Tactical Lifeの January/February 2019 の目次

Designed to be worn inside the front pocket of your pants by Bill Rapier and Northman Blades, the new Northman knife fits in a very unique category of blades. The partially serrated, 4.5-inch Bohler M390 blade can serve in a number of roles, with a spear point well suited for combat. M390 is a stainless steel known for exceptional durability and toughness. Given Bill’s background in fieldcraft and survival training, it makes sense that the Kydex sheath has an integral ferro rod that can be used for starting fires or night signaling. The sheath is designed for deep pocket carry, making it easy to conceal. The G10 handle sculpting is aggressive for a secure purchase without being uncomfortable in hand for sustained use. Finally, the knife comes in at 6.88…

FN’s SCAR 17 is one of the most reliable, accurate and dependable 7.62mm NATO battle rifles on the market today. The select-fire SCAR 17 is still in service with U.S. Special Missions Units, and the semi-auto SCAR 17S is one of the few that regularly survives Gunsite’s Battle Rifle class unscathed. Similar rifles reportedly suitable for hard use drop like flies in that class, some prior to the end of Day One. Lightweight with moderate recoil, the piston-driven SCAR 17 platform is simple, straightforward and accurate under the harshest conditions. So it’s no wonder that our most elite special operations soldiers looked to the SCAR 17 (or MK17 in military parlance) when they wanted a reliable, battle-hardened 7.62mm set up for accurate, longer-range fire. The result was the MK20 Sniper…

There’s never been a better time to indulge your retro AR nostalgia. I decided to build up my own retro AR based on Colt’s Model 601, the first production model to see military service and the sleekest of the ARs. It had no forward assist or protective raised gate around the magazine release, giving its receiver a slab-sided look you’ll find on vintage civilian Colt SP1 rifles. It also had a distinctive triangular-head charging handle, a three-prong “duckbill” flash suppressor and green furniture instead of the familiar black that came later. A little over 14,000 were made before production ceased in 1963. The U.S. Air Force got 8,500, the Army took 1,000 to field test in Vietnam, and Navy SEALs took a few for their operations. SOLID FOUNDATION For this…

Cobalt Kinetics, being a Utah-based outfit, is no stranger to hunting endeavors. In other words, there’s more to Cobalt than radical, innovative tactical weapons. New this year in the Model 27 series is the Hunter. Tactical Life recently received a New-York-compliant sample chambered in the new .224 Valkyrie. Other Hunter chamberings include the 6.5 Grendel and .223 Wylde. The fit and camouflage finish on the rifle are outstanding. We’ll be putting the gun through its paces on Northeastern whitetails, feeding it Federal’s new 90-grain .224 Valkyrie Fusion ammunition. Be on the lookout for a full-length feature in the October/November 2019 issue of Tactical Life magazine, which will be heavily focused on modern sporting rifles, shotguns and big-bore handguns.…

The Pulsar Trail XQ50 is a midpriced thermal scope with some really nice features that boost its value significantly. I’ve been running the XQ50 since late spring of 2018 and have found the video and photo features to be tremendously useful in assessing wildlife populations around the farm. We’ve located lost chicks after predators have spread the flock at dusk and witnessed interactions that we would’ve never seen with an image-intensifying device alone. I’ve identified new locations where I’ll hang trail cameras this fall by observing game entering the field from over 700 yards away. The thermal detection capabilities, combined with the variable zoom, help me keep buildings and equipment secure without having to physically go to those structures. And when it comes to night hunting for hogs or varmints,…

The HK416 began as a joint initiative between Heckler & Koch and the U.S. Army’s Delta Force in the early 1990s. Their mission was to design the most reliable and effective close-combat weapon in the world. The resulting HK416 combined mechanical attributes from several different systems. The basic chassis is classic Eugene Stoner. The AR sports the finest ergonomics ever built into a combat rifle, so that didn’t change. The action was born with Stoner’s AR-18, but enhanced and polished through British SA80 upgrades as well as the ill-fated XM8 assault rifle trials. The end result is a rugged gas-piston-driven system adapted from the HK G36 that just won’t quit. A friend who did more than half a dozen combat tours as a Delta operator said they would start a…

In the wide world of knives, there are dozens of niches to cover every possible need. And then you have what I call “taboo blades” like balisong/butterfly knives as well as autos and switchblades. These are knives that you can quickly deploy with just one hand. But what makes these knives so insidious that numerous laws from the federal to the local levels have been created to stifle their possession and use since the 1950s? Do they grant the user special powers? Not at all. In fact, it’d be easy to prove that the latest assisted openers and other quick-deploy methods have supplanted the more taboo blades. But let’s take a closer look, and this is a good place to remind readers to check their local laws before investing in…

I had the opportunity to attend the Amtac Force on Force course hosted by Stone Wall Arms in Bangor, Maine. This course builds upon pistol handling and introduces the concepts of drawing under stress, movement and scenario-based decision making. Our course started with a review of how to build a proper combative stance for using your tools, be it your empty hands, a blade or a pistol. The course proceeded with a mix of strict slow-fire accuracy and managing recoil during rapid-fire strings. Students also learned various ways of shooting with one hand and sighting in using the front sight and back plate of the pistol. During the course, students had the opportunity to practice force-on-force training with airsoft pistols and protective gear. We were also introduced to various medical…

The field of tactical optics is cluttered these days. This deep into the 21st century, you can’t eat at the cool kids’ table at the local range if you don’t have something electronic and sparkly perched atop your favorite black gun. While there are literally hundreds of options that incorporate LEDs, holograms, armored housings and lasers, only one company directly harnesses the energy of the sun to power its gun sights. Holosun optics are reliably different and eminently cool, all at a surprisingly reasonable price point. BURNING BRIGHT Our favorite star is a G2V Yellow Dwarf that is fairly unremarkable in a universal sense. We spin around the sun monotonously at a distance of about 93 million miles. If you could climb into your car, set the cruise control on…

With the recent spike in interest in historic AR platforms, we’re seeing a number of manufacturers show some love to the military ancestors of the world’s most versatile sporting rifle. Luth-AR makes a number of parts and uppers that will appeal to the retro AR builder. Luth-AR is a precision manufacturing shop founded by Randy Luth, the man who founded DPMS/Panther Arms, that has earned praise for its versatile MBA series buttstocks. The company’s retro line includes stripped and fully assembled A1 upper receivers, allowing you to create your own transitional M16A1E1, the immediate predecessor of the M16A2. This upper simply sported the nowfamiliar shell deflector. It retained the M16’s original carry handle and two-position flip rear sight. The receiver was tested by the U.S. military in the 1970s before…

Hosted this year in the tech-centric city of Bellevue, Washington, just a short drive from Seattle, TriggrCon is quickly establishing itself as a technology-driven event offering some of the most innovative and progressive products in the firearms industry. Although the Pacific Northwest is often associated with liberal-leaning politics, there is a strong defense and aerospace industry presence as well as a surprisingly large yet somewhat reserved firearms community. The Bellevue and Seattle areas are home to such well-known giants as Microsoft, Amazon, Intel, SpaceX and Boeing, and the innovative spirit flows over to the developers and producers of firearms and tactical products as well. CMC DROP-IN GLOCK TRIGGER Among the seemingly endless parade of customized accessories and aftermarket products, CMC Triggers continues to grow as one of the premier providers…

The 1946 film The Best Years of Our Lives, which went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, told the story of three men coming home from World War II and their struggles to adapt to civilian life. For many coming out of the military today—especially after an overseas deployment—that adjustment can be just as difficult. However, today’s military veterans continue to show a determination to take their skills and training and build a business, and with it a comfortable life. It isn’t always easy, but several men and women offered their thoughts here on how their time in the military prepared them for this next chapter in their lives. In many cases, it has included working closely with firearms, including marketing, manufacturing and selling them. “Honestly, firearms…

Editor’s Note: This story was originally published in the Evansville, Indiana, Courier & Press and at courierpress.com. On Easter Sunday 52 years ago, Lieutenant John Libs sat a in jungle halfway around the world from his Evansville home and anxiously pondered what was to come. Libs and the Charlie Company platoon under his command had already been out a few weeks on Operation Abeline—a mission to coax a large, deadly Viet Cong unit called D800 into battle. The group was on its own, patrolling thickets of trees and bushes, not returning to base camp. Essentially, Libs and his men were being used as bait. Charlie Company was outnumbered, too, by at least three to one. The mission was uneventful until Easter, which fell on April 10, 1966. The platoon gathered…

The fat lady was blowing on her pitch pipe on the last day of firearms deer season when the unexpected happened. The wind was set to shift from north to northeast at 3 p.m. on my farm in southern Middle Tennessee, which would drift my scent away from any deer feeding into my rifle range planted in winter wheat and turnips. This last hurrah would be as good a chance as any to collect some late-season venison and try out a new rifle. The day before, Savage’s new Stealth 10 BA Stealth rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor had arrived at my local gun shop. I had just enough time before dark to attach a Bushnell 3.5-21x50mm Elite Tactical HDMR scope and zero it at 100 yards. I’ve got a DOA Shooting…

Precision rifle competitions continue to grow in popularity. Major matches host as many as 300 competitors over several days. Most are family oriented, and many people travel the country in motorhomes and trailers to attend. The competitors enjoy the shooting, but they also look forward to the camaraderie, fellowship and fun that comes with every match. Competitions make for great times, but unfortunately, they can also be expensive and time-consuming. Include travel, lodging, ammunition and meals, and you are talking thousands of dollars, so it’s not something everyone can do. What’s the solution? Local matches are more affordable and shorter, with fewer attendees. These require minimal travel and have courses of fire designed for mere mortals and factory-built rifles. Thankfully, firearms manufacturers have stepped up to the plate, too. Ruger…

After multiple tours as a U.S. Navy SEAL, Bill Rapier transitioned to civilian life. But he hasn’t slowed down. As the owner of American Tactical Shooting Instruction, or Amtac, Bill has brought his unique blend of physicality, martial mindset and unrelenting drive to law-abiding Americans devoted to preserving their way of life and the lives of their loved ones. Always seeking out new learning opportunities, Bill is a solid instructor who understands how to get better performance out of his students. It is no surprise that his courses, offered around the country, fill up quickly, and he is becoming one of the most sought-after instructors. I had a chance to sit down with Bill and speak to some of those who know him best. Here’s what you should know. ONE…

Tactical Walls is an American-owned and -operated company based out of the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia that was co-founded by Tim Matter and Chris Wood. It predominantly uses U.S.-made parts rather than importing foreign-made materials, and everything it offers to the market is handcrafted, easy to install and simple to use. As the company’s motto states, its goal is to offer “discreet storage solutions for every room.” NOT JUST ANY WALL One of these new home-storage solutions is the “MODWall” that helps organize and display all of your “coolguy gear.” Not only does the MODWall help the average Joe get things organized, but it can be installed in gun shops, non-firearms-related businesses and basement man caves alike. It’s the perfect solution for reducing clutter and will surely improve your relationships…

While it might be hard to believe, enough time has passed for Eugene Stoner’s original AR-pattern rifles to be classified as “Curios & Relics” by the government. How can a platform that is still in wide use today qualify? The BATFE considers a firearm that was manufactured “at least 50 years prior to the current date” to fall under their definition of Curio & Relic, or C&R. This means that Colt’s SP1, which began production in 1964, obtained C&R status back in 2014. Based on serial numbers, it is believed that there are more than 10,000 C&R-eligible ARs in existence right now. Everything old is new again. Combine the popularity of the AR platform with the resurgence of all things retro, and it comes as no surprise that those original…

While much of the AR’s internal and bolt-on development has been truly beneficial to the design and to today’s buyers, I don’t think I stand alone in saying you’ve got to come up with something that goes well beyond merely a new color pattern or a different laser mount to grab my eye. But that is possible, as the PR announcement Cobalt Kinetics sent out in mid-2018 did. My initial “What the hell is that?” reaction was probably about the same as yours in looking at the pictures here. Eye-grabber? You betcha, and that goes for even the most jaded AR-15 guy or gal in the room. Cobalt Kinetics isn’t exactly a household name in the AR world, but this young Utah-based company incorporated in 2014 with the intention of…

Shotguns have been go-to firearms for generations. Double-barreled, pumpaction and semi-auto scatterguns have all played important roles in civilian personal defense. Many law enforcement agencies and military units have relied on them for close-quarters battle as well. But today, shotguns are being challenged by semi-auto rifles and rifle-based pistols for the title of “top dog” for close encounters. On the other hand, makers of shotguns aren’t sitting around crying in their beer. One new contender for the close-quarters heavyweight title is the 12-gauge, semi-auto bullpup. BULLPUP BASICS Some years ago, my friend Massad Ayoob wrote that most shotguns were like artillery: big and really powerful but not very mobile. He suggested that they were best at engaging targets across a room from behind cover. However, 12-gauge bullpups are more like…

One of the hottest trends in the handgun industry is the adoption of reflex sights for our favorite carry pieces. Indeed, I have read a few articles where authors have opined that pistol-mounted red-dot sights will soon be the rule rather than the exception. There’s certainly a strong argument to be made that they aid in faster target acquisition and more precise shot placement. But what could you do to make such a pistol even better? Springfield Armory answered that question with the recent introduction of its new XD(M) Optical Sight Pistol (OSP) in 9mm with a threaded barrel and suppressor-height sights. They did this because, well, why not? As the saying goes, “Go big or go home.” WORLDS COLLIDE So what’s really new here for Springfield Armory? The company…

Are you sitting in your cubicle after years of being on deployment, feeling you are in an episode of Office Space? Pondering how to put your GI Bill to use, but the underwater basket-weaving course at the community college just doesn’t sound appealing? Well, here’s a program that will send you out the door set up for success with the tools you need for a new mission altogether. American K-9 Interdiction (AK9I) is the only canine school in the United States that is currently established to allow a student to use their GI Bill benefits for school tuition. In addition to the GI Bill, service-disabled veterans with a 20-percent disability rating or greater can request approval for vocational rehabilitation training. Ryan D’Agostino, a former Marine infantry rifleman now training with…

Primary Arms recently released its new Advanced 30mm Red Dot. It actually looks rather similar to an Aimpoint PRO, but without the steep price tag. And since it’s a 30mm reddot sight, there are endless options in terms of supporting mounts. According to Primary Arms, this newest offering has a 14,000-hour run time on one CR1/3N battery, three night-vision settings out of 10 total reticle brightness levels, and a lifetime warranty. Turning the rotary control switch all the way in either direction will power the sight down. The dot itself is very bright, without the distortion you’ll find on many competitive models. That’s amazing for a 2-MOA red-dot sight. Primary Arms also claims that it’s stronger than any of its previous full-sized sighting options. And after conducting my recent battery…

For 12 years, Midwest Industries has been driven by a single mantra: Make good guns better. The company applies inimitable American ingenuity and quality to make awesome additions to just about anything that shoots. Headquartered in a small town in Wisconsin, Midwest Industries produces affordable, high-quality accessories for everything from the Galil to the CZ Scorpion, the M4, the HK416 and everything in between. When the United States Department of Energy needed accessory rails to make the best assault rifle in the world even better, they looked to Midwest Industries for the gear. Considering what is riding on it, these guys need the best hardware on the planet. NUCLEAR SECURITY On August 6, 1945, a B-29 Superfortress named the Enola Gay and piloted by Colonel Paul Tibbets released a 9,700-pound…