Some Magazine pouches PT 1

The best magazine pouch in the world is junk if your magazine is missing when you need it.  Finding that pouch that meets all of your needs for both protection and speed is very difficult.

Enter the ITW FastMag.  I thought this was going to be a gimmicky piece of plastic, and I admit I was wrong.  For T&E purposes I bought my first FastMag late in 2011.  Since then I must have 8-10 of them between my belts and vests.

The Fastmag uses a hinged design that when closed traps the magazine by friction.  Give that same magazine a slight rotation and now you have little to no friction and the magazine is instantly in your hand on its way into the weapon.

Tactical Tailor meets ITW Fastmag pouches.

There is a single rubber band that also provides tension, adding a 2nd or 3rd is possible but unless you are jumping from an aircraft or your body armor has too much play (that would be its own issue) you should never have any issue.  Replacement bands are very cheap also so it is not a bad idea to have an extra in a gear bag.

On the front there are built in slots to accept MALICE retention systems.   On my "battle belt" I placed a three pistol mag shingle over two matching FastMag pouches.  To limit interference with the vest the area above the mags (on the vest) is empty.  When worn together the belt and the vest match very well ease of movement is still maintained.

Two TT Direct Action Pouches plus two ITW Fastmag Pouches

Some Magazines

Magazines are commonly forgotten when we discuss the moving parts in an AR build. 

The first word in the magazine world you need to focus on is Magpul.  This company got its start in making small rubber tabs that wrapped around the base of a standard magazine to make pulling the magazine out of a pouch easier.

Years went by and they began making Stocks and Grips, making outstanding Stocks and Grips actually.  By looking at what was available on the market the fine people at Magpul made the decision to improve on the "throw away" item and make it more reliable.


The Pmag, short for Polymer Magazine.  Don't call it plastic, some people really get upset. The first one was the windowless 30 round magazine followed by the smaller 20 round version.  Able to take a beating and keep coming back for more. 

 For some of the European designs the Pmag did not fit as well due to the difference in magwell specs. For those weapons it is recommended to use the Emag (Export Magazine).  This includes the SCAR, FS2000, SA80 and the HK series of rifles.

20 Round Pmag with additional enhanced floor plate.

Pmag 30 with enhanced floor plate and Crye Precision Mag Clip

7.62 Pmag (only 20 rounds available)

 C-Products 32 Round 9mm Magazine.  For the dedicated Colt Pattern style of AR-15.  Also available now is the DDLES lower receiver that uses the standard Glock 17/34/26 Magazines.

 The best magazine I have ever used.  The best magazine change you make is the one that you don't have to.  This is a 60 Round Surefire magazine and it is a beast.  Quad Stack, 60 rounds and barely longer than the standard STANAG design.  The 100 round is also available but is much too long for most uses.  Going prone with the 60 is natural, with the 100 you can expect to rotate the weapon 90 degrees to keep the weapon out of the dirt.

For the dedicated .22 rifle I recommend "Black Dog" magazines.  I have no issues with reliable feeding and commonly use these on my range trips.  The original magazine that came with the .22 conversion kit was thrown away the first week that I used it (no regrets).  There is even a drum style magazine available that I am looking forward to trying.

And now, something completely different.

With all of this talk about the competition rifle, lets take a break and look at some pistols.

In my opinion we have several classes as pistols.

• Tactical
  • Practical
  • Modified
• Concealed Carry
• Open Carry
• Competition
• Precision shooting

Tactical

Lets start with tactical. “Practical” is the idea of the general issue pistol. I was issued the M9 as a soldier. With the high safety it makes accidents more difficult as well as takes more time to get the weapon into action.

As a competitor in Hawaii I used the Beretta 96 as my competition pistol due to being issued the M9. The M9 (92) and 96 are very similar pistols, almost identical except for caliber. The 96 is a 40 caliber and the 92 is a 9mm. The 40 caliber had a better “power factor” as was able to take down the steel targets where the 9mm would not.

Since it was the same pistol overall it would not change my “muscle memory” and in a combat situation I would not make a critical error.

Now, I don't do anything simple when it comes to my firearms. The FNP-45 Tactical has a threaded barrel, rail for lights or laser (or combo of both). I am still waiting on the ATF to return my tax stamp for the Gemtech Blackside suppressor that I purchased last year. When it arrives I will be able to suppress the sound and the flash. Shown in the picture is a Streamlight flashlight.

Concealed Carry

There are a lot of things here to talk about. Size matters is one them. Insert Joke Here.....

There are many pistols on the market that are made to conceal and finding the one that fits you is what matters. This is assuming you are buying a quality firearm.

.380 is a popular round, but I am not a fan. Most 380 caliber pistols are really, really small but that does not help help recoil. Too small of a pistol and the recoil is not managed well. Too large of a pistol for a small caliber and you loose the benefit of the of the small ammo (concealment).

Springfield V10 Ultra Compact and G26 (Shown with optional Magpul floor plate)

The small frame 1911 format is a great choice. Seven rounds of .45 in a pistol that you conceal easily is a good choice to have if you need it. The ten rounds of 9mm in my Glock 26 is also a good choice. The right ammo is always a factor no matter what you carry. One of the benefits to both of the above is that you do not have to relearn what you know. Using a small frame 1911 feels the same as the bigger version as does the Glock 26. You do lose some accuracy with the smaller barrels, but these are self defense weapons and not competition models. 

Open Carry

Why? All you do is let the bad guys know you are their biggest threat and should be taken out first.

If you choose to carry, and can legally do it where you live, conceal it. If you carry so you can tell the world that you are a “big boy” then go back to playing your video games and telling 12 year old kids online that you are a bad ass.

Competition

This is a world of its own. Normally I shoot competitions with a 1911A1 (Kimber Desert Warrior). The 1911 Frame is great for competition due to the weight and balance.

Kimber Desert Warrior with ten round magazine.

Most matches I shoot in limit the magazine capacity to 10 rounds so having ten .45 caliber or ten 9mm rounds doesn't make a difference, you get no real advantage with higher capacity rounds and the .45 always takes the steel down as long as you hit it.

The Glock G34 is my Glock choice. A longer barrel, better balance and the perfect grip for my hand makes the G34 perfect for me. After market parts make this pistol very easy to upgrade, when competition is judged to tenths of a second, speed matters.

G34, Trijicon Night Sights.  Optional Magpul Floor plate

Precision Shooting

This all about hitting the 10. Its all about shot groups. The better the shooting, the better the score, usually shot from a bench or standing, just depends on the match rules.

The Ruger 10/22 is my competition .22. Simple and accurate. The bipod provides a stable platform when benched, with out it the grip is perfectly balanced.

Slings and Swivels

Does this sling make my rifle look fat?

Slings are commonly misrepresented. A sling is not what you rest your weapon on. End of story. Well, not quite the end.

Slings have been around for a long time, rifles used to be much longer, heavier and over long distances it made sense to sling a rifle for an extended amount of time. The Civil War is over and a modern rifle in a military manner needs to be presentable at a moments notice.

Luckily this is a competitive scenario, a sling is a necessary item for transitioning to a second weapon. A good sling will...

• Support the weapon during transitions.
• Stay out of the way when you don't need it.
• Be adjustable.
• Be easily removable.

My choice is the Viking Tactical V-TAC two point sling. Two point slings attach at “two” points. One at the front, the other in the back, either on the point behind the grip or on the stock itself.

A single point only attaches to one point, normally behind the grip.

External attachment points.

FRONT

Daniel Defense

A single rail mount attachment point for the quick disconnect swivel. A little blocky but that is of no real concern. Functions properly and doesn't fall off.

DD Sling Cup

Magpul Snap connect

Vltor Gas block attachment point.

The gas block is at a good position to connect a sling. You must make sure that the gas block is properly attached and not going to shift. A sling attached to the front gas block that is not correctly tightened can shift and disrupt the gas flow (causing failure).

VLTOR Gas Block

Gear Sector

My personal favorite. It attaches and functions identically as the DD but has a more streamlines appearance. Available in black and Flat Dark Earth (FDE) to match your rifle.

Gear Sector Sling Cup

REAR

 

Now things get interesting. Front attachment points really break down into one category. Front goes in Front. Now the rear sling attachment points are a bit more personal. Behind the grip or on the stock is a personal choice.

The Magpul UBR stock has built in sling swivel points. One behind the grip and another on the rear segment.

Magpul UBR Stock

The ACS stock also has a built in point on the rear of the stock.

Magpul ACS

The Noveske plate has a built in sling point. It is out of the way and makes perfect sense.

Noveske Sling Cup

Having the sling point behind the grip is a simple choice for me. When I release the weapon it falls into a comfortable position without hitting me in the legs or crotch. As I drop a rear sling point it falls too far for me.

 

Single point Slings.

I wont use them.

If they fail, the fail catastrophically. They tend to distribute the weight to one point on the body and get to be uncomfortable very quickly.

 The Magpul Single point Sling. Good Idea, poor execution. The second version improved on the first but still does not meet my needs.  With the correct connectors you can turn it into a two point but with the rail hook shape the sling can be twisted and uncomfortable.

Blackhawk Single Point

Magpul V1 Sling

 V-Tac, still my first choice.

Snap Links. For some weapons they are needed. When a swivel cup isn't an option the snap link is an outstanding second choice.

Quick Disconnect. Small and Large, except for the size they are same concept.

A clear sight picture is essential to hitting your target. Optics can serve multiple purposes but all are a force multiplier meant to give you an edge on the range or in the field.

Military optics continue to improve in what appears to be every six months. Every time you turn around now the big three (Trigicon, Eotech and Aimpoint) seem to have something new and better on the street.

The ACOG, a 4x Fixed gun sight that is pricey, but worth every penny. Using the Binden Aiming Concept you can hit close range targets and reach out and hit the 500 yard targets in the next breath. The ACOG has a fiber optic element that gathers ambient light and projects it into the cross-hair. This creates an intense, easy to recognize sight picture that the brain pics up on during movement.

Aimpoint Red Dots are a simple single power CQO, Close Quarters Optic. A simple red dot is projected on the lense. Once you zero the optic, the dot is the point of impact. Put the dot on the target, put the bullet on your target, zero fuss. For long range purposes you can add a magnifier to give the Aimpoint a bit of more reach.

Eotech optics are very similar to the Aimpoint. A larger circle with a single dot in the center. Same idea, put the dot on the target and engage the trigger. Magnifiers are available for shooting at distance targets.

RMR. Ruggedized Miniature Red dot. Just like the Aimpoints, just at a fraction of the size. The Dr. Optic was included with a version of the ACOG, the Dr Optic sat on top of the ACOG and gave you instant close range aiming. Eventually Trijicon designed a ruggedized version that is more durable than the Dr. Optic.

Battery Operated or Fiber Optic/Tritium make the RMR a great choice. The Fiber Optic/Tritium version has a larger dot and works well with shotguns and close range work. The battery operated version has a smaller dot that works very well with pistols and rifles.

Back up iron sights are a necessity. Optics can break. The will break or batteries will die. Just a matter of when, not if. The TROY iron sights are my personal choice. At nearly $200 for the front and rear, more if you want the tritium inserts they are not cheap.

These are as good as any non folding iron sights available. I consider them to be the best on the market and will very rarely use anything else. I put these on rifles and shotguns. For height reasons there are two height variations. The Micro versions are the same as the standard, but with shorter towers. I put the shorter versions on the Mesa tactical rails (Remington 870) and put the standard on most of my rifles.

Troy Front Folder

Troy Rear Folder

There are other options, Magpul MBUS sights are an option, at about half of the price and nearly the same weight. I don't care for them myself, plastic sights can crack when too much pressure is put on them. The spring loaded mechanism can open when bumped and they seem a bit bulky (gen II versions appear to attempt to correct the issues).

Barrels and Rails

Now that we have a good grasp on the Lower Receiver a decision needs to be made about barrel length.

We have lots of options. Keep in mind, in Arizona you can have Short Barreled Rifles (SBR, anything less than 16 inches) as long as you have a registered SBR permit for the receiver. I have two registered SBR AR-15 lowers.

Top to Bottom - 20 inch Colt barrel, 16 inch PRI barrel, 10.5 Spikes Tactical Barrel

  
The most common barrel is the 16 inch barrel. It is a great mix of ease of use and accuracy. Too long and people complain about how unwieldy it is. Too short and you lose some of the accuracy of the 5.56 round.

I use everything from 8 inches to 20 inches depending on the event. 10.5 inches performs well at 0-200 yards but anything further out is a waste. I can't depend on a hit at anything past 200 yards. With the 16-20 inch barrels I shoot out to 500 yards. Beyond 500 yards I use a .308 or larger.

8 Inch Barrel with Noveske KX-3

10.5 Spikes Tactical Barrel

Free Float vs Non Free float.

Points of contact with the barrel inhibit barrel whip during firing. Most people do not realize that the barrel can flex during use. By having only one point of contact that barrel can move without restriction and return to its natural state more efficiently. In the grand scheme of things, I can not tell the difference in accuracy but the physics makes sense and most of the rails I use are free float anyway.

6.8 barrel.  Note the 7.62 Flash Suppressor Compensator.

Rails

This is where the price of a weapon can really change. In the last ten years a rail system has become standard equipment. Lots of “cool guy” stuff can be added (while increasing the weight) and make the rifle more effective.

Daniel Defense (DD) has been setting the standard on rail systems. Using their own barrel nut to hold the rails into place and 6 screws to provide a solid contact point to the weapon makes this a rock solid rail system. The near $400 price point makes it a tough choice for budget minded consumers.

3 of the 6 anchor screws

Troy is newer to the market and gets good quality rails to the end user for about half the price. The never version of the rails has an improved attachment point system. In the photos you will notice two screws at the bottom that provide the tension on the propriety barrel nut. The newer version has 3 anchors that put tension on the stock barrel nut.

Troy rifle Rails

Last Generation 2 anchor screw version.

KAC
Continuously berated due to the cost and lack of quality (the top lock down screw is easily lost). The military has spent a fortune on theses rails. In my opinion this was the system that started the craze for all of the modern variants.

14.5 on the M4 carbine, perm FH

Press the trigger…

Now the upper is on track. We will now be looking at the lower receiver. The assumption here is that you have a good quality lower receiver that is in spec.

For the longest time I have been using the Rock River Arms (RRA) 2-Stage triggers. The 2 stage allowed a range of smooth movement and then tension just before the hammer was released.

 

In speed completion where seconds count I discovered that the trigger pull was not meeting the expectations I had. I needed something where I have a nice crisp pull, consistent and quick reset. The Timney was my first choice, at $200 this trigger seemed to be effortless. The problem was in the reset, the versions (two identical versions) I had tended to “bump fire” when shooting from a bench. When a weapon “bump fires” the recoil impulse from the discharge of the intended round is enough pressure to fire the next round unintentionally. Firing 3-5 rounds sounds like fun, but an inconsistent burst needs to be avoided.

When I came across the LWRC Enhanced Fire Control Group I decided to give it a try. At half the cost of a Timney I didn’t think I would have anything to lose. Now I have three. This trigger is amazing, at half the cost I get the same consistent trigger pull without the hassle of accidental discharges.

Installation is identical to any standard trigger group.

Now before we finish this installment of the blog, I would be a poor example if I didn’t recommend that you install the KNS Precision Pin Set. I thought these were a “cool guy” item for the longest time and then I had my hammer pin slide out halfway and completely stop the rifle cold.

KNS pins replace the factory pin set with a threaded trigger pin and notched hammer pin. A connecting rod travels from one to the other and when properly installed makes an immobile pin set

KNS Pins