Over the past year TYR Tactical® gathered extensive user feedback from the successful development and fielding of their Huron™ 40L Jungle Pack. They then utilized this end user input to revise their current Huron™ 32L Assaulters Sustainment Pack. The result paired the lightweight, functionality of the Jungle Pack with an internal frame, feature rich system.
The Huron™ 32L Assaulters Sustainment Pack (HRN-ASP032-M) is set to relaunch Tuesday, May 16th on Soldier Systems Daily.
NRA Show Review:
The 2017 NRA Show in Atlanta was a joy to behold. Unlike SHOT, the folks walking the Show floor are the end users, the real deal ‘gun culture’. Unlike the SHOT Show which is oriented towards the dealer/distributors of firearms and related hunting gear, the NRA Show is all about show and tell for the members of the National Rifle Association. This year was of interest for a number of reasons. First the election of Donald Trump has calmed the nerves of the gun owning public. As clueless as the left is about why they lost, make no mistake the five million member strong NRA was a positive factor in the fact that Trump won. For the left to attack firearms ownership and still expect it to ring true for most of the heartland is just plain stupid. The anti-Second Amendment attitude does not sell in the states between the Socialist North East and the Left Coast.
A look at the folks walking the floor was quite educational. First, the bulk of people present were males over the age of fifty. However, more than any other NRA show that I have attended in my lifetime females were in noticeable attendance. Not just the wife tagging along with their hubby, but single and even groups of women, active in the shooting/gun culture. Trust me when I tell you that the CCW movement in the USA has had a profound impact on women. Realizing that with equality comes the responsibility to protect themselves; days of expecting a man to protect them is over. Life is about change, and we have little choice sometimes in the direction our lives must flow.
The second demographic that was very noticeable was the presence of people of color. The NRA has always been a strong supporter of equal rights; even back in the day when civil rights was not always popular especially with the Democratic Party. It was impressive to see both women and blacks asking intelligent questions about firearms and their use. I will wager that during the three days of the NRA Show more people were armed in that building than anywhere else in the USA. And, these folks packing heat all were carrying loaded firearms. In the course of the three days, not one loud noise was heard. Despite the complaints of the ‘anti gun crowd’, it was proof that people can be not only safe but responsible with concealed sidearms.
As a product ambassador for Colt Firearms, I was constantly having people coming up to me in the booth and asking questions about their guns, and they tended to all be loaded. Another thing that struck me was that if you took all the AR-15 (MSR’s for the gun culture political correct) and related accessories out of the show, the show would be less than half the size that it was. The reality is that nearly half of the gun culture has embraced the AR platform firearm. I do know some folks that do not own AR-15 style firearms, but damn few. When I moved to the mountain West, I knew that hunting rifles and handguns would be common, what surprised me was that nearly everyone owns an AR. Often more than one. The other thing that came to light was not a surprise at all: Mr. Obama was the best firearms salesman in history. Sales of the ‘black rifles’ has slowed to a trickle after the election. Nearly everyone in the retail end of the gun business will tell you sales have nearly come to a halt. Ammo demand has also slowed dramatically, prices are finally becoming more reasonable. Handgun sales continue to be solid, again directly related to the CCW market. New introductions of firearms at the NRA is becoming more common as much of the industry has tired of the strangle hold the NSSF has on the industry via the SHOT SHOW. Cost of the SHOT Show soars every year, and most vendors are tiring of the process.
This years NRA show introduction of pistols like the Beretta APX, FNH 509, H&K VP9SK, or Springfield Armory XD-E, and you can see the demand for quality handguns remains strong. The XD-E is directly oriented towards an small, flat, single stack 9X19mm pistol that is ideal for the AIWB crowd. If you plan on shoving your CCW sidearm into an inside the waist ban holster that is pointed at your balls, the XD-E a great choice. The gun that was my pick at the NRA Show was Wilson Combat’s new X9 pistol. What most folks want in a CCW sidearm is a 15 shot 9X19mm pistol the size and weight of a Clock 19, but with the controls, trigger, sights and accuracy of a 1911. The Wilson Combat EDC-X9 is just that, beautifully made of the best materials, a pride to own, but with a price tag more in tune with the Rolex crowd, not the Timex variety.
Overall, the flavor of the NRA show and the ‘gun culture’ was somewhat laid back, in tune with the change of politics in the USA. It seems that when a Republican takes the oval office, gun sales slow; put a Democrat in office and gun sales soar. There are some good deals in guns, ammo, and accessories to be hand in the coming months, hide and watch.
– Ken Hackathorn
Ken Hackathorn has served as a US Army Special Forces Small Arms Instructor, Gunsite Instructor, and NRA Police Firearms Instructor. He is currently an FBI Certified Firearms Instructor, Certified Deputy Sheriff with Washington County SO, Ohio, and a SRT member and Special Response Team trainer. Ken has trained US Military Special Operations forces, Marine FAST and SOTG units and is a contract small arms trainer to FBI SWAT and HRT.
Ken has provided training to Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies and been active in small arms training for the past 25 years. He has written firearms related material for Guns & Ammo, Combat Handguns, Soldier Of Fortune, and currently American Handgunner and contributed to at least six other gun/shooting journals. Ken was also a founding member of IPSC and IDPA.
Gunfighter Moment is a weekly feature brought to you by Bravo Company USA. Bravo Company is home of the Gunfighters, and each week they bring us a different trainer to offer some words of wisdom.
Waconia, Minnesota – Nordic Components announces the NCT4, an entirely new handguard system for short-barreled, suppressed AR-15s. This patent-pending design allows users to extend the length of their handguard when using a suppressor.
The NCT4 comes in two lengths, with either a 6.7″ or 9.5″ handguard to give maximum coverage on 7.5″ or 10.5/11.5″ barrels. The removable shield provides over 6″ of suppressor coverage and additional rail space. Both sections are fully M-LOK compatible and feature a seamless continuous top rail. Suppressor shield mounting is toolless, requiring only the push of a button to unlock the shield.
Fully compatible with standard AR15-pattern upper receivers and able to accommodate most suppressors, the NCT4 is the ultimate in protection, modularity, and mission-specificity for the suppressed short-barreled AR rifle.
“The current trend is for long handguards on AR-15 rifles, generally out to the end of the barrel. This allows more rail space and better mounting locations for accessories. Short-barreled rifles (SBRs) and AR pistols give up this option. However, Nordic Components set out to add a handguard extension when running SBR/Pistol AR-15s suppressed. The result is the NCT4 Suppressor Shield,” said Casey Knutson, Vice President at Nordic Components.
Nordic Components is currently taking pre-orders for summer delivery at NordicComp.com.
Despite stories all over the Internet about a Marine Corps deployment to Norway where every weapon is suppressed, the service isn’t adopting suppressors across the board. It is part of a Marine Corps Warfighting Lab experiment. Nothing has changed from the update we gave you two weeks ago.
On another note, Mr Woodburn was asked during a Q&A period about when we should expect the test report for last year’s suppressor evaluation. He said that it should be ready by Fall but that the Marine Corps’ suppressor priority was for its Medium Machine Guns. Scuttlebutt suggests that the Marines noted a decrease in range during the evaluation when used with the M4 and M27. Furthermore, Mr Woodburn mentioned that the Marines are interested in finding a suppressor that is compatible with the M27, which could be construed as further evidence of the Marine Corps’ intent to field more M27s. Or, it could mean that the IAR would be next in line after the suppression of the medium machinegun fleet.
There still isn’t a requirement for additional suppressors in the GCE. Until there is, this is just an experiment.
ORLANDO, FLORIDA – Black Aces Tactical (BAT), an American manufacturer best known for its patented custom shotguns, is excited to announce the release of the company’s new Po’ Boy suppressor for 5.56 AR15.
At just $199 retail – with even the least expensive silencers on the market coming in at nearly double the price – customers are finally now able to purchase a quality suppressor at less than the cost of the required NFA tax stamp.
“For years, the suppressor industry has been producing an increasingly complex and costly product with little change in performance,” said Eric Lemoine, CEO of Black Aces Tactical states. “We were confident we could manufacture a simple yet rugged product that meets and surpasses expectations, while being affordable for gun owners.”
Named the Pro Series 56 “Po’Boy,” partly for its price and partly as a nod to Lemoine’s Louisiana roots, the suppressor features a number of details only found on much more pricy models offered by other manufactures.
Perhaps more intriguing than its cost is its efficiency. The Po’Boy quiets the 5.56 AR15 by more than 30 decibels. It’s fully automatic-capable on both 16” and limited 12” barrel lengths and boasts a 2,000-degree Cerakote finish. Further, to combat a top complaint about suppressors, the Po’ Boy was designed to be fully serviceable with an AR15 stock wrench.
“Through ingenuity and innovation, Black Aces Tactical has used a combination of time-tested design and modern technology to produce a suppressor that is as strong as it is quiet and affordable,” said Lemoine.
For more information about Black Aces Tactical, contact Eric Lemoine at 407-630-9359, email sales@blackacestactical.com, or visit www.blackacestactical.com
Several new Magpul clothing and headwear items are now shipping.
11MAY2017 – Wisconsin – American Defense Mfg® will be showing and participating at the inaugural SOF Select Show May 16-18 at the Westin Harbour Island Hotel, in Tampa, Florida. Additionally, on the evening of Tuesday, the 16th, the event will host a social hour and fundraiser for the Special Operations Care Fund (SOC-F) which will include a really special rifle for raffle. In Chief Shadle’s memory, American Defense Mfg® built “Shady Actual” based on the “ShadyMag” working in conjunction with Law Tactical, EOTech®, and Blue Force Gear®. Raffle tickets will only be available for this rifle at SOF Select & at the social.
About Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Brett D. Shadle:
Chief Shadle was born on March 17, 1982 in Harrisburg, PA. He was a 2000 graduate of Upper Dauphin Area High School starring on his basketball and soccer teams. Fulfilling a lifelong dream to become a Navy SEAL, he entered the Navy in July 2000. During his military service he completed many deployments around the world in support of the Global War on Terrorism. Chief Shadle was a highly decorated combat veteran with numerous awards including two Bronze Star Medals with Valor. A superb naval leader, he died in a training accident Thursday, March 28, 2013.
About Special Operations Care Fund (SOC-F):
The Special Operations Care Fund (SOC-F) is a 501(c)3 non-profit, 100% volunteer, charitable organization that generates funds for the families of wounded or killed Special Operations Forces (SOF).
Our mission is to “fill in the gaps” of the care of the Special Operations Forces (SOF) community. We raise money via events and unique engagements; linking donors, industry, and SOF end users together. Funds generated from the events support Brain Injury Treatment not covered by Tri-care or the VA, SOF Gold Star Kids Camps, SOF Marriage counseling, and emergency needs as they arise. Once we have covered out internally funded initiatives, we donate like-run charitable organizations that support the Special Operations Community.
We are average American’s who care deeply about the Special Operations Community, and we created SOC-F to make a difference in the lives of the families of those who have given so much.
About American Defense Mfg®:
American Defense Mfg® was founded with an idea and a lot of hard work. What followed was the QD Auto-lock that has become the standard for QD mounting hardware. All American Defense Mfg® products are 100% designed and built in Wisconsin.
All of our products are designed by shooters with one goal in mind – quality.
Moving forward, we have evolved into a premier manufacturer of AR-15 platform rifle, that we consider “The Gentleman’s Work Gun.” With a high level of attention to detail, an eye for style, but a demand for performance, our UIC line of rifles & pistols are serious tools, for serious people.
