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SOCOM awards lots I & II of Family of Muzzle Brake Suppressors to Surefire

By: Rob Curtis

29-09-2011

Surefire had been awarded lots I and 2 of SOCOMs Family of Muzzle Brake Suppressors contract. These are the lots that cover cans for the M4CQBR and MK13.

I’m still waiting to hear who won the other lots, though I’ve heard plans to fit suppressors for other weapons on the SOCOM contract, like the M16A4, M27, and M48 are on hold for various reasons.

Even so, the two IDIQ contract lots alone are worth about $23.3 million and represents the largest suppressor contract Surefire has won to date. We’ll see who else got a part of this one, I’m guessing KAC, AAC and maybe GemTech had hats in the ring on this one, too.

Products selected by Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, are:

For the SOCOM M4/CQBR firearm: FH556-215A adapter & FA556-212-DE suppressor
For the SOCOM M4/CQBR firearm training and blank firing: BFA-FA556-212 & TA-FA556-212
For the SOCOM MK13 firearm: FH762K05 adapter & FA762K-DE suppressor
For the SOCOM MK13 firearm training and blank firing: BFA-FA762K & TA-FA762K

Photo: courtesy Surefire

At least you didn’t mention zombies.

By: Rob Curtis

14-12-2010

video

Solid gun advice from a talking bear. It’s a response to all the zombie-hunting strap-hangers that are looking for advice on being more “tactical” using internet forums. Be aware, there is hilarity, genius and profanity.

Thanks to Matt’s mom for the link.

SEALs write to North Pole, want NVG mounts in their stockings & waterproof bags and plate carriers under the tree.

By: Rob Curtis

13-12-2010

Contracts

Dear Santa, we would like:

14 London Bridge Trading UW Waterproof Packs in AOR-1 Item# LBT-2684A-AOR1.
14 London Bridge Trading UW Loadout Bag, Black, Item# LBT-2684B-BK.
64 London Bridge Trading UW Jump Bag, Black, Item# LBT-2684C-BK.
38 medium, 18 large and 8 X-large London Bridge Trading Plate Carrier Kits in “Mass Grey” color, item# LBT-6094UW.
90 (with an option for another 140) black Wilcox L2 G05 3-hole Mich Helmet bracket/NVG Mounts.

Thanks,
DevGru

Operator’s Choice #2: Weapon Light

By: Rob Curtis

27-07-2009

Cordon & Review

We’ve all heard it; You can’t hit what you can’t see. Sounds catchy, but it’s not true. You can put a lucky round in a fleeting, backlit target before you can accurately identify it. How do you know it’s not a friendly? Better to flood a shadowy recess with a momentary blaze of light to look for bad guys. Superbright rail-mounted LEDs with remote switches allow rapid identification of a target without affecting your weapon grip or readiness.

What they said: “During close-quarters battle, most buildings will have limited visibility inside, even during the day. A white-light illuminator, combined with the proper training, allows the war fighter the ability to maneuver on the enemy and rapidly engage the threats accurately. The white light illuminator should be mounted on a weapon with a pressure pad or momentary type switch allowing the operator to activate the light only when necessary without changing his normal grip on the weapon.”

Operator Favorite: Surefire M600C Scout Light ($425)
The Scout Light is the lightest (3.5 oz) and most compact rail-mount light available in its brightness range. It’s a simple, single-brightness LED light that will light up a target at 150 meters while still providing good peripheral light. It runs on two CR123s for two hours, which is typically a few weeks downrange. Surefire’s modular system of heads and bodies means you can replace the KX2C LED head for an incandescent head if you need white light with the capability to use an IR filter.

Also mentioned: Surefire G2 ($40)
The inexpensive polymer-body light can be weapon-mounted with a separate rail mount and is compatible with many Surefire heads and switches.

Operator’s Choice #3: IR Pointer

By: Rob Curtis

26-07-2009

Cordon & Review

U.S. troops do their best work at night, thanks to formidable low-light tech that lets you see our enemies before they can see you. Night-vision goggles by themselves are a PIA to use with optical sights. An IR pointer lets you ID and aim in through NVGs and engage targets in total darkness.

What they said: “Makes hitting the target at any range in complete black a possibility without compromising your position.”

Operator Favorite: Insight Technology ATPIAL $N/A (Go through your unit’s supply chain for this one)-
The Advanced Target Pointer, Illuminator, Aiming Light AN/PEQ-15 delivers a visible laser pointer along with an IR pointer and IR illuminator that makes a deadly combo when used with NVGs. We heard that the IR pointer can be defocused and used to light up and ID targets hundreds of meters away under NVGs. The visible laser is slaved to the IR to make it easier to sight in. It runs from a CR123 for 6+ hours and, best of all, it’s about half the size of the older AN/PEQ-2.

Operator’s Choice #4: Extended Rail

By: Rob Curtis

25-07-2009

Cordon & Review

The 1913 Picatinny rail is the defacto mounting system since devices can be quickly and solidly attached or removed using cam levers or thumbscrews. Items are indexed using set spacing on the rail, and most items will retain a zero after remounting. Early handguards were short and rail-less, meaning you needed expensive custom mounts for front-mounted accessories. Later came a short bolt on rails that gave a common mounting system and more real estate, but the rails were clamped around the barrel and that affected accuracy.

Recent rail systems are longer and free floating, meaning they attach to the barrel nut instead of the barrel. This single point of contact means no matter how many gizmos you mount on your heater, the weight won’t cause any barrel deflection or point-of-impact shift when shooting with a supported handguard. New alloys mean the guards can extend the usable area of a handguard considerably without effecting weight, stability or heat transfer performance.

What they said: “A free-floating handguard improves accuracy by isolating the barrel from external pressure. It provides a solid mounting platform for other accessories, keeps the front end light and feels more like a rifle than a giant Lego brick.”

Operator Favorite: JP/VTAC Modular Handguard ($175)
Ditch the cheesegrater and use all that space on your extended handguard to actually hold your carbine instead of a foregrip. The tubular handguard with user-mounted rail sections mean you mount small sections of rail where you want your devices and leave the rest light and clean.

Also mentioned:
Daniel Defense RIS II ($400)- One of the few free-float rail systems that offers a removable bottom rail that allows the mounting of an M203.
LaRue Tactical ($250-$300)- LaRue is a traditional-style handguard with a pin-indexed barrel nut and rails that hug the barrel for a lower profile.

Operator’s Choice #5 Sling

By: Rob Curtis

24-07-2009

Cordon & Review

Too many service members consider a sling an afterthought, not really part of the primary weapon. But our operators told us a good two- or one-point sling can have a profound effect on the effective use of your carbine. Modern military operations call for an adaptable sling that accommodates fast roping and climbing while allowing quick and effective weapon presentation. No way this is going to happen with a Vietnam-era three-point sling.

One-point slings are popular because they keep your primary at the ready and allow lightning-fast transitions to your pistol. Adjustable two-point slings give you the ability to present quickly while making it easy to sling a rifle across your back and snug it down for climbing or fast-roping.

What they said: “As everyone knows, if you are moving with a single-point sling and don’t have at least one hand on the carbine, eventually you will catch a hot barrel in the legs or groin — and try climbing a rope or wall and see what kind of circus that turns into. The three-point sling is the best-kept secret in spec ops, and the secret is that it sucks.”

Operator Favorite:
Both the VTAC Sling ($35-$41) and the Blue Force Gear VCAS ($45-$105) were popular in our survey. Both two-point slings come from operational experience gleaned while working behind the fence at Ft. Bragg. The major difference is the adjustment system. The VTAC has a loose tail that you pull to tighten and a stout, spring-loaded buckle tab you pull to loosen. The VTAC is designed to snug up during engagements to make a more stable shooting platform. The VCAS has no loose tail and uses a custom sliding buckle on a loop to gather or loosen the sling. Both slings offer a balance of adjustability and simplicity that have proven equally popular across SOCOM.

Operator’s Choice #6 Trigger

By: Rob Curtis

23-07-2009

Cordon & Review

When it comes right down to it, a shooters most intimate point of contact is the trigger. So it makes sense that some of our participants tossed the stock-heavy GI triggers and installed precision two-stage jobs that enhance the feel and accuracy of their weapon. Two-stage means you pull through the first stage up to the break point, then snap through to fire. Upgraded trigger groups provide a more consistent and predictable break, but some aftermarket triggers are too light — great on the range but dangerous in combat. Do your homework on this one.

What they said:

“Geissele SSA trigger, the best there is. Non-adjustable, drop it [in] to enhance hit probability, especially in the mid-range under stress.”

“Most factory triggers are not that good out of the box. No one makes a better, more reliable trigger group than Geissele. They hold their products to exacting standards.”

Operator Favorite: Geissele SSF ($250)
Hard to find and harder to pronounce (Guys-Lee), this is a drop-in, two-stage trigger with no adjustment. The pull is set at the factory and remains constant for the life of the trigger. The SSF is designed for combat and has been praised for its simplicity and durability. The SSA ($175) is the non-select fire version of the drop-in trigger .

Operators Choice #7 Back Up Iron Sights

By: Rob Curtis

22-07-2009

Cordon & Review

Although you can find photos of cracked, shot and crushed Aimpoints and EOTechs that refused to die, one day those iron sights are going to save your butt. There’s only one trait to consider here: Reliability. The rear sight will likely be folded obediently beneath your optic until you really need it. At that point you want it to flip up without extra button-pressing or knob-twisting. You also want it to be able to hold a zero and not pop up when it’s not needed. Same goes for the front, but some guys roll with a non-folding front sight so they can aim over the top of their optic for really close fights.

What they said: “If your primary sight uses batteries, eventually it will have an electrical problem. I hope that when it happens, it’s not when you’re fighting for your life. But if it is, BUIs and training will hopefully allow you to prevail.”

Operator Favorite: Troy Folding BattleSight set ($250)
Troy was widely chosen as the backup iron sights of choice. They stay closed until needed and flip up easily with no controls. Folding requires a hefty button press so they won’t fold until you want them to. Once they are open, it’s going to take a 1000 lb accident to shear the cross bolt holding the sight up.

Made from aluminum and stainless steel, they should last as long as your rifle. Mount them on a Picatinny rail, use a bullet tip to adjust in .5 MOA clicks and know they are there when you need them.

Operators Choice #8 Mags

By: Rob Curtis

21-07-2009

Cordon & Review

Crappy magazines are one of the largest source of stoppages in combat rifles. Some guys swear by standard USGI mags and others won’t let anything but polymer in the mag well. The USGI mag is simple, but the alloy construction leaves the feed lips susceptible to damage from a drop or long-term wear. Once the lips bend out, it’s double-feed city. But they’re metal and they’ve been around forever. The other camp points to the reliability of the polymer mag, with feed lips that won’t bend out of shape and that keeps those rounds feeding smoothly.

What they said: “I shot over 40,000 rounds of carbine last year and the PMAG never once gave me an issue. I did absolutely nothing to maintain them.”

Operator Favorite: PMAG/MagLevel PMAG ($14.95/$17.95)
PMAGs were the only mags that our respondents brought up. At least three things distinguish the PMAG from the USGI mag: The polymer construction is tough. They’ve been dropped and driven over and still continue to feed smoothly. The unique self-leveling follower keeps things trucking upward inside the mag. The MagLevel version shows you how many rounds you or your battle buddy have left with a quick glance at the orange level indicator on the mag’s side.

SOCOM awards lots I & II of Family of Muzzle Brake Suppressors to Surefire

At least you didn’t mention zombies.

SEALs write to North Pole, want NVG mounts in their stockings & waterproof bags and plate carriers under the tree.

Operator’s Choice #2: Weapon Light

Operator’s Choice #3: IR Pointer

Operator’s Choice #4: Extended Rail

Operator’s Choice #5 Sling

Operator’s Choice #6 Trigger

Operators Choice #7 Back Up Iron Sights

Operators Choice #8 Mags

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