World of Firepower - September October 2018

ZOMBIE BULLETS? GRADES OF AMMO EXAMINED & EXPLAINED

12 DISCREET GUN TOTES

VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 5

DURABLE COLOR DIY POLYMER COMPONENT DYEING

DIAL 911 SPRINGFIELD ARMORY’S NEW MUSTANG-FRAME CARRY PIECE

BORN OF TRAGEDY THE STORY BEHIND TEAM WENDY’S TACTICAL HELMETS

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COVER STORY 22 star player Evaluating the Mossberg MVP Precision Rifle on the range and at distance

FEATURES 14 Durable Color How to dye polymer components yourself at home

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34 Of Blasting, Social and Zombie Bullets Breaking of the various grades of ammo— what, where and why

46 Right Under Their Noses Adapted gun bags—discreet methods of transporting your firearms

56 1911 Lite Springfield Armory 911: A new mustang in the corral

66 TBAC 556 Take Down The perfect solution for firing an SBR suppressed

76 Inspired by Tragedy

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90 Deep Cover

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The Desert Tech SRS-A1 is a different spin on the sniper’s tool

102 Out of the Dark A crash-course primer on cost-effective night vision

DEPARTMENTS

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The story behind Team Wendy—and what drives the company forward

06 08 10 12 112 114

First Words Uncovered Reload Dual Blades Pocket Dump Five

ON THE COVER Subject: Mossberg MVP Precision Rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor Photography: Richard Schutz | Designer: Nadezda Sverdlova

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the golden age We think you’ll agree that we, as firearms enthusiasts, are fortunate to be living in the world today. Never before in history have the industry, the sport and the lifestyle been in such a vibrant state—we’d even go so far as to call it a Golden Age of Shooting. There are more types of firearms to consume than ever before. More calibers to send downrange—.30-06 to .308 to 6.5 Creedmoor, .223 to 5.56 to .224 Valkyrie, .44 Magnum to .454 Casull to .500 S&W. So many bullets, so little time.

Likewise with customization. AR-15 enthusiasts, for example, have literally dozens and dozens (and dozens) of manufacturers—nevermind components makers and suppliers— to choose from, whether buying one off the shelf or building their own. It’s the ultimate game of mix and match and there’s so much on offer, it almost seems like a daunting task when you set out to put one together… if only for the variety involved.

Custom coatings have also taken off in recent years, and a quick trip through Instagram will reveal just how creative people are getting with their guns. Classic finishes like battlefield or wooded camo are as prevalent as ever, but when in history have you ever seen a Star Wars-inspired AK-47, Captain America-themed Kriss Vector or Hello Kitty Remington 870?

It is in this spirit of enthusiasm and customization that World of Firepower aims to serve the shooting community, and we’re thrilled you are along for the ride. That said, we’ve got another full issue for your consumption, starting with our cover subject. It may raise a few eyebrows to know that O.F. Mossberg & Sons is in the precision-shooting game, known as the company is for the pistol-grip, pump-action street sweepers like the 500 JIC. Many seem not to know that the company produces rifles as well, and has been

doing it almost since its inception in the early 20th century. The Mossberg MVP Precision Rifle is a shining example of Mossberg’s all-around long gun engineering prowess, and we take it for a spin at the range.

We also take a look at the super-compact Springfield Armory 911, a new pistol based on the diminutive Mustang frame and one that packs all the features of more expensive offerings from other manufacturers into a discreet, accurate, ergonomically sound platform. Then there’s the Desert Tech SRS-A1 Covert, a surprising spin on the sniper’s tool. It’s a bullpup design built to strike a balance between maximum performance and maximum concealability.

Toward the magazine’s middle you’ll find a gun bag buyer’s guide—but this guide doesn’t concern traditional firearms totes exclusively. While there are a couple purpose-built gun bags included, we take a look at adapting other methods of transport and concealment, from hockey and baseball bags to keyboard and guitar cases more commonly used by traveling minstrels. What works best for your application?

On the customization front, this issue’s DIY article shows you how to infuse polymer components with color using the age-old method of stock dyeing. It’s a great way to give these pieces a custom look that will not wear off regardless of how much you use or abuse them. Elsewhere, our resident bullet expert breaks down the various grades of ammunition and the ins and outs, uses and advantages of each.

In closing, we want to thank you again for picking up this issue of World of Firepower, and we hope you find it as informative and engaging to read as we found it putting the content together. Safe shooting, happy hunting, and all the best.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER EDITORIAL Jason Mulroney John Scott Kelly Nomura Karl Funke DESIGN Katia Sverdlova Louis Atherden

2018

VOLUME 6 • ISSUE 5

Editor Technical Editor Executive Managing Editor Managing Editor

Design Director Art Director

CONTRIBUTORS 5.11 Tactical, Danny Chang, Steve Coulston, Don Edwards, Jordan Hunter, Tim Kennedy, Ellis Lehner, Mike Penhall, Mike Searson, OC Armory, John Scott, John Teator, Chris Tran, TracerX ADVERTISING Gabe Frimmel (714) 200-1930 Casey Clifford (714) 200-1982 Mark Pack (714) 200-1939 John Bartulin (866) 866-5146 ext. 2746 Spencer Redmond (919) 771-8919 Eric Gomez OPERATIONS Devender Hasija Shailesh Khandelwal Melinda Magde Alex Mendoza Victoria Van Vlear

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EDITORIAL, PRODUCTION & SALES OFFICE 17890 Sky Park Circle, Suite 250, Irvine, CA 92614 (714) 939-9991 • Fax: (800) 249-7761 www.facebook.com/worldoffirepower www.facebook.com/eembybeckett WORLD OF FIREPOWER (ISSN 2332-0281) is published bimonthly six times per year (January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, November/December) by Engaged Media Inc., LLC, 17890 Sky Park Circle, Suite 250, Irvine, CA 92614.

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This magazine is purchased by the buyer with the understanding that information presented is from various sources from which there can be no warranty or responsibility by Engaged Media Inc., as to the legality, completeness or technical accuracy.

THIS IS MY P320 — World Champion Competitive Shooter MODEL

SIZE

GRIP

CALIBER

P320 X-FIVE

Full

X-SERIES

9mm

#myp320

www.sigsauer.com

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UNCOVERED 02.

Nightforce ATACR 7-35x56 F1 Riflescope nightforceoptics.com $3,600

01.

Mossberg MVP Precision in 6.5 Creedmoor mossberg.com $1,407

04.

03.

Luth-AR MBA 3 Adjustable Buttstock luth-ar.com $159.95

Caldwell/ Battenfeld Technologies XLA Bipod btibrands.com $44.99

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 2018

05.

Blackhawk! Stingray 2-Day Pack (black) blackhawk.com $149.95

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SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 2018

01. STRIKE INDUSTRIES/ GUNPOWDER SOAP

04. SIGHTMARK/ MINI SHOT M-SPEC F

Strike Industries takes on personal hygiene with its newly released Gunpowder Soap.

Benefitting from its non-toxic, plant-based saponification agents, shooters can now utilize SI’s Gunpowder Soap to wash away noxious, position-flagging body odor while maintaining silky-smooth, moisturized skin. The soap comes in a tactical-friendly black color and is enhanced with a pleasantly clean aroma.

Designed with law enforcement officers and other duty professionals in mind, the compact Mini Shot M-Spec Reflex Sight is also perfect for competition shooting and hunting uses on shotguns, pistols and ARs. It includes a low-profile mount for shotguns and pistols and a riser mount for AR platforms. It’s 100% waterproof and features a durable aluminum housing with a steel protective shield.

MSRP: $5 URL: STRIKEINDUSTRIES.COM

MSRP: $240 URL: SIGHTMARK.COM

02. KERSHAW/DEADLINE The Deadline’s blade and handle feature an eye-catching, two-toned finish made up of a titanium carbo-nitride coating in the grinds and hollows and a satin finish on the flats.

The 8Cr13MoV blade features a modified Wharncliffe profile with a top swedge and the handles are made of two-tone-finished steel with cold-forged handle texture. For assured safety, a strong frame lock secures the blade open during use.

MSRP: $50 URL: KERSHAW.KAIUSALTD.COM

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05. BOBRO ENGINEERING/ LAB-X RING SYSTEM Available in 30mm and 34mm sizes, the LAB-X Fixed Ring System was created for precision shooting applications. Constructed of tough 7075-T6 aluminum, these rings use a labyrinth interlocking system for a precise, secure hold.

Shown here are the 34mm Low rings, whose height measures from the top of a 1913 Rail to center of optic at 0.880 inches.

MSRP: $140 URL: BOBROENGINEERING.COM

03. HORNADY/ CRITICAL DEFENSE LITE

06. STERN DEFENSE/ MAG-AD9

Yes, that is a pink-colored hollow point that you’re seeing. Hornady’s Critical Defense Lite line of ammunition offers an effective, reduced-recoil option for any shooter looking to minimize felt recoil in his or her lightweight, compact personal protection firearm. The pink color is a reminder that a portion of the proceeds from the sale of Critical Defense Lite ammunition is donated to help fund breast cancer research. Available in various calibers.

Stern Defense’s MAG-AD9 allows you to convert your standard MIL-SPEC AR-15 lower assembly to use 9mm and .40 S&W Glock magazines. The Mag-AD series adapters easily install in AR lowers in seconds. Unlike some other adapters, the Mag-AD9 features a desirable last round hold-open feature. These adapters are made of lightweight aircraft grade aluminum and feature an ergonomic mag release design.

MSRP: VARIES URL: HORNADY.COM

MSRP: $180 URL: GETSTERN.COM

07. SALOMON/ SOFT FLASK 500ML Salomon’s Soft Flask 500ml is a flexible flask that compresses as you drink to eliminate its contents from sloshing around inside. The compression also reduces sucking effort for easier thirst-quenching flow. The BPA-free flask features a Blaster valve that won’t leak until you bite it. After the fluid is depleted, the flask can be rolled up and stored in your pocket or pack, taking up very little space.

MSRP: $16 URL: SALOMON.COM

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D

BL L

CLOSED LENGTH 4.25 INCHES Blade Finish STONEWASHED BLADE LENGTH 3 INCHES

blade CONSTRUCTION 420HC STEEL

Kershaw Dividend Kershaw’s Dividend is reportedly the direct result of the success of the company’s acclaimed Link model.

Like the Link, it is 100% made in the USA at Kershaw’s Tualatin, Oregon, facility. It is designed to be a slimmer, sleeker pocket carry versus its forebear—not too big, not too small. The elegant drop-point blade measures 3 inches yet ofers enough “belly” to be an efficient slicer. Incorporating Kershaw’s signature SpeedSafe assisted opening and integrated flipper, it’s designed to be supremely easy to deploy, even (especially) one-handed. The glass-filled nylon handle curves backward to fit easily in the hand. Pre-drilled holes in the handle and a left/right reversible clip make the Dividend a versatile carry, allowing the user to change the tip position or carry side with ease. A decorative molded backspacer help make this knife as attractive as it is useful.

Lock Type LINER LOCK

Clip LEFT/RIGHT REVERSIBLE

overall weight 2.6 OUNCES

KERSHAW.KAIUSALTD.COM

$60 handle material GLASS-FILLED NYLON

overall length 7.25 INCHES

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 2018

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blade length 3 INCHES

overall length 7.2 INCHES

blade construction S30V STAINLESS STEEL blade finish STONEWASHED

Gerber S-Assist-S30V lock type PLUNGE LOCK WITH CROSS-BOLT SAFETY

handle material GLASS-FILLED NYLON

According to its manufacturer, the US-Assist S30V ofers Gerber’s “smoothest, most consistent deployment to date.”

Its design incorporates the company’s trademarked B.O.S.S. Tech—Balls of Stainless Steel—featuring a unique ball-bearing system intended to reduce operational friction. An equally innovative “cage” system is designed to keep said bearings in battery for stable, consistent performance for years to come.

Blade construction is of CMP S30V stainless steel with a stonewash finish, and features integrated studs on either side to assist with thumb-only opening. The handle is glassfilled nylon endowed with etched scales for supreme grip and ergonomically contoured for comfort. Like all Gerber knives, the USAssist-S30V is made exclusively in the USA at Gerber’s Portland, Oregon, headquarters.

GERBERGEAR.COM

CLIP REMOVABLE

$104

overall weight 3.9 OUNCES

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SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 2018

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uns used to come in only a few hues. Blued, black, any tone of metal and sometimes a sprinkling of wood. Nowadays it isn’t uncommon to spot firearms in every color, shade or pattern. Guns and accessories are now routinely coated or painted in everything from a military-inspired camouflage to bright pink.

DIY Dyeing Polymer T EXT & P HOTOS BY J OHN T EATOR

If you’re working with polymer, painting and other types of coatings are not your only option. Using traditional fabric dyes to change your item’s color can help you yield a durable and eye-catching color option for your polymer parts. Unlike paint, which can scratch, dye

Durable Color Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for general knowledge only. Further research is recommended if you decide to attempt this DIY. Proceed at your own risk!

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« What’s Needed

step by step

• Stove • Pan • Fabric Dye (Liquid or Powder) • Salt • Tongs • Tape • Knife • Water • Item to Dye

“Because polymers vary so much between manufacturers, the results are hard to predict.”

Step 1 As with paint, there are many patterns you can accomplish when dyeing polymer. In order to get a camouflaged look on this Magpul PMAG, we took a sheet of adhesive vinyl, the same typeyou see sign shops use on vinyl banners, sliced it up with a hobby knife, and applied it to the PMAG. If you do want to apply a pattern to your item, be sure that the edges of the sticker adhere to the surface very well to prevent bleeding. (You’ll notice in the pictures that we switch to masking tape during the course of photographing this DIY. We didn’t realize that the vinyl tape we initially used was old so it didn’t stick well under water, so we switched to paper masking tape. The tape worked adequately but we still highly recommend using vinyl if possible.)

actually seeps deep into the polymer material itself, making it much more durable than easily-marred painted surfaces. It’s arguable that dye is more durable than other baked-on coatings because it’s not really a coating. The color becomes a part of the material itself.

So how does one go about dyeing one’s polymer parts? It’s not a complicated process but it does take some trial and error to get right. We’ll take it step by step and show you what we did right—and even what we did wrong—along the way, so you can avoid making the same mistakes we did.

Step 2 We wanted our dye mixture to be potent, so we poured in about one third of the bottle of dye into a boiling pan of water. The amount of dye required for your application will vary. We added a few dashes of salt to the mixture as well. Adding salt is said to give smoother, non-streaking dyeing results.

© 2018 O.F. Mossberg & Sons

GO A FEW MORE ROUNDS WITH THE CHAMP. 5,10,15 & 20-ROUND ACCESSORY MAGS CHAMPION-LEVEL PERFORMANCE — ROUND AFTER ROUND. Mag-fed 590M shotguns from Mossberg utilize the world’s only detachable double-stack shotgun magazines. As America’s oldest family-owned and operated firearms manufacturer, we’ve been building dependable, hardworking shotguns and rifles since 1919. American built. American strong.

ARM YOURSELF WITH MOSSBERG.

590M MAG-FED SHOTGUN DETACHABLE, DOUBLE-STACK 10-ROUND MAGAZINE

M O S S B E R G . C O M / AR M YOURSEL F

ARM YOURSELF WITH SAFETY

Store firearms securely, inaccessible to children and unauthorized users.

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“Unlike paint, which can scratch, dye actually seeps deep into the polymer material itself, making it much more durable than easilymarred painted surfaces.”

step by step

Step 3 After allowing the mixture to boil for a couple of minutes, we turned down the heat so the boiling water slowed down to a good simmer. Using tongs, we then carefully dipped the magazine into the dye mixture to avoid splashing. We then bobbed the magazine in and out of the mixture over a couple of minutes.

There are a few simple things to remember about dyeing that you should know before you begin. First of all, it’s dye—it will add color to anything it splashes on or touches. Make sure you protect your workspace from drips and splatter. Second, make sure that the container you use can fit the item you are dyeing entirely, as it will need to be totally submerged in the dye mixture.

Basically what we’re doing is we are submerging the item to be dyed in a simmering mixture of water, dye and a dash of salt. The idea is to allow the heat from the dye mixture to soften up the surface of the item so the polymer absorbs the color from the dye. You want the heat to be high enough to “open up the polymer’s pores,” so to speak, but not hot enough that the polymer becomes damaged or starts to melt.

Step 4 Over time you’ll notice your item start to change color. The longer it’s in the mixture, the darker it will become.

When it is the tone that you want, take the part out and rinse it in clean water. This is the magazine with the masking tape removed. As you can see, the dye bled underneath the tape a bit, which is why we recommend good waterproof vinyl tape.

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This is where trial and error will come into play. Feel free to use spare pieces of plastic or polymer to practice on first.

Because polymers vary so much from manufacturer to manufacturer, the results are hard to predict. Sometimes a lower heat for longer time will yield the best results, while other times a quick dip is all the item needs. Be prepared for a bit of experimentation and please note that all the times we note in our step-by-step process are for guidance only.

step by step

Need to Try Again?

If you do make a mistake, thankfully in most cases all is not lost. A mixture of hot water and bleach can help you reverse some of the dye’s effect on polymer. Submerge the item in a water and bleach mixture and let it simmer for a few minutes. As with dyeing, monitor the process to avoid damaging the part. Also remember that this bleach mixture can be quite toxic, so do take precautions to protect yourself and any bystanders from breathing in any fumes or accidentally touching the mixture.

A Light Colored Base

Step 5 Before dyeing it the next color, we reapplied more masking tape to help create a more interesting camouflage efect. Again, be sure that all the edges are sealed well to avoid unsightly bleeds.

Step 6 We changed out the dye mixture to a charcoal color and repeated the process from Step 2 of this guide. We dipped the PMAG in and out of the charcoal dye mixture until we saw the tone that we were looking to get.

This Magpul MOE Grip started out in Flat Dark Earth. Some red dye was used to turn it into the shade that you see here.

Remember that the item you are dyeing needs to come in a lighter color than the color you intend on dyeing it, and that the item’s base color will afect the tone of how the dye looks. So if you want a more vibrant color, don’t bother trying to dye anything that started out as black. Lighter colors such as FDE, Foliage, Tan and Sand take on color well.

complete Because we layered masking tape during the dyeing process, we were able to achieve a camouflage pattern.

This is something easily repeatable with practice. Again, feel free to use scraps of polymer or plastic to get your technique down before trying it on more expensive firearms parts and accessories.

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star player

evaluating the mossberg mvp precision rifle at distance T E X T & P H OTOS BY RIC HARD SCHU TZ

«

sources O.F. MOSSBERG & SONS, INC. MOSSBERG.COM LUTH-AR LUTH-AR.COM MAGPUL MAGPUL.COM NIGHTFORCE OPTICS NIGHTFORCEOPTICS.COM

BLACKHAWK! BLACKHAWK.COM CALDWELL/BATTENFELD TECHNOLOGIES BTIBRANDS.COM FENIX FENIX-STORE.COM SOUTHERN GRIND SOUTHERNGRIND.COM LABRADAR MYLABRADAR.COM FEDERAL PREMIUM FEDERALPREMIUM.COM HORNADY HORNADY.COM SIGSAUER SIGSAUER.COM WINCHESTER WINCHESTER.COM

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In 1919 founder Oscar Mossberg and his sons Iver and Harold introduced the firm’s first firearm, the Brownie, a .22 caliber, four-shot pocket pistol that sold for $6.

The Brownie was followed by a series of shotguns and bolt-action rifles. It wasn’t until 1962 that the popular 500 model pump shotgun was introduced. Many innovations in shotguns and rifles followed the 500.

Mossberg now manufacturers rimfire rifles, centerfire rifles, Modern Sporting Rifles and many types of shotguns.

et’s face it, when we hear the name Mossberg, the first thing that pops into our mind is the venerable model 500 shotgun, not an AR-style, semi-automatic or a bolt-action precision rifle.

A peek at the history of O.F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc., shows us that we shouldn’t be at all surprised to find Mossberg building innovative firearms.

At left, the Mossberg MVP Precision Rifle is outfitted with a Nightforce ATACR 7-35x56 F1 riflescope, and Caldwell (BTI) XLA 6-9 inch M-LOK ready bipod.

Some recent innovations are the 590 Shockwave series of bird’s head pistol grip style defensive shotguns, the 590M series of detachable box magazine shotguns, two new MVP bolt action rifles, and several variations of existing rifles and shotguns. All of this while maintaining their goal of providing, “More Gun for the Money.”

“best known for shotguns, mossberg also makes everything from rimfires to MSrs.”

Accessories shown include a Southern Grind Jackal fixed-blade hunting knife with Kydex sheath, Fenix PD35 TAC LED bronze multi-cam Cerakote-finish flashlight, BLACKHAWK! Stingray 2-Day Pack in coyote tan, and Hornady 6.5 Creedmoor 140-grain ELD Match ammunition.

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« mossberg mvp precision CALIBER: 6.5 CREEDMOOR OVERALL LENGTH: 43.25 INCHES (MINIMUM) BARREL LENGTH: 24 INCHES WEIGHT: 10 POUNDS RIFLING: 1:8 TWIST CAPACITY: 10+1 (STANDARD) WEIGHT: 10 POUNDS

MSRP: $1,407 URL: MOSSBERG.COM

Caldwell/ Battenfeld Technologies XLA Bipod • • • • •

FITS EITHER M-LOK OR KEYMOD MOUNTING SYSTEMS ADJUSTS FROM 3 INCHES TO 6 INCHES IN HEIGHT PUSH-BUTTON LEG EXTENSION LOCK TWIST LOCKS FOR INCREMENTAL ADJUSTMENT SPRING-ASSISTED LEG SWING-UP

MVP Precision Rifle performance

(6.5 Creedmoor) AMMUNITION

VELOCITY

E.S.

S.D.

SM. GRP.

GRP. SIZE

AMERICAN EAGLE AE65CRD1 140 GR. OTM

2665

54

18.2

0.88

0.99

HORNADY #81500 140 GR. ELD MATCH

2637

66

21.2

0.86

1.07

WINCHESTER 140 GR. MATCH BTHP

2661

43

17.6

0.78

1.10

FED. PREM. 130 GR. BERGER OTM MATCH

2854

50

13.3

1.07

1.24

HORNADY #81491 120 GR. ELD MATCH

2839

56

20.6

0.99

1.29

SIGSAUER E65CM1140 GR. OTM MATCH

2545

30

10.3

1.22

1.29

FUSION #F65CRDFS1 140 GR

2691

24

7.7

1.37

1.52

Groups were fired from a Caldwell Rock BR adjustable front rest and rear sandbags at 100 yards. Velocity is in feet per second calculated at the muzzle using a LabRadar device; E.S. - Extreme Spread; S.D. - Standard Deviation; Sm.Grp. - size of smallest single group for that ammunition, in inches; Ave. Grp. - the average group size in inches for 3 5-shot groups.

Combined with the Nightforce ATACR 7-35x56 F1 riflescope and the Caldwell XLA bipod, the Mossberg MVP Precision Rifle makes for a very good production precision rifle setup.

WHAT IS THE MVP PRECISION RIFLE? The Mossberg MVP Precision Rifle is new to the MVP line for 2018. It brings a long-range, tactical platform to the MVP line of bolt-action rifles. Keys to the design of the MVP Precision Rifle are the in-house-designed aluminum chassis, slim-profile handguard and inline design.

The AR-style inline design handles recoil more efficiently by transferring energy in a straight line from the barrel and action assembly to the buffer tube/stock. This is accomplished by a unique method of attach-

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 2018

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«

MVP Precision Rifle Features • • • • • • •

FEEDS USING STANDARD AR-STYLE OR M1A/ M14 MAGAZINES MEDIUM BULL BARREL, 24-INCH W/ THREADED MUZZLE AND THREAD CAP LUTH-AR MBA-3 FULLY ADJUSTABLE BUTTSTOCK LBA ADJUSTABLE TRIGGER MAGPUL MOE+ PISTOL GRIP SCALLOPED TACTICAL BOLT HANDLE 1913 MIL-STD RAIL W/ 20 MOA OF ELEVATION

Mossberg employs its own Lightning Bolt Action (LBA) trigger system, which can be user-adjusted from 3 to 7 pounds.

“Between the weight of the rifle package, its inline design and the moderate recoil of the 6.5 Creedmoor round, the rifle came back on target quickly for followup shots.” ing the buttstock to the chassis, much like an AR-style rifle. This design allows the shooter to better maintain sight picture after the shot.

The Mossberg MVP Precision Rifle evaluated here was chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor.

HOW IT WORKS Constructed of aluminum, the Mossbergdesigned chassis provides a rigid platform for the action and barrel for improved accuracy and repeatability. The slimline aluminum handguard utilizes the M-LOK sys-

tem for the easy attachment of accessories.

A single thumb screw is used to connect the buffer tube/buttstock assembly to the chassis/action. The two must be separated in order for the bolt to be removed.

A 24-inch, free-floating, medium-contour bull barrel made from 4140 carbon steel employs 5R rifling. The barrel is threaded 5/8”-24 TPI at the muzzle to allow for the attachment of muzzle devices or a suppressor. A thread protector is provided.

While a trigger doesn’t necessarily improve the accuracy of a rifle, it is virtually impos-

sible to shoot a rifle accurately without a good trigger. For this, Mossberg uses its own Lightning Bolt Action (LBA) trigger system.

It can easily be user-adjusted from 3 to 7 pounds. It has a crisp break with no discernible creep or over-travel. The trigger on the rifle we evaluated broke at 2.8 pounds average for ten consecutive pulls. Triggers on the MVP Precision Rifle come from the factory set at the lowest pull weight. They can easily be adjusted by separating the action from the chassis and turning the adjustment screw.

An oversized tactical-style bolt handle, oversized trigger guard, 20 MOA 1913 MILSTD rail for better long-range capability and a Magpul PMAG 10-round magazine are provided. A unique design feature allows the MVP Precision Rifle to accept both M1A/M14 and AR-10/SR25 style magazines.

The furniture used on the MVP Precision Rifle includes a Magpul MOE+ pistol grip and a LUTH-AR MBA-3 adjustable buttstock. The MOE+ pistol grip accepts optional storage compartments from Magpul. The LUTH-AR MBA-3 buttstock has a six-position adjustment for length just like an AR buttstock.

It also provides for an additional 1-1/16 inch length of pull, vertical butt plate and 1/2-inch lateral butt plate adjustment. The cheekpiece is adjustable for up to 1 inch of height using a thumbscrew. A 1913 MIL-STD rail section is also provided on the bottom at the rear of the buttstock for accessory

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BLAC Sting 2-Day

ÂŤ WK!

The BLACKHAWK! Stingray 2-Day Pack is an ideal pack for day or overnight excursions. The pack used here was coyote tan in color but it is also available in black or black and gray. One of the pack’s best features is its ability unzip and lay flat for easy access to its contents. A large outside zippered back compartment is perfect for storing larger flat objects such as a laptop computer or hydration reservoir.

The fleece-lined exterior valuables compartment is perfect for storing a mobile phone and/or navigation aides. Two zippered exterior side compartments allow for access to small items. The large interior compartment has loop-lined MOLLE for the attachment of pouches and other items. A laser-cut grid panel on the exterior allows for the easy attachment of pouches or gear.

CAPACITY: UP TO 1,800 CUBIC INCHES MATERIAL: 500D NYLON ZIPPERS: YKK WITH PULL LOOPS COLORS: COYOTE TAN, BLACK, BLACK/GRAY MODELS: 2-DAY (SHOWN), EDC, 3-DAY MSRP: $149.95/$134.95/$169.95

The Mossbergdesigned aluminum chassis provides a rigid platform for the action and barrel.

attachment. A set screw is provided to eliminate rattle on MIL-SPEC buffer tubes. A soft rubber butt pad is also provided.

The buttstock assembly is interesting in itself. An inline adapter is inserted into the rear of the chassis and a thumbscrew draws in a wedge to secure the two components. A buffer tube, without the buffer assembly, is attached to the rear of the adapter so that an AR-style buttstock can be used on the rifle. This allows for a myriad of AR-style buttstocks to be easily installed if the LUTH-AR unit is not to your liking.

MODEL OPTIONS The MVP Precision Rifle is available chambered for either 6.5 Creedmoor or 7.62x51 NATO/.308 Win. There are no other versions currently available. However, the MVP line includes the LR Tactical Rifle, LC (Light Chassis) Rifle, Scout Rifle, Patrol Rifle, Varmint & Predator Rifle and FLEX Rifle. Each model in the MVP line is offered chambered according to its intended purpose.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 2018

Fenix Elite Series PD35 TAC LED Tactical Flashlight The 1,000-lumen Fenix Elite Series PD35 TAC LED flashlight features a bronze multi-cam Cerakote finish.

It is powered by either a single 18650 rechargeable li-ion battery or two CR123A batteries. Small but powerful, this flashlight is only 5-3/8 inches long and 1 inch in diameter. It fits comfortably in the hand.

At its full output of 1,000 lumens, the PD35 TAC LED flashlight can throw a beam up to 656 feet. What really makes this Fenix Elite Series PD35 TAC unique is its two different general modes: Outdoor and Tactical. In outdoor mode, the PD35 TAC operates as a simple, standard flashlight, allowing you to toggle between six different output modes using the side button. In tactical mode, the rubber pushbutton on the tail cap defaults to “turbo” (the full 1,000 lumens) but can toggle to strobe or low (60 lumens) through two or three half-clicks.

What we liked the best was the ability to set it up in either outdoor mode (standard flashlight) or tactical mode. This allows the user to tailor its performance to suit the need at any given time. The only problem we had was mastering the half-click push to toggle between the three outputs when in tactical mode. This just takes a little patience and practice.

• • • • • • • • • • •

OUTPUT LEVELS: ECO - 8 LUMENS, LOW - 60 LUMENS, MID - 200 LUMENS, HIGH - 500 LUMENS, TURBO - 1000 LUMENS AND STROBE - 1000 LUMENS; LENGTH: 5-3/8 INCHES DIAMETER: 1 INCH WEIGHT: 3.1 OUNCES (WITHOUT BATTERIES) BODY MATERIAL: AIRCRAFT-GRADE ALUMINUM

AMMUNITION Seven types of factory ammunition from four manufacturers were used during this evaluation. Bullet weights ranged from 120 to 140 grains. Five of the loads were match grade and two were designed for hunting.

SEMI-AGGRESSIVE STRIKE BEZEL

A Mossbergdesigned slimline handguard uses the Magpul M-LOK attachment system for the quick and secure attachment of accessories.

HEAT DISSIPATION FINS STAINLESS STEEL SIDE BUTTON KNURLED BODY POCKET CLIP RUBBER PUSHBUTTON ON TAIL CAP WATERPROOF FOR 30 MINUTES TO 6-1/2 FEET

•

1,000 LUMEN MAXIMUM OUTPUT FOR 1 HOUR AND 10 MINUTES

One thing that became apparent during this evaluation is that while some types of ammunition shot better than others, they all shot well. There was no great disparity in group sizes between the types of ammunition like there is for many of the rifles I evaluate.

LONG-RANGE OPTICS No sights are provided with the Mossberg MVP Precision Rifle. Only a 20 MOA 1913 MIL-STD rail attached to the receiver is supplied with the gun. For testing purposes, I installed a Nightforce ATACR 7-35x56 F1 riflescope using a Nightforce 34mm Ultralite Unimount with 20 MOA of elevation. This is one rock-solid, no-alibi setup.

•

MSRP: $91.95

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« Southern Grind Jackal Knife The Jackal, by Zac Brown’s Southern Grind, is a 9.25inch, fixed-blade hunting knife with a 4.75-inch blade.

The clip-point blade is black PVD coated and comes accompanied by a black-and-tan G10 handle and a black Kydex sheath. The Jackal was designed by Mike Trull with input from Zac Brown. The full-length tang features a lanyard hole placed after the G10 material ends. Jimping on the thumb ramp at the rear of the spine provides traction for your thumb, which in turn provides greater control of the knife and keeps your thumb from slipping under pressure. This is a well-designed knife, and very well-made. All Southern Grind knives are made in the USA in Peachtree City, Georgia. Materials are sourced in the United States—with the exception of a couple exotic steels from Germany and Sweden.

HANDLE: 3D MILLED SOLID G10 GRIND: CONVENTIONAL FLAT GRIND BLADE STEEL: 8670M HIGH CARBON STEE BLADE FINISH: PVD COAT HARDNESS: RC 58-59 OVERALL LENGTH: 9.25 INCHES WEIGHT: 9.5 OZ HANDLE LENGTH: 4.50 INCHES BLADE LENGTH: 4.75 INCHES BLADE THICKNESS: 0.21 INCHES MSRP: $229.95

It costs more than twice as much as the rifle, but the ATACR is an outstanding longrange riflescope. To help justify the cost, this setup can easily be moved from rifle to rifle.

Ranging can be performed at any power setting due to the ATACR’s first focal plane design. I like the MOAR reticle, but it is also available with MIL-R, MIL-C and TReMoR 3 reticles.

FROM THE SHOOTING BENCH The Mossberg MVP Precision Rifle chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor was very pleasant to shoot from the bench. The 12.5-pound-

Part of the inline design, the buttstock adapter attaches to the chassis using a wedge and thumbscrew, creating a very secure connection.

plus weight of the rifle system goes a long way toward mitigating the already-moderate recoil of the 6.5 Creedmoor round. Between the weight of the rifle package, its inline design and the Creedmoor’s moderate recoil, the rifle came back on target quickly for followup shots.

The trigger broke crisply at just under 3 pounds after no take-up and no over-travel.

Accuracy for the seven factory loads was very good and ranged from just under 1 inch to just over 1.5 inches. Three loads hovered around 1 inch, three loads were approximately 1.25 inches, and the last load

was about 1.5 inches, all for three, five-shot groups, except for the Hornady #81491, which was for only two five-shot groups.

The average for the aggregate of the seven loads was 1.21 inches.

Ammunition fed without a hitch from the Magpul PMAG SR-25 magazine. We did not test any M1A/M14 magazines. The AR-style magazine release functioned properly, but the magazine did not drop free. The bolt cycled smoothly and there was no tendency to short-stroke it.

The LUTH-AR MBA-3 buttstock worked

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WORLD OF FIREPOWER

“While a trigger doesn’t necessarily improve the accuracy of a rifle, it is virtually impossible to shoot a rifle accurately without a good trigger.”

NighTforce ATACR 7-35x56 F1 Riflescope Introduced in 2017, the ATACR 7-35x56 F1 riflescope is an extension of Nightforce’s Advanced Tactical Riflescope line. This scope, as with all ATACR scopes, is built with mission critical features standard including ZeroStop, 100 MOA of elevation adjustment and a choice of illuminated MOA- or MIL-based ranging reticles. It utilizes a proprietary optical prescription in a rugged housing. Fully multi-coated ED glass results in superb light transmission, brilliant images and exceptional color contrast and delivers benchrest precision even under the harshest of conditions. Tenebraex Flip Covers are included with all ATACR riflescopes.

We find the Nightforce ATACR 7-35x56 F1 to be an outstanding long range optic. It has extremely clear ED glass, 100 MOA elevation adjustment, excellent repeatability and it is incredibly rugged. It's no wonder that many U.S. Special Forces units use Nightforce optics.

The first focal plane design of this riflescope allows ranging to be performed at any magnification setting. All adjustments have just the right amount of friction so they remain secure, but can still be readily adjusted.

The Nightforce ATACR 7-35x56 F1 riflescope, along with a Nightforce 34mm Ultralite Unimount with 20 MOA of elevation, has proven to be a rock-solid combination for rifle accuracy evaluations over the last year. It is an expensive combination, but worth it for precision rifle shooting.

MANUFACTURER: LIGHTFORCE USA, INC.

(DBA NIGHTFORCE OPTICS) MODEL NUMBER: C569 FIELD OF VIEW: 7X: 14.97FT.; 35X: 3.44FT. (AT 100 YARDS) WEIGHT: 39.26 OUNCES LENGTH: 16.0 INCHES MOUNTING LENGTH: 6.5 INCHES TUBE DIAMETER: 34 MM EYE RELIEF: 3.26 - 3.58 INCHES

well with its adjustability, but the cheek piece had a bit too much flex in it for my liking. When the setscrew was tightened, there was no play in the stock/buffer tube interface. I really like the buffer tube design so that the shooter can easily install any ARstyle stock he or she desires.

All in all, an enjoyable day at the range can be had with this rifle without the shooter experiencing any ill effects from recoil.

FINAL THOUGHTS It would have been nice if all of the ammunition used had produced average group sizes of less than 1 MOA, but that’s just not realistic on a consistent basis with a mass-production rifle like the Mossberg MVP Precision Rifle. That said, it is a 1 MOA rifle, as shown by the American Eagle

EXIT PUPIL: 7X:6.0MM; 35X:1.6MM

The receiver extension is lined with the same polymer film in the body of the bufer to eliminate kinetic forces before they transmit into felt recoil.

CLICK VALUE: .250 MOA ADJUSTMENT RANGE: ELEVATION - 100 MOA; WINDAGE - 60 MOA PARALLAX ADJUSTMENT: 11 YD. FOCAL PLANE: FIRST RETICLES AVAILABLE: MOAR/MIL-R/MIL-C/TREMOR3 ILLUMINATION: DIGILLUM ELEVATION LOCK: ZEROSTOP

MSRP: $3,600

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140-grain OTM ammunition. The fact that the Hornady and Winchester 140-grain loads were right behind at 1.07 and 1.10 inches, respectively, leads me to believe that with more time and more ammunition additional loads would be found that give 1 MOA or better results. It is certain that with a little effort, hand-loaded ammunition could be found that would make this rifle shoot very consistent sub-MOA groups.

I like the way that the MVP Precision Rifle is built and how it operates. As stated previously, we especially like the stock adapter and buffer tube mounted buttstock design.

At first it wasn’t clear how the chassis/ stock adapter system would work with only a thumbscrew to secure the connection, but I needn’t have worried. The connection is

The chassis, action and buttstock come together as one rigid unit. The attachment of the bufer tube to the adapter is just like that of an AR platform.

very secure. At first I wished for a larger diameter thumbscrew, but found the one provided to be perfectly adequate.

The designers probably made it that size so that shooters would be less likely to over-tighten it.

Another excellent feature is the adjustable LBA trigger. At just under three pounds, factory triggers don’t come much lighter than this.

At an MSRP of $1,407, the Mossberg MVP Precision Rifle represents a very good value. I would expect the street price to be closer to $1,250. Anyone looking for a reasonably priced precision rifle should take a close look at the MVP Precision Rifle.

“Anyone looking for a reasonably priced precision rifle should take a close look at the mossberg MVP.”

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O S

SOURCES FEDERAL PREMIUM AMMUNITION (800) 998-8758 FEDERALPREMIUM.COM GORILLA AMMUNITION (772) 564-0777 GORILLAAMMO.COM SIG SAUER (603) 610-3000 SIGSAUER.COM TULAMMO (888) 317-5810 TULAMMOUSA.COM WINCHESTER AMMUNITION WINCHESTER.COM WOLF AMMUNITION (888) 757-9653 WOLFAMMO.COM

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 2018

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Of Blasting, Socialand Zombie Bullets Proper ammo for the end of the world (and before)

BY W I L L DA BBS , M . D.

M

ore than any other human contrivance, it is the handheld firearm that has most profoundly shaped the affairs of men. Nukes sit in their silos until they are retired, and smart bombs make for sexy headlines.

Nevertheless, it is the humble gun that truly changes the world. There are literally thousands of disparate calibers and bullet weights to feed the roughly 875 million firearms on the planet. However, all that ammo can be fractionated down into three broad informal categories.

Blasting Bullets These are steel-cased rounds you buy in bulk.

TulAmmo and Wolf have been the major players in the past, although Winchester now makes some

The thousands of calibers and bullet weights in existence can be broken down into three very broad categories.

absolutely splendid steel-cased 9mm that costs about what the imported stuff might.

The Winchester product is called Forged, and it uses the same nice FMJ bullets, clean-burning powder and top-notch primers as Winchester White Box bulk pack.

Blasting bullets are for training and fun. The details of precision and tidiness really don’t matter all that much. You just want them to shoot fairly straight and go bang! every time you squeeze the trigger.

Steel cases run just fine and, with the singular exception of a .223 precision rifle in my collection, I have never had function or performance problems through many tens of thousands of rounds. You can police

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the casings with a magnet or simply leave them where they lie. The preponderance of the Earth’s molten core comprises iron.

It’s not as if we will run out of the stuff any time soon.

Steel corrodes readily in the presence of oxygen. Leave steel cases exposed to the weather on your range for even a few days when the climate is damp and they will begin to degrade. This same property makes them a poor choice for long-term storage unless effectively sealed. You can find bulk-packed, steel-cased, military-style ammo sealed in airtight spam cans, but once you open a can, you should plan to burn the stuff in a reasonable period of time. Although not quite as volatile as milk or mayonnaise, steel-cased ammo should be viewed as having a “best if used by” date once the seals are cracked.

Social Bullets These are the hot rods of the ballistic set.

If steel-cased blasting bullets were Fords, social bullets would be Ferraris. These cases are typically nickel-plated to remain corrosion resistant. They will be called upon to ride in the magazine of your carry gun for months, if not years, while remaining ready to make that one perfect, life-saving shot.

Imported steel-cased FMJ rounds have historically represented the cheapest training ammo on the market. Typically produced in eastern Europe on military machinery, these rounds are reliable and adequately accurate for training purposes.

It really doesn’t matter your station in life— you spare no expense on your social bullets.

Expect them to cost upward of a dollar a round, but that’s essentially a one-time investment. I burn mine off and replace them every few years just to be safe, but even that is not really necessary. Keep them clean and free of lint and they should still be ready to go, come what may.

The actual bullets in your social ammo embody more technology than does your smart phone. They are designed to contort

into the most egregious configurations once they contact something soft, wet and warm. In so doing, they are intended to expeditiously render the threat no longer threatening.

Here’s where your previous investments yield a proper return. Where blasting bullets poke little holes, social bullets veritably explode.

Zombie Bullets We’ve all seen the movies. It’s not a matter of “if” as much as “when.” I have it on

“Burn the blasting bullets to keep sharp, tote the social bullets to keep safe, and tuck the zombie bullets in the corner of your safe for a rainy day.”

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 2018

“Nobody ever wants to use the social or zombie sort [of ammo], but it is better to have them and not need them than the other way around.” reliable medical information that zombies are not technically real, but that hasn’t stopped our very own Federal Emergency Management Agency from issuing genuine, government-sponsored guidance on how to cope with them (No kidding. Google FEMA Zombie Apocalypse. Now who still thinks it’s silly?)

Regardless of whether the precipitating event actually involves the undead, maintaining a decent supply of service ammo as an integral part of your survival stash is foundational dogma. That $2,000, trickedout black rifle might look like pure death and run like a scalded ape, but if you run out of ammo, it’s simply another club. In

37

that event, I’m not sure I wouldn’t prefer a Louisville Slugger.

Zombie bullets demand their own peculiar specifications. They must obviously be effective downrange. That’s a function of barrel length, mechanical particulars, caliber and optics. The superlative periodical you currently clutch owes much of its success to the exploration of these nuanced details.

However, there’s more to it than just that.

Zombie bullets must also be unflinchingly reliable. While they need not be quite the superstars your social bullets might, their performance will potentially carry substantial gravitas if ever used for real. As a result, you really don’t want to stockpile the cheap stuff for counter-zombie operations.

(Below) For feeding fast-firing buzz guns such as this full-auto MAC-11, nothing beats cheap, steel-cased blasting bullets.

Lastly, you need to be able to get to your zombie bullets quickly. The undead may yet show the good grace to arrive when you are well rested after a proper night’s sleep

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Most new steel-cased production ammo is noncorrosive and fairly clean.

“To find the state of the art in zombie bullet technology, one need look no further than the United States Army.” and a robust breakfast. However, I doubt it.

I have been in a couple of real emergencies, and they were come-as-you-are affairs. You need to be able to access and employ your zombie bullets with minimal fuss.

Modest cost, lifesaving reliability, the capacity to age gracefully and ready access in an emergency might seem like mutually exclusive parameters. However, it turns out there is an organization of some repute that has some modest experience in this area: To find the state of the art in zombie bullet technology, one need look no further than the United States Army.

Bullets for the Big Green Machine They come in a variety of “flavors,” but for now, we will restrict our investigation to

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 2018

39

Winchester’s Forged line of 9mm ammunition sports the same quality primers, bullets and clean-burning powders as its Winchester White Box rounds in inexpensive steel cases. It costs about the same per round as the cheap imported stuf and supports American jobs.

Social ammo such the solid-copper Silverback rounds from Gorilla Ammo (at left) will sit for months to years in your magazines, waiting for that one critical shot.

5.56mm. Although vigorously derided as an inadequate poodle-shooter at the time of its introduction, Eugene Stoner’s .223 Remington and the nearly (but not quite) identical 5.56mm are now combat proven.

Today’s iterations come in two major flavors.

M193 rounds push a fairly nondescript 55-grain, lead-core, copper-jacketed bullet.

This round’s downrange performance stems from its innate instability. When this zippy little bullet strikes something soft, it typically yaws sideways, frequently breaking at its cannelure into two or three major fragments that then produce their own independent wound channels. The performance of this round is dependent upon velocity, and it is indeed more susceptible to brush and barrier material than 7.62x51mm ball.

However, it is light to carry and fun to run while still reliably bringing the pain out to half a kilometer or so.

M855 rounds weigh 62 grains, sport a green-painted tip and employ a bit more tech. These lead-core, copper-jacketed bullets include a hardened steel penetrator that makes them more effective against lightly armored targets. M855 ammunition

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Social bullets are not confined to handgun rounds. Winchester PDX-1 Defender loads are available in rifle, pistol and shotgun versions.

“The actual bullets in your social ammo embody more technology than does your smartphone. They are designed to contort into the most egregious configurations once they contact something soft, wet and warm.” will reliably penetrate about 3mm of steel at 600 meters. This makes it capable of defeating most steel combat helmets at that range.

Much of the performance of the 5.56mm round is dependent upon the aforementioned instability. The M193 was designed to launch out of a 20-inch M16 barrel with a 1:12 twist. Modern M4 rifles sport a 14.5-inch barrel with a tighter 1:7 twist.

The faster twist increases the round’s innate

Federal ofers both 55-grain XM193 and 62-grain XM855 rounds packed on MIL-SPEC strippers in military steel ammo boxes suitable for long-term storage.

«

Federal XM855 Green Tip 62-grain FMJ Performance Results RIFLE

VELOCITY (FPS)

GROUP SIZE (INCHES)

2,963

0.3

POCKET AR

2,342

0.75

M4A1

2,933

0.5

SIG SAUER MCX

Notes: Group size was the best four of five shots measured center to center and fired from a simple rest at 30 meters. Velocity was the average of three shots fired across a Caldwell Ballistic chronograph oriented 10 feet from the muzzle.

stability and subsequently lessens its downrange effectiveness. However, I have seen a lot of people shot with a lot of different weapons, and none of them seemed particularly happy.

Federal XM855 This quality, military-grade ammunition is the best zombie ammo I have thus far found. It comes packed in a standard airtight, waterproof .30-caliber ammo can in the same configuration received by our

troops currently serving in Afghanistan.

This means that it is safe to store for the long haul and remains ready to go on a moment’s notice.

The design of these pressed-steel ammo cans dates back to World War II. The details have been updated a bit over the years, but the concept remains the same. They seal via a rubber gasket and are the Swiss Army Knife of the prepper world. I have stored some of the most eclectic kit in my

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ridiculous collection of these cans. If properly packed, they will reliably keep their contents dry and dark while rendering most stuff immune to rough handling.

Federal XM855 comes 420 rounds to a box and packed on 10-round stripper clips. New math tells us that 420 rounds equates to 14 30-round magazines for your M4, AUG or SCAR. I keep two boxes on hand at all times and feel adequately prepared to deal with any reasonable threat, as well as most of the unreasonable sorts.

Each box packs three loaded 10-round strippers into each cardboard sleeve and includes a pair of pressed-steel stripper clip guides. This means you can grab a sleeve and fill a single magazine. To use the stripper clip guide, you slip the broad end over the top of the magazine spine and then arrange a loaded stripper in the top. Press vigorously, and all 10 rounds pop right into place. Repeat this process two more times,

(Above) Packed dry and snug in a GI ammo can, this Federal XM855 ammunition will stand ready for years until you need it to come out and play.

(Right) Federal XM855 comes packed 10 rounds per stripper and three strippers per cardboard sleeve, along with a pair of stripper clip chargers.

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smack the spine of the magazine on something substantial to keep all the rounds seated properly, and you are ready to go. I can load a 30-round M4 magazine in maybe 30 seconds without feeling unduly rushed.

Ruminations Everybody serious about survival needs all three sorts of ammo. The initial investment need not be ridiculous, and, as long as you think it through, in today’s political climate you can make your ammo dollars stretch quite a bit. Burn the blasting bullets to keep sharp, tote the social bullets to keep safe, and tuck the zombie bullets in the corner of your safe for a rainy day. Nobody ever wants to use the social or zombie sort, but it’s better to have them and not need them than the other way around.

Military Quality Control t is my privilege to serve as the plant physician for a massive ammunition plant in my little Southern town. This sprawling facility produces, among many other things, military ammunition in a variety of calibers. Much of the exorbitant purchase price the government drops on ammunition does not go toward components or material costs; it goes for impeccable quality control.

Every single round Snufy shoves into his magazine has been weighed and gauged about a dozen diferent ways to ensure it will go of each and every time he pulls the trigger. These rounds are then packed into robust containers that are easy to access quickly. Lots of these containers are then banded together as big cubes and stored inside a bonded warehouse until they are shipped.

There is even a proscribed arrangement to the

I

boxes in each cube. Some are righ are upside down. If the load of ammo drops out of an airplane, for instance, it’s designed to be easily identified, no matter how it comes to rest.

One of the interesting aspects of meeting military ammunition contracts is that they are for truly vast quantities of bullets. Once the production facilities are set up to make this stuf, it’s a fairly simple thing to chug of a few zillion rounds here and there for us mere private citizens. While these cartridges are not subjected to the same stringent quality review processes as the GI-issue sorts, I have burned an unholy pile of them and never had a misfire.

As regards nomenclature, they just slap an X in front of the M193 or M855, drop them into the same boxes in the same configurations as the MIL-SPEC stuf, and then sell them to us.

To load 5.56mm ammo from stripper clips, you simply slide the fat end of the charger over the spine of the magazine and use it to stabilize the stripper. Push with authority, and all 10 rounds slide right into place. Stripper clips are reusable until the little brass retaining tabs fail. All MIL-SPEC magazines and most aftermarket mags accept these stripper clip guides.

Each ammo can contains enough ammunition to fill 14 30-round magazines. You probably ought to have a couple of sealed cans on hand at all times.

Popular combat rifles such as this Steyr AUG feed XM855 ammo with alacrity.

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SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 2018

47

RighT Under Their Noses

WHICH ONE OF THESE BAGS CONTAINS A GUN? ALL OF THEM T E XT & P HOTOS BY JO HN T E ATO R

N

o matter what type of shooting you get into, whether it’s tactical, competition, hunting or even bullseye, there’s certain gear that all firearms enthusiasts require.

Other than eye and ear protection and a good cleaning kit, the next major accessory that shooters usually look for is a quality gun bag.

unwanted attention, we went on a hunt for bags that can easily be repurposed to carry firearms.

Selecting a specially built bag to contain your firearm is a surefire way to make sure you end up with a bag that that will suit your purpose. After all, guns can require specific attributes such as double zippers for locks and extra padding and interior straps to keep them safe and legal to transport.

We took a look at everything from baseball bags to hockey bags and everything in between to see what types of bags work best. We found plenty that would work well for basic transportation, but most of the bags in this guide were not designed to carry firearms. Because of this, many lack attributes, such as protective padding, that you enjoy having in a dedicated gun bag. The trade-off, however, is having a “gray man” type of low-profile presence that many dedicated gun bags just don’t contribute to.

That said, a rifle-shaped bag or one covered with MOLLE or a wooded camo pattern can also act as a billboard to anyone in sight as to what you’re carrying. For privacy and security reasons, it might not be the best idea to advertise that you’re obviously carrying a firearm from your home to your vehicle and vice versa. With the goal to help camouflage our firearms to avoid theft and other

If using a discreet bag appeals to you, don’t just take our word for it. Any bag can be repurposed; just think outside the box and consider your needs. For those who want traditional gun bag protection, there are a couple of discreet gun bags in this guide that might be just what you’re looking for.

Now without further ado, let’s take a look at our selection of discreet bags.

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g Junior hockey players can use this as a stick bag, or you can use it as a shotgun bag. Its 38.5-inch length was just long enough for us to fit our 18.5-inch barreled 870 in it. Its wide-opening main compartment is easy to load and unload and a large front compartment can fit plenty of accessories. The large mesh side pocket is great for carrying extra-large water bottles or other range necessities. The bag is not padded at all but features a single shoulder strap and is made of durable 600D polyester.

DIMENSIONS: 38.5” x 6” x 5” MSRP: $38 URL: BYTEFIELDHOCKEYUSA.COM

Tote Bag Meant for tee ball, the E100T Tote Bag is a smaller version of a baseball bag. It has a separate bat compartment that is perfect to fit upper receivers, and its upper compartment can easily fit a lower receiver along with ear protectoin and other accessories. One major negative about this bag is that it does not have double zippers, so locking it is problematic.

DIMENSIONS: 35” x 7” x 8.5” MSRP: $20 URL: EASTON.COM

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 2018

Keyboard Gig Bag Gator is well-known in the music business for protective bags and cases. The company makes seriously rugged hard cases and soft bags for the transport of keyboards and other musical instruments and equipment. The 49 Note Keyboard Gig Bag is no exception.

The largest bag in this guide, it can hold two rifles very comfortably and probably several more if you get creative. The bag features heavy duty rugged nylon construction and comes with adjustable padded secure straps to hold its contents in place during transport.

For extra weight-carrying capacity, its reinforced comfort carry handles are riveted in place.

DIMENSIONS: 38” x 16.5” x 6” MSRP: $80 URL: GATORCASES.COM

Civilian Lab Battle Axe The Battle Axe is ready to rock when you are! Specifically designed to look like a guitar case externally, the Battle Axe can accommodate carbines up to AK-47 length.

Discreetly transport your carbine in a relatively unassuming package.

Made specifically to act as a gun case, the bag has interior tie-downs for rifles (or an electric guitar if you so desire). Its external pockets are designed to carry magazines and other accessories.

DIMENSIONS: 41.3” x 18.1” x 4” MSRP: $150 URL: HAZARD4.COM

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Battle Steel Racquet Bag Unlike many of the other bags in this guide, the Battle Steel Racquet Bag is actually designed and made to specifically act as a gun bag. It is discreetly shaped to imitate a tennis racquet bag and is equipped with an inner divider so you can carry up to two firearms.

The bag features durable nylon construction, heavy-duty lockable zippers, padded walls and an inner shell keep your weapon safe and concealed.

DIMENSIONS: 30” x 12” x 3” MSRP: $50 URL: BOTACH.COM

otto Padded Tripod Bag Manfrotto is a renowned photography accessories maker and the company’s bags lend themselves well to holding and protecting firearms, too. Designed for carrying camera tripods, this bag is padded and long enough to easily accommodate 18-inch uppers equipped with optics. The body of the bag can also fit a lower along with other accessories, but you’ll need to find a way to protect the contents from knocking around and scratching each other.

One negative aspect of using this bag is that Manfrotto equipment can be quite expensive, so advertising that you may be carrying Manfrotto items inside it could be counterproductive if the anti-theft aspect is what you’re after.

DIMENSIONS: 30.3” x 6.3” x 6.7” MSRP: $55 URL: MANFROTTO.US

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 2018

Maxfind Skateboard Bag Is that a skateboard on your back, or might it be something else? This discreet-looking bag is shaped like a skateboard because that’s what it’s made to hold. Made of a thick, durable nylon fabric, the bag is said to protect skateboards from abrasion and liquids—and by extension, it can protect your firearms too.

The main compartment has lockable dual zippers and a wide-opening mouth for ease of loading and unloading. Three compartments on the bag’s face allow you to separately carry smaller accessories. It has a touch carry handle as well as two shoulder straps that allow you to wear it like a backpack.

DIMENSIONS: 33” x 9” x 5” MSRP: $40 URL: MAXFINDBOARDS.COM

Z-Force Club Combo Bag Created for field hockey equipment, the Z-Force Club Combo Bag has two large outside pockets that are large enough to carry a good amount of gear, even complete AR lowers. Its main compartment has a smaller opening, making it tough to fit long arms that have pistol grips, but is perfect for rifles that aren’t so-equipped, such as bolt-action rifles or shotguns. While the bag is not padded, each compartment is fitted with double zippers for ease of locking. Its reinforced base and padded shoulder strap look like they can stand up to long-term use.

DIMENSIONS: 40” x 7” x 5” MSRP: $45 URL: MAZONHOCKEY.COM

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Padded Carrying Bag This bag is regularly used for carrying photography and lighting equipment, so it is spacious and well-padded. The interior features a single large space that is not partitioned at all. It can swallow up plenty of gear, but you’ll probably want to wrap up your guns and equipment with towels or t-shirts to save them from scratching one another. It features double zippers as well as a padded carry handle. An attachable shoulder strap is also included.

DIMENSIONS: 35” x 7” x 8” MSRP: $30 URL: NEEWER.COM

Fusion Women’s Equipment Bag The STX Fusion Women’s Equipment Bag’s intended purpose is it be used for lacrosse or field hockey. Its zippered outside pockets allow for quick access to small accessories, while its long main compartment is capable of swallowing up long arms, such as an 18.5-inch-barreled 870 shotgun, with ease. The bag features no padding whatsoever, so if that’s important to you, you may want to look for a diferent bag. The main compartment is fitted with double zippers for easy locking.

DIMENSIONS: 44” x 8” x 3” MSRP: $45 URL: STX.COM

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reface Bag Designed to hold Yamaha’s line of Reface synthesizer keyboards, the Reface bag is extremely nondescript except for the white Yamaha logo on its face. Its interior is padded and includes a padded accessories tray that can be slightly customized with the included padded hook and loop inserts. The tray is not completely removable, however. We were able to fit a broken-down AR along with a pistol and other accessories in it. It includes a carry handle as well as a shoulder strap and a flap on its back that allows it to attach to roller-bag handles.

DIMENSIONS: 22” x 12” x 3” MSRP: $60 URL: USA.YAMAHA.COM

Armour Bazooka Bat Tote This properly sized baseball bat bag fits most 16-inch-barrel carbines with ease. It is treated with Under Armour’s UA Storm, which is a weather treatment that uses a DWR finish to repel water without sacrificing breathability. This weather resistance is good for baseball equipment and even better for your firearms. The tote is equipped with an adjustable shoulder strap and an interior valuables pocket. Crafted out of durable 600D polyester with an abrasion-resistant bottom.

DIMENSIONS: 36” x 7” x 9.5” MSRP: $42 URL: UNDERARMOUR.COM

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SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 2018

1911 lite Springfield armory 911: A new mustang in the corral TEXT & PHOTOS BY ANDY M A S S I M I L I AN

S

everal of the most popular micro-sized pistols now made all owe their design to the Colt Mustang first made from 1983-96. The Mustang was offered in several versions over its original production run, but its popularity was hampered by functioning problems and its .380 auto caliber, which was then an unpopular and relatively expensive cartridge with few loads available. Times changed, and 13 years later in 2009 SIG Sauer introduced the P238, which was an improved version of the Mustang. The P238 sold very well in a now-growing market for small, .380 caliber semiautos that was jumpstarted by Kel-Tec’s P-3AT. Colt countered in 2011 by reintroducing the Mustang Pocketlite and a polymer-framed version called the Mustang XSP. Kimber entered the fray in 2015 with its own iteration of the Mustang called the Micro, and now, in 2018, Springfield Armory offers its variant with a moniker that more than just hints at its intended use: the 911.

Takedown is far easier than a 1911 thanks to a bushing-less barrel-slide fit and full-length recoil spring guide rod.

The unbridled success of these Mustang-pattern pistols belies conventional wisdom that striker-fired, polymer-frame pieces with low price tags are the necessary ingredients for success.

Quite the contrary; all of these pistols are single action with a thumb safety, metal-framed (except one of the Colts), and have an MSRP starting at $599, with most models priced well above that mark. In short, the impressive demand for the Mustang pattern, even when less pricey alternatives exist, demonstrates what market segmentation is all about.

Among the four makers of Mustang-pattern pistols, Colt makes two variants, while the three other makers each offer several variants that differ mainly with respect to grips, sights and finish. A few variants also have laser grips, while SIG Sauer’s P238 series offers the most variations and can be had with a threaded barrel, forward slide serrations or a stainless steel frame. Ambidextrous safeties are included on some of the higher-priced Kimbers and SIGs.

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“The 911 is the latest take on a very popular design thanks to its compact size, crisp trigger and good ergonomics.”

Product life cycles explained in B-school textbooks tell us that new products come with first-mover advantage, which captures market share and consumer loyalty. Laggards benefit from refined designs gained from market insight on why a product sells and who buys it, but face a more competitive market. The 911 is a textbook example of the latter; it has additional features and a significantly lower price tag on equivalently equipped pistols than those that came before it.

Gun Details The 911 uses a tilting-barrel, locked-breech design that distinguishes it from the most

The oversized trigger guard gives it a distinctive profile, but its functional purpose is to allow rapid access to the trigger.

popular pistols chambered in .380 S&W in earlier days, such as the Walther PPK and the SIG 320, which were blowback operated.

Blowback .380 cal pistols have largely been eclipsed by locked-breech designs, but they have an advantage in accuracy because of their fixed barrels, and they are easier to make. They also can be fitted with a more effective sound suppressor within a given length because they don’t require the booster mechanism needed for most locked-breech pistols, thus leaving more space for soundreducing baffles. The downside to blowback .380 pistols is a heavier slide, which equates to a longer pistol, often with heavier recoil

springs needed to keep the action closed until chamber pressure drops to a safe level.

The 911 shares the essential design aspects and construction of the P238 and Micro. All three use a 7075-T6 aluminum frame and a 416 stainless slide, barrel and guide rod.

Ammo count is equivalent with 6+1 using the flush-fitting mag and 7+1 with an extended mag that has barely enough additional length to provide a full hand hold for those with small- to medium-sized fingers.

Dimensions between the 911 and its peers are identical, or close to it, with an OAL of

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5.5 inches, a height of 3.9 inches, and barrel length of 2.7 inches. The 911’s feather-light weight of only 12.6 ounces is also comparable. Differences are in slide and frame sculpting, extractor, grips and a few other features.

Not a 1911 Looks can be deceiving and though the 911 and its peers resemble the ubiquitous 1911,

these pistols differ significantly in more than just caliber and size. The 911 lacks a grip safety and uses a bushing-less barrel with a slightly wider circumference near its muzzle to mate with the slide, and uses a full-length recoil spring guide rod. More significantly, its thumb safety operates differently. When the safety is applied, the slide is not locked closed as with the 1911 and allows the chamber to be cleared. The 911 also uses a pivoting trigger while the 1911 has a sliding trigger.

Most experts agree that the 1911 is best carried cocked and locked in a proper holster when used for defensive purposes. With the

G10 grips and a front strap with milled “Octo-Grip” texture balances the sometimes competing goals of comfort and obtaining a firm hold on the pistol.

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911, however, the manual warns users not to load the chamber until ready to shoot, despite the pistol’s firing pin capture that functions as a drop safety. Presumably, “ready to shoot” includes defensive carry. However, for those who carry it but want a two-step process to enable it to fire, the hammer can be rested at half cock and the safety applied. In this condition, the slide is locked and the hammer cannot be cocked until the safety is placed into the Fire mode.

Lots of Mustangs in the corral With four breeds of Mustang now made,

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“The 911’s trigger pull has a stated weight of 5 pounds, though ours was heavier.” how does Springfield’s 911 compare? Quite competitively, it seems, and at lower cost. The 911 has bilateral safety levers while only the more expensive P238s and Micros also offer this upgrade. An ambi safety on the Colts is a custom shop endeavor. The 911 also is the only pistol with a loaded chamber flag, which offers visual and tactile indication of its condition. It also comes with more accessories: an extra 7-round magazine usually only offered on upgraded P238s and Micros, and a pocket holster with Velcro sewn to one side. The Velcro secures the 911’s holster into the nylon clutch-style case, but also has the advantage of allowing the user to sew the opposing side’s Velcro into one’s coat or pants pocket to completely secure the pistol and keep it accessible at the same spot and at

the same angle. Finally, the 911 uses G10 for its trigger shoe and mainspring housing while most others use inexpensive and less durable plastic.

There are other functional advantages.

Like the P238 and Micro, the night sights are steel and dovetail mounted, allowing for adjustment to windage. They also use Tritium vials surrounded by white circles, but the 911’s front sight is enhanced with a wider surrounding ring colored bright yellow, which gives much-needed contrast from the rear sight in daylight. (The Mustang’s sights have a small front sight that is integral to

the slide and a plain open rear sight.) Finally, the 911 uses a pivoting external extractor that some believe is more forgiving over a wider range of spring tensions than the internal design used on the Mustang, P238 and Micro.

This may be only be a theoretical advantage, since extracting .380 cases is far easier mechanically than 9mm and .45 ACP. Besides added features, the 911 is positioned to get your attention with an MSRP of $599 versus a starting price of $579 for the most basic Micro, $679 for the least-equipped P238, and $699 for the Mustang Pocketlite—and $599 for the polymer-framed version. Add the

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 2018

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features that are standard on the 911 to competitive models and the price advantage is more apparent.

Though comparing parts fit, workmanship and live fire performance give a definitive indication of which gun is best for you, Springfield’s 911 deserves a close look if you want a single-action .380 cal pocket pistol.

Range Time During live fire the 911 handles very well despite its size and has good ergonomics. The safety levers have an ideal amount of tension, and the G10 grips and texturing on the mainspring housing and front strap keep the pistol cemented in hand. Fully loaded magazines are inserted with ease even with the slide closed, making tactical reloads easy, and the case head of the top round in the magazine can be seen through the rear of the slide when the hammer is cocked. If you see the magazine’s follower instead of a cartridge when the slide is closed, the chamber probably contains your last round. The mag release button and slide lock lever are large enough to activate ambidextrously without problems.

Because the 911 is only 3.9 inches tall, changing magazines requires you to release the bottom fingers of your grip to allow the empty mag to pop free, aided by the spring tension of the follower. This maneuver is unique to small-frame pistols and illustrates the importance of learning and practicing micro pistol handling techniques, which can differ substantially from those used with compact and full-size hardware.

“during live fire The 911 handled very well, despite its size.” springfield armory 911 CALIBER: .380 S&W

AMMUNITION

VELOCITY

SM. GRP.

GRP. SIZE

BLACK HILLS 90 GR. JHP

828

0.76

1.06

WINCHESTER USA 95 GR. FMJ

878

0.46

1.07

SIG SAUER V CROWN 90 GR. JHP

860

0.46

0.77

OVERALL LENGTH: 5.5 INCHES BARREL LENGTH: 2.7 INCHES

«

performance Testing Results

HEIGHT: 3.9 INCHES WIDTH: 1.1 INCHES WEIGHT: 12.6 OUNCES (W/EMPTY MAGAZINE) CAPACITY: 6+1 (STANDARD), 7+1

The 911’s trigger pull has a stated weight of 5 pounds, though our sample measured 6 pounds, 8 ounces using a Lyman scale, and measured at the center of the trigger shoe. The trigger has minimal creep and no over-travel, which helps you land shots where you want them, especially when compared to pistols with long-stroke double-action triggers of equal or heavier weight.

MSRP: $599 URL: SPRINGFIELD-ARMORY.COM

Group size of 5 shots at 7 yards using a Caldwell rest and measured center to center.

Average is of 10 targets. Sm. Grp.- smallest 5-shot group; Group Size-average of 10, 5-shot groups. Mean velocity of 5 shots measured 10’ from the muzzle with an Oehler 35P chronograph.

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We tested the 911 for mechanical accuracy and sight regulation using three different loads, adding a fourth to assess functioning.

Mechanical accuracy was tested off a rest at 7 yards, and SIG Sauer’s 90-grain V-Crown load showed the best consistency. For practical defensive use the sights were well-regulated, with loads printing at or 1 inch below point of aim, and not requiring material adjustment to windage. Dovetail mounts allow for drifting if needed. The front sight, with its light lime-yellow ring around the tritium vial, was much easier to pick up with the contrasting front sight outdoors in daylight, but the color was indistinguishable from white rings on the rear sight when indoors under artificial light.

Our sample had to be sent back to correct out-of-battery stoppages using Black Hills JHP and SIG Sauer JHP loads. Springfield Armory remedied the problem within 24 hours and noted that it was an early model that has since been modified. There were also six misfires caused by light primer strikes in 200 rounds of testing, with the rounds firing on

Including Velcro on the holster is a good idea for creative minds who will buy and attach the corresponding side to all manner of places where the diminutive 911 can be concealed.

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“it’s a tilting-barrel, locked-breech design that distinguishes it from the most popular pistols chambered in .380 S&W.”

The rear sight allows the slide to be racked by catching it on a hard surface if one-handed operation is required.

the second try. As with any carry pistol, we would extensively test the 911 with your intended load before carrying, and make sure the spent primers have adequate firing pin indentation even if they consistently fire.

Using the extended magazine was more comfortable and made the 911 easier to aim, but the mild cartridge and partially undercut trigger guard, which places the hand higher on the frame, made second-shot recovery easy even when using the flush-fit mag and a partial hand grip.

Final Notes The 911 is the latest take on a very popular design thanks to its compact size, crisp trigger and good ergonomics. Its single action with manual safety isn’t for those who don’t practice enough to become proficient and automatic it its operation. However, for those who do put in the time, validate the performance of the intended ammo, and need a caliber lighter than 9mm, the 911 is a solid choice and a comparatively good value among all the other Mustangs in the corral.

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TBAC 556 Take Down the Perfect solution for firing a suppressed SBR

BY MI K E SEA RSON

W

hen I typically think of Thunder Beast Arms Corporation’s silencers, I think of lightweight, mostly titanium suppressors for use on long-range precision rifles. We have been running a 338 Ultra and a 308 Ultra 7 on our bolt-action rifles for years and have found nothing close to the sound levels and accuracy provided by these two units.

After they showed me their 556 Take Down at the 2018 Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show, I was somewhat surprised, and for a split second or longer, I thought they were dialing things backward.

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Here was a 5.56 can with stainless steel baffles that probably weighed as much as my 338 Ultra (16.9 ounces) and Ultra-7 (9.7 ounces) put together, and those are used on .338 Lapua and .308 Winchester rifles. It turned out that I was a little bit off, as Ray Sanchez of Thunder Beast Arms was quick to correct me.

Those two silencers have a combined weight of 26.6 ounces while the 556 Take Down tips the scales at an even 27 ounces.

Was Thunder Beast taking a step backward?

On the contrary, they were moving several steps forward.

The 556 Take Down mounts via direct thread for pistols and registered short barreled rifles. Shooters can pin and weld it to a 10.5-inch and longer upper receiver to avoid an additional tax stamp.

The 556 Take Down was developed as part of the 2017 USSOCOM (United States Special Operations Command) Suppressor Upper Receiver Group (SURG) solicitation.

SURG was intended to provide an upper receiver for the M4A1 Carbine that could provide continuous suppressed use. The requirements were originally closed in 2016, and when it looked like no suppressor manufacturer could meet them the solicitation was closed.

However, manufacturers like Thunder Beast Arms kept their noses to the grindstone to

meet these lofty goals and when SURG reopened in 2017 with a more realistic goal, the manufacturers were ready.

That’s how we got the 556 Take Down and its heavier weight. The baffles are stainless steel and are salt-bath nitride-coated (melonite) to further extend their service life.

The 556 Take Down is designed to withstand at least 20,000 rounds before depot-level service. Although the 556 Take Down has an indeterminate service life and will operate indefinitely, the baffles may be replaced by a depot-level service to regain

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 2018

CALIBERS: .223 CALIBER, UP TO 5.56MM /

the original suppression level. If you are not reading this from a military base or a police station, depot-level service is provided by Thunder Beast Arms.

A shooter can order a 556 Take Down as a direct-thread suppressor requiring no mount; it is simply threaded ½ x 28”. Other options include semi-permanently installed, permanently installed or purchased as part of Thunder Beast Arms’ dedicated suppressed upper receiver.

For our purposes we mounted the 556 Take Down to an existing short-barreled rifle (SBR).

You could mount this suppressor on a standard rifle barrel from 16 to 20 inches, but the 556 Take Down was built with shorter barrels in mind and can withstand the stress and abuse of full auto fire.

At just under 7 inches in length, it is ideal for making your rifle a one-stamp gun if you do not have an existing SBR. All you need to do is pin and weld it to the barrel to bring the total barrel length to 16 inches.

What makes the 556 Take Down truly unique in this regard is that it is one of the few rifle silencers that can be disassembled by

.224 CALIBER

SIG Sauer’s Romeo 4 makes for a nice optic on a lightweight carbine by activating when the rifle is moved and charging the batteries via solar power.

MATERIALS: 17-4 STAINLESS BAFFLES, 316L TUBE LENGTH: 6.95 INCHES DIAMETER: 1.65 INCHES MOUNTS: DIRECT THREAD, PERMANENT INSTALLATION POSSIBLE WEIGHT: 27 OUNCES THREADS: 1/2-28 FINISH: OUTER: BLACK CERAKOTE BAFFLES: BLACK NITRIDE (MELONITE) USE: SBR, FULL-AUTO MSRP: $495 REBUILD PRICE: $240 URL: THUNDERBEASTARMS.COM

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“You could mount this suppressor on a standard rifle barrel, but the 556 TAKE DOWN was built with shorter barrels in mind and can withstand the stress and abuse of special full-auto fire.”

Features TBAC 556

DIRECT-THREAD ATTACHMENT OPTION NORDLOCK (LOCKING) WASHERS INCLUDED TOOLKIT AND SPECIAL TOOLS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE

the user for cleaning, and that it can be disassembled using readily available tools from the front of the suppressor while it is still mounted to the barrel.

REAR WRENCH FLATS FOR INSTALLATION/ REMOVAL PIN HOLE ON WRENCH FLATS FOR PINNED/ WELDED PERMANENT INSTALLATION FULL DISASSEMBLY POSSIBLE FROM THE FRONT END, USES COMMON TOOLS BLACK NITRIDE (MELONITE) COATED BAFFLES FOR LONGER SERVICE LIFE 17-4 HEAT-TREATED STAINLESS BAFFLES, 316L TUBE WHEN PERMANENTLY PINNED/WELDED TO A 10 UPPER, COMPLETE UPPER WILL NO LONGER REQUIRE A REGISTERED SBR HOST

As suppressor baffles take a beating from the blast of a short-barreled rifle, the shooter can rotate these seemingly worn baffles to the rear of the stack when the damage becomes noticeable.

Our rifle Like most of our AR-type rifles, the SBR was built at home instead of purchased as an offthe-shelf product by one manufacturer. The lower receiver was made by Mega Arms for

Capitol Armory and built with a standard lower receiver parts kit and MIL-SPEC buffer tube.

The stock is an Armaspec XPDW stock that uses the existing MIL-SPEC buffer tube and is telescopic. We went this route as many PDW stocks use a proprietary buffer system and extension tube that require a good degree of fitting and experimentation to get the rifle to run effectively.

As for a trigger, we run a Geiselle BGRF (Brownell’s Geiselle Rapid Fire) that allows us to shoot rapidly and safely. It has one of the fastest resets we have ever seen on an AR trigger.

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“The suppression level at the muzzle and at the shooter’s ear is made possible by specific tuning and baffle design, since a high level of muzzle suppression typically increases ejection port volume.”

Our upper receiver is made by Nordic Components. It is forged, has a 10.5-inch barrel, and uses a Nordic Components NCT-4 Suppressor shield for a rail. This modular, two-piece handguard allows for use of a full-length guard on an SBR or AR pistol with a suppressor mounted, giving the shooter up to 6 inches of suppressor coverage and protection for that SD (Schalldämpfer) look to your carbine.

When not running suppressed you simply remove the front portion of the handguard so you don’t damage it while firing. You can run a can on it in this manner as well, as the longer-length handguard provides more mounting options and gives you room to properly hold your rifle. Both sections are M-LOK compatible and provide an unbroken top rail when attached together.

The front of the Nordic Components handguard is removable for easier access to the silencer.

For an optic we run a SIG Sauer Romeo 4H. You can select from four integrated reticle options (Dot, Circle-Dot, Dot with Holds, Circle-Dot with Holds). It boasts an impressive 50,000+ hour battery life and the readily available CR2032 battery is side-loading for quick battery replacement. It has a backup solar power option and the dot shuts down when the rifle is at rest. Once the sensor detects movement, it powers on.

Because we have a dedicated SBR, we merely threaded the suppressor to the barrel threads.

We have come to like this arrangement for most of our rifles, particularly anything we shoot for precision. On rifles we tend to shoot rapidly we do prefer a brake mount, so the brake can act as a sacrificial baffle absorbing the bulk of the blast from the round. This is

particularly important with a short-barreled rifle or an AR-type pistol.

However, as mentioned previously, this is less of a concern when a suppressor can be disassembled and the worn (or wearing) baffles can be rotated or even replaced.

At the range The addition of the 556 Take Down did not affect accuracy one bit when mounted to our rifle. Metering the can with MIL-SPEC sound equipment reveals about a 32-decibel reduction, with an average of 132 to 136 decibels when measured at the shooter’s ear.

According to Ray Sanchez at Thunder Beast: “The suppression level at the muzzle and at the shooter’s ear is made possible by specific

Advanced ergonomic shape improves the feel and handling of your SIG MCX/MPX Lightweight, rugged construction of 6061 aluminum, hard coat anodized for a lifetime of service Heat treated 4140 retaining clip with phosphate finish Easy no gunsmith installation Includes one five slot M-LOK™ compatible rail section Patent Pending 100% made in the U.S.A., MI Lifetime Warranty

ressor MI MCX Supp andguard Compatible HL height 2.640 inches ches / OA Width 1.975 in er 1.750 inches et am Internal Di MCX Virtus ll not work with Fits MCX only wi tible

pa $179.95 ppressor Com MI Sig MCX Su . . . . . . . . . . . . . .#MI-MCXSP10 .

10 Inch, 7.5 oz patible ppressor Com .5 $209.95 MI Sig MCX Su . .#MI-MCXSP13 . . . . . . . . . oz 13.5 Inch, 10.5 le ressor Compatib CXSP15.25 $219.95 pp Su CX M g I-M #M MI Si . . . . . . . .0 oz . .

15.25 Inch, 12

Handguard MI Sig MCX 6 inches / OAL height 2.

es Width 1.67 inch er 1.46 inches Internal Diamet MCX Virtus ll not work with 25 Fits MCX only wi . . . .#MI-MCX8.

25 Inch, 5.0 oz .5 10 CX I-M #M MI Sig MCX 8. . . , 6.9 oz . . ch In .5 10 CX 12 MI Sig M . .#MI-MCX .5 Inch, 8.5 oz . . .5 12 CX M g MI Si . . .#MI-MCX15

..

Inch, 10.4 oz .

MI Sig MCX 15

$179.95 $189.95 $199.95 $219.95

andguard MI Sig MPLXheigHht 2.6” / Internal Diameter 1.8” Width 2.06” / OA

M-LOK™ is a trademark of Magpul Industries Corp.

W292S4498 Hillside Rd, Waukesha, WI 53189

5M . . . .#MI-MPX4.

5 Inch, 3.0 oz 4.

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M PX g Si I-M I M . . . .#M 5 Inch, 5.0 oz 0M 8.

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0 Inch, 6.6 oz 10.5M PX I-M MI Sig MPX 8. #M . . .5 Inch, 8.8 oz MI Sig MPX 10 . . .#MI-MPX14M .0 Inch, 12.1 oz 14 PX M g Si I M

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$134.95 $144.95 $154.95 $164.95 $179.95

www.midwestindustriesinc.com

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The Nordic Components handguard allows suppressor mounting under the guard for the SD look.

Where to get one

Y

ou can order the 556 Take Down directly from Thunder

“This is one of the few rifle silencers that can be disassembled by the user for cleaning, and it can be disassembled using readily available tools from the front of the suppressor while still mounted to the barrel.”

Beast Arms or through one of

their dealers like Silencershop.com.

Ordering through Silencershop may be a slightly faster route.

Owing to the staf’s background in IT (Information Technology), they recently teamed up with several industry partners and the NFA Branch to develop a bar-coded system for ATF Forms. It reduces some of the waiting period, particularly on the Form 3 (Dealer to Dealer) side as the forms need only be scanned. This saves 15 to 30 minutes on the part of an ATF Examiner who would need to type the information manually. Multiply that by the thousands of forms being

The 556 Take Down can be disassembled from the front while mounted to the rifle.

tuning and baffle design, since a high level of muzzle suppression typically dramatically increases ejection port volume.”

processed and it adds up.

Form 3 approvals have been reduced from 4-6 weeks down to 24 hours and sometimes less because of the

With all things considered, from the outside appearance to the choice of materials to the actual performance on the range, we found the end result to make for an incredible value at $495. We cannot remember ever seeing a user-serviceable rifle can priced that low.

bar code. We recently had one come back in less than an hour.

Unfortunately, Form 4 transfers are still taking close to a year for approval. This is a hazard of the NFA (National Firearms Act) and is mostly

The 556 Take Down is a welcome addition to the company’s stellar line up of rifle suppressors. Maybe in the not-too-distant future we can see them filling voids in the pistol suppressor realm.

related to the implementation of 41P. However, we have seen more of the holdup on the side of the background checks taking longer than normal from the FBI/NICS desk.

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In 2005, Team Wendy turned its attention to the U.S. Army, which released a tender for pad sets to be included in their helmets.

Inspired By tragedy When a Traumatic Brain Injury Took A Daughter’s Life, A Grieving Father Created Team Wendy STORY BY D OU G JEFFR EY / PHOTOS COU RTESY OF R I C HAR D K I NG P HOTOG RAP HY

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All Team Wendy helmets undergo “extensive” internal and third-party testing to ensure that they meet the necessary requirements.

«

Contact

WEB TEAMWENDY.COM EMAIL INFO@TEAMWENDY.COM

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I

t’s interesting how some manufacturers become engrained in the consumer’s mind for a certain product. Take the fast-food industry. For many people, the connection is probably McDonald’s. In the tactical world, Team Wendy may very well be the name that consumers link to helmets. And for good reason.

For more than 20 years, the Cleveland, Ohiobased company has been providing unparalleled protection to a variety of customers.

It started with the ski industry and has transitioned into military, law enforcement and search and rescue.

To find out more about this company’s history and future, we spoke to Halle Nagle, director of marketing communications.

After you read this, you’ll understand why many consider Team Wendy the go-to company in the tactical and adventure world.

Tell us when and how Team Wendy got started.

QUESTION:

ANSWER: Halle Nagel: Team Wendy was founded in 1997 by Dan T. Moore as a memorial to his daughter, Wendy, who passed away from a traumatic brain injury (TBI) following a snow skiing accident that same year. Initially, our focus was on creating the most protective ski helmet on the market—and this at a time when only a small percentage of skiers and snowboarders wore helmets. The market wasn’t necessarily ready for a helmet like this, but in the process of designing our first ski helmet, we invented our patented Zorbium foam.

We quickly realized the impact that this technology could have to mitigate TBI in more than just alpine sports. In 2005, the U.S. Army released a tender for pad sets to be included in their helmets, and we shifted focus to this new space. Since then, Team Wendy has created innovative, scalable helmet systems for elite military, law enforcement, and search and rescue operators that allow them to scale up or down for the mission requirement, including our latest product release: the M-216 Ski Search and Rescue Helmet, which has brought us back to the space where it all started—and at a time when the market is finally ready—and we’re better than ever at what we do.

As a memorial to his daughter, Wendy, who passed away from a traumatic brain injury (TBI) following a snow skiing accident, Dan T. Moore founded Team Wendy.

Q: Describe your staff. Does it include retired military personnel?

A: Team Wendy employs a diverse group of talented employees with a broad range of skill sets and experience that drive the company’s research and development, operations, marketing and sales success. Capabilities range from chemical, mechanical and electrical engineering, and industrial design to operations and quality control management with decades of experience in executive management/leadership. The staff includes military and other USG veterans, as well as several outdoor enthusiasts who are in tune to industry requirements and are constantly aiming to improve upon existing systems and address unmet needs.

Q: You’ve been providing the Army and Marines liner systems for helmets for more than 10 years. Describe how that arrangement comes about.

A: In 2005, the U.S. Military released a tender for pad sets to be included in their standard issue Advanced Combat Helmets (ACH). Prior to this, pad sets were not typically included with military-issued helmets, as the impact helmet pads have in mitigating TBI was not yet fully realized. Using our patented Zorbium foam, we created our Zorbium Action Pad (ZAP) system and were chosen as the supplier of record to the U.S. military, a position that we maintain to this

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 2018

“Each test helmet is impacted 14 times; two times each in seven locations, at cold (14°F), ambient (68°F) and hot (130°F) conditions.”

A: Modern ballistic helmets are typically a composite matrix that encapsulates high strength fibers. The fibers “catch” a projectile similar to the way a baseball mitt catches a ball, but obviously these are dealing with much higher energies.

The specific “recipe” of a helmet is proprietary to each manufacturer, but the fiber utilized in the newest and lightest helmets is primarily ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), due to its high strength-to-weight ratio.

Most law enforcement units require that their ballistic helmets stop projectiles specified as level IIIA according to NIJ STD 0108.01/0101. This means that the helmet will stop a 9mm FMJ RN, a .357 SIG FMJ FN and .44 Magnum SJHP.

Q: In general, how have helmets changed through the years?

A: Prior to the 1960s, helmets were predominantly made of steel and intended only to stop fragmentation. DuPont later introduced a material called aramid fiber, which would become known by the trademark Kevlar, and is now synonymous with “bulletproof material.” Kevlar helmets became the standard from the mid-1980s until the early 2000s and allowed helmets to stop common handgun bullets, in addition to providing fragmentation protection.

day. To date, our ZAP system has been supplied to more than six million men and women in uniform.

Q: How will helmets be different in 5 or 10 years?

Q: Does our military also wear your helmets?

A: Historically, the helmet has been worn to serve a single purpose—to provide ballistic protection.

These days, we’re equally focused on creating systems-based helmets that allow the user more seamless integration of communications systems, NODS, etc. Systems integration will continue to be a focus for helmets serving elite users in the coming years, and we will continue to concentrate on the development of new and evolving capabilities that allow our products to better serve that function while offering optimal protection. Further, the industry continues to look at new materials and ways to manufacture them to continue to drive down weight while increasing protection.

Q: Describe the modern ballistic helmet.

At Team Wendy, business is personal. Decisions are made in part to honor the legacy of Wendy Moore, with an ever-present goal of preventing TBI in the men and women we protect so that their loved ones don’t feel the same void as our founder and his family. We have a large banner on our manufacturing floor that says, “The work you do every day saves lives.” You can feel that sense of pride and value in the work we do simply by talking to the members of our team. She is always with us, and we know she would be proud of the work her

In addition, most military helmets are required to stop a variety of fragmentation (different sizes and velocities) and provide blunt impact protection.

More recently, the introduction of polyethylene shells made for a significant reduction in weight while still maintaining ballistic performance.

A: Our helmets—both ballistic and non-ballistic—are worn by various military communities, both domestically and by our allies abroad. Domestic customers include the U.S. Air Force TACP and Pararescue, as well as U.S. Navy EOD. Our largest allied country customer is the Australian Defense Force. Additionally, our products are worn by elite federal, law enforcement, intelligence, and search and rescue communities.

At Team Wendy …

It’s Personal

This image shows the EXFIL Ballistic Visor and EXFIL Ballistic Ear covers. The EXFIL Ballistic SL features a lightweight composite shell providing a 15% weight reduction over the original EXFIL Ballistic and keeps the same unique EXFIL shell geometry.

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“Team Wendy was founded as a memorial to dan moore’s daughter, Wendy, who passed away from a traumatic brain injury (TBI).”

Q: What makes Team Wendy’s helmets different?

A: Rather than focusing on the shell, we begin the design process for our helmets from the inside out, leveraging our vast experience in blunt impact protection. Because we focused exclusively on perfecting our pad set offering and our patented CAM FIT Retention System for a few years, the fit and comfort of our helmets is second to none. Our CAM FIT disperses pressure evenly around the cir-

Above: The EXFIL Ballistic SL is available in black, coyote brown, ranger green and multi-cam.

cumference of the head, eliminating pressure points that typically arise when a retention system only locks in at two points.

It’s not just the design of the padding and retention, but significant focus is also given to the form of our helmet shells. By studying the anthropometry of head sizes and ergonomics of comfortable fit, we developed a unique sizing scheme that uses adjustable comfort pads to provide a better, more optimized fit than the traditional four-shell size

approach, with the side benefit of making sizing simpler for those procuring the helmet.

Our ballistic helmet also has a unique and distinctive shape that unlike most ballistic helmets is not perfectly round, which makes it immediately recognizable as an “EXFIL” and passes the ever important “mirror test.”

While optimal protection and fit is always our top priority, we are constantly thinking about how the helmet platform can be used

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KEY NUMBERS: U.S. STATS 1.7

1.365

In millions, according to the CDC, the number of people who sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) annually

In millions, the number of people who are treated and released

from an emergency department for TBI

TBI and are hospitalized

275,000

52,000

30

The number of people who suffer a

The number of people who

TBI is a contributing factor to nearly

suffer a TBI and don’t survive

Walk onto the manufacturing floor at Team Wendy, and you’ll find a banner that says, “The work you do every day saves lives.”

A: All of our helmets, whether ballistic or non-ballistic, undergo extensive internal and third-party testing to ensure that they meet the necessary requirements we’re trying to meet, be it for ballistics, mountaineering, white water, alpine, etc.

Our EXFIL Ballistic helmet meets the third-party NIJ-accreditation at level IIIA according to NIJ STD 0106.01 / 0108.01, which means that the helmet will stop common handgun threats. In addition to stopping the rounds, we also measure for backface signature/ deformation. At 1,400-1,450 ft/sec, a 9mm FMJ RN must produce less than 25mm of backface signature/deformation on an NIJ clay headform to be acceptable to Team Wendy’s standards.

most effectively to integrate other technology, such as lights, communications systems, NODS, etc., while balancing loads. We pride ourselves on offering scalable helmet systems for elite operators that allow them to scale up or down for the mission requirement. They may not need to utilize every feature of our helmets on a daily basis, but when they do, our systems-based helmets ensure that they are ready.

Q: Describe the testing process.

Additionally, the helmet is tested for resistance to fragmentation that may be experienced during blast-related events. This is simulated using a standardized cylindrical projectile and tested to see at what velocity the projectile is expected to penetrate the shell 50% of the time. This is a standardized armor test method known as the V50 value, and for our helmet is ≥ 2,400 ft/sec for the 17gr projectile.

For impact testing we utilize internal instrumented drop towers in accordance with a variety of military, Department of Transportation (DOT) and sport helmet standards. Helmets are placed onto a headform and dropped from a set height onto a variety of different surfaces while the acceleration/deceleration of the

one-third (30.5%) of all injury-related deaths in the U.S.

75 3/4 of TBIs that occur

each year are concussions or other forms of mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI)

headform is measured. For our ballistic and carbon helmets, they meet and exceed the ACH blunt impact protection requirements of < 150G peak acceleration when impacted at 10 ft/sec—our ballistic averages less than 70G across all temperatures and locations. While a perfect correlation between acceleration and brain injury doesn’t exist, this is still below many suggested acceleration levels that could be associated with concussion. Each test helmet is impacted 14 times; two times each in seven locations, at cold (14°F), ambient (68°F) and hot (130°F) conditions.

Additionally, we perform other testing within the MIL-STD-810 test suite such as UV light exposure, high-altitude exposure, blowing sand exposure, vibration testing, resistance to chemicals and field agents, and salt water immersion.

Other, less quantitative testing involves testing our helmets with an ever-changing landscape of accessories and attachments to ensure users have as many options as possible when setting up their helmet.

Q: What else comes to mind?

A: Our mission is to research, design, develop and deliver the most innovative, purpose-built and impact-mitigating products and technologies on the market. We place a strong focus on research, particularly the causes and prevention of TBI. According to the CDC, an estimated 1.7 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) annually. Of them, 1.365 million are treated and released from an emergency department, while 275,000 are hospitalized and 52,000 don’t survive. TBI is a contributing factor to one-third (30.5%) of all injury-related deaths in the United States.

About 75% of TBIs that occur each year are concussions or other forms of mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI).

Team Wendy has joined forces with Brown

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University, Drexel University and Sandia National Laboratories to conduct comprehensive research on traumatic brain injury.

With a $4.75 million grant from the Office of Naval Research, the three-year study aims to produce new insights into how traumatic injuries form in the brain and develop new helmet technologies to help prevent them.

Accomplishing that will require a comprehensive, multilevel understanding of how forces are transmitted from a helmet to the skull, from the skull through brain tissue, and ultimately to the individual neurons and axons that are damaged leading to TBI. To achieve this the effort brings together research spanning from the microscopic level of brain cells to the macroscopic level of helmets and is incredibly unique in that respect. Our team leads work on the macroscopic scale, developing an integrated sensor system within the padding of a helmet that is capable of measuring linear and angular accelerations, as well as force distributions experienced across the skull during impact. The system will be capable of providing measurements in a lab setting, such as when on a test headform, and eventually on a human wearer.

As previously mentioned, there is currently no perfect correlation to determine whether a brain injury will result from a given head impact. The aim of this effort is to develop a detailed brain injury model so data collected via the helmet can be used to predict likelihood of injury following an impact to the head.

With a better understanding of how traumatic brain injuries occur, the study is also working to improve helmet testing methods and develop new materials and designs for the next generation of helmets and protective equipment.

“the industry continues to look at new materials and ways to manufacture them to continue to drive down weight while increasing protection.”

Team Wendy’s domestic customers include the U.S. Air Force TACP and Pararescue, as well as U.S. Navy EOD.

BUILT TO

SURVIVE ANYTHING PRETTY MUCH

SKB waterproof iSeries cases are built to military spec and feature a virtually indestructible construction that’s lighter and stronger than the competition. With over 50 sizes and many interior options to choose from, you can bet that if you’ve got something worth protecting we’ve got a case for the job.

skbcases.com

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BattleReady Head Gear When the mission gets tough, these helmets are geared for action

Team Wendy EXFIL Ballistic When it comes to high-quality ballistic helmets, Team Wendy’s EXFIL Ballistic receives the highest marks. This helmet is supremely lightweight, yet battle-proof ready, boasting an array of innovative features, including an advanced hybrid-composite shell, NIJ Level IIIA protection, Zorbium foam liner, and a head-snugging retention system.

It comes standard with the reliable EXFIL rail 2.0 mounts for easy attachment of all EXFIL accessories.

Combined with the helmet’s unique sure-fitting geometry and CAM FIT retention feature, the design adjusts easily to every wearer’s head shape, ofering an unprecedented level of comfort, protection and fit.

URL: TEAMWENDY.COM MSRP: $1,011

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Caiman Hybrid Caiman’s Hybrid comes with a host of state-of-the-art features that make this ballistic design among the best.

First, it comes in five sizes (ensuring a light, efective fit) and uses a unique skeletonized system. This gives the helmet amazing ergonomics and functionality in nearly every type of situation. Its conformal carbon-bump shell is designed for riverine, maritime, high-altitude, free-fall and fast-paced special ops ground maneuvers.

The Hybrid allows for a variety of accessory options, by using skeletonized rails, NVG Mount, mandible guard, Personal Signature Management System, armor appliques, and a bevy of other mission-specific fixtures.

URL: REVISIONMILITARY.COM Note: The Caiman Hybrid Helmet System is available for federal, government and military purchases only.

MSRP: $850

Ops-Core FAST Ops-Core’s FAST is a revolutionary designed ballistic helmet created for the most demanding combat scenarios.

It uses a super high-cut shell made of hybrid composite carbon, unidirectional polyethylene, and woven aramid—technology that allows for a 42-percent reduction in weight compared to the traditional U.S. Army ACH shell. The Lux Liner provides protection from impact, using a one-piece full-coverage layer of modular padding, designed for shockwave attenuation. Available in two retention options, and in a variety of colors, this helmet truly is remarkable in every way.

URL: OPS-CORE.COM MSRP: $1,662

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Chase

Tactical Striker ACH IIIA Chase’s Tactical Striker ACH IIIA ballistic helmet utilizes cutting-edge features, including protection against handgun ammunition strikes; a shell composed of lightweight, multi-layer advanced composite, and an ultra-comfortable suspension system and four-point harness with a leather-lined chin strap.

It also has a reduced outer profile, which improves peripheral and upward field of view, increasing the wearer’s situational awareness. It accommodates goggles, night vision and a communication system. Additionally, the helmet uses the proven Team Wendy Cam-Fit Retention System, incorporating the first chinstrap with dial-adjustable customization.

URL: CHASETACTICAL.COM MSRP: $740

Team Wendy EXFIL Carbon Thanks to a unique carbon-fiber construction, the EXFIL Carbon is in a class of its own. It weighs only 1.7 pounds, yet it’s extremely tough, exceeding current ACH blunt-impact protection requirements.

It also meets the safety requirement (BS EN 1385: 2012) for whitewater helmets.

It comes with a pre-installed Revolve TPU liner system, which was developed under the U.S. Army Natick Soldier RD&E Center HEaDS-UP program. (Customers can also choose the Zorbium Foam Liner.) It additionally gives the user optimum impact protection with the help of a series of patented thermoplastic urethane structures that deliver amazing airflow using a “standof zone” between the wearer’s head and shell.

The EXFIL Carbon sports the Wilcox W shroud for night-vision mounts, a Boa Closure System with cam-lock sliders for a solid fit, and it’s fully compatible with tactical communication headsets.

URL: TEAMWENDY.COM MSRP: $585 (BLACK) $644 (MULTICAM)

Ballistic Vs. Bump Helmet: The Difference

C

apable of stopping impact from a .44 Magnum bullet, ballistic helmets are the standard level of protection for military, special operations and law-enforcement personnel who place themselves in harm’s way.

However, in many environments, Level IIIA “ballistic” protection may not be necessary. In this case, a lighter and lower-cost “bump” helmet is more than adequate and provides full blunt-trauma and heavy-impact protection.

These helmets are ideal for fast-moving tactical missions, training missions, search-and-rescue, roping and climbing, whitewater rafting, and a variety of other extreme recreational sports.

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deep cover Desert Tech SRS-A1 Covert Rifle T EXT BY M I K E NUM AI NV I L L E / P HOTOS BY L AR RY AT I L

I

n my years on the departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s precision team, I witnessed the evolution of the American sniper rifle firsthand. One of the prevailing trends has been the shortening of the barrel, as snipers sought after a more maneuverable rifle system.

Now with the Desert Tech SRS-A1 Covert, the advancement of the modern sniper rifle has indeed risen to a new height.

From the onset of my time on SWAT, we commonly used 24-inch barrels. Those Remington 700s were very precise but were

very unwieldy at the range, let alone in the field on a stalk. When I left the sniper team (due to my foolishness in taking a promotional test), we were using 18-inch barrels on short-action Remington 700s with an overall length of 36 inchesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;still a challenge to deploy quickly.

Unfortunately, Desert Tech was not up and running when I left, but the Desert Tech SRS-A1 Covert offers many of the things our team was looking for. Desert Tech offers its standard bullpup design Scout Recon

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“Changing the barrel was easy and simple after loosening the barrel nut on the left side of the stock just above the trigger area.”

System in a 16-inch-barreled Covert model.

The overall length of this rifle is 26.5 inches compared to the 36-inch short-action rifle system more commonly used.

The many attempts to solve the overall “length problem” with precision rifles have been largely focused on modular systems that allow the shooter to remove barrels or the simpler method of adding a folding stock, which will get you close to the Desert Tech Covert. However, the Desert Tech lets you keep every part of your rifle intact and ready as soon as you remove it from your pack, case or vehicle. This makes the DT SRS-A1 Covert truly portable, concealable, and maneuverable for urban deployments.

Key Features Initial impressions make this look like a “futuristic” compact carbine until you see the large magazine under the stock—and then you realize this is not a 5.56 rifle.

Then, looking at the large, oversized, tactical bolt handle, you know you are shooting a bolt-action rifle.

The layout of most of this rifle is different from the traditional short-action rifles I have shot over the years. First, the bolt handle is under the shooter’s cheek rest.

At first, this is a little a slower and more awkward from the norm. However, I was surprised at how quickly it started to feel

The SRS-A1 features certain ambidextrous controls, including the magazine release and the safety.

comfortable. (I have spoken to new shooters who started out on this design and did not know any other way; these shooters had some of the fastest times during bolt manipulation drills on the range.)

Secondly, the box magazine is behind the trigger assembly, as is the ambidextrous magazine release. The magazines are unique to the Desert Tech rifle and offer the ability to change calibers without changing to a different magazine each time.

Finally, the safety is above the trigger guard and is accessible on both sides of the rifle. I found this safety easier to manipulate than the traditional style at the rear of the bolt.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 2018

The Kahles Helia C 3-12x56 riflescope provided great field of view downrange, and its Horus Vision Reticle offers intriguing potential.

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Desert Tech SRS-A1 Covert

CALIBERS: .223, .243 REMINGTON, 6.5 MM CREEDMOOR, .308 WINCHESTER, .300 WIN MAGNUM, .338 LAPUA OVERALL LENGTH: 26 INCHES BARREL LENGTH: 16 INCHES RATE OF TWIST: 1:8 WEIGHT: 9.5 POUNDS TRIGGER PULL: 3 POUNDS (ADJUSTABLE) CAPACITY: VARIES PER CALIBER

MSRP: $3,395 URL: DESERTTECH.COM

Changing the barrel was easy and simple after loosening the barrel nut on the left side of the stock, just above the trigger area.

I did notice that the QD sling mounts on the rear of the stock stuck out away from the stock approximately half an inch on both sides. I can see why this design was necessary due to the bolt sliding all the way the rear of the stock, but it does add the possibility of catching on clothing or other tactical gear in certain situations.

Accessories The newest T&E (testing and evaluation) rifle from Desert Tech arrived nicely equipped with several top-quality accessories.

To start, it came with a Kahles Helia C 3-12x56 Rifle scope. This was a base unit as it did not have an illuminated reticle, but I was impressed with the ultra-bright image and clarity. The 56mm object provided a great field of view down range.

The scope was equipped with a Horus Vision Reticle that I have not used previously. Having used Duplex and TMR reticles through most of my professional career, I am very intrigued by this reticle’s potential and the

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shot correction capabilities due to the finely displayed “Christmas tree” style grid.

A Harris swivel bipod that I was very familiar with, having used one for many years, was included. However, I will have to admit after a few shots went downrange I quietly changed the Harris out for the Atlas bipod I had on my own precision rifle. I feel the Atlas’s stability and adjustability are unmatched when shooting from a bipod.

The DT Covert SRS-A1 showed up with two barrels, a 6.5 Creedmoor and a .308, both 16 inches in length in the Covert model.

Changing out the barrels takes about two to three minutes the first time you do it, and about half that every time after. Although I have not worked with too many modular barrel systems, this one was very simple and straightforward. All it required is loosening and re-tightening retention screws on the right side and one locking screw on the left side of the rifle.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 2018

“I was impressed that right out of the case I was able to get sub MOA groups at 100 yards.

After a few minor scope adjustments, I was seeing half-inch groups.”

I was impressed that right out of the case it was shipped in I was able to get sub-MOA groups at 100 yards. After a few minor scope adjustments, I was seeing half-inch groups with Desert Tech’s own 140-grain 6.5 Creedmoor Premium Match Grade Ammunition. As I fired more rounds, I became more and more comfortable with the rearward bolt manipulation.

The SRS-A1 came equipped with a Harris swivel bipod mounted up front and features a deployable monopod built in to the buttstock.

At the Range The DT Covert is not “lightweight,” but I found it very well balanced. I have had experience shooting from unsupported shooting positions over the years and with traditional rifle systems. With these rifles, you are trying to find the best way to support the weapon without overly counterbalancing your position. I shot the DT Covert in standing, kneeling and prone positions, and

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“Looking at the bolt design would make you think shooting this rifle from a support side would be slow or awkward, but that was not the case.”

this is where the DT Covert’s compactness really shined.

Looking at the bolt design would make you think shooting this rifle from a support side would be slow or awkward, but that was no the case. I had to lift my cheek off the stock completely to run the bolt; after a few shots I was able to get back on target. Although I cannot remember ever having to use the rifle on my support side while deployed, anything is possible.

I have not shot many rifles with an adjustable monopod built into the stock. I have long been a fan of using small support rear bags for minor elevation changes. However, I liked the micro-adjustments of using the

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“Other shooters have mentioned concerns about excessive creep in the trigger, but I did not notice any excess play or creep.” monopod. The fact that it’s built into the stock is another big win.

Other shooters have mentioned concerns about excessive creep in the trigger, but I did not notice any excess play or creep.

The trigger is adjustable, and I felt it broke cleanly and crisply once you took the initial slack out of it.

The SRS-A1 is available in a wide variety of calibers; ours arrived with provisions for 6.5 Creedmoor and .308 Win.

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The SRS-A1 is adjustable to shoot a variety of ammunition. The barrel is easily changed by loosening and re-tightening a set of screws on either side of the rifle. The magazines are unique to this platform and offer the ability to change calibers without having to change to a different magazine each time.

The Desert Tech Covert delivers reliable accuracy in a solid compact design. This rifle is purposely built with the urban sniper in mind. It will take some traditional bolt-action rifle shooters a little time to adjust to the rear bolt action, but in the end they will be rewarded with a discrete, maneuverable and accurate rifle for their tactical missions.

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«

SOURCES NIGHT GOGGLES NIGHTGOGGLES.COM TACTICAL NIGHT VISION COMPANY TNVC.COM

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 2018

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Out of the Dark A crash-course primer on cost-effective night vision T EXT BY C HR I S T RAN / P HOTOS CO U RT E SY O F N I G H T G O G G L E S

I

was first exposed to using night vision during a visit to the High Bar Homestead for a previous World of Firepower store. While there I met Charles “Chip” Lasky, Director of Operations for Tactical Night Vision Company, who instructed attendees in the basics of operating under night vision for our writers’ event. Flash forward several months and several paychecks later, and Lasky had guided me to an informed purchase decision for my own set of night vision goggles and required accessories.

Based on his input, I went with a set of TNVC Sentinels with L3 un-filmed white phosphorus tubes, which I cannot wait to take out for some training classes this year. I am starting to travel a bit more for writing assignments, and as a non-SWAT police officer and writer I’ve been interested in taking NVG courses on my own time to broaden my experience and knowledge. I can also see a not-so-distant future where individual officers may be permitted to purchase and use their own gear as attitudes toward domestic use of night vision

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change, and operational needs dictate. After an exposure to aerial hog eradication in Texas last year, I want to do some nighttime hunting as well.

For me, several personal factors—police officer training, enhanced experience and knowledge as a writer, and as an enthusiast who definitely wants to get into some nighttime hog hunting—the TNVC Sentinels were a prudent, albeit expensive, purchase for me to accommodate my multiple requirements.

But what about the average guy, the shooting enthusiast, the hunter on a modest budget or the prepared citizen and enthusiast? I asked Lasky about all three of these scenarios and what he would recommend for each individual user. Obviously, cost is a major consideration, but so is relative quality of the night vision system. What would an expert recommend and why?

Lasky offered to introduce me to Tom Austin from TNVC’s sister company Night Goggles.

Night Goggles has the same dedication and commitment to customers but is geared more towards the more budget-conscious consumer. Here is what Austin had to say about Night Goggles, and some solid recommendations for the first-time user entering into the night vision game.

Being just one of just a handful of staff that runs the company, Austin takes care of sales, customer service and social media, and wears several other hats within the business. I also learned he is a former officer himself, having worked at a smaller department in Utah for ten years. During his career in law enforcement Austin served with a narcotics unit among other specialty squads such as SWAT, and later, once withdrawing from active LE, opened up

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a hunting guide service called Predator Strike Force that he has been with for twelve years.

Austin explained to me that Night Goggles is the brainchild of Victor Di Cosola, President and CEO of TNVC. Most know that TNVC is dedicated to serving active warfighters, law enforcement and the high-end civilian markets, and offers professional-grade night vision products and gear for those who are often on the front lines and actively in harm’s way. It follows that high-quality gear commands a certain price and financial dedication. I can personally attest to that, as my TNVC Sentinels and accompanying hardware were not an inexpensive venture.

“A number of hunters and preppers were buying tnvc gear, and he wanted to make night vision devices more accessible to the general population.”

Night Goggles sources what are called Gen II+ tubes, along with the same components as the premiere counterparts at TNVC—materials, circuitry, bodies and so on. Night Goggles principal Tom Austin is pictured below, eqipped for action in the field.

What Di Cosola recognized is that there were a good number of hunters and preppers who were buying TNVC gear, and he wanted to make night vision devices more accessible to the general population. Hence the creation of Night Goggles, headed by Tom Austin.

Di Cosola realized that there was a gap in product offerings for the general consumer

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“Night Goggles is not a bigbox optics company; the dedication to customers is much more personal.”

and realized that Night Goggles could fill that gap by offering quality gear at more attainable prices for consumer-level optics. One should not, however, be fooled into equating “consumer-level optics” with “cheap.” We also need to make a distinction between “cheap” and “relatively inexpensive.” Night Goggles is not a big-box, recreation-level optics company by any stretch. Let’s take a closer look at their method of operation.

Night Goggles’ parent company, TNVC, ofers professional-grade night vision products and gear for those who are often on the front lines and actively in harm’s way.

Night Goggles sources what are called Gen II+ tubes from an outside company.

What exactly does this mean? Night Goggles states that its products are made from the same components as the premiere counterparts at TNVC—materials, circuitry, bodies and so on are all the same. There are two main differences, however, and it is important to recognize and understand these differences compared to premiere TNVC products.

The heart and soul of a night vision setup, tubes are generally recognized in layperson’s terms as running from Gen I-Gen III, with quality and range of image increasing with each subsequent generation. This is where a lot of the cost comes from. Gen II+ tubes are not what a professional end-user (military, law enforcement) should use or settle for in order to cut costs. That being said, they are of enough quality to serve a purpose for those who may not be actively going into harm’s way or into life-or-death tactical situations like our active military or law enforcement service folks.

Gen II+ tubes are NOT auto-gated. Without getting into circuitry and thresholds, an auto-gated tube protects itself from damage if the tube is on and goes from a dark to suddenly light environment (within reason).

For military and LE, or in urban environments, this is a very important consideration so as to not damage or permanently wash out your expensive tubes due to unexpected or intentional over-saturization of light. In these scenarios, auto-gated tubes are recommended.

For non-tactical users, or users who will utilize night vision in predominantly rural environ-

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In addition to night vision goggles, Night Goggles deals in a variety of nighttime hunting and shooting equipment, like the Pulsar Trail thermal scope (above), a popular line of tripods, and accessories like the Shadow Tech Pig Saddle (left).

ments where the likelihood of rapid and/or unexpected transitions from dark to light is not a factor, a non-gated Gen II+ tube may fit the bill. It’s important to understand this distinction prior to purchase.

mate 30% degradation in image quality, and a negligible degradation in image quality under infrared (IR) illumination. Since the Gen II+ tubes are of lesser quality and non-gated in comparison to their Gen III counterparts, this is where the cost savings benefit analysis really comes into play.

For farmers in rural environments who operate in low light to no-light conditions, such as inspecting and patrolling their property lines or nighttime varmint eradication, Night Goggles offers good solutions for effective night vision patrol without breaking the bank.

For preppers and prepared citizens who may want to use night vision maybe once or twice a year, or who are serious about catastrophic societal events without an $8,000-$10,000 budget, Night Goggles again could definitely fit that bill.

What’s it all mean? For budget-conscious buyers some sacrifices must be made, as we are not purchasing the top-shelf equipment used on the front lines by military or tactical law enforcement. At the forefront of most people’s minds is cost. Depending on the model, a Gen II+ system is going to run about $500-$1,500 less than a high-end TNVC setup.

Training aficionados who take introductory night vision courses and are considering getting into the night vision game without the hefty initial up-front investment cost could definitely benefit from a PVS-14 model paired with an ATPIAL-C or DBAL for their tactical training setups.

A side-by-side comparison of a Gen III setup versus a Gen II+ setup will show an approxi-

Keep in mind that Night Goggles was created to fill the gap for consumers that don’t neces-

“For nontactical users, a nongated Gen II+ tube may fit the bill as opposed to the more advanced but much more expensive gen III. It’s important to understand this distinction prior to purchase.” sarily need, or have operational requirements for top-of-the-line night vision devices. We all definitely want the best bang for our hardearned bucks, but as with any other purchase, it is important to know your application, and to make purchasing decisions accordingly.

Incidentally, although the name of the company is in fact Night Goggles, one of the company’s best-selling products is a line of carbon-fiber tripods for stationary shooting.

The lightweight models can support up to 31 pounds and their Pro model up to 66 pounds in the field. So regardless of whether you are a hunter, prepper or farmer, or simply a shooting enthusiast, Night Goggles offers a range of shooting accessories and optical equipment that’s right up your alley.

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IFAK IFAK is an acronym for Individual First Aid Kit. IFAKs can be assembled by you or bought as preassembled kits. Traditional military-style kits are built to deal with the two leading causes of death on the battlefield, severe hemorrhage and inadequate airway. This means that they are ideal to have around whenever you are handing and shooting firearms.

first AID KIT You’ll want to have a good old-fashioned First Aid Kit in addition to the IFAK mentioned above. Thankfully, most injuries sustained are not life-threatening. The majority are the minor bumps-and-bruises variety that you typically encounter when at the range. For those times, you might just need a remedy for small cuts, a bee sting, relief from sunburn (or brass burn) or even meds for an allergy. Modifying a standard First Aid Kit to suit your individual needs is a good idea, too.

PROTECTION Having a few pairs of non-latex gloves for protection is a good idea to keep in and around your gun range medical kit. We specifically mention non-latex because even if you’re not allergic to latex, you don’t know if the person you’re rendering aid to is or not. You’ll also want to have antiseptics in your kit too. Antiseptics come in different forms such as creams, ointments and sprays, and are basically germ-killing cleansers that can prevent infections. Infections can be deadly, or at least painful to deal with, so make sure you’re armed with antiseptics to help keep a minor problem from getting worse.

water Not only do you want to have plenty of water on hand to stay hydrated, you’ll also want access to water in case any medical situation arises. If debris or chemicals land in someone’s eyes, you’ll want to have water to help flush it out. Water can also help rinse out an injured area that may be hard to see due to dirt or debris that’s stuck to a cut or wound.

Gun Range Medical Kit Essentials

training Knowledge and training in the proper implementation of first aid and trauma care aren’t things that you pack into a med kit, but are probably the most important things to be armed with in the event of a medical emergency at the range. Knowing what to do with the tools at hand can save lives. If you don’t know how to properly use a tourniquet, chest seal or hemostatic agent, you’ll want to learn before heading out to the range.

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