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Review: Battle Arms Development CASS-3P

By on July 9, 2011 in Guns, Reviews, Tactical Gear

I first wrote about the CASS-3P AR-15 selector back in June and you can read more about the excellent pedigree of this selector in that post. Since that time, I have been working with a prototype CASS-3P that Battle Arms Development provided for me to review.

The CASS-3P will feel familiar to those of you who have have a BAD-ASS already. The levers are dimensionally identical to the excellent BAD-ASS levers. However, there are 2 notable differences that really make the CASS-3P stand out.

The first difference is the way that the levers mount. The BAD-ASS uses a slot style mounting system that takes the stress off the mounting screws but does nothing to retain the lever without the screw. The CASS-3P uses a horizontal dovetail mounting system. This not only takes the rotational stresses off the screw but will retain the lever to a certain extent even if the screw is lost or broken. I tested this by installing the strong side lever without a screw and cycling the lever from fire, to safe, to fire, and so on. I made it to 200 cycles before I was bored and the lever was still intact. It was sliding around on the core but it didn’t fall off.

The second difference is that the center core that the levers attach to is slightly longer. This is to allow some additional clearance for when you slide the levers onto the core. The happy coincidence is that this also makes the levers feel wider. They are dimensionally the same as the BAD-ASS levers but they are raised slightly higher off of the receiver. This makes them even easier to find with your fingers but also can add to the interference with your trigger finger so you will want to choose your weak side lever wisely. If you are used to shooting with an ambidextrous selector switch, you really won’t even notice the extra thickness.

Overall, this is probably the most battle worthy selector from Battle Arms Development yet. The dovetail mounted levers adds a degree of redundant lever retention that is really attractive for those who are looking to build a fighting carbine. The CASS-3P will be available on the Battle Arms Development website soon.

BAD-T1 The Armorer

By on July 2, 2011 in Tactical Gear

The M1A/M14 can be a tremendously reliable and accurate battle rifle but it comes with some unique maintenance requirements that require specific tools. You can buy all of these specific tools separately or you can buy The Armorer from Battle Arms Development.

The Armorer combines more than 30 M1A/M14 specific functions into one compact package that can be used on the workbench or in the field. It is so compact that it can be stored in the buttstock cleaning kit compartment of a USGI stock. As we have come to expect from Battle Arms Development, The Armorer is over built and precisely machined. It is machined from bar stock 41L40 Chrome-Moly Steel and then finished with Ion Bond.

Battle Arms Development typically only makes 1 run of the The Armorer a year and they sell out quickly. They are available now but the optional custom pouch is still a few weeks out. You can read more about The Armorer on the Battle Arms Development website or purchase your own in their web store.

UPDATE: The 4th of July will mark Battle Arms Development’s 2nd year of operation. To celebrate, they are offering $20 off the BAD T1. Just enter the code BADT120 at checkout. The offer will be good from 7.2.2011 to 7.5.2011.

CASS-3P SA Selector – Coming Soon From Battle Arms Development

By on June 18, 2011 in Guns

No one makes better safety selectors than Battle Arms Development (BAD). Their BAD-ASS safety selector and Short Throw BAD-ASS safety selectors are some of my favorite gear that I have had the pleasure of reviewing here on Jerking the Trigger. Now we have a new safety selector option to look forward to from Battle Arms Development – the CASS-3P SA.

You can clearly see the dovetailed selector levers in this picture of the CASS-3P SA. Keep in mind that this is a prototype. Production versions will be finished to the same high standards that you expect from BAD.

The CASS-3P SA is based off of BAD’s M16 selector, the CASS-3P M16. The CASS-3P M16 was originally developed specifically for one of the oldest names in firearms to be part of the improved carbine trials. The carbine that it was developed for is still in the running. That is a pretty good pedigree for a new piece of gear.

The CASS-3P SA has the same horizontally mounted dovetailed selector levers as the M16 version but they are mounted on a semi-auto selector core. The dovetailed selector levers are what sets it apart from the BAD-ASS which uses a slotted selector lever. Like the slotted selectors of BAD-ASS, the dovetails served to take the stress of moving the selector off of the screw that secures it. The dovetails also allow the selector lever to remain attached to the core and functional in the unlikely event that the screw does break.

The levers offer the same texturing, easy to operate shape, and size as those found on the BAD-ASS. However, since the levers are dovetailed, the selector core is designed to be just a bit wider than the one on the BAD-ASS. This moves the levers out away from the receiver slightly and results in a lever that feels wider to the user.

The CASS-3P SA was developed as a semi-auto version of the CASS-3P M16 shown above.

Roger at Battle Arms Development tells me that the CASS-3P selectors are the finest machined products that BAD has completed to date. That is really saying something considering how finely made all of the BAD products are that I have used. Each and every male and female dovetail is checked against a “go” and “no-go gauge” to be sure that the levers are neither too tight or too loose. This fit is vital. If the lever is too tight, the user won’t be able to slide it onto the core. If it is too loose, it will wobble on the dovetail.

So, maybe you are reading this and thinking, ‘That sounds great, but I am spoiled by my short throw version of the BAD-ASS.” I have good news. There will also be a short throw version of the CASS-3P SA that will be released around September 2011.

The CASS-3P SA is not available for purchase yet, but while you are waiting, you can check out all of the other selector options that Battle Arms Development offers on their website.

Review: Battle Arms Development – Ambidextrous Safety Selector Cerakote

By on March 28, 2011 in Guns, Reviews

The FDE Cerakote is a perfect match with Magpul's FDE (shown with a PMAG).

I recently received a Battle Arms Development – Ambidextrous Safety Selector Cerakote (BAD-ASS Cerakote) in Flat Dark Earth (FDE). I have already reviewed the regular version of the BAD-ASS and, since the only difference with this new version is the Cerakote, this will be more of a mini-review. Please reference the original BAD-ASS review for more detail.

 

The BAD-ASS Cerakote features all the great functionality of the original BAD-ASS with the additional functionality of Cerakote. Cerakote is a coating that has excellent corrosion resistance properties and is extremely wear-resistant. Even the screws are completely coated to ensure that every part of the BAD-ASS receives the full benefits Cerakote’s of corrosion resistance. As an additional benefit, Cerakote is available in a number of attractive colors. Battle Arms Development is offering the BAD-ASS in either FDE, OD Green, or Gunmetal Gray.

The best news is that, functionally, these perform exactly the same as the original BAD-ASS. The levers are still well designed and easy to operate. It still moves crisply from safe to fire and vice versa. Everything you have come to expect from the BAD-ASS is here with the addition of Cerakote. The term “icing on the cake” seems to fit very well.

You can check out the Battle Arms Development webstore for more details.

Disclosure: Battle Arms Development provided the BAD-ASS Cerakote to me, free of charge, for this review.

FDE shown on a black reciever

FDE shown on Krylon Tan with a green overspray

Battle Arms Development – Ambidextrous Safety Selector Cerakote

By on March 15, 2011 in Guns

The Battle Arms Development – Ambidextrous Safety Selector (BAD-ASS) is already the best ambidextrous selector for the AR-15 on the market. It blew me away when I reviewed it but Battle Arms Development hasn’t been content to just rest on their laurels. First, they introduced the amazing short throw BAD-ASS-ST and now they are introducing Cerakoted versions of the original BAD-ASS.

Cerakote not only allows the BAD-ASS to be offered in a number of colors but also provides increasde wear and corrosion resistance. This finish should hold up to hard use very well.

The BAD-ASS Cerakote versions are available in Flat Dark Earth, Gunmetal Gray, and Olive Drab.

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