Knights Arms Co. posted a video showing a couple of their submissions for the SCAR rifle competition.
Month: 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.