N8² Tactical’s Professional Series Holsters

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Randall

N8² Tactical makes holsters in North Carolina.  At SHOT Show 2013, I asked Nate Beard about their name.  Nate Beard and Nate Johnson formed the company.  “Nate Squared,” get it?  I asked Mr. Beard what was new and he showed me their improved Professional IWB concealed carry holster.

From the N8² Tactical website:

The Nate Squared Tactical Professional holster is the ultimate IWB (inside-the-waistband) holster. It has all the comfort of our Original design, but comes with the following additional features: 

  • ADJUSTABLE CANT
  • TUCKABLE 
  • EXCELLENT POSITIVE RETENTION

The holster is made of polycarbonate, which is an extremely durable thermoplastic. Common uses range from cd’s & dvd’s to bullet resistant glass. We chose to use polycarbonate because it has 30% more tensile strength and almost double the impact strength of acrylic-polyvinyl chloride, which is the material used by many of the most popular IWB holsters on the market today. All of this simply means that the Professional holster is made Continue reading →

Posted in Concealed Carry, Firearms, SHOT Show | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

AG’s Office Announces State Officers of the Year

Posted on February 9, 2013 by Randall

L to R: Sgt. Lounge, AG Bondi, Ofc. Weaver
Photo: Steven Rodriguez/WFSU

Press release from the Attorney General’s Office:

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.–Attorney General Pam Bondi today named St. Petersburg Police Department Sergeant Karl Lounge and St. Petersburg Police Department Officer Douglas Weaver the Attorney General’s 2012 Law Enforcement Officers of the Year. Sergeant Lounge and Officer Weaver were joined by seven fellow officers from around the state at a ceremony recognizing them for their dedication to law enforcement and public safety.

“Each nominee is a hero who selflessly serves their communities,” stated Attorney General Pam Bondi. “I am proud to name Sergeant Lounge and Officer Weaver as the 2012 Law Enforcement Officers of the Year. Their courage in the face of danger and dedication to saving the lives of their fellow officers is truly admirable.”

In January 2011, Sergeant Lounge and Officer Weaver were involved in a shoot-out with a fugitive where two law enforcement officers lost their lives, and others, including Officer Weaver, were injured. Because of their bravery in a life-threatening circumstance, Sergeant Lounge and Office Weaver are the well-deserved recipients of the Attorney General’s award.

Each nominee for the Attorney General’s award had previously been recognized as an “Officer of the Year” by a Florida law enforcement agency or organization that sponsors such a statewide award. Sergeant Lounge was nominated by the Fraternal Order of Police, and Officer Weaver was nominated by the Florida Police Chiefs Association. A selection committee appointed by the Attorney General considered the distinguished group of nominees from state agencies and organizations including the Florida Sheriffs Association, the Florida Police Chiefs Association, the State Law Enforcement Chiefs Association, the Florida Gang Investigators Association and the Florida Retail Federation.

–I have heard nothing but good things about Sgt. Lounge from many of his co-workers.  AG Bondi shook my hand and thanked me for my service recently.  I know Doug Weaver from SWAT over the years and he is a great guy.  After reading the Pinellas/Pasco State Attorney’s report on the deaths of Tom Baitinger and Jeff Yaslowitz, I have nothing but profound respect for these two men and others at the scene.  I would only hope we would all react with such selfless bravery in a situation like they faced that day…

Randall

Posted in Media, Officer Down, Politics, SWAT | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

New Crimson Trace Products for 2013

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Randall

One of the first booths we hit at SHOT Show 2013 Media Day at the Range was Crimson Trace Corporation.  CTC’s Media Relations Manager Iain Harrison showed us a few of their new-for-2013 products.  It was so cold, my pen did not write, but the lasers fired up just fine.

Green laser!  There I said it.  Crimson Trace, ironically, is now in the green laser business.  Several models are now available, with more variation in the manufacturing pipeline.  CTC’s green lasers will come in trigger guard, rail-mounted, backstrap-mounted, and grip replacement systems.

Mr. Harrison showed us a currently available CMR-203, which fits pistols wearing M1913/Picatinny or Weaver rails.  Ours was mounted on a Smith & Wesson M&P auto.  The CMR has all the same standard features of CTC’s Railmaster line at an MSRP Continue reading →

Posted in Concealed Carry, Firearms, Off Duty, Technology | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Spyderco NLEOMF Commemorative Knife

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Randall

Spyderco’s OpFocus division shows this knife in its 2013 catalogue:

“In the year 2000, the United States Congress and President Bill Clinton authorized the establishment of a National Law Enforcement Museum in Washington, D.C. The goal of this museum is to tell the story of American law enforcement through exhibits, collections, research and education. Designed as a natural extension of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, it will be the largest and most comprehensive museum to honor the duty and sacrifice of America’s law enforcement officers. Building and exhibit designs for the museum are currently in progress and countless artifacts are being collected and catalogued to document the contributions and accomplishments of our nation’s law enforcement officers.

“To support this worthy cause and to continue to do our part to honor our country’s law enforcement personnel, Spyderco is proud to offer a special edition of our popular Delica knife. The Commemorative National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund Delica features a blue handle and a laser-engraved logo of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), the organization responsible for both the memorial and museum projects.

“Spyderco will donate a portion of the sales of every commemorative Delica to the NLEOMF to support the museum project. The museum is currently scheduled to open in late 2013. For more information on this project, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and related programs and events, please visit the NLEOMF web site at www.nleomf.org.”

This commemorative Delica has a 2.87″ full flat ground blade of VG-10 steel, blue FRN handle, reversible tip-up or tip-down black pocket clip, and the NLEOMF logo laser engraved on the right side of the blade.  MSRP $114.00.

Randall

Posted in Knives, Officer Down | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Leon County Sheriff’s Office K9 Koda Slain

Posted on February 3, 2013 by Randall

LCSO K9 Koda

In an attempt to apprehend fleeing murder suspect Carlos Cespedes, Leon County Sheriff’s Office K9 Koda was shot and killed in the line of duty on 2/1/2013.

LCSO PIO Lt. James McQuaig reported that Deputy Ron McMullen, his partner K9 Koda, and Deputy Tyler Epstein confronted the suspect at the end of a vehicle pursuit.  Cespedes fired his gun at the deputies and K9 Koda was hit by a single bullet.

Dep’s McMullen and Epstein returned fire and the suspect was hit.  He is in the hospital with a gunshot wound to the head.  The deputies were uninjured.  Cespedes had active warrants from the Tallahassee Police for first degree murder, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and shooting from a vehicle.  New charges against Cespedes are pending.

K9 Koda is the first police K9 dog in the U.S. murdered this year.  Nationwide, eighteen K9’s were killed in the line of duty in 2012, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page.

Randall

Posted in K9 | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

New Ruger LC380 Review

Posted on February 2, 2013 by Randall

Sturm, Ruger & Co. trucked out their new LC380 to SHOT Show Media Day.  Since Ruger’s designated patch of real estate was at the very north end of the Boulder Rifle and Pistol Club, we did not get to them until late in the afternoon.  Some vendors were already packing up, what with the still chill temperatures and lashing wind.  Aaron and I were hanging tough.

When we stepped up to the table of guns, I bluntly asked the Ruger rep what they were thinking by making the LC380.  I had an answer in mind, but I wanted to see what he would articulate.  He told us that their thought process was to take the lesser kick of the .380 ACP cartridge and mate it to a larger framed weapon (their LC9) for recoil sensitive concealed carry customers.

Micro pistols such as the Kel-Tec P3AT, Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 380, Kahr CW380, and Ruger LCP can be difficult for some to shoot well because of the limited amount of polymer to grasp and short sight radius.  Ruger feels that there is a market for a slightly larger handgun in the .380 caliber.

The LC380 is built on LC9 mechanicals.  The only thing I detected visually that was different between the two was a small metal spacer inside the back of the magazine that pushes a .380 cartridge forward at the primer to make up the 1.85mm deficit in case length from Continue reading →

Posted in Concealed Carry, Firearms, Off Duty | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Tough Hook Kickstarter Project

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Randall

Through a friend, I was put in contact with Tarik Lazri.  He is a former U.S. Army soldier who has an idea for a heavy duty hanger and transporter for body armor.  Lazri told me of his frustrations with hanging up his plate carriers and body armor in stints in Iraq and as a civilian contractor in Afghanistan.  I said, “You should see the makeshift hand-twisted coat hanger nightmares holding ballistic vests in our police locker room.”  He replied, “Exactly!”

When I met with Lazri and he showed me his patented I-beam-inspired Tough Hook.  It was thick and sturdy with turned up ends to keep the straps in place.  It also flipped over and provided a grab handle to transport around body armor or scuba gear.  Lazri said the Tough Hook would hold over 150 lbs!

To pay for mold and production start-up fees, Lazri is using Kickstarter for initial funding.  Link here.  Check out the Kickstarter page and lend some monetary assistance if you wish.  You can even contribute and have a Tough Hook sent to a soldier overseas.  ThinBlueFlorida likes to support the little guys.  TBF paid the last $26.00 this morning to get the project up to the $11,000.00 initial pledge goal.  Good luck, Tarik!

Randall

Posted in Protective Armor | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Tactical Tailor Urban Operator Backpack Review

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Randall

I like gadgets and things in which to carry them.  Last year, I fairly assaulted SHOT Show 2012 wearing a Maxpedition Sitka in Khaki.   It was just too small for my burden then, and for 2013 I had since added a Canon DSLR.   Although a sling bag is easy to access, when filled with notebooks, pens, cameras, spare batteries, an iPad 2 and accessories, business cards, morale patches, product CD’s, press kits, Clif bars, water, Mil-Spec Monkey hoodie, and a daily burgeoning collection of swag (pirate booty), the distribution of weight in the oft-rotated bag could vex a loadmaster.  I needed a backpack.   Okay, another backpack.  Damn, I think my wife heard that.

When I saw the Tactical Tailor Urban Operator Pack, I though I was on to something.   I have a Maxpedition Falcon II, but at 3+ lbs empty, it starts out a bit much for the trade show floor.  I wanted to shed a pound or two where I could.  Even though the weight was not spec’ed on their website, Tactical Tailor’s bag looked more stripped down than my Falcon II:  fewer straps and layers of heavy nylon material.

Tactical Tailor added “Made in the USA” to its desirable attributes.  At an MSRP of $99.00, it was also a bargain.  But would the quality betray the price? Continue reading →

Posted in SHOT Show, Tactical Bags | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Shooting an IWI TAVOR at SHOT Show 2013

Posted on January 28, 2013 by Randall

The Israel Weapons Industries (formerly Israel Military Industries), in collaboration with the Israel Defense Forces, has a seventy year history of producing arms for a country in constant conflict.  IWI is the maker of such iconic names as UZI, GALIL, and Desert Eagle.  IWI US, Inc. will be bringing upcoming brands for assembly and sale to United States soil.  The TAVOR SAR is one of their exciting new offerings.

IWI had TAVORs to shoot at SHOT Show 2013 Media Day.  Yeah, baby.  IWI US’s General Manager Brad Howard gave us a tour of the TAVOR platform then we were able to toe the firing line.  Howard had told us that the bullpup design leads to a rear-balanced feel to the rifle that gives stability in one handed shooting if the operator needs to use his support hand for other tasks (say, dragging a buddy out of harm’s way).

I felt the 7 lbs. gun tucked in well to the shoulder and was predominantly supported by my right arm.  It added a good base in a tactical stance.  We had no trouble hitting a small 4″ flipper at about 25 yards, despite the huge reticle on the Meprolight sight, which pretty much obscured the little steel disk.

Bullpup rifles can suffer from mushy, imprecise triggers because of the lengthy connections used to bridge the distance from the trigger back to the firing mechanism.  TAVOR did not seem to have this Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Wha-a-a?

Posted on January 27, 2013 by Randall

Around 2130 hrs last night, I was standing beside the road with a sheep on a leash.  I did not see that one coming.

Some kids caught a ewe that had gotten loose from a nearby farm. (Must be a sheep witness protection program, because I didn’t even know it was there.)  I retrieved a dog leash from my trunk and kept the animal quiet until the owners arrived.  There were some strange looks from passing motorists.

I had seen a coyote earlier in my shift.   There was a strong possibility the nervous sheep had been chased by a pack of our local predators.

I have had dogs, cats, gators, horses, cows, monkeys, snakes, turtles, bats, and seagulls in custody, but never a sheep.

You never know what will happen when you go to work…

Randall

Posted in Humor | 2 Comments

TrackingPoint Update from SHOT Show 2013

Posted on January 26, 2013 by Randall

I was able to see the TrackingPoint Precision Guided Firearm in action firsthand at the SHOT Show Media Day. On the long range, I watched as a novice shooter got behind the Surgeon rifle and Networked Tracking Scope, then hit a 962 yard shot on his first attempt…uh, Wow!

TrackingPoint had an iPad streaming live video next to the .338 Lapua rifle. Bystanders were able to watch on the screen as the shooter “tagged” the distant piece of steel and then let the microprocessors work the dope. The Guided Trigger will only allow a shot to be fired when the scope and tagged target are optically aligned. The rifle operator moves the point of aim off the target then back on, which presumably allowed for the scope to work up its firing solution. When the reticle turned from blue to red, it was time to “Send it!”

The TrackingPoint system worked just as advertised. I was amazed at how easy it made the long-range shots look, especially in light of the 28° temperatures and steady-to-gusty wind values. This is currently Continue reading →

Posted in Firearms, SWAT, Technology | Tagged , | Leave a comment

DDupleks Kaviar 26L Frangible Shotgun Ammunition

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Randall

The Latvian gentlemen from DDupleks Ammunition were demonstrating their Kaviar 26L frangible shotgun “slug” at SHOT Show 2013 Media Day at the Range.  The 12 gauge round is designed to dump its energy into the immediate target without over-penetration.  The DDuplexs rep shot a water jug at 15 yards with the Kaviar.  A Kel-Tec KSG was used for the test.

This is from the DDupleks website:

Combined material shotgun slug for training and LE purposes. Slug expands and fragments only after hitting the target and provides energy transfer immediately without Continue reading →

Posted in Firearms, SHOT Show, Technology | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

New Kahr CW380 Review

Posted on January 21, 2013 by Randall

At SHOT Show 2013 Media Day at the Range, I was able to shoot five small handguns that are new to the market for 2013.  My first was the latest “budget” offering from Kahr Arms, the CW380, designated the CW3833.

I may have said “budget,” but the Kahr CW380 still has all the important functional features that have made their pistols popular with shooters and ’carryers.  The 10.2 ounce micro-sized CW380 has a polymer frame with 4140 steel inserts, matte finished 416R stainless slide with bar-dot sights, “Safe Cam” DAO firing system, and quality fit and finish.

The C-series of Kahr handguns finds its lower price point by using conventional barrel rifling instead the P-series Lothar match grade rifling, changing the CW’s slide stop to MIM as an alternate to machined steel, engraved markings standing in for more expensive roll markings, having fewer machine operations to “melt” the CW slide, and shipping the CW with just one magazine.  If you can handle those details for a $230.00 reduction in MSRP from the P-series, then this is a Kahr for you.

I own a Kahr PM9.  I like it very much.  Had the CM9 been available when I went to the LGS, I may have walked out with a little more change in my coin purse.  The differences Kahr makes to the CM9 or CW380 do not decrease from the gun’s intended purpose for close range self defense, in my opinion.  The CW380 will get the job done just as Continue reading →

Posted in Concealed Carry, Firearms, Off Duty, SHOT Show | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

TASER International Introduces New X26P

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Randall

A TASER International press release announced the introduction of their latest Conducted Electrical Weapon, the new X26P. The X26P uses the company’s latest technological advances and design combined with familiar ergonomics from its popular predecessor, the X26.

New electronic architecture takes the X26P out of the analog era and into the digital one, like its sibling the X2. The old X26 used a gas tube spark gap and a fixed energy discharge, while the latest version moves to a solid state arc controller that measures and adjusts the electrical output.

Other improvements include extended battery life, increased logging of usage data, and an IPX2 rating for weatherproofing against rain and humidity (a bonus in Florida).

According to TASER founder and CEO Rick Smith, “The new X26P will feel familiar to many law enforcement officers, combining the form factor and cartridge from the original X26 with improved ergonomics, weatherproofing, and updated Smart technology features. Smart technology adds enhanced safety and performance, improved data and analytics together with superior quality, reliability and durability.”

The X26P is a single-shot device, using standard X26 cartridges, unlike the X2’s second shot capability. It bears a visual resemblance to the X2, while retaining the X26’s dimensions. Digital power magazines and TASER CAM will work on both Continue reading →

Posted in Taser, Technology | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Magpul VW Micro Bus with a Mini Gun

Posted on January 17, 2013 by Randall

This was cool.

Randall

Posted in Humor, SHOT Show | 4 Comments