Archive for the ‘Advertiser’ Category
FirstSpear Friday Focus: 9/11
Friday, September 8th, 2023Safety Bulletin: Light Bearing Holsters for Pistols
Thursday, September 7th, 2023NEWINGTON, N.H., (September 7, 2023) – SIG SAUER is reminding consumers about the risks associated with the use of light-bearing holsters, which have been involved in a number of alleged unintentional discharge incidents. Due to the large openings in these holster designs around the trigger (necessary for accommodating the bezels of attached weapon lights), fingers or foreign objects may be able to enter these holsters and contact the trigger. This vulnerability may be exacerbated by the use of a light-bearing holster without a compatible weapon light attached.
Placement of a firearm in a holster does not relieve the user from the requirements of proper trigger discipline, and safe firearms handling practices.
Selection of a proper holster is the responsibility of the user and special care must be taken to ensure a chosen holster complements safe handling practices (including adequate trigger protection) and other philosophy of use considerations. Holster manufacturers routinely publish warnings about the vulnerabilities of light-bearing holsters, including warnings printed directly in the manuals for these products, and stand-alone bulletins. Examples are reproduced below. If you choose to use a light-bearing holster with your firearm, you should review these warnings closely and ensure the additional risks are acceptable given your intended use.
Blackhawk! T Series Holster Manual Warnings
SAFARILAND 7TS Series Holster Manual Warning
Safariland Service Bulletin | Advisory for Handguns with Lights and/or Lasers Attached (published October 21, 2005)
Certain specific models of light-bearing holsters have also recently been subject to Safety Bulletins issued by the manufacturer relating to firearm retention issues. These retention issues have been observed to contribute to a risk of unintentional discharge of holstered firearms under certain conditions. Any concerns regarding such holster issues should be directed towards the holster manufacturer directly.
Safariland Safety Bulletin | Safariland® 7TS™ GEN 2 ALS Light Bearing Holsters for Sig P320 / P320C and Surefire X300U (published August 15, 2021)
Safariland Safety Bulletin | Safariland Duty Holsters 7000 Series for Streamlight TLR 7 and similar-sized light attachments (published November 8, 2021)
Safariland Safety Bulletin | UPDATE: Safariland Duty Holsters 7000 Series for Streamlight TLR 7 and similar-sized light attachments (published March, 18, 2022)
As World’s Hottest Temperatures Continue, Qore Performance, Inc.’s Thermoregulation Products Protect Those Operating in Harsh Environments
Thursday, September 7th, 2023The company’s wearable ICEPLATE®-enabled vests, sleeves, and backpacks have nearly eliminated heat stroke and other heat-related health and safety issues while increasing productivity.
Knoxville, TN — With the World Meteorological Organization declaring earth just experienced the hottest three months on record, and with extreme heat still here in September, Qore Performance, Inc. www.qoreperformance.com, offers a solution to beating the heat with its wearable hydration and thermoregulation technologies. As summers continue to get longer, as previously recorded in 2021 and 2022, Qore Performance’s products offer a multi-purpose hydration and cooling solution for your body, designed for those who face extreme weather-related work conditions, as well as those who participate in outdoor sport activities.
“Our products harness a concept we refer to as ‘consumable thermoregulation’ which is a completely unique approach to thermoregulation,” says Justin Li, Co-Founder and CEO of Qore Performance. “From wearable safety vests and plate carriers, to sleeves, backpacks and wearable flasks, we’re improving and changing how people function in harsh environments.”
Invented out of necessity by Justin Li, Co-Founder and CEO of Qore Performance, who was a former law enforcement officer in Southern California, he needed a solution to maintain an ideal body temperature so he could function at his best ability in harsh climates. Fast forward to today, Qore Performance provides products, such as the ICEPLATE® Curve, a hard cell water bottle that carries your drinking water while simultaneously using it as a cooling element for your body. Fill the ICEPLATE® Curve with water and freeze it overnight before placing it within a variety of Qore Performance’s ICEPLATE EXO® Military Plate Carriers or Safety Vests for a multi-purpose cooling and hydration solution. For cold weather applications like skiing, snowboarding, and hunting, ICEPLATE® Curve can be filled with hot water.
Those who wear personal protective equipment (PPE), such as hazmat and CBRNE suits, safety vests, fire-resistant clothing, body armor, and helmets worn by soldiers can experience restricted airflow as PPE traps heat, making it difficult for the body to regulate its temperature. This can lead to overheating, dehydration, and even heat exhaustion or heat stroke. According to a report from the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch, there were over 1,800 heat-related illnesses among US military personnel in 2019 alone. The total cost of these injuries in terms of medical expenses, lost productivity, and disability payments is estimated to be over $1 billion annually.
In civilian settings, heat injuries are also a major concern for workers who wear safety vests in hot and humid environments. According to a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the estimated annual cost of heat-related worker injuries and illnesses in the US is around $2 billion, with most of these costs due to lost productivity and wages rather than medical expenses.
“Since 2017, our commercial customers have worked more than 5,000,000 hours without a single heat incident, preventing hundreds of hospitalizations,” says Li. “Our products are designed to keep those facing extreme conditions safe while maximizing comfort and productivity.”
For instance, one of Qore Performance’s top customers is Dutch Bros Coffee Arizona. The summer before Dutch Bros Coffee Arizona purchased and implemented the use of Qore Performance ICEVESTS, they had over 30 heat-related incidents. Some team members required more advanced medical treatment, not only creating a labor shortage, but also affecting productivity and long-term employee health. After using Qore Performance’s vests, they had zero heat-related issues. Work capacity increased by 15-25% with less rotation of outdoor staff required.
Qore Performance’s commercial clients include Boeing, FedEx, and Gopher Resources as well as fast food workers at Raising Cane’s, Shake Shack, HTeaO, and 7Brew Coffee, among others. For more information and to view the company’s full product offerings, visit www.qoreperformance.com.
DARC Selects L9 Mfg. as the Official Tactical Rifle of DARC
Thursday, September 7th, 2023L9 Manufacturing (L9 Mfg.) and Direct Action Resource Center (DARC) are Pleased to Announce an Unmatched Brand Partnership for the Training and Firearms Industry. DARC has Selected L9 Mfg. as the Official Tactical Rifle of DARC.
L9 Mfg., aims to be the trusted choice for the professional end-user and the community they serve, by producing safe, reliable and superior rifles tailored to meet their operational needs. Since 2014, L9 Mfg., the parent company of SOLGW, have been dedicated to providing high-quality, American-made M4 and MK10 firearm platforms and accessories that have proven craftsmanship and performance. As a leader in the firearms industry, L9 Mfg. instills confidence and trust in their clients through innovative design, extensive data collection, rigorous product testing and accuracy. L9 Mfg. stands with the professional end-user by offering a lifetime warranty and a service promise to support and replace, any issued firearm platform that has been used in the line of duty.
DARC was founded in 1996 as a private research lab for leadership, tactics, and technology integration. For 27 years, DARC has been committed to professionalism, discretion, mission specific training experiences, and the accompanying equipment research and development. By specializing and focusing on the peer/near-peer conflict, DARC is always anticipating and searching for unconventional and effective solutions to current and emerging threats. DARC is committed to finding positive outcomes for clients through their tailored training programs and applicable technology solutions. Collectively, with carefully selected cadre, real-world experiences, training methodologies, facilities, and service culture, DARC has created an environment for innovation that is inimitable in the training industry.
L9 Mfg. and DARC believe in the importance of well trained and equipped professionals. This brand partnership will enhance DARC training programs for clients by incorporating L9 Mfg.’s firearm platforms. Providing clients the opportunity to use the L9 Mfg. rifles during training at DARC offers a unique test and evaluation lab in a high- stress environment.
“Both L9 and DARC use a data and results driven approach to solve real world problems. This alliance accelerates our efforts to increase both the reliability of the platform and the operator by rapidly fielding concepts into a demanding environment that either validates or refines the solution. There’s no participation trophy. It either works, or it doesn’t. And our job is to sort that out in training and testing rather than a real world encounter.”
Mike Mihalski, L9 Mfg
The complementary capabilities of L9 Mfg. and DARC will authentically identify emerging operational demands through training and evaluation. This holistic approach will generate innovative solutions streamlined for the professional user. DARC and L9 Mfg.’s commitment to continuous improvement and pursuit of excellence, ensures this brand partnership will be the flagship of mission-specific advancements in firearms production and training resources for the benefit of the professional end-users.
“For the past 49 years, I have professionally and personally carried and used, an AR15 in variety of environments and configurations. I have experienced the trends and witnessed the evolution of the platform first-hand. Since 2020 I have personally been evaluating the L9 Mfg. rifle. When an off the shelf rifle performs at a custom built level, it gets my attention. Several things are important to me when it comes to selecting a platform to use. Number one is quality- it must be built with quality components, at spec tolerances and maintain functionality. Second is reliability, third is accuracy and fourth is who is manufacturing it. There are a lot of great AR15’s on the market now – it wasn’t always so. What solidified the selection of L9 Mfg. as the official DARC platform was the opportunity to meet the armorers building the rifles- they are the difference. Observing firsthand their attention to detail and tenacity, is hard to express in words but it’s tangible. Some call it grit, others character. I know that when I am running an L9 rifle, that the armorers who assembled it as if it was for themselves and that the company stands 100% behind their product. It is reassuring to deal with a person instead of a corporation and then also experiencing personable customer care as an individual. I think their platform is one of the best I’ve handled to date and the armorers are incredible. Bottom line is— people and performance; L9 is both and it is rare.”
Richard Mason, DARC
For more information on L9 Mfg. please visit www.L9mfg.com
For more information on Direct Action Resource Center (DARC) please visit www.darc-usa.com.
Edgar Brothers Awarded Contract to Supply Alternative Individual Weapon System to UK MOD
Thursday, September 7th, 2023
Edgar Brothers is delighted to announce that we have been awarded a Contract to supply the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) with the Alternative Individual Weapon (AIW) System, following a highly competitive trial process.
The AIW will consist of three elements:
– Rifle System: Rifle and Signature Reduction System
– Optic System: Low Power Variable Optic (LPVO), Mini Red Dot (RDS) and Emergency Back Up Sight (EBS)
– Training System: Safe Blank Firing System (SBFS) and Marker Round Training System (MRTS)
As the Prime Contractor and UK Distributors, Edgar Brothers will be utilising a range of battle-proven products from suppliers from around the world to deliver the chosen solution.
These include:
– Knight’s Armament Company (KAC) and their KS-1 Rifle, PRT suppressors, and Safe Blank Firing System (SBFS)
– Vortex Optics and their 1-10x LPVO
– Aimpoint and their ACRO P-2 MRD
– Reptilia and their AUS Mount, ROF 90 Mount, Dot Mount & various other accessories
– Magpul and their PMAG, MBUS PRO EBS and other accessories
– Simunition and their line of FX Conversion Kits and PPE to work with the in-service MRTS ammunition
As part of the initial requirements, the Contract will also include several firm requirements Edgar Brothers must undertake to improve Social Value in the UK, these will cover the five key themes stipulated in The Social Value Model.
Mike Newman, Director of Edgar Brothers, commented, “Project Hunter is an extremely complex programme that pushed the limits of innovation for the modern personal weapon system, yet remained practical for industry to implement. As a testimony to Knights Armament and Edgar Brothers’ dedication, plus our industry partners Vortex, Reptilia, Aimpoint, and Magpul, the KS-1 rifle system was born and has earned recognition after undergoing rigorous testing. The base weapon, combined with market-leading Surveillance Target Acquisition (STA) and ancillaries has now set a new standard.”
Newman continued, “As with every programme we undertake, Edgar Brothers’ main goal is to enhance the soldiers’ capabilities to effectively perform their mission. We are now looking forward to working alongside the Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) team to bring the system into service. This Contract win strengthens our growth trajectory and provides us with the opportunity to expand our team by hiring exceptional talent from our local community. We are privileged to supply what we believe to be the finest personal weapon system in the world to the UK MOD.”
Col Paul Cummings, DE&S Dismounted Close Combat Portfolio Leader, said: “Project Hunter has been a fabulous example of close collaboration between the user community, Defence Equipment and Support, and industry to deliver game-changing capability at pace. This will deliver improved lethality into the hands of the Army Special Operations Brigade and is the latest in a range of improved capabilities being operated by the new Ranger Battalions. We look forward to continuing to work closely with Edgar Brothers as we move into the production phase.”
For more information about Edgar Brothers and our products, please visit:
Edgar Brothers will the full system on display at DSEI, booth H2-588.
Amer Sports, Owner of Arc’teryx and Salomon Files for US IPO
Wednesday, September 6th, 2023According to a report by Bloomberg, Amer Sports has confidentially filed for a US initial public offering which could value the business somewhere around $10 billion. With plans to offer stock by early next year, they are said to be seeking somewhere between $1 billion and $3 billion.
Currently, the majority share of Amer Sports is owned by China’s Anta Sports Products Ltd which purchased the company from a Finnish group in 2019 for $5.2 billion. Other members of the Amer Sports ownership group include Tencent Holdings Ltd and Canadian Chip Wilson, founder of Lululemon Athletica Inc. Interestingly, there is currently more Canadian ownership now of Arc’teryx than there was before the Anta Sports group purchased the brand.
The report states that “Representatives for Anta and Amer Sports declined to comment.“
215 Gear – Safariland Drop Leg Holster Adaptor
Tuesday, September 5th, 2023Designed to mount any Safariland™ holster or QLS plate, allowing for holster drop and CANT. Other OEM or aftermarket systems allow for holster drop, ignoring the ability to allow for rearward CANT of the pistol grip. By adding negative CANT into the pistol, it provides a streamlined draw of the pistol. To achieve a streamlined draw, CANT the pistol grip rearward, until your forearm and wrist, while in a straight line, naturally drop to your pistol grip. If you have to angle your wrist, you are reducing economy of motion and slowing you draw. The OEM Safariland™ QLS never achieves a neutral or zero, at best at 5º positive CANT.
Our system provides a rock solid clamp onto your belt, for both left and right handed shooters. Additionally built into our base are slots to accommodate the original Safariland™ leg strap, or the 215 Gear™Leg Strap.
Includes: 6061 Aluminum adapter Base Plate, Universal Mounting Adapter, four U.SA. made #8-32×1/2” Adapter Mounting screws, three U.S.A made #8-32×1/2” holster/QLS mounting screws.
Does not include: Installation tools or thread locker.
Additional accessories for purchase:
-Replacement 8-32×1/2” screws for mounting your holster or QLS plate.
-Loctite 242 Single Use thread locker.
-Leg Strap
Made in the U.S.A/ Berry Compliant Made with 100% U.S.A 6061 Aircraft Grade Aluminum.
Anodized matte FDE or Black.
www.215gearstore.com/safailanddroplegholsteradaptor
Be advised of other manufactures products that say “Made in the USA”, but do not specify “Made in the USA with USA materials”. We only use USA materials with certifications. These are the same materials specified for aerospace applications. The difference is almost a 50% difference in materials cost. Words matter.
SIG SAUER P320 Now Available in California
Tuesday, September 5th, 2023NEWINGTON, N.H., (August 31, 2023) – SIG SAUER, Inc. is pleased to announce the first-ever release of a California-compliant P320 – hailed for its unmatched modularity, unprecedented accuracy, and uncompromising reliability, the P320 is one of the most sought-after firearms on the market today. The P320-M18 (P320-M18 CA) was recently added to the California roster and is now available at California retailers.
“The California P320-M18 is an exciting, long-waited, new release from SIG SAUER as it’s the very first opportunity for California enthusiasts to finally own a P320,” said Tom Taylor, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President, Commercial Sales. “Additionally, Californians can now own the sidearm of the U.S. Military. The P320-M18 CA shares the same features as the firearm that was awarded the U.S. Army contract for the Modular Handgun System (MHS), and is in service with the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines.”
The P320-M18 California Compliant (P320-M18 CA) is a 9mm, striker-fired modular pistol featuring the P320 Fire Control Unit (FCU), a coyote carry length grip module, a coyote-tan PVD coated optics-ready stainless-steel slide with SIGLITE front night sights and removable night sight rear plate, coyote-tan colored controls, and ambidextrous manual safety. The P320-M18 CA FCU can be exchanged between grip modules, slides, and other accessories, and ships with three 10-round magazines.
P320-M18 California Compliant Specs:
Overall Length: 7.2 in
Overall Height: 5.5 in
Overall Width: 1.6 in
Barrel Length 3.9 in
Sight Radius: 5.8 in
Weight with Magazine: 28.1 oz
The SIG SAUER P320-M18 California Compliant is now shipping and available at California retailers. To learn more about the pistol visit sigsauer.com.
