All posts by Soda_Pop

Looking for gun accessories and knowing what not to buy?

There are a ton of accessories out there than you can attach to your firearms and there are quality issues that we constantly hear about.   The best we can do is warn you that it’s not really about whether or not a part is made out of plastic or not it’s really about use and proper mounting.  I’ve had screws sheer off mounts after about 2000rds of 7.62 NATO went through an FAL and it was suppose to be the best mount out there.  To this day I’m not sure if the screws may have been over torgued or  not but I didn’t have a screw driver that I could measure this with.   Loctite isn’t used enough in this industry and every thing that has a screw on it from flashlight mounts to optic mounts, pistol grips and foregrips should have it on them.

Now that accessories like B.A.D. levers are heavily used, its often asked of us if they are any good and the first warning we tell people is that “it’s one more screwed on device that can come off” so proper mounting is a preventative maintenance thing.    Whether  you are looking at a bi pod or magazine well grip, Mako, Command Arms,  Magpul gun accessoriesMagpul stocks and accessoriesMagpul Stocks, Troy firearm parts, Midwest, VLTOR or TacStar you gotta make sure you put it on right.   I have an LWRC M6A1 that has a Tapco SAW Grip on it and think nothing less of Tapco if the grip fits your hand right.

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Looking for an optic for your AR? We’ll point you in the right direction

Aimpoint Patrol Rifle OpticsAimpoint MagnifiersAimpoint Comp M4AImpoint Red DotsThere are always going to be price points and some optics are either an overkill as far as features or they are junk.  We’ve pruned a lot of our inventory in recent years to try and have standards on what kind of optics we should stock because we can personally direct customers to them knowing it’s a quality product.    If you have good eyesight you may notice parallax in certain optics but that is something you don’t really have to worry about in close ranges.  It makes a huge difference if you are trying precision shooting at longer ranges and there are scopes that have zero parallax or have a level of adjustment to compensate.   Just because you are choosing a red dot sight don’t think you can’t shoot targets at longer ranges because the Aimpoint Magnifiers will give you a much better range.

It’s always a good idea to know the direction you “may” go when modifying or accessorizing your rifle so you leave room to attach Magpul Accessories, Lasers, or Surefire flashlights because depending on the location of your optic,  rail sizes matter.  If it’s not an Eotech sight, it’s probable going to be an Aimpoint Red Dot and most likely the Patrol Rifle Optic that you might want to eyeball.   Spike’s Tactical has some really cool rail systems and if you want all that gear on your gun and not an Magpul MOE stock.   If you don’t want to deal with AA batteries or CR123 being in your go bag, then Aimpoint is the optic for you.

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Technical details and knowing what you really want

weapon mounted lightLED tactical lightsThere are so many variations on holsters and it’s a very complicated thing in this industry.  Your Police Chief might have standards for your duty gear and dropping $150 on a holster that rides too high or isn’t as secure your leg.   We can’t tell you want  you are going to find comfortable and guarantee it’s for you.  Sure we can give you options but the best references are from people that are using the tactical gear and we aren’t any different than you when trying to find something that works.   Safariland’s product listings are very meticulous and there are correct holsters and incorrect holsters with almost identical images and products specs.   If you are looking for a holster with a tactical light you should go through the holster fit guides and narrow it down yourself.

Most shootings occur in low light and whether you are CCW or you are a Law Enforcment Officers are on duty, having a TLR-1S or a Surefire X300 on your weapon or knowing how to hold your Strion or Polytac 2L during an engagement might mean not having to shoot.   There have been some high profile accidents on firing ranges and on the streets in recent years that could have been easily avoided if the proper training and lighting occurred.   Every time you  use a device on a firearm it’s another piece of tactical gear that can fail you so buying quality lights like Pelican, Streamlight and Surefire are the way to go.   If you are still using Xenon bulbs it’s a good time to retire it and get with the program and get a good LED light, the technology has dramatically improved and lights are far more durable than before.

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Smith Optics Elite Division ballistic eyewear, why the cost?

Smith Optics Elite EyewearThere are plenty of things in this industry that come with a heavy price tag but once you get into the technical details you’ll  know why the costs are there.  Our most expensive items besides firearm parts like AR15 upper receivers are the Trijicon Optics, most people think they are over priced compared to red dots, but if you logically compared Trijicon glass, the amount of detail in the reticles and why they are designed the way they are for various types of engagements you’ll see why you are getting far more than a zero magnification optic like an Eotech or an Aimpoint, if you don’t need it, then you don’t need it.   The same goes for ballistic eyewear and $180 turbo fan googles.

There are huge price leaps within the Smith Optics Elite Division ballistic eyewear and if you can’t figure out why the prices jump from $80 for ballistic googles to $180 let me explain it.   There is a ton of BS out there about anti-fog and after the Boston Bombing I got first hand info about what really went on when searching for the 2 terrorists and.  There were plenty of Police in full SWAT gear for long periods of times searching homes and tried to get details on Smith Optics Elite eyewear and many of the other major eyewear companies to hear feedback.  Apparently there were several incidences where Police Officers had to take off their eyewear when entering buildings because it didn’t cut it, the temperature changes affect the fogging and in many cases it just didn’t cut it.  If you look at the technical details on the Smith Turbo Fan goggles these have a battery operated fan on 2 settings that allow auto venting, for $100 more you get protection and even more possibility of products performing regular googles just didn’t cut it regardless of the brand,

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What are the hottest replacement sights for Glocks? We’ll tell you

Orange HD SightsTrijicon Night SightsGlock 21 Night SightsSig 229 night sightsIt’s been hands down, the Glock 101 yellow and orange high definition night sights.  We got in shipments every week for the last 3 weeks and they were gone within 24hrs.    All it takes is a few articles in a major publication and the word spreads fast.   Many of the cable channels have the 3 Gun competitions or other Industry Sponsored competitions and people watching the shows start to see the brand names or ask questions about what gear and accessories they are using.  You can get high definition sights for just about any firearm these days, but not all of them work well in low light, nor are they all durable.

The one thing we have been constantly hearing is that the Trijicon Vs Meprolight race leans heavily towards Trijicon.   At first, you can always notice the price difference, but if your night sights are fading after 3 or 4 years you’ll wish you spent $130 on the sights as opposted to $85.  There seems to be a longevity difference between the Trijicon night sights and the Meprolights and the demand for Trijicon is increasing for Sig Sauer and XD pistols.   The Glock sights like the GL101 will fit the majority of glocks and the GL104 will fit the Glock 20 or Glock 21.    It’s really a preference thing if you want orange glow or yellow, but I’d say the yellow sights have more of green glow to them.

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Muscle Memory avoid deviating at all costs

Blackhawk Serpa HolstersBlackhawk retention holstersThat’s my short answer on the Blackhawk retention holsters if you wanted an opinion.  I’m not a big fan of taking novice gun owners or new recruits with a holster like this because I’ve seen it all on the firing line.   The NRA has really good standards for training new students, children and even adults.  I have rarely seen a new handgun shooter start off shooting on a table but I’ve gone back to that when watching new people walk up to a firing line and do the dumbest things.   You can judge competency by someones education level nor the muscle mass.   I’ve grown tired of being at public firing ranges whether indoors or on a State Game range and looking down the barrel of someone taking their girlfriend to the range or a newly hired Police Officer that was issued a sidearm but can’t handle the 45acp recoil.

When my life is on the line which it is every time a gun is unholstered, I have my tolerance levels and keeping a controlled environment is my protocol.  Once someone has been trained on using a firearm, adapting to a retention holster like the Blackhawk Serpa holsters is just learning another device.   It’s a bad idea starting out with both and many, many departments hire not on experience, there are always new people learning to shoot and it’s very common to see firearms instructors put bans on this holster system when training new students or unknown discipline.  I do use these holsters as a paddle holster as well is the drop leg format and I do have respect for them.

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Don Hume inside the waisteband holsters

Don Hume leatherDon Hume pocket holstersWe’ve been selling these for more than 4yrs and they are still one of our top selling holsters.   From a personal point of view, these holsters are a little rough looking but if you don’t want to go with some of the Nylon holsters we sell and are sure you want a leather holster, these are are very well priced compared to the Galco leather and the Desantis leather holsters we sell.  The Desantis insider is a inexpensive leather holster but it’s  not as hard and the same priced Don Hume ones.   All leather holsters should have a short break in period because if they don’t they may be a little too loose at some point in the not too distant future.   Securing a firearm is what a good holster’s primary role should be and not all holsters are quiet, some rattle and allow movement.

Inside the waistband holsters are hard to shop for and I can recommend enough to check with people that are already  using certain holsters before you put too much money in an unknown.  We always have first time CCW holsters and Don Hume holsters are usually suggested along with our nylon belt clip holsters and many of the Fobus products to get something from a starting point.  It’s not that we think they are not good holsters it’s just that they are not they pricey and can be had for around $25-$40.  Compare that to Crossbreed holsters and some of the Galco leather holsters and you’re at about 1/3 of the cost.  Once a gun owner has more experience in knowing what to buy they can spend all they want with us, but we always try to help customers avoid buyer’s remorse or have to deal with returns.

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Suggestions on AR15 builds

We have a very large customer base that are very mechanically inclined, from engineers to various types of mechanics, it’s ofter surprising to some of my friends that think that gun owners are red necks that buy these types of firearms because they think the world is going to end or that it’s about military weapons and violence.   There are always wack jobs on both sides of the Political spectrum, but there is something about the AR15 that the mechanically inclined tend to be drawn to.  It’s not all about accessorizing andAR15 Complete Upper ReceiversAR15 rail systemsAR15 uppers for sale G.I. Joe, it’s about proficiency, efficiency, customization and pushing designs.  There is not much differencSpikes M4 Upper receivere between Aeronautics, Ballistics and Rocket science.   The discussions about cubic inches of pressure, twist rates, air pressure, humidity levels and sea level are every day discussions amongst our clients.

The biggest draw to our store as far are parts are the Magpul Industries accessories and Spike’s Tactical upper receivers and various types of 300 blackout.    There are always price levels to consider with certain AR15 Complete Upper Receivers and if you aren’t ready and ask specific questions on what is best, expect there to be stick shock.  Colt Firearms have a proven track record, probable more so than any other AR15 but when you get into suppressed firearms, you have preferences in types of rail systems, there are other companies offering better platforms.  Don’t forget about our rewards points and free shipping on orders over $150.   For some of the upper receivers that we sell, you can get $20-$30 back in rewards points just by setting up an account.

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Bail out bags, low profile vs tactical value

511 tactical bagsThere are always going to be trade offs in this industry, there are so many backpacks and range gear that is very close to another, but that one extra feature is what is going to make it work for you.  For many of our Local Law Enforcement, the active shooting bag can mean a very broad selection of bags, from Maxpedition to 5.11 Tactical, to Condor or Elite Survival Systems.   We often heard the term “they have that bag”  is we always ask for the manufacturer before we can narrow down what it is we are looking.    The best stuff is always going to cost you but there are certain items like the 5.11 Bail out bags that are very popular but very tactical looking.  active shooter bagsactive shooter bag reviewsBail Out Bags Everyone will have different things to put it in from, Wise Emergency Food, Snickers Bars, Bottles of water to medical gear, pistol magazines and 5.56 ammo.

The Bail out bags from 5.11 Tactical are available in Black and Tan are are $59.99. this is an over the shoulder “go bag” that starts out very lightweight.  Many of the 5.11 Tactical bags that we sell have a very well received track record of not being too pricey and readily available.   If you are looking for low profile less tactical looking bags, The Elite Survival Systems Crossroads Discreet Escape bag.   This will be more like a camera bag with an over the shoulder strap,  internal magazine storage as opposed to outer magazine pouches and an adjustable internal compartments.

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Get rid of your old gun cleaning hazzards

gun lubeOtis gun cleaning kitsIt’s bad enough to be around lead for 30yrs but lead is something that’s on it’s way out the door, even the military is destined to be moving beyond it at some point and oAR15 Cleaning kitsgun cleaning suppliesne of the biggest problems gun clubs run into are EPA issues with range clean ups.    Hoppes #9 has been arSlip 2000 Bore CleaningBoresnakeound a long time and has a reputation of working well at cleaning bores, but that stuff is just nasty to be in the room with and liver damage warnings aren’t much of an incentive to keep it around.  I wouldn’t know where Copper removerRifle Cleaningto start from with suggestions on what is best to  use, but anything from Slip 2000, M-Pro7 to Frog Lube have great improvements and almost zero health risks attached to them.   Things like Boresnakes help avoid the need for piles of cleaning patches and can be thrown in the wash machine after several use ages to get back to clean and new shape.

I find pistol cleaning primarily revolver cleaning to still be a little more tedious because cylinder cleaning takes a little more focus and I still use lead reloads for some of the Smith & Wesson revolvers.   The best thing to do to avoid major projects after a range session is to clean your firearms shortly after using them and not let things sit for long.   For many hunting rifles and many handguns, just gun handling can cause rust to eventually form from your finger prints that it’s very important to keep a gun cleaning cloth or rag around to wipe them down and have the right gun cleaning supplies available.   One of my biggest gun rust issues was after a hunting trip where no bullets where fired and the firearms were put away, and 3 months later when they were taken out there was rust along the barrels.   A wipe down before putting it away or using something like Slip 2000 gun lube would have prevented it in the first place.

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