When I see a post on social media about “testing” I have to laugh. Taking a product out in the back yard or to a local range and putting a magazine through it isn’t testing. Neither is coming up with some one-off scenario like shooting a helmet with a threat it wasn’t designed for. Those demonstrations are often entertaining, but testing must be repeatable.
Machine developed at the National Bureau of Standards to test the endurance of women’s shoes, Washington DC, 1945.
Cloud Defensive has been hard at work in 2018, bringing their American-made Optimized Weapon Light to life. With the OWL just now starting to ship after years of development, they are now announcing the release of two hand guards as well. One to compliment the OWL and the other to compliment their existing line of Light Control Systems (LCS) along with both Surefire/Streamlight lights and switches – including the Surefire SR-07 and DS-07 switches. Along with all IR lasers and associated switches. And yes, the new rails are shipping now.
Dubbed the Cloud Optimized Rail (COR), it offers something no other rail currently does: It works on integrating the rail system around the remote switching for the lights/lasers. So the most notable feature is a recessed channel for mounting those switches, which clears up Field-Of-View (FOV) and substantially aids ergonomic use of the now-recessed switching for lights/lasers. The recessed mounting slot also protects the switches as well.
With side walls that are .100 thick (thicker than almost everybody else) and type III “hard-coat” anodizing, the COR series is incredibly strong and handles heat well.
CORv1 (OWL version) weighs in at 9.35oz with the supplied and proven Bravo Company USA barrel nut assembly. So the weight is very light and lock-up is extremely rigid. CORv1 moves the OWL forward for optimal positioning of the switch and gives ample space behind the light for back-up sights to me mounted. The CORv1 also supports their Light Control System (LCS) for Surefire (LCSmk1). With that, you can mount your LCS into the recess at the front of the rail and then run any Surefire light at any position you desire.
CORv2 (LCS/Surefire/Streamlight/Laser version) clocks in at 9.15oz again with the BCM barrel nut assembly. The switch recess is moved further back on the CORv2 to allow room to mount a variety of items in front of the switch. Including the B.E. Meyers MAWL, an L3 PEQ-15/ATPIAL/ATPIAL-C or a Steiner DBAL-series laser. There is also plenty of room to mount fixed or folding back-up sights in front of the switching recess. The recess itself fully supports the Cloud’s Light Control System (LCS) for both the Surefire and Streamlight weapon lights. The recess is also large enough to support the Surefire SR-07 and DS-07 switches as well. So the CORv2 is the more modular of the two offerings.
Interestingly enough, a MAWL or DBAL can be mounted to the recessed position, moving the lasers themselves lower into the rail and then allowing you to run push-button weapon lights such as the Surefire or Streamlight in conjunction with that, should not choose to use a remote switch. So users do not even need to utilize Cloud Defensive lighting products to benefit from the CORv2.
With dedicated rail options for both the OWL and for the LCS/other switches/lights/lasers, the world now has two more rails to choose from.
Both COR rails are 9.55” in length to support both 10.3 and 10.5” barrels with longer barrels being compatible as well.
Both COR rails are full compatible with low-profile gas blocks in both carbine and pistol-length configurations on direct-impingement weapons. But do note the COR rails are not compatible with the piston-driven weapons.
And finally, both COR models feature two QD sling attachment points on each side of the rail as well.
In their own words “We absolutely do not want a one-size-fits-all rail system. The rail system should work around the equipment a user mounts to it. That means tailoring the fit of those systems to the rail and developing solutions for specific setups. There is no reason to avoid the creation of purpose-built rails that offer substantial improvement for individuals with specific set-ups or needs. We’re sick of giving up optimal light/laser control positioning and ideal ergonomics. Historically that battle has been fought with the lights/lasers themselves and those things have been forced to work around the existing rail systems. In doing so, the user gives up optimization in exchange for a higher level of modularity. But that’s not always the answer. We looked at it differently. We can either fight the engineering challenges of perpetually making these sighting/targeting systems smaller. Or we can do that and work the rails around them at the same time to achieve the best-possible interface. Being that we are a weapon light and accessory manufacturer, we have the unique ability to shape the rails around the accessories and lights that we are making. They then integrate seamlessly. So COR came to life out of necessity and it also offers people the ability to really improve their setups, even if they don’t utilize any of our other lighting products at all”.
The COR series is shipping now and has a price of $209.99 shipped at www.clouddefensive.com
OVERVIEW
The RAID-X (Ruggedized Aiming/Illumination Device) offers smaller, lighter and superior performance. Powered by one (1) CR123 3V battery, the RAID-X features a red or green visible laser, near infrared (NIR) laser, NIR room Illuminator and variable NIR illuminator all co-aligned with one windage and elevation adjustment.
In addition to size and weight reduction, the RAID-X boasts ultimate beam clarity and uniformity aiding in target identification and situational awareness. The RAID-X power settings for lasers and illuminators are totally adjustable on the fly to end users preference and can be fine tuned together or individually to set the desired brightness in each mode. Once the settings are chosen they are automatically saved and stored until further changes are made.
Ergonomically located controls allow for full ambidextrous operation and ease of use. The NIR illuminator focus wheel provides rapid adjustment of beam divergence for various distances and mission requirements. An easy to read OLED display provides key information/mode status with automatic or manual brightness control and can be completely covered to eliminate unwanted light signature via sliding display shroud.
The RAID-X securely mounts low-profile to 1913 style picatinny rails using two shock nuts, without interfering with optics or iron sights, providing improved laser bore sight retention. Rated for use on multiple weapon systems.
FEATURES & BENEFITS
– Red/green VIS laser, NIR laser and NIR room/variable illuminators
– Lasers/illuminators all co-aligned with one adjustment
– Five (5) selectable pulse modes on VIS/NIR lasers
– Precise beam clarity for optimal recognition/identification
– Illuminator wheel adjusts beam divergence from flood to spot
– Selectable low/high power laser and illuminator settings
– Multi-function buttons provide on the fly laser/illuminator power adjustment
– Remote port accepts common pigtail plug switches
– Mounts to 1913 style picatinny rails via 2 shock nuts
– OLED display provides key status information
See RAID-X in the Wilcox Industries Booth #8303 at SHOT Show.
Ruggedized Frames with Interchangeable Protective Lenses Designed for Elite Forces
Carbondale, PA, January 18, 2019. Gentex Corporation, a global leader in personal protection and situational awareness solutions for defense forces, emergency responders, and industrial personnel will introduce the latest addition to its growing eyewear portfolio, Ops-Core Mk1™ Performance Protective Eyewear, at SHOT Show, January 22 – 25, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Manufactured in the USA, Mk1 eyewear was designed to meet the need for more ruggedized, mission configurable eyewear for elite forces. To deliver this unique solution, Gentex Corporation leveraged their over 50 years of experience in high performance optics manufacturing, and the fundamental design principles of their Ops-Core® brand; modularity, scalability, and user-driven design.
“The introduction of the Ops-Core Mk1 Performance Protective Eyewear demonstrates our dedication to strengthening and expanding our tactical optics offering to meet the changing needs of elite defense, law enforcement and security forces,” said Tom Short, vice president ground systems, Gentex Corporation. “Building on over a half century of experience in the design and manufacture of high performance optics for military aircrews and premium eyewear OEMs, Mk1 eyewear is an exciting new addition to our industry-leading line of Ops-Core helmet systems, communication headsets, and accessories all on display at SHOT Show.”
The durable aluminum metal frames are available in a variety of colors, with interchangeable lenses to support a wide range of mission needs, protecting the wearer’s vision and helping enhance and maintain their operational performance. Using the same lens technology as in their Gentex eye protection for pilots, current lens options for the Ops-Core Mk1 eyewear include clear, tint, clear and tint (dual lenses), laser dazzle, and high contrast; all manufactured at Gentex facilities in the U.S. and all tested in accordance with ANSI Z87.1. Future lens options will include Advanced Laser Eye Protection (ALEP), ballistic, and Advanced Variable Light Transmission (AVLT) technologies.
Also featured in the company’s booth at SHOT Show will be new and recently released Ops-Core products including the Ops-Core AMP™ Communication Headset, which provides 3D hear-through and advanced hearing protection in a mission configurable design; the Ops-Core FAST® SF Super High Cut Helmet, a high performance evolution of the Ops-Core FAST MT Super High Cut Helmet, with an 8% weight reduction; and the Ops-Core Special Operations Tactical Respirator, a low profile half mask respirator offering 99.97% particulate protection.
Visit Gentex Corporation in Law Enforcement Hall Booth #8109. To learn more about the Ops-Core Mk1 Performance Protective Eyewear, go to www.gentexcorp.com/MK1.
Thanks for supporting SSD in 2018!
We hope 2018 was a great year for you and that 2019 will be even better!
The Magpul® M-LOK® Dovetail Adapter – 2 Slot, 4 Slot and Pro Chassis Full Rail for RRS®/ARCA® Interfaces are lightweight, machined, mil-spec hard anodized aluminum mounting plates that are designed for M-LOK compatible hand guards, and they’re fully compatible with most accessories that use the RRS Dovetail Standard.
The M-LOK Dovetail Adapters feature multiple drilled and tapped locations for hardware installation that limit over-travel of accessories while also serving as reference points. They also have comfortable, yet functional, snag-resistant beveled edges. The optimally-placed recoil/impact mitigation lugs ensure the M-LOK Dovetail Adapter remains securely in place throughout the most rugged use and heaviest recoil impulses, making the M-LOK Dovetail Adapter a rugged, repeatable and precise mounting solution.
In addition, the rear of the 4 Slot and the Pro Chassis Full Rail Dovetail Adapters also include a hardware access point that allows easy removal of the front action screw on a rifle mounted to a Magpul Pro 700 chassis, mitigating the need to remove the Dovetail Adapter from the chassis.
Designed and manufactured in the USA.
Features
•Compatible with RRS Dovetail Standard compatible accessories
•Mounts directly to M-LOK compatible systems
•Precision machined aluminum construction
•Corrosion-resistant Mil-Spec hard anodized finish
•Multiple drilled stop locations to limit accessory over-travel
•Functional snag resistant beveled edges
Compatibility
•M-LOK forends and hand guards
•Accessories using the RRS Dovetail Standard
Color
Black
Pim de Waard is the inventor and he is going to be the 1st Dutch Long Arms licensee, placing it on the market.
A childhood dream. Pim de Waard, known to most shooters as the founder of Pirosport in Krimpen aan den IJssel the Netherlands, already began drawing guns as a young boy. At the age of five he made his first design, with the lines neatly drawn along the ruler. He showed it to his mother, with the kind request to bring that design to a factory to produce the gun. Obviously not much came of that.
A few decades later the situation is very different. Pim now builds long range rifles himself and thought of the summit: the King of 2 Miles competition in France, shooting at the unlikely distance of 3,225 meters. It was clear that he had to build a gun himself, but what should it look like? Pim invented a new bolt action system. Then he designed an actual rifle around it. There is only one prototype, with the baptismal name Ascalon, but that exceeds all expectations.
Simple
Like all good ideas, Pims bolt action system is simplicity itself. And like all simple things, it is quite difficult to explain. But we are going to try. We first have to look at what a bolt action actually does.
With most rifle systems, the bolt has two different movements when opened. First the bolt handle is turned upwards, and then the entire bolt is pulled backwards. When the bolt handle is raised, two things usually happen: the striker with the firing pin is cocked, and the extraction cam provides primary extraction.
You can write books about this notion, but with a bolt action it usually comes down to the following: the locking lugs and their counter pieces in the action are beveled. Thanks to this bevel, the upward movement of the bolt handle not only ensures that the bolt rotates, but also allows that it is forced a bit backwards by means of the extraction cam. The case, which was pressed against the wall of the chamber by the gunpowder gases, is then pulled out of the chamber a little. Hence ‘primary extraction’.
It is a wonderful idea, but sometimes it has its problems. For instance for long range shooters, the kind of people that only get interested by a target over a kilometer. To give a bullet a decent path at such distances you need a significant load. This can lead to problems with the primary extraction, especially if also the firing pin has to be cocked. And a jammed cartridge case often means the end of the game.
The starting point of Pim de Waard was to separate the cocking of the firing pin and the primary extraction. With that, he thought, the bolt could also be of a simpler design, with fewer machine operations.
Instead of two movements, Pim’s bolt makes three. To begin, the bolt handle is lifted up. As a result the firing pin is cocked and the two opposite locking lugs rotate free from their counterparts in the action. However, the bolt does not move backwards.
In step 2, the bolt handle pivots backwards relative to the bolts main body. This causes the main body to be forced backwards (we explain below how that works) and pulls the cartridge case out of the chamber – the primary extraction. Finally, in step 3, the entire bolt is pulled back, pulling the cartridge case completely out of the chamber. In practice, step 2 and step 3 merge almost unnoticed.
Lever
The secret of the primary extraction, and at the same time the essence of the invention, is the combination of a ring around the back of the bolt, and the bolt handle acting as a lever. The bolt handle is held on a vertical axis in the main body, and can thus be pivoted. At the top, the bolt handle is received into a hole in the ring with a pin. When the bolt handle is pulled backwards, the bolt handle rotates around its axis urging the ring forward, but the ring engages the action. As a result, the bolt handle pulls the bolt backwards by pushing away from the action through the ring. The bolt handle acts as a lever, with the ring as a support.
The ring also has another effect. It ensures that the bolt is exactly in line with the firing chamber at each shot. The bolt is supported at the front and back. This in contrast to conventional systems. This is important for long-distance shooters. If the bolt is not completely straight in front of the chamber, the bottom of the cartridge case is not fully straightened (we are talking about fractions of millimeters). This affects the internal and external ballistics.
Striker
Because of the construction of the bolt handle and the ring, there was no more room for a conventional (rearward) trigger connection with the striker. Pim solved that problem by moving the striker, de spring and the firing pin a few centimeters forward. Around the strikers position there is a rotatable bushing, so that the bolt has the same diameter along its entire length. This bushing prevents dirt and debris from fowling the magazine.
The striker works basically the same as with a normal bolt action rifle. The notch of the striker protrudes through an opening in the bolt. This opening is almost triangular, with the sloping side (the cocking cam) at the front. When the bolt is turned in step 1, the sloping side pushes the notch of the striker backwards until it is held by a corner of the opening. This causes the spring of the firing pin to be tensioned.
The different parts of the bolt (the front with the extractor and locking lugs, the striker with firing pin and spring, the bushing, and the back with ring and bolt handle) are held together by a cross pin, which in turn is locked by a spring-loaded ball bearing. Pim does not like half work.
The prototype rifle as shown has no ejector, so the empty cartridge case must be ejected by hand from the action. The rifle also does not have a magazine yet, so a new cartridge must be placed in the action by hand to be brought into the chamber. Otherwise everything works as intended, and that opens up a whole new range of possibilities.
In practice
Of course, having an idea is one thing. Another question is whether it works, and if so, what you can do with it. The question of whether it works is simple to answer. With the pictured prototype, having a 26″ barrel in caliber .338 Lapua Magnum, Pim has already shot a match in Slovakia, with very nice results at 1400 meters. The next hurdle was a test in Denmark at 2 kilometers. Due to terrain lay out impact detection was nearly impossible so he managed to land his bullets a few meters shy in front, but in perfect line with the target. This was only noticed the next morning when the range officer went and had a personal look at the target before the range opened again. It is apparent the accuracy is as desired as well as the operation which performed flawless And then there is the famous King of 2 Miles competition. Pim is already looking forward to it, but time is pressing. The contest is in April 2019, so in February the CNC fabricated pre-production rifle should be as good as done. That particular weapon will be in caliber .375 CheyTac.
Then there is the more practical side. Pim called in the help of Guus van der Kaaden and Online Patents BV. They first arranged a patent application to protect this idea, and Guus then consulted with a number of well-known manufacturers. Among others, Heckler & Koch and FN Herstal showed interest.
As things look now, a number of 10 rifles will first be produced and then expand production numbers later on. Suppliers will provide Pim with individual components (such that they are not subject to permits), after which Pirosport takes care of the finishing and assembly. Pim wants to provide the rifle with an easily interchangeable bolt and an barrel, so that it can be used for calibers from .243 to .408 Cheytac. For foreign countries, a company is sought that will license the weapon.
The first 10
As said earlier, after the pre-production rifle is finished, the first 10 rifles will be produced. These will be custom made to order with respect to color, caliber, barrel length etc. The rifle will be available in combination with 4 bolt head types:
Type A: suitable for calibers as .308 Win, .30-06, .280 Rem (evt AI), 6.5x55SE, .260 Rem, 6.5 CM etc. All calibers comparable to the breach face of the .308 Win.
Type B: suitable for the larger (magnum) cartridges like .300 WM, 7 WSM, 300 RUM etc.
Type C: suitable for the .300 Norma and the .338 Lapua Magnum.
Type D: suitable for the .375 and the .408 Cheytac.
Each of these 10 rifles will be engraved with “No. X of 10” and the initials of the owner integrated in the serial number
Interested in one of the rifles in this very limited edition? Make sure you hurry up with your order!
Based on the prototype we already sold a few rifles, purely based on the collectors value they will get. Please get in touch with Dutch Long Arms for more information:
guus@dutchlongarms.nl (licensing & sales)
Rifle
Finally, a few remarks about the rifle. To be able to test the bolt action system, a stock had to be made around it and yes, it works, and no, of course everything has to be different. Pim wants to explain a few things. The muzzle brake is his own design (and very effective – the kickback in .338 is not unpleasant). The installation of the bipod can be reversed, so that it can be fixed at 12 o’clock or at 6 o’clock. The steel hand guard is especially designed for heavy barrels and loads. If anything goes wrong with the weapon, it will be the barrel. The opening at the bottom of the hand guard will then cause broken parts to go downwards and forwards. This was designed especially because of the prototype as all risks should be avoided. Luckily all went well. The construction of the stock will not change much, other than esthetically. The cheek support in this prototype ensures that the bolt cannot be accidentally removed from the weapon; in later versions there will be a bolt stop. A later production version will also be given a magazine. There is no room at the bottom – that’s where the trigger is – so the magazine will probably be placed sideways on the action (very convenient when shooting prone). And if all goes as Pim plans, the owner will get to choose on which side this is. Also the ejection side of the cartridge can be set to the shooters preference. It’s clear, the Ascalon will provide years of craft fun.
