PMCI - March - 2020
2020 has definitely started with all boots on the ground as the entire PMCI team made their way to SHOT Show to check out the latest and greatest at the biggest shooting show on the planet, and you can read the report in this issue! We've also got to grips with the SIG M400, the rather special Spartan Harsey Dagger, and the latest 6mm gas training "AR" from VFC, so whatever your "tool of choice", you can read about it in PMCI!
2020 has definitely started with all boots on the ground as the entire PMCI team made their way to SHOT Show to check out the latest and greatest at the biggest shooting show on the planet, and you can read the report in this issue! We've also got to grips with the SIG M400, the rather special Spartan Harsey Dagger, and the latest 6mm gas training "AR" from VFC, so whatever your "tool of choice", you can read about it in PMCI!
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MAR2020
CONTENTS
4 VIVA LAS VEGAS! IT’S NOT OFTEN THAT THE ENTIRE PMCI TEAM GATHER IN ONE PLACE,
BUT WHAT BETTER PLACE TO DO SO THAN SHOT SHOW 2020!
10 LESS THAN LETHAL: TRAMPAS TAKES A CLOSE LOOK AT VIABLE OPTIONS FOR PERSONAL
DEFENCE IN THE FORM OF PEPPERBALL
15 EDITORS COMMENT
16 GEAR ON TEST: “GEAR FOR THE GOOD GUYS” BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE PMCI TEAM
20 TACTICAL INNOVATION: 0241 TACTICAL: BILL REVISITS ONE OF OUR FAVOURITE VETERAN-
OWNED AND RUN GEAR BUSINESSES TO CHECK OUT THE VERY LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
24 GEAR: RANGEWEAR: NOT KEEN ON THE WHOLE “TACTICOOL” CLOTHING THING? BILL
ILLUSTRATES IT’S ABOUT PERFORMANCE, AND NOT JUST LOOKS!
28 TECH: EVERSAFE: TRAMPAS LOOKS AT A GREAT SOLUTION FOR A GREAT OPTION FOR
CARRYING GEAR DISCREETLY AND SECURELY
32 FIREARMS: SIG M400: THIS TIME WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE M400 FROM SIG SAUER
CHAMBERED IN 5.56 NATO!
36 KNIVES AND TOOLS: SPARTAN HARSEY DAGGER: TRAMPAS TAKES A LOOK AT A
VERY SPECIAL BLADE THAT’S COMES COURTESY OF SOME VERY GOOD FRIENDS TO PMCI!
38 FIREARMS: SMITH AND WESSON 638 AIRWEIGHT:
IN BOTH CIVILIAN AND LAW ENFORCEMENT CIRCLES, THE SMITH AND WESSON DOUBLE
ACTION J-FRAME REVOLVER CHAMBERED IN .38 SPECIAL HAS LONG BEEN A FAVOURITE,
BUT WHAT DO WE THINK?
42 TOOLS OF THE TRADE: WILLIAMS HANDGUN SIGHTS: WILLIAMS AFTERMARKET
HANDGUN SIGHTS ARE A SPOT ON QUICK FIX THAT WILL PLACE YOU WAY AHEAD OF THE
GAME FOR A VERY LOW PRICE!
44 6MM TRAINING: VEGA FORCE COMPANY SR-16: CONTINUING TO CHAMPION THE
6MM TRAINING INITIATIVE BILL GETS DOWN AND GRITTY WITH A SUPERB GAS “AR”
TRAINING PLATFORM THAT REPLICATES THE REAL THING DOWN TO THE SMALLEST DETAIL
47 BOOK REVIEW “AMERICAN GUERRILLA: THE FORGOTTEN HEROICS OF RUSSELL W.
VOLCKMANN”
48 INDUSTRY VACANCIES: LOOKING FOR WORK? JUST CHECK HERE.
Copyright © Calibre Publishing 2020. All rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the
express permission of the publisher in writing. The opinion of the writers do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. The
Editors reserve the right to edit submissions prior to publication.
Thank you for downloading this Edition of PMCI, the FREE digital publication dedicated to PMC Operatives. PMCI is written by
individuals with first-hand knowledge and experience of the subject they write about - and all of whom have an intimate
understanding of what the role entails and the day to day challenges faced by those working in this industry.
Editor (UK): Bill Thomas
Deputy Ed (USA): Trampas Swanson
Graphic Design: Baz Thakur/
Deadshot Design
Publisher: Nigel Streeter
Cover pic: SMG
PMCI magazine is a digital-only publication
available FREE OF CHARGE via the PMCI
App on a wide range of digital platforms,
including iOS, Android and Windows. For
more information, visit www.pocketmags.
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PMCI will provide a platform to review and discuss the things to matter to all of us, such personal equipment, training, employment
and lifestylestyle management - and these are also our core fundamentals. We hope you enjoy this Edition of PMCI and if you have
any feedback or comments, or would like to contrubute to future issues, please let us know by email to: editor@pmcimagazine.com
2
THERE IS NO ROOM
FOR COMPROMISE
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SHOT 2020
AS WE ROLLED INTO 2020, IT WAS THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN FOR THE TACTICAL AND FIREARMS
COMMUNITY MOVERS AND SHAKERS TO MAKE THEIR ANNUAL MIGRATION TO THE DESERTS OF
NEVADA. INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD SUCH AS LICENSED FIREARMS
DEALERS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, MILITARY AND PRIVATE MILITARY CONTRACTING PURCHASING
AGENTS, CELEBRITIES AND MORE DESCEND UPON LAS VEGAS, NEVADA FOR THE ANNUAL SHOT
SHOW, AND THE PMCI CREW WERE THERE AMONGST THEM! - BY TRAMPAS SWANSON AND CLINT STEELE
The acronym SHOT stands for Shooting, Hunting,
Outdoor Trade. This show is the one week of the
year where just about every firearm, ammunition,
and gear company in the global industry shows up
to display their wares over five days of festivities
and excitement. This event includes an exclusive
“Invitation Only” range day that is held at the
Boulder City Rifle and Pistol Club on Monday to get
the week started with literally a “BANG”. Range Day
is followed by four days of static displays held inside
the immense Sands Convention Center inside of the beautiful
Venetian Resort and Casino. This year’s show featured over 2,600
separate exhibit booths taking up an area roughly equivalent to
11 football fields of space. If an individual attempted to visit every
single booth during the four days that the show floor is open, they
would only be able to stop at each booth for a total of 22 seconds
to be able to cover the entire event! This year, like every year in
the history of this publication, the PMCI team was there with boots
on the ground to cover the week’s events. We are privileged to
bring you, the readers, the highlights in this article.
SHOT 2020
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6SHOT 2020
BILL THOMAS, TRAMPAS SWANSON, NIGEL ‘I NEED A BEARD’ STREETER, CLINT STEELE
THE TEAM
As most of the readership of PMCI
is already aware, the Swanson
Media Group proudly makes up
the North American contingent
of the PMCI staff. This year’s
team consisted of SMG Managing
Editor Trampas Swanson, Deputy
Editor Clint Steele, Photographers
Victoria Perez, and Mitch Holloway.
We had to honor to be joined
during the event by PMCI’s UKbased
Management team of
Publisher Nigel Streeter and Editor
Bill Thomas. With the band all
together, it was time to take on
SHOT SHOW 2020!
MIXING IT UP
Prior to the start of the SHOT Show events, members of the
Swanson Media Group had the opportunity to represent their
sister company, Swanson Training Group (STG). Instructors,
Trampas Swanson and Clint Steele were invited to present the
USCCA’s Countering the Mass Shooter Threat class on the Sunday
at a local Las Vegas training center prior to Range Day. This eighthour
course focuses on countering the false political narratives
surrounding such events as well as some simple, yet effective
methods to mitigate such tragedies. This training package
was presented to a small group of local Las Vegas security
professionals, firearms trainers, and 2nd Amendment advocates.
While this added to the week’s workload, it did manage
to set the tone perfectly for our writers to get focused on the
mission ahead!
RANGE DAY
The next morning would start just before 0700 HRS as the
members of the PMCI team loaded up and made the 30-minute
drive to the range in Boulder City for the day. Since this year’s
team was smaller than it has been in the past, we decided to
stick together to cover the 1.2-mile wide event. Before getting
started, the group took a few minutes to have a brief team
huddle to remind everyone to be safe and focus on the task at hand.
Over the next eight hours, the team got hands-on with some
of the latest and greatest weapons and ammunitions that the
firearms community had to offer for 2020. Test firing several
new models of handguns, suppressors, full-auto machine guns
and even went long-range, shooting some sniper rifles out to
about 800 meters. Take it from a one very proud Deputy Editor,
the PMCI team really impressed the vendors with their depth of
knowledge and skillsets when handling firearms. When it came
time to recharge the batteries the team managed to grab a bite
to eat from some of the best food trucks in the Las Vegas area.
Highlights from the day included getting up close and personal
with Diamondback Firearms’ latest innovation. The DBX57, this
“carbine-style” pistol is chambered in 5.7x28mm. At an overall
length of 25 inches with the brace extended and weighing in at
a minuscule 3.7 pounds, this pistol just screams truck gun or the
perfect companion while on a low-profile protection mission.
Since we are discussing the 5.7x28mm chambering, another
highlight of range day was the chance to check out Ruger’s new
offering in the same caliber. The Ruger 5.7 pistol was everything
we hoped it would be. When asked to compare the Ruger 5.7 to
the OG of the 5.7 world, the FN 5.7. Trampas made the comment
that comparing the grip surface of the Ruger to the FN was like
comparing the grips of a 1911 to that of a Glock 21. The Ruger
variant was slimmer and more accommodating versus a bulky and
boxy feel of the FN variant in the hand. Other standouts of the
day included the new Glock model 44 chambered in .22LR and
another Ruger product, the Lite Rack LCP II also in .22LR. Stay
tuned to future issues of PMCI for in-depth reviews by the PMCI
team in the coming months.
THE FLOOR
With Range day over, the real work began for the team.
Throughout the SHOT Show floor, attendees could walk through
the vendor booths looking at tremendous displays of firearms and
accessories. This provided them with an opportunity to conduct
“hands-on” inspections and discuss the products with industry
representatives. Some of the products would be available the
week of the show, others would be available at some point in the
coming weeks or months. Some you could even find currently on
the shelves of your local store. Others, it would take mountains of
paperwork and even bigger piles of cash to purchase.
One of the most impressive events of the week took place
on Wednesday when the one-day New Vendors Showcase was
opened. This event took place on the 5th floor of the convention
center and as the name implies was only open to vendors,
who had never shown at the show before. This showcase had
a different feel from the rest of the event. Most of the time at
SHOT, the vendors are a bit standoffish, now that is in no way to
insinuate that they are rude, they just tend to stay in their booths
and only engage folks who walk up and start conversations with
them. The New Vendors Showcase, on the other hand, had the
feel of a county fair or local bazaar. These vendors only had one
day to make connections that could benefit their company and its
products for the rest of the entire year. These eager vendors were
engaging as soon as you came close to their spaces.
One such new vendor that immediately struck up a
conversation with me was Elle Rueger of Soledier Socks. This
company was founded a little over two years ago, after talking
with a family friend who had just returned from a deployment
overseas. This friend explained how the socks that people sent in
care packages were true godsends. Items that not only brightened
the soldier’s days but, helped them to remain effective while
conducting operations. What came about from that conversation
was the idea for Soledier Socks. When a customer purchases a
pair of Soledier Socks, a pair of specially designed “Thomas” socks
are delivered to an active-duty soldier in the U.S. military. When I
explained to Elle that I had been an Infantry soldier myself and I
understood just what a pair of good socks can mean, she handed
me a pair of the “Thomas” socks with an invitation to give them a
try for myself. Well, I can tell you right here and now that the last
day at SHOT, when my feet were at their worst. Those “Thomas”
socks were just what the doctor ordered and helped me to finish
the week strong. If you’re interested in helping a worthy cause
and getting yourself a pair of awesome socks at the same time.
Check out www.solediersocks.com you won’t regret it.
SHOT 2020
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8SHOT 2020
vAnother of the exhibitors at the New Vendor Showcase that
caught my eye were the folks at the Zeta6 booth. The folks over
at Zeta6 have reimagined the speed stripes for the J-frame sized
revolvers. Their new J-Clip and J-Strip are low-cost, polyurethane
speed loaders with the holes spaced correctly and are designed
to fit all the popular J-frame sized revolvers regardless of
manufacture. I am really looking forward to giving our test
samples a run and will be reporting back to you the readers of
PMCI in the coming months on how they are working out for us.
You can learn more about Zeta6’s products at www.zetasix.com
In wrapping up the new vendor’s area, the team discovered
what may be one of the hottest new items in the magazine
reloading industry. We were greeted by a company by the
name of American Speedloader. As we have seen in many of
our classes taught over the years and through our volunteer
work with the national not-for-profit, The Well Armed Woman
org., many shooters often have a hard time loading magazines
for their semi-auto handguns. Whether its stiff springs in a
new magazine, physical disabilities or simply a lack of applied
muscle groups, the task of loading round after round individually
into their magazines can often detract from wishing to train
regularly. The American Speedloader products offer shooters
a fast and simple way to insert their magazine inverted into
the device, slip each round down a small slide in the rear of
the loader and use their body weight and upper arm strength
to push the magazine down and magically load the magazine.
More to come on this device in future issues, but expect for this
device to be BIG for lady shooters especially.
Back out on the normal show floor, we stopped in on some
of our old friends to check up on some products we were excited
to bring to our readers. At the Spartan Blades booth, we caught
up with U.S. Army Special Forces veterans, Curtis Iovito and Mark
Carey to get a preview of one of the latest knives to come from
these former pipe-hitters. You can check out Trampas’s review
of that knife, the Spartan Hersey Dagger in this issue of PMCI.
Spartan Blades can be found online at www.spartanbladesusa.com
One of the more exciting new meetings of the week for the
PMCI team was a chance to get together with the folks over
at Helikon-Tex and Direct Action. Our international readers may
already be familiar with the name. This Polish manufacturer of
tactical gear and clothing has recently established a distribution
center for their products in the United States and are pushing
hard to capture a piece of the American market share. You can
look forward to seeing some of their incredible items grace the
pages of this magazine in future issues. You can take a look at
their huge catalog of products at www.helikon-tex.com
and http://directactiongear.com
THE 6MM INVASION
One of the latest training ideas to hit the shores of the United
States is the use of 6mm replicas of popular firearms to bridge
the gap between dry fire practice and live-fire training. These
6mm replicas have been all the rage for training outside of the
United States for years. To see these replicas garner the floor
space they did at this year’s SHOT show means that the time
may have finally come for the American firearms community to
take these training tools more seriously. When industry heavy
hitters like SIG Sauer have their SIG Air 6mm offerings in the
same booth as their ‘real-steel’ counterparts, you know it’s
going to be a big push in the coming months. As a quick preview
of some coming events in PMCI, be on the lookout for reviews of
SIG’s surplus M17 9mm Modular Handgun System and SIG Air’s
6mm replica version of the same model. More information on
these 6mm replicas can be found on the SIG Air pages of the SIG
Sauer website at www.sigsauer.com/products/airguns/.
HEADING HOME
As we wrapped up another year at SHOT and said goodbye for
now to the amazing city that is Las Vegas, Nevada, we took
the time to relax and enjoy one last evening with our team on
Friday. Saturday would see the team head home into the arms of
our waiting families. Each team member took time to reflect on
what they had seen and to ease those aching feet after walking
miles upon miles over the course of the week. In my case, I
returned home to deal with a lingering case of the “SHOT SHOW
Flu”. Regardless, everyone looked forward to a chance to get a
full night’s sleep in their own beds.
In the coming year, everyone will continue to be witness
to our efforts over the course of the 2020 SHOT Show. The
relationships we build each year with the various vendors and
the access they provide us throughout the year to their products
to thoroughly test them prior to publishing any reviews are
always amazing. All this hard work we do for our
outstanding loyal readers. You won’t want to miss
a single issue of PMCI this year. Stay Tuned and
until next time, remember, we here at PMCI are
constantly moving “Forward, Always Forward.”
TELLTHETIME,
ALLTHETIME.
Tritium iluminatedwatches
thatstayvisiblealnight.
Exclusivelyavailableonline
WWW.NITEWATCHES.COM
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LESS THAN LETHAL
PEPPERBALL NON-LETHAL OPTIONS
EVERY DAY, ALL OVER THE WORLD, MILITARY SPECIAL OPERATIONS GROUPS, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND
CIVILIANS ALIKE ENCOUNTER CRITICAL SITUATIONS REQUIRING IMMEDIATE ACTION. OFTEN, THESE
SITUATIONS ARE FORCED TO BECOME DRAWN OUT AND END IN QUESTIONABLE LETHAL FORCE DUE TO LACK
OF AVAILABLE OPTIONS. WHILE TASERS AND PEPPER SPRAY COULD HAVE ELIMINATED THE THREAT EARLIER,
FACTORS SUCH AS DISTANCE AND THE INABILITY TO DEPLOY FROM PROPER COVER PREVENT THESE OPTIONS
FROM COMING INTO PLAY EARLY IN THE REACTIONARY GAME PLAN. FORTUNATELY, NON-LETHAL PAYLOAD
DELIVERY OPTIONS FROM A COMPANY BY THE NAME OF PEPPER BALL, HAVE BEEN MAKING THEIR WAY ONTO
THE BATTLEFIELDS AND STREETS OF SOME OF THE WORLD’S TOUGHEST AREAS TO HELP.
In this issue, PMCI looks at two relatively new
products offered by this company for not only
military and law enforcement but civilians alike.
These models are the Flashlauncher and the
Tactical Compact Pistol or TCP for short. First, to
understand the devices, we must understand the
munitions in which the devices are built to launch.
PEPPER BALL
The term Pepper Ball is a trademarked term for
two similar individual types of payload delivering munitions.
The first is a round .68 caliber projectile very similar in
external composition as the average paintball but inside,
contains a wide range of options from PAVA pepper powder
to simple water marking loads for training. The premise of
the Pepper Ball system is to launch munitions such as those
containing irritant powders via disposable compressed CO2
cartridges over a distance onto targets such as humans to
deter unlawful behavior or an escape an unsafe situation.
This process depends on chemesthetic shock in order to
manifest its desired effect. Chemesthesis is defined as the
chemical sensitivity of the skin and mucous membranes.
These sensations arise when chemical compounds activate
receptors associated with other senses that mediate pain,
touch, and thermal perception. These chemical-induced
reactions do not fit into the traditional sense categories
of taste and smell. Basically, when a round containing
something such as CS powder strikes a human, the shock of
impact first causes an extremely noticeable pain to the skin
without puncturing it while at the same time, opening up
the pores to become more susceptible to the irritant powder
delivered. Such pain normally causes increased heart rate
and breathing which enhances the bodies acceptance of the
powder and increasing its effects.
10
While this is still a non-lethal option, the impact of the round on
skin will leave a deep red or purple welp and even damage an
eye or nose if a direct facial impact occurs.
The second option is called a VXR projectile. It is looks like a
semi-round paintball with a hollowed-out space in the rear much
like a black powder maxi-ball round and finned like a modern
shotgun slug to collect more air to drive the projectile. The
VXR munitions come in the all the same payload options (and
effects) but with the ability in selected launchers to be delivered
from longer distances. As of this article being published, the
selection of various munitions options is listed below to better
understand its wide and diverse range of usages.
• LIVE – Basic Pepper Ball consisting of .5% of PAVA pepper
powder
• LIVE X – Equals 10 times the potency of 1 regular LIVE round
for faster, more effective results
• CS – Active Payload of CS irritant powder (similar to the
military gas form of the irritant)
• CS / PAVA – Mixture of both CS and PAVA pepper power (Hell
in a ball)
• INERT – Scented Training Powder (Purple in color)
• MARKING – Paint solution to mark suspects for later
apprehension as such in riots or large raids as well as marking
doors, openings or potential threat areas.
• GLASS BREAKER – As the name implies, used for shattering
glass from a distance prior to approach on a vehicle or
structure take down. (NOT TO BE USED ON HUMANS)
• WATER FILLED – Training Use
• UV MARKING – Invisible Ink for Suspect ID
• VXR Series – All the above options but configured to be
delivered via VXR compatible launchers for not only longer
distance but also more accuracy
FLASHLAUNCHER
As the name implies, the Flashlauncher is designed to have
an unsuspecting appearance of a large sized flashlight. At first
glance, it looks like the type of light commonly used by civilians
for everyday inside the home during a power outage or just out
at night walking the dog. While there is an effectively working
flashlight producing 350 lumens of light from the device, there
is so much more to it. Inside the Flashlauncher lies the capability
accurately launch a Pepper Ball munition over 60 ft onto an
intended target.
Activation of the light is accomplished by gripping about
midway of the light, just forward of its natural balance point.
With the thumb riding along the top of the device, the
hand’s trigger finger naturally falls onto the light activation push
button switch located on the bottom. Located under the thumb
is the devices firing button located underneath a protective plate
which can be pushed forward out of the way without having
to readjust the master grip. Once the plate is cleared, a laser
aiming device is activated. With the firing button depressed,
the device launches a single round. How accurately? Let’s take a
quick look.
To best test the Flashlauncher, I took it to range on two
different occasions and introduced it to two chapters of the
national not for profit organization, The Well Armed Woman. I
assisted each lady who volunteered to try out the device with
removing the safety block pin from the device to allow the
triggers protective plate to be pushed forward into the finally
shooting position.
Loading consisted of unscrewing the puncture ram from
the face of the device and inserting the C02 cartridge before
returning the ram. A small pop of gas could be heard as the
device took its charge. Next, the projectile ram is removed with
a simple twist before loading a maximum of 5 pepper balls into
the rear and returning the ram home. Ladies took careful aim
using the laser onto the center of a human silhouette paper
target located 21 feet down range stapled to a corrugated
cardboard backer. Every round fired not only struck the target
exactly where the laser was pointed, and a clean hole was
formed as the round passed through and shattered onto the
concrete wall 28 yards down range lane.
LESS THAN LETHAL
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LESS THAN LETHAL
The low-profile design, 1.75 lb weight, ambidextrous safety
and overall user friendliness of the Flashlauncher combined
with its power and accuracy really impressed every one of
the two dozen ladies who tired it. From housewives to armed
professionals, each commented how the device made them
rethink the possibility of carrying a less than lethal device as
a part of their everyday lives.
TCP - TACTICAL COMPACT PISTOL
The second device tested was the Tactical Compact Pistol or
TCP for short. Constructed of bright yellow polymer (optional
black or bronze colors) and shaped like a traditional handgun
for less needed learning curve for anyone comfortable with
shooting live firearms. While this is not the subtle less than
lethal option that seamlessly blends into your everyday life,
it is a great option for purse or fanny pack carry, the armed
security guard or even vehicle carry.
The device featured a comfortable pistol grip and
undermounted rail for the additional of common weapon
mounted lights for use in dark environments. The device
shipped with an easy to use holster that fits most standard
belts and holds the launcher securely in place. Additionally,
the TCP offers two supplied magazines, each with a capacity
to hold six rounds of the more streamlined VXR munitions.
Unlike the traditional Pepper Ball, the VXR rounds can be
launched up to 150 ft through the TCP onto human sized
targets with relatively good accuracy.
To test the capabilities of the TCP launcher, I met up with
former Marine and fellow firearms instructor, Jerry Moody
at The Swamp training grounds. Our test subject for the day
would be our PMCI test dummy, BOB. Our silence volunteer
would be outfitted with a beanie hat and thin tan t-shirt.
The munition used for testing would be the inert VXR finned
projectile clearly marked by its purple color.
Loading the six shot magazines was quick and easy. First,
the puncture ram is unscrewed from the magazine base plate
as the CO2 cartridge is inserted. As the ram is returned and
screwed back in, a small pop of air can be heard to confirm
the cartridge is now activated in the magazine. Next, each
VXR round is top loaded by locking the magazine follower
in the down position via tabs on either side and leaving the
magazine spring compressed. Next, a small bar blocking
the rounds from escaping the top of the magazine must be
pressed forward as each round is inserted facing forward.
Once all six were loaded, the magazine is inserted into the
bottom of the pistol’s grip and the push button safety is
disengaged to fire.
Jerry and I each took turns firing the TCP from initial
ranges of five and seven yards with very impressive results.
The payload delivery came with a solid smack onto target
and encapsulated the target’s head and neck area with the
white training powder even with centerline chest shots. After
each shooter worked through a full magazine, we would step
back five yards and take aim again. By the end of testing,
the distance from the target had grown from five yards to
approximately thirty yards with five of six rounds striking
solid hits on target for each shooter!
At all distances, the VXR rounds cleanly broke and dumped
its contents onto the target area. Up to fifteen yards, the point
of aim / point of impact was dead on. At twenty yards and
further, the VXR rounds seemed to drift about three inches to
the right and approximately five inches high. (Note there was
less than a three mile per hour ½ value wind during any part
of the testing and a relative temperature of 55 F.)
FINAL THOUGHTS
Prior to testing the Pepper Ball products, my primary
experience with non-lethal products has come from my
time in Law Enforcement with bean bag rounds, belt carried
pepper spray canisters and paintball guns converted to fire a
liquid pepper solution with less than reliable service. Through
training with the Pepper Ball products and training others
on the Flashlauncher and TCP platforms, my opinion on this
payload delivery system has greatly changed. I would have
no issues with carrying the Flashlauncher while out walking
in the evening with my family or having the TCP in my
vehicle or carry bag during my daily errands and travels as a
supplement to my every day carry Glock 19 9mm pistol.
Retailing at US$229 for the Flashlauncher and US$399
for the TCP, these devices are not cheap, but they could save
thousands of dollars by offering a non-lethal option to a
situation that normally may only leave the end user with no
other choice but to use a firearm without. Think about it like
this. Imagine you are out walking with your family around the
neighborhood and a resident’s dog confronted you snarling,
growling and nipping at your kids. If given a choice would
you rather simply dispatch the animal with a pepper ball to
sting and discombobulate it or be forced to shoot it? Nobody
wants to be known as the neighborhood “dog killer” if it
can be avoided. That piece of mind carries over to possibly
diverting an attach by the local “thugs” harassing you over
money or personal belongs before things turn lethal. It is my
professional opinion that the cost of a Pepper Ball product
is a small price to pay to avoid a much more expensive and
life altering dilemma and will give me a better piece of mind
if these options were exhausted through the use of force
continuum first before needing to shoot someone.
Other models are offered by Pepper Ball for military and
LE application only which are equipped with large CO2 tanks
to propel more rounds per charge. These models include full
rifle versions such as the FTC and TAC-SF which are designed
similar to a traditional paintball gun as well as an AR-15
based rifle for operators that are already trained on the AR
platform.
To date, over 5000 plus agencies worldwide, including
the US Army, US Marines, Border Patrol, Private Security
and even school violence reaction teams are currently using
Pepper Ball devices. To learn more about these devices, visit
them at www.pepperball.com today. Until next time, Train
Hard and Continue the Fight!
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EDITORS COMMENT
EDITORS COMMENT
THINGS TO COME!
As we are now well into 2020 as I write the team and I are still
collating all the great information that came out of SHOT 2020,
and although Clint and Trampas have landed a super report again,
I am taking the opportunity here to give my own l overview!
First up, it is fabulous when the entire “PMCI Posse” gathers,
and due to my illness this hasn’t happened for way too long, but
to say that SHOT 2020 made up for this is an understatement!
No, you really can’t see everything at the show, but that is what
teamwork is all about, and teamwork is something we have in
abundance.
One of the continuing trends that caught my eye very quickly
at SHOT was the move even further towards ever lighter carbines
and rifles, with many manufacturers going for skeletonised rails
and stocks. With all the big names in play, firearm models that
stood out for me where from Knights Armament, Remington
Defense, Daniel Defense, LMT, Lantac USA (oh, that SPR!), and
Black Rain Ordnance… trust me, if I could have returned home
with a“T800” I’d have been a VERY happy camper as it looked
positively outrageous in a very cool way!
Now there were a couple of specific things that I wanted to
check out, and the first of those was the Laugo Arms “ALIEN”
pistol as this seems to be causing a lot of chatter; this is marketed
(with a hefty price tag!) as their flagship pistol which has now
gone from prototype to production and even been approved for
IPSC competition use. The 9mm “ALIEN” allegedly has the lowest
bore axis available on a handgun, with the positioning of its fixed
barrel some 1.7mm below the line of the grip axis. With an overall
length of 8.5-inches, the pistol is certainly unusual to look at, but it
does feel very comfortable in the hand; will it justify its pricetag?
Only time will tell…
The other stand I wanted to spend some time on was that of
SIG and I was not to be disappointed as the latest MG338 was on
display loud and proud! SIG confirmed recently that it has delivered
the new models to U.S. Special Operations Command, along with
sound suppressors and ammunition for them, and SIG says the
.338 calibre machine gun weighs around 20 pounds, making it
lighter than even the L variant of U.S. military’s standard 7.62mm
M240 machine gun, and lighter too than the MK 48, which SOCOM
previously led the development of as a lighter-weight alternative
to the M240-series.. I was also very taken by the NGSW-R
prototype which is called the ‘Spear’ in both 6.8x51mm Hybrid
and 7.62x51mm. This is the latest evolution of the MCX platform
but with some improvements including a newly designed forend
with a full-length top rail and a standard AR-style charging handle
with an additional folding charging handle on the left side of the
receiver!
Sadly after a stupendous SHOT we are all reeling a bit from the
postponement of the Enforcetac/IWA Show in Germany due to
the spread of Covid-19; will this affect our coverage of our brand
partners and their new developments? Not a bit, as I’m already in
touch with them and we’ll be showcasing more of those “things
to come” in future issues of PMCI as planned.
So for now, keep sharp, keep safe, and I hope to
see some of you in Nuremberg later in the year!
EDITORS COMMENT
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GEAR ON TEST
ASP XT DH HANDHELD LIGHT
By Trampas Swanson
Perhaps my favorite light currently on the market for multiple
reasons, is the ASP XT DF Light. We all know one of the
cardinal rules of firearms safety is “Know your target and
what lies beyond it”. THAT DOES NOT CHANGE IN THE DARK!
The tactical light industry is full of great gun-mounted lights,
but in doing so, often overlooks the liability of waving the
muzzle of your firearm around in search of possible targets.
For those who understand that searching an area not
immediately under fire or posing a threat of bodily injury is
best served with a handheld light with or without a firearm,
the XT DF light is a great option.
Manufactured by Armament Systems & Procedures—
better known as ASP, the company that makes the cool
handcuffs and expandable batons—these lights offer a
plethora of advantages over your standard small SureFire or
Streamlight. The DF stands for Dual Fuel, which means you
can charge the included 18650 battery (using the supplied
adapters or any micro USB cord) in your truck, patrol vehicle,
home or office, or simply pop in two fresh CR123A disposable
batteries and go.
The extremely bright Cree XPG2 LED bulb produces 600
lumens of light in high mode, easily lighting up any close
quarters area you may need to search, with a run time of up
to 3 hrs. and 45 mins. The light also allows you to program
your choice of four secondary light settings, to dial in how
much light you need, while not overdoing it and ruining your
natural low light vision. Starting from the full 600 lumen
setting, you can “double tap” to activate the secondary mode
at 150 lumens, 60 lumens, 15 lumens, or a very distracting
high output Strobe feature. The easy-to-use, multifunction
tail cap allows you to quickly switch between momentary
and constant on, and even choose an “OFF” position to lock
out any chance of accidental illumination during a mission.
The all too familiar texture of the grip is like that of the
company’s famous collapsible batons, which I have carried
personally and professionally for going on twenty years
now. Even when completely wet, this texture offers a sure
grip on the body of the light to prevent dropping it. The
weather-resistant light is rated to over 6 feet of impact
resistance on hard surfaces. Twice already, I have had this
unit become accidently submerged during training. First by
getting knocked off a shooting table into a puddle of water
in the dark, and the second time by being left on a range all
night in the rain. Both times, just by simply shaking the light
dry before putting it away, the XT DF sustained no damage
and worked perfectly.
The handy reversible pocket clip gives additional leverage
in gripping it, as well as a great way to secure it either bezel
up or down when you need your hands free to transition to a
weapon. For carry on my gear, I prefer ASP’s optional handsfree
rotating Tactical Light Case. The overall, compact 6.25”
length, 1.4” diameter of the XT DF, combined with its easy
to operate tail cap allow it to be easily used in conjunction
with a handgun employing the “cigar style” technique, often
referred to as the “Surefire” technique as well.
The XT DF has an MSRP range of $128 (without charging
kit) to $170 (including the kit), but can easily be found for a
bit cheaper online, and can be delivered as soon as the next
day, ready for duty. After four months of nonstop usage, I
highly recommend getting not just one of these lights, but
instead, get one for each of your vehicles, your “go bag”
and emergency rally point in your home. To find out more
about the Dual Fuel XT light and other great products from
ASP, visit their website at www.asp-usa.com .
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DIRECT ACTION MUSTANG BELT
SYSTEM
Returning to his Direct Action Mustang Pistol Belt Bill
now has it set up to his liking, and reports back on the
latest additions!
When travelling overseas to get some range time, and
we’re blessed at PMCI to have some outstanding training
partners in the USA, in Eastern Europe, and even further
afield. When I’m travelling to attend a course this means
hauling my personal kit with me.
I’ve now phased in my new system of the Direct Action
Mustang inner and outer belt with pouches as needed,
and finally I’m happy with the setup. The lo-profile
Mustang inner belt works simply as a trouser belt and
as a stabiliser for both the Mustang and Warhawk outer
belts. As it attaches to the inner Velcro loop panels of
those belts, it prevents ride-up during dynamic movement
or when drawing a pistol from a holster. With this belt
in place there’s no need to use suspenders or a drop leg
panel in order to achieve a secure pistol draw. Made out
of proprietary laminate and Velcro this is simply a flat,
feather-light accessory to keep your pants up and your
working equipment belt where you’d expect it to be. The
ultra-thin profile of the trouser belt effectively eliminates
“buckle over buckle” discomfort and can be worn all day
long.
Made of heavy duty tubular webbing, proprietary
laminate, and lined with Velcro loop the Mustang Rescue/
Gun belt is bartack-reinforced in stress points, stiffened to
carry the weight of holsters and magazine pouches and
secures with a certified AustriAlpin Cobra buckle. There’s
an anchor point for carabiner / lanyard / tether next to
the buckle, and this is compatible with FROG buckle or
shackles. It’s Velcro-loop lined on the inside so that it
mates perfectly with the inner trouser belt, so you can
have all your range-ready kit pre-mounted and be good
to go within seconds.
Since I started working with this excellent belt I’ve set it
up with a pair of Direct Action Speed Reload pistol and rifle
magazine pouches, which are open-topped with a bungeecord
retention system and allow to super-fast access when
reloading. As they are designed to work specifically with
the Mustang belt (and other Direct Action belt models)in
addition to standard MOLLE attachment points they also
have a unique shock-cord attachment which I love, and
using this once they are on the belt they are solidly locked
in place. I also run a dump pouch, and simple first-aid kit
contained in the excellent Modular Individual Med Kit
Pouch from Helikon-Tex. The final element to my personal
rig now is a CAT (which I hope I will never have to use!)
carried in Direct Action Tourniquet pouch. The only other
things that go onto the belt are a holster, and this will be
dependent on the handgun platform I am training with at
the time (1911 style from Kydex Customs shown fitted),
and a personal safety lanyard if needed.
Simply put the Mustang two-piece system and the
associated pouches give you all the versatility and
performance you need, backed up with rock-solid fabrics
and components, and superlative craftsmanship. I’ve worn
my personal setup regularly and already given it some
serious abuse and thus far it’s been nothing but exemplary.
For more information on Direct Action please do visit
eu.directactiongear.com for Europe and us.directactiongear.
com for the USA.
GEAR ON TEST
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GEAR ON TEST
GUN SOX BY CHEATA TACTICAL
As a former Law Enforcement officer, one item I have
learned to respect the most in both the professional
and civilian world of concealed carry is the need to be
comfortable with carrying a firearm even when it may
not be the most comfortable item to wear. Too many
times have I encountered others who are licensed
concealed carry holders, who aren’t armed at the
time. An abundant amount of the excuses falls under
the category of either not having the right holster to
conceal based on their outfit or their firearm being too
cumbersome to wear on their person.
The truth is, the gun isn’t supposed to be comfortable, it supposed
to be comforting. Unfortunately, we as humans refuse to accept
discomfort for piece of mind and many licensed concealed carry
gun owners fail to carry their firearm daily. Keep in mind, a gun
left at home can quickly end up being a vital tool missing in a
life or death emergency. The right holster and plenty of practice
wearing it can help solve this issue. One of the best ways I have
recently found to comfortably carry a firearm comes from a
company called Cheata Tactical.
During my career as a Deputy Sheriff, I often carried a back up
weapon to my duty firearm and at times even a back up to my
off duty carry gun as well. This method usually meant wearing
pants or jeans in order to carry my back up gun in an ankle
rig regardless if it was below freezing weather or 103-degree
heat outside. (Living in North Carolina at the time, we saw both
extremes yearly.) When I retired my badge and gun duties, I can’t
say I really missed the bulky holsters available on the market
during those days. Very rarely did I consider going back to the
centralized weight bearing into my ankle bone and working its
way loose every few hours.
When I was recently approached to test a new ankle rig for
a review, I must admit, I started out a bit skeptical. With an
open mind and aging knee, I agreed to fairly evaluate the Gun
Sox by Cheata Tactical just as I would any other product. What I
discovered would be a one of very few “game changers” on the
market. Hopefully, this article helps you consider another option
in your own battle in firearm carry, so let’s begin!
FIRST LOOK
When the package arrived from Cheata Tactical, it contained not
one, but two models of their signature Gun Sox holster.
The first was the original full calf encompassing original Gun
Sox and the other was a mid-calf version for use with cowboy,
tactical or work boots. The original allowed for casual wear with
athletic or street shoes while the mid-calf held a firearm secure
while nesting inside the top of the boot. Having seen many
days working narcotics operations and visiting “non-permissive”
environments, in which guns are frowned upon but certainly
needed, I was no stranger to stuffing a small revolver into the
top of my cowboy boot.
Both holsters are designed to hold a small to medium sized
pistol securely. (Sorry, no full sized 1911 backup guns for any
Punisher skull wearing couch commandos reading this.) When the
Gun Sox holsters arrived, I had just started daily carrying a small
Smith and Wesson model 638 Airweight revolver chambered in
.38 Special for an upcoming review. I decided to start testing
the original Gun Sox in order to develop a baseline in which to
compare the mid-calf version later.
When I removed the Gun Sox from its package, I immediately
noticed it resembled the same construction as a diabetic sock
with a medical grade 4 way stretch compression material referred
to as Stretx. According to Cheata Tactical, this material will not
stretch out over time and offers antimicrobial and odor resistance.
The holster is machine washable and advertised as having
a unisex fit. Sizing for this holster is not based on the gun but
rather the diameter of the calf. With my manly, fur bearing 19”
calves, I required a size “Large” which seemed to fit snug but
as advertised. The original Gun Sox ran the length of my knee
down to my ankle bone with equal pressure throughout my leg.
At the base of the sleeve, there is not one but two holsters,
one on the outside of the ankle and one on the inside at the
proper position to carry a small pistol. This is perfect for one of
two applications, either to be able to switch carry legs and have
a holster in the optimal carry position or to carry a spare mag,
knife or small med kit in addition to your firearm. Either way,
this seemed to be a well thought out design. Just wearing the
holster felt great on my leg, giving needed support under my
knee down and throughout the rest of my leg.
As I holstered my S&W model 638, I pulled the lip of the top
cover built into the holster down over the grip of the gun. This
seemed to snug the gun closer to my leg and give it added
stability from flopping around in the holster when I walked.
While the support is great, this does require a bit of learning
curve to cleanly draw your firearm from the holster quickly. With
an unloaded revolver, I practiced daily for about a week before
venturing out and about carrying concealed.
RANGE TIME
After about a week of carrying my revolver in conjunction with
my Glock 19 inside the waistband, I headed out to our private
training facility known as “The Swamp” to practice some muchneeded
live fire “draw and shoot” drills. Unlike holsters carried
around the belt line, ankle holsters have a totally different system
of drawing from the holster. As a primarily right handed shooter,
I carried the pistol on the inside of my left ankle.
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To start the process, I grabbed the inside of my left pants leg
with my left hand and pulled upwards to expose the holster
as I kneeled onto my right knee. With my eye on the target, I
raked the top lip back to expose the revolver’s grip with my right
hand and established a master grip before drawing upward on
the gun. As the gun came up center line of my body, I punched
out onto target and fired. After a dozen practice draws and two
Advil later, the process was smooth and comfortable to get shots
off relatively quickly.
This method of carry offers a few unique benefits aside from
just comfort. For one, changing your height to the perceived
threat can through off the accuracy of an attack will giving you
the advantage of being at a level not expected. Secondly, if you
find yourself fighting from a seated position or off your back
on the ground, it is easier to get to your ankle gun most times
than a firearm on the belt line. This is where the Gun Sox really
excels. Many ankle holsters I have worn in my career either
involved sweaty sheep wool lining or floppy rigs suspended by
a calf garter that often slips down. The Cheata Tactical’ s holster
fits like a second skin and held the revolver tightly in place even
during a light job back and forth across the range.
In transition to the mid-calf model, I wore it in conjunction
with my combat boots by the Original SWAT Boot Company. As
I slipped on the holster, I then put on my boot and nested the
bottom half of the holster down into the top of it. Instead of
carrying the revolver, I decided to use my laser equipped Glock
43 chambered in 9mm. After a bit of readjusting the position of
the gun in order to prevent the pistol’s grip from printing, the
Glock rode flat against my calf without any wiggle or wobble.
The ride height of the Glock in the mid-calf version of the Gun
Sox was noticeable but not an interference when drawing from
the kneeling position.
I spent a few days carrying my SIG P365, rotating between
both holster models. The result mirrored that of the Glock 43.
The only gun I tried that I would not carry in the Gun Sox was
my Glock 42 chambered in .380. This pistol was so comfortable
and small, I forgot I was carrying it on three different occasions
until the end of the day when I took my boots off. While this
doesn’t seem like a rational concern to be “TOO comfortable”, it
could lead to not using the gun during an emergency or simply
unknowingly carry the gun onto my kids’ school campus or into
a post office when dropping off packages.
FINAL THOUGHTS
In carrying the gun daily, I could not tell a difference between
either holster being more secure than the other, even with the
added support of the boot. I did notice the draw and reholstering
of the Glock seemed a bit faster down to the slim lines of the
semi-auto over the protruding cylinder of the revolver. The similar
design of both holsters may seem simple but surely well thought
out. With the Glock, I could carry an extra loaded magazine in the
opposite pouch, while a tourniquet fit nicely with the revolver.
Before wrapping up this review, I want to point out two
thoughts on this method of carry in general. First, it is a great
option when attire does not permit other on the body options. As
with my personal choice, the ankle holster allows for a fantastic
way to carry a second gun. I still carry either my Glock 19 or SIG
P365 on my strong side inside the waistband. Secondly, ankle
carry is a limited option in some places such as Florida where I
live. With above 80 degree temperatures eight months out of
the year, shorts are often the preferred style without looking out
of place. Cool evenings and winter time are the best chances for
maximum comfort.
Overall, I enjoyed wearing the Gun Sox during the 4-month
test period and would gladly continue using it for daily carry. I
firmly believe ankle carry method is an often over looked and
undervalued option. I feel the Cheata Tactical holsters are rugged
and user friendly enough to cause this carry method to start being
a regular part of CCW conversations again. I will certainly continue
to recommend the Gun Sox to the students in my firearms classes
from now on. To find out which Gun Sox model works best for
you, visit www.cheatatactical.com today.
GEAR ON TEST
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0241 TACTICAL REVISITED
0241 TACTICAL REVISITED
At PMCI we absolutely love seeing good friends doing great things and rightly benefitting from their
efforts! A couple of years ago Bill got together with Sean from 0241 Tactical, and now revisits this veteranowned
company to see how they have gone from strength to strength!
I
t seems like only yesterday when I wrote the
words “Sometimes it seems to me that the only
things some people are interested in is the latest
bit of “tac-gucci” kit to come to market, irrelevant
of whether it actually works or not. I’m therefore
always delighted to meet good folk who have
“been there, done that, and got many T-shirts”
and turned their hard-won knowledge to creating
quality gear that really serves a purpose.” But as it has a
habit of doing, time moves on and you suddenly realize
that you haven’t spoken to old friends for too long; as
I was due to accompany the PMCI to SHOT this year, I
reached out again to Sean so that we could meet up
and catch up!
When I first met Sean from 0241 Tactical he was
still a serving Marine, but one that had already started
turning his wealth of knowledge into some righteous
bits of “snivel gear”, those little items that can add up
to making a huge difference to your comfort in harsh
conditions and letting you perform optimally. What I
also found especially interesting was that 0241 Tactical
have never shied away from working with cutting edge
and unique camouflage patterns, and also with classic
patterns like ERDL and Desert Tiger Stripe which have
been proven to work effectively. As you read deeper into
this update with Sean you’ll see that this is an ongoing
process. I’m always keen to get under the skin of a story,
so Sean kindly agreed to answer some more questions
about who 0241 Tactical are, where they’ve come from,
and where they are heading.
PMCI: So Sean, in your own words please remind our
readers what led you to set up 0241 Tactical?
0241: My wife (a Military Veteran) and I started
0241Tactical when I was serving in the (US) Marine Corps.
When I was deployed, I noticed we were always having
20
to invent items that we were not issued to help get by
in the desert. When we were dealing with sand storms
everyone would pull up their t-shirt over the mouth and
nose and would use a cut-up sock to cover their goggles.
While this worked, it wasn’t ideal, and I always thought it
wouldn’t be too much for the government to create some
facial protection for us. So we started our product line off
of very simple yet useful items (Neck Gaiters and Goggle
Covers) to help protect personnel and their equipment from
the elements while enhancing their camouflage scheme.
PMCI: When and where did you start making your
products?
0241: We began our store in 2011 while living in San Diego.
We started making a few items and they sold quickly on
eBay so we ordered more material and sold more. It’s been
snowballing into more and more products and eventually
we morphed into our own webstore (www.0241Tactical.
com) and the business has become a fulltime occupation
for us.
PMCI: Who do you see as your target customer for your
products?
0241: When we started off we envisioned primarily military
personnel utilising our gear. However, as we expanded our
camouflage patterns into non-issue military patterns we
saw an opportunity for security service contractors, law
enforcement, hunters, and the recreational community to
use our products. We target military and law enforcement
for our products but if other communities can use them,
then that’s great.
PMCI: Do you work with military and police personnel
or just civilians?
0241: We cater to everyone that we can sell to legally
and in good conscience. We’ve had orders from Police
Departments worldwide and in 2013 we got our first
large military purchase from the Naval Special Warfare
Development Group in Virginia. We’ve been serving them
regularly ever since. We also supply the US Air Force SERE
School in Washington with our products on a regular basis.
We’ve supplied various military units from around the
world including American customers in Iraq. We’re pretty
open to supplying anyone as long as we’re not shipping
to countries whose principles are contrary to our own or
precluded by law.
0241 TACTICAL REVISITED
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0241 TACTICAL REVISITED
PMCI: What exactly do you specialise in?
0241: We started off making small yet items (Neck Gaiters,
Goggle Covers etc) but we’ve grown into Tarpaulins (Basha
Shelters) and clothing. Given that it’s very difficult to mass
produce uniforms in the United States we feel that we’re
pushing that as much as we can with our Tactical Operator’s
Pullovers (TOPs) and Tactical Over Trousers (TOTs). We’ve
formed alliances with other US manufacturers such as
HeadOnTactical to provide tactical gear in the same patterns
our products are made in to give the customer more of what
they are looking for in one place. So we’re kind of a shotgun
blast of gear and equipment not specialising in one item.
PMCI: I know that you work with excellent camouflage
patterns and pattern developers; can you tell me more
about this?
0241: We work with the makers of many patterns buying
direct from the factories here in the United States. We
communicate constantly with PenCott and A-TACS (and
many others) working to be at the top of the list whenever
a new pattern becomes available. PenCott has been great
to work with because due to my geographic location (next
to one of the US Printers) we’re able to work with PenCott
to develop new materials not typically available and provide
cool products to our customers. Our neck gaiters, balaclavas,
and caps are an example of this. We saw a shortfall where a
good material was needed and PenCott worked with us and
the printer to develop a great material to meet that need.
Additionally, 0241Tactical developed its own suit (tops and
bottoms) in DEPSOC as well as boots, caps, balaclavas, and
various other tactical gear.
PMCI: You make a lot of your products to your own
designs; what’s the process there?
0241: Trial and error. If we take a look at the Tactical
Operator’s Pullover (TOP) in regards to changes (which we
consider improvements), we’re probably on version 20 at this
point. The TOPs originally started off as a very rudimentary
anorak and we’ve really turned it into a shooters jacket with
features that have made it a sought after piece of gear. Our
templates are originally rough drafted with cardboard and
adjusted....and adjusted again until the final design is what
we’re looking for. Then we make a final template out of a
more robust material and that becomes our standard.
PMCI: I know that you have a tie-in now with some other
premium brands; who are they?
0241: As time has progressed it became clear that we
needed to start expanding our staff to meet the increasing
volume of 0241Tactical sales. In order to pay for the
additional staff, we took on the business philosophy that
“we make tires but we’re going to sell another company’s
cars in order to sell more of our tires”. This has turned our
webstore into a one stop shopping site selling our own,
locally produced items as well as items we retail. We began
to sell for Sk7 USA (who’ve been an amazing brand partner)
a few years ago to meet the demand for PenCott camouflage
items but that quickly morphed into selling many other
patterns. A-TACS Camouflage has been amazing to work
with and we work hand in hand with their owners. When
the new BDU Extreme clothing line came out 0241 made
the first order with Tru-Spec. We’ve really tried to branch
out and offer more unconventional tactical clothing intended
for customers who need tactical clothing but don’t want to
look like they’re deploying to Afghanistan. As far as listing
out companies we sell Tru-Spec, Sk7USA, UR-Tactical, HRT
Tactical, Viktos clothing, KWA USA, and even a few smaller
companies that make incredible gear UW Gear in Florida and
Head On Tactical in California. We’re looking to join SnugPak
and another company this year.
22
PMCI: Where do you see 0241 Tactical evolving in the
future?
0241: Slow growth and hire our military veterans.
0241Tactical started while I was serving in the Marine
Corps. The United States has the Department of Veterans
Affairs that seeks to help those veterans who’ve served
with educational, job placement, and medical assistance. My
wife (an Air Force veteran) works with a local government
department to help our veterans navigate the government
bureaucracy and get the assistance their entitled to. Along
those lines, I wanted to be in a position to help other
veterans by providing jobs for them. However this isn’t a
charity case. I see their service as valuable experience that
provides amazing insight into a market they’re very familiar
with. Our first full-time sewing guru, Kyle, is a prior Army
Parachute Rigger who learned sewing machines during his
service. The military teaches attention to detail and he’s
marked by exactness and accuracy of workmanship. He’s
been an amazing addition to 0241Tactical. That being said
we want to grow 0241Tactical, with veterans like Kyle, to
become a tactical sew shop in America. We want to produce
our own brand items but offer a US based production service
for other companies looking to production here in the USA.
PMCI: When I saw you at SHOT you told me that you’d
signed up with KWA for their 6mm Training gas products;
you mentioned them earlier, so how do you see this
going forward?
0241: When I was stationed in the United Kingdom I became
friends with the guys at Free Fire Zone / Fire Support and
started hanging out at their fields near Peterborough, and
as a result got a ton of experience with Airsoft Electric Guns
(AEGs). My perspective is that airsoft is an incredibly fun
sport that motivates people to get off the couch and get
moving. The problem I saw with airsoft was that when you
can carry nearly unlimited ammo it diminished the realism
of force on force training and often turned games into a
frenzy of BBs flying everywhere!
This year at Shot Show I saw the KWA booth and saw that
KWA has really begun to market towards law enforcement
and the military with their Professional Training Rifles and
Pistols. Elements of authenticity have been reintroduced
by limiting magazine capacity, including recoil, but most
importantly the operation function of the training systems
mimic the real function of actual firearms.
This means muscle memory learned in a training
environment will translate to real world situations.
With increased government scrutiny on spending, KWA
provides significant cost savings but this is overshadowed
by the risk mitigation training with 6mm BBs offers instead
of shooting live ammunition. As 0241Tactical expands
we are looking to provide law enforcement, military, and
private citizens with the tools to enhance their own shooting
techniques. If the relationship with KWA USA bears fruit,
we’ll expand with other brands that can offer similar training
systems.
PMCI: If someone reading this article likes the sound of
what you offer, what should be their next step?
0241: Check out our website at www.0241Tactical.
com and if you don’t see what you want, email us at
sales@0241Tactical.com and let us know what you’re looking
for and in what pattern/material. If we can get it, and it’s
feasible, we’ll work with you. If you need a large order for
your unit please hit us up we can support that too.
PMCI: Thanks so much for talking to us Sean. We wish
you continued success with the new designs, patterns,
and projects and certainly look forward to seeing you
at SHOT in 2021!
0241 TACTICAL REVISITED
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RANGE GEAR
24
HOME ON THE RANGE
For some of the PMCI team the winter months make it harder than ever to get out training, but as
the weather starts to change for the warmer it’s time to get the gear in order, and prepare for those
long summer rangetime sessions, so Bill takes a look at the gear he uses and why.
During the late spring and summer months when
the evenings are longer it’s a regular occurrence
for some of my mates and I to get together for
an evening of shooting. Luckily we have access
to some secluded private land (and we pay our
own third party insurance) where we can take
turns to set up different courses to challenge one
another. These will involve barricades, obstacles,
plates, spinners, and paper targets to make life interesting. It’s
also the ideal opportunity to test new optics and accessories
or really dial in existing ones that we’ve been working on; the
real plus of this is that all of our gear is ready to roll whenever
we need it.
It’s a great social occasion too; as much as we’re there to
shoot our best the “competition” is friendly and the banter what
you’d expect. Safety is always paramount but that doesn’t mean
we can’t have fun too! Usually after a few hours shooting, when
the shooty-bangy things are clean and locked safely away, it’s
time for a barbeque and a beer or two back at someone’s home
where the hilarity continues, often at the expense of whoever
shot the worst that night!
There are many different governing bodies and disciplines
to work with, but I would say that what we do locally is a
mix of Iron Plate Action Shooting (IPAS) and Practical Speed
Plate (PSP), although we’ve moved it up to “two gun” to include
a shotgun element in addition to .22 semi-auto rifle/carbine
(sadly as I’m resident in the UK we only get to have “full bore
and handgun fun” when we go overseas to shoot); we’ve also
now added a couple of gas 6mm training platforms to our
regular lineup. As this is more of a social meeting gear and
clothing is more “civvy” than “tacticool”. The first thing to get
out of the way when it comes to clothing, footwear, and gear is
ditch the camo! Indeed IPSC, IPAS, and indeed PSP strictly forbid
camo for competitions and I can understand why; why would
you need head to toe “MultiKryCottCam” when you’re in a place
where you actually want to be seen? That said many shooters
that I know do look very seriously at the tactical brands for
their clothing as said garments are designed with the dynamic
movement needed to excel in comfort in mind.
KEEPING IT REAL
So, keeping things down to earth, I want as much performance
as possible. What do you really need on a range? What is it you
really need to compete if you so desire?
The answer to both these questions is surprisingly straightforward.
Firstly you’re going to need clothing that moves well, and this
can be as simple as a cheap pair of stretchy jeans and a polo
shirt. I picked up a couple of athletic moc neck shirts designed for
runners at one of the outlet stores and they are absolutely ideal!
Think outside the box; even though tactical brands make clothing
specifically for shooting most sporting brands design for equally
dynamic disciplines.
I marry up the running shirt with a pair of Traverse Pants from
5:11 Tactical. The Traverse Pant is still a bit of a favourite in the
colossal 5:11 range and is built for more athletic disciplines. It’s
a great design that provides the speed, mobility, and utility you
need to perform at peak levels. Built from a 4-way stretch blend
of durable nylon and flexible spandex, the Traverse Pant offers
enhanced air flow and quick dry characteristics that won’t slow
you down. A high rise elastic waistband, articulated knees, and a
full running gusset from hem to hem offer unmatched agility, and
heavy bartacking at major stress points enhances their strength and
durability. Low profile cargo pockets feature integrated magazine
retention bands, and secure zipped seat pockets keep accessories
secure while you’re on the move. Whether you’re on the range,
simply on a day hike or just going to the shops these pants are
comfortable and easy to live with. They’re not the cheapest thing
you can find out there, but boy they are worth every penny!
A simple fleece Jacket is worth its weight in gold when you’re
waiting for your turn to shoot, and this one for me was a nobrainer.
When things get a bit cooler I head to 5:11 once again for their
old but still excellent Tactical Full Zip Sweater. This is actually a very
technical piece of gear as it’s made from brushed polyester, but it
looks and feels almost like wool. It’s not overtly tactical although it
does have some great features like a poacher pocket on the rear,
welded reinforcements on the shoulders and elbows, and some
neat concealed carry touches; the lower zip pockets are “reach
through” for instance so that you can get to gear carried under the
sweater without undoing the main zip. These are available in Field
Green and Gun Powder Grey, so they’re low key and absolutely
ideal rangewear.
I chose boots here that I could use away from the range as
well. Not all of us want a “military” looking boot though, so when
it came to finding new range footwear for myself I looked a little
harder at the HAIX range, and the “Black Eagle” models seemed to
fit the bill entirely. I looked for something a little more athletic in
styling and the Black Eagle Mids from HAIX have proved perfect.
This is a very able boot made of a microfibre/textile
combination so it’s nice and light. They also have a 3-layer GORE-
TEX membrane laminate which is 100% waterproof and highly
breathable. The lining is abrasion-resistant with the HAIX Climate
System with Micro-Dry lining at top of the cuff which really does
help to manage internal moisture; after all, a dry foot is less likely
to suffer blisters so this is important.
There is an insole which is comfortable, cushioning, moisture
repellent, and anti-bacterial with a separate heel area for further
cushioning and foot retention. The running outsole is anti-slip, and
it offers very good grip on differing terrain. All in all I can already
tell that this is a boot that’s going to have a long and active life!
GETTING GRITTY
Sometimes though you want to go a little more “hardcore” and
once again that’s where my trusted UF PRO Striker pants come out.
I won’t go into detail on these as I’ve spoken about them before,
but suffice to say that they are designed and made to perform, and
the stretch panels work perfectly to give a great range of dynamic
movement. I also like the fact that they have the integrated but
removable kneepads; these are invaluable when the ground is
rocky or gritty.
Usually I’ll revert to a polo style shirt, but recently I’ve been
using a couple of the new Helikon-Tex models and… they ROCK!
Based on the same sympathetic design as their Tropical Shirt,
the Defender MK2 Pilgrim is an especially comfortable and
exceptionally functional shirt designed to endure the harshest
of changing environmental conditions. It is made of breathable
and soft fabric which resembles a cotton flannel and has the
addition of odour-controlling DuPont Sorona and UPF50 index for
an enhanced UV protection. The shirt comes with a traditional nonrolling
collar, buttoned front again with durable, subtly Helikon
branded buttons, two flapped chest pockets closed with hook and
loop, two additional hidden flat pockets closed with YKK zippers,
sunglasses loop and button cuffs.
Combining the very best of both the uniform and EDW designs
RANGE GEAR
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RANGE GEAR
though is the MBDU Flannel Shirt, and So what can look better
than a plaid shirt? The MBDU Flannel Shirt is what! Based on
the classic Helikon-Tex MBDU shirt, and made of lightweight,
yet durable fabric it provides proper antibacterial properties
even during prolonged use, while the UPF50 index provides
UV protection. Side VersaStretch panels guarantee freedom of
movement during dynamic activities, and zippered pockets with
YKK zippers on the chest and shoulders will accommodate all your
essentials. Additionally the loop panels on the biceps allow for
easy personalization with unit patches when needed. As Helikon-
Tex say themselves “this shirt is a must have for any urban
operations”, and I have to say that I’m totally in agreement with
them on this!
Although hopefully during the summer months I won’t be
needing a fully-fledged hardshell I do want something that can
be worn over a microfleece to add an additional layer against
wind chill, and ideally I look for garments that are lightweight
and have a minimal pack size. The Windrunner windshirt, also
from Helikon-Tex, is an ideal carry item because of its minimum
weight and size when folded. At just 190g (size XL) its ultra-light,
tightly-woven Nylon fabric protects you from the wind, and if
the DWR coating is regularly maintained, also from light rain.
The Windrunner would also be an ideal garment for any kind of
outdoor training.
Mesh ventilation slats in armpits allow increased air circulation
for when you’re really working hard, and on a cooler day, worn
on top of a fleece, it keeps your all-important core warmth from
escaping and protects against wind chilling. A large front channel
pocket easily accommodates a cap, gloves or a buff , and two
small flat pockets inside the larger pocket help to organize small
items like smartphone or ID.
Additional features are sparse and minimalistic in that there is
a lightweight hood, elasticated cuffs and a drawstring hem, and
that’s it. On a garment like this though you don’t need a massive
amount of features as that just increases bulk and weight. The
Windrunner has been with me for quite a while now and I have
to admit that I absolutely love it and have worn it almost daily (in
fact O got myself a second!); it’s a superb piece of kit that gives
you just that little extra protection when things start to get cooler,
and therefore I would thoroughly commend it to you.
In relation to boots I’ve been testing a new model over the
past year or so, and the AKU Selvatica is designed specifically
for professional users. Weighing in at just 460g, the superlightweight
Selvatica Tactical Mid is incredibly breathable, as AKU’s
Air 8000 upper is a technical fabric whose level of breathability
increases over a period of 24 hours to more than 11 times that
of a conventionally made fabric, and patented back in 1991, it
ensures cooling comfort all day long. The Air 8000 is combined
with OrthoLite anti-microbial and breathable insoles to keep your
feet fresh and comfortable for extended periods. The boots also
benefit from a GORE-TEX extended comfort lining which helps to
maintain the high levels of breathability whilst maintaining 100%
protection against ingress of water.
A new welding process has also been used on the boots
to eliminate the need for stitching and makes the boot more
waterproof and less likely to snag on rocks and rough terrain.
The sole of the boots features AKU’s exclusive Elica Natural Stride
System technology. Designed to faithfully follow the anatomical
shape of the sole of the foot, it allows the sole to adapt to
normal heel and forefoot inclination, guaranteeing a more even
distribution of foot pressure and reducing impact and strain
during long treks. The treads are Vibram Selvatica Megagrip, a
high performance rubber compound that promises unparalleled
grip on wet and dry surfaces and optimal ground adaptability for
better all-around traction. Combined with dynamic support in the
upper and sole this is a faithful boot that won’t let you down.
BELT UP
Setting up your gear for range sessions can go one of two ways.
My personal setup is very straightforward; belt, holster, a couple
of mag pouches for the handgun and a couple for the rifle.
Depending on what type of course we’re running I might chuck
on a dump pouch too. I’ve used many different brands of belt over
the years, but at the moment I’m using the excellent Direct Action
Mustang double-belt system that you’ll see detailed in our gear
on test section.
My favoured holsters are Kydex models made by my good
mate Taig at Kydex Customs, and firearms fit perfectly, are well
retained and easy to clear; the holsters are model-specific, but
Taigs “easy on-off” fittings make changing them out a breeze.
Dependant on where I’m shooting I really like the HSGI style of
leg rig that lets me carry two spare carbine magazines, two spare
pistol magazines, and a mulitool. If however the range where
I’m shooting only allows belt mounted gear then I vary between
flap-closed Tac Reload and open-topped Speed Reload magazine
pouches, again from Direct Action. If I do run a dump pouch, my
favourite which I’ve had for years now is from 5:11; I also like
to carry a simple first-aid kit contained in the excellent Modular
Individual Med Kit Pouch from Helikon-Tex. Consistency is really
the key to building up your speed in terms of all disciplines, and I
find that keeping the belt rig the same each and every time I use
it really helps with this. I may well change out the mag pouches
or holster for different makes of firearm, but ultimately everything
stays in the same place!
I’ll conclude this month with my usual mantra of do your
research, get the information you need, and buy wisely. With the
clothing and footwear I’ve chosen I would say all of it bar the UF
PRO pants would be equally at home in town or on the range.
If, like us, you’re going to try and set up your own range please
ensure that it is on private land that is well secluded; it must
obviously also satisfy any and all legal requirements where you
live. It’s also advisable to look into your own Liability Insurance,
and to be completely on the safe side it’s certainly worth
considering letting your local LE guys know what you’re up to and
when; who knows, they may even come and join you!
However and wherever you may shoot though, practice hard,
go safe, and enjoy some long summer evenings range fun with
your friends!
26
‘Our Mission’
In 2018 it was identified that up to 20% of military personnel were
suffering from mental health disorders such as PTSD
CROPS Coffee was established as a way of supporting our troops
past and present by donating all our profits to Veterans mental
health charity Combat Stress
Sometimes it’s all about the simple things in life and nothing makes
you smile like a good cup of coffee to lift your sprits
As a veteran own company, we are dedicated in supporting our
troops, and would like to thank you for your support
To purchase and support, visit
www.cropscoffee.com
EVERSAFE PACK
EVERSAFE PACK
One of the biggest problems with working in the public as an armed professional is being able to
discreetly carry the necessary equipment. Whether it’s an extra set of handcuffs, spare magazines
or even a submachine gun and body armor, often the only option is to carry a backpack. While there
are many great tactical packs on the market, they all have two major drawbacks, lack of security
and the fact they all distinctly look TACTICAL.
A
rmed professionals may spend hours in bus
stations, on trains, subways or other public
transportation in order to keep a low profile.
When carrying valuable cargo such as laptops,
weapons, large sums of cash or sensitive
information, most packs are very hard to protect
against unauthorized access or theft and not be
noticed. This has always been a personal concern
when traveling with my HK MP5K and body
armor inside a day pack. Aside from these items, I would carry
loaded spare magazines, multitool, medical kit and any needed
IDs / paperwork. How do I blend in without drawing attention?
Non-tactical packs such as those from North Face or JanSport
blend into the environment perfectly but lack the durability to
endure the weight distribution and sharp edges of the payload.
On the other side of the spectrum, packs from 5.11 and First
Tactical make excellent choices in gear that are durable enough
withstand heavy abuse and payloads. Unfortunately, these
packs would often attract attention with all the Molle loops and
carbineers hanging off them. “Gun guys” would often ask about
the brand of tactical pack I was carrying, and every security
agent would home in on it as well.
Thankfully, I was introduced to a great option for carrying my
gear discreetly and securely during last year’s “Industry Only”
firearms / outdoor trade show event, SHOT SHOW held annually
in Las Vegas, Nevada. Fellow PMCI writer, Shawn Swanson aka
call sign “Lunchbox” met up with me on the show floor and
reported about a company he had just finished talking to called
Eversafe. Shawn’s first words used to describe their product
were simply, “Game Changer”. Shawn went on to say that their
product would be great for professionals and civilians alike that
want to carry valuable cargo discreetly and securely. Considering
my cousin has spent his entire adult life as either a soldier or
PMC, Shawn had my complete attention with his statements.
I was informed the Eversafe company was on the fifth floor
of the Sands Convention Center in the new vendors area. As I
departed our meeting, I ran upstairs in search of this intriguing
find. After about 20 mins of searching a vast room of vendors,
I found the booth I was looking for. As I approached their
display, I was met by Eversafe spokesman, Hugh McLean. After I
introduced myself and explained how I came to hear about their
company, I was given the thirty second elevator speech about
the Eversafe products. Immediately I could see the potential in
what I learned. Everything after this initial pitch involved task
specific questions and ended with “SHOW ME”. Hugh handed
28
me one of the few display packs he had on hand for the week with
the instructions to give it Hell and let him know my thoughts.
Upon my arrival home from Las Vegas, I spent time in my
office going through all the features that make this new pack so
interesting. To start with, there is absolutely nothing special about
the appearance of the unassuming black fabric pack that was sitting
on my office desk other than a simple reflective logo. This was the
number one factor that made it perfect! The Eversafe bag is shaped
like standard civilian packs and at first glance offers no visible extras
such as large pouches or accessory loops. What makes the Eversafe
bag so special is the fact that there is much more than meets the eye.
Each Eversafe bag is constructed from proprietary Kevlar
material and secured around its openings with coated cables and
combination locks. This makes the bag resistant to being slashed
by a knife, being accessed by unauthorized personnel when locked
or, simply torn from getting hooked on a doorknob. The double
tooth zipper does a great job protection against the track being
pried open by a flat head screwdriver. Both the carry handle across
the top and the shoulder straps running down the back of the bag
are coated security cable wrapped in comfortable padding. Towards
the middle of each shoulder strap is one half of a cable lock. When
wrapped around a bench, fixed rail or post, the cable lock halves
can be connected and secured to ensure the bag will not be taken
by unauthorized personnel.
The bag interior offers a spacious 12.6″ x 7.9″ x 19.7″ cargo
area to hold a wide range of equipment vital to your specific
mission. Located inside are several great features I feel are vital
to the armed professional. The first is a padded laptop sleeve that
can fit up to a 15” screen. Initially, my 15” HP laptop was a snug
fit that took a bit of effort to get in and out of the bag. Over the
next few weeks, it loosened up and quickly became second nature.
Another interesting feature is a RFID zippered pocket to protect your
credit cards, passports or other chip enhanced security sensitive
items. This alone can be an expensive item by itself to have for your
documents but comes standard in every Eversafe bag.
In the outermost interior pocket, there is a zippered access
space large enough to fit a 11”x14” ballistic insert panel. For a $100
extra, Eversafe will upgrade your bag with a Level III ballistic panel
from the factory. My sample did not come with armor included so I
inserted a 11”x14” Level III ballistic panel from AR500 Armor. After
wiggling the soft armor into the pouch, it fit perfect with zero slop or
shift. This alone in my opinion is a huge benefit to anyone wishing
to have discreet ballistic protection everywhere you go. More on
this shortly.
Over the following year, the Eversafe pack accompanied me
on many trips both personally and professionally. The bulk of
my traveling includes driving my Chevy Suburban from trips to
Pittsburgh, PA and Eastern NC to various ranges and other locations
around the state of Florida. Often, the Eversafe pack is loaded with
emergency medical supplies and either an AR-15 PDW chambered
in 5.56 or my HK MP5K. Using the coated cable lock, I simply loop
it through my driver’s seat or passenger seat post and secure the
contents via the combination lock with full confidence in its security
and mine. With three quick clicks on the dial and I have full access
to everything I may need in an emergency.
The outer Kevlar construction often showed how water resistant
the material was after being caught in several heavy rainstorms
while taking family trips to the zoo, theme parks and teaching on
the outdoor range. The expandable water bottle pocket was a great
feature to offer quick access for hydration while being simple and
unassuming in looks. When not needed, the pocket zips up to give
the side of the pack a clean, seamless profile. Located on the front
of the pack is a side zip quick access pocket for storing any nonessentials
such as a power bar or quick snack on the go.
The bottom of the Eversafe pack offers a flat surface that has
dual benefits. Appreciation for the first benefit comes mostly from
working with the bag over time in and out of airports or vehicles in
which there is no room to lay a pack down to access what’s inside.
The Eversafe pack is free standing with the help of the four nubby
feet along the bottom. It helps the bag sit high enough off the floor
not to soak up dirt or moisture from the ground as well as flop over
and spill any contents out while accessing it. Secondly, the bottom
of the pack can be mounted with an additional docking mount to
the floor of a vehicle or office. Removal from the docking station
is prevented unless there is access to the inside of the pack to the
quick release cable. Thinking outside the box, I think this is big!
A PROFESSIONALS “TAKE”
As a firearms instructor, one of the most popular classes I teach is
the USCCA Countering the Mass Shooter Threat course alongside of
fellow PMCI writer, Clint Steele. After spending the past 13 months
with the Eversafe pack, I pose these questions to business and
school officials. Could this bag be used to securely store a compact,
suppressed rifle docked under a desk or classroom locker for the
certified trained professional to combat a Mass Shooter Threat?
Could the ballistic panel equipped bag be quickly undocked with
the pull of a cable inside the pack and used to cover a teacher’s
vitals as they usher children to safety or better yet, reverse the bag
to protect their chest as they confronted the threat? My professional
answer, YES!
Based on the data and lessons learned from every mass shooting
since Columbine, it is my believe that with just a bit of forwardthinking
vision, Eversafe bags could be an excellent investment in
the survival of office, church or school shootings. Combined with
proper training and the right tools, Eversafe bags could be valuable
dual-purpose assets to preventing the loss of lives daily, whether
its in an office, school, subway or open parking lot. You don’t have
to be a professional operator to benefit from using an Eversafe
product.
Retailing for US$299 or US$399 with 11”x14” Level III ballistic
panel upgrade, these products are not cheap. These bags are
mission specific professional grade tools with a wide range of
civilian protection applications. When you compare the value of
the features the Eversafe bag offers and consider its all packaged
in a very unassuming package that most people wouldn’t take a
second look at, this product is quite the value. For those looking to
take this bag on deployment along with your issued gear, Eversafe
does offer a tactical version with Molle loops and offered
in camo. For those looking for a more professional look,
Eversafe also offers a hard-sided brief case model as
well. To find out more about Eversafe and discover new
accessories constantly available, visit them online at
www.eversafetech.com today.
EVERSAFE PACK
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FIREARMS: SIG SAUER M400
SIG SAUER M400
AR-15 platform rifles are showing up on the secondary market at 1/3 the cost of what buyers rushed
to for them and interest has started to move to other platforms such as AK-47s and handguns. Luckily,
there are a few companies that have continued to make high quality AR-15 rifles, such as SIG, to provide
shooters with reliable, accurate and well-built products.
Over the past decade, the hottest growing
firearms platform in the industry has been
by far the AR-15. With the recent “assault
weapons ban” scare drummed up in the
waning years of the Obama administration,
production ramped up double time to keep
up with panic buying! This only resulted
in hurting the industry overall with price
gouging, poor quality rifles, and huge
drop in values after the scare was over. With the current
administration enjoying decent success within its first term,
the firearms industry has seen less panic buying despite
select liberal states still charging hard against gun rights.
This time, we take a look at the M400 from SIG Sauer
chambered in 5.56 NATO. Before you say, “Oh great,
yet ANOTHER gas-impingement M4 style AR-15,” take a
moment to read about SIG’s offering and see for yourself
how this may be an answer for skeptical rifle buyers looking
to purchase a new AR-15 in a market full of “ban scare”
junk. To start off, NO, the M400 is NOT a fancy new piston
rifle nor does it need to be. What this rifle does offer are
subtle upgrades in an accurate and reliable package from
one of the biggest names in the firearms industry.
30
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
When the SIG M400 arrived at my office, it came in a standard
“no-frills” cardboard box with manual. Accompanying the rifle
was a SIG Romeo 5 red dot optic. Considering the M400 did not
come with iron sights, the addition of the red dot optic was a
welcome sight. (See what I did there?) The M400 at a glance
looks like a standard black flat top AR with a 16” chrome lined
barrel with 1/7 twist and 6 position buttstock. Along with the
rifle were two SIG branded 30 round polymer magazines. At a
closer look at the forged 7075-T6 aluminum lower, there were 4
vertical grooves machined into the front of the magazine well for
grip enhancement for those who choke up on their rifles when
shooting.
One of the I immediately liked about the rifle was the addition
of a 15” UTG Pro free float handguard. For those who may not be
familiar with these or their benefits, the UTG Pro is a very slim,
streamlined M-Lok rail which offers excellent control over the rifle
when running it with an over the top support hand grip. The rail
has tons of places to add Picatinny rail sections for addition of a
front iron sight, foregrip or weapon light / laser. Overall, the rifle
weighted just at 6.5 lbs. unloaded. Out of the box, it was clear
SIG’s goal was to offer a quality basic rifle with everything you
need and nothing you don’t.
ROMEO 5 OPTIC
As I mentioned, the Romeo 5 red dot optic accompanied the Sig
M400 when it arrived for testing. This is a true 1x power red dot
with a 20mm objective. The 2 MOA red dot reticle offered 10
illumination settings (8-day settings, 2-night vision compatible
settings). The glass is listed by SIG as fog and water proof (up to
1 meter) with unlimited eye relief.
The two things I like most about this optic are the MOTAC
system and mounting options. The MOTAC is a motion activated
illumination. If you have the optic switched on and continue to
not actively use it, the unit will switch itself off. At that point,
you need only to move the optic slightly and it will switch itself
back on at the setting you originally had it set to. This enables an
average battery life to regularly exceed 50,000 hours. Secondly,
I really like the fact the Romeo 5 comes standard with a low
mount and co-witness riser mount for a standard 1913 Picatinny
rail. Depending on the stock comb or iron sight heights on firearm
arms, it is always nice to have mounting height options for your
optics.
One item a lot of people don’t take into consideration is the
type of battery that an optic uses. With the Romeo 5, the unit
runs on a fairly popular CR2032 flat battery. This battery can be
found at most grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations and big
box retail stores found across the country. This is a great luxury
if you are traveling for rifle class or have an op the next day and
discover a dead battery, hours after a specialty battery store may
be closed.
WHISKEY 3 4-12X50 OPTIC
While I had the opportunity to work with the SIG M400, I also
had the chance to test out it’s long range performance using
SIG’s new Whiskey 3 optic with a 4-12x50 zoom. Unlike a lot
of gun company branded optics, the Whiskey 3 is a “real deal”
competitor in the optics market. The Whiskey selection of SIG’s
FIREARMS: SIG SAUER M400
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FIREARMS: SIG SAUER M400
scope line up is designated as a hunting scope, but walks the
line between hunting and tactical in which it can have several
practical applications. The specific model sent for testing with
the M400 was the SOW34007 SFP with the Hellfire QuadPlex.
This 1” tube scope was finished in SIG Sauer’s signature
graphite grey and black muted tones.
Working with a traditional crosshair reticle located on the
scopes second focal plane within the optic, shooters will be
immediately familiar with how the scope works. With large,
easy to use turrets, windage and elevation are quick to adjust
when dialing in your shots. Located on the left side of the
scope opposite of the windage turret, there is a turret in which
controls the brightness settings of the reticles center red dot.
Between each setting is an “off” setting to making
switching the optic “on” and “off” fast without moving too far
from the preferred brightness setting. This is a huge plus for
getting on target quickly with an illuminated reticle.
RANGE TIME
The months following the SIG M400 rifle’s arrival for testing
saw several trips to the range for testing both the rifle and
wide range of optics including the Romeo 5 red dot. Despite the
rifle being relatively lightweight compared to a lot of popular
rifles on the market, I was very pleased with the soft felt recoil,
minimal muzzle rise and overall extreme controllability moving
from target to target during strings of fire. The 6 lb. trigger pull
offered a very smooth action with a crisp reset. Usually, I am
an avid fan of using aftermarket triggers such as Timney or Rise
Armament but SIG uses a trigger that is far from the rough and
heavy mil-spec 9 lb. triggers.
To aid in accuracy, SIG employed a spring tension plunger
they call an “Accu-tensioner” which places upward pressure on
the rear takedown pin. The intent for this device is to reduce
any micro-movements between the upper and lower receivers
which may affect long range accuracy. This is the only true “nonessential”
I found anywhere on the rifle. The forging between
the SIG’s upper and lower were very clean and matched up
better than most in the industry. The concept for the tension
device was in good faith, but I don’t see where it was really
needed.
One item that was upgraded much to my delight was
the bolt release / hold open button. This paddle style device
offers the same rocking motion for use as a traditional milspec
button but has a slightly wider top for easier access when
locking the rifle’s bolt to the rear. Much more impressive was
the lower portion of the device which is normally a small hump
or knob.
SIG has employed a small wide platform which proved to
be very fast to activate and release the bolt even when wearing
gloves. For shooters who have ever tried to release an AR-15
bolt under stress, they know what a pain it is to try hitting the
mil-spec release cleanly and decisively on the move. Even if I
had not found other things about the rifle that I really enjoyed,
this small detail would still be a huge plus.
Working with the included Romeo 5 red dot during the bulk
of the testing period, I was very impressed with it’s clear, crisp
field of view. The ammunition used for testing was also sent
from SIG in the form of their own branded 77 grain match grade
hollow points. At static targets ranging from 15 to 50 yards,
the M400 moved quickly from target to target scoring great
3 shot groupings. Taking a kneeling position, the rifle made
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short work out of popper targets at 75 yards before moving to
the 100 yards mark in the prone position. The 2 MOA dot was
easy to see even on the 6” steel plates at 100 yards without
obscuring the entire target from view.
Moving out to 200 yards with the red dot, I was able to
quickly place all shots on target from the prone position onto
a reduced size torso AR500 steel target from our friends at
Veteran Steel Targets. With the extreme bright Florida sun, the
top brightness settings were needed to better see the dot, but
during the few over cast training days available, I could get
away with running the brightness setting all the way down to
a 3 or 4. On low light indoor ranges, the #2 setting was perfect.
To fully see what the M400 rifle was capable of, I decided to
remove the red dot and mount the Whiskey 3 long range optic.
Despite being supplied with a set of SIG branded “high”
rings, I had to use an different manufacturer’s “extra high”
set in order for the 50 mm bell to clear the AR’s flat top. (not
pictured) Once this issue was resolved, it was time to get down
to business. Starting at 50 yards, it was only a matter of less
than a half dozen shots needed to dope in the optic and start
running the rifle at extended distances. The M400 proved to
be a sub-MOA gun at the 100 yard mark giving an average
group around .9”. As a long time shooter of the AR platform,
it is amazing to me how far this category of “out of the box”
rifles has come along over the years from acceptable 3” battle
accuracy to the accomplishments today.
As I increased the distance to 150 yards, head shots were
still easy to accomplish with the stable and accurate dimensions
of the 77 grain SIG ammo. With shorter distances, a good trigger
is just an added bonus, but when distances start to stretch out,
a quality trigger’s worth grows exponentially. From the prone
position, I took each shot and held the trigger rearward until
the full recoil subsided then slowed released until the clearly
felt reset clicked back into position. I noted an impressive
lack of travel between reset and the shot break which is not
very common in a standard production trigger. Even when the
distance maxed out our available testing area at 200 yards, the
target filled the optic at full zoom and even without the reticle
illuminated, the crisp, clear black crosshairs easily allowed for
2” groups on the body and ocular area head shots. If you could
see it, this rifle hit it!
FINAL THOUGHTS
Over the months testing the SIG M400 and both the Romeo
5 red dot and Whiskey 3 long range optic, the rifle had the
opportunity to show its versatility. I was impressed overall
by the performance of all the products reviewed, especially
considering these were all from one company. SIG Sauer has
truly managed to position themselves over 2017 as a shooter’s
“one stop shop” for all their needs from everything from
firearms, optics and even the ammunition.
Retailing with an MSRP of US$1359.00, the SIG M400 is a
top performing rifle in a sea of much lesser quality rifles on the
market. Not only is the SIG M400 priced lower than others in its
class, it also comes with the Romeo 5 red dot which is priced
at a MSRP of US$219.99 if purchased alone. This optic held up
well through a wide range of environments during testing from
extremely heat to getting caught in heavy down pours on the
range. The optic continued to offer a clear and crisp field of view
and held zero very well.
If longer ranges are your preference, the Whiskey 3 4-12x50
proved to be a very capable optic that could easily be used for
common hunting and tactical distances with good performance.
Retailing with a MRSP of around US$539.99, the Whiskey 3 is
a good quality scope for a great entry level price. Considering
it comes with an illuminated reticle powered by the CR 2032
battery as well as a clear, quad lined reticle, the Whiskey 3 may
be one of the best “sleeper” values on the optics market right
now.
Overall, I felt the rifle was extremely well built and
performed well with minimum upkeep. With just a small
application of Modern Spartan Accuracy Oil, the rifle showed no
signs of rust or heavy wear during testing despite few thorough
cleanings between hundreds of rounds being put down range.
The only three noted failure to feeds turned out to be a
failure in a worn-out magazine rather than the
initial speculation of perhaps an issue with the
rifle itself. If you are in the market for a new AR
platform rifle, I urge you to go with a trusted
name in the industry and check out the wide
range of firearms, optics and ammo offered at
www.sigsauer.com to find out which best suits
your shooting needs.
FIREARMS: SIG SAUER M400
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BLADES: SPARTAN HARSEY DAGGER
SPARTAN HARSEY DAGGER
Throughout history, the dagger has managed to transcend its humble origins as a medieval belt knife to
become symbolic and sacred, especially within military circles. Often characterized by a very sharp point
and usually two sharp edges, daggers are typically designed to be used as a thrusting or stabbing tool.
During medieval times, the dagger’s ability to pierce the links of chain mail and between plates of armor
made it invaluable when larger knives and swords often failed. Trampas takes a look at a very special
version that’s comes courtesy of some very good friends to PMCI!
O
ver time, daggers have come to represent
freedom, liberty and the end of oppression
due to their continued use during key
moments in history. Even the tyranny of the
mighty Julius Caesar fell to the dagger at the
hands of his Senate. With its unique shape
and design, there’s no wonder why these
simple tools have become part of ritual and
ceremonial contexts around the country
from Freemasons to modern warriors of some of the world’s
most elite fighting forces.
Daggers are used as part of the insignias of elite military
units or special forces, such as the US Army Airborne Special
Operations unit or the Commando Dagger patch for those
who have completed the British All Arms Commando Course.
Some of the toughest warriors I personally know bare tattoos
of the iconic dagger somewhere on their bodies in tribute to
the sleek, stealthy tool. Much like the image, these men and
women’s minds are sharp, precise and deadly!
The lineage of the modern fighting dagger was born on
a design created by William Ewart Fairbairn and Eric Anthony
Sykes in Shanghai based on concepts which the two men
initiated before World War II while serving on the Shanghai
Municipal Police in China. Its rise to fame came through its
34
use of British Commandos, Airborne Forces and SAS during WWII,
most notably during the landings at Normandy. As all things do
through use and data gathering, the fighting dagger evolved its
design and extended its legacy through the vision of Col. Rex
Applegate and again, William E. Fairbairn.
The deadly V-shaped grind of the Fairbairn – Sykes knife took
on a more convex “apple seed” profile within the design of the
Applegate – Fairbairn dagger. The blade itself became a bit wider
to give it more strength and durability. After Fairbairn’s passing,
Col. Applegate took their design to Bill Harsey Jr. After reworking
with the design, Harsey began producing the Fairbairn – Sykes
dagger through renowned blade manufacturer, Al Mar Knives.
Although this production line became a success, Harsey continued
to tweak the designs of the Applegate – Fairbairn dagger. What
Harsey came up with was a folding version for Gerber Legendary
Blades, which won the 1996 International Blade Show “American
Made Knife of the Year” award. While many companies have tried
to be the “next” in the storied dagger lineage, it would take men
with the real-world backgrounds and the continued vision of a
blade legend Bill Harsey Jr to accomplish this goal. Recently, that
next page began to be written with the release of a new knife
known as the Spartan Harsey Dagger.
MAKING OF A FUTURE LEGEND
The Spartan Harsey Dagger was born from the collaborative work
between Spartan Blades and the afore mentioned knife making
legend Bill Harsey Jr. Spartan Blades founders, Curtis Iovito and
Mark Carey are both Army Special Forces snipers and have worked
overseas as contractors on personal security details for wellknown
government agencies. The Spartan Blades headquarters is
in the sleepy town of Southern Pines, NC just a stone’s throw from
the back gates of Fort Bragg. Mark and Curtis actively keep in
contact with active duty SF soldiers, allowing them to stay current
on what is needed in terms of combat/survival knives.
This company is no stranger to daggers as the Spartan – George
V-14 Dagger produced by Spartan Blades in a collaborative effort
with knife maker, Les George was hugely popular. I personally
own one of these blades and I can attest to the fact it is very well
made, sleek, sexy and most of all DEADLY. PMCI Magazine even
featured my impressions of these well-balanced blade in a full
article written a couple of years ago.
As with any true artist or designer, the guys at Spartan Blades
always look for new improvements, variations and opportunities
for design changes in their work. Finally, they decided to team
up with their good friend and longtime collaborative partner, Bill
Harsey Jr to get his thoughts on a new idea for a modern fighting
dagger design. Bill sat down at the draft board, literally with pen
and paper to help become the next to carry the fighting dagger
design into the 21st century with Spartan Blades.
As a true fan of dagger designs and rich history, I couldn’t help
but become excited for its release, when I first got word of this
project. Given the experience and knowledge of both Mark Carey
and Curtis Iovito combined with Bill Harsey Jr, it doesn’t matter
if the project is a knife, hammer or bottle opener, you can best
bet it’s going to be the most thought out and purpose-built tool
possible. These three men all have walls full of the awards and
accolades well-earned over the years for their creations for both
civilian and military markets.
BLADES: SPARTAN HARSEY DAGGER
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BLADES: SPARTAN HARSEY DAGGER
SPARTAN HARSEY DAGGER SPECS
Designer: William “Bill” Harsey Jr
Overall Length: 10 3/4”
Blade Length: 6”
Blade Thickness: 3/16”
Blade Steel: CPM S35V
Blade Hardness: 58-60 HRC
Blade Style: Dagger
Coating: PVD – Tungsten DLC (Flat Black) or ZrN (Flat
Dark Earth)
Handle Material: 3D contoured Double Black CE Canvas Micarta®
Sheath:
Lined Nylon MOLLE sheath (Black, Coyote
Tan, or MultiCam) or Kydex with Belt Loop
(Black or Coyote Tan)
Weight: 6.72 oz
CLOSE QUARTER LOOK
After the release of the Spartan Harsey Dagger, I researched
more about its construction and design. I was even fortunate
enough to discuss the project with Curtis Iovito and Bill Harsey
Jr directly. A few months later, a sample of the new dagger
arrived for review and I quickly went to work. The first item on
hand was to pull the Spartan George Dagger project out and do
a quick comparison as well as study how the Spartan Harsey
version has evolved from the others in its lineage. Both sharing
the incredible CPM S35V steel blades and canvas Micarta grips,
there are still a few things that separate them from each other.
Thanks to advancements in machining combined with
skillful hands on work, the dagger shares a diamond profile
with the Les George collaboration for added strength over
the “apple seed” profile of its predecessor. The Harsey design
features a slightly shorter 6” blade which is only a ¾” reduction
to the Les George design, but keeps truer to the Applegate
blade. Despite the slight length difference and much less
unsharpened area in its ricasso., it gives the new dagger a
better sense of maneuverability to ease in working angles of
attack.
Just as the Applegate blade widened the profile of the
original Fairbanks design, the Harsey design flairs out wider
from tip to cross guard. This would open a wound channel
wider for more damage while still managing to keep a sleek,
low profile. While the Les George design paid tribute to the flat
36
90-degree cross guard of the original Fairbanks design for the
dagger purists of the world, I was happy to see the Applegate
influence of the Spartan Harsey cross guard. Not only does
intersect the handle at 90-degrees, it then flairs outward for
added protection of the hand.
In true Spartan Blades style, the new dagger offers a full
tang design ended in a “skull crusher” style point on the
pommel. The Les George design which featured a wider grip
indexing flats on the top and bottom of the rounded scales
and a deep flat center line of the integrally designed cross
guard. The new Harsey design not only has an independent
cross guard but a thinner, more rounded grip with true indexing
grip ground into each side. For those with smaller hands as
mine, the Harsey design fits more comfortable and offers more
control of the blade. Perhaps one of my favorite additions to
the new design is the Fairbairn – Sykes style flair at the pommel
is a great nod to the past while also aiding in blade retention
preventing the hand from slipping down the grip. That sort of
attention to detail and heritage is one of the many reasons I
have come to greatly respect this team of designers and blade
makers.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Retailing for US$390, the Spartan Harsey Dagger is already
selling extremely well in the short time it has hit the market.
Despite technically being a production knife, the quality and
care of hand grinding and assembling each one creates a truly
custom level blade. Options in PVD blade coating are flat black
and flat dark earth while the sheaths are offered in lined MOLLE
equipped nylon (Black, Coyote Tan, or MultiCam) or Kydex with
belt loop mounts (Black or Coyote Tan).
The company slogan for Spartan Blades is “Knives with
Intent”. It only takes one look at the designs and materials their
blades are made from to know this is 100% true. Although their
work could be in a museum of art, the blades are made for the
battle in field they proudly serve today. If one of their blades
does end up in a museum in the future, you can best bet, it will
be a military museum as part of the tools that helped defend
the freedom of those brave enough to fight for it.
The balance, quick handling and precision of the Spartan
Harsey Dagger makes it the perfect example of the iconic knife
design to carry on its legacy well into the future
of modern warfare. To find out more about the
Spartan Harsey Dagger and other great designs,
visit them at www.SpartanBladesUSA.com
Until next issue everyone, keep your blades
sharp and your minds deadly!
BLADES: SPARTAN HARSEY DAGGER
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SMITH AND WESSON 638 AIRWEIGHT
SMITH AND WESSON 638 AIRWEIGHT
In both civilian and law enforcement circles, the Smith and Wesson double action J-frame revolver
chambered in .38 Special has long been a favorite since its introduction in the 1950s. For the senior
officers in Trampas’ department, the 2” barrel (often referred to as a snub nose) 5 shot revolver was a
favorite “unofficial” carry pistol.
When I started my law enforcement
career at the turn of this century, I was
blessed to be surrounded by old war
horses in the form of Sergeants and
Lieutenants serving their last years
on the job awaiting retirement. Most
of these seasoned officers started
their careers after coming home from
serving in the military during Vietnam.
These experiences from overseas brought along a lot of lessons
learned about human nature, the cunningness of man, and
violence of gun fighting from firsthand experiences. These
hardened men had stories that were both entertaining and
exciting, with each teaching a hard lesson to those who could
understand. So, when it came to notice a common firearm kept
close for discreet protection by many of these grey warriors, I
took notes.
This small Smith and Wesson double action J-frame wheel
gun would have the duty of being backup to their department
side arm, a hideout gun stuffed in a desk drawer or brief
case for emergencies and an off-duty gun carried in a jacket
pocket or stuffed inside a boot. As my good friend and awardwinning
gun writer, Roger Eckstein once wrote, “The object of
38
lightweight snubbies is to afford an effective level of firepower
in a package that is reliable, simple to operate, and easy to
carry.” Not only did experienced Law Enforcement officers carry
them but many in the Military Special Operations community I
have had the honor of meeting over the years did so as well.
To the modern nay-sayers sitting in gun shops, who
complain these little revolvers can’t be shot accurately, this
is where their ignorance truly shows. I have personally seen
these gentlemen with aging eyes peer through coke bottle
glasses and burn down center mass hits one after another
before walking off with the only perfect qualification scores. Is
it easy to shoot these little wheel guns accurately? Hell NO, but
it can be done?
YES, I’ve seen it happen year after year throughout my
career. It simply takes something a lot of shooters these days
who simply want to “go fast” don’t have; heart, determination
and dedication to practice enough to achieve their goal. With
that in mind, this week’s review article honors these fine
gentlemen with a look at an updated version of their best kept
secret, the Smith and Wesson model 638 Airweight double
action revolver.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The model featured is a variation of the classic model 638
Bodyguard many detectives and security specialists have
carried for decades. What makes this model different isn’t its
“humpback” frame shared by its predecessor and other S&W
hammerless designed revolvers such as the 642 and 442
but the fact that it features a very low profile, semi-bobbed
hammer. This hammer includes a small snag-free thumb stud
with just enough grip to firmly cock the hammer into single
action mode for a lighter trigger and more precise shot.
Visually, this gun as often looked at as the ugly duckling
of the Smith and Wesson line up compared to the classic look
of the larger model 66 Combat, but for those who understand
its design, the model 638 is gorgeous! This pistol features a
lightweight allow frame with a stainless steel barrel and
cylinder and only weights 14.6 oz! From its extreme furthest
ends, the gun measures 6.3” with a 1.785” barrel. The sight
radius consisting of a fixed front ramped sight and rear notch
style sight is roughly 3.4”. Despite the gun’s small dimensions,
the 638 is fully rated for +P ammunition. With the right
ammunition, that can amount to a lot of power in a small,
lightweight package able to be carried just about anywhere on
the body comfortably all day.
To carry the model 638 daily, I chose carry using a Gun Sox
ankle holster sent over for testing by Cheata Tactical (www.
cheatatactical.com) and a Safariland model 18 inside the
waistband holster loaned to me by good friend and fellow gun
writer, Clint Steele. When wearing jeans or khakis, the Gun
Sox’s full calf coverage would give me a perfect way to keep
the gun secure are readily accessible. During this time of year, a
pair of shorts end up being the attire for the day when I am not
teaching on the range or filming. For carrying concealed during
causal hours, the Safariland holster offered a great option for
appendix carry as well as at the 3 and 4 o’clock positions.
SPECS
Caliber: .38 Special
Weight: 14.6 oz.
Barrel Length: 1.785”
Overall Length: 6.3”
Overall Height: 4.5”
Rated: P+
Finish: Matte Grey
Grips: Black Rubber (Optional Pink)
Sights: Fixed
Trigger Pull: 4 lbs. (Single Action), 14 lbs. (Double Action)
RANGE TIME
To put the model 638 Airweight through the paces, I met with
fellow gun writers, Clint Steele and Jerry Moody at our local
private range known as “The Swamp”. For testing, I brought
along four different loads consisting of Winchester 110 grain
Jacketed Hollow Points (JHP), Corbon +P 110 JHP, Winchester
Bonded 130 grain JHP and 130 grain Full Metal Jacket (FMJ)
from American Eagle. Once the cameras and targets were set
up, each shooter took turns running each of the different loads
through the pistol. These tests would illustrate various felt
recoil and performance.
Working at common self-defense distances of 3 yards out to
15 yards, the 638 gave each shooter solid vital zone hits shooting
from the double action mode. More precise shots to the head
of the target could be taken by thumb cocking the hammer
manually in single action mode to reduce the trigger pull from
14 lbs. to a more manageable 4 lbs. All ammo performed well,
with the point of aim and point of impact matching up well
with the fixed sights. Of the four loads, the +P Corbon 110 JHP
ammo really stood out as far as felt recoil. Despite the slim but
comfortable black rubber grips, I could feel a sharp snap in my
hand as each round was fired. For regular practice, I stuck with
the American Eagle FMJ rounds and conceal carried the pistol
with the Winchester Bonded 130 grain JHP for better results on
soft targets.
Since I normally carry semi-auto pistols daily, loading was
the only aspect of testing the pistol I really needed to brush my
skills on. Despite knowing how to do it with my eyes closed
and even teaching it to others in classes, it still takes a small
learning curve to get everything flowing smoothly. The model
638 fit in my hands very well, allowing my short sausage
digits to manipulate the cylinder release and shrouded ejector
rod quickly. Most of the spent brass fell out cleanly with only
gravity pulling on it while I had the gun tilted back. Only the
Corbon casings needed an extra punch to clear their chambers.
What I noticed the most during slow fire was there seemed
to be a slight glitch when pulling the trigger. It was heavy and
smooth until the cylinder made its rotation then I would feel
a slight stop or “hitch” point before the hammer dropped. If I
manipulated the trigger pull just right, I could stop the hammer
very close to its natural single action cocked position before
continuing pressure to fire. After a morning of shooting, the 14
lbs. trigger pull really started to wear on my finger a bit as well.
Another point of interest that arose, came about when I
SMITH AND WESSON 638 AIRWEIGHT
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SMITH AND WESSON 638 AIRWEIGHT
started shooting the pistol in single action mode. The hammer
features a small stud on the top that rides slightly above the
frame during its full range of motion. There are four small
grooves cut into the stud horizontally to provide just enough
grip surface for my thumb to pull back the hammer. I noticed
this to be relatively difficult with the stiff factory hammer
spring. Every four out of five attempts would be successful but
before carrying any pistol for self-defense, I require everything
to work every time if I may need to depend on it. One quick
call to my friend, Paul Erhardt at Apex Tactical and a J-Frame
performance spring kit as they call their Carry / Duty kit was on
the way.
Once the kit arrived, it only took 20 mins to install the
new trigger return spring, hammer spring, firing pin and firing
pin spring. As I dry fired the 638 in my work shop, I could
immediately feel a difference. In both single and double action
dry firing, the trigger and hammer seemed much smoother
and gone was that annoying “hitch” feeling. I headed over to
the range and proceeded to run an assortment of ammunition
through the gun to test function under rapid fire. Overall, I could
not have been more pleased with the gun. It ran smooth as silk
with zero function issues.
With more confidence in the pistol, I began to carry it
daily inside the waist band or on my left ankle. A bit of dry
fire mixed with “bar room speed” practice on the range really
showed off how easy the model 638 could be drawn and put
into action. Everything about the pistol’s design is meant to
be completely snag free upon quick retrieval prior to sending
lead down range. When feasible, I would even carry the S&W
in addition to my SIG P365. This combo would offer me not
only 16 total rounds of firepower but also an additional firearm
in the extreme case of mechanical failure with the other. At
no point did I feel uncomfortable with the Cheata Tactical or
Safariland holster during carry.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Overall, I really enjoyed the model 638 Air Weight revolver.
Its practical application is timeless due to its reliability and
simplistic operation as with any revolver compared to semiautos.
If the hammer drops and the cartridge fails to fire, rather
than going through a complex system of tap, rack, fire, drop
magazines, rack, load, rack and fire again, the end user simply
pulls the trigger once again and first another round. Where
the model 638 really shines unto its own is the lightweight
carry and clean lines that resist snagging on clothing during the
draw. As I found with both the Safariland holster and Gun Sox,
all day carry and quick, efficient movements to put the pistol
into action are easily accomplished without issue.
If you need to run to the store at night once you have
already gotten home, out of your work clothes and into your
favorite sweat pants, this would be good choice as well. Rather
than needing to change into jeans and belt with your daily
carry holster, you can simply drop the model 638 in a jacket
pocket and head out. Its advantage over a small semi-auto
pistol comes in the event you must shoot from concealment.
If it were a semi-auto, the first shot would fire and then the
slide would more than likely become stuck or catch inside your
pocket. The 638’s action revolves the cylinder inside its frame
and can offer continuous fire from inside the close quarters of
the newly ventilated jacket pocket.
The model 638 is offered from S&W with a few custom
options such as pink rubber grips instead of the standard black
as well as a laser grip module from their partnership with
Crimson Trace. In low light, across the room distances, the laser
grip may be your best option. In any case, just remember, this
small gun does take a lot of dedicated practice to shoot well.
Some have wrote calling it the “expert’s” gun, but I would not
go that far. I have seen many shooters devote time practicing
with the pistol and quickly become very efficient with it.
If you are a professional who carries an issued gun full time
and you’re looking for a solid back-up option, I would suggest
looking into the model 638 for yourself to see the reasons why
it has stood the test of time. For those simply looking for a solid
gun for the car, specifically lightweight carry pistol or even a
back-up to your “go-to” gun when it all goes south, you can’t
beat the reliability of a revolver. My suggestion is to make it
routine to also carry a reload option in either a
speed strip or speed loader in addition to a quality
knife. With only five rounds and slow reloads,
you may want to consider other options as you
work through your force continuum. For more
information, visit www.smith-wesson.com to find
the S&W firearm that best fits your needs.
40
VX BUCKLE UP
GUN CARRIER
BLACK / DARK COYOTE
/ GREEN / VCAM
/ SRP: £79.95
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WILLIAMS GLOCK 42/ 43 SIGHTS
WILLIAMS GLOCK 42/ 43 SIGHTS
One of the most disappointing items to encounter when shopping for a new defensive handgun is to find a
great deal on the pistol you want, but realize, it comes with less than stellar factory iron sights, but that can
be remedied swiftly and easily thanks to Williams Gun Sight Company .
For those who follow my firearm reviews, its no secret,
I really like the Glock series of pistols. Unfortunately,
I really hate the cheap, plastic factory sights with
the ostentatious “U” shaped outlined rear sight and
golf ball sized white dot front sight. I find it a very
distracting to my focus when shooting as it tends to
make one giant bright white blur when addressing
the target quickly.
Recently, I had the opportunity to purchase a new
Glock model 43 9mm pistol with a factory installed Crimson Trace
laser unit. With the pistol originally being a writer’s sample sent
for review and the price was hard to say “NO” to once I wrapped
on the article. Unfortunately, despite the great price and features,
it did however arrive with the factory white plastic sights. I
quickly researched my options since the model 42 / 43 were still
relatively new and on a different size platform than other model
Glocks. My good friend and colleague, David Link told me about
a business making top notch fiber optic sights called the Williams
Gun Sight Company. After reading up on the company, I discovered
Williams made reliable, defensive and target model front and rear
pistol, rifle and shotgun sights made from solid aluminum and
fiber optics. I immediately ordered a set of defensive sights with
red and green fiber optics to fit the Glock model 42 / 43.
42
Within a few days, the new sights arrived from Williams Gun Sight
Company ready for action. Using my MGW Sight-Pro sight pusher,
switching out the factory sights for the new sights was a breeze.
The longest part of the process was simply setting up the sight
pusher for the right size and position. The sight pusher used may be
the most recent in a history of over a half dozen sight pushers and
twice the investment of all the others combined but it is certainly
the last one I will ever have to buy. The interchangeable “shoes”
that hold the slide safely in place from damage and heavy duty all
steel construction are well worth the money!
Once installed, these sights were fantastic compared to the
factory offerings. The Glock 43 is a relatively small platform in
relation to a lot of handguns shooters are traditionally used to. The
small slide lends itself normally to small, hard to see sights. I found
the newly installed Williams sights were clear and fast to acquire
when shooting from defensive positions, even in low light. I needed
very little ambient light to make these sights appear ready to use.
Prior to using the new sights, I had a concern that the fiber optic
sights would be so bright, it would distract me from the target.
Fortunately, the sights had the opposite effect. I found the sights
aided my eyes in focusing on the clear green front sight easier and
not get caught up in the tunnel vision of staring at the target as my
main clear focus. The red rear fiber optics contrasted starkly to the
front sight. The deep “U” cut out in the rear sight along with the thin
profile of the front sight allowed for a great view of the target while
easily keeping “equal height, equal light” between the two sights.
This was excellent in quickly developing a solid sight alignment
and sight picture without confusion of which sight was which in
relation to the target in a split second.
Follow up shots such as quick double taps as well as longer
strings of fire seemed to be seamless compared to the factory
sights. The main reason why would be due to being able to
acquire the Williams brand quicker after breaking each shot and
cycling through the recoil. The snag-free, low profile design of the
sights’ height keeps “height over bore axis” as low as possible. This
resulted in point of aim / point of impact being dead on at the
standard defensive training distance of around 21 feet. The sturdy
all aluminum built sights gave me confidence in durability during
rough use in comparison to the original Glock offering.
Retailing with a MSRP of US$49.99, I think the Williams fiber optic
sights are a great value for what you get. My only suggestion for the
Williams Gun Sight Company would be to make the rear sights with
a squared front profile for an easier one handed tactical reloads in
emergency situations such as having your dominant hand injured.
A completely blacked out rear sight would be nice to see as
well. Many firearms trainers I know often prefer to only have the
front sight stand out when speed shooting. As the pistol used for
testing is often carried at night, I would like to eventually see the
Williams Gun Sight Company offer a Tritium front sight insert as
well. I realize that this variation to the current sights would come
with a hike in price, many shooters may feel the cost would be well
worth it. Overall, as a direct replacement for the white “U” outline
and dot Glock sights, the Williams sights are a spot on quick fix that
will place you way ahead of the game for a very low price.
To check out the entire range of high-quality items offered
by Williams Gun Sight Company please do pay a visit to https://
williamsgunsight.com
WILLIAMS GLOCK 42/ 43 SIGHTS
pmcimagazine.com
pmcimagazine.com
6MM TRAINING: SR-16
VEGA FORCE COMPANY SR-16 GAS
BLOWBACK CARBINE
Whilst the majority of the focus for 6mm Training is centred around handgun models at the moment there are
already training tools available licenced by companies you probably all know and love already, so this time Bill
gets into things by showcasing the training version of the Knight’s Armament Company (KAC) SR-16!
Sometimes I genuinely feel that I’ve become a
little jaded when it comes to so-called “training
guns”; once upon a time when I received an
item for testing I’d immediately strip open the
shipping box to get at the goodies inside, but
these days I sign the receipt and it generally
goes onto the pile that needs working through…
This may sound “privileged” and a little odd
to many of you out there, but it needs to be
something pretty special to really get my juices flowing! Back
during IWA 2018 I saw and handled some absolutely lovely
training tools, and whilst there were some that offered genuine
advances in performance and technology, there was no “light
bulb moment”, that moment when you pick something up and
think to yourself “I MUST have one of these!”
Until it was that I met with my friend Ray Chang from Vega
Force Company (VFC) that is! Whilst we were chatting on the
VFC stand my eyes they were a wanderin’, taking in all the
goodies that VFC have to offer. But what my eyes wandered
to on the VFC stand was their fully licenced Knight Armament
Company SR-16 Gas Blowback Carbine, and it was love at first
sight!
If you are new to the world of the “6mm Trainer” then I am
certain you will no doubt, as many do, write off “airsoft guns”
as things for kids and “wannabes”, and whilst there is certainly
some truth in this, it is also true that numerous manufacturers
in the airsoft industry have been working hand in hand with
well-reputed firearms counterparts to bring some stunning,
fully-licenced replicas to market.
I’ll throw into the pot here that from conversations I
had at SHOT this year numerous firearm manufacturers are
seeking experienced friends in the “6mm” industry with a
view to creating training platforms based on existing airsoft
technologies. I’ve seen this developing over a few years in
truth, seeing some pretty famous names (SIG and Glock for
instance) exploring this territory with real intent.
44
likes the KAC brand and guns very much. KAC guns are not only
beautiful but also well-made. So we started make airsoft replicas
of KAC, and we chose the KAC PDW, an interesting model to
start with. After initial manufacture we were introduced by our
American friends and we got online with KAC themselves.
KAC were very surprised that we could make the airsoft guns
so beautiful and close to their appearance and that started the
long-term cooperation with us. Talking about how we cooperate,
in general, they don’t limit what we want to do. We only need
to pick the types we want to make, and send samples to them
for review and confirmation, and then we can start making and
selling products by ourselves. I think this is because the quality of
the airsoft replica we make is very good, so they are very happy
to let us to handle airsoft replicas of their brand.”
And VFC are one such company who are right at the forefront,
with strategic alliances in place to drive forward the “training
agenda”, and they’ve already been working with LE partners
close to home in Taiwan for some time. Vega Force Company
was founded in 2004, and had gained a global reputation for not
only being 100% professional, but also for making highly realistic
airsoft replicas with custom grade performance instilled in their
internal mechanical design, giving end users a better shooting
and operating experience.
And whilst they hold licences with a number of firearms
companies to produce 6mm replicas of the very highest quality,
the one I will focus on here is that of KAC. Now we all know
Knight’s Armament Company as they seem to have been a part
of the industry for ever, and their firearms and technologies have
definitely been right at the tip of the spear when it comes to the
“War on Terror”. Going right back to 1974 founder C. Reed Knight
Jr. began with the intention of developing specialist equipment
and weapons for US Special Forces, and initially worked with
Eugene “The Daddy of the AR” Stoner, a collaboration which
resulted in KAC’s best known product line, the Rail Interface
System (RIS). More recently KAC added full blown firearms to
their extensive list of accessories, and like their accessories, these
are highly specialised platforms such as the SR-47, PDW (Personal
Defense Weapon), SR-25, M110 SASS, SR-15, and the SR-16 .
I asked Ray at VFC about the SR-16 as it comes under their
licensing arrangement with Knights Armament; I asked him if he
could you tell me a little about how that relationship started and
how VFC works with them, and he told me;
“The cooperation with KAC is down to the fact that our boss
THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE JOB
So what, to me, makes the VFC replica of the SR-16 the right
tool for training purposes, and the answer is simple! If you can
find a full metal replica of an “AR” that is 100% exactly like its
real world counterpart, that feels, can be adjusted, and operates
(albeit from gas and BBs in each magazine rather than bullets
and propellant) like a real carbine for the same price I would love
to hear about it!
Overall the VFC is as close to the real deal as you’ll find in
6mm form! Everything is nailed down to look and feel exactly
as it would on the real thing, including the operating system! It
has a full-travel bolt with some real “oomph”, and once again
this replicates exactly the operation of the military rifle so your
drills are 100% the same; for instance the VFC “V-Mags” only
hold 30 BBs so your reloads need to be on point. In addition to
luxurious build quality and superb components, the SR-16 also
offers realistic take-down; by splitting the receivers you can
6MM TRAINING: SR-16
pmcimagazine.com
pmcimagazine.com
6MM TRAINING: SR-16
remove the BCG for cleaning and maintenance, again, just like
the real thing.
Specifications:
• Length - 33 inches (838 mm -stock extended), 29.75
inches
(756 mm - stock retracted)
• Weight - 2770g (unloaded)
• Magazine Capacity - 30 BBs
• Power Source - Gas Powered via Magazine
• Blowback – Yes, Full Travel BCG
• Shooting Modes - Semi, Full Auto
• Hop-up – Adjustable for BB weight
• Magazine Compatibility - VFC M4 GBBR models
But what is beauty without performance? I’m pleased to report
that the SR-16 has both. I initially took the carbine to my usual
30m woodland range to chrono and test, and in terms of power
I got a consistent 1.35 Joule/382fps on a .20g BB using green
gas, and with .30g BBs the accuracy was stunning at that range!
I spoke more to Ray after the initial test and he seemed a little
miffed that I’d only tested at 30m as in Taiwan they’d been
hitting A4 sheets at twice that distance!
Never one to be put off by a challenge, I duly fitted the SR-
16 with a Harris-style bipod and a Vortex Strike Eagle 1-6X24
optic and headed back to the woods. Measuring out 75m I
secured one of my own home-made A4 targets and had at it
prone… suffice to say that the A4 came home with twenty 6mm
holes drilled in it.
I honestly have fallen in love with the VFC SR-16, and now
that I’ve used and trained with it this feeling has only been
reinforced; I honestly, genuinely love it to bits! There are many
gas rifles and carbines out there now that “simulate” the real
thing, and many of them are very, very expensive beasts.
Having now shot the SR-16 I can tell you that it will perform as
well as the best, and you’ll find it with most good dealers for
under US$350! Now the SR-16 is with me I’ll be returning to it
in our “on test” section over time so you can see how things
develop.
In closing, this is by no means your average “airsoft gun”
and for this reason I don’t believe you’ll be seeing it regularly
in “games”, but it hasn’t been designed and made for the mass
market. It’s been designed and made for those that truly want
a training platform that operates exactly like the real thing, but
that fires simple 6mm BBs, not live 5.56! It’s been designed for
the collector and those that want to use every tool in the box
they can access to make themselves a better, smoother, and
indeed safer shooter… basically it’s been designed for people
like me, and to that end I can only recommend it to you in the
best possible way!
My thanks go to my good freind Ray at VFC
(https://www.vegaforce.com) for being part
of this article, and also to the guys at http://
uk.redwolfairsoft.com for facilitating delivery.
46
PMCI
BOOK REVIEW
AMERICAN GUERRILLA: THE
FORGOTTEN HEROICS OF
RUSSELL W. VOLCKMANN
In 1942 when all seemed lost for the Battle of Bataan, one young
Army Captain named Russell Volckmann refused to surrender. He
disappeared into the jungles of north Luzon where he raised a
Filipino army of more than 22,000 men. For the next three years
he led a guerrilla war against the Japanese, killing more than
50,000 enemy soldiers. At the same time he established radio
contact with MacArthur’s headquarters in Australia and directed
Allied forces to key enemy positions. When General Yamashita
finally surrendered, he made his initial overtures not to MacArthur,
but to Volckmann!
This book establishes how Volckmann’s leadership was critical
to the outcome of the war in the Philippines. His ability to
synthesize the realities and potential of guerrilla warfare led to a
campaign that rendered Yamashita’s forces incapable of repelling
the Allied invasion. Had it not been for Volckmann, the Americans
would have gone in “blind” during their counter-invasion, reducing
their efforts to a trial-and-error campaign that would undoubtedly
have cost more lives, materiel, and potentially stalled the pace
of the entire Pacific War.
This engrossing book also shows Volckmann as the progenitor
of modern counterinsurgency doctrine and the true “Father” of
Army Special Forces, a title that history has erroneously awarded
to Colonel Aaron Bank of the European Theater of Operations. In
1950, Volckmann wrote two army field manuals, “Operations
Against Guerrilla Forces and Organization and Conduct of Guerrilla
Warfare”, but today few realize he was their author. Together, they
became the US Army’s first handbooks outlining the precepts for
both special warfare and counter-guerrilla operations. Taking his
argument directly to the army chief of staff, Volckmann outlined
the concept for Army Special Forces. At a time when US military
doctrine was conventional in outlook, he marketed the ideas of
guerrilla warfare as a critical force multiplier for any future conflict,
ultimately securing the establishment of the Army’s first special
operations unit, the 10th Special Forces Group.
Volckmann himself remains a shadowy figure in modern
military history, his name absent from every major biography on
MacArthur, and in much of the Army Special Forces literature. Yet
as modest, even secretive, as Volckmann was during his career,
it is difficult to imagine a man whose heroic initiative had more
impact on World War II. This long overdue book not only chronicles
the dramatic military exploits of Russell Volckmann, but analyses
how his leadership paved the way for modern special warfare
doctrine.
The author Mike Guardia is an internationally recognized author
and military historian. A veteran of the US Army, he served six
years on active duty as an armour officer. He is the author of the
widely acclaimed “Hal Moore: A Soldier Once . . . And Always”,
the first-ever biography chronicling the life of Lieutenant General
Harold G. Moore. Guardia has been nominated twice for the
Army Historical Foundation’s Distinguished Writing Award and is
an active member in the Military Writers Society of America. He
currently lives in Texas.
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Casemate; B Format edition (October 1, 2019)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1612007155
ISBN-13: 978-1612007151
BOOK REVIEW
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