BUYERS

GUIDE
NEARLY 100
TRIUMPH SYSTEMS
hands on PIVOTAL TRAINER
M-LOK
PARTS

VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 2

WREAKING
HAVAK
SEEKINS PRECISION
LIGHTWEIGHT HUNTER
GOES THE DISTANCE
BEAST
MODE

NEXT
TAKING THE SAVAGE
ARMS MSR 10 TO TASK
AT THE RANGE
AMMO
DEPOT
BEHIND THE
SCENES AT
THE SIG SAUER
AMMUNITION
FACTORY
GEN
TESTING AND TWEAKING THE
GLOCK GEN5 17 & 19

MECHANIZED
CLEANING
DIGITAL ISSUES AVAILABLE ON WWW.ENGAGEDMEDIAINC.COM

U.S. $8.99 MARCH/APRIL 2018 DISPLAY UNTIL 04/03/18

03
TESTING OUT BLAZNTECH'S MOTORIZED
WEAPONS CLEANING SYSTEM
0 71486 01506 2
ENGAGED MEDIA INC.
 ,FZ.PE JT
IFSF 5. KeyMod™ is the tactical
industry’s new modular standard!
• Trijicon AccuPoint TR24G
1-4x24 Riflescope $1,020.00
• American Defense • BCM Diamondhead
®

RECON X Scope Folding Front Sight

Mount $189.95 $99.00
• BCM Diamondhead
®

Folding Rear Sight

$119.00

• BCM KMR-A15 KeyMod Rail

®

Handguard 15 Inch $199.95

• BCMGUNFIGHTER™
Compensator Mod 0
$89.95
• BCMGUNFIGHTER™ KMSM
• BCMGUNFIGHTER™
Stock $55.95
KeyMod QD Sling Mount $17.95 • BCM Low Profile
®

Gas Block $44.95

• BCMGUNFIGHTER™
Vertical Grip Mod 3 $18.95
• BCMGUNFIGHTER™
QD End Plate $16.95
BCM® A2X Flash
• GEARWARD Ranger
Band 20-Pak $10.00
• BCMGUNFIGHTER™ Suppressor $34.95
Grip Mod 0 $29.95

B5 Systems BCMGUNFIGHTER™
SOPMOD KeyMod 1-Inch
Bravo Stock ®
Ring Light
$58.00 BCM KMR-A Mount
KeyMod Free Float For 1” diameter
Rail Handguards lights $39.95
Same as the fantastic original KMR Handguards
Blue Force Gear but machined from aircraft aluminum! BCMGUNFIGHTER™
VCAS Sling $45.00 BCM 9 Inch KMR-A9 . . . . . . . . . . $176.95 KeyMod Modular
BCM 10 Inch KMR-A10 . . . . . . . . $179.95
BCM 13 Inch KMR-A13 . . . . . . . . $189.95
Scout Light Mount
For SureFire Scout
BCM 15 Inch KMR-A15 . . . . . . . . $199.95
BCM PNT™ ® Light $39.95

Trigger Assembly BCMGUNFIGHTER™

Polished – Nickel – Teflon
$59.95
KeyMod Modular
PWS DI KeyMod Rail Handguard Light Mount
Free float KeyMod rail for AR15/M4 pattern rifles. For 1913 mounted
Wilson PWS DI 12 Inch Rail . . . . . . . . . . . . $249.95 lights $39.95
Combat PWS DI 15 Inch Rail . . . . . . . . . . . . $249.95
Tactical PWS KeyMod
Trigger Polymer Bipod
$269.95 Adapter $23.95 Arisaka Inline KeyMod
Inforce Scout Mount $34.00
WML-HSP Arisaka Ring KeyMod
$119.00 1” Light Mount $44.00
Daniel Defense SLiM Rail Handguard
Slim, Light, Modular KeyMod free float handguard. Thorntail KeyMod Offset
Trijicon DD SLiM Rail 12.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $265.00 Adaptive Light Mounts
TA31RCO-M4 DD SLiM Rail 15.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $265.00 Thorntail
ACOG 4x32 Daniel Defense 1.030 Mount . . . $70.00
$1,422.05 Thorntail M3M6
KeyMod Bipod 1913 Mount . . . . $50.00
Adapter
$47.00 Arson Machine Company KeyMod
Aimpoint PRO Daniel Defense Light Mounts
Patrol Rifle Optic KeyMod 1 O’Clock Scout M600
$424.00
Offset Rail Assembly Mount . . . . . . . $48.00
$39.00 1” Ring Mount . . $44.00

All pricing is subject to change without notice. Please see our website for current pricing.

Hartland, WI U.S.A. / Toll Free: 1-877-BRAVO CO (1-877-272-8626) / Fax: 262-367-0989 / BravoCompanyMFG.com

 TM KeyMod™ is the tactical
KeyMod is here! industry’s new modular standard!
• Midwest Industries • Aimpoint Micro H-1 2 MOA • Midwest Industries
Folding Front Sight $79.95 with LRP Mount $709.00 ERS BUIS $93.95
• GEARWARD Ranger
Band 20-Pak $10.00

• BattleComp 1.5 $155.00 • BCMGUNFIGHTER™

KMSM KeyMod QD Sling
• BCMGUNFIGHTER™ 1913
Mount $17.95
Modular Light Mount, • BCMGUNFIGHTER™
KeyMod $39.95 • BCM KMR-A13 KeyMod Rail
®

Handguard 13 Inch $189.95

QD End Plate $16.95

• BCMGUNFIGHTER™ KAG
Kinesthetic Angled Grip,
• BCM ®
• BCMGUNFIGHTER™
PNT™ Stock $55.95
KeyMod $18.95 • TangoDown ARC MK2
30 Round Mag $14.95
Trigger
$59.95 • BCMGUNFIGHTER™
PWS FSC556 Tactical Grip Mod 3 $17.95
Compensator $98.95 • BCM ®
Polymer Trigger Guard $6.95

BCMGUNFIGHTER™ Vltor
Comp Mod 0 - 556 Carbine
Threaded 1/2x28 for EMOD
5.56 AR15 platform Stock
$89.95 $119.65
Comp Mod 1 - 556
Threaded 1/2x28 for
5.56 AR15 platform
$94.95
VTAC MK2
Wide Sling
IWC KeyMod QD $44.95
RL Sling Mount BCMGUNFIGHTER ™

Enhanced Lower Parts Kit BCMGUNFIGHTER™

Accepts heavy duty or
standard QD swivels $17.00
With BCM PNT™ Trigger Assembly, BCM
® VG MOD 3 ®

Mod 3 Grip, BCM® Trigger Guard, and Mil- Low-profile length

for increased mobility
Spec hardware kit.
IWC KeyMod Hand Stop BCMGUNFIGHTER™ ELPK, semi-auto . .$99.95
and decreased “snag”.
Made in the U.S.A.
Mount-N-Slot design $34.95
from impact resistant
polymers, available in
Black, Flat Dark Earth,
BCM® Foliage Green, Wolf Gray.
KeyMod BCMGUNFIGHTER™ KAG
VG-KM-MOD-3, KeyMod Version . . . . . . . $18.95
VG-1913-MOD-3, Picatinny Version . . . . . $19.95
Picatinny Kinesthetic Angled Grip
Rail Sections Uses biomechanically efficient
forward rake, with small profile
Aimpoint
Mil-Std 1913 rails, Nylon Rails
available in Black, FDE and Foliage Green.
textured front and back for positive engage- Comp M4S
ment. Impact resistant polymers, in Black, Flat Red dot sight,
Nylon Rail, 3 Inch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $8.95 Dark Earth, Foliage Green and Wolf Gray. fully NVD
Nylon Rail, 4 Inch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $11.95 KAG-KM, KeyMod Version . . . . . . . . $18.95 compatible,
Nylon Rail, 5.5 Inch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $14.95 with QRP2
KAG-1913, Picatinny Rail Version . . . . $19.95
Picatinny Rail Mount
Aluminum Rail, 3 Inch, Black . . . . . . . $19.95
$846.00
Aluminum Rail, 4 Inch, Black . . . . . . . $24.95
Aluminum Rail, 5.5 Inch, Black . . . . . $29.95 EOTech HOLOgraphic
Weapon Sights
PWS KeyMod Model 512
Picatinny Rail $429.00
BCM KeyMod Rail Panel Kits
®

Polymer Rail, 5 Slot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $11.95 Model 552

5.5 Inch Rail Panels, in Black, Flat Dark Earth,
Aluminum Rail, 5 Slot . . . . . . . . . . . . $28.95 $529.00
Foliage Green, Wolf Gray - 5-Pack . . . . $9.95

All pricing is subject to change without notice. Please see our website for current pricing.

Hartland, WI U.S.A. / Toll Free: 1-877-BRAVO CO (1-877-272-8626) / Fax: 262-367-0989 / BravoCompanyMFG.com

4 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

44

14 22
 MARCH-APRIL, 2018 5
COVER
STORY
44 Plying the Fifth
An early chance to take the Glock Gen5
17 and 19 models through their paces

FEATURES
14 Keep It Clean
Putting the automated BlazNTech MWCS to

36 56 the white-glove test

22 Havak Squad
Sighting the ultra-light Seekins Precision
Havak rifle at the range

36 threat/no threat
Triumph Systems Pivitol Trainer—a new
way to target practice

56 Loked in
The World of Firepower guide to the world
of M-LOK accessories

74 Beast Mode
Evaluating the Savage Arms MSR 10
Long Range

88 tops tools
Taking a look at a pair of TOPS knives for
table and trail

98 74 98 The Bullet Factory

A walk through SIG Sauer’s state-of-the-
art ammo production facility

106 Getting To Know Jack

A one-off rifle build based on the wicked
Sharps Bros Jack lower

departments
06 First Words
08 Uncovered
10 Reload
12 Dual Blades
118 locked up
124 Pocket Dump
126 Ground Zero
128 Five
130 Last Shot

« on THE COVER
Subject: Glock Gen5 17 & 19
Photography: John Teator | Designer: David A. de la Torre, Jr.
6 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

MARCH/APRIL 2018 VOLUME 6 • ISSUE 2

EDITORIAL
Jason Mulroney Director of Content
John Scott Technical Editor
Kelly Nomura Executive Managing Editor
Karl Funke Managing Editor

Good
DESIGN
Katia Sverdlova Design Director
David A. de la Torre, Jr. Art Director

CONTRIBUTORS
Reuben Bolieu, Danny Chang, Jason Davis, Michael Furrer,
George Huang, Michael Penhall, Richard Schultz, Mike Searson,

To Go
John Teator, TracerX, Chris Tran

ADVERTISING
Gabe Frimmel Ad Sales Director
(714) 200-1930 gfrimmel@engagedmediainc.com
Casey Clifford Senior Account Executive
(714) 200-1982
Mark Pack Senior Account Executive
(714) 200-1939
Charles Dorr Account Executive
(714) 200-1931
Spencer Redmond Account Executive
(972) 448-4649
It bears repeating from time to time: One on the rifle front, and more specifically John Bartulin Account Executive
(866) 866-5146 ext. 2746
of the most important considerations we 6.5 Creedmoor (also used in the Havak), John Cabral Advertising Design
can have when working with our guns is we give you an in-depth rundown on the Gennifer Merriday Advertising Traffic Coordinator
Eric Gomez Advertising Traffic Coordinator
safety. And a passive area that’s of great Savage Arms MSR 10 Long Range.
OPERATIONS
importance but one that might get some- Robert Short IT Manager
times overlooked is firearms storage. Of course we cannot overlook this issue’s Parveen Kumar Newsstand and Circulation Analyst
Shailesh Khandelwal Subscriptions Manager
cover subject: the brand-new and highly Alex Mendoza Administrative Assistant
Melinda Magde Project Manager
That was part of the concept behind anticipated Glock Gen5. Our resident law Victoria Van Vlear Intern Program Manager
World of Firepower’s recurring Locked Up enforcement pistol guru got his hands
EDITORIAL, PRODUCTION & SALES OFFICE
section. For this edition we moved away on a couple new first-release exam- 17890 Sky Park Circle, Suite 250, Irvine, CA 92614
(714) 939-9991 • Fax: (800) 249-7761
from ogling the traditional gun vault or ples—models 17 and 19—and gives the www.facebook.com/worldoffirepower
“man cave” and looked at some practical rundown on updates and improvements www.facebook.com/eembybeckett

solutions for transporting firearms in a ve-
hicle. In this case it’s a shiny new pickup
truck, but these methods of storage and
transport can be applied to virtually any
vehicle. They’re designed to keep your
guns secure and in some cases accessible
on the perennial LE sidearm stalwart and
how it stacks up versus previous Glock
generations (hint: the bar gets raised once
again).
Elsewhere in the issue we take you on
WORLD OF FIREPOWER (ISSN 2332-0281) is published bimonthly
six times per year (January/February, March/April, May/June, July/
August, September/October, November/December) by Engaged Media
Inc., LLC, 17890 Sky Park Circle, Suite 250, Irvine, CA 92614.
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© 2018 by Engaged Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any
material from this issue in whole or in part is strictly prohibited.

for self-defense. a behind-the-scenes tour of SIG Sauer’s CUSTOMER SERVICE

In the middle of the magazine you’ll find
our expose on a range of products and
accessories designed for Magpul’s M-LOK
attachment system. There are today a
variety of attachment methods including
the old guard Picatinny rail, but we’ve
been detecting a shift toward the Magpul
system—notably by the United States mil-
itary, whose Naval Surface Warfare Center
Crane Division just released a massive test
report and has selected M-LOK as its go-to
system.
We also put the Seekins Precision su-
perlight Havak bolt-action rifle through
its paces. The tester is an experienced
precision shooter and after approaching
the gun with some trepidation—on real-
izing it is built as a lightweight hunting
platform—came away visibly impressed by
its highly repeatable printing ability. Also
“bullet factory”—an ammunition manu-
facturing facility that gives the company
a distinct advantage when it comes to
producing projectiles designed to enhance
the performance of SIG Sauer firearms. We
also take a look at the Pivitol Trainer by
Triumph Systems—a very unique targeting
practice system. And then we give an au-
tomatic gun cleaner a whirl: the BlazNTech
MWCS. Yes, we said automatic.
In closing, we’re just back from SHOT Show
2018, where we spent all of six days and
five very long nights taking in the sights,
getting our hands on new products, rub-
bing shoulders with the titans of industry,
and even doing a little shooting. With that
in mind, the coming year is going to be
packed with all kinds of great stuff that
we can’t wait to show you.
Safe shooting, and all the best.
Engaged Media, Inc.
17890 Sky Park Circle, Suite 250. Irvine, CA 92614
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ENGAGED MEDIA INC.
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Jason Mulroney Director of Content
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Bob Hulsy Director of Business Marketing
This magazine is purchased by the buyer with the understanding that
information presented is from various sources from which there can
be no warranty or responsibility by Engaged Media Inc., as to the
legality, completeness or technical accuracy.
8 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

02.
Pendleton
Broad Shirt
pendleton-usa.com
$135-145

10.
Glock
Glock 17 Gen5
gen5.glock.us

06.
Chris Reeve Knives
Umnumzaan
chrisreeve.com
$450

09.
Ox Cart
V2DX – RENDITION
oxcart.us
$165
 MARCH-APRIL, 2018 9
07.
Five Ten
Guide Tennie
fiveten.com
$120

01.
Oakley
Half Jacket 2.0 Polarized
oakley.com
$163

08.
Federal Premium
Ammunition
Premium Personal
Defense 9MM
LUGER HST
federalpremium.
com

05.
RDR Holsters
The Standard
rdrholsters.com
11.
Single Pistol Mag
$56

rdrholsters.com
$30
04.
Single Pistol Mag
rdrholsters.com
$30

03.
Ares Gear
Aegis Enhanced Belt
aresgear.com
$100
10 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

RELOAD

01. Gear Head Works /
Tailhook Mod 2
Love your pistol brace but wish you could telescope
it for length? Gear Head Work’s revolutionary Tailhook
MOD 2 allows you to do just that. The key to this
function is its patented and proprietary telescop-
ing latch mechanism that gives the user five brace
positions, up to a 12.75-inch length of pull. Combine it
with a reinforced polymer injection-molded brace and
it provides the perfect balance between size, weight,
comfort and rigidity you’ve been looking for.
MSRP: $120
URL: GEARHEADWORKS.COM
04. BCM / MCMR-15 (M-LOK
Compatible Modular Rail)
BCM’s popular KMR handguard for AR-15 is now
available with the M-LOK interface. Featuring the
same industry-leading barrel nut and lock-up design
as the original KMR handguard, the MCMR Series
of handguards gives the shooter modularity with
the M-LOK system. The patented mounting system
includes a mechanical index to the 12 o’clock rail and
positions mounting hardware to mitigate movement
caused by heat generated by the weapon system.
Available in 7, 8, 9, 10 and 13 inches.
MSRP: $210
URL: BRAVOCOMPANYUSA.COM
07. Strike Industries /
AR Aluminum Ultimate Dust
Cover 223
The AR Aluminum Ultimate Dust Cover 223 (SI-
AR-ALUDC-223) takes everything you love about
Strike’s polymer dust covers to the next level. With an
all-aluminum construction, a CED coating for added
durability and an even cleaner finish, the Aluminum
UDC is the modern evolution of standard MIL-SPEC
dust covers.
MSRP: $19
URL: STRIKEINDUSTRIES.COM
02. Primary Arms / 3X
Compact Prism Scope
with the Patented ACSS
5.56 Reticle
Ideal for tactical or sport shooting, the illuminated 3X
Compact Prism Scope is a lightweight scope that can
handle a wide range of tasks and now comes in a Flat
Dark Earth finish. It features Primary Arms’ popular
patented ACSS reticle, which provides quick ranging,
wind holds and moving target leads. The ACSS reticle
can be used with 5.56 NATO, 7.62 NATO/.308 Win, and
5.45x39 calibers.
MSRP: $260
URL: PRIMARYARMS.COM
05. LaserMax / Spartan
SPS-c-R
The Spartan Light & Laser delivers 120 lumens of
LED light and quickly adapts to a multitude of rail
platforms. Lasers come in vivid red or daytime green.
This is LaserMax’s first offering that uses a AAA
battery. Its dual electronic touchpads enable both
left- and right-handed shooters to activate the laser
with ease. User programmable for a steady or high-
visibility pulsed beam, Spartan is fully adjustable for
windage and elevation.
MSRP: $165
URL: LASERMAX.COM
08. Guntec USA/ AR-15
9mm Cal Complete Upper
Receiver Combo Kit
Proudly made in Scottsdale, Arizona, GUNTEC’s
AR-15 9mm Cal Complete Upper Receiver Combo
Kit is made to match up with any brand 9mm lower
receiver. The kit includes the 9mm upper receiver,
9mm complete BCG, and charging handle. The upper
is manufactured from a solid block of billet aluminum
and is then MIL-A-8625 TYPE III anodized.
MSRP: $330
URL: GUNTECUSA.COM
MARCH-APRIL, 2018 11
03. Brownells / AR-15
80% Lower Receiver
Build your own AR-15 at home! This 80% AR-15 Lower
Receiver is an unfinished unit that enables hobbyists
and home gunsmiths to build an AR from the ground
up. It is machined entirely from a 7075-T6 aluminum
forging and even comes equipped with the take-
down-lug pocket. It features a broached magazine
well and is compatible with a wide variety of home
machining jigs and any standard AR-15 upper re-
ceiver. Available unfinished or with a black hardcoat
anodized finish.
MSRP: $55
URL: BROWNELLS.COM
06. Mars Gear / MG
Spectre 20L Backpack
Packed with features you need and nothing you don’t,
the MG Spectre 20L Backpack features a laser-cut
MOLLE panel, large exterior zippered pocket, loop
panel for ID and patches, four compression straps,
reinforced double layer grab handle, is hydration car-
rier compatible and more. The MG Spectre 20L Back-
pack is ready to keep you and your gear prepared.
MSRP: $50
URL: MARSGEAR.COM
09. Primary Weapons
Systems / PCC9
Compensator (Pistol
Caliber Carbine 9mm)
Looking to minimize the muzzle rise on your PCC?
PWS’s new PCC9 compensator promises to do just
that. The 9mm comp is available in both 1/2x36 and
1/2x28 thread pitch to fit most any 9mm carbine
barrel. The muzzle device is made of 4140 steel, is
treated in LIFE coat and combats muzzle rise by
venting gas upward.
MSRP: $58
URL: PRIMARYWEAPONS.COM
12 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

D blade length
3.4 INCHES
L
blade finish
STONEWASHED

blade material
S30V
blade edge
PLAIN
blade thickness
0.12 INCHES

KERSHAW
S30V BLUR closed length
4.5 INCHES
The Kershaw Blur is one of the most popular
knives the company makes. The S30V Blur
is the upgrade everyone’s been clamoring
for. Its S30V powdered stainless steel blade
material is more dense and fine-grained,
enabling it to take and hold an extremely lock Style
fine edge for a longer period of time. The LINER LOCK
stonewashed steel exhibits superb wear
resistance and hardness. Like all Kershaw
Blurs, the S30V Blur has a slightly recurved
blade that’s ideal for multitasking, providing
top slicing and piercing capabilities.

KERSHAW.KAIUSALTD.COM

$145

handle material
6061-T6 ANODIZED
ALUMINUM, TRAC-TEC
INSERTS

overall length overall weight

7.9 INCHES 4.O OZ.
 MARCH-APRIL, 2018 13
AL
ACTIUZ
S

blade length blade finish

3.0 INCHES STONEWASHED

Style
PLUNGE-LOCK WITH CROSS
BOLT SAFETY blade edge
PLAIN

blade material
S30V
blade thickness
0.099 INCHES

closed length
4.2 INCHES
GERBER
US-ASSIST
S30V
Packed full of features such as an S30V
drop-point blade and dual-ramped thumb-
studs, the US-Assist is always ready for
action. Designed and built in Portland,
Oregon, this assisted-opening knife offers
Gerber’s smoothest, most consistent
deployment to date. Including Gerber’s
B.O.S.S. Tech (Balls of Stainless Steel
Technology), it features a ball-bearing
system that is designed to reduce friction
and provide smooth and reliable blade
deployment and closing.

handle material GERBERGEAR.COM

GLASS-FILLED NYLON

$119

overall length overall weight

7.2 INCHES 3.9 OZ.
14 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

KEEP IT

BLAZnTECH Motorized
Weapons Cleaning
System
TE XT & P HOTOS BY J OHN T EATOR
Disclaimer: The following information is to
be used for general guidance only. Working
on your firearm may irreversibly modify or
damage it and should be done solely at your
own risk. Be sure that the firearm is safe and
unloaded; all firearm safety rules apply.
CLEAN
MARCH-APRIL, 2018 15
B
eing a gun nut isn’t only about
the guns. Sure, it’s a huge part of
being a firearms enthusiast, but
let’s not forget about gun acces-
sories; we’d be willing to say that they’re
just as important. An aftermarket hand-
guard, a sleek new holster, a cutting-edge
laser—the accessory world is fun to visit
for sure. For those who enjoy working on or
cleaning our firearms, firearms-specific tools
are just as fun to discover and use. Some of
us take a special joy in cleaning our weapons,
while others see it as just another chore.
Regardless of how you may feel about it, we
have discovered a tool that may bring even
more enjoyment to those who like the clean-
ing process or, conversely, help in speeding
up the errand for those who don’t.
What Does It Do?
Some shooters demand a white glove stan-
dard of clean when it comes to their firearms,
cleaning them after every range outing.
Others, on the other hand, may choose to
clean them only after they log a few thou-
sand rounds down the pipe. Regardless of
what your cleaning regimens are, there’s little
debate that gummed-up and fouled chambers
can greatly decrease the reliability and func-
tionality of your weapon.
16 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

Even for those of us that take great pleasure
in cleaning our guns, we must admit that
sometimes it does take up too much of our
precious spare time. Is there another way
to clean our firearms to a glimmering shine,
without it eating up hours of our day?
BLAZnTECH’s Motorized Weapons Cleaning
System (MWCS) was developed to not only
speed up gun cleaning times, but to save
you the elbow grease as well as enhance the
The MWCS is a
battery-powered
tool dedicated
to cleaning your
firearm's chamber
and bore—without
having to disassem-
ble the weapon.
effectiveness of your cleaning procedures.
It’s a battery-powered motorized tool that is
dedicated to cleaning your firearm’s chamber
and bore.
Designed for use without having to disas-
semble your gun, the MWCS can be a real
time saver. Its brush rotates at 300 rpm at
the push of a button and it has a built-in LED
light to help you see hidden carbon deposits.
Its proprietary nylon brushes are designed to
provide enough rigidity to ensure that carbon,
powder residue and fouling are effectively
removed without any damage to the firearm.
Brush socks can be installed over the brush
itself for even more detailed cleaning.

Inside its nicely

appointed rigid
ballistic nylon case,
the MWCS comes
with the motorized
cleaner, brushes
and brush socks for
5.56mm, 7.62mm,
9mm, and .45 ACP,
barrel brush exten-
sion rod, FrogLube
CLP, FrogLube
Solvent, lanyard
and 9-volt battery.
18 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

How Do You Use It?

1. Always check first to see that your gun is
not loaded.

2. Attach the correct sized brush for your

firearm to the motorized cleaner and apply
a cleaning solvent, in this case FrogLube
Solvent.

3. Lock back the bolt (or slide if you are

cleaning a pistol) and insert the brush into
the chamber.

“the
mwcs
really
helped
with the
hard-to- 01

reach
areas.”

02

03
20 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

4. Activate the tool by turning it on. Let the
brush run inside the chamber for a few mo-
ments. We like moving the tool around just a
bit to make sure it gets in all the crevices.
5. Next we install a brush sock, apply a clean-
ing lubricant such as FrogLube CLP and repeat
the last step.
6. For pistols, a brush extension can be
installed to help clean the entire interior of
the barrel.
7. Use the LED light to inspect for cleanliness.
If there are any missed areas, repeat steps
until satisfactorily clean.
The MWCS changed all that. With just a few
passes with the brush and then with the
sock, both accompanied with BLAZnTECH’s
recommended FrogLube cleaning solvent and
CLP, our star chamber was finally as clean as
the day it was manufactured.
For long arms, the MWCS cleans chambers
like a champ, but due to the longer length of
rifle barrels, it wasn’t able to tackle the entire
bore. You’ll still need to go old-school for
that. It can however clean the entire length of
most pistol bores with the help of the MWCS’s
barrel brush extension rod, which is included
with the tool.

«
04 does it work?
The bottom line is that yes, the cleaning specifications
system did work for us. Does it replace every
other cleaning tool or supply that you already MAKE:
use? Probably not. But it does help cut down BLAZNTECH
on cleaning time and in our case it finally MODEL:
helped us get at the hard-to-reach areas we MOTORIZED WEAPONS
usually have a hard time getting to. CLEANING SYSTEM
MSRP:
If you’ve had a heck of a time cleaning your $195
AR’s star-shaped chamber, you’re not alone.
We’ve used everything from a standard
URL:
BLAZNTECH.COM
cleaning rod with brush to those star-cham-
ber-shaped pads, and even cotton swabs
and dental picks, and we’ve never been fully
satisfied with how clean we could get it.

05

06 07
22 WORLD OF FIREPOWER
 MARCH-APRIL, 2018 23

PUTTING THE SEEKINS PRECISION HAVAK

BOLT-ACTION RIFLE THROUGH ITS PACES
T EXT BY M I C HAEL FU RRE R / P H OTOS BY T RAC E RX

O
n preparing the review of and range testing regimen for the Seekins Precision
Havak rifle, we were sure that with such a cool sounding name attached to the
weapon there must be some sort of significance to it or some sort of detailed
backstory behind this firearm’s development. We soon found out that Havak
doesn’t mean anything in particular. Glen Seekins, founder of Seekins Precision out of Lewiston,
Idaho, said they chose the name because it did indeed sound cool and the V in the center of the
word Havak made for a compelling logo, especially when you turn the V into stylized antlers.
Good enough for us.
24 WORLD OF FIREPOWER
Seekins founded his company in 2004 after
he had his scope rings fail while on a hunt.
He came away from that hunt disgusted with
the quality of workmanship. He teamed with
a buddy and started making scope rings on a
mini-mill. After producing his first set, friends
and family wanted the same rings, which
are today some of the finest scope rings avail-
able. Now, at the ripe old age of 38, Glen and
his wife Katie Seekins have 42 employees
and turn out top-of-the-line AR-15 uppers and
lowers, scope rings, bases, Picatinny rails,
completed ARs—and now, hunting rifles.
I currently am not much of a hunter. Fifteen
years ago I was pulled from my own hobbies
of hunting and long-range shooting due to
two young ladies wanting to shoot Olym-
pic-style small-bore and air rifle. Buying
those types of precision rifles is expensive,
especially two for each child. Now that the
children are grown and on their own, I can
pursue long-range precision shooting (but still
have no time for hunting).
Prior to evaluation, I went to the Seekins
website to take a look at some pictures of
the Havak. Knowing a bit about Seekins and
seeing him occasionally at matches, I thought
maybe this was a crossover rifle, something
used in competition and in hunting. Frankly,
I’m a little embarrassed to admit my internet
reconnaissance of the rifle wasn’t very thor-
The barrel has
a number 4 con- ough since I didn’t check the rifle’s weight.
tour with nearly
full-length spiral
fluting, which
is designed to Specifications
maintain barrel
stiffness while On receiving the rifle for review, I pulled it
minimizing
weight. out of the box and immediately noted that
this was not anything near the weight of a
competition rifle. This was a purpose-built,
lightweight hunting implement. I haven’t held
a rifle this light in my hands for many years,
and frankly at first I didn’t much care for it.
The rifles I carry into field matches weigh
about 16-18 pounds; this little thing weighed
in at 7 and a half. It uses a short-action
Remington 700 pattern chambered in the 6.5
Creedmoor.
The barrel is not the standard number 2 con-
tour you would find on a rack-grade factory
rifle. It has a number 4 contour with nearly
 MARCH-APRIL, 2018 25

The bolt is
unique, with
a proprietary
design, 4 locking
lugs and a
90-degree throw
with 3 and 9
o’clock locking
positions.

full-length spiral flutes. The fluting is designed

to maintain barrel stiffness while minimizing
weight. The rate of twist in the barrel is 5R
1:8, which is what you would find in a long-
range precision rifle of similar caliber. A 1:8
twist is ideal for the heavier 140-grain bullets
long-range shooters typically prefer. Spiral
fluting like that on the Havak also helps keep
the rifle cool and aids in preventing barrel
walk during repeat shots. The bolt is unique,
with a proprietary design, 4 locking lugs and a
90-degree throw with 3 and 9 o’clock locking
positions.

In addition, the bolt head is constructed

with a secret “super metal” alloy that is
interchangeable, extremely tough, has
anti-galling properties and simplifies the
manufacturing process. The bolt is designed
with a special helical extraction cam, which
provides a smooth, fluid motion during the
extraction process. This smooth process aids
the shooter in keeping his or her cheek on
the cheek piece and the scope on the target
while working the bolt. The bolt also has an
M16-style extractor, which ensures extraction
during the critical second-shot process.
26 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

The rate of twist

in the barrel
is 5R 1:8, what
you would find
in a long-range
precision rifle of
similar caliber
and ideal for
the heavier
140-grain bullets
long-range
shooters typical-
ly prefer.

The rifle also features hand pillar bedding, a
20 MOA Picatinny rail, a threaded bolt nob,
a barrel thread for suppressors or muzzle
brakes, an integrated recoil lug and, inter-
estingly, a top recoil lug that reduces any
possible shearing of the screws on the pic rail
during recoil. I’ve never seen a top recoil lug
on a rifle but understand how this may be
important feature on a lightweight hunting
platform.
The trigger is a Timney set at 3.5 pounds,
but it can be adjusted by the shooter. The
stock is the McMillan Game Warden with a
vertical grip. It’s an ideal lightweight hunting
stock without the tactical look. The magazine
provided with the rifle is a P-MAG but the rifle
will accept any AI, Ruger or Savage maga-
zines. In addition, the magazine well contains
a spacer that can be removed to allow for the
use of the slightly longer Havak magazine.
This longer Havak magazine will allow for a
longer bullet seating depth for those riflemen
who reload their own ammunition. Seekins
Precision is planning on releasing this same
rifle in multiple calibers, including 6.5 Creed-
moor, .308 and the 6.5 PRC. A long-action
version will soon be released in 28 Nosler,
300 Win Mag and an undisclosed cartridge
in 338.
Auxiliary Equipment
Before taking the rifle to the range, I ran a
patch down the barrel to make sure there
were no obstructions or metal fouling. I
contacted a friend, Tony Burke at Tab Gear, for
one of his PRS slings (the best practical field
sling on the market), and attached an Atlas
bipod on the sling swivel stud.

“precision
match rifles
typically
weigh 16
pounds; the
havak weighs
just 7.5.”
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28 WORLD OF FIREPOWER
I scrambled around a bit for a scope and
finally pulled a SIG Sauer Tango 6 off one of
my competition guns. The only rings I had
available were 1.26-inch Vortex Rings (also
made by Seekins). These were too tall to
get a proper cheek weld, so to get a proper
sight alignment I used a stock pack, which
elevated the cheek piece to provide a proper
sight alignment. This rifle requires low rings
to avoid the use of a stock pack. Before
hitting the range, I grabbed a couple boxes of
Prime 6.5 Creedmoor ammunition. This is the
ammunition I use in competition, so I felt it
would be fine to zero the rifle.
At the Range, Round 1
While at the range, as is my typical process,
I worked the action a bit and dry-fired the
rifle. I noted the action wasn’t as smooth as
I would prefer. This lack of smoothness was
due to the full-diameter bolt body and the
protectant coatings on the rifle. During my lat-
er conversation with Seekins, he assured me
that with use the action would become more
smooth. The actions I am familiar with are
those on high-end competition rifles, which
are glassy smooth but cost nearly as much
The trigger is
an adjustable
Timney; the mag- “a lightweight rifle
shooting 6.5 creedmoor
azine provided
with the rifle
is a P-MAG but
the Havak will
accept any AI,
Ruger or Savage
magazines.
may tend to jump off
target, but the havak
recovered quickly.”
as the Havak itself. I also noted the trigger first group size with my target ammunition.
setting, at 3.5 pounds, was very stiff—but Seekins mentioned that the Havak, being
again, my competition rifle triggers are set at purpose-built as a lightweight hunter, was
1.5 pounds. A factory-set trigger is generally designed around the Hornady 140-grain
3.5 pounds. This trigger is adjustable and the bullet, not the 130-grain match bullet I’d
shooter can adjust the trigger down to 1.5 used. I planned on field testing the next day
pounds. In the end, I decided against adjust- so I immediately went to the local gun shop
ing it; I wanted to test the rifle as delivered. and picked up a couple of boxes of Hornady’s
Precision Hunter 143-grain ELD-X loaded
While zeroing the rifle, after adjusting ammunition.
the scope to center, the first group at 100
yards could be covered by a dime. The two At the Range, Round 2
follow-on groups were of similar size. After The following day, I headed out to the Mica
zeroing, I contacted Seekins to get some gun range just south of Spokane, Washington.
more technical information. I mentioned the The day was clear, with a slight right-to-left
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30
«
WORLD OF FIREPOWER

Auxiliary equip-
ment added
prior to testing
includes a Tab
Gear PRS sling,

specifications
an Atlas bipod
on the sling swiv-
el stud, and a SIG

Seekins Precision
Sauer Tango 6
rifle scope taken
from one of the
author's compe-
tition guns. Havak bolt-action rifle
CALIBER TESTED: 6.5 CREEDMOOR

RIFLING: 5R, 1:8 TWIST

OVERALL LENGTH: 45 INCHES

BARREL LENGTH: 24 INCHES

WEIGHT: 7.35 POUNDS

MSRP: $2,200

URL: SEEKINSPRECISION.COM

The author's
competition
round is the
Prime 6.5
Creedmoor
with a 130-grain
Norma match
bullet. As a light-
weight hunter,
the Havak was
designed around
the Hornady
140-grain bullet,
which was used
for this article's
testing.

breeze and the temperature at a crisp 40 degrees. Since I prefer to shoot prone, I used an Atlas
bipod with Riflesticks grapnel spikes. I ranged the targets with my SIG Kilo 2400 rangefinder,
which also provides a ballistic solution with its embedded Applied Ballistics software. Since my
competition round is the Prime 6.5 Creedmoor with a 130-grain Norma match bullet, this is
the load data that’s in my ballistic software. I had to mentally adjust the elevation changes to
account for the larger, and possibly slower, 143-grain Hornady bullet.
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32 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

I decided to start at the 420 yard 45% IPSC

Seekins Preci-
target, which is a steel target that has a sion is planning
on releasing
dimension of 10x16 inches. Allowing for the the rifle in
multiple calibers,
wind, I favored right and broke the shot, including 6.5
Creedmoor, .308
which was immediately followed by the and the 6.5 PRC.
A long-action
resounding ring of a hit. A 7.5-pound rifle version will soon
be released in
shooting the mild 6.5 Creedmoor tends to 28 Nosler, 300
Win Mag and an
jump off the target, but I was able to recover undisclosed car-
tridge in 338.
quickly enough to observe the target rocking
on its stand. To confirm that this first shot
wasn’t just luck I repeated the shot with the
same results.

Next I went to the 500, 600 and

targets, with a progressively grea
hold, on targets of the same dim

“without a doubt,
the seekins precision
havak is a rifleman’s rifle.”
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34 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

each case, the result was a first-round hit. I Moving beyond

400 yards to
had to progressively hold for more wind as the 500, 600
the range increased, but the data provided by and 720-yard
targets, with a
the SIG Kilo 2400, with a slight adjustment progressively
greater wind
for the increased bullet weight, was stunning. hold, on targets
of the same
While planning this trip to the range I had no dimensions, the
result was a first-
intention of shooting to 1,000 yards, but since round hit in each
and every case.
the initial results were so surprising, I figured
why not? My first shot at 1,000 was slightly
high and left. I reduced the elevation a couple
tenths and allowed for a bit more wind. The
second shot at 1,000 yards rang the bell!

Conclusions
Observations of a long-range rifleman: I was
rocked back on my heels with this rifle. The
light weight and stiff trigger (as delivered)
were not appealing to me. But as a long-
range shooter with 40 years of experience, I
have never seen a rifle at this weight shoot
this well. If I were a hunter, I would be quite
happy to carry a 7.5-pound rifle that performs
like a 16-pound long-range precision gun. It’s
been several days since my trip to the range
and I still can’t remove the smile from my
face, nor lose the feeling of first-round hits
out to 720 yards. The Seekins Precision Havak
is a rifleman’s rifle.
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38 WORLD OF FIREPOWER
“a static target wouldn’t
make an as effective way
to train your cognitive
decision-making skills
while under stress.”
H
ow do you train to shoot? It’s a
simple sounding question, but
the deeper you dive into it, the
more complex it can get. In fact,
you’ll probably get a different answer from
everybody you ask. That’s because different
types of shooting disciplines require different
training techniques. Though many gun han-
dling and shooting skills are shared among
each type of shooting discipline, what type
of shooting you train for should ultimately
dictate your training regimen.
Whether you’re a 3-gun competitor trying to
accurately shoot a course of fire in as little
time as possible or a CCW permit holder
that needs to hone your shoot or no-shoot
decision-making skills, a static target probably
wouldn’t make for an effective way to train
your cognitive decision making skills while
promises to introduce increased stress levels
by providing time performance, as well as
threat/no threat cognitive decision making
into your training program. Essentially, the
Pivotal Trainer is a target system that uses
a motorized unit and remote control to turn
a double-sided target so that its threaten-
ing side (a silhouette with a gun) and its
non-threatening side (a silhouette with a
smartphone) face the shooter at random
and timed intervals. The goal, of course, is to
shoot the gunman and not the person shoot-
Target frames ing a selfie (or video filming opportunist).
are modular and
can be config- The ultimate goal of this turning target is to
ured in many
different ways to help the shooter to eliminate anticipation and
provide a unique
shooting experi- forces the shooter to think quickly and to use
ence every time
you shoot. discretion before acting.
Pivotal Trainer is a slick package whose major
components include a target stand, target
frame, rechargeable motor unit, remote
controller and more. The entire unit is very
portable and weighs a paltry 13 pounds. In
fact, we were surprised at just how light and
packable the target system is. Each piece of
extruded lightweight nylon material framing
comes apart easily and is secured by simple
wing nuts. The beauty of using this material
for its framing aside from its weight savings
is that it can be inexpensively replaced with
PVC or 2x2-inch wood that you can find
at your local hardware store in case it is
inadvertently damaged. The company also
has replacement parts available at reasonable
prices. When assembled, the frame and stand
have approximate dimensions of 82 inches
Each piece of
extruded light- high, 33 inches wide and 42 inches of depth.
weight nylon
framing material
comes apart
easily and is se- The motor is powered by rechargeable lithi-
cured by simple
wing nuts. um ion batteries for convenient outdoor use.
under stress. But when you go to the range, When using its battery, it will run between
what are you most likely going to be shoot-
ing? We’d venture a guess and say, probably a
static target.
While we believe that getting any amount of
trigger time is better than none, as shooting
at a non-moving target can still be good
practice. That said, we also believe that static
target training can lack the dynamics that
one requires to improve their shooting and
decision making under stress skills. Former
Navy SEAL Jared Ogden, founder of Triumph
Systems, agrees. If his name sounds familiar
to you, you might have caught him on Season
2 of Ultimate Survivor Alaska on the National
Geographic Channel.
Ogden and his team has developed the
Pivotal Trainer, a turning target system that
 MARCH-APRIL, 2018 39
“we were
faced with
a dynam-
ic, changing
target that
didn’t always
present it-
self as an
OKay to shoot
subject.”
The motor unit
1 to 2.5 hours depending on the chosen
is protected by mode. If there’s a wall socket nearby, it can
a ballistic shield
that can withstand be plugged in for continuous use. To help
a hit from a pistol
round. An AR500 the motor housing unit survive hanging out
armor plate up-
grade is available above a target that’s being shot at longer, a
for even greater
protection. ballistic nylon protective shield armors it from
direct impacts. The standard plate will stop
one handgun round but not a repeated shot.
An upgradable .25" thick AR500 Steel plate is
also an option for even greater durability.

The motor’s mounting bracket allows it to be

mounted on the top rail of Pivotal Trainer’s
frame but it can also be securely attached just
about anywhere—including a door frame in a
shoot house, an existing target runner in your
indoor range, and much more. It also features
a removable and replaceable target arm to clip
You don't need targets to. The unit is so versatile that even
more than one
Pivotal Trainer, when not training with live fire, it can be set
but the more the
merrier. Imagine up inside the house for dry fire practice as well.
10 motor units
flipping 10 threat/
no-threat targets Its RF line of sight remote has a range of 25
to make for a very
challenging course yards and is powered by four AA batteries.
of fire for yourself
or in a shooting With the push of a few buttons, the shoot-
line with friends.
er can set this wireless device to random
presentation intervals or use the manual mode
while training with another. An exciting feature
that we especially like is that one remote can
be paired up with up to 10 motors. Ten motor
units flipping 10 threat/no-threat targets can
make for a very challenging course of fire.

We brought two Pivitol Trainers to the range

to run transitional drills with. Transportation
and setup of the units were problem-free
and took us only about four minutes for each
40 WORLD OF FIREPOWER
We’ve Got A
Bleeder!
Triumph Systems Targets
Static targets still have their place at the
shooting range, especially if they bleed or
“explode.” Triumph Systems has released
targets that are as fun as they are useful to
use. Aside from the Threat/No Threat Double
Sided Targets that are described in the main
article, Triumph Systems also created respon-
sive targets that give you instant feedback by
“bleeding” colorful gel when hit.
Available in the form of a full-size zombie, a
terrorist or a humanoid in the Threat Down
“with plenty of gel
packs, each target is
challenging to shoot
and should last for a
while on the range.”
“explosive,” take a look at Triumph’s Pop
Packs. This multi-variable and responsive
training aid was developed to facilitate
cognitive shooting drills, refine marksman-
ship, and add another degree of fun to a day
at the range. Each pack has twelve unique
variable arrangements consisting of different
colors and shapes and numbers (in the form
of stickers that are placed on the packs).
This allows for a variety of “call-outs” when
practicing defensive drills. These targets are
not only fun, but they also reinforce positive
identification as well. A direct hit on a Pop
Pack results in a highly visible pop of color.
Silhouette series, as well as small animal
sized-targets in the Ethical Harvest series,
these targets feature gel packs that slowly
ooze gel when shot. With plenty of gel packs
to shoot at (over 100 each in the Threat Down
Silhouette series), each target is challenging
to shoot and should last for a long while on
the range. Triumph’s environmentally safe gel
that is water-soluble and will not permanent-
ly stain your clothes.
If you’re looking for something a bit more
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Visit your local dealer to test drive, or go
to lwrci.com/di for more information.

LWRCI™ | HIGH-PERFORMANCE FIREARMS

PROUDLY MADE IN THE USA | LWRCI.COM | 410-901-1348 Made in the USA
42 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

target. As soon as we had the targets set up,

The remote belt
clip hangs on we were ready for to shoot some drills.
the belt to face
the controller in
the correct ori- The target system can be programmed to run
entation of the
viewer. In either in an unholstered or holstered position auto
unholstered or
holstered auto- mode that randomly switches the targets be-
matic modes, the
user can specify tween three different presentations including
target presenta-
tion at 1.5, 3 or 5 shoot, no shoot and “negative-presentation,”
seconds.
when the side of the target is shown.

We opted for the auto mode for most of our

shooting day as it gave us an unpredictable
shooting experience. The targets flipped be-
tween their three presentations, only exposing
themselves for a few seconds each time. As
the shooter, we had to quickly anticipate and
discern which targets to shoot and which to
ignore. With two units standing side by side
flipping their targets seconds apart, our brains
were working up a sweat. We can only imag-
ine having 10 of these targets to worry about.
A manual mode is also available so that the
user has more control over which aspects they
want to work on; it can also be controlled by
an instructor or friend.

The targets themselves withstood plenty of

shots from multiple shooters. The design of
Triumph Systems Threat/No Threat Double
 MARCH-APRIL, 2018 43
The ultimate
Sided Targets includes graphics that depict goal of this
turning target
Threat/No Threat sides, vital organs, T-zone, is to help the
shooter elimi-
and a central nervous system. When examining nate anticipation
and forces the
shot placement on the targets, you will notice shooter to think
quickly and use
that bullets penetrate deeply when entering discretion before
acting.
the target and leave an obvious tattered hole
after exiting it. This makes determining shot
direction when scoring shots on both Threat
and No Threat sides. Marksmanship stickers
also come with the targets to plug up holes
when you want to shoot a clean target.

All in all, we got plenty of useful and

worthwhile training out of the Pivotal Trainer
systems. Rather than trying to get tight
groups on a motionless target, we were faced
with a dynamic and ever-changing target
that didn’t always present itself as an okay to
shoot subject. Sometimes it was a no-shoot,
sometimes it even came up as no target.
Because of the random presentations and its
quick to turn movements, we were always
kept on edge and forced to sharpen our target
identifying and decision-making skills. Our
groups weren’t one ragged hole either and The goal, of
course, is to
that’s okay. It helped us train to shoot faster shoot the gun-
man and not the
and smarter. If we had the chance, we’d love person shooting
the selfie.
to get a group of these targets in front of us
the next time we go to the range.
44 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

Plying
the
Fifth
Evaluating
the Gen5
Glock 17 & 19
T E X T BY JA SON DAVIS
P H OTOS BY JOH N TE ATOR
MARCH-APRIL, 2018 45
46 WORLD OF FIREPOWER
I
n mid-2015 the gun industry was abuzz
about what Glock might be working on
for its next generation of pistols. Lots
of speculation about what might be
going into this new generation was talked
about on every gun forum and in various
publications. Leaked photos of what was
possibly the Federal Bureau of Investiga-
tion’s new service pistol were circulated;
the images had people speculating that this
would be the very same pistol released to
the general public. Fast forward to late June
The new pistols
boast a new Glock 2016 and it became known that the FBI had
Marksman Barrel,
nDLC finish on awarded Glock its handgun solicitation for
the slide, a flared
magazine well, its new-generation sidearm—the “Glock M,”
an ambidextrous
as it was called.
slide stop/release
lever, and do not
feature finger
grooves on the
front of the frame. With the solicitation being given, official
pictures of the pistol finally being released,
and one domestic law enforcement agency the manufacturer. And in late August 2017
at last being sold the Glock M, more and Glock at least released its new pistol to the
more people thought this was the exact masses.
pistol that would be released to consumers.
What happened over the following year From the manufacturer, this generation,
was a change in the name; the M would be which includes the 17 and the 19, features
reclassified as the Glock Gen5 and would be more than 20 design modifications differ-
sold upon a pending release date given by entiating it from the previous Glock Gen4.

«
specifications
glock
19 gen5
CALIBER: 9MM
MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 15 ROUNDS (STANDARD)
BARREL LENGTH: 4.02 INCHES
OVERALL LENGTH: 7.28 INCHES
HEIGHT: 5.04 INCHES
WIDTH: 1.34 INCHES
WEIGHT UNLOADED: 23.99 OUNCES
WEIGHT LOADED: 31.04 OUNCES
MSRP: $560 (BASE)
URL: US.GLOCK.COM
Most notable by looking at photographs of
the Gen5 is that these pistols boast a new
Glock Marksman Barrel, a different finish
on the slide the company is calling nDLC
(nitration Diamond Like Coating, which is
currently only done in Austria), a flared
magazine well, an ambidextrous slide
stop/release lever, no finger grooves on
the front of the frame, and these guns
are held together by two pins rather than
three. Internally, there are additional
changes that allow the pistol to work off
the two-pin system; in turn, some of these
changes may have helped with a smoother
trigger pull that has not been achieved in
previous generations.
Having had the opportunity to shoot the 17
and 19 M models prior to the Gen5 being
released, I was very accepting of the new
changes and could not wait to see a Gen5
released. Those who know my affinity for
1911-based pistols and know my history
with them may find it shocking that I was
eagerly awaiting the civilian release date
of the Gen5. As soon as I got a call from
Pro Force Law Enforcement in Brea, Calif.,
that the Gen5 was being released for sale,
I quickly bought both a Gen5 Glock 17 and
Glock 19.
Living in a state where you must wait 10
days after initially doing the paperwork on a
47
MARCH-APRIL, 2018
pistol hits a guy’s ego in striving for constant
The new Glock
Gen5 is held and immediate gratification. So be it—I had
together by two
pins rather than to wait the 10 days, but as soon as they
three. The Gen5 17
pictured opposite were up I was back picking up the pistols
is fitted with a
SureFire X300 and headed straight for the range. Once at
Ultra weapon-
light—one of our the range I could not unload boxes of am-
favorites for auxil-
iary illumination. munition fast enough to load up the Glock
magazines that came with both pistols. It
is worth mentioning that Glock did not just
change the pistols, but they also changed
the magazines shipping with these guns.
The new magazines feature an orange fol-
lower and an extended base plate that will
allow for faster removal of the magazine
from the weapon. I’m not sure if the orange
follower was part of the solicitation with the
48 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

specifications
glock
17 gen5
CALIBER: 9MM

MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 17 ROUNDS (STANDARD)

BARREL LENGTH: 4.49 INCHES

OVERALL LENGTH: 7.95 INCHES

HEIGHT: 5.47 INCHES

WIDTH: 1.34 INCHES

WEIGHT UNLOADED: 25.04 OUNCES

WEIGHT LOADED: 32.10 OUNCES

MSRP: $560 (BASE)

URL: US.GLOCK.COM

“we feel that the

trigger is truly the
best that the company
has produced to date.”
federal government, but it is nice to see,
Both evaluation
especially since more than a few agencies pistols received
Fowler Industries
have shooters show clear once their slide Lock Back sights
at the rear and
is at the rear. The orange follower visually Wilson Combat
Vickers gold
jumps out of the all-black pistol when the beads at the front.
slide is locked to the rear of the pistol.

Getting into and working with both pistols

over the next few days, I came to like
the changes a lot. Accuracy is better than
previous out-of-the-box generations and
I truly feel the trigger on the Gen5 is the
best the company has produced to date.
Over the course of a weekend I put about
1,000 rounds through both the 17 and the
19. I experienced zero malfunctions, and if
I was doing my part the rounds landed ex-
actly where my sights were aimed. For the
weekend of shooting I left these pistols ex-
actly as they came out of the factory, with
the white front and rear sights, but after
the first weekend of shooting I immediate-
ly began tinkering with both.
Happy as I was with the factory config-
uration, of course I had to make some
changes to really start to evaluate the
pistols and their abilities. The first thing I
did was change the sights. I used a Fowler
Industries Lock Back sight at the rear and
the fronts got the Wilson Combat Vickers
gold bead, which is .245 inches in height.
This combination works well with my eyes
and every Glock pistol I own has this exact
setup. I changed out the sights on both the
17 and the 19. The 19 saw this upgrade
only; everything else on it remains as it was
from the factory.
I decided to add some parts to the Gen5
Glock 17 pistol because generally speaking I
simply cannot leave a gun stock in appear-
ance. I fitted it with a KKM Match Barrel
that’s finished in black nitride. The barrel
looks like it was mated to the frame since
the two finishes appear nearly identical. The
fit on this barrel is incredibly tight, as soon I
realized when I made the exchange. Having
a good fit on the lock-up generally equates
to accuracy on the other end, and I’d soon
find out if there was any difference between
stock and the KKM barrel.
Although I had been impressed with the
stock trigger, I decided to give an Apex
drop-in replacement kit a try. I chose the
company’s Apex Action Enhancement
Thin Blue Line Series, which is supposed
to make the pull smoother and drop pull
weight by up to a pound. One great thing
about Glock pistols is that they are very
easy to modify, even using just basic
 MARCH-APRIL, 2018 49
suppliers
Apex Tactical Specialties
apextactical.com

KKM Precision
kkmprecision.com

SureFire
surefire.com

Taran Tactical Innovations

tarantacticalinnovations.com

knowledge of the pistol. The new Apex
trigger was installed after about four min-
utes of work. It uses a more “flat” face as
opposed to the more upswept, or curved,
factory trigger. I do like a flat-face trigger
and the Apex unit seems to interface
with my finger slightly better. As for the
pull weight while shooting, I do feel this From Taran Tactical, I installed the Gen5
Our test maga-
trigger operates more smoothly and its zines were fitted stainless steel guide rod and replaced a
with Taran Tactical
actuation takes right around half a pound base plates that couple of my factory magazine base plates
add another five
off the factory 5.5-pound trigger pull. No rounds to the with base pad kits that add another five
capacity. Note the
other modifications were made to the orange followers, rounds to the magazine. These base pads
which are Glock
factory ignition parts other than what Apex factory standard. came in blue that matches the safety bar
sent in the kit. lever on the Apex trigger, so it’s kind of
50 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

nice to see the LE blue color added to this

In addition to
pistol. new sights, the
Glock 17 received
a drop-in Apex

“we experienced zero

Tactical trigger,
With the handful of changes to the Glock which is designed
to smooth out the
17, I hit the range once again to see how pull and lighten it
by about half
well the modifications worked. The gun was
of course noticeably just a bit heavier with
the addition of five rounds, but it was nice
a pound.
malfunctions;; if the
having those extra rounds while working
different drills on the range. Getting onto
shooter does his or her
the target with the gold bead front sight
from Wilson and pressing the trigger with
part,, the rounds land
the new Apex kit, I noticed that I was
keeping rounds exactly where I wanted. precisely where aimed.”
52 WORLD OF FIREPOWER
The trigger and the sights worked well in
tandem and I was happy with an extra half
pound taken out of the trigger. I did not no-
tice much difference in trigger smoothness,
but having the extra weight out of its pull
made a difference at 25 yards.
Accuracy between the factory barrel and the
KKM was not much different out to 15 yards,
but between 15 and 50 yards I truly saw
where the KKM shines. Keeping everything
in the black at 25 yards on a modified B8 X
ring had me impressed with the KKM barrel.
The
Thin Blue Line
You may have noticed the blue-colored trigger safety equipped on the Glock 17 Gen5 in this article. It looks
nice, but the Apex trigger’s blue safety isn’t simply to appeal to law enforcement customers. It’s also to raise
money for an important organization.
It’s an unfortunate fact that roughly 140 to 160 law enforcement officers lose their lives in the line of duty
every year. Due to this, organizations such as Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS), which is a nationwide not-
for-profit organization with 53 Chapters across the country, was formed to help “rebuild shattered lives” of the
survivors. COPS has a membership comprised of more than 47,000 people who have identified themselves
as survivors.
To support this worthy cause, Apex Tactical Specialties donates 25% from each sale of its Thin Blue Line
series of triggers to COPS. As of the time of this article’s writing, Apex is closing in on $100,000 in donations
raised for the organization. Introduced on October 31, 2016, Apex’s Think Blue Line series of triggers are
available for a variety of pistols including Glock, Smith & Wesson M&P, M&P Shield, and Walther PPQ models,
with additional offerings scheduled for release soon.
“COPS thanks Apex Tactical for not only their exceptional product created to honor the thin blue line of law
enforcement, but for their generous support of law enforcement survivors,” says Dianne Bernhard, executive
director of COPS. “Apex Tactical is truly a company who honors our nation’s heroes and never forgets those
left behind.”
54 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

Suffice to say the modifications to the 17

will remain in the pistol.
Gen5 pistols fit in
Gen4 holsters as
long as the
,
Having grown up around firearms all my life
and not having shot a Glock pistol until late
ambidextrous
slide stop doesn't
get in the way.
(Some even
highly modifiable if
2013, I must say I am impressed with the
Glock Gen5. These pistols are highly accu-
say most Gen3
holsters may work
as well.) Gen5
magazines fit
the user so desires,,
rate, can be left alone or highly modified,
and are reliable to say the least. Now the
same as previous
generations.
and very reliable to
Gen5 pistol has me thinking: What, if any-
thing, could be coming along with a Gen6 in
the future?
say the least.”
56 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

M-LOK parts installation examples shown on either black BCM MCMR-

15 (M-LOK Compatible Rail) or Flat Dark Earth Aero Precision 12" ATLAS
S-ONE handguards.

LOKed-In
F
or decades, if you wanted
to mount an accessory to
your rifle, such as sights or a
flashlight, you pretty much had
two choices. MIL-STD-1913 (aka Picatinny)
rail or duct tape. Luckily, we now live
in more civilized times. When it comes
time to choose which type of accessory
interface to go with for your weapon
system, you’ll find out that there are
many choices other than the old standard
Pic rail. Two popular and slimmed-down
options on the market today are KeyMod
and M-LOK.
M-LOK Buyer’s Guide
M-LOK was developed by Magpul as a
freely licensed rail interface system that
has really taken off in the past few years.
Some like the look of it; others like its
utility. But probably its most popular
attributes are that it keeps handguards
extremely low profile and lightweight
when compared to the old cheese grater.
A recently released study by Naval
Special Warfare Center Crane Division
pitted the two contemporary systems,
KeyMod and M-LOK, against one another
with interesting results. After extensive
MARCH-APRIL, 2018 57
T EXT & P H OTOS BY J O H N T E ATO R
CO M P I L E D BY DA N N Y C H A N G
tests, they concluded that while the
two systems exceeded cyclic load test
conditions in terms of endurance and
rough handling, it was M-LOK that
fared better in tests that measured
repeatability, drop tests and failure loads.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the
latest and greatest M-LOK accessories
available on the market for your firearm.
Like the battle between Blu-ray and HD
DVD in 2006-2008, which system do you
think is winning the fight or has already
won? Let us know.
58 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

LIGHT MOUNTS
1 2 3

ARISAKA ARISAKA BCM

INLINE RING MOUNT M-LOK INLINE SCOUT MOUNT M-LOK BCMGUNFIGHTER RING LIGHT MOUNT
APPLICATION: 1 INCH DIAMETER LIGHT BODIES APPLICATIONS: ARISAKA 300 & 600 SERIES LIGHTS, 1-INCH, MOD-0
FINISH & MATERIAL: MIL-A-8625 TYPE III HARD COAT STREAMLIGHT PROTAC RAIL MOUNT 1 & 2 LIGHTS, SUREFIRE
APPLICATION: 1 INCH DIAMETER LIGHT BODIES
ANODIZED 6061-T6 ALUMINUM SCOUT LIGHTS
NOTE: STREAMLIGHT PROTAC RAIL MOUNT HL-X LONG GUN LIGHT AND SUREFIRE MATERIAL: ALUMINUM
COLOR: BLACK AA SCOUT LIGHTS LONGER BODIES ARE NOT COMPATIBLE UNLESS A MODIFICATION COLOR: BLACK
WEIGHT: 1.0 OUNCES OF TOOL(S) ARE MADE TO FIT BETWEEN THE LIGHT BODY AND MOUNT AS SCREWS
ARE COVERED. WEIGHT: 1.3 OUNCES
MSRP: $47
FINISH & MATERIAL: MIL-A-8625 TYPE III HARD COAT MSRP: $45
URL: ARISAKADEFENSE.COM ANODIZED 7075-T6 ALUMINUM URL: BRAVOCOMPANYUSA.COM
COLOR: BLACK
WEIGHT: 0.7 OUNCES
MSRP: $39
URL: ARISAKADEFENSE.COM

4 6

LEAD FAUCET TACTICAL MAGPUL

troy/lft light mount large MLOK MLOK CANTILEVER RAIL/LIGHT
APPLICATION: FITS MOST 1 INCH DIAMETER LIGHT BODIES MOUNT, POLYMER
FINISH & MATERIAL: TYPE III HARD COAT ANODIZED
6061-T6 ALUMINUM LEAD FAUCET TACTICAL APPLICATIONS: MAGPUL LIGHT MOUNT V-BLOCK AND
RINGS, SUREFIRE SCOUT LIGHTS
COLOR: BLACK TROY/LFT LIGHT MOUNT SMALL MLOK NOTE: SUREFIRE DS00 DUAL ACTIVATION SWITCH IS NOT COMPATIBLE.
WEIGHT: 0.9 OUNCES MATERIAL: ALUMINUM
APPLICATIONS: 0.825-0.875 INCH DIAMETER LIGHT BOD-
MSRP: $45 IES, SUREFIRE E-SERIES COLOR: BLACK
URL: LEADFAUCETTACTICAL.COM FINISH & MATERIAL: TYPE III HARD COAT ANODIZED WEIGHT: 0.7 OUNCES
6061-T6 ALUMINUM
MSRP: $18 (POLYMER) $35 (ALUMINUM)
COLOR: BLACK
URL: MAGPUL.COM
WEIGHT: 0.7 OUNCES
MSRP: $43
URL: LEADFAUCETTACTICAL.COM
 MARCH-APRIL, 2018 59
offset MOUNTS
7 8 9

MAGPUL MIDWEST INDUSTRIES ARISAKA

M-LOK EXTENDED CANTILEVER SCOUT RAISE STRAIGHT SUREFIRE LIGHT OFFSET PICATINNY MOUNT M-LOK
MOUNT MOUNT, M-LOK COMPATIBLE APPLICATIONS: COMBINATION OF PICATINNY MOUNT OR
SUREFIRE SCOUT LIGHTS.
APPLICATIONS: STREAMLIGHT PROTAC RAIL MOUNT APPLICATION: SUREFIRE SCOUT LIGHTS
LIGHTS, SUREFIRE SCOUT LIGHTS OFFSET: 45-DEGREE, 1:30/4:30/6:30/10:30 POSITIONS, SIX
FINISH & MATERIAL: HARD COAT ANODIZED 6061
VARIOUS SIDE-TO-SIDE POSITIONS
NOTE: SUREFIRE DS00 DUAL ACTIVATION SWITCH IS NOT COMPATIBLE. ALUMINUM
FINISH & MATERIAL: MIL-SPEC HARD ANODIZED FINISH & MATERIAL: MIL-A-8625 TYPE III HARD COAT
COLOR: BLACK
ALUMINUM ANODIZED 6061-T6 ALUMINUM
WEIGHT: 0.6 OUNCES
COLOR: BLACK COLOR: BLACK
MSRP: $30
WEIGHT: 1.1 OUNCES WEIGHT: 1.1 OUNCES
URL: : MIDWESTINDUSTRIESINC.COM
MSRP: $34 MSRP: $62
URL: : MAGPUL.COM URL: ARISAKADEFENSE.COM

10 11
12

ARISAKA ARISAKA
OFFSET SCOUNT MOUNT M-LOK RING LIGHT MOUNT M-LOK
APPLICATIONS: ARISAKA 300 & 600 SERIES LIGHTS, APPLICATION: 1-1.03 INCH DIAMETER LIGHT BODIES bcm
STREAMLIGHT PROTAC RAIL MOUNT 1/2/HL-X LIGHTS, SURE-
FIRE SCOUT LIGHTS
OFFSET: 12:00/6:00 O’CLOCK POSITIONS BCMGUNFIGHTER MODULAR LIGHT
OFFSET: 45-DEGREE, 1:30/4:30/6:30/10:30 O’CLOCK POSI-
FINISH & MATERIAL: MIL-A-8625 TYPE III HARD COAT
ANODIZED 6061-T6 ALUMINUM
MOUNT
TIONS, THREE LIGHT MOUNTING POSITIONS APPLICATIONS: MOST 1913 PICATINNY PISTOL/WEAPON
COLOR: BLACK
FINISH & MATERIAL: MIL-A-8625 TYPE III HARD COAT LIGHTS
ANODIZED 6061-T6 ALUMINUM WEIGHT: 1.1 OUNCES
OFFSET: 45-DEGREE, MULTIPLE LIGHT MOUNT POSITIONS,
COLOR: BLACK MSRP: $47 OPTIONAL HIGH OR LOW MOUNTING POSITIONS
WEIGHT: 0.6 OUNCES URL: ARISAKADEFENSE.COM MATERIAL: ALUMINUM
MSRP: $47 COLOR: BLACK
URL: ARISAKADEFENSE.COM WEIGHT: 1.2 OUNCES
MSRP: $45
URL: BRAVOCOMPANYUSA.COM
60 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

13 14 15

BCM CENTURION ARMS KNIGHT’S ARMAMENT

BCMGUNFIGHTER MODULAR SCOUT MLOK HANDGUARD LIGHT MOUNT MLOK SCOUT LIGHT MOUNT
MOUNT (SCOUT MOUNT) APPLICATION: SUREFIRE SCOUT LIGHTS
APPLICATION: SUREFIRE SCOUT LIGHTS APPLICATION: SUREFIRE SCOUT LIGHTS OFFSET: 45-DEGREE, 1:30/11:30 O’CLOCK POSITIONS
OFFSET: 45-DEGREE, TWO LIGHT MOUNTING POSITONS OFFSET: 45-DEGREE MATERIAL: ALUMINUM
MATERIAL: ALUMINUM MATERIAL: FIBER-REINFORCED POLYMER COLOR: BLACK
COLOR: BLACK COLORS: BLACK, FLAT DARK EARTH WEIGHT: 0.8 OUNCES
WEIGHT: 0.9 OUNCES WEIGHT: 0.4 OUNCES MSRP: $56
MSRP: $45 MSRP: $8 URL: KNIGHTARMCO.COM
URL: BRAVOCOMPANYUSA.COM URL: CENTURIONARMS.COM

18
16 17

MIDWEST INDUSTRIES
MAGPUL MIDWEST INDUSTRIES MI 45 DEgREE OFFSET SUREFIRE LIGHT
M-LOK OFFSET LIGHT MOUNT, OFFSET SCOUT MOUNT, M-LOK MOUNT, M-LOK COMPATIBLE
POLYMER COMPATIBLE APPLICATION: SUREFIRE SCOUT LIGHTS
APPLICATIONS: COMBINATION OF PICATINNY MOUNT OR APPLICATION: SUREFIRE SCOUT LIGHTS OFFSET: 45-DEGREE
SUREFIRE SCOUT LIGHTS OFFSET: 12:00/6:00 O’CLOCK POSITIONS FINISH & MATERIAL: HARD COAT ANODIZED 6061 ALUMI-
OFFSET: 45-DEGREE, 1:00/11:00 O’CLOCK POSITIONS FINISH & MATERIAL: HARD COAT ANODIZED 6061 ALUMI-
NUM
MATERIAL: PROPRIETARY HEAVY-DUTY POLYMER NUM COLOR: BLACK
COLOR: BLACK COLOR: BLACK WEIGHT: 0.6 OUNCES
WEIGHT: 0.6 OUNCES WEIGHT: 0.7 OUNCES MSRP: $40
MSRP: $18 MSRP: $30 URL: MIDWESTINDUSTRIESINC.COM
URL: MAGPUL.COM URL: MIDWESTINDUSTRIESINC.COM
 MARCH-APRIL, 2018 61
BARRICADE/
19 20 FINGER/HAND
STOPS
21

MIDWEST INDUSTRIES UTG

OFFSET SCOUT MOUNT, M-LOK M-LOK OFFSET FLASHLIGHT RING
COMPATIBLE MOUNT
APPLICATION: SUREFIRE SCOUT LIGHTS APPLICATIONS: NO INSERT=27MM, INSERT 2=25.4MM (1
OFFSET: 90-DEGREE INCH), INSERT 1+2=20MM DIAMETER LIGHT BODIES ARISAKA
FINISH & MATERIAL: HARD COAT ANODIZED 6061 OFFSET: FORWARD OR REARWARD 1.60 INCHES, VERTICAL
OR DOWNWARD 1.12 INCHES
FINGER STOP M-LOK
ALUMINUM
FINISH & MATERIAL: ANODIZED AIRCRAFT GRADE HEIGHT: 0.85 INCHES
COLOR: BLACK
ALUMINUM WIDTH: 0.50 INCHES
WEIGHT: 0.8 OUNCES
COLOR: MATTE BLACK FINISH & MATERIAL: MIL-A-8625 TYPE III HARD COAT
MSRP: $40 ANODIZED 6061-T6 ALUMINUM
WEIGHT: 3.1 OUNCES
URL: : MIDWESTINDUSTRIESINC.COM COLOR: BLACK
MSRP: $18
URL: : LEAPERS.COM WEIGHT: 0.4 OUNCES
MSRP: $27
URL: ARISAKADEFENSE.COM

22
23
24

CENTURION ARMS
MLOK HANDGUARD HAND STOP ERGO GRIPS
HEIGHT: 0.65 INCHES M-LOK HAND STOP/BARRICAGE STOP
WIDTH: 1.18 INCHES
HEIGHT: 0.72 INCHES
GUNTEC USA
MATERIAL: FIBER-REINFORCED POLYMER
WIDTH: 0.75 INCHES
MICRO HANDSTOP FOR M-LOK
COLORS: BLACK, FLAT DARK EARTH
FINISH & MATERIAL: ANODIZED 6061-T6 ALUMINUM SYSTEM
WEIGHT: 0.3 OUNCES
COLOR: BLACK HEIGHT: 0.91 INCHES
MSRP: $8
WEIGHT: 0.9 OUNCES WIDTH: 0.75 INCHES
URL: CENTURIONARMS.COM
MSRP: $54 MATERIAL: ALUMINUM
URL: ERGOGRIPS.NET COLOR: MATTE BLACK
WEIGHT: 0.9 OUNCES
MSRP: $35
URL: GUNTECUSA.COM
62 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

25 26 27

GUNTEC USA JL BILLET KNIGHT’S ARMAMENT

QD HANDSTOP / FINGER REST FOR SPIK-R M-LOK BARRIER STOP – SKELTONIZED
M-LOK SYSTEM NOTES: MOUNT HANDSTOP IN DIRECTION FOR BARRICADES AND THE OTHER FOR NOTES: A SLING CAN BE ATTACHED DIRECTLY TO ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR
GLASS BREAKER. PROTOTYPE SHOWN IN PICTURES ADDITIONAL SLING MOUNTING POINTS
HEIGHT: 0.70 INCHES
HEIGHT: 1.20 INCHES HEIGHT: 0.50 INCHES
WIDTH: 0.70 INCHES (WIDEST SECTION)
WIDTH: 0.60 INCHES WIDTH: 1.00 INCHES
MATERIAL: ALUMINUM
FINISH & MATERIAL: : MIL-SPEC TYPE III HARD COAT MATERIAL: ALUMINUM
COLOR: MATTE BLACK ANODIZED 6061-T6 ALUMINUM COLOR: BLACK
WEIGHT: 1.2 OUNCES COLOR: BLACK WEIGHT: 1.2 OUNCES
MSRP: $38 WEIGHT: 0.5 OUNCES (PROTOTYPE WEIGHT) MSRP: $60
URL: GUNTECUSA.COM MSRP: $60 URL: KNIGHTARMCO.COM
URL: JLBILLET.COM

28 30
29

LEAD FAUCET TACTICAL MIDWEST INDUSTRIES

TROY/LFT BROKOS BRACE MAGPUL MI BARRICADE STOP, M-LOK
(HANDSTOP) MLOK M-LOK HAND STOP KIT COMPATIBLE
HEIGHT: 2.00 INCHES HEIGHT: 1.25 INCHES (TALLEST PIECE)
HEIGHT: 0.72 INCHES
WIDTH: 0.63 INCHES WIDTH: 1.03 INCHES
WIDTH: 0.63 INCHES
FINISH & MATERIAL: TYPE III HARD COAT ANODIZED 6061- FINISH & MATERIAL: TSP TEXTURE PROPRIETARY HEAVY-
T6 ALUMINUM DUTY REINFORCED POLYMER FINISH & MATERIAL: HARD COAT ANODIZED 6061
ALUMINUM
COLORS: BLACK, TROY MILITARY BROWN COLORS: BLACK, FLAT DARK EARTH, OLIVE DRAB GREEN,
(AKA JESSICA BROWN) STEALTH GRAY COLOR: BLACK
WEIGHT: 1.8 OUNCES WEIGHT: 1.6 OUNCES (ALL PIECES) WEIGHT: 1.0 OUNCES (ALL PIECES)
MSRP: $51 MSRP: $25 MSRP: $26
URL: LEADFAUCETTACTICAL.COM URL: MAGPUL.COM URL: MIDWESTINDUSTRIESINC.COM
 MARCH-APRIL, 2018 63

31 32 33

PHASE 5 WEAPON SYSTEMS PHASE 5 WEAPON SYSTEMS RAILSCALES

MICRO STOP M-LOK MINI HAND STOP – M-LOK KARVE-P (MLOK)
HEIGHT: 0.94 INCHES HEIGHT: 0.85 INCHES HEIGHT: 0.95 INCHES
WIDTH: 0.60 INCHES WIDTH: 0.60 INCHES WIDTH: 0.63 INCHES
FINISH & MATERIAL: ANODIZED 6061-T6 ALUMINUM FINISH & MATERIAL: ANODIZED 6061-T6 ALUMINUM MATERIAL: HIGH TEMP POLYMER
COLORS: BLACK, GREY, RED COLORS: BLACK, GREY, RED COLORS: BLACK, FDE TAN, OD GREEN, SNIPER GREY
WEIGHT: 0.6 OUNCES WEIGHT: 0.8 OUNCES WEIGHT: 0.4 OUNCES
MSRP: $35 MSRP: $35 MSRP: $26
URL: PHASE5WSI.COM URL: PHASE5WSI.COM URL: RAILSCALES.US

34 35 36

TROY INDUSTRIES XLR INDUSTRIES YANKEE HILL MACHINE

HANDSTOP, LOW PROFILE, MLOK M-LOK MICRO BARRICADE STOP M-LOK HAND STOP ASSEMBLY
HEIGHT: 0.70 INCHES HEIGHT: 0.50 INCHES HEIGHT: 1.00 INCHES
WIDTH: 0.65 INCHES WIDTH: 0.63 INCHES WIDTH: 0.72 INCHES
MATERIAL: ALUMINUM FINISH & MATERIAL: ANODIZED 6061-T6 ALUMINUM FINISH & MATERIAL: MIL-SPEC HARDCOAT ANODIZED
COLOR: BLACK COLOR: BLACK 6061-T6 ALUMINUM
WEIGHT: 0.3 OUNCES WEIGHT: 0.7 OUNCES COLOR: BLACK
MSRP: $24 MSRP: $25 WEIGHT: 0.8 OUNCES
URL: WORLDOFTROY.COM URL: XLRINDUSTRIES.COM MSRP: $47
URL: YHM.NET
64 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

ANGLED GRIPS
37 38 39

BCM ERGO GRIPS FORTIS MANUFACTURING

BCMGUNFIGHTER KINESTHETIC M-LOK ENHANCED ANGLE GRIP SHIFT SHORT ANGLED GRIP MLOK
ANGLED GRIP (KAG) HEIGHT: 1.40 INCHES HEIGHT: 1.75 INCHES
HEIGHT: 1.70 INCHES WIDTH: 0.65 INCHES WIDTH: 1.20 INCHES
WIDTH: 0.70 INCHES FINISH & MATERIAL: ANODIZED 6061-T6 ALUMINUM FINISH & MATERIAL: : MIL-SPEC TYPE III HARD COAT
COLOR: BLACK ANODIZED 6061-T6 ALUMINUM
FINISH & MATERIAL: FRONT AND BACK TEXTURED IMPACT
RESISTANT POLYMERS WEIGHT: 0.8 OUNCES COLORS: BLACK, RED
COLORS: BLACK, FLAT DARK EARTH MSRP: $49 WEIGHT: 2.5 OUNCES
WEIGHT: 1.0 OUNCES URL: ERGOGRIPS.NET MSRP: $70
MSRP: $21 URL: FORTISMFG.COM
URL: BRAVOCOMPANYUSA.COM

41
40 VERTICAL GRIPS
42

STRIKE INDUSTRIES
SI LINK CURVED FOREGRIP
SEEKINS PRECISION
M20 M-LOK ANGLED GRIP NOTE: DIRECT MOUNTING TO BOTH M-LOK AND KEYMOD

HEIGHT: 1.75 INCHES (TALLEST PART) ARISAKA

HEIGHT: 1.45 INCHES (TALLEST PART) WIDTH: 0.55 INCHES VERTICAL GRIP M-LOK
WIDTH: 0.65 INCHES FINISH & MATERIAL: ANODIZED 6061-T6 ALUMINUM
HEIGHT: 2.45 INCHES
FINISH & MATERIAL: ANODIZED ALUMINUM COLORS: BLACK, BLUE, FDE, GREY, RED
WIDTH: 1.30 INCHES
COLORS: BLACK, FLAT DARK EARTH, RED WEIGHT: 1.8 OUNCES (ALL PIECES)
FINISH & MATERIAL: MIL-A-8625 TYPE III HARD COAT
WEIGHT: 2.0 OUNCES MSRP: $38 ANODIZED 6061-T6 ALUMINUM
MSRP: $49 URL: STRIKEINDUSTRIES.COM COLOR: BLACK
URL: SEEKINSPRECISION.COM
WEIGHT: 1.9 OUNCES
MSRP: $32
URL: ARISAKADEFENSE.COM
 MARCH-APRIL, 2018 65

43 44 45

BCM DANIEL DEFENSE ERGO GRIPS

BCMGUNFIGHTER VERTICAL GRIP, M-LOK VERTICAL FOREGRIP M-LOK MINI MAX VERTICAL FORWARD
MOD-3 HEIGHT: 3.25 INCHES GRIP (VFG)
HEIGHT: 2.75 INCHES WIDTH: 1.20 INCHES HEIGHT: 2.55 INCHES
WIDTH: 1.10 INCHES FINISH & MATERIAL: SOFT-TOUCH RUBBER WIDTH: 1.20 INCHES
OVERMOLDING SIDES ON PROPRIETARY BLEND OF GLASS-
FINISH & MATERIAL: FLAT SIDES WITH AGGRESSIVE FINISH & MATERIAL: ANODIZED 6061-T6 ALUMINUM
INFUSED POLYMERS
TEXTURE IMPACT RESISTANT POLYMERS COLOR: BLACK
COLORS: BLACK, DANIEL DEFENSE TORNADO, MIL SPEC +
COLORS: BLACK, FLAT DARK EARTH WEIGHT: 2.7 OUNCES
WEIGHT: 1.8 OUNCES
WEIGHT: 1.7 OUNCES MSRP: $43
MSRP: $30
MSRP: $21 URL: ERGOGRIPS.NET
URL: DANIELDEFENSE.COM
URL: BRAVOCOMPANYUSA.COM

46 47 48

GUNTEC USA JL BILLET

FORTIS MANUFACTURING FORWARD FIST GRIP
SHIFT VERTICAL GRIP MLOK ALUMINUM VERTICAL GRIP FOR M-LOK
SYSTEM HEIGHT: FORWARD FIST GRIP
HEIGHT: 3.30 INCHES WIDTH: 0.50 INCHES
WIDTH: 1.20 INCHES HEIGHT: 3.00 INCHES
FINISH & MATERIAL: TYPE III HARD COAT ANODIZED
FINISH & MATERIAL: MIL-SPEC TYPE III HARD COAT WIDTH: 1.20 INCHES AIRCRAFT GRADE 6061-T6 ALUMINUM
ANODIZED 6061-T6 ALUMINUM FINISH & MATERIAL: SMOOTH TEXTURE ALUMINUM COLORS: BLACK, LIMITED EDITION GOLD
COLORS: BLACK, RED COLORS: BLACK, RED WEIGHT: 4.2 OUNCES
WEIGHT: 3.8 OUNCES WEIGHT: 2.1 OUNCES MSRP: $55 (BLACK) $60 (GOLD)
MSRP: $80 MSRP: $30 URL: JLBILLET.COM
URL: FORTISMFG.COM URL: GUNTECUSA.COM
66 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

49 50 51

MAGPUL YANKEE HILL MACHINE YANKEE HILL MACHINE

M-LOK MVG VERTICAL GRIP M-LOK GRIP WITH STORAGE M-LOK GRIP W/O STORAGE
HEIGHT: 2.90 INCHES COMPARTMENT COMPARTMENT
WIDTH: 1.05 INCHES HEIGHT: 3.15 INCHES HEIGHT: 2.95 INCHES
FINISH & MATERIAL: TSP TEXTURE PROPRIETARY HEAVY- WIDTH: 1.25 INCHES WIDTH: 1.25 INCHES
DUTY REINFORCED POLYMER
FINISH & MATERIAL: MIL-SPEC HARDCOAT ANODIZED FINISH & MATERIAL: : MIL-SPEC HARDCOAT ANODIZED
COLORS: BLACK, FLAT DARK EARTH, OLIVE DRAB GREEN, 6061-T6 ALUMINUM 6061-T6 ALUMINUM
STEALTH GRAY
COLOR: BLACK COLOR: BLACK
WEIGHT: 1.3 OUNCES
WEIGHT: 3.7 OUNCES WEIGHT: 3.1 OUNCES
MSRP: $23
MSRP: $67 MSRP: $44
URL: MAGPUL.COM
URL: YHM.NET URL: YHM.NET

RAIL COVERS 53 54
52

CENTURION ARMS ERGO GRIP

MLOK HANDGUARD RAIL COVER, M-LOK WEDGELOK RAIL COVERS – 4
BCM 3-PACK PACK
BCMGUNFIGHTER RAIL PANEL KIT, 5.5- LENGTH: 3.15 INCHES LENGTH: 6.25 INCHES (UNCUT COVER)
INCH, 5 PACK PIECES INCLUDED: 3 COVERS PIECES INCLUDED: 4 COVERS
LENGTH: 5.50 INCHES FINISH & MATERIAL: GOLF BALLED TEXTURED GRIP FINISH & MATERIAL: NON-SLIP GRIPPING SURFACE
SURFACE FIBER-REINFORCED POLYMER SANTOPRENE CONSTRUCTION
PIECES INCLUDED: 5 PANELS
COLORS: BLACK, FLAT DARK EARTH COLORS: BLACK, CLEAR, DARK EARTH, GRAPHITE GREY,
FINISH & MATERIAL: AGGRESSIVE NON-SLIP OR NON- M-LOK LOGO BLACK, M-LOK LOGO DARK EARTH, OD GREEN,
REFLECTIVE SURFACE HIGH-STRENGTH POLYMER WEIGHT: 0.4 OUNCES EACH COVER
PINK, PURPLE, ROBIN’S EGG BLUE, USA FLAG BLACK, USA
COLORS: BLACK, FLAT DARK EARTH MSRP: $12 FLAG DARK EARTH
WEIGHT: 0.2 OUNCES EACH PANEL URL: CENTURIONARMS.COM WEIGHT: 0.4 OUNCES EACH UNCUT COVER
MSRP: $11 MSRP: $22
URL: BRAVOCOMPANYUSA.COM URL: ERGOGRIPS.NET
 MARCH-APRIL, 2018 67

55 56 57

GRIFFIN ARMAMENT GUNTEC USA GUNTEC USA

RAIL SHIELD 4 PIECE M-LOK GEN 2 M-LOK RUBBER NEOPRENE M-LOK NEOPRENE GRIP PANELS
FURNITURE SET INSERT COVERS WITH PROTRUDING LENGTH: 3.95 INCHES
LENGTH: 4.70 INCHES GROOVES PIECES INCLUDED: 3 PANELS
PIECES INCLUDED: 4 PANELS LENGTH: M-LOK SLOT FINISH & MATERIAL: : NEOPRENE SOFT RUBBER
ALUMINUM
FINISH & MATERIAL: TEXTURIZED POLYMER PIECES INCLUDED: 10 INSERTS
COLOR: BLACK
COLORS: BLACK, FDE, GREY, OD GREEN FINISH & MATERIAL: : PROTRUDING GOOVES NEOPRENE
SOFT RUBBER WEIGHT: 0.7 OUNCES EACH PANEL
WEIGHT: 1.0 OUNCES (HANDSTOP) 0.8 OUNCES (CONTOUR
& FLAT BOTTOM) EACH PANEL COLOR: BLACK MSRP: $40
MSRP: $30 WEIGHT: 0.5 OUNCES FOR ALL 10 PIECES COMBINED URL: GUNTECUSA.COM
URL: GRIFFINARMAMENT.COM MSRP: $15
URL: GUNTECUSA.COM

60
58
59

MAGPUL RAILSCALES
M-LOK RAIL COVER, TYPE 1 HTP SCALES
MAGPUL LENGTH: 4 INCHES
LENGTH: 9.50 INCHES (UNCUT COVER) M-LOK RAIL COVER, TYPE 2 PIECES INCLUDED: 3 OR 4 PANEL OPTIONS
PIECES INCLUDED: 2 COVERS
LENGTH: 1.55 INCHES FINISH & MATERIAL: G10 HONEYCOMB OR DRAGON
FINISH & MATERIAL: ENHANCED GRIPPING SURFACE,
EXTREMELY HEAT RESISTANCE FLEXIBLE MATERIAL PIECES INCLUDED: 6 TWO-PIECE COVERS OPTION HIGH TEMP POLYMER
FINISH & MATERIAL: TSP TEXTURE POLYMER COLORS: BLACK, FDE TAN, OD GREEN, SNIPER GREY
COLORS: BLACK, FLAT DARK EARTH, OLIVE DRAB GREEN,
STEALTH GRAY COLORS: BLACK, FLAT DARK EARTH, OLIVE DRAB GREEN, WEIGHT: 0.4 OUNCES EACH PANEL
WEIGHT: 0.6 OUNCES EACH UNCUT COVER PINK, STEALTH GRAY MSRP: $30 (3 PACK) $36 (4 PACK)
MSRP: $16 WEIGHT: 0.1 OUNCES EACH COVER URL: RAILSCALES.US
URL: MAGPUL.COM MSRP: $13
URL: MAGPUL.COM
68 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

sight
61 62 63

RAILSCALES TROY INDUSTRIES KNIGHT’S ARMAMENT

RAILSCALES SQUID GRIP, M-LOK, 7-PACK M-LOK MICRO FRONT SIGHT
LENGTH: 3.20 INCHES (SHORT) 4.20 INCHES (LONG) LENGTH: 4.65 INCHES (UNCUT COVER) NOTES: FINGER ADJUSTABLE SIGHT POST. DESIGNED FOR M-LOK URX 4 RAIL AND
OTHER COMPATIBLE HANDGUARDS. 45-DEGREE POSITION ON THE RIGHT OR LEFT
PIECES INCLUDED: 2 OR 3 PANEL OPTIONS PIECES INCLUDED: 7 UNCUT INSERTS HAND SIDE. INTENDED TO BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH KAC RAIL MOUNTED
OFFSET FOLDING REAR SIGHT.
FINISH & MATERIAL: G10 HONEYCOMB, DRAGON, MATRIX, FINISH & MATERIAL: HEAT RESISTANT PROPROETARY
MINIDOT OPTION HIGH TEMP POLYMER ADVANCED RUBBER MATERIAL: ALUMINUM
COLOR: BLACK COLORS: BLACK, FDE, OD GREEN, TAN COLOR: BLACK
WEIGHT: 0.5 OUNCES EACH PANEL WEIGHT: 0.2 OUNCES EACH UNCUT COVER WEIGHT: 0.7 OUNCES
MSRP: $53 (SHORT 2 PACK) $77 (SHORT 3 PACK) $54 (LONG MSRP: $25 MSRP: $132
2 PACK) $78 (LONG 3 PACK) URL: WORLDOFTROY.COM URL: KNIGHTARMCO.COM
URL: RAILSCALES.US

QD MOUNTS 65 66
64

BCM ERGO GRIPS

BCMGUNFIGHTER QUICK DETACHABLE M-LOK QUICK DETACH (QD) SLING
ARISAKA DEFENSE SLING MOUNT MOUNT
QD MOUNT M-LOK ANTI-ROTATION: YES ANTI-ROTATION: YES
ANTI-ROTATION: YES MATERIAL: STEEL FINISH & MATERIAL: : ANODIZED 6061-T6 ALUMINUM
FINISH & MATERIAL: MIL-A-8625 TYPE III HARD COAT COLOR: BLACK COLOR: BLACK
ANODIZED 6061-T6 ALUMINUM WEIGHT: 1.0 OUNCES WEIGHT: 0.4 OUNCES
COLOR: BLACK MSRP: $20 MSRP: $27
WEIGHT: 0.4 OUNCES URL: BRAVOCOMPANYUSA.COM URL: ERGOGRIPS.NET
MSRP: $23
URL: ARISAKADEFENSE.COM
 MARCH-APRIL, 2018 69

67 68 69

GUNTEC USA JL BILLET KNIGHT’S ARMAMENT

QD SWIVEL WITH ADAPTER FOR M-LOK QUICK DISCONNECT M-LOK QD SLING MOUNT
M-LOK SYSTEM ATTACMENT FOR QD SLING MOUNTS ANTI-ROTATION: YES
ANTI-ROTATION: NO ANTI-ROTATION: YES MATERIAL: ALUMINUM
MATERIAL: ALUMINUM (ADAPTER) STEEL (QD SWIVEL) FINISH & MATERIAL: MIL-SPEC TYPE II ANODIZED 6061-T6 COLOR: BLACK
COLOR: BLACK ALUMINUM WEIGHT: 0.7 OUNCES
WEIGHT: 0.3 OUNCES (ADAPTER) 1.1 OUNCES WITH QD COLORS: BLACK, ORANGE MSRP: $75
SWIVEL WEIGHT: 0.4 OUNCES URL: KNIGHTARMCO.COM
MSRP: $35 (ADAPTER & SWIVEL) $23 (ADAPTER ONLY) MSRP: $18 (BLACK) $20 (ORANGE)
URL: GUNTECUSA.COM URL: JLBILLET.COM

70 71 72

MIDWEST INDUSTRIES MIDWEST INDUSTRIES

MAGPUL MI QD SLING ADAPTER, M-LOK MI M-LOK STEEL SLING ADAPTOR,
M-LOK QD SLING MOUNT COMPATIBLE M-LOK COMPATIBLE
ANTI-ROTATION: YES
ANTI-ROTATION: YES APPLICATION: FOR HK STYLE HOOK (NOT A QD MOUNT)
FINISH & MATERIAL: MIL-SPEC ANNODIZED ALUMINUM
FINISH & MATERIAL: HARD COAT ANODIZED 6061 FINISH & MATERIAL: PHOSPHATE FINISHED 4140 STEEL
COLOR: BLACK ALUMINUM COLOR: BLACK
WEIGHT: 0.4 OUNCES COLOR: BLACK WEIGHT: 0.7 OUNCES
MSRP: $20 WEIGHT: 0.4 OUNCES MSRP: $43
URL: MAGPUL.COM MSRP: $20 URL: MIDWESTINDUSTRIES.COM
URL: MIDWESTINDUSTRIES.COM
70 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

73 74 75

MIDWEST INDUSTRIES STRIKE INDUSTRIES UTG

MI QD SLING ADAPTER, M-LOK LINK RAIL SECTION 7 SLOTS-QD PRO M-LOK STANDARD QD SLING
COMPATIBLE FEATURED SWIVEL ADAPTER
ANTI-ROTATION: YES NOTE: DIRECT MOUNTING TO BOTH M-LOK AND KEYMOD ANTI-ROTATION: YES
FINISH & MATERIAL: HARD COAT ANODIZED 6061 ANTI-ROTATION: NO FINISH & MATERIAL: ANODIZED AIRCRAFT GRADE 6061-T6
ALUMINUM ALUMINUM
FINISH & MATERIAL: HARD ANODIZED 6061 ALUMINUM
COLOR: BLACK COLORS: BLACK, FDE
COLORS: BLACK, RED
WEIGHT: 0.6 OUNCES WEIGHT: 0.4 OUNCES
WEIGHT: 1.1 OUNCES
MSRP: $25 MSRP: $20
MSRP: $25
URL: MIDWESTINDUSTRIES.COM URL: LEAPERS.COM
URL: STRIKEINDUSTRIES.COM

76
SLING SWIVEL
77
MOUNTS
78

XLR INDUSTRIES YANKEE HILL MACHINE

M-LOK QUICK-DETACH SLING ADAPTER M-LOK Q.D. SLING SWIVEL MOUNT
ANTI-ROTATION: YES
ANTI-ROTATION: NO
FINISH & MATERIAL: MIL-SPEC ANODIZED ALUMINUM
FINISH & MATERIAL: MIL-SPEC HARD COATED AIRCRAFT MAGPUL
COLOR: BLACK QUALITY ALUMINUM GI SLING SWIVEL
WEIGHT: 0.4 OUNCES COLOR: BLACK
WEBBING: UP TO 1-1/4 INCHES
MSRP: $19 WEIGHT: 0.4 OUNCES
FINISH & MATERIAL: COATED STEEL (LOOP) MIL-SPEC
URL: XLRINDUSTRIES.COM MSRP: $16 ANODIZED ALUMINUM (BASE)
URL: YHM.NET COLOR: BLACK
WEIGHT: 0.7 OUNCES
MSRP: $20
URL: MAGPUL.COM
 MARCH-APRIL, 2018 71
BIPOD
79 80 81

MAGPUL LEAD FAUCET TACTICAL UTG

M-LOK PARACLIP SLING MOUNT TROY/LFT SLING SWIVEL MLOK RECON FLEX M-LOK BIPOD
APPLICATIONS: MAGPUL PARACLIP AND WIDE RANGE OF WEBBING: UP TO 1-1/4 INCHES HEIGHT ADJUSTMENTS: 5.70 INCHES TO 8.00 INCHES
OTHER CLIPS FINISH & MATERIAL: STAINLESS STEEL (SWIVEL PIN) FINISH & MATERIAL: ANODIZED LIGHTWEIGHT AIRCRAFT
FINISH & MATERIAL: EXTREMELY DURABLE MELONITE TYPE III HARD COAT ANODIZED 6061-T6 ALUMINUM (BASE) GRADE ALUMINUM CONSTRUCTION
FINISH PRECISION CAST STEEL COLOR: BLACK COLOR: BLACK
COLOR: BLACK WEIGHT: 1.0 OUNCES WEIGHT: 5.4 OUNCES PER SIDE
WEIGHT: 1.0 OUNCES MSRP: $32 MSRP: $55
MSRP: $20 URL: LEADFAUCETTACTICAL.COM URL: LEAPERS.COM
URL: MAGPUL.COM

HARRIS-STYLE
BIPOD MOUNTS 83 84
82

GUNTEC USA JL BILLET

BIPOD ADAPTER FOR M-LOK SYSTEM M-LOK BI-POD MOUNT
ERGO GRIPS MATERIAL: ALUMINUM FINISH & MATERIAL: TYPE III HARD ANODIZED 6061-T6
ALUMINUM
M-LOK BIPOD MOUNT COLOR: BLACK
COLORS: BLACK, ORANGE
WEIGHT: 1.0 OUNCES
FINISH & MATERIAL: ANODIZED 6061-T6 ALUMINUM WEIGHT: 0.7 OUNCES
MSRP: $35
COLOR: BLACK MSRP: $19 (BLACK) $20 (ORANGE)
URL: GUNTECUSA.COM
WEIGHT: 1.0 OUNCES URL: JLBILLET.COM
MSRP: $40
URL: ERGOGRIPS.NET
72 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

85 86 87

MIDWEST INDUSTRIES XLR INDUSTRIES yankee hill machine

MI BIPOD ADAPTER, M-LOK M-LOK BIPOD / SLING ADAPTER M-LOK BIPOD MOUNT ASSEMBLY
COMPATIBLE MATERIAL: 6061-T6 ALUMINUM FINISH & MATERIAL: MIL-SPEC HARD COATED AIRCRAFT
QUALITY ALUMINUM
MATERIAL: ALUMINUM COLOR: BLACK
COLOR: BLACK
COLOR: BLACK WEIGHT: 0.4 OUNCES
WEIGHT: 1.2 OUNCES
WEIGHT: 0.8 OUNCES MSRP: $23
MSRP: $34
MSRP: $23 URL: XLRINDUSTRIES.COM
URL: YHM.NET
URL: MIDWESTINDUSTRIESINC.COM

TRIPOD MOUNTS 89 CAMERA MOUNTS

90
88

XLR INDUSTRIES
M-LOK DOVETAIL ADAPTER
APPLICATION: ARCA-SWISS STYLE TRIPOD HEADS MIDWEST INDUSTRIES
MAGPUL MATERIAL: 6061-T6 ALUMINUM
MI CONTOUR VIDEO CAMERA MOUNT,
COLOR: BLACK
M-LOK TRIPOD ADAPTER WEIGHT: 2.4 OUNCES
M-LOK COMPATIBLE
APPLICATION: MANFROTTO RC2/Q2 INTERFACE MSRP: $48 APPLICATION: CONTOUR VIDEO CAMERAS
FINISH & MATERIAL: MIL-SPEC ANODIZED ALUMINUM URL: XLRINDUSTRIES.COM FINISH & MATERIAL: HARD COAT ANODIZED 6061
COLOR: BLACK ALUMINUM
WEIGHT: 1.4 OUNCES COLOR: BLACK
MSRP: $50 WEIGHT: 1.3 OUNCES
URL: MAGPUL.COM MSRP: $30
URL: MIDWESTINDUSTRIESINC.COM
 MARCH-APRIL, 2018 73
TAPE SWITCH
91 MOUNTING 93
PLATES
92

MIDWEST INDUSTRIES MAGPUL

MI GOPRO MOUNT, M-LOK M-LOK TAPE SWITCH MOUNTING
COMPATIBLE PLATE – SUREFIRE ST
APPLICATION: GOPRO APPLICATION: SUREFIRE ST PRESSURE PAD
FINISH & MATERIAL: HARD COAT ANODIZED 6061
ALUMINUM
magpul MATERIAL: HEAVY-DUTY REINFORCED POLYMER

COLOR: BLACK
M-LOK TAPE SWITCH MOUNTING COLOR: BLACK
WEIGHT: 0.4 OUNCES
WEIGHT: 0.9 OUNCES PLATE – INSIGHT PEQ MSRP: $15
MSRP: $35 APPLICATION: INSIGHT PEQ PRESSURE PAD URL: MAGPUL.COM
URL: MIDWESTINDUSTRIESINC.COM MATERIAL: HEAVY-DUTY REINFORCED POLYMER
COLOR: BLACK
WEIGHT: 0.5 OUNCES
MSRP: $15
URL: MAGPUL.COM

96
ADAPTERS
94 95

UNITY TACTICAL
M-LOK COMPATIBLE FUSION ADAPTER
APPLICATIONS: UNITY TACTICAL FUSION ACCESSORIES,
MAGPUL MAGPUL STREAMLIGHT PROTAC RAIL MOUNT LIGHTS, SUREFIRE
SCOUNT LIGHTS
AFG-2 M-LOK ADAPTER RAIL RVG M-LOK ADAPTER RAIL FINISH & MATERIAL: TYPE III HARD COAT ANODIZED 6061-
APPLICATION: MAGPUL AFG-2 T6 ALUMINUM
APPLICATION: MAGPUL RVG
MATERIAL: HEAVY-DUTY REINFORCED POLYMER COLOR: BLACK
MATERIAL: HEAVY-DUTY REINFORCED POLYMER
COLOR: BLACK WEIGHT: 0.3 OUNCES
COLOR: BLACK
WEIGHT: 0.7 OUNCES MSRP: $20
WEIGHT: 0.4 OUNCES
MSRP: $10 URL: UNITYTACTICAL.COM
MSRP: $9
URL: MAGPUL.COM URL: MAGPUL.COM
74 WORLD OF FIREPOWER
 MARCH-APRIL, 2018 75

Beast
Mode SAVAGE MSR 10
LONG RANGE
T E X T BY RI C H A RD S C H U LTZ
P HOTOS BY R I C HAR D S C HULTZ & CO U RT E SY O F SAVAG E A RM S

S
avage Arms has been busy launching new products recently, but most of
them have been consistent with the company’s traditional bolt-action rifles,
semi-auto rimfire rifles and various shotguns. Therefore, most of us in the
firearms industry were shocked when Savage announced that a completely
new product line consisting of four Modern Savage Rifles (MSRs) would be introduced
at the 2017 SHOT Show in Las Vegas.
76 WORLD OF FIREPOWER
“It’s great to see that
Savage arms got it
right on the first try.”
This new line consists of two AR-15 and two
AR-10 type rifles. The AR-15s are the base
(not basic) MSR 15 Patrol and the MSR 15
Recon. The AR-10s are the MSR 10 Hunter and
MSR 10 Long Range. These four rifles pretty
well cover the middle ground of both the AR-
15 and AR-10 platforms offered today.
The subject of this end-user evaluation is the
Savage MSR 10 Long Range chambered in 6.5
Creedmoor. It is a direct-impingement semi-
automatic action with an adjustable gas block.
This is an accurate high-end rifle with all the
features that you would expect from a $2,000
AR-10 modern sporting rifle. The 6.5 Creed-
moor is a flat-shooting, long-range cartridge
that allows you to accurately reach out and
touch things at 1,000 yards or more.
SPECIFICATIONS
The upper receiver is forged from 7075
T6 aluminum and is matte black hardcoat
anodized. It features a non-reciprocating side
charging handle, forward assist, polymer
dust cover, rear charging handle and a 1913
MIL-STD rail that runs the length of the
receiver. The bolt carrier is by Savage and the
bolt is machined from E9310 alloy steel and
high-pressure tested.
A Savage Arms aluminum octagonal hand-
guard with M-LOK attachment points along
seven sides and a full-length 1913 MIL-STD
rail at the 12 o’clock position is solidly bolted
to the upper receiver with four socket-head
cap screws. The 22-inch fluted barrel is ma-
chined from 4140 steel and is Melonite QPQ
finished. Rifling is 5R style with a 1:8 twist
rate. Savage Arms attaches a muzzle brake
of its own design, using the barrel’s 5/8-24
threads, to help mitigate recoil.
The lower receiver is also machined from an
aluminum 7075 T6 forging and is matte black
hardcoat anodized. The magazine well is bev-
eled to facilitate quick magazine changes. A
MIL-STD diameter AR-10 length buffer tube is
used with a standard carbine buffer assembly.
The trigger assembly is from Savage’s sister
company Blackhawk, an AR Blaze two-stage
trigger with boron-infused steel for a smooth
pull. A tension adjustment machine screw is
also provided to eliminate any play between
the upper and lower receivers.
A Blackhawk Knoxx Axiom AR pistol grip and a
Magpul PRS Gen 3 adjustable buttstock make
up the furniture for the MSR 10 Long Range.
The PRS buttstock allows the shooter to adjust
the cheekpiece height and the length of pull
both quickly and positively. The thumb wheels
used to make these adjustments have very
positive detents with approximately 0.180
inches of movement per 360-degree rotation
of either thumb wheel.
At 44-1/8 inches long and 10 pounds in
weight, the Savage MSR 10 Long Range is not
small or light. But then, it’s not designed to
be a lightweight. Most of the “excess” weight
comes from the 4-6 inches of barrel length,
4 inches of handguard and the PRS buttstock.
All of this is necessary in order to provide the
velocity, accuracy and recoil management that
this rifle provides.
Savage Arms
provides its own
muzzle brake
on the MSR 10 MODELS
Long Range. The
6.5 Creedmoor Savage Arms offers the AR-15 series in MSR
doesn’t create a
lot of recoil, but 15 Patrol and MSR 15 Recon models. Both
the muzzle brake
did seem to help are chambered in .223 Wylde so that both
limit muzzle rise.
.223 Remington and 5.56x45 (NATO) ammu-
nition can be used. The Recon version comes
 MARCH-APRIL, 2018 77
with a low-profile gas block, Blackhawk BUIS
sights, Blackhawk AR Blaze trigger and a Sav-
age Arms octagon aluminum handguard with
M-LOK attachment points.

The AR-10 series includes the MSR 10 Hunter

and MSR 10 Long Range rifles. Both are cham-
bered in .308 Win. and 6.5 Creedmoor. Barrel
lengths are 16-1/8 inches in .308 Win. Hunter,
18 inches in 6.5 Creedmoor Hunter, 20 inches
in .308 Win. Long Range and 22 inches for
the 6.5 Creedmoor Long Range. The MSR 10
Hunter has a single stage Blackhawk AR Blaze
trigger and a Blackhawk adjustable Knoxx
Axiom carbine buttstock with pad.
The 6.5
Creedmoor is
a flat-shooting,
long-range AMMUNITION
cartridge that
allows you to Savage’s instruction manual recommends
accurately reach
out and touch inspecting all ammunition prior to use to
things at 1,000
yards or more. make sure that it is not damaged, corroded
or of otherwise questionable quality. Use only
the type of ammunition that matches what

“This is an accurate, high-end is marked on the barrel (top, just behind the
muzzle). Use only new ammunition manu-
factured to SAAMI/ANSI/MIL-SPEC standards.

rifle with all of the features Any other ammunition including reloaded,
handloaded and remanufactured ammunition

that you would expect from can cause gun damage or personal injury and
will void the warranty.

a $2,000 AR-10 type modern We used six different factory loads from three

sporting rifle.” different manufacturers when evaluating

muzzle velocity and accuracy. All ammunition
78
«
WORLD OF FIREPOWER

Savage Arms’
sister company
Blackhawk
provides the
Blaze AR 2-stage
trigger.

specifications
Savage Arms MSR 10
Long Range
CALIBER TESTED: 6.5 CREEDMOOR

RIFLING: 5R, 1:8 TWIST

OVERALL LENGTH: 43.56 INCHES (COLLAPSED)

BARREL LENGTH: 22 INCHES

WEIGHT: 10 POUNDS

MSRP: $2,284

URL: SAVAGEARMS.COM

FEATURES
COMPACT AR-10 DESIGN;
FLUTED 22 INCH BARREL WITH 5R RIFLING;
RIFLE LENGTH GAS SYSTEM WITH AN ADJUSTABLE GAS BLOCK;
CUSTOM FORGED UPPER AND LOWER RECEIVERS;
Like the upper,
the lower NON-RECIPROCATING SIDE CHARGING HANDLE;
receiver is also FREE-FLOATING M-LOK HANDGUARD;
machined from
an aluminum MAGPUL PRS GEN3 BUTTSTOCK;
7075 T6 forging BLACKHAWK! AR BLAZE 2-STAGE TRIGGER;
and is matte
black hardcoat 10-ROUND MAGPUL PMAT LR/SR GEN M3 MAGAZINE
anodized.

fed flawlessly through the Magpul PMAG LR/SR Gen M3 magazine and
ejected uniformly due to the dual ejector plungers. PERFORMANCE
OPTICS AMMUNITION VELOCITY E.S. S.D.
SM. AVE. GRP AVE. GRP
GRP. 100 yards 300 yards
No sights are provided with the Savage MSR 10 Long Range. We
mounted a Bushnell Elite Tactical DMR II-i 3.5-21x50mm F1 riflescope HORNADY #81491
on the Savage MSR 10 Long Range using Weaver Tactical 34mm rings 120 GR. ELD 2839 53 15.6 0.69 0.95 2.89
MATCH
for test purposes. This riflescope is an excellent match for the MSR 10
Long Range in 6.5 Creedmoor. The G3-i reticle offers a clean center yet AMERICAN EAGLE
#AE65CRD1 140 2638 35 12.3 0.96 1.04 3.69
allows accurate ranging utilizing 0.1 mil reference points and windage GR. OTM
hold-offs utilizing 0.5 mil markings. We’ve now used a number of first
focal plane riflescopes and like the way that they operate and that the HORNADY #81500
140 GR. ELD 2680 51 18.3 1.05 1.08 3.84
reticle can be used to range at any power setting. MATCH

HORNADY #81492
2888 70 20.1 0.59 1.24
120 GR. A-MAX

WINCHESTER
#S65CM 140 GR. 2670 35 13.4 0.99 1.60
MATCH BTHP

FUSION
#F65CRDFS1 140 2713 48 14.5 2.53 3.18
GR. SP

Groups were fired from a Caldwell Rock BR adjustable front rest and rear sandbag at 100 and 300 yards.
Velocity is in feet per second calculated at the muzzle using a LabRadar device; E.S.—Extreme Spread; S.D.—
Standard Deviation; Sm.Grp.—size of smallest single group for that ammunition, in inches; Ave. Grp.—the average
group size in inches for 3 5-shot groups.
80 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

A full-length
octagonal alumi-
num handguard
using the M-LOK
attachment system
provides a 1913
MIL-STD rail on
top and accessory
attachment points
on the other seven
sides.

; INDAGE: 20 MILS

: ILLUMINATED G3-I

MSRP: $1,999

“If you are looking

for a moderately
priced long-range
modern sporting
rifle, the Savage
MSR 10 Long Range
could be the one
for you.”
82 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

The upper
receiver features
a non-reciprocat-
The fast-focus eyepiece, power change ring ing side charging
handle, forward
(Throw-Hammer lever) and the side focus assist, polymer
dust cover, rear
adjustment knob all operated smoothly and charging handle
and a 1913 MIL-
with sufficient friction to eliminate inadver- STD rail that runs
the length of the
tent movement. This riflescope features a receiver.
T-Lok windage turret which requires that the
turret be extended prior to rotating and then
pushed back in to lock the setting.

The Revlimiter (Zero-Stop) on the elevation

turret can easily be set for a quick return to
zero after an elevation change. Also, after
elevation and windage adjustments have
been completed, both turrets can be reset to
zero. This is accomplished simply by removing
the turret knob, then replacing it with the “0”
mark aligned with the vertical index line on
the turret.
AT THE RANGE
We first broke in the barrel with 20 rounds of
assorted ammunition, cleaning the barrel af-
ter every five rounds. This also allowed us to
become familiar with the feel of the trigger.
The Blackhawk Blaze AR 2-stage trigger was
smooth and had a crisp, clean break. It is as
good as any AR aftermarket trigger that we
have used.
We fired each of the six loads using a Cald- Top honors for 100-yard accuracy go to the
well “The Rock BR” competition front rest and Hornady #81491 120-grain ELD Match am-
a sandbag rear rest. The barrel was cleaned munition with an average group size of 0.95
The lower
receiver is also and a fouling round was fired after each load inches for three five-shot groups. American
machined from
an aluminum (16-21 rounds). Everything went so smoothly Eagle #AE65CRD1 140-grain OTM and Hornad
7075 T6 forging during this range session that it was almost #81500 140-grain ELD Match ammunition
and is matte
black hardcoat boring. The gas-operated semi-auto rifle were close behind at 1.04 and 1.08 inches,
anodized. The
magazine well combined with the sweet-shooting 6.5 Creed- respectively. The smallest group fired at 100
is beveled to
facilitate quick moor round made firing almost 150 rounds a yards was 0.59 inches using Hornady #81492
magazine
changes. pleasure. 120-grain A-Max ammunition.
84 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

“smallest
The PRS butt-
group at 100
stock allows the
shooter to adjust
the cheekpiece
height and the yards was
0.59 inches
length of pull
both quickly and
positively.

using Hor-
nady #81492
120-grain
A-Max ammu-
nition.”
The aluminum
octagonal hand-
guard is solidly Next, we fired the top three performers at
bolted to the up-
per receiver with 300 yards. Once again, the Hornady 120-grain
four socket-head
cap screws. ELD Match round came out on top at 2.89
inches average for three five-shot groups
(3.86, 2.50 and 2.30 inches). Except for one
errant shot, that average could have been
closer to 2.5 inches. One issue we did discov-
er when shooting paper at 300 yards was that
when the scope is set at 21x the crosshairs
cover most of the bullseye. Dialing back the
power a little solved the problem but doing
this obviously sacrificed precise aiming. Slight-
ly thinner crosshairs might help. At closer
distances and lower magnification the finer
crosshairs would probably not be a problem.
The Savage MSR
10 Long Range
comes apart
for cleaning Hitting the 8-inch and 4-inch steel plates at
just like any AR;
with the bolt three hundred yards was like child’s play. The
in the forward
position, push 2-inch steel was a little more difficult with
out the captive
rear takedown about a 50% hit rate. The instant gratification
pin and violá, it
breaks open. of hitting steel consistently is hard to beat.
 MISSION
ESSENTIAL
The modernized Galil ACE is based upon
the reliable mechanism of the original Galil
assault rifle first developed by IMI in the
late 1960’s. Drawing inspiration from the
legendary Russian AK-47 and the Finnish
Valmet RK 62, the IWI Galil ACE has been
continuously improved over the last 40+
years, resulting in today’s extremely reliable
and highly accurate Galil ACE. Rifle and
pistol models available in 7.62x39mm,

GAP 556SB

INNOVATE. OPTIMIZE. PERFORM.

IWI US, Inc. | info@iwi.us
w w w.iwi.us

Galil ACE® Rifle

86 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

FINAL THOUGHTS
The Savage MSR 10 Long Range in 6.5
Creedmoor is a very pleasant gun to shoot.
Recoil is mild and everything functioned just
as it was designed to. Savage Arms took its
120+ years of firearms design and manufac-
turing experience and applied it along with
some sound engineering to come up with the
The bolt MSR product line. It’s great to see that Savage
carrier is by
Savage and Arms got it right on the first try.
the bolt itself
is machined
from E9310
alloy steel and Almost one third of the groups fired at 100
high-pressure
tested. yards were under an inch and several more
were just barely over an inch. With the correct
factory or handloaded ammunition, this rifle
should consistently shoot sub-MOA groups.

manufacturing We also like the way that this rifle is set up

right from the factory. It has just the right

experience, along with components without leaving out anything or

adding anything frivolous and costly. All any-

some sound engineering, one needs to do is add a scope and possibly a

bipod and the gun is ready to go.

to come up with the If you are looking for a moderately priced

MSR product line.” long-range modern sporting rifle, the Savage

MSR 10 Long Range could be the one for you.
Take a hard look at it before making your
decision.
88 WORLD OF FIREPOWER
 MARCH-APRIL, 2018 89

THE BUSHCRAFTER
KUKURI AND THE FROG
MARKET SPECIAL
TEXT BY REUBEN BOLIE

TOPS
Tools
for Table
and Trail
90 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

A
s with so many other critical The olive drab
MIL-SPEC nylon
tools and pieces of equipment, sheath features
a utility pocket
it would be great if you could and double
hook-and-loopse-
find one knife that would an- curity closure.
This sheath is
swer all your needs. However, the tasks are almost as tough
as the knife it was
too diverse, making it impossible to have a made for.
one-size-fits-all solution.

The next best option is two knives. Enter

the TOPS Bushcrafter Kukuri and Frog Market
Special—two knives that can handle the
requirements for almost all your slicing and
chopping needs.

The TOPS Bushcrafter Kukuri is based loosely

on the designer’s experience with a kukuri
knife from Nepal. Designer Nicholas Fury
III (of L.V.I. Bushcraft and Survival) said he
designed this kukuri with strength, reliability,
resilience and adaptability in mind.

The Bush Kukuri is 14 inches overall,

boasting a 7¾-inch-long recurve blade. A
hefty, ¼-inch-thick blade with black traction
coating and classic TOPS Knives black linen TOPS Knives’
Micarta handle scales put this knife right at rendition of a
kukuri, with a
home with the “big boys” on the TOPS roster. 7¾-inch blade and
Micarta handle
scales, features
bow drill divots in
The steel is the mainstay of TOPS: 1095 high the handle. The
Bush Kukuri is a
carbon with an RC of 56-58. The sheath is a formidable chop-
per and fieldcraft
brawny MIL-SPEC olive drab nylon with two knife.
 MARCH-APRIL, 2018 91
security straps and a small pocket on the
front. It attaches to your belt for vertical or
The blade geom-
etry and balance
of the FMS allow
complete and pre- “The fine point of the
FMS is used for boning,
horizontal carry and has numerous eyelets cise control when
dicing a large
around its perimeter for lashing it to almost piece of meat.

any mounting surface. The Bush Kukuri has

a deeper belly than a traditional kukuri; this
aids in slicing and game processing.
its deep body for
The history and tradition of the famed kukuri
plunging cuts through
trace back to the Nepalese people. It was
made famous by the Gurkha regiments that large chunks of meat
used this large chopping blade for combat
and general utility. and its sweeping edge
Bushcrafting With
the Kukuri
for long slicing cuts.”
After picking up this knife at a major knife
convention in Georgia, I took it with me
into the backwoods the very next morning.
It instantly felt at home chopping through
hard oak, dogwood, maple and poplar. The
hardwoods of the Southeast are better suited
for a hatchet/axe type of chopping tool,
although the Bush Kukuri’s compact size,
weight and inwardly curved blade made
it feel as if I were using a hatchet. It was
about the same weight as a hatchet or small
axe, but it had more versatility because of
its pointed tip and long blade.
The FMS made
quick work of
After chopping a length of dead poplar processing the
author’s solid
wood, I propped it between the ground piece of bacon
into thinner, faster-
and myself and began shaving tinder by cooking slices.
92 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

The Kukuri’s versatile

sheath allows you
to carry it virtually
anywhere on your
body or gear.

“the Bush
Kukuri’s compact
The TOPS
Bushcrafter
Kukuri works like
size, weight and in-
a big knife but
gives you more
maneuverability
than heavier wardly curved blade
made it feel as if I were
traditional models.

using a hatchet.”
using the handle and gripping the I then drove the Bush Kukuri, point first, into
spine (back) of the blade, pinching it to a log and held the blade in place via the
smoothly guide the brawny blade down handle with my left hand. My right hand
Blade serrations
are available as a the length of soft poplar. This is where used the dry pieces of split wood to make
custom upgrade
for an additional the recurve of the blade shines: Any tinder by drawing the wood back against the
charge.
curvature of a blade will result in curly big blade. Once again, the curve of the blade
shavings, which are perfect for making made curly shavings. This is a safe, efficient
a tinder bundle. way of making tinder shavings with a larger,
heavier chopping tool.
It’s important to keep the curly shavings
on the stick. Losing them to the damp
ground should be avoided as much as
possible. I made smaller lengths and
then began splitting them down to the
size of finger-thick pieces.
 MARCH-APRIL, 2018 93
The TOPS FMS is
shown with the
sheath mounted
horizontally on a
web belt.

The Bush Kukuri went on to make a few

more bushcraft items needed for the day,
including a pot hook and tarp stakes. Control
wasn’t an issue with the kukuri’s weight-for-
ward blade. Making a point on the end of The fit and finish
of the Micarta
a stick was easy and felt natural, because handle slabs
on the FMS are
long blades have always been my favorites. excellent!
Making the notches for the pot hook and
stakes were accomplished by using the
blade section closest to the handle in the
recurve area.

The Bushcrafter Kukuri

is versatile
enough for chopping, splitting and carving
wood. Teamed up with a saw, I don’t see it
having trouble taking on any task the woods
could throw at it. TOPS and Nicholas Fury
have certainly done justice to the time-hon-
ored kukuri design.

The TOPS FMS is sure This view of the back of

to become one of your the FMS sheath shows
favorite knives in the the rotating belt clip.
kitchen, as well as the
camp.
94 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

Marketplace Cutlery
“In Hanoi, a ‘frog market’ is an unlicensed
wet market [a market that sells fresh meat
and produce] that stays ‘one jump’ ahead of
the tax collector. It was in one of those mar-
kets that I first found this pattern of knife at
use,” designer Steven Dick told me when I
asked him to explain the Frog Market Special
(FMS) knife.

As long as I’ve known about Steven Dick

from Tactical Knives Magazine, he has been
attending cooking schools abroad, mainly in
Asia. He has quite the background: He is a The author is
shaving tinder
Vietnam vet and former member of C/75th from a section
of poplar wood
Rangers (Airborne). He was a former forester for a fire. The
recurved section
for a large timber company in Washington makes this task
fun and easy
state. But Dick is best known as a knife and to do.
firearm journalist since 1977, as well as
serving as Tactical Knives’ former editor (for
20 years).
“The Bushcrafter Kukuri
His popular model, the Pasayten Lite
Traveler, was designed as an outdoor camp is versatile enough for
knife. It was his first TOPS design. His newest
model, the Frog Market Special, comes from chopping, splitting and
a different skill set—the kitchen.

“The fine point of the FMS is used for bon-

carving wood.”
ing, its deep body for plunging cuts through
large chunks of meat and its sweeping edge
for long slicing cuts,” Dick said. He added
that the FMS is a “smaller utility model” of
the originals found in Hanoi.

The TOPS rendition of this Vietnamese butch-

er knife measures 9½ inches overall, with a
5 1/4-inch-long blade made of 1095 carbon
steel (RC 56-58). In addition, the FMS is the
thinnest, sharpest TOPS knife I have ever
seen: just 1/16 inch! It has a unique, aged
finish called Black River Wash, along with
tan Micarta scales. The knife, itself, weighs
3.5 ounces. There is a simple, but safe, black
Kydex sheath that is ready for either vertical
or horizontal attachment to the belt. Howev-
er, it is more of a carrying case, because the
FMS is primarily a kitchen knife.

I’m no Steven Dick, but give me a knife, and

I’m going to the “Backwoods School of Cook-
ing” to make something that requires slicing
mushrooms, potatoes, onions, peppers and
pork: I made stuffed peppers that were The author used
cooked in the coals. The FMS was super the Bushcrafter
Kukuri for all fac-
sharp and sliced and diced whatever was put ets of bushcraft.
Making detailed
in front of it. notches, tinder
and putting a
point on the end
of a stake were
Processing peppers was actually easy with all easy for this
kukuri-inspired
the FMS. I usually buy the type of baconthat knife.
 «
96 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

specifications
TOPS Knives
Frog Market
Special
OVERALL LENGTH: 9½ INCHES

BLADE LENGTH: 5¼ INCHES

BLADE THICKNESS: 0.060 INCH

BLADE STEEL: 1095 WITH BLACK RIVER

WASH

RC: 56-58

HANDLE: TAN CANVAS MICARTA

WEIGHT: 3½ OUNCES

SHEATH: BLACK KYDEX WITH ROTATING

SPRING STEEL BELT CLIP

MSRP: $115

specifications
TOPS Knives
Bushcrafter
Kukuri
OVERALL LENGTH: 14 INCHES

“Thin knives are the

The author sliced
vegetables for
BLADE LENGTH: 7¾ INCHES making stuffed
peppers. The

way to go for slicing

BLADE THICKNESS: 0.250 INCH
peppers were
especially easy
to prepare with
BLADE STEEL: 1095 WITH BLACK the Frog Market
Special knife.
TRACTION COATING

HRC: 56-58 and are easy to

HANDLE: BLACK LINEN MICARTA

WEIGHT: 22.2 OUNCES

resharpen, as was the
SHEATH: OLIVE DRAB MIL-SPEC NYLON;
MOLLE COMPATIBLE case with the FMS.”
MSRP: $260 comes in a whole piece and needs to be
sliced. The handle was thin but comfortable.
And while the ergonomics seem to have
been downplayed in the TOPS product de-
scription, they were really the knife’s hidden
gems.
SOURCE I like the idea of carbon steel for a kitchen
J TOPS KNIVES knife; it reminded me of the Old Hickory
(208) 542-0113 butcher knives I still use. Thin knives are the
way to go for slicing and are easy to
WWW.TOPSKNIVES.COM
resharpen, as was the case with the FMS. In
addition, the Kydex sheath that comes with
the FMS was a good choice, because the
knife was often dunked in a creek, shaken
dry and then put back in the sheath.
I, too, have roamed similar markets in many
of the same countries as Steven Dick, and I
can see where the influence for this design
comes from. In fact, as I was communicating
with him about FMS, he was already thinking
of his next trip abroad. I’m looking forward
to seeing what he comes up with next.
Whether it comes to chopping and lopping
or slicing and dicing, TOPS Knives has great
solutions that will serve you well.
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98 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

The
Bullet
Factory
AN INSIDE LOOK AT THE SIG
SAUER AMMUNITION FACILITY
T E X T & P H OTOS BY C H RIS TRAN
MARCH-APRIL, 2018 99
100 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

“If You Want Something Done Right…Do It

Yourself.”

N
o one knows what you want
better than you do. This basic
tenet was the impetus behind
SIG Sauer’s decision to open a
brand-new ammunition factory in Jackson-
ville, Arkansas. SIG has been in the ammu-
nition making game for a few years now, so
when World of Firepower asked me to check
it out, I jumped at the chance to travel to the
new factory and learn what SIG was bringing
to the ammunition market.

SIG Sauer is one of the largest and most re-

nowned firearms manufacturers in the world.
All of its products are extensively tested, and
if issues are discovered in the real world by
end users, the company is sure to address
and correct them. While talking with the SIG
representatives, a salient point emerged:
Consistency in their testing was affected by
variances in readily available ammunition.
To this end, and to reduce wildcard factors
Large open
spaces on the
plant floor mean
“SIG Sauer is one of
in testing results, they realized they needed
to have the most consistent ammunition
that as produc-
tion capacity
increases, the
factory layout the largest and most
renowned firearms
possible to reduce chaotic variances in firearm can change and
adapt to demand
performance. If ammunition factors deviated, as well.

reliable testing couldn’t be achieved.

How better to ensure quality control than to

manufacturers in the
be the ones to make the ammo themselves?
SIG aimed to make its ammunition cleaner,
world.”
more competitive and of better quality than
what was presently offered, ensuring that its agile, nimble, and adaptable to ammunition to production demand, requiring only 30
ammunition and firearms testing were of the production needs. minutes of downtime to shift production
highest consistency and quality possible. from one caliber to another. This high
Plant staff explained that SIG can change dedication to efficiency results in a robust
During the morning introductions, Bud Fini, caliber production very quickly according production output; SIG maintains 6-8 months
SIG Sauer’s Executive Vice President of Ammu-
nition and Special Projects, explained that SIG
wanted to position itself as a “one-stop shop.”
He explained that with the development and
production of its own lines of ammunition,
SIG started with a clean slate. There were no
deadlines for development, and they could
really take their time to refine their process-
es and ensure that all of their own internal
requirements were met to achieve the most
reliable results possible.

Adaptable and Nimble

Modular walls and large open spaces on the
plant floor meant that as production capacity
increases, SIG’s factory layout can change and
adapt to demand as well. The modularity of Caliber pro-
duction can be
the facility layout, as well as the production changed quickly
according to de-
capacity the plant is capable of, means that mand, requiring
only 30 minutes
even though the facility is huge, it is also very of downtime.
 MARCH-APRIL, 2018 101
SIG maintains 6-8

“Many of months of inven-

tory on top of the
daily production
output, which is

the ammo substantial in and

of itself.

production
machines
date back
as far
as 1953.”
of ammunition inventory on top of the daily
production output, which is substantial in of
itself. In short, the SIG ammunition factory is a
production powerhouse.

Retro Production,
Nouveau Performance
The streamlined yet bustling factory floor is a
marvel of cutting-edge technology. However,
the production machines, the heartbeat of
the factory, are antiques. Many of the ammo
production machines date from as far back
as 1953. Other rifle and pistol cartridges are SIG produces
its own ballistic
made using machines from the 1940s and up. gelatin in-house,
and goes
All of the machines are however retrofitted through more
of the stuff in
with updated and customized computers and a year than
the entire U.S.
components to precisely measure dimensions government.
and tolerances.
102 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

“The facility
produces
1,000-2,000
trays of
handgun
ammunition
every day.”
On the assembly floor, employees were
busy operating machines, feeding boxing/
packaging machines, and loading casings
into metal trays for powder loads and bullet
Ammunition
seating processes. The workers produce
is consistently 1,000-2,000 trays of handgun ammunition
checked for
velocity, pres- a day, which are consistently checked for
sure, accuracy,
function, bullet velocity, pressure, accuracy, function, bullet
seat/pull and
proper dimen- seat/pull and proper dimensional values
sional values be-
fore packaging. before packaging. An additional round check
during boxing as well as box overall weight
verification is performed prior to complete
boxes of ammunition being transported for
final delivery packaging.

The quality control staff even arrives an

hour before shift workers to run complete
diagnostics on assembly machines prior to
the start of production to set the team up for
as smooth a day as possible. Nothing is left
to chance.

Ammunition Testing
I was also fortunate enough to meet and
talk to John Ervin, SIG’s lead ballistician. His
expertise with ammunition and measuring
ballistic results is crucial. SIG’s factory has
several stations to test round performance,
consistency and velocity, ranging from 100-
yard tubes to shoot through, to a unique
pistol range that features a bullet trap with
a consistent waterfall of liquid medium
cascading down it, which is designed to
safely capture not only the round but also
the particulate from impact.
Regardless of
their vintage, all For rounds to be accurately measured for
the machines are
retrofitted with ballistic performance, SIG tests its ammu-
updated and cus-
tomized computers nition in lab-like surroundings, with as
and components to
precisely measure many controls and precise measurements
dimensions and
tolerances. as possible. If consistent testing is to be
104 WORLD OF FIREPOWER
achieved, everything right down to ballistic
gelatin consistency must be controlled.
Ballistic gelatin has a shelf life; the longer it
sits, the more moisture evaporates from the
gelatin block, which changes the consisten-
cy, size and density of the block over time.
This variable can affect round penetration
and potentially skew crucial measurements,
resulting in inconsistent or inaccurate perfor-
“there will continue to
be ballistic advance-
ments from sig sauer.”
mance outcomes. SIG solved that problem
by choosing to produce its own ballistic
gelatin in-house. The company boasts that
it produces and goes through more ballistic
gelatin in a year than the entire United
States government.
Gelatin is carefully measured out, mixed,
poured, set and refrigerated. Each block
Testing consisten- of gelatin is marked with a date and time
cy was affected
by variances in stamp, so the ballisticians know exactly
readily available
ammunition, so to when the block was produced and if it is
reduce wildcard used within the appropriate time frame.
factors in testing
results, SIG repre- SIG’s ammunition factory has the capacity
sentatives realized
they needed to to produce 12 blocks of in-house ballistic gel-
have the most
consistent ammu- atin an hour, meaning the company’s testing
nition possible.
capacity is never slowed down due to lack of
gelatin and additional protocol mediums to
shoot through.
I observed Ervin shoot 9mm V-crown rounds
through multiple mediums: gelatin blocks
alone to measured penetration protocols, as
well as several layers of clothing, auto glass,
and drywall. All indicators demonstrated
excellent performance through all mediums
as measured and well within established
performance parameters.
Real-World Accuracy
In the time I visited the factory in Jacksonville,
I have had several opportunities to shoot
hundreds of rounds of 77-grain .223, as well
as both sub- and supersonic 300BLK ammu-
nition from SIG Sauer. The rounds perform
as advertised against the targets I’ve shot at
from distances ranging from 50 to 700 yards,
suppressed, unsuppressed and under widely
varied conditions and across three different
platforms.
We are very much looking forward to seeing
how SIG advances its ammunition production
The quality control
staff arrives an in the future. They’ve got a very solid product
hour before shift
workers to run already on the market and if current progress
complete diagnos-
tics on assembly is any indication, there will continue to be
machines; nothing
is left to chance. ballistic advancements from SIG Sauer.
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106 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

Getting
to know
Jack
SOMETIMES THE
RIFLE BUILDS ITSELF
T EXT & P HOTOS BY M I K E S EAR S ON
 MARCH-APRIL, 2018 107

T
he AR-15, the black rifle, the
modern sporting rifle—call it
what you want, it is probably the
most user-friendly semiautomatic
rifle in history. Not only is it easy to shoot
and accessorize, but building one from the
ground up is easier than working on a clas-
sic small-block Chevy engine in the garage.

Many of us have been shooting, modifying,

building and repairing ARs since we were
handed an M16A2 service rifle at the ripe
old age of 17. This author currently owns
close to 20 and about three quarters of
them were built from virgin stripped receiv-
ers in the exact configuration required.

This latest build took on a life of its own

during the build process.
108 WORLD OF FIREPOWER
Start with a lower
As this is the part that is considered the
heart of the rifle, it is typically our starting
point. We happened into a Jack lower by
Sharps Bros and Spike’s Tactical. Billet lower
receivers may be seeing heavy discounts
now, but we were intrigued by the magazine
well as it was milled to look like a human
skull.
We knew that Cerakote would be the order
of the day and our first idea was to go with
a traditional ivory or bone-colored look, until
a few people pointed out that we should try
to match it up with the silver rings that were
made by Steel Flame.
A call went into Nevada Cerakote and we
advised Russ Bacon of our latest project.
“the intriguing magazine
well is milled to look
like a human skull.”
Our first idea
was to go with
a bone-colored
look, until a few We sent multiple pictures of our rings and
people pointed
out that we indulged in a heavy dose of listening to Ozzy,
should try to
match it up with Metallica and Guns N’ Roses in the shop
the silver rings
made by Steel while they finished it up.
Flame.
We installed a standard DPMS lower receiver
parts kit with few issues. One of which was
that the standard magazine button was too
shallow, so we went with an extended one
that was just lying around, having been a Last, we went with a match grade drop-
bit too long for another build. The rear take- in trigger assembly from Rise Armament
down pin was supplied by Derrick Obatake to round out the basic lower build. Their
of Steel Flame featuring a bronze skull motif RA-434 HTP is a single-stage trigger with a
and matched our rings that inspired the 3.5-pound pull, little to no over-travel and a
Cerakote paint job. skeletonized hammer.
 MARCH-APRIL, 2018 109
Upper receiver One thing
required for this
I tend to test a lot of different suppressors build was a side-
charging upper,
and one thing that I find annoying is the gas so we went with
you catch in the face through the charging one of the best
in the business
handle. One thing required for this build was from American
Spirit Arms.
a side-charging upper, so we went with one
of the best in the business from American
Spirit Arms.

For the barrel, we were going for a look fac-

tor and found it with an ER Shaw mid-length,
stainless steel, 18-inch barrel with external
spiral fluting.

The Cobalt
Kinetics muzzle
brake provides
a symmetrical
linear array of
intersecting
spheroid
baffles that are
designed to
dramatically
improve perfor-
mance.
110 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

The rear take-

down pin was With some slight modification to the bolt
supplied by Steel
Flame and, sim- carrier due to the way American Spirit Arms’
ilar to the mag
well, it is formed side-charging handle catches the shoulder of
into the shape of
a skull. the carrier, we were in business.

Furniture
We were not going old-school plastic furni-
ture and wanted something different than
the various rail systems out there. We were
going for looks, but performance counts, too.

At the 2017 SHOT Show we saw some

The Rise Arma- unique handguards offered by Brigand Arms.
ment RA-434
HTP is a sin- Our first thoughts were either “cargo nets on
gle-stage trigger
with a 3.5-pound a pirate ship” or “spider webs.” Then we saw
pull, little to no
over-travel and the folks at Brigand using the handguards
a skeletonized
hammer. to support weights. Made of carbon fiber
weave, these guards can support 90 pounds
in both directions and 600 pounds along
their length. When the rail showed up in a
mailing tube, it was so light that I thought
someone shipped me a poster!

For the pistol grip we chose Tango Down

LLC’s vertical grip, which is perfect for
extended prone shooting sessions, and a SIG
Sauer carbon fiber buttstock to complement
the Brigand Arms Blade handguard.

Performance
There are some gadgets for your rifles that
are simply a waste of money, but there are
The Brigand a few that will help you become a better
Arms handguard
is made of car- shooter. In experimenting with different
bon fiber weave
and can support
90 pounds in
both directions
and 600 pounds
along its length.

“we’ve pushed ARs out

to 700 yards, but a
more realistic range
rarely exceeds 300.”
 We were also
going for a look
factor with the
barrel and found
it with an ER
MARCH-APRIL, 2018 111
Shaw mid-length,
buttstocks on this build we found one from stainless steel,
18-inch unit with
Cobalt Kinetics known as the Cobalt Advan- external spiral
fluting.
tage Buffer System

In essence, you have an adjustable buffer

system tunable to your rifle and loads. It
comes with three different weights for the
buffer body and three spring configurations
to customize cyclic rates. The buffer tube is
lined with nylon to reduce friction. The tol-
erances are so tight and the contact surface
so smooth that it creates a nearly frictionless
system, requiring less gas and thereby elimi-
nating unnecessary heat, debris and wear.

As with the back end, we went to the front

end and crowned the ER Shaw Barrel with
one of Cobalt Kinetics’ Pro muzzle brakes.
This brake provides a symmetrical linear
array of intersecting spheroid baffles de-
signed to dramatically improve performance.
Exhaust energy is vented only to the sides
to eliminate dust signature and the inherent
design eliminates the compromising effects
that biased or directional ports can have on
accuracy.

At a demo in late 2015 we fired a full-auto

Cobalt Kinetics Evolve rifle one-handed with
this brake and the mentioned buffer with
very minimal muzzle rise, keeping all rounds
on target.
112 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

“The gun’s
Brigand Arms
offers an attach-
able Picatinny
rail section that
mounts on the
left side of the
handguard, so
it was possible
to attach the
light weight
light without a
hiccup.
made it very
maneuverable
and easy to
engage the
steel.”

The Vortex Strike

Eagle 1-8x scope
is mounted in
a set of Warne
Scope Mounts
medium-height
30mm rings.
We wanted this
one as low as
possible as most
of our shooting
will be done at
close range.

Adding a light in the form of an Inforce, or

Accessories
I am typically a minimalist when it comes
to adding accessories to a rifle. For years it
was simply a sling and a light, but approach-
ing a half century of walking the earth and
more than half of that as a shooter, I decided
I wanted an optic instead of just irons for
this rifle.
any other brand for that matter, is a chal-
lenge with the Brigand Arms Blade as there
are no rails, KeyMods or M-LOK attachment
points on the handguard. However, Brigand
Arms offers an attachable Picatinny section
for this purpose. Mounted on the left side of
the handguard, it was possible to attach the
light without a hiccup.
The optic is a Vortex Strike Eagle in 1-8x with
an illuminated reticle. For short range, it can
be powered up for the quick acquisition and
reliability of a red dot scope. If we need to
go for distance, up to 8x magnification on an
AR would be plenty.
 MARCH-APRIL, 2018 113

“the build blos-

somed into a
lightweight
precision gun
with attitude.”
114 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

For a pistol grip Mounted as it is in a set of Warne rings, we wanted this one as low as
we chose Tango
Down LLC’s possible as most of our shooting would be done at close range. We’ve
vertical grip,
which is perfect pushed ARs out to 700 yards in the past, but a more realistic range for
for extended
prone shooting most of our shooting rarely exceeds 300 yards. We selected a medium
sessions, along
with a SIG Sauer height set of 30mm rings.
carbon fiber
buttstock to
complement the
Brigand Arms
handguard.

Problems
with the
build and a
solution
Almost any custom AR project will give you a head-
ache or two. We had a few with ours like timing the
Brigand Arms handguard so the scalloped front end
would center properly and having to use an oversized
magazine release button.

Our build was on a first-generation Jack lower and

Sharps Bros has fixed a few shortcomings with their
Gen 2 version of the Jack. The Jack Gen 2 incorpo-
rates a threaded bolt catch pin as is found on most
308 ARs. This can be a huge stumbling block for
some with the original AR style as you must align a
roll pin and drive it in without marring your lower. This
is a huge improvement.

other
features
include:
• An oversized integral trigger guard
• A beveled magazine flare that helps you load as
quickly and efficiently as possible
• Machined top to bottom from 7075-T6 aluminum,
a peak-strength corrosion-resistant aluminum
alloy
• A hardcoat anodized finish per MIL-A-8625, the
anodizing model for most military and aerospace
products
• Full compatibility with all MIL-SPEC internal parts
• Full compatibility with all other aftermarket MIL-
SPEC upper receivers
• Full compatibility with PMAGs, Hex mags and
other standard-capacity magazines
• Multi-caliber mark
• Weight: 10.7 oz

As of this writing Sharps Bros is still taking pre-orders,

but the receiver may be available by the time this
article goes to press.
116 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

Real pretty, but can

she shoot?
While it never hurts to have a good-looking
rifle, we prize being able to shoot one accu- suppliers
rately above all else, remembering the late
Col. Jeff Cooper’s comment: “Only accurate
rifles are interesting.”
American Spirit Arms
americanspiritarms.com
We headed out to the range with a handful
Brigand Arms
of Okay Industries Sure Feed Magazines.
brigandarms.com
The magazine bodies and floor plates are
The optic is a
lightweight aluminum and heat treated to Vortex Strike
Cobalt Kinetics Eagle in 1-8x with
MIL-SPEC requirements for strength and cobaltkinetics.com an illuminated
reticle. It can
durability. A four-way, anti-tilt, self-lubricat- be powered up
for the quick
ing, non-hygroscopic resin follower and high ER Shaw acquisition and
reliability of a
performance MIL-SPEC stainless steel spring ershawbarrels.com red dot scope,
or if we need to
keep rounds properly aligned and tensioned go for distance
up to 8x magnifi-
for flawless performance. These were similar Inforce cation would be
plenty.
to the magazines issued back in 1987 but inforce-mil.com
upgraded where it counts for reliability and
durability. Nevada Cerakote
nevadacerakote.com
Test ammunition was provided by Aguila
with both 55 and 62-grain projectiles. At 200 Radical Firearms
yards, we were easily shooting 1 to 1.95- radicalfirearms.com
inch groups all morning with the magnifica-
tion dialed up to 4x. At 300 yards and on 8x, Rise Armament
we were still keeping it within 2.5 to 3.25 risearmament.com
inches. In time, we’ll load our rounds for this
Sharps Bros
particular rifle to tighten that up.
sharpsbros.com
For close-range testing we set up some steel
SIG Sauer
at various distances from 50 yards out to 200
sigsauer.com
and ran the Vortex on 1x illuminated. The
light weight of the rifle made it very maneu- Silencer Shop
verable to engage the steel and hear that silencershop.com
satisfying ping every time. Target acquisition
was a bit slower at first compared to a true Steel Flame
red dot or holographic sight, but we quickly steelflame.com
got used to it.
Tango Down
Finally, we removed the Cobalt brake and tangodown.com
installed a Radical Firearms 556 silencer we
acquired through Silencer Shop for testing. Vortex Optics
We prefer direct thread silencers to QD vortexoptics.com
(Quick Detach) for rifles intended to be more
precise as the threads line up exactly every Warne Scope Mounts
time. However, in this case we wanted to warnescopemounts.com
see if the side-charging upper would perform
as we thought with regard to gas busting.

We were very pleased with the performance

in that regard but we were getting a very
dirty rifle in the interim.

In the end, we’re very happy how this rifle

turned out. A build that almost started as a
SBR/PDW type rifle blossomed into a light-
weight precision gun that packs attitude, accura-
cy and reliability into a sweet package.
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118 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

Locked
Up
Firearms Storage
Solutions for your
Vehicle
TE XT & P HOTOS BY M I K E S EAR S ON
 MARCH-APRIL, 2018 119

I
t’s one thing to have a firearm safe or vault in your home.
This is where most of our firearms spend most of their
time and it is a no-brainer to have your firearms secured
and protected against theft. Yet how do you secure them
when you leave your home? Whether it’s a trip to the range
or your EDC guns, you do not want to leave them accessible to
an opportunistic vehicle burglar. Here’s how we safeguard our
firearms when we are out and about.
120 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

The vehicle The vehicle in question

is a brand-new 2018
After two severe engine problems, we Chevy Colorado Z71.

junked our old pickup truck and bought a

brand-new 2018 Chevy Colorado Z71. We
went with an extended cab because it
suited most of our needs, but in hindsight it
left us with a limited amount of cargo space
for firearms. So we decided to outfit it with
a few accessories to suit our storage needs
and give us a higher level of security.

Console Vault
Like most vehicles today, the Colorado
comes equipped with a center console
for storage. But what gets stored in these
things after a while? Phone chargers, gas
station receipts, spare change and other
small random bits of clutter that become
completely useless after 48 hours. Why not
set the center console up for secure firearm
The Console Vault
storage beyond dropping a holstered carry drops in place and is
secured by two screws
piece inside from time to time? that mount to the
walls of the console
from inside the vault.
Console Vault of Las Vegas, Nevada, offers
a solution that is easy to install inside the
center console of your vehicle. It discreetly
hides within your vehicle’s console so the
vehicle interior looks exactly as it did when
it left the factory. But lift the console lid and
you now have a 12-gauge steel vault that
can hold your CCW if you need to leave it
stowed for when you have to visit the post
office, courthouse or other restricted areas.

The Console Vault drops in and is secured

by two screws which mount to the walls of
the console from inside the vault. They offer
three lock types: keyed, 3-combination or
4-combination. We chose the 4-combination
as it gives over 10,000 possible combi-
Our well-traveled
nations and was deemed to be the most Pelican hard case fits
perfectly inside the
secure in that regard. TruckVault drawer.

“here’s
how we
safeguard
our fire-
arms while
out and
about.”
 MARCH-APRIL, 2018 121
A Personal Firearms Collection

Can
you name
everything
in it?
Let us know at
facebook.com/
worldoffirepower

can be stored in the Console Vault when not

needed.

SIG Sauer Rifle Bag Car

Seat Back Up
For hunting, or for just having a carbine
ready to go in the cargo area of your vehi-
cle, we chose a holster for our “truck gun”
from SIG Sauer. You can mount it vertically
on the back of one seat or horizontally over
the backs of both seats. We found the ver-
tical option better for hiding in plain sight
with the horizontal method better for ease
of access.

The TruckVault Now, what do you do when you leave the

V-Line Tactical Top
Draw-Handgun Safe
Even with an extended cab, pickup trucks
leave you few options for storage inside the
vehicle. However, the back seats on ours
flip up individually and we found these to
be great places to add a pistol safe from
V-Line called the Tactical Top Draw-Handgun
Safe. It can be permanently bolted to the
floor of the vehicle if you desire. We do not
necessarily keep a defensive handgun in
there—most often just a spare pistol to take
to the range. It’s secure in the lockbox plus
hidden under the seat.
DeSantis Kingston
Car Seat
Stepping aside from security from theft for
drawers are highly
configurable and
dividers can be added
or removed with ease.
Foam inserts are also
available.
a second, we want to address what may
be more important: security of self. What
happens when a criminal decides to car-jack
you in your ride and your guns are either
locked up or are on your person and behind
layers of clothing plus a seat belt while you
are seated?
We found a solution to that scenario with the
Kingston Car Seat from DeSantis Holsters. The
concept is simple: You run the “belt” through
the back and bottom of your seat cushion so
that you have a strap with Velcro on the front
of your seat cushion. A nylon holster attaches
to the Velcro and keeps your pistol pointed
straight down in a safe direction. When you
drive, it rides between your legs. The nylon
holster makes for an effective carry holster or
vehicle and cannot take your rifle with you?
Easy, you store it inside the TruckVault.
TruckVault
While all of these options work extremely
well for our purposes, we saved one of the
best for last with the TruckVault. You may
have seen these used on the popular TV
series 24, but they are not just for secret
agents going after terrorists, although they
are a favorite of tactical units and officers
worldwide.
These customizable vehicle vaults can be
ordered for nearly any truck, SUV or car.
TruckVaults are built from medium density
overlay (MDO), the same product used to
make highway signboard. The composition
of these units makes them extremely diffi-
cult for burglars to break into.
Having an open-bed pickup truck directed us
to the all-weather version that is resistant to
122 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

snow and ice. This is the most expensive

“think of them as version due to this coating. The drawers

are designed to maximize space, and with

ways to safeguard TruckVault offers

a six-foot bed, we have plenty of room in
the double drawers to store our firearms

your firearms during secure storage solu-

tions for virtually any
vehicle. We opted for a
weather-proof version,
safely and securely. The folding T-handle
locks are backed up by anti-pry security

transport.” which adds cost but is

essential for an open
truck bed as in our
application.
brackets that deploy when an attempt to
pry the drawers open is made.

Installation was a snap. We had the unit

drop-shipped to a trucking depot to save
on freight costs and to have a forklift load
it into our bed. When we got it home, we
centered the 450-pound vault, locked it
down and installed the cover plates.

As for storage space, the drawers are

highly configurable and dividers can be
added or removed with ease. TruckVault
offers foam inserts but we passed on
these as we test close to 100 firearms
a year and our range load out is almost
never the same twice.

A few of our friends didn’t get it, as the

magnum-height drawers went nearly to
the top of our bed. “What’s the sense of
having a truck?” one asked.

Well, we didn’t buy it to get out of

helping friends move. We bought this
Left: The DeSantis because when it comes to firearms we
Kingston Car Seat loops
into the belt and keeps are generally “super users” who routinely
a pistol tucked conve-
niently and discreetly make multiple trips to the range for T&E,
between your legs as
you drive. classes and other shooting activities. If we
need to haul furniture and the like we can
hook up an ATV trailer or use an engine
hoist to pull the vault in order to use the
Right: The TruckVault pickup bed.
T-handle locks incorpo-
rate anti-pry security
brackets that deploy if
an attempt to pry the However, do not be mistaken into think-
unit open is made.
ing the TruckVault or any of these other
options are suitable for long term-storage.
They may prevent someone for looting
your vehicle while it’s parked and you’re
a mile away on your ATV hunting or inside
some secure facility that prohibits the car-
rying of firearms, but your vehicle can be
stolen while sitting in your driveway and
once the thieves have it they have all the
time in the world to break into any and all
of these types of safes.

Think of them as ways to safeguard your

firearms or other valuables while you are
The V-Line Tactical Top transporting them, but remember to take
Draw-Handgun Safe can
be permanently bolted them inside for more permanent storage
to the floor of the vehi-
cle if you so desire. when not in use.
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124 WORLD OF FIREPOWER
MARCH-APRIL, 2018 125
126 WORLD OF FIREPOWER
GROUND
ZERO
BY JA SO N DAV I S
W
orking in law enforcement
can keep you rather busy,
especially these days.
Don’t take my word for it—
turn on any major news channel and watch
the first ten minutes of the 5:00 or 10:00
reels and you’ll see what I’m saying.
Being busy isn’t a bad thing. I like keeping
busy and feel if I’m not doing something
productive, I must be missing out on life or
I’m just getting lazy. As police officers, we
have to learn a lot about laws, case laws,
constitutional law, policies and procedures.
The laws are constantly changing, being
affirmed, modified or stricken, and it’s our
duty to keep up to date with these changes.
As a supervisor, you not only are responsible
for these same items but also additional
policies and procedures, as it is your
responsibility to look after the public, your
officers, and even the bad guys. You are
given many additional hats to wear along
with your stripes, and one of those hats is
that of a Risk Manager.
Key events will make you don that risk
manager hat pretty quickly; a use-of-
force call, any officer-involved shooting,
a pursuit, formal citizen complaint, even
a row between officers. The time to think
about any of these events isn’t when they
happen—by that time it’s too late. Keeping
up on the policies and new laws is what
makes supervisors a valuable link in the
chain that makes up an organization.
Unlike a pre-planned event, when you can
anticipate items that may or may not occur,
a supervisor should do his or her best to stay
many steps ahead of reality when a major
event is unfolding.
One such occurrence happened to me in the
middle of the summer a few years back.
The shift started out like most. Nothing
unlike previous watches—we weren’t on the
lookout for any trending crimes, the officers
just went out of the station and into their
assigned beats to see what was happening.
Within a few hours of the beginning of our
shift we heard a few words over our main
radio channel from a dispatcher in response
to an officer who just ran a plate for wants
and warrants: “10-29 Victor,” a stolen
vehicle. Everybody working just had their
interest piqued by those words coming over
the air.

As the supervisor working this shift, upon
hearing those words my interest was also
heightened, but I also had to start wearing
the hat of risk manager. A stolen vehicle,
which is a felony in my state, is going to be
met with guns drawn at suspects if they pull
over and comply once they see a forward
red facing lamp from a patrol vehicle. If
they decide to flee, we are likely going to
give chase until they pull over or we, an
officer or a supervisor, terminate the pursuit.
The latter is where the supervisor begins
weighing his or her options in keeping a
pursuit going, and we have to weigh myriad
factors, which, at the top, include public
safety.
As officers get into position from around
the city to assist with an arrest or give
chase in a pursuit with the primary officer,
I immediately start thinking about policies,
what cars are responsible for calling
roadway conditions and speed, how many
can follow, when and what position do I
get involved as a supervisor. I also recall a
pursuit driving video put out by the state
that hasn’t been updated in a decade, one
we make fun of for the entire two hours of
the video, but it’s still relevant if this does in
fact become a pursuit.
The suspects decide they don’t want to
pull over and the pursuit is on. Officers
do as they should: they call out roadway
conditions, directions of travel, miles per
hour, vehicle codes violated, and so on and
so forth. As I am listening I’m hearing their
transmissions, but I’m also considering the
next possible directions of travel, the busy
morning commuter traffic, and whether or
not—and where—schools are in the area.
Remember, I have a duty to supervise, be a
Risk Manager and to anticipate a few moves
ahead.
MARCH-APRIL, 2018 127
OBJECTIVES
MISSION
Monitoring Vehicle Pursuit
TEAM
Shift Supervisor
LOCATION
Anytown, USA
TIME OF DAY
Late Afternoon
As a shift supervior, you As the suspects turn onto a street that I
are given many different
hats to wear along with believe will be filled with traffic, a street
your stripes.
with schools either on or nearby, and a
few other factors, I decide to terminate
the pursuit. I heard it in the officers’
voices when they responded to my call to
terminate—they seemed a bit let down, but
it was for the reasons stated above. I had
to consider a range of laws, policies and
reasonings.
We ceased pursuing, lights off, looking
ahead as the stolen vehicle became
smaller and smaller as it pulled away. With
the vehicle almost out of sight I saw, in
slow motion, what I didn’t want to see:
multiple vehicles striking and being struck
by the suspect vehicle as it entered a busy
intersection. The slow motion before me
also reflected in my mind, had I done and
fulfilled the role of a supervisor. Anticipating
moves ahead paid off this day.
128 WORLD OF FIREPOWER

STANCE
If your life is on the line in a gunfight you may not be
thinking about your stance, but it doesn’t hurt to exercise
your muscle memory when you get a chance at the range.
With knees slightly bent, take a half step forward with your
non-dominant foot (left foot for right-handed shooters).
Put about 70 percent of your weight on your front foot,
balancing on the balls of your feet. Curling your toes down
can help. An athletic position will help absorb recoil as well as
preparing you to move from one position to the next. Knee
and hip alignment should be comfortable and don’t have
to be square on target. The same goes for your chest and
shoulders. Take the top of the buttstock pad and put it in the
pocket of your shoulder as with a shotgun.

grip
Place your non-dominant hand (left for right-handed shooters)
on the handguard at a distance that’s comfortable for you.
Do not lock your elbow out and do not put your hand on
the magazine well. Extend your non-dominant hand out to
a comfortable distance, keeping your index finger along the
axis of the bore and pointed generally at the target. Keep your
elbow high in line with the bore of the rifle. This will allow you
to sweep onto targets left to right or vice versa. Keeping the
gun flat will make it as efficient as possible. Your dominant
hand is going to be high on the back of the pistol grip, with
your fingers wrapped naturally around the grip and your index
placed naturally on the trigger. You don’t want to be reaching
for anything on your strong hand. A “firm handshake” grip is all
you need on both hands as you shoot.

sight
picture
Whether using iron sights, a red dot or a magnified optic,
getting the correct sight picture is essential to accurate
shooting. For a rear ghost ring or peep sight with a front post
setup commonly found on iron sights, the rear sight should
be unfocused, the target should be slightly unfocused, and
the front sight post should be crystal clear. For a red dot or
magnified optic, focus your eyes on the target and allow the
reticle to be slightly unfocused.

trigger
control
Jerking the trigger back can move the rifle and cause you to
move before the actual shot, putting you off target. A smooth
pull using the center of the front segment on your trigger
finger, under the fingernail (or distal phalanx), is equally
important. It’s very common for new shooters is to use the
middle segment (middle phalanx) of the finger, but holding
the trigger too far in either direction could cause you to pull
the rifle in that direction. Pulling the trigger directly to the
rear in line with the bore axis should result in rounds landing
where you intend them to.

AR-15 BREATHING
CONTROL
SHOOTING One technique for ensuring your breathing doesn’t impact
your shot is to shoot on empty lungs. Breathe normally, get
your sight picture, and when you exhale and are ready to

FUNDEMENTALS
inhale, ensure your point of aim is on the target. When you
inhale again, the sights will likely move; however, the sights
should return to where you mean to shoot upon exhaling.
When your lungs are empty, gently squeeze the trigger.
 MARCH-APRIL, 2018 129
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130 WORLD OF FIREPOWER
LAST SHOT
I
like shooting accurately. Scratch that—I love
shooting accurately. Accuracy is to me the
desired outcome of shooting, while having
all your basics and fundamentals down.
Can you get lucky and hit the target where you
were aiming? Of course. But can you be lucky
on a consistent basis? The answer is likely not.
T EXT BY JA S ON DAV I S / P H OTO BY H I RO S O G A
A drill I shoot often with a pistol, which only
takes a few minutes but will really show
my accuracy and consistency, is something
I call the 5x5 Drill. The drill is shot at five
different yardage markers—3, 5, 7, 10 and
15—with five rounds at each line and at
your own speed and time. The target I use
is a modified NRA B-8, which is meant for
timed fire at 25 yards. This particular target
has the 9 and 10 in black, while the 7 and
8 are in white. The total rounds fired for this
drill is 25 and all shots should be kept in the
black. The number 10 should be your point
of aim for each shot all the way out to 15
yards. This is done so that you can track your
rounds and will help with diagnosing any
issues.
Sound easy? Yes, this drill can be easy, but
it can also be used as a great diagnostic
tool. If at the end of this drill all rounds are
accounted for and they are all in the black,
good job, pat yourself on the back. If you
can shoot this drill consistently a few times
in a row, add two more five-shot strings and
push back to 20 and 25 yards to see if your
hits stay in the black.
If they are not all in the black and you see a
consistent hit pattern, this can help you di-
agnose what you’re doing wrong with your
pistol. Some days my grip may be off and I
start to see rounds pushed out of the 10 as
soon as seven yards. Other days my trigger
finger is consistently pulling rounds low and
to the right (I’m a lefty). If this is the case,
I will have a nice pattern stretching from
the 10 all the way out to the seven ring at
about the four o’clock position. Observing 25
rounds that aren’t where I aimed tells me
I’m doing something wrong.
The target will inform you of what you’re
doing right and what you’re doing wrong.
Learn to use the rounds plotted on the
target to let you know what you aren’t
doing correctly and what you could be doing
better.
This is a simple drill, requires just 15 yards,
involves little movement, and only costs you
25 rounds of ammunition. Take your time at
all the yardage markers, especially at the
three-yard line. If you take the three-yard
line for granted you will see issues at 15,
trust me.
Good luck!