Category Archives: Gear

FIRST LOOK: GRAYMAN KNIVES SUB-SAHARAN

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Grayman’s 5-inch Sub-Saharan is small enough to be practical, but can take on big task

This is for all you knife guys (and gals) out there. A few years back, Cameron Hopkins introduced me to Mike over at Grayman Knives. He spent some time showing me various knives from his catalog, and the first impression I got was: these knives were designed to be used. Hand ground from high carbon 1095, these knives come with a toothy edge that is perfect for practical use. High carbon 1095 is a tough steel with quite a bit of abrasion resistance which means it holds an edge quite well. Unfortunately, due to its low chromium content, it is susceptible to rust. Thus, Mike coats the Sub-Saharan in KG Gunkote, an excellent polymer type finish that is exceptionally resistant to corrosion. Just keep the exposed edge coated with a good rust inhibitor (like FrogLube) and you are good to go. 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 →

Grip Force Adapter: Making “perfection” a little more perfect

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For years I suffered from slide bite when shooting Glock pistols, especially the mid size guns like my issued 23.  Between fairly large hands and an aggressive grip I was almost assured to have the web of my shooting hand ripped open by the slide serrations by the end of the day.  The Grip Force Adapter has changed all that.

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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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Hearing Protection… Pay Now or Pay Later

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I thought I was going crazy. It started with and occasional high pitch ring in either one of my ears and was soon accompanied by vertigo. I would be carrying on a conversation and the next thing I know I’m almost falling over. After a little research, I realized that I was suffering from tinnitus, a common malady amongst returning combat veterans. I had known since returning from Iraq that I suffered from diminished hearing, especially when trying to isolate sounds, like when my wife was trying to talk to me while the TV was on…(Insert your own joke here), but the tinnitus was starting to affect my quality of life. Even though there’s not much I can do about fixing my hearing issues, it got me thinking about what I could do to keep them from getting worse.

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Big Performance in Small Packages

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Under normal circumstances, I still carry a firearm like a plainclothes assignment rather than a washed up retired guy. I usually carry a compact duty gun (currently HK P30), a Surefire E2DL, and a Strider SMF folder and DB fixed blade, along with a hideout Ti HAK. I use a HK P2000SK as a second gun at times in a small fanny pack. Old habits die hard, and this is probably overkill for most. On occasion or as required by dress I will carry items more in line with a size that most folks would consider for daily concealed carry. Because I have to sacrifice in size, does not mean I have to sacrifice in performance. I have obtained some outstanding items recently that offer huge performance in a smaller package.

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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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REVIEW: Brass Monkey Performance Competition Belt

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This year at the Pro Am Steel Match, Cliff Walsh from Top Shot Season 3 (and 10-8 Performance sponsored shooter) introduced me to the Brass Monkey Performance (BMP) Competition Belt. For years I have been using various “tactical” belts for training and competition, such as the excellent Instructor Belt from The Wilderness. But when a seasoned competitor like Cliff makes a suggestion, I tend to listen.

BMP’s competition belt uses the same concept as a duty belt system used by cops everywhere. An inner belt goes through the pant loops and then an outer belt with all the gear is secured to the inner belt. Traditional “Sam Brown” belts in law enforcement use small fasteners known as “keepers” to secure the outer belt to the inner one. BMP’s competition belt uses hook and loop velcro to secure the two belts together. BMP uses some sticky grade velcro as the belts will not come apart from each other until you absolutely want them to. Continue reading →

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 →

REVIEW: First Spear SHOCK Rig

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The author running the First Spear SHOCK rig in an EAG Tactical course.

I recently participated in an EAG Tactical low light Carbine 2 course in Texas.  I was running my LaRue Texas RangAR .308 rifle that is the subject of a future print media article.  I needed to get a 7.62 x51 specific chest rig.  I contacted the folks at First Spear to see what they had that would meet my needs for a lightweight chest rig.  Ronnie Fowlkes recommended the SHOCK 6/12 rig.  I ordered it along with a pistol magazine pouch for my HK P30.  The Multicam rig was delivered quickly and I immediately noticed that it was very lightweight.  This may be in part because of the 6/12 panels, which get rid of a lot of the heavy PALS webbing.  While I was a little skeptical about the 6/12 attachments, there were zero issues in class and no movement.

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Apex Tactical’s Gen 4 Glock Failure Resistant Extractor Now Available

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Apex Tactical’s long awaited Failure Resistant Extractor for the Glock Gen 4 is now available for ordering from their web store. Many shooters who have bought Glocks within the last few years have discovered their Glocks are ejecting cases erratically or even malfunctioning with stovepipe type malfunctions. My personal Glock 17 RTF worked fine for about 1000 rounds and suddenly began to fail to eject every 100 rounds or so. It was quite frustrating.

As mentioned in a previous blog post, I received a prototype extractor from Apex a while back, which improved the consistency of ejection and extraction of all the Glocks in which I dropped it in. This fix from Apex was able to do what countless other “fixes” from the Internet Peanut Gallery could not. In fact, it worked so well, my Glock was able to reliably extract and eject cases without a magazine inserted in the gun. This is something Glocks have never been able to do from the factory.

Note that this version is specifically for Gen 4 Glocks only, and a Gen 3 version will be coming along soon.

Source: Apex Tactical

 

 

NLT’s Zombie SIRT

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Next Level Training’s Latest SIRT Model with Green Slide

Most of our readers know that we are big proponents of Next Level Training’s SIRT Pistol. Using this innovative training tool for dry practice and integrating it into live fire training has yielded tremendous results in terms of speed and accuracy.

The latest addition to Next Level Training’s product line is the “Homo Coprophagus Somnambulus” or Zombie model. Despite the bright green slide and timely marketing, this model is extremely practical: it combines the economical polymer slide of the Performer model with the versatile green laser indicator found in the top of the line 110 PRO Model, which can be used outdoors in bright daylight conditions. With an introductory price of $289, Next Level Training has effectively lowered the barrier to entry for anyone serious about pistol training.

Remember that our readers are eligible for a 10% discount by entering “10-8” in the coupon code box at checkout. Active/retired Law Enforcement or Military should contact me directly for an even more generous discount.

Link: http://www.nextleveltraining.com