Quick fixes for first time gun owners?

fobus holstersWe get new people in our store every day and many of them come in looking for gun holsters right after they walked out of a gun shop.   There aren’t very many gun shops that carry all of the holsters and gear that people are demanding.  Many gun shops don’t want to touch clothing or certain accessories because the amount of stuff that you need to know to get a gun put together properly is a lot.  There are so many things you can do to a firearm and it’s best to get an experts advice before making any major changes.  When it comes to concealment options for firearms, think about what you want to do, and then ask questions from someone has been doing it longer than  you.

Recently there has been an uptick in the number of people that are looking get firearms and I guess it’s not all politics, it’s more to do with the economy and people with a bit of foresight.    We are a stocking deal for the Fobus holsters which are for just about all of the major manufacturers.  Glocks work very well with the Fobus paddle holsters and the E2 version is a good improvement over the prevous molded design since there is an ability to adjust the tention as you see fit.  Temperature changes can also affect how your holster handles the gun so think about that before taking a screw driver to the holster.

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Flashlights have gotten more powerful but the prices haven’t gone up!

streamlight TRL flashlightsThere’s good news for anyone that is looking for a good M4 Carbine light or handgun light but wanted something more powerful than the Streamlight TLR1 Flashlights.  Well, guess what?!   The new Streamlight flashlights that are coming out in 2013 are almost 80% brighter than the previous flashlights, same model and same price.  It’s very rare that something like this occurs in this industry, it’s almost like when Magpul came out with the Generation 3 Pmags that were actually a few bucks cheaper than the Generation 2 pmags.   We’ve been monitoring several of our distributors inventory to make sure we are only bringing in the new flashlight models.   Xenon bulbs are a thing of the past and LED is getting better all of the time.

I’ve been going back and forth between my quad rail LWRC M6A2 and trying to decide on a flashlight that didn’t rely on pressure switches.   I like the Streamlight TLR Flashlights but I thought that if  my Protac 2L flashlight was 180 lumens why would I put something like the TLR1S that was 160 lumens on my carbine.   I’ve always felt that 150 lumens was about the lowest I want on a firearm which is why the Surefire Scout 110 lumen flashlight didn’t cut it for me when I picked one up for testing.  I didn’t want to drop $500 on some of the Surefire products so Streamlight Flashlights and products were in play.

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Leather, Kydex, Suede and more gun holster options for Duty Holsters

safariland holstersWe get phone calls from customers  that ask very broad questions and sometimes it’s apparent that people just want to know we’re open and when they can stop buy.   The whole point of having a showroom  here in the town that we have one, was because there are a great many things that people don’t want to buy online.  There are all kinds of parts and accessories that also Police and Security agencies lose or wear out.   Identify badges, leather wallets, key chains, handgun keys and the list goes on.   A few days ago we had mace pouches that we had to fit to various pepper sprays because the fit had to be perfect and not just hold it, it had to hold it correctly so it would be easily secured and deployed.

Handgun and flashlight holders are all different in style and fit.   We’ gone through a long list of accessories and flipped through the Safariland holsters and accessories book that we got when we became a dealer.    The differences between a holster that worked for you and a holster that was kinda working are slight and some safety issues can come about if you don’t go by product codes or get technical support.   Even the differences between a streamlight Strion, Stinger ect can be vest because the bezel or lenses have different dimensions.  Sometimes it’s nice to just be able to go in and ask questions from someoone that knows what they are doing.

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Nylon, Leather and Kydex holsters from Desantis Leather?

Desantis holstersWith so many changes taking place to firearms these days, it’s hard to keep up with all of the gun designs, Desantis Holsters has options for full size, medium size autos and many of the popular .380 CCW guns. The firearm industry has grown so much in regards to concealed carry and holster  makers have had to really stay on top of the demand for .380 caliber pistols.  We are a stocking dealer for Desantis holsters and our most popular Leather gun holsters.   Desantis has a holster for you if you are carrying a small compact firearm like the Ruger LCP or if you are looking for a traditional leather shoulder holster.

The Desantis Scabbard with thumbreak is still a popular holster for Law Enforcement and Under Cover police.   The Speed Scabbard is basically the same holster without the thumbsnap retention.   Desantis inside the waist holsters are also available in Desantis holsters  in different types of material.  Desantis also has ankle holsters and Kydex holsters.   Large frame guns like the Beretta 92 might need a paddle holster and even though we highly recommend Desantis leather products, Kydex does have it’s place in the halls of concealed carry.   The military has moved from nylon holsters to the Blackhawk Serpa so it’s very much about dealing with the environment and what your firearm and preferences are.

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Getting positive reviews from the TruSpec softshell promo

truspec soft shell jacketsLast Fall we ran the Tru-Spec Softshell jacket promo and people were getting them for about $67.00 in comparison to the normal $89.95 price.   One of the problems with selling jackets like this  online is the fit and feel of many of these jackets can vary.   We have guys come in here that love the jackets or clothing we sell but the arm lengths don’t fit them very well or they are too tight in certain areas.   We have sold a ton of the Tru-Spec jackets to local law enforcement here in Pennsylvania.  At this time of the year right now, we are dealing with 35F temperatures during the night and 70F during the day.  Sometimes Cops have to stand outside in temperature variations like this and being over dresses is as bad as being under dressed.

The soft shell jackets have areas on both arms to put the velcro patches on and we are right now working on getting our own Rogue Elite patches.   Later this year we will be stocking and pushing the TruSpec Softshell jackets that are available in Black, Navy, MultiCam and Coyote.   I’d say the Black softshell jackets are the nicest looking ones and they are very tactical looking.   Each of the pockets lots of room for papers, pens, notebooks, flashlights, batons or whatever else you need.  The olive jackets work well in woodland environments and I consider the Multicam to be a bit of a novelty item even though they are almost 2x’s as much money.

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You get what you pay for with ballistic eyewear

Smith Optics Elite Protective SunglassesWe get people coming into our store with all kinds of budget ranges but we really do try and avoid the cheap stuff.   The cheap stuff is usually made in China and we can sometimes make good margins on the products but the returns and the unhappy customers are too common for these products.   There are gun accessories out there that are cheap, break and don’t hold up and there is a reason we stick with Troy and Magpul industries for firearm accessories.  Same goes for flashlights and tactical lights, the lenses and durability of the glass is something that really comes to play when you figure out your budget range.

I have tested out many brands of eyewear and the truth of the matter is much of it is about warranties and personal preferences.   My favorite of the Smith Optics Elite protective sunglasses are the Chamber tacticals.  These seem to fit  my face very well and i don’t feel my eyelashes rubbing against the lenses.   We have guys stop in here embarressed to tell us that their eye lashes are long, but that red eye scratch feeling is something that does happen too often.   There is also a prescription lense option for anyone that needs it but you will have to fill out and RX form and submit it directly to Smith Optics.

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Sometimes you just want what you want!

original swat boots for saleI just got trying out a couple other brands of tactical boots and I wasn’t happy.  I think there are a lot of really nice boot companies out there and there are vast differences in the designs.   We always listen to our customers when they tell us what they are looking for, and usually, if we hear it enough times we end up filling out a dealer application.  Right now we’re checking out various body armor companies and there are a few vest carriers that we are also checking out, but back to footwear.  I’ve said in previous posts that I have foot issues and I know what I want as soon as it’s on my feet and I’ not in pain.  There are certain boots that need break in periods but I have yet to have that type of thing with Original Swat boots.

There are always new boots coming out every year from Original Swat Footwear Company but the Style 1232 are my primarily.   I tend to wear the Original Swat boots for sale that we stock in our store so I can give my own testimony.   The Style 1152 are probable our most popular side zip boot followed by the boots with the air pocket for extra support.   In the 4yrs we’ve been selling these boots only one boot in this style every popped a bubble.   Backed by a factory warranty, these boots are the best boots in the $100 and less price range and we will continue to stock them for the foreseeable future.

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Warranties on gun magazines?

chip mccormick magazines I have had 1911s around for years and the 45acp is probable one of the top 3 calibers that I reload.   There are lots of things you can do with various bullets.  I’ve seen people load bullets in 1911s and they ran like champs, other 1911s had issues with hollow points or semi-wad cutters.   There are always thing you can tweak on a 1911 to make it more modern, and in fact,there are 1911s out there now that really aren’t like the 1911s that the Government had but they are very fun to shoot.   There is something about the balance and grip feel on the 1911 that is so natural unless you have small hands.

I started out with GI magazines for my 1911 and quickly found out how inferior they were.   I have mostly used Wilson Combat Magazines but recently for financial reasons, I guess it was time to test out Chip McCormick magazines and see how well they fared.   We did have an issue with 2 magazines in the last 5 years where the base plates fell off the mags, but Chip McCormick does have a 3 year warranty on their magazines.  I don’t understand any company that wants to stay in the shooting business that doesn’t back their products up with decent warranties.   Based strictly on customer purchases, I don’t see why anyone should consider deviating from the things that work.

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Even 1911 magazines have been hard to find!

Wilson Combat Magazines

Wilson Combat Magazines

We’ve had many customers call us up and ask if their 1911 will run various types of magazines in it.  There are compacts, subcompacts, commanders and government models, and also a great many manufacturers.  Some of the problems people seem to have with 1911s is they change too many parts out and end up with a customer job that needs magazines that just tweaked.   We often tell people to contact Wilson Combat or ask the gun manufacturer to give them feedback on which magazines to get.   There are Wilson Combat 47, 47OXCB, 47D, and now the Elite tactical magazines more commonly known as the ETM mags.

I haven’t had the  urge to switch to the ETM magazines because I have a very good stockpile of the 47D magazines.  The difference between the Wilson combat magazines with the 47 and the 47D are basically the 7rd vs the 8rd.   I think the 1911 45acp with an 8rd magazine is a very potent gun.   There are many things you can do to train to be proficient with the 1911 and doing tactical loads ect. shouldn’t slow you down.   You have to remember that a handgun is basically a replacement for a knife or a sword and if you need more than that, you are better off getting a shotgun or a rifle rather than 33rd Glock magazines.

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Trijicon Products and Pricing and Promos

Trijicon TA01NSN in stockThere are a lot of people out there that have carried the Trijicon product line and were frustrated with the strict MAP pricing and we understand that, but in the days of internet marketing we’ve seen some companies whore off products  just to get customers to buy from them and take business away from ethical companies.   There are some big name business that rank high on the search engines like Yahoo and Google and even Bing, but have really bad reputations and undesirable reputations on Ebay, but some how amazingly, people still put their credit card info in.   Customer service is a big part of getting “repeat” business and we are very happy to see customers that have been ordering things from us for almost 8yrs now.

There are lots of choices with the Trijicon optics, the differences between the ACOGs and the TA44, TA26 optics is huge.    Some of the Trijicon ACOGS like the Trijicon TA01NSN in stock are the older models but they have a more traditional reticle and many people have a problem deviating from that.  I have been won over to the Trijicon  TA31F-G that we consistently stock because after an afternoon range trip, that green chevron was clear as a laser and gave me a clear firing solution for 50yds, 100yds and 200yd ranges without covering my targets.   I have had issues with steel plate shooting at varying distances due to red dots and eotechs covering the targets.  Doesn’t happen with the chevron.

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