Tactical...

...Boyfriend.  Apparently I am one*.  For those interested, the flashlight in question is the Streamlight 66318 MicroStream C4 LED Pen Flashlight, which is the size of my finger and runs off a single AAA battery for several months of real life use, and seems just as bright as the Stinger I was issued for work (just not as good of range.) LEDs are amazing little things.

*It's not a bad thing though.

Lights and Guns

Uncle links to a SI article on white-light/handgun techniques and gets the ball rolling on some discussion.

I've touched on white-lights and their importance on guns before, and I still stand by it.  I like the idea of having a light on the gun and the bonus of being able to use my off hand to open doors or dial 911.  (Also the reason I have a handgun sitting on the nightstand. If I can't take care of it with 17 rounds of 124gr +P 9mm, it should be enough to get me back to the AR (with light attached as well.))

Esstac Shotgun Cards

One of the most important things to remember when running a shotgun, is that 99% of the time, your system has a relatively small magazine.  Ask anybody who teaches tactical stuff, and they'll tell you that having an "on board" ammo supply is essential to success with the shotty.  One popular system is the "side saddle," a plastic or metal bracket that attaches to the receiver to hold extra shot shells.

A downside to the side saddle is that they are weapon specific, and often replace the gun's take down pins with through-bolts, and if over tightened, these bolts can bind up the operating system on top of being adding a step to cleaning.  Another problem (in my mind) is that they still only add about a mag's worth of extra ammo.  Better than nothing, but wouldn't it be great to have a quick change system when you want to top off your saddle?

Esstac has addressed these issues by designing the "Shotgun Card," a Velcro backed nylon and elastic 7 shell holder.  I recently picked up three of them from SKD Tactical to use with my Mossberg 930.  Another bonus is that they're nowhere near the price of a standard side-saddle, at $15 a piece.

Overall, the cards are pretty impressive.  They're nice and stiff, and only curl slightly when fully loaded and not on the gun.  There is a 550 chord loop at one end to aid in pulling them out of a pouch (two cards, back to back, fit in a 2 mag AR type pouch) or off your gun. The back is completely covered in the "hook" half of "hook and loop."

To attach to the gun, I simply cut out some "loop" tape to match the contours of the receiver, leaving a slot to expose the serial number and the take down pins.

This also gives your gun a larger "cuddle factor" for the ladies.

And then simply slap a card on there-

I can see more than a few advantages of the system.  Mainly in that you can simply rip off an empty card and slap a fresh one on, rather than fumbling with reloading each slot.  As mentioned, the cards are sized to fit in a double AR mag pouch, so you can carry plenty of spares.  Plus they're cheap enough to have plenty of spares. (You just need to watch the retail site like a hawk, they tend to sell out fast.)

The other major plus is that they are not weapon specific.  As long as the receiver is lined with the "loop" tape, it will work.  Great if you're taking a class and your semi goes down and you have to switch to your pump, or for when your buddy starts running low when the zombies finally come.  (I did not have any double AR pouches handy at the time of writing though, so how well they fit is yet to be determined.)

On the range they handle just like any other side saddle when you reload.  The shells stay in the loops even when firing-

-even if the card isn't completely full.

Reloading is no different from any other side saddle system.

The card stays firmly in place due to the amount of Velcro on the back even when doing speed reloads.

The only problem I could see with the Esstac Shotshell Card is that the elastic loops may be hard to reload in a high-adrenaline situation, but by keeping extra, loaded, cards on you that shouldn't be a major concern.  Just rip the empty off and slap on a fresh one.  Also the elastic will loose its stretch after some time if you store them loaded, and that may cause the shells to fall out when firing.  (I wouldn't call it a defect, simply something to keep in mind when using this type of system, as this can be an issue with the plastic and metal saddles as well.)

For the price, they're worth giving a shot, especially if you have an oddball model gun and want a side saddle (partially the case with the 930) or just looking for an alternate to a fixed saddle set up.

Rem 700 Bolt on Bolt Handle

From Kinetic Research Group. 

The "Bolt Lift" is exactly that, a bolt on oversized bolt handle for the Remington 700 rifle that requires no modifications to the rifle.  Currently only in black, but Tan and OD likely in the future.

(H/T SSD)

Yeah... I want one.

Can we get these imported? Please??

Nastolgic

Ruger's going old school.  Make it black, throw a flash hider on it, call it "tactical," and jack up the price! (Although there is a modern touch, it's got an optics rail...) The Mini-30 has gotten the same treatment.

Tactical Energy Drink

Perfect for washing down your Tactical Bacon.

Shotgunnin'

Just some cool pics from Saturday.

Savvy Sniper Tac 1-2 Sling

Another product review!

So it's pretty well agreed that a sling is essential to nearly any long gun, especially a defensive gun.  We've come a long way since the days of a simple two-point strap good for keeping your hands free and the muzzle out of the dirt, but not much else.  There was a brief upswing of the three point, and I rocked the excellent Spec-Ops Mamba in Afghanistan, a very comfortable and versatile rig.
But now days all the cool kids are running single point slings, especially on the M4 style platform.  The three point sling has the disadvantage of being a straight up pain if you ever need to switch from right to left handed, something pretty common in todays urban environment.
For a bit I ran the Magpul MS2, in conjunction with the ASAP plate on my midlength carbine.  The MS2 is one of a handful of single point slings that have a secondary clip that allows you to quickly switch from a single point to a two point.  The advantage being that a single point is ideal for a dynamic and up-close style of shooting where switching hands and transitioning to a sidearm is common, and a two point is much better at keeping the gun out of your way if you're doing something requiring two hands, and if used correctly, helps stabilize your rifle for longer range engagements.
The Magpul sling has a beefy alligator type clip to accomplish the transition at lightning speed, and of course the "Magpul" logo makes the kool-aid taste better.  But the webbing they chose to use is the same type of tubular webbing used in the climbing world, which is insanely strong, but very flexible.  I found that it wasn't quite up to spreading the weight of my beefy midlength rifle across my body.  The webbing has a tendency to want to fold in half and cut into the top of my shoulder, not to mention rolling and tangling up the quick adjustment system, and there is no stretch in the material, making this even worse when running.
Right around the time the MS2 was being introduced, Shotgun News ran an article about some new AR, I think it was something in 6.8mm, I don't remember, but the guy reviewing the gun was singing the accolades of the Savvy Sniper Tac 1-2 Sling.  What really caught my eye was the inclusion of a bungee section, much like my beloved Mamba, yet had the cool single-point/two-point abilities like the MS2. Plus free shipping!
Price is comparable to the MS2, but the Savvy Sniper has the bonus cool points of being handmade by some very cool people in Ohio, and I'm a sucker for the "custom" feel and coolness of that kind of thing.  So I sent an ordered up one for myself and one of my shooting buddies who was looking for a good sling for his M&P15.
Savvy Sniper is a smaller company, and orders are placed through email, and payment by an old fashioned check sent through the mail.  Some people don't like that extra bit of work, but it just kind of added to the whole "custom" feel of things for me.  Shipping time was pretty good for a made-to-order product too.

Handmade goodness-

Construction is top-notch.  Good strong stitching, quality materials and components like H&K clips and Fastex buckles. (various attachment options are available too)  I went with H&K clips, but now I see they have MASH hooks... I'll have to place another order soon...



The webbing is also Mil-spec webbing just like the MS2, but a much stiffer brand.  The quick adjustment system is also much simpler, and doesn't get fouled up nearly as often as the MS2's (which has been regulated to camera duty.  It really is a fantastic strap for a bulky digital SLR and an active photographer.)
The sling hooks up easily and securely, and the Fastex buckles are there for quick escape if need be.  In the single point config there's plenty of material to fit over a vest.  I actually run it with the non-quick adjust section tightened nearly all the way, and the quick adjust section pulled tight if I'm not wearing my vest, or let out a bit if I am (I like the gun riding high and close.) There's plenty of sling to transition from left to right hands tangle-free with the ASAP plate (so far the best sling plate I've ever used.)

And switched to the two point it's easy to slide the rifle out of the way onto your back if need be (a great asset for those in theater) or for a bit more comfortable carry during lengthy patrols (it just seems to carry better and keeps the rifle from bouncing around, but is still in the low ready.)

My only real complaint is that the d-ring the transition hook grabs onto tends to turn and end up side-ways.  It doesn't impair function, but it's a little annoying.  However it looks like they have a new sling that addresses this, and a couple other things (like the adjustment section just kind of dangling.)  I think I may need to upgrade...

Overall, a great sling, and an outstanding alternative to the often hard to find MS2.

Looking for a Chest Rig

Looking for a very simple chest rig to hold 4 AR mags and 2 double stack pistol mags, not really much else.  I've got a full out tactical load bearing vest with all sorts of crap on it, but I want something more streamlined for range use and whatnot, and of course within the means of a generally broke-ish college student.

Any suggestions?  Oh, and Multi-cam would be teh cool these days.  Most of my stuff is tan of some sort, and that's so last year.

Alternative to sleeping mat chunks and 100mph tape.

Riser Stock Pouch for the M14/M1A.  The M14's on my short list of "need but damn that's expensive" and I would have a hard time not setting it up as a SDMR.  Plus it has a mag pouch on one side, and a see-through holder on the other side for your notes.  Pretty good looking and handy design, if a little on the pricey side.

Tactical Shotgun Application

I'm quickly realizing that there doesn't seem to be much material on the subject produced in the last 20 years, especially with the AR platform gaining so much favor.  I've got a couple books (Gabriel Suarez's and Massad Ayoob's is on the way) and I will probably do a write up of them when I have time to go through them in detail, but if you know of any others out there let me know.

ACR Video

"Leaked" video from Remington for the ACR. I do want.

(found at the Firearm Blog)

Dump pouches...

What are your thoughs on them?

Magpul kool-aid taste good.

AFG

Review to come.

Sigtyr

So the bulk of the little carbine is pretty much finished. Here's a list of features and whatnot.

-DPMS lower receiver

-Del-ton top end with a DTI 16" 1:9 barrel (5.56 chamber), mid-length gas system

-YHM Diamond series free float 4 rail handguard

-YHM flip up gas block

-YHM Phantom 5C2 flash hider

-Magpul MBUS rear sight

-Magpul XTR rail covers (FDE and OD)

-Magpul MOE grip and trigger guard

-Magpul CTR stock

-Magpul ASAP sling plate

-KNS anti-rotation pins

-Tangodown stubby vert. grip

There's a sling on the way, as well as plans to pick up an Eotech XPS sometime in the next few months.

Should have more in depth pictures and a review up sometime in the future.

Teaser pick

more to come later

"Tactical" Rifles

While I was wondering around Barnes & Noble the other day, I noticed a few books in the sports section regarding "Tactical Rifles" and "Tactical Accessories" from Guns and Ammo publishing. It got me thinking about how more and more these days the stuff that was refered to as "Assault Weapons" a few years ago are more and more being called the more PC "Tactical."
At least I think it sounds more PC.
"Assault weapon" just sounds badder than "tactical weapon," or better yet, "tactical rifle." Problem is, the more I think about it, the more I realize you only ever really see those terms used with an AR type carbine, usually with rails and optics and all sorts of, you guessed it, "tactical accessories." I've probably only seen the term "tactical" used in reference to an AK system once or twice.
This just makes me wonder if it's really a good thing, something that should be pushed more, or if it'll just get turned around and used against us. "Why do you need a 'tactical' rifle? You're not on a SWAT team!"
Just something to think about I guess.