5.11 bags

Lots of people have been calling about the improved version of the 5.11 Rush 72 backpacks.   There apparently was an improvement to the design that you can view for yourself on Youtube.  Youtube really is a great source of information about products.  I’ve seen some really good reviews from people that just like doing it and great manufacturer rep info.

In the last few years I have purchased a few firearms and instead of looking up the assemble and disassemble specs, I just looked it up on Youtube.   You have to be careful what you see there because it’s not all true, but the 5.11 bags like the Rush 72 Backpacks seem to be getting a lot of noise.  We’ve sold many of them in recent days and I’ll wait for customer response about how much they like them.

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Glock 17 still running strong

There have  been many firearms that took a big chunk of the Glock sales away from Law enforcement but not everyone that tried to replace glocks were happy.  We watch the number of guns that end up being recalled about a year after getting into service.  First it was the XD models then it was a few others.  The reality of firearms is even though they are tested out and may work, things happen out in the field that are hard to predict and when something fails too much, it’s time to fix the problem or else someone else will pick up on it.  Glock seems to have shot themselves in the foot with the Glock Perfection and then coming out with a Gen 4 that made them look like jackasses.

We know that not everyone likes the grip angle of Glocks, but if you want something that is going to run in adverse environments, needs lower maintenance than many others, you aren’t going to beat a Glock.   The other thing to think about is the availability of parts and magazines and Glock magazines are not going to be hard to find.  You can find them  used at gunshows or online auctions and it takes very little effort to replace magazine followers or magazine springs.  The caliber interchangeability of Glock firearms also makes it worth owning more than one.

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Bushmaster response to magpul pmags

I have a bushmaster XM15E2 that was my first AR15 that I purchased almost 10yrs ago.  I got it just to fit in with the crowd of people that were harping on me for owning a Mini 14.  I still love my Mini 14s and I’ve gotten far more out of them than most people get.   I’ve done plenty of reloading tests with the gun and gotten MOA with several of them.  The 62SCBT round seems to be the best all around bullet for  my Mini 14s and I usually get close to 2 MOA with a cool barrel.   The 1-9 twist is probable the most common twist rate for .223 guns.

The thing that made me move on from the Mini 14 were the amount of stories coming from serious trainers and shooters that said they “never saw one make it through a class”.   That meant something and I picked up the Bushmaster XM15E2 and some magpul pmags along with several USGI 30rd magazines.   I have seen a lot of malfunctions on firing ranges with the GI magazines.  I guess because they were so cheap but going from Mini 14 PMI magazines to USGI magazines just didn’t make sense.   The Magpul Pmags pretty much resolved the flimsy USGI magazines durability issues.

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Another thing people find hard to shop for online

The thing that made us decide on moving our business from just being an e- commerce business was the demand for something local.  So many people think that Amazon and Ebay have done away with the brick and mortar stores, but this is actually not true.  We’re very much in the understanding that many people prefer to get something from a local business but most people go where they get something for the best price.  There is a battle brewing over internet sales taxes and while many companies have escaped sales tax, the chickens have come home to roost on this one.

We probable have about a 5% return or exchange rate on our clothing but we probable have a considerable percentage of people that never buy from us because they are afraid of getting their sizes wrong.  Recently we had guys order insight flashlights online and only found out after we shipped the product that we were less than 30 minutes from them.   After he realized the light was not what he wanted  he drove back and wanted the Streamlight flashlights instead.  Just being able to hold something in their hands, whether it’s a light or a pair of boots, being able to try it out first is a big deal.

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It’s not all about goggles and glasses

There are many options that are not as bulky as your typical tactical or ballistic goggles.   Some of the ballistic eyewear product lines aren’t that different from each other, other than what part of the Country the person making the purchases gives his or her approval for.   We have people walk in here all the time that are looking for cheap shooting glasses and we have some of those on the wall for $10.  When it comes to serious shooting, though, you want to keep your glasses in a case so they don’t get messed up sooner than they are suppose to.   All gear and accessories will wear out, but the Smith Optics Elite division has a warranty service that will repair your eyewear if you get it scratched or damaged except for the frame.

Right now the biggest rave amongst our eyewear are the boogie regulators.  Everytime we bring up these  Smith Optics Elite eyewear  we hear a wise crack about the boogie, but these fast on and off goggles are getting out amongst our local bike patrols and motorcycle cops.   I’ve tested them out myself and I’m still not sure if I like them more than my Aegis eye shields.  I very much like the newer Aegis eyeshields because the fit is a little tighter even without the head strap.

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Best deals on tactical footwear

We have been running a really good promo on some of the closeouts on the Original Swat footwear.   We were at the Atlantic City Police and Security Expo and got to showcase the new chase low 1312 boots and the new version of the tactical sneakers the Chase Low 1310 which replaced the previous style the 1230 footwear.   There is a considerable difference in the feel between the Style 1230 and the Style 1310.  According to what I read was the company thought they could do a better job and it’s pretty obvious they did.   The sole of the shoe is lighter and seems to flex better and doesn’t feel as flat footed.

The Chase Low 1312 is the lightest tactical boot in our inventory and we’ll see what our customer feedback is about the design.  What we’re hearing from the company Original Swat boots is that this boot along the rest of the Chase low series are the new Athletic line of footwear.   It is always possible to lighten something and we know this from what has been the trend with the AR15.  The  one thing we will want to see is if this boot as as solid as the rest of the Original Swat footwear line.

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Short sleeve ccw options, check out Woolrich Elite

When summer rolls around it’s usually time to put the full size auto away and switch over to your compacts and smaller frame guns.  The Hawaiian shirt thing doesn’t work for skinny guys and I’m sure we’ve all seen the movies where the undercover narcotics officers are wearing them.  The bad guys know you have a gun tucked in there and they probable won’t be surprised to see the muscular and fit guy with the shirt and sunglasses is a narcotics officer. After that, if you don’t wear an untucked t-shirt you’re probable going to end up having to pocket carry.

Everyone of the tactical clothing companies has it’s pros and cons and some of the fit and designs are really just personal tastes.   The one company we’ve been very impressed with when it comes to CCW shirts are the Woolrich Elite CCW Shirts especially the short sleeve ones for this time of year.   I personally have been very happy with my ability to pocket carry a j-frame, tuck a shirt in and still be able to pack a Streamlight tactical flashlight and my gerber pocket knife all in my ccw shirt.   I’ve seen a few of the Blackhawk and 5.11 attempts at making tactical shirts but they just didn’t work for me.

 

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Glocks the unshethed knife

I remember when Glocks started showing up in Law Enforcement agencies and people were claiming that they were more dangerous than previous firearms that were issued.  Supposedly they were sold as not having a safety and from what I saw, yes, I actually did see more accidents over a course of a year when they first were issued.  Now that Glock pistols have decades long experience you can’t argue with something that obviously works and work well.  The military issued sidearm the Beretta 92 or M9 as it is called defanitely is not  up to what the Glock can do and by watching what military contractors are using.

The Glock trigger safety really should not be called a safety because it does not work like a traditional safety at all.   It is more of an accidental discharge prevention safety but a top selling Safariland holsters with the ALS system are the reason we refer to the Glock as an unsheethed knife.   If a Glock is put in a retention holster it is like sword that has been sheethed.  There are always trade offs with firearms but it truely is an out of the box point and shoot sidearm.  Love them or hate them, they work, and work well

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Wearing out firearm is normal

People in this community are always looking for something that doesn’t break or wear out or is tougher than all of the others.   When we move away from the weekend warriors with their $2000 AR15 that they keep clean and probable wash and wax in their driveway in a bathing suit.  Guys that put serious time in on the range will be the best ones to tell you how well things hold up and which parts or guns are better than others.  There has been much discussion about this issue between direct impingement and gas piston AR15s and how much wear the bolt carrier groups  have and there are differences.

I remember seeing Eric Clapton with his worn out guitars and wondering why he would use something so beat up, Eric Clapton knew that if you played guitar long enough things would wear out but the instrument did the job.   When you buy your Glock pistol and the Glock Factory barrels wear out, you should view that as an achievement  and not something to be critical about for your firearm.   Some guns absolutely do not last as long as others, but the life span of gun does vary.   Some AR15 designs only lasted about 7000 rds while others now are 4x’s these days.

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Over thinking concealment holsters

We’ve had a few people stop in and ask us if they can try out some of our holsters and we don’t mind that at all.  Many times people spend too much trying to get a product to adapt to them when they really need to think about adapting to it.  There is nothing wrong about customizing accessories and gear to you, but sometimes people spend too much time thinking about.  Take for instance a grip accessory on a firearm like an AR15, if you don’t like the position, you just unscrew it and move it. If you can’t figure out if it fits your hand, then you’re overthinking it, we see that all the time.

When people make the decision to carry a firearm, they are taking on many responsibilities unless you want to carry the smallest firearm possible expect a level of discomfort.  When people need a quick and easy decision about a gun holster we point them towards Fobus holsters unless they are looking for an inside the waistband option.   Fobus paddle  holsters are easy on, off holsters and great for full size or duty guns.   A good companion to any gun holster is  a good belt like the Blackhawk Pistol Belts or the Wilderness instructor belts.

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