Archive for August, 2012

Blowing money or just having fun with a rifle?

There are several AR15 guns that we’ve seen come out that were basically a novelty.   I wouldn’t trust some of the direct impingement 5.45×39 guns with my life because it’s just a flat out bad idea to expect a gun to run on ammo that dirty and in a firearm like an direct impingement AR15 for very long.   Some of the differences in barrel life vary from firearm to firearm and the machining and matching of parts can mean the difference between a hobby gun and a combat firearm.  From my experience putting a gun together properly is a big deal and i’ve seen many imported firearms just not cut it because the gunsmithing and assemble were so bad a firearm like a FNFAL can get a bad image.

Century Arms was notorious for making cheap AKs and FAL amongst other things and there have been some dud companies that made AR15s.  AR15 rifle have improved and there are many guns that can become great hunting rifles with Bushmaster upper receivers that have the configuration that you might want for deer or varmint hunting.   I have a Bushmaster XM15E2 that is the second firearm that I train new shooters to use.  The iron sights on a carry handle and the long 20inch heavy barrel are very good training guns.

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Otis gun cleaning systems and the easier way

You won’t find a more compact cleaning kit for your firearm than an Otis gun cleaning kit. They are specialized for various types of firearms and not just caliber specific like many other cleaning kits. You can get a Universal cleaning kit for multiple calibers or get one that is specific to an M16. Everyone knows how much a chore the M4 and M16 family of firearms are to clean and carrying a cleaning rod with you is impractical. There are videos on the internet and CDs that you can watch while you learn about your Otis gun cleaning kit. They will take a little time to get use to using because the gun cleaning kits are mini tool boxes that can vary depending on the configuration you order.

The military configurations are very practical for anyone that owns an AR15 or M4 variant. You can cut down on the amount of gun cleaning supplies you use and the time you spend cleaning and get more use out of your cleaning patches if you properly use your Otis cleaning kit. The Otis product line is geared towards the hunter, the target shooter, the gun collector and military applications. The Otis M16 butt stock cleaning kit fits where it says it goe. You will appreciate being able to clean a pistol or rifle out of something that can fit in your hand and can easily be stowed in a range bag or tactical vest. Cleaning brushes and cleaning patches are all in there so do some research into what you really want in a cleaning kit and pick amongst the kits that are available.The Otis sniper cleaning system is a great companion to a DMR or bolt action rifle.

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Gun cleaning supplies, gun lube and Sigs and Glocks

My favorite handguns are the ones that I like to shoot the most and it’s not always what I consider to be the toughest or most reliable.  One thing people need to have a grip on with handguns is the statistics don’t lie.  Handguns really do suck at stopping threats and shot placement can’t be underrated.  Although I love shooting my 1911’s and reloading 45acp.  I do find that the weight of a 45acp does add up and I’d much rather have more physical comfort carrying than worrying about accuracy and whether my 45acp FMJ has more stopping power than a 9mm FMJ.   The Glock 21 is a great gun but to darn heavy for me to carry even if it was a duty gun.

Many, many firearm instructors will tell people that you’re better off practicing with a 9mm because it’s softer to shoot and costs less money.   I remember the days of the assault weapons ban when glock factory magazines cost close to $100 a pop but now they are mostly under $25 if you get them online.   For longer deployments or the times of year when I really don’t feel like cleaning my guns, I’m always carrying a Glock 26 or a Glock 19.   The less gun cleaning, the less lubrication you have to worry about draining off of you, really makes you think it’s time to carry a Glock.

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Feedback on Timberline knives

We’ve been stocking the Timberline Tactical knives in our store for over a year now and had a great experience working with the Gatco product line at the NRA convention a  year ago.   We consider ourselves to be new to the whole knife thing, but this is another big niche in the industry that we are learning about.  Knives are very useful tools and it’s not a secret that many in the concealed carry crowd carry knives.  It’s not that we use them as weapons, but it’s more for utility purposes.  There are many things that can be opened up and sometimes the strength and sharpness of the knife can be the difference.

One of our favorite things about the Timberline knives is we are well covered for boot or neck knives, folding knives, and emergency knives.   One of our most popular Timberline knives at the moment are the Timberline SOC knives.  The finish on them is eye catching and the combo edge knives are the ones we have trouble stocking in the store.  The Delta knives are the hardest to keep in the store because they are very good defensive knives.  The ECS knives are a huge  hit for military and swat teams and their small ecs knife.  We do stock many of their knives in store so you can stop in and check them out.

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Climate changes and and carrying firearms

I’ve been carrying firearms for well over 2 decades and I’ve “been there done that” on most of the typical CCW mistakes.   There’s nothing like getting a nice winter jacket in the middle of the winter, carrying your Beretta 92FS while Christmas shopping using a Fobus or Blackhawk holster, and after 5 minutes of being there, realizing you’re going to sweat to death if you don’t take your jacket off but you can’t because you’re carrying in a paddle holster.   I learned that and realized that for the most part, I probable never would need a winter coat unless I was standing outside all day.   Modern synthetic materials are getting so good that fleece and wool are really going to be a thing of the past.  There trend is that body armor and armor plating will get thinner and lighter, it’s only a matter of time.

We’ve been watching the Vertx, Blackhawk and TruSpec product line for a long time and can see an obvious trend.  This Fall we are working on a TruSpec jackets and outwear promo and there are many cool things we can’t wait to see come in.  Vertx is kind of pricey but really good stuff, we’ve been happy with the Woolrich Elite outwear especially the Twill Jacket.  Unfortunately last year was a  bad year for outwear because of all of the warm weather.  From a retail standpoint, hopefully we get a Fall and Winter Season.

 

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New guns vs the old guns

We got a lot of weird questions about firearms and clothing and some things just aren’t worth our time pursuing.   There are new products  coming out every couple months and there are always new guns after SHOT Show or the NRA Convention that we basically have no interest in buying up holsters or gear with.   We normally wait for our customer to give us feedback on products and if there is enough interest in them, then we’ll bring in holsters, tactical lights or keep standard capacity magazines around.   Tactical lights are becoming a major headache for some manufacturers because there are fit differences between each tactical light.

Lately there seems to be a trend from local police departments to go back to Glocks just because some of the products have become so complicated it’s just not worth the hassle being the first to pick up a new handgun.   One thing that seems to be true is everyone goes back to Safariland holsters for their Sigs and Glock pistols.  Today a local police department asked us to look into getting them holsters for the Sig 220 handguns that are issued to them.  It was odd to hear that that gun is still in service locally, but it is.   There are polymer Sig pistols and even if they have an advantage, in the market place, there just aren’t as many options for them.

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5.11 tactical pants vs TruSpec tactical pants

To this day I am still not happy about what I saw happen with Woolrich Elite and the rise and Fall of the Eotac product line.  I’m amazed that some of the product improvements never took place with the Woolrich Elite tactical pants and the demise of Eotac partially because the pants just never were available.   We had a completely confused customer base and now that price increases have occurred many people are shopping around for something close to their price range.   From what we are seeing there has been a big shit towards TruSpec and Vertx because so many of our customers were disgruntled 5.11 clothing wearers.   Much of my expereinces with the 5.11 product line have been good and they were and are the pioneers of the tactical clothing market.

We like seeing companies that actually have warranties on their product lines because with a bad economy and an over loaded tactical clothing market, we’d rather see the companies back up their products than have to deal with complaints about durability ect.   When going from product line to product line, The TruSpec tactical pants that we’ve been selling have had a  good reputation and after selling the product for almost a year, we’re seeing more and more repeat customers.  The TruSpec womens pants and shorts that we  have been selling have a 100% positive response so far and the sizing is very good.  Recently we started stocking the TruSpec EMS pants because so many people had sizing issues with the 5.11 version and were happy to find something else.

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The 1911 is a better gun

I started out with a Colt 1991A1 over 20yrs ago and at the time I thought I was getting a second rate 1911 but it was a good price so I got it.  I fell in love with the gun immediately and It just fit my hand that the first time I shot it I thought I was missing paper and it turned out I was shooting out the center of the target.   After shooting the gun for 3 range sessions I started having problems.   I had a good relationship with my gun  shop and when I went back in I talked to him.  He told me I should be using more than 1 magazine with the gun and talked about magazine rotation.  Then I picked up a few more Colt 1911 magazines and after a few range sessions the gun started closing on an empty chamber.

This whole issue was apparently very common with 1911s and many of the GI magazines were actually meant to be thrown away on a battlefield and not re-used.  I tried the quick fixes but they didn’t hold up, I later found out about Wilson Combat Magazines and now the Wilson Combat ETM magazines are my primary 1911 magazines.  Barrel designs and more durable parts have made the 1911 a superior firearm than it’s original GI version.   Although the guns are still pretty heavy compared to composite materials, many people still find the 1911 guns to be the most comfortable 45acp to shoot.

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Competition shooting and

That seems to be one of the biggest gag lines I hear coming from people in the industry.  We had a Navy Seal come in here talking about Glocks and how he had to modify his slightly because he started out as a 1911 guy and had issues with the grip angle.  Recently I purchased a Glock 17 because it’s still widely used in our local Law Enforcement community.   I have a Glock 19 because I got tired of my Sig Sauer guns rusting out on my in the Summer but it did take me awhile to find the correct grip.  Luckily I had an instructor in here that gave me some pointers.   Handguns need to modified for the shooter if the shoot wants to be proficient with it.   I watched a Bob Vogel DVD about Mastering the IDPA and he mentioned several things he did that helped make him a more accurate shot.

Bob Vogel  uses a Glock 34 in his competition shooting and he is also a Police Officer.   One of the great things about Glock firearms is many of the Glock magazines work in various Glocks of the same Caliber.   I personally don’t like Glocks but I have a lot of respect for the design and I do agree that they are tough guns that have a proven track record.   If I was deployed and had to be issued a Sidearm it would defanitely be a Glock.   I’m a big fan of the LWRC gas gun designs but having to deal with a standard AR15 or an M16 and all of that gun maintenance and then another firearm.  I don’t want another gun to clean, just give me a Glock.

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Are there better things than bottle pepper sprays?

We’ve seen all types of people come in our shop at various levels of knowledge about firearms or defensive devices.  We’ve had women that did not want to carry firearms but they wanted to buy pepper sprays or mace.  Guys come in and buy it for their wives or they come in and ask questions about concealed carry products.   People that have been robbed or had bad experiences in life get into this business looking for ways of carrying defensive products without buy a pair of 5.11 tactical pants and having a knife and Blackhawk Holster on them.  They just want to know how you actually do it.

Bottle pepper sprays are convenient but not very practical to carry, everyone knows by now that if you grab a cylindrical device you’re going to have trouble knowing which direction it is pointing.    Our line of ASP Pepper sprays are very reasonable priced, but there are things out there like the Kimber Pepper Blaster II, which use to be called the Kimber Guardian Angel, and there is a Ruger has a new pepper spray that has a better grip control than bottle pepper sprays but after watching some of the videos, all those strobes and sirens are more bells and whistles than what I think is practical, but if it gives you comfort than spending $20-$40 on it is worth the security.

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