During a tour of BCM’s factory, owner and CEO Paul Buffoni takes Larry Vickers through a few steps of Bravo Company’s renowned quality control testing.
Click here to check out their other BCM Factory Tour video.
Vickers Tactical – Quality Control At the BCM Factory
March 13th, 2019Gentex President/CEO Jumps with Red Devils to Mark 125th Anniversary and Launch Next Quarter Century of Innovation
March 13th, 2019March 12, 2019
Carbondale, PA, March 12, 2019. Gentex Corporation, a global leader in personal protection and situational awareness solutions for defense forces, emergency responders, and industrial personnel kicked off its 125 year-anniversary last week with company president and CEO, L.P. Frieder doing a tandem jump with The Red Devils, the official parachute display team of both The Parachute Regiment (The Paras) and the British Army. Conducted in DeLand, Florida, the jump marks past accomplishments, including its pivotal parachute production, and launches the company’s next quarter-century of innovation and excellence.
Established in 1894 with the construction of its first textile plant, the company leveraged its material science and manufacturing expertise to produce silk cartridge bags during World War I, then parachutes during World War II, which directly led to the development of the nation’s first hard shell helmets for jet fighters in 1948. This firmly established Gentex as the global leader in helmet systems for defense forces and solidified its enduring mission of providing personal protection and situational awareness solutions for defense forces, emergency responders, and industrial personnel.
“Our evolution is a direct result of listening to our customers and providing them solutions to their problems,” said L.P. Frieder, president and CEO of Gentex Corporation. “We’re all proud of this and the many notable programs we’ve supported over the past 125 years, including the recent USMC Enhanced Combat Helmet (ECH), USSOCOM Ops-Core FAST Helmet programs, and now the F-35.” Frieder added, “We’ve stood for innovation, quality, and reliability, which will continue to define us in the future as we address the issues of the ever changing, and increasingly challenging environments our customers work in.”
As Gentex embarks on its next quarter century, the company will further its focus on mission effectiveness, integrating new technologies into their helmet system platforms, as well as continued expansion of its optics, hearing protection, communications, and respiratory capabilities and products.
“A key aspect of our 125th anniversary celebration is making a positive difference in the lives of our customers and the communities that have supported us and made our success possible,” said Frieder. “Employees at each of our five global facilities will be holding special fund-raising events over the course of our anniversary year.” Frieder added, “I couldn’t be prouder of our employees who are further contributing to the great work that charities are doing in support of the sacrifices many of our customers have made.”
Other members of Gentex’s leadership team, including Chairman of the Board, Peter Frieder and Heather Acker, Executive Vice President and CFO, also participated in the anniversary jump, along with special guest, Travis Haley, a veteran Force Reconnaissance Marine and CEO of Haley Strategic Partners.
Gentex partnered with The Red Devils in 2016 to help support The Paras and the British Army, both long time customers of Gentex Corporation, and to promote their common goal of advancing parachuting and skydiving safety. Gentex provides their Ops-Core FAST Carbon High Cut Helmets and Ops-Core Mk1 Performance Protective Eyewear to The Red Devils to use during their promotional water jumps and for team training.
More information about the company’s 125 years of innovation and its charitable programs may be found at www.gentexcorp.com/125.
Mission Spec Releases MagRack5 – Lite
March 13th, 2019Mission Spec has released the slimmer version of their signature chest rig as the MagRack5-Lite. This lighter weight version of the original MagRack5 is nearly identical except for the subtraction of the laser cut PALS wings.
The MagRack5-Lite can be used as a standalone piece of gear (with the addition of Mission Spec RackStraps™) or can be integrated into a plate carrier setup such as the Essentials Carrier 2 (EC2)™ or Armor Carrier 2 (AC2)™ also available from Mission Spec.
The MagRack5-Lite uses industry standard buckles and buckle patterns to make integration with other gear as easy as possible.
Available now in a large variety of solid colors and camouflage patterns. All Mission Spec items are 100% designed, tested, and manufactured in the United States with US-sourced components and are Berry Compliant.
missionspec.com/products/magrack5-lite
Max Michel Takes Home First Place Finish at Caribbean Open
March 12th, 2019NEWINGTON, N.H., (March 12, 2019) –SIG SAUER, Inc. congratulates Team SIG Captain, Max Michel for his first place finish in the Carry Optics Division at the 2019 Caribbean Open held February 8th – 10th at the RL Training Center in Caguas, Puerto Rico.
“Max is setting a high bar for Team SIG for the 2019 competitive shooting season, and we are very proud of his dominating performance in the carry optics division,” began Tom Taylor, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President, Commercial Sales, SIG SAUER, Inc. “As a professional shooter for Team SIG, Max has developed a great partnership with our product engineers. Using his invaluable insight and optics experience as a premier competitive shooter, SIG SAUER Electro-Optics has developed the ROMEO3MAX Open Reflex Sight that he’s currently competing with, and we are looking forward to bringing it to the commercial market.”
To claim his first place finish at the 2019 Caribbean Open, Max competed through 15 courses of fire, winning 14 using his P320X5, the newly developed ROMEO3MAX open reflex sight, and SIG SAUER Match Elite Pistol Competition Ammunition.
“Once again I ran the ROMEO3MAX Open Reflex sight throughout the Caribbean Open and it performed flawlessly. The weather conditions throughout the competition were intense and the functionality and capability of the sight were impressive as I was able to easily transition through the stages,” added Michel. “I am really looking forward to the commercial release of the optic in July and have no doubt it will quickly become the premier optic of the action shooting sports.”
The ROMEO3MAX is a compact, open reflex sight featuring a 30mm Max round lens design for superior field-of-view, a special red-notch filter for vivid red dot and unrivaled optical clarity, 6 MOA dot size for rapid target engagement, 12 illumination intensity levels, MOTAC activation, and up to 20,000 hours of runtime. The sight is machined from aircraft grade aluminum in a matte black finish, with a side-loading battery tray, and waterproof (IPX-7 rated).
The SIG SAUER Match Elite Pistol Competition Ammunition used by Max Michel in the Caribbean Open is available for purchase at sigsauer.com/store.
Blac-Rac’s 2nd Idaho Annual Invitational Wrap-Up
March 12th, 2019Take a break and enjoy watching our new video from Blac-Rac’s 2nd Idaho Annual Invitational. We’re just a group of likeminded companies and individuals who get together each year to talk shop, hunt, fish, UTV, ATV and just enjoy the wilds of Idaho. Gear and guys from NEMO Arms, Blac-Rac Weapons Retention Systems, MCM Firearms, American Suppressor Association, G9 Ammo, US Night Vision, Fox Pro Callers, Boreal Mountain Anoraks, Western Power Sports, Sedona Wheels and Tires, and Tops Knives.
There is also a special tribute to our fallen friend Tommy Collins who was an industry executive with Gemtech, Sig Suppressors, and NEMO Arms. Tommy was a Green Beret, Ranger, and Airborne, father, friend & warrior we all looked up to. A man surely missed by all who knew him. Rest well brother until we meet again!
Military Trivia Night At Adventure Brewing Company in Fredericksburg, VA on March 23rd
March 12th, 2019
Some friends are hosting military trivia night on Saturday evening, March 23rd at the Adventure Brewing Company in Fredericksburg, Virginia. It’s a regularly scheduled event.
To sign up, visit facebook.com/events/353961225452250.
USSOCOM Selects Barrett Firearms Manufacturing MRAD as New Advanced Sniper Rifle
March 12th, 2019
USSOCOM has made the following announcement regarding the purchase of the Advanced Sniper Rifle:
Barrett Firearms Manufacturing Inc., Christiana, Tennessee, was awarded an estimated $49,936,300, five-year, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price contract (H92403-19-D-0002) for the purchase of advanced sniper rifles in support of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $387,234 are being obligated at the time of award. The work will be performed in Christiana, and is scheduled to be completed by March 2024. The solicitation was posted on the Federal Business Opportunities website under “full and open competition” and six proposals were received. USSOCOM, Tampa, Florida, is the contracting activity.
The ASR replace the Precision Sniper Rifle manufactured by Remington. The new ASR is the Barrett Multi-Role Adaptive Design and will fire the 338 Norma Mag, 300 NM and 7.62 NATO cartridges.
US Military Buys Aimpoint FCS 13-RE Fire Control System
March 12th, 2019MALMÖ, Sweden – Aimpoint has been awarded a contract to supply their FCS 13-RE Fire Control System to the U.S. military. The new agreement is a firm, fixed price contract for $24 million (USD). The FCS 13-RE system will be used as the primary fire control on the newest version of the 84mm Carl Gustaf – the lightweight M3-E1 MAAWS, produced by SAAB Dynamics.
The FCS13-RE is a direct view, Dynamic Universal Reflex Sight, which utilizes an integrated laser range finder and ballistic computer to give the gunner an aiming point corrected for range, type of munition, terrain angle, and environmental conditions. In addition to the 84mm Carl Gustaf, the system can also be utilized on other crew served weapons including 40 mm high velocity grenade launchers, and 12.7 mm (.50 caliber) heavy machine guns. The FCS13-RE provides a very high probability of first-shot hit on both stationary and moving targets at extended ranges and utilizes a very intuitive user control interface. The system can be enhanced with modular magnification and thermal imaging components and is compatible with all generations of military night vision equipment.
The selection of the Aimpoint FCS13-RE for use on the M3-E1 Carl Gustaf followed extensive tests and evaluations conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Army’s Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) headquartered at Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey.
“Having delivered over one million M68CCO close combat optics to the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force since 1997, Aimpoint has proven to be a highly reliable supplier to the U.S. Armed Forces” said Brian Lisankie, President of Aimpoint Inc. “This latest contract for electronic Fire Control Systems shows that Aimpoint has continued to increase our technical capabilities, and to offer new cutting-edge products for use by our most prestigious military customers.”
“In combination with the new lightweight M3-E1 Carl Gustaf, the FCS13-RE greatly increases the lethality and survivability of troops in the field. The ability to quickly and accurately place the first shot directly on target with a high degree of certainty represents the true value of this system” said Thane Smith, Military Sales Director at Aimpoint Inc.
Deliveries of the Aimpoint FCS13-RE are scheduled for 2019. The system will be fielded by the U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Special Operations Command.
Aimpoint is the leading manufacturer and innovator of red dot sighting technology. Learn more at www.aimpoint.com.
