Category Archives: Long Guns

YOUR PATROL RIFLE (HOW TO SET IT UP)

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Patrol rifles are steadily becoming the mainstay of the modern police arsenal.  From time to time, the conversation of chosing a police patrol rifle comes up.  And some folks have some interesting thoughts on the modern police patrol rifle, and what should hang on it.  Folks have all kinds of ideas ranging from a full auto rifle chambered in a piston driven 6.8, to hanging on a 2-16 Nightforce scope, two lights, a PEQ, weather vane, Iphone attachment (let’s face it EVERYTHING revolves around ITunes these days), gerbil ball, bipod, monopod grip in case the bipod fails, a suppressor, one of those window hanger thingies to hold a Monster Absolute Zero,  and two Surefire 60 round magazines taped end to end for good measure. Continue reading →

My EOTech works flawlessly on Modern Warfare.

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A while back, my 9 year old son and I were playing Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on XBox, and I came to a realization.  The EoTech on my M4 on the screen was working “flawlessly”.  So, it became the running joke that the only place I’ve ever witnessed an EoTech run 100 percent is on Modern Warfare.  I’ve made this comment a couple of times in front of different shooters and it usually erupts into laughter.  Some get angry.  The “Aimpoint versus EOTech” is the ultimate “Ford versus Chevy” debate, and in the worlds of the interwebs it can get heated. Continue reading →

AR15/M16 Magazine Drop Test: Plastic vs. Aluminum

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L to R: NHMTG USGI Magazine, PMAG, PMAG GEN M3, and TangoDown ARC Mk2.

One of the weak links of the M16 platform has always been the magazine design. The double column feed makes the system prone to malfunction should there be any dimensional problem with the magazine. Thankfully, there are more options for good magazines than ever before. Aluminum GI magazines have better springs, followers, and are built to as high a standard as ever, and we now have excellent choices in polymer magazines.

With that in mind, I decided to do a simple durability test of four popular magazines: the USGI aluminum magazine, the legacy PMAG, the new PMAG GEN M3, and the latest TangoDown ARC Mark 2 magazine.

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Review: MESA Tactical Urbino Stock

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Benelli M4 with MESA Tactical Urbino

I have always been a fan of the quality and durability of MESA Tactical products.  Let me also say that I am a, “buy-once, cry-once,” type of consumer.  I need it to work when I need it and I don’t want to ever find myself wondering about if my kit will work or malfunction when I need it most.  With the need to shorten the length of pull on both my pump-action and semi-auto shotguns, I installed MESA Tactical Urbino stocks on both my Remington 870 and my Benelli M4 Shotguns. They quickly solved the problem I had which stems from being cursed with arms the length of a T-rex. Continue reading →

Colt’s LE901 – A Bigger Hammer

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What does one do if they want to add more weight, velocity, power or speed to something already existing?  Some would answer, “Build it bigger?”  In a way that is what Colt Defense did when they began building their LE901 carbine in .308 Winchester.  Colt built a bigger hammer when they launched their new platform to get into the .308 market.  For almost a decade Colt sat idly by watching other manufacturers jettison their iteration of an AR10 weapon into the hands of sportsmen, Law Enforcement and Military users.  But just this past summer the launch of their bigger hammer hit the market and now the company identified with the rampant pony now has a larger caliber black rifle to offer supporters.

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FIRST LOOK: PMAG GEN M3 VS. ORIGINAL PMAG

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On November 1, 2012, MagPul Industries began shipping the latest generation of the PMAG, the polymer magazine that has completely redefined the polymer magazine for the M16/AR15 platform. MagPul cites various upgrades, including an improved polymer compound that is reportedly stronger and more durable than ever. Here are some of the obvious differences I observed between the two magazines. Continue reading →

Compensator Shootout: BattleComp vs. BCM Gunfighter vs. A2 Flash Hider

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An extremely popular accessory born from competition is the “tactical compensator”. As mentioned in my previous blog post on the BattleComp, in the past I had shied away from compensators for anything but competition because of the excessive side blast and flash that goes along with them. I remember a recent class where I was shooting next to a student with a rifle equipped with a SureFire MB556. While an efficient comp, I felt like I was being punched in the face every time he pressed the trigger.

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First Look: Blue Force Gear’s Rapid Emergency Detachment (RED) Swivel

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K-9 Officer S. Sharpe with the BFG RED Sling Swivel attached to a Centurion Arms 12.0 FSB rail.

Most everyone is familiar with Blue Force Gear’s Vickers Combat Application Sling, which has become one of the industry standards for two-point adjustable slings. But that is not the only sling product they offer. Blue Force Gear continues to innovate, and offers a full line of sling options to fit each user’s needs. A couple months ago, I ordered the new Rapid Emergency Detachment sling swivel, which is designed to allow the user to rapidly and easily remove the sling should he need to. This swivel is works in conjunction with common push-button sling swivel sockets used by many quality manufacturers today.

The swivel replaces the common push-button release and replaces it with a pull knob at the end of a short stainless steel cable coated in black nylon. This allows the user to rapidly release the sling should he need to get out of the sling in a hurry. The knob shape is designed to be anti-snag so that the chance of accidental release is minimized. Continue reading →