bites and holds. The only instances I have ever had to tighten it have required very little tightening and it usually happens when there is very little tension on the belt.
This belt is easy to wear. It is easy to open, easy to close, easy to thread into belt loops, and easy to adjust. The hooked buckle mates easily with a sewn-in loop in the webbing. The webbing is stiff enough that this loop is always held open when the belt isn’t under tension. You can latch and unlatch with your eyes closed. The open end threads easily in any pants and some pants will even allow the very low profile buckle design to pass through the loops.
The adjustment on this belt is very straight forward. Coarse adjustments are best made when the belt is not threaded in pants. Fine adjustments can be made easily by levering the adjustable side of the buckle forward and then either ratcheting it tighter or allow some webbing to slip in order to loosen. I am not sure to what extent Hawkrigger knew that the adjustment would work out this way, but I like it. It is almost like a ratcheting mechanism without moving parts.
The belt comes with an elastic loop that keeps the excess length under control. The belts are available in multiple standard sizes. When you buy one, you provide your measurement and Hawkrigger provides the correct size based on your measurement. I like that the guesswork is taken out of the process as I often fall between sizes and never feel sure about which size to pick. The belt has a generous amount of adjustment built-in.
The quality of this belt is excellent. It has massive bar tacks where appropriate, 4 full-length circumferential stitches bonding the layers of webbing, cleanly cut and sealed edges, and quality components. Mine still basically looks new. I was concerned about how the buckle hook would wear against the webbing loop over time but that concern has been unfounded due to the lack of anything resembling a sharp edge.
I should also point out that, at just over $50, this belt costs about half of what my previous gun belt cost and I have found that it meets my needs better. I consider this to be an excellent value.
Wrap Up
This is an excellent gun belt. It bears the weight of a gun well and strikes the right balance between rigidity and flexibility. The design is simple, easy to live with, and comfortable to wear. I am wearing it as I type this and I’ll be wearing days later when you read this.
