These past two days have been rough for America’s law enforcement community. We mourn the loss of the three officers killed in the line of duty and our condolences go out to their families and loved ones.
For all of the rest of you. Be careful and strive for excellence in all that you do. Keep your head in the game. We are counting on you.
This combat shirt was developed for the Malaysian military as a jungle uniform by UK specialist manufacturer Crib Gogh. It incorporates a padded shawl-style collar and take up tabs through ought the design. In fact, you may notice padding in several sections of the shirt. This is D3O. Additionally, the back of the shirt features a mesh strip to mitigate overheating while wearing a pack.
Last week, we had an opportunity to check out War Sport Industries’ new campus in Robbins, North Carolina. I’d heard rumors of ammunition manufacturing in this new factory. Turns out, the rumors were true, and then some. Granted, I was looking forward to the visit if for no more reason than catching up with new National Sales Manager, Adam Pini. What I didn’t expect, was the size of the new War Sport undertaking.
One of the initial things you see when you visit War Sport Industries is a display case set into the floor containing the very first LVOA.
War Sport Industries started out in 2011 with a couple of simple textile products and quickly expanded to firearms design and manufacturing. While the growth may have seemed stalled over the past few months, that’s only because they’ve been working behind the scenes.
2013-14 saw the growth of War Sport from a small textile and weapon assembly concern into planned growth to five full, independent although complementary, plants. At War Sport, we have been making strategic hires and concentrating on creating processes that will have all five of our plants manufacturing after the first of the year. We will offer barrels, components, full rifles, accessory textiles and even ammunition. Additionally, for 2015 we are expanding our product line, reaching into retail sales for the first time with our rifle components.
Joey Boswell,
CEO War Sport Industries, LLC
War Sport Industries now occupies a 28 acre campus that houses five distinct plants as well as headquarters, QA Lab, ammo magazine and test range. The plants include Barrel, Ammunition, CNC component manufacturing, and the original two centers of Textile and Weapon Assembly. Additionally, War Sport has installed a state-of-the-art power distribution system that also conditions the power into the facility in order to prevent machine downtime.
While they haven’t yet achieved ISO verification, everything has been designed from outset to this end. Plus, they’ve got three Six Sigma green belts on staff.
Boswell and a couple of his managers took us on a tour of the campus. There’s been quite a bit of construction and we visited each plant in turn. We were not able to photograph every area of the campus.
This is the original LVOA oven alongside its state-of-the-art replacement used to Cerakote parts.
Recently baked receivers on the rack. Right next to this section, in a caged area is weapon assembly.
Steel rods which will eventually be processed into barrel blanks. The yellow crane above is slated to be installed to a movement system which will simplify the process of moving the steel.
They use this machine to cut the bore holes into the barrel blanks, prior to the rifling process.
War Sport uses the Button method to produce rifling in the barrels. This machine is used to add rifling to the barrel blanks by pulling the bit or “button” through the blank. The machinery also controls the twist rate introduced into the barrel.
These air gauges are used to measure barrel bore, high land and low lands.
They can also conduct Rockwell hardness testing on a round object like a barrel. Eventually, they plan to open the lab to other manufacturers to forensically test materials.
Pictures from the lab. War Sport utilizes a variety of highly sensitive equipment to insure they’ve received optimal steel for manufacturing, as well as test their machinery components and products.
Although we weren’t able to photograph the ammunition plant, in addition to manufacturing, they’ve also integrated a full QC lab. They can conduct pressure testing to SAAMI standards as well as component and lot testing. They’ll also be able to develop new loads. Once finished they’ll have two Oehler chronograph systems running.
This oven will be used to heat treat the barrels once they are rifled. Some will be contoured and finished into barrels while others will remain blanks and be sold to others for finishing.
Compensators are manufactured using a CNC.
A finished barrel next to a blank.
Barrels ready to ship out for coating in a ruggedized protective case. This helps protect them from shock during transit.
Compensators are also transported in a padded case. Compensators will eventually be offered to retailers along with other parts. Unfortunately, you still can’t purchase a handguard without a full upper.
This is the CNC manufacturing center, where compensators and barrels are machined and finalized. While War Sport purchases many commodity parts such as pins and springs from other manufacturers they do build their proprietary parts themselves.
One example of these proprietary items are bolt catches, seen here at various stages of production including a finished part.
War Sport also has an in-house machine shop to produce tooling as well as prototypes.
Eventually, we got a chance to speak with Adam Pini. It’s always great to visit with him and his enthusiasm for his new job was obvious.
This is where I want to be, I don’t want to be anywhere else. When I jumped into the car to drive to North Carolina, it was like Christmas Day. I am very excited about the opportunities presented here at War Sport. War Sport is a lifestyle and it suits me well.
Adam Pini
National Sales Manager
War Sport showed us a lot during our visit. Some of it was ready, and some work was still left to be done. According to Boswell, everything should be rocking and rolling by SHOT Show with ammo available late first quarter.
GunWebsites is currently a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo for their New Media patches. Modeled after press passes, the patches come in two sizes, and feature ‘News Media’, with the ‘s’ crossed out.
www.indiegogo.com/projects/new-media-patches
Columbia, SC, December 19, 2014 – Panteao is happy to announce the release of the first video with instructor Tatiana Whitlock called Kids & Guns with Tatiana Whitlock.
The NRA’s Eddie Eagle program is geared towards children from pre-kindergarten to 3rd grade. Panteao felt that there should be a video that helps parents to better deal with addressing firearms with their children, no matter their children’s ages.
“Kids & Guns is intended to reach a broader audience of parents that may or may not own a firearm. Maybe they are considering purchasing a firearm but they are concerned because they have children in their home. Or a spouse has issues with firearms in the home,” said Fernando Coelho, president of Panteao Productions.
Many firearms accidents can and should be prevented. Taking the mystery out of firearms, educating our children, and following strict safety protocols can make the difference. In Kids & Guns, Tatiana reviews the firearms safety rules, proper firearm storage, proper attitude and setting an example, specific age groups like toddlers to kindergarten age, pre-teens and teens, toy guns in the home, when friends visit, capabilities and consequences, and family business.
Kids & Guns is not a tutorial video on how to teach your kids how to use a firearm. This video will lay out a baseline of information that parents can make better decisions with.
Kids & Guns is available streaming to Panteao website subscribers and will be available on DVD after January 5, 2015.
Kids & Guns Product Page: panteao.com/product/kids-guns-tatiana-whitlock
Do you ever get that feeling someone is paying way too much attention to you. Did you ever think you may be drawing that attention because of some poor choices for your method and behavior while carrying concealed.
We run a boatload of students through our Concealed Carry Tactics class and one thing we always get them to do is a “peer review”. This is where they walk the line looking over each other’s method of carry. Some are better than others, but having someone give you a once over is worth it big time. There is a mutual benefit through the feedback, honest feedback. Then the other person becomes more familiar with common mistakes and what they look like for real.
There are so many things people do that give away the fact they are carrying concealed, but the most obvious is when the gun actually is recognizable through the clothing. You really only see this one with poor selection in clothing options, mainly too tight or too light in nature. However, another method of printing is through what we call a “uniform”. While you may not actually be standing their in your dress blues, you fit the profile. Traveling overseas taught me a lot about this and in some parts of the world I absolutely did not want to be associated with my fellow Americans. Just about every single one of them looked like they stepped out of an REI catalogue. It was actually a bit funny when you stopped to look at it and while working on vulnerability studies it was something I would look for on the bad guy side, so it makes sense we do the same thing.
While we may not be walking around in little clusters of catalog models, I still see a lot of people making poor choices of clothing. So, while yes you want to conceal the weapon well, you also don’t want to draw attention to how you conceal the weapon. A year in the life.
– Jeff Gonzales
Trident Concepts, LLC
Gunfighter Moment is a weekly feature brought to you by Alias Training & Security Services. Each week Alias brings us a different Trainer and in turn, they offer some words of wisdom.
Tactical Distributors is currently holding a Last Minute sale. Save 20% on all orders, and all orders over $79 qualify for free shipping. Use coupon code HOLIDAY20 to apply the discount. Also, if you want to see your order before Christmas, you must get it in by 1000 EST, December 23rd.
