Spartan Village‘s PrairiefirePhoto produced this rockstar video for Redback One.
What do you think?
Archive for April, 2012
Redback One
Tuesday, April 10th, 2012Natick Purchases Alexium Cleanshell CB Treated Fabric for Testing
Tuesday, April 10th, 2012Natick has purchased 600 yards of Cleanshell CB treated fabrics from International Group Limited. The order consists of several types of fabrics for testing. All have been treated with latest version of the Cleanshell CB treatment, which has been developed over the last nine months and optimized to provide water and oil repellency as well as improved repellency of Chemical Warfare Agent (CWA) simulants. In fact, this new treatment offers days of protection versus minutes for earlier Cleanshell treatments or conventional fluorocarbon repellency finishes.
Kryptek Belt Buckles
Tuesday, April 10th, 2012Kryptek is adding some mighty fancy belt buckles to their selection of swag. Check it out. As you can see it incorporates the elements of their logo as well as their motto, “Battlefield to Backcountry.”
Size Comparison – SureFire HellFighter 4 & Mini Hellfighter
Tuesday, April 10th, 2012We took this photo at SHOT Show which should give you a good idea of the difference in size between Surefire’s HellFighter 4 and the ‘Mini HellFighter”. According to SureFire it’s LED based rather than HID and produces 2000 lumens versus the 3000 lumens of the HF1 and HF4. No word on when or if it will hit the street.
For more information on the SureFire HellFighter heavy weapon lights visit www.SureFire.com.
Georgia Health Sciences University Testing Brains to Find Camo Busters
Monday, April 9th, 2012Georgia Health Sciences University is conducting magnetic imaging testing of the human brain to identify those who can ‘see’ items concealed by camouflage. According to a recent report on Georgia TV station WDRW the research is being funded by the Office of Army Research who is providing more than $500,000 over three years.
Dr Jay Hegde, the principal investigator and GHSU Postdoctoral Fellow Dr Xing Chen are using a relatively simple technique they developed to teach civilian volunteers to detect camouflage. In testing, they flash a series of camouflage pictures on a computer screen, providing about a half second after each to spot, for instance, a face in a sea of mushrooms. Test subjects receive instant feedback on their progress.
They use the magnetic imaging suite to monitor the brain as it detects the item of interest. Dr Hegde says a simple brain scan may identify Soldiers with a natural aptitude for identifying things that are out of place. They also think this skill could extend to precision shooting. However, as in most things, subjects get better with training. An hour of daily training over as little as two weeks results in 60% proficiency in test subjects.
Jacobs Engineering Group Awarded PEO Soldier SETA Contract
Monday, April 9th, 2012Jacobs Engineering Group Inc was recently awarded a contract with a ceiling of $157 million for Systems Engineering and Technical Assistance ( SETA ) support to PEO Soldier. The contract has a one base year and two one-year extension options.
SETA contracts are the life blood of many beltway contracting firms as well as their Government (primarily DoD) clients. Much of the day-to-day work in R&D and acquisition organizations which does not require decision making is accomplished by SETA contractors. Additionally, many SETA primes provide specialized expertise or rely on other subcontractors for this service.
The system may seem bloated and wasteful to some but it allows a Government organization to bring in experts for short periods of time to complete projects without bringing them on the payroll full time or letting a new contract each time a new project begins. Rather, a task order is issued to the SETA contractor and they work out the details with the Government client and line up the proper support team for the project. It’s actually both quick and efficient and allows the team to change dynamically as situations arise. Such Government-SETA contracts have allowed organizations such as the Rapid Equipping Force and PEO Soldier to deal so swiftly with ad hoc requirements from the field.
However, the relationship with SETA contractors has changed along with the current defense budget environment and they have become more streamlined. Take for example PEO Soldier itself. Working with Army Material Command, PEO Soldier was able to identify redundancies in support and with little fanfare transitioned to a smaller contractor footprint. Gone are the days of the Haymarket building filled with contractors. Yet, support to the Soldier hasn’t suffered.
PEO Soldier and other DoD organizations will continue to rely on SETA and other types of contractors. Remember, they offer a cost effective means for the Government to dynamically grow and shrink the work force without growing the size of the Government payroll itself.
JM Custom Kydex
Monday, April 9th, 2012
Reno-based JM Custom is owned by Tony Mayer. We were introduced about two months ago by a mutual industry friend who had been running Tony’s rigs for awhile and thought I should take a look. I’m glad he did.
I’ve been using their IWB model with my G19 for about a month now and I really like it. It’s comfortable with no sharp edges and rides well. Additionally, the holster is fairly thin but still stiff and features a good curve in order to conform to the body. The curve is important since the holster is quite wide in order stabilize the weapon. There’s also an adjustable retention screw that allows you to control the amount of retention. I keep mine fairly tight since I don’t plan on removing the gun from the holster a lot when I am wearing it. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not cranked down so hard that it won’t come out but conversely, I don’t want it coming out at the wrong time, especially if I am moving around a lot.
But I think that some of what is going on here is in the ordering process. They offer several options including degree of cant and this not only aids with presentation but also carry. Additionally, they will customize the body shield which can be Full, Mid length, none, or anything in between.
The one little complaint I have isn’t really a complaint. Rather than fixed loops featured on some holsters, Tony’s loops include lift-the-dot snaps so you can remove it without taking your belt off. As you know, lift-the-dots are tough and monkeying with them while the holster on can be awkward. Not to worry. I can easily remove my belt. I also have to say that the loops are leather and don’t irritate or chafe.
JM Custom Kydex is a straight forward business and their warranty policy reflects this.
“Our warranty is simple. If you are not happy with your product for any reason in the first two weeks, return it for a full refund. If your product breaks during normal use(be straight with me about normal use) and I will replace it at no charge, forever. If you would like to increase or decrease retention on your holster send it back to me and I will adjust it per your instructions until your happy with it. Be straight with me and I will be straight with you.”
I love the IWB holster and suggest you check them out. Current lead times are 3-4 weeks.
Specialized Tactical Systems
Monday, April 9th, 2012
We were initially introduced to Specialized Tactical Systems at SHOT Show 2011 by Crye. For the past several years STS has produced weapons that are literally functional works of art on both engineering and aesthetic levels for Crye Precision sponsored fundraisers. This year’s gun (see below) with the desert digital finish raised $16,000 for the Wounded Warrior Foundation, Unit Scholarship Fund, and Navy Seal Fund.
At this year’s SHOT Show we renewed our acquaintance with STS and got a chance to take a closer look at their wares. We gotta tell you, Specialized Tactical Systems can build a gun. And you want to know how we know? We didn’t just take a look at what they are doing, but also at their customers. Turns out, they hand build rifles for several high end outfits including Craft International. In fact, they’ve been Craft International’s exclusive OEM manufacturer of AR15 and M16 weapons for a few years now.
Craft approached STS in 2009 at TTPOA in San Antonio looking for a high end manufacturer of weapons to do some OEM rifles for them. They didn’t want the standard “builder” of weapons but rather were looking for a Tier 1 weapons manufactured by a company with a record. Since then STS OEMs almost every Piston rifle they offer for Craft to include: Titan E, Titan SF, Titan 300, Titan I and Titan B.
You may have seen photos of Craft’s Chris Kyle carrying a black rifle in the press or in his book, “American Sniper.” That’s right. It’s a Specialized Tactical Systems carbine.
STS also produces custom lowers for certain customers. For more information on the full line of STS TiTAN weapons visit www.specializedtactical.com.
