If I do a quick image search for “Army M4” I get results that look like this:
With the exception of the Marine in the last photo, all the other shooters only have the toe of the stock in the shoulder. One of the awesome aspects of the AR15 and the 5.56×45 round is the low recoil and great control-ability. It allows you to get away with these less than optimum shooting positions.
Around 2007ish, someone came up with an answer for the question no one asked. They came up with a stock that would work well with this style of shooting. Here came the Duostock.
Duostock made the worst mistake that an accessory can make. That is, it was (and still is) considered to look stupid.
Some people called it the lima bean stock. I don’t really see the resemblance, but I do find that funny.
Yet there are people out there using this stock and liking it. I’ve read comments from a handful of people who actually use it, and like it.
I’ve never fired a rifle with a Duostock installed, but I have handled one. It does what it is suppose to do, but I’d just assume run a standard stock.
A couple of years ago a picture showed up of a SEAL using a Duostock. Some wondered if that would be enough of an impetuous to drive up popularity for it. Didn’t seem to garner any real attention.
It does seem like it is a decent product that does what it is suppose to do. But it is ugly and people don’t like how it looks.
The companies website doesn’t seem to exist any more. But many distributors seem to still have them in stock. I’m surprised we never saw a gen 2 Duostock that would be a little more subdued design with a rubber buttpad.
I’d guess that the lesson of the story is that if you are going to sell a “tactical” product, make sure it looks cool.
PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office is suing
a local gun manufacturer, claiming hundreds of AR-15 rifles purchased
for deputies aren’t reliable enough to do the job.
The sheriff initially asked for a refund, but that didn’t happen, so now he’s taking this firearm feud to court.
“I don’t relish having to go through the lawsuit process, but if we have to, we will,” Gualtieri said last month.
The sheriff promised he would sue Odessa-based Adams Arms if the gun
manufacturer didn’t give them a refund for more than 300 AR-15s, which
the department had purchased since 2014.
This week the sheriff made good on that threat.
“I’m not going to have deputy sheriffs out there. They’re supposed to have guns to protect themselves…(but some of the guns) don’t shoot and are incapable of being fixed in the field,” the sheriff said.
The county tax payers should sue the Sheriff themselves. For wasting their money on junk and not doing proper research on what companies make quality guns. There is some blame to go on them.
Gualtieri says he originally liked the idea of purchasing the Adams Arms AR-15‘s because the company is local, it uses a piston rather than gas technology for a firing mechanism and the price was right. Gualtieri, let that be a lesson for you. Don’t think. You obviously don’t know shit about guns Top. Man.
But,
the sheriff says problems started to surface almost immediately: Trigger
troubles; weapons switching from semi-automatic to fully automatic on
their own.
And most recently, he said an incident on the gun range saw a weapon failing to fire at all.
“The
thing was in essence, useless. It was like a stick or a club,”
Gualtieri said. “There’s nothing you could do. It wasn’t gonna fire a
bullet and that’s a problem.”
Adams Arms CEO Jason East tells 10News the incidents cited by the sheriff’s office were isolated and not necessarily their fault. Haw! of course not.
East says some of the trigger issues were traced back to deputies who had purchased after-market ammunition clips made for another manufacturer’s AR-15s.
….what? This guy makes guns. Weapons. That they sell to people as if they know what they are talking about. Adam Arms ladies and Gents. Gun’s so good you can’t use other brand AR15 mags in.
As for the weapon that didn’t fire, East says the part that caused that problem wasn’t manufactured by them. BUT YOU USED IT ON YOUR PRODUCT!
Still, he says, they took the weapon apart, made an adjustment by essentially tightening a screw and then the weapon worked correctly. Again. What?
“Requesting a refund on rifles that have served the department dutifully is not something we would entertain at this time,” East said when asked about the sheriff’s demands.
The sheriff’s office has since replaced the 300 AR-15’s by using one
of the department’s other suppliers. Although the lawsuit only specifies
an amount greater than $15,000, Gualtieri has already said the rifles
are worth about $300,000.
The sheriff is demanding attorney’s fees plus the cost of ammunition and re-fitting the new weapons. He says taxpayers wouldn’t have been left with expenses had the Adams Arms weapons worked to their satisfaction.
According to the lawsuit, Adams Arms said it says it’s working on a rigorous process to inspect, test and verify all of the firearms they provided the sheriff’s office over the last few years. Yea. I bet..
East didn’t comment further about the allegations but said the company is disappointed by the sheriff’s decision to file suit. Unreal.
Yesterday this bit of news made the rounds. When I read it the first thing I thought about was some comments from Kirk a few weeks ago. Kirk talked about advanced targeting systems in the article about the Army’s new marksmanship program so this seemed like good timing.
Army infantry officials at Fort Benning, Georgia, are testing a handful of advanced fire control optics in an effort to one day help non-combat arms soldiers shoot more accurately against close-quarter and long-range enemy targets.”
“The effort is part of the Army Expeditionary Warfighting Experiments (AEWE) 2020 and will involve soldiers live-firing M4A1 carbines with fire control systems from three companies to see whether they can improve a shooter’s probability of hitting targets faster than current Army-issue optics.“
When I read this, I can’t help but think that it means the Army thinks think this is a way to skip marksmanship training for the rear echelon.
“Currently, the service uses the M68 Close Combat Optic (CCO) and the M150 rifle Combat Optic (RCO). The CCO is an unmagnified, red dot sight designed for ranges out to 300 meters. The RCO has a 4X magnification for engagements out to 600 meters.
One of the Army’s modernization priorities is to develop a Next Generation Squad Weapon that will replace the M4A1 and M249 squad automatic weapon in infantry and other close-combat units. Both weapons will be equipped with a fire control system that will calculate range to target and compensate with environmental conditions, such as wind, that can affect accuracy, service officials say.”
The Army also announced in August that it’s evaluating optics from seven vendors competing for the Direct View Optic (DVO) effort, a variable-power optic that will feature magnification settings from 1X to 6X compared to the 4X on the RCO.
Army officials at the Maneuver Battle Lab hope that commercial fire control systems being evaluated during the AEWE will help guide a future requirement for an advanced system to go to soldiers outside of combat-arms units.
“Everybody has got a weapon and everybody is required to hit targets, and anything we can do to make those populations better … maybe we don’t give them the latest and greatest, but we do want to give them capability,” said Lt. Col. Chris Kennedy, chief of the Lethality Branch within Soldier Requirements Division at Maneuver Capabilities Development and Integration Directorate at Benning.”
“Sometimes, those who shoot less actually might benefit the most from some of these devices,” he added. Aaaaaand there we have it.
Read the rest of how the Army is using your tax dollars in it’s infinite wisdom below.
I just recently picked up a Zenith MKE MP5 clone. It came in this little thin case that is kinda flimsy, but over all pretty nice. The Zenith website had them listed last week for sale for about $12 each. They are no longer listed, I would have picked up a couple of cases for other guns. It was nice and light weight and would have been good for the trip to the range.
Some guys like Mark Fingar make up some really awesome custom cut foam inserts on their hard cases for their even more awesome equipment.
But let us back up a moment.
We use gun cases for any number of things, but usually it comes down to storage, protection, and transportation.
Something as simple as a towel wrapped around a gun can make it more discrete and protect it from dings and scratches.
Some people will use something like a gun sock to protect guns from banging into each other while they are in the safe. But that isn’t exactly something you can throw in the back of your truck for the drive down the washboard roads to the range.
There are some cases purpose made for a specific firearm, such as this Barrett case above.
Now to get to the point. All these cases have pros and cons.
I saw a post of a forum where someone was storing their Barrett .50 BMG in the case here in Florida. Well it got all rusty. These cases can trap humidity, and it is always humid in this greatest state. Open cell foam can catch and trap water and humidity. If you are going to be using a case for long term storage, try and get closed cell foam or a custom hard molded plastic. Add some sort of desiccant to try and prevent rust.
That small and light Zenith case I first posted is great for quick travel to the range. But it would offer no where near the protection of something like a Model 472-PWC-MP5 Pelican case:
But consider this. That case above is $340 dollars. It also weights 20 pounds. While it may be the ultimate in travel protection for your firearm, it is going to take up a good bit of space, and be heavy and clunky when fully packed.
John Farnam recently posted up a quip talking about his traveling with a hard case. The TSA checked if the case (while locked) could be pried open enough to pull something out while locked. The case he was using failed this test so he ended up changing brands. Farnam doesn’t mention which brand failed, and which worked. I wish he would have, as that which one to buy if we travel.
I know that the Plano cases I have have locks built into them. But, you can easily pry open the latches while they are locked. Someone made a video about this:
So, if you use a case, it is really secure? Is it really a good choice for storage?
Since I am having some computer problems that started yesterday, I’m sharing this post from Thenewrifleman.com which is owned and run by Lothaen, who also sometimes writes for us here. You should check TNR out and make it a daily visit.
People fail. We forget. We make
mistakes. I too have uncased my rifle at home, and lo-and-behold I
racked the bolt and out flew a shiny 5.56.
Should a day come when
an accident or injury strikes, be it firearm related or otherwise, we
must be able to respond effectively. If we, as responsible citizens,
consider ourselves the prepared minute men of our day… then we must be
ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice. Self defense doesn’t
just encompass the act of shooting a gun, but dealing with the aftermath
of that action… Whatever it may be.
I decided that first aid
should be a permanent part of thenewrifleman.com. A rifle, ammo, and
training is essential for a self defense minded individual, but what is
your response if you take a arrow bullet to the knee? You
need a IFAK. Have it filled with quality contents. Learn how to use
them. I reached out to MyMedic.com and they supplied me with a kit for
T&E called the Range Medic. You can find all kinds
of kits tailored to different activities on their website, but having a
first aid kit tailored to the injuries on a gun range is exactly what
shooters need. Let’s check out the Range Medic.
Fit, Finish, Features:
The
RangeMedic is a small-sized IFAK which has been built specifically to
address the injuries likely to occur in shooting sports. The bag has
vertical and horizontal molle webbing, a quick detach system, *and*
includes a multi-use mounting strap. The overall fit and finish of the
bag is excellent. It has quality Velcro, the zippers function smoothly,
and good stitching on all the molle. The bag itself is 600D nylon. The
front of the bag has a tear away tourniquet pouch holding a RATS TQ.
The
rear of the bag features a quick detach system which consists of two
hard plastic spikes which weave through molle webbing and can be tugged
away with some force. The bag will then separate from any molle surface
you have it attached to.
So
fit and finish on the Range Medic is excellent, and the basic feature
set is well thought out. I’m digging it so far. Let’s open it up.
What’s Inside?
The
Range Medic is a kit designed for penetrating injuries, burns, bleeds,
as well as other minor injuries. I would describe the Range Medic as an
IFAK for shooters. Contents include:
Chest seal
Burn Gel
TQ (RATS)
Quick Clot impregnated gauze
Trauma Dressing
Compressed Guaze
Liquid Skin
Shears, tweezers, gloves
Saljet saline wound wash
OTC meds: Pepto, Advil, Tylenol, Benadryl
BooBoo contents: Lip balm, sunscreen, gauze pads, bite and sting relief, band-aids, etc.
So
from the questionable burrito stand you shouldn’t have stopped at
before the match, all the way to a penetrating chest wound, the kit has
plenty of day saving, and life saving gear inside.
First off, I am
impressed with the quality of the contents. When putting your own first
aid kit together, you have to question where your gear comes from… From
one Amazon vendor to the next, you might not be able to find a legit
CAT TQ. I want a vendor that sells legit stuff so I can skip over the
“do I trust this” phase of my purchase. Many of the components inside
the Range Medic are MyMedic branded packaging. Grabbing a purpose-built
kit gives me confidence that the gear I am using is legit through and
through. I want you to ask yourself if a vendor selling three CAT Gen 7 TQ’s for $21 dollars is legit. Here is a hint:
Donald Trump: “CHINA“
Thank
you Mr. President. So the gear inside is legit, and the design seems
well thought out. Let’s move on to the range review. How does it do in
action?
In Use: Self Rescue Scenario
We
test our guns in “realistic” defensive situations, so why should
medical gear be any different? I decided that a simple, simulated range
injury would be the best approach for this review. Scenario: You
are alone at the range, and your spouse doesn’t expect you back for
three hours. You are shooting steel and you feel a sharp pain to the
forearm. Oh Crap. For this scenario, a ricochet will simulate a
lower limb injury with severe bleeding. I positioned the simulated
injury below the elbow to better illustrate for the go pro. I then
proceeded to film the injury and my response. Please guys, a
professional actor I am not, but here is my best effort.
Severe bleeding. Step 1: Alert EMS.
Help
needs to be on the way. If you go unconscious, your spouse won’t start
looking for you until after you said you would return home. No Bueno. If
you activate EMS, you can likely receive help within 15-20 minutes
which will greatly increase your chance of survival. What if you can’t control the bleeding despite your best efforts? Your getting shaky and things are going dark in your periphery. If you called 911 first,
you might have a fighting chance. If you didn’t, I hope your range is
popular and has lots of foot traffic… even then it might be too late.
Step 2: Identify the source of the Bleeding.
Once
EMS is activated, your second step is to identify the source of the
bleeding. Bloody clothes can mask the location of the wound. It is
important to remove these layers to find the source of the bleeding so
you can begin the proper course of action to mitigate the bleeding. Since
I am playing the role of the victim, I have a rough estimate where the
pain and injury is located so I elected to apply the TQ first in this scenario. The proximity of the simulated wound to my elbow necessitated the application of the TQ above my elbow. A TQ will not be effective over a knee or elbow.
Step 3: Apply Compression
Compression can consist of any or all of the following: Packing with compression, direct compression over the wound, application of a tourniquet.
The RATS TQ was near instantaneous to deploy. Within seconds I had the RATS in my hand and was able to begin application one-handed.
It is far faster to deploy than a CAT as there is no need for a spare
hand or to open the loop. With one motion I remove the RATs from the
pouch and then fed the free end through the open end one-handed. I then
began to wrap the TQ as designed.
While the CAT has more weight
behind medical studies, I have no problem with the RATs as I have tested
it numerous times and confirmed no pulse on all limbs I have deployed
it on. I have a CATs in both vehicles so no need to lecture me in the
comments about one vs the other. I got both. I can use them both. You? Know Your Gear.
Once
the TQ was applied to sufficient tightness, I then deployed the shears
to identify the entry wound. The shears cut through the nylon with
minimal effort. I then opened Range Medic interior pocket and acquired
the compressed gauze. I attempted to open and use the compressed gauze
while using my left hand as little as possible. Looking back on it,
using my mouth to tear the package wasn’t a good idea, so investing time
and practice into getting these gauze packs open one-handed will be
worth the effort to reduce potential for infection. Personal note: Try
the shears next time.
I then attempted to wrap the gauze around
the wound, but realized the futility of the effort with just one hand
and instead compressed the wound with my free hand while I await help to
arrive.
Wrapping Up:
This is a kit that I am happy to
share with readers. It works as designed, and includes quality gear. I
am impressed with the quality of the product and considering my worries
over ordering medical equipment from Amazon… MyMedic.com helps
alleviates my concerns over product authenticity.
A IFAK should be
a standard component to any range session, and The Range Medic fulfills
that role beautifully. The Range Medic is capable of handling
penetrating chest injuries, severe bleeds, burns, as well as minor
injuries. The bag is high quality and the quick detach mechanism is an
awesome bonus. Unlike Velcro designs, the spikes are largely silent and
won’t succumb to mud and wear like Velcro. The final inclusion of a
mounting strap is just icing on the cake. The range medic comes in two
version, the more advanced version (tested here) which retails for $150 and the smaller version which retails for around $60.
The Range Medics little brother… the SOLO
Of further importance to me… is that we have a first aid company building gear for *our*
community. Gun owners aren’t given the time of day in some arenas, and
it is my great pleasure to say that MyMedic is enthusiastic about
equipping shooters with first aid solutions tailored to our sport and
offer kits to fit your medical skill level.
Because of the quality
of the kit, and the enthusiastic support MyMedic has for gun owners, I
have decided to become an advertising partner with MyMedic.com to
recommend them to my readers for first aid products. Consider this an
endorsement of MyMedic from your friendly neighborhood Rifleman R.N.,
B.S.N, BCON course instructor. I ARE QUALIFIED.
Regardless if you purchase from MyMedic or elsewhere, remember these things:
Have a first aid kit.
Verify the integrity of your products.
Get training and practice.
If your gear isn’t within arms reach, it’s too far away.
