New Smith & Wesson Performance Center 686 Revolver

Posted on January 29, 2014 by Randall

Smith & Wesson PC 686While I am on revolver kick, Smith & Wesson is releasing a brand new Performance Center version of their Model 686 Distinguished Combat Magnum.  This 7 shot L-Frame model will have a 2.5″ barrel, bead blasted finish, unfluted cylinder, and custom wood grips.  There is a red ramp front and adjustable rear sight.

Other features to the PC 686 are a chrome teardrop-shaped hammer spur, chrome trigger with stop, precision crowned barrel, and a cylinder cut for moon clips.  S&W’s Performance Center has tuned the action.

Aaron and I shot this gun at Media Day.  The trigger in double action was silky smooth.  In single action, the hammer dropped with a light click.  S&W reports the trigger pulls at Continue reading →

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New ERGO Delta Grips for S&W J-Frame Revolvers

Posted on January 28, 2014 by Randall

ERGO Delta Grip ProfileOverheard at the Show from some GunPressMediaInternetCommandos:  “You gotta check out the new ERGO Delta Grips for the J-Frame.  They are ultra-high-speed-tactical and probably will show up on immediate-action SpecOps outside of CONUS!”  Maybe the word “Delta” fooled them.  Maybe I exaggerate.  Sigh, I checked the map and wandered down to ERGO’s booth in one of the rabbit warren ballrooms off the SHOT Show main hall.

I have an affinity for my .38 Special revolvers and in the environment of .327 SmallBlock chambered AR-15’s and the latest in super Cryptoflage-patterned BDU’s, I could have used a bit of Old School Firearm-ery at that moment.  The new Delta Grip by ERGO is an interesting mod to the J-Frame’s handle shape.

The Delta Grip angles your wrist slightly forward for what ERGO says is a “better natural pointing and Continue reading →

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Slide Fire Turns an AR-15 Upside Down!

Posted on January 27, 2014 by Randall

At SHOT Show 2014’s Media Day at the Range, Slide Fire showed off a fixed mounted upside down semi-automatic AR-15 that mechanically bump-fired to shoot in “full auto.”  Watching it chatter elicited much joy from the assembled press, who did not fail to gather when the demonstration dinner bell was rung.

There were many remarks from those around me who said that they had thought that Slide Fire was a flash in the pan.  There was surprise at the growing popularity of the product line, which kinda turns a semi-automatic rifle or shotgun (AR’s, AK’s, 10-22’s, Saiga’s, etc) into a fully automatic firing weapon.  This is done with a modified stock and Newton’s Third Law of Continue reading →

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Shooting the New Smith & Wesson M&P Bodyguard 380

Posted on January 25, 2014 by Randall

We got to shoot the new Smith & Wesson M&P Bodyguard 380 at SHOT Show 2014 Media Day at the Range.  I uploaded the short video above.  Since I have carried a Bodyguard 380 both off duty and as a secondary firearm on duty for the last several years, it was a familiar platform to me.  No one I observed had any failure with the M&P 380’s at the range.

Smith & Wesson M&P Bodyguard 380In the video, I bobbled the trigger reset after the second shot.  As a weak defense, I will just testify that I had been shooting a lot of very different guns that day.  It is a good reminder, though, that the Bodyguard Continue reading →

Posted in Concealed Carry, Firearms, SHOT Show | Tagged , , | 11 Comments

TSSI TACOPS New Active Response Breacher’s Kit

Posted on January 24, 2014 by Randall

TSSI‘s Don Wright showed me their new TACOPS Active Response Breacher’s Kit.  It contains a very portable hammer, halogen tool, and bolt cutter, each of which can unfold and telescope to full size for added leverage.  The tools are carried in a rugged nylon sling bag so the officer or operator can quickly transition to a handgun or long rifle, if needed.

This set of tools and bag was specifically designed for active shooter situations, where, with proper training, an officer can come on to a scene and have breaching capabilities that were formerly only available to a SWAT team.  The ARBK is small enough to ride unobtrusively in the trunk of a patrol vehicle and provide Continue reading →

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New Remington R51 Pistol

Posted on January 22, 2014 by Randall

Reminton R51 gripRemington Arms Company is introducing the new R51, a modern interpretation of the the Remington Model 51 “pocket pistol” from the turn of the century.  The R51 is intended to be a 9mm Parabellum concealed carry pistol with a single-stacked magazine and 7+1 round capacity.  Its futuristic looking exterior disguises 100-year-old technology—in a good way.

The original pistol was designed in 1917 by John Pedersen and incorporated his locking breech block and hesitation-locked action.  Yeah, I’m not sure exactly how those work, either.  But they do provide a low bore axis for the R51’s fixed barrel.  Remington goes on to say the Pedersen action absorbs some of the kick as it cycles.  Big Green touts these as giving the gun a 25% reduction in felt recoil.  That should help calm the 9mm +P’s for which the gun is rated.

R51 is hammer-fired.  It has a long-pull single action Continue reading →

Posted in Concealed Carry, Firearms, Off Duty | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Shooting the New Glock 42 at SHOT Show 2014 Media Day at the Range

Posted on January 19, 2014 by Randall

As I wrote in Glock Misses Perfection…, I was glad we made it to the Austrian (and USA) gunmaker early at SHOT Show 2014’s Media Day at the Range.  There was so much controversy regarding the release of the Glock 42 in .380 ACP that I haaaad to shoot one.  ASAP.

I own several Glocks. A G23, sporting a 22 round stick magazine, Speer GDHP’s, and Streamlight TRL-1S, is my current nightstand pistol.  I carry a Gen 4 G27 daily in my role as a detective sergeant.  I am not necessarily a fanboy.  I own and enjoy a safe full of other maker’s handguns, but I admire the utility of Gaston Glock’s pistols.

I guess I was not concerned about the looks or reliability of the 2014 Glock 42.  These things are…positively predictable.  The size of the new gun caused me curiosity.  Yes, I had read the specifications released for the G42.  It measured as comparable to my Kahr PM9, but was about a half inch longer at the slide.  Knowing this did not satiate my interest.

We waited for our turn at Media Day to receive an appetizer–a fistful of single stack Glock Continue reading →

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New Taurus View Revolver–Pushing the Limits of Minimalism

Posted on January 18, 2014 by Randall

Taurus View profileTaurus International Manufacturing, Inc. is pushing the envelope with the new “View” handgun.  Where their large Judge model expanded the continuum in one direction, the View stretches the opposing limit for minimalism in a personal defense revolver.  I was able to handle the View at Taurus’ SHOT Show 2014 booth.  A few thoughts…

Sporting a 1.41″ barrel and tiny hand grip, the profile of the View is smaller than even the most stripped down Smith & Wesson J-frame snubbies.  My immediate concern is in the size of the handle.  I have small-to-medium sized hands.  When I gripped the View tightly, I could barely get my ring finger above the very lower curve of the View’s butt.  In addition, there is no palm swell to the flat diminutive handle slabs.  As I held the View, I felt that it lacked enough surface area upon which to securely Continue reading →

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Rebar: Friend…or Foe?

Posted on January 16, 2014 by Randall

SHOT Show FloorSHOT Show is the fifth largest convention in Las Vegas.  But larger still is the Concrete Convention next March (well, it has a different name, but you get the gist).  I guess any convention makes sense to its attendees.  At dinner, writers Richard, Aaron, and I were trying to figure out what kind of seminars you would have for the concrete, asphalt, and construction crowd.  “Rebar: Friend…or Foe?” I said dramatically.  Laughing, Richard suggested I use it as the title to an article.  I think I also suggested, “Concrete Stamping and the Modern Aesthetic.”  Rebar was better.

I have been busily running around the Show floor for the last two days looking for interesting things.  I have talked to many nice folks.  When Richard said there is a game where you call out Danger Zone! when you spot a guy in 5.11 pants with a MOLLE backpack, I glanced down at my attire and called out myself.  It is a common look for this conference.  There is a tanker truck of testosterone in the law enforcement sections of the SHOT Show.  I even saw a guy in a very nice tan suit wearing a matching coyote brown MOLLE-laden pack.  Mixed messages.

Here are some photographs from the SHOT Show floor this year.  Enjoy.

SHOT Show BuggyRadom PM-06 Continue reading →

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Media Day at the Range 2014

Posted on January 13, 2014 by Randall

imageThe high desert was good to us this morning. Temperatures were a balmy 45 degrees for SHOT Show’s Media Day at the Range 2014. Compare that to last year’s 28 degree deep freezer. The winds, though prevalent again, were also relatively tame. Richard, Aaron, and I rode out to Boulder City on one of the shuttle buses, arriving promptly at 0800 after the 45 minute commute from the Strip.

Approximately 700 media members were invited to the morning session. The rest of the general media could come after noon. There seemed to be less of a crush this year, although we had a comical end to the bus ride when our driver had heated words with a staffer over where to drop us off, we were not immediately allowed to leave the vehicle, and a Boulder City cop had to be summoned to steal, uh, move someone’s obstructive idling truck/camper. This was capped off by a Media Day official rushing into the chaos and nearly wrecking his Yamaha four-wheeler right just off the port side of our bus! We had not even disembarked yet.

imageAfter waiting to get our Media Day passes, which never arrived by mail, we quickly struck out for the Glock display to check out (shoot) their new .380 G42. There was not much of a line, and suddenly then there was! We were glad we made it our first stop. Because of the controversial caliber choice, I guess everyone wanted to see what the fuss was about. I glanced over at the Glock shooting lanes throughout the day and the line of looky-loo’s never subsided. More on shooting the new sub- Continue reading →

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SHOT Show 2014

Posted on January 11, 2014 by Randall

SHOT Show 2014Mid-January is that time of year when I pack up my gear for the annual Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade Show in Las Vegas known as SHOT Show.

Armed with a press pass, I will again assault Media Day at the Range and the Show floor to bring back any battlefield pick-ups of information I can record on my reconnoiter.

I already published articles about two guns that will be “introduced” at the Show:  the Glock 42 and S&W M&P Bodyguard 380.  I have been receiving press releases non-stop for the last several months about new products that can be seen at SHOT.  With over 1,600 exhibitors on hand, it is calculated that if you tried to visit every booth during the four days of the floor, you could only spend 22 seconds at each one.  You will walk over 12 miles if you traverse the entire vendor space.  Last year, 62,000+ attendees and 2,500 media professionals descended upon the SHOT Show.  It is a crazy place for sure.

I am again looking forward to the Media Day at the Range.  This is the fun day when print, broadcast, and Internet journalists get to actually shoot the new toys in sunny and possibly chilly Boulder City.  Hey, guns I get to shoot  1)  with free ammo and  2)  that I don’t have to clean?  Sweet.

Stay by the monitor…

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New Glock Model 42 Misses Perfection by 2mm

Posted on January 9, 2014 by Randall

Glock 42Haters, Haters, Come Out to Play!  Glock has drawn much ire from firearms fans, pundits, and trolls over the company’s decision to manufacture a single stack .380 ACP pistol (9 x 17mm), instead of one chambered for the more powerful 9 x 19mm Parabellum.  That lousy little 2mm of case length, it seems, has raised a hue and cry.

The Glock pistol platform is accepted by many as a reliable and durable firearm.  Simple in its lack of external controls, it has developed strong followings in the civilian, Military, and law enforcement markets.  Ah, but the Teutonic stubborness of this Austrian company.

For many years, Glockophiles have clamored for everything from a single stack sub-compact pistol (exclude the chunky G36 here), to a submachine gun built on their Safe Action system, to, yeah, even a revolver.  Nein, the polymer design stayed within its original confines.

The Glock 25 and smaller G28, both in .380, are only available in the U.S.A. to law enforcement buyers, but exactly who would they be?  The compact G25 was introduced in 1995 for South American and European Continue reading →

Posted in Concealed Carry, Firearms, Off Duty | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

New Smith & Wesson M&P Bodyguard 380

Posted on January 5, 2014 by Randall

Smith & Wesson M&P Bodyguard 380Smith & Wesson has announced a variant of their popular Bodyguard 380.  This will be marketed as the M&P Bodyguard 380, adding to their Military & Police line.  Noticeably absent from this gun is the integral InSight laser.  When I first wrote at BlueSheepdog.com about the LAPD approving the Bodyguard 380 for on and off duty use, back in April of 2011, the Los Angeles Police Department had mandated that both the laser and manual safety be deactivated.  This version solves one of those requests.

I am ambivalent about the InSight laser.  I have kept mine functional and I occasionally use it at the range.  The activation buttons’ stiffness can be fixed by inserting a small rigid piece of material (I have seen snips of a Q-Tip shaft used) under the plastic buttons’ cover.  I prefer a laser that comes on automatically.  Overall, though, for me the laser neither adds nor detracts from the practicality of this handgun.

I have stated that I have no use for the safety lever on this gun.  The hammer-firing DAO trigger has a very long pull that breaks between 8 and 10 lbs, so I am not worried about an ND with the Bodyguard 380.  As far as I am concerned, S&W could have just removed the safety as well, but that would cause them to Continue reading →

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Tactical Medical Solutions Uniformed Medical Kit

Posted on January 1, 2014 by Randall

Tactical Medical Solutions, Inc. provides products and training resources for both combat and tactical medical applications.   Their Uniformed Medical Kit allows a police officer to carry vital medical supplies beneath his or her uniform shirt.  The pouch attaches with hook side Velcro™ to the loop field on the adjustable strap area of concealed body armor.  More loop material on the front of the UMK is available for the strap ends to affix.

Tactical Medical Solutions UMK wTactical Medical Solutions gives the following benefits to the UMK:

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Tactical Tailor Nylon MOLLE Archery Quiver

Posted on December 15, 2013 by Randall

Back on 4/1/2013, ITS Tactical posted a new archery product from Zulu Nylon Gear called The MOLLE Quiver.  H.S.,L.D. for traditional weaponry.  When you clicked on the link–waaa, waaaa–it was an April Fools joke.  But after readers showed much interest in buying the actual quiver, Zulu started a FaceBook page for the product.  It has yet to be released.

Having been a recurve bow archer for the last thirty years (on and off), I decided to get an inexpensive nylon MOLLE quiver of my own.  After surfing around and finding nothing to my liking, I settled on using a basic Tactical Tailor modular hydration pack.  I had written a review of the Tactical Tailor Urban Operator Backpack for Shot Show earlier this year.  I found their products to have a quality build.

Wanting to keep this project reasonably priced, I examined their website and saw a quick release two point sling adapter that would not dent my wallet.  I reasoned that I could thread the adjustable QR sling through the MOLLE loops on the back of Continue reading →

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