Archive for June, 2014

Have you checked out the Tru-Spec Product line lately?

Tru-Spec We’ve been a Tru-Spec dealer for several years now and have ridden the wave of their expanding product line.   If you haven’t been on a fan of Tru-Spec or you know nothing about them, you might want to take a look because there are a lot of reasons to check out their product line, especially if you’ve been familiar with 5.11 tactical which most people in this business are.   One of the main reasons we stock much of the Tru-Spec product line over 5.11 tactical is the much better quality control.   Sure there are plenty of good products from other companies, but with this economy, if you compare the 24/7 Series pants compared to others, good luck trying to find a tactical pant for under $40 that doesn’t shrink or come in different sizes every time you buy them.    There are plenty of new items like the Tru-Spec Eclipse pant that can be in a polycotton ripstop or a 100% nylon that really makes it a much more useful pant option for really hot weather.

The Tru-Spec 24/7 Series shorts have also been a hit if you are carrying a knife, flashlight or other every day carry gear, and the pocket designs will help accommodate plenty of gear and gadgets.    Tru-Spec has also done a great job of making Combat Shirts in various camo patterns from all of the traditional digital pattersn, urban digital, woodland digital, midnight digital ect.   Multicam is all the rave and now that Multicam Black is out, everyone from airsoft to paintball to tactical teams and S.W.A.T. Teams are wearing it.   One thing they can grown on are CCW pants that are more casual looking, the Classic pant is OK, but still has a bit of a tactical look to it and not everyone has been won over by that.   The Performance polos are great hot weather and don’t pill like some of the previous performance polos we carried from a different brand.   They really have a lot to offer for both Men and Ladies and if you are bringing your girlfriend or wife to the range, or you need off duty pants for training, definitely check out the womens pants and shirts.

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Looking for a holster with a light? There really aren’t a lot of good options but Blade Tech Holsters might have it

Blade Tech HolstersWe’ve heard about Blade Tech for years but after finally getting to check out some of their holsters, they really are worth looking at especially if you are looking for a holster that you can have a TLR1 type of light on it.   We hear about all of the custom kydex companies but there are always wait times, and I personally have seen more than a few that just didn’t cut it in the durability department, but if you have the time, there are training courses you can take where you can learn how to do it yourself.    I have yet to jump on the Handgun/Light Combo because it’s more bulk than I think I need for every day carry, but since most Flashlights especially the Streamlight TLR-1S have some much of a higher output, you are really getting a good return on your investment, and more and more of our local Police Departments  have Officers that are using them.

There is a certain amount of training you should go through if you are putting a light on  your handgun and we’ve heard from several State Police  Firearm Instructors that a lot of guys are having trouble shooting their pistols accurately and activating the lights because they are putting pressure on the switches while trying to grip and fire the gun, so don’t just throw it on and think you are going to be fine.   Check out what Blade Tech holsters has to offer and if you are a Glock person, they definitely seem to be fans of those firearms and there are inside and outside the waistband holster options that won’t break the bank and you won’t have to wait 3-6 months to get them.   They also have several Sig Sauer holsters and I expect to see more Smith & Wesson M&P and Springfield XD holster options.

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Vertical Grips vs Angled Foregrips vs Magpul Hand Stop, Why?

Magpul Stocks and AccessoriesSo much of this industry is about customizing the Carbine to the person, the accessories you want on you firearm can change depending on your line of work or which range you are going to.   I see guys bring their Eotech or Aimpoint Magnifiers with them to certain competition shoots but most of the time leave it off because those magnifiers are a separate optic and having them on all the time means carrying a M4 Carbine with 2 optics on it.    The original trend towards using vertical grips was because of the flashlights, pressure switches, lasers and IR gadgets that many in the military were using, it’s hard to have a traditional rifle hold and still be able to access all of the buttons and switches.   I’ve personally run out of rail space on one of my AR’s and I’d have to make a decision about putting an extended rail on it or removing one of my optics and putting on an Aimpoint Micro T-1 or the Eotech EXPS2-0 just so I have the space to mount a laser or IR.

The angled foregrips can work as a slide stop but keep in mind, if you are using a flashlight and don’t have a pressure switch, you’re going to have to think long and hard about where you want to access flashlights because as soon as you put on another Magpul Grip, Rail Cover or other panel, you make a jigsaw puzzle for yourself.  One of the best ideas for AR15 Rifles is the Magpul MOE Stock because it gives you a better starting point and if you make major changes it might only mean having to buy a few different Magpul MOE Rail Sections instead of having to drop $180-$250 on a whole knew quad rail.   Most of the Magpul Stocks and Accessories we sell  have features on them that you should educated yourself about before you buy, like QD

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The Balance between being a prepper and a nut when it comes to Wise Emergency Food

Wise Emergency FoodsWe brought in the Wise Company long term storage survival food several years ago and now that we are stocking much of it, walk in customers get to hold in their hands and ask questions about the various products, bucket prices, shelf life of the products, and what it’s all about.  If you look over many of the Go Bags, Active Shooter Bags and bugout bags that we sell, those are often showing images of Wise Emergency Food in with pistol magazines, water bottles, AR15 magazines, radios and flashlights.   We several police departments in the area that their SWAT Officers have this product in their bags because they know how the possibility of standing out in front of a School or any type of standoff can hours and possible days long.   Try skipping breakfast or lunch and stand out in the sun for 6hrs on a hot day and tell me if you wish you had something you could just add water to and get a fast lunch to keep your body from being stressed or unnecessary drops in blood sugar that can cause  you to loose focus.  Yes, humans need to maintain their bodies to stay focused and that means eating and drinking properly.

We also have several customers that are truck drivers and are often traveling across Country during Hurricane season and out West during Tornado Season, people don’t realize the amount of disruption to super markets and transportation that occurs when that kind of weather can hit and if you are stuck in traffic on a highway trying to deliver across state lines, you may not be able to park the truck and walk to McDonalds if you are starving.  We are offering a much broader Wise Emergency Foods because this product line is something any level headed individual should consider bringing into their Duty Gear, Camping Gear, or keep in your basement for the what ifs.   The best example of not being prepared is what happened during Hurricane Katrina and an entire society was not independent.   Even though the word “prepper” can bring laughs and giggles, there are whole bunch of “preppers” that aren’t going to have problems riding out power failures, hurricanes, floods ect. because they had just a few weeks of non-perishable food.   The Fruits in these packages last for 7yrs, the meats 15yrs, the camping product line is 7yrs, and everything else can last up to 25yrs. All that security for $50-$150 buckets or packages of food?

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Don’t need an expensive rifle case? Allen Gun Cases might be the answer

Allen Gun Casesgun socksPistol RugsI often suggest people buy gun cases based upon the value of the firearm as well as the price of the optics you have on it because there are plenty of hunting stores I’ve heard of guys knocking their rifle scopes around in a car and finding out it’s not holding zero.  There are also the stores of people putting scratch marks up the stocks or scratching the objective lenses on rifle scopes from the simplest mistakes.   Scope Covers are very important for keeping your lenses and clean as possible but from my experience, it’s to avoid getting the lenses scratched because dust and moisture is always going to be around.   I have assault rifle cases for all of my semi-auto rifles and keep the magazines with the case and mark down which gun it is for, but I also keep several Allen Gun Socks around when I am transporting my shotguns or bolt action rifles with iron sights and need something to cover it while heading to the range and help keep it from looking like a firearm incase I have to stop and get something to eat and my stuff in the car isn’t in plain sight.

If you can’t afford to get a good range bag that can hold multiple handguns, ammunition or sight in tools ect, having a pistol rug for your scoped .357 Magnum or 44 Magnum is about $10 or less and it gives you plenty of protection while in storage.   If you look at the Allen Gun Cases we have to offer, there is also a tactical gun sock that works well for many scoped long guns and it definitely won’t break the bank.   After that, soft gun cases for rifles and then Pelican and SKB gun cases are the direction you want to go but that’s your call.   Keep in mind that if you aren’t using your gun cases they are going to take up room in your closet or gun safe so try to be uniform when you are looking to purchase your pistol cases or rifle cases because it’ll be easier to match up guns with gun cases and not have to scurry around trying to find one when you are trying to head out to the range.

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Why deviate from Surefire and Streamlight Flashlights? Warranties are important when investing your money in them

Surefire FlashlightsWe learned several years ago that the reason so many of your Police and Military customers are buying Streamlight and Surefire flashlights was because of the Warranty services that they offer.   When you are shopping for a flashlight,  you really need to pay attention to all of the product features, and not just what the run time and output is.   We’ve had several customers tell us they stick with Surefire handheld lights because the screw on cap battery contacts have a better longevity that some of the click-able flashlights.  I have to admit that I have seen this but this is after years and years of use.   Just like firearms all have barrel life, not everyone is going to put 15,000 rounds through a barrel and wish they got a barrel that lasted 25,000 rounds.  LED has been a great improvement for people that need a flashlight for work, so battery usage has been decreasing, but durability is something you have to pay for and many of the none name brand flashlights may put out some ridiculously high lumens but they just won’t last.

The Surefire G2 has many products in it’s family and we can’t say it enough, pay attention to production dates when you are shopping for any of the Surefire products because they all increased in their output by about 90% in the last 2yrs and people are still cleaning out old inventory.   Some of the G2 Flashlights out there are in the 130-150 Lumen range when they all should be 320 Lumens if they are the new ones.   The Beauty of the Surefire flashlight line is what you are using for a handheld light can easily be attached to a shotgun or carbine  if you pick up the proper mount.   I’ve always felt that 200 Lumens was about an ideal output for any weapon mounted light and now, even the Surefire Scout M300 is a 200 Lumen light, not the 110 that it use to be.   You are getting more from your money than you would have 2yrs ago sure check out all of what they have to offer.

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Kimber Pepper Blaster II, our #1 Recommendation for less lethal pepper sprays

Kimber Pepper BlasterThe first that people see when we suggest people consider this is sticker shock, for almost $40 people want to back away from dropping that cash, and then they look at the $10 keychain Pepper Sprays and think that is a better option.   Well, any pepper spray is better than no pepper spray if you need to use it, but there are huge differences in the efficiency in the way various bottles, cans and trigger fired mace or pepper sprays deployed.   When we talk about carrying firearms and deploying them under stress, we forget that even if you don’t have a firearm, your body may still be under stress and disengaging safeties, fumbling around with retention holsters ect might mean losing the fight.  It’s always good to think ahead and if you are buying pepper spray for someone else, tell them to go on youtube.com and watch some of the ways to deploy it.

Plenty of people are carrying pepper spray that should be thrown away and once you get beyond a year or two of the shelf life, you are dealing with a dramatically weakened pressure or broken down chemicals that are no longer going to work.  If you want to spend $10 go ahead, but if you want someone to carry a less lethal weapon, the Kimber Pepper Blaster II is are #1 recommended device that you can carry in your pocket, purse or pickup the carry pouch that we sell that you can also use.   Consider picking up something like this even if you are CCW because using pepper spray on a dog or assailant carry much lower liabilities in the judicial system

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Review of the new Tru-Spec Eclipse Tactical Pants

Tru-Spec Eclipse Tactical PantsI’m not going to make those blog post out about how this is some fantastically designed tactical pant that will fit everyone’s needs, but like all clothing, especially if you are in the area of the Country with different seasons, you have to change up your clothing to fit the outside temperatures.   We’ve been dealing with mostly cotton/canvas pants, 100% cotton pants and the biggest one, 65%/35% polyester cotton ripstop pants, but this is our first venture into carrying a nylon material pant.  First, if you are familiar with the Tru-Spec product line, this is very different than the 24/7 series pants as far as material and pocket design, I always force myself to try something out myself before we put in our stocking orders since I’ve developed a pretty good bull shit meter as to whether or not our customer base is going to go for it.  Secondly, I would have to say that these pants, although having very good internal hand pockets with a slot for a knife and flashlight, or whatever you want to put in them made me happy and I didn’t notice it when our sales rep first showed them to me, but these pants are so lightweight, and the material is so soft, that it’s probable not a good idea to expect to pocket carry a firearm in them because it will print.

I noticed many of our Police Officers that are on bike patrol all have nylon shorts on and we will be bringing in something in that category very soon, but if you want to wear pants because you need to carry your every day carry stuff with you, and you wanted something lighter weight than what the Tru-Spec product  line had to offer previously, definitely consider picking a pair up, we’re doing an $8 flat rate shipping on the Tru-Spec Eclipse Tactical Pants and with Summer just around the corner, you will not be sweating it out with these pants and you’ll also have a level of sun protection because you won’t be wearing shorts.  These do seem to be a more slim fit and they DO NOT have elastic waistbands like many of the 5.11 Tactical, Tru-Spec and Blackhawk pants we sell do, so be careful when ordering that you rethink you’re actual size.  If you don’t want to wear shorts all this Summer consider putting these into your wardrobe.

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Why are smaller optics more money? Eotech Sights and Aimpoint

Eotech SightsWell, the short answer is because it take more manufacturing know how to get all of those electronic down to a durable and reliable combat optic and the benefits of having a reliable and lighterweight optic can improve performance of an operator.    Sticker shock is always something that people have when they come in here and check out the pricing on Trijicon Optics like the RMR sights because they think that a small optic would be cheaper than a hunting or sniper scope.  Although the expensive stuff like Night Force and Leupold seem to be acceptable, paying $700 for a red dot like an Aimpoint T1 seem to be frowned on except for the people that are using them.  If you just pickup a scale and put down a Trijicon TA01NSN and compare it to an Eotech EXPS2-0 or the Aimpoint T1, you’ll seem there is a considerable weight difference and knocking off a pound of weight from your firearm and carrying more food, water, or ammo is far more important considering that Military Statistics show that most engagements are under 200yds and needing larger “reach out and touch someone” optics rarely occurs and normally there is a designated marksmen in a unit for that role with a different optic.

We really don’t have an option as to what is better, Aimpoint or Eotech, but you can’t beat the pricing and reliability of the Aimpoint Patrol Rifle Optics that comes with its standard mounting system.   We have picked up Bobro Engineering mounts for quick detach capabilities for some of the Aimpoint Optics, but there are those options with the Eotech Sights.   With Aimpoint you have night vision optics, with Eotech Combat Optics for your AR15 or M4 variant, you’ll need to know ahead of time and purchase a night vision compatible version of the sight.   Think about which type of batteries you want to have around whether you decide on CR123 batteries or AA Batteries, make sure you have storage units on your person, in your go bag, or on the AR15 Accessories like the pistol grip, stock extension ect and keep a few new condition batteries there.

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