Archive for March, 2013

Why spend that kind of money on an optics? ACOGs, Aimpont and Eotech..

Trijicon ACOGSWell, most operators that have used any of the above mentioned optics will tell you that they are each good for something and not good for everything.  Red dots are very accepted as very good close up fighting optics and there are some very big differences between all of the various functions and quality.  I’ve checked out some of the Russian Kobra optics and C-more red dots and although they are priced lower, they are good optics and get the job done.  The haze of red dots is actually something that bothers me and bothers many other people because of the haze that many of them have.  Aimpoint is probable most widely accepted but the new Trijicon SRS red dot looks to me to be just as clear, if not clearer.

I remember when the ACOG first came out in the commercial market and spending $750 on a scope when I was shooting a $350 semi-auto rifle really seemed like a stretch.   After dropping $400 on an Eotech, then years later getting a magnifier, I could have easily picked up Trijicon ACOGS for sale for the price that I was paying.   Probable the TA01 or the TA01NSN would have been in that price range and especially the later, could have been a good comparison to the Eotech and the magnifier.   Going from zero magnification iron sights to an 4x scope is just about the same as going from your Eotech gun sight to a almost 4x optic.

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Avoid the “not knowing what to get” when it comes to rifle slings, just get the MS3

magpul ms3 slings for saleWhen I first got in one of the MS2 and MS3 slings in I didn’t really know what it was all about.  I’ve been running a single point bungee sling for several years and never really felt like I needed a  new sling.  I replaced all of my slotted slings with the Promag Ambidextrous dual loop sling attachment plate which pretty much leaves it open to lend my rifle to a right or left handed shooter. Several of the AR15 rifles that I own had to have these attachments replaced because the slotted sling thing just didn’t do it for me.  It’s also a good idea to remove any sling attachments that are not being used because all they end up being are parts that make noise when you move.
I understand there were some shortcomings of the MS2 and now since we’ve cleared them out of the store, were only stocking the magpul MS3 slings.   The best thing about these magpul MS3 slings for sale are that you can basically make a single point a double point sling or a double back into a single point.  If you don’t understand why this is a good thing.  Strap on your favorite M4 Carbine and carry it up a ladder on a single point sling.  Then engage in a few rounds of gunfire against a target that is above or below you.  Then readjust the sling to a two point configuration and get back to me.   Climbing a ladder or jumping in and out of vehicles with a two point sling is actually more practical than slinging it over your shoulder.   The Single point has always been very popular but there isn’t any reason to buy 2 slings when the Magpul MS2 Sling does it all.

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Proficiency with an AR15 means customizing it!

I say that in the title and that really is what it’s all about.  There are many things we forget about when teaching people how to use a rifle and I know many people that service in the military in Korea and WWII that said they couldn’t hit anything with the M1 Garand. The M1 Carbine, even though less powerful had a better reputation with guys will a smaller stature.  The best thing about the AR15 design is that you can adjust the LOP and add parts that best fit your hands or body type.

There are many well made AR15 accessories out there but I never really deviate from MAGPUL accessories.  I have put the CTR stocks on most of my AR15 rifles and Magpul stocks for salemagpul stocks for sale  are what I recommend for most individuals.  We have a local police department the just started carrying the AR15 in their patrol cars and all of them are stoping in for gun accessories and customizations.

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5.11 Rush Messenger bag and Rush 72 bags

5.11 backpacksWe sell a ton of nylon gear, from molle gear to range bags and gun cases.  There are big differences between all of the gun cases that we sell and just because it’s called a gun case doesn’t  mean it’s going to have all of the protection you need when you are traveling or stowing it in a car.   I realize that not everyone has a $2000 AR15 with $1000 optics on it but I’m not going to drop my LWRC M6 with the TA31F-G in an Uncle Mike’s gun case, I’ll put it  in an Elite Survival Systems assault rifle case because the protection and design of that $80 case is worth it.   When it comes to back packs and emergency responders, there is one product line that seems to have taken the crown.

The 5.11 Rush 24 and Rush 72 bags are the most common bags we see with emergency responders.   I would have to say the multicam 5.11 backpacks are very nice and the layout of the molle locations are very nice, although I am very impressed with the Tru-Spec gunny backpacks that we have for sale right now.  Several of the gunny backpacks are with a local ambulance company and they are very eye catching.  The top handle makes them easy to pick up without having to sling them over your shoulder and they are easy to pack  up and stow away.

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CCW Firearms and Kahr firearms in general

Kahr magazinesManufacturing technology has dramatically improved over the last decade and gun magazines are becoming more and more durable.  All gun parts and firearms will eventually wear out, but proper maintenance and attention can get you longer use.   Magpul pmags are king of the AR15 magazines although there has been some minor changes to the design in recent years.  When  you’re looking for handgun magazines, we have Sig Factory magazines, Glock magazines, Beretta magazines, Chip McCormick magazines, Promag magazines, Mec-Gar magazines, CZ magazines, Walther magazines, Wilson combat magazines and many other rifle and handgun magazines.

The 45acp is still one of the most popular CCW calibers, but finding a firearm that is easy to carry in this caliber is not always the easiest things. Kahr firearms are excellent CCW guns we stock Kahr magazines because many firearms similar in size are not as robust. We are a stocking dealer of many gun accessories for the Kahr pistols and Kahr magazines. Kahr .380 and 9mm are also our best selling CCW gun accessories.Kahr makes some of the best concealed carry friendly 9mm handguns in existence. They are the most durable small 9mm handguns and even their 40 caliber guns are very nice.  It’s always good to have 2-d spare Kahr magazines and rotate through them when you are training.Many people think that pocket guns are all j-frame revolvers or you have to go with a .380 type pistol for deep cover concealment, but Kahr CW 9mm are outstanding in size, weight and firepower.

 

 

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Worthy of a walk in a browse at our showroom

truspec combat shirtsAfter the demise of several clothing companies in recent years we tip toed our way through the various tactical clothing brands and asked our customers what they were going to be wearing once the other brands stopped becoming available.  It seems that the 100% cotton rip stop pants that we sold are not really being made by anyone anymore and it’s mostly the 65%/35% poly cotton ripstop pants.  Mostly Law Enforcement prefer that material design for training or off duty work.  We do notice the the majority of our military contractors want cotton ripstop or cotton canvas clothing and according to them, it’s more comfortable to wear.

Sometimes the amount of “new” stuff that comes out each year is overwhelming but I have to force myself to try things on and wear them long enough to be able to speak for myself.  Recently I picked up some body armor that worked for me but I needed to try on the TruSpec combat shirts that so many of our local law enforcement and government departments are wearing.   Even though there has been a major switch over to multicam, several departments here are still using urban digit for combat uniform.  Sometimes it’s more about identifying your department and not trying to hide.

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Another Tru-Spec 3,2,1 Promotion starting March 1st

truspec pantsWe are already under way of another Tru-Spec promotion this year and it’s the same great deal we had last year.  After selling the Woolrich Elite Series and Eotac product lines, we have a customer base that are not sure what they should be wearing since those product lines are drying up. The polycotton ripstop pants are very simliar in feel to the well known 5.11 tactical pants.   Most of our customers all own something from 5.11 because 5.11 tactical has been king for so many years and their products seem to be far more available.   Much of the tactical clothing market, especially tactical pants is all about preference, price points and quality.

We have seen many of our Special Ops guys showing up wearing the Vertx product line but most of our LEO’s don’t want to spend $64 on a pair of pants.   Now is a very good time to try out the TruSpec pants with the 3,2,1 Promotion that is going on until the end of April.   Don’t sit  on  your hands about this promo because many of the dealers are going to sell out of the product line before the promo is over.  I know last year we were out of certain colors and sizes by the end of the first month.  You will get 15% off your first pair, 20% off a second and 25% percent off when you buy 3 or more pants which brings the price down to $29.95.

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Firearms may become easier to get, but parts is another issue

AR15 complete upper receiversI spoke to several of our Reps for that work and various high end gun manufacturing companies and they told us that they are no longer taking orders for upper receivers, only complete firearms.  We pretty much figured that out when we saw the panic buying and the surplus of gun parts just disappeared.  I was involved with a company called Section 8 Tactical several years ago and we sold an M4 parts container kit that I would love to revive again someday.  I would hold a bolt, extractor and all of the parts you need if something on your bolt carrier group goes down.

If you snoozed for the last 4yrs and didn’t get a spare parts kit, you might have issues for several more months and possible years trying to acquire them.   Trying to find AR15 Complete upper receivers in a climate like this is going to be difficult but keep your eyes open for reasonable deals.   Prices will eventually come down to some degree but trying to get the good stuff is going to be difficult.  Some of the higher end products tend to not be made in high volumes so those waits are probable close to 1yr if you are lucky.

 

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Eotech sights, Aimpoints, and the Trijicon SRS sights and rail space

eotech sightsThere was a good add on a Trijicon facebook page promoting the Trijicon SRS sight and it was mostly about rail space.  That is an issue that I personally have run into because I put several things on my LWRC M6A1 rifle that I started to run out of room when i tried to put a pressure switch on it.  I started out with a vertical foregrip and it worked well with the my Streamlight Scorpion flashlight but after I fell in love with the Magpul angled foregrip I ran into issues trying to activate the flashlight.   I’m still not sure what I’m going to do but once I get the new XPS sights in from Eotech i’m going to retire my Eotech 512 just based on rail space.

Run time is important but there are differences between military applications and Law Enforcement applications.  There have been big changes in the industry and now that solar/battery optics are are on the market we’ll see what the next generation of Eotech sights are going to produce.   The Eotech magnifier is a very good idea for someone that already has an Eotech device and wants to make it a medium range optic.  The side battery switch is something I also really like because it makes it easier to get to if you already have a magnifier and rear sight.

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