Saturday, January 15, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
Speer Lawman 9mm
Recently BulkAmmo.com kindly sent me a box of Speer Lawman 9x19mm 115gr. TMJ to try out, which is just a small sample of what they have available for bulk 9mm ammo.
The ammo is your typical 9mm ball, utilizing a 115gr. Total Metal Jacket, rather than the traditional Full Metal Jacket typically found in most 9x19mm. FMJ, contrary to the name, actually leaves the lead at the base of the bullet exposed, whereas TMJ fully encapsulates the lead core. Speer loads the Lawman with a lead-free barium or antimony primer, making the Lawman, as intended by the manufacturer, an ideal training round for indoor training alternative to their Gold Dot defensive ammo. The rounds are brass cased and boxer primed, so they are reloadable.
The ammo is nicely packaged in the standard cardboard box and a plastic tray. The rounds were nice and clean, with no corrosion or oxidation showing.
I don't have access to an indoor range, something I constantly lament this time of year, so today I braved the snow and cold to get some range time and see how the stuff shoots. It was about 18 or so degrees, completely over-cast and lightly snowing. Yay.
I warmed up the M&P with a couple boxes of TulAmmo, starting at 25 yards off the bench, and quickly realized that my current lack of practice, my apparent inability to put the rear sight back precisely where it had been when I installed the Apex parts, and the inconsistency of the cheap Russian fodder was going to give me a pretty poor baseline to compare accuracy. So I moved the target in to about 5 yards. As anybody who's tried Dot Torture, this can still be a challenge for a pistol. Also, did I mention it was a bit chilly?
The Lawman chambered smoothly in the M&P, and felt ever so slightly snappier than the TulAmmo (note to self... you really need to get one of those chrono deallies...) I'm not sure if it was going faster, or if the case material may have made a difference in felt recoil. However the Lawman also shot much closer to point of aim, and the groups were about half the size as I was getting with the Russian steel cased stuff. I'm a bit embarrassed to post this photo, but here is a typical group from the Speer Lawman fired out of the M&P.
All rounds cycled with out an issue, and all felt very consistent. The empties showed no more extra wear than any other rounds I've tried in this gun, and the firing pin had no issues with the primers.
All rounds fired at the first strike, whereas the TulAmmo did have one failure to fire (It did fire on the second strike.) In fairness to the cheap Russian steel, I did fire about three times as much TulAmmo as I did Speer today, however I have had other issues with the TulAmmo in the past.
Overall, the Speer performed well, and is a great training cartridge, especially for indoor use.
The ammo is your typical 9mm ball, utilizing a 115gr. Total Metal Jacket, rather than the traditional Full Metal Jacket typically found in most 9x19mm. FMJ, contrary to the name, actually leaves the lead at the base of the bullet exposed, whereas TMJ fully encapsulates the lead core. Speer loads the Lawman with a lead-free barium or antimony primer, making the Lawman, as intended by the manufacturer, an ideal training round for indoor training alternative to their Gold Dot defensive ammo. The rounds are brass cased and boxer primed, so they are reloadable.
The ammo is nicely packaged in the standard cardboard box and a plastic tray. The rounds were nice and clean, with no corrosion or oxidation showing.
I don't have access to an indoor range, something I constantly lament this time of year, so today I braved the snow and cold to get some range time and see how the stuff shoots. It was about 18 or so degrees, completely over-cast and lightly snowing. Yay.
I warmed up the M&P with a couple boxes of TulAmmo, starting at 25 yards off the bench, and quickly realized that my current lack of practice, my apparent inability to put the rear sight back precisely where it had been when I installed the Apex parts, and the inconsistency of the cheap Russian fodder was going to give me a pretty poor baseline to compare accuracy. So I moved the target in to about 5 yards. As anybody who's tried Dot Torture, this can still be a challenge for a pistol. Also, did I mention it was a bit chilly?
The Lawman chambered smoothly in the M&P, and felt ever so slightly snappier than the TulAmmo (note to self... you really need to get one of those chrono deallies...) I'm not sure if it was going faster, or if the case material may have made a difference in felt recoil. However the Lawman also shot much closer to point of aim, and the groups were about half the size as I was getting with the Russian steel cased stuff. I'm a bit embarrassed to post this photo, but here is a typical group from the Speer Lawman fired out of the M&P.
 |
| Definitely a better rifleman............... |
All rounds cycled with out an issue, and all felt very consistent. The empties showed no more extra wear than any other rounds I've tried in this gun, and the firing pin had no issues with the primers.
All rounds fired at the first strike, whereas the TulAmmo did have one failure to fire (It did fire on the second strike.) In fairness to the cheap Russian steel, I did fire about three times as much TulAmmo as I did Speer today, however I have had other issues with the TulAmmo in the past.
Overall, the Speer performed well, and is a great training cartridge, especially for indoor use.
18 Degrees and Snowing
So I'm about to head to the range. Contemplating grabbing the snowshoes to aid in setting up the targets. Wish me luck!
Surefire Extended AR Mag Video
To round out the YouTube/Big Mag theme for the day, Surefire just put out a pretty good looking video showing several of the benefits of their 60 and 100 round extended AR magazines.
I'm still not too enamored by the John Holmes-esque 100 rounder, and the "ambush" section shows why. The guy they show prone lucked out and has his gun set up with an offset MRD, so he can cant the rifle to clear the mag in the prone and still accurately place rounds on target. However, I doubt the Army or Corps are going to shell out the money for a whole new mount and sight system, simply to use the mag.
They also could have included a third section in there with the competition use for these. That's a pretty big chunk of the market they shouldn't ignore with this product.
I would still love to get my hands on a 60 rounder though, maybe in a few years when (hah) the price starts to look more realistic.
I'm still not too enamored by the John Holmes-esque 100 rounder, and the "ambush" section shows why. The guy they show prone lucked out and has his gun set up with an offset MRD, so he can cant the rifle to clear the mag in the prone and still accurately place rounds on target. However, I doubt the Army or Corps are going to shell out the money for a whole new mount and sight system, simply to use the mag.
They also could have included a third section in there with the competition use for these. That's a pretty big chunk of the market they shouldn't ignore with this product.
I would still love to get my hands on a 60 rounder though, maybe in a few years when (hah) the price starts to look more realistic.
Well, technically X+2...
...if they jack one into the chamber and top off the mag, but Tam brings up a damn fine criticism of mag bans.
I also can't help but wonder what difference it makes that two of the victims were high profile federal officials. A similar number of gang-bangers get shot in Chicago or something and I doubt there would be anywhere near the public outcry, even if a 9 year old girl was hit in the crossfire.
ETA: Uncle also brings up another bit of absurdity in regards to "high-capacity" magazines. In that case, the Army should Colt. You know how many soldiers are killed or wounded by automatic weapons fire every year?
I also can't help but wonder what difference it makes that two of the victims were high profile federal officials. A similar number of gang-bangers get shot in Chicago or something and I doubt there would be anywhere near the public outcry, even if a 9 year old girl was hit in the crossfire.
ETA: Uncle also brings up another bit of absurdity in regards to "high-capacity" magazines. In that case, the Army should Colt. You know how many soldiers are killed or wounded by automatic weapons fire every year?
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Correia on the Classics
Larry kind of rips into high school English programs, mainly the required reading of "classics" and the absurdity of looking for some deep meaning in a simple story.
Having been one of those kids that, like so many Americans, had to go through high school lit. classes, I completely agree with him. I will honestly say, I failed the basic level lit. class twice, and it wasn't until my senior year that a guidance counselor finally told me the school had a class where you could read whatever books you wanted, as long as the teacher said they were OK.
I love reading, but I despise being told what I must read, so most of the time I just didn't read the required garbage becuase it would have cut into my reading time with the books I actually wanted to read. So, thankfully, I actually got to read a bunch of Heinlein and Asimov and get credit for it, and aced the class with no problem. By the end of the semester the teacher was reading Starship Troopers
for the first time (I consider that a bigger success than the A...) and I still love reading.
Having been one of those kids that, like so many Americans, had to go through high school lit. classes, I completely agree with him. I will honestly say, I failed the basic level lit. class twice, and it wasn't until my senior year that a guidance counselor finally told me the school had a class where you could read whatever books you wanted, as long as the teacher said they were OK.
I love reading, but I despise being told what I must read, so most of the time I just didn't read the required garbage becuase it would have cut into my reading time with the books I actually wanted to read. So, thankfully, I actually got to read a bunch of Heinlein and Asimov and get credit for it, and aced the class with no problem. By the end of the semester the teacher was reading Starship Troopers
for the first time (I consider that a bigger success than the A...) and I still love reading.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
50k
At some point while I was running around taking care of stuff after work, someone from Winnipeg spent 53 seconds glancing through a few pages of the ol' blog, and caused the Sitemeter to roll past the 50,000 visitor mark. Not bad for nearly two years in my mind.
CCW Carrier helped subdue Loughner
I had heard rumors of it before, but it's been confirmed now. One of the individuals who helped subdue the shooter in Tuscon was carrying a concealed handgun, and made some great quick decisions.
I believe this represents the vast majority of those who legally carry a firearm for self defense. Great job by Mr. Zamudio.
I believe this represents the vast majority of those who legally carry a firearm for self defense. Great job by Mr. Zamudio.
Glocks, Reload Speed, Mag Capacity...
Obviously are all currently being heavily discussed due to the events this past weekend. Uncle just put up a decent post relating to a couple of the issues, especially in regards to why mag capacity doesn't really mean squat in such situations. (Although in the case in question, it was sloppy reloading technique that was the shooter's downfall by most accounts.)
Predictably, the sales of Glock handguns and "high-capacity" magazines for them have spiked in the last few days. Just surfing most gun forums will get you a slew of threads asking where to get the big mags since everybody's sold out of them. Personally, I'm not too worried about this causing a new mag ban just yet, and I'm not a Glock fan by any means, so an extended Glock magazine wouldn't do me much good (although there are some 9mm carbines that use them out there, and that could be fun.) I'm not going to panic buy any though.
Just as much full retard debate has been flying around regarding the political rhetoric that some claim pushed Loughner over the edge. That's pretty much all bull___. I don't really make it habit of backing any single politician, I'm generally disgusted by politics at large, and the games the MSM plays with it doesn't make it any better. However, despite what you're thoughts are on Sarah Palin, she brought up a pretty good quote in a recent response to the accusations being thrown at her campaign.
ETA: Larry Correia's also got a pretty decent post from a couple days ago that sums up a lot of my feelings pretty well too, and it's prettier than anything I can write, since writing's kinda his thing.
Predictably, the sales of Glock handguns and "high-capacity" magazines for them have spiked in the last few days. Just surfing most gun forums will get you a slew of threads asking where to get the big mags since everybody's sold out of them. Personally, I'm not too worried about this causing a new mag ban just yet, and I'm not a Glock fan by any means, so an extended Glock magazine wouldn't do me much good (although there are some 9mm carbines that use them out there, and that could be fun.) I'm not going to panic buy any though.
Just as much full retard debate has been flying around regarding the political rhetoric that some claim pushed Loughner over the edge. That's pretty much all bull___. I don't really make it habit of backing any single politician, I'm generally disgusted by politics at large, and the games the MSM plays with it doesn't make it any better. However, despite what you're thoughts are on Sarah Palin, she brought up a pretty good quote in a recent response to the accusations being thrown at her campaign.
"We must reject the idea that every time a law’s broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.” Ronald Regan
ETA: Larry Correia's also got a pretty decent post from a couple days ago that sums up a lot of my feelings pretty well too, and it's prettier than anything I can write, since writing's kinda his thing.
Sig Academy and 522 Commando
Jay G was lucky enough to go on a tour of the Sig Academy recently, and came back with some good pictures and lots of information. Looks like a fantastic facility, and I'd love to be able to go through the place.
The bloggers also got to look at and handle just about all of Sig's product line, and a couple things not out yet, including this 522 Commando-
That's right, it's a cute .22lr, with a tacticool fake can to hide the 16" barrel. That is massive amounts of cool in my mind, I may have to pick one up eventually.
(While we're on the subject, if anybody connected to Bravo Company or Lauer Custom Weaponry happen to read my blog... those guys are like a day trip away from here...)
The bloggers also got to look at and handle just about all of Sig's product line, and a couple things not out yet, including this 522 Commando-
That's right, it's a cute .22lr, with a tacticool fake can to hide the 16" barrel. That is massive amounts of cool in my mind, I may have to pick one up eventually.
(While we're on the subject, if anybody connected to Bravo Company or Lauer Custom Weaponry happen to read my blog... those guys are like a day trip away from here...)
KSG Video
TFB has a video of Kel-Tec's bullpup shotty.
I think a VFG of some sort is definitely the way to go on this one.
I think a VFG of some sort is definitely the way to go on this one.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Tube at the Front!
Not too long ago, Multitasker tools was kind enough to send out a sample Tube and expansion kit to G&C friend and contributor Cro, who is currently kicking ass and hunting IEDs in A-Stan. Word is the tool was a fantastic item to have out on a recent range exercise for his platoon.
"I have been showing them to guys around here, and as soon as I show it to them they jump on brownelles and buy one"
Cro recently got a surefire helmet light, and when he went to set it up on his ACH, he found the screw driver on his issue Gerber multi-tool (a fine tool and one of my favorites) was too large for the attachment screws.
The Tube came to the rescue, and one of the driver tips in the expansion kit was the perfect size for the mission.
You don't find much better praise for a tool than that of front line soldiers who are tough on their gear.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Marines Looking to get Sweet M240 Upgrades
I've spent some quality time with the M240B, and thankfully never had any complaints. Granted I've also never been without wheels or tracks to carry it for me either. That being said, the Army worked with FN to develop the M240L, which uses Ti parts to reduce the weight of the weapon system by about 5 lbs.
The Marines are taking a different approach. Kit Up reports the Corps is looking to improve the barrel through various techniques to aid in cooling, negating the need to swap barrels in the middle of a firefight, and not really worrying about the overall weight. They're also reportedly looking to develop a barrel with an integral suppressor system, as it seems the Taliban get extra scared when they can't tell where the shots are coming from (something I can agree with from personal experience.)
If they can get something along those lines, I'd be pretty jealous. It sounds like fun.
The Marines are taking a different approach. Kit Up reports the Corps is looking to improve the barrel through various techniques to aid in cooling, negating the need to swap barrels in the middle of a firefight, and not really worrying about the overall weight. They're also reportedly looking to develop a barrel with an integral suppressor system, as it seems the Taliban get extra scared when they can't tell where the shots are coming from (something I can agree with from personal experience.)
If they can get something along those lines, I'd be pretty jealous. It sounds like fun.
Er, no?
One of the first bits of news I heard (or read, I don't remember) this morning is how Rep. Robert Brady wants to "introduce legislation making it a federal crime for a person to use language or symbols that could be perceived as threatening or inciting violence against a Member of Congress or federal official." Brady links the bill to the existing law concerning this type of activity against the President, and since Congressmen and Senators are "federal officials" too, they should get the same treatment.
I can't even begin to express how wrong of an idea this is to me. I also disagree with law about directing it towards the PoTUS. Sure, add their names to some list and that crap, but charging them with something is impeding on their 1st Amendment rights. In the words of Peter Griffen, "I may not agree with what you have to say, but I'll fight to the death to defend your right to say it." (ok, it was originally Evelyn Beatrice Hall, but I can't help but think of the Fish out of Water episode of Family Guy.)
I can't even begin to express how wrong of an idea this is to me. I also disagree with law about directing it towards the PoTUS. Sure, add their names to some list and that crap, but charging them with something is impeding on their 1st Amendment rights. In the words of Peter Griffen, "I may not agree with what you have to say, but I'll fight to the death to defend your right to say it." (ok, it was originally Evelyn Beatrice Hall, but I can't help but think of the Fish out of Water episode of Family Guy.)
Kel-Tec KSG Stripped
TFB has a photo from Kel-Tec of the new little bullpup shotty field stripped. Neat.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Cat's out of the Bag
McVee nailed it pretty quick, Dad and I picked up a couple Walther P1s through AIM Surplus last week, and they showed up in time for me to do my monthly Army thing. I was finally able to get the box up and take some decent pictures tonight.
Here's the pair-
More pics and words in a couple days. Got a bunch of photos of this and some other stuff to process and to write up.
Here's the pair-
More pics and words in a couple days. Got a bunch of photos of this and some other stuff to process and to write up.
ARrrgghh!
Got out of drill early enough to hit up the gun show. Thanks to the door guy for letting the uniformed soldier in for free, always cool. Of course that also starts many random conversations with the standard slew of gun show personae. On the upside, helped a guy with some coyote problems pick out his first AR, so bonus there, and my usual dealer cut me a deal on this-
I've always wanted one of the Jolly Rogers variants from Spike's. Unfortunately the flag that's supposed to come with them was missing, but I do have a Calico Jack flag (skull and crossed cutlasses) stashed in a footlocker somewhere.
I've always wanted one of the Jolly Rogers variants from Spike's. Unfortunately the flag that's supposed to come with them was missing, but I do have a Calico Jack flag (skull and crossed cutlasses) stashed in a footlocker somewhere.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Arizona
By now I'm sure you know what happened, and all I can really say is that it sounds like a giant ball of suck for all involved.
From what I've read so far, it seems a rather crazy young man showed up with a 9mm Glock 19 equipped with a 30 round mag (amazingly the press actually reported it with correct nomenclature...) and opened up on the Congresswoman and her entourage at a public event, managing to kill a defenseless little girl along with the others. That last little bit there is what bothers me the most. No doubt this will, unfortunately, end up being used by the Anti's as a cry for a return to magazine restrictions.
I also noted earlier in the reports that a CCW carrier or possibly private security person may have returned fire, causing the shooter to attempt to flee. It sounds like he didn't make it very far before being stopped by bystanders until the police arrived. Lessons to belearned reinforced this turns out to be the case.
Best of luck to the Congresswoman, and to the other wounded, and condolences to the families of those killed.
From what I've read so far, it seems a rather crazy young man showed up with a 9mm Glock 19 equipped with a 30 round mag (amazingly the press actually reported it with correct nomenclature...) and opened up on the Congresswoman and her entourage at a public event, managing to kill a defenseless little girl along with the others. That last little bit there is what bothers me the most. No doubt this will, unfortunately, end up being used by the Anti's as a cry for a return to magazine restrictions.
I also noted earlier in the reports that a CCW carrier or possibly private security person may have returned fire, causing the shooter to attempt to flee. It sounds like he didn't make it very far before being stopped by bystanders until the police arrived. Lessons to be
Best of luck to the Congresswoman, and to the other wounded, and condolences to the families of those killed.
Friday, January 7, 2011
New Pistol
Unfortunately I'm in the Army this weekend, so I'll just leave this here as a teaser.
Hopefully I'll have more up middle of next week on it.
The Judge...
Just won't go away. Although Uncle wins with his comment today.
The big news here is not that someone used a gun to save their life, that happens all the time. The big news is that a Taurus Judge actually stopped someone.Unfortunately the bad guy was only mildly inconvenienced and was able to run out of there.
She fired back a shotgun blast at point blank range.
Are you sure you hit him? "Yes, I'm positive. I'm positive. I'm a good shooter. Definitely a good shooter. My husband taught me well."
The two robbers took off running, dropping her wallet and the knife.Not quite the effect I'm looking for in a defensive gun.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Apex DCAEK
I installed an Apex Duty/Carry Action Enhancement Kit in my M&P9 last night, using the videos Apex has linked on their site. Install took about 20 minutes, and aside from knocking out the rear site, without too much worry. There are some pretty tiny parts to keep track of, but a magnetic parts tray is a thing of beauty.
End results are pretty sweet though. Dropped the pull weight from the high end of 5 lbs, down to a consistent 5-5 1/4 lbs. It's also a very smooth take-up, with all of the grit in the standard trigger gone, and no noticeable over-travel. I'm pretty pleased so far.
Hopefully I'll get out to the range next week and see how things hold up.
End results are pretty sweet though. Dropped the pull weight from the high end of 5 lbs, down to a consistent 5-5 1/4 lbs. It's also a very smooth take-up, with all of the grit in the standard trigger gone, and no noticeable over-travel. I'm pretty pleased so far.
Hopefully I'll get out to the range next week and see how things hold up.
More fun than it has any right to be.
I got a little Syma S107
micro helicopter, and it's all sorts of awesome. It's gyro stabilized, so there's minimal learning, I've flown it like four times now, and I'm getting pretty good already.
micro helicopter, and it's all sorts of awesome. It's gyro stabilized, so there's minimal learning, I've flown it like four times now, and I'm getting pretty good already.
The biggest downside is that, much like a real helicopter, the down time between flights is insanely higher than the actual time you get to fly. About 40 minutes of charging to fly for about 5 minutes.
Maryland...?
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
More LC9
I'm also solidly in the the "meh, but they'll probably sell a lot of them" camp. If somebody comes out with night sights I'll probably be a lot more interested though. It does look good however, and I'd much much rather carry 9x19 than .380.
Down Range TV has a video out too.
Down Range TV has a video out too.
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.
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.
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.
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