Elite Survival Systems gun cases and tactical nylon

There are a billion nylon companies out there that have similar products, from IWB holster, tactical holsters, pocket holster, shoulder holsters ect, but if you could blind fold me, I could tell you I’m holding something from Elite Survival Systems.   The designs of the products, from zippers, to molle, stitching, and just quality, they are superior. I’ve already dared co-workers to test me out and I was always right.   There are plenty of companies that have their GOOD products, but we were fans of Elite Survival Systems before we were even a dealer.  We found out about there products after the CEO of Rogue Elite was looking for a gun case that fit a DSA FAL.  There aren’t many out there.

One of them major edges that they have are the designs on their gun cases.    With all of the firearms that are out there, the versatility of  Elite Survival gun cases like the Cover Operations Gun Case, that is available in different sizes from bullpup, SBR’s and full length 20″ A2 style AR15’s.  The vast majority of their products are MADE IN THE USA in Missouri.   Their pistol cases have outstanding versatility like the Elite Survival 4 Gun Pistol Pack, Scope Pistol Cases and even simple shotgun or long gun cases.  The Elite Survival Range Bags are a little larger than most of the other range bags, but I would have to say that many people tend to buy range bags that they end up out growing, we highly recommend theirs.  With all of the America First talk, check out this American Made product line if you are looking for high quality tactical nylon.

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Tru-Spec Vector Pants a Tru-Competitor Pant

There aren’t many companies that are invested in the competition world like Tru-Spec.  Sure some companies can donate products or sponsor shooters, but not everyone is developing products for them.  It’s not just about comfort, it’s not just about price point, it’s about having pockets in places that are useful and make doing mag changes faster, and make you win.   Some tactical pants can be useful if you if you have large BDU type pockets and use it as a mag dump, but good luck trying to find pants that actually hold AR15 style magazines in the actual pockets.

There are several new pants that came out from Tru-Spec that are very different from there usual product development and the Tru-Spec Vector pants are one of them.   These are definitely an over-kill for CCW or casual, but they are outstanding if you need pants that you can stow handgun and rifle mags in.   We have a Youtube video from Tru-Spec that shows how the product looks, some of it’s design features ect, so check that out while you’re at it.   Instead of having to pick up extra mag pouches, why not pick up Tru-Spec Vector pants and see how much you can carry for $54.95 a pair.

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Gun Cleaning Supplies and useful tools

Many military style firearms made these days are very easy to clean, it goes with the design of the firearm.   Firearms like the M1 Garand and Even M14 have a unique design but are one of the few that are very difficult to clean from the chamber forward, until boresnakes came out.    There are always some variables with the types of  gun cleaning supplies you might need from gun lube, gun grease, cleaning brushes or even the boresnake caliber, but there is still a need to monitor how clean your firearms are, when  you clean them.   Sometimes people just do a quick wipe down, but I recently had a friend purchase an AR15 that was about 15yrs old but in almost perfect condition.   He stopped over and I checked it out, and it was in almost “mint” condition, until I opened up the bolt carrier group and found an extremely corroded hole right on the bottom of the bolt carrier.   There must have been something that got in there an stayed on the firearm while it was in storage.  Something like that would be far more destructive if it was on the bolt head, or even in the hard to see barrel rifling.

Pay attention to what kind of gun lubes you are using at check to make sure that it has corrosion protection.   Many people are experimenting with synthetic oils these days, but many of them do not protect metal.   Slip 2000 is one of our more popular brands we sell and I have learned to wipe  down all of my firearms after handling them because even that rack queen can get messed up if you don’t open it up and check on.  Do an audit of the “quality” of your gun cleaning supplies, are the brushes worn?  Is your boresnake getting frayed and falling apart?   A closet or even a gun safe that does not have good ventilation can have brief periods of moisture build up that can be extremely destructive to tools, firearms and even ammunition.   There are also some variables with calibers and sometimes using a brush that works for 9mm, 357mag, 30 Carbine, 30/30 level action, might miss a few spots inside a barrel.   I have a small light that can be inserted into the barrel, to do barrel inspections from time to time and the longer you own a firearm, the more  you’ll realize you’ve missed a few spots.  Accuracy can be impacted by this.

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Trijicon MRO 2 MOA Red Dot now available with Bobro QD Mount

We’ve been in this industry now for over 12 years and one of the things we’ve learned to do, is not be the first person to buy something.   There are so many products that have come out that end up with a Generation 2 just a few months after its release.  I still don’t know how some companies can do product research, and development, and get it wrong and have to change it, but unfortunately it’s a reality.   Now that we have almost 2 years of sales on the Trijicon MRO we do expect that this AR15 Red Dot will be a staple in the market and it’s clearly here to stay.  Normally Trijicon prices themselves out of many of our Police Departments budget, but  not so much anymore.   I’ve found that 2 MOA is probable the best size dot for a Carbine because the smaller the dot  the more precise it’s capable of being.

In this day and age, quick detach mounts are pretty much the standard,  I have found that sometimes optics fail, or lose zero in the real world, and sometimes you just need to get them off and switch back to irons.   There are not going to be many products that own  the quick-detach combat optic world like Bobro Mounts and proof of that is it took us 7 months to get in the new Trijicon MRO Absolute Co-Witness and the Trijicon MRO Lower 1/3 mounts.  The biggest selling point of the MRO AR15 optic is the field of view.   People pick up a rifle with that red dot and instantly see through.   There are no issues or complaints about eye relief, clarity or battery life. This truely is a unique optic.

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Build your AR15 Complete Upper Receivers in the Winter and take it out in the Spring

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Right now I’m hearing a lot of complaints about how bad the weather is and how many of the ranges are closed down due to bad weather here in Pennsylvania.  The best ranges are further from the major cities and getting to them or even being able to walk them, can be very difficult at this time of year.   Now is usually the time of year that I break out the Dillon 550 press and work on all of my best hand cooked 223 and have plenty of it ready for the rest of the year.   My Dillon 550 press sometimes doesn’t get used more than once a year because it’s best to just do large runs of 5.56 Nato or 223 handloads in batches.  The other thing I usually work on are all of the modifications.   I recently had to refinish and coat some of the firearms I had because I had them out in rainy Winter weather and they all came how covered in rust.   I have a few AR15 complete upper receivers awaiting the finishing of my Spike’s Gen 2 Stripped Billet Upper.

Not all of us have time to always be at the range or building firearms but when the weather is not so good, instead of sitting inside and drinking hot chocolate, or going sledding, schedule a build with a stripped lower receiver or a stripped upper receiver and work on it right now.   There is still a high demand of AR15 Complete Upper Receivers due to some States recently passing laws, but there has been a slight slow down since some panic over the election has subsided.    Right now we are running 3-5 weeks on most Spike’s Tactical Complete Uppers, but for some reason some of the 300 Blackout Uppers are getting made in about 3 weeks.   Adams Arms Complete Upper Receivers are coming back in Stock in about 4-6 weeks.    It all depends on the models and popularity.

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Avoid damaging firearms in transport, Bulldog Gun Cases

I recently got back from a range trip and actually had the chance to teach  gun cleaning to two novice shooters.   I told them if they wanted to go to the range with me and learn how to shoot, they also had to learn how to take the guns apart and clean them.   Part of the reason I wanted to do this is so they understand how the gun comes apart, and how the various parts work, and to be able to diagnose problems when they happen.   We actually had a Ruger 10/22 blow an extractor and I showed them exactly where it was on the gun on how it goes into the gun and it’s functionality.   Some firearms need screwdrivers to be taken apart, others need a punch, and some are really easy to break down.   We were transporting several level action and bolt action rifles in Bulldog Gun Cases on range day.

One of the other things I noticed were all the scratches and scrapes that were on the firearms.  Considering that many of the firearms they were shooting today were pushing close to 20yrs old.   Some of them were still in excellent condition on the outside. The guns that are scratched up the most were the hunting rifles that use to be transported in a trunk with a gun sock.   I distinctly remember the time I switched from gun socks to Bulldog Gun Cases like the pistol rugs and the Bulldog Economy Single Rifle Cases.  Those gun cases are all under $15 but really do far more to protect firearms in transport than gun socks.   The chamber and the bolt head are the first places I look to see how old a firearms is, or how much wear it has, but the exterior parts of a firearm tend to look the way the owner treats them.   There comes a time when it is time to refinish a stock or replace it, but many scratches and dents happen while firearms are being moved around in gun safes, car transport or range tables.   It’s an easy thing to prevent of you put them it the proper case.

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Concealed Carry Vest Options if you wore Eotac Vests or Woolrich Elite Vests, now what? Rothco Vests

We have always had a very strong presence in the competition shooting sports, primarily because an enormous number of people that shoot IDPA, 3 Gun ect. wore the extremely popular Woolrich Elite 4424 Light Weight Tactical Vest, and we are proud to have attended and watched people use them at the IDPA Nationals that were hosted 2 times here in Pennsylvania several years ago.   There are plenty of vests out there that you can wear on the range, but can you wear it on the range and wear it with your EDC?   5.11 Tactical has always had several options, but some of their vests are too tactical or they design them and discontinue them before you can get around to getting one.   Tru-Spec had 2 vests and discontinued both of them and were not seeing a new one yet, even though we heard rumors they were working on one.  We’ve recently picked up the Rothco Vests and the majority of the Rothco product line because it really seems to have grown in the concealed carry market which, compared to many other tactical clothing lines, they don’t do CCW very well.

I can speak for the long term quality control of the entire product line, but seeing that Rothco has well over 100,000 Facebook likers, they have a lot of people where their stuff.   It still amazes the number of Rudy Project Competitors that were still wearing the Woolrich Elite 4424 and Eotac 102 Vests were have long ceased to exist, but in 2017 we really only can suggest people consider the 5.11 Tactical or Rothco Vests for competition sports or Concealed Carry.  There is always going to be issues and complaints about the material that is used, in hot weather, people want 100% cotton ripstop, but good luck trying to find a manufacturer for that, the majority of them are going to be 65/35 Polyester Cotton Ripstop or the Rothco 60% Cotton 40% Polyester.   The stiffer material sweeps better but it doesn’t breath as well as the all cotton.

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Sig Factory Magazines and Single and Double Stock 45acp Guns

Sig Factory MagazinesThere seems to be a limited number of 45acp firearms that compete in the arena.  I guess it’s because NATO pretty much went with 9mm and nobody but American’s used that 45acp round.  The 1911 is always going to be around for competition shooters and 1911 enthusiasts, but once you get away from the 1911, there are only a handful of 45acp guns that even come close to the longevity and recognition.   Recently, Sig Sauer has come out with the Sig P227 to try and make that 45acp round more relevant and they based it off of the P226 design.  Sig is making Sig Factory Magazines that are 14rds for the Sig P227 so it really does compete about the Glock 21, but it’s still Apples to Oranges to me.

The Sig P227 seems to have gained some notoriety here in Pennsylvania with the PA State Police, but there seems to have been some slight design issues with the first run.  The roll pins on the slide had to be redesigned and there are some complaints about the trigger reset, but if you want a 45acp double stock, Its Glock 21, Sig P227 and H&K that are all in competition.  The Sig P220 is the only other gun I think I still here about, but that doesn’t have the capacity to really be compared to something like the Glock 21.  I don’t know, there’s something imbalanced about double stock 45acp and the guns seem too heavy to me, I would never deviate from Sig Factory Magazines even though there are mags out there that are high capacity, but  I’m still a fan of single stock  for the Sig P220 and the 1911 models.  It’s more about balance than firepower.  After all, isn’t a handgun something you use to fight your way back to your rifle?

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New Tru-Spec Pants that keep your shirt tucked in!

Years ago I remember people complaining how SHOT Show was saturated with tactical clothing.  I’d have to say that I don’t think that’s the case anymore.   Several years ago 5.11 Tactical raised the prices of their clothing by 25% and I can’t count the times I’ve heard people say that 5.11 is getting too expensive. Vertx use to be popular with military contractors but there aren’t as many people deployed and we don’t get asked to carry them like we use to. I think you can pretty much say that the sweet spot for most people’s spending budget is around $50 or less, for a pair of pants, and that’s where the majority of the Tru-Spec Pants are priced at.  Even though 5.11 still has some very well made and designed products, its far above what we see the average Police Officer willing to spend.

If you haven’t been paying attention to what President Trump has been saying about China and foreign manufacturing vs Made in the USA,  you had to raise your prices when cotton shot up over 200% at one point and some Countries have a monopoly on manufacturing of clothing. We saw several companies get out of the business in the last 5yrs because the military cut backs had huge impacts on how many people were wearing this stuff.    Tru-Spec owns their own factory and I’ve never seen sticker shock with any of their products.

We picked up the Tru-Spec line several years ago, and in our neck of the woods, they didn’t have the name recognition that Propper, 5.11 or even Rothco.   All you have to do is check around Facebook and see how many “Likes” a company has to know how many people are wearing it or know about it.  When we first picked up Tru-Spec they had several products that we tested out that gave us something at a better price point than 5.11,  even though the product line was not as diverse as 5.11  or the now defunct Woolrich Elite Series.

If you do a quick check over at Tru-Spec’s Facebook page you can see how highly invested they are in competition sports and coming out with New products.  The pace seems to have picked up in the last 2yrs and and recently there have been several new Tru-Spec Pants that we are going to bring on to inventory because we think it’s going to gain traction.  Tru-Spec Vector Pants and the Tru-Spec Delta pants they kind of took a hint from the popular Blackhawk Tactical Pants that were extremely popular years ago, but like many companies, Blackhawk got out of the business (they seem to want to get back in, in 2017 though).   The New Vector-Poly/Cotton, and Delta-All Cotton with spandex pants, have a silicone liner that keep your shirt tucked in and with Winter being in full swing, it’s nice to put an end to that feeling of having cold air sneak up your back because your shirt is coming out.  That’s a major selling point for people that actually work in this stuff.  I’m also glad they came out with something else besides another Poly/Cotton pant.

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Trijicon HD Sights indoors and outdoors

Many of the firearm manufacturers have caught on and are now making firearms with Trijicon High Definition Sights or Trijicon HD Sights directly from the factory.   One of the reasons buying firearms off of websites like Gunbroker.com and other places is you can do the least amount of gunsmithing and pick out something you want.   Sights and triggers and often grips are changed and it can add up to being a giant waste of money to have to take things off of a stock firearm to get it the way you want.  Trijicon products are all built around their famous Tritium and fiber optics for rifle scope and Night Sights.   There really isn’t a lot of competition out there and for robust and easy to replace sights, these are our number one “switch out” sights for handguns.

One of the main selling points of these sights is they do extremely well as night sights, but for outdoor shooting, the fiber optic is built into the front sight and glows extremely bright.  Trijicon HD Sights are purchased by Special Operations units, Law Enforcement and your every day CCW holder.   They are available in various patterns, front Yellow, Front Orange, and green dot rear sights.  Trijicon also has them in Novak configurations for 1911s and for those of you that might have picked up a Sig P320, the Trijicon Sights for Sig Sauer Pistols are the same as the P225, P226, P228, P239, and P320 (Excluding P938).

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