Category Archives: Gear

Gear

3 Gun Maintenance Products I use

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I’m critically low on my Gun Maintenance Products. I have 3 products that I use and really prefer over everything else.  I need to order some of each.

First is LUBRICATION. There is nothing better on the planet – NOTHING – that can touch the lubrication of SLIPSTREAM STYX from Crusader Weaponry. This stuff is beyond slick. I use it in any mechanism that needs some lubricant. This is also what I use when I am reassembling things… such as firearm internals, revolvers to rifles, and any other mechanical device. It doesn’t gum up, doesn’t dry out, and it protects those internals better than anything else I’ve ever found. It was designed for this purpose… for marine conditions. Salt Water conditions. So it can handle humidity, keeps your weapon operating in the worst conditions. This stuff works on any mechanism and I used it all the time on my motorcycles, inside cables and levers for super slick controls.

Second is MPRO-7 Cleaner. This is a full synthetic cleaner unlike most others. It’s more of an astringent than a solvent. So you spray it on, and wipe it off, done. Work great on the inside of your bore, exterior wipe downs, and deep detailed cleaning. I also like that it doesn’t strip the metal completely bare… it leaves a thin film on the parts that is neither oily or sticky… just… smooth and clean. I don’t know how to describe it better than that. Let’s just say – you should use this stuff too. Get it in the pump-spray bottle, and you will love it. It also works well on cleaning motorcycles.

The Third product that I’ve come to really like, and need more of now, is FIREClean. Abe and Dave of DNA Guns turned me on to this stuff last year. It’s a CLP. It cleans and it lubes very well for a CLP. I usually don’t like CLP’s. But I like this stuff… You see, I’ve found that living in the Coastal Carolina area, the humidity here combined with the ocean’s salt spray that gets caught in the air and gives the air that nice coastal smell that I love – is actually quite harmful to firearms. And considering I really don’t care for stainless steel too much – I’m always wiping my guns down to make sure they remain protected. When I first came here, every month I was wiping off a thin layer of orange dust… the beginnings of rust. FIREclean stopped that. It leaves the guns with a nice protective coating… a nice oiled finish that doesn’t feel oily but protects the guns.

Some time ago I stripped the black coatings off my Becker Combat Bowie and my Becker Companion knives. This leaves a bare high carbon steel blade… that will corrode if you even look at it sideways. You see, I use my Tactical Knives when I cook and that Becker BK9 Combat Bowie is my main cooking knife now. I didn’t like it before because that black coating didn’t let it slice very well. It added a lot of drag. Stripping the coating has let it slice meats very cleanly. It’s fantastic. It’s also bare high carbon steel, so it needs protection. FIREclean is perfect for this. I’ll use the knife and as soon as I’m done, I’ll wash it off with hot soap and water, and then I’ll rub a drop of FIREclean on each side of the blade and spine to protect it until my next cook.  So until Becker/KA-BAR makes a more stainless version of the BK9 – I’ll continue to use Fireclean on it and on all my guns.

 

Gear

Lucid L5 rifle Scope.

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Lucid had sent me one of their new L5 rifle scopes to test out some time ago and I’ve not been able to really get to it.   Now is the time.  The L5 was never meant to be a Combat Optic.  It wasn’t designed for use on an AR-15.  You can see, it’s a bit large for this task.  The L5 is more suited for a long range hunting or target rifle.  It would look natural on a Remington Sendero or the like.   I could see this on an AR-10 as well.  But it’s a lot of scope for the light weight AR-15 here.  But that’s fine.  This AR-15 brings a lot of consistency and accuracy that will let me test the Scope, and not the Gun.  That’s important here.   But you can see, this isn’t making for a real workable configuration for me… It needs something else.  You see, this L5 is a 6-24 power optic.  Sometimes 6X is too much.

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The 45 Degree offset is built into the Daniel Defense tube. All it takes is moving the add-on rail sections, and presto. Right over the bore as you want them. The MBUIS lay flat enough that they do not get in the way, and pop up when needed.  Simple enough. 
I tell you what though – I’d never have considered putting this sort of set up on my rifle… But I gotta face it… with my eyes now… I really do need a magnified optic.  I need something a bit more suited to an AR-15 with magnification… I prefer a 4 power I think.  Lucid is said to be working on just that.   But this is to test the L5 Scope.  

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In the mean time, the L5 will be getting a full evaluation.    Here’s my initial impression:
Let me start off by saying that I can be an optics snob.  I’m not easily impressed and normally any scope under $1200 doesn’t impress me.  There are some exceptions to that… and the L5 is one of them.  

What you are looking for in Glass is Clarity.  Optical Clarity is primary.  Second to that Brightness.  And Third is Color.  Some may argue that, but this is my considered opinion.  I sold high dollar optics along with guns for many years and I learned to see the differences.  The L5 has the clarity.  It has the brightness.  While it transfers color very well, it’s not a Swarovski.  But you are not paying Swarovski dollars either.  It does however, have better “CBC” than other scopes of this type, and ones that cost a whole lot more.  Between this L5 and one that costs almost double – I’d take the L5 in a heartbeat.  That’s the thing about Lucid… if you want something better, you gotta pay double.  Tangibly better – you gotta pay a lot more.  I’ll go ahead and say it – I like this scope a lot better than a Nikon Monarch or a Burris or anything from Bushnell.  Millett or the like, need not apply.

The side parallax focus goes all the way down to 15 yards.   You could put this on a heavy barrel rimfire rifle.   Huh… Maybe I should try it out on my .17 HMR Savage.  (The most accurate rifle I’ve ever had)

Lets talk about that for a second – Parallax in a rifle scope is where your target and your reticle are in two different focal planes.   This comes across as one of the two being out of focus.  The result is that the reticle can swim or move around on the target… making for a less precise shot.  To get the most precision out of your scope, and put that round right where you want it, the Parallax must be focused.  The reticle and target need to be focused sharp together.  Parallax comes into play typically in high power scopes, 12 power or above… which is why most 4-12 or 3-9 scopes don’t have a manually adjustable Parallax.   They are factory focused at about 150 yards.  Rimfire scopes between 35 to 50 yards.  We’re used to seeing the Parallax focus out on the Objective bell.  The L5 has it on a third turret, which has become the standard place for Parallax adjustment.  This makes any adjustment precise and easy to make… without having to come out of your shooting position to do it.   Rule of thumb, set the focus to the range you are shooting.   If you are shooting at 100 yards, set it to 100 yards, and then fine tune it.

The L5 scope is constructed very well.   Very solid, so much so that it reminds me of some very premium optics.  A rifle scope is a precision optical instrument… the internals are always delicate no matter who makes them… so they need to be protected.  A solid built scope like this goes a long way to help that.  The tube body is 30mm, which is ideal and the objective lens is a fat 50mm.  If you want a 50mm Obj, you really need to go 30mm in the tube.  Too many scopes are out there with a 1″ tube, and that’s just too skinny and you don’t get the light.  30/50 is ideal.  I can’t stress that enough.  Some companies are putting out larger, which is a fine, but then you are forced to get very expensive specialized rings and your mounting options become limited.  Pretty much everyone making Rings these days makes a 30mm option.  It’s a common size.  Commonality has it’s advantages.  Going to a 32mm or something like that… you start to loose advantage over cost and flexibility.   The Turrets are tight, but the clicks are distinct and counting 5 up or 4 right – not a problem.  I’m not going to name any other brands, but one brand that has a scope similar to this… the clicks were indistinct and made such adjustments vague.  

Now here’s what I like about the L5 scope.  The L5 Reticle:

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I like a fine crosshair.  This allows for actual precision shooting.  The reticle through the scope is clear and distinct.  It’s not an illuminated reticle… but most are not.  And for most people, illumination is not needed.  I am no Operator anymore and I will not act like one.  I am old and busted and enjoy large breakfasts and comforts that go with that… so I don’t want an illuminated reticle in a precision scope.  Again, this is a precision scope, not a combat scope.   This scope is designed to get me out to long range, and make a good kill-zone shot quickly.   Take a look at that reticle.  It’s quite simple.  To make it even more simple,  this reticle is programed into the STRELOK calculator… an App for you Smart Phone.   I’ve been a fan of the STRELOK calculator for some time.  I used it to zero a .50 BMG and it got me on target with 1 shot.  Second shot confirmed it.  Done.  

I can’t wait to get this out and start putting a whole lotta rounds down range with this.

Again – Anyone wanting a Lucid optic, use the coupon code MyLucidDeal at checkout.

SIDE NOTE:  The Lucid HD7 that I had on this rifle is now on my Son’s AR-15.  He is quite happy about that.  I am afraid that I may not be able to get my HD7 back once this testing is all complete.

Edited:  Edited to correct my comment about Color.

Gear

Discount Code for LUCID OPTICS

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As you guys know, I’m a fan of LUCID optics.   I have used several LUCID HD7 Red Dot sights, and have found them to be fantastic “bang for the buck”.  Actually they are more than that.  They really do blow everything else out of the water that’s in their price range… and in fact, to get something better than an HD7, you seriously have to spend double the money.  And then you have to ask yourself why you bothered to spend the extra cash.

Now, the HD7 is built for use on AR’s or other Flat Top rifles. Say you want to use a Red Dot on an AK or a Shotgun or M1A Scout or something… you need a shorter red dot. LUCID has you covered with the M7 optic that allows you to mount it nice and low where you need it. I’ve shot an AK with the M7 on it and it worked great… But I do not have one. Yet. I’ll get one soon and I plan on using it on one of my 870.

LUCID also has a couple very nice rifle scopes. I have an L5 and I love it.  I’ve not done any videos of it… but let’s just say that this scope is wicked good.   I really like it.  And I’m jaded and picky when it comes to rifle scopes.   The Lucid L5 passed my expectations by far for the price point.    I do plan on doing some videos on the L5 after we finish our relocation.

Now here’s something very cool.  LUCID has given me a Coupon Code for a Discount to give out.  I’ll give it to you now.  “MyLucidDeal” is the code… use it at Check Out and then let me know you ordered it.  

Gear

Adams Holsters

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AdamsHolstersExotics

 

These three holsters are from Adams Holsters.  They are Luke’s “Crossroads” holster in exotic leathers.  Top left is my Glock 23 RTF2 in Shark hide.  The top Right is my Beretta 92FS in two different Shark hides.  A subtle two tone that looks very sharp.  The bottom center is my Springfield 1911 GI in Gator and Elephant.  (Legally imported Elephant hide)

The Crossroads is just one style of holster Luke makes.  These are a pancake style outside of the waistband holster that carries a heavy gun quite comfortably.  It’s my favorite for that reason, because when I wear a gun, it’s from pants on to pants off.

The “Gatorphant” Crossroads is my newest that just arrived the other day.  I’ve been wearing it constantly of course.  The GI 1911 is a heavy pistol and I’ve found it to be less than comfortable in other holsters.  In the Crossroads though, I’ve had no problem with all day packing.   I know I’ve talked about it before, it I wanted to take a group photo.

Gear

Leather

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THIS is what it’s all about.  Luke Adams of Adams Holsters is a freaking Artist with Leather.  This… This is stunning… This is the most beautiful holster I’ve ever seen.  Does a holster get any better?   Hell No.

See, Tactical Kydex is fine when the job requires it.  But when it doesn’t… Why not step it up?

Gear

I hate Appendix Carry

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Appendix Carry is fad that I wish would go away.

The 4 Rules of Firearms Safety:
1.  Handle all firearms as if they were loaded.
2.  Never point the gun at anything you’re not willing to destroy.
3.  Keep your finger off the trigger and out of the trigger guard until you have made the decision to fire the weapon.
4.  Know your target, and know what is beyond the target.

These 4 rules are pretty simple.   But with Appendix Carry, you violate Rule #2.  I can’t get past this.  Forgive the crude language, but I hate the fact that when I tried Appendix Carry, I was muzzling my Cock and Balls.  Should an accident have happened – it would have been a Contact Shot.   WARNING: The LINKED TEXT is GRAPHIC:  I’ve seen the photos of what Contact Shots do to human beings, but never one that happened to a man’s Junk.   This filled my mind with graphic images that I wish never popped in there.  Horrific.
I know that I have friends that carry Appendix, and I have friends who teach Appendix Carry.  Because the position does offer some great tactical advantages.  It really does.  The speed and ease of the draw is an advantage.  Easier draw from awkward positions.  While driving.  While laying on either side.  Drawing with the weak hand.  Yes yes yes… I know all of this.   It makes sense.
But then there is Rule #2.
You see, in the more traditional position of 3:00 or 4:00, should an accident happen… a Negligent Discharge… The results are usually a visit to the hospital for a session of Shame and Stitches and you are back out again.  Because nothing vital was destroyed.  Usually.  Not always, but most of the time.  I personally know two guys that ND’d from the holster.  I will not say the names… They know who they are.  One, the weapon was at the 3:00 and the bullet went in and out of his leg.  He was out of the ER in 2 hours and on his feet the next day.  The other fellow was packing at the 4:00 position and he suffered a Flash Burn to his Ass.   No ER visit.   As they had been considering Appendix carry before… I asked both fellows how they would have faired if they had been packing Appendix.   There was much uncomfortable silence  as they both considered the results of a Ballistic Castration.  No, neither of them are packing Appendix now.

This isn’t just an unreasonable fear.  I remember reading more than one news article about some thug that shot his balls off packing in the appendix position.  Usually with a very sad mug shot to go with it.  But there was another story of a guy – not a thug – and with a holster… in a car with his family.  He didn’t survive.  That’s not a way that I would want to go out.

So you want the advantages of Appendix, but without the liability… What is the option?   Cross Draw.

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It’s not just for Cowboys and Peacemakers.  The muzzle is NOT pointing at your dick.  You can access the gun quickly with either hand.  You have more control over it in a weapon retention tussle than in the 4:00 position.  And it’s just badass.  So you get the advantages of Appendix, with none of the liability.    There is a downside though, and that is problem with most cross draw rigs out there… and that’s concealment.    But most cross draw rigs I’ve seen were not designed for concealment.  But there are some.  I believe DeSanti is still making the Skymarshal rig.  And Kirkpatrick is making their Texas Cross Draw rig, which looks excellent.  I’d like to see more Cross Draws come out and I’d like to see less Appendix.

 

 

 

Automotive, Gear, Training, Uncategorized

Overland

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If you say Off Roading to different people, it’s going to mean different things.  And I don’t pretend to be an expert at anyone of them, but I’ve tried them…
Rock Crawling has never had much appeal to me.  Fighting your vehicle over obstacles may be fun for some… Twisting axels and drive shafts and blowing your tire’s bead off the rims… no, I don’t consider that fun.  Sure, it’s fun to watch others do it.  But I’ve never been tempted to do it for sport.  I’ve done it a couple times out of necessity in my Bronco or my Scotsdale… but I only did it to get out of areas I got into and had no other way out of.  No, I’ll avoid rock crawling as much as possible.
I’ve never liked Mudding either.  Sure it can be fun, but it can get you stuck tighter than anything else.  See, the Earth doesn’t like Mud Boggers and Mother Earth strives to punish them… Sucking them down ever deeper into her grasp.   I was once stuck for over 14 hours when I went Mudding with some folks in Washington State.  We were so stuck, a couple of us had to hike out to find Search and Rescue.   The Rescue vehicle showed up, pulled them out (While me and another fellow hung out at the Rescue Station and waited for them to make it back) and then got stuck them selves.   That cured me of all my desire for Mudding.   And then as further punishment, the Mud will get into your axles and bearings and everywhere else it can cause havoc and if you don’t get it washed out good – will act as a grinding compound to eat your vehicle alive.  No, no thank you.
Now then there is Overlanding.   This is my kind of off roading.  Overlanding is about traveling.  It’s about going some place, not just getting through some thing.  The way I see it, Overlanding has a point.  A destination as well as the journey.
I see a lot of Off Road vehicles guys are setting up and a lot of them just make me scratch my head.  What are they set up for?   To me, it seems they are set up for looks only.  Some look like they could be set up for Mudding or Rock Crawling until you look closer.  Few are set up to be an actual Bug Out Vehicle, yet that’s what their owners are saying they are.  I’m sorry, but Jeep is cool with your 454 on a stock 18 gallon tank turning 44″ tires isn’t going to get you much distance, so I hope you are not Bugging too far Out.
To me, a good Bug Out Vehicle has to be a good Overland Vehicle.  Imagine it this way… You have to get from one coast to the other, without going on a Freeway or passing through a city and avoiding as much population as possible, and avoiding Points of Entry along the way.  Now plot that course out.  You may have to take some trails or fire roads.  You may have to cross open BLM Land.  Forestry Trails.  Follow power line trails.
Okay, let’s get serious here.  Think about your Zombie Plan.  Your SHTF Plan.  Your Bug Out Plan… Where are you Bugging Out too? How are you going to get there.  Now think about who you are taking with you.  Okay, now think about what you are going to need.  Now think about how you are going to take that with you.  Yeah, just having a 4×4 isn’t the solution.   You may not actually need a 4×4.  If your plan is just “getting up into the mountains”… You need a better plan.
This is where Overlanding has some good value.  It’s like a how we go to Shooting Courses to learn the art of gunfighting… but for Bugging Out.  Get out there… get into the wilderness. Get away from Wi-Fi.  Disconnect from things.  And put yourself to the Bug Out Test.  By actually Bugging Out for awhile.
Man, I do miss my Chevy Scotsdale 4×4 right now.

Gear

Adjustibility

9 Comments

Adjustable stocks.  It started there.  Length of pull.  Comb height.  That’s all fine and well.  But now user adjustable is going everywhere.  Is this a good thing for the average shooter?
It’s bad enough watching someone who should be more squared away, constantly playing with his stock length and his sling… I’ve watched guys play with their adjustments more than actually pulling the trigger.  More than drilling the Fundamentals.  More than their effort in making an accurate shot.

Now there is this thing:  The Effin-A.   A user adjustable muzzle brake.  Now, the more I think about this… the more I can see the appeal.  Think of all the excuses you can use for poor shots.  What I’m seeing is a whole lot of ammo used testing and tweaking – and that’s good.  That’s a lot of practice going on and I like that.  It certainly has it’s place.  Maybe.  For guns no one else is making a brake for.  (Is there such a thing now days?) Being able to tune the brake to what you want.  If you are a competitive shooter and know your gun better than you know your spouse’s erogenous zones… Maybe this is for you.  Then again, maybe not.

For me… I’ll buy a Battle Comp and have it installed properly and call it good and not have to worry about futzing with the muzzle brake and I can concentrate on my shooting.  Of course, I’m the same guy that set his adjustable stock to how he wanted it a long time ago and has never moved it since.  I don’t like playing around with my weapon like that.  In fact, it annoys me.  My Battle Comp was engineered very well to start with.  In fact, it was engineered pretty much perfectly.  Why would I want to mess with that?

What do you guys think of this?

Gear

Pride and Fowler Scopes.

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Pride and Fowler Scopes.

PFI has sent us a couple rifle scopes.   Looking through the PFI RR800-1 – right next to the Zeiss 3.5-10 Conquest… Brighter? The Zeiss is a little bit brighter.  I’ll give it that, but not by much.

This is the Zeiss.  1 inch tube, second focal plain etched reticle.  It’s a good scope and it works very well.  Clear? The PFI unit is just as clear. Crisp sharp contrast… this is great glass.  It uses a 30MM tube which allows for a naturally sharp image because you are not bending the light as much to force it through the smaller tube.  

I tried to take the photos as carefully as possible to make the images look as close to each other as I could.  You will notice that on the same power settings, the PFI does bring the target in closer.  If you zero the Zeiss at one power setting, and then change the power setting, the ballistic marks are going to mean different things.  This is the problem with ballistic reticles in scopes that use a second focal plain reticle.  You have to either use them at the max setting or at a factory specified… usually 10 power if it isn’t at max.   The First Focal Plain reticle, or “FFP” is a big advantage for the PFI over the Zeiss.


Notice the reticle zooms as the scope zooms. 

This allows the reticle to maintain proper relation to the target and allows the ballistic plex to be used regardless of power setting.  HUGE advantage in the field, I can’t stress this enough.  You could be overwatching a field of fire and you need to look at something that is close up, or you need a wider field of view… so you back the power down.  Or you need to zoom in to something to get a closer look, so you crank the power up… Well, the PFI scope is accurate whereever you have it.

Now I also noticed something… as I mentioned before… see the 3.5-10 Zeiss is no advantage over the PFI’s 3-9. Because when I set them both to 4 power, I had to bring the Zeiss almost up to 5 power to get it to magnify at the same level as the PFI. So really they are about the same level regardless of what the dial is indicating. 

The Zeiss had a better eye relief by about a half inch – but this is not a problem considering these are mostly going on .308s and the like… not .300 Win Mags. Recoil isn’t going to cause the scope to kiss you… because there just isn’t enough of it.  PFI is working on a Magnum scope for magnum velocities and trajectories… but it isn’t out yet.  Soon.

Now the biggest difference… The PFI is $595. The Zeiss is $725. That $130 difference… I really don’t see 130 dollars worth of difference to get the Zeiss here. Especially since the Zeiss’s reticle can only be used properly at full magnification.  Being completely objective – The PFI wins. And I’m saying that even though I’m a huge- HUGE Zeiss fan. This is not what I was expecting. 

Now, you guys know I had to buy a whole new rifle because I liked this PFI scope so much.    I picked a Remington 700 XCR Compact Tactical rifle in .308.   Not only did I buy that rifle just for this scope, but I took this combination to LRI, for some advanced training.  You can read about that here.  To sum it up, the PFI system is a true winner, and I’m completely sold on it.

Now that I am a dealer, it is my pleasure to offer these outstanding scopes to you guys.