Tag Archives: AR-15

An all Titanium AR.


I was asked if Crusader could do this. WHY? Crusader builds serious use guns. Titanium would be as much as an advantage in a fighting gun as Spinners would be on the Hubs of Police Cars. Besides, Titanium has some problems. Galling and Cold Welding being among them. The rifle according the Nemo’s site is almost 9 pounds. So instead of getting one of these, how about an armory full of Broadswords?
From the video, the guy says it is “Wildly impractical for the End User.”
Hey, if they want to known for making expensive useless crap… They just unlocked that achievement. Using Titanium just to say “It’s Titanium” is rather asinine. Titanium isn’t Magic. But that’s fine for them. Crusader will remain known for making seriously excellent guns and lubricants.

Bi-polar guns

Guys, don’t let your guns get bi-polar… Your AR doesn’t need everything out of the MAKO and Blackhawk catalogues to be cool or effective.
Here is a rule of thumb for you.  If you have a VFG or an AFG on your rifle, you don’t need a bi-pod.  The reverse is also true.  If you put a 4-16 Nikon Monarch on your gun, you don’t need to try to put flip up iron sights on it. 
AR builds tend to fall into three classes.  Short, Intermediate, and Long Range/Precision.
I’ll post more about these three build types tonight or tomorrow…

Is the Glock “America’s Gun”?

NPR has an interesting story. “How the Glock became America’s Weapon of Choice.”  Granted, it’s my Choice, but is it America’s Gun?  As far has handguns go, it is very popular with Law Enforcement on the Municipal level.  But on the Fed level, it’s the SIG.  In civilian sales, we have the XD and the Beretta 92FS, which has had a large resurgence in sales.  Huh, and there isn’t even a new Lethal Weapon movie out.  But if I had to pick one gun as “America’s Handgun” it would have to be the 1911.  Because that’s what most guys that come to the gun counter look at the most.  Even if they come in to buy something else, their eyes and their hearts linger on the 1911.   As does my own.  I love the 1911, but I don’t I am packing it as a carry gun less and less all the time.  I’ve only carried one three times that I remember this year… Of course this year is only 24 days in, but the entire rest of the time it’s been my Glock. There is something about the 1911.  It’s organic, beautiful, powerful,timeless and elegant… things the Glock is not.  But the spirit of the genius that went into the 1911… is found in the Glock.  The simplicity is actually stunningly brilliant.  Using a Striker system with the safety built into a transparent system for the user, it’s the easiest handgun to learn.  Or was, when it came out.  The Glock has been copied by so many other maker’s now, it’s silly.  Just like the 1911.
However the question NPR asked, was is the Glock America’s Weapon of Choice.
The answer is no.  Not even close.
The weapon of choice is AR-15.  The rifle that outsells ever other type.  The rifle that people who had never owned a gun before, snapped up after Obama became president.  The rifle used by our Military, Law Enforcement, and Sport shooters more and more every day.  Because while Handguns are popular, America is a Nation of Riflemen.
This is demonstrated in Ammunition Sales.  Just restocking ammo, we are constantly restocking .223/5.56mm.  More than any other caliber.  More than 9mm, .45, or the others.
The AR-15 is accurate, low recoil, cheap to shoot, and potent enough to be useful on anything up to deer sized creatures. (Even if that’s ethically  questionable)

You know, I really do like my Glock.  I like it the more I carry it and shoot it.  I’ve seen the M&P making serious inroads on the Glock… and the new Gen 4 Glock series has left me feeling luke warm on it… I certainly prefer the Gen 3.  But that’s just me.

My Trinity

For 2012, there are three firearms that I am going to acquire. These are the last guns I want to add to my collection… unless something new pops up that I never knew I always wanted.

1.  I want my own Crusader Rifle.  A real Crusader Weaponry, top down.  I’m tired of seeing the best rifles I’ve ever seen… shipping out to other lucky blokes… I can’t take it anymore.  I’ve got to have my own. This is going to be the first of my guns to get… my highest priority.  To do this – I’m going to sell my Rock River.  As great as it is… it’s not a Crusader.  More on selling the Rock in the near future.

2. A Browning High Power.  I almost had one, but it slipped through my fingers.  One came available about 5 days too late or I’d have had it.  I’ve always wanted one and by Odin’s Eyepatch, I’m getting me one.

3. A .44 Magnum 5″ S&W 629.  Nightcrawler’s revolver has been haunting me all the more lately… shooting it planted the seed.  Shooting Fenris’s new 629 sealed that.  I must have one.

These three guns are my top priority, in order.  Maybe I’ll stumble on other guns through 2012… but these three are the year’s Holy Trinity for me to get.

Sealed Mindset and Crusader Weaponry

Retired Navy Seal, Larry Yatch, is one of the most impressive men I’ve ever met. Great guy. He has started a very impressive training school called Sealed Mindset. We talked at SHOT Show together with Joe Chetwood about building a rifle for a friend of his. Evidently the gun was a success. We now build their guns built to their specs.

Guys, these are probably the most hard core AR-15’s we’ve ever built. No, strike that – they are the most hard core AR-15’s we’ve ever built. And these guns are exclusive to Sealed Mindset. We can’t sell them to you. If you want one, contact Sealed Mindset, and order one.  While you are there, sign up for a training class to go with it.

For more photos of these awesome guns, check them out here.

Why I hate the M-16/AR-15 Rifle

Why I hate the M-16/AR-15 Rifle and variants.


When joined the Army and was issued my first M-16, I thought it was the deadliest rifle ever invented. It was the blackest, most evil looking thing ever. It was pure badass. I was in love… sure, I had jams here and there but that was due to the dirty blank ammunition, right? I cleaned my rifle to the point of “surgical instrument clean” and lubed it exactingly according to the gospel of my Drill Sergeants. When I went to fire it with live rounds and found that I would get an occasional jam. Well, this is because it was an old rifle used by hundreds of raw ignorant recruits like myself. Right?

Continue reading Why I hate the M-16/AR-15 Rifle

Why a Crusader Weaponry AR?

Why buy a Crusader Weaponry rifle? I get asked this from time to time. If I had to give a short answer, “Because they are awesome”. But it just doesn’t quite encompass the total story behind it.

Keep your eyes on the rifle, guys. (Photo by Oleg Volk)

It starts out with the head of Crusader, Joe, aka “Gundoc” on WeTheArmed.com. He’s a guy that knows just how important it is to a warrior that his weapon be both utterly reliable and accurate. Joe comes background with the US Marines and Blackwater. He’s been there. He is soft spoken, because his work can speak for its self. Joe selects the best parts available, then he reworks them and finishes them. Even the smallest parts. They customer can select his/her major components. Handguards, Stocks, Sights, Barrel Length. The lubrication treatment is applied. Then the weapon is assembled and tested.

The permanent lubrication treatment has been tested against Fail-Zero.  Our treatment lasted twice as long in independence 3rd party testing.

If the customer wants a custom finish applied to the gun, Joe is a certified Master Refinisher from Lauer Weaponry the guys who make Duracoat. There are other guys that say they can do Duracoat, hobbiests… Joe is one of the professionals and the only one in the State of Utah. So there you have it. Crusader doesn’t just throw parts together like other guys do. The result is a gun that looks awesome, that is made to order, that runs slick and fast, that is accurate and reliable. These are the best AR-15 rifles money can buy.

The rifle, look at the rifle... thx Oleg

So what do I do with Crusader?  I’m Crusader’s Senior Trainer.  I will teach you how to get the most out of your rifle, to push it and you to the limits.  For 2011, I am offering a special deal.  A Tactical Carbine course for only a hundred bucks with the purchase of any Crusader AR-15 rifle.   That is a day of training for roughly the cost of a 250 round bulk pack of Ultra Max ammo.  That deal can not be beaten.

Oh, wait.  Yeah.  I can beat that.  With the purchase of Crusader Broadsword rifle (our SR-25 Type) I am throwing in a Free Pass to any Tactical Carbine course.  You buy the rifle and you get the course for free.  No, we are not padding the cost of the rifle.  I’m throwing it in on my own dime.  Get your rifle, come get the training.

Oh, one thing I forgot to mention.  Crusader has teamed up with BattleComp and we are putting these things on our guns unless you specify something different.  It makes a .308 gun shoot like a 5.56 gun, and makes a 5.56 feel like you are shooting a .22LR.  These are great additions to your rifle and worth the upgrade.

Photos by Oleg Volk.