All posts by MadOgre

Gear

Savior Apollo

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SAVIOR “Apollo” Electronic Earmuffs. These days I take EarPro very seriously. I will not shoot without them. Orange Plugs don’t do it for me. I need more. I had for the last 16 years been using the Howard Leight “Impact Sports”. Which has been okay. But my last pair went belly up for unknown reasons. The I.S. are rated for a passive Noise Reduction Rating of 22 decibels. So, better than cotton balls in the ears, but not that stellar if you are at an Indoor Range. Outdoors, it’s not that bad. Foamies under them are the way to go Indoors.

Being well familiar with those, I wanted something just a bit better. Imagine my surprise when I found these from SAVIOR. Ten bucks cheaper, but offering a 24 NRR. Worth trying, because if you want better, your spending a LOT more. Like the I.S. headset, these electronics operate very similarly, running off a pair of AAA cells, and a single dial switch with positive On/Off clicks, and beeps when going On and Off. This reduces your “I left the Muffs on” battery failures.

The Apollos are not quite as low profile as the I.S. Muffs, but still very good compared to others out there… And the Steel Wire band sure beats the hell out of the plastic I’ve used before to dismally poor results. I like the little Patch things on each side… One a Flag, and the other a Blank so you can write your initials on it with a Sharpie. Thoughtful. Because if you’ve ever been to the range where EVERYONE was wearing Impact Sports…having something that is identified as belonging to you is a big bonus. As far as earmuffs go the 24 decibels versus 22 decibels is a difference you notice… Not a huge gigantic difference but enough that you can forgo orange foamies underneath rather comfortably.

With the electronics switched on the electronic signal amplification for voices and other noises is very good and manages to not annoy you with increased ambient noises. If anything this electronic system is on par with the Howards, but I can’t really say if it’s a huge improvement. But overall compared to the Howards I do think this is a nice upgrade. And considering that this is 10 bucks less than the Howard lights at least at the store I bought these from… These could possibly one day become my recommendation.

We’re going to have to see how they perform in the long run. The Howard lights are known to be rather solid little units that you can get for about 45 bucks pretty much anywhere… And my last set lasted me a very long time so well worth the money. Hopefully these will be the same. If you’re not familiar with the brand they are well known for making other shooting accessories namely bags… But they have a very good reputation.

Hopefully, the brand will not sell themselves short by putting their name on a subpar product which I don’t think anybody has really seen that happen yet, so I am optimistic.

UPDATE: Having now done a Range Day with the Apollos, I am most pleased with them. For Low Cost Electronic Ear Muffs, these are easily my favorite now. Longevity is yet to be seen.

Weapons

My Most Fun Rifle?

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Not a Review, just some Commentary in General. Easily the most fun rifle I own is the S&W M&P 15-22. A simple .22LR chambered AR-ish rifle that produces more grins than any other rifle. Easy to shoot for most anyone. Not too loud. No recoil. No reason not to just go ahead and dump the magazine.

The nicest thing about the M&P 15-22 is that it’s fantastic for training New Shooters in the Art of Basic Rifle Marksmanship.

For New and Less Experienced Shooters, learning on this rifle, versus something like say, the Ruger 10/22, is that when it’s time to upgrade to a Center Fire AR, the transition is seamless thanks to the uniformity of Controls and Manual of Arms.

Another nice thing about the S&W is that you can train all day at 25 yards, on private property, and nobody gets disturbed, bothered, annoyed, or grumpy. Because Rimfire is rather quite to start with thanks to the lack of overpressure at the muzzle.

Weapons

Sold on Pistol Optics

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Okay, Guys. I’m sold – SOLD – on Pistol Optics. This is 15 yards, 5 rounds, 1 Hole Group. I did this having only bore sighted the dot to irons. The Springer Echelon 4.0c is a Shooter! Fantastic trigger, feel, accuracy… I honestly expected it to be just “Meh” and one of those “compared to a Glock it just comes down to personal preference” kinda things. Nope.

The Echelon is far superior to Glock. In this case, compared to the G19, the 4.0c outshines it in every metric. There is no reason for the Glock to even exist anymore. There, I said it. The gun is so comfortable in the hand, during recoil and trigger is so dang good… The gun is ACCURATE. The above group was fired at 15 yards, off hand, and that’s 5 rounds in 1 hole. Few of my pistols are this accurate.

More thoughts on the Red Dot: It’s slower than Irons, so far. But I believe I’ll be able to speed up in time with more practice. The Hex Wasp is an “Okay” unit… But I think I will eventually splurge on an actual GOOD optic, once I get out of the Training Wheels stage with pistol Optics. Maybe next year. And I’ll probably go with a dot larger than 2 MOA.

Gear

5.11 Tactical COVRT SELECT

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A Bag for the MP5 has been a question for me. The MP5 standard with a collapsible brace is a surprisingly awkward size to find a low-profile bag for. Especially for something below 350 bucks.

The bag I finally selected after pondering this question for a couple of weeks, was the 5.11 Tactical Covrt Select Carry Pack. It’s a Sling Bag type situation that the MP5 fits in with no excess length. And
it doesn’t look “tactical”. That was an important factor. I didn’t want a “I’ve got a Weapon” style pack. It’s not covered in tactical straps and patches and stuff. It’s not OD Green or Flat Dark Earth… It’s in a sporty style, looks like I might have a Pickle Ball Racket or something in there. The key was being as Low Profile as possible.

The bag barely fits the MP5 as it is. Attaching the Flash Hider is out of the question… Which is fine, because I don’t like it anyway. I like the look of the stark muzzle with the Tri-Lugs. When I do end up getting a suppressor for this weapon, there’s plenty of room in the bag for that, and spare magazines. So, while not perfect… it’s perfect for my intended purposes for the time being.

Weapons

I took the plunge

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When I acquired my Echelon 4.0c, Springfield Armory had a GEAR UP promotion rolling on it. They offered a free Range Bag, 3 spare magazines, and a Micro Red Dot. The MRD had 2 options. 1 being a little unit from Crimson Trace, and the other from this outfit called Hex and the unit was called the Wasp. I’ve seen the CT unit before and hated it, and I’ve heard some not so great things about it… and for the Wasp, well, I didn’t know anything about it and had not even seen one before. So I rolled the dice on the Wasp.

I’ve honestly never seen myself owning a pistol with an optic on it, but since it was FREE, well, might as well give it the old college try, eh? Well, the Gear Up promo took some time to get to me. SA says 8 to 12 weeks. Not sure how long it was for me… but just over 8 weeks seems about right. I had honestly forgotten about the promotion until I received an email from S.A. saying it was shipped.

Credit given to where credit is due… The mounting system S.A. has on the Echelons is very clever. I needed no adapter plate and the optic mounted low enough, I still have my Sights. And that’s important for a reason I’ll mention in a bit. The trick to the mounting system is the pre-drilled hole patterns that allow most MRD’s to get mounted. What makes it work are the different Pin Sets that, when changed, alter the base dimensions for support contact and stabilize the optic. After a few moments of “WTF is This?” it all dawned on me and was a breeze fixing the MRD to the gun nice and secure.

And I immediately hated it. Because it’s different and I’m not used to it. But as I said, I’ll give it an honest go and see how I like the whole pistol optic thing. What do you guys think, a 200 round trial or should I go 400 to 500 before I make a decision?

If I do decide that a Pistol Optic is my Jam, I have two other pistols that might get them. But regardless of if I like it… The little Wasp will be getting replaced. Here’s why. There’s no Seal on the bottom and as good and solid as it mounts – water will be able to ingress and cause problems. And by problems, I mean kill the sight. There are other units that are better suited for South Carolina weather, and I’m not about to spackle on Flex Seal on this. Although, that is a good idea for other applications! I’ve not shot this pistol with the optic on it yet… But will soon enough.

Weapons

HK MP5 Clone

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MAC makes one of the best MP5 Clones on the market, and does so at a very reasonable price. A fellow I know who has had one for a while has run 5 cases of ammo through his and gave it a positive report. 2 Malfs early on, and then a bad primer later. But I’d say that’s pretty solid and reliable.
The included cleaning kit is a bit of a joke and the bottle for your gun oil is even worse. The strap sucks too… But the gun and the magazines are about as solid as it gets. I’ll report more when I take it out to shoot it. It needs a Brace, Rail for an Optic, and eventually a suppressor.

Details:
Caliber: 9MMBarrel Length: 4140 8.9″ Button Rifled, Fluted Chamber, Chrome LinedGrip Module: Reinforced Polymer, Glass FilledTrigger: SEF Pattern, 4.25lb Pull (Approx)Finish: Laquer Paint Over Manganese PhosphateFront Sight: Hooded Front Post, Elevation AdjustableRear Sight: Diopter Rear, AdjustableOptic Mount: HK® Claw Mount Compatible (Not Included)Magazine: 30rd Standard (Two Included)

Update:
100 Rounds: 0 Malfunctions. Ammo: CCI Blazer. Accuracy: Meh… Unsupported, Standing, awkward. I’ll measure groups after I put a sto… a brace on it.

Update #2: The MP5 is ready for some Accuracy Testing. Well go hit the range later this week.

Weapons

Springfield Echelon 4.0c

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I fell in love with the Springfield Armory Echelon the moment I first held one in my hands. It looks freaking cool. And it feels even better in the hand. But I had no use for a full sized railed pistol… And then Springfield brought it out in the same size as a Glock 19 recently. And it still feels excellent in the hand.

The idea of running a Micro Red Dot on a pistol has been something I had been avoiding as I didn’t like it the first time I tried one. However people I know and respect have been adopting them all around me… so maybe there is something going on with that. I have two other pistols that could rock a red dot, but neither seem to be a good platform for an RD. Also, I didn’t want to spend 300 bucks or more on something I just wasn’t absolutely sure I wanted. And then I browsing TFB I saw that Springfield was offering a killer cool Gear Up package deal that included an MRD, 3 extra magazines, and a Shooting Bag. That pushed me over the edge. Okay. Let’s try this. So I have sent away for the Gear Up Kit… and I’ll update this when that comes in. Back to the gun in question…

I liked the White U Rear sight on most of the Echelons. But I’ve grown up with 3 Dots and I’m just more used to that. Especially in dark situations… If I’m going to pay for Tritium, I want all my Tritium! This Tritium is nice and bright, the way you want it.

The rear sight is also shaped right too. Not a ramp like with Novak sights. So if racking one handed is required, I can hook the rear sight onto something and push. Trying to that with a Novak is impossible, and then you’re trying to push off the front of the slide or something. Awkward. This is just so much easier. I like easy. I also like Smooth. And racking the Echelon is very smooth. The 4.0c is no different. Very Smooth. Much smoother than a Glock.

Trigger is better than a Glock too. A Glock has a weird wall before the break, and at the moment it goes, the pistol gets a little “shrug”. There’s a little bit of a jump. This, like all good triggers, doesn’t do that. The trigger has a little slack to take up, then it breaks very nicely without a jump. But it’s not a “Crisp” break… it just breaks. Like it just fall off and there it goes. Reset is excellent. I have no complaints about this trigger and I suspect it’s going to get very nice after some use. This is just Out Of The Box.

I really love the way the gun feels in my hand. Seriously one of the very best factory grips I’ve ever felt. The contours are just about perfect for my hand… I couldn’t imagine it getting any better. But I guess if I needed a dimensional change, there are a couple alternative backstraps to try out… One slightly larger, and one smaller. But this is perfect out of the box. It’s going to stay like this. Wait, it gets better! The texture is a fine stippling type affair that doesn’t snag on my clothes and isn’t abrasive to the hands… but when I apply normal shooting grip-force, it locks into my hand like super-glue. This is excellent texturing. And with that good grip, I can still hit the slide and mag releases without problem and without changing my grip. It doesn’t get any better than this. And it gets even better. For those of you who are SIG guys, or 1911 Guys… The Echelon’s grip angle is going to hit right. For me, it’s extremely “Pointable”. It comes up just right on target, without any adjustment. It points naturally like few pistols do… Like a 1911, like a SIG, like a CZ, like a Browning Hi-Power. It’s awesome.

This just might be… the most perfect striker-fired pistol… (Pause like Jeremy Clarkson) In the world.

I’m not going to put this into my Carry Rotation for a while. I still need to put it to the test of a bare minimum of 200 rounds… Prefer 400 or more. But I’ll do the bulk of that shooting after I mount and zero the MRD. I’ll keep you posted. Cheers!

UPDATE:
Initial Testing: 100 rounds, 2 boxes of really old mixed Cheap Stuff: ZERO malfunctions. Even in the rain. Just out of the Box. Next step is clean and lube with a good oil, and try to wait patiently for the Micro Red Dot to show up. Accuracy was good, but I wasn’t really shooting for accuracy. I was just breaking it in. And when I say this was old cheap ammo… We’re talking stuff I had left over from living back in Utah. (2013) Some Federal Blue Box, Winchester White Box, CCI Blazer, and Speer Lawman.

Weapons

SHOT SHOW 2025

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I was asked about my thoughts on all the new products from SHOT SHOW 2025. Honestly there was just a whole lot of MEH for me. Companies are still trying to make ARs look like other guns and other guns look like ARs. So much of it was just lost on me.

I am a big advocate for the use of Shotguns, and there are 2 shotguns that caught my eye and I will eventually acquire one of them for sure. PSA’s new 570 Shotgun is one of them. They’ve taken the best features of the 870 and the 590 and rolled them into one. If I was going to design a pump action shotgun, this PSA is what it would have come out like. And it’s modular so that you can build it up exactly how you want it, instead of buying a gun kind of like what you want, and then buying new parts to replace parts you don’t want. I LOVE that. And the shocker is they can also make it a Semi-Auto. That’s just icing on the already excellent cake.

The other Shotgun is the new Mossy with the AR furniture and Safety. This isn’t just window dressing but a good option for those new Shooters who have only been running ARs all their lives. Yeah, I know that kinda makes fun at my first paragraph here, but having familiar fire controls is a distinct advantage. I see this shotgun becoming very popular with smaller Law Enforcement Agencies. I may have to get one, just because.

PSA has also brought out some other interesting things… Under PSA’s H&R decision is a CAR-15 analog, which I ADORE as the CAR-15 was my first issued weapon out of Basic and AIT. I’m going to have to get one. I just have to. All the Retro H&R Arms rifles are cool. FN brought out a line some years ago of service rifle analogs, but FN priced them into oblivion… PSA and H&R Arms are doing it RIGHT.

Everything PSA is doing is being done right… The new flavors of JAKL and SABRE are just awesome. Is there anything that PSA is doing that’s NOT awesome? I’ve got my hands on a couple JAKLs now and I’ve got to tell you… I like them. A lot. I might get a couple JAKL uppers to finish up some builds.

Weapons

Springfield Echelon

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Since working at Basin Sports, myself and all the fellas there… there’s the habit of planning out that Next Gun Purchase. Or in the Basin Sports methodology, when something comes off layaway, what’s going to go on next? That habit has stuck with me ever since. Even as I bring one gun home… What’s Next!?

For me, I was planning on another 10mm… and FN has a glorious option for that. But then the more realistic side of me decided that perhaps that wouldn’t be the best choice. So I reconsidered and have landed on Springfield Armory’s Echelon pistols. The full size and the compact are both very attractive options and I’m thinking that one of them will be the next pistol to come home to my Safe.

When the full size Echelon came out, I was very impressed with the gun, the sights, the trigger, and the feel of the grip in the hand. And it’s even a good looking pistol. Not like looks are all that important, but it’s a factor. I would have snagged it on the spot, but I really had no need whatsoever for a full size 9mm.

The compact version, being Glock 19’ish in size, really does become something of a good packing size. Similar in size to my SIG M11A1, but a lot lighter. Now, I still absolutely adore my M11A1… But for a Cake Eating Civilian, the gun is a bit heavy for Pants On to Pants Off EDC. Even with a Good Holster and Good Belt. Weight is still weight. And cutting that weight in almost half, is a good thing. Now, I do have smaller and lighter guns that I like. I’ve had the HK VP9SK for a long time now… Just never had the right rig for it so I never carried it. And if I’m honest, kind of even forgotten about it. It was when I got my FN REFLEX, that I ordered a new holster from a company I’ve never ordered from before, and saw that they had the same rig for the VP9SK too… So I ordered both at the same time. Vedder Holster and the rig is called the Comfort Tuck. And it is. I like the rig. Simple. Sturdy. I’ve no complaints or criticisms of them, and that’s high praise for me.

Between the HK and the FN… I find I like packing the FN a bit more due to the much smaller grip frame, and the little gun’s ability to evaporate under a covering garment. Even my wife, who knows what I’m packing and where… can’t see it. So a huge advantage for concealment with the FN. The HK does hide well, just not as well. Now, I love the HK… I do… The trigger is good and the sights are great, and it looks cool as hell. But I’ve found that I carry the FN most of the time, and the HK when Concealment isn’t as important. And if I’m in that situation, I might as well carry my SIG, but then I’m full circle on that carry-weight situation. This is why I’m leaning heavily toward the Echelon Compact.

Automotive

sinking Nissan

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Nissan is facing significant financial difficulties that have led to a situation where it might go bankrupt if not addressed. Here are the key reasons based on recent reports:

  1. Declining Sales in Key Markets: Nissan has seen a significant drop in sales, particularly in the United States and China, which are two of its largest markets. This decline has been attributed to a lack of compelling new models and the inability to keep pace with market trends, especially in the electric vehicle (EV) sector.
  3. Unsuccessful EV Strategy: Despite being an early player in the electric vehicle market with the Nissan Leaf, the company has not expanded its EV lineup as rapidly or effectively as competitors. This has resulted in losing ground to other manufacturers, especially in markets where EV adoption is growing rapidly.
  4. Heavy Losses and Financial Performance: Nissan reported an 85% drop in its operating profit in the third quarter and posted a net loss, indicating a severe financial strain. The company is dealing with high operational costs and low profitability, exacerbated by worldwide sales slumps.
  5. Leadership and Management Issues: The company has been through significant executive turnover and controversy, notably with the arrest and subsequent escape of former CEO Carlos Ghosn. This has led to a period of instability in leadership and strategic direction.

5. All Nissan’s Vehicles look the SAME.

All the SUV’s look the same. All the Cars look the same. Both of the Sports Cars look the Same. Both of their EV’s look the same. Nissan is building a lot of vehicles that all look far too homogenized. In other words, inbred.

Nissan is also putting CVT transmissions in most of their vehicles now. Continuously Variable Transmissions is supposed to mean the car is always in the right gear. What it actually results in, is that the car is never in the right gear. And CVT’s are about as reliable as a $20 Automatic Watch from TEMU. Nissan needs to buy their transmissions from ZT and/or Toyota. Period. Forget CVTs.

It doesn’t help that the Worst Drivers In America seem to all be driving Nissans. But that’s just my observation locally. Maybe it’s a Carolina thing.

This leaves us with the question… Does Nissan deserve to survive?
That’s a tough question… But the answer is YES. And here’s why:

The Nissan Titan and Frontier are quietly going about being some of the best trucks out there on the road and work site and oil fields. They are built solid, tough, and reliable in the way Toyota trucks used to be. (Don’t buy a new Toyota Truck – buy a gently used one from 2022 or older)

So here is what NISSAN needs to do: Kill off the Me Too Cars. Nissan’s product line is confusing to the Consumer just like it’s confusing to the Sales People. The Product line is competing with the product line and it’s making people go over to Honda and Toyota.
I visited a Nissan Dealship the other day and to be honest – it was a parade of clown shoes. I can see why there’s an 80% drop in sales. I couldn’t GTFO fast enough.

For the SUV’s leave the Rogue, the Pathfinder and the Armada. The Kick, Ariya, and the Murano need to die in a fire. Take the Pathfinder and make a version of it called an Xterra and make it an actual freaking Off-Road warrior. Not a Wet Leaves on the Road vehicle. The Car cars… Leave the Altima and kill the others. Just kill the others… the Sentra, the Versa, and the Leaf. Just Altima. WTF happened to the Maxima? Remember that one? The one with the 300ZX engine? What happened to you, Nissa? Who did this to you? Sports cars are in a different category, and the GT-4 is just bullshit. The 300 ZX is now just the “Z”. That’s dumb. Make it the 300 ZX again and make it Retro styled like how Ford treated the Mustang. Harken back to when Nissan meant something. Do the same thing with the Maxima. As far as the EVs go… Axe them both. Consumers are not buying Nissan EVs. If Nissan wants to make an EV – they need to start all over again. From scratch.