So I’ve made no attempt to hide my excitement about this bottle. The boys at Hydro Flask gave me this 18-ounce, narrow-mouth bottle at Outdoor Retailers last month, and I’ve carried it around like a Precious ever since.
I love it so much (don’t roll your eyes) that I feel it deserves some kind of cornball haiku:
Oh so cold, you’re hot//Double-wall and stainless steel//Theft by cube-mate, RAWR
No one has actually taken mine yet, mostly because they’d have to pry it from my not-so-cold-because-the-bottle-is-so-well-insulated hands.
Read MoreThe A-TACS camo pattern is growing in popularity. Mayflower Research and Consulting is offering their kit in A-TACS.
One of the more enjoyable stops we made at SHOT this year was at the Cabot Guns booth. The gentlemen working the booth truly were gentlemen, and with a love for their craft. While I could have sat and talked with them for hours about the 1911s they make, we only had a short time. Cabot Guns is making a left handed 1911, and they state on their website “The South Paw is the only left-handed 1911 style pistol available in the market. The South Paw is precision constructed from 4140 billet steel to extreme tolerances. The South Paw, like all Cabot Gun firearms, is designed to exceed National Match accuracy standards right out of the box.” When you start talking about CNC work down to 0.001 inches, you are in an entirely new realm of 1911 machining.
Cabot Guns 1911s in lefty or regular version aren’t cheap, but the 1911 game isn’t really one to jump into if you are squeaking out coins, especially if you want to reach for the top shelf.
http://cabotgun.com/
Raquel Rusing of Triple Aught Design was running around SHOT in a new pair of pants, and while they are prototypes, they are still worth noting. Raquel and myself had a conversation which was similar to one I had recently had with my wife, and no, it wasn’t about me doing more work around the house. The female market for clothing tends to be rather basic, at least when it comes to outdoor and tactical lines. It seems many manufacturers have the idea that mens clothing is suddenly built for women if you just make them in smaller sizes. Any man can tell you women are built different than men, and it would make sense for the clothing to be built to accommodate those assets.
Raquel pointed out the various features of the pants, and sent over some specs, as well as her take on them which is quoted below. She pointed out several things that needed to be changed in these early prototypes, and to be honest, I think many of the issues were things only a female would notice. From a guys respectful point of view, there was nothing wrong with what I saw, and from her flock of protagonists which seemed to follow her, I don’t think most other guys had complaints either. Still, a minor change to the seat of the pants, and altering the cargo pockets were two of the changes she noted.
Click the image for specs and more information.
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What makes a good collapsable stock? One that’s rigid, offers a good cheekweld surface, has a solid, simple locking mechanism and the ability to hold up to bumps and drops inherent to battlefield conditions.
Solid lockup can be had across the board, but look for a secondary friction lock if you get annoyed by rattling. Though, that rattle also equates to a tiny amount of play in the system and could have an effect on the rifles accuracy when taken to extremes.
Sling attachment points should suit your carry and shooting style. Tube tops should be smooth and fit your face. That goes for the hairy among you, interruptions in the cheekweld surface will pull beard hair and cause a loss of concentration. Of course, weight and size are constant considerations, and modularity fits here, too. Some stocks have removable storage that can be pulled to save ounces if not needed.
Read MoreSHOT showed a lot of new things, but in the case of Otis, it wasn’t any of their weapon cleaning kits we were surprised to see. Otis has developed, and submitted their rail to the military in both their carbine and extended length sizes. While the extended length rail is designed for the M16A2/A4 series, it can work equally well on carbines if the Front Sight Base (FSB) is removed.
Otis showed us a complete line up of tools and training videos proving they are ready to both manufacturer, and provide the support for all new free floating rails for the military. This rail is going to be available in a 7075 aluminum version for the military, as well as the more typical 6065 aluminum for commercial sales. It is a two piece free floating rail which installs by cutting off the delta ring cap and removing the spring, then clamping the two rail sections to the barrel nut.
Spuhr showed us a few mounts at SHOT, the one which caught our immediate attention was the Grenade Launcher Aimpoint T-1 mount. Spuhr states this mount can be set up to work with ” most brands of small Red Dot Sights, such as Aimpoint Micro, Trijicon RMR, Docter, or what the customer prefers.” They also point out the mount can be used with small or medium sized laser sights.
My guess is the T-1 will be the most common optic used, but its always nice to know there are additional options available.
It took a little longer to close the previously reported deal, but I received word this morning that Para USA is now under the wings of Freedom Group, Inc. This rounds out FGI’s portfolio by adding the groups only pistol manufacturer.
In a release issued today, FGI gives up little but the basics. No word about the terms or cost of the acquisition. This
“We welcome Para into the Freedom Group Family of Companies,” stated. E. Scott Blackwell, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of Freedom Group Inc. “Para USA is a leader in handgun technology and their fine products exemplify quality, innovation and performance. Para is a perfect complement to our industry-leading family of brands, and our success in 2011 with the Remington R1 – 1911. We look forward to deploying both human and financial resources to continue to develop and supply current and future handguns for consumers and our channel partners. We also wish to thank all its employees for their continued dedication that has made Para a success.”
Para will continue day-to-day operations at their Pineville, NC based facility.
Read MoreWhile at SHOT we had a chance to talk with Scott of RS Regulate regarding their new line of AK optic mounts. The days of cheapo AKs are over, and higher quality AKs are more prevalent now than ever. This optic mount series keeps the idea that just because you are shooting an AK, doesn’t mean you have to be using iron sights or optics which won’t hold zero. Brownells is selling the AK47/ AKM Aimpoint 30mm mount for $139.99. The Aimpoint mount gives you a lower third cowitness, and still allows you to use your iron sights if needed. The locking lever allows you to retain zero with the optic removed and reinstalled. High quality mounts for high quality optics let the shooter make the most of their weapon.
Upcoming mounts include the T1 (shown below), Trijicon RMR and ACOG and 30mm scope rings. Check out their website for more information.
During conversations with Glock representatives at SHOT Show, I asked about the beavertail backstrap that had been shown at SHOT the previous year. I had a particular interest in the product, as I had acquired one in March of 2011 while at the IWA trade show. A video with some shooting impressions can be found here.
I was told that there had been several minor changes made to the design since I had last seen it displayed by Glock. Most notably, a tiny protrusion now sticks out of the Glock frame, on top of the current “beavertail” area. A corresponding dimple has been added to the inside of the beavertail backstraps, allowing them to snap into place. They’re still held in place by the longer pin supplied with every Gen 4 Glock that is intended for use with the current non-beavertail backstraps, but this is intended as an added measure of security.
The other change to the system is that the beavertails are now being made in both medium and large sizes, as opposed to the previous large-only beavertail backstrap. For those who don’t recall the Gen 4 frame sizing system, a backstrap-less Gen 4 is 2mm shorter front to back than a Gen 3; the medium backstrap adds those 2mm back for a standard Gen 3 size, and the large backstrap adds another 2mm for those with larger hands or who prefer larger (longer) frames. In other words, the medium beavertail backstrap will give you a Gen 3 size frame, but with a nice beavertail.
The new backstraps will be available sometime in the middle of this year. They’ll be included with Gen 4s sold from that time as well as being sold separately for what I’m told will be a very reasonable price. The minor physical changes will not prevent them from being attached to older Gen 4 frames.
In the eleven months that I have been using Gen 4 Glocks with beavertail backstraps, I have found that the beavertail offers slightly greater control over recoil when compared to the frame without the beavertail. I still hold the opinion that the beavertail will be of most use to those who have fat hands and/or problems with Glock slide bite. However, I also feel that the beavertail is something that any Glock shooter should consider testing out, especially since it will soon be available for minimal cost.
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