AK gas systems is a piston driven system and that is where it gets its famous reliability from. However it is not adjustable for different loads. KNS has unveiled their adjustable AK piston. The head of the piston has a rotating collar that opens or closes ports to relieve gas and pressure from the gas block. There are 50 positions that you can adjust from closed to full open. This amount of adjustabiity will allow you to truly dial in the gas system to meet you needs.

Why would you want an adjustable AK gas system?

What needs would necessitate tuning your gas system? Suppression, ammo and barrel length are some of the few that are the most common reason. Shooting an AK suppressed is a mixed bag. Besides worrying about barrel concentricity, there is no ability to control the gas blow back. Suppressors tend to increase back pressure in a firearm which leads to greater gas blowback. Yes, even in a piston driven system you can have gas blow back. Certain suppressors and piston driven gun combinations can have increased gas blowback.  Ammo is another reason to need adjustabiity. If you reload you may need to adjust your gas system to run those specific loads. Sub sonic ammuntion tends to have less pressure so they fly at sub sonic speeds. Some guns may not reliabily cycle with such under powered loads. An adjustable gas system could help solve that problem. The same problem exists if you have shorter barrels. Gas systems tend to require modification to the gas system so the weapon can cycle properly. With the adjustable gas system you could tune the performance yourself.

In the video below, KNS also mentions they will also be offering the adjustable gas piston in 6 different lengths. This is due to the variety of gas tube lengths. Tiny AKs like the Krinkovs have a shorter gas tubes and a shorter piston is required.

The KNS adjustable gas piston will sell for around $100 and different length piston rods will be $20. Installation is rather easy. You remove your BCG and pop the roll pin out that holds the factory piston. Then insert the KNS piston and reinstall the roll pin.

One of the best high end 1911 makers today is Wilson Combat. The company’s latest handgun offering comes as a collaboration with long time trainer Ken Hackathorn. The resulting pistol is called The Hackathorn Special Commander.

According to Wilson Combat, the pistol was built for concealed carry and influenced by the “decades of practical experience” and the “vast collection of custom handguns” of Hackathorn. 

The Hackathorn Special Commander is a Commander sized pistol that uses a match grade 4.25” bushing barrel with a flush cut, reverse crown. It has a fluted chamber.

Additional features of this gun include a Bullet Proof Beavertail grip safety and matching concealment hammer, Tactical Bullet Proof thumb safety, a Bullet Proof magazine release button, a green fiber optic front sight, a Battlesight rear sight and black grip panels made of G10 laminate with a starburst pattern. Unloaded, the gun weighs a bit over 38 ounces.

As with most 1911 style handguns, this pistol is made to chamber the .45 ACP cartridge. However, you can order a The Hackathorn Special Commander that will chamber the 9mm cartridge instead. Since this pistol uses a full-size frame, standard 1911 magazines should work fine in this gun.

Wilson Combat stands behind the accuracy of this pistol with a guarantee of a 1.5” group at 25 yards with premium ammunition.

Like all of the Wilson Combat guns, this one looks as good as it shoots. Many people feel the finishing and attention to detail on guns from Wilson Combat is on par with any of the top gun artisans today. The company uses ball endmill cuts, 30 LPI slide top serrations and a 30 LPI checkered front strap to help give this gun a finely detailed look. The gun even has an engraving of Hackathorn’s signature on the slide of the pistol. 

Such craftsmanship does not come cheaply, though. This gun has a base price of $3,750 in .45 ACP. Adding some of the features seen in the photos in this article or changing calibers to 9mm can increase the price. However, unlike some of the other Wilson Combat guns, The Hackathorn Special Commander has few customizable aspects. This is because the selection of parts on this gun were made by Hackathorn and Wilson Combat wants to preserve his input in this model.

FN America announced the company was now selling a pair of new rifles that are aimed at the California market. The new guns, called the FN 15 Tactical II CA and the FN 15 DMR II CA, are designed around the legal requirements the state has in place to regulate guns like the AR-15.

FN 15 Tactical II CA

Based on the FN 15 rifle, this is an AR style gun that is chambered for the 5.56 NATO cartridge. Like the FN 15, this is a direct gas impingement gun. It has a 16” cold hammer forged barrel that ends with a Surefire ProComp muzzle brake. The barrel is free floating.

On the back end is the featureless version of the HERA CQR stock. Due to its ability to make a rifle “California compliant,” this could be the single most popular stock in the country right now. The stock removes the ability of the shooter to wrap a thumb around the rear of the grip. Additionally, it does not allow the shooter to rapidly change the length of pull to fit shooters of different sizes.

However, the stock isn’t a complete wretch, and that is one reason why it is being used on so many Golden State guns. You can adjust the length of pull with spacers. Additionally, the stock has sling attachment points including a QD socket on each side.

FN America builds this rifle with a mid-length gas system and includes an H buffer. In combination, these can help reduce recoil. The gas block is a low-profile part with an aluminum handguard wrapped around it and the barrel. The handguard has M-LOK attachment points.

This rifle has a suggested retail price of $1,799. Street pricing may be much lower, though I don’t know what the market is currently like in California. This rifle is already shipping to dealers.

FN 15 DMR II CA

The DMR II CA is similar to the Tactical II CA in many respects. For example, this gun is also equipped with the HERA featureless CQR stock. However, as the DMR name suggests, this gun is designed for a little more accuracy.

To that end, the gun is equipped with an 18” match grade barrel. It is cold hammer forged and has a 1:7” twist for better stabilization of the longer bullets that are typically used for long range precision in this caliber. The barrel is free floating and is equipped with the Surefire Pro Comp brake.

Also enhancing accuracy is a trigger upgrade. There are many good choices on the market, and for this gun, FN America went with a match trigger from Timney.

FN America set the MSRP of this rifle at $2,099. It is not yet shipping. However, FN America anticipates the guns should start shipping to distributors in the next few weeks.

Both of these rifles are made in the United States. Both guns ship with a 10-round Magpul PMAG magazine. 

Have you ever wanted a machine gun but can't afford the high cost? Well Franklin Armory's Binary Trigger simulates full auto. The important part to understand is that this is 100% ATF approved and legal. The BFSIII trigger is Franklin Armory's latest AR-15 trigger design.

Pull and Release Trigger

The Binary Trigger works by taking advantage of an interpretation of what is considered "semi-auto". According to the ATF, semi auto is defined by a single manipulation of the trigger and a single round is fired. Most triggers are pull triggers. You pull the trigger and that releases the hammer to hit the firing pin which fires the round. While less common, release triggers exist and perform in a similar fashion however they only release the hammer when the trigger is released. You see release triggers in competitive shotguns like in Skeet and Trap. The trigger finger uses fewer muscles to release the trigger than it does to pull it. So when a shotgun shooter is ready to shoot some clays, they preload the trigger by pulling it back. They aim and as soon as they release the trigger forward, the shotgun fires.

The ATF recognizes the release of the trigger as a separate manipulation. So a pull and release trigger is considered two independant manipulations of the trigger and therefore is considered semi-auto.

Everything in the photo above is what you get from Franklin Armory. What is not in the photo is a stiffer buffer spring but you get one as well. The buffer spring is only used in case you experience any issues. The trigger comes with two sets of hammer and trigger springs. This is to help with trigger pull. The safety is ambidextrous with a short and long lever.

The safety works like any ordinary AR-15 trigger. The safe and semi auto positions are the same that you are accustomed to. It is only when the safety is flipped to the third position, typically the full auto position, does the BFSIII shoot in binary mode.

What is actually happening is an engagement of the sear and hammer. While you are in binary mode you pull and hold the trigger to release the hammer for the first shot. The round fires and the bolt cycles back to reset the hammer. The BFSIII trigger has a second sear engagement that holds the hammer back and when you let the trigger move forward, it release the hammer again and fires the second round.

At first glance the BFSIII trigger looks very similar to an AR-15 trigger. But there are some subtle differences.

Below you can see the BFSIII on the left. The disconector is actually two halves.

Installation

The installation of the BFSIII is similar to installing a standard AR-15 trigger. There is one step that requires a little more attention than usual. When installing the BFSIII trigger pin you need to pay attention.  There is a small spring that runs along inside the disconnector. This spring is held in tension by the trigger pin. Without the pin it encroches into the trigger pin hole. The BFSIII trigger comes with a slave dummy pin installed in the trigger that keeps that spring in place. All you need to do is install the real trigger pin. Here are some tips to make it easier.  I used a Geissle Trigger Pin tool to help me install the trigger and trigger pin.

The tricky part is when you are driving pins out and in through the trigger pin hole.  Go slow. If you dont push the slave pin or the punch out smoothly, the spring will shoot forward and get in your way. If you continue to push out the pin or punch you can pinch the small spring. If that happens you will need a small tool like a dental pick or a thin allen wrench to help push the spring out of the way as you push the Geissele tool or trigger pin through. The Geissele Tool helps by keeping the trigger assembly aligned with the lower receiver so you can install the trigger pin easier.  If you manage to mess up and pinch the small disconnector spring, you can easily replace it. The spring is actually a cut down AR15 detent spring or contact Franklin Armory for a replacement. Installation of the hammer is the same as any other AR15 hammer.

The Competition

Fostech makes a similar trigger system called the Echo Trigger. The major difference between the BFSIII trigger and the Echo trigger is that the Echo requires a proprietary bolt carrier group. The benefit to the proprietary bolt carrier group is that you cannot outrun the trigger. Which is common problem with the BFSIII when you go too fast, the hammer does not reset properly and you have a malfunction.

But don't let that dissuade you from the BFSIII. One downside to the Echo Trigger is the proprietary bolt carrier group. This limits you to what guns you can use it in. Now Fostech has come out with their Echo ARii trigger and it no longer requires their proprietary bolt but it does require a standard M16 style bolt carrier group to interact with the ARii trigger lock. This still limits you to AR15's that use a full auto bolt carrier group. The BFSIII trigger is compatible in guns that take AR-15 triggers. No special BCG required.

Another competitor to simuated full auto is the bump fire stocks like Slide Fire. They work by using the recoil of the gun to push the firearm back while you push the firearm forward. This results in  the trigger being pushed into your finger and firing the gun. They work but require a certain finesse to get them to work reliably. The amount of forward pressure is crucial. Push forward to much and the recoil will not push the gun back to reset the trigger and hammer.  I tried using one on my .22lr rifle and AR15 but could not get it to cycle continually.

You could also look into the hand cranks that pull the trigger as you rotate the crank. These require a little finesse in installation to get the right sweet spot so that it pulls the trigger and releases it so that the hammer resets properly.

Now For Some Rapid Fire

Here is a video of the BFSIII in an AR lower with a Wolf A1 piston driven upper. I used a Magpul D60 drum mag and a Surefire 100rd mag provided by Gun Mag Warehouse. Both filled with 60 rounds of 5.56x45. I shot the D60 suppressed and the Surefire unsuppressed.

 

A post shared by Nick Chen (@solscud007) onFeb 26, 2017 at 1:55pm PST

Since the BFSIII does not require a proprietary BCG, you can use your BFSIII installed lower with any compatible upper receiver.

Here is a video of an AR57 upper on a pistol lower with the BFSIII trigger installed.

 

A post shared by Nick Chen (@solscud007) onFeb 26, 2017 at 6:58pm PST

Shooting an AR-15 in Binary mode is fun. But what if you pull the trigger in binary mode but do not want to let the second round fire? You simply flip the safety back to semi auto or safe.

The most fun is putting it in my M&P15-22. You do need to modify the lower a bit so the binary safety works. Don't worry this modifciation will not compromise the safety of the gun. The M&P15-22 polymer lower has a safety lever stop that protrudes out the side. This physcially stops the safety lever from moving past 90 degrees. You just need to shave this plastic bump off and the BFSIII safety will work.

 

A post shared by Nick Chen (@solscud007) onFeb 8, 2017 at 9:21am PST

 

A post shared by Nick Chen (@solscud007) onFeb 8, 2017 at 9:22am PST

While a .22LR rifle is fun in binary mode, I also installed the BFSIII trigger into an MPX. The MPX has a spotted record with aftermarket triggers but according to Franklin Armory, they modified and designed the BFSIII to work in the MPX.

 

A post shared by Nick Chen (@solscud007) onFeb 25, 2017 at 3:56pm PST

So how does the BFSIII compare to a legitimate machine gun? Here is an MPX by Parker Mountain Machine that was modified into select fire.

 

A post shared by Nick Chen (@solscud007) onJun 12, 2017 at 6:42am PDT

Here is a comparison to a transferable Mac11 vs my MPX with BFSIII trigger.

 

A post shared by Nick Chen (@solscud007) onJun 10, 2017 at 5:39pm PDT

The BFSIII retails for $429.99 but are currently on sale for $386.99 at Franklin Armory. They are currently working on a trigger for the Bushmaster/Remington ACR and just released a binary trigger for the MP5. Thanks to Franklin Armory to providing the BFSIII for review.

G2 Research announced the company would soon be selling the “world’s deadliest 12 gauge round.” It may also be one of the world’s most expensive at about $10 each. According to the company, the new shotgun loads have been in development for more than three years and will offer “incredible performance against soft targets.”

G2 Research loads an unnamed specialty slug in these rounds that are designed to fracture when striking a target. The slug is a 303-grain brass hollow point projectile with heavy scoring in the sides of the nose. As the slug enters the target, the scored sections of slug break off to form separate wound channels.

The company states that each of these sections will penetrate up to 11”. G2 states the core of the slug will penetrate up to 17”. Unfortunately, the company does not state what medium the penetration has been estimated in, but the photos they provided appear to show testing in Clear Ballistics blocks. Those blocks are sometimes used as a convenient alternative to ballistic gelatin, but are definitely not the same.

Each slug is individually CNC machined, which is likely to be a significant reason why the rounds are so expensive.

Unlike normal slugs, this round is not designed to reliably hit targets at long distances. In fact, the company states that the round has a “true effective performance expansion range” of only 10 yards. Beyond 10 yards and the slug begins to yaw, which makes it unlikely to hit the target at the right angle to expand as designed. It is unclear how much accuracy is affected by the yawing.

G2 Research attempts to justify this obvious limitation by stating that shooting an attacker at a distance beyond 10 yards is not likely to be deemed as self-defense. Based on my own studies of self-defense encounters, I disagree with this statement and would never limit my ability to respond to a deadly threat to any predetermined distance. Every encounter is unique, and self-defense engagements do occur at distances beyond 10 yards.

Frankly, I see no benefit to this round as compared to standard 00 buck loads. 00 buck loads, either as full power 9 pellet loads or reduced recoil 8 pellet loads, have proven themselves time and time again as capable manstoppers in the hands of both homeowners and lawmen. Plus, they have the added benefits of being affordable enough to practice with, an effective range beyond 10 yards and no issues with angle of impact.

During the past decade, the sound suppressor market seems to have caught fire in terms of popularity. To meet the growing demand for affordable suppressors, Black Aces Tactical announced an expansion of its Po’ Boy line.

Even though suppressors are regulated in a manner similar to machine guns, they really aren’t much different than mufflers on a car – both in design and purpose. A sound suppressor is just a muffler that helps to reduce the noise from a gunshot to levels that are less likely to cause permanent hearing damage. As shooters have become more educated about them and the legal process in obtaining one, sales have shot up. 

One of the drawbacks to suppressor adoption is the money involved. In addition to the price of the product, you must purchase a tax stamp from the federal government to own one. Since the tax is non-negotiable, the price of the suppressor is highly scrutinized by many potential buyers. That’s why a sub-$200 suppressor like the Po’ Boy really captures the attention of many shooters.

Initially offered for 5.56/.223 guns as the Pro Series 56 Po’ Boy, the line now includes the Pro Series 30 and Pro Series 47 Po’ Boy suppressors. Both of the new suppressors are designed as direct thread cans and work with .30 caliber rounds such as the .308 Win and the 7.62x39. Additionally, the suppressor will work with larger diameter rounds like the .338 Lapua.

The main difference between the two new suppressors is the thread pitch. The Pro Series 30 suppressor has a thread pattern 5/8-24 of which will work with many AR-10 style rifles. For those with an AK-pattern rifle, the Pro Series 47 has a thread pattern of 14x1. Some imported AK rifles are re-threaded, so make sure you confirm your thread pattern before trying to attach any kind of muzzle device.

Both suppressors are made with a 4130 steel exterior and 316 stainless steel interior. Black Aces Tactical then finishes the cans with a Cerakote process. They are user serviceable; you can open them up with an AR stock wrench and clean the baffles.

Black Aces Tactical set the suggested price on these cans at $199. Considering that they are rated for sustained full-auto fire (with a 16” barrel – limited full-auto with shorter barrels), that’s a price tag worth talking about.

Rimfire suppressors are great fun on rimfire guns. However swapping the suppressor onto different guns becomes tedius. You have to unscrew the suppressor and screw it back onto the other host. There are some proprietary setups like the Griffin Armament Checkmate QD suppressor.

The Checkmate uses a similar trilug design that you see on H&K MP5 sub guns. You simply screw a proprietary trilug adapter onto your threaded barrel. Then slide the suppresor over the adapter and twist while pushing down. While this certainly makes it easier to quickly attach and detach the Checkmate from your host, it is proprietary.

Gemtech 22 QDA

What if you want this convenience with your suppressor and host setup? Well now you can. The 22 QDA by Gemtech is similar to the Checkpoint only it is universal. The Quick Detach Adapter has 1/2x28 male threads and screws onto the back of your suppressor or muzzle device of choice. The 22 QDA uses a quadlug design and it is keyed.As you can see in the photo below one cut out is wider than the rest and the thread adapter is similary shaped.

Along the side of the thread mount and the adapter are two indication marks. You line those up and the adapter will slide over the thread mount.

How It Works

 

A post shared by Nick Chen (@solscud007) onApr 27, 2017 at 2:19pm PDT

The 22 QDA only rated for rimfire cartridges like .22LR, .22WMR and .17hmr. You can use it on 5.7x28 however only on longer barrels. It is not strong enough to work on pistols or short barrels. Here are some examples of the 22 QDA on a couple different .22LR hosts.

While the 22 QDA does add a little bit of length to your suppressor. But it makes up for it by allowing you to quickly attach and detach it from yoru gun. The added benefit of the keyed quadlug design means the suppressor will always attach the same way everytime you install it. This helps maintain your zero by eliminating an unneeded variable.

The 22 QDA is $129.99 and comes with the adapter and one thread mount. There is a wrench to help you install the thread mount. Be careful I bent my first wrench by applying too much torque but was able to get a replacement from Gemtech. Additional thread mounts are $29.99.

Smith & Wesson is the latest company to offer California shooters an AR-style rifle that will comply with the latest set of state laws. The company recently announced that it would sell two new guns that are compliant with all of the applicable regulations imposed by the state. The two rifles are based on the M&P15 Sport II and the M&P15 Sport II Optics Ready.

M&P15 Sport II – CA Compliant

This version of the M&P Sport II has a number of aspects that make it different than the standard sporting rifle. First off, the M4-style stock is not adjustable. Rather it is fixed in the fully extended position.

Secondly, the guns do not have a threaded barrel. Instead, the barrel has a target crown.

Additionally, the pistol grip has a wing that extends to the rear. The wing exists to prevent a shooter from wrapping his or her thumb over the rear of the grip for better control of the gun.

Lastly, the magazine capacity is restricted to 10-rounds. A single 10-round magazine comes with the gun.

Otherwise, the gun shares the general features and construction of the standard M&P15 Sport II. The gun is chambered for the 5.56 NATO cartridge and has a 16” barrel with a 1:9” twist.

As with most AR-style rifles, this gun is a direct gas impingement rifle with a carbine length gas system. Up front is an A2 tower with an adjustable sight post. Smith & Wesson includes a folding Magpul backup sight (MBUS).

Although local dealers set the actual price, the suggested retail price from Smith & Wesson is $739.

M&P15 Sport II Optics Ready – CA Compliant

The Optics Ready rifle is nearly identical to the regular California Compliant M&P15 Sport II. However, there are three changes: sights, barrel and price.

The name on this rifle tells you up front that you will have to add sights or an optic for accurate shooting. Instead of a front sight tower, this rifle uses a low profile gas block with a short bit of Picatinny rail on top.

On this model, the barrel is threaded, but there is no muzzle device. Instead, Smith & Wesson provides a simple cap to protect the threads.

The final difference is the price. This gun is $20 cheaper with a MSRP of $719.

Sig has come out with a new version of the Sig MCX called the Virtus. The handguard is MLOK instead of keymod. But what if you have the original MCX? Unfortunately the MCX Virtus handguard is not backwards compatible. So who can you turn to? Midwest Industries has answered the call with their MCX MLOK Handguards.

MLOK ALL THE THINGS

They come in 8.5" and 10.5" lengths. They are currently making 12" and 15" for the longer barreled rifles. These handguards are for the regular MCX pistol or rifle. They are a direct replacement for the factory handguard. The original handguard has three rows of keymod slots at the 3, 6, & 9 o'clock positions. Whereas the MI MCX handguards have seven rows of MLOK slots. Two rows on either side, one row at the bottom and one row on both bottom corners.

Their 8.5" is a perfect replacement for the MCX pistol.

The threads are slightly recessed however the taper mount adapter that comes with the MCX helps over come this so your suppressor can clear the handguard. Unfortunately these handguards are a little too narrow to fit a suppressor underneath.

As you can see in the picture below there is just enough clearance between the handguard and suppressor. Yes this is an Osprey 45 on an MCX. However this is an MCX chambered in .300blk. This combination works very well with sub sonic .300blk ammunition.

Here is the 8.5" MLOK hanguard with a SilencerCo Saker 762 on the end. No issues with clearance and ran fine.

While conventional tubular centerfire suppressors will not fit under the MCX handguard, the Osprey 45 does fit under the MI MCX MLOK handguard. You can see the rear of the Osprey45 does fit underneath the 10.5" MLOK handguard. However the barrel and Osprey 45 do not actually line up like this so You cannot mount the suppressor and shoot it under the handguard.

While you could mount the 10.5" MI MCX MLOK handguard onto an MCX pistol, I would not recommend it. Shooting a lenghtened handguard over and enclosing around the muzzle is not a good idea. There are many examples of people shooting handguards longer than the muzzle while using a muzzle brake. The hadguard is sometimes not strong enough to contain the muzzle blast and can hurt the shooter. This is only reasonably safe if you have some sort of muzzle device that contained the muzzle blast and released it out the front. A Noveske Flaming Pig is a good example and would probably fit under this handguard. But in its current configuration I would not shoot this. These photos are for illustrative purposes only.

Room For Improvement

However there are some issues I have with the MI MCX MLOK handguards. Lack of QD mounts. The MCX factory handguard does not have QD mounts either and you can get the low profile QD mount that Sig makes, but I prefer to have them integrated in the handguard. The circle at the front of the factory MCX handguard fits a QD sling swivel but the QD does not lock in. The circle is just a function of the Keymod system. MI could integrate a QD however there is not enough material to do so. They could add a boss like on their light weight AR hadguards however this will increase machining time and cost. Of course you could just buy an MLOK QD sling mount and attach it to the vast amount of MLOK real estate these handguards offer.

Another issue is the offset between the top rail and the top of the handguard. The factory MCX handguard has a slight step between the top rail and handguard. But the MI MCX offset is much more pronounced. If you plan on mounting something on the top of the handguard like a light or laser, just be mindful of the gap.

The narrowness of the MLOK handguards is a bit annoying if you like to run tucked and suppressed, but Midwest Industries will be coming out with a suppressor compatible line of handguards for the MCX. No word on when those will be available however I was told they plan on releasing the four different MCX length MLOK handguards then release their SIG MPX MLOK handguards. Once that is done, the will make the suppressor compatible MCX handguard.

The MI MCX MLOK handguards range from $169.95 to $209.95 depending on the length.

When Donald Trump won the election in November 2016, most of us in the gun world
felt as the British must have, when they learned that an unpredicted storm had sunk the
oncoming Spanish Armada. Whenever two gun people get together today and one complains
about the new President, the other almost invariably says, “It could have been worse. Hillary
Clinton could have won.”

When the media declared Mrs. Clinton the inevitable winner before the election, the
firearms industry was poised for a rush to buy product that might have exceeded the gun and
ammo purchasing panics of the two Obama elections, and the Y2K hullabaloo. No one should
be surprised that the election of Trump escape from Hillary was seen by the gun-buying public
as at least a temporary elimination postponement of a very real threat. Let us not forget that
Mrs. Clinton had declared the NRA to be an “enemy,” and had stood smugly silent when her
minions called its members (and, by extension, all gun owners) “terrorists.”
Many of us felt like Jews in Germany watching the rise of Hitler as she demonized us and
made it clear that she would cheerfully seize our property. Thus, we can forgive much when
people in the firearms industry complain about the slump after the Obama years. (Yes, I’m
aware of Godwin’s Law, the theory that whomever calls the other side Nazis first loses the
debate. I offer Ayoob’s Corollary to Godwin’s Law: if you don’t want to be called a Nazi, don’t
talk or act like one.)

A great many gun dealers had put in orders for firearms, particularly the kind the
Democratic National Committee clearly stated they wanted to ban. The firearms industry had
accelerated production to be prepared for the artificially heightened demand. When the threat
ceased, so did the demand, and there was mass cancellation of orders. Dealers, distributors,
and manufacturers found themselves overstocked.

Dark Clouds…

We have seen layoffs by major arms and ammunition manufacturers. Retail gun dealers
I talk to tell me sales are down from ten to as much as twenty percent on average. At the same
time, most don’t see it as a slump, and certainly don’t call it a “Trump slump” the way some
newspapers and business magazines do when they discuss the shortfall in firearms sales.
Rather, most see it as a return to normal, “pre-panic” buying patterns of yesteryear. The
bursting, as it were, of a bubble of demand created by those entities who made it clear they
wanted to prohibit Americans from owning certain firearms.
There have also been unexpected consequences. One of the many areas where gun
owners had been winning in spite of the Obama White House had been silencers: we’ve had a

slew of states legalize them (largely for hunting) where before, those states had banned them
from ownership. The suppressor market had been rising at an unprecedented rate. However,
when the smoke cleared in November and Republicans had won not only the White House but
control of both houses of Congress, gun people exuberantly believed that new legislation would
remove silencers from the NFA list and BATFE control, and they’d soon be able to buy them
without a $200 license fee…and many decided to wait to purchase until then. The resultant
demand slump hit the silencer manufacturers and sellers hard.

There has also been an unexpected drop in demand for training. Most instructors, from
local CCW trainers to “the big names,” have seen a drop in class sizes in 2017.
The long-hoped- for goal of national concealed carry reciprocity had seemed to be finally
within reach, with HR 38 on the table and Republicans apparently in command of the ship. Gun
owners’ civil rights spokesman Dave Workman recently wrote, “As former Pennsylvania
Democrat Gov. Ed Rendell lamented in The Hill on Monday, ‘Not only does the GOP have total
control of Congress and the White House, they now have total control of 26 states where they
have both houses of the legislature and the governorship. Democrats, on the other hand, have
similar full control of only six states. In fact, this brings the number of Democratic governors in
office to just 15, compared to 34 Republican governors.’”

This being the situation, national reciprocity should have been a shoo-in. Yet this
legislation remains almost moribund at this writing, leaving gun owners to wonder just how
serious the Republicans were when they courted our votes in 2016. Meanwhile, on the state
level, both Michigan and Illinois reported that for the first time in a long time, new applications
for concealed carry permits were slightly down.

…and Silver Linings

There are bright sides to all this. Why are new permit applications slowing down?
Perhaps because the tsunami of earlier applications have already armed a great number of the
people who had been helpless under the old system. There have been a significant number of
“saves” in Illinois already, people rescued because they were able to shoot back in time to save
their lives and the lives of others. The same has happened in Michigan.

Prices are down and availability up on the gun consumer’s end. AR15s that were selling
for over a thousand dollars when Barack Obama was first elected are now for sale in the $400
range. .22 Long Rifle ammunition is now readily available. Look at the out-the- door price of the
popular Smith & Wesson Shield pistol today, compared to a year or two ago. And, while
national reciprocity is not yet here, it’s in sight and more attainable than ever…and in the
meantime, there are more places where law-abiding armed citizens can carry guns to protect
themselves and their families in public than ever before. Look at the great leap in the number
of states that have gone with the Vermont Model of legalized carry without a permit required,
a/k/a “Constitutional Carry.” Look at how many states have recently legalized open carry of
loaded handguns in public.

Overall, from the courts to the legislatures, our side is winning. But there is still much to
do, and we cannot assume that because the anti-gunners were largely defeated in one election
cycle, our rights are safe.
Those who cherish gun owners’ civil rights, and the human right of self-defense, cannot
afford to become complacent.

We will be doing a series of articles about entering the world of night vision. There are a lot of ways to go about it and this is certainly not the only way to do it however you may be able to get some pointers and avoid problems. Night vision is either cheap or expensive. There is not much middle ground and price is generally what you pay for. In this article we will focus on the inexpensive night vision setups.

Cheap Night Vision

There are some really inexpensive night vision systems out there but how well do they work? 6 years ago I found a digital toy night vision scope. Don't let the "toy" aspect fool you. I mounted it to my KRISS Vector and shot it at a night match. It actually worked.

The toy works on a similar set up to most inexpensive "digital night vision" scopes like the ones you see at Walmart. These digital night vision scopes use a digital camera CCD chip. Regular digital cameras have a filter across their CCD to filter out IR light. You can remove this filter in a digital camera and now your digital camera can see IR light. The major difference in these types of "night vision" compared to real night vision is that they do not amplify light. Does that make them bad? Not necessarily. It all depends on your needs and budget. While these setups do not amplify light, they can see IR light and IR lasers. So you can get an IR weapon light and IR laser to use on your firearm of choice. Just note that mounting these cheaper night vision systems is usually a DIY process. They are not designed to be mounted to a firearm. Now there are some ways to mount them to your head but your options are very limited and the money spent could be spent on a better setup.

One good feature about these digital setups is that they aren't usually prone to burning out if you use them in bright light areas.  For example, if you use them in a dark room and someone turns on the lights. This does not hurt digital night vision.

Surplus Night Vision

What about surplus night vision? There are a lot of cheap surplus European and Russian night vision scopes. For the most part they are big, bulky and not very good. The cheap ones are gen 1 night vision. Below is a comparison of a Russian Cyclop-1 vs an Armasight Spark Core and PVS14. The giant camcorder looking grip is actually an IR illuminator.

The Cyclop-1 is a Russian made night vision monocular. It runs on a 9v battery and has a very large adjustable lens. Unfortunately the image quality is not very good.

 

A post shared by Nick Chen (@solscud007) onAug 12, 2017 at 7:46pm PDT

There is quite a bit of distortion in the image and there is magnifcation. There is little to no amplification of light and in fact I could see more with my naked eye and natural night vision with the aid of a moon lit sky. The one good thing about this setup is it is made very robustly with metal housings and they are relatively inexpensive. You can get them on ebay for around $150. These are actual night vision and even thought they do not amplify light very well you can burn them out with bright light so make sure you maintain light discipline. Use the day light pin hole cover if there is bright light.

Armasight Spark Core

So what is the next step? Armasight makes an entry level night vision monocular called the Spark Core. It is advertised as Gen 1+ or Gen1.5 night vision. The Spark Core has very good resolution and the image looks very clear. The Spark Core runs on a single CR123 and has a built in IR illuminator that works well for indoor use.

Here is a video using a SLR lens adapter on my Nikon DSLR.

There is a bit of distortion along the edges of the image but other than that it is very clear compared to the cheaper night vision.

The Spark Core is similar to the Gen1 night vision and does need an alternate souce of light to really work well. Also be careful exposing it to bright lights. I am using a airsoft weapon light that has both IR light and IR laser built into it.

 

A post shared by Nick Chen (@solscud007) onJan 7, 2017 at 7:42pm PST

With a good IR light the image quality is very good. The Spark Core can be bought for around $400-500. It uses a MUM-14  style rail system so any MUM-14 rail accessory will work. One big problem that I found is that most night vision accessories are very expensive. The arm that attaches to the monocular and clips into the mount on your helmet or headwear is called a J-Arm and typically costs anywhere from $150-$200. Just for a lump of plastic with some metal components.  The Spark Core plastic arm, in the DLSR photo above, feels cheap and fragile but it only cost $80. I upgraded to a metal dovetail J-Arm and an airsoft clone of a Wilcox mount. I do not have a helmet so I got the Crye Precison Night Cap and went with a Norotos shroud with built in white/red/IR leds.

This setup works well as long as I have a good IR laser and IR light on my firearm. The best part is when I upgrade to better night vision I can use this same setup, I don't have to go buy a new mount or head gear.

In the next night vision article we will see how my budget setup compares to a real PVS-14 Gen 3 night vision monocular.

If any modern handgun cartridge can achieve mythical status, it is likely the 10mm Auto. The 10mm cartridge gained popularity in the 1980’s at a time when semi-automatic pistols were rapidly gaining in popularity and the technology behind defensive hollowpoint ammunition was still in its infancy. The 10mm seemed to some to be the magazine-fed second coming of the .41 Magnum.

Miami Vice, an incredibly successful television show, helped to popularize the 10mm when one of its lead characters carried the Bren Ten. Meanwhile, due to real life events in Miami, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was looking at the 10mm cartridge to solve its perceived handgun problems.

While the initial success of the 10mm Auto caused a lot of excitement, it was eventually supplanted by the .40 S&W as the duty cartridge for the FBI. As many state and local police departments followed the FBI’s lead, so did many shooters looking for a defensive handgun.

Right or wrong, the 10mm Auto has largely been a niche caliber since then. However, the niche is occupied by a hardcore group of shooters who value the great properties of the cartridge. From deer hunting to bowling pin matches to home defense, the 10mm can serve a wide range of roles if you find the right gun from which to launch it.

Ed Brown Products recently announced the company was building a new gun chambered for the 10mm Auto. It is called the LS10.

The LS10 is a 1911-style pistol where “LS” stands for Long Slide. Ed Brown Products builds the gun with a 6” barrel, giving the projectiles a bit more velocity and the shooter a longer sight radius for better precision with normal sights. On top of the gun, a Trijicon RMR sight is installed along with a set of tall night sights that can be used through the RMR. 

Ed Brown Products uses a single stack, Government style frame, so existing 10mm Auto magazines should work fine in this pistol. A 9-round magazine ships standard with the gun.

Both the slide and frame are made of stainless steel, and they are finished with a black Gen4 Coating. Unloaded, the guns weigh about 43 ounces.

These guns are a limited-edition gun according to the company’s order form. The price starts at $3,995.

I don’t know if this 10mm pistol will tickle your fancy. However, I suspect that there will be more than a few 10mm fans who will want one. As a limited edition, it might be best to jump on this soon if you are one of those fans.

But how many do you need? I go over-board. There are some pistols in my collection that only have one magazine. I don’t carry those, and rarely take them to the range.

I carry my GLOCK 19. It goes to the range every time I do. If I leave the house, it goes with me. I tend to travel with 10 magazines in its case. Eight of those are GLOCK 19 mags of some sort, and two are GLOCK 17 mags, which fit the 19.

My preference (call me a snob) is for the stock GLOCK magazines. I have a couple of the Magpul magazines, too, and they work great. I’ve tried the Promag mags, also, and had several of those for a GLOCK 23, but I don’t have any of those for my 19.

I’ve got somewhere in the neighborhood of 20,000 rounds through this GLOCK 19. I’ve never had a malfunction related to a magazine. I did have a bad magazine for a GLOCK 23 and when it showed its true colors, I threw it away happily.

Here’s why I carry 10 in the case.

1. I hate reloading at the range.

I go to the range to shoot. I like to load mags while watching movies at home. I take as many loaded mags as I can.

2. I like to keep my ammunition organized.

I keep a mag full of Hornady critical duty for winter, and one of frangible ammo which is less likely to travel through walls. I keep a couple loaded with leftovers from the range, and a couple with ball ammo. The two GLOCK 17 mags ride in a mag holder on my hip when I carry, and that gives me three good mags (counting the one in the gun).

3. I drop my mags when reloading.

And so should you. I let them hit the dirt. If they get in the way, I kick them aside. I’m not one to baby a magazine. And if one gets righteously dirty, I’m not sticking it back in the gun. I grab another and keep going.

4. Mags walk off.

I’ve got magazines that don’t belong to me. And I’m missing some, too. Best to have a spare or ten.

5. How much ammo could you possibly need?

I’ve never had to find the answer to this question. And I don’t intend to. As is, I roll out with at least 150 rounds of various description loaded and ready to go. And I'm not talking about zombies. If I get the chance to shoot, I do. It never hurts to be prepared.

For an everyday carry gun, I’d say 5 is the minimum. 10 is safe. 20 wouldn’t be bad. And if you carry a 1911, I’d say that number is likely to go up. Just remember to always carry two, no matter what, and keep them clean.

Gearing up to take your AR-15 to the range?

If you're looking for a sheer adrenaline rush every time you pull the trigger, know that every round isn't created equal.

The most common choice is an AR-15 in the standard .223/5.56 NATO. It’s sufficient when it comes to stopping power, you can shoot it accurately to about 300 yards and best of all, it’s inexpensive, allowing you to get more practice in without going broke.

But there are many other calibers out there for the AR-15, and even though I love .223 ammunition, I’d be lying if I said it was the most fun to shoot. That honor goes to a round with some serious stopping power – the .50 Beowulf.

The Numbers on the .50 Beowulf

A 400-grain .50 Beowulf cartridge hits 1,800 feet per second, making it one of the slower AR-15 cartridges.

It hits with a mammoth 2,878 foot-pounds of kinetic energy, and it drops 50 inches by the 300-yard mark. This is definitely a short-range round intended for close-quarters combat, as its maximum effective range is about 200 yards, and it’s more fun to shoot between 50 and 150 yards.

What Makes the .50 Beowulf the Most Fun Round

First, a few words of warning about shooting .50 Beowulf rounds from an AR-15 – it will be very loud, meaning you better not forget to put your hearing protection on. Expect the recoil to be heavy, as well.

Of course, the noise and the recoil are both part of the fun. Shooting is always an exhilarating experience, but that’s even more true when you’re firing shots that can punch a hole in a truck.

If you just want a gun to shoot at the range, an AR-15 in .50 Beowulf will provide plenty of excitement, and you’re sure to get people’s attention while you’re there. You may have people coming up to you asking what you’re shooting.

If you’re planning to go big game hunting in the near future, .50 Beowulf is an excellent choice, because you won’t find many, if any, animals that can survive getting hit with one of these cartridges.

The obvious drawback with this caliber is that unless you’re fortunate enough to have a limitless ammunition budget, you won’t be able to shoot as much. Prices for .50 Beowulf cartridges are over $1 per round and can even be over $2 per round, depending on what you choose.

One way to save a little more money for that ammunition is by choosing a more affordable AR-15 model. And one of the benefits of going with .50 Beowulf is that you can still use the same magazines that you would with .223/5.56 NATO ammunition; you’ll just have a much lower capacity.

The only parts you need to swap out to turn an AR-15 chambered in .223/5.56 NATO to one in .50 Beowulf is the barrel and the bolt carrier group. You can also simply purchase an upper receiver to swap onto your lower and make it easier.

Finding Your Favorite Caliber

I’m obviously a .50 Beowulf fan, but what’s nice about the AR-15 is that you can find a caliber to fit what you want to do with your rifle.

If you want top-tier performance from a short-barreled rifle and less noise when you fire your gun, .300 BLK rounds will be just what you need. For long-range shooting, 6.5 Grendel and 6.8 SPC are both effective to almost 500 yards.

Personally, I prefer other rifles for long-range shooting, and when it comes to the AR-15, I appreciate pure power. That’s why when I want to have fun and I have some cash to spare, I go with .50 Beowulf.

1.    They’re available.

This hasn’t always been the case. Those of us who have been shooting for a while remember the big scares after the mass-shootings of 2013. Before that, it was the “Assault Weapons Ban.” Politicians, especially those who are terrified by the sight of a black rifle, associate magazines with body counts. But Republican control has made this a relatively safe time for gun owners. As such, the price is down.

2.    They’re dirt cheap

If you look at sites like GunMag Warehouse, you can buy 10 packs of Magpul mags for the AR-15 and for the AK platform for under $100. The availability of the magazines means people aren’t snapping them up. Take it from someone who has literally hit the refresh button over and over, hoping to see even a few PMags come available. Now’s the time to buy. Supply is up because demand is down.

3.    You can never have too many.

Let’s assume, for a moment, that you are interested in your future. Are you a prepper? Are you concerned about government overreach? If the answer is even close to a “maybe…” I’d say you need to stock up. For my go-to rifles, I keep 20 mags in regular circulation. I keep another 20 loaded and stored away. And I’ve got more still in their wrappers. Is that overkill? Right now, yes. But if the supply line shuts off, then what? Then you’d think I was a genius.

4.    Competition drives down prices

I’m a big fan of Magpul mags. For a long time, they had no real competition (at least in the polymer category). Now there are numerous others that feature new and innovative upgrades. I love the way my Hexmags allow for color coding.

5.    You never know what’s coming

You can fill in this last section however you want. We don't know. It wasn't that long ago that gun owners in this country started cashing in their kids' college savings in order to buy AR-15s. Magazines were scarce.It was December of 2013, right before Christmas, and I was hanging out with the inlaws when a friend called. "Go stock up," he said. I laughed at him.

Luckily we have a hospitable politcal majority, but even that may not last. With prices as low as they are now, I say stock-up.

One of the most popular pastimes for shooters seems to be arguing about cartridge selection. I imagine if you travelled back through time to around 1900, the 6mm Lee Navy vs. .30-40 Krag argument wouldn’t sound all that different from today’s 5.56 vs. 7.62 debate.

Without a doubt, the 5.56 NATO has proved to be an effective fighting cartridge around the world. Nevertheless, it is not perfect and some people prefer to use a larger caliber round for combat purposes. 

The 7.62 NATO (aka .308 Win or 7.62x51) is frequently cited by some as being an overall better combat cartridge. It is around this cartridge that IWI US announced it was building a new rifle called the TAVOR 7.

Looking at the company’s pre-production photos, it is clear the new rifle will bear a strong resemblance to the original TAVOR rifle. Likewise, it appears that the controls are very similar to the current production rifle.

According to information published by IWI US, the new rifles will have a 16” barrel with a 1:12” twist or an 18” barrel with a 1:10” twist. The barrel will be threaded (5/8” – 24) and fitted with a flash suppressor. Without the attached muzzle device, the 16” barreled rifle will have an overall length of only 26.75”.

This rifle will use a short stroke gas piston system. This is a departure from the company’s use of the long stroke system in its other rifles like the X95 and SAR. IWI will use a four position gas regulation system to allow you to match the gun to the ammo. One position is “off” to allow for only the manual cycling of the bolt. The guns will feed from SR25 pattern magazines and will ship with a single 20-round Magpul PMAG.

IWI designed the TAVOR 7 to be ambidextrous. The safety selector has a 45˚ throw, that should make its use slightly quicker and easier than on some of the company’s other models. 

I’ve had a chance to spend time with the TAVOR X95 rifle in 5.56 NATO (photo above.) While I recognize that the TAVOR 7 will be a different design, I can say that the rifle I shot was very well built, accurate and reliable. Though my experience with the bullpup platform is limited, I would gladly consider the new gun if I needed a compact, .30 caliber weapon.

The new TAVOR 7 is projected to ship in January of 2018. So, we should see these at the SHOT Show next year. As of now, the company has not set a suggested retail price for the gun.

You can risk it with a single stack 9mm. The Smith & Wesson Shield works. The GLOCK 43 is a fan favorite. I’m partial to the Honor Defense Honor Guard. But even at 6’4” and 240 pounds, I find that a single stack 9mm worn on my belt limits my ability to move.

I carry a Kel-Tec P3AT. It is a .380. While the .380 round isn’t my first choice for self-defense, there are viable options that can be effective. The P3AT is slim, short, and flat. As such, it disappears easily in a pocket.

Carrying in your front pocket, strong side, can require a new set of concealed carry skills. First, the gun can’t be allowed to print. Then you have to ensure that the trigger is protected. A gun like the P3AT has no external safety, and the last thing anyone wants is a front pocket negligent discharge.

I’ve had this Recluse pocket holster for at least five years. During that time, I’ve had this gun in my right front pocket. Even when I carry a larger 9mm, I keep this joker close at hand. I consider it a solid back-up, and feel comfortable with it as a primary carry gun when I can’t conceal anything else.

Some of the Recluse holsters have a more pocket-shaped cut. I prefer the square ones. In this age of big phones, I can let this holster print with little fear of it being recognized.

The recluse has a solid foam trigger block that holds the gun securely. The muzzle is braced by a stitched fold in the leather. It also holds a spare magazine. With 1 in the pipe, and the 6 round mag in the gun, that adds up to 14 rounds.

To pull the gun, simply work your fingers between the leather and the grip. When you press the leather away from the gun in the draw motion, it grabs inside your pocket. There’s nothing, then, keeping you from drawing the gun.

There’s also nothing keeping your finger off the trigger. So you have to be conscious about this motion. Practice it with gun empty (double check this), but cocked. Draw and see how hard it is to accidentally hit the trigger. With even a modicum of discipline, it is all-but impossible.

Then draw and present to a safe target and dry-fire. Run this numerous every trip to the range. Run it at home, if you feel like you can do it safely. After you’ve built the basic muscle memory for the draw, increase the speed. Work from concealment. Practice like your life depends on it.

Build up to live fire and practice that, too. One element of this that bears mentioning is the reholster. Don’t try sticking the gun back into your pocket out of the holster. Remove the holster, put it back in, then conceal the holster.

After 5 years, the leather is showing some signs of “relaxing.” When you soak it with sweat, and then let it dry around the gun, that is bound to happen. But it still hides the gun well enough for me to feel confident that only the initiated would recognize it in my pocket.

Because this is a .380, I am even more selective about the type of ammo I put in. I prefer the LeHigh Defense rounds. Their copper bullets offer impressive terminal ballistics.

A fancy bullet, though, won’t compensate for poor shot placement. The rudimentary sights on the P3AT limit its effective range, for sure. Though not a practical distance for self defense, 25 yards shots aren’t impossible.  I can put rounds onto a 12” plate at 25 yards. At 7 yards and under, the P3AT is more responsive and intuitive, and much faster to target.

This is a gun that requires practice. When I first worked this gun in, I had issues finding ammo that would feed reliably. Worse yet, I had a couple of extractors snap. Nothing stops the show cold like a stuck piece of brass.

I worked with Kel-Tec to fix the extractor issue. When the second snapped (by which I mean it broke in half and flew off), I thought I’d call it and sell the gun. But I didn’t feel comfortable selling it on the used market knowing it had reliability issues.

Kel-Tec sent me a pile of extractors. The next one I put on worked perfectly. And the gun broke in after a few range sessions and has run flawlessly ever since.  When I had 500 rounds through without a hiccup, I started carrying it.

The P3AT has few frills. There’s no hold-open for the slide. It won’t lock open with it is empty. The trigger, which is a bit heavy, requires a firm pull to actuate. There is no half-assing this gun. And you won’t need any finely-tuned trigger finger placement, either. Grip the damn thing as best you can with its small frame, and squeeze it like you mean it. I even prefer shooting it one handed.

Once it goes bang, the muzzle flip is sharp. Manageable, but sharp. And the reset on the trigger is a bit longer than I’d like. Yet it works. And you can watch the hammer travel, too, which is an added bonus.

Don’t mistake this for a target gun. It is accurate enough, but you’re not going to put down MOA groups. Understand its purpose. It is a get-off-me gun. A last resort. It is exceptionally easy to hide, easy enough to work, and it is just about the most affordable gun at your local FFL. $220 or so for the gun, $60 for a holster, and then the cost of ammo. Not a bad deal.

Does your MPX or MCX suffer from flacid charging handle syndrome? Are you embarrassed by the rather small size of your chargng handle latch? Well Radian Weapons has the solution for you! Presenting the new Raptor Charging Handle for the Sig MPX and MCX.

The factory MPX and MCX charging handles are based on AR-15 style charging handles. And while they work as intended, they are somewhat small and droop. Yes, I said droop. The MPX has a slight problem keeping its charging handle straight and errect when extended to its full length. Due to this droop, the bottom of the charging handle scrapes against the top of the receiver. Thus marring the finish.

Below you can see the marks the factory charging handle left on my MPX pistol.

Why Get A Raptor Charging Handle?

I will let Nick Booras of Radian Weapons explain it.

The Raptors for SIG MPX and SIG MCX have been in development for over a year, but have been delayed due to engineering resources being allocated to more pressing projects, including the recently released Raptor-LT. We started with the MPX because of the growing popularity of the platform in the U.S. commercial market - it’s a great gun, but the non-ambidextrous charging handle in my Gen 1 MPX left something to be desired. We decided to tackle the MCX as well due to increasing adoption of the weapon by U.S. and allied police and military units. SIG’s product management team was extremely helpful in providing the necessary data to allow us to properly design these products and ensure compatibility with all generations of both full and semi-automatic MPX & MCX platforms.

I can attest to the non-ambidextrous charging handle on the Gen 1 MPX. I upgraded mine to a Gen 2 MPX charging handle so it was ambidextrous. However this was a stop gap as I was waiting for the Raptor charging handles to come out for the MPX. I have a Geissele, Next Level Armament and Raptor charging handles on my AR-15s. And I honestly prefer the Raptor of the other extended charging handles. While the Geissele and NLA handles are enlarged as well as ambidextrous, the ears or wings of the charging handle are a bit pointy. It is easy to snag them on gear.

Take a look at these comparison photos of the factory MPX charging handle against the Raptor charging handle. Raptor on the left and factory on the right. Notice how far the latches stick out from the side of the receiver. Much easier to grasp.

The MCX looks almost identical however the shaftis actually longer than the MPX.

Charging Hande Erectile Dysfuction Solution

So what about the droop in the factory charging handles for the MPX and MCX? Well Radian has a solution for that. All their MPX and MCX Raptor charging handles come with a replacment enhanced recoil spring block.

See that little ledge that protrudes upwards? That is what keeps the charging handle straight and erect.

No more drooping charging handles. Thanks, Radian Weapons!

The Radian Weapons MPX/MCX Raptor charging handles cost $89.95. According to Nick Booras, the MPX charging handles sold out in just 20 minutes of their launch. The MCX Raptor handles are coming soon. Check their website for more information.

Maybe I should explain. I’m a gun writer. I’m not a solider. I have firearms that I clean regularly, and those that I consider “control groups" in a long-running experiment. I’ve got a GLOCK 17 that I’ve put more than 20,000 rounds through that I haven’t ever cleaned. This far into its lifespan, I can feel a little hitch in the trigger, but that’s it. The gun still goes bang.

I do own some guns that I maintain regularly. One is a 1911 built by Colt in 1913. It shoots well, but I don’t shoot it often. I do check in on it monthly, and make sure it stays oiled.

For this piece, though, I want to look at the guns you carry every day.

There are two schools of thought on this question. The first group cleans obsessively.  There’s no such thing as “too clean.” If you shoot your gun, you clean it when you are finished. If you don’t shoot your gun, you clean it anyhow, at regular intervals, just because you should.

Let me be clear on this. I’m a big old hypocrite on this matter. The GLOCK 19 I mentioned earlier is part of my every day carry kit. While I don’t carry it concealed, much, it is a go-to gun. I really should clean it, but I’m curious now about when it is going to fail. So I don’t. But I take it with me everywhere I go, and I shoot the snot out of it. I'm not a GLOCK guy, but I understand why people love their GLOCKS.

I do clean my Kel-Tec P3AT. This little mouse gun rides in my front right pocket most of the time. I keep it in a Recluse holster, and loaded with LeHigh Defense ammo, and I love the humble little underpowered thing. For my shorts-and-a-t-shirt lifestyle, it is often the only gun I carry.

And here it is for its annual cleaning. I’m seeing two things here. The first is a bit of rust. It has been hotter than hell in Arkansas this summer, and I’m sweating more than usual. That rust is a showstopper. It has to go. The conclusion here is that I need to be cleaning more often.

The second thing I’m seeing is some ugly crap on the top round in my spare mag. This gets us onto a second topic: how often should you rotate your ammo? But I loaded this round normally, fired it, and the P3AT took it in and spit it out with no problem.

The answer to our original question is one you’ll find out through experience. How often should you clean? When your gun needs it, clean it. GLOCKS can take more abuse than most tight-fitting 1911s. If you live in a more corrosive environment, like on the coast, clean more often. Clean when you shoot, for sure, but compulsively clean your carry guns. It would be embarrassing, and potentially deadly, if you locked up on some sort of gooped up pocket lint.

Ever since the pistols went into production during the 1980’s, the Desert Eagle has captured the hearts of many shooters who want the “biggest, baddest” handgun.

The appeal is understandable. The unique Desert Eagle pistol seems larger than life and is chambered for powerful cartridges The guns can be seen throughout pop culture including movies such as The Matrix and Deadpool, TV shows like the Walking Dead and the video game series Grand Theft Auto, Far Cry and Call of Duty.

Originally developed by Israel Military Industries (IMI), the guns are gas operated and can be chambered for calibers up to the .50 AE (Action Express.) Over the years, the Desert Eagle pistols have been offered in other chamberings including the .357 Magnum, .41 Magnum and .44 Magnum in addition to the fairly rare .440 Cor-Bon round.

Here in the United States, Magnum Research continues to update the Desert Eagle line of handguns. The latest offering is a beautiful new gun that gives the modern pistols the look of old world craftsmanship. 

The new Case Hardened Desert Eagle pistol features fresh styling that many shooters will like. The frame, barrel and slide all have a case hardened finish on them. To protect that finish, Magnum Research has a clear coat applied over it.

Matching the case hardened finish is a set of laser engraved walnut grip panels. These panels have the company logo on them. A gold plated trigger adds a splash of sparkle to the guns. Also included with the gun is a set of Hogue rubber grips for regular range practice.

The guns are the Mark XIX design with the Picatinny rail on the top for the addition of an optic. The barrels are 6” long and weigh in around 4.5 pounds unloaded. Each gun comes with a single Desert Eagle magazine.

Magnum Research is offering the new Case Hardened Desert Eagle in all three of the current production calibers: .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum and .50 AE. Magazine capacities are 9, 8 and 7-rounds respectively. All three guns will have a suggested retail price of $2,278.