All posts by Soda_Pop

Surefire Sale, Some prices are coming down

Surefire FlashlightsIt’s very rare that things in this industry go down in price, but the truth of the matter is that technology can become old and sometimes things are so much easier to make, the free market will cause certain products to go down.  Look at software companies and what the prices are when new products hit but after time, different versions come out and the original version is so out dated that sometimes people wouldn’t want it.   Think of it like this, would you rather pay $120 for a 60 lumen flashlight or a 300 lumen flashlight?   What if you get your hands on a dirt cheap Xenon bulb weapon mounted like from Surefire, would you put it on your gun knowing that LED technology and outputs 100%-300% better than they were 8 years ago?   I remember converting all of my xenon bulb flashlights like the Surefire G2 years ago because it just made so much sense to upgrade it.  Now that a 200 lumen flashlight on it’s highest setting is actually  on the low end of what flashlights are doing these days.

A shocking price drop occurred with some of the Surefire G2 Flashlights this year because they are less expensive to make and even though it may be one of the best, simple to mount, weapon or hand held Surefire Flashlights out there,  there are more powerful flashlights to consider that are about the same size.   There seems to be trend toward the Surefire X300U over the Scout models because now Surefire X300 puts out a powerful 500 lumen light and pressure switches don’t have the life expectancy that toggle switches tend to  have.  There are plenty of flashlights out there that can get the job done for you, but we get the least complaints from people that run Surefire flashlights on firearms as far as longevity and durability.

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Gunvault Safes better to lock them up and find a better hiding place

Gunvault SafesWe are always paying attention to the crime statistics and asking our local police departments what the stories really are.   Things like Home invasions are typically retaliation for someone in the family losing drug money or something else along those lines.   For a small percentage of the home invasions where there was no determinable reason for it other than robbery or rape, there are still reasons to make sure you avoid letting people know what you own and for God’s sake, close your windows at night and don’t announce to every person walking by your home at night on where the fine China is.   The same thing goes with who you let into your house and who knows where you keep your firearms.   Like most people the closet is where the guns and gunvault safes are but you might want to consider throwing a sweater or towel over the safe when it’s in there.  Most home invasions are during the day when  you won’t be home and even if you have an alarm system, the master bedroom is where they most likely will go.

There are pros and cons to any locking system, yes, it can slow you down by a small fraction of time, but kids can get into even gun safes if you give them enough time or have it in a location they can keep guessing the combination.   There are various alarm settings and lockout options for Gunvault Safes but if you are a home owner, I’d highly recommend putting some creativity into using furniture, picture frames or some other concealment for your safes.  If you are like me and walking in and out of Government Buildings all the time or high security zones, sometimes even outside a Police Station isn’t the best place to leave a gun under a car seat, smash and grabs take a few seconds and if they can’t break a window and lift it out, they probable won’t get it.  Locking cables are a really good idea to attach to your gun safe.   Expect to see a lot of gunvault safes in our stores in the coming months because not enough people are locking up their firearms.

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Blackhawk Lightweight Tactical Pants shortage?

Blackhawk Tactical PantsWe have been a stocking dealer for a great many tactical clothing companies because we know that much of this industry is about preference and what the Mission at hand.   We get lot of Law Enforcement that stop in our store because they are going to the range for training and all that is required is “black pants” primarily because they know they might be doing a lot of knealing in dirty environments and if they were wearing anything but Black pants, they might be stained for good.  Most of the pants we sell have some type of knee pad inserts although I don’t really find many of them to be all that practical, you just have to make sure you pull them out before you wash them  otherwise the foam inserts will break down much quicker.

We have been big fans of Hatch knee pads although Blackhawks Neoprene knee pads are very popular.   Recently it has come to our attention that a major production change has occurred and these  Blackhawk Tactical Pants and much of their clothing is now being moved to Puerto Rico.   Although that is not continental United States, its nice to hear things like this and it’s also a long list of companies from Proper, Original Swat Footwear, ATS Tactical Gear and others that have been moving manufacturing out of China and  Asia, hopefully this reset in manufacturing over the last several years will stabilizing the availability and prices and we have even see companies like 5.11 increase prices since the whole Asian monopoly on manufacturing has hit everyone.

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Optics and Killflashes on Aimpoint and Trijicon ACOGS

Trijicon ACOGSThere arguments about using flashlights as defense tools really apply to just about any situation, if you deploy something, it can be an announcement visually or psychologically.   If you use a flashlight  on someone hoping to blind them, they may only become irratatted and be confrontational, just because you think you have them paralyzed for even a second, you can’t be complacent.   If you are a hunter, I probable don’t need to explain this to you, but if your prey sees you, they may run or even attack you depending on what it is you are hunting.  Hog hunting is really what comes to mind because recently I got the low down from a friend that was using an ACOG for Hog hunting in Texas and told me about the horror stories and complacency that got people hurt.   Even with all of the camouflage on, one of the biggest giveaways you can have to your location is the flashlight mirror or objective lense on ANY of the optics you are using on your firearm.

I think it should be mandatory for anyone ACOG purchase for someone to get a killflash and considering the cost of the scope and a killflash, you aren’t really adding much to the cost.   Some of the Trijicon ACOGS actually come with these in a package and considering how nice the glass is on the rifle scopes, they really do give off a signature at 1000yds if you aren’t using a killflash.   Even in low light it’s a good idea to consider using a blue or red lense over your weapon mounted light as well is something to reduce your signature.    Recently we got to test out some of the Meprolite sights next to Aimpoint, all with their killflashes and it was hardly noticeable when looking through them.   The pros far outway the cons on this one.

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The Magpul MS3 and MS4 Slings and other Magpul Accessories

Magpul AccessoriesWe are often confronted with questions but many of our customers are not prepared to have us question them back before we can answer them.   Working in the Fire Industry, Emergency Services and Law Enforcmenent can be very technical when it comes to uniforms and gear and we often find that even our customers don’t know what a product is called, just what it looks like and what it’s fire.   Recently we got asked about pager holders but until the customer came in our store and measured the pager, we wouldn’t have known which holder to order for them.    The same type of thing occurs when people are shopping for a gun case, the barrel length of your AR15 is not going to determine what gun case it’s going to fit it, the overall length of the gun is.   If you are looking for a handguard like the Magpul MOE in black, flat dark earth, Foliage or OD Green, you need to know if you have a rifle length, carbine length, or mid length.  It only takes a second to measure your handguard before you want to replace it but we are often faced with the “I don’t know” when they ask us if we carry handguards.

When it comes to slings, unless you really know what  you are looking for, I wouldn’t be so worried about buying the wrong one, if you get a sling that you don’t like, replacing attachment plates or RSA Rail Attachments are only a $10-$15 trial run but it’s always best to go to the range and try somebody elses setup.  If you are ready to take a trip to Rogue Elite Tactical for Magpul Accessories for a sling or a gun case, do yourself a favor and get the specs on all of your AR15 Carbines that you are looking to equip, do you have a gas block?  When length handguard length do you want?  The iron sights you might want on your gun might not be right and you might find out at the wrong time that you purchased the wrong rifle stocks or accessories.  We have been highly recommending the Magpul MS3 slings because so many people are not sure if they want a single point sling or a 2 point sling and since the MS3 can do both, and has a quick adjustment loop, this really is the best of both worlds.  If you want the quick detach MS4 Sling, you’ll have to make sure you have those attachment points on  your stock, receiver, or handguard.  Let us know what you have and we’ll tell you what you can do.

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Columbia River Knife & Tool Company M16 Knives

Columbia River Knife and Tool CompanyOne of those niche products in our inventory that we always try and keep around are the CRKT or “Cricket” as some call them, M16 series knives.   We have a diverse Emergency Management customer base, some folks want the first cheap knife they can get to carry around in their pocket at work, and others are very particular about the blades they are using.  Hand size is also a factor because if you want to be effective with a knife it has to fit your hand otherwise you might not get the leverage you need while trying to cut a seat belt or rope and that isn’t a good thing if you are under stress or possible injured.   Many people in this industry are using knives for rescue and utility, far more than they are carrying them for self defense.   I’m partial to combo edged blades but not as concerned about and point like tanto ect.

I am presently carrying a M16-13Z  Carson Design which fits my hand perfectly and considering how impressed I was with the blade edge it came from the factory, and going on more than a year with heavy useage, I’ve only sharpened the knife 2 times and pretty much just for fun and not because it was getting dull.   The Columbia River Knife and Tool Company M16 series locking knives are big sellers and starting in the mid $30 range up to $100 will give you a lot of selections to consider.   A knife like this is perfect for many in our line of work but the only negatives are that you have to do a lot of practicing to get the safety on the blade and locking liner open with one hand but there are real reasons it’s a good idea to have a safety on any hard use folding knife.   The negative I found with the M16 product line are the belt clip holders screws which don’t want to stay screwed in so make sure you use lock tite on them if they happen to come loose on you.

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Original Swat Footwear Company boots, if it fits and it’s comfortable wear it!

Original Swat BootsWe knew awhile ago that if we want to cater to our customers  as much as possible from, pants, shirts and footwear, we’re probable going to have to bring in several name brand products to be able to accommodate.   One of the things we noticed in this industry is that sometimes companies can try to do too much and should really stick to what they are good at and offer good warranties and customer service.  We’ve seen plenty of companies that make clothing get into making Flashlights and other Law Enforcement gear but we tend to not jump on board with those because why carry much other than Streamlight and Surefire Flashlights when dealing with Emergency Services and Military and Law Enforcement?  When it comes to footwear, it’s different world and we have never found a company that will work for everyone so we pick and choose our footwear companies carefully.

We’ve done wear tests with a ton of the Original Swat Footwear Company and truth be told, it didn’t work for everyone, but if we can pick a brand that works for most people in this field of work, Original Swat Boots usually get the job done.   There are always changes being made to their product line and sometimes production changes that people don’t notice, but the previous complaints about some of the issues with the boot zippers breaking has been addressed and we have the new designs coming in almost weekly, granted not everyone had issues with breakage but I assume the factory hear it enough to improve the zipper tab.   We have been testing out some of the Under Armour Footwear as well as Bates Boots, 5.11 tactical footwear, but our customers often have their price points that they are willing to spend and some footwear companies only offer 30 day warranties and if there are issues, you’re screwed, Original Swat Mens boots and Womens boots all come with a 1yr factory warranty and Free Shipping.

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Are your knives sharp? Most suggested answer to “what should I use to sharpen my knife” are the Gatco Knife Sharpening Systems

Knife Sharpening KitsI was lucky enough to work the NRA Show at Pittsburgh with the guys from Great American Knife & Tool Company and got to witness first hand the number of people walking by the table that were carrying dull knives.   People tend to shop for a knife based on it’s size and what they think they need it for, but many people don’t understand how knifes are sharpened or how to put an edge on a blade.   I’m in no way an knife expert, and in all honesty, I’m not that interested in knowing everything there is to know about knifes, but the one thing I do know how to do is sharpen a knife.  I’ve other sharpening 2 stone pocket sharpening kits as well as a sharpening stone, but none of them worked as fast as the Gatco Sharpening System and with the 10005 which is a 4 stone sharpening kit plus a serration sharpening stone, this is by far the best kit if you ever want to bring a serrated edge back to life.

Sure the quality of whatever knife you are sharpening is going to hold an edge above or below average but I’ve done enough cutting for shipping and handling packages to know when knives are losing their edge and can easily tell which one is holding up.    There are tons of people that are carrying flashlights and knives on them but if you aren’t using it all the time, you might want to check to make sure that its still got an edge on it.   In emergency situations like cutting seatbelts or rope, you don’t want to spend more time than you need trying to free yourself or someone else in harms way.   For around $30-$40 you getting knife sharpening kits that also work very fast and you won’t spend all day sitting next to a camp fire doing it the old fashion way.  There are replacement stones you can buy if you break or wear something out and Gatco like many of the other products we sell have outstanding Warranties on their products.

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White lights, Surefire Flashlights has always led the way

Surefire FlashlightsAll gear has it limits and it’s tolerances and not everyone will push gear to the limits, but in this industry, we have so many different lines of work that report back to us that it’s always part of our job to listen so we can relay that to our customers, as long as it passes our bull shit meter.   You get what you pay for and Surefire Flashlights are not in the “cheap” or “inexpensive” category although their history in the Military is well known and complaints about the cost are the only thing we hear that are negatives.  You have to read the product specs and what a flashlight is designed to do to understand what you are paying for when you are shopping for an LED Flashlight for your M4 Carbine, M16 or Remington 870 or Mossberg 590 Series shotguns.   Having a hi and a low power setting means longer life of batteries and be careful you don’t just buy a light based on the lumens.   A 320 Lumen flashlight is going to burn faster than one that can be set to 15 Lumens and only use what you need to use.

Flashlights, just like lasers are often not used properly and I would also highly recommend getting a red or blue flip up lense at the end of any weapon mounted light because there are more times than none, going to be situations were you don’t want high output because shining a 200 Lumen to 600 Lumen light in low light or darkness is like turning the sun on and it is true that you may more likely draw attention to you which can give a burglar, home invader or prowler or felon a return firing point.   The Surefire Flashlights like the Scout Model went from 110 Lumens to 200 lumens and considering how small and lightweight it is,  I’d highly recommend that you pay attention to the pros and cons of using pressure switches because they do break and it’s also recommended that you keep spare ones close to  you incase of failure.   We’ve seen a big up tick in the sales of the Surefire X300 Ultra due to the fact that this is easy to put on a handgun or a rifle and doesn’t require a pressure switch to activate.

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A time and a place for extended magazines, Wilson Combat 10rd Magazines

Wilson Combat 10rd MagazinesI remember back in the day of the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban and what it was like to go to Gun Shows and all you saw were after market magazines and many of them being not very reliable, if you wanted standard capacity magazines that were factory made, you had to pay a pretty hefty price for them.   One of the reasons I ended up going with the Beretta 92FS was because that had the most availability for used standard capacity magazines and reliability was what I always wanted.  The Colt 1911 was the first hand gun I owned but the AWB really didn’t impact that firearm, and as a matter of fact, there was actually a trend towards firearms like this because if you were stuck with 10rds and less for a firearm, why not go with 45acp.   For some reason I thought I still needed more than Wilson Combat 7rd or Wilson Combat 7rd magazines but I ended up going with a cheap aftermarket 10rd magazine, and the mags barely lasted more than 3 range sessions before they crapped out on me.

I learned that lesson real fast and just went back to 8rds +1 but on my learning curve, I stopped doing the +1 on my guns because after several training events, started noticing that this was over stressing the springs and if you have cheap springs, they are going to slow down and throw off the timing on your 1911 and it’s either going to stove pipe or fail to feed properly.    I’ve made the decision in the past that any time I change the magazines springs on my handguns, I change the recoil springs because I’ve seen “timing issues” on many occasions and I don’t own unreliable handguns.   There are always tweaks you can do if you have the patience to salvage magazines that don’t work but why waste your time and get Wilson Combat 10rd Magazines that are very popular with our IDPA Competition shooters.  I personally find anything over 8rds for 1911s to throw off the balance of the gun but there is a time and place for extended magazines.

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