FirstSpear TV

1620 USA – Operator Cargo Pant

October 18th, 2018

1620 USA started life as Made in USA workwear brand, but like others in this space realized that some of their customers were military and law enforcement members who had chosen their clothing for both low viz assignments as well as off-duty wear. They’ve responded by creating some clothing more tailored to that crowd.

The Operator Cargo Pant is made of 4-way stretch Tweave and integrates low profile pockets as well as double knees.

Features:
– Gusseted crotch
– Durable water/oil/stain repellent finish
– Low profile cargo pocket with bellow and two way flap
– Extra-large zippered back pocket with angled top for ease of entry
– Left hand watch pocket compatible with XL size mobile device
– Military-spec shank button
– YKK zippers
– 3/4″ wide belt loops
– Modern fit

Fabric woven in the USA | Pant sewn in the USA

Available in Grey or Khaki, waists 30-40.

www.1620usa.com/collections/fall-2018-collection/products/operator-cargo-pant

TacJobs – Blackhawk Expanding, Seeks To Fill 10 New Positions

October 18th, 2018

Under the leadership of new President Joshua Waldron, Blackhawk is seeing a brand resurgence. Part of this is putting together a new team including these 10, key positions, right here in Virginia Beach. Some of the positions will also support Eagle Industries and Uncle Mike’s which are in the Blackhawk business unit as well. Visit the link for each of the positions to see full details.

Sales Operations, Business Development

This position is responsible for the sales of BLACKHAWK! products in a specified region. This position sells BLACKHAWK’s products and services with a thorough understanding of our company products in relation to our competitors and customer needs using as an influence to sell our customers our products to meet their current needs.

Sr Director, Product Development

The Sr Director, Product Development – BLACKHAWK, will act as a product General Manager to develop a three year product development roadmap for his/her portfolio of brands, heavily influenced by brand-right product development and consumer insights. This individual will use masterful brand-right product development that will result in new products driving 25% of revenue. Adept at influencing, this individual will ensure resourcing across operations, commercialization, digital, supply, and marketing teams around the globe.

Product Manager, Apparel

Product Manager – Apparel: BLACKHAWK is seeking a Product Manager to add to our team in Virginia Beach, Va. The Product Manager is responsible for managing all aspects of product development from concept development to commercialization for our line of Apparel. The ideal candidate will be an avid shooter and have significant experience in product development and managing the life cycle of products from concept to commercialization. Looking for an individual to aggressively grow the business by thoroughly understanding the marketplace, competition and by developing products that address global consumer and retailer needs.

Product Manager, Gun Accessories

The Product Manager – Gun Accessories will achieve annual top and bottom line metrics through new product development in support of the tactical products team’s strategy. This position will be responsible for leading many aspects of R&D, from conceptualization, validation, commercialization and launch. Additionally, the product manager will be responsible for managing the lifecycle of the product from inception, to design and manufacturing, to service and disposal.

Product Manager is responsible for executing near term product development initiatives and developing the long term new products pipeline. The Product Manager relies on an innovative skills set, personal drive and intimate knowledge of the category to define and create differentiated products that satisfy unmet needs of our end users. This leader should be familiar with instigating and analyzing market research to show whitespace—folding in these insights to create identifiable points of difference our customers appreciate that both professional and civilian users seek out. Ideally, this candidate will be an avid practical/tactical shooter with in depth knowledge for firearms, firearms components and usage. The candidate should have a prior background in the military or law enforcement and be able to easily lever their prior experience managing product development from concept to launch. Additionally, this position will support the Sr. Director Product Development—within the BLACKHAWK—to achieve all key metrics for the team.

Brand Manager

Vista Outdoor is seeking a Brand Manager for its BLACKHAWK! business unit to be based in Virginia Beach, VA. This position is part of a unique opportunity to help create brand strategy and direction for the BLACKHAWK! business unit from the ground up. You will be a crucial part of a fast-paced environment that is equal parts demanding and exciting. The Brand Manager reports directly to the Senior Director of Marketing and will be responsible for ensuring communications, advertising, product placement, sales support materials, and general branding is all in line with cohesive brand strategy. MUST either have direct experience in firearms industry or a closely related/beneficial industry. Brand Manager will serve as liaison to industry professionals, brands, influencers, and media to spread the BLACKHAWK! persona while also relaying market research and latest trends back to the Marketing team.

Senior Graphic Designer

Vista Outdoor is seeking a Senior Graphic Designer for its BLACKHAWK! business unit to be based in Virginia Beach, VA. This position is part of a unique opportunity to help create revitalized brand identities for all companies in the BLACKHAWK! business unit (BLACKHAWK!, Eagle Industries, and Uncle Mike’s are the three main brands). The chosen candidate will have a high degree of autonomy and be expected to bring well thought-out and creative design strategies to the table that accomplish both honoring past brand precedence while looking to the future image we are working to create. This position reports directly to the Senior Director of Marketing and will have one direct report (Associate Designer). The chosen candidate needs to be able to clearly demonstrate their experience with creating across-the-board company branding to span web, print, packaging, apparel, event materials, and more. A flexible and adaptable style is a must since this person will be overseeing the graphic design direction for a variety of brands.

Photographer/Videographer

Vista Outdoor is seeking a Photographer/Videographer to create a second-to-none content library for the BLACKHAWK! business unit (BLACKHAWK!, Eagle Industries, and Uncle Mike’s are the three primary brands). The Photographer/Videographer will have a unique opportunity to help define the visual representation of all brands within the BLACKHAWK! business unit as part of a sweeping brand revival. The selected candidate will have a high degree of autonomy to dream up the photo and video shoots they would like to tackle and will be encouraged to bring their own creative direction to the table. This position will answer directly to the Senior Director of Marketing and will work alongside a team of graphic designers, brand managers, social media specialists, web/eCommerce specialists, product designers, etc. This person needs to be filled with ideas that they’ve been wanting to tackle for imagery styles, cinematography styles, etc. as we work together as a team to break the mold of what has previously been seen as commonplace in the tactical industry.

Web eCommerce Specialist

Vista Outdoor is seeking a Web/eCommerce Specialist to help bring the BLACKHAWK! business unit’s online presence into the 21st century. You’ll have a unique opportunity to create an eCommerce strategy from the ground up to support both existing and new web-based revenue streams as we work to make our products more easily accessible and make the buying process more appealing, streamlined, and data-driven. You will also lead the efforts of three separate company website redesigns (BLACKHAWK!, Eagle Industries, and Uncle Mike’s — bonus points if they can all be done in tandem) with ample opportunity for input regarding the final outcome of the project. This position will spearhead collecting data from all digital revenue sources to help drive both increased sales as well as a more in-depth understanding of our customer base. The Web/eCommerce Specialist will report directly to the Senior Director of Marketing while working alongside the Sales team to ensure both departments are working toward common goals. This person needs to be ready to hit the ground running and bring valuable experience with digital revenue streams to the table in short order.

Associate Graphic Designer

Vista Outdoor is seeking an Associate Graphic Designer for its BLACKHAWK! business unit to be based in Virginia Beach, VA. This position is part of a unique opportunity to help create revitalized brand identities for all companies in the BLACKHAWK! business unit (BLACKHAWK!, Eagle Industries, and Uncle Mike’s are the three main brands). The chosen candidate will have a high degree of autonomy and be expected to bring well thought-out and creative design strategies to the table that accomplish both honoring past brand precedence while looking to the future image we are working to create. This position falls under the purview of the Senior Director of Marketing and reports directly to the Senior Graphic Designer. The chosen candidate needs to be able to clearly demonstrate their knowledge of how to create across-the-board company branding to span web, print, packaging, apparel, event materials, and more. A flexible and adaptable style is a must since this person will be overseeing the graphic design direction for a variety of brands.

Social Media Specialist

Vista Outdoor is seeking a Social Media Specialist to curate, direct, operate, and analyze the digital public-facing image of the BLACKHAWK! business unit (BLACKHAWK!, Eagle Industries, and Uncle Mike’s are the three primary brands). This is a unique opportunity to create a social media presence to represent a portfolio of established and respected brands from the ground up – a chance that not many digital marketers get in their career. The chosen candidate will operate with a high degree of autonomy and bring a wide range of cutting-edge social media strategies to the table with a fast-paced implementation schedule. The candidate will be required to work directly with Brand Ambassadors, Brand Partners, and Media Partners to ensure proper dissemination of approved materials throughout our network. This position reports directly to the Senior Director of Marketing and will work hand-in-hand with our in-house team that includes a photographer/videographer, two graphic designers, a brand manager, and a web/eCommerce specialist.

On This Day In SF History

October 18th, 2018

On this date in 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) history, our 2nd Battalion was activated October 16, 1991 at Fort Bragg, N.C. The 2nd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) is comprised of a headquarters company, three Special Forces companies and a forward support company. The battalion was nicknamed Bush Hogs due to its original alignment with the Africa area of operations, but that came later. The 48th man assigned to the battalion, I was on SOT-A 305, MID/2/3 SFG(A).

Currently, 2nd Battalion is regionally aligned with the central Asian states with a focus on Afghanistan. For the past 13 years, 2nd Battalion has participated in both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. The Bush Hogs is the only Special Forces battalion in the Special Forces Regiment to have multiple rotations and engagements in combat while maintaining other operational requirements in their area of responsibility.

Revision Purchases Power Tech Company, Protonex

October 18th, 2018

Essex Junction, Vermont (October 18, 2018) – Revision—a world leader in both soldier-worn and platform power solutions— has acquired Protonex Technology Corporation, a subsidiary of Ballard Power Systems. Protonex has deployed thousands of portable power solutions globally, and their products align well with Revision’s Nerv Centr® soldier power solutions.

The Revision® Nerv Centr® Power Management Systems are forward-thinking solutions for a wired battlefront, reducing weight burden and eliminating battery life uncertainty. At right is Nerv CentrSharePack™, an advanced lightweight, conformal lithium-ion power pack that integrates power provision and management into one unit. At left is the Nerv CentrSoloPack™, a rugged, high power density lithium-ionbattery offering high power density and state-of-charge display.

“In Protonex, Revision is acquiring an established player in the soldier power management solutions area. Their specialized product focus—particularly their power managers—perfectly complements Revision’s soldier power portfolio,” said Revision CEO Jonathan Blanshay. “With Protonex we are not simply acquiring their advanced technology, but also their talented workforce and engineering expertise. We will now be in an even better position to realize our vision of integrated power and data solutions to enhance warfighter survivability and lethality. Revision is a growth company that seeks complementary diversification; we’ve demonstrated this with expansion across every dimension of our business, but also through proactive acquisitions—including our purchase of MSA’s helmet business in 2012 and Panacis power systems in 2014. This is not just an opportunity to grow Revision’s power management capabilities; it’s also an ideal moment to invigorate Protonex’s established product lines.”

The Protonex® SPM-622 Squad Power Manager is a tough and compact device which weighs less than a pound and enables military units to optimize power for multiple electronic devices.  

In its history, Protonex has innovated in fuel cell design, invented the modern Intelligent Power Manager, and grown to become a leading provider of advanced power solutions for portable, remote, and mobile applications. Protonex’s commitment to providing solutions that overcome energy gaps for military, scientific, and commercial communities will continue.

For the immediate future, Protonex will operate under the Revision name as a stand-alone entity in Southborough, MA, under the continuing stewardship of David Long, General Manager. Current customer contracts and orders will be fulfilled as planned and Revision will take care to minimize disruption for customers and suppliers. Simultaneously, Revision will pursue business opportunities that leverage Protonex technology and know-how to provide increased capabilities and effectiveness to global warfighters.

 

SureFire Field Notes Ep. 35: The Operator Readiness Test, with Jason Falla

October 18th, 2018

Redback One founder Jason Falla is a decorated veteran of the Australian Defence Force who served 12 years in Army Special Operations Command with 6 years’ service in Australia’s Tier-1 Counter Terrorist and Special Mission Unit, Special Air Service Regiment. Jason has over 22 months of classified operational deployments conducting special operations missions globally including combat deployments to East Timor, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

During his military career, Jason was a subject matter expert in Special Forces Roping and Rappelling, Special Forces Climbing, Mountain and Cold Weather Operations, Vehicle Mounted Mobility and Maritime Counter Terrorism. Jason has extensive experience in counter-terrorist operations and has core competencies in the following: Close Quarters Battle, Hostage Rescue, Special Operations Medicine, Counter Terrorist Driving, Advanced Urban Operations, Low Visibility Operations, Land Warfare and Small Unit Tactics, Combat Shooting, Protective Security Detail, Explosive Breaching and Special Reconnaissance and Surveillance.

Jason holds civil instructor certifications the following: NRA Pistol Instructor, HK Pistol Instructor, HK Sub-Machine Gun Instructor, HK416 Armorer, HKMP7 Armorer, and Safariland Less Lethal Impact Munitions Instructor. Jason is certified in Intermediate SWAT (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police SWAT), Advanced Explosive Entry and Basic Explosive Handler (FETT), Mission Specific Advanced High-Speed Evasive Driving (ITI), Cross Fit Level 1 Certified.

www.surefire.com

Maxim Defense Introduces M-RAX, New Weapon Accessory Mounting Solution

October 18th, 2018

During SOFIC, Maxim Defense offered me a look at a project called M-RAX which is an attachment system for weapon accessories. Then, they updated me on the progress at TRIGRRCON. Today, after some final refinement and patent applications, they launched M-RAX.

Here’s the deal, M-RAX is compatible with M-slots. Yeah, you can figure it out, that means M- LOK slots. If you use M-LOK, you’ll want to take a look at M-RAX for your Picatinny rail sections.

What is nice about MRAX is that they are end-to-end stackable (2-6 length), giving you the option to create seamless, full-length MIL STD 1913 rail sections where you want them.

Additionally, they are easy to install and remove thanks to the spring loaded interface. You just use the supplied hex key to push the spring loaded hardware through the M-slot, twist 90 degrees to engage, release tension and then tighten normally. There’s no adjusting the height of the T-nut in order to get it to engage.

Length/Weight:
2 • M-Slot (3.145”) / 1.54oz
3 • M-Slot (4.720”) / 2.31oz
4 • M-Slot (6.295”) / 3.09oz
5 • M-Slot (7.870”) / 3.87oz
6 • M-Slot (9.445”) / 4.62oz

M-RAX are made from 6061-T6 Billet Aluminum and Hard Coat Anodize type 3 Class 2 in Black or FDE.

www.maximdefense.com/product/m-rax

Franklin Armory – BFSIII for AK

October 17th, 2018

Minden, NV, October 17, 2018 Precision firearms manufacturer, Franklin Armory®, has successfully adapted the patented Generation 3 Binary Firing System™ to the AK Platform.   Prototype triggers have undergone substantial field testing, and the final configuration will be placed into production soon.  The BFSIII™ for the AK platform is slated to start shipping the first quarter of 2019.  Pre-Orders for the BFSIII™ for AK will begin on October 19th.

Franklin Armory® President, Jay Jacobson, stated, “The Franklin Armory® engineering and design staff have really worked hard to create a fabulous BFSIII™ for AK that works in as many AK platforms as possible.  Given the variety of clones out on the market, this was no small task.”

Fast on the heels of their previous release of the BFSIII™ for CZ Scorpion; Franklin Armory® proves again to be the premier manufacturer of Binary triggers with six models currently available.

The Gen 3 Binary Firing System™ was released for the AR platform in August of 2016. All BFSIII™ triggers feature a three-mode safety selector. Mode 1 is “Safe.” Mode 2 is “Semi” for semiautomatic. And Mode 3 is “Binary” mode. In Binary mode, the firearm will discharge one round on the pull of the trigger and one round on the release of the trigger. All BFSIII™ models feature the ability to negate the release round in Binary mode by modulating the safety selector back to “Semi” mode or “Safe.” Additionally, all BFSIII™ are engineered to prevent the operator from modulating the selector to “Binary” mode while holding the trigger back in “Semi” mode.

AK-C1 MSRP: $499.99BFSIII™

If you would like more information about this topic, please see our website at www.franklinarmory.com.

Come to the NASGW EXPO Booth 1829 to see the new triggers for yourself!

BE Meyers & Co To Showcase Warfighter Solutions At NGAW Industry Day

October 17th, 2018

B.E. Meyers & Co., Inc. will be participating at the Annual National Guard Association of Washington (NGAW) Industry Day on October 18, 2018. The event will be held at Camp Murray in Tacoma, WA from 0900-1400 in building 80, where B.E. Meyers & Co. will be showcasing their full line of laser and warfighter systems. Attendees are invited to visit the B.E. Meyers & Co. exhibit to see the MAWL® (Modular Advanced Weapon Laser) featuring their patented VCSEL technology; the GLARE® series of Ocular Interruption lasers for Hail and Warning; the IZLID® NIR and SWIR pointers and illuminators; and the BOARS®-M2 modular optic and accessory rail for the M2 series. They will also be displaying their full catalog of Flash Suppression Solutions.

To schedule a meeting with the B.E. Meyers & Co. Team at NGAW Industry Day, please contact info@bemeyers.com.