We got a lot of positive feedback on our Facebook page so we thought I’d share this pic with all of our website readers. The beautiful Elle is from the South and is not a stranger to shooting or firearms. She joined us on the range last week and is wearing the 10-8 Performance SSV t-shirt. Here she is checking out the new Centurion Arms lightweight CMR 12-inch hand guard system on a Colt 6920. It looks like she’ll be shooting guns with us a bunch more, soon!
It is that time of year again where the sun is up longer and is more intense than we are used to in most cases. With that in mind, please review the following and keep a close eye on your students and fellow instructors.
Heat Exhaustion (Mayo Clinic)
Heat exhaustion is a condition whose symptoms may include heavy sweating and a rapid pulse, a result of your body overheating. It’s one of three heat-related syndromes, with heat cramps being the mildest and heatstroke being the most severe.
Causes of heat exhaustion include exposure to high temperatures, particularly when combined with high humidity, and strenuous physical activity. Without prompt treatment, heat exhaustion can progress to heatstroke, a life-threatening condition. Fortunately, heat exhaustion is preventable. Continue reading
Tim checks out Centurion Arms’ brand new, lightweight and narrow diameter CMR 12-inch tubular rail.
Centurion Arms has developed its latest hand guard system for the AR platform for 5.56mm and 7.62mm rifles. Boasting an extremely narrow diameter, it is approximately .120″ narrower in diameter (side to side) than a Troy Industries VTAC rail. The lightweight, custom barrel nut can be installed with a standard adjustable pin spanner wrench. Rather than attach sections of picatinny rail to the hand guard, Centurion Arms will be releasing mounts that will screw directly into the hand guard eliminating the need for an intermediate interface. The mount system is a hybrid design. It borrows the concept of the locking cross bolt system found in the H&K 416 and combines it with a clamp to the barrel nut. The tolerances are held tight and the hand guard is about a slip fit on the barrel nut prior to tightening. The mount mechanism is rock solid. As with all Centurion Arms hand guards, there are integral sling swivel attachment points at the front and rear at 9 and 3 o’clock. The entire rail is cleanly machined, extremely ergonomic, and attractive to boot. They should be hitting the market at any moment so look for it at your favorite dealer.
SOURCE: http://www.centurionarms.com
Edited to add weights:
CMR 12-inch with barrel nut and screws: 10.7 ounces
CMR 14-inch with barrel nut and screws: 11.6 ounces
S&W M&P .45c 36 Rounds Corbon DPX
After the recent purchase of 2 S&W M&P Shields in 9mm for back up and as student loaner guns, my descent into the world of the M&P began. Being a long time fan of the .45 ACP cartridge, there was only one choice, an M&P in .45. I decided on the M&P 45c SKU 109108. This is a 4in. barrel, 8 shot magazine M&P with ambidextrous thumb safety. The pistol is supplied with 2 eight round magazines, one flush fit and one with an extension. The pistol has the standard 3 dot sights and interchangeable backstraps of the M&P line. I’m currently using the small backstrap insert as that gives me the best fit to my hands. As Hilton Yam has noted before, the M&P with the thumb safety is very natural for a 1911 shooter who uses a high thumb grip to shoot. The pistol is available with or without the safety. Continue reading
The 2013 NRA Show in Houston debuted the new prototype 10-8 Performance/Apex Tactical polymer base pad for the M&P series of pistols. The production run should be out by fourth quarter 2013.
An old qualification target with a vintage FBI sniper school data book. Documentation on the target states that the run was made in 4:11 total.
Years ago, I had the pleasure and honor of attending the Kentucky State Police Advanced Sniper School a couple of times. I went back several more times with the honor of helping put it on.
This article is not about the grueling 16+ hour days, the realistic scenarios or the demanding mental and physical conditioning needed to pass. This article is about the single thing that sent many a perspective sniper, or in some cases experienced sniper packing without a certificate at the end of the week.
This article is about the modified qualification course.
The Trijicon SRS or Sealed Reflex Sight mounted to my 10″ SIG 516.
I had an opportunity pop up a few weeks ago that allowed me to get my hands on the new Trijicon SRS (Sealed Reflex Sight). The 1×38 MIL-spec sight is about as rugged as they come. It is a parallax free, reflex sight with a large 38mm aperture for maximum visibility in a short body. The 1.75 MOA red dot has dual power illumination with 10 brightness settings. 3 of those are NVG compatible. The AA battery is mounted in line with the bore and assisted by the top mounted solar cell panel. The large buttons for adjusting the brightness levels are located on the sides of the housing and are easily manipulated with or without gloves. The overall build quality of the sight is what you would expect from a company such as Trijicon. The sight is robust with a housing so rugged that seems like the demonic offspring of a fire hydrant and a manhole cover. Continue reading
Here’s one from a while back when I was testing the LaRue PredatAR 7.62 for an article I wrote for Soldier of Fortune. Weighing in at under 8 pounds unloaded, this handy big bore rifle is extremely pointable and easy to shoot. I later added a BattleComp BABC muzzle device which does an amazing job of keeping the muzzle level between shots. The only downside to the PredatAR is the insane demand. Get your name on the list and own one of the finest lightweight, modern battle rifles available.
SOURCE: http://www.larue.com
To most people, a “match trigger” in a AR15 platform belongs on a rifle with a 16 to 22 inch precision barrel. During the course of my career I have shot the normal GI trigger that I was given. During sniper school the precision platform opened up to me, but the desire of a nicer trigger didn’t really bleed down to my other carbines until I shot a friend’s Geissele trigger a few years ago. I have since tried many “match” triggers of all types and from numerous companies, never really finding something I liked enough to warrant the additional funds.
I shoot a lot of 1911 like most of the other contributors on this site and personally use primarily a flat blade trigger. This preference of a flat trigger has bled down to my bolt guns as well. I learned that Geissele was producing a flat blade trigger and I had to try it, so I ordered 1 of every model ( Super Dynamic 3 gun, Super Dynamic Enhanced, and Super Dynamic Combat). Continue reading
After initial fitting of the engagement surfaces of the safety, it was time to trim the extra wide paddles so they were suitable for a duty/carry gun. Left is the “before” photo, and on the right is the “after”.
A few weeks ago, MSW Contributor Scott Ballard wrote about Wilson Combat’s latest iteration of their Bulletproof Ambidextrous Safety for the 1911. Originally available with tiny little levers, many of us were waiting for a version with longer and wider paddles that are more consistent with what we are used to. Thankfully, Wilson Combat answered the call and produced the 620BP, which has oversized paddles. Continue reading
As I have mentioned before in previous articles, I believe competition is an excellent way to push my training to the next level. While it certainly has limitations as to how “realistic” it can be, I can’t think of a better way to add to your training the anxiety of shooting under time pressure and being accountable for your accuracy. (As an aside, our friends at Gun Nuts Media have an excellent article on competition vs tactical training recently posted to their site.) Continue reading
A few years ago, Aimpoint introduced a smaller, lightweight version of their proven red dot sighting system. Called the T-1, it was designed to be just as durable and reliable as its bigger brothers, with just as impressive battery life to boot. The only thing missing was some bump protection. Former 10-8 Forum Member Joe Chen had the brilliant idea to develop a cover similar to the Aimpoint Factory Rubber Cover for the Comp M series sights. Originally a Kickstarter project, it grew legs and the bright minds at TangoDown were charged with production. Today, the iOCover is cheap insurance to protect your already tough T-1 from bumps and bruises.
SOURCE: http://www.tangodown.com
Here’s some progress on my latest project. After fitting the grip safety, I chased the very crude machine cut checkering by hand with a checkering file. The key to good cosmetics and functional checkering is to ensure each diamond comes to a point. This MSH was blasted and cold blued after the hand work to prevent corrosion during the build process.
The Grayman Satu Folder shown above is not a small knife. It is shown here alongside an Emerson CQC-10 for comparison.
If you’re anything like me, you have a fetish for sharp pointy objects. Around Christmas time last year, I received a Grayman Satu Folder to evaluate alongside the various knives I have used for everyday carry. For those not familiar with Grayman Knives, they are handmade in the USA using premium materials. The blade is ground from Crucible Materials Corporation’s excellent CPM S30V, a corrosion resistant steel known for its toughness and edge holding. This model features dual solid titanium scales, as well as a titanium pocket clip.
Available at Tactical Distributors: http://www.tacticaldistributors.com/ssd-x-td-keep-calm-and-return-fire-2-0