Smith & Wesson has a new M&P15 MOE rifle This one is the M&P15 MOE Mid-Length MAGPUL SPEC Series with Magpul furniture and S&W/Magpul co-branded lower receiver (a forged lower based on the original Magpul billet lower). The MOE Mid- comes with the DVD set Art of the Tactical Carbine I and II along with the appropriate Magpul goodies.
As you are no doubt already aware, a substantial number of companies debuted new weapons this year at SHOT Show. Literally dozens, from the big names like Smith & Wesson, ArmaLite and Benelli to smaller domestic companies to those not as widely known or at least widely distributed here in the US (Caracal, Akkar). One of the pistols I took a look at was a 1911 frame built from the ground up by Cabot Guns of Pennsylvania for left-handed shooters. It’s the only true left-hand pistol on the market right now that I’m aware of. No doubt one of you Soldier Systems readers will have more to offer on the matter.
In fairness, I’m guessing I didn’t get as much out of it as some people might have, because I’m not a mutant. I’m right handed. This thing was smooth though, and had a very nice trigger break. The wood used on the grip was their own, which I thought was interesting (meaning it was wood from their own trees from their own property, behind the shop where they’re built). You don’t see that very often. They also take four months to build each gun, which is also not exactly standard. It’s made of 4140 billet steel, designed to exceed National Match accuracy out of the box, with their own walnut as mentioned earlier and also olive wood or box elder. The front sight they use is called the Rozic blind sight, which comes off the front of the breach face. Sights are tritium, white- or gold-dot.
“Twelve percent of shooters are left handed†said Cabot Guns President Robert Bianchin in an interview. “The industry has ignored the left-handed gun cohort and, while we do not make mass-produced guns, we will do our part to provide a true left-handed shooting experience for a select number of gun enthusiasts.”
If you want one, better get after it. If I understood them correctly they’re only building a few this year. I thought the Cabot representative at Media Day on the Range said a few dozen, the website says one hundred.
For more information, check out Cabot Guns on line. The South Paw is detailed on their website here.
-DR
Remember the Spartan Imports raffle we mentioned from SHOT? It apparently went pretty well, and Tactical Fanboy has the results, as well as pictures of the airsoft weapons painted and equipped to mirror what Dalton Fury carried on the ground after 9/11 (which several members of the team went by and signed at SHOT). Nice work for a nice cause, Spartan Imports and Elite Defense. A Soldier Systems Flunky is almost finished with Black Site, by the way, more on that soon. Check it out on Tactical Fanboy.
Weapons and books from the Spartan Imports, Elite Defense BLACK SITE raffle.
Pretty much as we expected, BCE was overrun with SHOT Show goers interested in BCE’s wares. You’ve probably heard of them before (we ran an article on their 2.0 a while back), but if not the simple explanation is this: BattleComp built something that combines flash suppression and recoil compensation into one piece (and yes, you can put a suppressor on there). The result, when fired, frequently results in what is referred to as “BattleComp Tourette Syndromeâ€. Nobody seems to expect just how well it will work, so there is always a sudden blast of profane admiration after shooting it.
Here’s a video of MilSpec Monkey shooting a weapon with the BattleComp mounted (part of the time one-handed, to show just how much it tames the recoil).
Here’s an M4 on full auto using a BattleComp.
Here’s another.
Don’t think that’s cool? Go to the BattleComp Facebook page. There’s a video embedded there of someone running an M249 SAW with a BattleComp attached and check out the lack of muzzle climb. Seriously. Go check it out. If that doesn’t impress you, not much will.
-DR
I like dogs. I like veterans. I like organizations that legitimately support injured or troubled veterans. So I love Paws and Stripes and thoroughly enjoyed my time with Jim Stanek and his service dog Sarge (both of whom you may have seen previously with Jim’s wife and Paws and Stripes co-founder Lindsay on Oprah’s ‘Ultimate Favorite Things’ episode, which they were nominated to attend by a Paws and Stripes veteran’s wife.)
Paws and Stripes was founded to pair service dogs with physically or emotionally injured veterans at no cost to the veteran. As good a service as that is, what makes it even more interesting is the source of the dogs “enlisted†for the canine therapy working dog program: they come from animal shelters, and in many cases could have been euthanized if not selected for service.
Al veterans are given the opportunity to select their own service dog, though the founder of Stars and Stripes jokes that it’s often the canines who make the selection. Selected canines are evaluated by Paws and Stripes trainers before being brought into the program—the veterans themselves enter an equipment contract to complete the training.
Jim Stanek and Sarge of Paws and Stripes
Veterans train with the dog and trainer throughout the program to strengthen their bond, to increase the understanding of the dog’s capabilities and to provide therapy. It also increases the veterans understanding about the canine’s instinct, natural pack tendency and so on. It takes approximately six months for Paws and Stripes to complete a training cycle.
As Paws and Stripes says, “Many organizations have a strict curriculum for their service dogs, requiring they learn the basic 86 commands associated with service dogs. Our enrollees, however, are not blind, deaf or paralyzed. They have unique disabilities that generate unique daily symptoms, so the dogs are trained custom to the veteran.â€
Often the simple presence and actions of a service dog mitigates or even prevents the onset of an anxiety, PTSD or similar episode the veteran might otherwise suffer. They have been trained to sense the onset of psychiatric disorders and will ground the individual or even bring them back from an episode by licking the veteran’s face, pawing or barking. As might be expected, they are very solicitous of their veteran’s needs and welfare, and will even assist or seek help for an incapacitated handler.
Right now the organization is looking for help from people with the right backgrounds. Support can include directed funds, general funds, expertise, gear for an auction, whatever. Right now they are in desperate need of a bookkeeper and a grantwriter. They Staneks and their friends are overtaxed as far as time goes now, though they are driven to succeed and don’t appear to take much time off.
“How can I rest now with these guys coming back with this hanging over my head?†Jim said during our interview. “This program can make a difference, and those guys deserve the help. I can’t slack off.â€
Watching the interaction between he and Sarge (a polite young lady of labrador, pit, pug, Catahoula and who knows what other mix), it was clear how well mannered, intuitive and helpful she was
They’re working on an auction now and have been talking to several big name companies to help out (including Larue, LWRC, Hornaday, Troy, Doublestar and several others). During SHOT the guys at Predator Tactical gave up a four thousand dollar custom 1911 pistol for auction and started the bidding out at $3,000 to raise money for Paws and Stripes.
Jim Stanek and the winner of the Predator Tactical pistol provided to auction for Paws and Stripes. Bidding started at $3k.
You can find more about Paws and Stripes on their website or on the Paws and Stripes Facebook page. Please take a look and consider supporting them.
-DR
German boot manufacturer has unveiled a Sage Green version of the popular Zephyr mid after requests from the USAF PJ community. Starting Spring, it will be available exclusively from AFMO with a full 8″ following later in the year along with more wide spread availability.
A lot of departments rely on bicycles for urban patrol. In fact, the Las Vegas strip is rife with them. To this end, Safariland has teamed All Terrain Bike specialists Kona to produce the new Patrol Bike 29er. Bike riders will know that the “29er” designation comes from the tire size. One feature that is cool is the sloping tube that makes it easier to mount and dismount.
