Archive for October, 2011

Wilson Combat Vs. Chip McCormick

We’ve just gotten another restock of the Wilson Combat 1911 ETM magazines due to customer demands.   I still don’t think there is that much of a difference between these magazines and the standard Wilson Combat magazines.   Wilson Combat magazines and Chip McCormick magazines are pretty much the staple of 1911 fanatics and you really can’t go wrong with them unless you already have a finicky 1911.   If you want a combat reliable firearm watch out for some of the high prices accuracy guns, they are not GI combat worthy and sometimes people want too much in a firearm and there really are tradeoffs.

Most of our customer base tell us that differences between the Wilson Combat 8rd magazines and Chip McCormick power mags are minimal.   Wilson Combat magazines seem to help feed non-round nose bullets like hollow points and semi-wad cutters.   Chip McCormick magazines are almost $10 a magazine less than the Wilson Combat ETM magazine so you really have to balance the value of upgrading to the ETM.  The ETM magazines do feel a little thicker and also have numbers on the bottom for competitive shooters, but for $10 more?

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Streamlight Polytac 90 flashlights

The Streamlight Sidewinder has an obvious purpose other than what a regular handheld flashlight is used for and if you need a flashlight like that, there aren’t a lot of options.   Finding a flashlight that gives you the lighting you need is going to get easier and easier these days and they are making them lighter and more powerful every day.   The Streamlight Polytac 90 is slightly shorter in length than the standard Polytac flashlight but it has a unique clip on the back to keep it in place, or  hand it on a belt or vest.   This smaller flashlight runs on 2 CR123 batteries.

Streamlight has an edge over other flashlight companies for firemen and emergency response primarily because Streamlight put the time into developing rechargeable flashlights that held up.   The Streamlight flashlights that we sell the most are the rechargeable and followed closely by the Streamlight Poltac 90.   I wish Streamlight would put a little more thought into the M4 Carbine world because although their flashlights are nice, they are not on par with what Surefire flashlights has out.    Surefire has a solid edge over weapons lights.

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The best boot for the buck and the lightest

The Original Swat footwear company has been gaining lots of ground over recent years and there 10+ year in the tactical boot world is an accomplishment.  Many tactical clothing companies have come and gone in that time period and it is a testament to the companies viability.   We are expecting several new products in 2012 and some of them are already available even though they are not listed on the Original Swat boot website.

Some tactical boots cost an arm and a leg and although they are durable they are more than what you need or want to wear on  your feet.  Our number on tactical boots are the Original Swat 1232 Air 9 inch.  These boots are the lightest tactical boots and give you outstanding support.   We know that are many in the Law Enforcement community that develop foot problems over the years and we have gotten so much feedback about the support that these boots have that we just have to pass that info off to our customers.

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Every day flashlights

There is such a think as an every day flashlight that often gets over looked.   There is nothing wrong with carrying a larger flashlight, but for those in the CCW world, flashlights, knives, guns, spare magazines can really add up in weight and when you go from wearing shorts, pants, jeans and getting ready for a wedding into the mix, All of that gun gear can really affect your comfort level.   One thing you really can think about is keeping your accessories to a minimum.

The whole strobe flashlight thing does work for some situations, but lets be realistic, flashlight that is 150 lumens with a strobe is only going to give you a few seconds if that, of defensive measure.   Streamlight flashlights like the Professional series PT-1 and PT-2 are probable the most popular CCW flashlights we carry, but don’t over look the small and light nano-light from streamlight.

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Changes in weather changes in clothing

In 2012 you can be sure there will be some pretty big changes in the tactical clothing market.   I expect there will be a few people fall to the way side because there are still production issues with making clothing in China and the economy isn’t getting any better.   Lots of police and government workers are losing their jobs and that will eventually affect the people that supply them.   Locally there were huge layoffs in the Trenton and Camden area and for the first time we saw unemployed cops.

Now that things are really getting tight, if you are looking for some really good deals please take a look at some of the great deals we have on clothing.   There are some really good Tru-Spec, Woolrich Elite and Eotac tactical pants on clearance and on sale.  We have a significant amount of the Eotac style 202 OD greens left.   For $34.99 you are saving on money and getting a better quality product.

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Lightweight tactical short options

There are so many tactical pants clothing makers out right now and I believe I have been saying that for almost 4yrs.   Every time I think we are done seeing a new tactical clothing company, another one emerges.   For dealers it’s at a point where you really have to wonder how much more you can possible flood a market.   Selling clothing is very different than selling knives and gun holsters.   There are so many variations in body sizes that everytime you get stuck with an ugly color or an odd ball size you might get stuck with it for a very long time which is why so many gun shops don’t like selling clothing unless it’s sold in Small, Medium, Large ect.

One thing that won’t be disappearing anytime soon is the Woolrich Elite line of clothing.   Of all of the people that have stepped into the tactical clothing market, Woolrich has been around and making clothing since the Civil war.   Woolrich Elite tactical pants and lightweight tactical shorts are still big sellers, and it has an awful lot to do with durability and quality.  We here far less complaining about shrinkage with this product line compared to the 5.11 tactical clothing and if you spend $50 on a pair of pants, the Woolrich Elite product line is where you want to spend it.

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Price points and warranties on Original Swat Footwear

There are huge differences in the types of footwear that you can wear while working in the Law Enforcement Community and the wrong footwear means discomfort and unwanted stress.  Foot support is something you won’t get  out of sneakers even though most people are probable more comfortable wearing sneakers all day than boots or dress shoes.   There are always periods of break in and sometimes your foot might get a little sore when you first wear them.   The Original Swat 1232 air have a great reputation for support and comfort and is by far our lightest tactical boot.

The Original swat footwear company has a 1yr warranty on all of their boots and in over a year of selling the product we have had less than 3 returns on the product line.   With a warranty like that it’s less stress on a dealer on selling a product and much easy to support a product line.  There is so much competition in the tactical boots market that price points and warranties is a great combination.    The Original Swat 1150 are the Classic 9 inch boots and the 1152 is the side zip version.   If you want full ankle support and all leather size zip combo, try the Original Swat SEK9000.

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The .380 may be lighter and easy to carry but

Don’t forget that the .380 ballistics are something to be aware of if you are protecting your life.    There has been plenty of documented shootings by police and the military involving 9mm stopping power and the statistics are not very good, as a matter of fact, handguns are not very effective when it comes to stopping people in their tracks.  There are varying degrees of this, but the .380 guns that are ever so popular these days need to be looked at more than once.   Sure a gun is better than no gun in a hostile situation, but many firearms especially 9mm guns are smaller, lighter and more reliable than ever.

The Ruger LCP is hands down the most popular and sought after gun for our white collar CCW holders.  Kahr guns are still going strong though because once you actually take those calibers to the range, there is a drastic difference in penetration.   Kahr firearms are really tough and probable the #2 most popular CCW makers as of now, Kahr magazines aren’t too bad in pricing either.  The Kahr PM45 is an excellent CCW 45acp for anyone that wants something smaller than a Sig 220, XD 45 or 1911 firearm.   You do have to pay attention to your round counts with these firearms and replace your recoil springs when recommended.

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More blather about tactical knives

Here’s the scoop about which knife, tactical knife, folding knife or lightsaber.   It’s all about how much you want to spend.   Sure there are some knives that are better than others, but what good is it to spend a boat load of money on something that you are going to lose or break.   I have gone through cell phones and flashlights in the past because at first they were small and easy to carry, but then they were even easier to lose.   Not to mention that after working the Gatco Sharpener booth at the NRA Convention last Summer I noticed that no matter what knife people were carrying around with them, 80% of people didn’t even have a sharp knife.

The Gatco Sharpening System that we sell the most of are the 10003 and 10005 because they aren’t that pricey and they are easy to understand.   The 10005 sharpening system has a sharpening stone for doing serations and that’s a pretty big deal for tactical knives.   Being able to get in there and get the hard to sharpen parts of the blade is a big deal even for a small blade.  The serations should work like a saw and for small blades, the job of cutting through rope or re-enforced packaging tape ect should be easy if the blade is sharp, how much you spend on a knife can make it a better blade, but only if you sharpen it right.

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MPro-7 does what it claims

I guess I’m going to have to say that I am well on on board with the MPro-7 gun cleaning supplies.  I still haven’t personally used all of their products myself, but I will continue to post after trying them out.   I attend a great many gun shops and trade shows and have plenty of sample gun oils and lubricants from various manufacturers but that’s not something I would jump on board with because quality control with liquid products is something that I have learned to be aware of.   Even something like a bottle of Coca-Cola can change from lot to lot and don’t forget all of those variances with rifle ammunition and accuracy.

When it comes to gun cleaning supplies, the biggest criticism that I would have to make that is from my expereince, valid, is that CLP is not consistent unless you shake it properly, CLP will stay in my gun cleaning supplies box, but I have given up on depending on it for firearms that I consider might be a defensive firearm.   I’ve seen gun stocks melt and barrels glow red and for anyone taking serious training or wanting to replace something that the military has issued, it’s time to move on to the MPro-7 gun  oil.

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