Knights Arms Co. posted a video showing a couple of their submissions for the SCAR rifle competition.
Monthly Archives: March 2014
Scuttlebutt: 5.45 and Plum Crazy
If you don’t keep up with the gun world, there are a couple of things going on that may be worth keeping an eye on.
1. Many groups, some reputable, are saying that the ATF is going to ban the import of surplus 5.45×39 7n6 ammo. Panic buying has already started driving prices and demand up.
2. There are many repeating rumors(I have yet to see hard evidence) that the ATF has declared the polymer Plum Crazy AR15 lowers illegal.
As for 5.45 ammo, to my understanding of the law surplus 7n6 rounds do not meet the criteria of armor piercing. But the letter of the law may not stop an import ban. The rumors claim that someone built a 5.45 pistol leading to the banning of the importing of 5.45. So some gun owners have started a witch hunt for the manufacturers of 5.45 pistols. If you are going to put pressure on anyone, put it on the Government and on the NRA. Doing a witch hunt among gun owners only hurts us all.(For example, one person was posting My Little Pony pictures on a gun companies Facebook page in protest. WTF?) If you are a fan of 5.45 keep an eye on what is going on.
When ammo is cheap, stack it deep. It is not always going to be cheap.
The Plum Crazy polymer AR15 lower had a metal insert stamped with the serial number sort of like how a Glock frame has a metal insert. The release info show a partial Plum Crazy lower that had this insert pried out.
What this will mean for owners of Plum Crazy lowers is yet to be determined. Bear in mind it is not that hard to destroy a firearms serial number.
Elections have consequences, we have a great many anti-gun politicians in power. Things are not going to get better unless we change that.
What is the face of a woman shooter?
Cassie Larsen submitted this article.
When people find out that I enjoy shooting and/or carry a firearm. I get the weirdest looks, like all of a sudden my face turned bright purple. Then I get bombarded with a range of questions, (i.e. What kind of firearms do I shoot? What kind of firearm do I carry concealed? Why do I like shooting? What kind of clothing do I wear with my carry firearm? Does your husband makes you shoot firearms? ect). I enjoy their looks the most when they find out I occasionally write for a gun blog.
Most people are honestly surprised that I shoot firearms and have my concealed carry permit. Most women’s comments are of confusion because; I do crafts, sew, love shoes, am a stay at home mom, volunteer at my kids school, paint my nails, and wear stylish clothes. They have this stereotypical image in their minds of what a woman shooter must looks like. I guess I don’t fit their mold of what a woman shooter/firearm enthusiast is.
Most men on the other hand think it’s cool. I usually get responses from men like, that’s awesome, I wish my wife/girlfriend would go shooting. When I go into a gun store however, the men behind the counter want to sell me something I don’t want, or an impractical holster. When I want to see a 9mm or .40 cal, I get told that I should be looking at a 380 or .22lr because the 9mm will kick too much. I find this frustrating as the first handgun I spent significant time learning to shoot, was my husband’s issued 40 cal. Glock 22. I never had a problem shooting that firearm, I never thought the recoil was too much for me to handle. I have found over the years that I like coming back to that full sized Glock.
It’s sad that some think that only men shoot or carry firearms and the only reason I should be holding a gun, is if I’m posing half naked with it. There are many very talented women shooters, there are women’s shooting blogs and women’s gun magazines. There are even items marketed and sold for women shooters. But, even with all of that there are still many women who are afraid to shoot a firearm. I have friends who don’t even think about going to the range with their significant other or know how to handle the firearms in their own homes.
I used to be one of those women who wouldn’t go shooting with her significant other, I didn’t think it was going to be fun. I definitely felt there was no need for me to have my own carry permit. My husband always carried when we were out “why did I need to” was my thinking. I was in a way forced to become proficient with some firearms, due to my husband work and insisting on it for my protection. He especially wanted me to understand how to use the firearms in the home while he was away. As time went on and as my husband was a firearms instructor in law enforcement, I was able to shoot some very nice and well equipped firearms. Shooting started to become enjoyable. I now think of going to the range as a date.
I was definitely afraid of my husband’s issued Patrol Rifle/AR-15. I thought it was going to be complicated, un-enjoyable and not fun to fire. I was defiantly hesitant about the recoil. I now love to shoot the AR-15. I find it to be a very user friendly, fun rifle to shoot. I even own my own. I enjoy shooting the AR-15 because with an optic it’s really fast to acquire the target, fire and actually hit the target where you aimed. I notice I don’t think as much when I shoot the AR-15. When I shoot my handguns I think about a million things; (Is my grip right? Do I have the sights in proper alignment? Squeeze the trigger, don’t jerk it.) Even after a full day at a range class I still have a mental checklist as I come up to fire. I find with the AR-15 I don’t have that mental checklist, which makes it more enjoyable for me to fire.
To me, there is no typical face of a woman shooter, because it can be any woman you pass on the street. If you are a woman who enjoys firearms and you get that weird look, I say educate those giving you that look. The more women know about firearms, proper gun equipment, training and shooting, the better and safer we will all be. Now, if you are a woman who doesn’t go shooting or is apprehensive about firearms, try it. You’ll never know if you’ll like it, until you try it. Shooting might become a favorite pastime for you as it has for me. Don’t be intimidated by the look of a firearm, that firearm might turn out to be your favorite and most enjoyable to shoot.
Cassie
Review: Daniel Defense A1.5 rear sight
It does what it suppose to do.
The DD A1.5 rear sight is an A1 style rear sight that attaches to your railed upper receiver. Instead of having the M16/M16A1 type aperture Daniel Defense uses the M16A2 aperture.
To install the sight you need to completely remove the screw that will hold it on. Then you slide it on from the front or the rear of the upper. You may need to remove your hand guard or your charging handle to do so.
The sight is very light and simple. The only complaint I could have about it is that the rear sight aperture is farther forward on this sight then on most other rear sights.
If you use this sight, keep in mind that the M16A2 rear sight aperture is not same plane, so the concept is to have a 300m zero on the small peep then the larger 0-2 sight will have a 200m zero useful for low light or moving targets.
Mag Storage Solutions, AR-15 Mag Holder
I recently ran into a product produced by Mag Storage Solutions LLC (magstoragesolutions.com) by way of a LaRue Tactical product alert. As soon as I saw the AR-15 Mag Holder, made by Mag Storage Solutions, I became excited about the product. I immediately thought, this is great, why had no one else thought of this? More specifically I thought; Dammit! why didn’t I think of this? It’s a product that all AR-15 owners have been looking for and they did not even know it. Simply put, The AR-15 Mag Holder provides a storage solution for (30) round AR-15 magazines. It holds six (6) AR-15 magazines at a time and can be mounted inside your gun safe, weapons room, or any area where you store and organize your magazines. Magazines snap easily in/out and remain firmly in place.
I reached out to the owner of Mag Storage Solutions and he called me the next day. Right off the bat, you could tell he was very passionate and cared about his product. We had a lengthy conversation about the AR-15 Mag Holder, its design and concept. From talking to the owner, I found Mag Storage Solutions started very similar to Loose Rounds. The owner and his friends loved firearms and gear, and wanted to bring a quality business into the market. Mag Storage Solutions graciously sent Loose Rounds a few of their products for review.
Concept:
The ideas behind the AR-15 Mag Holder had several parts; First Safety: The AR-15 magazine storage concept brings the loose magazines out of the night stand, drawers, bags and other places you place magazines. This also protects the magazines and makes them readily available for range time or access in a personal defense situation. Second Accountability: The AR-15 Mag Holder helps you account for all of your magazines. By placing all magazines in a known storage area, you account for any missing magazines, especially loaded ones.
As I talked with the owner about these concepts, I quickly realized, I had magazines in my night stand, other drawers, 50 cal. ammo cans, USGI bags, rifle cases and some just laying around. Hell, I had no idea how many magazines I really had and would love to mount them in a specific area.
Specs/Magazine Compatibility:
The AR-15 Mag Holder is made in the USA and is compatible with at least (50) .223 and 5.56 caliber magazines. As long as the magazine has a (30) round magazine profile, the AR-15 Magholder will also work with several 6.8 SPC, 6.5 Grendel, 7.62 x 39 and 300 Blackout magazines. Here at Loose Rounds you know we recommend a handful of quality Duty/Defensive magazines that you should be looking at and all of them are on the list. Mag Storage Solutions stated, as of now only the Tango Down magazines and some Thermold magazines will not work. Obviously specially magazines (i.e. 40 rounder’s and Surefire 60’s) will also not work.
The AR-15 Mag Holder is made of ABS plastic. It has the right flexibility at the magazine mounting clips, to insert and remove magazines, and it also has the right amount of rigidity. Now, the AR-15 Mag Holder is not indestructible. If you pull excessively on parts of the AR-15 Magholder it will break. Don’t run it over, jump on it or throw it down the road, trying to do an indestructibility test.
One thing that caught my attention about the Mag Storage Solutions, AR-15 Mag Holder, is that it was constructed to accommodate USGI magazines with Ranger Plates and L-Plates. Since I use Magpul Ranger and L-Plates on my USGI magazines, this is a must feature for me. Magpul M2 P-Mags with Ranger Plates will also work. All generations of Magpul magazines work with the Magpul impact/dust storage covers attached to the top or bottom of the magazines.
Although, the Mag Storage Solutions, AR-15 Mag Holder was designed around the (30) round style/length magazines, it looked as though (20) round magazines would work with the AR-15 Mag Holder. I had a few USGI and Mapul (20) round magazines so I tried them out. I found they worked very well, securely locking in the bottom clip of the AR-15 Mag Holder. This leads me to believe that a wide variety of straight body (20) round magazines would also work in the AR-15 Mag Holder.
Mounting:
To mount the AR-15 Mag Holder to a wall or any type of wood surface, simply mark the key holes slots and use you’re screw of choice. The AR-15 Mag Holder does not come with mounting screws. You will have to purchase the appropriate mounting screws to mount the unit. The four (4) key hole slots, on the corners of the AR-15 Mag Holder, are reinforced for secure mounting.
Mag Storage Solutions also sent us some Neodymium Magnets, specifically made for the AR-15 Mag Holder. These will be offered for purchase by Mag Storage Solutions. These magnets give you the ability to mount the AR-15 Mag Holder to the inside or outside of a steel safe, or door. These magnets are extremely strong and will secure the AR-15 Mag Holder without slipping or sliding. I inserted six (6) fully loaded (30) round magazines into the unit and mounted it with the neodymium magnets to a steel door. The loaded magazines added a weight of approximately (7) lbs. to the AR-15 Mag Holder. There was no slipping or movement with this added weight and when I forcefully removed a magazine, there was no movement at all. It takes a good two handed tug on the entire unit, to unseat the magnets from a steel surface.
Function:
The function of the AR-15 Mag Holder is pretty straight forward. Once mounted, the platform provides a secure hold for inserting and removing AR-15 magazines. Whether loaded or unloaded, the magazines simply snaps in and out. When the magazines are mounted in the AR-15 Mag Holder they are very secure. It takes a slight tug to remove them but not much. There is absolutely no chance that magazines will simply fall out. I did notice that some magazines are held a little firmer than others. I used various USGI magazines, (Colt, NHMTG, Adventure Line, & DSG/DH Industries), Lancer L5 AWM magazines and Magpul magazines. I found the Lancer’s and Magpul’s had the tightest fit and were the most secure when placed in the AR-15 Mag Holder.
Take a look at the video below, it shows you how nicely the AR-15 Magholder works. Notice : All the M2 Magpul magazines have ranger plates on them.
Conclusions:
I have been using the Mag Storage Solutions, AR-15 Mag Holder for a little over a month now. The AR-15 Mag Holder is one great piece of gear, the kind of gear you wished you had years ago. I will be getting at least one more. Now that I have used it for a while, I’m asking myself, how did I get along without an AR-15 Mag Holder? The unit is simple, inexpensive and versatile. I feel it is a must have product, especially for those of us who must have everything in order and accounted for. I would like to see Mag Storage Solutions offer a one (1) and two (2) magazine mount system in the future, for a home defense or back-up magazine(s), to be placed anywhere you want. I’m sure they are already one step ahead on that idea.
Duncan.
Cost Effective Stock Sling Mount
Recently I dug a generic M4 style stock out of my parts box for an AR I was putting together. Normally I remove the factory sling swivel as it’s not very useful in its factory location and I’ve always thought it was a snag hazard. As I was taking it off it occurred to me I could reuse it and save a bit of money in the process.
Here’s your run of the mill M4 stock.
This stock was manufactured by Tactical Intent which is the commercial sales arm of P & S Products. P & S is currently making RAS rail systems for the US military under license from Knights Armament. This stock has the most solid rattle free fit and lock up of any M4 style stock I’ve ever handled. If you have a need for a plain jane M4 stock I’d definitely recommend these.
Here I’m positioning the swivel to find a good location. You have to leave enough room between the swivel and the butt plate portion of the stock so the sling can be threaded through it.
Marking the location of the hole. 
Drill. 
Thread the screw through and tighten. 
Just flip everything and mount on the other side if you’re a lefty or like having the rear of the sling attach on the ejection port side.
End result is I have a side sling mount that didn’t cost anything.
Silencerco’s How to Purchase a Silencer video
Silencerco put together this great short intro video on how to get started with purchasing NFA items.
Thoughts on the Short Barreled AR15.
Some years back I decided I would convert one of my AR15s to a short barreled rifle. After paying a 200 dollar tax stamp and waiting a long time, I started with a LMT 10.5 inch upper.
The first time I shot that short upper I decided I wanted a suppressor. That ended up costing me a great deal of money.
That picture shows two products I ended up having issues with. My Eotech 512 had the battery contacts fail on me. I also found out that the threads on my LMT upper were not cut concentric to the bore. That issue lead to a 10 minute of angle point of impact shift between suppressed and unsuppressed.
My first silencer was a Gemtech M4-02. The can performed great but it was a thread on can. Each time I screwed it on or off the rifle I was worried about damaging the threads and I had to keep a flash hider or thread protected around for when I wasn’t using the can. So I did more research on suppressors and I ended up buying a Surefire 556K can.
I found I preferred using ACOG optics on my SBR. The ACOG gave me better target recognition and the bullet drop chart aided in shooting farther distances.
In the above photo my rifle has a Surefire muzzle break. That break stayed on my rifle for one whole range session. I find the increased flash and blast of a muzzle break on a short barreled rifle not worth the minimal amount of reduced recoil.
Around the time I decided I would have to do something about the major point of impact shift with my LMT upper I found out about a new rail on the market, the Daniel Defense MK18RISII. I bought one along with a 10.5 inch medium contour match barrel.
When the above photo was taken I was trying out an early production Magpul UBR. Many people on gun forums were claiming this was the ultimate rifle stock. I found it to be awkward and heavy and very quickly got rid of it. They don’t seem to be that popular any more.
Since then I have had a SBR AR15 in 9mm, 5.45. I also had a LWRC PSD in 5.56. The pistol caliber carbines are fun, but lack the usefulness at longer distances. The LWRC with its 8.5 inch barrel and piston system was heavier then my 10.5 inch direct impingement uppers.
The 10 inch 5.56 SBR is the shortest I prefer to go. Shorter then that you give up a great deal in ballistics and terminal performance. A longer rifle starts to get awkward when using a suppressor.
I really love the short barreled AR15, but it is not something I would recommend to everyone. Unless you are using suppressors I don’t think SBRs are that worth while. If your thinking about getting into a short barreled AR15, look at the Colt 6933 and the Colt 6945. I’ve purchased a Colt 6945 and am eagerly awaiting it.
Cars and Johns
Article submitted by Mark Hatfield.
Cars and Johns
Or.
Defense from vehicles as taught by John Farnam.
Once again to the Great Swamp of Florida John had been invited and requested to present a program for defense when in and near automobiles. This topic had come up and been requested during discussions at the end of Johns previous visit to this range. As the car we used did not have an engine we did not shoot from or into one which was moving but we certainly had some interesting experiences.
John Farnam, former Army officer, Vietnam combat vet, and over forty years in law enforcement, has been a trainer of renown for some time. He can be found in Colorado with his organization, Defense Training Institute otherwise known as D.T.I. This is perhaps six times now that he has been invited to teach at this location.
The course warmed up with his classic drills including challenging a possibly threatening person, responding to the threat, anticipating potential additional threats, dealing with bystanders, and reacting with responding law enforcement officers.
Working singly and in pairs, we used both handguns and carbines. There was a very strong emphasis, nay, a demand, for partners to communicate with each other and become accustom to covering for each other, both while entering and exiting a vehicle. The very same would apply to your spouse and kids at the mart-store parking lot even with no guns showing and would be particularly important if guns do come out.
A goodly number of test rounds were fire into a car door and a windshield, then after our car was no longer needed, it too became a target. Often penetration was much less than anticipated, even from common rifle cartridges, even with 12 gauge slugs. That was quite interesting.
Of interest was Johns emphasis on lack of concern for the car. Once, at a class from a different organization, we shot over and around the instructors personal daily vehicle, I thought that showed trust. Another class advertises that all shooting from or near vehicles will be done from the students own vehicle. John advocates that if you are not risking hitting the car then you are not using it for cover as well as you should. Hmmm, something to think about there.
Side notes from the verbal presentations included that the most common reaction of a ‘bad guy’ to being shot…is to run away. A good reason to be generous with your ammo just in case their reaction is to do something other than run away. In criminal and defensive settings, most people who are shot do not die, pretty much if someone does not die right there and right then, they most likely will not die.
This was my fifth class with John, this particular one provides an experience which is very likely to occur in a defensive shooting but which few instructors offer. Additionally, on-line John still offers his ‘quips’, random thoughts on defense, shooting, related topics and common sense. These are highly recommended and one can get them by visiting his website.
Again and still, If you have the opportunity to train with John Farnam, do it.