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Archive for January, 2018

ORWM 18 – ENO Guardian DX Bug Net

Sunday, January 28th, 2018

Eagles Nest Outfitters introduced their new Guardian DX Bug Net. It features two entry points as well as their DAC Featherlite spreader bar which helps with ventilation and keeping the sides (and bugs) away from you.

www.eaglesnestoutfittersinc.com

ORWM 18 – Mübiliex MUHL

Sunday, January 28th, 2018

The Mübilex MUHL was developed by two outdoorsmen who wanted to keep things lightweight, yet enjoy a comfy camp chair while in the wild.

M – Multi

U – Use

H – Hybrid

L – Light

One of the weight saving measures is that part of the frame is comprised of hiking poles which many use.

Coming soon to Kickstarter.

www.mulibex.com

ORWM 18 – Survive Outdoors Longer

Sunday, January 28th, 2018

The new Mag Striker is a chunky magnesium rod that you won’t drop when you’re wet and cold. It comes with a striker which includes a bottle opener.

www.surviveoutdoorslonger.com

ORWM 18 – Outdoor Tech Mossy Oak Line

Sunday, January 28th, 2018

Outdoor Tech has introduced a Mossy Oak line for those who need all of their gear to be camouflage .

It includes items like their Turtle Shell 3.0 – Waterproof Wireless Speaker which can run for 20 hours thanks to its built in power bank (3600 mAh).

Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2018

Sunday, January 28th, 2018

On the way back to the East Coast from Vegas, I stopped in Denver for the combined snow show and Outdoor Retailer Winter Market. I had always attended the outdoor retailer shows in Salt Lake City, so I wanted to check out this new venue. I guess because it’s a combined show, the space seemed cramped. Although I was only on the ground for one day, there was plenty to see. I will give you some highlights of what I ran across.

This is the first of three OR shows in Denver this year. The summer market will be in July and the next winter market will be in November.

MCTSSA Marines Conduct Combat Skills Training

Sunday, January 28th, 2018

By Sky M. Laron, Public Affairs Officer,
Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif.—U.S. Marines with Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity sharpened their combat skills at multiple training locations across Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton Jan. 19.
“Every Marine is, first and foremost, a rifleman. All other conditions are secondary.” This adage from Gen. Alfred M. Gray, 29th Commandant of the Marine Corps, has come to embody the fighting spirit of the Marine Corps.

“No matter what our occupational specialty is, we are all Marines—we are all warriors,” said Capt. Joshua Lum, MCTSSA Operating Forces Support Group operations officer and training event safety officer.

Lum, an infantry officer by trade, said the primary focus of this training was developing Marines’ mental and physical toughness, which was echoed by fellow event leaders.

“Every Marine at MCTSSA has a duty to the Marine to the left and the right of them, and the basic combat skills that we performed during our event will keep Marines in an always-ready mentality,” said Sgt. Megan Birge, MCTSSA Network Operations Center Telecommunications and Data Systems administrator and training exercise officer-in-charge. “This mentality will ensure Marines are constantly ready for the fight.”

Many of the Marines who fill the ranks at MCTSSA work on satellite antennas, radars, radios and computer systems enabling the technical support required by the operating forces. Yet, these skills are only part of what makes them effective in any battlespace.

Several dozen MCTSSA buddy teams negotiated through five stations that not only tested their physical and mental toughness, but required them to use land navigation, combat lifesaver, radio configuration and combat reporting, aquatic endurance and hand-to-hand combat tactics.

“Marines at MCTSSA are from technical backgrounds or non-combat backgrounds; we had participation from ranks of Private First Class all the way to the Sergeant Major and the XO,” said Birge. “It just goes to show that no matter the [military occupational specialty] or rank, training like this is important and needs to be done across all types of units in the Marine Corps.”
With all the technology and advancements at Marines’ disposal, it is also important to remember the basics, said Birge.

“Overall this was good training,” said Sgt. Spencer Trawick, MCTSSA Network Operations Center network administrator. “In combat, you are going to be doing much more than just your job.”
Trawick, who was raised in the Rocky Mountains of western Montana, added that he was used to hiking and land navigation because he did that type of thing growing up. It was getting his hands on the radios and refreshing his combat lifesaver skills that he found most beneficial, he said.

“Taking a break from the job and getting back to the baseline of what I signed up for was great,” said Trawick.

MCTSSA Marines trained on mountain tops and underwater, and traversed dry creek beds and ravines, putting their combat skills to the test. At the end of the day, these technical experts will go back to their laboratories, raydomes and office spaces to perform the vital task of supporting the operating forces, but their own warrior skills will be front of mind.

MCTSSA, the only elite full-scale laboratory facility operated by the Marine Corps, is a subordinate command of Marine Corps Systems Command. MCTSSA provides test and evaluation, engineering, and deployed technical support for Marine Corps and joint service command, control, computer, communications and intelligence systems throughout all acquisition life-cycle phases.

180119-M-RY346-1003

VIRIN: 180119-M-RY346-1003

Sgt. Spencer Trawick, MCTSSA Network Operations Center network administrator, treats a simulated sucking chest wound at the combat lifesaver station during combat skills training Jan. 19, aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sky M. Laron)

180119-M-RY346-1002

VIRIN: 180119-M-RY346-1002

Maj. Clayton MacAloney, MCTSSA Transmissions Engineering branch head, performs aquatic-based physical training or “Pool PT” during combat skills training Jan. 19, aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sky M. Laron)

180119-M-RY346-1004

VIRIN: 180119-M-RY346-1004

Staff Sgt. Wendel Matney (left), MCTSSA operations chief, lands a pugil stick strike while sparring during combat skills training Jan. 19, aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sky M. Laron)

180119-M-RY346-1001

VIRIN: 180119-M-RY346-1001

Sgt. Tekiera Edwards (left), MCTSSA assistant warehouse chief, and Pfc. Anthony Chavez (right), MCTSSA inventory management specialist, negotiate the land navigation course at the School of Infantry–West during combat skills training Jan. 19, aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sky M. Laron)

SHOT Show 2018 – IWI TS12

Saturday, January 27th, 2018

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The TS12 is a semi-auto bullpup shotgun and the first shotgun in the Tavor family of weapons. Chambered for 12 gauge shotshells, the TS12 features a 15+1 capacity (12+1 with 3″ shells), and, in a design that is somewhat reminiscent of the SRM Arms Model 1216, feeds from a rotating drum of three 5-round magazine tubes that must be manually cycled as one tube is expended. Being a bullpup shotgun, despite its 28″ overall length, it manages to house an 18.5″ barrel. A monolithic Picatinny top rail allows for the attachment of iron sights and/or optics, while M-LOK slots on the 3 and 9 o’clock positions of the forend allow for the attachment of accessories.

The TS12 features an ambidextrous design, with feed ramps placed on both the left and right of the weapon for loading shells into an empty mag tube, while the charging handle can be switched from the left to the right, with the use of a tool. A crossbolt safety is placed a bit above the pistol grip, which can also be reversed for left or right shooters, as can the ejection port.

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We had a bit of time with the TS12 at Range Day, and it’s a weapon that takes some getting used to, due to its design being a bit unique. Loading the tubes is simple: you load the shells into a mag tube, then depress a lever within the trigger guard (opposite the trigger) to unlock the drum to switch to a new tube. A round is automatically chambered when a fresh tube is switched to the top position. A button to the rear of the feed ramp can be depressed to eject shells from the mag tube. It’s a fairly hefty weapon with a large rubber buttpad, so it it absorbs recoil pretty well, and its semi-auto operation means you can throw a wall of lead down range pretty quickly, especially when you get used to transitioning to a new tube, after a bit of practice.

iwi.us

SHOT Show 2018 – TBA Suppressors – Sicario Ruger MK IV

Saturday, January 27th, 2018

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TBA Suppressors was displaying their wares at a booth in the 3rd floor NEXT Pavilion, and although it was the name of this product that caught our attention more than anything, after seeing what TBA had to offer we came out pretty impressed. The Sicario is a .22LR suppressor designed specifically to interface with a modified Ruger MK IV to function as an integrally-suppressed pistol.

Despite being integral, the Sicario consists of a quick-detach two-piece system. The standard spec barrel on the Ruger is replaced with a ported barrel with a 1/2×28 thread pitch for mounting the monocore and sleeve.

The end cap of the Sicario is broached for an allen wrench, although TBA designed it so you can disassemble it using the Ruger magazine, if need be.

TBA also offers a ported adapter that threads onto any other 1/2×28 threaded .22LR barrel, which interfaces with the core and sleeve exactly like the replacement Ruger barrel. This allows the suppressor itself to be mounted to virtually any compatible .22LR firearm. In the gallery above, you can see the adapter, then mounted onto a S&W M&P .22 Compact, and finally with the Sicario suppressor mounted to the pistol.

www.tbasuppressors.com