Tag Archives: Surefire

Scattered Shots

Voiding warranties and breaking Glock parts

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Previously I wrote about my new Surefire light.  I didn’t like the sharp crenelation on the bezel so I threw it in a lathe and turned them off.  I really like how it turned out.

Pretty sure I voided my warranty doing that, but very worth it.

 

Recently I had someone ask me if I had a spare Glock 19 locking block.  Of course I did.  Turns out that they had a broken locking block in their Gen 3 G19.

The owner of that Glock has realized that their trigger pin had broken.  They continued to use the pistol with the broken trigger pin for at least several thousand rounds.  When they were going to replace the broken pin, they found that the 3rd pin had bent and the locking block was broken.  The pistol functioned fine during this time.

My guess is that the broken trigger pin allowed the locking block to flex a little until it failed.  The pins and locking block were replaced and the pistol is back in action.

On that note, when reassembling a 3rd gen Glock, the slide stop goes in after the third (top) pin.  The trigger pin is the last pin installed.  Failing to do so can leave the slide stop spring in the wrong place causing it to not function or to prematurely lock the slide open.

Scattered Shots

First Impressions – Surefire E2D Defender Ultra LED

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There is a running joke between myself and a couple of friends of mine about how when you get a new flashlight, in the first few minutes of using it you end up shining it into your eyes to see how bright it is and end up regretting it.  I had this mind when I first got this light out of the package.  So I start turning it on and walking around my home to see how much it can light  up a room.  And, oh boy, it can light up a room.  Then with in the first few minutes of using the light, I manage to sweep it across a mirror right into my eyes.

I’d been looking for a new flash light to replace my old E2D Executive Defender.  I had really wanted a single cell smaller light similar to the Novatac lights I had.  I ended up picking up a new 600 lumen version of the E2D because it was on sale.  My old E2D had a KL4 head that had an output of about 100 lumens.  The first biggest difference between the new light and the older one is a massive difference in brightness.  There is just no comparing the tremendous increase in light output.

The new light on top, and my trusty old E2D on the bottom.  The newer model is a little longer.

When I saw the new pocket clip on the new light, I was pretty excited.  It has a double bend in it so you can use either side of the clip.  Unfortunately I found that this new clip has very little spring tension, and if you use it with the light end up the outside section then catches on your pocket or items in your pocket.  I ended up putting the new head on the old flash light body due to how lousy this new clip is.

Much to my dismay I found Surefire returned to the aggressive crenelations they used to use.  While I do suppose you could use these in a fight, I find they are best at cutting holes in your pockets.  I am probably going to blunt these with a file so I don’t end up having to replace all my pants.

The biggest thing is that the new light has a high 600 lumen mode, and a low 5 lumen mode.  I would really like that, except that it alternates between them.  Using this light for a week, I found that every time I went to use it, it would start on the wrong brightest.  (While it should be a 50% chance to be right, I managed to have be 100% all the time)  Every time I tried to use it in the middle of the night it started on 600 lumens, each time I tried to use it to check out machinery during the day, it would start on 5.  So it becomes an annoyance to have to toggle EVERY time I go to use it to get it into the right brightness mode.

Now if you liked to strobe a flashlight an an attempt to blind and disorientate a target, you will find this light completely useless for that.  Due to the alternating brightness setting, every other flash is far from blinding and then sometimes it will stay on the 5 lumen brightness as you attempt to strobe.

Had I paid full price for this new Surefire light I would have been rather disappointed.  But for a discounted unit, I can make it work for me.  I wouldn’t recommend it for “tactical” use due to the nature of the dual output function, but it will make for a handy every day carry utility light.

Reviews

SUREFIRE 60 round magazine

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The Surefire magazines that hold 60 and 100 rounds have been out for a while now. If you are like me, you have read a few conflicting reports on the quality of the mags all over the internet.  With a possible panic buy situation looming in the future and my own curiosity I decided to try one out. I had no real use for the 100 round magazine since I am not a SAW gunner I opted for the 60 round mag. And as a side note it should be pointed out that surefire now sells MOLLE mag pouches that will hold the mags now.

Once I got the mag, I set out to test it as hard as I could. I loaded it completely full and inserted it into my carbine expecting it to feel like a boat anchor. I was greatly relieved to find that you can not really tell  it is 60 rounds. It really does not feel like any real extra weight. The balance of the weapon still has the same balance and handles just as well as it would with a 30 rounder.  The mag dropped free when empty and I felt no stiffness or friction when the mag release was pressed.  The mag was also very easy to seat  into the gun when loaded full and the bolt was closed. I thought with all the tension from that much ammo it would need some effort but it did not. Another nice discovery was that the 60th round was just as easy to thumb into the mag as the 1st round was. No sore bloody thumbs like was expecting. That was a very nice surprise.

The surefire is pretty much USGI in the feed lips department. The mag body is made from the same metal as the gov issue mags with what appears to be the same coatings. It is pretty simple to take the mag down for cleaning etc.

I went into the testing after all the usual examinations and fondling. I fired the mag empty in one go and it worked fine, locked the bolt open and dropped free while using M855. Next I dropped the ammo into the dirt, loaded them while dirty, shook them up in the mag and ran it dry with the same result.  Next I got into prone and put all the pressure I could on the mag using it as a monopod. I ran it empty with the same results.

I know some mags will give problems from the mag rest so I tested this a lot over two days. I fired another full mag while using it as a rest, but this time pushing it forward as I fired, rocking it forward. I reloaded it and did the same thing though this time I pulled back on it while pushing down hard. It worked great in both cases. I then did the same while holding the gun at an angle to the left then the right. I did both of these tests with a full mag. I did this thinking that some people  may have trouble shooting under a car and not touching the ground with the mag because of the longer length. In any case it did not matter. The mag ran fine with no problems. At this point I had put 400 rounds through the mag adn the gun. I had wiped off most of the lube from the colt to try to make it harder on the magazine. I also made sure to use stripper clips to laod as fast as I could so as to keep the gun hot and the mag warm and dirty. At this point I started using crummy ammo. I tried it with silver bear, brown bear, tula and wolf. Some of it was very under powered but, the mag worked fine. I would have been surprised to have any problems at that point, but I tried them just for the sake of trying them. And I am always looking for an excuse to shoot so it worked out nicely. Most of this testing was done today and a very windy and dusty place. My carbine was coated in a fairly thick coating of dust and I left the bolt open with mag in it to let dust in while shooting other guns to see if I could at least get the mag to feel gritty while working. No dice.

Now I will show a few pictures comparing the mag to a regular USGI and a Pmag and with and without ranger plates so people can get a idea of how long it is.

Here they are side by side. As can be seen, they are not to different in size. To the one guy who does not have a Pmag, they are slightly longer then a USGI.

I think this is a better shot to compare length with out the trick of the  curve of mags making them seem longer.

As can be seen in the picture. The surefire really is not too bad when you see its barely longer then a USGI with a magpul ranger plate on it. A lot of people use the pull tabs anyway, so when it comes to just plain length, it is really not all that much longer.

I know there is a lot of bad reports of the surefire all over the internet, but there is good as well. Mine has run great so far. I plan to test it a while longer before I say it is 100 percent ready to trust my life on it, or even a rifle match. But I am leaning toward that thinking currently. As much as i would like to say “buy with complete confidence” I must hang back. Though it worked great so far, it is not quite mature technology that has been proven enough in real combat in my mind. But, I am slow to jump all over something new. I usually want to see 5-10 years of something being used by the military or some other hard use  group and widespread adoption before I switch to something new. Especially if it is something really different. The surefire mag is not quite as big a deal as a new jet fighter or standard infantry round but, having a mag that fails you in a fight is a pretty big deal to anyone I think.  I will say it is worth buying and trying. if it works fine for you then that is great but take into consideration all the problems we are hearing. I have no way to prove how these supposed problems have happened or how  the mags were treated before they failed so keep in mind that most of the bad mouthing may be BS.  I will say I have heard a lot more good then bad. If you do want one but can not do it right now keep these things in mind.

Surefire will only improve it as time goes on an they will make any problem right. And there is a very very very good chance of wide spread panic buying and price hiking to come over the next few months and is a certainty if you know who is re elected.  So, my thinking was, if it works, great, I got it at a good price and if it give trouble, surefire will fix it and I will have gotten what at a good price before any chance, real or imagined for them to become hard to get, very high priced and sold out. I hope that at least helps you decide on to get one or not. I am very happy with mine and if it keeps performing as is, I will get another one for sure.

Reviews

Colt Rail Gun 1911 accuarcy test

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A lot of people have been asking me how I like my Rail Gun ever since I got it. I always say the same thing, that I love it and it shoots great. After using it in a few informal matches and classes and such, I have really come to trust it more then any 1911 I have ever owned, Its accuracy is also more then I could have hoped for, even with typical walmart fodder.  Up until now I never bothered to save any targets from range and training sessions with it to show anyone who asks. So today while I was counting up how many rounds I had put through it  since I bought it in the fall of 09 and realized it has over  4200 rounds through it that I know of for sure.  And after thinking about it, I decided it would be a great time to do a more formal accuracy test  on paper to show.  I did 3 five shot groups.  with  black hills match and winchester white box you can buy at walmart in the 100 round pack.  The first group was shot off a bench with a sand bag with the match ammo at 20 yards.

The Colt national match barrel really shined with that ammo and off the bench. I have to say it took some serious concentration to keep a group that small with the site radious of a pistol.

The upper left hand group was shot with the same match ammo, but off hand at 20 yards. I have to say I surprised myself a little bit with that group, even though I have been shooting the pistol at a very intense volume the last few months and the practice shows.

The bottom group was shot offhand at 20 yards offhand again, with the WWB. I was dissapointed a little, but not much. It was WWB after all and offhand.  It is actually pretty good especially with factory plinking ammo.  The orange dots are a little over 2 inches around, so I put a couple of rounds in the picture to give a sense of the group size since I did not add a ruler or anything. Sorry to say I did not measure the groups with a ruler, I think the picture speaks for its self well enough when it is a handgun we are talking about.  In the next rail gun review I will shoot some winchester ranger T and some of the other more popular self defense rounds.

I would have shot more today but I was running out of light and time. Also, all groups were shot with the surefire X300 attached to the pistol. The pistol has also not been cleaned for the last 1700 rounds, just oiled when I feel like oiling it. Lubricant was slip2000 and some  shooters choice grease used very lightly on relevant parts since I carry it as my CCW gun and I sweat a lot.

Reviews

Lesser known holster that should not be

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1911 with surefire light

I would like to start the blog off with a short write up of a small company I found out about a few months ago on a gun board.  The holster was custom made for me by Dark Star gear in PA.   I was looking for a holster that I could mount on a normal belt or a MOLLE type war belt. After looking at all the more common popular options I just was not happy.  I called up the company  and the owner agreed to make a holster for me with my specs.  I asked for  it to fit a Colt rail gun 1911 with surefire X300 light with the FBI cant in coyote tan.

The owner was a great guy, he was careful to make sure he knew and understood exactly what I wanted. This one is the 1st one he has made for the 1911 type and it is just impressive. The holster  oozes craftsmanship and thats hard to do considering the material its made from. The fit of the gun in the holster is snug.  I held the two upside down could not get it to fall out after vigorous shaking.

belt loops for casual belt/riggers or MOLLE

One other thing that really impressed me was  the slight curve of the holster that is so subtle but perfectly conformed to my body. With a button up dress shirt on, i was able to easily conceal the full rig including the wilson  10 round mag. The belt loops can easily be re positioned however you want and  there are extra holes for attaching a knife,maybe a light, whatever..

If you want a very well made nice custom holster that is not made from one of the more popular well known companies that take forever,give Dark star a try. Ican not say he will make anything you dream up, but I am sure he will try to meet your needs. I will say he does NOT make IWB so if thats what you  want you are likely SOL. I will say I was so impressed I have another one on the way.

If you like what you see them a ring at www.DarkStarGear.com  I hope he can meet your need and you can help out a small biz in Pittsburgh,PA and get a  first class piece of gear for your sidearm.